TheSpeedyz.com: "Any Seeds To Declare?"

Seed is potent. It is regulated by customs at all borders. The pure gospel seed of grace is powerful. I've thought about declaring it at customs when I travel! It is genetically designed to go beyond borders. I just took an inspiring trip, taking Benson, a disciple from Zambia & crossing over into neighboring Tanzania &
the 99% Muslim island of Zanzibar (off the Coast of East Africa). Tanzania is 2 days away by bus. There we met with my brother-in-law, Matt Roberge, who flew in from snowy Baltimore to the tropical port city of Dar Es Salaam on the Indian ocean. This was my 3rd trip. Grace Seed is motivating all of us to go beyond our borders.

[Snapshots below]

Other seed has been sown, which makes our precious seed all the more rare. Soulwinning outside the Dar Post Office, I asked one man, "What gospel have you heard?". Instantly he responded- "The Baptism of John!" I didn't expect that, so I enquired further. He explained, someone has to believe AND repent PLUS be baptized in plenty of water"!!! It does get rather strange when you leave the simplicity of Christ [PLUS NOTHING].

Then there were some who believed, and others who, being believers, desired to learn more. One told me he had "received salvation" a few years ago and had been praying to be trained. Others even sought us out and came to our hotel, asking when the ministry would be starting in Dar. Some even wanted to come to Zambia and be trained. One young man is actively now pursuing that. It was difficult however, to have to tell some of them that God's perfect will might be quite simply, "Wait". Then we encouraged them by telling them we are actively visiting and praying that God would open a door for the ministry to start in Dar es Salaam.

3 of us journeyd to the mountainous North of the country (a town called Ngara), where we have an affiliated church, lead by Pastor Shyogotera, who has been with the ministry for about 18years. I determined to meet him. We took a very eventful bus trip, with no shocks, for 2 days. We were so blessed, on the way, to meet (possibly) an angel, who took us for the evening to the most beautiful little hotel I have ever stayed at (the Golden Valley Hotel), in the middle of nowhere. We felt like Elijah, at the brook Cherith.

In Ngara the people were so excited, they had Matt sing about 7 songs in one service! I preached on "No longer strangers but citizens". The ministry has fruit in Tanzania! Everywhere you go there is literal fruit in Tanzania. We got to do some more evangelism there. It was a privilege to preach the gospel to the poor. Some fruit sellers we preached to were very attentive.

We got to spend much time with 7 of his leaders and attended a funeral in a village, where Matt preached on Peace to more than 450 mourners.

As we were leaving, one man had a testimony of the finished work message that up to this point it had been hard to be a Christian. He was so grateful for this message that Christ has done it on our behalf and that we can rest in our position, securely. We told them we will attempt to send whatever Bible college videos we have to that town. He ended with this last statement, "Those classes, will they also have this message too?" To which I told him, every one of them! We need our minds renewed, and you can get ready for 4 years of being saturated in the finished work, because the entire Bible is "dripping with grace"! People are excited about grace. What other seed has this effect?

Sadly, on the journey back, we met an old agnostic (in Africa!) As we witnessed to him, one statement he made really broke my heart. "In the West," he said, "people are more advanced and intelligent than us. And they have stopped believing in God". It hit me hard. I am almost in tears thinking about it. Gospel seed, gospel seed, gospel seed -O Lord send out laborers! We got to look at him and love him and share the gospel of grace and the love of God.

Tanzania has a large minority of Muslims on the mainland. So it is still possible to register a church, and openly evangelize. To be honest, many of them are, what I would class as, "backslidden Muslims"! And they are ripe for gospel seeds!

When we began to witness to 2 Muslims on the bus, they were very interested. By the end of the trip (2 days), the entire bus had broken up into discussion groups, discussing the gospel! "This is the best deal you will ever hear!!!" I proclaimed... "you will never get a better offer, a better Perfect Substitute, a free gift!!!!" They were absolutely intrigued. Wherever we went I can honestly say this about every encounter with Muslims.. They are intrigued. They have a basic knowledge of OT Bible characters. They have NEVER EVER even remotely heard anything that resembles the gospel of His free pure grace, through the finished work. They have tons of questions about everything from the parts of man, to prophecy, to the return of Christ, to the Holy Spirit, to the old sin nature... Many of them told us they are very interested and have many questions. Many got our contact details. And some, whom I can't describe in detail, requested that we please come back because they wanted to hear more on these matters. Very few were antagonistic, even on the 99% Muslim dominated island of Zanzibar. There we got to witness to groups, who had many questions. Few would admit openly that they were sinners. But one, after first objecting to receiving Christ "because I'm a Muslim," attended unto Matt's words. "The truth is truth, and grass is grass, not concrete, no matter what you are..." A few minutes later, he accepted Christ as his Savior.

Returning to the main land, I sensed a tremendous change in atmosphere, a liberty in the spirit, and thought to myself, this place is ripe, and the beginning should be on the mainland. Though I do dream of a Zanzibar School of the Bible, the launching place would be Dar. But you never know... looking at the coast from the "Kilimanjaro Ferry", seeing all the coconut trees lining the beaches, I thought... seeds do travel...