JPM Newsletter 2023

Greetings in the Name above every name, Jesus Christ.

I hope that this finds you and your family doing well. Hard to believe that another year is behind us. This newsletter is a brief summary of 2023, and a look to what, as best I know, lies ahead for 2024.

INTERNATIONAL TRAVELS

In February, I, along with pastors Jim Osman and Jason Upchurch, took a group of about fifty for a two-week trip to Israel. We went all over the Holy Land, seeing sites from both the Old and New Testaments. As Christians, we know the places of which we read in Scripture are real, but it is so helpful and encouraging to actually see them. This was my second trip to Israel and one of the things that struck me both times is just how geographically concentrated the biblical events were. So much of what we read in both testaments occurred in quite a small area.

Jim, Jason, and I gave devotionals at each of the biblical sites we visited. One of the most moving for me was the Garden of Gethsemane. When I ponder what Christ endured to save us from our sins, it shakes me to my core. Jesus Christ, one Person with two distinct natures, endured not only the physical agony of crucifixion, but also the wrath of God our sins have incurred. As the hymn says, “Man of sorrows, what a name, for the Son of God Who came; ruined sinners to reclaim—Hallelujah! What a Savior.”

Many of the sites in Israel require traversing steps. There were several young men in our group who would carry me and my scooter up and down those steps (not to mention the steps on the bus itself) so that I could see them. They did so joyfully. What a blessing this was to me. Special thanks to Micah, Liam, Seth, and Trent for lugging me around!

One day, though, the group went to see some sites that were just completely inaccessible for me, so I stayed at the hotel. Interestingly, an Israeli citizen named Jawad, a jeweler by trade and a Muslim by religion, had come onto our bus the day before to sell us jewelry. I ended up making a purchase from him and he delivered it to me the next morning at the hotel. He asked me if I was staying there all day by myself. I told him I was. “No, no, no,” Jawad said, “You come with me today and I will drive you around Jerusalem and show you some things.” I thought this an unusual invitation given that he did not know me at all, but I accepted.

Jawad helped me get in his car and off we went. He took me all over Jerusalem, pointing out various sites and even treated me to lunch. I kept looking for an opportunity to steer the conversation towards the gospel. I noticed Jawad had a very similar accent to Benny Hinn and so I asked him, “Jawad, have you by chance ever heard of Benny Hinn?”

“Oh yes, I know Benny. Benny is a friend of mine.” I was, to say the least, shocked! Jawad said, “Benny used to bring enough of his followers to Israel to fill 50 buses. I sold jewelry to them. Lots and lots of jewelry.”

“Really? You know Benny Hinn?” I said, “Well, even though Benny claims to be a Christian, he is actually a false prophet.”

“Oh yes, oh yes,” Jawad said, “Benny Hinn is a false prophet. No doubt.”

Another surprise. Here’s a Muslim who can tell Benny Hinn is a false prophet but so many professing Christians cannot. I said to Jawad, “Benny Hinn teaches that the gospel is about money and healing, but that is not the gospel.” I went on to share with him the true gospel—and he listened. In God’s kind providence, He gave me an unexpected opportunity to share the gospel with a Muslim man in Israel. The Apostle Peter tells us to “always be ready to give an answer for the hope that is within you” (1 Peter 3:15). Jawad was not converted by my witnessing to him, but the seeds of truth were planted, and perhaps one day, by God’s grace, those seeds will bear good fruit. May it be.

One funny thing that happened on the trip is when we visited the Pool of Bethesda spoken of in John 5. The text says that a multitude of sick were lying there waiting for an angel to stir the waters. The first one to enter the agitated water would be healed of whatever sickness with which he was afflicted. Well, there is to this day some water at the bottom of the Pool of Bethesda. As Jim and I were approaching it (he walking and me in my electric scooter), he looked at me and said, “If I see so much as the slightest ripple in that water, I’m picking you up over my shoulder and throwing you in there!” The whole group got a good laugh out of that one!

On a more serious note, what Hamas did on October 7, 2023, in Israel was the face of pure evil. The hatred that so many Muslims (not all, but many) have towards the Jewish people is other-worldly. It is a hatred that goes beyond a normal human hatred—it is demonic. It is a demonic hatred for God’s chosen people, the Jews. I am not saying that Israel is a perfect nation; there are no perfect people and so there are no perfect nations. But God does have a plan for Israel, and we as Christians must and should support her. In this support, however, we should be mindful that apart from being born again, the Jew will enter the same Hell as the Muslim. I’ve seen some in evangelical circles speak of Jews in ways that suggest they need not come to Christ. This is serious error. Anyone who has not repented of his sin and placed his faith in Christ is an evangelistic prospect, Jew and Gentile alike.

In May, Phil Johnson and I preached at a conference in the Faroe Islands: a small collection of islands between Iceland and Great Britain. It was a beautiful country and quite unique. There are only 56,000 people in the Faroes, and it is one of the few places on earth where whaling is legal (though tightly regulated). Phil and I both had whale meat and blubber. It was, well, different. I ate it but I’m not sure I would ever seek it out again (ok, I definitely would not seek it out again—but Phil seemed to enjoy it). A large percentage of the Faroese claim to be Christian, but the charismatic movement and Word-Faith theology have been making alarming gains in recent years. The people seemed very grateful for the teaching and we both received very encouraging feedback from them. There are not many believers in the Faroe Islands, but they are dedicated and hungry for the truth. Very sweet people.

In November, I preached in Albania. Albania is a small country in southeastern Europe. It is between Italy and Turkey and shares a border with Greece. Albania was formerly a hardline communist country. In fact, it was so hardline communist that it withdrew its relations with China because Albania deemed China as “too soft.” China was just “communism lite,” you see. Religion of any kind was forbidden in Albania and Bibles were strictly illegal.

A native Albanian man named Astrid picked me up at the airport and helped me throughout the trip. He shared his testimony with me and our group. He said that as a young man he did not even know what a Bible was. At some point he learned that it was a book, but that this book was banned. He had no idea why it was banned but the fact that it was, made him want to read it.

He eventually learned the Bible was a book that talked about God. He got a job at a university and began to notice that of all the countries in the world that prospered and had the most freedom were the predominantly Protestant countries. Not the atheistic countries, nor the Islamic countries, nor even the Catholic countries. He did not understand the theological nuances yet. These were concepts he was simply seeing in broad terms.

In God’s providence, Astrid found a Bible at the government-run university and began to read it. In his words, “Everything in my life was turned upside down.” After the fall of communism, he managed to leave Albania with a Bible and moved to Germany. In Germany he wanted to attend a church but did not yet know which one was theologically correct—Roman Catholic or Protestant. He first attended a Roman Catholic church and noticed how they were bowing down before idols. Even though not yet converted, he knew from his reading in the Old Testament that such practices were forbidden. On Sunday, soon afterwards, the Catholic church he attended had a mass in honor of Mary. He knew from his own reading in Scripture that this, too, was displeasing to God.

He moved back to Albania, and in 1999, he came to a place of genuine repentance from sin, and faith in Christ. God saved him. Ever since, he has been growing in Christ and helping to plant and serve in doctrinally sound churches committed to the exposition and sufficiency of Scripture.

Though Albania is no longer a communist country, the nation is now about 65% Muslim. Each morning at 6 o’clock, while in the capitol city of Tirana, we were awakened by the Islamic call to prayer blasting through the nearby mosque’s loudspeakers. The Christian presence is a small minority and, as I usually find in countries not known to be particularly friendly towards the gospel, the believers are quite serious about serving Christ.

DOMESTIC TRAVELS

In addition to my international travels, I kept a busy schedule of preaching domestically. I preached from Washington to Florida, California to Pennsylvania, Montana to Mississippi, and many states in between.

Space prohibits a review of all the special opportunities I’ve had this past year, but I’ll share just a few highlights. One came in late March as I had the honor of preaching at The Bible Belt Conference in Jackson, Mississippi. Theo Davis is one of the pastor/elders of Christ’s Church there and organized this conference. Having been reared in Mississippi (as was I), Theo has a real burden for evangelizing the Bible Belt. There is certainly no shortage of churches in the American South, but so much of the Christianity there is cultural. Few churches do true exposition of the Scriptures, and church discipline (Jesus’ first command to His church found in Matthew 18:15-20) is almost unheard of. Many in the Bible Belt attend church, but not nearly as many have actually been changed by Christ.

In early 2023 I spent a few days at G3 Ministries in Atlanta recording an updated version of my Clouds Without Water (CWW) seminar. This is being edited and, Lord willing, will roll out along with a book form of CWW. I am constantly updating my seminar. Sadly, there is no shortage of material. I already have CWW in book form in Russian, Ukrainian, Spanish, and Mandarin. These are shortened versions to allow for as many copies as possible to be printed and distributed at little or no cost to the recipients. The English version will be more detailed.

I recorded a series on cults with Wrath and Grace Ministries. This video series will feature 20–30-minute overviews of cults such as Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormonism, Oneness Pentecostalism, Islam, Judaism, and the Black Hebrew Israelites. Given the time constraints, it is not a deep dive, but hopefully will provide the Christian a good understanding, not only of the errors of each cult, but also how to engage those trapped within them with the truth and power of God’s Word.

As I travel, the Lord continues to give me opportunities to share the gospel not only from the pulpit but also in personal evangelism. For the last year or so, I’ve been getting my hair cut by this gentleman named Max. Max has a biker persona, and from outward appearances, may not seem like someone who would be interested in the gospel, but he is. Max is a super nice guy. The first time I was in his chair I began to share the gospel with him and our conversations continue. I bought him a John MacArthur Study Bible that he is reading. Sharing the gospel with people is not the easiest thing in the world to do to be sure, but it is actually quite rare that someone shuts me down immediately. I find that most people are quite open to discussing matters of eternity. We all know that death is an appointment each of us will meet. As Christians we have the good news that makes that appointment something we need not fear. Find someone this week with whom to share the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is God’s power unto salvation (Romans 1:16).

THEOLOGY AT THE MOVIES

No, I haven’t lost my marbles. I am inherently skeptical about so-called “Christian” films that make it big at the box office. Practically without exception, they have really poor theology and are, well, rather cheesy. Enter in two refreshing departures from this cinematic norm.

The first is titled The Essential Church. The Essential Church film by Grace Productions documents the persecution by the local and state California government upon Grace Community Church, pastored by John MacArthur, as well as the accounts of Canadian pastors Tim Stephens and James Coates, imprisoned simply for holding worship services in defiance of Covid-19 restrictions. The film also draws striking parallels between the persecution of faithful churches today with the persecution faced by the Scottish Covenanters of the 17^th century.

During the Covid lockdowns of 2020 and 2021, governments were telling churches they had to either shut down completely or had to severely limit the number of congregants, and require masks, social distancing, etc., etc. That presented biblically faithful churches with a dilemma few, if any of us (at least in the West), had faced before: How do we obey Hebrews 10:25 and not forsake the assembly, and yet also obey texts such as Romans 13:1 and 1 Peter 2:13 which tell us to submit to the governing authorities?

The oversimplified answer to this is that all authority belongs to Christ (Matt. 28:18) and therefore any authority exercised by any earthly institution is delegated authority. Whenever a government exercises authority in such a way that it encroaches upon the mission of the Body of Christ, it has exceeded its authoritative sphere. The government has no authority over the church. Christ is the Head, and it is He Whom we must obey—and He commands His church to meet.

Governments always hunger for more and more power. God, therefore, is seen by most (and given the downward trajectory of human sinfulness, I would say eventually all) governments as its Competitor. Man will either worship the true God, a false god, or government. Governments want to be the object of man’s worship and fealty. This is why the Democratic party, in particular, is so antagonistic towards God and has literally enshrined the sins listed in Romans 1 into its party platform.

The governmental persecution of churches during the Covid years was eventually restrained by God’s providence, but it will return. Government’s thirst for power and control is never quenched. I cannot say enough good about The Essential Church. If you have not yet seen it, you can purchase it on DVD and Blu-Ray at here.

The other film is titled Cessationist. As the name suggests, it deals with the theological position that the Apostolic (or sign/revelatory/miraculous) spiritual gifts have ceased. I am interviewed for the film as were preachers and theologians such as Phil Johnson, Jim Osman, Steve Lawson, Josh Buice, Dan Philipps, Mike Riccardi, and many others too numerous to list here.

The film makes a compelling case from biblical theology and church history that these gifts are no longer operative in the church. God still performs miracles today, but there are no modern miracle workers. I have publicly said that the fact that there is even a debate today as to whether or not these Apostolic/sign gifts continue is self-evident proof that they do not. In the book of Acts, even the enemies of the gospel could not deny that the Apostles were performing genuine miracles and signs and wonders. Recall that in Acts 3 the Apostles Peter and John healed a man who had been lame from his mother’s womb. They commanded him to walk and “immediately his feet and ankles were strengthened” (vs. 7). The priests and the Sadducees were left speechless (Acts 4:14), and later conferred amongst themselves saying, “The fact that a noteworthy sign has happened through them [Peter and John] is apparent to all who live in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it” (vs. 16).

The healing miracles performed at the hands of the Apostles were organic, immediate, and undeniable. Even the enemies of the gospel could not deny them. The healings being touted by modern so-called “faith healers” are psychosomatic, temporary, and are easily denied. If the sign gifts were still operational in the church today, there would be no debate. It would be evident to all. How interesting that in the New Testament the enemies of the gospel were trying to put a lid on the miracles being performed at the hands of the Apostles, but today’s charismatics busy themselves with trying to convince us their “miracles” are real.

There are so many dangers from the charismatic movement. It encourages people to base their faith upon their feelings rather than Scripture. It is an endless hamster wheel of people constantly searching after the next sign, wonder, or spiritual buzz, rather than them resting in the work Christ accomplished on the cross. Charismatic preachers, sadly, spend far more time regaling people with their latest prophecies or “word from God” rather than expositing the Word of God. The poor and the sick are exploited for the personal enrichment of the preacher. Worst of all is that untold reproach is being brought upon the name of Christ.

This film is very, very well done. I really believe this will be an immensely helpful resource that will benefit Christians for many years, if not decades, to come. If you have not yet seen it, you can get your copy here.

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2024

James, the half-brother of Jesus, exhorts those of us who may be too confident in the plans we make for the future when he writes in chapter 4 verse 15 of his namesake letter, “Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.’” So, as I share with you what I have planned for this next year, it is undergirded with, “If the Lord wills.”

If the Lord wills, I will continue to preach and teach both domestically and internationally. I will be in many different states preaching in churches and conferences. Speaking of conferences, one to which I am very much looking forward to is the Cessationist Conference which will have many of those featured in the film preaching. I will be one of them. As of this writing, the date and venue are still being finalized, but keep watching my Twitter and/or ministry Facebook page and I will provide updates.

Another new and troubling development within the charismatic movement is that of deliverance ministries. Some of you more seasoned saints may recall some of the deliverance ministers that were popular in the 70s, 80s, and 90s—men such as Frank Hammond, Bob Larson, and Neil T. Anderson. There is now a whole new crop of younger, hipper, self-professed “Demon Slayers.” Guys such as Alexander Pagani, Isaiah Saldivar, Greg Locke (yes, that Greg Locke), and Vlad Savchuck.

The modern demon slayers are teaching that Christians can be indwelled by demons. How do you know if you have a demon? Well, do you have lustful thoughts? Demon. Alcohol issues? Demon. Short fuse? Demon. Bad dreams? Demon. Oh, and if you are opposed to deliverance ministries, then you most definitely have a demon (If that last criterion is true, then I must have several of those little demonic miscreants running around inside of me!). But I digress.

The demon slayers came out with a film in early 2023 titled Come Out in Jesus Name. It was a master class in bad theology. The entire movement with its millions of followers hinges on the unbiblical belief that Christians can be plagued with indwelling demons that cause them to sin. If you are a drunk, fornicator (in deed or thought or both), or have anger issues, it’s not your fault. You have one or more demons inside of you. As Vlad Savchuck said in the film, “You have company.” So, of course, the only way to rid yourself of these uninvited malevolent guests is to go to the demon slayer and get “delivered.”

Dear one, if you are a Christian, you have the Holy Spirit inside of you and I’m pretty sure He is not going to share you with any demonic “company.” If you know Christ as Savior, you have already been delivered. Jesus “delivered us from the authority of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son of His love” (Colossians 1:13). There is your deliverance.

The same men who produced Cessationist have begun work on a new film to biblically dismantle the theology and practice of these “deliverance ministries.” It’s too early to tell when the film will be ready, but I will keep you posted. Jim Osman is going to write a book on the subject as well. If you would like some help on refuting this subject in the meantime, please go to my YouTube channel and search for the video titled “Deliverance from Deliverance Ministries.”

Speaking of YouTube, by God’s grace, my channel continues to grow. As of this writing, I have about 230,000 subscribers and the total views is approaching 25 million. That is hard for me to believe. Frequently, people approach me in airports telling me that they watch my channel and have been blessed, encouraged, and even challenged by the truth that God has graciously allowed me to present. One day while in Albania, I was just riding my scooter across the town square right past a mosque and a man approached me and said, “Are you Justin Peters?” He went on to tell me how much he has learned from watching my YouTube channel. He was not even part of the conference at which I was preaching. Just a guy walking around in Tirana, Albania.

One of the big projects on my channel was the daily Bible Reading I did from the Legacy Standard Bible (LSB). Each day I posted a 15–20-minute daily reading and by the end of the year we read through the entire Old Testament once, and Psalms, Proverbs, and the New Testament twice. The response from people has been just amazing. So many left such nice comments and I thought I’d share just one with you here:

Dear Justin, I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for your dedication and commitment to reading through the entire Bible in one year on your YouTube channel. I followed along with your daily readings, and it was truly a blessing to experience the journey with you. Your faithfulness and passion for sharing the Word of God have inspired and encouraged so many, including myself. Your commitment to this endeavor has had a profound impact, and I am grateful for the opportunity to join in and be enriched by the wisdom and truth found in the Scriptures. Thank you for your unwavering dedication to spreading the message of hope and faith through your platform. May your continued efforts be met with abundant blessings, and may your ministry continue to touch the lives of many. Thank you for being a beacon of light and inspiration in the online community. God bless. (Nicoleen, from South-Africa)

Isn’t that tremendous?  What an encouragement this is! God’s Word is so powerful (Hebrews 4:12) and it does not return to Him void (Isaiah 55:11). If you would like to listen, you still may. Just go to my channel and look for the playlist titled “Daily Bible Reading.”

In addition to my domestic preaching, I will, Lord willing, preach in the Philippines, Brazil, and Thailand this year. It is always a special privilege and joy to worship with like-minded believers in other parts of the world. No matter how different the culture or even language may be, when with like-minded believers in Christ, there is an instant bond, fellowship and love—because we are family.

John MacArthur has said of ministry that we are responsible for the depth, and God is responsible for the breadth. I continue to be amazed at how far God has seen fit to spread the work He has entrusted to me. God is certainly not obligated to allow any of us to see any of the fruits of our labors, and so I am profoundly grateful and humbled that He has allowed me to see at least a little of the fruit borne from my work, imperfect though it is.

CHANGING LOCALES

Kathy and I have recently moved to just outside the Billings, Montana area. We now have 4 grandchildren in Billings and these adorable little image-bearers have pulled us eastward about 140 miles. (For those of you who have our old address, please update your records with the new one you see at the end of this newsletter.)

We have joined Laurel Bible Church in Laurel, Montana. Laurel Bible is a small church with a new pastor named Rob Kimsey. Rob is a recent graduate of The Master’s Seminary and served on staff at a local church in that area. Rob is a great guy and we have become good friends. I was honored to be a part of his ordination examination council in November (pictured: Me sitting and Rob kneeling). I have already been impressed not only by his preaching, but also by the love he has for his new church family. He really does have a shepherd’s heart. I’m grateful that God has brought Rob, his wife, Laura, and their three children from California to little Laurel, Montana.

I have already preached a couple of times at Laurel Bible, helping to fill in during the Kimseys’ move. I will teach Sunday school when I’m not on the road and preach on occasion. Rob wants to use me, and I’m honored to help in any way that I can. Even though I am an evangelist and travel to preach quite a bit, I believe it is important for any evangelist to have a close tie to a local church. All ministry should come from the local church.

IN CLOSING

As the breadth of this ministry has increased, the expenses have as well. As many of you know, I have a policy of traveling to preach wherever I am invited and do not charge a fee. I give away my teaching resources to those who cannot afford them. The international trips I take are almost always at the ministry’s own expense, and I always have someone to travel with me for assistance. My electric scooters get beat up on these trips and must be replaced every year or so. Please know that I do not say this to pat myself on the back, I just want those of you who may not be very familiar with my ministry to know a bit about the ministry philosophy.

If you are already supporting this ministry, from the bottom of my heart, thank you, thank you. If you are not but would like to financially support it with either a one-time gift or a monthly donation, you may do that on my website or by the good old fashioned “Pony Express” with a check. All donations are tax-deductible. This will be a huge blessing to us and very, very appreciated.

If you are not in a position to support the work financially, please do pray for Kathy, me, and this work. Words cannot express what an encouragement it is to us when people tell us that they keep us in their prayers. I simply marvel that people all over the world pray for this ministry.

Thank you so much for reading. It is an honor to serve Christ with you. May God bless you, your families, and may we seek to glorify Him in all that we do.

Your fellow slaves,

Justin and Kathy Peters