If you had the cure for cancer in your pocket, 100% cure… what wouldn’t you do to get it into every hospital… Not everybody has cancer… but I promise you this — everybody has an issue called death. And in Christ… He is the cure for death. Have you ever been in a great revival service where the evangelist was preaching and sharing stories about personal evangelism and it got you excited about sharing your faith? You were so excited that for the next week, maybe even two, you looked for every opportunity to share your faith with someone else? And then…a couple of weeks went by and you got busy with life? I don’t know if this has ever happened to you, but it sure has happened to me. I recently interviewed Trog Trogdon of Kingdom Focus Coaching. We talk about evangelism and how to share the Gospel, naturally, in our everyday lives. We can all use a refresher on personal evangelism. I pray that this discussion will encourage you to go out and share your faith with others. Our job is to be obedient to plant the seeds. The results belong to God. In this conversation you will learn: A simple, clear presentation of the Gospel Natural bridge statements you can use immediately Overcoming fear and the pressure to “close the deal” Practical tools, resources, and everyday opportunities Why faithfulness matters more than immediate results World Missions Advance exists to provide administrative and spiritual support to both domestic and international missionaries and Christian organizations. WMA Associate missionaries are planting Gospel seeds all over the world. Thank you for your continued prayers and financial support. Let’s go out and share the Good News to a dying world!
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 More than two hundred years after Washington’s death, his willingness to relinquish power—twice—is the most remarkable thing that we remember about him. “Christianity is the only major religion to have as its central event the humiliation of its God.” So begins Bruce and Marshall Shelley’s, “Church History in Plain Language.” Humility. We could all use a bit more of it, couldn’t we? When was the last time you heard a sermon on such a thing?
While I hesitate to compare George Washington with Jesus (of course there is no comparison), if we are to imitate God and “walk in love” (Ephesians 5:1-2a) as Paul exhorts the Ephesians, it can be encouraging for we mere humans to look at the example of other mere humans and how they walked out humility in their own lives. To quote my mom, “George Washington was great because he chose service over power.” Imagine what our lives would be like if history had gone a different direction? America is no perfect place. It’s made up of people after all. But what if things would have been different? What if George Washington would have refused to relinquish power? Could the fledgling, burgeoning, suckling of a unified nation have withstood such an event? Anyway, this is a mission’s newsletter, and I am no American historian. The point is, we stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before us. Those who humbled themselves…sometimes in life…sometimes in death. Christ, gave us the ultimate example of humility when he took on the “form of a servant” and was “obedient to the point of death” (Philippians 2:7-8). True love serves. We were born to serve. Michael Reeves, in his book, “Delighting in the Trinity,” writes, “Love for the Lord, love for neighbor—that is the heart of holiness and how the triune God’s people get to be like him.” We never outgrow the Gospel and we never outgrow the need for humility. Many books have been written and will continue to be written about the secret(s) to greatness. I can think of no greater secret, that is no secret at all, than humility. I’m thankful to be celebrating the 250th Anniversary of my great country, the United States of America. God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). May God help us be the latter.  A reader cannot create any meaning [he/she] likes. In any intelligible verbal or nonverbal communication, the sender communicates a message to the receiver with the assumption that the receiver will understand the intended meaning of the sender. In our last newsletter, we discussed that when we approach Scripture, it is a great idea to use the Inductive Bible Study Method: 1) Observation, 2) Interpretation, 3) Correlation, 4) Application. This is not a magic formula to arrive at Scriptural truth, rather it is a guard rail that keeps us from “going off the rails” when we engage in the art and science of biblical interpretation. We now turn our focus, briefly, to the second step of this process, Interpretation. Once we have spent time observing the text (which would of course include prayer), we then seek to interpret the text. We can’t apply a text that has yet to be interpreted. So often, we jump to application. The problem with doing so can quickly become clear. Joshua was instructed to walk around the walls of Jericho and then make a loud noise and then the walls would come down. Is this prescriptive for us today? Are we to say “the Bible says it so I’m going to do it,” and then walk around the walls of a building and yell? It seems funny to think of such a thing, yet often, this is exactly how we apply Scripture. Cherry-picking can be a harmful and dangerous thing. We wrongly interpret and apply a verse and then get mad at God when He doesn’t do what we thought He promised to do, only to realize in retrospect, that God didn’t fail, it was our faulty interpretation of His Word that caused the problem. Don’t indict God for your mistaken interpretation. He ALWAYS keeps His promises. If it seems like He has not, then the issue is on our end, not His. As one of my professors explained, we don’t have access to the events of Scripture, we only have access to the text. The events are 100% true, but we have the inspired text not a time machine. The written word is the medium God chose to communicate His Word to the immediate readers and to us today. Proper interpretation begins with the hard work of studying to see what the original sender of the message intended for the original recipient to understand. Only after we spend time in interpretation can we move on in our journey of methodical Bible study to correlation and application and, I will add, transformation.  Methodical Bible study, then, is concerned with the proper path to be taken in I remember the first course I took on my journey at Dallas Theological Seminary. I was so excited to get started and had the normal anxiety and anticipation that accompanies the first semester for students of any age. When it came time for our first assignment, I wasn’t totally sure what was in store. Perhaps I had heard rumors, but you never know until it happens. You wanna know what my first assignment in seminary was? Make 25 observations of Acts 1:8. 25 observations! Not interpretations or opinions or what I think would be spiritual insights…nope, just plain old observations. You wanna know what my second assignment in seminary was? Make 25 more observations of the same verse! One verse, 50 unique observations! What’s the point? Am I suggesting you should make 50 observations of every verse of the Bible? No, but sometimes we are so quick to jump to an application of this verse or that one, that we miss what the Bible is actually saying. Using the words of the author of a given book of Scripture and making it mean whatever we want it to mean is practically tantamount to making our words equal with God’s. Can you imagine if you sent a text to someone and someone else read it and used your words to mean something that you never intended? And yet, so many of us are guilty of this when it comes to Scripture. When we approach Scripture, it is a great idea to use the Inductive Bible Study Method: 1) Observation, 2) Interpretation, 3) Correlation, 4) Application. If we don’t end up at application then we are just engaging in an exercise of pure intellectualism. An intellectualism that doesn’t lead to transformation is just pride. But premature application, can lead to distortion of Scripture and misapplication. Over the course of the next few newsletters, I will briefly consider these steps with the hope that we can, in our own study, “arrive at Scriptural truth” that will be transformative. -Chad If you would like to go deeper on this subject, check out the following fantastic books: How to Read the Bible Like a Seminary Professor by Mark Yarbrough How to Read the Bible as Literature by Leland Ryken Methodical Bible Study by Robert, A. Traina Living by the Book by Howard and William Hendricks  Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also This passage in 1 Corinthians 15 is one of my favorite passages in all of Scripture. This is the
gospel. We never graduate from the gospel. Paul goes on to talk about all of the people the resurrected Christ appeared to. I especially love this bit when he says, “He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now.” I love that, “most of whom remain until now.” It’s like Paul is saying, “listen, Jesus really rose from the dead, but just in case you don’t believe me, go ask these other people who are still alive… they saw Him too!” When I have the opportunity, I like to ask atheists what proof of the resurrection would they accept? So many people like to try to justify their own unbelief by appealing to the lack of proof, but the truth is there is a lot of proof for the resurrection of Christ. Paul even says “if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain” (1 Co 15:14). Everything hinges on the Resurrection. If it happened, it is of ultimate importance. If it didn’t happen, then even Paul says that our faith is in vain. This is our hope as believers. Christ is “the first fruits of those who are asleep” (1 Co 15:20). The penalty for sin, going way back all the way to Genesis is death, but praise God, for His free gift of eternal life to all who believe (Romans 3:23). As Christians, we don’t believe in some ethereal, ghostly, afterlife. No! We believe that one day, the dead in Christ will rise and live forever with Jesus as He reigns upon the throne of David forever and ever (See 2 Samuel 7). And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new” (Revelation 21:3-5a). Jesus is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!  Traveling to Haiti is not for the faint of heart, especially if you're in your "golden years!" But thanks to all my dear intercessors, I came through with flying colors. I learned a lot more "do's" and "don'ts" about visiting this island, but I'm so very grateful that God gave me the privilege of going.
My main mission on this trip was to conduct leadership training for some young people in the area of Jeremie, Haiti. The hunger and sincerity of these precious believers touched my heart so deeply. I believe God deposited many powerful truths into their spirits during our sessions. Each of them was aware of the challenges and limitations I faced by being there, and they all went the second mile to make sure my needs were met. 97% of the nation of Haiti is without electricity, but we usually managed to have a fan on me with the help of a generator/ solar power. Whew, I'm so grateful!!! My main mode of transportation was on the back of a motorscooter. You should have seen us zipping through the bumpy, winding roads of Jeremie, catching the attention of many a Haitian seeing an old white lady cruising through their neighborhoods! The team I'm working with in Haiti is strong and growing. I find all of them to be men and women of integrity and a desire to know and serve God in a greater way. I look forward to continuing my relationship with them through Zoom and WhatsApp and maybe even a future visit to Haiti-- but only if the airlines there improve about 100%!!! Thanks for praying, thanks for giving, and thanks for caring! For more information about Pam Anderson and her ministry, go to: www.worldmissionsadvance.org/anderson  "Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." -Kierkegaard Here we are, already headed into the second month of 2026. It is a cliché, I know, but true nevertheless, “time goes by so fast.” It was 34 years ago that Randy and I stepped down from pastoring a local church and launched out into the unknown…literally; no plan, no money, no open doors. It was just the two of us with a developing vision and our passports.
Only by looking back can I now understand the process of hard choices, disappointments, perseverance, and many, many opportunities that made us who we were and are. No experience is wasted, they all move us forward to our destiny. World Missions Advance, a name Randy came up with to describe our purpose, continues on. We not only wanted to go to the nations, (Randy traveled to over 40 nations before he passed in 2017), but help others go as well. So many of you have stood with us all these years, I am so thankful. We must never minimize events in our lives but rather stop and consciously make a determination that we will embrace each season. We live our life forward and we’ll understand it backwards. Only then will we be able to look back and “…know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). To quote the great philosopher, Dr. Seuss: “Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” No turning back...  Chad, Pastor Marek, Peggy, Stephanie, & Susan In 2007, I (Chad) was in Europe on a mission, but found myself confused and feeling like a failure when things didn’t work out as I had envisioned. My dad made contact with a former CFNI student and friend in Poland, and facilitated my appointment there with Pastor Marek. I ended up out in the country, in a small town that felt like the middle of nowhere. Little did I know that that “detour” would start a wonderful friendship that has lasted since. Pastor Marek and I have been good friends ever since I stayed at his Christian Center (formally mafia hotel) in 2007. My dad had been there several times and my mom has also been there speaking at churches/conferences over the years. I have been back many times to minister in Poland. Every year, we are honored to spend time with Pastor Marek when he comes through Dallas on his way to cast the vision and raise money in various parts of the United States. On his recent trip, I was privileged to have Pastor Marek teach my Multicultural Perspectives class in the 3rd Year Program at Christ for the Nations.  Check out the podcast below to hear the amazing testimony of how Pastor Marek’s father was saved in a Siberian Concentration Camp For more information about Pastor Marek and his ministry in Poland, please go to:
www.worldmissionsadvance.org/kiewra  It is always an honor when Christ for the Nations asks me to teach a class. I am so thankful for the time I spent there, as a student, over twenty years ago, and I love to encourage the students when I am given the opportunity to do so. This fall, I am teaching a class in the Third-Year-Program called Multicultural Perspectives. I have 34 students from all over the world, including places like Brazil, Mexico and Bulgaria, among others.  At the same time, mom is teaching a class called Effective Biblical Counseling, with many international students as well. I get to see her after every class. It’s pretty cool that we are both teaching at the same time at Christ for the Nations. I think my dad would be nostalgic about that.  Your support helps us to reach the nations, not only through WMA Associate Missionaries, but through our ministry, right here in the USA. Thank you!
In essentials unity, Do you ever get tired? Right now, I am texting back and forth with a friend about the Iran/Israel/ USA situation. I have another text waiting for me from an old friend asking me to call them. Based on the video that was sent with the text, I’m thinking they want to talk about the Iran/ Israel/USA stuff too. I have a confession. I like to know stuff. And I enjoy telling people the stuff that I know. The older I get though, I’m realizing that I don’t know as much as I thought I did. For the last almost three years, I have been studying at Dallas Theological Seminary. One thing that has been encouraging and perhaps a bit surprising to me is how willing these highly educated and knowledgeable professors are willing to respond to questions with an, “I don’t know,” or “Maybe you should ask so and so in such and such department. They would know more about it than I do.” In a world where everyone seems to be an armchair expert on everything, especially on the internet, anyway, I find people who are willing to say, “I don’t know” to be quite refreshing. Of course we should “know” some things. John encourages believers by saying, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). But it is folly to be quick to argue so much about this thing or that. I must confess I am too guilty of this. Yes, we should be well informed. Yes, we should, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks [us] to give the reason for the hope that [we] have” (1 Pet. 3:15). But we don’t have to have an answer or an opinion about everything. How could we? One famous preacher opined that it was OK to say, “I’m not sure, I’m not finished thinking about that yet.” From those who were so sure of the date of the return of Christ (looking at you 88 Reasons) to those whose eschatology is perfect in every way, we all know the sad consequences of “knowing too much.” Perhaps some humility is in order. -Chad |
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