Grubb Mission Report – May 2020

 “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).

A Work of the Chestnut Mountain Church of Christ, Chestnut Mountain, Georgia, USA

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PLEASE PASS THIS REPORT TO THOSE YOU THINK MIGHT HAVE INTEREST IN OUR WORK!

The Corona Virus has been a real problem for everyone. It has also affected congregations around the world. Let’s continue to pray for the quick solution to this problem.

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April in Quarantine

  Who would have ever “thunk” it? Practically the whole world has been placed in a shutdown mode because of the virus.

  Because we have not been able to meet publicly for worship during this period, I have been meeting with the Chestnut Mountain congregation via Zoom on Sundays and Wednesdays. In addition, my wife and daughters in Indonesia have been meeting with me for worship on Sundays and Thursdays. In addition, I have had the opportunity to tune in to services in New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia, and in various places in the United States.

  There is a hope that beginning on the third Sunday in May, we will be able to start having public services with a maximum of fifty in attendance.

  On May 8 and 10, I will be doing a live lesson presentation for the Subang Jaya congregation in Kuala Lumpur. We were supposed to be there in person, but because of circumstances, we were not able to make that trip. It may be that we will be able to make arrangements with other Malaysian congregations to speak to them via the Internet.

  I am looking forward to the time when Indonesia and either Singapore or Malaysia opens its borders, so I can go back and visit my wife.

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USEFUL WEBSITES

http://www.grubbchinese.org

http://www.wvbs.org

http://www.gbntv.org

http://www.ibtministries.org

http://www.oabs.org

http://ChineseBibleSchool.org

apologeticspress.org/OL_Chinese.aspx

Grubb Mission Reports can be read here:

http://grubbmissionwork.blogspot.com

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ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS

John M. Grubb

“Onward Christian Soldiers” was written in 1865 by an English clergyman. The music for this song was written by Arthur Sullivan of the Gilbert and Sullivan team. It was originally written for children to sing while marching between villages. It has become one of the most popular songs in the religious world. In this article we will look at some of the lessons found in the three words of the title of this song.

The Bible encourages the people of God to go forward. “And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward” (Ex. 14:15). This statement is made to the Israelites on the banks of the Red Sea. The sea was parted and the children of God escaped Egyptian bondage. The Christian is urged to “press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:14). God’s people are admonished to “always abound in the work of the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58).

The word Christian literally means “belonging to Christ.” When we obey the gospel we are baptized into the ownership of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:18-20); we are bought with a price (1 Cor. 6:19-20); which is the shed blood of Christ (1 Pet. 1:18-19).  In becoming a Christian we choose Christ as our Lord and Master, and we become an obedient servant. In going forward as Christians, we obey the commands of Christ in every area of our life. Our ultimate reward is heaven (Heb. 5:8-9; 11:13-16; 4:11).

The Bible is full of references to children of God being soldiers. In this article we are discussing “Christian soldiers.” Paul wrote to Timothy, “Fight the good fight of faith” (1 Tim. 6:12), “endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (2 Tim. 2:3), “no man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier” (2 Tim. 2:4).  Paul also urges the Christian soldier to “put on the whole armor of God” (Eph. 6:10-17).

Unfortunately, some Christian soldiers do not move forward, but retreat or desert to the enemy. We either serve Christ or the Devil (Matt. 6:24). Deserters must be court-martialed (2 Thess. 3:6,14-15; 1 Tim. 5:20; Tit. 3:10-11; Acts 5:1-11; 1 Cor. 5:1-13; Rom. 16:17-18; 2 John 9-11).

“Onward Christian soldiers,

Marching as to war,

With the cross of Jesus,

Going on before.”

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TRAVELING SCHEDULE – 2020

May Malaysia Preaching (Tentative)

  May 8,10 Subang Jaya (via Zoom)

  May 15-17 Ipoh ??

  May 22-24 Melaka ??

  May 29-31 Section 17 ??

September – Indonesia/???

November 8-11 – Schertz Lectures

December – Indonesia/Taiwan

2021

March-April  New Zealand

May-June  Malaysia

– John and Eta Grubb