Are You Satisfied?

We are all seeking satisfaction in one way or another … aren’t we? It is a condition that is built into us.

Before God created us, He created an environment of great beauty, power and mystery … a place for us. In us, He created the abilities to interact and enjoy all of it. The Lord, in His great love for us has given so very much and yet we seek our satisfaction in other things … often the very gifts themselves.

The recent untimely demise of singer, Whitney Houston, reminds me of another singer who wailed, “Thou I try, and I try, and I try, and I try, I can’t get no satisfaction!” Here is a young girl who was given a gift from God … a voice like an angel … and continued to search for satisfaction in all the wrong places.

Are we much different than Whitney and Mick … are we much different than the Israelites in the days of Amos?

In the days of prophet, Amos, people had been given much and had turned to the pleasures of the day to gain their satisfaction. Thou they had been given great gifts by God, they had turned to worship of the gifts and not the giver. And, in so doing they had forgotten the provider and turned drastically away from Him.

In this day the covenant of God to provide for all of our needs, (Philippians 4:19) has never been more evident. But, if you’re like most of us, you’ve worked hard and have accumulated things, forgetting that the strength and ability to do this work has been a gift from Him.

James 1:17 – Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like sifting shadows.

Some of us have been able to acquire great wealth and wind up counting our money instead of counting on the giver of that wealth … the ever merciful and gracious God.

Many of us spend time in nature, hiking or traveling around this glorious land, the trees, the mountains, beautiful bodies of water, ever changing landscapes and we wind up hugging trees instead of thanking the Lord.

Many relish the power gained in their lives and deny that the abilities that brought them to the top of whatever pinnacle they are on were given by our Creator.

Many of us are wallowing in the pleasures of life provided by the Lord and racing off to worship those pleasures … those gifts and forgetting to take time to thank the Giver.

In the times of Amos, the Israelites prospered, but it is God who gave them the strength, knowledge and perseverance required to do everything they did, as vile as it had become. They had lost sight of the fact that He can just as easily take it all away.

At that time the punishment was put forth by the Lord thru Amos in chapter 8, “The days are coming,” declares the Sovereign LORD, “when I will send a famine through the land – not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD. That famine eventually came and the Lord was silent for over 400 years.

The punishment of those who had worshiped the gifts of God but denied the existence of God was separation from God. Verse 12 states, “People will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the LORD, but they will not find it.” In that day “the lovely young women and strong young men will faint because of thirst."

Could we face that same punishment as our society, as our schools, as our leaders try to separate us further and further from the Lord? Without the Lord we have no anchor in our lives, we wander from this pleasure to that pleasure searching for meaning. As we continue to deny God in our lives, we lose our stability, we “become faint because of thirst.” Our soul thirsts for communion with its creator and we become faint of heart.

Let us all remember that God’s gifts are given to turn us TO GOD … not toward the GIFTS!

Once we are able to come to grips with this fact and we stop chasing after THINGS instead of GOD to make us happy, we will be like Paul who said in Philippians 4:11, “I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content.”

Larry Abele - Editorial Team

I Resolve To ......

Here it is the second week of a brand new year. I have purposely waited to publish this post until most new year resolutions have been broken. Or, are you one of those who valiantly keep your resolutions. 

Possibly you are one of those who make them so practical that they can be kept … “I resolve to spend less time exercising.” “I resolve to watch more TV.” Or, maybe, like me, you usually find them useless and therefore make none at all. After all, it is just a new calendar … nothing else.

Paul sent me a note with his take on this whole process:

“Some time ago, I became somewhat disillusioned with the whole resolution thing. I've found myself to be pitiful when it comes to meeting these long term, sweeping and really rather undefined and general promises for change.

Those who actually make change do not vow to do so, since that places such changes in the future, where they can be postponed continually - rather, such people (of whom I'm rather envious), simply change. They alter their behavior in small ways on a day to day basis.

However these changes have their limitation. Real consequential changes, changes of eternal value comes not from within us … they come from the Lord.

King Salomon said; "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." (Proverbs 3: 5-6) These words capture the essence of my resolution for 2012 perfectly: to trust the Lord in all things and pray for Him to reveal the next step in our journey. Can't wait to see all of the “good” things that He has in store for our family this year!”

As I struggled with the highs and lows of this past year … from the birth of my first great-granddaughter to the tragic end to three of my best friends, I am reminded that life is fragile, for newborns and for young men … for the middle aged and for seniors. Let us not let the mechanics of living out-weigh the compassion of living. And, remember that the fruit of our lives will always be representative of the god we follow.

I am making a resolution this year … one that I know the Lord will help me keep … one that I encourage all of you to make. I resolve  to love deeper, to care more fervently, to give more unselfishly and to savor every precious moment that the Good Lord gives me.

And, as Paul closed his note …

“Larry and I pray that the year 2012 is a great year for you, a year in which you will come to trust in the Lord and experience the blessing of His leading.”

Larry Abele – Editorial Team

Cherie, Glenn and Christmas ...

These last couple weeks, just days before the celebration of Christmas, I have lost two close friends from my little Idaho community.

Cherie was a dear woman … a member of our church, a widow lady who loved gardening, loved her church, loved helping people, loved the small group she was in … and loved her God. She was 81 years old and apparently in good health. Returning from a meeting in the city where she was putting together Christmas wreaths, she had a massive heart attack and died instantly.

Cherie’s memorial service packed our little church and the atmosphere was full of love, warmth, memories … and hope.

But, the reason I felt compelled to write this was my good friend, Glenn. Glenn was my neighbor. He was a wonderful dad to his four children (with one more due in a few weeks), he was a hard worker, he was greatly interested in his family, the school and his community.

When I had an operation on my hand this last summer, Glenn made sure my lawn was mowed and was there for anything I couldn’t handle alone.

Glenn had a generic back problem that made it very difficult and painful to work … and work is scarce around this part of the country anyway. Glenn was worried that he couldn’t care for the family that he loved so much and made the decision that they would be better off without him.

He spent Sunday with his children, wrote each of them a letter and drove up the road for the last time. Glenn took his own life yesterday morning … leaving a family that he loved behind and breaking my heart. I have no idea what the service will be like or if they will have one … I just know I miss Glenn.

The difference between those two new stories for the Christmas season is HOPE!

Cherie and her family had hope in their hearts … hope that comes from knowing that there is life in the Lord … here, now and in the future.

Glenn had no hope … though he was a good man, he did not have the Lord to fall back on when the going got tough. He thought he had to do it all alone … he had no hope.

In this day and age our society struggles with the TRUE meaning of Christmas … much ink and paper has been wasted on the airing of theories for and against. But if one looks at the statistics about the heartbreak and agony that is unseen amidst the shopping, decorating, baking and partying, one will see that the great gift of the Christmas season that God gave to everyone who will accept it, is the gift of hope.

Without that gift, life can be tough, as it surely must have been for Glenn. But with it … we are offered the strength to make it … no matter what the circumstances might be. We just have to find it, open it and marvel in it.

If you haven’t opened the gift that Christ was born and died to give to you … personally … this is a great time to do it. Accept God’s gift this Christmas.

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

Larry Abele - Editorial Team

Thank You ...

A few weeks ago we in Canada celebrated Thanksgiving, our friends to the south of us, will celebrate their Thanksgiving soon. In the midst of all the commercialization of Thanksgiving, we sometimes wonder how much do we really give thanks? 

Let me give you something Chi Chi Rodriguez wrote as his thanks to God - (you may remember Chi Chi, the golfer with that great smile ... the man that could hit a ball hundreds of yards away and cause it to dance to that distant hole. Yea, the Chi Chi who came out of great poverty to become one of the great golfers of his generation.) Here is what he wrote;

Thank You God!

“For my parents, who taught us seven kids respect for authority and taught us that even though we were poor in material things, we were rich in spiritual things.

For healing me of rickets when I was four years old and given six months to live.

For my guardian angel.

For my beautiful wife, Iwalani, and my healthy daughter, Donnette.

For revealing to me that I was to do the work of Jesus, giving to others yet never expecting to get anything back.

For allowing me to provide two schools where disadvantaged children can go to get another chance in life.  This enables them to grow and to learn how to give something good back to others.

For the opportunity to play golf for a living and to participate in tournaments like the Legends of Golf for Seniors.

That I am at peace with myself and am prepared to accept Your perfect will for my life.” 

 Chi Chi Rodriguez

 Paul Weresch 

This is Grace … Or, How I Spent My Summer Vacation

My friend Paul (his picture is at the top of this page) asked me how our summer vacation went. I felt like the kid in second grade giving his report to the teacher on the first week of school … How I Spent My Summer Vacation. This is my report:

We returned from our trip refreshed and loving each other more. That is a statement very seldom heard as the result of vacations. We enjoyed the country and each other, even though we did not have time to stop much with a busy schedule to accomplish in only nine days.

We had a wonderful reunion with my Aunt Ivadell at her daughter's place in Kansas City. It was a double pleasure in that it was Ivadell's 90th birthday and I hadn't seen my cousin for over 50 years. We spent a couple nights and a day ... had good visits, ate good food ... rested up well.

Then on to Oklahoma City for my Grandson’s wedding and a wonderful reunion with my three children … Tom, my son and father of the groom, and my daughters, Lisa and Wendy. It was especially glorious, the time we spent with them because Wendy, who has always been very cool towards me (rightly so, as I split when she was just a baby) was very warm and chatty with me. She even patted me on the back when I gave her a hug ... the Holy Spirit has been working overtime ... and I love it!!!!

The bride is a lovely girl and the wedding was eventful as well as very nice. It was outdoors at the bride's home, a small rural place ... the temperature was 100 degrees and the wind blew at 30 mph ... I describe it as a wedding in a convection oven. But, even with all that, a very enjoyable experience.

We made it back in two days, stopping for the night in Wyoming and getting home in plenty of time for Sharon to rest before going back to work.

All in all ... a worthy and worthwhile experience. The enjoyment was magnified by the factor of ten by the fact that I was with a wonderful wife full time, 24 hours a day for over a week, doing devotions together, praying together, laughing together and enjoying each other.

People always look for the Grace of God in large events … forgiving the murderer, healing the abuser … raising the fallen. Those are wonderful examples. However, if you want to see the everyday, simple act of Grace in a small, wonderful and practical way … you just read it.

And that was how I spent my summer vacation .... the end!

Larry Abele – Editorial Team

Bad Hermeneutics or Blatant Con-man …

This week-end has been bewildering for many, devastating for many, maddening for many, and indeed, interesting for most. But, it is just one more week-end in the many throughout our history when the predicted end of the world did not happen.

The antics of self professed millionaire prophet, Harold Camping, have many of my friends in the quarry, picking out good throwing rocks … as well they probably should. However, as the last stone is piled upon one head, another will spring up. As long as there are naïve sheep who are willing to listen and follow, there will be false prophets.

Just for a moment, in Christian love, let us put down our rocks and reason together.

Harold Camping claims to have studied the Bible for 70 years. Yet the fact that he has ignored the admonition that, "no one knows of that day and hour, not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only", Matthew 24:36, proves that either he is a charlatan or has studied with bad hermeneutics ... the process of studying the scripture.

If we are to be good sheep and follow the right voice we must remember that everything we need to know is written for us in the ENTIRE Bible … all we need is the Bible, ourselves and the Holy Spirit to get it right. What Harold Camping and his followers missed is, among others things, three basic rules for studying the Bible …

1. We must study with a humble heart. We must study with the mind set of getting something out of the scripture … not adding our own ego into the scripture. If you are willing to tear the Bible apart and select just scripture that supports your preconceived ideas, the Bible can support any craziness you think up … ala, Harold Camping. We need to ask the Holy Spirit to open our hearts and minds to the wisdom written in those sacred texts.

2. We must look at the scriptures as written literally. When it says in the apostles that Jesus stepped out of the boat and walked on the lake, (Matthew 14:25) we can believe it was Jesus, it was water, and that He walked on top of it. It is literal … not allegoric.

When Jesus turned water into wine, (John 2:4-10) we can believe that it was real water turned into real wine … not an allegoric code that Jesus can take something of little worth and make it greater in value … although Jesus surely can and does do that very thing.

It may be a disappointment to many, but, the Bible is not full of codes … it is full of truths! It is true that allegory is used in the Bible but, it is thus identified. We should look for the naturally obvious, not a hidden code.

3. We should interpret normally. God meant for us to understand the Bible in the vernacular we are used to. For example, if you were to tell me your friend was as big as a barn, I wouldn’t be looking for a guy 60 foot wide, 120 foot long and 40 foot tall ... I would be looking for a really big guy!

When Peter tells us in 2 Peter 3:8 that, "with the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day" don’t pull out your calculators and slide rules as did Harold Camping. Just realize that God’s sense of time is infinite unlike ours which is finite. It just means a long, long time only known to God.

As for Harold Camping … stone him if you must, fellow Christian. Or … you might pray for him and his many followers. There are many of our brothers and sisters in Christ who are truly devastated today because they chose to follow the wrong shepherd. They need our attention.

If Mr. Camping is, as he claims, a believer, there is a proper procedure recommended in the Scripture for admonishment. If he is just the charlatan he appears to be … God will not be mocked … it is His job to handle the matter ... not ours. And, I believe, He is capable of it.

Larry Abele - Editorial Team

Happy Mother's Day!

A Grafton, West Virginia Mother, Mrs. Anna Reeves Jarvis, thinking of mothers who had lost their sons in the Civil War, prayed that there would someday be a day to celebrate Mother’s. A mother’s day was first celebrated in 1876.

After gaining in popularity, by 1910, Mother's Day was celebrated in forty-five states, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Canada, and Mexico. Elated, Mrs. Jarvis’ daughter, who had continued to fight for the cause, told a friend, "Where it will end must be left for the future to tell. That it will circle the globe now seems certain."

On May 8, 1914, President Wilson designated the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day "for displaying the American flag and for the public expression of love and reverence for the mothers of the country."

Three mother’s of the Bible come to mind that made contributions to the society in which we live ... three women birthing a child under difficult circumstances and yet influencing the world beyond their wildest dreams.

The first woman is Hagar. We are familiar with the story in Geneses 16. Abraham’s wife Sarah, certain she could no longer bare a child, gave to her husband her servant, Hagar, to mistakenly help God fulfill His promise that Abraham would be father of all the Jews.

Hagar bore a fine son named Ishmael, who became the father of the Arab nations. Chapter 21 of Genesis, describes how afterward God miraculously gave Sarah a son named Isaac. Sarah, not wanting Hagar and her son around, abused her and had Abraham send them away ... banished to the burning desert.

Hagar, with their bread and water gone, placed her child under a bush so she wouldn't have to watch him die. She sat down at a distance and waited for death. Then Genesis 21:17 says "God heard the voice of the lad." and sent an "angel" to reassure her of His great promises (vv.17-18). He then provided "a well of water".

The second mother is Jochebed … who raised two sons, Aaron and Moses. The story is found in the second chapter of Exodus where Jechobed, a desperate and deliberate mother, put her 3 month old son, Moses in a basket and placed it on the edge of the Nile River to escape the wrath of a cruel and oppressive regime.

The daughter of the Pharaoh seeing that little basket floating in the reeds, decided to save him and then, unwittingly hired Moses' real mother, Jochebed, to tend to him. Moses was able to grow up in Pharaoh's palace. But from his real mother he learned faith and his true identity with the people of God.

Due to the dedication of his mother, Jochebed … who would not give up, who kept her faith, who used her creative imagination, who was able to teach her child and even got paid for doing it ... Moses was able to save his people.

The third mother was Mary, Fearful and Faithful (Luke 1). When told by an angel that she, a virgin would give birth to the Messiah, obediently proclaimed, "Let it be to me according to your word."

Mary’s response was the result of her faith in God. God wanted a godly mother to bring the Lord Jesus into the world. Mary, because of her faith and faithfulness, was able to be that mother. She was asked to make a great sacrifice, but she believed and trusted God. Her trust in God made her understand that whatever God asked of her was the best for her. Her example should speak to every mother with the message of faith and faithfulness.

Dear Mothers, whoever you are let God's peace rule in your life. Remember God rules in the world. He is sovereign, in control. However, He does not rule our "hearts" until we "let" Him. Hold on to your faith. Trust the Lord who upholds and sustains you and let His inner peace give you inner strength and inspiration. Though there will be many distractions and temptations to abandon your faith and give up, keep trusting God ... He is faithful.

Do make a commitment to live Godly life. You will be a blessing to your children (the future generations) and perhaps change the world for good.

Proverbs 31:28-29: "Her children praise her, and with great pride her husband says, "There are many good women, but you are the best!"

Paul Weresch

10/40 Window or The Whole World?

A church in the U.S. has informed one of our missionary families that they will no longer be supporting them as they don't work in the so called' 10/40 window of the world.

(The 10/40 Window is a term coined by Christian missionary strategist Luis Bush in 1990 to refer to those regions of the eastern hemisphere located between 10 and 40 degrees north of the equator, a general area that in 1990 was purported to have the highest level of socioeconomic challenges and least access to the Christian message on the planet.) This church no longer considers Europe to be a mission field.

This is staggering, especially when you consider that the vast majority of Europeans do not attend church, have never been to a church service, and have never heard the Gospel message preached by a Holy Spirit anointed preacher. Europe was Christianized (at times with the edge of a sword) in centuries past but not evangelized. There are still vast areas of Europe that remain unreached by the Gospel. There are tens of thousands of towns and villages that are devoid of any living Christian witness.

While I accept that Luis Bush’s emphasis on the “10/40 window” of the world may have served it’s purpose to draw the attention of the Church to a needy part of the world, as a missions strategy it is unbiblical and irrational.

The bible states; “Go into all the world”. (see Matt. 28:18-20. Mark 13:10) This command refers to evangelism and disciple making, not Christianization. God also expects us to preach this gospel to each successive generations until the Lord returns.

Please do partner with us and all that will proclaim the gospel to the world, but do not neglect other parts of the world just because their ancestors have been Christianized.

Recent events in North Africa and the Middle East have taken the world by surprise. Current happenings are reminiscent of the fall of Communism in Europe in the late 1989. One encouraging thought is that all that has taken place in Egypt and elsewhere occurred nearly overnight. If God can do the politically impossible in a comparatively short time span then surely we can trust Him to do the seemingly spiritually impossible anywhere in Europe! How wonderful and exciting it would be if entire European nations were to be overcome by a spirit of conviction and repentance. "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" Let us ask God for the salvation of Europe.*

Paul

* (Paraphrased from the ECM Update by Vincent Price)

Is Japan our Neighbor?

Japanese officials believe the death toll from Japan’s earthquake and tsunami is almost certain to exceed 10,000. Hundreds of bodies have washed ashore in the hard-hit city of Sendai.

And as this is being written there has been another 6.4 earthquake in Tokyo … nuclear panic continues to grow as there has been a fourth explosion in power plants … thousands are missing and tens of thousands are homeless.

Scripture: Luke 10:25-37 "... "And who is my neighbor?"

This question is part of a dialog Jesus had with a person that was well versed in the teaching of God’s Law.

What would you do if your neighbor is surrounded by great trouble? For the Jewish believer the law of love was plain and simple: treat your neighbor as you would treat yourself.

Jesus told a parable to show how wide God's love and mercy is towards all. What does Jesus' story tell us about true love for one's neighbor?

First, we must be willing to help regardless of the circumstances and reasons for the trouble.

Second, our love and concern to help others in need must be practical. Good intentions and empathizing with others are not enough.

And lastly, our love for others must be as wide as God's love. No one is excluded. God's love is unconditional. So we must be ready to do good to others for their sake, just as God is good to us all.

Thinking about Japan. This is not a time to spread blame or even to ask rhetorical questions. This is the time to help. help by praying and giving.

Please pray for the people affected by this catastrophe, and that God may grant wisdom and direct our steps as we respond.

Please give, missionaries in Japan, World Vision or Samaritan's Purse can be your avenue of help to the neediest in Japan.

Partnering with you,
Betty and Paul

Who Is In Control?

God controls the events of human history to accomplish his purposes.

God’s rule over human happenings is demonstrated many times in the Bible.

He removes and raises up kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.

The prophet Daniel prayed:

“I thank You and praise You, O God of my fathers; You have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known . . . the king's demand" Daniel 2:23.

When we see disturbing conditions in our world we should realize as Daniel did, that God "reigns over the nations, God sits on his holy throne" (Psalm 47:8; and Jeremiah 18:7-10).

He still rules in the kingdom of men. And while we may not know the extent of God’s rule, we should realize that God is working out his own purposes through contemporary human events.

Please continue to pray for the Middle East and all people in authority so that we may have peace and the Gospel would be preached to all Nations.

Paul

Pray for Egypt ...

As the difficult situation continues on the streets of Egypt, pundits and politicians are filling the air with their specific type of "knowledge" … demanding this and that; setting up this solution and that solution.

The Lord of yesterday, today and tomorrow had much to say about this:

God told Isaiah to send a message to the people in Isaiah … The Lord Almighty has a day in store for all the proud and lofty, for all that is exalted (and they will be humbled) … The arrogance of man will be brought low and the pride of men humbled; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day, and the idols will totally disappear. Isaiah 2:12, 17-18

And, in 1 Samuel 2:3 you read, "Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed."

If you read the story of Genesis 16 and 21:8-20 you will have some background into some of the troubles we face today in that region of the world … the story of Hagar and Ishmael.

There is definitely a war going on but it is God’s war … not ours. I doubt if God is going to put us in charge of a war if we haven’t even been able to complete the ONE task He has assigned to us ... that of spreading the Good News concerning His Beloved Son into all the world.

Unfortunately, this war has brought grief to millions of people in the Middle East, many who can trace their roots back to Ishmael, the son of Abraham. And, I know that God hears the voices of these helpless and needy people.

In the media, never once do you hear the one word that can mean everything in this tragedy … prayer! It is time we put aside our worldly arrogance, humble ourselves to God and pray!

And, pray for more than democracy … pray for the church to rise up and fulfill their commission … to proclaim the Gospel to the Muslims and Jews. We must pray that their eyes will be opened to the wonderful salvation of Jesus Christ.
Pray for Egypt, the church, all Christians and for all those in authority.

"You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." Matthew 5:43-45

And finally from the words of James …

"Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness." James 3:13-18

Larry Abele - Editorial Team

In Times Like These ...

What do we do when we are forced to live in the midst of a troubled world, surrounded by sin? Should we be taken aback by this? Should we withdraw and cocoon in our own little world?

Not at all! 2 Timothy 3:1-9 and 2 Timothy 4: 3-4 say that these things would happen in the end times. Therefore, Christians should not be troubled or feel defeated because God has prepared us through his word. This is a time of great challenges and great opportunity because God has given us an awesome responsibility to demonstrate and share the love of Jesus Christ.

Jesus lived in a world very similar to ours, yet he never lost sight of the fact that his kingdom was not of this world and He never compromised his relationship to the people of this world. He was often called a friend of sinners (Luke 5:29-30 and Luke 15:1-2).

In Matthew 9:12-13 (NLT) Jesus responds, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

We should follow this example. Jesus befriended many people who were on the fringes of society. He went among them to bring them out of their sin, not to justify their sin. Likewise, under the leading and prompting of the Holy Spirit, we must do the same. Ultimately, Jesus loved them and all mankind so much that he willingly laid down his life to pay the penalty for all sin.

My prayer is that in times such as this we would heed the words of the Apostle Peter: “… Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…” 1 Peter 3:15

Here are some guidelines that can be used to plant and water seeds:

* Pray for God to open doors of opportunity to plant and water seeds.
* Do not judge or disrespect the people around you.
* Show them the genuine love of Christ.
* Look at people through the eyes of Christ. (2 Timothy 2:23-26 and Colossians 4:5-6).
* Tell them how much God loves them.
* Live before them as a credible witness.
* Make constant intercession for people in your little world. Pray that God will use you or another Christian as a conduit for sharing his plan of salvation.

In Matthew 5:14-16 Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

Our Savior was the living embodiment of love shown to the lost.

Paul Weresch

letstalkpw@gmail.com