Johann excelled in music from a very young age, and from there, only ascended with his music. Johann loved the scriptures also. Back in his day books were hard to come by and expensive beyond affordability, yet Johann collected 83 volumes that included Luther’s writings, works of Luther’s followers and the Bible.

Johann carefully wrote in the margin of 1 Chronicles 25 “This chapter is the true foundation for all God-pleasing music.” His passion was to give his community “well-regulated church music to the glory of God,” and he would often scribble “J.J” on his blank future sheets of music: Jesu Juva (“Help me, Jesus”). When he would finish a manuscript he would write “S.D.G.” – Soli Deo Gloria (“To God alone the glory”).

Johann received little fame during his lifetime, and died in relative obscurity – with no marker on his grave. Johann Sebastian Bach and his hundreds of compositions were mostly forgotten until Mendelssohn rediscovered Johann’s amazing work.

Johann once responded to a compliment on his musical skills with the comment, “There is nothing very wonderful about it, you have only to hit the right notes at the right moment and the instrument does the rest.”

God is raising up new Johanns in the places that He is allowing us to serve and empower together. Now, they may not be musicians as we would know it, but surely their lives and their service to God is sweet music to our Heavenly Father.  

In the coming months we will be introducing you to Donase Banda, a dear young married mother of four children in the township (place of relative poverty) of Kanyama, Zambia. She tells us that she has a family of six and they live on about $1 USD per day.

She also attended In Touch Mission International’s Lusaka Bible College and she boldly states that at LBC “…I had the desire to minister the whole counsel of God to my fellow women of Kanyama…to make the main thing the main thing, I love sharing the Gospel of life.”

She led four ladies to the Lord and now she is mentoring them in Biblical truth and teaching them something else from the curriculum at LBC, the Art of Entrepreneurship. Donase hopes that in the “near future” her hard work invested in raising poultry will help feed her family as well as others.

Donase is allowing God to “…hit the right notes at the right moment” and real music is being made.

Donase tending to her poultry in Zambia.

Please pray for me. As travel is limited, I have been teaching in the Hindu and Muslim countries of Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. They are literally starving for Biblical teaching.

The young man in Pakistan, Abid, has adopted me because his father went home to glory a few years ago. Abid said that he has been praying for a mentor for over four years, and the SALT material that we have been working through has affected him so deeply that his wife and close friend have now both asked “…what is going on in your life? You are not the same person.”

This is why we want to give the SALT material to every godless society on this planet, because Biblical truth, clearly and lovingly communicated changes the soul of a man and not just his “knowledge level.” Maybe someone reading this today wants to be able to give back to the Lord and tell us, “I want to do my part and help you translate all 28 chapters of the Seven Areas of Life Training, from Victorious Christian Living, Inc. into either Urdu (Pakistan - Northern India), Bengali (Bangladesh), or Kannada (Bangalore, India).”

When we have SALT translated and available to be used by successive evangelists, pastors, husbands, mothers, and even teens, those communities will be radically changed for the better. The saved and unsaved in these communities will see greater peace, love and Christ-like living.

They will know that these Christians have a hope that is unknown by the godless societies around them. Jesus and His redemption will be lifted up and the ripple will continue for eternity. I wish you could see the expressions on their faces when Biblical principles slip past the cultural mind-gates and settle into souls that are starving for truth…it is real heavenly music.

May we recognize that our time is not limitless, it is fleeting.

May we follow Donase and “make the main thing the main thing.” We have some special opportunities to allow God to hit the right notes at the right moment with full confidence that the “music” that is created will truly honor and glorify our Lord and Savior. We love and pray for each of you to be richly blessed.

Thank you for being willing to make music with us and the frontline-battle partners God has and is bringing to us.

In His Service,