Recently, Bernie Hunsucker, a GES board member, and I conducted a pastors’ conference in Costa Rica. The goal was to introduce Free Grace Theology to these pastors. In their country, they are only exposed to Calvinism and Arminianism as theological systems. Most of them do not understand that another option is available.
Such ventures are usually small in nature. In this case, there were about 20 people who attended the conference. If we went strictly by numbers, it would be easy to question whether such an effort was worth it.
But both Bernie and I did not adopt that attitude. We never know how the Lord will use the spreading of the truth. That is true for all of us, however we serve the Lord.
Last week, I saw how the Lord can work. The conference in Costa Rica was in Spanish. In addition, the GES website has been translating some of our blogs into Spanish. A young pastor in Nicaragua emailed me through GES. He had seen and heard the conference online and was wondering if I would be willing to come to Nicaragua and do the same thing.
This pastor related how the pastors in his country really struggle with their theology and how the Bible should be interpreted. He himself came from a “extremely legalistic Arminian” background. Through the writings of GES, he has been set free from such bad teaching. He wants to know more.
This young man said that he is a dispensationalist and premillennialist and teaches pastors in his country this kind of eschatology. But they really need to be shown the truth of Free Grace. He is confident that if we do a two-or three-day conference there, approximately 80 pastors of various theological stripes will attend. He also asked if we could bring some Free Grace material with us to hand out.
Such materials were used in Costa Rica. Each attendee received several resources in Spanish: a hard copy of one of Zane Hodges’ books, two GES books in digital form, and ten blogs. Lord willing, if we do this conference, we can do the same thing for these pastors in Nicaragua.
Right now, we are in the planning stages of this conference and are looking at a time in February to conduct it. Please be in prayer concerning these things.
What will become of such work that we at GES and our supporters are involved in? It is common to hear that we are a small ministry, and that Free Grace Theology hardly makes a blip on the theological radar. But I am reminded of a small parable that the Lord gave that is only recorded in Mark.
The Lord spoke of His coming kingdom and said that it is like a man who sows a seed in a field. The seed will grow automatically. It starts out small but will produce a crop (Mark 4:26-29). Whatever else the parable means, it seems to me we can state a few things with certainty. If we are faithful in spreading the truth, there will be a crop. Who knows what impact the truth of Free Grace Theology can have in the lives of teachers in these countries once they are exposed to it.
I conducted a zoom meeting with this pastor in Nicaragua. When I asked him where I could stay if I came to Nicaragua, he said the pastors would certainly find a place for me. He said, however, that he did not want me to stay with him. His home was too “humble.”
Who would have thought that the truth of the Scriptures could reach a man ensnared by legalistic Arminian theology in a country where the teachings of grace can hardly be found? Who would have thought that God would use a small ministry in the US to reach this man in a humble home in Nicaragua? What might God do in the lives of others in that country? We do know that the kingdom and the harvest are coming.
We all have the privilege of spreading the seed around. Thanks for all you do.
