DECEMBER 2005
Giving
Thanks For God’s Overwhelming Generosity
Everything in your
life that flows out of love has come to you from God. Everything in your life
that is good has been initiated by God. God has done everything for you, He is
everything to you, and He is enriching other lives through you. His generosity
is overwhelming, His blessings are limitless, His love
is endless.
No one has favored you more than God. He has
removed every stain of your sin, He has cleansed all the defilement of your iniquity,
and He has silenced every voice of condemnation that hung over your head. He
has saved you, redeemed you, and justified you.
All of God’s grace abounds toward you, all
of Christ’s riches are made available to you, and all spiritual blessings are
provided for you. In Christ, you have received the treasures that can never be
taken away, the hope that can never fade away, and the life that will never
pass away.
As you walk with Jesus day by day, you will
find that your thankfulness to Him is an ever-increasing symphony of praise,
building into a lifelong crescendo of gratitude that flows from your heart to
His. You, who have so little, have received so much, because He has been so
generous.
There are so many riches that He has given
to you; so many answers to prayer that He has granted to you; so many
kindnesses that He has manifested to you; so many joys that He has provided for
you; so many mercies that He has extended to you; so many benefits that He has
showered upon you. Everything you have has come from Him, and that is the
reason why your heart can be so grateful.
Thank Him today because—
· He formed you and
made you.
· He has given you the
breath of life.
· He has given you
this day.
· He is working in you
to become all that He has intended you to be.
· He is working
everything in your life together for the good.
· He is using your
difficulties and trials to conform you to His image.
Thank Him today for—
· The forgiveness of
your sins.
· The peace that
passes all understanding.
· The smiles that have
come to your face because His joy is in your heart.
· The comfort of His
presence that has quieted your heart and calmed your fears.
· The hope that is in
you because He has promised to always be with you.
· The place in heaven
that He has reserved and has prepared for you.
Thank Him today with—
· Words of exaltation.
· Songs of
celebration.
· A heart of strong
devotion.
· Thoughts of deep
reflection.
· Acts of admiration.
· Claps of loud
ovation.
Roy Lessin
Not Gratitude FOR
But Gratitude IN…
Back during the dark days of 1929, a
group of ministers in the Northeast, all graduates of the Boston School of
Theology, gathered to discuss how they should conduct their Thanksgiving
Services.
Things were about as bad as they could
get, with no sign of relief. The bread lines were depressingly long, the stock
market had plummeted, and the term Great Depression seemed an apt description
for the mood of the country. The ministers thought they should only lightly
touch upon the subject of Thanksgiving in deference to the human misery all
about them. After all, there was little to be thankful for.
But it was Dr. William L. Stiger, pastor of a large congregation in the city that
rallied the group. This was not the time, he suggested, to
give mere passing mention to Thanksgiving, just the opposite. This was
the time for the nation to get matters in perspective and thank God for
blessings always present, but perhaps suppressed due to intense hardship.
The most intense moments of
thankfulness are not found in times of plenty, but when difficulties abound.
Think of the Pilgrims that first Thanksgiving. Half their number dead, men
without a country, but still there was thanksgiving to God. Their gratitude was
not for something but in something.
Our forefathers were not so much
thankful for something as they were thankful in something. In
bounty or in want they were thankful. In feast or in famine they were thankful.
In joy or in misery they were thankful. There is a big difference between being
thankful for things and being thankful in all things.
Why should you be thankful? May I
suggest three things? We must learn to be thankful or we become bitter. We must
learn to be thankful or we will become discouraged. We must learn to be
thankful or we shall surely grow arrogant and self-satisfied.
A Man For Whom God Was Real
Dietrich Bonhoeffer,
a German pastor imprisoned in 1943 for his political and Christian opposition
to the Nazi regime, was executed two years later. On the day that the sentence
was carried out he conducted a service for the other prisoners. One of those
prisoners, an English officer who survived, wrote these words:
Bonhoeffer always seemed to me to spread an atmosphere of happiness and joy over
the least incident, and profound gratitude for the mere fact that he was
alive... He was one of the very few persons I have ever met for whom God was
real and always near... On Sunday, April 8, 1945, Pastor Bonhoeffer
conducted a little service of worship and spoke to us in a way that went to the
heart of all of us. He found just the right words to express the spirit of our
imprisonment, and the thoughts and resolutions it had brought us. He had hardly
ended his last prayer when the door opened and two civilians entered. They
said, "Prisoner Bonhoeffer, come with us."
That had only one meaning for all prisoners--the gallows. We said good-bye to
him.
He took me aside: "This is the
end; but for me it is the beginning of life." The next day he was hanged
in Flossenburg.
Let us be grateful, even when things
seem all wrong and when times are rough.
Rejoice in the Lord always!
Serious Business
The following words are from an
engraving from the cathedral of
Thus speaketh
Christ our Lord to us,
You call Me
master and obey me not,
You call Me light
and see Me not,
You call Me
the way and walk Me not,
You call Me
the life and live Me not,
You call Me
wise and follow Me not,
You call Me
fair and love Me not,
You call Me
rich and ask Me not,
You call Me
eternal and see me not,
If I condemn thee, blame Me not.
Pastor D. James Kennedy of
Seven More Tips In
Sharing Your Faith
Give Christian books and literature as
gifts for birthdays, Christmas, and even for no occasion at all.
Use Christian desktop wallpapers and
screen savers at home and at work.
Lend your own Christian books and
literature to others.
Keep an unchurched
friend or coworker in your daily prayers.
Ask God to give you opportunities to witness to him or her. Look for these opportunities and make use of
them.
When you hear a sermon or read a devotion that you find meaningful, tell others about
it. This can be a very natural way to
start a discussion with both Christians and non-Christians.
After church, ask a person whom you do
not know, "I don't believe we've met.
My name is..." This works well with both visitors and other
members.
Important parts of witnessing are
listening and caring.
Sowing Tiny Seeds
Nancy Cornice remembers as a child
hearing the tip-tap of a cane on the sidewalk. It was an old man "bent
from the years ” his rough, knotted hand purposefully
clutching a cane." But this old man had a peculiar custom as he roamed the
streets of this small town. When this gentleman saw a child he would stop,
reach into his pocket and give the child a picture of Jesus. He would thrust it
into the child's hand and continue on his way, never speaking a word.
What this gentleman did certainly
doesn't seem like a big deal. However, this small act of kindness made a world
of difference to
It wasn't until
Whoever would have thought that giving
a child a picture of Jesus would eventually lead that child to faith?
King Duncan
Neglect
In
The whole attic became a hive, and the
ceiling of the second-floor bedroom finally caved in under the weight of
hundreds of pounds of honey and thousands of angry bees. While the woman
escaped serious injury, she was unable to repair the damage of her accumulated
neglect.
That's a parable about many people's
lives, is it not? We let things go. We put off dealing with them. We ignore
that which is disturbing, yet inconvenient--until it is too late. And our
ceiling comes crashing in.
Neglect. What a powerful word. It describes many family relationships.
Neglect. Spouses neglected. Children neglected. Later, older parents neglected.
Responsibilities neglected. Opportunities neglected. It is a specter that
haunts all of life.
Neglect. Ever seen a neighborhood that's neglected? How about a home? A garden? A soul???
The New Narnia
Most of you have
heard of and even read "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe" by C.
S. Lewis. There are 6 other books in the
series. At the end of the series "The Last Battle" Lewis contrasts
the "new Narnia" with the "old Narnia." He writes:
“It is hard to explain how this sunlit
land was different from the old Narnia, as it would
be to tell you how the fruits of that country taste. Perhaps you will get some
idea of it, if you think like this. You may have been in a room in which there
was a window that looked out on a lovely bay of the sea or a green valley that
wound away among mountains. And in the wall of that room opposite to the window
there may have been a looking glass. And as you turned away from the window,
you suddenly caught sight of that sea or that valley, all over again, in the
looking glass. And the sea in the mirror, or the valley in the mirror, were in
one sense just the same as the real ones: yet at the same time they were
somehow different -- deeper, more wonderful, more like places in a story: in a
story you have never heard, but very much want to know.
“The difference between the old Narnia and the new Narnia was
like that. The new one was a deeper country: every rock and flower and blade of
grass looked as if it meant more. I can’t describe it any better than that: if
you ever get there, you will know what I mean.”
CS Lewis, "The Last
Christian Cruelty
The English author, C. S. Lewis, in one
of his books, points out that when people become Christians, if they are not
careful, their sinning often shifts from the overt, outward, visible sins of
lying, cheating, stealing, cursing and swearing, to the more inward, hidden,
non-apparent invisible ones ... and among them he lists "a critical
spirit" ... a spirit of judgmentalism, a
censorious attitude. In fact, he points out that this sin is one of
transgression which is more commonly committed by church people than by those
who are not. So prevalent is it in churchly circles, that it is sometimes
labeled "Christian cruelty."
Dennis Kastens
Faux Boxing
My last fight was in third grade. Someone cut in front of me in
line, so I smacked him. Considering the fact that he was twice my size, this was a very brave thing
to do. And stupid. It didn't turn out well. I've been rather non-violent ever
since.
Until recently, that is. I
often use my lunch break to go to the gym and squeeze in a workout. One of my
favorite exercise machines is positioned right in front of a large room with heavyweight
punching bags in it. I've had a lot of time to stare at those bags and
fantasize about whaling away at them. Recently, I quit fantasizing and put some
gloves on.
It's been kind of
addicting, actually. I've really enjoyed whacking at something so forcefully
without risk of breaking anything or hurting anyone. I haven't lost a fight
yet. Plus, it has helped me get in shape. I've received the benefits of boxing
- strength, agility, and reduced stress, for instance - without assuming the
costs - broken face bones, for instance. I'm a faux boxer and loving it.
I've noticed a
parallel, however, with my spiritual life. I go through the
exercises of Bible study, prayer, fellowship, mission, and witness, all while
receiving great benefit from them. But I've realized that I sometimes avoid the costs. I do the training but don't step into
the ring.
Training For What?
That works well in the
physical world, but it's not a very good spiritual dynamic. Our exercises seem
worthwhile, so we Christians do a lot of them. We want to fulfill all the
things God has called us to do without actually getting our hands dirty. If
someone else gets something out of our spiritual disciplines, that's a bonus.
But the main thing, we think, is for our exercises to benefit ourselves. We
want to be well trained.
Perhaps that's why
churches are always active places - a lot of people are over-extended in the
services they volunteer - but rarely impact their communities in a radical way.
We often do our ministry in the suburbs among the saved (either figuratively or
literally), and though it may be very valid ministry, it doesn't always get us
out of the gym. We're well trained without ever really stepping into the ring.
In a recent movie
about office life, a group of workers spelled out their strategy. The aim, they
said, was to look productive without actually being productive. (Real
productivity, after all, could get them an undesired promotion with more
responsibility.) If they always had a file folder in their hand and were on the
move from one place to another, their superiors would always regard them as
adequately industrious - in spite of the fact that there was nothing in the
folder and they were just walking the halls. They were masters of illusion.
In some ways,
Christians can be masters of illusion. We carry file folders but avoid the hard
work.
Jesus told His
disciples a parable, for example, that would send them into every corner of the
world to invite people to the great banquet (Luke 14:15-24). He promised them
that they would be hated and persecuted if they remained in His service (John
15:18-21). He commanded them to go extra miles and turn the other cheek
(Matthew 5:38-42). But as good as we are about claiming the promises Jesus gave
to His disciples, we don't often claim the hardships. We want the benefits of
discipleship without ever really paying the costs. Like me at the gym, we want
to punch a bag and not get hit.
Outside Of The Ring
How do we do this?
The ways are subtle. We endorse "friendship evangelism" over more direct
approaches, and then never actually bring up the name of Jesus in our
friendships. We give to the church, which then gives to an agency, which then
gives to the poor, without ever really seeing the poor ourselves. We pray for a
fellow believer for a few days of his or her crisis rather than following
through for the entire span of it. We want to deeply affect our communities in
the name of Christ, but we're reluctant to say that name too loudly outside of
church.
It's no coincidence that
Paul uses a boxing illustration immediately after a discourse on his missions
strategy. He writes of doing whatever it takes for the sake of the gospel in
order to share in its blessings. He says he has become all things to all men in
order that some might be saved. He is not aimless in his pursuit; he doesn't
fight like a man beating the air (1 Corinthians 9:26). He has a purpose, and he
regularly risks his life for it.
In other words, Paul got his hands dirty and took a lot of
punches. He wasn't preoccupied with "self-actualization" as his
ultimate goal; he was preoccupied with "kingdom-actualization" as God's
ultimate goal. He trained not for the sake of training, but for the sake of
pouring his life out as an offering to God.
We can do that
too. It’s scary; if I actually had to
quit punching the bag and fight a real person, I’m not sure I could. But that’s boxing, to which I have zero sense
of calling. Spiritually, however, I’m
called to quit punching the bag and get into the fight. That makes me nervous, but I have to do
it. Jesus said so.
What is God telling
you to do with your hands? Have you hidden yourself in the gym while the real
fight rages outside? If so, put on your gloves and come out. God is calling.
There’s no lasting result from punching the bag. It’s time to step into the
ring.
Tidal Wave Of Church Closings In The
"Get ready,
"And then -
sooner than you think - it will be the turn of the evangelical churches as
well. Thousands of them, too, are teetering on the edge of their existence.
Stick your head in the door on a typical Sunday, and see how many children are
around. If you were a regional manager for McDonald's, you'd close the place in
a jiffy. Except for the grit and determination of a few old stalwarts, it would
have already happened. But there's no promise for the future.
“Go
to your Google search engine and enter ‘church closings.’ This morning I got
508,000 responses. A few of them had to do with finding out who was closing in
case of snow or ice. Most of the entries, though, are about a much, much worse
storm that is brewing."
Commission On Youth Discipleship
Completes Research On
Why Youth Leave
WELS Commission on Youth Discipleship
(CYD) has received the results of a two-year study done on "Why Youth
Leave WELS". The study was done to comply with a resolution made at the
2003 Synod Convention. "That (
·
·
·
Congregations need to reduce the
degree of repetitiveness in worship services and consider some music variation.
They should also evaluate opportunities/potential to incorporate some
contemporary aspects into religious services.
·
Both pastors and other adult
[congregational] leaders need to exercise more flexibility and tolerance toward
other denominations and women.
·
·
Congregations should increase efforts
directed at those leaving for/away at college and also on the post high school
group that is not in college.
·
The largest resource allocation
toward retaining young adults should focus/concentrate on males 16 or older.
·
Efforts directed at having children
and young adults attend Lutheran schools, particularly Lutheran elementary
schools (LES), need to be continued and perhaps stepped up.
The study, conducted by
independent, non-WELS agency Bret Goodman Market Research (BGMR) from
The online surveys gathered
data from
163 pastors and 91 leavers completed
the surveys. After the survey responses were gathered and reviewed, a focus
group of 12 individuals, ranging in age from 17-24, and with various levels of
commitment to WELS, was brought together to react to the survey results. The
three aspects of this research method - pastor survey, leaver survey, and focus
group - provided the triangulation necessary to develop meaningful findings and
conclusions.
WELS CYD believes the research
results are affirming in several areas yet also provide insights for new
directions.
The entire research study and a separate executive summary can
be downloaded and viewed at www.wels.net/jumpword/ youthstudy.
Mt.
Olive member, Missionary Terry Schultz, Lima,
These are exciting times in the Amazon
mission field! Once again we held a week of Bible Institute classes to
prepare our Chayahuita bothers (4 wonderful
students!) to be pastors for the native villages. Below are a few
highlights from the always-unpredictable week in Tarapoto.
The first story was heard on the opening day of classes late in the morning.
I
Deep in the Amazon jungle there lived a strange Apu (chief) of a Shawi village
named Kebil. Now it is not uncommon for a
village chief to be a rather charismatic figure. Often it’s the reason one gets
elected chief in the first place. Moreover, like so many chiefs, Kebil was also looked upon as the spiritual leader of the
community. Kebil was a classic Shawi Shaman: He was both respected and feared. -
Respected for the power he wielded by means of his access to the spirit world
through incantations and witchcraft, but also feared for his power to bewitch
people or cast curses upon them.
Everyone knows power can easily corrupt, and Kebil
was no exception. He enjoyed the political power of being chief, and he
especially enjoyed being regarded as the community’s spiritual leader. In
fact, the notoriety went completely to his head. He considered himself
the most powerful shaman in the jungle. A couple young Shawi
men even moved to the village just so they could study shamanism with Kebil!
One day, a new man named
As a practicing Christian,
Now it is important to remember where this is all taking place:
deep in the Amazon jungle, where the village chiefs and their supporters are a
law unto themselves. They can basically do whatever they want; knowing
that no outside police authorities will come deep into the jungle to
investigate a crime. Jungle chiefs can get away with essentially
anything.
Kebil and his two
students couldn’t take it anymore,
But as Kebil and his two shamans
turned to walk away, they were astounded to hear
The three men only needed to wait a few hours for evening to
come to see if
The abduction of
The three shamans had no trouble half carrying half dragging
In no time at all, they all arrived at the lagoon. Being
far from the village, they could now remove the dirty rag jammed in
It took but a moment for the response to register in the minds
of the three evil shamans. They glanced at each other and all three nodded.
Two of them picked up the bound non-struggling
II
The Bible Institute students sat silently, motionless,
completely crestfallen. I gave them a few moments to let the sad ending
sink in. They began quietly talking among themselves in their own
language, trying to understand what had happened.
A few moments later, and the discussion commenced with the
student’s observations and my point blank questions.
For some time now, Pastor Ronal and I have been teaching the
natives that real Christianity involves a deep commitment to change one’s ways
and willingness to risk everything for Christ. You can’t just add a
little knowledge of Christ to your head and go on with life as it was
before. Faith must be life altering. Sinful lifestyles and behaviors
must be left behind. A new man must emerge. Christianity is not for
the faint of heart. Look at
Or better yet, look at Daniel. For once again, Terry had
pulled the snakeskin over the eyes of the jungle students! The entire
story of
Meanwhile, my message had been clearly conveyed: We are to
commit to Christ our entire heart, body and soul. The story of
Now while spinning the yarn of
The natives were on the edge of their seats, as Daniel was
thrown into the Lion’s den. (The lions were described as similar to
Amazon jaguars but with extra-long hair around their necks.) Mention of
the good, protecting spirit (angel) sent by God to close the lion’s mouths
brought a huge smile to the natives. -- They are constantly interested in any
mention of the good and evil spirits they know exist! As the unbelieving,
spineless king arrived at the den, the students voiced their contempt for him!
The final scene in which the evil advisors and their families are tossed
to the savage animals brought the sobering tale of faith, deliverance,
treachery, and evil to a stunning climax. The message was clear against the
bold relief of Daniel’s example: Daniel was ready to put everything on
the line for the sake of his Lord and his witness. Nothing less is
expected of us!!
III
After a lengthy review and discussion of the Biblical account,
it was on to one of the favorite activities: making large drawings of the
story of Daniel for the natives to use as visual aids! No one in our
group, young or old, natives or Tarapoto members, is
the least bit self-conscious about their artistic skills! Everyone
eagerly grabs markers and crayons and jumps right in! The Tarapoto members usually give their drawings to the natives
who add them to their stash. After all, there are very few posters or picture
books in the villages.
There did occur a moment during the art period that I will never
forget. You may recall my stories about Miguel, a Tarapoto
member in his late 70s, former alcoholic, down to his last few teeth, who came
to the Lord a couple of years ago through the patient witness of his long-suffering,
formerly abused wife Berdilia.
Miguel wanted to make a drawing of Daniel in the lion’s den for
the natives to use in their presentations. However, after all those
hard-living years, Miguel’s hand shakes like a leaf. Yet, he was
determined to contribute a drawing. Miguel took a pencil rather than a
marker and sketched out as best he could Daniel surrounded by 4 lions.
(Miguel’s shaky, nervous pencil line actually made the meeting between Lions
and Daniel look pretty stressed.) Miguel finished his pencil sketch, and
then handed it over to Berdilia who was sitting
beside him. He directed her to go over his pencil lines with a
marker! He then took the drawing back, colored it, signed it, and with a
satisfied, toothless smile, presented it to native leader Maravid!
Unbelievable!!
With a huge stack of drawings of Daniel completed, we found
ourselves with a little time left over, sitting at a table full of large sheets
of left-over paper, markers and crayons. Talk about irresistible! At that point
things took yet another totally unexpected turn!!
Somehow, discussion turned to the jungle, and how God could send
his angels to protect us from any wild beast! I quickly inserted a
cautionary comment, noting that just because God delivered Daniel, it doesn’t
mean he will always save us from animal attacks! The Bible is full of
examples of faithful believers whom God allowed to come to harm or even
death. God brought those believers to live with him in heaven.
However, the class insisted, God does send his angels to protect us!!
“I’m going to draw a picture of an angel protecting me from wild animals,” one
student announced, helping himself to a fresh poster-size piece of paper.
Why not, I thought, this should really be interesting!!
Everyone got caught up in the fabulous image of God sending
angels to ward off savage animal attacks. The resulting artwork was
nothing less than astonishing. Miguel drew a picture of himself
surrounded by wild wolves, looking calm with a huge winged angel at his side.
Socorro drew herself defiantly facing an evil dog the size of a garage.
She too had an angel at her side. Maravid
(obviously with reference to the story of
Berdilia’s imagination certainly
took flight. The 70-plus year-old grandma sketched on her paper two long,
fat anacondas facing towards each other. She then drew two small figures
that appeared to be dancing a jig right on top of the heads of the deadly
snakes! The figures were none other than Berdilia
and an angel! Breathtaking!! Native Eloy
had drawn himself walking upright underwater, completely submerged in a river,
oblivious to a couple of huge snakes that had snuck up and were about to take a
bite out of his behind! Eloy did not look the
least bit concerned. For just behind the snakes, Eloy
had drawn an angel, underwater swimming hard, about to arrive just in time to
thwart the snake attack!! Incredible!!!
The class ended with each artist describing their personal scene
of deliverance through God’s agents, the mighty angels. I closed the
session with a joyous reminder that we have all already been rescued from the
worst fate of all, eternal death, through saving faith in Jesus. We are
prepared for anything. We walk this world as the very children of
God. Whether we live or die, our eternal home awaits us!
“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been
pleased to give you the kingdom,” (Luke 12:32).
Until next time amigos!
Terry
Useful Facts· If you attempted to count all the stars in a galaxy at a rate of one every second it would take around 3,000 years to count them all.
· Driving at 75 miles per hour, it would take 258 days to drive around one of Saturn's rings.
· If we had the same mortality rate now as in 1900, more than half the people in the world today would not be alive.
· If you gave each human on earth an equal portion of dry land, including the uninhabitable areas, everyone would get roughly 100 square feet.
· It has been calculated that in the last 3,500 years, there have only been 230 years of peace throughout the civilized world.
· In a century's time, Islam had converted 1/3 of the world.
· The most common name in the world is Mohammed.
Around the World