a parable

Posted on March 11, 2010 by Dana

Our high school students did Bible skits for the children of Verbo Christian School in Riobamba. After the skit there was usually an activity planned. One day a class of second graders was given an assignment to draw a picture dealing with the story of David and Goliath. I was sitting on the back row with José on my left and Ricardo on my right. Our American kids passed out crayons to the children. Like all the other children, José received three crayons and began drawing a picture. Ricardo was the last student to receive crayons and since there was an abundance, one of our students gave him an unopened box. Ricardo had 24 brand new crayons! He was so excited.

But I noticed a huge difference between José and Ricardo. Without looking up, José diligently worked with his three crayons. Ricardo, though, spent the first five minutes just admiring his box. Then I noticed he kept running to other parts of the room. Our technology-savvy American kids often took pictures with their digital cameras. Ricardo wanted to be in every picture! Finally, he came back to his seat, opened his new box and gazed at the various colors inside. The craft time was coming to a close and Ricardo had not made one mark on his paper. One of our students said, “OK, time to finish up!” Ricardo then panicked. He looked over at José’s picture, pulled out a crayon and quickly tried to copy what his friend had done. At the close of the activity, José had created a beautiful picture with three colors. Ricardo only had an unoriginal sketch drawn in the color ‘gray’.

I’m sure not trying to bash little Ricardo, but he made me think. How many colors have I been given? Have I even opened my box? How often am I distracted by the things of this world that get me off task? Do I have much time left? Am I doing what I’m really supposed to be doing or am I just copying someone else? Little kids in Ecuador can raise some important questions …

“Again, the kingdom of heaven will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability…” Matt 25:14-30

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baptism

Posted on March 4, 2010 by Dana

I met a beautiful family in a small town in Ecuador. Manuel and Mayela are the parents of twenty-six year old Marco and twenty-four year old Blanca. Manuel is the pastor of a small church in Cajabamba and their ministry extends into several rural villages and mountain communities.

Toward the end of the week, one of our senior girls expressed the desire to be baptized. Since we were going to be in Cajabamba, we asked Manuel if he knew of a place for baptism. This humble family was so excited that one of our team wanted to be baptized in their country. They said they would be honored to make arrangements.

Our bus parked at the top of a hill outside of town and we took a ten minute walk down a steep dirt road. When we neared the valley, one of our teenagers pointed to a bubbling brook and asked how a person could be baptized in the ankle-deep water. I said I didn’t know but we soon found out. At a bend in the stream, the water was a little deeper. Marco and Blanca had pulled off their shoes, rolled up their jeans, and started working. They stacked stones that dammed up the water and created a beautiful baptistry.

So there we gathered… twenty-seven North Americans, a dozen or so South Americans, and one European. Meagan’s friends shared Scriptures, two of our guys led a couple of songs, Pastor Manuel prayed, a missionary from Denmark shared an encouragement from the Lord, a cow wandered up, and a sheep observed from a distance. I don’t think there could have been a more beautiful scene. As Meagan went under the chilly water the sun shone down, angels rejoiced, and believers hugged.

I wonder what the Father, Son, and Spirit think about such holy moments. Does Jesus remember when John baptized him in the Jordan River? Does the Father recall telling his only begotten: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased”? Does the Spirit remember coming down like a dove? We ask, “Lord, who are we compared to you?” And God says, “You are my beloved child. I have chosen you to be a part of my kingdom that will last forever. I love you. Jesus remembered this truth every day he walked the earth. I want you to remember it too.”

“Don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into his death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin – because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.” Rom 6:3-8

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poor in spirit

Posted on February 25, 2010 by Dana

The Sunday we were in Ecuador we attended the Verbo Church held in the gym of the Verbo Christian School in Riobamba. I kept asking the significance of the name and finally a little boy brought us a Bible (a different translation than the Spanish Bible we had). “In the beginning was the Verbo, and the Verbo was with God, and the Verbo was God.” I said, “Gracias.” When worship began I could not help but notice the energy and passion put forth by the people. These Christians did not have the material blessings we Americans have, but there was a joy and simplicity in their worship that was moving.

Across the aisle from me stood a mother in the simple garb of her culture. She was short, as are the majority of the people we met. She had distinct Indian features and a pleasant countenance. Her two sons stood next to her. I would guess they were ages 8 and 10. I couldn’t understand most of the words of the songs, but I didn’t need to be fluent in Spanish to recognize genuine worship. With eyes closed and hands open, this lady sang with all her heart. During the second song I noticed she was on her knees, hands still open, and tears streaming down her cheeks. Her sons put tissues in her hands as she sang to her God.

Conviction is a healthy thing, so don’t think this was a negative experience, but as I watched this sister in Christ, a few penetrating questions came to mind. “Why is she crying and my eyes are dry? Why are her hands open while mine are in my pockets? Why is she on her knees while I’m still on my feet?”

“What can be done with an old heart like mine? Soften it up with Oil and Wine. The Oil is You, your Spirit of Love, now wash me anew in the Wine of your Blood.” Keith Green must have felt the same way once as he wrote an honest song: “My eyes are dry, my faith is old, my heart is hard, my prayers are cold… And I know how I ought to be – alive to You and dead to me…” We get in these hardened places sometimes without even realizing it. My wife, Susan, has told me a few reasons that probably contributed to my situation, but in this simple gym in Ecuador, God reminded me what to do. “Humble yourself. Draw close to Me. Admit what you see to be true. Ask Me to touch the deep places of your heart.”

God used a worshipping mother to remind me that the ‘poor in spirit’ are really blessed. He showed me that my needs are just as great as hers and if I open my hands and heart, He’ll give me what is best. He showed me that tears often flow from a grateful heart and I have every reason to be grateful. He reminded me that his love endures forever… to every tribe and every tongue. He deserves all our praise…

“‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.” James 4:6-10

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good news

Posted on February 12, 2010 by Dana

First of all, a couple of personal things. I got a great six month report at Emory this week. No sign of cancer! Susan overheard my doctor (behind me as I walked down the hall): “There’s my star patient.” If he only knew how many people prayed for me, he’d know the reason! So we praise God for his faithfulness and thank you again for your love and prayers. Because someone dropped out of one of our school mission trips, I am heading to Ecuador Saturday. True missionary heroes died in Ecuador in the 1950′s. The tribe that killed them found Christ because courageous women continued to share the Gospel despite incredible loss. (Read “End of the Spear” or “Through Gates of Splendor” for the whole story.) Karlyn is going to Brazil with another school group and a third group is going to Honduras. I won’t write next week… Once again, we would cherish your prayers.

Here’s an important verse from the Old Testament regarding the Gospel: “Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.” (Genesis 15:6) We know this is an important verse because Paul quotes it in Romans and Galatians and James quotes it in his letter. The reason the Gospel is such good news is that it is full of grace and mercy and love. There is nothing ‘cheap’ about God’s grace for it cost him the life of his most precious Son, but the Father’s will is that no man boast before him. He knows us well.

If I had circumcised myself as an adult, I’d tell everyone I deserved to go to Heaven! But when was Abraham declared righteous? Before circumcision or after? Paul makes it plain: “It was not after, but before!” (Rom 4:10) “Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness.” (4:9) So God asks, “Do you believe I exist? Do you believe I reward those who earnestly seek me? Do you believe I have accomplished everything for you in my Son, Jesus? You can bring nothing of worth to me… I have done it all. Do you believe this? Do you believe in my Son?”

“The words ‘it was credited to him’ were written not for him (Abraham) alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness – for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.” (4:23-25) “Consider Abraham: ‘He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.’ Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham.” (Gal 3:6-7)

Don’t you love good news?

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:9-10

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overcome

Posted on February 4, 2010 by Dana

For over forty years Jack Hayford has been a pastor, teacher, author, and hymn writer in southern California. He has blessed countless people with a deep love for the Lord and an incredible ability to communicate God’s truths. Recently I heard him teach about the letters to the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3. His emphasis was on Jesus’ desire for the churches to be in a right place with God. Who can see our exact spiritual state but the King of kings? Perfect evaluation is a great gift! Any praise or any rebuke from Jesus is rooted in love and is right on the mark. Jack Hayford pointed out two common statements found in each of the seven letters. First, Jesus tells everyone to listen: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear…” Jesus also promises a blessing to everyone that overcomes.

So how do I overcome? Can I overcome sin? Can I overcome disaster? Sickness? Death? The answer is ‘yes,’ but we must know the way. “To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.” Our hope centers in the One who overcame. He walked the same earth we do. He confronted evil, disappointment, sickness, and death. His secret was to look with child-like trust to his Father. “My Father will help me overcome.” This is why we read of Jesus getting up early to pray or going to a garden to spend time with his Father or simply looking up for guidance in a particular situation.

The world came against Jesus just as the world comes against us. But Jesus overcame… and we can overcome. “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

“My Savior will help me overcome.” This is the truth we must remember. And if, as in several of the churches in Revelation, the problem is of my own making, a loving God corrects and calls to repentance. “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:19-20)

“A Mighty Fortress” by Martin Luther (verse 2)
“Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing;
Were not the right One on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing.
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He; Lord Sabaoth is His name,
From age to age the same, and He must win the battle.”

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