JANUARY 2004
How to Get Depressed in Three Easy Steps
“Elijah was a man with a nature like
ours” James 5:17
Don’t you love the transparency with
which God’s Word describes real men and women? On almost every page of
Scripture you meet people “just like us.” Take Elijah. James 5:17 says that
Elijah, God’s great prophet, was a man with a nature like ours. You’ll meet him
in a time of real depression in 1 Kings 17-19. From his life we see this truth:
even the most godly people get down at times. Read on to discover how you, too,
can get some real victory over depression.
But first, let’s get the bad
advice out of the way. Here it is—three easy steps to depression:
#1
Find a place by yourself. In 1 Kings 19, Elijah had just come
off this major victory. He was physically exhausted and emotionally spent.
Verse five says that he sat under a juniper tree, an almost lifeless, leafless
shrub. So why was Elijah sitting under that tree? I’ll tell you—the dude wanted
to be by himself. “I don’t want any people around. People hurt me by what they
say and do.” The tragic fact is that depression shuts out the thing we need
most—people. We shut out those who love us, who want to support us, and people
who can give us a reality check.
Friend—those
dark clouds are not going to leave you as long as you are trying to do life on
your own. Let me ask you five questions. Answer honestly now.
1.
Do you have fewer personal friends than you had a year ago?
2.
Are you spending fewer evenings out?
3.
When you come home, do you often retreat away from your family?
4.
Are you skipping small group or avoiding getting into one?
5.
Is your worst nightmare being trapped in a corner by someone who loves you, who
is asking, “What is wrong?”
If
you want to get depressed, find a place by yourself.
#2
Focus on the negative. Everyone faces negative and positive
things in life. The way depression works is that you get really focused on the
negative. Before you know it, you take
some little thing and make it a big thing.
Look how Elijah focused on the
negative. In 1 Kings 19:4, he had lost his grip on the truth. He says, I alone
am left. (No he wasn’t.) I am no better than my fathers. I have accomplished
nothing. I have wasted my whole life. Now just hear this: No one accomplishes
all they want to, but everyone accomplishes more than they realize. If you are
a servant of Christ, seeking to be a faithful member of your family, and you
are pouring your life out for the glory of God as best you know how, hear
me--You are accomplishing a lot. And God is pleased.
#3
Forget God’s provision. I’m sorry, but is this the same guy
who was fed by God for three years from a loaf of bread and a jar of oil? Is
this the same guy who won a major victory when God poured down fire from heaven
and who killed 450 false prophets and obliterated idolatry in front of the home
crowd at high noon!? Elijah had seen a few miracles. It wasn’t like God had
never come through for him. Don’t you want to say, “Hey Elijah! God has never
failed you, man! He may have kept you waiting a few times, but He has always
done it in the best time and way. Why are you doubting Him?”
We
do the same thing. We forget God’s faithful provision and how good He has been
to us. We forget who God is and how He never changes and never fails.
Choosing the cure to depression.
1.
Let God confront you. In verse 9, as Elijah slept in a
cave, God came to him and said, Elijah, what are you doing here? Then, in spite
of Elijah’s lame excuses, the Lord ministered to him. I love that. God wasn’t
angry or judgmental; He just ministered grace to him.
2.
Let God reveal Himself to you. Watch how God
showed Himself strong to Elijah. God said, Just go stand outside, dude. “And
behold, the Lord passed by and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains
and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord. But the Lord was not in the
wind. After the wind, an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.
And after the earthquake, a fire. But the Lord was not in the fire. And after
the fire, a still small voice.” People, that is sweet. We live in a day
when people are clamoring. “Make my
eyes go wow, God, and then I’ll believe in You.” But Elijah had seen the wild
stuff and he was like, “whatever.” But then God whispered, It’s Me, Elijah.
It’s going to be OK. You can trust Me. And Elijah got fired up.
3.
Let God provide for you. After He revealed Himself to Elijah
in a small gentle voice, God supernaturally sent food and rest. God will
minister to you and heal your depression if you will receive His
provision--from His Word or from a friend, a piece of wisdom that He brings to
your mind, a new direction, a loving embrace. Let God confront you. Let God
reveal Himself to you and receive His provision.
4.
Immediately do what God says. God gave some
specific instructions to Elijah. Get up, man! Get up and go! It is all in
verses 15 through 17. What is God saying you need to do? Do it immediately.
5.
Get involved with people again. After this, God
sent Elijah back to civilization. God said, Yet I have reserved seven thousand
people in Israel who have never bowed to Baal who are as faithful as you are.
Go back and get with those people.
What is it you need to do today
to get back in the game? Ask God to give you the courage to meet Him every day
in 2004.
In
this jar are twenty-five walnuts and two cups of rice. The walnuts represent what God wants us to
do. The rice represents the fun things
we would like to do.
If you put the rice in first, the walnuts won't fit. If you put the walnuts in first, the rice
can be poured over and around the walnuts and both will fit with no problem.
The lesson we learn from this is: If we put time with
God before the things we want to do, we’ll have plenty of time for both.
If, however, we put ourselves first, we will never fit time
for God into our life.
Have a Blessed New Year
received via e-mail
Suddenly Unconstitutional?
As you walk up the steps to the
Capitol Building which houses the Supreme Court you can see near the top of the
building a row of the world's law givers and each one is facing one in the
middle who is facing forward with a full frontal view - it is Moses and the Ten
Commandments!
As you enter the Supreme Court courtroom, the two huge oak doors
have the Ten Commandments engraved on each lower portion of each door.
As you sit inside the courtroom, you can see the wall, right
above where the Supreme Court judges sit, a display of the Ten Commandments!
There are Bible verses etched in stone all over the Federal
Buildings and Monuments in Washington, D.C.
James Madison, the fourth president, known as "The Father
of OurConstitution" made the following statement "We have staked the
wholeof all our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for
self-government, upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves,
to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of
God."
Patrick Henry, that patriot and Founding Father of our country
said, "It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great
nation was founded not by religionists but by Christians, not on religions but
on the Gospel of Jesus Christ".
Every session of Congress begins with a prayer by a paid
preacher, whose salary has been paid by the taxpayer since 1777.
Fifty-two of the 55 founders of the Constitution were members of
the established orthodox churches in the colonies.
Thomas Jefferson worried that the Courts would overstep their
authority and instead of interpreting the law would begin making law…an
oligarchy...the rule of few over many.
The very first Supreme Court Justice, John Jay, said,
"Americans should select and prefer Christians as their rulers."
How, then, have we gotten to the point that everything we have
done for 220 years in this country is now suddenly wrong and unconstitutional?
received via e-mail
Want
a Donut?
There
was a certain Professor of Theology named Dr. Christianson, a studious man who
taught at a small college in the Western United States. Dr. Christianson taught
the required survey course in Christianity at this particular institution. Every student was required to take this
course his or her freshman year regardless of his or her major.
Although
Dr. Christianson tried hard to communicate the essence of the gospel in his
class, he found that most of his students looked upon the course as nothing but
required drudgery. Despite his best efforts, most students refused to take
Christianity seriously.
This
year, Dr. Christianson had a special student named Brad. Brad was only a
freshman, but was studying with the intent of going on to seminary for the
ministry. Brad was popular, he was well liked, and he was an imposing physical
specimen. He was now the starting
center on the school football team, and was the best student in the professor's
class.
One
day, Dr. Christianson asked Brad to stay after class so he could talk with
him. "How many push-ups can you
do?" Brad said, "I do about 200 every night." "200? That's
pretty good, Brad," Dr. Christianson said. "Do you think you could do 300?"
Brad
replied, "I don't know... I've never done 300 at a time." "Do
you think you could?" again asked Dr. Christianson. "Well, I can
try," said Brad.
"Can
you do 300 in sets of 10? I have a
class project in mind and I need you to do about 300 push ups in sets of ten
for this to work. Can you do it? I need you to tell me you can do it,"
said the professor. Brad said,
"Well... I think I can... yeah, I can do it."
Dr.
Christianson said, "Good! I need
you to do this on Friday. Let me
explain what I have in mind." - - - -
Friday
came and Brad got to class early and sat in the front of the room. When class
started, the professor pulled out a big box of donuts. Now these weren't the
normal kinds of donuts they were the extra fancy BIG kind, with cream centers
and frosting swirls. Everyone was
pretty excited it was Friday, the last class of the day, and they were going to
get an early start on the weekend with a party in Dr. Christianson's class.
Dr.
Christianson went to the first girl in the first row and asked, "Joan, do
you want to have one of these donuts?"
Joan said, "Yes."
Dr.
Christianson then turned to Brad and asked, "Brad, would you do ten
push-ups so that Joan can have a donut?”
Brad said, "Sure," and jumped down from his desk to do a quick
ten. Then Brad again sat in his desk.
Dr. Christianson put a donut on Joan's desk.
Dr.
Christianson then went to Dave, the next person, and asked, "Dave, do you
want a donut?" Dave said,
"Yes." Dr. Christianson asked, "Brad would you do ten push-ups
so Dave can have a donut?" Brad did ten push-ups, Dave got a donut.
And
so it went, down the first aisle, Brad did ten pushups for every person before
they got their donut.
And
down the second aisle, till Dr. Christianson came to Jack. Jack was on the basketball team, and in as
good of a condition as Brad. He was
very popular and never lacking for female companionship. When the professor asked, "Jack do you
want a donut?" Jack's reply was, "Well, can I do my own
pushups?" Dr. Christianson said,
"No, Brad has to do them."
Then Jack said, "Well, I don't want one then."
Dr.
Christianson shrugged and then turned to Brad and asked, "Brad, would you
do ten pushups so Jack can have a donut he doesn't want?" With perfect obedience Brad started to do
ten pushups. Jack said, "HEY! I
said I didn't want one!" Dr.
Christianson said, "Look, this is my classroom, my class, my desks, and
these are my donuts. Just leave it on
the desk if you don't want it."
And he put a donut on Jack's desk.
Now
by this time, Brad had begun to slow down a little. He just stayed on the floor between sets because it took too much
effort to be getting up and down. You
could start to see a little perspiration coming out around his brow.
Dr.
Christianson started down the third row. Now the students were beginning to get
a little angry.
Dr.
Christianson asked Heather, "Heather, do you want a donut?" Sternly, Heather said, "No." Then
Dr. Christianson asked Brad, "Brad, would you do ten more pushups so
Heather can have a donut that she doesn't want?" Brad did ten, Heather got
a donut.
By
now, a growing sense of uneasiness filled the room. The students were beginning to say "No" and there were
all these uneaten donuts on the desks.
Brad also had to really put forth a lot of extra effort to get these
pushups done for each donut. There
began to be a small pool of sweat on the floor beneath his face, his arms and
brow were beginning to get red because of the physical effort involved.
Dr.
Christianson asked Richard, who was the most vocal unbeliever in the class, to
watch Brad do each push up to make sure he did the full ten pushups in a set
because he couldn't bear to watch all of Brad's work for all of those uneaten
donuts. He sent Richard over to where
Brad was so Richard could count the set and watch Brad closely. Dr. Christianson started down the fourth
row.
During
his class, however, some students from other classes had wandered in and sat
down on the steps along the radiators that ran down the sides of the room. When the professor realized this, he did a
quick count and saw that now there were 34 students in the room. He started to worry if Brad would be able to
make it.
Dr.
Christianson went on to the next person and the next and the next. Near the end
of that row, Brad was really having a rough time. He was taking a lot more time to complete each set. Brad asked Dr. Christianson, "Do I have
to make my nose touch on each one?"
Dr. Christianson thought for a moment, "Well, they're your
pushups. You are in charge now. You can do them any way that you want."
And Dr. Christianson went on.
A
few moments later, Jared, a recent transfer student, came to the room and was
about to come in when all the students yelled in one voice, "NO! Don't come in! Stay out!" Jared didn't know what was going on. Brad picked up his head and said, "No,
let him come."
Professor
Christianson said, "You realize that if Jared comes in you will have to do
ten pushups for him?" Brad said,
"Yes, let him come in. Give him a
donut." Dr. Christianson said,
"Okay, Brad, I'll let you get Jared's out of the way right now. Jared, do you want a donut?"
Jared,
new to the room hardly knew what was going on.
"Yes," he said, "give me a donut." "Brad, will you do ten pushups so that
Jared can have a donut?" Brad did
ten pushups very slowly and with great effort.
Jared, bewildered, was handed a donut and sat down.
Dr.
Christianson finished the fourth row, then started on those visitors seated by
the heaters. Brad's arms were now
shaking with each pushup in a struggle to lift himself against the force of
gravity. Sweat was profusely dropping
off of his face and, by this time, there was no sound except his heavy
breathing, there was not a dry eye in the room.
The
very last two students in the room were two young women, both cheerleaders, and
very popular. Dr. Christianson went to Sandy, the second to last, and asked,
"Sandy, do you want a doughnut?"
Sandy said, very sadly, "No, thank you." Professor Christianson quietly asked,
"Brad, would you do ten pushups so that Sandy can have a donut she doesn't
want?" Grunting from the effort, Brad did ten very slow pushups for Sandy.
Then Dr. Christianson turned to the last girl, Sharon. "Sharon, do you want a donut?"
Sharon,
with tears flowing down her face, began to cry. "Dr. Christianson,
why can't I help him?" Dr. Christianson, with tears of his own, said,
"No, Brad has to do it alone, I have given him this task and he is in
charge of seeing that everyone has an opportunity for a donut whether they want
it or not. When I decided to have a party this last day of class, I looked at
my grade book. Brad, here is the only
student with a perfect grade. Everyone
else has failed a test, skipped class, or offered me inferior work. Brad told me that in football practice, when
a player messes up he must do push ups.
I told Brad that none of you could come to my party unless he paid the
price by doing your push ups. He and I
made a deal for your sakes. Brad, would
you do ten pushups so Sharon can have a donut?"
As
Brad very slowly finished his last pushup, with the understanding that he had
accomplished all that was required of him, having done 350 pushups, his arms
buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor.
Dr. Christianson turned to the room and said. "And so it was, that our Savior, Jesus Christ, on the cross,
pleaded to the Father, 'Into Thy hands I commend My spirit.' With the
understanding that He had done everything that was required of Him, he yielded
up His life.And like some of those in this room, many of us leave the gift on
the desk, uneaten."
Two
students helped Brad up off the floor and to a seat, physically exhausted, but
wearing a thin smile. "Well done,
good and faithful servant" said the professor, adding "Not all
sermons are preached in words."
Turning
to his class the professor said, "My wish is that you might understand and
fully comprehend all the riches of grace and mercy that have been given to you
through the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who spared not the
only Begotten Son, but gave Him up for us all, now and forever.
Greater
love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13.
received via e-mail
What A Sermon She Preached!
Two cars were
waiting at a stoplight. The light
turned green, but the man in the front car didn't notice it. A woman in the car behind him is watching
traffic pass around them. The woman begins pounding on her steering wheel and
yelling at the man to move.
The man doesn't move.
The woman is going ballistic
inside her car, ranting and raving at the man, pounding on her steering wheel
and dash. The light turns yellow and
the woman begins to blow the car horn, uses obscene gestures, and screams
profanity and curses at the man.
The man, looks up, sees the
yellow light and accelerates through the intersection just as the light turns
red.
The woman is beside herself,
screaming in frustration as she misses her chance to get through the
intersection. As she is still in mid-rant she hears a tap on her window and
looks up into the barrel of a gun held by a very serious looking policeman.
The policeman tells her to shut
off her car while keeping both hands in sight. She complies, speechless at what
is happening. After she shuts off the engine, the policeman orders her to exit
her car with her hands up. She gets out of the car and he orders her to turn
and place her hands on her car. She
turns, places her hands on the car roof and quickly is cuffed and hustled into
the patrol car. She is too bewildered by the chain of events to ask any
questions and is driven to the police station where she is fingerprinted,
photographed, searched, booked and placed in a cell.
After a couple of hours, a
policeman approaches the cell and opens the door for her. She is escorted back
to the booking desk where the original officer is waiting with her personal effects.
He hands her the bag containing
her things, and says, "I'm really sorry for this mistake. But you see, I
pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, using obscene
gestures at the guy in front of you, and cussing a blue streak at him. Then I noticed the: "Christ is the
Way" license plate holder, the "What Would Jesus Do" bumper
sticker, the "Follow Me to Sunday School" bumper sticker, and the
chrome plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk.
So, naturally . . . . . . . . I
assumed you had stolen the car!"
received via e-mail
Science Corner
Scientists often point out that there
is only a 2% genetic difference between humans and chimpanzees. Does this demonstrate that humans have
evolved from chimps? Hardly. Human DNA
consists of approximately 3 1/2 billion unique pieces of information (called
nucleotides). A 2% genetic difference
between humans and chimps corresponds to approximately 71,000,000 differences
(different nucleotides) in our DNA.
In
order to evolve a chimp into a human in the required 3 million years of
evolution, there would need to be 470 beneficial mutations to the chimp's DNA
every generation for 150,000 generations!
That's incredible!
The
next time you hear someone mention the 2% genetic difference between humans and
chimps as proof of evolution, pull out a pencil and paper and run through this
simple calculation with them.
selected
It’s Adult Bible class like you never
imagined Adult Bible class. Consider
the extraordinary factors involved when our Amazon native brothers attend
classes at the Instituto Biblico de la Selva Amazonica in Tarapoto:
These
native leaders are just coming out of an animistic religious tradition of
spirits, shamans, and spellcasting.
They are hearing most of the Bible stories for the very first time. Many of our students can’t read. (Thank the Lord for our Illustrated Bible
History books!) The student with the
most classroom ability has about a 6th grade level education. The
fundamental doctrines of Christianity are still quite new to many of the
students. They are adults yet with less
Bible knowledge than a seasoned Sunday Schooler.
At
the same time, the students certainly are aware that they are sinners in need
of a Savior. And, they are quickly
emerging from a worldview or outlook on life that could be summarized in one
word: FEAR. – Fear of malevolent
spirits in the jungle, fear of disturbed ancestors, fear of spells, fear of
death, etc. These fears are dissipating
one after another, and being replaced with confidence and trust in Jesus! The natives are realizing that through
faith, they are nothing less than the very children of God! Talk about a joyful time! Shedding the legacy of countless generations
that lived and died in fear, a new day is indeed dawning in the villages where
we bring the Gospel. Praise be to
God!
I
would like to share a little of what happens when Old Testament Bible stories
are heard for the first time by these natives who live deep in the jungle. Many tribal cultures have developed mores
and ethics far afield from God’s will.
Certain Bible-based moral standards are being heard and reflected upon
for the very first time. During the
classes, with extreme care and sensitivity, strange, often bizarre native
beliefs and practices can be drawn out of the students. These beliefs must be
thoroughly examined in the light of God’s Word.
At
the same time, the beautiful, multi-dimensional teachings in God’s stories
become even more extraordinary when I consider them anew through the unique
perspective of an Amazon native! I have
learned plenty from our Chayahuita, Shapra, and Condoshi brothers who recently
studied with us. Below is a collection
of anecdotes from a joyful, thought-provoking, eye-opening, sometimes weird and
even wacky week of Adult Bible Classes! Some of the anecdotes may be of
interest primarily to anthropology students. However, we may all rejoice at the
clear evidence that once again the Holy Spirit is working through his Word to
transform lives!!
[Caution: Some of the anecdotes get a little
graphic! Grade School teachers: Be prepared to edit!]
The story of Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar.
The
problems that Abraham and Sarah created when they decided to take things in
their own hands and use Hagar as a “second wife,” were discussed nearly all
morning one day. Both Basha and
gray-haired Poanchi noted that “nunca estaba tranquilo,” (it was never
tranquil) when each had more than one wife.
Years ago, as was their prerogative as tribal chief and assistant chief,
Basha had taken at least 2- 3 wives.
Poanchi had 2. Poanchi said some
wives were obtained by raids on neighboring enemy Condoshi villages, but that
didn’t work out very well: His captured
wives kept running back home!
Basha
declared that his wives never got along.
He offered a simple example: The
wives were to take turns making dinner.
If one wife forgot that it was her turn, the other wives wouldn’t remind
her, so as to get the first wife in trouble.
The end result of such conniving:
Basha would have no supper, just fighting wives on his hands. (Pastor Ronal and I were relieved that on
our visits to Viejo Limon Cocha, we found that both leaders indeed now only
have one wife each.)
After
much discussion of Abraham’s problems and heartache that resulted from his
relation with Hagar, the class was completed.
As everyone got up to take a break, Poanchi couldn’t restrain himself
from looking me right in the eye and saying, ”I wish someone had told us a long
time ago about not having two wives!”
Note
to myself: Do not try and draw Pharaoh
on the whiteboard with that traditional Egyptian headpiece / helmet thing. – (The tall helmet with the gold cobra head
in the front). Students are wondering,
“Why did the king of Egypt wear a box on his head with a snake in it?
Our
Bible story starts out with the pharaoh trying to kill all the Hebrew baby
boys. But the brave Hebrew midwives
declare that the vigorous Hebrew moms give birth before they even arrive… And with that comment, the native students
eagerly jumped into the discussion!
Now
I have noticed on several occasions that our Amazon brothers are extremely
proud of the fact that their wives are physically very tough. And nowhere is this toughness more apparent,
then in the area of giving birth!
Did
I think the Hebrew women were tough? they asked. Native Amazon women may be bent over working in their fields, or
walking down a jungle path when the moment arrives to give birth! If their husband is close by, he will stand
directly behind his wife, while she gets down on her knees. She grabs onto his upper arms and hangs onto
him, while he starts pushing down on her stomach with his hands, forcing the
baby out!
But
what if the mother is alone, as is often the case?
The
native mothers of course know just what to do.
They quickly look for a medium-size tree trunk or thick branch that has
fallen over, and is laying horizontal a foot or two above the ground. Leaning her chest hard against the horizontal
trunk and grabbing it with both hands, the gal will slowly press the trunk
against her body lower and lower, (think of the trunk as a huge rolling pin
against a mound of dough), until the baby comes out! The cord is cut with her machete, the sharp edge of a plant part,
or else another way too graphic to mention.
A native wife, who traditionally gets married at an early age, could
easily give birth to 10-14 children. Yes, we all agreed, our native brothers
have much to be thankful for in having such precious, tough wives.
Back
to our Bible narrative: When we got to
the part of the story where the evil Pharaoh commands that all the Hebrew baby
boys be thrown in the Nile to kill them, the class became very silent. The horror of having every small male child
drowned in the community river made a huge impact on the class. Everyone sat in stunned silence, as the
enormity of the evil act sunk in. With
innocent, child-like sincerity, one of the students spoke up and said:
“Babies
are good swimmers, since they practice swimming for 9 months in their
mothers. I’ve seen them swim. If a baby was thrown in the river, he could
swim for 10 or at the most 15 minutes.
If he didn’t make it to the shore by then, he would drown.” The image of a small baby struggling hard to
survive only added to the already shocking story. The class realized how satanically evil God-less people can
be.
Moses
flees after killing an Egyptian
The
story of Moses defending his Hebrew brother against an Egyptian immediately
struck a responsive chord in the natives, given the long-standing feud between
Basha’s Shapra tribe and the neighboring Condoshis. (The tribal warfare is flaring up again, as evidenced by our last
trip to Viejo Limon Cocha and that “gunshot across the prow.”) During our discussion, it came out that
student Mando’s brother had been shot and killed by the Condoshis less than a
year and a half ago! As previously
reported, Poanchi witnessed the killing of his mother, father and siblings when
he was a little boy. (He was wading
down river by himself when a raiding party descended upon his family and killed
them all before his eyes. He ran away
and escaped. An uncle took Poanchi in
and raised him.
During
the class, it was carefully explained that while Moses’ sympathies for his
suffering Hebrew brother were understandable, his killing the Egyptian was
indefensible. This statement had more
than a few of the natives shooting quick, furtive glances at each other.
Indeed, I have long suspected that some of these students had taken part in
retributive raiding parties at some time in their lives, - especially after
hearing their detailed stories of raids by their fathers and especially their
headhunting grandfathers!
We
went into a lengthy discussion of the concept that “the end does not justify
the means.” In the light of tribal
rules of warfare, including the time-honored tradition of bloody revenge raids,
this seemed to be a very hard lesson to accept. As Christian natives, they were being called upon to reject such
traditional practices and now live in accord with God’s holy will!
Several
of the natives knew I was picking up on the fact that they had apparently acted
like Moses, using deadly force against another. In an attempt at “damage control,” one native leaned over to
another and said in Spanish, loud enough for me to hear: “Well, at least we didn’t eat anyone.”
(Now
there’s a comment you don’t hear in Bible class every week.)
Of
course a favorite part of this story was Moses’ staff turning into a
snake! The natives stared and stared at
the accompanying illustration, shaking their heads in utter amazement,
excitedly discussing the wondrous act with each other. No, it wasn’t because of some special,
secret wood, as one students inquired. It was a demonstration of the power of
the true God, whom Moses would represent. Nonetheless, the natives hoped that
some day God might give them a stick like Moses’.
Back
to the Egyptian that Moses buried in the sand…
Under
cover of the story of the Egyptian that Moses killed and buried, the natives
again brought up the topic of what happens to your spirit when you die. This topic is an obsession with several of
them. Then again, our students are
attempting to throw off a sacred tribal belief held by countless generations
before them.
As
I’ve often reported, many Amazon tribes believe that after death, the spirit
needs some time to leave the body. Thus
the practice of placing their dead up on stands rather than buried underground. Otherwise you run the risk of trapping your
sentient spirit in the dark, cold, soundless earth, living out a horrific
existence for who knows how long.
The
students were extremely eager to find out what I thought happened to the dead
Egyptian’s spirit! What excitement for
them to discover a Bible story that included a dead person being immediately
buried in the sand!
I
launched into yet another class on what happens to a person when they die. I drew my well-known picture of the ecstatic
spirit of a dead native leaving the body and rising to heaven to join Jesus and
all the saints and angels. The natives
love this picture and always smile broadly when I draw it. It does their hearts good! It was also explained that unless the
Egyptian was a believer, his spirit would be immediately banished to
everlasting punishment!
“And
what about the body?” they all ask, knowing full well what comes next: I drew a
dead native lying in the traditional trough-like box, up on a stand just like
one sees in the villages. The body is
erased and changed to a skeleton, then nothing but a bit of dust in the bottom
of the box.
But
then, the whiteboard was filled with a huge drawing of Jesus coming down from
heaven, angels flying, trumpets blasting…Judgment Day!!! And a radiant, glorified, fabulous native
body is seen reuniting with spirit and meeting with Jesus in the sky!! The natives are thrilled all over again at
the sight, and bask in the knowledge that this is their future! Indeed; “death, where is thy sting?!”
I
finish by saying once again: “So it
doesn’t really matter where you’re buried; on a stand, in the ground, or even
lost in the river; your body will rise again to be reunited with your spirit in
heaven.” Then Poanchi, in his capacity
as assistant chief, rose to speak. The room
went silent as everyone eagerly listened:
“Not
too long ago, when our Condoshi enemies would kill one of us, to get back at us
even more, they would secretly bury the body somewhere where we couldn’t find
it. Both the Condoshis and we Shapras
would believe that the dead person’s spirit was now trapped in the cold ground,
living a horrible existence. So there
could be nothing worse than to be killed by your enemy who would bury you. That is another reason why the hatred
between the two tribes runs so deep.
But
I do not believe that anymore. Now I
believe my spirit will go immediately to heaven and my body will be reunited
with it later.” (I could hardly believe
the clarity with which Poanchi was speaking!!)
And then, with his inimitable flare for the dramatic he added:
“When
I get back to Viejo Limon Cocha, I will announce to the community, ‘bury me in
the ground.’ I have no fear. My spirit will immediately be in heaven.”
Everyone smiled and cheered Poanchi’s words.
Believe me, everyone grasped the extraordinary significance of Poanchi’s
bold statement. Poanchi would be the
first in his community to break with the ancestor’s long-venerated false
beliefs and tradition. What power Holy
Spirit, you have rained upon our faithful group once again!
Until
next time amigos!!
Terry
P.S. What a joy to know so many of you are
praying for the Lord’s work in the jungle!
A most heartfelt thanks for the many cards, notes and emails of
encouragement last month! I have not had time to respond to each one, but be
assured that they are very much appreciated!
Greetings
From China
These days the weather in Beijing has
been very windy. But I’m not talking a mild tropical breeze—I’m talking an
Arctic blast that sends shivers down to your toes and back up again. On these
windy days I’ve learned a few survival lessons that I thought I’d share with
you, should you ever be in a similar situation.
Lesson
One: It’s best not to eat fruit on a stick on a windy day in Beijing.
Some
of you might remember one of my favorite winter snacks is fruit on a stick.
Quite simply, it’s a variety of fruits kabobbed on a stick and dipped in boiled
sugar then left out to cool. Obviously, this kind of snack works best in the
cold of winter because it is often sold by street vendors; if it was sold in
the summer, the sugar would melt off the fruit. I like oranges on a stick a
lot, and for a mere 2 yuan (~ $.25), I can have this treat everyday if I want.
My favorite variety, though, is strawberries, but this kind is a little pricey
at 5 yuan (~ $.60). Kind of steep for my budget. Tee hee. ANYWAY, the other day
I was running around doing various things at lunch time and didn’t have a
chance to eat in the cafeteria at school, so I decided to grab some fruit on a
stick to hold me over until my next meal. The wind was blowing ferociously, but
all I could think about was my stomach. Now, you’d think on this cold, cold day
I’d have a hat on, but alas, I was foolish and went out without a hat. Soooo,
my hair kept blowing into my fruit on a stick and sticking to the sugar. Gross.
Nevertheless, I did manage to eat it all (the fruit, that is), though I was in
need of a shower afterwards.
Lesson
Two: It’s okay to cry.
Beijing
is a very dusty city. Why this is I’m not certain, whether it’s because of all
the new construction or the sand blowing in from the Mongolian desert, I don’t
know. But picture this: you’re riding your bicycle when a blast of wind swirls
up all the dust and dirt from the street and blows it...where? Right into your
face. One such morning I arrived at school with dirt in my eyes and tears
streaming down my face from the dirt, which was stinging my eyes something
terrible. I really hate to cry in front of my students, as they already are not
quite sure what to think of me sometimes (hey, whatever it takes to get some
sign from them that they’re actually alive in my class)...and then there’s the
time I burst into tears when I couldn’t get my lunch card and everyone was
talking at me in Chinese, but this is neither the time or place...Then one
afternoon, the same thing happened when I was riding home from school, only
this time there was so much dirt in one of my eyes that I couldn’t open it or
it would hurt, so I’m trying to wipe the tears away with one hand, while the
other hand is steering my bike, but I only have one eye open, which made it
difficult to know exactly where to steer my bike. Now all of this could have
ended in catastrophe had I not been about half a block from home. (Of course, I
could have just gotten off my bike and pushed it home, but that would have
prolonged the time I had to spend in the wind. There is a method to my
madness.)
Lesson
Three: Who needs a stationary bike for exercise?
Since
I’m on the subject of biking, let me tell you about the latest in exercise
technology. It’s called riding your bike against the Beijing wind. You’re
pedaling and pedaling and pedaling and really not going anywhere. It’s a great
workout! Remember, you’re dressed in about four layers of clothes and, despite
the chill of the wind, getting quite warm, so when you finally get home the
layers are coming off before the key reaches the door. Of course, if you’re
riding with the wind behind you, everyone else just better watch out because
there’s no stopping! You can also practice keeping your balance when a strong
blast of wind broadsides you. I’m surprised you don’t see more cyclists flying
off their bikes when this happens. It’s really kind of freaky.
Lesson
Four: It’s okay to be disgusting when you’re in the company of friends.
Lynelle
and Sarah decided to have a check-your-kleenex contest to gage exactly how much
dust and dirt one can consume and then blow out on any given day. The results,
my friends, are scary, though not much worse than on a bad pollution day. Enough
about that.
So
concludes my survival lesson. In other news, as Rachel said, “We’re dropping
like flies,” as about half of us have contracted the dreaded Beijing flu. Artie
and Josh and I were looking pretty rough at our teachers’ meeting last week.
Fortunately for me, I’m almost over my bout, and it was not nearly as bad as
last year—no cough at all! I’ve been washing my kids’ desks with bleach
solution every week, though I’m thinking I need to do it everyday. It’s just
that time of year. Vacation is coming soon!
Well,
I’m off to the first of many Christmas parties. I’ll write again soon to tell
you about our cookie baking extravaganza last week. I’ve got some really cute
pictures too. Thanks for all the cards! My classroom looks great, and the kids
love reading the messages many of you wrote to me.
Since
I just can’t say it enough, Merry Christmas!
Love,
Keri
Living
at Home/Block Nurse Program (LAH/BNP)
The
Gathering is a “mini” adult day project targeting families experiencing the
stress of caring for a loved one with early stage memory loss. Currently, five Como area families are able
to leave their loved ones at St. Timothy Lutheran Church for five hours twice a
month.
The
Como Park LAH/BN Program and Lyngblomsten have trained 12 volunteers to staff
this project. Lyngblomsten also
provides transportation to the senior center for the noon meal. This project is very exciting and the
reception by caregivers and volunteers has been very positive.
Facts
about Senior Citizens and the Living at Home/Block Nurse Programs (LAH/BNP):
·
By 2020, one out of five people in America
will be 65 years of age or older.
·
During the next two decades the fastest
growing segment of the population will be those aged 85 and above.
·
For every dollar invested in Living at
Home/Block Nurse Programs, there is an associated cost saving of at least three
dollars for the community.
·
Staying at home with the help of a LAH/BNP
costs 80% to 90% less than being in a nursing home.
·
A LAH/BNP offers support and services to any person
living in the community who is 65 or older, regardless of ability to pay.
·
In a 1991 LAH/BNP evaluation, 38% of seniors
in nursing facilities could have remained at home with appropriate support.
·
A LAH/BNP builds a strong community because
volunteers and health professionals also live in the neighborhood.
·
Volunteers provide services such as
transportation, grocery shopping, friendly visits, respite care, chores and
other services as needed.
·
The LAH/BN programs started in St. Anthony
Park in 1981. Currently there are 31
local programs in Minnesota and 5 in Texas.
·
In the fiscal year 2000, a total of 632
elders were kept out of nursing homes a total of 4,174 months, resulting in an
estimated savings to elders, their families and the public of over five million
dollars. Many, many others also
received services that made their lives easier.
Elderberry Institute web site:
elderberry.org.
Note:
These articles are from the Living at Home/Block Nurse Program’s newsletter
“Home Address”.
Harold Brown
Welcome,
Ladies!
The Women’s Guild invites all lady
members of the congregation to come visit us at our meetings. Our purpose is to
get together for worship and Bible study. food, fun, and fellowship, and to
serve our congregation and various missions throughout our synod. Our noon
luncheons are always delicious and full of friendly conversation. Our study
time with Pastor is spirited, relaxed and full of friendly discussion. Our
bussiness meeting is casual and relaxed, yet informative.
We
send delegates and reporters to the various auxiliaries of the synod to keep in
touch with their work and to help them in any way that we can.
We
meet in the Fireside Room where it’s cozy. Evening meetings are usually in the
Fellowship Hall as noted in the bulletin. Don’t think of it as going to a
boring meeting, but rather a pleasant afternoon out to lunch with friends.
Interesting also. We would love to see you.
Just Come!
The Officers for
the New Year are:
President: Marcella
Voss
Vice President: Rita Krushwitz
Secretary: Berdella
Cooper
Treasurer: Marlene
Struwe
Marcella Voss
Sincere Thanks for the Following Memorials
…In
memory of Pastor Don Grummert from M/M Dennis Gilbert
…In
memory of Departed Friends and Neighbors
from M/M Art Schmugge
Thrivent Financial For Lutherans
Thank you very much to the 43 voters
who voted for Thrivent Financial for Lutheran National Directors and Local
Chapters. The total amount for Food
Shelf was $215 to be given to Merriam Park Food Shelf for purchasing food.
Mae Schmidt
The Last Words from Aid Association
for Lutheran's Branch 757
The $147.00 that we earned for extra
bonus points for 2003 has been used to purchase Thrivent place mats for Mt.
Olive's church use at a cost of $43.07 and the remainder of $103.97 has gone
into the Mt. Olive Remodeling Fund.
Mae Schmidt
There was an excellent discussion of
the 2004 proposed budget at the congregational assembly in November, and I
wanted to share with you the outcome of those discussions and the actions taken
by the council.
There
is no argument that the financial needs of Mt. Olive for 2004 will be higher
than last year. Due to the recent
remodeling expenses, we will have the added expenses of paying back our loan to
our special fund accounts. Another
significant increase is in the janitorial services. This is a job we have hired out beginning last year, and the
budget reflects that increase. Add to
this increased expenses for utilities, health insurance and general increases –
we were looking at a 17% increase in contributions.
At
the same time, it was the desire of the council and the general feeling of the
congregation to maintain our level of synod support – which is currently set at
19% of every contributed dollar. This
level of synod support is high in comparison to other congregations in our
district.
At
the December meeting, the council approved this budget with the following
modification. We would continue our
synod support at 19% of the contributions received. The expenses we incur by supporting the Chinese church would
reduce this amount.
If
has been a joy to watch the Chinese church grow and Mt. Olive can be proud of
the part we play in the support of this mission effort. We do collect rent from the Chinese church
($400 a month) for the use of our facilities to help offset some of our
additional expenses. It is believed the
$400 does not cover all of the expenses and we plan on doing an analysis to
determine the true costs. We do NOT
intend to increase this rent – rather, we would consider this cost as Mt. Olive’s
support for this particular mission – and we would deduct this amount from our
monthly synod support.
Stated
another way (hopefully clearer) – 19 cents of every dollar you contribute is
used to support either the mission work of the Chinese church or the mission
work of the synod at large. Of
course, if you contribute to a particular fund or purpose, such as building
maintenance, or any of the special envelopes with our special services, for
example – all of your contribution is used for that purpose.
Our
financial needs for 2004 have increased.
Prayerfully, those needs will be met by those of you who are financially
capable of increasing your support of Mt. Olive and the mission work we do in
our neighborhood and abroad.
Jerry Holen, Treasurer
Our New Year’s Prayer
“Dear
Master, for this coming year
Just one request I bring:
I
do not pray for happiness,
Or any earthly thing-
I
do not ask to understand
The way Thou leadest me,
But
this I ask: Teach me to do
The thing that pleaseth Thee.
I
want to know Thy guiding voice,
To walk with Thee each day.
Dear
Master, make me swift to hear
And ready to obey.
And
thus the year I now begin
A happy year will be-
If
I am seeking just to do
The thing that pleaseth Thee.”
Points
to Ponder
·
Many people will walk in and out or your
life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.
·
To handle yourself, use your head, To handle
others, use your heart.
·
Anger is only one letter short of danger.
·
Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds
discuss events; Small minds discuss people.
·
God gives every bird it's food, but He does
not throw it into it's nest.
·
He who loses money, loses much; He who loses
a friend, loses more; He who loses faith, loses all.
·
Beautiful young people are acts of nature,
but beautiful old people are works of art.
·
Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't
live long enough to make them all yourself.
·
The tongue weighs practically nothing, but so
few people can hold it.