I love Christmastime. I love the lights, the trees, the giving of gifts and the gobbling of goodies. I even love the onset of cold weather (although not near as much as I did just a few short years ago). Mostly I love the songs. Carols that are sanctioned for this time of year. I tune in the radio station that begins playing Christmas melodies first and I won’t leave them till they stop. I must look like a fool singing at the top of my lungs as I roll down the highway. But humming doesn’t really get it done for me, and whistling quickly chapped my lips, so what’s a boy to do? I guess I’ll continue to sing with Bing, as I dream of a white Christmas and buh-buh-buh-boo through the holiday season. Luke 2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. That was the first Christmas carol to ever laud the honor of the incredible birth of our Savior and Lord. The first praise chorus to welcome the gift of God to all mankind. Sung by the heavenly host, penned by the hand of God, inspired by an incredible event that had never happened before and would never happen again. And in that simple chorus you’ll find the purpose of His visitation, the heart of the example He lived for us, and the two wishes I believe He has for His people. That we would first of all live lives that would consistently give glory to our Father in heaven.

after peace between mankind and the Creator. Wouldn’t these be the most incredible gifts we could send back to God? That families would reunite, that old friends would make amends, that all people would see past their issues for a little while and discover the gift of peace.

Wouldn’t it be the greatest way to bring glory to His name and grant the wish He desires for all…Peace! Begin today and

throughout the year to pursue peace with

all those in your world. Live a life of quiet comfort,

don’t be at war with all those around you, strive to avoid conflict and strife.

That is my wish for all of us. That we might practice peace on earth and desire good will for all men. That we could all actively pursue peace with everyone in our lives. That we would take the steps, make the journey toward reconciliation, because it’s what God wants from us and for us. Merry Christmas from the Oklahoma Baptist. My hopes and prayers join with yours as we all grow closer to God, and closer to what Jesus desires for us in the coming year.

Volume LIII DECEMBER 2018 Number 12

To give God glory we must represent Him well in our world. To allow people to see through the veneer of our daily lives and to catch a glimpse of His love through us. And secondly, that we would discover peace with those all around us. That we could genuinely wish good will for everyone in our world. Peace is one of the most common wishes all heavenly beings seem to wish upon God’s creation. The angels repeated it time and again. And Jesus tells all those who follow Him to discover His peace that He left for us. A peace that the Bible regales as passing all understanding. Reconciliation is the spirit of Christmas. That God would send His only Son to be born, live among us, and die on a cross, to bring the long sought

BMA of OK Officers for 2018-2019 President Bro. Ryan Meadows Vice President Bro. Anthony Pennington Reporter Bro. Doug Brewer Asst. Reporter Bro. Dennis Clark State Missions Directors Bro. Gene Hankins and Bro. Carl Barnes State President, WMA Sis. Jodi Rhea State President, Brotherhood Bro. Doyle Morris Next Midyear Meeting April 6, 2019 Sunray, Purcell Next Annual Meeting October 7-8, 2019 Shady Grove, McAlester

“Merry Christmas”

Siripong (Pastor Jo) Yaebeang and his family recently visited the B M A T h e o l o g i c a l Seminary and spoke about their work in Thailand. While Pastor Jo showed the video that his wife had put together, Jessie took their two children, Titus and Noah, out to play and burn up their excess energy. Although they are used to being in services weekly in Thailand, perhaps they are not used to the structure of a chapel service at the Seminary. Pastor Jo, however, is very familiar with that structure, as he attended the Seminary from 2011 to 2014, after having attended Central Baptist College, where he met Jessie. Before coming to the United States, someone in Thailand had tried to discourage him from attending seminary. He was told that thousands would die in their sin while he was off studying. However, Pastor Jo felt God wanted him to learn more so that he would be able to answer the questions that would inevitably come during his ministry. The country of Thailand is almost 100 percent unbelievers. Most people consider themselves Buddhist, with only three percent Islamic and about one percent Christian. In approximately 7000 provinces, over 6000 of them do not have a single church. However, in spite of that, the North Bangkok Church is gradually growing. They have between 15 and 20 adults who meet, along with their children, each week in homes. Once a month, they choose to meet at

a hotel where they are able to have more space and the children can be more energetic. Most of the so-called churches in Thailand promote a prosperity gospel. People do not hear the Truth of the Word. Therefore, one thing that Pastor Jo is doing is answering questions about the Bible and Christianity in his Ask Pastor Jo videos. People sometimes tell him to “Stop wasting your time.” However, he realizes it’s not a waste of time when he sees

people come to salvation, such as the young doctor who was recently baptized after being saved while they visited in a coffee shop. There are

many doors to share the gospel. Pastor Jo and his family have many prayer requests. One is to pray for a change in attitude that many in Thailand have; the people often believe that Christianity is not for them. Pray for open doors and for his preparation to share the gospel even when few show up. Also pray for the devotional book that Pastor Jo wrote to help people that he may never even meet. It’s in the Thai language, but would be called “Walking with God: 365 Days in the Word of God. The Yaebeang family is enjoying their time in the United States but look forward to returning to their home in Thailand where they work alongside Brandon Lingle and his family. Remember the North Bangkok Church with your prayers and offerings when possible.

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Published by the Baptist Missionary Association of Oklahoma

DOUG BREWER, EDITOR AND BUSINESS MANAGER

Phone: 794-6646

Assistant Editor: Michael R. Mobly

Direct all correspondence, publication material and news items to the office of the editor

Direct all subscription payments to:

Carl Barnes P.O. Box 5171

Ardmore, OK 73403

E-mail: OklaBapt@aol.com

Subscription rates are, any church may pay ten dollars a month, or one hundred twenty

dollars a year, to receive a digital copy of the paper emailed to one email address

in your church.

UPCOMING EVENTS Oklahoma Outbreak BMA of OK Youth Conference December 27-29 See pg 5

Church Leaders Cruise January 19-24

World Missions Sunday February 24

“Pastor Jo”

While living in the country, several years back, our family had a Christmas custom. Each year we would search our pastures and cut down a scrub pine for our Christmas tree. After cutting down our find, and hauling it home, the real work began…at least for Jerry. Wrestling the prickly branches, he would valiantly struggle to set the tree straight in the stand under the direction of four women, each with a different opinion! Once secure, we proceeded to clear out the spider webs, stray grass, an occasional bird's nest and give it a good spraying with Raid in case any” critters” were still in residence! Next Jerry would turn it like a slow top as we determined the best side to face the room. One particular Christmas, the girls decided this would be the year of the PERFECT TREE. They became a self-appointed committee of three, and thus was born The O.C.T.S.C. (Official Christmas Tree Selection Committee.) It just so happened that a friend with a great deal of land (I'm talking miles) gave us permission to search for a tree. The big day arrived, and as we loaded up to leave, the girls INSISTED and PLEADED to bring two of our new puppies, and rather porky puppies at that! All three made death promises to carry the pups and take care of them. Against my better judgement I caved in. So off we went, Jerry, the Kindly Woodsman; me, the soon to be Keeper of the Puppies; the O.C.T.S.C., and two fat, black, six week old, tons of lard with their whines on continuous play. Upon arrival, we all tumbled out of the truck, to find just a few feet away, a darling little tree. Jerry told the girls, There is the perfect tree. It is the right size, shape and everything!

The O.C.T.S.C. met for a quick consultation, and assuming this was a ploy to shorten the adventure, quickly declared the tree: Imperfect. You see, we were dealing with a logistics problem here also. Our house was built by a man around five feet tall with a family all under f i v e f e e t . Therefore, with them in mind, the house only had seven foot ceilings! A tree stand would add another eight to ten inches to the tree height! Add to this problem, a 12’ x 12’ living room, with a couch, chairs, end tables, coffee table, an old upright piano (amazing isn’t it?), and a dangerous O.C.T.S.C. with BIG ideas. The Kindly Woodsman tried to discuss it with the Committee, but to no avail. Venturing off through the woods, we found the trees were thick. Quickly, the girls asked me to hold the puppies, just until we got through the brush. Foolishly, I took them. Shrill yelps soon rang out because they were cold, so I tucked them into my coat. Trudging along through thick brush with my grunting load, I felt like I was eight months pregnant! Shortly, came the unmistakable little howl and wiggle, time for a potty stop. Once on the ground their full bladders forgotten, they scattered in several directions at once! Following a fast skirmish, pups securely in my coat again, I looked up to see the O.C.T.S.C. and the Kindly Woodsman far ahead!. In a loud voice I

threatened them to wait for me! Though peeved at my interference of such important affairs, they tramped back. Heated discussion ensued. The solution was proposed that the puppies be put in the truck, but the decision was unanimous that poopy puppy was a name truly earned. (Not to

mention it was Pappaw’s truck!) Laying down the law, I gave each girl a puppy and a stern reprimand to

care for them.

Off we ventured again. The girls were having a time. The pups were so fat they didn't fit in

the in their small coats; if they their coats were zipped, the pups howled in pain; if their coats were unzipped the

pups popped out, and the girls couldn't keep

warm. Grudgingly, I took on my

pregnancy once again. After two more potty stops for the puppies, the brush began to clear. I thought things were looking up. . . that was until I looked down! Before us was a ravine with a nearly straight 15 ft. drop down and 15 ft. straight up the other side. To make matters worse, there was no way around it! A pathetic whine arose; I don't know if it was the pups, me, or both! The O.C.T.S.C. gave a gleeful shout. My legs were already so scratched and bleeding from the brush, they resembled two scratching posts that had serviced a dozen cats! Sympathetically, the Kindly Woodsman took the pups and he and the girls plunged into the adventure ahead, sliding down, holding on to roots, rocks or whatever they could grab, with their laughter echoing through the woods. Down one side and up the other they went with great ease. Impatiently they waited on the other side as I struggled, giving more blood donations along the way. Clawing the dirt with my fingernails, I finally drug myself over the edge, and was promptly handed two pudgy,

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(“The Perfect Tree,” cont on pg 7)

“I Was Just Thinkin’” By Narita Roady

“The Perfect Christmas Tree”

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Register your church online at: bmamissions.org/worldmissionsday

by emailing Paige West at:

paige@bmamissions.org or over the phone by calling:

The Missions Office 501-455-4977

How will you outlive your life? We each want to leave a lasting legacy; one that impacts people in years to come. This World Missions Day, BMA Missions will focus on believers who leave “A Legacy of Hope.” As an association, we will honor missionaries, pastors, and church members who have left a lasting legacy, while investing in future ministries so they, too, can leave a legacy for Christ. 2 Timothy 2:2 says, “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” This verse demonstrates that a lasting legacy requires a person to live for things that they are willing to die for, “otherness,” and that a person accepts the fact that they will probably not see the full effect of their efforts in their lifetime. Finally, a lasting legacy requires that the believer has been a faithful disciple for many years. On February 24, 2019, we will celebrate those who began ministries long ago that continue in growth and maturity today. Many of those ministries seemed small and insignificant at their inception, yet today they have grown to include dozens of churches, countless disciples and leaders, and an impactful legacy. Leaving a lasting legacy doesn’t happen by accident, yet it is attainable for every believer. Every believer can outlive their life. This World Missions Day, join us in honoring believers in your life who have left a lasting legacy, while also investing in future ministries so that they can also leave A Legacy of Hope for future generations. When you register your church for World Missions Day, your pastor will receive a complimentary BMA Missions

fleece vest, and your congregation will receive free World Missions Day promotional resources such as A Legacy of Hope posters and bulletin inserts.

World Missions Day 2019

“A Legacy of Hope”

Oklahoma Outbreak 2018

Three Days “A lot can happen in three days”

Jesus answered and said unto them,

Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. John 2:19

Keynote Speaker, Bro. Landon Riddle

December 27-29

Quartz Mt Lodge, Altus, OK

PAGE 5

states, but held many meetings in the Pacific northwest and in the northern U.S. At one point during these years he served on the board of directors of Central Baptist College. In the early 70’s he and his wife served as missionaries to Bolivia and taught in Santa Cruz at the American School for Gulf Oil corporation. Having acquired a private pilot’s license, Jurl assisted in flying supplies into remote jungle mission areas of Bolivia and later he and his family lived and worked among the Chiquitano Indians of eastern Bolivia establishing a church in the village of San Simon. Giving an account of the years in Bolivia, Jurl authored two books. “En La Manana” and “Chiquitano”. He was an avid outdoorsman and loved to travel. He and Mary Ann traveled and camped over most of the continental U.S. and canoed many of the streams in Arkansas and Missouri, his most favorite being Current River which they floated a week at a time. Another one of his favorite pastimes was four wheeling in the Ozark mountains of Arkansas. In later years, Jurl and Mary Ann bicycled and continued this activity into their eighties cycling and camping all over Arkansas and Missouri Burial was at Thorn Cemetery. Pallbearers were Randy Higgins, A. J. Wright, Thomas Baxter, and the Deacons of Immanuel Baptist Church. The family would like to extend a special thank you and express their appreciation for the incredible service of love and care given to our loved one by the staff of Seven Springs Health and Rehab, Heber Springs, AR and also, would like to thank the staff of Conway Hospice. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Central Baptist College Ronald V. and Micki Mitchell Endowed Scholarship Fund, 1501 College Ave., Conway, AR 72034.

Jurl Norris Mitchell, 84, of Conway, went to be with the Lord on Thursday, November 15, 2018. He was born July 1, 1934 in Elsinore, MO to the late R.P. Mitchell and Joanna Mitchell. Jurl is also preceded in death by his brother, Ronald V. Mitchell and an infant brother. Left to cherish his memory is his wife of 67 years, Mary Ann Mitchell of Greenbrier, a son, Dwight (Cherri) Mitchell of Greenbrier, sisters, Arlyn (Gene) Gambill of Greenbrier, Karen (Tom) Mitchell of Little Rock, granddaughters, Devin (Bo) Wright of

North Little Rock, Jordan and (Jesse) Harding of Hope, and three great-grandchildren, Gage Wright, Jaycee Harding, and Jaxon Harding. Jurl was a graduate of Central Baptist College and the University of Central Arkansas and taught briefly at Vilonia High School. He was a Baptist minister for 66 years, pastoring a number of churches in Arkansas. The last 20 years prior to

retirement, he directed Plain Path Ministries as a full-time evangelist preaching revivals mostly in the central

BMAA Says Farewell To Faithful Servant

Most of us are familiar with the candy cane given out at Christmas time. For our Christmas when I was a child, we received a large peppermint stick. It was unnecessary to give my brothers and me an individual stick, as those things were huge and it probably would have taken either one of us to devoured that thing before the following Christmas. As I recall, that thing was about the size of a firewood log. (Of course, that would be in my memory as a six year old. Also, I’ve never really liked peppermint, except that it was candy and a rare thing in our house. However, I don’t know how big they actually were.) I recall that they were so large, that my parents would buy one for the entire family and break that thing into pieces, which would be enough to feed all five of us. I know I always got my fill before all the pieces were gone. Well, that was when a penny would buy something. However, I digress.... In our day, the peppermint candy canes are bought in bulk and given out at Christmas. That’s because one of those are usually about two inches long, about around as a small pencil, and are now in the shape of a “J”. I don’t know when I was first aware of the change not only in size, but also in the “J” shape, but from what I have found, the first “candy cane” association to Christmas was considerably before my time. That leaves me with no excuse for not knowing it. But that was in 1874 and then in 1882, they were hung on Christmas trees. According to tradition, an Indiana candy maker wanted to make a candy that could be a reminder of Jesus Christ, so he made the Christmas candy cane. He

started off with a stick of pure white hard candy. The white color symbolized the virgin birth and the sinless nature of Jesus and the hard candy symbolized the solid rock which was the foundation of the church and firmness of the promises of God. Additionally, the candy maker made the candy in the form of a “J”, which represented the name of Jesus and the staff of the Good Shepherd. He then stained it with three red stripes which showed the scourging Jesus received and symbolized the blood shed by Christ on the cross. When you break the cane, it reminds us that Jesus' body was broken for us. Someone, apparently an atheist,

wanted to debunk the story given above, wrote about the candy cane: He called it an “invented religious symbol that has become so widespread that it is often mistakenly assumed to have been an integral part of the origins of the item (candy cane)”. It appears to me that an atheist will ignore all the facts, dates, or anything that goes against his tirade, and will go to any lengths to get rid of any reference to Jesus in anything. (The only Name in creation that sets men free.) The entire thought behind Christmas is all about Jesus Christ. The Christmas candy cane and everything about Christmas is all about Jesus, not the other way around. The candy maker made the candy cane in the shape of a “J” with Jesus in mind. He didn’t later see the “J” and said, “You know that ‘J’ reminds me of Jesus. Let me concoct a story to fit that.” As has been said over and over again, Jesus is the reason for the season. I still don’t like peppermint but I love the story of that “J” Christmas candy cane!

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“That Reminds Me” By Jesse Spurlock

"The Christmas Candy Cane"

PAGE 7

The lower branches still reached out to the sofa and chairs grappling toward us like octopus tentacles. One by one, these branches were shortened. Huge gaping holes appeared in the tree. You can imagine what it looked like!! What looked great in the forest in the top of a tree looked pathetic in a little farmhouse living room with dwarved ceilings! The O.C.T.S.C. was in tears and angrily accused, “What have you done to our perfect tree!? You ruined it! “ We comforted the girls and tried to explain what happened. The usual decorating frenzy followed and we filled in the holes with lots of tinsel, garland, and ornaments. We were thankful that one side of it HAD to sit next to the wall! Sitting around the tree, admiring the lights and ornaments, with the branches tickling at our knees, I heard one of the girls say, “You know, we should have picked the very first tree Daddy showed us, it was perfect.” Two other distant sounding, sad voices echoed in agreement. Of course, we had a very Merry Christmas, but the girls learned a great lesson. Isn’t that how it is in the lives of so many? What are you searching for – the perfect spouse, the perfect church, the perfect pastor, the perfect job…? How many of you are putting yourself and others through pain, sorrow, frustration, disappointment, and failure in pursuit of your object of perfection? The quest for perfection has left a trail of devastation in lives everywhere. After the supposed perfect person/situation is found, and after all reality trims away the infatuation, we see our find is far less than ideal. Tragically we realize that which we rejected as flawed was better than what we have now and far more valuable than we had known. In the coming year let’s limit our quest for perfection to ourselves and becoming more like the perfect Bethlehem Babe whose birth we celebrate this month. Merry Christmas and God Bless Each of You!

squealing puppies. Faithfully depositing them in my coat, I heard no protests. A new clearing revealed few trees, but was covered in coarse brush with hills perfect for a roller coaster site. The further I went, the heavier the pups grew. Viewing tree after tree, the O.C.T.S.C. smugly reassured us, “No that's not the perfect tree. We’ll know it when I see it.” One and a half hours later of this intense, grueling expedition, we came upon . . . . . the same ravine. Mastering it a second time we walked a little further and a small clearing opened up. Suddenly awe struck gasps and cries rang out from the O.C.T.S.C.!! Before us, in all its glory, towering 15 feet above our heads was the PERFECT TREE!! “THAT’S IT! THAT’S IT!” they hollered,

jumping up and down. Valiantly the Kindly Woodsman tried to reason with them. They stubbornly stuck with their decision, and after a long discussion agreed to let him cut the top out. Heading back to the truck for a bigger ax, we all turned and saw the truck sitting only 30 ft. from us; we had made a complete very large circle!! Tree cut and loaded, we jumped into the truck, frozen and bleeding. Immediately the girls wanted to hold the pups!! (Wouldn't you know it?!) In the living room, we found the perfect tree, had to have about one foot cut off three different times! Each time Jerry drug it in and out of our tiny living room, up and down the porch steps. Anchored in its stand, it looked somewhat less than perfect.

“The Perfect Tree,” cont from pg 3

The Philippines is known for having the world’s longest Christmas season. The four months that end with the syllable "ber" are considered Christmas months, which is why stores and households start playing carols on the first day of September! And the holiday season extends beyond December 31. It doesn’t end until the Feast of the Tatlong Hari (Three Kings) which falls around January 6. Maligayang Pasko is "Merry Christmas" in our local Ilongo dialect. Christmas Eve is the biggest day of celebration. Filipino towns commemorate Joseph and Mary’s search for a place to stay with a reenactment called panunuluyan. Every Filipino looks forward to Noche Buena, the family dinner on Christmas Eve. Christmas day is "family time." Lechon Baboy, "roasted pig" is the highlight of the celebration (any celebration for that matter). For all missionaries all over the world the Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays can be especially hard. Say a prayer for the missionaries you know and ask God to put special people in their lives to support them during the holidays. Donna and I will certainly miss our daughters Leslie and Kelsey and our sons-in-law Graham and Josh along with our four granddaughters: Ava Grace, Joy Tatum, Edy Rose and "Lucy". Our work is completely focused on making sure the Gospel is taught in our weekly home Bible study, the sending of the Gospel to Southeast Asian countries, the training of pastors and missionaries at the Bible College and church planting in the Philippines and all over Southeast Asia. Would you help us? $1,000.00 a year goes a long way here, helping us train church planters, send missionaries and train students. We love you all.

Merry Christmas From the Philippines

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. Philippians 4:6 For SOAR 2019, Prayer Warriors and Prayer Partners will do just as Philippians 4:6 asks: they will make their requests known to God. These teams will come together to pray over the hearts and souls of those who will attend this student conference on July 3-5, 2019. “Our hope is to rally a prayer team across the nation that will utilize the weapons God has given us to be able to bless our kids through SOAR,” said Kristen Riddle, who is leading the effort to form the SOAR Prayer Teams. A Prayer Warrior team is currently being formed, which will be made up of men and women who come to SOAR solely to pray over the conference and its attendees. Throughout the conference they will pray for the Lord to work, and they will even receive cards with specific prayer requests from those who attend the conference. Additionally, the Prayer Partner team will be receiving prayer requests and Scriptures at their homes to pray over SOAR and those who are in attendance. “The teams will also have a list of churches who are attending SOAR so that they can

pray over those specific churches,” said Riddle. “We w a n t p e o p l e personally praying for each youth group and church in attendance.” 1 Peter 5:8 says to be alert and sober minded, because the enemy prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. These SOAR prayer teams want to be alert and sober minded, just as 1 Peter says, praying well ahead of the conference for hearts and lives to be changed. “We’d like to see kids coming to know Christ,” said Riddle. “That’s the goal. I feel like God would like us to be intentional in praying for our kids and our leadership: youth, pastors, and leadership of SOAR.” Sign-ups have opened for those who are passionate about praying for the hearts of those who will attend SOAR 2019. Two prayer teams are available to join: Prayer Warriors, who will attend the conference, and Prayer Partners, who will pray over the conference from home. Those who register to become Prayer

Warriors will have their SOAR registration fee waived. They will gather before each session to pray over attendees, then will pray throughout each session for the hearts of those listening to the teaching. “A handful of sponsors from last year prayed before the sessions, and you could feel the Spirit moving in our group,” said Riddle. “It could be felt in the entire room. It was powerful.” Prayer Partners will also pray before and during each session from home, and they will receive prayer requests throughout the conference, including a list of churches to pray for, and specific prayer requests from those attending SOAR. For more information about these SOAR Prayer Teams and how to get involved, visit gosoar.com/soarprayerteams.

Alert and Sober Minded for SOAR 2019