2013 BFM Spring Conference Theme & Featured Offering
CONFERENCE THEME:
“O LORD, REVIVE YOUR WORK!”
Habakkuk 3:2: “O Lord, revive Thy work in the midst of the years…!”
WE NEED REVIVAL…NOW!
Habakkuk prayed this desperate prayer to God in very troubled times. Bad times from all fronts were upon them and worse times were coming. Disasters and calamities of all sorts were impending and threatening. The spirituality and fervor of the kingdom of God was at low ebb. What they needed above all else was a movement of the Spirit and power of God!
We are facing similar times in our own day – and we, too, need a serious, massive infusion and revival of the power of God in our personal lives, in the ministries of our churches, and in the ministries of our missionaries who are so faithfully serving Jesus Christ in the nations of the world.
Our commission and mandate from Jesus Christ is still urgent and pressing upon us. The challenges and prospects of the Gospel of Jesus Christ are still operative. But, we must experience a true Heaven-sent revival of commitment and passion if we are to respond to the needs of our world in an effective way.
God’s Hand is not weakened that He cannot save. The Gospel message is still the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes. Jesus Christ still commands us to follow Him to the ends of the earth with His Good News. The “Hand of the Lord” [Acts 11.21] is still working with us – if we will give ourselves to Him.
WE MUST RECEIVE FROM GOD A REVIVAL OF ALL THE SAME GRACES FOR WHICH HABAKKUK PRAYED…such as:
- A revival of crying out to God for His intervention and work – chapter 1.1-5
- A revival of confidence in the Word of God to speak to us and through us – chapter 2.1-3
- A revival of living by faith and abject dependence upon God – chapter 2.4 [And, of course, this ‘faith’ is FAITH IN CHRIST AND HIS GOSPEL]
- A revival of seeking God’s Glory in our service and among the nations of the world – chapter 2.14
- A revival of humble worship before the Presence of God – chapter 2.20
- A revival of desperate praying to God – chapter 3.1-16
- A revival of rejoicing in God and before God regardless of the circumstances in which we serve or the inconveniences we are given to suffer – chapter 3.17-19
And – the need and call to God for these and all other graces we must receive from Him goes on and on – not only in this message for Habakkuk’s time, but all throughout the annals of Scripture and the generations of history…right up to this present moment and day. “O LORD, REVIVE YOUR WORK IN THE MIDST OF THESE YEARS!”
We want and need – and pray to God for – REVIVAL in our mutual missionary endeavors. We have deep needs, but God promises us that ‘the gates of hell shall not prevail against’ His churches and the mission He has committed to us to fulfill.
WE ARE INVITING YOU TO COME AND JOIN US FOR THIS TIME OF SEEKING THE FACE OF GOD AND THE POWER AND GLORY OF HIS GRACE UPON US.
WE ENCOURAGE CHURCHES TO PAY YOUR PASTOR’S [AND HIS WIFE] TRAVEL EXPENSES TO ATTEND THIS CONFERENCE. It will give them the opportunity to enjoy what is always a much-needed physical and spiritual re-charging for your church’s ministry. They will come back to you with a greater burden, zeal, and enthusiasm for missions.
We use these Conference occasions to highlight what God is doing around the world through our missionaries…and update our missions partners concerning their ministries…and also stir up all of us to greater interest, investment, and involvement in our mutual missions endeavors.
Will you take the lead to ask your church to do this for your pastor, our missionaries, and your church?
Thank you for your friendship and especially for your fellowship in missions. We hope to have the opportunity to fellowship, pray, worship, and seek God together with you during this Missions Conference. Please make every effort you can to come and share this occasion with us.
———————————-
CONFERENCE OFFERING:
DESIGNATED FOR OUR ‘GENERAL FUND’
Our greatest need continues to be increased supplies for our GENERAL FUND. Our GENERAL FUND offerings provide for all the commitments we have made to our missionaries. For example, every month, we disburse AT LEAST $46,034.54 from the GENERAL FUND just for the Essential Maintenance Transactions [EMT] which supply the essential and basic ‘living expenses’ commitments we have made to our missionaries. These include their salaries, standard ministry expense allowances, hospitalization premiums, and the publication of their newsletters we print and send to you each month to report on their ministry activities.
And, that is not including also the expenses paid for from the GENERAL FUND which finance the other commitments and benefits they receive each month or periodically through the year as they are due.
WE DO NOT ASK THEM TO ‘RAISE’ THESE SUPPORT FUNDS FOR THEMSELVES. But, if monthly GENERAL FUND offerings are not sufficient to cover those disbursements, then we have no choice but to NOT GIVE THEM those same monthly commitments proportionate to the current deficits in GENERAL FUND monthly offerings. That is why we are always emphasizing THE GENERAL FUND offerings.
And, as most of you know, beginning in January 2013, we gave our missionaries a much-needed and long-overdue 5% increase of their monthly salaries. We are now one quarter into the year, and our monthly GENERAL FUND supplies are running very close. We have always made our commitments to our missionaries BY FAITH and ‘AS THE LORD SUPPLIES.’
So, we are asking you to give as generously as you can to our Conference Offerings which we will use to replenish their GENERAL FUND supplies for their essential living and ministry expenses.
If you cannot attend the Conference, but still want to give a gift, send it to our Treasurer:
Pastor George Sledd
P.O. Box 471280
Lake Monroe FL 32747-1280
Or, you can contribute online either by check/debit or by credit card securely on the Donate/Support page of our website. Enter your designation for SPRING CONFERENCE OFFERING in the Memo field.
———————————-
SPECIAL NOTE: We are blessed to have in attendance for this Conference both of our longest-serving and most-veteran missionaries: John and Alta Hatcher and Harold Bratcher. They will both be preaching during this Conference and we want to give them special recognition during the Tuesday evening service and express our profound respect and appreciation to them for their faithful and fruitful service to Jesus Christ in fellowship with Baptist Faith Missions. We encourage you to join us for that service!———————————-
Related Posts:
Read more
