You may be aware that I’m General Editor of the Christian Research Network, which is a sister outreach with Apprising Ministries. Below is an unsolicited testimony piece from Jon Cardwell, pastor of Sovereign Grace Baptist Church, which originally ran at CRN.

Pastor Cardwell also serves as a member of the board of directors for AM so I republish his post below for the edification of readers here:

“Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.” —Psalm 73:25-26

Today, a three-year-old-plus article I had written was re-published at Justification by Grace, which expressed some of the circumstances my family and I faced, as well as some perspectives we had in ministering to our beloved native people in remote “bush” Alaska. That article was titled, “What is Missional?” I was reminded of this article after reading an article posted by CRN contributor, Mike Ratliff, at Possessing the Treasure on June 2.

As I re-read my old article last week and edited it to be scheduled to post today, I wept because, in many, many ways, I miss the ministry in Alaska; I miss our Yup’ik brethren in Alaska; I miss our dependency upon Christ in all things and every situation, which seemed so vibrant there because we seemed to be stripped to nothing at all except for this singular possession: Christ, and Him crucified according to the scriptures.

After reading comments posted on the re-published article by my friends Charisse and Christina, I was reminded of another reason that I agreed to be part of CRN. It was actually one of the most important reasons for my accepting Ken Silva’s offer to come on board. The reason is this: if my being a part of CRN will stir anyone, even one person, to lose all for Christ’s sake, then it was more than worth it. If no one is stirred by my family’s testimony in the mission field, Christ is still exalted and the Father is blessed and pleased beyond our words.

Even then, three years ago, I could read on the Internet of what many people were saying, from their perspectives, concerning the cause of Christ with catch-words and phrases like “missional” and “incarnational ministry” and “doing church.” Although there were, and are, some with sincere aspirations and very heartfelt desires to really be true Christians, the question “How are we doing church?” was a real riddle to me. What kind of absurd question is that? Others were using the latest gimmicks, programs, devices, and worldly means to promote whatever it was they were doing, in Christ’s name. What many church leaders were doing, especially in the lower 48 states, and even most especially now three years later, seems so foreign to me. What is all this hoopla and hoop jumping in order to serve Christ? When all we have, and all we should be depending upon is the truth of Christ, and Him crucified according to scripture.

That article, written March 7, 2007 and originally published March 8, 2007, has been republished HERE.

See also: PASTOR JON CARDWELL: WHY I’M PART OF CRN