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The Faithfulness of God
Vernon Smith, a Global Worker serving in Tanzania, shares about the faithfulness of God - even when we don't see it. After 50 years of ministry, he's learned that God's faithfulness is woven throughout the entire fabric of Scripture—a subject with no end, requiring more than one service to fully explore. Today, let's begin this journey together and ask God to continue teaching us about His unchanging nature.
God's Promise to Abraham
In Genesis 12, God called Abram to leave his country and kindred, promising to make him a great nation and bless all families of the earth through him. These astounding promises about acquiring land, having innumerable descendants, and being a blessing to the world all came true—but not immediately.
The blessings took place over many years—years of faith, believing, trusting, and faithful day-to-day living of a godly life. One principal promise, having a son, seemed impossible due to Abraham and Sarah's advanced age.
The Promise Fulfilled
After 25 years of waiting, God granted His promise. Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born. Sarah declared, "God has made laughter for me. Everyone who hears will laugh over me."
Could anyone deny this was an act of God? God was faithful to fulfill His promise, giving them a son in their old age.
Generational Faithfulness
Abraham
Received God's promise at age 75, fulfilled at age 100. God promised land, descendants, and worldwide blessing.
Isaac
Abraham's servant Eliezer praised God: "who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness to my master."
Jacob
Acknowledged his unworthiness and recognized God's faithfulness as he grew from having only a walking stick to becoming wealthy.
Moses
God revealed His faithfulness, bringing descendants out of Egypt into the promised land.
David
Declared God's words are true, reliable, and faithful when promised an everlasting ruler.
Despite Israel's perpetual unfaithfulness—their up and down pattern of following God, then leaving God—God still accomplished such salvation that Jerusalem would one day be called "the faithful city." Generation after generation, God continued showing faithfulness to Jacob's descendants.
God Is Faithful
Our heavenly Father is faithful. We sing about it: "Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father. There is no shadow of turning with Thee." When someone endures a trial, we remind them—and each other—that God is faithful. This is exactly the right thing to do.
The faithfulness of God means He is unchanging in His nature and what He promises to do. He's true to His Word, which is also unchanging. He's promised salvation to all who will call upon Him, and He'll keep His promises forever. Romans 10:13 declares: "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
"God's faithfulness doesn't mean He gives us what we want, but rather He orchestrates things for His own will and purposes."
The Pen That Proved God's Provision
In 1994, Witson Mundoro and his wife Flora accepted Christ at our church in Morogoro, Tanzania. After baptism and discipleship, they joined our Bible Institute. We taught about stewardship and grace giving for missions.
Witson made pennies per day—literally a dollar would have been good wages. He faithfully gave from meager earnings but lamented not having an ink pen for notes, an item costing several hours of labor. They chose food instead.
One Sunday, after giving sacrificially, he walked home and found a pen on the ground—full, new, and perfect. He praised God for faithfulness to supply his need.
1994: Salvation
Witson and Flora accept Christ
Bible Training
Discipleship and Institute courses
God's Provision
A pen appears after sacrificial giving
1999: Ordination
Called to preach the Gospel
26 Years Faithful
Serving in Koba village
Did God supply that need to enrich Witson with a pen, or did He have a greater idea? Both. For 26 years, Witson and Flora have faithfully served the Lord in their village context. God's faithfulness for their salvation and needs inspired their faithfulness. Blessed to be a blessing—and they have been a blessing for the Gospel's sake.
Blessed to Be a Blessing
KKABO (Kanisa la Kibabtista la Biblia la Olorien—Bible Baptist Church of Olorien) started in 2002 in Arusha. We used sports as a platform, followed by object lessons and discipleship. We began meeting in a local high school room—glorious early days with few people and Christ's promise to build His church.
Years later, we challenged the church about sacrificial giving for missions and church planting. My fear was their economically depressed status would burden them too much. Yet in God's faithfulness, people took Him at His word. The result? Normal tithes and offerings increased, and the Fund for Missions was born.
2
Tanzanian Church Planters
Currently supported within Tanzania
2
Global Missionaries
Supported outside Tanzania's borders
20+
Years of Partnership
Supporting church planters faithfully

God blesses in order to fulfill His purposes. We are blessed to be a blessing—by being part of God's plans for gospel expansion and for lost people to become saved people.
The Prosperity Gospel Deception
Unfortunately in East Africa, a large percentage of churches preach the prosperity Gospel—"name it and claim it," "God wants you to be rich." It's a selfish, man-centered outlook, not Christ-centered. The mantra: pray louder, longer, repeatedly to force God into your will.
African preachers and theologians created "The Africa Statement on the Prosperity Gospel" in response to this errant teaching. The statement affirms biblical faith and denies non-biblical interpretation.

Article 1 - We Deny: That our Heavenly Father has guaranteed material blessings such as health and wealth on account of faith. We deny that health and wealth are marks of sonship, or that their lack indicates failure to tap into God's design.
God's faithfulness doesn't mean He answers every prayer the way we pray. The real challenge is continuing to believe God is faithful when we experience unanswered prayer and crushing trials.
Can we still say God is faithful during those seasons? We can, we should, and we ought to practice it.
When You Don't Understand
When You Feel Unloved
God's faithful. He loves you so much that He gave His only begotten Son for you and me to be saved. (John 3:16)
When You Feel Alone
"I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5) "I will be with you always, even unto the ends of the earth." (Matthew 28:20)
When You Don't Understand
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord." (Isaiah 55:8)
In 2021, Mary and I thought we were through with city work in Arusha. We prayed about moving elsewhere but couldn't get peace. Having been taught that without clear change in orders, remain faithful in your current setting—we stayed, not knowing why.
Within a short time, unusual circumstances arose. Sin threatened to destroy the foundations of a good church. Faithful men stood up and confronted it. We came alongside to counsel and lend strength. It became clear why we stayed: to add strength during crisis, and because the vision for Baptist Bible College was coming into focus.
"When you don't understand the hand of God, you can always trust the heart of God."
God's Faithfulness Motivates Our Faithfulness
01
Motivates Us to Believe
God has faithfully orchestrated all of history to provide salvation for all who would believe. Without faith it's impossible to please Him.
02
Motivates Christian Living
God's faithfulness to provide salvation motivates me to live a faithful Christian life of morals and ethics. I don't do these things to be saved—I do them because I am saved.
03
Motivates Eternal Hope
God's faithfulness motivates me to look for the day when I'll behold Him in glory and spend all eternity in heaven. Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus.
The belief that God is faithful—that He understands all and is in control—is an act of faith on our part. An act that may sometimes say, "Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief." Then we claim Hebrews 11:6: without faith it's impossible to please Him.
God does not love me because I'm good. God loves me because He is good, and His mercy endures forever.
50 Years of Faithfulness
Mary and I have served the Lord for all our adult lives—from teenagers until now. This year marks 50 years since the Lord saved my soul in 1975. We didn't set out to be examples, but we're grateful to say to young people: It's worth it.
If we had to do it all over again, we'd serve God. We'd be missionaries and global workers again. Why? For God's purposes.
Second Corinthians 5:14-15
"For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died. And he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves, but for him who for their sake died and was raised."
As the son wants his dad to be proud of him, so I want my heavenly Father to be proud of me. I don't deserve that, but because of His faithfulness, I am motivated to be faithful. God's faithfulness to His people should be the primary motivator for our faithfulness—manifesting in meeting together, spurring each other on to love and good deeds, and habitually worshiping with other believers.
Ultimately, God's faithfulness motivates our faithful living as we longingly anticipate the return of Christ. One day the faithful one will appear in the clouds. It boils down to us being faithful because He was already faithful.
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father. There is no shadow of turning with Thee.