It’s time to praise the LORD!
We wish you could have been there! In fact, we wish we could have attended in person, but this year we were there virtually! We were so inspired by the annual staff meeting of Pioneer Bible Translators that we simply want to share some of the encouraging quotes from those two days of meetings in Duncanville, TX, August 28-29. Jill and I are so blessed to be working with the care team of PBT. Listen in. We pray you will be as blessed as we were as we just give you a taste of what we experienced.
The morning started with a devotional led by PBT president, Greg Pruett, “Worship Leads to Victory!” 2Chronicles 16:9 was our starting place. “The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him!” You may want to pause right there and highlight that verse in your own Bible or on your device if you have not already done so! Make a note of what happens when we fail to trust God or be fully committed to Him. Fast forward a few chapters – 2Chronicles 20. An enemy army was headed their way to destroy all of Judah! Jehoshaphat was “terrified by this news and begged the LORD for guidance. He also ordered everyone in Judah to begin fasting.”(v3) Read the entire text but highlight the prayer of v12: “O our God won’t you stop them? We are powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We do not know what to do but we are looking to you for help!” Note the battle strategy: “Believe in the LORD your God, and you will be able to stand firm. Believe in his prophets, and you will succeed.”(v20) What’s next? “After consulting the people, the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the LORD and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang: “Give thanks to the LORD; his faithful love endures forever! At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the LORD caused the armies…to start fighting among themselves…not a single one of the enemy escaped!!”(v21-24) Yes, highlight that in your Bible!! Please note:
- “Worship leads to victory!”
- “Don’t get bored thanking God!”
- “This is NO time for reasonable worship!”
- “We have a huge backlog of praise!”
- For PBT now celebrating 40+ years of work, consider this summary: 690 teammates working with 301 local language collaborators translating the Bible for 189.9 million people, wrap your mind around 190 million verses in 129 languages in 31countries!
- “We have a world class team, an incredible sending organization!”
- “Everyone of us is trying to accomplish the impossible!”
- “It’s a lot harder to do Bible translation than we thought!”
To consider what God has done through PBT, each period of 6 years was highlighted. This is so difficult to summarize, and we do not want to overwhelm! After “strategic prayers of thanks” for all that God has done 2007-2012 on Wednesday morning, Greg summarized the current state of Pioneer Bible and the completion of the past 6 years. Then long time PBT worker, Stevanie Wilkos gave a field ministries update. She mentioned being inspired by the Kinyamulenge video, made by David Graves featuring Victor Mikebanyi who describes what happens when a translation is using words that actually teach the opposite of what the Bible intends.
The backdrop of the PBT annual meeting this year, quoted by most of the speakers was 1Corinthians 3:1-17, with the emphasis on realizing we all play a role in this amazing Kingdom work in one way or another: “one plants, one waters…but God makes it grow!” Take a moment to read that section of Scripture, but as you do, consider the cost! What did it take to get the Bible in your hands, on your shelf, in your heart? Now think about how many translations you have at your disposal.
You may want to understand more about what it means to not have the Bible available in your own language or exactly what it takes to translate a word, or a verse or a whole book of the Bible accurately. If so, we encourage you to take the time to view a few informative videos (yes, Jill thinks I overshare when it comes to video links!) …and then take time to pray about the process. Pray for those who do not yet have a Bible in a language they can read/understand. Pray for those who are presently working on a translation project in some remote part of the world. Pray for the parents of those global workers who have opened their hands and their hearts to release their kids and grandkids into God’s mission so the Word of God can be taught, heard and understood and lives transformed by the power of God.
In their own words: Bible Translation
Why Bible Translation is STILL needed
And now for a video you need to hear and watch! What does it mean to be deaf and in desperate need of hearing the Good News of Jesus? Watch (and listen) as Mark Lowenstein shares how his journey of faith has brought him to work right in the middle of what God is doing at PBT. The Gospel Revealed! | The POWER of Sign Language
There are so many more great videos to help you understand this amazing ministry. As you have time, check out the Pioneer Bible Translators YouTube channel.
