2 Chronicles 7:14
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Upon returning from helping with the GBAC in North Carolina, we purchased this 1999 Starcraft 33' bumper pull trailer - our new home!
After the Crusade...
The God Bless America Crusade in Charlotte, NC made an impact on many lives:
*Seven weeks of door-to-door soul-winning, blitzing, and door-hanging were followed by three days of plainly laid out Gospel messages preached at the Bojangles Coliseum!
*The attendance grew each night at the Coliseum, from over 2,000 on Wednesday to over 4,000 on Friday!
*The online audience watching the services was a cumulative total for the three nights of nearly 90,000 devices. This only counted those that logged in for 15 minutes or more, AND some devices had multiple viewers! (Several churches had groups watching the services live-stream.)
*Approximately 200 salvation decision cards were distributed among the Independent Baptist churches involved!
*At least 75 Independent Baptist Churches in the Carolinas and across America agreed to work together to accomplish this task of evangelism!
1,000,000 doors weren't reached...The Coliseum wasn't filled...The choir didn't total 1,000...100 IFB churches weren't involved,
BUT
Approx. 300K doors were reached! Over 4K attended on Friday night, with over 500 in the choir & 75 IFB churches sponsoring!
My take:
The idea of Independent Baptist churches working together to get the gospel to the masses is a nearly unheard of concept in America today. The things that have been accomplished in the three God Bless America Crusades to date have been amazing in their results - especially in light of the obstacles that had to be overcome in order to get such events ever to become realities!
Only time will tell the long-term effects of these Crusades. The organization, efficiency, and effectiveness of the Crusades seems to be improving each time, and, on the whole, the music, the Bible, and the separation from the world by the churches involved, have not seemed to be compromised in order to reach the multitudes!
Revival can come to America. Local churches are the keys to such revival. Believers in these churches must be fulfilling God's requirements for revival. An area wide meeting is a tool that local churches can choose to use to target large groups of people with the Gospel - such meetings are not, however, the key to revival. They can and should impact an area for the Lord; they can and should see souls saved; they can and should get Christians excited about evangelism. Ultimately, though, the key to revival, according to James 4 & II Chron. 7:14, lies in obedience to God's requirements for it: humbling ourselves before God, praying, seeking God's face, and repenting of sins (this, of course includes sins of omission and commision).
Parker and Porter are still as cute and rascally as ever!
Family News:
It has again been amazing to watch God guide and provide!
God provided a 96 Suburban on a trade for a 95 Neon!
God provided monthly financial support from another church and several one-time gifts from individuals!
God provided two churches that have graciously allowed us to park on their properties for the winter!
God seamlessly opened and closed doors of opportunity in regards to employment and ministry!
For Christmas, we purchased this beautiful pre-lit fir. It added a great deal of Christmas cheer to our home!
January 22, 2014
We are currently wintering in Illinois. After returning from the Charlotte God Bless America Crusade, it was imperative that I do some "tent making," so I worked for a Christian family during the week, while calling and visiting churches on weekends and in my spare time. I continued working for the family through the beginning of December, at which time God closed that door, while already having opened another.
Outside of the Crusade, things have been starting slowly as I pursue the main burden that I have in evangelism: area-wide meetings. I have tried to take every opportunity that I have had to preach and help with music in the churches with which we have had contact. Through this, the Lord has opened a door for evangelism that has been of mutual benefit to our family and the church involved!
Berea Baptist Church has been praying for years for a young couple to come help with music and evangelism of young adults. After we visited the church for one service, the pastor called and asked if we would consider helping for a while with the above-mentioned tasks. The church has beautiful facilities and money in the bank but mainly attendees over 55 years of age. They agreed to pay me a set amount weekly in exchange for help with evangelism targeting young adults and music. I agreed to do this with the understanding that I will not be able to stay long, as I am entering evangelism and must pursue the specific burden that God has placed on my heart.
This has been such a blessing because it provides some income from evangelism, while still allowing me to pursue my desire in evangelism. Since we were already planning to winter in the area, it has given us something of eternal value to do in this time, while being an answer to prayer for this church. We already had our travel trailer parked at a pastor-friend's church nearby, and plan to move our trailer to Berea to finish out the winter.
In other news, I have been working on my doctrinal statement in hopes of having the opportunity to have an ordination service before the winter ends. My pastor is in favor of this, so I am excited to get it completed!
Spring and the following months still hold question marks for us. The Lord has not yet made clear what He would have us to do, but at this time I am leaning strongly toward traveling south to some of the churches that have been involved in the Crusades. The goal would be raising support to aid in pursuing the specific burden that God has given us in evangelism.
I desire to work under Byron Foxx with the God Bless America Crusades for a time, and then later branch out to work with churches in area-wide meetings separately from the the GBACs. Bro. Foxx is not opposed to this and would like to be able to hire me to work officially for the GBACs.
Unfortunately, there is no funding for such a position at this time, and I would prefer not to have to work a secular job in between crusades. This does not mean that I could not or will not perform the duties of the "normal" evangelist today, but I do not feel that is the main direction the Lord is leading. I am convinced that if area-wide meetings are the burden that God has given me, I should aim at that goal by participating in them as much as possible and by working with good men leading them.
Deputation to raise support for just such a focused ministry direction seems to be the best solution.
With that said, would you pray with us?
Pray for God's wisdom and direction in decision making.
Pray for provision of our needs.
Pray for safety traveling.
Pray for us as we try to raise two boys to love and to desire to serve God.
Pray for us as we evangelize wherever we go.
Pray for souls to be saved.
Pray for discipleship to be effectively accomplished in those that get saved.
Pray for churches to fulfill God's requirements for revival.
Pray for Revival!
James 4: 8 Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you.
© 2013 by Joshua Lancaster. All rights reserved.