Category: New Years

NEW

On By 2tim2.1-3In New YearsLeave a comment

Christmas is over and the new year has begun.  If you are like us, you received some new things, not only for Christmas, but throughout the year.

When I think of all the new things I acquired in 2017, I find they fall into two main categories:

  1. Replacement for a similar item that I already owned that was either worn out, broken, or for some other reason no longer served my needs.
    • Needed items –These items are high on the priority list because they replace an existing item which is either worn out or broken and therefore no longer functioning properly. The new is a substitution for the old. The acquisition of the item is somewhat time sensitive as there is a definite discomfort in continuing to use the not so great old one (mattress) or having to do without for some time, in the case of the irreparable broken one (blender). Other needed items might be considered more urgent due to the frequency of their use and the inability to continue the daily routine without them (a new work computer, since the old one was unable to process information due to lack of memory and its old age).
    • Wanted items – These items may in fact have been “replacement” items, but the timing of acquisition is not as urgent, nor are they “essential”. One can take the time needed to shop for a good bargain (new shoes and seasonal clothing items). 
  2. Brand new, never had one of these before.  The items on this list are so novel that the tendency is to talk about them even after the “newness” begins to wear off.

    For example: my Instant Pot® (a Black Friday purchase in 2016) so revolutionized what and how I cook, that I still sing its praises.  Another example is my Vanda Orchid.  I have been growing orchids for some years now, but the acquisition of a Vanda (with its long, exposed roots and stunning blooms) has forced me to learn more about growing this type of orchid and given me much pleasure.  Come to the balcony of my apartment and I will definitely show you my Vanda.  A final example I offer you is a “new, never had one before” addition to our family.  We have a beautiful daughter-in-law now.   We have a daughter, a son-in-law, two grandsons and a son; but only since May have I had the pleasure of developing a relationship with a daughter-in-law. She has added another dimension of joy and beauty to our family!  The point is, the items in this category are so new, novel and different that the newness stands out for period of time.  But even these items will one day lose their newness and become commonplace.

As I was thinking about new -vs- old in my daily devotions during these first days of the new year, I came across these passages (from the ESV) that talk about new.

Isaiah 43:19 “Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”

Revelation 21:5a  “And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’”

Isaiah 65:17 “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.”

Ephesians 4:24  “and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”

When God makes something new He is replacing the old with something brand new, “never had one of these before” new. God’s new is new and improved like we cannot possible imagine. It is a total life transformation. It is such a dramatic change from the old that we can’t stop talking about it!

If you know Christ, you are not the same person you used to be. You are new! If you don’t yet know Christ, I have good news for you—you can be made new! You don’t have to settle for the same old you with the same old problems. God says he will make a way in the wilderness for you. That should give you new hope for the future. Even if you don’t perceive it, God is making all things new, and His new will so outshine the old that it will blur away the memory of what used to be.

Our prayer for you as you begin this new year, is that 2018 will be the year that you “put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”

God bless you and we wish you a happy new year!

Mark & Caron

 

Looking Back Over 2017

On By 2tim2.1-3In Christmas, Family, Life on life discipleship, New Years, Small group ministry, Teaching and TrainingLeave a comment

I don’t believe we have ever had a year quite like this one!  We celebrated some pretty significant milestones, worked “away from home” extensively, moved (again!) and continue to help provide leadership for our local congregation and lead weekly small group Bible studies in our home. I apologize for our lack of communication this year.  Our crazy schedule this year has had me struggling just to keep up.  But, I do want you to know that you are never far from our thoughts and prayers.

Allow me to share a bit from a slightly modified Philippians 1:3-12

“We give thanks to our God for every remembrance of you, always praying with joy for all of you in our every prayer, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. We are sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.  It is right for us to think this way about all of you, because we have you in our hearts and you are all partners with us in grace, both in our teaching ministry and in the defense and establishment of the gospel.  For God is our witness, how deeply we miss all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. And we pray this: that your love will keep on growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment, so that you can approve the things that are superior and can be pure and blameless in the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.  Now we want you to know, brothers and sisters that what has happened to us has actually resulted in the advance of the gospel.”

Here are some of the highlights from the year.

FAMILY:

  • On May 6, we gained a beautiful daughter-in-love, Rebecca Mullinax Johnson. Our son, Stephen and his lovely bride now live in Euless, TX.
  • While there for the wedding, we were able to visit our daughter Sarah, son-in-law, Beau, and the two grandest of grandsons, Owen (now 3) and Elliot (soon to be 2). They now live in Princeton, TX.
  • Mark and Caron were able to spend a short time with each of their mothers, both of whom have had several falls, broken bones, and other health challenges this year.
  • In September, we moved to a new apartment. This marked our 12th move in our 32 years of marriage, 7 of those in the last 16 years. I guess it’s no wonder Mark always asks, “Caron, do you know where I can find _____?”
  • In October, we celebrated our 25th anniversary as career missionaries with the IMB. We have been in Brazil all that time (except for the occasional furlough and stateside assignment).

MINISTRY: (Thank you for making all this possible through your prayers and financial support.)

  • In looking back over the calendar, there were 152 day this year where one or both of us were traveling, working away from home! No wonder we are tired!
  • Mark has traveled extensively this year, teaching week long “intensive” courses, where students receive 40 hours of lecture (an entire semester’s worth of material) in one week. Sometimes he writes the course content he teaches in Portuguese; other times, he is the translator for visiting American professors.
  • Mark has mentored masters level students and has provided orientation for 7 of these students working on their dissertations. Some of his students have included senior leadership in the Brazilian Baptist Home Mission Board, as well as pastors and Brazilian Home Missionaries.pic 3
  • Mark accompanied Dr. David Platt, president of the IMB on part of his recent trip to Brazil and had the privilege of translating for him at “Crist-o-landia”, a neighborhood formerly known as “crack-o-landia” (due to the high number of drug addicts who live on the street). Dr. Platt and Fernando Brandão, President of the Brazilian Home Mission Board, were there to give a message of hope to those on the streets and share about the transformative power of the Gospel through Jesus Christ.
  • Mark lectured extensively this year on the 500th anniversary of the Great Reformation, with materials he wrote concerning Baptist History of Missions in light of the Great Reformation. He also has written numerous articles (in Portuguese) for publication in Brazil.
  • Mark taught on-line classes for several different theological institutions, and is currently preparing materials for upcoming classes to be recorded early in 2018.
  • Caron also has been working with Brazilian students who are writing their dissertations in English. She has had the privilege of walking alongside these dedicated students studying and writing in a second language. Caron serves as a reader and editor for these students.
  • Caron traveled on a monthly basis, teaching Theological English at the Litoral Baptist Seminary in Santos, São Paulo.
  • Caron prepared materials for the on-going weekly Bible study that meets in their home, and has had the privilege of mentoring and discipling 8 ladies on a one-on-one basis, in addition to the on-going ministry of the small group.
  • We were saddened by the recent loss of a dear friend (member of our small group) who passed away after battling cancer, and have walked with his family and friends as we have grieved together.

Finally, here are some upcoming ministry opportunities we want you to be aware of for 2018. Please pray about how you can be involved with us. If interested in more details, send a message to caron.johnson@gmail.com

  • We are looking for one or two single girls (min. age 22) or a young married couple (no kids) who would be willing to teach ESL (English as a Second Language) for a semester. No experience necessary. We will provide the training you need.
  • We are looking for a church who would be willing to help host a ladies’ weekend event at the International Congregation of our church. We are looking for a key-note speaker for 2-3 events. We would love to have 2-3 ladies come (a different one could speak at each event) and also have ways for a Sunday School group or the entire church to be involved in helping to host this event for English speakers in the city of Curitiba.
  • We are looking for pastors, seminary students, and laymen interested in partnering with us in teaching initiatives in several different locations in Brazil in 2018.

We wish each of you the Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Mark & Caron

Happy Holidays!

On By 2tim2.1-3In Christmas, Family, Life on life discipleship, New Years, Thanksgiving, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Since we missed wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year earlier, please know that even in our silence you were never far from our thoughts and prayers.

Typically the last quarter of the year is our busiest time of travel, and that was certainly the case in 2016. Since the end of August we were traveling away from home for 97 days, in 15 different cities and in 4 different countries.

You may wonder what we do that takes us away from our home so often. In addition to our local on-going ministry involvement, which we have written about extensively in the past, we have also been involved in numerous training events across the Americas. These training events would not have been possible if it had not been for the generous contributions that many of you have made over the course of year to the International Mission Board. Through regular tithes and offerings (in Southern Baptist churches which participate in the Cooperative Program), through one-time gifts, and through your contributions to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, we have had the financial resources to make this kind of wide spread training a reality in 2016. For that, we say “Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts.”

Teaching truth, transforming lives and touching the world—that’s what we have been focusing on in 2016.

Looking back on the year 2016, we can actually count 925 people whom we have taught, mentored and/or discipled. These are not just numbers to us. They are real people. In addition to teaching content, we have spent time together, shared a meal or a cup of coffee together and prayed together. If you keep up with us on FaceBook, Twitter or Instagram you can see that we have taken lots of pictures together as well. These pictures are more than just something to fill space on our social media accounts. They serve as tangible reminders of our precious time together. I think Paul sums it up best in Philippians 3:3-7a

3 I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you, 4 always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. 7 It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because I have you in my heart, and you are all partners with me in grace…(HCSB)

So, as we have taught truth, we have done so with the vision of lives being transformed—making a difference—and the impact those transformed lives have on the world around them. That, my friends, is something worthy of giving thanks to God for. Truly, it does give us great joy as we pray for those whom we have had the privilege to walk alongside during the year 2016.

As we look back on 2016, we have so much to be thankful for in our own family as well. We added a new member to the family with the birth of our youngest grandson, Elliot James Landers last January. Its hard to believe he will celebrate his first birthday here soon. We also had the privilege of meeting the Mullinax family in November, the parents of Rebecca, our soon to be “daughter-in-love” (Wedding scheduled for May of 2017). We were able to spend a couple weeks of vacation with our kids, grandkids and both our mothers (and even some of our extended family) around Thanksgiving. Returning to Brazil in time for Christmas, we were blessed to be able to celebrate Christmas Eve with precious Brazilian friends and open our home on Christmas Day to others who were far away from their families.

Teaching truth, transforming lives and touching the world—that’s what we continue to focus on in 2017.

Just because it’s a new year, doesn’t necessarily mean our focus needs to change. Granted, some of the details change—location, people involved, topics, etc. But, the purpose remains the same. We continue to use the skill set, talents and abilities God has equipped us with to reach those whom He brings into our path with the Good News, the life transforming news of the Gospel.

How can you be involved?

  1. Continue to pray for us as we make plans for 2017 and the new and exciting challenges in the months to come. (More about that next time.)
  2. Ask the Lord of the Harvest how you can be more personally involved in the ministry of your local church, in your community, and in support of local, national and international missions. Maybe 2017 is the year for you do something you’ve never done before. Ask Him!
  3. Don’t wait to “go somewhere new” to get started. It’s a new year; it’s a good time to begin a new commitment. There is no greater investment you can make than to invest in discipling a new believer. Begin with your most natural relationships: family members, friends, and neighbors. Then ask your pastor if there are others new to your church that you can help to disciple as well.

Check out the article Mark just wrote, “3 Ingredients for Discipling New Believers in Any Context”. You can access it through this link from International Mission Board:

https://www.imb.org/2017/01/03/training-new-believers-in-any-context/

 

God’s Providence and Your Mission, Part 2

On By 2tim2.1-3In Family, Missions, New Years, UncategorizedLeave a comment

My story is unique, as is your story. It is a story that has unfolded under the providential care of the Heavenly Father. I came to faith in Christ as an 8-year-old growing up in a Southern Illinois coal town. I was baptized by immersion soon after and became a member of a local church. The next year, something happened that shaped and set the course for the rest of my life. I went to a mission camp. There I sat under the spell-binding teaching of Southern Baptist missionary legend, Dr. John Abernathy.

Dr. Abernathy was then on his final furlough before retiring to Hot Springs, Arkansas. He was a missionary is his sixties. I was a boy barely nine years of age. Dr. Abernathy served the later years of his missionary career in Korea, but his legacy was established during his time of service in China before the communist takeover. That week at missions camp, he told me stories of his life among the Chinese, his being shot by Japanese soldiers and being saved by Chinese Nationalist soldiers, and, most importantly, of his involvement in one of the great revivals of the 20th century, the Shantung Revival. As a child, I spent that week with him in rapt attention asking him questions and listening to his stories. He placed in my young heart a passion for the Great Commission. When my mother came to pick me up from the camp, he walked with me to the car, placed his hand on my head and said to her, “Mrs. Johnson, I believe this young boy might be called to Christian missions.” From that time forward, I never had any question about it. I was made by God to be involved in His mission to the nations. It was then I knew that I had a call from God.

Providentially, life went on. I entered the ministry, was married, and started a family. However, the call to missions was there, lying dormant below the surface of my life waiting for the chance to bloom and grow. That reaffirmation of my call came at 27 years of age, at about the time of the birth of my son. Stephen was born with some health challenges. Caron and I did all that we could to care for him and nurture him with our limited resources. However, to my disappointment, I was told by our denominational sending agency that we could not be appointed due to his health condition and our indebtedness paying his medical bills. I had given up all hope of serving in international missions. It seemed that the door had been irreversibly closed. Then, God in His gracious providence renewed my call and acted by His power. Two things happened in a short period of time: God said to go to the nations and my son’s health was restored.

One evening, Caron and I were visiting with Steve and Deanne in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.  (Be sure to go back and read Part 1 of this Blog post, if you missed it last week.) As we were about to leave, Steve, knowing my love for reading, said: “Hey, I have a book, that I would like for you to read. It is about one of your Southern Baptist missionaries who served in China.” I thanked him for the book, took it home and began reading it. The book was titled, The Shantung Revival. To my surprise, on the inside cover was the handwriting Dr. John Abernathy. He wrote a personal note to the recipient of the book.  (Who that original recipient was, and how it got from that person to my friend Steve, I will never know.) Not only that, but as I turned the pages, Dr. Abernathy’s notes were in the margins of the text. Literally, on every page, it was as if I were hearing his voice from my childhood speaking to me again. At the same time, I heard God speaking to me, telling me that His call had not changed. That book came to me at the time of my deepest despair by the hands of a friend. Why at that time? I have only one answer, God willed it. I told Caron that I did not know how, but I knew that God wanted us to be missionaries. To do that, she reminded me, we would need a miracle to heal our son, which is, in my opinion, precisely what happened next.

Our son, whose emergency C-section brought him into the world a couple weeks ahead of schedule, had been subject to allergies and lung infections from birth. He was subjected to a battery of tests and found to be allergic to host of things. Allergy therapy followed, but he was always dogged by the specter of pneumonia, of which he had recurring bouts. Slowly, we noticed improvements and two and half years later we decided to reestablish contact with our denominational mission agency. The doctor there remembered our case and requested an update on our son’s present health status. To my amazement, the doctor called us into his office and shared with us: “Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, your son seems to have marvelously recovered. It appears that he will no longer need on-going allergy therapy.” Believing all things are under God’s control, I have no doubt that my son’s treatment and healing was superintended by the gracious providence of God Almighty.

God has taught me the following lessons from my experience, and I would suggest that they are applicable to your life as well:

  • God has a plan for your life. He really does. You are not here on accident. That plan might or might not involve you moving to another country. However, it will involve your glorifying God wherever you are in whatever circumstances you are. For now, you are where you need to be. Learn the lessons that He has for you where you are. “Don’t get discouraged if the task or ‘call’ does not come immediately. Remain faithful in what He has told you to do, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant it may appear.[1]”
  • Put yourself in places where can God can speak to you. For me, it was at a missions camp. For you, it might be at a local church, a special conference, etc. However, don’t think it is only a special few that have providential encounters with God Almighty. God speaks to us all. It is incumbent upon us to learn to clearly hear the voice of the Good Shepherd. Be involved in missions though your local church. God speaks most clearly when we are engaged in His work.
  • You have not been abandoned; you are not an orphan. No one has helped me more in this area than Jack Miller. Miller uses the helpful check list in order to help to assess our hearts:

orphan son checklist

“If you’re a Christian, you’ve been adopted. God is your Father. You have all the benefits of sonship. You are now a son or daughter of God” http://www.justinbuzzard.net/2009/12/21/orphans-vs-children-checklis/. If this is the case, and it is if I am a Christian, I can never give into despair. I am not an orphan alone in this vast Universe. I am an adopted child of the Great King of the Universe and He will accomplish His purposes in my life.

God has a purpose for your life and He is working to accomplish it. If the Father has spoken to you in the past and you are still waiting for Him to fulfill His Word in the present, do not lose heart. The purposes of the Lord will stand. His providential purposes are sure and He is always right on time, His time. Dr. Henry Blackaby in his book, Experiencing God, quotes  Charles Spurgeon: “When we cannot trace God’s hand, we must simply trust His heart.”

A happy and blessed New Year to all!

Mark & Caron

[1] Duke, R. D. (2010). God’s Enabling Grace in the Path of Suffering. The Founders Journal: Suffering and Glory, Spring, (80), 25.

 

God’s Providence and Your Mission, Part 1

On By 2tim2.1-3In Family, Missions, New Years, UncategorizedLeave a comment

The year 2015 ended with the special pleasure of having a visit in our home with long-time friends, Steve and Deanne Turley. Steve and Deanne are veteran Assemblies of God missionaries who have served in Belgium for many years. The time together with them reminded me of everything special about Christian friendships that the years cannot dim: free-flowing conversations that are serious and substantive. Conversations that are honest, yet full of confidence in God’s providential mercies. These providential mercies have been made evident in years past and will certainly continue to be made evident in the upcoming years, including the year of 2016. Time with Steve and Deanne reminded me of the special place this couple has had in our lives and how God providentially used them to send us to Brazil 23 years ago. The same providence that has been at work in my life is at work in your life as well. Each of have a mission to accomplish. This post is my attempt to assure you that, “He who began a good work in you will complete it.” How? I cannot say. Will He? Of this, I am certain. My own story is a testimony to His faithfulness. Before telling my story, let me define briefly two important concepts, mission and providence.

Providence. God’s providence is defined by the Westminster Divines in the following way: “God’s works of providence are, his most holy, (Ps. 145:17) wise, (Ps. 104:24, Isa. 28:29) and powerful preserving, (Heb. 1:3) and governing all his creatures, and all their actions. (Ps. 103:19, Matt. 10:29–31)[1]” Simply stated, providence is the teaching that God has all things under His control, including the details of my life, for good and for ill. Because it is God who is control, I can be sure of three things:

  • I can trust God’s providence because He is all powerful. The God who made the vastness of the universe can and does control the sometimes seemingly chaotic details of my life and your life.
  • I can trust God’s providence because He is all wise. I think that I have an idea as to how the universe should be best governed, but the fact is that I am woefully limited by my finite sinfulness. God knows no such limits. He really does know what is best for me and this vast universe that He created.
  • I can trust God’s providence because He loves me. Jesus said that He would not leave us as orphans. We are His and He is ours. In all things, we have the confidence that He will never leave us or forsake us.

Mission. What is mission? There are a host of understandings of what this simple word means. Those understandings range from the simple idea of being sent to do a task to the possible actions and activities that might characterize and compose that task. However, for the purpose of this blog post, I am using a simpler understanding of the term, a definition of that comes from the world of leadership training. Your mission is what you should be doing, what you should be doing in every area of your life.

The word mission is derived from the Latin word, “missio” to be sent. This in turn begs the question: Sent to do what? What should I be doing? Answer that question and you know the mission for your life in every area of your life. Speaking from the perspective of Christian ministry, Aubrey Malphurs gives this helpful definition: “A mission is a broad, brief biblical statement of what the ministry is supposed to be doing.”[2]

Substitute the words family, person, company, organization, etc. for the word ministry, and it will make no difference. The operative word is “should.” Your mission, before God, is what you should be doing in your life and with your life.

This inevitably leads to a couple of basic questions:                                        “How I can know what is my mission?”                                                                       “How can I remain faithful to that mission once that I know it?”

I will address the question of how you can know your mission in a separate post. But for now, I assume that you already know what your life mission is but you are facing barriers that seem insurmountable in seeing that mission accomplished and become a reality. This was the case in my life when God used Steve and Deanne to rekindle my call to missions. I will share more about that chapter in our pilgrimage to missions in the next blog post. Be sure to check back next week for Part 2 of God’s Providence and Your Mission

[1] The Westminster shorter catechism: with Scripture proofs. (1996). (3rd edition.). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

[2] Malphurs, A. (1998). Developing a dynamic mission for your ministry (p. 33). Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications.