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Bro. Garry Morrison and I have recently returned from Holguin, Cuba, where the Lord tremendously blessed us once again with the opportunity to disciple over 500 pastors, missionary church-planters and cell-group leaders from the Holguin district of Cuba! The senior pastor of Maranatha Baptist Church, testified to us that He believes that this particular study, which I entitled, “Christ-Centered Discipleship”, was probably the most powerful, penetrating, and providential study that we have ever taught! 

I believe that it was certainly one of the timeliest conferences that Garry and I have taught in Cuba! We experienced a touch of Revival, as the Holy Spirit was obviously applying each session in a mighty way. An overwhelming demonstration of brokenness and repentance penetrated throughout the crowd. There were times when a holy hush would be over the group, as we taught God’s word, and then weeping would pervade over many of those in attendance. Bro. Garry said that on a more than a couple of occasions, he was overwhelmed by the manifest presence of God; and filled with tears, making it difficult to continue to translate. The Spirit of God was powerfully speaking through these 2 weak clay pots! In this discipleship teaching, we focused on:

  • The Great Commission And The Ultimate Prize Of a True Disciple – (To be like Jesus)
  • The Disciple’s Diligent Pursuit Of Practical Holiness 
  • The Disciple And His Battle With Temptation
  • The Disciple As A Faithful Husband And Wife Within The Marital Relationship 
  • The Mark And Motivation Of The Genuine Disciple From John 13 
  • The Disciple And His Tongue 
  • The Disciple And His Relationship To The World
  • The Disciple As A Steward Of The Master’s Resources  The Disciple’s Investment Of God’s Truth And His Life Into The Lives Of Others

Bro. Garry Morrison, who is a precious brother

in Christ and has been my co-laborer on a number of walks through this open door to communist Cuba, writes these words, “The insatiable hunger for the Word of God that our Cuban brothers and sisters possess, was very evident during the Christ-centered Discipleship Conference in Holguin, Cuba. These faithful disciples of Jesus listened to the teachings and took copious notes, night after night, for 6 straight nights and 3 hours a night. They did all of this on hard benches and in warm temperatures. Many of those in attendance mentioned to me privately that, ‘They expectantly and excitedly wait for Bro. Ed to come each year; because they know that they are going to eat a solid serving of spiritual food and sound doctrine’. Pastor Miguel said to us on the last evening, that each year when you are coming, there is no need to make a big promotion for our missionaries and cell group leaders. All of them eagerly register and then flock to the sanctuary from long distances. He further alluded to the fact that ‘the topic’ for this year’s conference was a much-needed teaching for all of the missionaries and lay leaders of the churches and missions. I am truly blessed to be part of this ongoing ministry that God has allowed us to be involved with in Cuba. I get triple blessings out of it, as I translate the written material; then as I review and study the material; as well as when I orally interpret the material, during the conference, alongside Bro. Ed. One of my personal prayers and heart’s desire is that God, in His providence, would open the door for me to spend more time teaching in Spanish speaking churches and in the Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary. But until then, I will continue to be faithful where God has called me to be; and wait patiently on Him to open the door. Let me conclude by saying, it is obvious that the Spirit of God is moving in Cuba; and these believers are eager and growing disciples in the classroom of King Jesus. But there are many false teachers that are attempting to enter into Cuba and rob God of the Glory that He deserves. So please pray that as we depart from Cuba each year, the Lord Himself will help these brothers to ‘Be sober, be vigilant and steadfast in the faith’!”

Brothers and sisters, I never dreamed, (and I am sure neither did Ray Jones), that the Lord was going to give me the precious blessing of teaching Cuban pastors, church planters and lay leaders on 30 mission trips! All I can do is say, “Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy Name”! As long as my King keeps this door open and gives me the grace to go, I want to be faithful to continue to invest His truth and my life into these Cuban disciples. It is an awesome blessing, to know that they are continuing to multiply these truths into their congregations, and that they are equipping those who will be able to teach others also! 

The following are just a few of the hundreds of testimonies that were given to us, upon the conclusion of this wonderful conference. One leader writes, “I have always felt that I was a faithful disciple of Christ; however, during this conference, I was confronted by the Holy Spirit, through the Word of God, - that I needed to re-adjust many areas of my life, to be a faithful disciple of Christ.” Another testifies, “I thank God for both of you! Many times when you taught, it was as if you were talking directly to me. It was like the Holy Spirit of God had placed an Xray machine on my life regarding demonstrating ‘agape’ love to others, refraining my tongue, and giving joyfully and sacrificially from what God has given me. During the conference, God convicted me regarding my selfishness. I have had a neighbor who had some material needs; so when I went home that night, I shared with her, out of love and out of what the Lord has given to me. This brought so much joy to my life. Thank you for being a blessing to my life and ministry.” 

One of the lay leaders shares these words of testimony, “In the Christ-centered Discipleship Conference which you imparted to us, I have seen how God has answered my prayers. Since last year, I have been asking Him to help us (as a congregation) to deepen our lives of worship and holiness and of separation from the world. God has surely done this in my life, through this conference. I will continue to pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to use you in this ministry, and may you continue to dedicate this precious time, to come to Cuba for the spiritual growth of our churches and ministries in Holguin, Cuba. Thank you for your love, your commitment and your dedication to invest in our lives. Also, thank you for your sound Biblical teachings and your transparency in sharing many of your personal testimonies.”