Erin Pfleegor, Long Term Missionary

This has been quite a challenging few years with preparation for going to a foreign mission field long term. I didn’t realize what God had in store for us during this time. I knew it would be “difficult” but it has been more so than I had imagined. It has been a time of definitely seeing & remembering God’s faithfulness. We’ve gone through circumstances and struggles that have made us wonder if we should stop pursuing missions. Is God trying to tell us to stop this journey of getting to the foreign mission field? Or are these struggles intended to strengthen us in the Lord? It has made me think of what it says in I Peter 1:6-9—

“In this [salvation] you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it be tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

I’ve struggled during this time with knowing and understanding where the line is between using godly wisdom in making decisions and just going ahead, trusting God even when we don’t “see” how it will work out! Even when it “seems” impossible! Is there a certain line between trusting God and using wisdom? This has been an amazing time to see God working! In so many ways, we have seen things that have happened that could ONLY be from the hand of God! And then we’ve had the blessed opportunity to share with others these amazing acts of our faithful, all-powerful, loving Heavenly Father! We see how God is providing in seemingly small ways that are only strengthening our faith and character for even more difficult times. It will be difficult leaving the U.S., where we are surrounded with friends and family members, to go to a new country, surrounded by many “strangers” who do not trust Jesus. We are going in order to bring the Fame of God’s Great Name to a people who do not know the One True God. Among the people we are reaching out to in Suriname, there is only 1/3 of 1% who are evangelical Christians! We are giving up many of our comforts, but that is nothing, for the sake of the lost and them hearing the Good News of Jesus Christ dying for sinners such as us!

Also, we know that God has a purpose for this support raising process taking so much longer than we had expected. God is good and his ways and timing is perfect! Should we doubt Him? Should we question what He is doing? Is He teaching us? Is He growing us during this time? He has proven Himself faithful in so many ways! Even when we don’t see how it’s going to work out, we are going to keep trusting Him and keep pressing on through this journey!

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5 & 6)

Can you pray for us? - December Mission Update

To our faithful partners we would like to ask you to pray for us. We apologize for not getting more information regarding the December Mission out to you. Here are some specific prayer requests that we will share with you and we will follow up with another post that will include detail of the work that will be completed in Mexico.

First, please pray for Pastor Candido, his wife Sara, and children Ismael and Abdiel. Ismael will be serving as a translator for the first time. He is studying English as well as other subjects here in the United States. Abdiel is a student in what we would consider "middle school" in the United States. Pray for them that they might be encouraged because they have a desire to reach their community with the Gospel. The family is very gifted musically and they use this to reach out to others in their area. Please pray that they might be strong and fearless as they minister in an area that has been ravaged by war for many years.

Second, please pray for old friends who might join us. There are people from the village of Centenario and other areas that we would like to see come and stay with us that we might continue the task of making disciples. This will present some logistical challenges but we are excited about the opportunity.

Third, please pray for our team members. Pray for unity and vision. We will share about their tasks at another time. Pray that they might raise their funds for the trip. URGENT NEED - We really need a nurse to be able to attend with us to managed a medical clinic to be conducted at the church building. As soon as possible we need to raise $575.00 for this to happen. Would you pray that this might be raised, and as The Lord leads would you mind contributing to this effort?

Finally and most importantly, we pray that The Lord would be glorified in this time. Pray that we would be our vision and our very great reward.

Thank you friends. Thank you for your faithfulness over the years. Thank you for your partnership, your love for Jesus and His church.

Psalm 67 Missions Network


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Life and Death in the Tongue

Life & Death in the Tongue

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths,

but only such as is good for building up,

as fits the occasion,

that it may give grace to those who hear.”

So, is it ever right to correct or criticize others? Is our message only a positive one? No! There is a right time & manner to correct or criticize. However, I’m writing this as one who has all too quickly & readily been critical. Some of us exult in & love confrontation. We are excited by scenes like Elijah facing off against 450 false prophets, or Christ denouncing the Pharisees for their hypocrisy. We loudly proclaim every man a liar, and then judge them for not sticking around long enough to hear about the Savior for liars. We must beware, lest we be double-tongued, praising God while blaspheming our fellow man. (James 3.9)

The Scriptures give much instruction in the area of correction & admonition, but that is a topic for another occasion. As we study Christ & the Apostles, we see that they were gracious & respectful to all men, and reserved the strong denouncements for only those who were actively opposing the Gospel. Even in correction, our words & manner ought to be full of love, grace & compassion with the desire to win the person (2Timothy 2.24-26), and not to offend (1Corinthians 10.31-33), as ambassadors of peace (2Corinthians 5.17-21). When we fail, we should repent to God & apologize to men (e.g., Acts 23.1-5). May God make us more like Christ, who was full of truth AND grace.

God has been very gracious in teaching me how the Gospel effects what I say, and changes my orientation towards him (from enemy to loving Father) and towards other people (from enemies to beloved brothers or lost people in a pitiable condition). May God give us faith to see his good hand at work in others, and give us thankful hearts & tongues to proclaim it. And by God-centered affirmations of other sinful men, may he make us his instruments a) to encourage & bless them; b) to point them to the true source of blessing; c) to whet their appetites to hear God saying to their faces, “Well done, good & faithful servants”; and d) all of this in order that praise & thanks might redound to his glory from multiplied worshippers.

Let me encourage you to read the book Practicing Affirmation by Sam Crabtree. Most of what I’ve written here I learned from his book. I praise God for teaching these things to Mr. Crabtree & leading him to write them in a book. God has blessed me tremendously through Mr. Crabtree, and corrected me. The book goes into much more detail than I could in this short space. It is very biblical & practical, and I count it among the top few books which have been most impactful to me personally. After reading it, I wrote letters of apology & affirmation to two people of whom I’ve been hyper-critical, harsh & unthankful.

Michael Pfleegor

Long term Missionary to Suriname 

Psalm 67 Missions Network

Life and Death in the Tongue

Life & Death in the Tongue

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths,

but only such as is good for building up,

as fits the occasion,

that it may give grace to those who hear.”

What kind of things are praise-worthy, which we might look for & then point out? If we consider just [1Corinthians 1.4-9; 1Thessalonians 1.2-10; and 2.13-3.13], we see that Paul praised them for: their utterance; knowledge; giftedness; receiving the testimony of Christ; anticipation of Christ’s coming; good works springing from faith & love; patient hope in Christ; belief of the Gospel; assurance of faith; following Paul & company’s example; following Christ; enduring afflictions with joy; being examples to other believers; widespread evangelism; their renown as people who trust God; receiving the truth as from God, not men; suffering in a godly way; being like others saints; enduring the temptation of suffering while remaining steadfast in faith; their faith & love; good remembrance of Paul & company; and their desire to see Paul & company. Wow! All of that from just a handful of verses. I get the idea Paul was full of praise & encouragement.

Can we rightly & honestly give praise to deeply flawed, sinful men? First, that is the only kind of men there are. Second, is it not our hope, as believers in Christ, that we will one day receive the praise of Christ: “Well done, good & faithful servant!”? Yet, we know that our acceptance before God is not based on our obedience, but upon Christ alone; and any good we do has been worked in & through us by the Spirit of grace. Therefore, we have no ground for boasting. Nevertheless, we should serve the Lord with joy & vigor & anticipation of his praise. Third, God praises deeply flawed, sinful men. Of whom did God say that he’s “a man after his own heart” (1Samuel 13.14)? And yet, God knew full well what that man would do. And God praised Abraham (Genesis 18.19), who would go on to lie & dishonor God before Gentiles. And God praised Solomon to his face (2Chronicles 1.11,12). And Jesus praised Nathanael to others in his own hearing (John 1.45-49). Praising the good does not excuse sin; on the contrary, it affirms what is right & good & beautiful—what is God really like—it is to praise God. And to praise what is God-like is to do what is God-like, for God praises his own virtues & is worthy of it.

The Gospel changes us, reorients us, and empowers us to a new life. Instead of condemnation, God speaks peace to us in Christ.

“Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins.” (Isaiah 40.1,2) He doesn’t call us what we are naturally, but lovingly calls us what we are only by his grace—“Sons”! (1John 3.1) He says to each of our souls: “I am your salvation.” (Psalm 35.3) And he promises never to leave nor forsake us. (Hebrews 13.5) How encouraging God is to us, and how we need it. Moreover, God floods us with his grace, not merely that we might be filled, but that we might be his servants to carry his blessing to others, and thus increase his praise. (Genesis 12.1-3; Matthew 10.8; 2Corinthians 4.15; 9.10-12) One of the ways we bless others is by encouragement, particularly encouragement which points them to God. By giving God-centered & Christ-centered affirmations, we become God’s instruments to encourage others, his servants to build up & dispense his grace (see our text Ephesians 4.29). To do otherwise is to grieve the Holy Spirit (v. 30). So because God encourages us, and because he makes us his glad conduits of his blessing, let us encourage others. When our affirmations are God-centered, they point others to the real source of encouragement, joy & peace. And when, by God’s grace, they look to God in faith & receive his grace, then they return thanks & praise to him, which is the end of all things. Nevertheless, we have the opportunity—no, the privilege—to be God’s means of the glorification of himself & the encouragement of others.

Michael Pfleegor

Long term Missionary to Suriname 

Psalm 67 Missions Network

Life and Death in the Tongue

Life & Death in the Tongue

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths,

but only such as is good for building up,

as fits the occasion,

that it may give grace to those who hear.”

How blind we are to our own sins. We justify ourselves without thought, without even realizing that we’re doing it, being so sure that we are right. And how gracious God is that he doesn’t cast us off, though we’ve given him more than ample reason to do so. Indeed, if someone were to sin against me as much as I have sinned against God, I’m sure I would have written that person off long ago. But God is faithful & will NEVER cast off his people! How patient he is with us his children, so much more patient than I am with my children.

The Lord has revealed one such blindness in my life, so I flee to the cross for cleansing, and praise him for his grace. I have been hyper-critical & judgmental, seeing only the faults rather than the good, and using my tongue to discourage rather than encourage. This sin is more insidious than mere offense against our fellow man, for by failing to see the good in others & failing to point it out, we are failing to see the work of God (unbelief) & failing to praise him for it (ingratitude). For God is the One who works good in each man (James 1.17), and works all for our good (Romans 8.28); therefore, we should always be filled with thanks (Ephesians 5.20; Colossians 3.15-17). [Note: When unbelievers do what is right & good & praiseworthy, we call it “common grace” because ultimately God caused them to do it.] So that brother we write off as useless is not without the Spirit’s grace & power, but appointed by God to be our brother, and a sure manifestation of the glory of his grace in some way. God help us to see his glory! God’s glory is manifested even in the unbeliever, otherwise he could never be “the servant of God to us for good” (Romans 13.4). Therefore, our mouths should be filled with praise & thanksgiving to God, and praise & thanksgiving to our fellow man, whether believer or unbeliever.

But what does that look like? How can we praise a man for some good quality in him or something good he’s done without feeding his ego or flattering him? God’s Word gives us some examples to help us: 1Corinthians 1.4-9; 1Thessalonians 1.2-10; and 2.13-3.13. In 1Corinthians, Paul tells the church that he thanks God for them & the grace be poured out upon them & the gifts he gave them, and then he lists some of those good things in them. In other words, his praise does not end on the people, but, while affirming them, proceeds beyond them to praise God ultimately. So I can say to someone, “God has made you very generous; thank you for your kindness to me.” Or, “I thank God for you & for the faith he’s given you; I’m encouraged to trust God more by the faith I see in you.” Or, “You are like Christ in your compassion for people.” Even to be likened to an Apostle would be a great honor, but I can think of no higher honor than for someone to say I am like God or like Christ in some respect.

Michael Pfleegor

Long term Missionary to Suriname 

Psalm 67 Missions Network