Sharper Sword Ministries: GOOD NEWS BAPTIST CHURCH, CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

GOOD NEWS BAPTIST CHURCH, CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA

GREAT DAYS AT GOOD NEWS, NINE DEAR SOULS PROFESSED CHRIST ON SUNDAY MORNING; I WALKED OVER TO A NEARBY HOUSE SUNDAY EVENING WHERE A COUPLE WERE GRILLING AND ASKED THEM "WHAT TIME IS SUPPER:".........THEY OF COURSE LAUGHED AND OFFERED ME A HAMBURGER. I DECLINED BUT THANKED THEM AND THEN INVITED THEM TO THE SERVICE, BOTH WERE IN SHORTS (WHICH MADE NO DIFFERENCE BUT FELT SECURE WHEN I ASK THEM TO COME AS YOU ARE) WITH A SMALL FIVE YEAR OLD GIRL - THEY CAME AND I LED THE MAN TO THE LORD AND THE PASTORS WIFE DEALT WITH HIS GIRLFRIEND. THE ALTARS HAVE BEEN FULL EACH SERVICE AND THE FOLKS OF GOOD NEWS A SINCERE BLESSING. KIND AND FRIENDLY PEOPLE WITH A HEART FOR GOD. THIS IS MY SECOND STRAIGHT WEEK IN IOWA, I AM THINKING ABOUT MOVING HERE. SMILE. PASTOR OSTERKAMP (A PCC GRAD) HAS BEEN PASTOR FOR CLOSE TO A YEAR AND IS DOING A WONDERFUL JOB OF BRINGING EVERYTHING TOGETHER FOR THE DEAR LORD. THE CHURCH IS AN OLD BUT BEAUTIFUL BRICK BUILDING WITH STAINED GLASS WINDOWS AND TONS OF ROOM. WHAT A BLESSING IT WOULD BE IF ALL OUR INDEPENDENT BAPTIST CHURCHES COULD BE HOUSED IN SUCH A WONDERFUL SETTING WHICH ALWAYS CONJURES UP THE THOUGHTS OF "BEING IN CHURCH". THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PRAYERS GOD IS MOVING IN A WONDERFUL MANNER. THE PASTOR AND I HAVE SEVERAL VERY SERIOUS SITUATIONS TO DEAL WITH TODAY - PLEASE PRAY!

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Nancy

"Dear Dr. Cofty,

What a wonderful blessing was mine this morning, when my neighbor, Sherman, came over to tell me how very much the Revival Services meant to him. He told me how when he got home last night after the service, he took your tract and looked online at your web site. He searched it thoroughly and read everything. It was three in the morning before he finished. He enjoyed it all. I want to thank you for being such a wonderful testimony to all of us, especially my neighbor. He says he feels so blessed to have received the messages.(I say "Amen" to that.) I believe he is reveling in the glory of God today, It is wonderful to see. Just thought you would like to know how the message continues today.

God richly bless you and your dear wife.

Love in Christ, Nancy Stamps"

Bro Jim Nehrenz (USMC Ret)

Bro Cofty,

I just wanted to drop you a note and tell you how good it was to have you back at Calvary this past December and to hear the messages that God has giving you. Sorry to here that you have had some hard meeting in the past year. I still remember back in January 1988 at Calvary Baptist Church and your message from Psalm 139: 23,24 "Search me and Show me and straighten me out, it was from that message that I realized I was lost because before that I thought I was saved, I went forward to be saved back in 1972 but now I know that was just a head knowledge, I was a Sunday School teacher and helped with the Bus ministry and was a Deacon in the Church but, from that message I realize I was a sinner and need to be saved and called my pastor to get taken care of.

So keep on preaching the word because there are more Glen LaBlane and Jim Nehrenz out there that need to hear God word and his plan of salvation.

I am praying that 2011 will be the best year ever for you and that you will continue be a encouragement and a help to others so that many more will come to know our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ

Proverbs 3:5,6

Bro Jim Nehrenz (USMC Ret)

Missy Wooten

Hello Bro Chuck!

My name is Missy Wooten. I met you at Gantt St. Baptist this past Sunday. My husband introduced himself to you as well, Matthew. My boys shook your hand before the evening service, Micah and Carlon.

I wanted to take a moment to tell you what a blessing you were to my family. Micah just turned 9 yesterday, and loves two things-hunting and the military. He reads and talks to people as much as he can about both of those subjects. (To tell you the truth, I get tired of hearing about it sometimes!) Micah loved hearing you preach! He has carried the pamphlet you gave him in his back pocket since sunday night. He took it to my parents house yesterday morning and proudly showed it to them and told them all about you. It saddens me to tell you that my parents are lost.

I had the privelage to lead Micah to the Lord last year on November 23. It is such a blessing to me to see Micah so fired up, and for him to see that real, military, hunting and fishing men love GOD! My Father in Law was in WWII, but sadly he died before I ever met Matt. Matt has the highest of respect for our military and our veterans and has instilled that in our children. Anytime we are out and Micah sees a gentleman with a veteran hat on, he ask me to please stop and let him go speak to that veteran. I have seen it bring men to tears when he sticks out his little hand and says I want to thank you for serving our country.

We looked at your website earlier. Of course, I had to click on each of the hunting and fishing pictures individually and make them really big on the screen. He loved it!

Micah asked me if he could e mail you. I wanted to e mail you myself first, but he is being persistent so you can expect one from him as well. Thank you again for your service to our Lord and our Country!

Missy Wooten

Bro Rodgers

Chuck, the acceptance of this book by "Christians" surely paints a sad picture of spiritual discernment. Another reason our nation desperately needs revival.

Speaking of revival, we have started a summer revival series on Sunday nights. My prayer is that the spirit of it builds right on through to the time you come to us in January. We are really encouraging our people on reading through the NT every two months and keeping at it, as well as major growth in their prayer life and soulwinning. It is starting to take root and produce fruit. The spirit was good before, but it is moving up as well.

Hope all is well, friend! Thank you for your prayers.

Bro Rodgers

Marc Gunther

Brother Cofty,

Yes, looks sharp. You're welcome. It's interesting how you emailed me...I wanted to ask your permission for something. I'm about to submit my testimony to UNSHACKLED at Pacific Garden Mission. Your ministry had a part in the Lord saving me and changing my life around. I wasn't sure if I could use your name specifically or if you would rather I just kept you anonymous.

Just to let you know the specifics...in 2003 you came to my church for some meetings. I was a member yet unsaved. You spoke nightly on Gal 6:7 as a reminder that I could not mock God. That's precisely what I was doing. Those words rang in my head for months...the Lord showed up one day and started me on the road to salvation. In 2006 you once again came to New England and I went to see you preach. The Holy Spirit convicted me. I spit out that sin at the altar, got right with the Lord and my wife, and got saved for real. My life has completely changed since. I mean completely.

So I thank you once again for being the vessel God wanted you to be. I pray for you when you come to mind and I thank God for his grace to save a wretch like me. We'll see if Unshackled can use my testimony to help some other poor wretch. Thanks again and let me know about using your name.

Marc Gunther

Iredell County

Hey Brother,

I wanted to thank you for letting the Lord use you in such a great way. I have heard so many good things about the Sportsman’s Banquet and what the Lord did there and then how the Lord moved in such a great way Sunday morning. Please pray for us, I have a meeting with one of the couples that got saved Sunday morning about getting baptized. The meeting will be this coming Saturday evening.

Also brother please look at your calendar for next year and see if we can get a date down for the men’s meeting. I believe it will continue to grow. The first year we had somewhere around 80 people and this year it was over 200. Wow! Let me know and we will get in on our calendar.

As for our deer hunt, next week will be the last week in Iredell county. If you have a day in mind for next week, let me know and we will try to make it work. I went this morning and saw a buck and a doe, too far to shoot, but it was fun to watch.

Love you Brother

Bro. McNally

Dear Brother Cofty,

Greetings from New England where God is still saving souls!!

We are having somewhat of a REVIVAL since you have beenhere with us. We had 21 saved during our VBS and several ofour teens have been saved at Camp. My daughter, Jen has twounsaved ladies coming to her house in about a half an hour.One brought her kids to VBS, was here for the closing programand message and came back that Sunday. She was back thispast Sunday with a friend. She works with my daughter in thesame office. She asked Jen today how to be saved. Said shecan't get this off her mind (lots more to story!).

I met with Joseph Bourque today and he is STILL excited abouthis salvation!!! His birthday is today and he is 68 years old. Heis frustrated that he is not growing "fast enough" in the Lord ... sayshe has a lot of years to make up and just a little time to do so!!

Felt led to share this with you. May the Lord continue to blessyour ministry to churches such as ours,

Bro. McNally

Bethany Baptist
East Windsor, CT