Living the Goods News

I have been invited to assist a missions agency with planning new ways to evangelize and reach out to the lost. I have a burden for the lost and I love being creative and brainstorming with others, so this seems to be right up my alley. However, knowing I can not and should not rely on my own efforts, I have been spending much time in thought and prayer focusing on this subject matter. Here's where my thoughts and prayers have taken me thus far:

While words and intentionally developed evangelistic activities can do much to communicate the Good News of Jesus Christ, I believe it is the life that has been transformed that ultimately convinces others of the power of the Gospel. People need to see the power of God's salvation plan, not just hear about it!

I am blessed to be surrounded by many brothers & sisters in Christ whose focus is on the lost and whose lives are a powerful witness. They are intentional about always being prepared to give a reason for the hope that is in them. (1 Peter 3:15) You do not need to have a seminary education, a theology degree, the power of persuasive speech or even the ability to recite the four spiritual laws or the Roman Road; you just need to live out what God has done and is doing in your life and joyfully share your story with others. It's the best evangelistic tool I know!

Loving One Another

Last night was our final night for our spring semester of ESL (English-as-a-Second Language) classes. What a joy it is to be used by God to help improve the lives of refugees, immigrants and international students. As we teach English we reach out with the love of Christ to those who are often marginalized or isolated in our society. When we are faithful in loving one another, God accomplishes great things through our obedience.

Several of our students obtained jobs and others received job promotions due to their increased English proficiency and the dedicated efforts of our ESL teachers. The children entered the building each week with joyful enthusiasm, barely containing themselves from running down the hall to enjoy their time with our fun-loving childcare volunteers. Our "ESL Angels" brought in healthy snacks, which nourished our students and their families both body & soul.

One student took time to write a thank you letter stating, "In this school, I found a group of friendly and generous people." Another student commented on how different this "school" was from other places she had gone to study English. Love and kindness are what this student said she sensed when she was here among us.

Smiles, hugs and expressions of gratitude filled the air as we parted ways for the summer months. What a difference love makes and what an impact we have when we simply and sincerely love one another!

So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples. John 13: 34-35

The Aftermath of Easter

Words are fun! I love to research their origins and history. Take for example the word "aftermath." Today's most common use of this noun is to refer to something that results or follows from an event, especially one of a disastrous or unfortunate nature. (the aftermath of war; the aftermath of the flood.) However, in the early 1500's, "mǣth" was an Old English word that meant "a mowing." Originally, "aftermath" referred to the second crop of grass grown following the harvesting of the first crop of grass in the same season.

We just celebrated the most significant event in the church calendar - the resurrection of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. Easter services were wonderful! The church was full to the brim; with people, with praise, with the Spirit's presence, with the sound of breaking chains, with new growth. There were many cards submitted with our responses to what chains were binding us as we entered the service and what a difference it made to be set free from those chains. Praise be to God!

I encourage you to make time daily to consider the "aftermath." Will you choose continued growth and additional harvest in your spiritual life, or will you inadvertently pick up the same chains that you so joyfully threw off this past weekend?

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. 1 Peter 5:7-9

Well done!

We've been talking a lot lately about the early church; about community, about loving one another, about reaching out in love and about our Great Big God who first loved us. Since giving the year end Faith Promise report this past weekend I've been blessed with hearing more personal testimonies and stories of what God has done in your lives or the ways in which God is speaking to your hearts regarding your time, talents and treasures. If the past 48 hours is any indication of what God is doing in our midst, it's going to be another exciting year!

Thank you for sharing your stories with me, thank you for stepping forward to volunteer your time in missions, thank you for your faithful financial support of Faith Promise, thank you for shining His light and telling His story in words AND in deeds. Well done, good and faithful servants!

God's multiplication principle

I'm a processor; the type of person who instinctively takes time to reflect, consider, evaluate or "process" experiences in order to learn from them and preserve them in my memory bank. It's been two weeks since our return from Peru. I have printed my pictures, written thank you notes, given a presentation to the congregation, worked on the trip report for the website, exchanged multiple emails with those I served alongside, shared many stories with family and friends and through it all I have taken time to let the experience sink in.

There was a time that God only used me to plant seeds and, at times, water them and have the rare opportunity to see them grow. I accepted that role and resolved to be faithful to that calling, but these past few years I have had the privilege of being used in the harvest. When I reflect upon the abundance of the harvest in Peru I am deeply humbled and awe-stuck by the power of the Holy Spirit. There is nothing more uplifting and energizing than being a worker in the harvest fields!

What phase of planting, watering, growing or harvesting does God have you working in right now? If you've not yet seen the harvest I encourage you to read and reflect on the Parable of the Talents (Mt 25:14-28) and cling to the promises of God that when we are faithful in the small things we WILL one day "share in our master's happiness" by multiplying the kingdom.

A journey´s end brings new beginnings

There is a song we used to sing as children that goes, "Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold." This was our first Work & Witness trip with Extreme Nazarene, which had us joining other Nazarenes from around the country, meeting one another for the very first time in Peru - at 1 am in the morning after a long travel day I might add. We then proceeded to room with people we had never met before and labor alongside one another for 10 days in high heat and humidity while in an unfamiliar culture. While it sounds like the makings of relationship disasters, just the opposite was true. As half the group left for Cusco yesterday morning there were hugs all around and a smattering of tears. Tonight, those of us still in Iquitos went out to dinner together and the bond of our new-found friendships was abundantly clear. We have requested one another´s email addresses from Extreme and new Facebook friends are already online. When Christ is our everything, loving one another flows naturally from that relationship. Serving alongside one another on a mission project simply adds to that bond. There is something very special that occurs when we step out in faith to answer the call to serve in unfamiliar territory; blessings abound, new spiritual insights are gained, our reliance on the Lord is made more clear, and friendships that will last an eternity are forged. Is God calling YOU to take a step of faith and serve in one of our mission projects this year? It could be in our Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria or Ends of the Earth. Thanks for taking this journey with us - hope you can join us in person next time!

Already seeing the harvest!

Over the 10 days many relationships have been made. That was the intention of the ministry project here in Iquitos. However, this impact was not limited to the villages where we did medical clinics and Jesus Film showings. Brother George was unable physically to go or stay at each site for the length of the day as the heat and humidity have been oppressive. After resting up each day he was out on the town making relationships
wherever he went. There are always street kids selling their wares and eventually they target hostels where large groups of Americanos are staying. They come to know our schedule and are at the front door as we come and go. Many of us in the group have taken Juan & Antonio under our wings and we paid the boat driver to bring them to our Jesus Film showing Saturday night at Gabriela Nuñez. Well, last night at our worship service we had 5 new souls come along with us - Juan, Antonio, another friend of theirs, Liz & Laidy. Laidy owns a t-shirt shop where George went shopping and Liz is her adult daughter. They were all introduced and welcomed by the pastor of the church and we are confident that follow up will occurr. We have been humbled and privileged to already be seeing the fruits to our labors. The best is yet to come!!!