“Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.’ Pilate therefore said to Him, ‘Are You a king then?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.’ Pilate said to Him, ‘What is truth?’” (John 18:36-38 NKJ)
This conversation between Pilate and Jesus took place at the trial of Jesus. Pilate had asked Jesus if He was the “King of the Jews.” Jesus’ answer was definite, “yes,” though His kingdom is “not of this world.” It is a spiritual kingdom (this very direct point seems to escape those who are seeking an earthly kingdom of Christians that wields great influential power over the entire world through political means). In addition, Jesus said that the evidence of His kingdom being a spiritual kingdom is that His disciples have not taken up arms to fight against the Roman Empire. The fight for the kingdom is not a fight for an earthly nation. Jesus fought for His kingdom and won – we must never forget that fact! He has overcome the world in which we will have tribulation (John 16:33). Our fight is a spiritual battle, both a personal battle against the flesh, and kingdom battle against those who would suppress the truth that Jesus Christ is the only Savior of the world(2 Corinthians 10:3-6). There is no other!
We may win our republic back through carnal means, but it will remain lost in humanistic thought that will ultimately lead this nation back into tyrannical rule, which we have only been given a taste of – only next time it will be far worse. That is because the battle goes far deeper. Our battle is a battle that is not fought with carnal weapons, but rather with the sword of the Spirit, the word of God, which is the word of truth. In proclaiming the truth lies are exposed (Ephesians 5:11). Lies seem to be main staple of the world, especially today. So many lies are being propagated by so-called experts, the government and the multitude of media outlets that it is becoming nearly impossible to distinguish between what is the truth and what is a lie. Oftentimes, the truth is denounced a lie and the lie is held up as truth. False statements and half-truths flow out the mouths of evil men and women like projectiles of mass destruction. This is true not only outside of the church; it is also in many churches, where the wisdom of the world is held up against God’s word of truth. The result is compromise with the world in order to retain friendship with world – those who compromise seem clueless to the fact the world looks down on them even more and give cause to the enemies of Christ to blaspheme and scorn His name.
Jesus told Pilate that He came into the world to bear witness to the truth. It was the purpose of His coming. Yet, the religious leaders of His day claimed that what He said were lies. In fact, they claimed that Jesus was a ‘blasphemer’ (Matthew 26:65; John 10:33). Yet, He spoke the truth; it was truth that the religious leaders rejected as a lie. They even twisted Jesus’ words (Matthew 26:60-61). So also there are many people today in church who say the Bible is lying about how heaven and earth came into existence, as recorded in the eyewitness account of Genesis Chapter One (written to be taken as literal six ordinary days, as we know them today). They say Jesus got it wrong when He said that “. . . from the beginning of the creation, God made them [man and woman] male and female” (Mark 10:6). The world says science supports the evolution of man over millions of years; yet, recent scientific research has clearly demonstrated that science doesn’t. Rather science supports the creation account as given to us from the Lord God, the Creator of heaven and earth in six ordinary days about 6,000 years ago.
The lies are many and they run deep within the lives of many in this world and so the truth is either dismissed as fairy tale or suppressed to justify evil men and women to continue in their unrighteousness; seeking to justify themselves through lawless decrees leading many people down the path to death and destruction. There are many examples that can be given; but suffice it to say, we need only look at the many doctrines upheld in churches today that contradict Scripture, God’s rule of law for the conduct of our lives. This lawless mindless is then also reflected in our society where evil is being rewarded and the innocent are being falsely accused, such as what we see with the incarceration of many people falsely accused of insurrection on January 6th – these political prisoners are beaten and treated harshly in ways that are contrary to the Constitution and the Geneva Convention. Truth is missing in action in our world and the One who is the Truth is grossly misrepresented and suppressed by many. As a result, justice is no longer found in the streets (Isaiah 59:14-15).
Pilate asked Jesus, “What is truth?” The world would have us believe that the ‘truth’ is whatever it says it is, whether it’s true or not. The world says truth is relative, ever changing from society to society, generation to generation, and from authority to authority. Whoever wields the greatest influence is the one who determines the truth. However, we must stand for the truth that never changes. The truth revealed in Scripture, which is the word of God, who never changes and is true yesterday, today, and forever. He has given us the truth and revealed the realities of our state and condition in the world that has fallen into sin; into rebellion and hatred toward God and the very creature that our Creator made.
Our battle is for the truth, not for an earthly nation or kingdom. We must stand for Jesus Christ, who is the Truth (John 14:6)! We must expose sin by speaking the truth in love; speaking the gospel truth of Jesus Christ. It is when we faithfully speak the truth even when it is contrary to the popular thought of the day, many will come the truth, come to Jesus Christ. Then and only then, will this nation and the rest of the world will be set free (John 8:32). This means setting aside our own personal desires and wants; even sacrificing the comforts of this life on the proverbial altar to uphold the truth for the sake spreading the good news of Jesus Christ and furthering the kingdom that He established in the shedding of His blood on the cross and rising up again from dead. Jesus Christ paid the penalty for sin, obtained for us the forgiveness of our sins, delivered us from the bondage of sin, the world and the devil, and made all who believe in Him alone fit to inherit an everlasting kingdom; that is, eternal life together with Him. We can win our republic back but without Jesus Christ ruling in the hearts of the people that victory will be short lived – guaranteed.
At RGM we are dedicated to spreading the gospel message of Jesus Christ without compromise. It is the truth that saves the world of sinners. It is the only true message of salvation and everlasting life; God’s salvation and light to sinners everywhere. We are laboring to spread the gospel both in the United States and to other nations; taking the message of Jesus Christ to the lost and those who sit in darkness. As part of that work and ministry we provide the opportunities for the saints to indirectly and directly participate in spreading the gospel to the nations and all people groups, to as many as will hear the gospel. It is sad to note that the gospel message has been so watered down so as to be nothing more than a man-centered works righteousness message, especially in much of western society. (It is impossible to live a godly life to the glory of God alone, unless God works grace in the sinner’s heart.) As a result, the true gospel message is changed and redefined (think, ‘re-imagined’) to compromise with the views of the world and the ungodly mindset that embraces all that is contrary to what is taught in the Bible; the infallible, inerrant word of God. In order to combat unbiblical evangelism we, at RGM, are committed to the Reformed Confessions and Creeds as biblical expressions of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, formulating our tracts and evangelism efforts drawing from those 16th and 17th century documents of the Faith.
Many blessings to you through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord,
Rev. Richard Stetler, CEO
We are excited to report the following activities in July and August
This update will be broken up into 2 reports: one for our domestic ministry works and the other for our overseas outreach efforts. Otherwise, the report will be too lengthy to read. We need your support now more than ever to help continue our labors in the Lord. Your monthly donations no matter how big or small) will help greatly to maintain our commitment to spreading the gospel, both here in the United State and throughout the world.
Local Community Outreach
We are continuing to expand our reach not just in other nations but also here in the U.S. as you will see in this update.
July:
Tract Distribution at Parade, Hull, IA
On July 10th Reformation Gospel Ministries participated in the Hull Summer Fest Parade in Hull, IA. We passed out about 1,000 tracts in a bag with a piece of candy. We ran out of tracts towards the end of the parade, but what a blessing it was to be able to serve the Lord in this way. It was a great opportunity for two of our volunteers (3, including me) to serve the Lord and spread the gospel to many people in the community and the surrounding areas. The bags of candy and tracts are always well received and we pray that the Lord will use them to convert and save the lost and rescue the straying lambs, both outside the churches and inside the churches.
Someone (me) forgot to take pictures, again – will work on that in the future. Here is a picture of the typical bag with a tract (English and Spanish), and a piece of candy in it:
Farmers Market, Sioux Center, IA:
On the 14th of July, we had a booth at the Sioux Center Farmers Market (not doing very well in the picture taking category). The market is held every Wednesday in the parking lot of the Sioux Center Centre Mall, IA. We (Harlan DeBoer and I) put up the canopy and set out 2 tables full of books and material to give away. We had lots of visitors with whom we had great conversations concerning the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We gave a way Bibles, books and other literature to help people witness the Gospel of Jesus Christ. All of our Bible, books and material are free. Several hundred dollars of books and material were given away thanks to the generous donations from individuals and churches. Your monthly donations are greatly appreciated.
Gospel in the Park, Sioux Center, IA
On July 17th, we held our first Gospel in the Park for the year. There were a number of people in the park who heard the gospel message. It was a blessing to be able to serve the Lord in spreading the gospel message through this event.
August:
On the 14th we had two events: one in the morning, the other in the evening
In the morning, Reformation Gospel Ministries partnered with a local congregation, Rock Valley United Reformed Church (RVURC) to distribute tracts at the Rock Valley Rally in the Valley parade. Tracts in a bag with candy together with an invitation to the RVURC were handed out along the parade route. Magnetic car signs were prominently attached to my car promoting both RGM and RVURC. Members of RVURC (from ages 7 and up) volunteered to participate in this joint effort. Please pray God will be glorified and will use the tract distribution to bring the lost and straying to Him by His grace through faith in Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Pictures below:
Upper left: We handed out 1,500 gospel bags – the water was for the volunteers
Upper center & right: The gospel bags contained a gospel tract (in English & Spanish), candy and an invitation to worship at RVURC, Rock Valley, IA
9 bags filled with 1,500 gospel bags 
Gospel Bag – Front 
Gospel Bag with candy & RVURC Invitation 
Car Signs for both RGM & RVURC 
Volunteers 
Little Volunteers
lower left: Car signs identified not only Reformation Gospel Ministries; it also identifies RVURC as partners in the distribution of the gospel bags
lower center and right: volunteers help hand out gospel bags along the parade route (they had a great time and the Lord blessed)
That Same Evening at 6:00 p.m.:
We held our second Gospel in the Park. A gospel message was preached to those in the park – it was great opportunity to let people know of the comfort of Jesus Christ in these troubling times. The unsaved were called to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ and His redeeming work on the cross for their comfort and hope both now in these troubling times and in eternity. Your prayers for this on-going evangelism opportunity would be greatly appreciated. (The video didn’t come out at all.)
Our next scheduled Gospel in the Park will be September 18th at the band shell in Central Park, Sioux Center, IA. The message will be “Truth: Missing in Action” and a quartet gospel singing group will sing some gospel songs before and after the message.
Everyone is invited – bring you lawn chair and a friend.
We will have a table of books, materials and gospel tracts available for free.
Creation Conference – “It’s in the Genes” – Saturday, the 21st
There was a great response to the presentations made by Dr. Carter. The videos did not come out very well; nonetheless, they are worth watching. The third video has a gap in audio about 30 minutes into it; it picks up again around the 50 minute mark – don’t have a clue as to what happened to it. Hope to have what them uploaded to the website soon.
Many book and materials were purchased during the breaks and after the conference.
The follow day, the Lord’s Day, Dr. Carter gave a presentation at two churches; one in the morning at Redeemer URC, Orange City, IA, the other in the evening at Doon URC, Doon, IA. The presentations were well received by those in attendance. About $1,300 books and materials were given away (paid for by Reformation Gospel Ministries thanks to the many generous donations made during the conference, and before and after the conference).
Links to the videos will be available on the RGM website soon: www.ReformationGospelMinistries.org
Weekly Bible Study:
We continue to hold our weekly Bible study when I’m not preaching at churches out of town. We are studying the Book of Revelation and have titled the study, “The Gospel According to Revelation.” We meet every Lord’s Day at 2 p.m. at the Holiday Inn in Sioux Center, IA. You can contact Rev. Stetler by email at refgosmin@gamil.com or by phone at (712) 441-5793 for more information and any updates as to where we are in the study and when the next meeting will be.
Future Activities of RGM (listed in the Schedule of Activities and can be reviewed by clicking on the link below):
The 2021 Schedule of Events and Activities
If you would like to volunteer to help at one of the activities, please contact Rev. Stetler at refgosmin@gmail.com or by phone at (712) 441-5793.
The Fall Reformation Conference on October 29th and 30th – Friday Evening, beginning at 7:00 p.m. and Saturday morning, beginning at 9:00 a.m. The location of this conference will be at Redeemer United Reformed Church, Orange City, IA. The title of the conference will be, “Biblical Worldview and Evangelism.” It will focus on the Christian worldview and how it affects our evangelism individually and as a church. The speaker is Dr. Sacha Walicord, a former professor at Dordt University and is a visiting professor for worldview and apologetics at the Akademie fuer Reformatorische Theologie (Reformed Theological Seminary) in Giessen, Germany. He is also a board member of RGM.
3 Presentations will be made (1 Friday evening; 2 Saturday morning):
- The All Encompassing Nature of the Great Commission
- What is a Worldview: How our worldview affects our Evangelism
- Holistic Evangelism for the 21st Century
2022 Conferences are being planned:
- The Annual Creation Conference has been scheduled for March 26, 2022 at the Terrace View Event Center, Sioux Center, IA. The title of the conference will be: “Biblical Creation: No Compromise” – The focus of the conference will be on how to answer those who hold to compromise views of the creation account of Genesis. The speaker will be Dr. Jonathan Sarfati of Creation Ministries International. He has written several books on creation including the book, “Refuting Compromise.” It will be an encouragement to all believers as we fight a spiritual battle against the lies and deceptions of the devil through his ministers that disguise themselves as “ministers of light.”
- The Creation Conference in Dublin, Ireland that was planned for May 22nd; however, due to the lockdown conditions in Ireland and the travel restrictions in place, it has been postponed to 2022; Lord willing, May 21st. The conference will be held in partner with Araan Reformed Baptist Church of Dublin. Rev. Stetler has been working with Rev. Mark Fitzpatrick to coordinate this very important outreach event in the Dublin area. Mark is the pastor of Arann RBC and is the chairman of Reformation Ireland. Please keep that event in prayer.
- The Annual Fall Conference for 2022 is being planned for the end of October of that year. The proposed theme will be “Biblical Reformation and Politics.” We hope to have multiple speakers to make presentations on various subjects surrounding the topic of politics in today’s environment and how the Christian ought to interact with a political system that is growing more and more hostile toward Biblical Christianity.
For the monthly Financial Report (July & August 2021), please scroll down to the next page.
Please keep Reformation Gospel Ministries in your prayers. We are in need of your financial support to fund the many projects we are currently engaged in – please prayerfully consider giving to this work of the Lord as we reach out to the lost in many countries throughout the world. Your tax-deductible donation is greatly appreciated.
Click here to donate: Donate – Reformation Gospel Ministries
Your Servant in Christ,
Richard Stetler, CEO
Financial Reports
As of July 31 & August 31, 2021
Reformation Gospel Ministries 
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