Go Into The Entire World…
Timothy
Wiedmann
Chairman, Mt. Olive Congregation
Go is an ancient Chinese game. The rules are simple, but like chess, proficient players devise
an extremely complicated strategy to win.
In playing the game, each move must be balanced between attack and
defense. Many aspects of life also
require balance. In fact, the legend
has it that a father who wanted to teach his son about leadership developed the
game of Go.
We Christians at Mt Olive also must have balance. Our mission statement is a balance between
self-growth, really greater Christian maturity, and outreach. (Recall our Mission Statement: As a family
united in faith through the Holy Scriptures, we live to praise, honor, and glorify
the Triune God, to nurture and train believers and to proclaim Christ's love
and God's promise of salvation to unbelievers in our community and the world).
However, I wonder if our attempts to achieve a balance of these goals end up
looking like children, who try to balance the seesaw without understanding the
underlying principal of physics.
I find balance is very hard to achieve when our mission statement seems
to require mutually exclusive goals.
Specifically, how do we achieve balance for our worship service on
Sundays? Do we have a service for our
members? Do we come to enjoy the close
communion we share with fellow believers?
Do we come to stand with our dear friends we have known for years? Do we come to seek the tremendous support
from those we have shared the trials and tribulations of our lives? Or perhaps, we come to have a completely
different service, which would appeal to visitors ignorant of the meaning of
close communion? Do we abandon our own
needs to help those that do not have the saving Gospel? Do we set aside our comfortable traditions
and change our gathering for the comfort of our guests? Do we come to give to the church and its
mission of outreach rather than being a served spectator? How can we achieve the desperately needed
balance?
We look to the scriptures. Do
we emulate Martha, so concerned with food and drink for visitors that she
criticized Mary for eating and drinking from the Living Bread and Water? Or perhaps, we emulate the resentful
prodigal son's brother, who criticized the loving father for graciously
accommo-dating the straying sheep? Where is the balance? I do not have the answer, which is
consistent with the fact that I am not very good at playing the game of
Go. Nevertheless, an idea from
"The Purpose Driven Church" is that we may need two services. One service to strengthen, support and
invigorate the disciples of Christ, that is, the true, committed members that
are faithfully serving and spreading the Word.
The other service can be used to show our love to those outside the
discipleship that would include visitors, friends and family, and maybe even
some of the "members" at Mt Olive.
Mission
Thoughts
Millions have never heard of Jesus. We ought not to
ask, “Can I prove that I ought to go?” but, “Can I prove that I ought
not to go?” C. H.
Spurgeon
Evangelism
never seemed to be an “issue” in the New Testament. That is to say, one does
not find the apostles urging, exhorting, scolding, planning, and organizing for
evangelistic programs. Evangelism happened! Issuing effortlessly from the community
of believers as light from the sun, it was automatic, spontaneous, continuous,
contagious.
Richard
Halverson
Evangelism is one beggar telling another beggar where
to get bread. D. T Niles
The Christian Church is the one organization in the
world that exists purely for the benefit of non-members. William Temple
We must reach the point of preferring to die rather
than to have a ministry without fruit and without power. Fernando Vangioni
Quite a Quiet Concert!
A
junior high music teacher had just organized a band in her school. The
principal was so proud of the music teacher's efforts that without consulting
her he decided that the band should give a concert for the entire school. The
music teacher wasn't so sure her young musicians were ready to give a concert,
so she tried to talk the principal out of holding the concert, to no avail.
Just before the
concert was ready to begin, as the music teacher stood on the podium, she
leaned forward and whispered to her nervous musicians, "If you're not sure
of your part, just pretend to play.” And with that, she stepped back, lifted
her baton and with a great flourish brought it down. Lo and behold, nothing
happened! The band brought forth a resounding silence.
Sometimes we in the church
are like that junior high band, unsure of our parts, tentative in our roles,
reluctant to trumpet forth the music of faith that God desires of us.
Taking On Christ's Likeness
A
number of years ago Henry Drummond wrote a classic sermon titled "The
Greatest Thing in the World." He concluded his sermon by suggesting that
if you put a piece of iron in the presence of an electrified field, that piece
of iron itself will become electrified. And in the presence of that electrical
field, it is changed into a magnet. As long as it remains in contact with that
field of power, it will continue to attract other pieces to itself.
We are like
that piece of iron. In the presence of Christ, we experience His love and take
on His likeness. We are changed, electrified by the Holy Spirit, to attract
others to the same love of God that we experience.
Lee Griess
Now
I want to tell you a lie. Hate is an emotion we can't help. Hate is a feeling
we cannot overcome. If we hate someone, it is because we just can't help
ourselves. We're human. We have no choice but to hate.
That is a lie.
Unfortunately, it is a lie many people believe. They believe this lie in order
to excuse their hatred. After all, if we can't help but hate, if hate is a
feeling we simply cannot help, then hatred is never our fault, is it?
But we can help
it. Hatred is a choice. We choose to hate, just as we choose to love.
Oh, I know,
there are people out there who believe love isn't a choice, that love is
primarily an emotion, a feeling, a stirring in the loins. These are the same
people who stay married for six months, then divorce. These are the people who
love the idea of love but seem unable to stay in it.
Love is a
matter of the will - something we decide to do. Love is a choice.
Philip Gulley
A
new kind of plane was on its first flight. It was full of reporters and
journalists. A little while after takeoff, the captain's voice was heard over
the speakers. "Ladies and gentlemen, I'm delighted to be your pilot for
this plane's historic first flight. I can tell you the flight is going well.
Nevertheless, I
have to tell you about a minor inconvenience that has occurred. The passengers
on the right side can, if they look out their window, see that the closest
engine is slightly vibrating. That shouldn't worry you, because this plane is
equipped with four engines and we are flying along smoothly at an acceptable
altitude.
As long as you
are looking out the right side, you might as well look at the other engine on
that side. You will notice that it is glowing, or more precisely one should
say, burning. That shouldn't worry you either, since this plane is designed to
fly with just two engines if necessary, and we are maintaining an acceptable
altitude and speed.
As long as we
are looking out the plane, those of you on the left side shouldn't worry if you
look out your side of the plane and notice that one engine that is supposed to
be there is missing. It fell off about ten minutes ago. Let me tell you that we
are amazed that the plane is doing so well without it.
However, I will
call your attention to something a little more serious. Along the center aisle
all the way down the plane a crack has appeared. Some of you are, I suppose,
able to look through the crack and may even notice the waves of the Atlantic
Ocean below. In fact, those of you with very good eyesight may be able to
notice a small lifeboat that was thrown from the plane.
Well, ladies
and gentlemen, you will be happy to know that your captain is keeping an eye on
the progress of the plane from that lifeboat below."
Sometimes we
find ourselves in situations very similar to that plane flight. Everything
around us seems to be falling apart and the person in charge seems to be as
remote as the captain in the raft on the ocean far below.
But the person
in charge of our lives is not remote. He is our Shepherd and He is leading the
way. Leading us; giving us eternal life; assuring us we will never perish; and,
my friends, no one can snatch you out of His hands.
Lee Griess
The
call of our Lord is "hidden" in a whole chorus of worldly voices
which beckon us. Other would-be shepherds seek to tempt us away from the Good
Shepherd, the joy of His forgiveness and the security of His love. And when we
are weak and confused we may fall victim to the enticements of other gods.
I am reminded
of an American tourist who was traveling in the Mid East. He came upon several
shepherds whose flocks had intermingled while drinking water from a brook.
After an exchange of greetings, one of the shepherds turned toward the sheep
and called out, "Manah. Manah. Manah." (Manah means, "follow
me" in Arabic.) Immediately his sheep separated themselves from the rest
and followed him.
Then one of the
two remaining shepherds called out, "Manah. Manah." and his sheep
left the common flock to follow him.
The traveler
then said to the third shepherd, "I would like to try that. Let me put on
your cloak and turban and see if I can get the rest of the sheep to follow
me." The shepherd smiled knowingly as the traveler wrapped himself in the
cloak, put the turban on his head and called out, "Manah. Manah." The
sheep did not respond to the stranger's voice. Not one of them moved toward
him.
"Will the
sheep ever follow someone other than you?" The traveler asked. "Oh
yes," the shepherd replied, "sometimes a sheep gets sick, and then it
will follow anyone."
We have seen
it, haven't we? People, young and old, who are "sick." Battered by
the storms of life and distracted by voices urging them to go this way and
that, they have lost their bearings and they don't know where they are or where
they are going. That can be more than a little frightening; it leads to
despair, to hopelessness. And when someone is "sick" they will follow
anyone who will promise a moment of happiness, a brief feeling of peace or
forgetfulness, a sense that they are someone.
But the call of
Jesus the Good Shepherd is, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life."
There is no better way, no greater truth, no happier life. Our Lord reaches out
to us in love that we might follow Him.
John M. Braaten
Sheep Know Their Shepherd
In
her book The Preaching Life, Barbara Brown Taylor tells of a conversation she
had with a friend who grew up on a sheep farm in the Midwest. According to him,
sheep are not dumb at all. "It is the cattle ranchers who are responsible
for spreading that ugly rumor, and all because sheep do not behave like cows.
Cows are herded
from the rear by hooting cowboys with cracking whips, but that will not work
with sheep at all. Stand behind them making loud noises and all they will do is
run around behind you, because they prefer to be led. You push cows, her friend
said, but you lead sheep, and they will not go anywhere that someone else does
not go first - namely, their shepherd - who goes ahead of them to show them
that everything is all right."
Sheep know
their shepherd and their shepherd knows them.
He went on to
say that "it never ceased to amaze him, growing up, that he could walk
right through a sleeping flock without disturbing a single one of them, while a
stranger could not step foot in the fold without causing pande-monium."
Sheep and
shepherds develop a language of their own.
Buzzards, Bats, and Bumblebees
If
you put a buzzard in a pen that is 6 feet by 8 feet and is entirely open at the
top, the bird, in spite of its ability to fly, will be an absolute prisoner.
The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a run
of 10 to 12 feet. Without space to run, as is its habit, it will not even
attempt to fly, but will remain a prisoner for life in a small jail with no
top.
The ordinary
bat that flies around at night, a remarkably nimble creature in the air, cannot
take off from a level place. If it is placed on the floor or flat ground, all
it can do is shuffle about helplessly and, no doubt, painfully, until it
reaches some slight elevation from which it can throw itself into the air.
Then, at once, it takes off like a flash.
A bumblebee, if
dropped into an open tumbler, will be there until it dies, unless it is taken
out. It never sees the means of escape at the top, but persists in trying to
find some way out through the sides near the bottom. It will seek a way where
none exists, until it completely destroys itself.
In many ways,
there are lots of people like the buzzard, the bat, and the bumblebee. They are
struggling about with all their problems and frustrations, not ever realizing
that they merely have to look UP...the answer is always ABOVE.
I will lift up
mine eyes to the Lord...from whence comes my help!
As you
walk up the steps to the building which houses the U.S. 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 he is holding the Ten Commandments!
DID YOU KNOW?
As you enter the
Supreme Court courtroom, the two huge oak doors have the Ten Command-ments
engraved on each lower portion of each door.
DID YOU KNOW?
As you sit inside the
courtroom, you can see the wall, right above where the Supreme Court judges
sit, a display of the Ten Command-ments!
DID YOU KNOW?
There are Bible
verses etched in stone all over the Federal Buildings and Monuments in
Washington, D.C.
DID YOU KNOW?
James Madison, the
fourth president, known as "The Father of Our Constitution" made the
following statement "We have staked the whole of 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."
DID YOU KNOW?
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."
DID YOU KNOW?
Every session of
Congress begins with a prayer by a paid preacher, whose salary has been paid by
the taxpayer since 1777.
DID YOU KNOW?
Fifty-two of the 55
founders of the Constitution were members of the established orthodox churches
in the colonies.
DID YOU KNOW?
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.
DID YOU KNOW?
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?
Radio
Message
President Ronald Reagan
Christmas, 1977
All the traditions associated with Christmas were observed
as usual in the past holiday season, including the chorus of complaints that
“commercialization” is robbing the day of its true meaning. I’ll have to
confess I can’t join that chorus. Somehow the ads offering helpful gift
suggestions when we are all filled with the spirit of giving; the decorations
on the streets, in the stores; the familiar carols - all add to the Christmas
spirit for me and don’t really strike me as crass.
I am disturbed, however, about something I read over the holidays which
could really rob Christmas of its meaning for millions of us who see it as more
than just the birthday of a great and good teacher. I realize there are those
who, by religious belief consider Jesus a very human prophet whose teachings
about love for one another; treating others as we would like to be treated
ourselves are sound patterns for living; that he is to be respected but not
worshiped.
But for many of us he is much more. He is the promised Messiah, the Son
of God come to earth to offer salvation for all mankind. It was
disturbing therefore to read that in many Christian seminaries there is an
increasing tendency to minimize his divinity, to reject the miracle of his
birth and regard him as merely human.
Meaning no disrespect to the religious convictions of others, I still
can’t help wondering how we can explain away what to me is the greatest miracle
of all and which is recorded in history. No one denies there was such a man,
that he lived and that he was put to death by crucifixion.
Where then, you may ask, is the miracle I spoke of? Well consider this
and let your imagination translate the story into our own time - possibly to
your own home- town. A young man whose father is a carpenter grows up working
in his father’s shop. One day he puts down his tools and walks out of his
father’s shop. He starts preaching on street corners and in the nearby countryside,
walking from place to place preaching all the while, even though he is not an
ordained minister. He never gets farther than an area perhaps 100 miles wide at
the most.
He does this for three years. Then he is arrested, tried and convicted.
There is no court of appeal so he is executed at age 33 along with two common
thieves. Those in charge of his execution roll dice to see who gets his
clothing - the only possessions he has. His family cannot afford a burial place
so he is interred in a borrowed tomb.
End of story? No, this unedu-cated, property-less young man who
preached on street corners for only three years and who left no written word
has, for 2000 years, had a greater effect on the world than all the rulers,
kings and emperors; all the conquerors, generals and admirals; all the
scholars, scientists and philoso-phers who ever lived - all of them put
together.
How do we explain that - unless he really was what he said he was.
And
here’s what Ronald Reagan said about Evolution as he was campaigning for
the presidency:
The trouble here, as with many other subjects in our
national discourse, is that people think they “know” things that they
don’t. It is widely assumed that the
Darwinian theory has been “proved” by “science,” and that only an ignoramus or
fanatic would attempt to challenge it.
That assumption is mistaken.
Answers From Genesis
“Did God
create the world in 6 literal days?”
Some people
believe God created the world, but they deny that creation took place in 6
normal-length days.
Does it matter
whether God took 6 days or millions of years to bring about the universe?
Well yes, it
does, – if we believe the Bible!
Age-dating
methods:
· All
age-dating methods are based on assumptions about the past that cannot be
proven.
· 90%
of all age-dating methods give dates far younger than secular scientists
require.
· Careful
study of Biblical chronology yields a date for the universe of only a few
thousand years.
Positions
attempting to add man’s theories of “millions of years” to the Bible:
· Gap
Theory: There is a gap of time between
Genesis 1:1 and 1:2.
· Day-Age
Theory: The days in Genesis 1 represent
long periods of time.
· The
universe existed for millions of years before creation.
Biblical
uses for the word “day”:
· The
Hebrew word for “day” (yom) is used 2301 times in the Old Testament. Outside of Genesis 1:
· Yom
plus ordinal number (used 410 times) always indicates an ordinary day.
· The
words “evening” and “morning” together (38 times) always indicate an ordinary
day.
· Yom
plus “evening” or “morning” (23 times each) always indicates an ordinary day.
· Yom
plus “night” (52 times) always indicates an ordinary day.
· Genesis
2:4 – Yom is not qualified with a number or the phrases “evening” and/or
“morning”, and represents a period of time.
· Exodus
20:11 – The basis for our week is the 6 days of creation and one day of rest.
· The
Israelites walked around Jericho for seven days, not an indeterminate number of
days.
· Jonah
was in the whale for 3 days, not three thousand years.
· 2
Peter 3:8 – In context, this verse is showing God is outside of time, and is
not attempting to define a “day”.
Conclusion:
Biblical authority and infallibility are called into question if God did not
create in 6 Earth-rotation days. If the
Bible is wrong when it speaks of God creating in 6 days, why is it not wrong
when it speaks of the Virgin Birth or the Resurrection of Christ? The foundations of Christianity are based
firmly in the words of Scripture, which state clearly that God created all
things in 6 days.
From
Luther’s writings: “How long did the work of Creation
take? When Moses writes that God
created heaven and earth and whatever is in them in 6 days, then let this
period continue to have been 6 days, and do not venture to devise any comment
according to which 6 days were but one day.
But, if you cannot understand how this could have been done in 6 days,
then grant the Holy Spirit the honor of being more learned than you are. For you are to deal with Scripture in such a
way that you bear in mind that God Himself says what is written. But since God is speaking, it is not fitting
for you wantonly to turn His Word in the direction you wish it to go.”
(What Luther Says, p. 1523)
From China
Keri’s
final letter from Beijing
Hi all,
Sorry I’ve been out of touch for so long. I have just been prompted
to write by what has been an interesting and somewhat thought-provoking week.
(Don’t get too excited...maybe it’s just interesting to me!) Here’s what’s been
going on:
Tuesday: It’s the little things that matter
This is a lesson I’ve learned over and over, but never in as quite an
embarrassing way as this past week. It all started two weeks ago when I finally
decided to buy an MP3 player after wanting one all year. I enlisted the help of
my Chinese friend Kate and, after a long and tedious ordeal of finding an MP3
player with English instructions in my price range, I bought one, a Korean
brand. I hurried home to try out my new purchase and was a little dismayed when
it didn’t work quite right...the music skipped like it would on a scratched CD
and the player kept shutting itself off every few minutes. The salesperson said
to bring the MP3 player back if I had any problems, so I did, and she exchanged
it for a new one.
Now I had a new MP3 player of the same brand and model and hoped I
wouldn’t have any trouble. The first few days I used it, it seemed to work
fine. Then, one day, it started skipping really badly again. Frustrated, I
decided to take it back again and either get my money back and buy a player in
the States or try a different brand. Have I ever mentioned that in China
NOTHING is simple, EVER? Well, the salesperson said the last MP3 player I
returned, when checked by the technician, had a formatting error. (She said
this was common because people often don’t know how to download music correctly.
Seriously, how hard is it?) I knew it wasn’t a formatting error because I
followed the instructions to the letter, but I couldn’t get my money back until
I took the MP3 player to the technician to make sure it was defective. So Kate
and I, in the 95 degree heat, walked a mile or so to the building where the
technician worked and, when the technician turned on the MP3 player, it worked
perfectly. Of course. I KNEW as soon as I got it home it would start giving me
trouble again, so Kate insisted he check the formatting and everything to make
sure there wasn’t a problem. He found nothing. Then he suggested maybe my
earphones were defective. So I plugged in my earphones and, sure enough, it
started skipping again. Ha! There’s the problem. The technician looked at the
earphones and then rolled his eyes at me with a what-a-stupid-woman grin on his
face. Apparently, I hadn’t plugged them in all the way. This was causing the
problem.
As I’m typing this, I’m listening to my MP3 player, which is really a
fabulous invention...when one knows how to plug in the earphones correctly!
Wednesday: The passing of the torch
Beijing had a lot of excitement on Wednesday as the Olympic torch
arrived here from Australia, and I GOT TO SEE IT!! I’m not sure of the exact
route, but it came through the campus of Peking University. It actually came to
PKU earlier than predicted, so I’m lucky I saw it. I was supposed to meet a
friend to play badminton in front of the campus theater, but there were so many
people in that area because the torch was supposed to pass there an hour later,
that I couldn’t find my friend anywhere. After riding around for a half hour or
so without success, I ran into my friend Kate who was on her way to see the
torch, so I joined her. It was really cool. The person carrying it was the
president of Peking University, and he was surrounded by an entourage of two
camera trucks, two buses, smaller security vehicles, and an ambulance. Cliss
was in a different location and got to see the torch being passed. The other torch
carrier on campus was a former Olympic gymnast from China who was paralyzed
from the waist down in an accident. Yao Ming concluded the torch’s visit to
Beijing at the Summer Palace. The people of Beijing are so thrilled about
having the Olympics in 2008, and having the torch here really kicked the
excitement into high gear.
Thursday: Graduation and goodbyes
Today is Thursday. The senior 3 students, whom I taught last year,
graduated today. For the graduation ceremony, all the students (around 620) and
teachers gathered in the auditorium, and a few parents. A bunch of people gave
speeches (in Chinese, of course), some students gave performances, the students
were given yearbooks, and the teachers were honored. Not much pomp and
circumstance but still a lot of emotion. Chinese students in each grade are
divided into classes of around 50 students. Most of them stay in those same
classes all three years of high school, so these kids are very close friends.
Each class had a head teacher, who loves his or her students very much.
Goodbyes are hard!
After the graduation, I had to rush off to class, so I only got to talk
to a few students. On my way to the classroom, two students with whom I’ve
spent a lot of time in the past two years were looking for me. They wanted to
thank me for being their teacher. One of them, whom I recently helped prepare
for a speech competition, said even though I was only his teacher for one year,
he would never forget me because I was a teacher in his heart. Then he said,
“Can I have a hug with you?” I’ll tell you, I just about lost it right there.
He said he was sorry he didn’t have a gift for me, and I said his words were
the most perfect gift...something I really needed to hear.
When I got to the classroom, the tears were falling...and I had a
classroom full of students waiting for their exam. I raced to the Kleenex box.
Then I told the students I had just said goodbye to some senior 3 students and
felt very sad. As I was speaking, I started crying again and couldn’t stop. So
I handed out the exam, left the monitor in charge, and headed to the bathroom
to try to compose myself. I’m usually pretty good and refraining from crying
when I need to, but this was just too much I guess. Back in the classroom,
students asked me, “You’re coming back to Beijing after the summer, aren’t
you?” Um, no. I thought I had told them that. I guess they didn’t understand.
Seriously, the hard part is just beginning. Next week is my last week
with my current students, and the following week I have to have some pictures
taken with some senior 3 classes. There are a lot of senior 3 students I still
need to see. And then there’s my friends. I try not to think about that until I
absolutely have to. One day at a time. The senior 3 English teachers, whom I love
so much, gave me a bunch of flowers and were getting all teary on me, though
I’ll see them again before I go. They are all going on an eight-day vacation, a
well-deserved rest after helping the students prepare for the college entrance
exam. The students will know their scores on June 21.
Friday: Who knows what it will bring?
Just when you think life is getting routine, something happens! I’ll be
back in MN on June 30. I’m not looking forward to the question, “What will you
do now?” I have, however, prepared an answer: “Something.” Sorry, that’s the
best I can do! Please keep me in your prayers...the weeks ahead will not be
easy.
Love, Keri
Jungle Journal
Missionary
Terry Schultz, Lima, Peru
There are days when the fabric of Peruvian society appears
to be unraveling. Consider a few crazy news items we heard last week as we came
back from furlough: Unemployment in the capitol city of Lima continues at an
unbelievable 60% - 80%, when you factor in all the slums and shantytowns that
surround the city. The President of Peru, Alejandro Toledo, has a nation-wide
approval rating of 4%! According to a poll taken by the country’s most reliable
newspaper, El Commercio, 74% of Lima residents would, if given the chance, move
to another country!
Meanwhile, things are no better in the outlying rural areas. In the
small southern border town of Ilave, the mayor, accused of embezzling public
funds, was lynched by an angry mob. Soldiers were ordered in to try and restore
order. Of course, much of the civil unrest and escalating crime rate can
be traced to the staggering poverty that most Peruvians live under. No part of
Peru is immune to it, including the jungle where we work. Which leads us to the
following strange story involving one of our Chayahuita teachers from the native
village of Nueva Barranquita, Pepe Jose.
It was already dusk, as Jose, his wife, and two small children were
quietly rafting down a remote little river a few hours beyond their native
village. The home-made raft, about 5 ft. wide by 8 ft. long, was stacked
high with huge stalks of bananas, plus branches with large clusters of jungle
fruits. By traveling all night, they could reach Yurimagus by morning and
sell their fruit at the open market. Even the wood raft that Pepe had
lashed together would be chopped up and sold for firewood. And although
it’s always hazardous to travel on the small jungle rivers at night, what with
the possibility of encountering thieves, drug runners, drunks, armed robbers,
and all manner of smugglers, Jose decided to make an all-night run anyway.
Winding around the many bends in the shallow river, Jose expertly
steered the little raft with an oar or a large pole. One can do nothing
but steer, as the motorless raft slowly moves forward with the current.
The only sounds are those of the jungle birds, insects, and an occasional
monkey or other animal. And when the midnight moon breaks through the
rainforest clouds, silhouetting the huge jungle trees and thick, dense
vegetation along both sides of the narrow river, it is truly a dramatic
sight. Unfortunately, the dense vegetation along the banks also provides
ideal cover for an ambush. Unknown to Pepe and his family as they
peacefully drifted down river, a man in a dugout canoe was lying low in the
floating vegetation, just waiting for them to come by. An ambush was just
moments away.
Pepe was completely startled when the matter-of-fact voice broke
through the darkness and called to him. His wife immediately snatched
their two small children and pulled them close to her. In the dim
moonlight, Pepe could barely make out the features of a single, large man in a
dugout. But he immediately recognized the native as a well known, violent
thief who had in fact done time, gotten out, and now lived somewhere in the
jungle, nobody knew where. In sinister, even tones the thief quietly
asked:
“Aren’t you that teacher from Nueva Barranquita? “
“Yes.”
“You must have some money with you.”
“No, I don’t. I’m going to sell my fruit.”
“But that gringo (referring to me!) pays you a lot to be a teacher,
doesn’t he?”
“I don’t have any money with me.”
“When is that gringo coming again to pay you?”
“I don’t know.”
Pepe felt the tension welling up inside him. For all the while
the thief spoke, he was slowly paddling his dugout closer and closer to Pepe’s
raft! Pepe’s main concern was his wife and two little children! And
while even a despicable native wouldn’t shoot another native, (indeed, if one
is caught by the police carrying an unregistered gun near a town, one can
receive a mandatory 10-15 year prison sentence), Pepe knew some type of attack
was eminent.
More than likely, the violent thief would beat and rob the diminutive
teacher. And yet, as Pepe recounted the story later, an astonishing thing
happened at that terrifying moment. Pepe said the image of one of our
Bible class drawings flashed into his mind! It was my popular drawing of
two natives sitting in the giant palm of Jesus’ hand, safely under his
protection. Pepe said, “I kept seeing that picture in my mind, of Jesus
with his eyes on me, and I wasn’t very afraid.”
And yet, the situation for Pepe was about to get even worse. The
thief was getting madder by the moment, as Pepe kept repeating that he had no
money with him. Then, Pepe intuitively sensed something going on around
him in the half-darkness. A nearly imperceptible noise alerted him to
movement in the water. Now, slithering into the blackish-green river like
an alligator on the prowl, a second thief in a dugout was approaching Pepe’s
raft from the other side!! Pepe immediately recognized the second man as
another violent thief who had also done jail time! Pepe and his family
were now surrounded in the middle of the river by the two thieves.
Pepe was in a tight spot. In another moment, the two thieves
would be boarding the raft. Pepe’s tiny wife simply clung to the small
children, helpless as the two big men were ready to beat her husband. And
yet, at the last possible second, Pepe reached down and pulled out a
rifle!!!
The two thieves immediately backed their canoes off. Pepe said
nothing. He didn’t have to with his gun raised. Once the two
thieves had paddled out of rifle range, they rained down a cascade of
treacherous threats against the school teacher.
“We will be waiting for you on the path when you come back,” they said,
referring to the 6 hour jungle path the raft-less family would need to traverse
in order to return to their village.
“We know you are going to Yuri to get money from the gringo so we will
be waiting for you when you come back… And the next time the gringo comes
we will be waiting for him too!”
And with that, the two thieves disappeared down the dark river.
Strange story. And as I talked to Pepe a few weeks after the
incident, my first question to him was, “do you always carry your rifle with
you on your raft?” Pepe replied, “not very often. But since we were on
the river at dusk, I thought I could possibly shoot a few animals that come
down to the riverbanks for water at that hour. I could then sell the
animals in Yuri.” This made sense, but I couldn’t help thinking something else
had perhaps happened: I think Divine Providence had been at work!
Pepe confirmed that he had not seen the two evil men when they returned
home from Yuri. He did remind me that Vicar Ronal and I should be
careful. Talking this over with Ronal, we are considering having a few of
our jungle hunters / members traveling with us when we go to Nueva Barranquita
in the future. The tricky part of course, is their traveling with their
guns to meet us, and everyone getting to the appointed place at the same
time. Such coordination is nearly impossible when it comes to jungle
travel.
Be that as it may, my heart was fairly leaping with joy at one part of
Pepe’s story. This wonderful little brother has learned to put his trust
in the Lord Jesus!! What a wonderful testimony to his growing faith and
confidence. – An active confidence that is now a witness to his whole
community, (and I might add, to all those who read this journal)! Once, Pepe
feared for unseen evil spirits he often thought he heard in the jungle.
Now, he had come face to face with evil men on the river and remembered that
his Savior never took His eyes off him. Thank you Lord, for your
protection over all of us, and the wonderful strength and courage Your Holy
Spirit has brought to Pepe!!
But I
trust in you O LORD;
I say, “You are my God.”
My times are in your hands;
Deliver me from my enemies
And from those who pursue me.”
(Psalm 31:14,15.)
Until next time amigos,
Terry
Exciting
Changes Ahead
The Next Christendom - The Coming of Global
Christianity is a best-selling book by Philip
Jenkins, a professor at Penn State University. His thesis is: “While secular
movements like com-munism, feminism and environ-mentalism have gotten the
lion’s share of our attention, the explosive southward expansion of
Christianity in Africa, Asia and Latin America has barely registered on Western
consciousness. Nor has the globalization of Christianity - and the enormous
religious, political, and social consequences it portends - been properly
understood.”
The footnotes and the bibliography testify that Jenkins has done his
research very thoroughly. He asserts that by the year 2050 only 20% of the
Christians in the world will be non-Latino white people. In other words,
Caucasians are quickly becoming a minority within Christendom. There were 10
million Christians in Africa in 1900; today there are more than 360 million
Christians in Africa. So it is certainly possible that the next Pope will be an
African.
The Christian churches that are growing so rapidly in the Third World
tend to be far more traditional, morally conservative, evangelical and
apocalyptic than the mainline churches of North America. One indication of this
trend is the strong negative reaction from African Episcopalians to the
election of a gay bishop in the Episcopalian Church in the USA.
The Western media often proclaims that Christianity is on the decline,
and that we must either modernize our beliefs or risk becoming irrelevant. But
Jenkins demonstrates that the opposite is true. America is becoming more
Christian - not less. This is due in large part to the Hispanic and Asian
immigrants who are often Christian before they arrive. As they establish new
churches in our land, some of them have even begun to evangelize their Anglo
neighbors.
To Make You Smile…
Supposedly
Actual Headlines That Appeared in Newspapers Somewhere
1. Chef Throws His Heart Into Feeding the Hungry
2. Arson Suspect Is Held In Massachusetts Fire
3. British Union Finds Dwarves In Short Supply
4. Ban On Soliciting Dead in Trotwood
5. Lansing Residents Can Drop Off Trees
6. Local High School Dropouts Cut In Half
7. New Vaccine May Contain Rabies
8. Man Minus Ear Waives Hearing
9. Deaf College Opens Doors To Hearing
10. Air Head Fired
11. Steals Clock, Faces Time
12. Prosecutor Releases Probe into Undersheriff
13. Old School Pillars are Replaced By Alumni
14. Bank Drive-In Window Blocked By Board
15. Hospitals are Sued By 7 Foot Doctors
16. Some Pieces Of Rock Hudson Sold At Auction
17. Sex Education Delayed, Teachers Request Training
18. Include Your Children When Baking Cookies
19. Police Discovered Pot Plants Were Really Cannabis
20. Headless Body Found In Topless Bar
Not So
Smart Warning Labels
On Teco’s Tiramisu dessert:
Do not turn upside down. (Printed
on the bottom of the box.)
On Swedish chain saw:
Do not attempt to stop chain with
your hands.
On Marks & Spencer Bread Pudding:
Product will be hot after
heating.
On a string of Chinese-made Christmas lights:
For indoor or outdoor use only.
On some Swanson frozen dinners:
Serving suggestion: Defrost.
On a hotel-provided shower cap in a box:
Fits one head.
On a bag of Fritos:
You could be a winner! No
purchase necessary. Details inside.
On Boot’s Children’s Cough Medicine:
Do not drive car or operate
machinery.
For
Pun-Lovers
Years ago
there was a baker’s assistant whose sole job was to pour the dough mixture for
making sausage rolls (apparently the royal family loved sausage). Because
people were identified by their professions, he was just called Richard the
Pourer.
One day
Richard ran out of some key ingredients, namely a secret spice he used in the
batter. He called his apprentice and sent him to the store to buy more spices.
When the apprentice arrived at the store, he found that he had forgotten the
name of the ingredient. Hoping that the storekeeper might be able to figure it
out, he described it to him saying, “It’s for Richard the Pourer, for batter
for wurst.”
(Max Lucado, tells the following story
with wit and style)
Some
time ago I came upon a fellow on a trip who was carrying a Bible.
"Are
you a believer?" I asked him.
"Yes,"
he said excitedly.
I've
learned you can't be too careful.
"Virgin
birth?" I asked.
"I
accept it."
"Deity
of Jesus?"
"No
doubt."
"Death
of Christ on the cross?"
"He
died for all people."
Could
it be that I was face to face with a Christian? Perhaps. Nonetheless,
I
continued my checklist.
"Status
of man."
"Sinner
in need of grace."
"Definition
of grace."
"God
doing for man what man can't do."
"Return
of Christ?"
"Imminent."
"Bible?"
"Inspired."
"The
Church?"
"The
Body of Christ."
I
started getting excited. "Conservative or liberal?"
He
was getting interested too. "Conservative."
My
heart began to beat faster.
"Heritage?"
"Southern
Congregationalist Holy Son of God Dispensationalist Triune Convention."
That
was mine!
"Branch?"
"Pre-millennial,
post-trib, non-charismatic, King James, one-cup communion."
My
eyes misted. I had only one other question.
"Is
your pulpit wooden or fiberglass?"
"Fiberglass,"
he responded.
I
withdrew my hand and stiffened my neck. "Heretic!" I said and walked
away.
Max Lucado, A GENTLE THUNDER
Church
News & Events
National
LWMS Convention News
The Annual LWMS Convention will be held in Sioux Falls,
South Dakota the last weekend in June. Those attending from Mt. Olive are: Jean
and Harold Brown, Pastor and Linda Henkel, Rita Kruschwitz, Mae Schmidt and
Marlene Struwe. Mae Schmidt and Rita Kruschwitz will go as Delegate and
Alternate.
Note: Jean Brown, Linda Henkel and Marlene Struwe will be part of a
skit given to welcome the convention to attend the 2005 LWMS Convention in
Bloomington, Minnesota and hosted by our St. Croix Circuit along with the
Minnesota Valley Circuit.
Marcella Voss
The Lutheran Home Auxiliary
The Annual Meeting of the Lutheran Home Auxiliary will be
held on Wednesday July 21, 2004. Registration and fellowship begin at 9:30 in
the chapel. The opening devotion and business will follow.
Prior to a delicious lunch, a number of people will address the group,
including Cathie Humann from the Mission for the Visually Impaired. She will
share the group’s new video as well as one on macular degeneration. It is hoped
there will be a good attendance including new faces. The daunting challenges
regarding the health care industry, including those faced in the Nursing Home
and Hope Residence have not gone away. It is vitally important that old friends
return and new friends get acquainted with this ministry. Please consider this
mission with your prayers, and worthy of your support.