NOVEMBER 2018
LFTL.AG.ORG | MEN.AG.ORG
Words
FROM RICK
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hristmas is almost here. Time for the trees, lights, gifts and family gatherings. I love this time of year. Growing up in a military home, we moved a lot. I was able to experience the snows of New Jersey, the yearround pleasant climates of southern California, and the unpredictable weather of the South.
However, no matter where we lived, our home lacked the very reason for Christmas. We celebrated the holiday, but missed the message. This Christmas, I’m asking you to join Bev and me in giving a Christmas offering to help LFTL share the story of Christ with others around the world in the next few weeks. It breaks our
hearts to know that multitudes observe the holiday, but don’t know or understand the message. It would be tremendous to tell all our missionaries that their requests for evangelism resources have been answered because of our Christmas offering. LFTL equips our missionary families with Bibles, tracts, study resources, evangelistic videos, and online witnessing opportunities. This Christmas has an abundance of requests. We need to respond to them quickly because the door for evangelism is closing in CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
WORDS FROM RICK / CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
several countries that once allowed the gospel to be presented openly. We have an opportunity to reach hundreds of thousands, who speak many languages, with the powerful message of Christmas!
Thank you again for your faithful support of LFTL. May your Christmas be full of joy, hope and love. And may the peace of God be with you this Christmas. Rick Allen National Director MM/LFTL
LFTL PROVIDES EVANGELISM MATERIALS FOR THRIVING MINISTRY IN SPAIN
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ince launching On The Red Box in Madrid, Spain, 16 years ago, missionary Jacob Bock and his team have distributed more than two million gospel tracts and scripture portions!
ing. On her way through, she ended up with five different tracts. She stuffed them in her purse and read them on the plane back to
LFTL provided the funds to print ALL of these evangelism resources. “We love the support we get from LFTL,” Bock wrote to
Mexico. In the process, God did a work in her life and she came to faith in Christ! us. “We have been in Spain 31 years and the gospel has been given to people from all over the world. Thanks for your investment!” Jacob shared with us this testimony. “A Mexican girl was visiting Madrid on vacation. She walked through the main square, Puerta del Sol, where we were preach-
360 SPOTLIGHT
“She found a church in her neighborhood and started attending. We learned her story from someone in that church.” For years, friends of LFTL have given generously so the gospel could be given to people like that young Mexican woman. On behalf of millions like her, we say thank you!
YOUR GIFTS SEND EVANGELISM TOOLS EVERYWHERE!
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HANK YOU for giving to Light for the Lost! When you give and pray, people are reached. It’s that simple. And it’s marvelous to witness. Here’s an example.
Jim said, “I give out dozens of these pieces. Light for the Lost provides them. They are extremely useful here. Each one will be read by multiple people.”
In 2014 I was on assignment in Cameroon. My colleagues and I were in a very rural environment. The forest was thick, and the nearby villages isolated and simple.
One person gave a gift that enabled LFTL to help Jim print hundreds of those pieces in Cameroon.
Suddenly a man stepped out of the bush and greeted us, “Bonjour.” We learned
I have visited 38 countries in my 39 years. On those travels I have repeatedly ob-
served the beautiful intersection of LFTL and front-lines evangelism missions. As you read this, we are on assignment in Armenia and Spain, filming the 2019 Celebrate the Light. Undoubtedly, we’re witnessing even more evangelism opportunities made possible by people like you. Just a little does a lot. This month, our family will join Rick and Bev in giving so others can receive a gospel witness. Will you join us? his name was Jean-Paul. He didn’t attend a church, have a Bible, or know Jesus as Savior. The missionary I was with, Jim Lemons, reached into the car for an evangelism course titled, “The Great Questions of Life” and handed it to Jean-Paul. The man was excited! This was his first contact with the Word of God in a long time.
Every gift and giver are valued! May God bless you for your heart for missions and your passion for LFTL. Dan is Director of Communications and Development for LFTL and MM. He was a ‘missions journalist’ from 2004 to 2018, during which time he wrote and directed LFTL’s Celebrate the Light. Email Dan at dkersten@ ag.org or call 417.862.2781 ext. 4174. He would love to hear from you.
FREE DISCIPLESHIP RESOURCES AVAILABLE FROM MEN’S MINISTRIES
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here are 206 FREE downloadable discipleship materials available at men.ag.org/home#resources (54 of them are available in Spanish). We invite you to access and begin using them in personal study, community ministry, or through small groups at your church. We created these FREE discipleship resources with men in mind. Why? Because every discipled man should be missional, and every missional man should be discipled. Included in these free resources are daily devotionals, small group studies, and
sermon series that deal with the four dimensions of manhood illustrated by Jesus from His baptism through his three temptations—Relationships, Identity, Purpose and Vision. So far, more than 15,000 individual lessons have been downloaded from all over the world. Every lesson is intended to help disciple men and help lead them into a journey of biblical manhood, as exemplified in the life of Christ.
Here are just a few of the lesson series found under the IDENTITY dimension on our Men’s Ministries web site: What We Believe (The 16 Fundamental Truths)
Spiritual Warfare
Christians and Sexuality
Freedom From Condemnation
Healing Life’s Hurts Through Forgiveness
Who Are You Spiritually
New Me
Go to men.ag.org/home#resources and click on “Discipleship Resources.” Click on the image of the thumbprint (seen here) and you’ll be directed to where you can download the lessons for free. Again, it’s all FREE. In future issues of 360 Spotlight, we will feature other discipleship resources produced by Men’s Ministries.
In Matthew chapter 3, Jesus is tested by Satan in the area of His identity. Jesus’ response is an example of Godly manhood that we believe every Christ-following man needs to emulate in his own life.
LFTL.AG.ORG | MEN.AG.ORG
MEN! YOU’RE INVITED ON A DISCIPLES’ JOURNEY IN ISRAEL.
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or 14 years, I have worked with the Center for Holy Lands Studies leading tours to the Holy Land in order to experience the history, traditions, culture, and sights where Jesus walked, taught, and ministered. Everyone who travels to the Holy Land returns deeply changed from the experience. This is something I have witnessed firsthand from the people who have traveled with me to the Holy Land. One common result for pastors is that they find their preaching strengthened as their knowledge of the Bible deepens. A result for the man in the pew is that they develop a closer walk with Jesus and gain new insight into the land, people, and cultures in which Jesus ministered. One year from now, Rick Allen and I will lead a team of men to the Holy Land on what we call the Men’s Ministries Disciples Journey. The dates for the trip are November 9-17, 2019. We will explore key sites and take a look
into the major events that shaped and impacted Jesus and his disciples. We’ll visit sites like: Jerusalem, Bethlehem, the Sea of Galilee, Nazareth, Nimrod’s fortress, the Jordan River, Capernaum, and the Dead Sea. We will also explore the famous desert battle site of Masada. This is open to ALL men who desire to walk where Jesus walked, experience the places Jesus would have taught, and grow as a disciple of Christ. We’ve intentionally planned this experience to be unlike any other Holy Land tour. Please call or email me if you think you would like to go on the Men’s Ministries Disciples Journey. You can visit
www.holylandsstudies.org/2019mensjourney
to see details about the trip costs and the full itinerary.
Dr. Jimmy White is director of discipleship for Men’s Ministries. You can email Jimmy at jdwhite@ag.org or call him at 417.862.2781 ext. 4171
EVANGELISM RESOURCES PROVIDED BY PEOPLE LIKE YOU!
Pastors in rural Burkina Faso receive evangelism training materials provided by LFTL. They will use these to reach the Fulani, Lobi, and Mooré tribes.
An elderly woman in Trans-Baikal region of eastern Russia receives the gospel from an evangelist. At age 80, she’d never heard about God’s plan to forgive her sins!
Mothers and grandmothers in a Filipino village receive gospel literature from the local church.
Burmese pastor Maung Taung preaches from his FireBible on Sunday morning.
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To receive a digital version of 360 Spotlight, sign up at lftl.ag.org or e-mail request to lftl@ag.org. 360 Spotlight is the official voice of Light for the Lost, an evangelism missions focus of the Assemblies of God. National Light for the Lost Director: Rick Allen; LFTL Advisory Committee; Designer: Josh Thomassen. LFTL may be reached at 1445 N. Boonville Avenue, Springfield, MO 65802. Please feel free to visit our website: lftl.ag.org or send us an email at: lftl@ag.org. If you are a missionary or missions partner that utilizes Light for the Lost funds and would like to send us your story, please email us at lftl@ag.org. © 2018 by Gospel Publishing House, 1445 N. Boonville Ave., Springfield, MO 65802. All rights reserved.