21 And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. 22 But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead. -- Matthew 8:21-22
When I was younger, this call to salvation bothered me. Why wouldn't Jesus let a man go to his father's funeral? It seemed awfully callous and rude. After all, shouldn't we honor our father? Wouldn't we be sad if our father was dead?
It may help us to understand the nature of the culture in which Jesus taught and lived. There was a common phrase in the day "I must bury my father," and it meant, "Let me wait until I have received my inheritance." Perhaps a man was being offered a chance to buy a field. But he had no money. He might have to wait until he received his inheritance before he could purchase it. So he would say, "I must bury my father."
This disciple claimed to want to follow Christ, but he wanted to wait around until he could receive his inheritance first. He wanted Christ, but he wanted the security of his inheritance also. But Jesus challenged him to forsake his sin and follow Christ. That is the salvation call to everyone.
Make no mistake; this passage is a call to salvation. He is challenging the man's desires. Will he desire to save his soul by following Christ, or does he desire the safety and comfort of this earthly life?
In that context, Jesus' answer makes sense. Notice what He tells this man. The pursuit of wealth and longing for inheritance is a pursuit of death. Taking comfort in worldly belongings is the pattern of the dead, of the damned. We must flee from it if we are to be saved!
Even in a believer's life, we are faced with similar choices. Will we follow Christ when He calls us to a new ministry, when He gives us a chance to use our money for His kingdom and His purpose? Or do we say, "Let me first bury my father. Let me first secure my needs. Let me first take care of this situation, then I will give myself to You."?
This is a challenging thought, because if we are constantly waiting for our inheritance, we may prove to be outside the kingdom. Even if we are believers, we may forfeit heavenly rewards. But if we are first and foremost concerned about His kingdom, we await an inheritance beyond our imagination. Furthermore, we won't be able to or want to or need to bury our Father to gain our true inheritance.
With that in mind, we remind you of Shiloh Bible Baptist Church in Tampilisan, Zamboanga del Norte. Their anniversary service is coming up soon, and we need to raise $2,200 for them to complete their church building and pay for some expenses related to the anniversary service. Pastor Raffy Begafria and his church will celebrate their anniversary service May 25. We need the money raised soon, because it is almost May already. Please, join us in praying for this need.
If you feel led to give toward the goal, please remember our friends at Love in Action Ministries. They are helping us by collecting the funds for us. Any gift given through Love in Action Ministries is tax deductible. Just specify in your gift that you intend it to go to the ministry in the Philippines. Contact information for Love in Action Ministries below.
Love In Action International Ministries, Inc.
P.O. Box 85
Dothan, AL 36302
334-494-4995
info@loveinactionministries.com
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Gold and silver
7And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts. 8The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts.-- Haggai 2:7-8
You may notice in our blog entries, we tend to shy away from asking directly for money. Instead, we ask you first to offer prayers for us and for our brothers and sisters in Christ who happen to live in the Philippines.
There's a reason for that. As these verses remind us, God owns all the silver and the gold. It's His. It all belongs to him. All the pesos, loons, dollars and euros in the world all belong to God. It is right for us to first ask God to provide. After all, if He's not in it, then we're wasting our time. Even if we could cause you to give, it wouldn't mean anything if God wasn't behind the gift.
So, we ask you to pray. We bow before the sovereignty of God, and we trust Him to provide.
Now, if after you pray you decide you want to give, we will gladly take it. After all, our brothers and sisters there are the ones worshiping in buildings with no walls or trying to cram more than they should into a building that is too small while heavy rains fall. We do want to see God provide; that's why we are doing this.
Just to remind you of our two needs. Pastor Raffy Begafria and Shiloh Bible Baptist Church in Tampilisan, Zamboanga del Norte, need $2,200 before their mission anniversary celebration May 25. They need these funds to add the walls, ceiling and flooring to their church, construct a pastorium and to supply the needs of the anniversary service. The anniversary service is often a time of evangelism and outreach, and the Gospel will be presented.
The other need is in Punta, Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte. There, Pastor Mario Montero's church is outgrowing its building. They have been praying for the ability to purchase the lot next to the church building. The cost of this 500 square meter lot is 500,000 Philippine pesos, or 1,000 pesos per square meter. Those 1,000 pesos translate to roughly $24. So, when you are praying for this need, see if God is leading you to help. Only $24 can help this church purchase its new lot.
Please pray for us. Pray that God will "shake the nations...and fill this house with glory." May He provide the needs for these precious fellow believers.
If anyone is led to give, if you are a part of God's work of moving His silver and gold from one place to another, then please contact our friends at Love in Action Ministries. The contact info is below. They are the ones handling the money for us at this time. All donations are tax deductible, and when you give, please make a designation to the Philippines. If you have a preference between Tampilisan and Dipolog City, please note that as well. If you only designate Philippines, we will use it for Tampilisan, since it is the more immediate need.
Love In Action International Ministries, Inc.
P.O. Box 85
Dothan, AL 36302
334-494-4995
info@loveinactionministries.com
You may notice in our blog entries, we tend to shy away from asking directly for money. Instead, we ask you first to offer prayers for us and for our brothers and sisters in Christ who happen to live in the Philippines.
There's a reason for that. As these verses remind us, God owns all the silver and the gold. It's His. It all belongs to him. All the pesos, loons, dollars and euros in the world all belong to God. It is right for us to first ask God to provide. After all, if He's not in it, then we're wasting our time. Even if we could cause you to give, it wouldn't mean anything if God wasn't behind the gift.
So, we ask you to pray. We bow before the sovereignty of God, and we trust Him to provide.
Now, if after you pray you decide you want to give, we will gladly take it. After all, our brothers and sisters there are the ones worshiping in buildings with no walls or trying to cram more than they should into a building that is too small while heavy rains fall. We do want to see God provide; that's why we are doing this.
Just to remind you of our two needs. Pastor Raffy Begafria and Shiloh Bible Baptist Church in Tampilisan, Zamboanga del Norte, need $2,200 before their mission anniversary celebration May 25. They need these funds to add the walls, ceiling and flooring to their church, construct a pastorium and to supply the needs of the anniversary service. The anniversary service is often a time of evangelism and outreach, and the Gospel will be presented.
The other need is in Punta, Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte. There, Pastor Mario Montero's church is outgrowing its building. They have been praying for the ability to purchase the lot next to the church building. The cost of this 500 square meter lot is 500,000 Philippine pesos, or 1,000 pesos per square meter. Those 1,000 pesos translate to roughly $24. So, when you are praying for this need, see if God is leading you to help. Only $24 can help this church purchase its new lot.
Please pray for us. Pray that God will "shake the nations...and fill this house with glory." May He provide the needs for these precious fellow believers.
If anyone is led to give, if you are a part of God's work of moving His silver and gold from one place to another, then please contact our friends at Love in Action Ministries. The contact info is below. They are the ones handling the money for us at this time. All donations are tax deductible, and when you give, please make a designation to the Philippines. If you have a preference between Tampilisan and Dipolog City, please note that as well. If you only designate Philippines, we will use it for Tampilisan, since it is the more immediate need.
Love In Action International Ministries, Inc.
P.O. Box 85
Dothan, AL 36302
334-494-4995
info@loveinactionministries.com
A meter at a time
In a recent post, we told you about our need in Tampilisan for Pastor Raffy Begafria's church, where we are trying to raise $2,200 for the church to have its building completed and to be able to provide for its church anniversary.
That need is still immediate, and we strongly ask you to pray for us and give if you are so inclined.
We have another need from another of our churches that we would like to share with you. Many of the prayer needs we will share are from missionaries who have just started their work. After all, the Shiloh Bible Baptist Church in Ozamis City sent out 14 missionaries in 2010.
But this need is a different one. Pastor Mario Montero is the missionary pastor at Shiloh Bible Baptist Church in Punta, Dipolog City. He was the first missionary sent out from the mother church, and his church is outgrowing its building. They have about 100 members, and they continue to grow. However, even with an additional wing provided by some good friends of ours recently, they are too numerous for their building.
They have been praying for a while for God to provide money to buy a 500 square meter lot adjacent to their current property. If God provides for the new lot, they are planning to use the current building as housing for visiting pastors or as a school to teach children about God's word.
The cost for this property, including land price and paperwork fees, is 500,000 Philippine pesos. Fortunately, even a journalist's math skills can compute that price per square meter as 1,000 pesos per square meter. How much is that in U.S. dollars? 1,000 pesos is roughly $23.19 (as of today, but it can fluctuate, of course), so let's call it $24.
If we look at the total price (close to $12,000), it can be staggering. But ask yourself this, can you purchase a square meter for $24? Perhaps you can give more, or perhaps you can offer us your prayers and no financial gift. Either way, we long for your prayers. But all it takes to help a church is $24.
The situation in the Philippines is this: These churches have a passion and a willingness that far exceeds their budget. Pastor Mario's church in Punta, Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte has many outreach Bible studies. Older women go out on Monday; some men hold Bible studies in police stations on Saturdays and there are others of which we are ignorant. We hear almost weekly of people praying to confess Christ and receive His salvation during these outreaches.
They do all this work without always having adequate funding. Oh, that we would see the needs and opportunities ahead of us! If your heart is stirred at all to give toward these needs, then please contact our friends at Love in Action Ministries. Our friends there have graciously agreed to help us by handling the money. Any gifts given through Love in Action Ministries are tax deductible. Just specify in your gift that you want it to go to the Philippines. If you have a preference between the church in Tampilisan or the church in Dipolog City, please specify. Otherwise, the gifts we receive will go to the more immediate need in Tampilisan. But 100 percent of your gift will go toward the needs in the Philippines.
Also, we would be doing wrong if we didn't make this request. Love in Action Ministries is doing us a great service by handling the money for us. Please consider giving to their needs as well. They are an outreach ministry to the homeless in Dothan, Ala., and just hours ago I read a report from their ministry where two people prayed to receive Christ during their midweek service. These dear friends understand the word of our Lord's brother, when he asked us rhetorically, "Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?"
If the hyperlinks above do not work, we have included the contact information for Love in Action Ministries below. Above all else, please pray. If you feel led to give, we thank you in advance. May all we do expand Christ's kingdom.
Love In Action International Ministries, Inc.
P.O. Box 85
Dothan, AL 36302
334-494-4995
info@loveinactionministries.com
That need is still immediate, and we strongly ask you to pray for us and give if you are so inclined.
We have another need from another of our churches that we would like to share with you. Many of the prayer needs we will share are from missionaries who have just started their work. After all, the Shiloh Bible Baptist Church in Ozamis City sent out 14 missionaries in 2010.
But this need is a different one. Pastor Mario Montero is the missionary pastor at Shiloh Bible Baptist Church in Punta, Dipolog City. He was the first missionary sent out from the mother church, and his church is outgrowing its building. They have about 100 members, and they continue to grow. However, even with an additional wing provided by some good friends of ours recently, they are too numerous for their building.
They have been praying for a while for God to provide money to buy a 500 square meter lot adjacent to their current property. If God provides for the new lot, they are planning to use the current building as housing for visiting pastors or as a school to teach children about God's word.
The cost for this property, including land price and paperwork fees, is 500,000 Philippine pesos. Fortunately, even a journalist's math skills can compute that price per square meter as 1,000 pesos per square meter. How much is that in U.S. dollars? 1,000 pesos is roughly $23.19 (as of today, but it can fluctuate, of course), so let's call it $24.
If we look at the total price (close to $12,000), it can be staggering. But ask yourself this, can you purchase a square meter for $24? Perhaps you can give more, or perhaps you can offer us your prayers and no financial gift. Either way, we long for your prayers. But all it takes to help a church is $24.
The situation in the Philippines is this: These churches have a passion and a willingness that far exceeds their budget. Pastor Mario's church in Punta, Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte has many outreach Bible studies. Older women go out on Monday; some men hold Bible studies in police stations on Saturdays and there are others of which we are ignorant. We hear almost weekly of people praying to confess Christ and receive His salvation during these outreaches.
They do all this work without always having adequate funding. Oh, that we would see the needs and opportunities ahead of us! If your heart is stirred at all to give toward these needs, then please contact our friends at Love in Action Ministries. Our friends there have graciously agreed to help us by handling the money. Any gifts given through Love in Action Ministries are tax deductible. Just specify in your gift that you want it to go to the Philippines. If you have a preference between the church in Tampilisan or the church in Dipolog City, please specify. Otherwise, the gifts we receive will go to the more immediate need in Tampilisan. But 100 percent of your gift will go toward the needs in the Philippines.
Also, we would be doing wrong if we didn't make this request. Love in Action Ministries is doing us a great service by handling the money for us. Please consider giving to their needs as well. They are an outreach ministry to the homeless in Dothan, Ala., and just hours ago I read a report from their ministry where two people prayed to receive Christ during their midweek service. These dear friends understand the word of our Lord's brother, when he asked us rhetorically, "Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?"
If the hyperlinks above do not work, we have included the contact information for Love in Action Ministries below. Above all else, please pray. If you feel led to give, we thank you in advance. May all we do expand Christ's kingdom.
Love In Action International Ministries, Inc.
P.O. Box 85
Dothan, AL 36302
334-494-4995
info@loveinactionministries.com
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Christ's betrothal
1Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.2In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 4And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. -- John 14:1-4
We know that the church is called the "Bride of Christ" in the Bible. We who belong to Christ look forward to the marriage supper of the Lamb described in Revelation 19:9. But did you know Christ betrothed Himself to His bride? It occurs in this passage above.
We need a little help understanding the customs of Israel at the time. Back in the ancient Near East, the father would choose his son's bride, and there would be a ceremony whereby the couple was betrothed. They were committed to each other, but they were not married. (Note by way of reference in John 17:6 that Jesus confesses the Father "gave him" the disciples, and by extension the church that would spring from their testimony of Christ, v. 20 of the same chapter, to see the parallel of the Father's choice of the bride.)
After the betrothal, the bridegroom would return to his father's house and create an addition to his father's house for his bride. When he had the place prepared, he would come to claim his bride, and it would be a joyous occasion.
Look at our verses again with that picture in your mind. Where was Jesus going? He was going to His Father's house. For what purpose? To prepare a place for His bride. Notice, also, that His path to preparation went through the cross. The only way we can have a place in the Father's house is if the debt of our sin is paid. Indeed, our Saviour paid a great price to ransom His bride.
Is there room in the Father's house for the bride? Jesus said there were "many mansions." Even as a bridegroom would add a place into the house of his father, so Christ has put "many mansions" in the house of His Father. There is room, room for a glorious bride indeed!
It is at this time of the year we celebrate His sacrifice for us. It is proper for us to consider this question: Are we betrothed to the King? If you are not, please consider that there are many places left. The gate is not shut. Run to Him to seek His mercy! Then you will be ready to rejoice when He returns to claim His bride.
We know that the church is called the "Bride of Christ" in the Bible. We who belong to Christ look forward to the marriage supper of the Lamb described in Revelation 19:9. But did you know Christ betrothed Himself to His bride? It occurs in this passage above.
We need a little help understanding the customs of Israel at the time. Back in the ancient Near East, the father would choose his son's bride, and there would be a ceremony whereby the couple was betrothed. They were committed to each other, but they were not married. (Note by way of reference in John 17:6 that Jesus confesses the Father "gave him" the disciples, and by extension the church that would spring from their testimony of Christ, v. 20 of the same chapter, to see the parallel of the Father's choice of the bride.)
After the betrothal, the bridegroom would return to his father's house and create an addition to his father's house for his bride. When he had the place prepared, he would come to claim his bride, and it would be a joyous occasion.
Look at our verses again with that picture in your mind. Where was Jesus going? He was going to His Father's house. For what purpose? To prepare a place for His bride. Notice, also, that His path to preparation went through the cross. The only way we can have a place in the Father's house is if the debt of our sin is paid. Indeed, our Saviour paid a great price to ransom His bride.
Is there room in the Father's house for the bride? Jesus said there were "many mansions." Even as a bridegroom would add a place into the house of his father, so Christ has put "many mansions" in the house of His Father. There is room, room for a glorious bride indeed!
It is at this time of the year we celebrate His sacrifice for us. It is proper for us to consider this question: Are we betrothed to the King? If you are not, please consider that there are many places left. The gate is not shut. Run to Him to seek His mercy! Then you will be ready to rejoice when He returns to claim His bride.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Building God's house
Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste? -- Haggai 1:4
Haggai the prophet confronted the people of Judah, after they returned from the Babylonian captivity, to remember God's house. They had spent their money and efforts to rebuild their own houses, but they left off doing God's work.
Let us consider that for our lives. Do we spend our time on our own houses, or do we seek to build God's house? What is God's house today? I think primarily, it is building the Kingdom of God. That is His house now. This was the subject of our Sunday School lesson this past week, and as I was studying it in preparation for the class, I was battling questions of my own. I was worrying about my finances and the future, and I got a gentle reminder from God to focus on building His house, and He will take care of me.
So, it's back to the work God has called me to do. I want to share with you a need we have. Please pray for Pastor Raffy Begafria and Shiloh Bible Baptist Church Tampilisan, Zamboanga del Norte. Right now, the church building has a roof and some columns, but nothing in between. The church needs walls, ceiling and flooring, and they want to build a parsonage. The church is meeting there in the partially built building, but they would like to have a completed building.
Now, our brothers and sisters in this part of the Philippines are praying for this work to be completed in time for their church anniversary, which is May 25. As we have said before, the church anniversaries are important outreach times. The day is marked by fellowship, food, guest preachers and evangelism.
The costs for the completion of the church building is 75,000 Philippine pesos, and the church is also praying for an additional 20,000 pesos for expenses related to the anniversary itself. In total, those expenses (95,000 Philippine pesos) are just under $2,200. The exchange rate varies, but as of this writing, the total was 2,192.88. So, we'll call it $2,200.
Please, folks, we ask you to join with us in praying for this need. This need is timely, because the anniversary service is just more than a month away. But we know God answers prayer, and we trust Him to meet this need.
If you feel led to do more than pray, we are so grateful to say, Love in Action Ministries is joining with us again to help us raise the funds. For those of you who forgot, Love in Action Ministries is a ministry to homeless people in Dothan, Ala. We are so thankful they are willing to collect the funds for us as we seek God to build our ministry. We at Homegrown Harvesters are not able to give tax receipts, but Love in Action Ministries is able to do so.
So, if you feel led to give to this need, please contact Love in Action Ministries . When you give, make sure to designate the funds for the Philippines. If you don't feel like looking at the website, here's the contact info:
Love In Action International Ministries, Inc.
P.O. Box 85
Dothan, AL 36302
334-494-4995
info@loveinactionministries.com
We say thank you again to Love in Action Ministries , and we encourage you to consider helping them out in their ministry as well. Please pray for their ministry to the "least of these." May God hear our prayers and answer out of His abundant grace!
Haggai the prophet confronted the people of Judah, after they returned from the Babylonian captivity, to remember God's house. They had spent their money and efforts to rebuild their own houses, but they left off doing God's work.
Let us consider that for our lives. Do we spend our time on our own houses, or do we seek to build God's house? What is God's house today? I think primarily, it is building the Kingdom of God. That is His house now. This was the subject of our Sunday School lesson this past week, and as I was studying it in preparation for the class, I was battling questions of my own. I was worrying about my finances and the future, and I got a gentle reminder from God to focus on building His house, and He will take care of me.
So, it's back to the work God has called me to do. I want to share with you a need we have. Please pray for Pastor Raffy Begafria and Shiloh Bible Baptist Church Tampilisan, Zamboanga del Norte. Right now, the church building has a roof and some columns, but nothing in between. The church needs walls, ceiling and flooring, and they want to build a parsonage. The church is meeting there in the partially built building, but they would like to have a completed building.
Now, our brothers and sisters in this part of the Philippines are praying for this work to be completed in time for their church anniversary, which is May 25. As we have said before, the church anniversaries are important outreach times. The day is marked by fellowship, food, guest preachers and evangelism.
The costs for the completion of the church building is 75,000 Philippine pesos, and the church is also praying for an additional 20,000 pesos for expenses related to the anniversary itself. In total, those expenses (95,000 Philippine pesos) are just under $2,200. The exchange rate varies, but as of this writing, the total was 2,192.88. So, we'll call it $2,200.
Please, folks, we ask you to join with us in praying for this need. This need is timely, because the anniversary service is just more than a month away. But we know God answers prayer, and we trust Him to meet this need.
If you feel led to do more than pray, we are so grateful to say, Love in Action Ministries is joining with us again to help us raise the funds. For those of you who forgot, Love in Action Ministries is a ministry to homeless people in Dothan, Ala. We are so thankful they are willing to collect the funds for us as we seek God to build our ministry. We at Homegrown Harvesters are not able to give tax receipts, but Love in Action Ministries is able to do so.
So, if you feel led to give to this need, please contact Love in Action Ministries . When you give, make sure to designate the funds for the Philippines. If you don't feel like looking at the website, here's the contact info:
Love In Action International Ministries, Inc.
P.O. Box 85
Dothan, AL 36302
334-494-4995
info@loveinactionministries.com
We say thank you again to Love in Action Ministries , and we encourage you to consider helping them out in their ministry as well. Please pray for their ministry to the "least of these." May God hear our prayers and answer out of His abundant grace!
Saturday, April 16, 2011
The nephew
One of the pastors in the Shiloh Bible Baptist Church family of churches in the Philippines is a member of the Tausug tribe. That may mean little to us, but the Tausug tribe is fiercely Muslim. In fact, they were the first people in the Philippines to convert to Islam, so their ties to Islam go back centuries.
We hope to tell the pastor's story completely one day, but for now, we will focus on the conversion of his nephew. We are purposely not identifying this pastor for security reasons. Though he ministers among his own people and is not doing so anonymously, we still would prefer not to cause undo trouble for our brother.
Not long after this pastor converted, he received a visit from his nephew, who was also a Muslim of the Tausug tribe, but he lived in Malaysia. He must have been surprised to find out his uncle had abandoned the family religion, but at the same time, something must have been noticeably different, too. After a while, the Nephew converted. It was no light conversion either.
Like all believers, he wanted to share his faith with those he loved. That meant trying to convert Muslims, and to a Muslim, anyone who converts out of Islam is considered to have committed blasphemy. Under sharia law, blasphemy is a capital crime.
So, when some tribal leaders approached the Nephew's mother about enforcing the law, she consented. The Nephew was shot, and the bullet caught him in the spinal cord. However, he did not die right away. He was taken to a hospital, where he stayed for many months.
About a year after his shooting, he knew he was growing close to the end of his life. So, he called his family and close friends to hear him. When they arrived, "he was able to preach Jesus,the Savior of the world whom God sent to us," our source tells us.
What was the result? Again our source tells us, "Then, his family were convinced and understand why he converted into Christianity.They all accepted Christ, and he said, 'I'll go first and we'll see you guys in heaven one day.'"
After pronouncing that blessing on his newly converted family, he asked to be put back into the bed, where he went to sleep for the final time.
Now, Uncle Pastor continues his work in a predominantly Muslim area of Mindanao. He faces persecution, but mercifully, God has protected him and many of his converts so far.
Men like Uncle Pastor are why we are praying about this ministry. We cannot infiltrate the Tausug people. In fact, Westerners are strongly advised to avoid the parts of the island where this tribe dominates. But God uses one of their own, miraculously saved, to reach them.
Please pray for us. Our vision is to be able to recruit sponsors for these indigenous missionaries, so they can do their work without being concerned about financial burdens. Will you pray for us, that God will provide the right people to join the work? Will you pray for Him to give us wisdom as we seek to follow Him in this work? Will you pray for men like Uncle Pastor, who daily live with their lives in peril as they try to reach their own people with the Gospel?
We thank you for your prayers.
We hope to tell the pastor's story completely one day, but for now, we will focus on the conversion of his nephew. We are purposely not identifying this pastor for security reasons. Though he ministers among his own people and is not doing so anonymously, we still would prefer not to cause undo trouble for our brother.
Not long after this pastor converted, he received a visit from his nephew, who was also a Muslim of the Tausug tribe, but he lived in Malaysia. He must have been surprised to find out his uncle had abandoned the family religion, but at the same time, something must have been noticeably different, too. After a while, the Nephew converted. It was no light conversion either.
Like all believers, he wanted to share his faith with those he loved. That meant trying to convert Muslims, and to a Muslim, anyone who converts out of Islam is considered to have committed blasphemy. Under sharia law, blasphemy is a capital crime.
So, when some tribal leaders approached the Nephew's mother about enforcing the law, she consented. The Nephew was shot, and the bullet caught him in the spinal cord. However, he did not die right away. He was taken to a hospital, where he stayed for many months.
About a year after his shooting, he knew he was growing close to the end of his life. So, he called his family and close friends to hear him. When they arrived, "he was able to preach Jesus,the Savior of the world whom God sent to us," our source tells us.
What was the result? Again our source tells us, "Then, his family were convinced and understand why he converted into Christianity.They all accepted Christ, and he said, 'I'll go first and we'll see you guys in heaven one day.'"
After pronouncing that blessing on his newly converted family, he asked to be put back into the bed, where he went to sleep for the final time.
Now, Uncle Pastor continues his work in a predominantly Muslim area of Mindanao. He faces persecution, but mercifully, God has protected him and many of his converts so far.
Men like Uncle Pastor are why we are praying about this ministry. We cannot infiltrate the Tausug people. In fact, Westerners are strongly advised to avoid the parts of the island where this tribe dominates. But God uses one of their own, miraculously saved, to reach them.
Please pray for us. Our vision is to be able to recruit sponsors for these indigenous missionaries, so they can do their work without being concerned about financial burdens. Will you pray for us, that God will provide the right people to join the work? Will you pray for Him to give us wisdom as we seek to follow Him in this work? Will you pray for men like Uncle Pastor, who daily live with their lives in peril as they try to reach their own people with the Gospel?
We thank you for your prayers.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Do you have Christ's hunger?
3And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. -- Matthew 4:3-4
I love the book of Matthew. It is my favorite Gospel account. For many reasons, I enjoy reading it. It is the most Jewish of the Gospels, and it blends the two Covenants together so beautifully. Also, the author of the Gospel is a forgiven turncoat who was redeemed to be one of the original apostles. Furthermore, the book records five extended discourses by Jesus. We read Jesus' words; we hear His sermons.
But today, let's look at the record of Jesus' first temptation. Notice the devil comes to Him as He is fasting and tries to get Him to make bread out of stones. There are a lot of applications and implications in these two verses, and many knowledgeable and capable Bible teachers can pull many diamonds out of these verses. But right now, let's just look at Jesus' answer.
It is subtle. Do you see it? How do we live? What keeps us alive? Is it bread alone? We are kept alive by God's word! The words of God keep us alive. That is certainly the point in Deuteronomy 8:3, the source for Jesus' quote. Let us ask ourselves, do we eat bread to stay alive, or do we rely on God's word? Are we striving and working and sweating to eat bread, or do our lives revolve around God, whose words truly keep us alive?
Jesus used the image of eating as an illustration on many occasions, but there's an interesting parallel in John's Gospel. We remember the Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus spoke to her while the disciples had gone to buy bread. She is one of the first converts, and the interaction between her and Jesus is one of the greatest accounts in the Gospels.
After the woman leaves Jesus to go tell her friends she has found the Messiah, the disciples express their concern that Jesus has had nothing to eat. So we pick up in John 4:31, "31In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat.
32But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.
33Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat?
34Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work."
Notice, it can be true that the tempter and our closest friends may sometimes be in league together. In both of these passages, Jesus was tempted to look away from His primary purpose to fulfill His physical needs. Both times He refused.
This exchange, though, is very interesting. Jesus tells the disciples that He has meat (or food) they don't know about. The disciples, obtuse as always, are trying to figure out who fed the Messiah. I have to imagine Jesus was a bit frustrated at their lack of understanding. Think about it. The disciples had been pursuing the matter of finding bread, while Jesus was pursuing the matter of saving a sinful woman.
Jesus has to spell the situation out for the disciples just as He did for Satan. There's something more important than food. Don't miss what Jesus says in verse 34. His sustenance is found in doing the will of God. That's where He gets His provision. Of course He still needed to eat, but His hunger was not for food; it was for the will of God the Father to be fulfilled. And what is God the Father's will? What has Jesus just been doing and what is He about to do in the following verses? He is saving souls! In the verses prior, He is redeeming an adulterous woman; in the verses to follow, He will redeem many who believed by her testimony.
Do you hunger with Christ's hunger? Is the redemption of the lost what you long for? Or are you with the disciples, spending your energy finding bread? What sustains you, doing the will of the Father or doing the will of the stomach? Do you recognize that you live because of God's words, or do you long for your next meal?
May we learn to hunger as our Savior did! May we long to see God's purpose fulfilled even as we long to fill our bellies!
I love the book of Matthew. It is my favorite Gospel account. For many reasons, I enjoy reading it. It is the most Jewish of the Gospels, and it blends the two Covenants together so beautifully. Also, the author of the Gospel is a forgiven turncoat who was redeemed to be one of the original apostles. Furthermore, the book records five extended discourses by Jesus. We read Jesus' words; we hear His sermons.
But today, let's look at the record of Jesus' first temptation. Notice the devil comes to Him as He is fasting and tries to get Him to make bread out of stones. There are a lot of applications and implications in these two verses, and many knowledgeable and capable Bible teachers can pull many diamonds out of these verses. But right now, let's just look at Jesus' answer.
It is subtle. Do you see it? How do we live? What keeps us alive? Is it bread alone? We are kept alive by God's word! The words of God keep us alive. That is certainly the point in Deuteronomy 8:3, the source for Jesus' quote. Let us ask ourselves, do we eat bread to stay alive, or do we rely on God's word? Are we striving and working and sweating to eat bread, or do our lives revolve around God, whose words truly keep us alive?
Jesus used the image of eating as an illustration on many occasions, but there's an interesting parallel in John's Gospel. We remember the Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus spoke to her while the disciples had gone to buy bread. She is one of the first converts, and the interaction between her and Jesus is one of the greatest accounts in the Gospels.
After the woman leaves Jesus to go tell her friends she has found the Messiah, the disciples express their concern that Jesus has had nothing to eat. So we pick up in John 4:31, "31In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat.
32But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.
33Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat?
34Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work."
Notice, it can be true that the tempter and our closest friends may sometimes be in league together. In both of these passages, Jesus was tempted to look away from His primary purpose to fulfill His physical needs. Both times He refused.
This exchange, though, is very interesting. Jesus tells the disciples that He has meat (or food) they don't know about. The disciples, obtuse as always, are trying to figure out who fed the Messiah. I have to imagine Jesus was a bit frustrated at their lack of understanding. Think about it. The disciples had been pursuing the matter of finding bread, while Jesus was pursuing the matter of saving a sinful woman.
Jesus has to spell the situation out for the disciples just as He did for Satan. There's something more important than food. Don't miss what Jesus says in verse 34. His sustenance is found in doing the will of God. That's where He gets His provision. Of course He still needed to eat, but His hunger was not for food; it was for the will of God the Father to be fulfilled. And what is God the Father's will? What has Jesus just been doing and what is He about to do in the following verses? He is saving souls! In the verses prior, He is redeeming an adulterous woman; in the verses to follow, He will redeem many who believed by her testimony.
Do you hunger with Christ's hunger? Is the redemption of the lost what you long for? Or are you with the disciples, spending your energy finding bread? What sustains you, doing the will of the Father or doing the will of the stomach? Do you recognize that you live because of God's words, or do you long for your next meal?
May we learn to hunger as our Savior did! May we long to see God's purpose fulfilled even as we long to fill our bellies!
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