Bob Young Resources

Rejoice, and again I say rejoice! (Phil. 4:4) It’s Sunday again. God on my mind this morning–another fresh, brisk morning following a night of rain. Time to meditate, study, read, think, pray. God time. I love Sundays.
I am amazed that so often in our lives God takes us from one highlight experience to the next. I think about my most recent Sundays with God and the family of God: preaching an evangelistic campaign in Santiago (Chile) where God gave wonderful results and responses, preaching at a congregational retreat the next weekend, worship with the family of God in Montevideo (Uruguay), teaching and preaching at Northwest in Houston, the warm reception of the Park Plaza family in our move to Tulsa, today the opportunity to renew friendships and fellowship with hundreds of Christians at the Culto Unido (area-wide worship) that occurs each year on the Sunday after Seminario Baxter.
On these consecutive Sundays I have been blessed to connect with many different parts of God’s great worldwide family and to share worship with several thousand Christians in different parts of the world. God works in our lives in many different places and times and ways. Sometimes God’s presence is seen through the kind reception and warmth of dozens of greetings and emails that celebrate new relationships and new hope in the shared spiritual journey. Sometimes the glory and presence of God is in the context of a vibrant, growing spiritual family in a local church where we share spiritual life week after week. Sometimes his presence is in the delight of experiencing God’s international family. Sometimes his presence is seen in the marvel of how he continually works and guides and strengthens and blesses.
Regardless of your situation, I hope that this Lord’s Day is for you another high point in your spiritual life. I trust that your spirit will be buoyed for the week ahead, that you will know afresh God’s presence and power in your life, and that the thrill and excitement of God’s work in your life will not fade but will be polished to shine ever brighter.
It’s Sunday again. On this day, God will strengthen the spirits of his people in fellowship; as the call of his Word is heard in fresh and powerful ways we will answer with recommitment and resolve; we will remember his love and sacrifice as we surround the Table; and we will go forth again in hope as changed people living different lives and different commitments in a world of darkness and hopelessness.

On this Saturday morning at Baxter Institute in Honduras, the invisible God is visible.
Colossians 1 describes Jesus as evidence of the invisible God. Today, God is visible in other ways. God is visible in the freshness of the morning after a night of rain. God is visible in the joyous laughter and fellowship of his people as they await the activities of the day as Seminario Baxter 2012 concludes. God is visible in shared conversations that seek to advance the kingdom around the world, and especially in Latin America. God is visible in a common faith and hope, a common love and purpose.
It is a blessing to be in places where God is made visible. It is a blessing to be around the people of God living out the presence of God. Today, let each of us as Christians seek to make God visible in our little place in the world.

Seminario Baxter is off a a great start. Attendance is significantly higher than in past years–about a 30% increase in registrations. (And that increase is without the presence of BICA students from Guatemala and Nicaragua this year.) Classrooms are filled, the upper auditorium overflows during the primary sessions.
Calvin Henry is doing a masterful job of handling this year’s theme which focuses on the importance and practice of church discipline. The classes are designed to meet basic needs in the churches–leadership, strengthening families, evangelism, and the study and preaching of God’s Word.
It is a privilege to participate, a blessing to know additional brothers and sisters in the Lord, a blessing to renew friendship in Christ.
Will you pray today for the advance of God’s kingdom work in Latin America? Will you add to your prayer list the churches of Central America and South America? God is at work–let us joyfully join him in the great work of taking the gospel into all the world!

God works through us in mysterious ways. We plan to do one thing, and God opens more and more doors. We set up a Bible study and an entire family is present when we arrive. We set up a Bible study with one person and there are 13 present for the study. We go to a place with a teaching and preaching schedule set, but once we are there we receive even more invitations to preach and share.
Today I am at Baxter Institute in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. I teach the first half of my seminario class today–four hours today, four hours tomorrow. When I finish with today’s class, I will go preach in a local congregation, answering an invitation I received only yesterday.
We are sowing seed, strengthening and encouraging Christians, sharing good news. The kingdom of Jesus Christ spreads because God’s kingdom people do what they are called to do in the kingdom. The growth of the kingdom is automatic (of its own accord, Mark 4:26-29) because God’s kingdom people do what kingdom people are called to do and be.
We cannot expect kingdom growth when kingdom people do not live out the reality of the kingdom in their lives. God opens doors so that we can walk through them. He opens doors to those who have seen and acted on open doors in the past. Opportunities abound every day. The question is not whether we have opportunities. The question is whether we see them and use them to God’s glory and the advance of God’s kingdom cause.

Paul’s description of Onesiphorus (2 Tim. 1:16-19) has been the subject of many articles, even of entire sermons. Paul describes Onesiphorus as one who had refreshed Paul’s spirit, was not ashamed of Paul’s chains, went out of his way to find Paul in Rome, and had also helped Paul in Ephesus.
As I reread Paul’s description of Onesiphorus, my mind turned to the “others.” Thankfully, Onesiphorus did the things Paul describes, but the text leaves various questions unanswered. Were there others who had the same opportunity but did not act? Were there others with the opportunity to visit Paul in prison and refresh his spirit? Were there others who could have sought out Paul but did not? Were some of those “others” ashamed of Paul’s imprisonment? Were there others with opportunity to help who did nothing?
Paul was grateful for the love shown by Onesiphorus, and he prayed God’s mercy on him. Perhaps Paul had also received help from others but mentions Onesiphorus because he was outstanding in his assistance and encouragement. But one can also wonder if Paul’s heart was perhaps breaking as he considered those who could have helped but did not.
You have perhaps known the hurt. The “friends” and “brothers” you thought were dependable turned out not to be so. Those you expected to stand with you deserted you. The refreshing word went unsaid. The encouraging visit never came. You expected that your friends and brothers in Christ would do for you as they would want you to do for them.
Praise God for Onesiphorus. Sometimes one positive can overcome a lot of negatives. It was so for Paul. Be a positive in someone’s life today–you can make all the difference.

Tuesday evening in Honduras, safe arrival, delightful beginnings. Most of the seminario guests will arrive tomorrow.
This evening is rainy and cool. I am enjoying the renovated Hospitality Suite on campus. There is still a little work to be done, but the accommodations are very nice and comfortable.
Calvin Henry also arrived today, delightful conversations, catching up, dreaming and sharing.
Pray for the work we can do to strengthen and build up churches, both in the seminario this week, and in the leadership seminar next week in Catacamas.

Saturday evening Jan and I attended a benefit dinner at the Park Plaza church facility. The purpose of the dinner was to raise funds for a heart transplant for Ernesto Sanchez. Some of Ernesto’s family is involved at the Iglesia de Cristo-Park Plaza in Tulsa. This is an opportunity to help with a life-and-death need, but by helping you can also communicate the love and spirit of Jesus to more of the extended family.
Here is a link to a flyer that describes the need: Heart Transplant for Ernesto Sanchez. [The flyer is also available in Spanish: Transplante de Corazon para Ernesto Sanchez.] Please help us get the word out and help with this need if you can.
You can go to the website of the National Foundation for Transplants to give online. On the NFT homepage, you will see a button to find the patient. You can enter the following information: Ernesto Sanchez, Tulsa, Oklahoma. (Using full names instead of first letters will help with the sorting process and take you to Ernesto’s web page more quickly.)
Even better, here is the link to Ernesto’s personal webpage where you can read his story and make donations.
Finally, we ask you to pray for Ernesto and his family–for physical life and health, and also for spiritual life and health.