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West
African
Steve & Patricia Phillips |
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| The Gospel for West Africa
West African Updates on the Procinwarn.com blog
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July
2005 Dear
Brethren, We
bless the Lord for all of His tender mercies new every morning
that sustain us day by day. Prayer is being heard at the throne in our
behalf as the work of the Lord is progressing. Our own hearts and those
of the children are benefiting from your faithful bearing of our burden
in the love of Christ. May
the Lord continue to encourage and refresh each of you from that living
Spring that never fails. Amen. I
spent 17 days in The
condition of the brethren and the ongoing expansion of the kingdom there
were most encouraging. Brother
David, who has printed my books, is preaching in villages weekly and has
translated and printed Preach the
Word into Yoruba. Brother Titus [who has now joined us in Brother
Solomon is discipling about six brothers currently as well as continuing
his circuit of teaching in several villages each week. Brother Isaac in Deborah
was in the midst of college entrance exams and we were thus unable to
see each other, though we talked by phone. She is doing fine. Increasingly,
there is a dissatisfaction with the religious status quo and a
developing hunger and thirsting after righteousness among many. We trust
that this trend will continue and that there will be a genuine return to
the Word of God. Following
is a summary of the first message I spoke the day I arrived. It
addresses Joshua 1:12-18. May the Lord lead us all into His full
provision in Christ Jesus our Lord. “Do
not take us across the No
movement of the pillar of cloud and fire moved them. No alarmed reproof
from their brethren alarmed them. They would stay where they were. Failure
or refusal to enter into the Lord’s inheritance is rebellion
[Num.32:6-15]. To not dwell in what God has provided in Christ Jesus is
wickedness, divisive, and discouragement to the people of God. How many
evils have arisen from half-hearted saints who despise God’s portion
by their self-chosen ways! Reader,
be warned, self-will is dangerous ground. Walking by sight is blindness
to the soul. No cloudy pillar to guide you, no ark of the covenant
dispensing mercy, and no presence of God abides in the Things
of the world have captured your heart. Cattle are become more precious
than Christ [Num.32:4, 26]. Fertile earth is counted as more significant
than eternal treasure. O,
if we could glimpse for a moment the excellencies of Christ, pursuits of
folly would slip willingly and unnoticed from our grasp. Stupid empty
pretenses would be torn down and seen for the idolatrous acts of
rebellion that they are [Josh.22:10-29]. “See
the copy of the altar of the Lord which
our fathers have made, not for burnt offering or for sacrifice”
[Josh.22:28]. Yes, we see it. It is empty. No sacrifice ascends from it
to heaven. Nothing acceptable is placed upon it. God is not there. Such
an altar has an outward form but no reality. It is good for nothing. It
will not convince your children that you have not abandoned the Lord.
You have. They will only see you as hypocrites [Josh.22:24-27]. Your
altar is for show, not for sacrifice. You claim that it is a witness
[Josh.22:27]. Indeed it is. It testifies to an empty unconsecrated life,
a cheap imitation without substance. The
Lord of heaven knows that it is not His altar. The people of God do not
mistake your substitute for the actual. Your children know that you are
not in fellowship with the tribes of Why
not leave your pretensions? Forsake “If,
however, the land of your possession is unclean, then
cross into the land of the possession of the Lord, where the Lord’s
tabernacle stands, and take possession among us. Only, do not rebel
against the Lord, or rebel against us by building an altar for
yourselves, besides the altar of the Lord our God” [Josh.22:19]. Here
in Our
Sunday evening fellowship meeting here in the home for mutual
encouragement and breaking of bread is attended by about 20 adults from
a broad spectrum of backgrounds. Brothers
Quintin and Peters are leading
weekly Bible teaching times along with open forum question sessions in
two universities in Both
are progressing admirably in the things of God. Both have completed the
entire Discipleship Experience,
being the first ones that I know of to have done so. We have moved on to
different aspects of discipleship, focusing now on particular other
passages of Scripture along with their own research assignments. Peters,
along with brother Titus, led three young women who are our neighbors to
the Lord last week. Various brethren come weekly to see me with
questions from the Scriptures and for teaching. The
children are doing fine and we are pleased
at their progress in many ways, especially in their attitudes and
growing godly behavior. Timothy is diligently working through The
Discipleship Experience. He and Peters have become
“soul-mates,” which has been a blessing to both of them. Patti
has been speaking the gospel to different women and children here in our
Our
focus remains the same,
to raise up faithful disciples who will teach others also. Here
in Do
continue to pray for us as we need wisdom daily to respond to each
situation, as well as plan for the future of the work. May the Lord
bless you one and all. Love, Steve
and Patti |