A Real Life Example...

Tonight concludes an amazing missions conference at Hampton Roads Independent Baptist Church. This morning, when teaching the children in Sunday School, I used two children in a example/demonstration. One child was the messenger, and the other was the recipient of the message. The messenger refused to deliver the message to the one who needed to hear. I explained to the class that the message could be a matter of life and death (such as a warning that a snake is right behind the hearer) or a matter of eternity (such as needing to hear the Gospel). I explained how faith comes by hearing the Word of God, and it is our responsibility to carry the message of the Gospel to the world. The world will never know if we're not faithful to carry the message.  Little did I know- God had been dealing with the boy (hearer) about salvation before I ever used that demonstration. Sometime after this, in Children's church the boy talked to his teacher about being saved and received Jesus Christ as his Savior. Praise God! While God had been working in his heart before I ever met Him, God, through his Providence, allowed this child to be both a classroom and real-life example of one needing to hear the message of Jesus Christ. I Corinthians 3:7 - "So then, neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase."

September 2012 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

August was a very productive month for us. We were privileged to go to 7 scheduled meetings in churches in FL, GA, TN, and KY. During one of our meetings, Jeremy was able to share his testimony with a youth group. Afterwards, one boy received Christ as his Savior. Glory to God! We were also able to drop into 4 other churches for the services we did not have scheduled. While on the phones, Jeremy was able to book 15 meetings in the states of FL, MD, PA, WV, OH, and IL! During the month of August, we had 1 new supporting church, another church who has committed support, and several other possible supporters.

While we were in Kentucky, we were able to see the birthplace and childhood home of Abraham Lincoln. After looking at the family Bible, it was apparent the rich, Christian heritage we have in our nation. We must never forget how privileged we are to have the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Near the end of last month, Lila took her first steps! While she can now walk very short distances, she is not yet comfortable walking. It looks like she will be ready to walk on her first birthday in September!

Last month, during our trip up to Kentucky, Jeremy noticed the back window of the car was very greasy. Several hundred miles later on that trip, the back window was again covered in grease. Jeremy decided to check the oil dipstick and found that it was completely dry! After taking the car to a mechanic, he discovered that the oil change shop removed an O-ring to the oil filter housing and did not replace it. Thankfully, we were able to discover the problem quickly and did not burn up our engine and get stranded. We thank the Lord for those who were praying for us! This month, please pray for the following:

1. That God will keep his hand on the teenager who received Christ.
2. That the Lord will continue to keep us safe as we travel.
3. That God will enable churches to support our ministry.

In Christ,

Jeremy and Michelle Blanz

August 2012 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

We trust that each of you are doing well and hopefully getting some rain! Despite the fact that Summer is typically a slower time for missionaries, last month was a very busy month for us. We were able to present our ministry and/or preach in 8 different churches in FL, GA, TN, and KY last month! When we weren't traveling, Jeremy was able to contact roughly 850 churches and build many new contacts! We were able to book meetings and missions conferences in 10 new churches, including churches in FL, GA, OH, and MD. We also took advantage of every opportunity to be involved in door-to-door witnessing that we could. We had the privilege to speak to those who are born-again, those who are unsure, and those who clearly knew that they were not saved. May we never forget that there is a mission field all around us!

While we travel to different churches and present our ministry, we get to go places we would otherwise never get to go. Michelle and I were able to see parts of Memphis, TN and walk the downtown of Athens, GA- Home of the Georgia Bulldogs! It was also good for our family to be able to spend a little time with some of our family and friends. The little time we had at home was a good opportunity to clean and work on our second home- our car! As we travel, we try to pass out tracts whenever possible, but sometimes all we have is tracts from our home church in Jacksonville, FL. Although I explain that our church is in another state, I still give out the Gospel. Every time I give one of those out, it is a reminder that the Gospel travels with us wherever we go. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.”

This month, we are scheduled to be in GA, TN, and KY. Please continue to keep us in prayer for the following:

1. Safety in traveling as Hurricane Season picks up.
2. That God will use us as witnesses in every place we go.
3. That God will continue to help us raise support so that we may bring the soul-saving message of Christ to the people of Nicaragua.

In Christ,

Jeremy and Michelle Blanz 

July 2012 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

We hope that you have had a great month during June. It was a very busy month for us. We were able to present our ministry in 9 churches throughout AL, SC, and NC. Jeremy was also asked to bring devotions to a Men's Fellowship, Father's Day camp out, and preach his first Father's Day sermon. We have seen one more supporting church. During door to door visitation, Jeremy and another church member witnessed to two men who wanted to receive Christ. While they did not pray to receive Christ at that moment with others present, they said they would do so once they were alone in their house. Only God knows if they accepted Christ that day. We were also able to book meetings in NC, VA, WV, and OH.

After being away for a whole month, we were able to go home for a few days. During that time, we were able to go to the West Jacksonville Baptist Church campmeeting. This month, Lila has perfected crawling and she is now walking with a lion walker/rider toy! She now has her very first tooth! Every day, it seems she looks less like a baby and more like a little girl. By the time we left Jacksonville, tropical storm Debby came through and flooded part of the city. Praise the Lord our house was unharmed!

Thank you to everyone that prayed for us last month. During all of our travels here in the U.S., God is preparing us to serve Him in Nicaragua. He is stretching us, growing us, and teaching us to trust Him for everything. Please continue to pray for us, as well as those in Nicaragua. Here are a few things to keep in prayer:

1. Pray for the two men who said they would receive Christ that night.
2. Pray that the Lord opens doors in churches in OH, PA, and MD as we call them in the near future.
3. Pray that the Lord helps us to be a blessing to every church we visit.

In Christ,

Jeremy and Michelle Blanz

June 2012 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

June is another month for us to thank God for using us in His service. During the first part of last month, we were able to spend a couple weeks at home. This is always the best time to focus on making calls and fill up the calendar. We were able to book 13 meetings and missions conferences in AL, SC, NC, TN, KY, WV, and VA. In the second half of the month, we really hit the ground running... or driving, that is. We drove nearly 2,700 miles and were able to present our work in churches in SC, MA, and AL. May brought us 2 new supporters, and 1 more church that has committed to support our ministry. All in all, it was a varied, yet fruitful month.

During our time at home, it was good to once again get involved at our home church. We really enjoy getting involved in weekly visitation and sharing the Gospel with others. Lila really seems to like it as well. Last month, she started crawling, pulling up on objects, and cruising along furniture. We're so proud of her. For a few days, she had a high fever which worried us, but she is now doing much better. During deputation, life is different every week. Different people, different places, but it's always good to know that God is always the same and that He has been faithful to protect us and provide our every need!

Thank you to every one that has been faithful in praying for us. When we were over 1,100 miles from home with a sick baby, it was good to know that there are others all across the nation that are praying for us. This month, please pray for the following:

1. That God will provide the necessary funds for us to get to Nicaragua.
2. That God will keep his hand of protection on our family while traveling.
3. That God will use us in His work while we are on deputation.

In Christ,
Jeremy and Michelle Blanz

Matthew 21 - Why Repentance Matters

Today, I bring only a small thought, but it carries great significance. Look with me in verse 32:

“For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.”

Here, Jesus had just finished the parable of the two sons. The certain man had two sons and commanded them to work in the vineyard. One said he would not, but later repented, and then did what the father wanted him to do. The other son said he would, but he did not do the work. Jesus then asks which one obeyed the will of his father. Obviously, the one who repented. This was essentially the problem with many of the scribes and priests during this time. John, the baptist, preached a message of repentance. He taught that one must repent and be baptized, for the kingdom of heaven was at hand. Many of the “worst” sinners believed him and repented, and watched him point them to the Savior. However, many of the scribes, Pharisees, and chief rulers did not repent. Perhaps they didn't think they needed repentance. I'm sure they probably tried really hard to do right. Doing right is a great thing, but their pride kept them from confessing their sin, repenting of it, and trusting in the Messiah.

Have you noticed that Jesus said, “...when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.” Jesus implied that repentance was necessary for them to “believe him.” In order for one to receive the gift of Christ, they must be willing to repent and turn away from a lifestyle of sin. The devils “believe” in God, but they are not saved. Many people mentally accept the fact that Jesus is the Son of God, but they are not saved. Only if people are willing to repent are they able to believe in Jesus Christ for Salvation. I am not saying that one must get their life right with God before they get saved. This is not possible and is equivalent to a works-based salvation. What I am saying is that when they hear the Word of God and are convicted of sin by the Holy Ghost of God, they must be willing to lay aside their old life and trust in Christ to receive new life. One cannot receive new life until he is willing to die to his old life. Think of it like this: You have been carrying around a weight of sin all of your life, then one day you meet Jesus Christ. He has a gift for you, which is eternal life, and He would like to give it to you. However, you're still holding on to your burden of sin. You are faced with a decision. Do you forsake the burden of sin so that you are able to take hold of the gift of eternal life? You cannot grab hold of the gift of eternal life if you are unwilling to let go of and forsake the burden of sin. While that is a good illustration, it is merely an illustration, and all illustrations fall short of perfectly teaching a doctrine.

So, how about you? Has there ever been a time in your life when you have confessed to God that you are a sinner? Were you willing to let go of your sinful life and take hold of the gift of eternal life? You cannot clean up your life first and then get saved. It's only through the blood of Jesus that can wash away sin. Repentance is important, not only at the time of salvation, but anytime sin creeps into our lives. We must be willing to confess it, repent from it, and let Christ live through us. Many churches seem to belittle the importance of repentance. However, it is biblical, and it is important.

Matthew 20 - Not To Be Ministered Unto, But To Minister...

Why do you go to church? For the music? To see friends? To hear preaching? To learn about God? There is nothing wrong with those reasons, though they should not be the main reason why we go. Or, how about this- Why don't you go to church? There could be a number of reasons for this. However, oftentimes we do things with the mentality of “what do I get out of it?” This is fairly natural, and this is the way our culture teaches us to think. I have known of people who drop off their kids or babies at church and then leave, only to come back at the end of the service to pick them up. What do they get out of it? Free day care, I guess. While that may be a more extreme example, it's still one that many nursery or children's workers have seen before. My point is that most people have a reason for going to church.

When Jesus came into this world, he could have done things much differently. Think about it, God coming to earth... However, Jesus came in a way nobody would have ever imagined. Born into a normal family, born in a lowly manger. As Jesus walked the earth, He did not command that all people everywhere bow down and worship Him. Instead, he touched the leper, healed the blind and maimed. He chose disciples that were uneducated fishermen and even a tax collector. Through all of this, he taught his disciples to love others and to care for the hurting. He said unto them...

“Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority over them.” (verse 25)

Look all across the earth. The rulers of the earth (Kings, Queens, Presidents, Prime Ministers, etc.) have dominion over the people and exercise authority over them. That is the way of the world. Jesus came to show us another way.

“But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister. And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant.” (verse 26-27)

This is not teaching that the great people ought to be priests or preachers. This is teaching that if you wish to be great, you should learn to serve or minister to others. When I first went to the B.I.M.I. (Baptist International Missions Incorporated) headquarters for the first candidate school, I was impressed by the servant leadership I saw. The directors of the board, even the President of the board were all so humble. At meal time, they were often the last people to get their meals, and after eating while everybody was sitting around talking, the directors would often be the first one to pick up the dishes of everyone else to return them to the dish room. I kinda felt bad, like I should have picked up their dishes. They are all great and respectable people in my eyes, especially because they demonstrated the servant leadership exemplified in our Lord Jesus Christ.

“Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (verse 28)

Look at Jesus. Jesus, the Son of God, The Most High, The Alpha and the Omega- He came into this world not to be served, but to serve us. I can hardly comprehend how awesome He is! If that doesn't get you going, I don't know what will! God, in the flesh, came into this world to live amongst us. To live a humble life, to care for the hurting, and to save us from our sin. He came to give his life a ransom for many. He taught us that, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” And what did he do? He did it for us.

“Looking unto Jesus the Auther and Finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)

Have you ever thought about what this is saying? According to this verse, why did Jesus endure the cross? For the joy that was set before Him. While Jesus despised the shame, he died on the cross for the joy that was set before him. I believe that joy was Him seeing us having everlasting life with Him in Heaven. Jesus deserves your love, but we don't deserve his. If God, Himself, lowered himself far enough to suffer the shame of dying on the cross, then what does that mean for us? If Jesus loved those who do not deserve his love, then shouldn't we? Jesus came not to be ministered unto, but to minister.

What is your attitude towards others? Do you expect others to serve you, or do you joyfully serve them?

Jesus humbled himself to serve others and love others that didn't deserve His love. Do we live as if we are above our Master?

How can we be a better servant? How can we be more like Christ?