the church planting support through the presbyteries with ONA support. Last year World Witness implemented Barnabas Ministry with Lee Shelnutt and Sam Cotton, providing teaching support for ministers and elders in Rwanda, Africa, and Pakistan. In that short year, we are now seeing possible additional ministry and teaching opportunities in Kenya, South Sudan, and also Malawi (with the Canadian Presbytery). Recently Barnabas Ministry merged with the work of MT3 (David Galleta) and has been renamed “SEED Ministry” in order to faithfully carry on this teaching ministry. On the home front here in North America, it is always sad to see congregations dwindle in membership, struggle and then eventually close their doors, but it is also encouraging to see the work of other congregations and presbyteries in their pursuit of planting churches throughout the United States and Canada; to  plant churches in certain locations because the demographics may not be right or  that the apostles did any cost analysis or demographic studies as the early church grew. I am not saying we should not do these things in good stewardship today, but at the same time, we need to have faith that God is sovereign and is always doing a mighty work in spite of us. God opens the door – we just need the faith to walk through it. Let us remember our reformed roots in seeing the church grow and the gospel


advance. As we see the love of God poured out on us each day in Jesus Christ, let us remember that it is only by the grace of God that any of us have the opportunity to share the story of God’s precious gift of salvation to the world. Let none of us waste any day we have in the urgency with which we should act and especially how we should act. Dr. Albert Mohler once wrote that “a concern for true biblical worship was at the very heart of the Reformation. Why? Because the Reformers were convinced that the heart of true biblical worship is the preaching of the Word of God. Expository preaching is central, irreducible and non-negotiable to the Bible’s mission of authentic worship that pleases God.” I would add that the faithful, authentic expository preaching of the Word of God is what we need more of in our churches in order to see the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ advance in this world. Through all of this, I am reminded of Romans 11:33-36. This particular grouping of 4 verses from Romans 11 is often referred to as the “Romans Doxology.” All that we need to know about our relationship to God can be summed up in these four verses. In verse 33, Paul tells us that it is impossible for any of us to fully understand what God is doing because of His immensity. Verses 34-35 explain how (because of man’s smallness) man will never equate to nor fully understand God’s immensity in His perfection. Verse 36 sums up God’s perfection and sovereignty before all of creation, and He calls us to glorify Him alone. God is our Creator. He is our Sustainer and provider. He is our Father and our salvation. The supreme glory belongs to God alone. Together as God’s creation, His church, we  His Holy Spirit and in the name of Jesus Christ, our Saviour. In closing, according to the WSC (Q&A #1), the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. But Satan’s goal is to gather God’s glory for himself. To do that, Satan provides “noise” that swirls around us and encompasses us every day in order to distract us from our chief end. Praise God that He has provided us with the means to cancel that noise by sending us His Living Word, Jesus Christ.  on Jesus and be faithful to Him alone. I want to thank God for His love and providence that has placed us where we have been over the past year and where we will be moving forward. I want to thank you (my brothers) for giving me the honour and privilege as serving as your moderator this past year. We give thanks and praise to God for His loving mercy and providence in all aspects of our lives as the ARP continues to move forward in the work to Advance the Gospel. Amen.


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