Partnership with Puebla, Mexico

Recently two of our staff members attended a missions meeting to hear a presentation on future missions partnerships in the state of Puebla, Mexico. We heard testimony from director of missions for the Baptist state convention and his desire to lead his congregations in partnering in the task of church planting for the coming year 2013.

According to Wikipedia, the following information describes part of the states demographic:


In 2005, the state had a population of 5,383,133 according to the INEGI census, ranking fifth in the country. Over 93% of the state’s population identifies as Roman Catholic with 4.4% identifying as Protestant or Evangelical.

In 1921, Puebla had the second largest population, after Oaxaca, of purely indigenous people according to the national census. Since then, the official census has eliminated categories for race, counting only those who speak an indigenous language. In 2000, an attempt was made to count indigenous ethnicities, regardless of language spoken. This count ranked Puebla as fifth with a total population of 957,650. However, according to the 2005 census, there were 548,723 people who spoke an indigenous language.

Would you be willing to pray with us concerning a few of our staff members attending a vision trip? We specifically need to know right away if this is something in which the Lord would have us participate as the vision trips are scheduled for the first few months of 2013.


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Mexico Mission Update

We mentioned on our Facebook page that we are completely overwhelmed by the generous outpouring of support by God's people and every day we continue to feel the same way.

We wish to announce to you that not only have the funds for the original eight team members been received, but we have received funds for two additional team members to be fully funded. In addition to this we have some funds received for the construction project.

The construction project will require approximately $1200.00 to complete. We will be joining funds with Iglesia Espiritu Santo in Northern Mexico to work with them in the repair of two of their roofs and improvements to educational space. Psalm 67 desires to work with people, not in the place of others. Our partnership projects have a heavy emphasis on disciple-making with everyone involved and we always seek to work with people instead of doing for them what they could and should do for themselves. Our desire is not to form dependency but foster fellowship and cooperation for the sake of the Gospel. Pastor Candido (pictured above) will assist in leading our team and his congregation to work together in unity and cooperation. Please pray for him and his family!

This being said, we would like to ask you to pray concerning this construction project? If the funds are available we will partner the funds given with the congregation in Mexico to work with them in this endeavor. Your tax-deductible contribution will help us do this. You can make an online contribution with credit card or paypal by clicking the link above. Please placed "Mexico 2012" in the comment section so that we can know that this is going toward the project.

If you have any questions about this, please feel free to contact us at office@psalm67missions.net or by calling 636.224.8811.





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"God Be Gracious to Us and Bless Us" But Why?

The following article was written in January 2011 by Pastor Scott Lee of Rockport Baptist Church in Arnold, Missouri on their blog.

"God Be Gracious to Us and Bless Us" But Why?

“God be gracious to us and bless us, And cause His face to shine upon us that Your way may be known on the earth, Your salvation among all nations.”
Psalm 67: 1-2

Psalm 67 is about missions! It’s a cry for God’s blessing. But unlike so many who cry for God to bless them, the Psalmist is not thinking only of himself He has a much greater goal in mind. He prays that God would bless us and be with us, not so we can be blessed, but so that through us the nations might hear and know and worship God as He deserves to be known and worshiped!

This has always been the motive behind the saint’s desire for the blessing of God. God does not bless us so we can hoard the blessing to ourselves. He blesses us that we might be a link in the chain He ordains to bring the blessing of Christ to others through the preaching of the Gospel.

We saw this in the call God gave to Abraham in Genesis 12:3 (That sermon can be found here) when He said, “I will bless you and you will be a blessing and all nations on earth will be blessed through you!” Clearly God doesn’t bless us so we can look in the mirror and say, “How wonderful to be blessed?” God blesses us so that other nations and people we’ve never met might be blessed through us! How? By hearing and responding to the Gospel of Christ that we preach and send to them through missions! This has always been God’s plan. It was God’s plan for Abraham. It was also His plan for Isaac and, as we’ll see this morning (Rockport Sermon for 12/12/10), for Jacob and his sons as well! Indeed, the Bible itself is a missionary book! It’s a call for us to realize what God is doing in our lives. He is blessing us for the purpose of making His glory known and enabling us to carry His Good News to the ends of the earth so that “all peoples” and “all nations” may hear and be glad in Him!

May God enable us to orient our lives and our church to that holy calling as we remember to give and pray for and go on mission until the whole world has heard and acknowledged the Salvation that has come in Christ!!

Don’t forget to make missions a part of your giving this year!

Pastor Scott Lee
Rockport Baptist Church, Arnold, MO
http://www.rockportbaptist.org



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Rejoice Tamaulipas!

During our mission team meeting last weekend, we discussed the theme of the work to which we believe The Lord is calling us. Translated into English the theme would be "Rejoice" or "Be Glad" Tamaulipas! You might be asking, what does this mean?

You may or may not know that Mexico is a country made up of 31 states and one "Federal District." Tamaulipas is the northeastern-most state bordering a portion of the state of Texas of the USA. You may also be familiar with the fact that the state of Tamaulipas has been terrorized in the past years with countless acts of violence from wars between drug trafficking organizations attempting to export their products to the largest consumer of drugs in the world, the United States of America.

In the past our groups have visited, taught, and labored with people in remote areas in this beautiful state. We have seen their suffering and we have seen the terror on their faces and some of our teams have had first-hand experience with some of the terror. In one area we specifically remembered people from a small village telling group members that they were so thankful when we were with them because our message brought hope for them, their families, and their children.

"Alegrate Tamaulipas" or "Rejoice Tamaulipas" is what we are calling our work this coming Christmas break. This expression is taken directly from the scripture found in Psalm 67:4 which says "Let the nations be glad and sing for joy!" During our meeting we discussed a couple of thoughts concerning this theme.

Unlike the popular thought of the world today which says "don't worry be happy" or "just wait and things will turn out alright" we say, Rejoice The Lord is King! The world offers you and I "well wishes of good feelings" but we proclaim to the world that Christ reigns and because of this, lift up your faces and rejoice! You see, we desire to invite people to delight themselves in the person of Jesus Christ, because He is worth it!

We desire to proclaim good news to those who suffering and hurting. We will experience times with those who live in a greater state of poverty, and we pray for them. We do not desire to export American culture or luxury. We desire to bring to them what is stronger than the peso, the American dollar, or the Euro. We desire to communicate the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that all peoples might be glad and sing for joy!

We thank you all for partnering with us that the Nations be glad and sing for joy!

Psalm 67 Missions Network


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Update on Christmas Break Mission

Yesterday our team met and discussed the plans for the upcoming trip. We asked our team to pray concerning the finances coming in as we have our final financial deadline this coming Friday (December 14).

Praise The Lord we are at 86% level of support! Would you pray with us concerning the additional 14%? Our group has also been asked to assist the congregation with construction projects on the church building. This is not part of our budget and would require our funding level to reach approximately 135%.

During our meeting we stressed the fact that we desire to be used of The Lord in any way He sees fit. We do not desire to simply make plans and then ask The Lord to bless what we would like to do. Therefore, we are asking you to join with us in prayer concerning the additional funding for the construction projects. If this is something we are to do, we are confident that He will make it very clear!

We want to thank each and every one of you for praying and supporting this mission team. Please do check back with us here for updates before, during, and after the mission trip.

If you are able to partner with us on a monthly basis for the upcoming year, or you are able to make a one-time donation toward this mission or toward the general mission of Psalm 67 Missions Network, you may do so online here on this blog (top right hand corner), or by mail at: Psalm 67 Missions Network 3761 Telegraph Rd., Arnold, MO 63010. If you have any questions you may contact us at office@psalm67missions.net or by calling (636) 224-8811.





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Christmas Break Update

We are exactly one month away from our scheduled departure toward the US/Mexico border to partner with a mission congregation in Mexico. This has been a unique experience for us because this has been a time of exciting growth and cooperation. First, as an organization, we have additional partners that are sharing the load of the responsibility for leading and praying. Second, this will be our first time partnering with this particular congregation and our first time in this particular area.

We have asked Pastor Candido how we can specifically pray for him and the rest of the congregation. Some of the items that he shared included:

• That there would be growth of the members and leaders of the congregation
• That the team coming would be safe and unified.
• That there would be a great success in sharing the Gospel in the community outreach efforts as well as during the New Year's services.

In addition to these items, we humbly ask that you would pray concerning some additional urgent needs.

• Our team has a financial deadline today. At last check, we are approximately $1300.00 short of our needed support level.
• The meeting building for the congregation needs a new roof, a functional restroom, paint, and a wall dividing the educational space. We have people on our team that can work in this area, but this approximately $700.00 USD project is not included in our budget.

Please make this items a matter of prayer. If you are able to assist with meeting the financial needs we ask respectfully that you do so only after your current responsibilities, including your commitment to your local congregation are met. You can click on the "donate" section on the upper right-hand side of this blog post in order to donate electronically. You can e-mail us at office@psalm67missions.net or give us a call at 636.224.8811 for additional information.

Please pray for our leaders that are working directly with Pastor Candido and the congregation in Mexico. You can check back here or follow us on Facebook, Google+, or Twitter for additional updates.

Partnering with you that Christ might be glorified among the nations!

Psalm 67 Missions Network

November 2012 Update

November 13, 2012

Dear partners,

Last month, our transitional board approved the following mission statement to represent the overall direction and desire of Psalm 67 Missions Network (PS67MN):

By God's mercy and blessing on His people, Psalm 67 Missions Network seeks to assist the church in making Christ known among the nations by making disciples in word and in deed to the praise and glory of His grace.

In the coming months we will be sharing with you the specifics of how we believe that The Lord is leading us to do this through short-term missions, long-term missionary appointments, and through other partnerships with congregations.

Last night was the scheduled leadership meeting to review a few items. It is our joy to share these items with you and ask that you please pray!

Mission Trip - Christmas Break 2013
We have been asked by a small mission congregation just outside the US border in Matamoros, Mexico. The purpose of the trip will be to partner with this congregation in their efforts to conduct a "Christmas Break" Bible School for all ages, assist them with light construction on their building, and distribute evangelistic literature around the area. We will be preaching and leading music. We ask that you would please pray for our team members that they might raise the funds that they need. We would also ask that you pray for Pastor Candido and his family. They have been discouraged by the situation in Mexico and they are really looking forward to us working with them. This team will leave December 26, 2012 and will return January 3, 2013. We invite you to monitor the trip via our social media pages and/or our blog.

We would like for you to pray specifically concerning the fact that each person will be raising part of the support for the group to go. Part of our meeting last night we reviewed the number of people attending. We noticed that in order to make this trip happen and cover the expenses, we will need a approximately an additional $1000.00 US. Would you pray about this with us? We will need to raise approximately half of that within the next two weeks. If you have questions about this, please contact Debbie Ferrell at office@psalm67missions.net or by calling her at (314) 602-3827.

Spring Break 2013
The Kurt Warner "First Things First Foundation" has asked us again to apply for a  scholarship to assist with costs for a US, service-based mission trip. We have three locations that have asked and we are considering for Spring Break 2013. We are asking you to pray concerning this effort as to whether or not you, or someone you know might participate in this effort.

Family of Prayer
One of the desires that we have is to form a committed team of individuals that we can count on to pray for the work of PS67MN. Right now we are seeking the right person to partner with us to organize this and to keep others informed on the prayer needs of those who work with us.

You can find out more information about other work of Psalm 67 Missions Network on Facebook, Google+, or Twitter. You can also receive our news updates by subscribing to our e-mail list at by sending a request to psalm67missionsnet@gmail.com

Thank you again for your ongoing prayer and support!

Psalm 67 Missions Network

Christmas Break Mission Trip

Thank you to everyone who registered for the mission trip to Tamaulipas, Mexico this Christmas Break. We will be sending out updates and further information early next week. Information will be sent to the e-mail address you included on your application.

If you are interested in financially supporting someone on this trip, please contact us at psalm67missionsnet@gmail.com or by calling 636.224.8811.


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Short-Term Mission Trip Opportunity

Psalm 67 Missions Network

3761 Telegraph Rd

Arnold, Missouri 63010

(636) 224-8811

Current transitional page – www.ps67missionsnetwork.blogspot.com

“Alégrense Tamaulipas”- Christmas Break Short-term mission trip

December 27, 2012 – January 2, 2013

Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico

What is the purpose of the trip?

Psalm 67 Missions Network seeks to partner with other congregations in making disciples in word and in deed. Specifically during this week we will be participating in a wide variety of ministry opportunities under the authority of a local congregation and Pastor. We seek to put together a team of people who are able to: complete small construction projects, participate in personal evangelism, work with a Christmas/New Year outreach, medical clinic, Vacation Bible School, Sports outreach, and more.

Who should participate?

We desire to put together a team of those who are experienced as well as those who desire to be taught in a discipleship-style format to give you an introduction to cross-cultural missions.

Schedule

December 27, 2012 – Meeting in Harlingen, Texas and then entering Mexico

December 28, 2012 – First day of outreach begins

January 2, 2013 – Departure from Mexico, Debriefing Meeting in the United States

What are the costs?

(Please Note - Application and deposit of $75.00/person is due and must be received together in the office on or before November 9, 2012).

The total cost for those providing their own transportation to Harlingen Texas is $325.00/person

Transportation is available near St. Louis, Missouri. The cost for the trip and transportation is $425.00/person.

(More information is available in the team-member application)

Please either scan the completed application and e-mail it to psalm67misisonsnet@gmail.com or mail the application to the address above.

Who do I contact for more information?

More information will be avialalbe on our Facebook and Google+ pages.

You may also visit our transitional web page at http://www.ps67missionsnet.blogspot.com

You may contact Missions Intern, Billy Jackson at billy.jackson@psalm67missions.netbilly.jackson@psalm67missions.net or by calling (636) 224-8811.

October 2012 Update

Dear friends/partners,

We thank you for your support and prayer for Psalm 67 Missions Network. We desire to keep you informed and ask that you please continue to pray for us as we seek to partner together with others that the Gospel might be proclaimed in all the Earth.

Missions Meetings
Beginning in September, a group of people have been meeting together along with some leaders from our "home" congregation, Rockport Baptist Church. Along with other goals, we have sought in these meetings, to prayerfully labor together in order to lay the framework for the Gospel to be sent out through the work of missionaries, in both short and long term appointments. Our next meeting is November 12, 2012. Some of the items discussed during this most recent meeting include: the approval of our missions statement, appointment of a budget workgroup, discussion of training needs, and upcoming opportunities.

Missions Statement
Speaking of Missions statement, the following statement was updated and approved at our meeting on October 15, 2012:

By God's mercy and blessing on His people, Psalm 67 Missions Network seeks to assist the church in making Christ known among the nations by making disciples in word and in deed to the praise and glory of His grace.

In future posts, we hope to explain exactly how we believe The Lord will use us and those who partner with us to work together toward this goal.

How to contact us

The phone number for the office has changed. You may now reach us during normal business hours at 636.224.8811. Please be patient with us as at this time we do not have full-time staff members. You may be asked to leave a message for someone to return your phone call.

You may e-mail us at psalm67missionsnet@gmail.com

We ask that you follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. It would be helpful also if you could invite your friends to do the same.

Christmas Break Missions Opportunity
We are seeking a team to assist a congregation along the US/Mexico border in Matamoros, Mexico this Christmas break (December 27 - January 2, 2013). We realize this is short notice. More information will be available this Wednesday. Currently we have openings for 15 people who are gifted in: evangelism/teaching, medical skills, construction, and hospitality.

Please contact us if you are interested in partnering with us for this opportunity.

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The Lord has really blessed

After returning from our assigned mission project this past week, it is time to give everyone an update on the happenings. You will hopefully be hearing from other members of the team as they will be posting articles about their experience, but this is an effort to share with you, our friends, the wonderful provision of our Lord during the visit to the US/Mexico Border.

First, if we had a theme that could sum up what all happened, it would be based on Psalm 23. We experienced times of great provision. It became a point of laughter at times because every time we turned around there were people providing meals and other items to us as a way of expressing their love. We are so grateful for God watching over us and providing for us through His people. In addition to the provision there were times of a real presence of "attack" by the enemy. Members of our team really struggled with this and the Lord used this to remind us that even though we walk through very dark times, He is with us. His rod and his staff, they comforted us.

Second, we met a new congregation (Primera San Juan) and new brothers and sisters at this location. We were so blessed by the people and the great response for the Vacation Bible School. We had a regular crew of 10-15 adults that attended the Adult session, which I lead. This was in addition to the adults from the congregation with whom we had the privilege of working beside. The second night of VBS there were three adults in the class that made public professions of faith in Christ and repentance of sin. Praise the Lord!

Also, it was an encouragement to see some of the families we have met while working in the community around Iglesia Cristo El Rey. Some of these individuals have matured in the faith and are using the resources provided by some of you. We were also able to purchase some new Bibles and deliver them to those who have been meeting with us for Bible study. Would you please ask that the Lord would grant salvation to the children of the families with whom our teams have been working?

Finally, we need to discuss Sunday morning. Sunday morning there was a real "sense of oppression" to the point that some of us did not even feel as if we should go to the morning service. Some were physically ill. However, what we found is that after the sermon we heard a most wonderful message from a man that has been filling the pulpit at Cristo El Rey. The message has to be the best message I have heard in my time spent working along the border. This brother brought an expositional message that was sound and centered on Christ and the priority of the Gospel both proclaimed verbally and evident by the transformation of the lives of the followers of Christ. I cannot tell you how much joy this brings us as we have prayed for this congregation and have now experienced the blessing of seeing what could be their new Pastor, sharing the unashamed Gospel with them! Please continue to pray! I see this as a time of great outpouring of God's grace, His blessing on us, and the congregation. This will most likely result in us transitioning in working alongside them but in other areas as it appears that they are going to be able to put together a team of Godly leaders. (I hope to comment more for the future).

On behalf of all of us, I do wish to thank each and every one of you for praying, giving, and going. Thank you so much for your faithfulness. Please continue to pray that the Lord would raise up an army of people to go and take the Gospel and for partners that would continue to send the Gospel out through missionaries of all types.

In Christ,

Aaron


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The Myth of Secularism

The Myth of Secularism

“Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.’” (Matthew 28.18-20)

I used to waste much time feasting my mind on role-playing games & video games, where I would be the conqueror, the hero, defeat the evil & help those in need. Much of my time, when I wasn’t playing the games, I was thinking about them. I was living in a fantasy world, avoiding the real world with its difficulties, and basically making myself the god of my own world.
Secularism here in America is very much the same thing, living in a fantasy world, living without reference to the God who made us. It is to pretend that the here & now are all that matters; there is no Creator, but only natural causes & processes; we are accountable to no one but other men; and the way things are is the way they will always be.

Practically, it looks like living to better our lot in this life, or that of our children. The American ideal is to get good grades, go to college, get a degree, get a great-paying job, buy a big house, car, and whatever else makes us happy, live comfortably, enjoy life, and retire in ease surrounded with all the stuff we’ve gained over the years. This is prevalent not only among people outside our churches, but also among the church-goers. The lives of “Christians” differ little in this way from those who make no claim to faith in Jesus. Sure, we talk about life after death, and going to heaven, but the main thrust of our lives is still the senseless accumulation of goods. This is not the real world, but a fantasy. It reminds me of the video games I used to play, where my goal would be to stockpile pretend treasure, and pretend resources, to build my pretend kingdom, and win a pretend victory.

The real world is what we see revealed in the Bible. The simple fact is that God did make everything: the universe, the earth, all living things, and us, too. God did not wind this world up, and let it go; rather, he is intimately involved & active in every part. The world is the way it is now because we rebelled against God to go our own way, and God subjected us & the whole world with us under sin, destruction & death, under Satan the Usurper. But it will not always be this way. The Son of God came as a man, Jesus, appointed by the Father to rule all things, the Messiah or Christ. He took dominion over the earth, controlling the winds & waves & walking on the sea. He took dominion over animals, causing fish to leap into the fishermen’s nets & riding on an unbroken donkey. He took dominion over sin’s curse, healing the sick, giving sight to one born blind & breaking up funerals by raising the dead with only a word. Christ took dominion over evil spirits, causing them to tremble with fear & leave the people they oppressed by His mere command. He took dominion over our sins, taking our guilt before God, suffering the full measure of God’s wrath, satisfying God’s perfect justice by his death, and rising again to demonstrate that He had put away our sins forever! Thereby Christ defeated Satan the Usurper, who had brought God’s curse upon us through sin, and He reconciling us to God. Then the Risen Man Jesus ascended to the throne of God, all authority & power & judgment being handed over to Him by the Father.

Thus a man, the Christ, now rules all things, and is spreading his Kingdom throughout the world, just as God promised (Daniel 2.34,35,44,45; 7.13,14; Philippians 2.9-11; Ephesians 1.19-23). This is why the Risen Lord now sends us, His people, out to the nations to spread His Kingdom, not by guns or legislation, but by simply proclaiming the Gospel, and discipling men to trust & follow Him. Right now, He is offering amnesty to all who will bow to His lordship by turning from their rebellion & trusting in Him to bring them to God.

Reality is that this same Jesus will return one day to complete His conquest of the world. The amnesty will be over. Then He will raise all the dead, judge every man, restore His creation, and usher in the eternal joy of His perfect Kingdom with His people, and the eternal punishment of the Lake of Fire for His enemies.

This present life is like a dream in the night, short-lived, from which we shall soon awake, when we die or Jesus returns. Christian, are you living like the dream is reality & the reality a dream? Practically, is your life all about the cares, labors, responsibilities, pleasures, treasures & comforts of this life? How shocked & horrified you will you be when the dream ends, and you awake to see Christ exalted, and all your treasures, even your life, lost! Beware, it is “the cares of the age and the deceitfulness of riches” which make false Christians (Mark 4.18,19). Believe God’s Word, not American mythology.

There is no area of our lives which can be divorced from reference to God & the Man He has set over all things. Everything we do, say & think—down to our very eating & drinking—relates to Him (1Corinthians 10.31; Colossians 3). Anything done without reference to Him is sin & rebellion (Romans 14.23; Matthew 12.30). There is no neutral ground. There simply is no secular. Living without reference to God & Christ is like trying to live without reference to the sun.

Therefore, let us be bold in proclaiming the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Because Jesus is the Lord over all, in our text He calls His people to make followers of Him from every people group on earth. His vision is global because His Kingdom embraces all of creation, and He is the heir of it all. And what kind of ruler is this Jesus? He is not like the rulers of this world, but rules for the good of His people. So much so, that He humbled Himself, took the guilt of our sins, suffered the wrath of God that we deserve, died in our place, and rose again so that we could have eternal life. All this He did for us, when we were his enemies & hated him. There is no king like this One, full of love & grace & truth. That is why it is “Good News” to proclaim His Lordship, and lead every people group to follow King Jesus.

Michael Pfleegor - Missionary to Suriname

Michael and his wife Erin have four children and one on the way. They are members of Rockport Baptist Church in Arnold (near St. Louis), Missouri and are currently preparing to be sent to Suriname as missionaries. Please visit their blog "Multiply the Blessing" at http://www.multiplytheblessing.blogspot.com/ find out how you can know more and partner with them in this ministry.

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Updates from the Border

Here we are again on the US/Mexico border in Southern Texas. Below is a list of a few updates during this trip:

A New Connection
We are being blessed by our new relationship with another small congregation along the US/Mexico border. We have been told that this congregation lost their building due to lack of funds to keep up with the maintenance. We were told that the building was condemned and they are now meeting in a home of one of the church members.

This being said, the congregation averages about 15-20 adults on a Sunday and about the same number of children. We are working with them conducting what is commonly referred to as "Vacation Bible School" by conducting Bible classes and activities for all ages. Our first evening we had 76 people in attendance. This was such a blessing. In additional to the multiple adults working in the event, we had about 16 adults in the Bible study class. The second night there were three adults in that Bible study class that made public professions that they believed the Lord brought them to salvation.

Tonight is the last night of this outreach effort. The rest of the week we will focus on follow up, attending a Pastor's meeting, assisting a local camp in their efforts to help other mission teams, as well as distribute literature to others.

Prayer Requests

We do ask that you pray for our team, for unity, and protection. We have experienced God's provision by people from different places blessing us with providing us with food and supplies on almost every day! In addition to this, pray that we would finish well.

Please pray for a few familiar families that are currently really struggling financially and concerns with their children. One family is preparing to have their fourth child and they live in a space of less than 700 square feet and have no air conditioning. Their older children also are in need of school supplies.

Thank you so much for all of your continued prayer and support!


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Worthy of Men's Praise - Psalm 96

Worthy of Men’s Praise

“Oh sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth!

Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.

Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!

For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods.

For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the LORD made the heavens…”

—Psalm 96

John Piper put it well that “missions exists because worship doesn’t.” In other words, because the vast majority of men of every language, color & custom have turned away from the God who made us, and worship false gods, it is therefore necessary to make the living God known & call men to return to Him. If all men everywhere were worshiping God from the heart, then there would be no need for missions. Indeed, the great end in view in this psalm would be accomplished. Then the fullness of Christ’s Kingdom would be here, and all who reject God would be gone. But that is not the case!

Rather, men of every tribe & tongue are worshiping gods they’ve created by their own imagination, which are “worthless” because they cannot rescue or aid those who serve them. This includes not merely the animist in Africa, the Hindu in India, but also the humanist in America. Each of us is responsible before God, and we must one day give an account to Him for our lives (v. 13).

This psalm (i.e., song) has chiefly in mind love for God’s glory. The psalmist (song writer) desires God to be known & praised, and urges other believers to make Him known. And the scope of his vision for God being glorified by men is global. He is not satisfied with one people in one corner of the globe knowing & praising God. He longs for the time when all nations & all of creation will join with one heart & voice to worship God. Do we have the same longings? What are we doing about it?

As we know, the nations, or people groups, are at fault for their ignorance of & rebellion against God. However, the nations are also to be pitied in their darkness & spiritual poverty. This also is expressed by the psalmist. He does not here call for the judgment & condemnation of the idolaters, but desires their salvation, and their entering into God’s triumphant praise. The nations’ problem—our problem—is idolatry. The psalmist’s solution: joyful worship of the true & living God.

The psalmist’s call to action for God’s people is to “sing to the LORD, bless his name[i.e., our own worship of God]; tell of his salvation from day to day[proclaim God’s love, grace & salvation].Declare his glory among the nations[declare who God is], his marvelous works among all the peoples! [declare what God has done]...Say among the nations, ‘The LORD reigns…for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth [declare what God will do].’” Here is a simple plan for evangelism: worship God ourselves (otherwise we are hypocrites); proclaim his deliverance; declare who he is; what he has done; and what he will do. This is what idolaters need; they need to hear who God is, what he has done, and what he will do. No elaborate arguments, no seminary degree needed, simply proclaim what the Bible says.

The nations need to hear all of the message: God’s creation; His holiness, wrath& judgment; His love, grace & salvation; the Father, Son & Spirit’s work in saving us; Christ’s death & resurrection; Christ’s coming again & His Kingdom. To give them only part of the message (e.g., God’s love & grace without His wrath & judgment) will do the nations no good. That is to make a caricature of God—an idol. But the full message will bring the desired result: “The LORD reigns! Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity. Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy before the LORD.”

Proclaiming God & his works is also an act of worship. Consider, when a man & woman love each other, their love spontaneously expresses itself in praise to each other; but it also spontaneously expresses itself by praising the beloved onebeforefamily, friends & others. We joyfully tell others what delights our hearts. Likewise, when we delight in God, we will gladly tell others about him. “Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.” We see both worship toward God, as directed to his ears, and worship proclaimed to others, as directed to the ears of men. In this way, our worship begets their worship.

Therefore, Brothers & Sisters, “Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods.” Our God is worthy of men’s praise!

Michael Pfleegor - Missionary to to Suriname


Michael and his wife Erin have four children and one on the way. They are members of Rockport Baptist Church in Arnold (near St. Louis), Missouri and are currently preparing to be sent to Suriname as missionaries. Please visit their blog "Multiply the Blessing" to find out how you can know more and partner with them in this ministry.

Thank you for your giving

I was recently notified that people have made contributions for several needed items. We are humbled and grateful for your partnering with us. Here is an update on the progress recently:

Literature

We have purchased Bibles and a Family Devotion book for individuals currently being discipled near the US/Mexico Border. We have confirmed that some of the items have been received and delivered.

I was also notified that we have the funds to purchase a case of Bibles and Gospel tracts and send them to the Border. These items will be used to spread the Gospel through an area heavily influenced by false teachings.

Summer Missionary Support

I have also been informed that the funds were received for the purchase of a bike for our Summer Missionary and Intern, Billy Jackson. Billy is using this to get around to make visits and share the Gospel with others. This allows him to save money that would normally be spent on fuel for a 15 passenger van. Those funds will be reallocated now for further ministry projects.

Current need -Billy could still use financial support to finish out his journey in the Rio Grande Valley. This week he is serving as a Bible teacher and student leader for a Christian summer camp. He will return to St. Louis next week to work at a camp here. Following this, Billy will return for another trip to the Rio Grande Valley with a mission team.

We do seek to be faithful financially and therefore would ask that the Lord would provide the necessary funds for him to finish this summer project. If you are able to be a part of this, please contact Debbie Ferrell at psalm67missionsnet@gmail.com

As always, we thank you for your faithfulness in your support of sending and proclaiming the Gospel to every nation, tribe and tongue!

In Christ,

Aaron


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Report from the Border with Billy Jackson

I recently wrote an e-mail to Billy Jackson, Summer Missions Intern, and asked him to write up a short post on some "things learned" this summer and perhaps some ways that we can be praying for him. Here is his response:

Probably the number one thing I've learned is that God is always faithful through both small and big things. He is faithful not only to provide provisions but also to help you through conflict, to teach us his gospel and truth and he is faithful to use us to teach others as we are faithful in prayer and in the reading of his word.

I guess it is part of human nature to doubt as we see the next wave approaching us. It always looks bigger than the last one. And I think part of this is a subconscious knowing that we can't make this work out right no matter how hard we try, and that even as we are trying... things are messing up. Most of the time its only after the wave has passed that we see resolution and we're like "ahh, thats so nice how that work out..." and then we turn around and see the next wave coming and we're like "AHH! WHat's going to happen now!!??" "How can this be good?"

But God IS faithful. The big thing for me is to keep trusting him even through the situation, and to make sure I am working in his word (staying in it) and committing myself to prayer. The thing is it sound so simple but it can be hard sometimes. Sometimes you have to come up with strategies for staying alert as you read (and not falling asleep!). Or come up with something to help direct your prayers so you don't float around and then end up daydreaming.

Then probably the second thing I'd list as something I've learned is that it is ok and probably good to feel you total helplessness and dependence on God for anything good to happen or for you to even continue on in a good way. Actually this tends to make you pray with earnestness and to search the scriptures for something that will help you, something that you feel is his word to you (and then you're like "Wow! This is Awesome! I can teach this to the kids on Sunday!")

It's after the first week or two when you start to feel that you might actually have it together now... that you are in real danger. While you are on the cliff with the rope attached to the harness, yeah its scary, but you are safe. It's when you start to feel that you don't need the rope that you are in real danger and need to wake up to your situation. I've actually been teaching the boys here at the Bible studies about the need for the Holy Spirit, first to be born again as Jesus tells Nicodemus, and then second we need the Holy Spirit just to stay in the battle against the flesh and against the devil. We looked at Galatians 5:16-25 about the difference between the flesh and the Spirit. We looked at Ephesians 6 about what we need for this spiritual warfare. This Sunday we are going to look at Ephesians 2. I've already told some of the boys to read it so they have a head start.

So with all this I should be ready to follow the Lord faithfully into any situation without doubting, firmly grounded in his word, without any pride in my own strength (which doesn't actually exist), Right? heh heh... Well I'm still learning like everyone else.

Please pray that I would continue to grow in the power of the Holy Spirit, in humbleness so that I clearly see my need for the Holy Spirit, and in my dedication to the Word of God and to prayer that I may be able to stand against the Devil and his schemes and that I may bear fruit in keeping with repentance.

Pray for the Valley! We want to see people know Christ and join the ranks of willing solders going forth. I especially want to see fruit in these kids that we've been teaching. I am satisfied that God will bring about his glory in their lives but I will not stop sharing the gospel with them while I still can.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Update on some items

We just received a good report from our summer missions intern, Billy Jackson. Thank you to everyone who participated in two recents projects. Billy was able to purchase a bike which will allow him to get around and use less fuel. Thank you so much for your help with this. We were also able to purchase a Bible and a family devotion book for a family with whom he has been working.

Pray for Billy as he will be serving as a summer camp counselor next week and then will return back to St. Louis the following week. He is part of our summer missions team that will serve along the border the last week of July.

Please continue to pray for the mission work along the US/Mexico border and specifically that the Lord would continue to send missionaries to this area.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Report from US/Mexico Border with Craig Kopp

Update from Christian Brandon - US/Mexico Border

Thank you for everyone who has been involved and is currently involved in the mission work along the US/Mexico border. Here is a testimony and update from team member Christian Brandon.

Mission Updates

Summer Missions Update (From the border)
Here are some prayer requests and updates from the mission field along the US/Mexico Border.

• Pray for power as Billy Jackson is meeting with several different families, working through all the sin-issues and pointing people Christ. He could also use a bike to help save on gas!
• Two young men currently are being challenged to read the Scriptures and consider what is being said. They are also helping a local congregation by doing cleaning and other tasks. We would like to provide these young men with Study Bibles in Spanish. Each would cost about $35.00. We woud also like to provide a family with a devotional book that would teach them the Scriptures. (Approximately $25.00).
• There is also a great need for solid reading materials in the language of the people (Spanish).
• Billy is going to be meeting with Mormon missionaries and discussing the Scriptures with them. Please pray for boldness in love, grace, and truth, with great humility and compassion.
• In July it has been requested that Aaron marry a couple who have been together and have many children. Pray also for effective times of counseling (via video) leading up to this event.
• Billy is visiting people, handing out "For Your Joy" booklets by John Piper, as well as "Two Ways to Live" by Mathias Media. Both items are in the Spanish language and this was made possible through your generous giving!

Updates from Mexico

• Please be in prayer for areas in the South-Western section of Mexico. Some villages have been 70%+ destroyed by flooding and mudslides (or both). Please pray concerning the possibility of a team going to assist missionaries that have been displaced and their communities ravaged by the destruction.
• Cameron Stoner is leaving July 14 for Merida, Mexico for Sports evangelism outreach. His funding is at approximately 60%. Please pray for a boldness for him as he serves in this area as well as prepares for college in just a couple of months.
• Pastor Moreno of South Texas will be using Children Desiring God (Spanish) Vacation Bible School materials (provided to him by Psalm 67) in Puebla, Mexico at the beginning of July. This work is being conducted in the rural parts of Puebla in the mountains and in conjunction with congregations in the area. There will be an opportunity to return to Puebla with a small team in early August 2012.

Close to St. Louis

• Pray for an evangelism team that will be conducting a Vacation Bible School next week near Cape Giardeau, Missouri.

Opportunities to share with you:

Members of our mission teams would love to share with you and your congregation how you might partner together for future missions opportunities. We also partner with experienced Pastors available for speaking and training. If we can serve you in this way, please contact us today at psalm67missionsnet@gmail.com.

You can receive our updates on Facebook, Google+, Twitter.

Psalm 67 Updates

You will notice that our blog is currently under construction. Lately, our volunteers and team members have been working to improve our communication with you, our supporters. We want to thank you for your patience during this process. We thank you so much for your prayers and financial support. Below is a brief update concerning various items.


Receive e-mail updates
You can receive e-mail updates with missionary information and reports from the field. To subscribe to this e-mail list, please contact us at psalm67missionsnet@gmail.com
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Summer Missionary Updates
Billy Jackson has had a long-time desire to be used of Christ in service to His church. Billy has traveled to various locations in the United States, Mexico, and Indonesia. He is currently serving as a summer missions intern for Psalm 67 Missions Network, stationed near the US/Mexico border. Currently Billy is serving a congregation without a Pastor and is primarily working with neighborhood outreach. You can follow his journey at The Servant Photographer.


Upcoming Opportunities
Currently Psalm 67 is preparing to conduct a mission assignment in Southern Illinois (June 2012), and a short-term mission project along the US/Mexico Border (July 2012). The June trip is full and we thank everyone for being willing to serve. We have a couple of more openings for July. Please contact the office at psalm67missionsnet@gmail.com for more information. We will also be posting additional information here as it becomes available.


Can we share with you?
Psalm 67 Missions Network specifically works by partnering with congregations who are committed to Christ and therefore desire to preach His Gospel to every nation, tribe, and tongue. Specifically Psalm 67 provides support to congregations through short-term mission work, pastor/leader training and conferences, supplying Biblical materials in the language of the people, and other networking opportunities. 


We are currently involved in work along the violent US/Mexico border, near St. Louis, Missouri, and various other locations. It would be our honor to have a team member come and share with your congregation about how you can become involved. Please contact us at psalm67missionsnet@gmail.com


Updates and more information are coming soon
Thank you for checking our blog. Additional articles and updates will be posted soon!


Psalm 67 Missions Network