The Wonderful Word of God

Study Bibles for Pastors in Zambia

Believers must have the Word of God and be growing in the Word of God to be disciples of Jesus Christ. HIMAfrica working with Hope Builders Ministries Zambia networks with Christians in America to provide the much needed Word to Pastors and Believers who do not have ready access to a Bible. HIMIndia does the same for the brethren in India we are blessed to work with. Here we take for granted that every believer can afford and access a Bible. This is not the case in much of the World. Your can be a blessing to your brothers and sisters in Africa and India by making regular and generous contributions to our Bibles for Believers program. Check it out.

Along with this I want to share with you a word from my friend Herb Hodges. This dear man of God is a disciple maker. You will be blessed reading this word of encouragement from his November newsletter. You can also access his sermon “The Wonderful of God” at this link.

May you be ever blessed as you pursue the LORD in His Word and His mandate to make disciples “to the ends of the earth to the end of time.”
Jeff Hawkins
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Dear Fellow Members in the Forever Family of our Father in Heaven,

I am appealing to the Holy Spirit for the special fulfillment of Ephesians 1:15-19 as I write—with special emphasis on the request that “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge (Greek, epignosei, full knowledge, relational knowledge, friendship knowledge—i.e. not merely academic knowledge, head knowledge, but heart knowledge) of Him, the eyes of your understanding (kardia, heart) being enlightened (“opened up and flooded with light”); that you may know (know by seeing, perceive) what is the hope of His calling, and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power.”  Over the years, God has by His grace given me numerous messages on these incredible verses, and each has blessed me immeasurably.

God has laid a familiar verse on my heart in recent days and hours, and has “thrown more light upon His Word”.  The verse is II Timothy 2:15, which says, “Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman (ergaten, a “laborer” or “field-hand”) that doesn’t need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.”  The word translated “rightly dividing” is a massive world-in-a-word, the word orthotomounta.  It is a combination of two Greek words: the word “ortho”, which means “right” or “straight” (orthodoxy is right or straight doctrine; orthopraxyis right or straight practice; as an example, an orthodontist is a doctor who straightens irregular teeth); and the word tomounto, which mean to cut or to divide.  This means that I must not take liberties with God’s Word of Truth.  Charles Spurgeon said, “You don’t have to defend or correct a line of Scripture; it is like a lion—just let him out of the cage and he will take care of himself!”

However (and here comes a major proviso)—you must learn how to “cut straight” each word of the Word of God, and lay it open in its full content, and as nearly to the full intent of its original use in the Biblical sentence as possible as is possible for you to detect, depending always on the Original Author, the Holy Spirit (the context).  Let me emphasize that we must read and study not just “the Word of God” in a translation, but the words of the Word of any text (after all,there would be no full Word without its giant lineup of separate words.  Any student who does not learn to “straight-cut” to the bottom of each word is not obedient to the rule of Jesus:  “Man lives by every word (emphasize every word) that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”  You simply cannot fairly deal with every word unless you deal adequately with each word.  Remember that “all Scripture is God-breathed (i.e., it “proceeded out of the mouth of God”, generated by His breath), and is profitable (valuable, advantageous) for doctrine for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (II Timothy 3:16-17).  This is the essential exegesis (“leading out”) with which all true Biblical exposition and explanation begin.

Let me interrupt the flow of the ideas here with an aside—though it surely is not incidental to our understanding!  John 1:18 says about Jesus that “No man has seen God at any time, but the Only-One-of-a-Kind Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him” (NASV).  “He has led Him out”—from invisibility into visibility, out of the unknown into the fully known.  Again, the Greek word exegeoma, or exegeted, means to “spell out”, to “expose”, to “make obvious”.   Jesus said, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.”  So the true student of Scripture will learn to take any key word of the text and “lead it out”—from invisibility to visibility, from the darkness of obscurity, isolation, ignorance, into the full light of complete exposure and awareness; from the indifference of the carnal heart into the “red alert” of full apprehension of its meaning, appreciate of its message, and application—so that a generationally multiplying lifestyle is the unmistakable result. 

Long ago, the patriarch Job said to God, “I have esteemed the words of Thy mouth to be more than my necessary food” (Job 23:12).  May God give to each of us an insatiable appetite for His Word!   May the attached message drive you to the Book, with a craving to be satisfied.  Enjoy both the Menu and the Meal! 

Herb Hodges
Spiritual Life Ministries
2916 Old Elm Lane
Germantown, TN38138
(901) 758-2777
herbslm@mindspring.com
www.herbhodges.com

The Wonderful Word of God

Bibles needed in Zambia

Hub Pastor Boyd Luenoo in Mazabuka District. He presently has three pastors in training and three new churches planted. They need Bibles especially to train the pastors who in turn disciple their churches.

ITS NOT TOO LATE To Make a Difference In 2011

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Looking back 2011 has been a marvelous year in Zambia to the Glory of God!

In April and May my friend Bill and I traversed Zambia delivering Training Manuals and reinforcing the HUB model of Church Planting, Pastoral Training and Discipleship. 700 NEW pastors began training with their mentor/pastors who disciple them. We began our journey in South Africa hitching a ride through Zimbabwe with Herbie who is Hope Builders Ministries’ partner in Malawi. In Livingstone we met another ministry, ERM, that “loaned” us their vehicle for the next 6 weeks so that we could make the journey throughout the vast and rugged country.

As we traveled and visited with the different ministries throughout Zambia it was encouraging to see the deep conviction and dedication of the men and women we are privileged to work alongside of. They are doing so much with so little, except FAITH. They truly trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, not only for saving grace but for living grace. They live by faith day to day in a place where the next meal is a matter of trusting God and hard work. We have a hard time comprehending that kind of faith and living.

Our ministry (HIMAfrica) with Hope Builders Ministries is TO SUPPORT the indigenous missionary pastors in Zambia. I emphasize TO SUPPORT because unlike traditional missionaries I do not LIVE in Zambia, setting up home and headquarters and DOING the work of ministry myself. The World of Missions is rapidly changing as church and mission organizations realize that the vast resources expended on training, equipping and keeping ONE Western missionary on the field (6 years – $500,000)  is much better spent directly on the missionaries that already live on the “field” of service. The local Christians already know the language, culture and HOW to live on the local economy. (Most Western Missionaries continue to live like westerners in developing countries causing all kinds of hindrances to the Gospel.)

HIMAfrica and Hope Builders Ministries exist to support the native missionaries that are already there. We are Helping Indigenous Ministries in Africa. Hope Builders Ministries philosophy is to equip and encourage the church in Africa to fulfill the Great Commission of our Lord to Make Disciples to the end of time.

Using the local Christian leaders, who have formal Biblical training, we come along side these godly men and help them “Make Disciples” by providing the resources they need… Bibles, Training Manuals, Bicycles, Training Centers, Farming implements, basic widow/orphan support and other basic “tools” …to do the work of the ministry. These men focus on making disciples who in turn make disciples who make disciples. IT is the multiplication method taught to us in the Scriptures.

Zambia has seen over 1500 church planted and pastors trained in the past 10 years. Hope Builders Ministries has been directly involved in upwards of 5000 churches planted and pastors trained in the same period. These are phenomenal results that are unheard of in traditional missions.  As the momentum builds it is possible in this next year that over 2000 new churches will be planted and new pastors begin training in Zambia alone! This is because THEY, the Disciples of Christ on the ground, are doing the work just as they were designed to do. Ephesians 4:12 clearly tells us that the PEOPLE do the WORK of the MINISTRY. We believe this. The indigenous pastors believe this. AND God does it, by His Grace and the empowering of the Holy Spirit as we obey the Word of God.

This is where you come in and can MAKE A DIFFERENCE before this year is over. Here is what you can do:

• PRAY for us (HIMAfrica) and Hope Builders Ministries regularly.
• GIVE a year-end gift to help us close the year in the “black.” Zambia needs to pay off the $4500 vehicle we purchased using funds from a fellow ministry. They need their money and we need your help to pay it back.
• MAKE a decision to partner with Lou Ann and me this next year by giving to our monthly support so that we can continue to Help our brothers and sisters in Zambia. We need your partnership.
• RECOMMEND our ministry to your church and contacts. This ministry is growing and the needed support base must grow with it.

Lou Ann and I send you our warmest blessings in Jesus Name. Thank you for loving us and partnering with us in the great work God is doing in Africa making disciples.

Jeff and Lou Ann Hawkins (working in Zambia, southern Congo (DRC) and Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe)

Hope Builders Ministries, PO Box 317, Greenwood, VA 22943 (all gifts are tax-deductible and will be receipted)

 

National Ministry Vehicle

Explaining our Mission Model

HopeBuildersMinistries

Equipping DISCIPLES to make disciples who make disciples

Tel: 540 456 7300 Fax: 540 456 7288 Cell. 434 825 7661

Website: www.hope-builders.org E-Mail: Africa@hope-builders.org

Our vision of reaching Africa for Jesus Christ, in collaboration with Harvesters International Ministries and Evangelical Rural Mission is progressing well and we are seeing our Hub-model Saturation Church Planting Strategy achieving results that are beyond our own expectations. We are currently working in Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia and Congo Brazzaville with Botswana and Zimbabwe under research consideration and receiving increasing attention.

The Hub-model

The hub strategy forms the basis of our entire ministry – with the hub church and the hub leader being the key elements. A hub-church is chosen for its strategic location in an area where the population is distributed such that outreaches can be done in an area covering a 25 mile radius around the hub-church. Generally speaking that could encompass villages housing about 50,000 people in total. It also doubles as the training center where the identified “pastors”, for that area, will be trained.

The Hub Leader is a trained Pastor who joins our team by accepting and implementing the Hub-model strategy. He leads an evangelism team who reach out to villages within walking/bicycling distance from the Hub church. The hub-leader is required to plant 10 churches within a year.

His second task is to identify leaders for the church plants his team has done. These leaders are brought in to the hub church on a regular basis (3 days every 5 weeks) to receive Pastoral Training. The training is done on a mentoring basis for three years. The hub leader also mentors each student in the practical side of their ministry i.e. he teaches and assists them in performing baptisms, communion, funerals, meeting procedures, etc (in an apprenticeship model).

Each student (pastoral leader of the church plant) is required to plant one church per year while being trained, in a village within walking/bicycling distance of his church. Thus over a period of 3 years 30 additional new churches are planted within a 25 mile radius around the hub church, bringing the total number of churches planted in that area to 40 plus the hub church.

Our goal is to saturate the entire community with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As the hub grows each village is targeted by the evangelism teams after the church there has been planted and the leader is in training. This allows us to perform the very important task of following up on new believers, making them DISCIPLES of Christ and accommodating them in an Evangelical church within walking distance from their homes. On average each Hub can potentially reach 30,000 people when fully developed over a five to six year period, while also providing trained local leadership to continue the ministry when our commitment comes to a close. Tithing forms an integral part of our practical training and as such the congregations will be self supporting through the growth in spiritual stature and numbers.

ICM (International Cooperating Ministries) has become our partner in providing the sanctuary/training center which serves as the hub-church. We presently have 86 buildings finished or under construction with another 20 planned for the next 12 months.

The fact that the Pastors of the churches planted all know one another and share the vision we have taught them has a unifying effect that is seen in their cooperation in reaching out to new villages. Thus sharing the load and enhancing the effectiveness of the outreaches. In this way we presented a number of “national-to-national outreaches” in 2009 resulting in 27,000 people responding to join the discipleship program.

We currently have 182 hubs in various stages of development and we expect to establish a further 40 in 2010. The number of Pastoral students in training currently stands at just over 5,400 and will grow to an expected 6,000 in this next year.

We provide pastoral students with a bicycle, Bible and training materials while the only person we employ is the hub leader. The average cost per hub per month to accomplish our goals is $300.

The Discipleship program, where new believers are taught the basic tenets of the Christian faith, is run at every church planted by the pastor/student undergoing the training firsthand. As the Lord provides, one Bible per family is made available to ensure that they receive the maximum benefit from the training we provide. The importance of practical participation in living out our faith is stressed and for that they need to at least have access to a Bible.

To enhance the impact of our basic Hub-program we have augmented it with a program designed to reach children, called the Children Harvest Project. This “Cluster system” works on the same multiplying basis as the Hub Model, but trains local women to reach children with the Gospel. The success of this program has drawn the attention of public schools officials in a number of districts and our locally trained teachers have been invited to bring the Gospel to entire schools with great effect.

The child sponsorship program provides food, clothing, medical needs and school fees to 230 orphans currently in the program. This outreach focuses on orphans and their foster families. We expect this leg of our ministry to grow as there are many “child led families” where the first two or three children are born before the parents contract Aids – children born there after as well as the parents succumb to the illness leaving the oldest child (10 to 14 years of age) to lead and fend for the surviving siblings.

In sub-Sahara Africa, 1.4 million people die every year of AIDS related illness, about 3,800 every day.

We have started using widows in the roll of caring for orphans also as they themselves find it difficult to live after their husbands family have taken his belongings as theirs – stems from the cultural practice that only men own anything. The roll the widow plays in child rearing (orphans) redeems her as a respected member of the community – thus two purposes are served in one action. We are experiencing great success in Mozambique.

All gifts made out to Hope Builders are tax deductible.

More information contact:

Johan Gous 434 825 7661 or africa@hope-builders.org

Jeff Hawkins 931 237 6077 or jeff@HIMAfrica.com

Camp Nathanael

This week has been filled with the sound of children singing, playing and praying (praying to receive Jesus as their savior).

Last Saturday Lou Ann and I drove back to eastern Kentucky near Hazard. Our destination was Camp Nathanael in Emmalena (http://www.campnathanael.org/home.php). Johan Gous and his wife Lida met us there for fellowship and planning coming events in Zambia. Sunday Lou Ann and I went to Happy Bible Church to share the Word and HIMAfrica ministry to Zambia. Johan and Lida went to Bethanna Baptist Church (where I pastored for 6 years) and we all met there for lunch and fellowship. GREAT TIME.

That evening we all met with Olivia Callahan and the Gospel singing group Free Indeed. They are organizing a benefit concert for Bibles For Believers to be held August 22. Monday morning Johan and I joined “Sug” Brashere at the local Christian radio station and did an hour long interview for Bibles for Believers! It was awesome. Thank you WJMD! We then had lunch with some local pastors and shared the ministry of Hope Builders International and HIMAfrica.

Johan, Lida and Lou Ann all returned home and I stayed at Camp Nathanael as the missionary speaker for 71 children. What a great time! The first night there were a lot of children wanting to receive Jesus as their Savior. The camp theme was “Be Energized!” and I sure am! My theme with the children was “How to be a Missionary.” The three lessons were 1. you must be a Christian and ALL Christians are Missionaries. 2. You must be a Sacrifice (Romans 12:1). 3. You must be Changing (Romans 12:2). We kept it simple and showed lots of pictures from Africa. What a precious privilege to teach young teachable hearts and to love them and be loved by them. Thank you Jesus!

Here are some pictures of the classes and also a blessing from Ronnie and Myrt Miller who put decals on the car! Looks really sharp!

Today (Friday 24th) I will return home after the chapel time and a few more visits with dear friends here in East Kentucky.