“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.” (II Timothy 3:1)
In 66 A.D., the Apostle Paul wrote the letter of II Timothy. The word perilous means “destruction or the risk of losing one’s life.” The Coronavirus has affected lives around the world. In some places, it has literally stopped the spreading of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The name Coronavirus signifies sickness and death, just as sin signifies death and separation from God. James 1:15 says, “. . . and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”
We are born with sin in our DNA. A vaccination for Coronavirus is being sought worldwide, but the remedy for sin is already available. It is called the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ—the story of the death, burial, and resurrection of God’s only Son. As the world looks for a cure for the virus, the cure for sin is at hand for some, but not to all. Most of the world does not know that God has provided His Word for us, and over half of the world does not know that it is available.
Due to the virus crisis, we are well aware of the financial difficulties faced by many individuals and local churches. Our God is faithful and will continue to supply our needs. Men are lost and without a Saviour, so we must continue the work of providing the Word of God to those who have never heard.
We at B.E.S.T. Missions know the greatest need in the world is a copy of God’s Word. People of other languages need to know that Jesus Christ is the only way to eternal life and a place called Heaven.
In May, Missionary Tim Shook of TEAM Thailand reported that it had been 12 years since that work was started. There have been 50,000 saved and 3,000 baptized in that one ministry. Every convert received a copy of God’s Word thanks to people like you who gave that the Word might be published.
I want to thank each and every one of you for your prayers and support of providing Bibles to those who have never seen one before. This work would be impossible without the help of our friends and co-laborers.
Our printer in Thailand delivered 7,000 whole Thai Bibles to our distribution center located in Rangsit. The order was delayed about two months because of the virus. It is now in the hands of Brother Tan, our B.E.S.T. Missions coordinator in Thailand. We were completely out of Bibles. We want to thank those who gave sacrificially to make this possible. Praise God!
Most international travel, as well as travel in many areas of America, has been shut down. The Lord has allowed me to travel on Sunday mornings to different churches. I preached a Missions Conference in which the Lord provided funds for the next printing project to be done in Thailand. Praise the Lord!
We have small banks available for raising funds for Bibles. If you would like some for your church or Sunday school class, please send me your address, and I will be glad to mail some to you. One penny will produce three printed pages of the Thai Bible. My email address is bob.bowen@fbmi.org, or you can call me at 219-718-7772.
Dr. Mark Bosje called and told me about a project he has been working on that is finally completed, which is providing a text for the people of Laos. What a blessing it will be for the Laotian people to finally have a copy of God’s Word in their own language! I told Dr. Bosje to let me know when the text is proofread and ready for printing. B.E.S.T. Missions would like to help print the first copies of the Laotian Bible.
The Third Annual B.E.S.T. Missions Conference will be held on Monday (Labor Day) and Tuesday, September 7-8, 2020. I want to introduce this latest project of the Laotian Bible to the pastors who attend. The conference will be held at Colonial Baptist Church in Rogers, Arkansas. John Wilkerson, pastor of First Baptist Church of Hammond, Indiana, will be preaching. If you can, PLEASE attend! I believe it will be a great blessing to you and to your church. Special rates for lodging are available at area motels, and meals will be provided at the church. Please contact Dr. Curtis Hall at B.E.S.T. Missions (812-205-8326) if you need more information.
The need for the Word of God is so great! The world is a mess, but the local New Testament Baptist Church and the Word of God have the answer. The answer has always been the same—JESUS!
Thank you for your help and support in these perilous times. We now have three containers of materials waiting to be shipped, but we are waiting on the world to get back to “normal” in order to ship them. We must continue to supply Scriptures for those around the world in need of them.
Please pray about helping B.E.S.T. Missions with the tools needed to reach the world with the Gospel, and please pray for the success of and God’s blessings on our Third Annual B.E.S.T. Missions Conference.
Thank you for your help in publishing the Word of God around the world. We love you and thank God for your faithfulness to the work of the Gospel.
Into all the world,
Bob Bowen
Philippians 4:13
