Day Seven - The Family Keeps on Growing!

Today was our last day of teaching at Ebenezer Hall. We had another short night as we were up at 6:00 A.M. to be ready to go at 7:30 A.M. We went directly to the Hall and when we arrived there were just a few there as we arrived at 8:30 A.M. Now folks by now you should understand that there are three time zones in Sierra Leone – the one that is recognized all over the world G.M.T. Time – there is the W.M.T. which is what is called white man time and it agrees with GMT – then there is B.M.T. and that is black man time – which simply means – a starting time of 9:00 A.M. on BMT can mean it is 10:00 A.M. according to GMT or WMT – in other words a starting time means nothing to the Sierra Leonans.

What happened next was just outstanding – because only a few were there the four of us were able to actually sit with different ones and ask them about their story of when they were baptized – into what were they baptized – what church they attended, etc. There was Dan Byers in a discussion with a fellow from a local Bible School who had two Masters Degrees – there was Dan Barker with two and sometimes more military chaplains who were part of a denominational group – there was Jimmy Lee moving from one person to the next sometimes running into me doing the same. As the crowd grew Dan and Dan were in intense teaching and Jimmy and I made it to as many as we could and sat down with them to reason with them. This is called personal evangelism – was it working?

Yesterday, Jimmy and I had the assignment to talk further with John Kabul and Dan and Dan had the assignment to talk with Mohammad – a Pentecostal who had been doing some teaching – he was a former Muslim and works part time at the Radio Station as an interviewer. He called himself Rev. Mohammad. I had talked with him about the title Reverend and Jimmy hit this in one of his lessons – as a result he dropped the name Reverend. We knew he had a good heart to that so we agreed that Dan and Dan would spend time with him while we worked with John Kabul on some edification issues – he is such a great learner and he is doing such a good job of teaching. Again, personal evangelism and personal edification – would it work?

For one hour and forty-five minutes we taught one on one or one on two or one on three or sometimes two of us one or two of us on two and so on – we were really doing teaching – it was one of those experiences that you never forget. However, we needed to get started because we had to be out of the hall by 2:00 P.M. We agreed that each of us would only speak 30 minutes so we could be done on time. Dan Barker started and he picked right up where he left off yesterday – knowing Jesus through faith which is developed by hearing and then believing and then repenting and the confessing and then being baptized – not only did he say it he stopped and had them write down the steps and the verses to back up the steps – then he closed and stated “Now you cannot say on the Day of Judgment that no one ever told you the plan of salvation given by the grace of God.” You can say that you heard the plan of salvation and even wrote it down BUT decided not to follow it. The room was quiet.

Dan Byers follows with his last lesson on the family – Dan has had to have great patience this whole week – he had to humble himself to stay focused on the issues of the family when all around him was the teaching of first principles and the constant teaching about one baptism, one body, etc. I know of no one who could have stayed as focused as he did in his subject matter. He did a great job of bringing out points about how to raise children as God would have them to be raised – just as newborn babes in Christ are to be raised. He brought his series to a close with great points – and several scriptures to back these points up – again the folks in the room sat somewhat quietly.

We did not take a break and Jimmy then started his lesson on “How to Change a Church”. Jimmy did what Jimmy does – preached his heart out – he kept driving home the points he had been making all week that there is but one body – and this body is where the saved are and that body is body of Christ – if you are in a “church” that is teaching another doctrine – worshipping improperly – etc. then you are not in the body of Christ. Jimmy relates so well to these folks over here – they were again “glued” to his every word – they were quiet just as with the other two lessons – were some getting this?

I NEED TO SAY SOMETHING BEFORE I GO ANY FURTHER ABOUT MY LESSON – DID THE PERSONAL EVANGELISM WORK – YES! WE HAVE FOUR WHO WERE BAPTIZED TODAY – WE ACTUALLY STOPPED THE LESSON BECAUSE THREE HAD STATED THEY WANTED TO BE BAPTIZED AND ONE OF THEM WAS MOHAMMAD WHOM I MENTIONED EARLEIR – CHRISTIAN ASGILL CAME TO THE FRONT AND TOOK THEIR CONFESSION – ONE A TIME AND OFF THEY WENT TO BE BAPTIZED!

It was decided that I should adjust my lesson to actually summarize our lessons and then bring out the points that I had prepared about apostasy for today. This I did and closed us out with who makes what we are – what makes us what we are – who are we – all a review of the week’s studies.

After my lesson more personal evangelism started – the result one more soul baptized – at least three more seriously considering their conditions. We will continue to monitor them because we are to see some of them Sunday in the different congregations where we are to speak.

We got back to the hotel after a lunch at a restaurant called Delightful – which it wasn’t! Anyway we were all so tired that a shower felt good and a nap. Later then a snack and our prayer together and now it is 11:02 P.M. and we are truly winding down.

One week of teaching publicly in an open hall – several hours of personal evangelism – several hours of edification – what does God do – gives an increase of 22 souls. Three of those baptized were teaching at Calaba Town or Garrison Street. Why were they teaching there if they needed to be baptized? All of them had been “immersed” but not “baptized correctly” – that is something that we found out on this trip – the babes that we left here last year were just that – babes – they did not think through that an immersed person could actually not be a scripturally baptized person. As a result they met men who had been baptized and did not study baptism but studied about proper worship. Now I must tell you John Kabul knew this as no one at Wellington was teaching who was not scripturally baptized. Do you remember the concern we had last year that those who had obeyed the gospel were being left to be devoured by Satan? Well Satan has tried but thanks be to God folks like you helped send men like us over here to be messengers to edify and teach further. As a result spiritual growth and more knowledge have occurred.

Tomorrow (Saturday) is a preparation day for all the places we will be going on Sunday – Jimmy will be at Wellington – Dan and Dan at Calaba Town – I will be at Priscilla Street and then we are hoping to meet up at Garrison Street. It will be a long day – and then off to start phase two of our trip – the teaching at Priscilla Street.

Thank you again for your support and your prayers which we need very much.