World Missions Advance

We are so excited to welcome Gabrielle Tranel and The Greater Literacy Foundation, hosted by Paper Leaves Shop, to the WMA family! If you are ever in Waxahachie, TX, you must check out this wonderful book and plant shop!

Go to worldmissionsadvance.org/literacy for more information.

Social media posts are nice, but when was the last time you personally, face-to-face, shared the Gospel with someone?

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son." John 3:16-18

We are so excited to welcome Raymond Ontiveros to the WMA family.

In September 2024, Raymond will begin a short-term missions assignment in Paris, France. He will be working with YWAM in the inner city doing local outreach in a Muslim area. Raymond will begin with 3 months of training, then 3 months on the field. His desire is to love people and bring the Gospel to unreached places as he learns the culture and serves those he encounters.

There are WMA Associate Missionaries all over the world. Would you take a moment to pray for our missionaries in North America, South America, Central America, Africa, Asia, and Europe?

A. W. Tozer wrote, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” If you grew up in a Christian household there’s a good chance you had a picture of Jesus hanging up somewhere. I bet you didn’t even have to see the whole picture above to know exactly what painting it is. We know intellectually that Jesus probably didn’t look like the guy who is portrayed on these paintings, but the image is seared into us nevertheless. So much so, we only need a glimpse and our brains fill in the gaps. Filling in gaps can be a dangerous thing. Is the Jesus we worship an image of our own creation or the Jesus of the Bible?

Hebrews 13:8 says “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Sometimes we treat the Bible like a faith fortune cookie. We have our favorite verses that we love to quote, and maybe we don’t care too much about the context. The Bible says it, I believe it, and that’s that. But as someone once said, “a text without a context is a pretext.” We must be careful to handle God’s Word with care otherwise it can turn into our word with a Biblical veneer.

Hebrews was written to Jewish believers that were facing persecution because of their faith in Jesus. Some of them were being tempted to mix adherence to the Mosaic Law, like making sacrifices in the temple, with faith in Jesus. But the writer of Hebrews says that Jesus made a perfect sacrifice once and for all and sat down at the right hand of God (10:11-14). His sacrifice is not like the sacrifices that were made before His. His was the perfect, once for all sacrifice. It’s not Jesus’ sacrifice plus temple sacrifices. It’s not Jesus plus anything else; No, it’s faith in Jesus and His finished work on the cross alone.

Back to Hebrews 13. Verse 9 says, “Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them.” Strange and diverse teachings are nothing new. They were prevalent in the world of the early believers and it’s clear they are prevalent today.

Who is the Jesus we serve? He is the One who once and for all offered a sacrifice for sins. It is accepted by faith alone. Beware of adding anything to the Gospel. Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings. We can’t add anything to the equation of our salvation. It’s all or nothing. Rest in Him.

"How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!'"

(Romans 10:14-15)

A letter to our Alumni from Kevin Jonas
I’m reaching out to you today filled with excitement and nostalgia as I share something truly special from our alma mater, Christ For The Nations Institute (CFNI). I’d like to take this moment to introduce you to a “new” album that has recently made its way out of the archives: “A Symphony of Worship.”
My journey with CFNI started back in 1984, a time marked by the discovery of the Institute’s annual praise and worship music. It was the song “As The Deer,” penned by Marty Nystrom, that particularly resonated with me. Listening to this song, I felt a profound confirmation that CFNI was where I needed to be. It wasn’t just the music that shaped my time at CFNI; it’s where I met my wife during our first day of registration, where we later served as worship leaders, and where my path in music and worship deepened.
One of the projects close to my heart from that time was “A Symphony of Worship.” This album was a massive undertaking, featuring top musicians from Nashville and a full symphony orchestra. It was designed to be a collection of songs that began their life at CFNI, including classics like “As The Deer,” “To Him Who Sits on the Throne,” and “We Bring the Sacrifice of Praise.” Despite its scale and the depth of work put into it, the album never saw the light of day until recently.
After years of wondering about the fate of this ambitious record, I reconnected with Hawni Lindsay, the founder’s granddaughter, who was able to find a copy in the CFNI archives. I cannot express how thrilled I am to finally have this album released for the world to experience. It captures a special moment in time that has impacted churches globally, starting from our small Bible College in Dallas, TX.
I truly believe that “A Symphony of Worship” is not just an album; it's a testament to the spiritual journey and the legacy of worship that CFNI has offered to many around the world. It’s a reminder of the divine moments we shared and the profound sense of community we experienced.
I encourage you to listen to this album, perhaps it will take you back to those transformative years we spent at CFNI. It’s my hope that it inspires you as much as it has inspired me, reminding us of the wonderful times of worship and God’s presence in our lives. Please enjoy “A Symphony of Worship,” and let it take you on a journey through time, back to those cherished moments at CFNI. Click the link to listen on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4bZLTU0 or Apple Music: https://apple.co/3x4mLwi

"Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

(Hebrews 4:14-16)

“When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.”

(John 12:9-11)

We had a wonderful time ministering at Trinity Church of Temple this past weekend. Much appreciation to Pastor Ed and Susan.

“A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous.” (Proverbs 13:22)

We believers live by faith not by sight, and of course there are seasons we step out in faith with nothing…perhaps not even a plan. But methods that may be appropriate in one season of life, are not necessarily appropriate in another season. We live by faith until we die. We are always to be trusting in God for the impossible and not relying on ourselves, but that does not negate the necessity and the Biblical wisdom of preparing for the future. We see this in the life of Joseph when he filled the storehouses in the years of plenty to prepare for the years of famine. We see this in the parable of the talents and so many other places.

I don’t like to use the word “retirement” because most of us will never “retire.” We will be doing ministry until the day we die or Jesus comes back. Here are a few questions to consider as you move forward in wisdom and faith:

Questions to Consider:

1) Do you have life insurance?
2) Do you have emergency savings?
3) Are you in personal debt? If so, do you have a plan to get out of debt?
4) Do you have a plan for retirement? (finances for the future)
5) Do you have a plan of succession for your ministry? Will your ministry die with you or are you raising up other leaders who can take your place?

This will look different for everyone. God has unique callings and responsibilities for everyone. God is our provider. Let us ask boldly for wisdom and trust He will provide.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” (James 1:5)

What questions to consider would you add? Post in the comments below 👇

Our very own Susan Bozarth will be speaking at the Christ For The Nations Institute commencement this Friday. You won't want to miss it! Join us online! Info 👇

Join us this Friday at 10AM for our commencement service. Celebrate the accomplishments of our graduates with us! We're proud of all our students who have achieved this huge milestone. If you cannot attend in person, we will be live streaming on our Facebook or our YouTube channel. 🤩

Viktor Frankl, the famed Austrian psychiatrist and N**i concentration camp survivor, in his book, “Man’s Search for Meaning,” writes, “One should not search for an abstract meaning of life. Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life to carry out a concrete assignment which demands fulfillment.”

In the Apostle Paul’s final letter to Timothy he writes, “I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Tim. 1:5-7). We love to quote that last bit, but sometimes I wonder if we pass over Lois and Eunice too much? We love the power of Paul. We love his words. He is one of the great heroes of our faith. And rightly so. But we ought not forget about Lois and Eunice.

God works through generations. In our day and age of quick dopamine hits from funny Instagram or TikTok videos and our admiration of the good looking, well-spoken, men and women we look up to, it can be easy to forget about the importance of the day to day faithfulness that no one sees, and perhaps maybe won’t ever even know about. But oh, what a difference it makes.
I think a lot of people in ministry, whether they admit it or not, like to think of themselves as if they were a modern day Paul or some other hero of the faith. But maybe God has called you to be a Lois or a Eunice. Don’t miss the quiet mission in pursuit of being or doing something you’re not called to be or do. Perhaps God has called you to sow seeds in the lives of people that will not be seen until future generations. Are you willing to sow in a field where someone else will reap the harvest?

Where would Timothy have been without Lois and Eunice? Who's your Lois? Who's your Eunice? Who's your Timothy?

Thank God for Lois and Eunice. I imagine we will meet many a Lois and Eunice in heaven who sowed seeds of faithfulness, the fruit of which, they couldn’t even imagine. God bless the praying grandmothers and the faithful mothers.

Our wonderful WMA Associate Missionary, Jeanette Priestley, is raising money to fix a mission house in Jamaica where missionaries stay when on the island doing outreach.

If you would like to help with this project, please go to www.worldmissionsadvance.org/jeanettepriestley, click donate, and please be sure to put “mission house” in the memo.

We are so proud of Sergio. Please pray for him as he embarks on this new journey to serve the Lord in Germany.

¡Ven y celebra con nosotros la ordenación de Sergio Menjivar!

Sergio saldrá como misionero de nosotros para Alemania 🇩🇪 a trabajar con los refugiados de varios países del Medio Oriente y también con iglesia locales.