Praise the Lord for a great year of work in missions at Metropolitan New York Baptist Association.
Our work in the association building
In September 2009 we began rearranging the association building for mission team housing. This work continued until January 2010. We took down a wall on the 5th floor and set it up as a dorm room for male and females. This room houses 30 volunteer missionaries working with our local churches to reach our world in Christ. We also built two walls, and painted the 3rd floor. This was to section off meeting rooms and the dining/kitchen areas. We also emptied out the basement area from years of outdated material and trash.
We opened the dorm floor in February of 2010 and we have housed 28 teams with a total of 322 people.
Our partnerships
We have completed our second year partnership with the Georgia Baptist State Convention, and have had our first full year partnership with the North Carolina Baptist State Convention. We had made over 60 mission team request to our partners with great results. There have been hundreds of volunteer missionaries that have come to work hand in hand with our association churches doing back yard Bible clubs, VBS, surveys, witnessing, light construction, teaching, donating material, and helping financially. We have even had teams working in our association building doing construction and painting.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Doubt = Defeat
A few months ago my wife and I were faced with the biggest test of faith in our marriage.
We have been living by faith for the past 10 years relying on God to meet our every financial need. We had no doubt that He would not let us down. Most of our friends came to expect that we would trust in the Lord for our everyday needs.
Then God called us to a deeper walk of faith than we have ever been on before. I was told that I had only 6 months to live and there was nothing that could be done for me. After that news God told me that He was not finished with me yet. So we took it as a healing from Him, and we continued on with life believing that I was alright. Our faith walk expanded from meeting financial needs to healing from a death sentence.
We had a Christian friend tell us that we should consider preparing a funeral now just in case the worst happened. We would not do that because doubt = defeat. Amanda told that friend of ours that she was not going to prepare a funeral for me until I was dead and not a day before.
Luke 9:60 But He told him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and spread the news of the kingdom of God."
Another friend who was having trouble believing that God had healed me asks us if we were not healed then what would we do. We would not even consider that thought because in doing that it would promote doubt, and doubt = defeat. So I told him to ask me again in 6 months because I am still going to be here. Then we would see where his faith is.
Matthew 21:21-22 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."
For me this is a no brainer. If I doubt God has healed me then I die. I think we are all in the same boat. If we doubt that Gods word is true for our life then we all die spiritually, and we live our natural lives in defeat.
James 1:6 But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind.
Praise God!!!
We have been living by faith for the past 10 years relying on God to meet our every financial need. We had no doubt that He would not let us down. Most of our friends came to expect that we would trust in the Lord for our everyday needs.
Then God called us to a deeper walk of faith than we have ever been on before. I was told that I had only 6 months to live and there was nothing that could be done for me. After that news God told me that He was not finished with me yet. So we took it as a healing from Him, and we continued on with life believing that I was alright. Our faith walk expanded from meeting financial needs to healing from a death sentence.
We had a Christian friend tell us that we should consider preparing a funeral now just in case the worst happened. We would not do that because doubt = defeat. Amanda told that friend of ours that she was not going to prepare a funeral for me until I was dead and not a day before.
Luke 9:60 But He told him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and spread the news of the kingdom of God."
Another friend who was having trouble believing that God had healed me asks us if we were not healed then what would we do. We would not even consider that thought because in doing that it would promote doubt, and doubt = defeat. So I told him to ask me again in 6 months because I am still going to be here. Then we would see where his faith is.
Matthew 21:21-22 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."
For me this is a no brainer. If I doubt God has healed me then I die. I think we are all in the same boat. If we doubt that Gods word is true for our life then we all die spiritually, and we live our natural lives in defeat.
James 1:6 But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind.
Praise God!!!
Monday, November 8, 2010
God's powerful words
The words of God have all power and are more real than life itself.
Can we believe that and make it reality in our lives. Well I did.
Three months ago Gods words came into my life, and I was changed forever. I had just come from colon surgery the day before. The surgical team opened me up and saw with their own eyes the cancer that was spreading throughout my abdomen. I was told my life on this earth was over, and I had a very short time left. Lying in the hospital bed God spoke to me. He said I am not finished with you yet. You get up out of that bed. That was challenging words for this dying man. I have known God for 30 years and He has always enabled me to do what had asked me to do. I felt like that He would do the same now.
I was weak and dying from cancer and surgery, but I was determined from that point on to get up out of that bed and try with the best of my ability to go back to doing the work God had called me to do before I got sick. I must admit the road I am on is a difficult one. Most people around me looked at me like I was a dead man. My body had many days when it would give out on me and I would have to lie down and rest. Every pain would remind me that I was not the same person that I use to be. But I know my God. He speaks and the universe is created. He speaks and the world is created. He spoke to me and now I am not dying anymore. I live and I will speak of the mighty works of my God almighty. He healed this broken body without chemotherapy or medicines, but by His mighty words to me. His mercy is great and His power is great. He truly loves us all.
Can we believe that and make it reality in our lives. Well I did.
Three months ago Gods words came into my life, and I was changed forever. I had just come from colon surgery the day before. The surgical team opened me up and saw with their own eyes the cancer that was spreading throughout my abdomen. I was told my life on this earth was over, and I had a very short time left. Lying in the hospital bed God spoke to me. He said I am not finished with you yet. You get up out of that bed. That was challenging words for this dying man. I have known God for 30 years and He has always enabled me to do what had asked me to do. I felt like that He would do the same now.
I was weak and dying from cancer and surgery, but I was determined from that point on to get up out of that bed and try with the best of my ability to go back to doing the work God had called me to do before I got sick. I must admit the road I am on is a difficult one. Most people around me looked at me like I was a dead man. My body had many days when it would give out on me and I would have to lie down and rest. Every pain would remind me that I was not the same person that I use to be. But I know my God. He speaks and the universe is created. He speaks and the world is created. He spoke to me and now I am not dying anymore. I live and I will speak of the mighty works of my God almighty. He healed this broken body without chemotherapy or medicines, but by His mighty words to me. His mercy is great and His power is great. He truly loves us all.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Where is the Hope?
It’s been three months now since I was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. I came home from the hospital 142 pounds at my lowest weight. I could barely walk and talk. The doctors told me that I was done for, and there was no hope for me. God told me that He was not finished with me, and to get out of that death bed. So I put my hope in God to see me through this.
Today I weigh 162 pounds, my voice is strong and I walk for miles at a time. The Lord has allowed me to share with over 800 people in Arkansas and New York about His mighty works and his love for us through Jesus Christ.
God gives all of us hope when there seems to be no hope. PRAISE THE LORD GOD!!!
To see videos of our Testimonies go to www.markamandaburgos.com
Today I weigh 162 pounds, my voice is strong and I walk for miles at a time. The Lord has allowed me to share with over 800 people in Arkansas and New York about His mighty works and his love for us through Jesus Christ.
God gives all of us hope when there seems to be no hope. PRAISE THE LORD GOD!!!
To see videos of our Testimonies go to www.markamandaburgos.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)