Bible Worker evangelism, Bible Worker Fund, Florida, New Port Richey Adventist School, Plant City, raising money for Bible Workers, self supporting ministries, seventh day adventist, Tampa, tampa adventist academy, William Earnhardt
Many exciting things have happened since my last newsletter! Here is a picture of Preston getting baptized at Tampa First SDA Church. God has also blessed with two
baptisms from my studies at Tampa Adventist Academy, as well as Maretta joining the Plant City SDA Church on profession of faith.
After studying and being baptized, like many others, Preston wasted no time getting busy in service for Jesus and His Church. Preston has joined the Community Service Center at Tampa First, helping others in need.
In Plant City Maretta has found one friend and one family member, who are now studying with us to be baptized.
So many of the students and Tampa Adventist Academy enjoyed our Bible chain referencing classes and Bible studies, that they wanted to continue studying during together during the summer! On the left Isa, who was in my evangelism class at TAA, is giving the study on the hope of eternal life to our summer Bible study group, which included kids from the community as well as the church school. A few of the other kids from TAA also presented studies during the summer class.
Last Spring, Rose, who was in my Bible chain referencing class, shared the Gospel presentation with her cousins, and Harold made his decision to be baptized! I am currently following up with him and his family.
I also have several small study groups going on every week. One group is on Friday nights with several people who have no church affiliation. Recently four of them made their decision to be baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist Church! We are now doing baptismal studies.
At Plant City, the pastor and I are both teaching a New Believers class with 8-12 seekers every Sabbath. I am also helping some families from Plant City who are reaching their family and friends.
While God is opening all kinds of doors right here in Tampa and Plant City, I am also very thankful he is allowing my ministry to spread across Florida. I also have a Bible chain referencing class in St. Petersburg with about 10 students.
Last week I completed a week of prayer at the New Port Richey Seventh-day Adventist school, I had the privilege of bringing the message of the cross to 75 students every day. On Friday 23 of those students asked for baptism and Bible studies! The principal, Mr. Keith Nelson, has invited me back to study and prepare these students for baptism!
As well as preaching and conducting personal and group Bible studies all over Florida, my online ministry continues with Inlightofthecross.com as well as the Sabbath School Net.
I want to thank my contributors for the awesome privilege of sharing the gospel with hundreds of people in Florida and thousands around the world. I am also thankful for the privilege of coaching others to share the gospel, as we fulfill Jesus’ commission to take the Gospel into all the world! Thank you for your continued support and new supporters are needed and welcomed!
Florida, Jeremiah, Ocean, Plant City seventh-day Adventist Church, rebuke, Sabbath School, seventh-day adventist church, sunset, Tampa
Long ago, I was writing a blog post about humor. I compared the humor of my friends in different areas. Just a few minutes after publishing my post, I got a call from a friend here where I live. He told me I better rethink what I wrote about my friends in another area. He told me even though he knew no offense was intended, it could offend them. I edited my post as suggested. I thought, how wonderful that I have a friend who was so concerned about me, that he called so quickly to warn me, even though he was busy with his own day, and had no vested interest other than looking out for me. Instead of taking offense and taking his call as being critical, I took it as a compliment. He thought enough of me and my ministry to make that call right away.
Unfortunately, many people in Jeremiah’s day did not appreciate his rebukes, even though they were given out of love. It takes a lot of love to tell someone what they need to hear, instead of patronizing them with what they want to hear. I realize the success of my ministry depends upon Jeremiahs of today, who will rebuke me when needed, in a Christlike way.
Christ Himself did not suppress one word of truth, but He spoke it always in love. He exercised the greatest tact, and thoughtful, kind attention in His [association] with the people. He was never rude, never needlessly spoke a severe word, never gave needless pain to a sensitive soul. He did not censure human weakness. He fearlessly denounced hypocrisy, unbelief, and iniquity, but tears were in His voice as He uttered His scathing rebukes. –Ellen White, Desire of Ages, Page 353
Years ago, the church I was attending at the time was going through a little crisis. I was having dinner one evening with a couple of friends who supported me wholeheartedly on my view of the crisis. In the course of the evening I made a comment out of frustration that was out of place. They both quickly let me know what I had just said was not appropriate and was not a healthy attitude. They showed me how much they loved and supported me but did not hesitate at all to let me know when I stepped out of line. I thought, “Wow! Now I know they are really looking out for me and my ministry!” I felt loved and secure, knowing these friends were not going to let me step out of line and make a fool of myself and disgrace my ministry.
When people rebuke me I take it as a compliment. It means my ministry is worth something in their eyes, and they are looking out for me. How do you accept rebuke?
He hath showed thee, O man, what [is] good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? Micah 6:8
Every fall as recent high school graduates start choosing their college classes, I hear the question, “What does God want me to do with my life?” Regardless if someone is planning on college or going straight into the workforce I sometimes hear people saying, “I wish God would tell me what He wants me to do.”
Even as we get older we often wish we had a direct phone line to God to get specific directions on which road to take in life. So why doesn’t God give us specific directions? It is not very complicated but actually very simple. God can work out His plan for our lives without ever telling us what it is. Maybe it’s best that God not spell out for us the future as we often would like. When Jesus met Peter He simply bade him “come and follow me.” Suppose Jesus had spelled it all out for him from the start. Suppose at the very beginning He had told Peter, “Come follow me and you will suffer public humiliation by denying me, and then end up being crucified upside down on a cross.” Peter would have run away! After Jesus’ resurrection Jesus gave Peter a hint as to what would happen, yet only gave Peter the little information Peter needed for that time. Peter simply followed Jesus day by day and once Peter’s life was over it was a wonderful testimony extolling the great power and love of God.
As I look back on my life, I can see how God has worked out His plan for my life without telling me what was going on. In my early twenties I was delivering business forms. I started dating a young lady who went to a small church near where I lived. To get closer to her I left the larger SDA church I had grown up in and joined her little SDA church. Things did not work out for us romantically and she moved away. For some reason I was too proud to admit that I had changed churches just for her so I stayed in that little church. Not long after that, a couple of new Literature Evangelists became a part of our church. They persuaded me to become an L.E. Then came a pastor to that small church who wanted a Bible Worker. The church hired me as the Bible Worker. When the pastor moved to Texas he invited me to go to Texas with him where I did Bible work there. After having been a Bible Worker for several years in Texas, a friend from church who worked at UPS invited me to go to work there to help supplement my income. Good thing I did because right after I went to UPS the churches I was doing Bible work for could no longer afford to pay my salary. So UPS became my regular job for a few years.
In 2004 my sister in Tennessee had heard about an available Bible Worker position in Tampa. I thought I had been rooted in Texas. I sent my resume to the church in Tampa and even though I thought I would never leave Texas. One thing after another worked out for me to come to Tampa. I love my job. I love my church family here, and of course I love the area! More importantly others feel God is using me here as His humble Christian servant.
While many people my age glory in their past, I tell people the current few years of my life have been the best years of my life. Looking back now, I can trace how God lead me here, beginning with a small church in Oklahoma that I was attending even though the reason for me going there was no longer there. God used that small church to help me start my ministry and get to the beautiful place I am today.
I find it interesting that I have never really had to find a job. They all have found me. Even the delivery job I had was presented to me, I did not find it. The L.E. position, Bible worker jobs, and even UPS were all offered to me. God has worked out every aspect of my life and for the most part without telling me at all what was going on or what His plan was.
So if you don’t know God’s plan for your life, I say “Don’t worry about it.” God knows and He can make it all work out without telling us at all what is going on. Jesus tells us in the Sermon on the Mount not to worry about tomorrow. He can turn our lives into something beautiful if we will only, “do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with thy God.” Micah 6:8
for the Lord is your security. He will keep your foot from being caught in a trap. Proverbs 3:26 NLT
Years ago, I was buying a used car, and was about to drive it off the lot, when I realized I had not even looked in the trunk yet, to make sure it had a spare tire and jack. I mentioned it to the salesman, who promised me it was there, so took his word for it and did not check the trunk.
Not even a week later, I was driving down the highway when a tire blew out. I pulled over to the shoulder of the road, patting myself on the back for asking the salesman, and making sure I had a spare and jack, to change the tire.
I opened the trunk and found the salesman to be half right. There was a tire, but no jack. I was a little less than happy and was wondering what I would do, stranded with no way to change my flat tire. I did not have to wonder for long. In just a matter of moments, a friend passed by, and spotted me on the side of the road. He pulled over, and of course had a jack for me to change my tire. in just minutes I was on my way again, and stopped by the car dealership where I picked up a free tire jack.
The foolish information the salesman gave me, almost had me trapped by the side of the road, but God was my security, when He had my friend come along and save me. Even when people try to trap you, God has your back every time.
You can Continue studying Proverbs with millions by studying this quarter’s Sabbath School Lesson Guides.