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August 2005
Philippians
For about the last two years, there has been a desire in my heart to start another church.
But at the same time, I know that the current work in Chiwempala is not yet ready.
Barry Byrne in Choma told me a few years ago that he started a church in the capital city and stayed with it three years.
Then the work went to “chaos” when he left and went to Choma.
He said that six years with a church is a minimum here to get it established.
I was really paying attention to that conversation, I’ll tell you.
We have been with this church for five years and we can see the work slowly becoming a real local church instead of a “church” in name only.
There has never been any doubt in my mind that Samuel Mashikolo could easily take this work over and keep it going in the right direction.
Recently, he has been preaching some really straight, hard messages that I never thought I would hear from an African.
In other words, he has attacked his own culture and its superstitions and perversity.
These folks are usually afraid to ruffle feathers and offend people.
One reason I have started preaching much harder here is to get the leaders of this church “used to” militant Christianity.
Some of them are starting to see why I take the position of being SEPARATE from everything ecumenical, interdenominational, and any other “junk” that is out there which is called “Christian,” but is not Bible.
That understanding will be needed if this work is to stand in these Laodicean times.
Samuel told a Jehovah’s Witness the other day, “Yes, I will take your Watchtower magazine.
I am almost out of toilet paper.”
AMEN!
Now I know how terrible that might sound to you, and don’t worry, I wouldn’t say that myself (and never have).
But that is a great stride for a saint here.
For years in this work, no one would offend any heretic for their eternal benefit, and that JW needs to know his magazine is destroying souls.
Now we are starting to develop some “soldiers” by the grace of God and through the work of the word of God and the Holy Ghost…but it is tedious and slow…
Patient waiting is part of the ministry.
The only “problem” with Samuel is that he believes the Lord might be “sending him out” from this local church as a “church planter.” That would mean the Chiwempala church would be left with no pastor if
we left it to start another one.
He is the one who started this work with me five years ago and no one else in this assembly has the maturity or ability to lead “a full-grown” local church.
He can do it, but we will not force him to do it…maybe the Lord will.
So the Lord is dealing with me about starting another church in Kabundi with Fackson Simukonda, our oldest Bible school graduate (about 50 yrs. Old).
That would enable me to be at the Chiwempala church every other week and at the new work every other week.
The Kabundi/Nchanga North side of town is home to 90,000 souls and has no work that I would consider “Bible believing.”
We have people walk about two hours from that side of town to come to our church.
So please pray for the Lord’s leading about starting a new church.
There is a great desire to do it, but I know that one must be “right on time” with the Lord’s timing.
We continue to see souls saved each week by the blessing of God. These days we are going to a village called “Ipafu” each week on top of our Saturday soul winning in Chiwempala. Churches need to be started in these villages, too. Pray about that. Thank you for the prayer and finances you put into the work here. And thank you for praying for our health (and safety). It has been excellent with very few exceptions. God bless you all. Even so, come Lord Jesus! Amen!
In Christ,
Mike Dobbins |