God's Plan for Handling Pressure

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

All of us face pressure through life’s short journey. It is how you handle these pressures reflects how you maintain your relationships. I want to look into two very short verses that represent an important concept that has impacted my life and hope yours.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing in everything give thanks;

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

These verses reflect Three Primary Commands that can serve to guide us through life’s pressures -- they are:

• Always rejoice – it represents not the circumstances, but a general attitude towards our life. The subject of joy has been discussed several times throughout the Bible. Joy is based not on outward circumstances but your inward relationship with God. Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice (Philippians 4:4).] In the midst of difficulties, in the midst of all situations, Christians are to rejoice. The joy of Christians is not based on agreeable circumstances instead it is based on their relationship to God. Christians will face trouble in this world, but they should rejoice in the trials they face because they know God is using those situations to improve their character (James 1:2-4). Thankfulness should characterize the Christian life in every circumstance, no thanks for everything but thanks in everything. Joy is a virtue in the Fruit of the Spirit. Is joy part of your life or has life’s pressures blocked it out?
• Continually pray – this doesn’t mean to close your eyes and pray 24/7; it also doesn’t mean to round over at night and say “dido.” Eph 6:18 suggests that we need to pray in the spirit continually, through all the ups and down of life. If a person is truly in love with some one, you are thinking about them every minute. Your decisions in life are based on and for the well being of the other person. The second thing here that should be considered -- we don’t need service at the church or around the community as a substitute for prayer…prayer and prayer alone is the key to a good relationship. Weneed to believe that everything depends on our prayers and that only through prayer life makes sense. They are also not to be used as a credit card in times of trouble. O'Lord, bail me out of this specific situation that I got myself into; sorry, I should have checked with you first! Prayer, then a general attitude for which life should be center around; continually turning to Him for guidance. Don’t let life’s pressures separate you from a relationship that is so depended on communication with the only One who can make the difference.
• Give thanks in everything – the key here is to give thanks “in everything” not “for everything. Nothing speaks more powerfully of a walk with God that continuous thankfulness. You can always be thankful for something. Paul makes clear – God is working out the purpose for our life through the good and bad times. We may not be able to see what He is doing, but what He is doing is for your best.

How can we cope successfully with the pressures of life…be joyful, pray through everything, and give thanks for all things. God can use your life’s pressures, because through your pressures you can share what God is doing, thus assisting others to get through their situation.

An Old Testament example of this was when Job lost his money, his children, and his health; he blessed the name of God in spite of his personal tragedies, not because of them.

The Calling

Knowing God’s will for your life is not always a simple matter, but it is extremely important. We can somethings live with uncertainty about our vocation, but to not understanding fully your calling can be a miserable existence. Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things (Colossians 3:1-2). People who are confident that they are where God wants them to be and doing what He wants them to do are truly blessed. But how do we get there, to that prefect understandings of where God wants us to serve Him?

Jesus certainly was very specific when He called His first disciples - As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. "Come, follow me, " Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed him (Matthew 4:18-20).

There is several things that are outlined here in Matthew that will help us determine how to clearly understand God's calling:

1. God gives specific calls that normally offer a directional purpose -- "come follow me" and "I will make you fishers of men." This type of calling is a call to action; a changed of direction within a life. Peter and Andrew, like many others who followed Him, followed Him unconditionally. They did not fully understand their call, but followed Him purely by faith, knowing that whatever He had in store from them was important, life changing, and worth the effort. A directional change that the specifics would be known in time.
   
2. It is interesting that Scripture doesn't suggest or even offer a hint that Peter and Andrew asked questions about what was requested, it only states...They got up from what they where doing and followed Jesus. Whenever God calls, typically there is no time to consider the outcome, only to get up and follow. Like Peter and Andrew, many of us do not fully understand what tomorrow will bring, only that we have been asked to follow Him and that is what we are doing. We are simply allowing God to be God, thus allowing Him to work out the details.
   
3. The other thing that should be noticed here; Jesus many times enlists common men to do uncommon tasks. Why is that? The answer...Only through His empowering can the task be accomplished, thus directing the focus back to the One who has the power, not the person being used. Certainly fishing was a task that Peter and Andrew knew, but fishing for men was different.
   
4. There is always a cost for following Him -- although not outlined within this location, we can pick up the story line from other locations. There is a good example of this in Luke 22 -- Peter just disowned Jesus. Peter, up until this point in time didn't know the true cost of following Him. But even with this situation, Jesus still gave Peter high marks; "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

Just receiving the call is not enough. It takes action, an executing of what God has directed you to do to make a difference. Yes your calling is certainly important, but it is more then just getting a call, it acting on it. Is there an element of risk...of course! Risk is involved in every act of commitment, but He promised never to leave us or forsake us, and whatever He started we can be assured He will finish! All we need to do is just follow.

I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:1-3).

Missionary...A misunderstood definition

As a missionary, I often struggle with the task of writing specific prayer requests that creatively communicate the very real needs that my family face. Each time I sit down to write, it is my desire to challenge the reader to participate with us as a partner, especially when it reflects the need for additional support. Building partnerships are difficult to develop many times; churches, as well as many people have a poor definition of the true meaning of the word "missionary." In doing some extensive research into this condition...that of raising support for home base missionaries...I came across the following.

I offer the following documentation written by Allen L. Pelleter, M.D. as food for thought. I take no credit for his ideas, but certainly agree with them. I hope it will open your eyes, as it has mind, to the true definition of the word...missionary.

The Forgotten Missionaries
Allen L. Pelletier, M.D.

We often frame the missionary endeavor in terms of spiritual warfare. In warfare, of course, supplies (and supply lines) are everything. Napoleon was reputed to have said “An army marches on its stomach.” An army may be highly motivated, courageous, well trained, splendidly equipped, and yet still lose battles because of the people behind the lines.

Modern battles are not won by tricks, or by good luck. In the main they are won by supply officers who, thoroughly understanding the operational plan, contrive to have the right ammunition, fuel, and food in the right place at the right time. Approximately 500,000 American soldiers participated in Desert Storm in 1990-1991. It has been said that for every soldier or airman who was at the front line, 10 worked behind the scenes, supplying fuel, ammunition, food, water, and all the other things the combat troops needed. I am not passing judgment on the morality of this, or any other, war; nor am I suggesting that we adopt a ratio of 10 support troops for every combat soldier! I do believe, though, that we can learn from such examples. Churches want to help on the “front lines” of the mission field. This is commendable. There is always a need for more “front line” troops. But along with this goes the obligation to give “front line” missionaries the very best support possible. I am not speaking here of financial support, or even prayer support. My concern is to address the issue of missionaries whose primary role is to support field operations: those involved in administration, maintenance, finance, travel, hospitality, and children’s education. We could expand this definition of “support ministries” to include those who raise support as missionaries, but who work in sending country home offices.

If the role of “support troops” in warfare is central to success, then perhaps we need to pay more attention to our support personnel. We believe that current missions thinking and strategy convey the idea to churches (and missionaries as well) that the only “real” missionaries are pioneer evangelists or church planters targeting an unreached people group in the 10-40 Window. This may seem unfair and overly broad, but there is ample anecdotal evidence to support such a hypothesis. In fact, we see our friends in support roles as “the forgotten missionaries.” Consider several examples that we have seen in our own mission and field.

Our particular SIM field of Nigeria has been without a regular field treasurer since 1993. We thank God for the changing array of temporary helpers in our field office; but it is very difficult to manage money when accounts and financial statements lag behind four or five months! One of the most urgent worldwide needs for our mission, SIM, is for treasurers, accountants, and bookkeepers. As I write this article, SIM has urgent needs in seven countries for people with these skills.

One SIM missionary candidate (headed for South America as a bookkeeper) recently said, “I never thought of my occupation as having missionary potential.” One family we know (with another mission) recently told us that its home church raised its monthly support level from $50 to $700 when the family agreed to go on a one-year overseas assignment, doing exactly the same administrative work they were doing in the mission home office. Some church policies deny support to any missionary candidate whose ministry is not specifically defined as evangelism or church planting among an “unreached people group.” One missionary couple that we know was asked by the field to be dorm parents for a term. They were deeply discouraged to receive (while still on the field) a letter from their home church, stating that their support was being reevaluated.

Nearly every missionary I know who moves into a “home office” role (often due to factors such as illness, family concerns, or educational needs of children) experiences a significant drop in support. In 1996, we returned to Nigeria for a second term. I am a family physician. My wife has been our household manager, educating our three children, and recently teaching English as a second language. Twice during this term (still in progress as I write) we have been moved to help in “support roles.” We spent four months managing a conference center, and two months as hostel parents to MKs attending school in Jos, Nigeria. These experiences opened our eyes to the crucial role of the “forgotten missionaries.” The conference center provides one of the few affordable and convenient places on our field for missionaries who are burned out and need a break. It is one of the only places in northern Nigeria available (and affordable) to national church groups for conferences. It was a rich and rewarding experience for us to serve our brothers and sisters in Christ, missionaries and nationals alike. We helped them have a significant time of rest, retreat, or strategic planning for their ministry.

The hostel where we spent two months included children from a Korean couple teaching at a Bible college; a doctor and his wife doing pioneer outreach in a remote area of northern Nigeria among a nomadic Muslim tribe; and two teachers at a Nigerian church school. We realized that our ministry extended far beyond the walls of a building. We had the chance to love and disciple these children, and we gave their parents the freedom to carry out their significant ministries with the security of knowing that their children were in a secure and loving environment. Perhaps some will criticize our field for calling a doctor away for this task. We never felt this way. Our role allowed four other missionary families to carry on—so that in effect our ministry was multiplied fourfold!

I believe that the “forgotten missionaries” are overlooked and misunderstood. Their contributions are undervalued by most churches, and sometimes even by other missionaries. Here is just a partial list of the services that others do to help keep us on the field: donor support services, and mailing of tax receipts for our ministry; computer advice and expertise, including helping us with e-mail; hostel parents who take wonderful care of our kids while they are away from us in school; field administrators and travel coordinators, who negotiate with the government for work permits, visas, and quota positions; other home office staff who handle the mail, answer the phones, and, above all, pray for our success!

We have estimated it would take at least 20 hours a week to do these administrative tasks ourselves (and this doesn't include the education of our children!). Several factors contribute to the “forgotten missionary” syndrome. Our fallen and sinful natures are not easily clothed in servants’ robes. Churches often struggle to get volunteers for unglamorous tasks like running the nursery, teaching children’s Sunday school, or washing up after the fellowship supper. Such failures extended to a larger scale partially explain why service positions on the mission field are unappreciated and undermanned.

Then, too, many of us (at least we Americans) operate with a dichotomized worldview. We tend to divide the world into the sacred and the secular, and define “work” as what we do to “earn a living” and “ministry” as what we do to please God. This unbiblical mentality probably explains the almost apologetic remark we heard from a missionary candidate: “I never thought of my occupation as having missionary potential.”

We again, broadly generalizing about Americans) tend to be task oriented, and we want quick results from our missionary activity. Support ministries rarely produce the opportunities to give glowing reports to supporters about numbers of indigenous people converted or baptized. Support ministry missionaries may feel that they cannot compete with the dramatic stories told by their “front line” colleagues. Tales of quiet service and dedication behind the scenes aren’t heard often enough. Our missionary theology reinforces our neglect of support roles. The rugged pioneer evangelist types are our heroes. May God bless gifted individuals like this and send more into the mission fields of the world. But that is not the whole story of missions!

Theologian John Frame points out that we often make the mistake of “individualizing” scriptural commands and promises. The Great Commission was given to the church as a whole—not just to isolated individuals. The apostle Paul tells us that all the parts of the body are essential, and that the parts that are considered the least may in fact contribute the most to the body as a whole (see 1 Corinthians 12).

We lack a developed theology of missions that connects us to the rich biblical imagery of the church as the body of Christ. Such a theology will, I believe, unleash the energy and gifts of all parts of the body of Christ. Missionaries in supporting roles, and the churches that support them, need to understand their work in relationship to the whole. When we all do our work to the glory of God, “the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work” (Eph. 4:16).

The Real Meaning of Christmas

And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Luke 2:1-7

Certainly we have all read these verses to our children and grandchilren and have seen it countless times on a stage, in our local church, or within our schools, but do you really understand what it means to you and for the world? Christ's birth was not an accident...it was planned from the very beginnings of time. We seen it throughout Scripture...

"Behold: My Servant who I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. He will not cry out, no raise His voice, Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth. he will not fail nor be discouraged, Till He has establidhed justice in the earht; And the coastlands shall wait for His law."

Isaish 42:1-4

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. Curds and honey He shall eat, that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good.

Isaish 7:14-15

The greates gift that you can ever receive is a FREE GIFT of salvation that Jesus Christ has already bought for you and gift wrapped! The True Meaning of Christmas...

• "C" is for the CHRIST CHILD who was born nearly 2,000 years ago in a manger in Bethlehem.

• "H" is for the HOPE that Jesus brings to all who believe in Him and trust Him with their salvation.

• "R" is for RESURRECTION of Jesus Christ who was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, was both man and God, died on the cross for all of our sins, and then was raised from the dead (resurrected) and is now sitting at the right hand of God in heaven.

• "I" is for ISRAEL who God chose to bring forth the promised saviour of the world.

• "S" is for the salvation that Jesu offers to all who are willing to confess their sins, believe in Him, and confess their belief in Jesus with their mouth.

• "T" is for the empty TOMB on Easter morning.

• "M" is for the MERCY God has shown the world by sending His only Son to suffer for our sins and bridge the gap between man and God.

• "A" is for our AWESOME GOD who loves us all unconditionally.

• "S" is for the SHINING light that Jesus brought to the world!

This year, make your relationship different with the One who did everything for you; come to Him and receive a free gift that was promised from the beginning of time.

Have a Happy Holiday in Him