On April 16 Kathryn and I were invited to speak at a Baptist church in Zambia. We had spoken there last year, and this year the pastor wanted us to address rewards and end times. Kathryn taught the Sunday school class and spoke on rewards. She used 2 Tim 2:11-13. She pointed out the difference between living with Christ and reigning with Christ. All believers will live with Christ. But only those believers who endure will reign with Him.
I spoke at the main service. I used 1 Thess 5:1-11 as my text. It deals with the Church’s Rapture, and I pointed out that all believers will be raptured. This is the living with Christ part of Kathryn’s presentation. We should be awake and sober, looking for that day (the Bema), so that we will be rewarded when He takes His Church to be with Him.
The pastor’s son, Christian, was our student years ago at the Bible college where we teach in Zambia. He is now training to be a medical doctor. He served as our translator as not all congregation members speak English.
We gave out a number of Free Grace books to various people in the church. These included: Hebrews: Partners with Christ, Power to Make War, Harmony with God, Road to Reward, and Elisabeth: Christ’s Medal of Honor Recipient. We also gave out some USBs with a condensed copy of a commentary on Romans as well as some other material. Finally, we handed out some copies of the tract “You Can Be Sure.”
There were about 150 people in attendance, both in Sunday school and the main service. One of the things we noticed about this church was an absence of charismatic tendencies. Not only are such influences often seen in churches in Zambia, but they are also exhibited via some outlandish manifestations. It was great to see an orderly service.
William Cook is a new missionary to Zambia. He and his family have been in the country for around six months. He was mentored by Loren Faul, a longtime friend of GES. William is solidly Free Grace. He is helping Zambians learn various trades in order that they might make a living. These trades revolve around construction.
William was able to attend the Sunday school and worship service with us. He ministers in the capital of Lusaka, about two hours away by car. It was great seeing him. As you might suspect, there is a scarcity of Free Grace workers in the country, and he is an encouragement to us. We hope we encouraged him as well.
After the service, William returned to the Bible college where we were teaching. We spent the afternoon together, having lunch and discussing his challenges as a Free Grace missionary in Zambia. Christian, our translator, has already made contact with William, and he plans on meeting with William in the future to discuss theology and possible joint ministries they can undertake.
The bottom line about our Sunday: It was a great day. It was another example of how everyone associated with GES impacts people in places that we might not realize. Thanks for all you do!
