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October 2002
Move quickly to the article of your choice by clicking on a title belowJessica's GARDEN OF VERSES
IN AND AROUND THE WORD with Zita
It Is so Clear to Me Now
By Tim Cain, Puinave Tribe, Colombia, South America
And He said unto them, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." (Mark 16:15 KJV)
When you invest in things eternal, the rewards are worth the sacrifice.
It has been said that it is not talented people, but dedicated ones, who best serve the Lord. (AMF Quote)
A task without a vision is drudgery;
a vision without a task is visionary; but a task with a vision makes a missionary.
(Via Joyce Wilhelmson)
May He make of me what He wants, that
others will know of Him.
(Via Joyce Wilhelmson)
When someone asked a missionary if he liked his work in Africa, he replied: "Do I like this work? No, my wife and I do not like dirt. We have reasonably refined sensibilities. We do not like crawling into vile huts through goat refuse. We do not like association with ignorant, filthy, brutish people. But is a man to do nothing for Christ he does not like? God pity him, if not. Liking or disliking has nothing to do with it. We have orders to 'go' and we go. Love constrains us." Such a love begets the strength to do the "all things." (Missionary Review via Joyce W.)
If I covet any place on earth but the dust at the foot of the cross, then I know nothing of Calvary love. (Amy Carmichael)
He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. (Jim Elliot)
May we individually have a life mission "of commitment
and compassion, rather than of comfort and convenience."
(Quote of Nancy Leigh DeMoss)
IN AND AROUND THE WORD with Zita
When the word mission is mentioned, many people think about
a religious building built during early California history. However, the
New World Dictionary lists the first definition of the word, mission, as
a "sending out or being sent out with authority to perform a special
duty; specifically a sending out of persons by a religious organization
to preach, teach, and proselytize." We consider missionaries to be
people who have had a special "calling," and have then been prepared
through specific education to teach God's Word to others, especially to
people in foreign countries.
Paul indicated that it was not necessary to leave home to be a missionary
when he spoke to the believers in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and
Bithynia . He said, "you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood,
a holy nation, His own special people that you may proclaim the praises
of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once
were not a people but now are the people of God, who had not obtained mercy
but now have obtained mercy" (I Peter 2:9,10). Also, because of
II Timothy 3:16, we know God expects every Christian to be a witness for
Him wherever we are.
There really is no age or sex limitation for being a missionary. It is most
interesting that Matthew 21:15,16 tells the story of how the children were
involved in missionary work as they proclaimed Jesus' greatness. In Philippians
4:3, Paul praised the women who had labored so faithfully in "the gospel"
with him. Remember that when the woman at the well had her eyes opened to
God's message, she could not get to town fast enough to spread the news?
Even the older women have a place in God's ministry. Read Titus 2:3-5. A
bedridden friend of mine developed an interesting missionary project for
herself; she looked in the daily obituaries and wrote letters to the grieving
families when it seemed appropriate.
Even though we are aware of what Paul is saying in
II Corinthians 6:3-13, we must not be deterred from telling others what
God has done in our lives and what He will do in theirs when they accept
the fact that Christ died for their sins so that they could be declared
righteous and therefore able to have a personal, intimate relationship with
God forever.
It Is so Clear to Me Now
By Tim Cain, Puinave Tribe, Colombia, South America
Pablo is one of those people you like instantly. He has a wide smile and
an easy laugh, and is genuinely interested in you and what you are doing.
But that is not what attracted me to him many years ago when I was a young
missionary kid taking in new discoveries. Pablo taught me how to thatch
a palm roof, and how to shoot fish with a bow and arrow. In general, he
graciously tolerated me when I was in his way. But what really drew me was
Pablo's unquenchable thirst for truth, even though I was uncomfortable when
he asked me questions about the Bible I could not answer. He was out to
glean as much as he could from anyone who was willing to share with him.
With childlike enthusiasm he drank in any new discovery, no matter how insignificant
it might seem to others.
Many years have gone by since then, and Pablo has dedicated his entire life
to telling others about the Gospel of Christ. He has sat under the teaching
of several missionaries throughout the years. Pablo has learned many things
in spite of the fact that all the teaching he has heard has been in Spanish
and not in his own language.
I grew up among the Puinaves and now have spent 22 years as an adult missionary
among them. I have had only sporadic contact with Pablo over the years-almost
none over the last eight to ten years since he moved to Venezuela to escape
communist guerillas who threatened his life. The Lord brought us back together
in the last few months, and I have discovered that Pablo-now a great-grandfather-is
still just as thirsty for truth as he was 30 years ago.
Now I speak Pablo's language, and my partner and I have developed Bible
lessons in Puinave. Pablo took all 331 pages of the Phase I Building on
Firm Foundations; Creation to Christ lessons, and read through them in two
months. When he finished he was ecstatic-thrilled with the new discoveries
he had made. Reading them for the first time in his own language made them
so much more vivid to him.
"I have been a Christian for a long time, and I have known the story
of Jesus Christ and how He died for my sin, but it was never very clear
in my mind why it could be only Jesus' death that paid for my sins."
He said. "Now, after studying these lessons, I understand why it had
to be the way God did it. It is so clear to me now that I can't understand
why I didn't see it before. This is the way we should have been taught to
start with. I can take these lessons and teach them to my wife, even to
my kids and my grandkids. You have to make these lessons available to everyone!"
When he found out that there were lessons geared for new believers, he begged
me to let him read them; no, he demanded that I let him read them.
People such as Pablo are the bright spots along the way, a bubbling spring
that God has placed in a strategic spot to refresh a weary missionary and
encourage him along.
Pray for Pablo as he studies these new lessons, that he may learn yet more
of God's ways and be encouraged afresh to share them with others.
Reprinted from Brown Gold, November/December 1998, p. 6
I have been reading some of A.W. Tozer's writings and came across this gem
which suits our theme here in the garden and in our daily lives. In "Miracles
Follow the Plow," he used this Scripture: "Break up your fallow
ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till He come and rain righteousness
upon you"
(Hosea 10:12).
If your garden is like ours, you probably don't have much fallow ground;
every inch has something in it! But we still need to break up the summer
garden soil and prepare for our next year's garden. When you have cleaned
out all the spent and leftover plants, spread a good layer of organic fertilizer
over all, till it in, and leave it that way. By leaving it open, the winter
rains will be able to penetrate the soil, carrying the nutrients right down
to where next year's plant roots will have a ready supply of what they need
to get off to a good start.
Some plants that will bring you lovely flowers in summer and foliage in
the fall can still be set out. We only list perennials here that are winter
hardy and will give you many seasons of enjoyment.
· A new hellebore, Early Purple, blooms in winter and
has deer-resistant foliage
· Snowdrops (a good companion to Early Purple) blooms in the early
spring when the hellebore has begun to fade
· Lily of the Valley, an old favorite, has a delightful perfume
· Amaryllis of many colors can be grown in pots inside or outside
in full or partial sun; keep protected from the wind
· Other new ones:
- Corydalis, Pere David, is a gorgeous blue with a delightful aroma (catalog
description) blooming summer and fall, up to frost, and preferring a dry,
gravely soil (good for our climate)
- Tiarella Iron Butterfly is a good foliage year-round plant for our climate
with spring flowers of pink blooms on 15-inch plants.
- Campanula, Bellflower Royal Blue, plants grow to 3 feet tall and 20 to
24 inches wide; they naturalize freely
We can still plant vegetable root crops and lettuces, but this will be the
last call for them; they won't germinate in the cold weather. It is also
the last call for feeding azaleas, camellias, rhododendrons, and ferns.
And while we are doing all this, may we break up the "fallow ground"
of our hearts so that the good teaching we have been having in Romans and
elsewhere will be able to take firm root and flourish in all our lives that
we may be missionaries wherever we are. "...Be prepared to give an
answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you
have." 1 Peter 3:15 (NIV)
Margaret
Open my eyes that I may see
This one and that one needing Thee,
Hearts that are dumb, unsatisfied,
Lives that are dead, for whom Christ died.
Open my eyes in sympathy,
Clear into man's deep soul to see;
Wise with Thy wisdom to discern,
And with Thy heart of love to yearn.
Open my eyes in faith, I pray;
Give me the strength to speak today,
Someone to bring, dear Lord, to Thee;
Use me, O Lord, use even me.
(Elisabeth (Scott) Stam)
THINKING ABOUT LAST MONTH'S SERMONS …with Dawn
"The New Testament clearly teaches that at the time of salvation,
the Holy Spirit takes up residence within each believer, enabling him to
minister (serve) to other believers by God's grace." The question
that each of us needs to ask is, "how is God's grace displayed through
me?"
First, as believers we need to know that any grace ministry is proof of
the Holy Spirit working through me. It may mean working in the nursery or
the kitchen or leading a Bible study. The Spirit is given to every believer
for edification of the body of Christ. Therefore, a believer can display
evidence of the Spirit working through him, but there is no actual proof
or sign beyond the fact that the Bible says so. (I Corinthians 1:12)
There were many grace gifts in the early church, before the completion of
the canon of Scripture. Some graces have ceased, but love will never cease-it
is permanent! (I Corinthians 13) Paul explains
in I Corinthians 14 that prophecy is a priority
over the gift of tongues because it edifies the whole body.
Pastor went on to explain that the truth of the
gifts can be placed in two categories. In the early church there
were foundational gifts that were actually
gifts of grace. These were extraordinary, supernatural abilities, proved
by use, unlearned, and temporary. They were used in the revelation of God
as well as in the authentication of such revelation. Since Scripture has
been completed, the church has functional gifts.
In this case, grace is the gift-we as believers are manifestations of His
grace. Our gifts can be described as ordinary, natural abilities, improved
by use, learned and permanent. It is God who graces all the ministries of
edification. The fact that today's church does not have the extraordinary
foundational gifts of the past is not due to a lack of faith, but to completed
revelation.
On Labor Day weekend, Pastor talked about our "Labor of Love."
In ministry, the greatest objective is love. Why is love important? Because
all ministry is "other" focused. We are selfish by nature; therefore,
we need to make sure all that we do in ministry is motivated by love-love
that is poured into our lives through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Three main passages on the gifts and gracing of the Holy Spirit emphasize
the priority of love. Love is an attribute of God, perfectly seen in Christ,
which is to characterize the Christian. This love is beyond human ability
to explain, yet essential to the being of God.
Love's Appearance is without hypocrisy.
It has a discerning dress code-it must be sincere. It is unfeigned (not
fake), unlike the kiss of Judas in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Love's Appetite abhors evil. (This love
has taste buds!) It has a discriminating moral code determining how it thinks
and lives. A good self-test for this kind of love is to ask, "Do I
hate evil?" (Psalm 97:10; Philippians 4:8)
And finally, Love's Action has a distinctive
behavior code. We can learn Christian morals by reading God's Word. We have
many examples and words of wisdom to gain by doing so!
The main mission of the church is not to evangelize the world, but to equip the saints to be able to evangelize. (A.W. Tozer)
Stamping with the Women's Missionary Fellowship
6:00 p.m. in Fellowship Hall with Kelly Rouse-learn to make stationary as Christmas gifts for our missionary women. We need lots of hands to make enough.
7:00 p.m.-eat snacks and listen to
missionary speaker,
Debbie Rowland, from Campus Bible Fellowship in Reno.
Tuesday, October 15
In September, the choir had a progressive dinner, and our second stop was the Partridge home. Zita had made the most wonderful soup, and I don't think there was a person who didn't have seconds. We all loved it and so will you. It is well worth the effort it takes to make it.
Zita's Vegetable Beef Soup
· 3 lbs. shank or cracked beef knucklebones, browned in Pam spray
· Add 1 can (46 oz.) tomato juice
· Fill pot with water; bring to boil and simmer at a low boil for
3½ to 4 hours (a must-do)
· After 2½ hours, add 1 lb. of stew meat (or round or sirloin
steak) cut in small pieces and slightly browned and 1 large or 3 small chopped
onions
· At the end of the 3½ to 4 hours remove bones; save any meat
for the soup
· Add:
2-3 small cans chopped tomatoes or 2 large solid pack
cans cut small
2 cups sliced celery
2 cups sliced carrots
· Add water to fill pot
· Season to taste (I use 2 t. basil, 1½ t. garlic powder,
¼-½ t. pepper, 1 T. salt or less, 1 T. parsley)
· Cook until vegetables are almost soft
· Add 2 cups of cooked white rice* (more if you wish); add 1 t. oregano
(if added sooner, it becomes bitter)
· Finish cooking 15 minutes or so
· Serve
· To de-fat the soup, chill in refrigerator and skim; especially
good the next day
*Brown rice or barley may be substituted for white rice.
