roniya“Live for the glory of God and the good of many.”

Dear friends,

Greetings in the Name of the LORD Jesus Christ! For those few people who do read this blog, here is an update on some of what the Lord has been doing in my life and the lives of those around me.

This summer is rapidly slipping by and will soon be gone. The Lord has been very gracious in making it thus far a summer that has been exceedingly profitable in the growth of my love and knowledge of Jesus Christ and has been fruitful in opportunities to pour out my life for the LORD in love and service to the body of Christ as well as the unsaved.

It has been a blessing spending time alone seeking the LORD through prayer and the study of the Word. I have found the secret place to be even more of a place of renewing of my strength then it ever was before. If any of you do not have the fixed habit of spending much time alone with Jesus Christ, I urge you to place a higher priority on this. It is for the growth and protection of your own soul to spend much time seeking the Lord.

The Lord has been good in bringing into my life several new sisters, some of whom have been recently made new creatures in Christ, and giving us many opportunities to fellowship and pray together. I rejoice in the works of the Lord in each of their lives and am so grateful for their humility and desire to grow in their knowledge of Jesus Christ. It has been wonderful seeing them grow in the area of modesty both in apparel and spirit. In the middle of June seven of these sisters were able to come to Missouri for a visit and we had a most blessed time together.

Once again the Lord has given my father the privilege of organizing South African Evangelist Keith Daniel’s fall tour to the US. It is a time consuming task that my father fulfills with much carefulness and dependency on the Holy Ghost. The Lord has given me the blessing of assisting my father in this project and I rejoice to say that for the time being, the schedule is completed, tickets bought and all the information has been sent to each pastor. Next on the list in this area is to begin preparing for family camp in the areas of registration and media ministry. If you would like to see where Keith Daniel will be speaking you may go here, and if you have any interest in attending our church’s family camp, October 1-3, where Keith Daniel, his wife Jenny and son Roy will be the main speakers you will find more information here.  Tour Schedule. Family Camp.

One of the highlights of this summer was my recent trip to Texas with my beloved sister Jen. The Lord clearly directed us to go down there to visit and hopefully edify and encourage the saints and it was such a delight to be led of the Lord every step of the way. For the sake of remembering all that the Lord did I will share more with you about this trip. If you find the details to be too cumbersome, please do not trouble yourself to read over this. I know I tend to be a wordy writer, but I will attempt by God’s grace to make every word profitable to the reader and glorifying to the LORD.

We drove down to Allen, TX early Thursday morning, July 8, to arrive in time to go out to lunch with our dear friend Debbie Speed. It was special to meet Debbie’s co-workers and spend time with this joyful lady. I have met few people who exuberate so much joy and enthusiasm in loving and caring for the people around her. I know it is the Lord’s grace to fill Debbie with so much joy in the midst of many trials.

Navigating through Dallas traffic on our way to Arlington was an adventure and test to trust the Lord to direct our steps. Looking back He really did help us get to Arlington and I could see His hand clearly guiding us, even in the missed turns and frequently adjusted route. We arrived at Jesse and Lindsay Morris’ home that afternoon and how I praise God for this godly couple and their generosity in making their home available for the Lord to use it however He pleases. A more hospitable and flexible hostess than Lindsay I have rarely seen. And Jesse is a faithful servant who was ever watchful for the practical needs of his guests.

It was a wonderful blessing and encouragement to spend time fellowshipping and visiting with brothers Sean and Ryan, as well as meeting brother Chris (a godly brother recently saved in March who is ablaze for Christ and meekly following his Master with everything he has). The Lord has directed brother Sean and brother Ryan to oversee the establishing of a church in the Dallas area. To read more about this you can visit their website here. I rejoice in the faithful obedience of these godly men to follow the LORD in starting this church and I praise God for the wisdom and great discernment He has given them for this daunting task that would be impossible but for the grace of God and leading of the Holy Ghost.

It was a great delight to see sister Stephanie again. Her boldness and zeal for sharing Christ’s Gospel with those around her was a great blessing to observe and glean from. Sister Megan came over later that evening and how my heart rejoiced to see this beloved sister that the Lord has given me. I am exceedingly grateful for how the Lord has knit our hearts together in true Christian love and friendship. Sister Meg is one of the godliest women I know and the sweet fragrance of Christ’s love and compassion overflow out of her life into the lives of all those around me. A greater example of a merciful and compassionate heart I have not found.

Sister Lindsay and Sister Stephanie

At the end of that evening we followed Meg to her home in Dallas where we spent the next few days with her and her family. We were so grateful to the Turner family for their gracious hospitality in opening up their home to us. It was a blessed quiet place to be for a few days to seek the Lord as well as spend precious time praying, studying the Word, and fellowshipping with sister Meg. The Lord gave Jen opportunity to practice her gift of cooking which proved a great blessing to the Turner family and all those who tasted of her skillful cookery.

Friday evening we went over to Arlington for dinner with all the saints there. Sister Meg’s friend, Kelsey, also came and on the drive over she shared her testimony with Jen and me of coming out of the Christian Science cult. I learned a lot about this deceitful movement and am grateful to the Lord for bringing Kelsey out of it. We also met Ben Douglas, a friend of sister Meg.

It was a blessing to meet brother Brett, a friend of sister Stephanie, who was born again earlier this year. It was good to see his softness toward the Lord and eagerness to grow in holiness and truth. Sister Kelsey flew in from Memphis and I was so glad to see her again. We had spent one hour together in Memphis back in May and I was very excited to have more time with her. The Lord plucked sister Kelsey out of the net of false Christianity earlier this year and He has given her a heart that is hungry for truth and surrendered to obeying the Lord no matter the cost. The Lord graciously gave us much time together during my last few days in Texas and closely knit our hearts together. I also met sister Emily who was saved June 30 and was aglow with the love of the Lord. The Lord mercifully saved her from much deception and made her heart so tender to Him. Her humility and sincere love for Christ was a blessing to be around.

Friday night we had a blessed time of singing hymns together and praying together. It reminded me of the early church and how they gathered in homes to pray and seek the Lord together. The saints are truly walking in the fear of the Lord and comfort of the Holy Ghost. The Spirit of the Lord is present amongst these dear saints, and working mightily to purify them and make them holy. The men are dependent on the leading of the Holy Ghost in everything that they do and faithfully seek Him for direction. There is true charity amongst the believers that is not self-seeking nor self-exalting but each esteeming the other better than themselves. A purer and more loving setting of believers I have never experienced before. The brothers are faithful to exhort, reprove and encourage the saints through the Scriptures by sharing what the Lord has been teaching them. There is a strong commitment on an individual level to seek the LORD first and spend much time with Him. Each one is burdened for lost souls and is faithful to witness wherever they go. There is spiritual reality, transparency and the joy of the LORD is evident in each saint (more or less so in each one according to spiritual maturity).

Saturday was a sweet day of fellowship with sister Meg in her home. We had dinner with her family that evening and the Lord gave a few opportunities to speak for truth and love into their lives. After dinner we packed up our belongings and traveled over to Arlington where we stayed for the remainder of the trip with Jesse and Lindsay in their home along with sisters Stephanie and Kelsey.

Saturday evening after a time of prayer and seeking the Lord about going to downtown Dallas to witness at the clubs, the Lord directed for brothers Sean, Chris, William and Brett and sisters Stephanie and Kelsey to go out and seek to share the Gospel with lost souls. It was my first time to go share the Gospel at a club and I was a bit apprehensive about it, but I submitted to the Lord and His direction and wholly trusted in Him to help me and give me the words to share.

Here are a few pictures from that night to help you visualize what it was like. The club was on one side of the street and people would line up outside waiting for admittance into the club. The brothers stood on a medium in the street and preach to the people standing in line while the rest of us spread ourselves out to pass out tracts and talk with people on the other side of the street. There were about seven policemen and policewomen who were present to break up any fights. Unfortunately they did not take a favorable view of us sharing the Gospel, but we respected them and tried to show the love of Christ while at the same time not backing down on sharing the Gospel. Sister Steph and I ended up on the end of the block passing out tracts to the few people who came our way. Having less people coming through gave us more opportunities to talk with people.

Eventually Stephanie engaged an atheist in conversation who was very arrogant and confident in what he believed. Truly the god of this world has blinded his mind to the truth of God’s existence and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In the midst of that conversation, sister Kelsey called me away from it and asked me to show another man who she was talking with the Scripture about women not teaching. I shall call his name ‘Fred’. At first he refused to believe that the Scriptures taught that and so I showed him 1 Timothy 2. His main hang-up was the way the brothers were preaching the Gospel. He said it was too harsh and would turn people off. I showed some Scriptures to him from Matthew 23 about how Jesus preached to the Pharisees as well as some verses on John the Baptist’s preaching. ‘Fred’ was convinced that the way we girls were sharing the Gospel was much more affective than the guys preaching. To demonstrate this he stopped two black guys who I will call “John” and ‘Benjamin”. He started a conversation with them comparing the preaching of the guys to us girls and asked if the preaching of the guys turned them off. They nonchalantly agreed. Then ‘John’ started saying how he was a Christian but he just needed his ‘private time’ and that there wasn’t anything in the Bible that said it was wrong to drink or smoke. I opened up my Bible and started to walk him through Galatians 5:16-21. In the middle of verse 21, ‘Fred’ interrupted me and wasn’t going to let me finish the verse, but ‘John’ stood up for me and insisted that I finish. ‘Fred’ decided to leave the conversation and left me with ‘John’ and ‘Benjamin’ to preach the true Gospel to them as well as the fruits of a true Christian. I went over Scripture after Scripture, especially in Matthew 7. ‘John’ said he was born again but the fruits of his life did not confirm that. He looked over at his friend ‘Benjamin’ who as I later found out had just come from talking with brother William and had earnestly preached the Gospel to him, and ‘John’ asked ‘Benjamin’ if he was saved. ‘Benjamin’ said ‘no’, so ‘John’ asked me to pray for his friend to get saved. I said, ‘Okay, I will pray for both of you. But let me tell you what I am going to pray so that you are sure you want me to pray for you. I am going to pray for God to do whatever it takes to save you. I am going to pray for God to takeaway everything you own, your home, family, job, if that is what it takes whatever to save you, I am going to ask Him to show you your sin, etc…’ They looked at me very soberly and agreed that they wanted me to pray for them. I started praying for them right there on the sidewalk pleading with God to do whatever it takes, pleading with God to show them their sinfulness and to bring them to the place of absolute brokenness and weeping over their sin and at the right moment to give them saving faith in Jesus Christ and set them ablaze for Christ. They were very grateful and left very sobered and serious. I was amazed at the opportunity the Lord gave and for how He enabled me to share truth with them.

Another highlight from that night was singing hymns with our windows rolled down as we traveled down the freeway. There was a wreck so others were able to hear us sing. We even saw a carload of kids who were at the club earlier that evening and brother William preached again to them and told them they needed to pay heed to the preaching they had heard earlier that night. Those kids were totally shocked to see us again. It was great.

The Lord’s day was a most blessed day. Brother Ryan preached a wonderfully encouraging message on the joy of the Lord. I highly recommend it. That afternoon we had a baptism service for sister Emily and it was the most powerful and Spirit anointed baptism I have been to. Many of her old friends and some of her family were there and the LORD mightily enabled brother Sean to preach the Gospel to them while expounding upon the true meaning of baptism. It was glorious.

Monday morning, Jen and I went to Dallas to visit our dear friend Holly and her two cute kids, Josiah and Ellie. We had a sweet time with them and were grateful to the Lord for that time. That afternoon I listened to a sermon by Rolfe Barnard on ‘Watching Men Die‘ and few sermons have impacted me in the area of being burdened for the lost like that sermon. I was so stunned after listening to it that I took a walk and was silent before the Lord for at least fifteen minutes. My heart was greatly overcome at the thought that at the Judgment throne of God there will be no mercy, only justice. Now is the time of mercy, now is the time we must plead with the sinner to seek God while mercy is to be given. During that walk I had the opportunity to meet an old neighbor lady and was invited to come back to see her which sister Lindsay and Jen and I did the next day.

Tuesday afternoon we had a powerful time of prayer interceding for a brother dear to our hearts who has strayed from the path of truth. The Lord enabled us to weep and cry out for him for one and a half hours. I have never been at such a prayer meeting where God came so powerfully. My heart was greatly quieted before the Lord after that prayer meeting (Psalm 131).

On Wednesday sister Kelsey and I went to the mall to shop for some modest shirts for her. Truly that mall was a vexation of spirit to me. But the Lord did give me an incredible opportunity to witness to a young man for 20 minutes or so about the true Gospel. The Lord greatly helped me in that conversation. We went home and spent time with sister Meg and a friend who is seeking the Lord. Then sister Kelsey and I went to Panera to spend time studying but instead ended up spending some key time talking and getting to know one another. That evening brother Trace and sister Gina from Mabank came over for dinner and the Lord greatly blessed that time of fellowship with them and moved mightily. After they left late that night, Stephanie brought three guys over who were hungry for truth and some of the brothers stayed up late sharing truth with them.

Thursday, sister Lindsay, Jen and I went to Mabank to sister Janice’s tearoom and enjoyed a wonderful luncheon with Gina and her two daughters and dear Mrs. Suzette. It was a sweet time blessed of the Lord. The remainder of our afternoon and evening was spent seeking the Lord and fellowshipping with the saints.

Friday morning we took our departure and stopped in Dallas for our last visit with beloved sister Meg. It was with reluctant steps that we turned our travels homeward, reluctant to take leave our much loved brothers and sisters in the LORD, but our time with them had come to an end for the time being. The Lord blessed us with a safe trip home and oh how good it was go be home again and to look upon the dear faces of our parents, sisters and brother.

My heart is exceedingly grateful to the LORD for blessing our trip so richly and using it to encouraging us greatly in the Lord. Praise be His HOLY Name!

Thank you for taking the time to read this lengthy update. I hope and pray it was profitable, edifying and of encouragement to you to take the time to read it. This fall I look forward to our family camp which is October 1-3, Roy and Jerusala’s wedding in Pennsylvania on October 9th, and Jake and Hannah’s wedding on October 23.

May the LORD Jesus Christ bless you with a greater hunger and thirst to seek Him and grow in the knowledge of His Holy Person, and may He bless you with a strong faith in Him that will endure unto the end.

Only by His grace,
sister Joy