Nate Clark shares the gospel and teaches others to do the same.

Nate Clark grew up in rural Iowa and has lived in San Antonio for almost 10 years. After earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in pottery from Graceland University in Lamoni, IA, he served as a chef in fine dining restaurants for 13 years until God called him into full-time ministry three years ago.

Nate says, “There was a time in my life when I was very angry, hurt, and had no sense of self-worth, mostly because my dad didn’t love me. I hated everyone and everything and myself most of all. I contemplated or planned suicide or suicide bombing on several occasions. My life absolutely sucked.

“Then, when I was 16, I read the Bible. I learned that God loves me and that he showed his love for me in Christ. He put His money where His mouth was and proved His love for me. It wasn’t just a hollow claim. He loves me so much He died for me. And not just that- but His love for me was so wholesome and so complete that His death also gave me forgiveness for my sin. The death I very justly deserved for being the absolutely terrible person that I was, was paid for in Jesus’s sacrifice. And as if that wasn’t enough, I got the Father I always wanted. Because of what Jesus has done, and because I have received Him and believed in Him, I have the right to call myself a child of God because that is what I am!

“When I learned this, it absolutely blew my mind. It totally wrecked me. I chose to accept Jesus’s love for me and follow him. Now my life is completely different than I ever imagined it could be. I have a wife who God uses every day to test me and try me but also to remind me of His great love. And now I’m a father! I have a son who I get to love and be an example for.”

Nate credits Ben Hanna for mentoring his spiritual development and equipping him to do the work of the Great Commission. His life changed in a way he never would have imagined. He, then, began his ministry of sowing the seed of the gospel and teaching other believers how to obey Jesus, by committing themselves to the work of the gospel.

Nate works closely with a global network of disciple-makers, missionaries, and church planters called No Place Left (NPL), who focus on using simple, biblical, and easily reproducible tools to facilitate God’s movement into all the peoples of the world. His partners include a network of traditional and non-traditional churches, the Baptist General Convention of Texas and E-3 Partners.

Along with his wife Alison and son, Keith, Nate has moved into Baptist Temple’s Olaya Long House as Missionaries in Residence. They will practice hospitality evangelism in our neighborhood and help equip God’s people to be soul-winners.

 

Making the gospel “good news”

Mark 3:1-6

Jesus had a conflict with the religious establishment of his day. The Gospel of Mark highlights the differences right away. Notably, Jesus clashes with the religious establishment over the Sabbath.

The Pharisees, a respected group of religious leaders had helped to establish a set of rules regarding appropriate behavior on the Sabbath. They thought it would make it easier for people to have concrete guidelines that would keep them from inadvertently violating God's Law.

One Sabbath day (Mark 2:23) Jesus and his followers are walking through a field. They are hungry and grab some handfuls of grain to eat. The Pharisees are insulted by what they viewed as a blatant violation of God's command not to work on the Sabbath. The established rules stated that no work would be done on this day and picking grain was work.

Jesus said that God's Law was meant to help people, not hurt them. Picking some grain to eat was not work. The rules set up by the religious establishment made the Sabbath a burden and not the day of rest and refreshment that God intended. Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27)

Later Jesus would enter a place of worship on the Sabbath and encounter a man with a crippled hand. If Jesus were to heal this man, he would be working on the Sabbath. Healing was in his job description, you see. Couldn't it wait until Monday? Jesus could have given him his card and had him call for an appointment.

Jesus, understanding the conflict of the moment, asked a question designed to bring clarity. He asked, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” (Mark 3:4)

When no one spoke, Jesus answered the question himself by healing the man.

There is still conflict today regarding Sabbath-keeping and other religious rules. We get conflicting answers when we ask the wrong questions. The religious establishment today often confuses cultural norms with spiritual principles. Good rules applied in the wrong way and for the wrong reasons leave people hurt and angry. It drives people away from the God who loves them so much.

I am not suggesting we should take a relaxed attitude toward sin. We are to call sinners to repentance and offer them grace. Jesus always acted out of grace while still respecting God's Law. His intervention stopped the stoning of an adulterous woman but he did not condone the sin. He told her to “sin no more.” (John 10)

Before we establish any religious rules, we must ask if it is biblical. If it is biblical then it is supporting the gospel rather than hindering it. Let us not ever forget that gospel means “good news.”

Transforming Communities

I recently visited a mission site near Helena, Arkansas, in one of the poorest communities of the US. This area was selected for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s Together for Hope effort to reach out to the areas where the need is the greatest.

Using a combination of government, local and CBF resources, CBF missionaries Ben & Leonora Newell have developed programs to improve the life of the children in the community.

One major effort was renovating the community center gym, which was gutted by a fire. The reconstruction cost was more than the community could afford. The Newell’s secured a $70,000.00 grant and completely restored the facility using church mission teams.

Using the gym as a base of operations the Newell’s have after school programs and other activities that are staffed by volunteers from churches in the community. A summer-long recreation program is staffed by visiting mission teams from churches across America. Other ministries include a mobile library (donated by an Alabama church) and community gardens.

Their current big project is the construction of New Light Missionary Baptist in the heart of this impoverished community. Mission teams from CBF churches around the country are participating in this effort to build this beacon of hope in the midst of faith-numbing poverty.
Helena, Arkansas, stands as an example of what can be accomplished if we “attempt great things for God and expect great things from God.” The Newell’s ministry started small. They got the local churches organized, worked with local government agencies, and asked for help from other churches and community agencies.

This type of community transformation can be accomplished in any area. First, look for needs. Take a field trip though your neighborhood, paying particular attention to the poorer sections. Ask the local school principals. Meet with community based organizations. Interview the people in your church.

Second, as you are looking for needs, take note of human and material resources God is making available. There might be buildings or rooms you can use, abandoned fields for community gardens, people interested in working, etc.

Third, decide what you want to do first. There are more needs than resources, so go for the low hanging fruit first. By picking an easy task where there is agreement as to the need and sufficient resources, you will gain credibility for the next task. All big ministries start small.

Fourth, develop partnerships with churches, community based organizations, local government agencies, businesses and others who want to work together to creates a better future for your community.

Finally, remember that the greatest need in your community is Jesus. Meeting physical and emotional needs are important. It was a big part of Jesus ministry. We cannot neglect the spiritual needs of the people we serve.

Feed someone a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach someone to fish and you feed him for life. Lead someone to Jesus and they will never thirst again.