Answered prayer, Going to Cameroon for a New Testament Dedication, and the Gospel to the Nations!!!

Last night I found out that God and God alone orchestrated a series of events that is allowing me the privilege and honor to be able to go to Cameroon in Mid-December to witness a New Testament dedication for the Nooni people of Cameroon.

Below is the majority of an email I sent to my family last night after I was notified that God was opening a wide open door for me to go...it is kind of long, but it is really exciting to share.

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Later in the Summer of 2011 and Fall of 2011

Well, to make a long story of God’s faithfulness a little shorter, the Danforth’s chose to come to Faith Bible Church and decided to be involved in the same growth group that we were a part of.

A Little About the Danforth’s

The Danforth family (Sam, Anna, Elaina, & Sawyer) are here in Spokane working at Moody Aviation for the next year (or so) getting all the remaining technical/mechanical training necessary before they head to Cameroon to serve with JAARS (Mission Aviation part of Wycliffe Bible Translators) in support of Bible translators reaching people groups in Cameroon. They are a wonderful couple, have two kids around Ezra’s age, and we have been richly blessed by them in many ways in the months they have been in Spokane.

Anna grew up in Cameroon, and Sam in the Democratic Republicof Congo with their parents serving as missionaries in Cameroon and Congo. Anna’s parents have been working on translating the New Testament into the Nooni language.

Back around the first past of October (5 weeks ago), I asked Sam and Anna to spend some time at our growth group sharing about Cameroon, the people, their story, and the upcoming New Testament dedication that is this coming December. This December, after 20 years of translation, the New Testament dedication that Anna’s parents have given their lives to is occurring.

After they shared about the upcoming dedication in December 2011, I silently, but very specifically prayed; 

“Lord, I would LOVE to go to Cameroon to witness this celebration of Your Scriptures being translated into the Nooni language. I know we don’t have the financial resources for this right now, so you’d have to work that out among other things.”

The Lord really confirmed in my heart not to mention this to anyone but Him, even Heidi, wanting to be sure if it did work out it would be wrought of God (seeing that I had told no one and given NO hints to anyone).

I didn’t question that the Lord could answer this prayer, I just wondered if He really did want me to go on this trip to Africa in mid-December. 

After that prayer back in early October, I didn’t think too much more about it…thinking it was too late for anything to potentially happen.

Last Night– November 8^th 2011

We get home from our growth group at the Danforth’s house and I get a text message from Sam: ‘Hey, a donor said your trip would be completely covered to go to the New Testament dedication in Cameroon!!! Would you consider going?’ 

(I only spoke to the King Jesus about this, no one else.) 

My response after I recovered from the shock of reading the text:  “Yes’…but…you might need to explain a little more about this!”

So, I called them at 10 pm and we talked about the specifics and Heidi and I learned that Sam and Anna have been praying for two months about me going to the dedication and the Lord has provided! Praying a whole month before I began praying, and God provided someone to make the trip financially possible. Awesome.

I got off the phone, Heidi and I talked and saw this clearly as something the Lord wants me to do. I wept in thankfulness for the Lord’s goodness in providing so lavishly on us.

What a picture of the wonder of the gift of the Gospel. Receiving what I do not deserve. I don't deserve the privilege, the honor, the joy of being a part of this celebration in Cameroon...nor do I deserve the immeasurable greatness of the love of God in Christ Jesus, who when I was a rebel, a murderer, adulterer, thief, hater of God, He lavished His profound mercy on me and declared me righteous, forgiven, child of the King of Kings! 

So, I will be leaving on the 15^th of December and returning on the 26^th. Yes, I’ll be gone on Christmas day…but we’ll be able to have a great Christmas on the 26^th when I return home.

Heidi and I talked and though I’ll be gone on Christmas Day, this is just a wonderful occasion to see, take part in, and commemorate the Word of the Living God into a language that hasn’t had it before! What a gracious gift that the Lord is allowing me to be present at such a monumental occasion. 

Just thought I’d share a story of answered prayer!

Several months ago I saw the video below and it makes you so appreciate having the Scriptures in your language. I don't know if the celebration will be similar to the one below, but it is pretty awesome nevertheless.

This video is of the Kimyal Tribe in West Papau, Indonesia receiving the Word of God into their language.

Greed, Gideon, and Goodness of God

For the longest time I have thought that God was going to use me to give millions and millions of dollars away to the work of His service for the advance of His name...I don't think so anymore.

I have always been thinking about, trying to be creative toward, finding the next big business that would explode, the money would just start flowing like a waterfall (into my wallet that is, not out), and I would then have millions and millions of dollars at my disposal to give to the Lord's work as He so leads. Give ridiculous amounts anonymously, rescue children from horrific situations, plant churches, give financially to start care facilities, etc.

These are all incredibly important things that I believe are very close to the heart of God. YET, the Lord knows where I am susceptible to succumb to temptation. Here are some things the Lord has been revealing to me:

1. I can say 'I want to honor the Lord' and worship the false god of greed in the same sentence'

2. God is so gracious to keep 'good things' from me because He knows how quick I am to get comfortable, trust in bank accounts, clients, myself...so that my trust remains in Him and not in the things of this world.
What if the Lord 'blessed' me with $2.5 million and it was all used for good causes, but at the same time it caused me to trust in myself, and hardened by the deceitfulness of sin? What a tragedy that would be. Thank you Lord for keeping me dependent upon You.

3. If I had to much $$$ (prosperity, security in worldly possessions, etc) I would WHORE after them. (Scary imagery, but biblical).

4. I am easily snared, trapped, deceived, snookered, by the love of money.

Father, thank you for your gracious hand of love and patience. Thank you for keeping vast riches from me, though I tell myself I would use it to proclaim Your name. You know my frailty, my temptations, my weaknesses. Thank you for Christ Jesus who was vastly rich and became forsakenly poor so I, Dustin Conrad Greenup, could know the riches of knowing Christ Jesus.

I truly do thank the Lord that there are Christ-Followers who love Jesus and whom God has allowed to make millions and millions of dollars. I pray that God would bless them and cause HIS face to shine upon them and that their resources would be used to magnify Him to the ends of the earth and to proclaim that He is God and not stuff.

About a month ago our growth group (community group, small group, etc.) was studying Judges chapters 6 through 10 and it was some incredibly challenging passages regarding the life of Gideon.

  God was so good, gracious and patient with Gideon and consistently took him through faith building situations in which he could not trust in himself, but in the God who would provide for him.


   8:27 And Gideon made an ephod of it and put it in his city, in Ophrah. And all Israel whored after it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and to his family.

The purpose of Parenting...and Life

The purpose of life and the purpose of parenting are the same: Psalm 145

I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever.
Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.

One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.
On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness.
They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.
All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and all your saints shall bless you!
They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and tell of your power, 
to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations.
[The Lord is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works.]
The Lord upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season
You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing.

The Lord is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works.
The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them.
the Lord preserves all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.
My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord, and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.

Greater than Hail Stones and the Sun Standing Still

Reading and meditating upon Joshua 10 this morning.

The Old Testament is filled with amazing feats of God's deliverance of His people. (So is the New Testament, we'll get there.)

This chapter is no exception.

Israel was a war with the Amorites and God had promised Joshua that He would give Israel victory over the Amorites.

2 amazing miracles occurred in this chapter.

1. God threw down large hailstones from heaven and more of the enemy was killed because of the hailstones than from swords in combat with Israel.

2. 'The Sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for a whole day'. (v.13)

These are amazing and I/you should be amazed at the power of God when reading this. But, as I read this I thought to myself, 'wow, I wish God would do awesome stuff like that today.'

Yet, as I write that I realize how little I cherish the Gospel, which is a far greater act of power & love.

You want to know what the most incredible act of deliverance is, what the most wondrous truth and reality is?

"but God shows His love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Since therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be save by Him from the wrath of God" 

Romans 5:8-9

May deliverance from death and eternal hell, from a wasted life, from the eternal wrath of God and the wonder of justification by His blood, and adoption into His family be continually upon my heart and lips.