January 14, 2004

Dear Friends and Partners: 

            Happy New Year everyone!  As we entered this New Year the Lord put two simple words on my heart “be faithful.”  Galatians 6:9 states “and let us not grow weary while doing good for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” NKJV.  I want you to notice people grow weary.  They don’t get weary overnight they become weary overtime.  When it looks like what they are believing for isn’t coming to pass, the trials of life seem to never cease, situations at home become increasingly difficult, then people grow weary of being doers of the Word – Because it looked like their faith was not working.  They lose heart or as one translation says they faint.  They lose hope and begin to quit.  This is not the year or time to quit!  This is a time to BE FAITHFUL!  Be full of faith in all situations be constant, steady, unwavering in your daily life of faith.  Continue to sow the right things because in due season you will reap.  When will you reap?  In due season.  When does due season come?  After you have shown yourself faithful by continuing to do good without losing heart.  Dear friends, if you are faithful this year you will finish stronger than you began.  We as believers are faithful to finish what we begin.

In November I went on a mission trip to China and South Korea.  Here is a brief excerpt from my journal about the mission trip.

The trip to China and South Korea was a success.  I was primarily equipping the saints through the teaching of the Word in churches and Bible schools.  In South Korea, I had a really good interpreter as I taught about 250 Chinese/Korean believers on the subject of “the authority of God inside of man.”  The people were very responsive and receptive.  It was neat to see their responses as they saw the Word of God in a whole new light – they were literally gasping and in awe at certain parts of the message.  When I arrived in China, I was quickly hustled to the taxi by my interpreter and my contact person as we sped away.  They didn’t want anyone to follow us out of suspicion.  They took me 2 ½ hours outside of the major city to a house church out in the middle of nowhere.  This is where a Bible school met and I taught there for 2 or 3 days.  I can’t remember how many days I taught because I taught for so long each day.  I taught 7 ½ hours in one day and 3 ½ hours another day – it’s all one big blur to me.  It was awesome but I was exhausted afterwards.  We then left to a major city in northern China where I taught in a church for 2 days.  It’s the same here, people have such a hunger for the Word of God.  To a great degree, the people are ignorant of the basic teaching of the Bible.  Even the leaders commented on how much they learned and how much understanding was given.  I primarily taught the basis such as justification by faith alone, etc.  They are in need and want of good Bible teachers.  Everyone wants me to either stay or come back soon – and I would like to.  I have thoroughly enjoyed this trip and wait with great anticipation for my next visit to

China and South Korea.  The people are forever stamped upon my heart – I will never forget their hospitality, hunger for the Word, and their sincere faith.  There are of course many more things I could share but I’d have to write a book to do so.  Needless to say, Jesus told us the truth when He said the fields are already white unto harvest – Jn. 4:35 and to pray the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers into His harvest – Mt. 9:38.  According to this verse, the harvest is ready but the laborers are not.  The harvest doesn’t need prayer, the laborers do.  Everywhere I look I see a lack of knowledge of the Word and a void of sound teaching of the basics of the faith.  May God in due time raise up our voices as a resounding trumpet to sound as one all across this earth the message of Justification by Faith ALONE!

I have made plans to go to the Philippines in May of this year to hold a pastors and church workers conference.  I will then return to China, South Korea and Japan.  A part of the vision of No Greater Love Family Church is to establish a network of churches all around the world that will work together for the furtherance of the gospel.  This is just the first phase to the completion of that vision.  I will continue to travel to the mission field 3-4 times a year.

I appreciate your prayers and financial support as we expand the outreaches of NGLFC in our region and around the world.  Any financial donations that are given as a result of this letter will go directly toward my next missions trip in May to the Philippines, China, South Korea, and Japan.  Your gifts of love are touching the world.

You will also find a teaching tape enclosed that I believe will be a great blessing to you. 

In Christ,

 Stephen M. Robbins