Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Gleanings - May/June 2016

Gleanings - January/February 2016

02.14.2016 Gleanings Jan-Feb 2016 12:48 Missions In Guatemala
Acts 2:8 KJV And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?


Thank You For Your Prayers
The Weekly Bible study classes via Internet have been a success in every way. We have missed only one week's class and that seemed to be due to a server problem at our end not the Guatemala end. Jorge shares a wi-fi connection with a near neighbor. Jorge pays the neighbor, the equivalent of, $13.00 per month.

Our hosts graciously allow us to use their service at no charge. It is an amazing application of technology to missions. We hold class from Kents Store, Virginia  in Spanish, with a translator in La Estancia, Guatemala who translates the lesson from Spanish to Quiche' and reteaches them to some 50 Quiche' speaking pastors and a dozen Spanish-speaking pastors in various parts of Guatemala. These lessons are also aired on 10 or more radio stations in Guatemala. We serve a great God!

Pastor’s School
We are formulating our plans for the "Pastor's Academy of Guatemala". 
We will, Lord willing, visit with the several groups of pastors that are now involved. These brothers will help us refine our plans for the school.
This project will require a little money and a lot of work. We will need to write: A Mission Statement, A Philosophy of Christian Education, A Student Manual, A Teacher’s / Staff Manuel, A curriculum scope and sequence, Standards of Instruction, Standards for certification of completion, School Calendar, Tuition schedule, and school calendar. 
Develop as required, organization and administration, including the integration of radio a means of delivering content to students in various locations throughout the country. 

Radio
We are still praying for a clear frequency for a new station. We are looking into the implications of the new constitution as it relates to the use of the airways by the indigenous peoples of Guatemala.


Training Faithful Men
The pastor's classes have been "Foundations of Faith" centered in the Book of Genesis. In as much as every doctrine of the Bible appears in embryonic form in the book, it seems a good way to introduce the students to them. The narrative is interesting and informative supplying answers to basic questions of life in an easy to understand format.

I have grown to love the Book of Genesis, and that is due in no small part to the fact that this is my third time teaching through it. I love discovering things I missed on previous studies. It is like an old family snapshot with a visiting family member who  points out details in the photo that I had overlooked. There seems to be a "wow" or two in every chapter.

We were this past week in Chapter 41. This is in the climactic section where Joseph is testing his brothers to see what sort of men they are and if there is hope for the longed for (by Joseph) reconciliation.

As you know the account continues through the revelation that the rejected brother is the viceroy of Egypt. That the one they scoffed at because of his prophetic dreams, the one they once mocked is now the one to whom they must bow. And though Joseph does forgive , his brothers have not been convinced. Their unbelief caused them guilt and discomfort for years.
The book of Hebrews reminds us that there is a rest for the people of God. However, many miss it because of unbelief. Christians are so eager to make Grace merit-based that we keep looking for things to "do" that will make us "be". There is no rest of faith in that.

The Bible everywhere teaches that acceptable "being" is the work of God in us and acceptable "doing" is God working through us.

Joseph is at peace with God because he has come to know that it was God who orchestrated it all. Joseph did not see himself as a victim of his brothers envy but as chosen vessel of the sovereign God. That God is working out His plan and that the hardships and confusion that brought him to Egypt were part of that plan.

God had decreed that Abraham's family would spend 400 years in Egypt and God is providentially moving people around the Middle East to prepare the way.

Before we are out of chapter 3 of Genesis [Genesis 3:15] we are promised a savior and In this section of Genesis [ Genesis 41-50] we have Joseph, the most nearly complete type of Christ given us in the Bible.

As the favored son of his father, he is sent to seek his brothers. He is rejected by his brothers. He is cast into a pit, type of death, then taken out, type of resurrection. He is sold for the price of a slave. And takes the form of a servant. He is tempted and does not sin. Falsely accused and condemned. Taken from judgment and exalted to a throne. And every knee shall bow and every tongue confess…

Joseph is the Forerunner going to prepare a place for his brothers. In the fulness of time God’s decrees come to pass.

Joseph’s brothers fear his retribution for their sins against him. Joseph reminds them though they met it for evil God met it for good. This seems an appropriate summary description of the crucifixion of Christ. Or - even that evil thing done to you, though the perpetrators met it for evil God meant it for good.

Surely the greatest act of moral evil in the history of the world was the crucifixion of Christ. But it was orchestrated by God, who sovereignty used the willful evil of the devil and man to bring glory to Himself and good to His own. There is not a tick of the clock of time that is not serving God's purposes.

Other News & Reviews
We joined Christ Reformed Baptist Church, Louisa Virginia. A church family of about 30 members, our pastor, Dr. Jeff Riddle, is an excellent Bible expositor.
We were invited by the pastor, to give a missions presentation here recently and it was well received.

They contributed $80.00 which we put in the Fund for Jorge’s Motorcycle, that brings the total to $1080 of the estimated $5000 needed for this project. When it becomes a reality, this will save Jorge many hours in transportation and will be the vehicle he needs to get to the more remote teaching locations.
The feedback from the last Gleanings Nov- Dec 2015 has been all positive. 
We do want to thank you all for standing with us in one of most confusing episodes in our 40 years of ministry. But God received the glory as we thought on Him, His perfections, and attributes.
We received permission several years ago to translate Dr. J. Vernon McGee's broadcasts "Through The Bible Radio". This was a great help because the transcripts were available in Spanish. Jorge is the Quiche' voice of Dr. McGee in Guatemala. There are over 1300 (many still to be translated) programs in the 5-year series.

The Quiche’ New Testament
Translating the Word of God is a fearful responsibility. We work with a great respect for God  and work with a goal to be faithful to be faithful to Word. Part of his training was to produce a Quiche' New Testament. This was done for its training value and to discover the parts that are particularly troublesome in Quiche'. These Quiche' New Testament work books were distributed to a group of pastors who's dialect is different from the dialect spoken in the Xela regions. The feedback from these students will help refine all our translation projects.

Information Update
Donations can be sent, designated for us, via Global Outreach Missions, at their website http://www.missiongo.org or check mailed to Box 2010 NY 14231-2010 USA. They can provide a tax deductible receipt. Or by mail to Jeff & Barbara Clark PO Box 147, Scottsville, VA 24590


“Precious in the sight of God is the death of His saints.” Ps 116
We have been notified that a dear sister in Christ, Aileen Gatz, has been moved to hospice care and is expected to depart for glory soon. It was in her home (some 40 years ago) that the ladies met for Bible Study and prayer. It was Barbara with these sisters who prayed for me to be saved. And later when God had answered those prayers and Victory Baptist Church was started. Mrs Gatz faithfully played the piano and organ for us and was always ready to serve with a willing heart and a lovely smile. When Victory Christian School came into being Aileen left her job as a public school teacher and became the supervisor of the elementary learning center. She was always "joyful in Jesus" and was a great example and inspiration to all of us that knew her. We are happy she is ready to go home but have some regrets that we did not remind her of how dear her life was to ours in the work of the Lord. Both her adult sons and some their family are with her as are some of the old Victory Baptist Church Family. The rest of us are keeping up to date by digital means.

Aileen always ended her letters with the words “MARANATHA" (The Lord is coming!)  Hallelujah!
  
Jeff and Barbara Clark, PO Box 147, Scottsville, VA. 24590 . clarkmissions@mac.com 
Cell Phone: 434 466-7481 (works when the wind is right )
Global Outreach Missions, Box 2010 NY 14231-2010 USA