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Our New Ministry Home

We now live behind the windows to the right.

Recently Deb and I moved from 6 Wyoming Place in Malden, Massachusetts to 290 #4 Boston, MA 02116. We have a new ministry home, and it is quite a transition.

Twenty years ago, some of you helped us rebuild our first Boston area ministry home. It took eight months and a huge amount of volunteer labor to completely rebuild the Malden property, and it was for a good cause. The Malden property was dedicated to the Lord’s work and was extensively used to build evangelistic relationships, which became an international church family.

Having now moved us into a new phase of the Boston ministry, God has also moved us into a more strategic location in the middle of Boston. In fact, we now live three hundred and fifty feet from one the busiest subway, commuter/rail stops in the city of Boston. We are literally surrounded by the international academic community of Boston,. The globe, all of it, is within walking distance of our new ministry home.

How this happened–God’s firm leading from one location to another–is quite a story.

But that’s for another day.

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Urban Peaks

Recently I began working as a coordinator for a non-profit organization called Urban Peaks. Urban Peaks has the same ownership as Metro Rock Climbing gyms. Deb and I originally asked the owner of Metro Rocks if I could work part time in-order to pay for our membership at Metro Rock.

The way this all worked out is interesting. The owner asked me to work at Urban Peaks rather than Metro Rocks, which still pays for our yearly membership at Metro Rock. Actually, Deb was granted, basically, an honorary membership since she is known as the gym mother. She was granted this status as a result of her practice of brining home made baked goods each time we go to Metro. What I thought would be a mundane job that allowed us a membership at a workout gym, turned into a coordinators leadership position at non-profit designed to help underprivileged children.

There are several reasons why it is good to work at Urban Peaks: 1) working there provides some financial assistance, which helps our budget 2) We are becoming more of a part of the Metro family, which allows us to share our life in God more effectively. 3) Being an employee of Urban Peaks allows me to travel more easily to non-access countries. 4) The purpose of Urban Peaks is to help underprivileged youth experience rock climbing. Like any athletic discipline there are many benefits from participation. 5) There will be the opportunity to engage many Christians groups in Boston, who are ministering to at risk kids, and to help them use Metro Rock gyms as part of their ministry plan. 6) This, in turn, helps me to become better acquainted and to engage with all parts of Boston. 7) Part of my fund raising efforts for Urban Peaks will involve me with various climbing clubs across Boston including universities and college climbing clubs. A good thing for Deb and I and the Boston and Beyond ministry.

It is interesting that what started as a financial hardship resulted in a strategic partnership with a secular non-profit. God had a nexus of reasons to bring a financial need upon us. Solving that need is opening new avenues of ministry, and causing me to think through other ways of engaging in ministry.

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Good Morning

Deb and I have been going to bed early, so it was not hard to arise at 4:30am. I am longing to write more, and, for the time being, early morning may be the time.

I desire to write to be a blessing. At 64 I have observed a bit of life. I have learned lessons, which I hope to pass on to all, but especially to those whom I know and love.

It seems to me, it might be easier to communicate life lessons by writing than by speaking them. Some folks will read advice more easily than listening to advice.

So, what do I have to say today? I don’t know, but I can say this, at 64 it seems good to be alive. I am 6 weeks into hip replacement recovery. Received the news yesterday that it will be another 6 weeks before I should rock climb–not happy about that. Also, probably will need to cancel a summer trip to climb the Grand Teton. It’s not so much the climb but the hike through a huge boulder field on the way to the climb. Still, I am alive and well with plenty of reason to love life.

Next week, Boston and Beyond will become an official part of the life and ministry of Baptist Mid-Missions, and, on April 2, Deb and I move into a tiny Brownstone 250 feet from the Back Bay Station in Boston. Both of these happenings brings joy and hope to my heart. Joy in that we sense God’s firm leading hand. Hope in that we realize God still desires to use us into our old age.

Around 43 years ago, I realized my desperate need for God and responded to Him in faith believing that Jesus is the Savior. Since then God has taken care of me. He has preserved me, refined me, made me.

The life lesson is this: Walk with God and you will not regret it.

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Jesus Presented at the Temple

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Jesus Presented at the Temple

Luke 2: 21-24 And when eight days had passed, before His circumcision, His name was then called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”), and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

Bill”s Comments–Mary and Joseph were humble, obedient parents. You don’t need to be well known to do great things. 

Lesson: Faithfulness to the Lord will accomplish whatever it is we should  accomplish. 

Luke 2: 25-35 There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, “Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, according to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a Light of revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.” And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed—and a sword will pierce even your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

Bill’s Comments–Simeon had obediently waited for the Father to reveal to him the One who would bring salvation to both the Jew and Gentile (the whole world). Simeon would have clearly understood that God would send a Savior by his (Simeon’s) study of God’s Word, the Bible. The Holy Spirit revealed to Simeon that in his life time he would see the prepared One.

Lesson: God will lead those who are obedient students of His Word (the Bible) to understand and do His will. Our personal God is able to lead us personally.

Luke 2: 36-38 There was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years and had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers. At that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

Bill”s Comments–Anna, by the giftedness granted to her by God, speaks to those at the Temple about the child Jesus, who would become the Savior of the world. Notice, that Anna was devoted to God all of her life.

Lesson: So, we are shown faithful parents, Jospeh and Mary; a faithful servant, Simeon; and a devout gifted for ministry woman, Anna. We also are able to lead a life which may be characterized as faithful and devout. By doing so, God may decide to use us to serve the Savior, just like Joseph and Mary, Simeon, and Anna.

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Christmas 2018

Recently, I wrote about our financial need as missionaries. I am concerned that my letter may have sounded like Deb and I were having a tough Christmas. So, it seems important to tell you that we feel mightily blessed by God this Christmas of 2018.

The week before Christmas, when it looked like I would have hip surgery, four of our five children made plans to fly to Boston in order to be with their mom during surgery. They were coming from as far away as Jackson, Wyoming, Chicago and Simpsonville, South Carolina. They were willing to drop everything and come at a moments notice to make sure mom would be alright. We have 5 children and 11 grandchildren. Our children love each other and desire to spend time together and even inconvenience themselves to do so.

Not only has God blessed our family, He has also given us a strategic part in the building of His church. Boston and Beyond a globalized cities initiative is almost vetted and ready to go. The purpose, plan and procedures for B&B have been thoroughly explained in a number of our prayer letters, so I won’t repeat that here. However, I do want to emphasize that we sense God’s presence in this endeavor and are extremely excited about joining our Savior in the Great Commission mobilized cities of the world.

In addition to these things, Deb and I have each other. We have been married for 40 plus years now, and I can honestly say we continue to fall more deeply in love each year.

Beyond this, we have a wonderful close knit church family that is living the gospel in East Cambridge Massachusetts. Our plans/dreams are biblically correct, and our fellowship is helpful to each other and pleasing to God. We are making progress.

I have not taken the space or time to write in detail about the meaningful friendships we have outside of Boston, our extended family, of our faithful supporters, or of our missionary team, which is growing both numerically but more importantly organically (we are becoming one in spirit). Suffice it to say, all these relationship round-out the blessing bestowed upon us by God.

In conclusion, it is true, Deb and I have some financial and physical challenges to face in 2019–so what, you do probably as well. The point is this, God is blessing our socks off. Our Savior is continuing to save us, and we have no doubt that 2019 will be more of the same.

So, this Christmas 2018 is a blessed Christmas all the way around.

Bill

Edmo-Christmas 2017
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The Birth of Jesus

Jesus Is Born

Bill’s Comments:

Deb and I started Christmas morning by reading the historical account of the birth of Jesus with friends in China by means of GoToMeeting an online conference tool. The husband is a Christian and the wife is considering Christ.

The four of us took turns reading verses from Luke 2:1-20.

Luke 2: In those days, Caesar Augustus made a law. It required that a list be made of everyone in the whole Roman world. 2It was the first time a list was made of the people while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3All went to their own towns to be listed. 

4So Joseph went also. He went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea. That is where Bethlehem, the town of David, was. Joseph went there because he belonged to the family line of David. 5He went there with Mary to be listed. Mary was engaged to him. She was expecting a baby. 

6While Joseph and Mary were there, the time came for the child to be born. 7She gave birth to her first baby. It was a boy. She wrapped him in large strips of cloth. Then she placed him in a manger. There was no room for them in the inn. 

Angels Appear to the Shepherds

8There were shepherds living out in the fields nearby. It was night, and they were looking after their sheep. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them. And the glory of the Lord shone around them. They were terrified. 

10But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy. It is for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord. 12Here is how you will know I am telling you the truth. You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.” 

13Suddenly a large group of angels from heaven also appeared. They were praising God. They said, 

14 “May glory be given to God in the highest heaven! 

And may peace be given to those he is pleased with on earth!” 

15The angels left and went into heaven. Then the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem. Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 

16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the baby. The baby was lying in the manger. 17After the shepherds had seen him, they told everyone. They reported what the angel had said about this child. 18All who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 

19But Mary kept all these things like a secret treasure in her heart. She thought about them over and over. 

20The shepherds returned. They gave glory and praise to God. Everything they had seen and heard was just as they had been told. 

 New International Reader’s Version. (1998). (1st ed., Lk 2:1–20). Zondervan.

Bill’s Comments:

One question which was asked during our early morning meeting was this, “What does, ‘He is Christ the Lord’ mean?” It was our joy to explain that Jesus is the Savior promised throughout all of human/Biblical history, and that Christmas is the day Christians celebrate the birth of our Savior.

I asked the husband if he would close in prayer. He said he would but that he had only ever prayed in Mandarin (Chinese Language).

It warms my heart and creates in me a sense of awe to realize that Christians all around our world are raising their voices in a thousand tongues thanking our Father for our Savior born on Christmas Day.

Merry Christmas my brothers and sisters,

Bill E

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Why do the Nations Rage

Why do the Nations Rage and Imagine a Vain Thing?

Donald Trump is against Russian aggression towards Ukraine, but he seems a bit ambivalent towards the murder of a journalist, perhaps with orders from the top of the Saudi political leadership. Many journalist and others on social media have written scathingly of what they characterize as blatant hypocrisy or moral callousness. Yet, the vast majority of those same people saw no problem with giving Iran billions of dollars, which they used to promote murderous aggression across the Middle East. Do we really think that government’s lead assignations don’t occur on a regular basis, originating from all sides of the national and political spectrums?  How naïve! Or is all the uproar no more than political theatrics? My guess is that it is a little of both. Honest but uninformed and naïve souls are disgusted with the callous murder of a journalist, while others know better, but prey on naivety to garner political power.

A biblical understanding of our place in world history informs me that geopolitical realities, in an age when the Prince of Peace was rejected and crucified, are very difficult, perhaps impossible to manage sinlessly.  The fundamental, individual, as well as geopolitical problem we all face is our personal and corporate rejection of Jesus Christ.

Continue reading “Why do the Nations Rage”

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The Limits of Money

Psa. 49:5 Why should I fear in times of trouble, when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me, 6 those who trust in their wealth and boast of the abundance of their riches? 7 Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life, 8 for the ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice, 9 that he should live on forever and never see the pit. 10    For he sees that even the wise die; the fool and the stupid alike must perish and leave their wealth to others. 11 Their graves are their homes forever, their dwelling places to all generations, though they called lands by their own names. 12 Man in his pomp will not remain; he is like the beasts that perish. 13    This is the path of those who have foolish confidence; yet after them people approve of their boasts. Selah 14 Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol; death shall be their shepherd, and the upright shall rule over them in the morning. Their form shall be consumed in Sheol, with no place to dwell. 15 But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me. Selah

Devotional Thought:

It is an old and neglected truth. All of us will forever exist  in either eternal bliss or eternal torment, and our temporal financial well being will not determine our eternal estate—money cannot ransom our eternal soul.  Therefore, we should not trust in our wealth, nor should we fear those who use wealth to oppress us. In the end (actually the beginning), those who trust in Jesus Christ the Savior will rule over those who trust in riches.

Simple but true and a foundation to build life upon,

Bill

 

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Proclaiming Christ in the Globalized City #3

Christ We Proclaim in the Globalized City

My Conference Theme

Discipling the Globalized City: Our Savior’s

Great Commission Provision

Thursday Morning:

God’s Call to the Globalized City

Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary

2017-11-2

Introduction:

  • Relationships are important, so…
  • Deb and I want to say thank you.
  • On Monday morning we learned that the city was always meant to be a conduit of God’s blessing to man. In fact, the city is uniquely designed to communicate the image of God globally. And although twisted by sin, and maligned by men, the city has always been the most strategic place to do the Great Commission. This is true because the city exerts its influence regionally, and globalized cities do so internationally.
  • On Tuesday evening we talked about the Great Commission and the Globalized City. We found that the creation ordinance to subdue and rule the earth has commonality with the Great Commission of Matthew 28. God has always desired His image to populate the entire globe, and what Adam and Eve failed to do, God has commanded the church to do–make disciples of all nations. It also became apparent that God has made it possible for us to do the Great Commission by moving peoples from all countries into commission ready places called cities (I call them globalized cities). Finally, I pointed out that knowing the potential for Great Commission ministry in the Globalized Cities makes us accountable for doing something about it. It is our responsibility to disciplize the city in order to make disciples of all nations.

We must follow Christ to the City

  1. By obeying the Bible: A call from God is first of all biblically based.

The will of God is discovered by understanding the revealed will of God (The Bible) and by discerning how He has equipped you to join Him in what He is doing.

  • Know the revealed will of God

Making disciples of all nations is the revealed will of God.

  • Understand how God is working in the world.

Proverbs 8: 1-5Does not wisdom call, and understanding lift up her voice? On top of the heights beside the way, where the paths meet, she takes her stand; beside the gates, at the opening to the city, at the entrance of the doors, she cries out: “To you, O men, I call, and my voice is to the sons of men. “O naive ones, understand prudence; and, O fools, understand wisdom”.

  • Evaluate how your giftedness fits into God’s work.

Be a Surrendered Christian

Romans 12:1Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Humbly but Soberly Evaluate Yourself

3 For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.

Do Your Job

4 For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; 7 if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; 8 or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

I was helped to understand the FBBC and TS student body better. It was explained to me that, although many within the student body do not like the city, nevertheless, they are willing to go to the city. I am very thankful for this information, but this raises a question in my mind. If you have considered missions, and if you are willing to go to the city, Why not go?

Our Savior has drawn the nations to our cities. Successful ministry in the city needs every kind of gifted person. Make a sanctified guess that God desires you to serve in a globalized city, pursue your calling, and trust that your Savior will stop you and redirect you if your sanctified guess is incorrect—but it isn’t.

We must follow Christ to the City—to the globalized city

  1. By thinking strategically: We should think strategically concerning meeting the largest possible number of needs globally.

Jesus’ command to disciple all nations require we think through how to do so in the most effective way. We can send 10 missionaries to ten places to reach ten people groups, or we can send fewer missionaries to one place where all ten people groups reside.

Missionaries need to be trained to minister to bicultural city dwellers. If these bicultural people are reached with the gospel, they will be far better equipped to minister to people of their own culture.

So, not only is it wise to minister to the world residing in the city because fewer missionaries are able to minister to more people groups, but it is also wiser to minister the gospel to bicultural individuals who are better able to minister to their own people.

As God’s Great Commission stewards, we must not settle for lack of planning and strategizing. Rather, we must wisely choose where to minister in order to reach the most people groups in the shortest amount of time.

We must follow Christ to the City

  1. By responding individually and institutionally: It is time to function as the body of Christ visible and universal.

Individually: I have laid out to the best of my ability the case for city ministry. Now it is up to you to decide what to do with the information you have been given.

Institutionally: The nexus between global communities gathering in large cities and online capabilities provides us almost unparalleled opportunities to make disciples of all nations. If this is to happen, institutions like Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary must take a leadership role. We need a network of such institutions networking together to meet the challenge of the globalized city—Your move.

The choices before the church are simple: (1) Will we rely on formulas and strategies without reference to the sovereign and surprising work of God? (2) Will we misinterpret the teaching of God’s sovereignty over all to lead us to indifference or fatalism? (3) Will we understand the clear connection in the Bible of God’s sovereignty and His call to His people to make disciples of all nations, beginning in our communities and cities?” John Massey

Invitation:

Know-God’s intention for the city-Recognize your stewardship-Yield to your responsibility