A Few Thoughts on Glorifying the Lord
Tuesday, March 1
Hello dear friends,
We are so grateful for your prayers and financial support. Our family is doing well. My treatment is over and side effects have subsided. Laura still has a long way ahead of her as she learns to hear again through her left ear with the cochlear implant. This month we celebrated Raquel´s birthday. We also enjoyed time with my cousins David and Dulce Hatcher during the beginning of the month. The ministry in São Paulo is doing well. Jonatas and Charis´ training and exposure trip to the States was a great success. Our children were greatly influenced by them during their time with us. We are truly grateful for what the Lord is doing during our Stateside assignment. I want to share something a little different with you this time. May I share a few thoughts on glorifying the Lord with you today?
God ultimately expects us to give Him all the glory. “Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen (Romans 11:36). “To the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:11). So, how do Christians go about giving God all the glory? Here are two ways:
God receives the glory through our Faithfulness to Him.
God receives the glory when we demonstrate faithfulness. “Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:2). Faithfulness is evidenced when providing an account of what was entrusted by the Master. Matthew Henry states, “to the trust reposed in him… keeping back nothing…when he seeks not to please men, but God; and not his own glory, and the applause of men, but the honor of Christ” is how a Christian is found faithful. Our thoughts, plans, and actions should be developed based on God’s principles found in Scripture. Faithfulness is an issue of personal integrity. Luke 16:10 states, “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much. Steadfast faithfulness to God goes beyond what the human eye can see. God examines the faithfulness of heart. We demonstrate our faithfulness and testify of Him by our internal and external mission. Faithfulness brings glory to God.
God receives the glory when we give account to Him.
God receives the glory when we provide an account of what He entrusted to us. The parable of the talents reveals this concept, “Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them” (Matthew 25:19). Everything a Christian is entrusted with is settled before God. It is impossible to omit anything from Him. “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13). Scripture is unequivocal regarding giving an account before the Master, “So then each of us will give an account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12). Another verse says, “they will give account to him who is ready to judge” (1 Peter 4:5). The Master can search the heart and test the mind. “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds” (Jeremiah 17:10). Each one of us must provide an account to God of the responsibilities entrusted to us.
Those whom He has entrusted must prove faithful, to use our talents, to maximize His Kingdom for all of us will stand before him to give an account. We do all things to give Him the glory.
May our commitment to give glory to God through our lives embolden us to live faithfully knowing we are accountable to Him for the talents he has placed in our lives.
Grateful,
Jud Hatcher
Contact Info:
Jud & Raquel Hatcher
São Paulo, Brazil
judsonhatcher@gmail.com
(872) 400-6522
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280 | Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.
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Chapel Resuming Services; Celebrating Chloe’s Birthday
September 17, 2020
Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ,
It has been an interesting month to say the least. For the last few weeks Julie has been in the United States on a much-needed trip to visit family. Since we haven’t had a furlough since 2013, we do not get back home very often to visit parents and children. So, it is good that Julie be there for a little while to see our very missed family members. So that means that I have been here in Kenya alone with Chloe. That, I guess, is what is making this month so interesting. But Chloe and I have been surviving and getting along OK. I have learned to pick my battles with her. The day I am writing this update is actually Chloe’s birthday. She turned six years old today. That is hard to believe! She didn’t come home to live with us for another month after her birthday but I was contemplating this today: Six years ago today an unknown Kenyan girl, from an unknown Kenyan village gave birth to a 2 pound baby and this event would change my life forever. I didn’t know it yet, but God knew it and His plan was to bring her to our home. Chloe would change our lives, we would change hers, and we would be linked together forever. All according to God’s plan (which he would unfold for us in the weeks following her birth).
Ministry at the Chapel has started up very slowly. Our first week after restarting from the Covid shutdown we had 5 in attendance. The second week we had 6. The third week 7. The fourth week 8. Seeing a trend here? Well, we were going in the right direction as far as attendance is concerned but then we hit the fifth week. On the fifth week we had 2 – myself and Victor. So, I thanked God for Victor. Victor faces some mental challenges but he loves Jesus, is a humble and loving man and he rarely misses a service at the Chapel. In fact, he usually shows up an hour early to clean and help me get everything set up. As far as I know, Victor has no job and no income but I have on multiple occasions seen Victor take a loaf of bread or a bag of chips that I have bought for him and immediately open it and give half of it to people on the streets. He has a big heart. So, on week 5 I thanked God that Victor was at the Chapel, even though there was no one else there. Victor and I sang a few songs together, talked about God and some things in the Bible, prayed for a while, and finished our service. Week 6 we then had ten in attendance. We will see where the trend goes from there. My goal is to get back to where we were before Covid hit. I am not referring to numbers in attendance but to closeness, to relationships, to spiritual growth, to glorifying God together, to the Kingdom of Jesus, and to the overall desire to see the ministry develop and progress.
Please keep our Chapel in prayer and pray that my wife gets back here soon.
Blessings to you all,
Roger, Julie, Amy, Josiah & Chloe
CONTACT INFO
Roger & Julie Tate
P.O. Box 96
Kitale, Kenya 30200
rojuta@gmail.com
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Gospel Presented to Unbelievers through Christmas Play
Missionaries John Mark and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making.”
January 7, 2019
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
We hope that you have had a good holiday season with your family and friends and are getting off to a good start in 2019. Our past year has been filled with many blessings in spite of some sad moments.
The year closed well for the church at Tournefeuille. The children and young people presented a drama of the birth of Christ among the humans He created. It was a story within a story presented as an imaginary discussion between a believer and an unbeliever about the coming of our Savior. Abigail, our oldest granddaughter, translated the drama from English to French and the players prepared and practiced for several weeks.
The play was presented on Sunday, December 23 to a house packed with guests invited by family members and friends. There were several first-time attendees. Among those present were a number of non-believers. One teenage member of our congregation brought her mother, father, brother and paternal grandparents who are atheist. What a thrill it is to us that these and others who need Christ heard the Gospel presentation. My eyes overflowed with tears as I rejoiced and prayed for the salvation of these who are in need of Christ. Please pray with us that the Holy Spirit will use what they saw and heard to draw them to our wonderful Saviour.
Today is my birthday. God has blessed me with a wonderful life up to this point. Thanks to all who sent birthday wishes. From the eternal perspective our present life will look like a speck of dust no matter how long we live. My desire is to live giving evidence of Christ and proclaiming His Good News so that others may receive Him and live eternally in His presence.
Judy and I are grateful beyond words for the family and spiritual family that our Father in heaven has given us. Thank you for the part that you play in our lives. May God continue to channel His light through you wherever you live.
Serving Christ with you,
John and Judy
John Mark & Judy Hatcher
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher[at]aol.com
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280
Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online
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