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Dear Partner,

I was reading again the Old Testament book of Esther and this phrase from the story has been rolling over and over in my mind ever since:

Est 4:14b   … who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

In the news recently have been very disturbing events such as:

  1. North Korea firing an underground nuclear device.

  2. Iran's radical leader declaring that Israel must be wiped off the face of the earth.

  3. Some major corporations announcing they are going to use their financial resources to promote legalizing Gay marriage in America.

  4. Daily reports of radical Islam death squads killing innocent victims in Iraq.

  5. Genocide in Africa.

  6. Reports of earthquakes, famine, and all sorts of natural disasters worldwide.

I cannot help but think of Jesus teaching His disciples:

Mat 24:6-14   And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

We have a direct commandment from our Lord and Saviour … “See that ye be not troubled.” What is the true sign of the end of this dispensation? What did Jesus say must happen before the end could come? “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations.” My friend, you and I were born for such a time as this! Rather than be in fear and trembling, we need to become more aggressive than ever when it comes to doing what we can to make sure this gospel of the Kingdom is being preached in all the world.

This month of November I will spend two weeks ministering in Bundang, Korea. Part of the time I will be ministering in crusades that are open to the public. One major service is open to all of the Pastors in the area. It is being held on a Monday to make it possible for them to attend without missing any services at their home church. I know the Lord will be faithful as always to minister to the needs of the people and to increase the effectiveness of the pastors.

In addition, I will be teaching many lessons to the JMA (Jesus Missionary Academy) students. This academy is for full time … lifetime … missionaries. This is not a school for the timid. It is a school designed specifically for people who intend to give the rest of their lives on the mission fields of the world doing precisely what Jesus commanded, to preach this gospel of the kingdom to all the world. Many of these students are quite young and if the Lord tarries they may be on the mission fields for the next half-century. What a privilege … what an honor to have the opportunity to sow the revelation knowledge within me into these sold-out warriors for the kingdom of Jesus Christ. Paul wrote:

Rom 10:13-15   For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

Again I say … you and I were born for such a time as this. Not everybody is called to go to the nations of the world. Some are called to “Go” and some are called to “Send.” In either case, the fruit of each mission field goes onto the account of both the “goer” and the “sender.” Paul wrote to the Philippian church who helped financially to “send” him on his missionary journeys:

Phil 4:15-17   Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity. Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.

What is the fruit that is being added to the account? It is the lives of men and women who have been rescued by the gospel of the kingdom of God!

James 5:7   Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

Sue and I love you and appreciate you. We thank God for your generous and giving heart. God bless you!

Your friend and co-laborer,

Gary Carpenter

 

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