The Cross of Christ

The cross stirs up persecution -- even in America. A rising number of brave uncompromising Christians can testify both to the "offense of the cross" and to the joy of sharing Christ's suffering.

Few of those heaven-minded saints demonstrate Biblical conviction more humbly and kindly than Patrol Sergeant George Daniels. Yet, in September 1998, this honored "Officer of the Year" -- a 13-year veteran of the Arlington, Texas Police Department -- was fired. While other officers could wear symbols that expressed their beliefs and values, Sergeant Daniels was denied such freedom. Afraid that his tiny cross-shaped lapel pin "might offend someone,' Police Chief David Kunkle refused to grant him permission to wear it.

George Daniels agonized over his decision. He had given his life to God, and he couldn't ignore Scriptures such as Acts 5:29. His conscience told him "to obey God rather than men," and as an American citizen, he had that right. Should he not, by faith and with his life, exercise that right? In the end, he did. Willing to suffer for and with His Lord, he took an unpopular stand and faced the consequences. But in his heart, he agreed with the words of the apostle Paul,

"what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death...."

Philippians 3:7-10

Sooner or later, we all are faced a turning point...do we just "go-with-the-flow" or stand-up for what we believe. Taking a stand for Christ will cost you something...it maybe your job and/or in some nations, even your very life. If we allow a small cross to be removed from our person, what are we going to do when we are asked to give up our Bible. Times are coming when each of us need to make a choice about where we stand.

Put on Christ

The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision of the flesh, to fulfill its lust.

Romans 13:12-14

I often hear people ask, "Which form of government is the best? Which is the one God wants us to have?" We Americans would love to think that democracy obviously is the most God-honored form of government. But I don't think you can establish that from the Scriptures. In fact, the Scriptures reflect various forms of government. So when you ask, "Which government is the best kind? Is it a monarchy? An oligarchy (i.e., ruled by a few)? Is it a republic? A democracy?" The answer of Scripture is not necessarily any of these. It is whatever God has brought into being. That is best for that particular place and time in history. God has brought it into being, considering the makeup of the people, the degree of truth and light which is disseminated among them, and the moral conditions that are prevailing. For that condition, for that time and place, God has brought into being a particular government.

Not long ago I read about a man who was hauled into court because he had stolen a loaf of bread. When the judge investigated, he found out that the man had no job, his family was hungry, he had tried to get work but couldn't, tried to get funds for relief but couldn't, and so in order to feed his family he had stolen a loaf of bread. When the judge found out the circumstances, he said, "I'm sorry, but the law can make no exceptions. You stole, and therefore I have to punish you. I have to assess, therefore, a fine of ten dollars. But I want to pay the money myself." He reached into his pocket, pulled out a ten dollar bill, and handed it to the man. As soon as the man took the money, the judge said, "Now, I also want to remit the fine." That is, the man could keep the money. "Furthermore, I am going to instruct the bailiff to pass around a hat to everyone in this courtroom, and I am fining everybody in this courtroom fifty cents for living in a city where a man has to steal in order to have bread to eat."

The problem is not with the court system, not with the government or how we are govern. The problem is in the hearts of mankind. If you want to change the system, you must first change the heart.

So the next time you complain about how our government is not doing something you thought they are required to do, look at yourself. God has -- brought it into being, considering the makeup of the people, the degree of truth and light which is disseminated among them, and the moral conditions that are prevailing. For that condition, for that time and place, God has brought into being a particular government. We are the cause of each situation we find ourselves...do we continue to blame the government or take the responsibility for the makeup and the degree of truth in place. It is time for a change and the change must come from within.

God's Secret Weapon

Left to ourselves we will assert our will contrary to God. It is the nature of mankind to believe he is in charge and better equipped than anyone else to make life's important decisions. But if we look at the problems of life from God's perspective there is a definite pattern. Every time we violate a biblical principle we reap a problem. And even if we work to eliminate the problem, unless we deal with the core issue, we are merely trading one problem for another.

The KEY is to live in such a way as to not hinder the grace of God. God's grace is power. It is mediated to us by prayer, the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. It is summed up in Philippians 2:13, "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure." Here is God at work in us giving us the desire as well as the power to do what pleases Him!

The master illustration is in the life of Jesus. He lived in harmony with God because He understood about God's Secret Weapon. Philippians 2:5-11 tells the story. Existing in the "form of God" Jesus had a position in the universe of equality with God. At a point in time Jesus willingly took the "form of a servant." Now we view God in terms of "The Father, " "The Son" and the "Holy Spirit." In this God illustrates a submissive relationship. At no time does the Bible imply The Father and The Son are anything less than equals. But in their relationship to One Another there is submission. The Greek word translated submit (and subject) is hupotasso. This is a term indicating order rather than ability. It is used in a military context to illustrate chain of command. Junior members of a military unit "submit" to senior members.

The biblical idea of submission means "arranging under the authority of another." This is not the life of a doormat! It is a recognition that God has ordained a certain order in the universe and exhibiting a willingness to work in harmony with that order. The significance of accepting this concept cannot be overstated in terms of our spiritual and social health. Many problems are traceable to a violation of this principle.

We need to accept God's direction and not depend on our own. That certainly sounds easy, but it is not; we really have to work on it. That is the only way we can move forward in life and not trade one problem for another.

Teasures Beyond Belief

Movies, books, and television programs tend to excite our imagination when they present stories about hunting for buried treasure. Pirates, of the old mast, obtained fortunes in gold, silver and jewels, many of which are still hidden to this day. But there are treasures far more valuable than anything you can find in a buried chest or a sunken pirate ship and these treasures are available to each of us.

The Bible is a treasure chest of divine promises. One of the most precious, yet often-overlooked, is found in the book of Philippians. If you want peace of mind, you will want to act on this promise. "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6–7).

Scripture also compares God’s kingdom as a valuable pearl. "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it" (Matthew 13:45–46). The pearl of great price represents spiritual riches.

Human beings are still learning a hard lesson that no amount of material wealth will provide lasting happiness. We see this in the lessons King Solomon learned. He had it all, but throughout the book of Ecclesiastes we find the theme repeated, "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity" (Ecclesiastes 1:2). Solomon was the wealthiest man on earth, but his wealth did not bring him contentment. After searching for happiness in so many ways, what did he conclude? "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all" (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

Jesus said, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:33). Those who seek physical, material treasures often fail in their search, but if we seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness, you will find the greatest treasure of all…HIM.

Shoes of Righteousness

The Bible speaks volumes about how we are to approach our Heavenly Father.

In Exodus 3:5, Moses was to approach Him by taking off his sandals. In Acts 7:32, we see again this same encounter..."Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground."

In Joshua 5:15 Then the Commanders of the Lord's army said to Joshua, "Take your sandals off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy." And Joshua did so.

Certainly it is not a question of shoes, but a personal attitude, how we approach the holiness of God during our life. Steve Green sings about leaving footprints behind that others may follow; thus they will see our faithfulness; how we approach Him and honor His authority in our lives. The life we live needs to light a way for others, that through our walk, others will come to know God's love. The fire that burns within our life, to share Him with others, should offer a burning desire of others to also share. We need to be an example. The question is -- what does your footprints look like.

Certainly all of us want to put our best foot forward; use only formal shoes that leave the best imprint, but all imprints are good as long as to express God's love towards someone else. Certainly you wouldn't wear a formal shoe when working in the bush; you would wear a common shoe like this one shown here. It is not about the shoe, it is about the heart. Moses only took off his sandals (shoes) when God asked him too. It wasn't about the shoes, it was about the man...God's man standing on God's holy ground and God wanting to share His love direct. We need to stand firm, with or without shoes; it is all about a relationship with Him, but most important, it is all about what we leave behind for others to follow. We need to offer a good imprint, one that shows the fullness of a love relationship. What kind of footprint do you offer; is it one that you want someone to follow. Think about it the next time you sit down to put on a pair of shoes as I will.

One Size Doesn't Fit All

One size doesn't necessary mean it still fits... Noah certainly had a big task; he had to gather two of each kind and get them into a boat.

I am reminded of what Bill Cosby suggested in his reflection about Noah -- Who is this really?...Am I on Candid Camera? Little did Noah realize that the task was a little larger then he expected, well over budget, and someone should have though this through before placing all different animals together in a confine space. Did you ever feel that God doesn't do things on a small scale, and when He talks, everyone listens.

Certainly God asks many of us to do some strange things, whether it be for just a season or a life time. Little did I know that at 50-years of age I would be asked to give up my career, go back to college (which turned out to be seminary), and move East Texas to serve in full time missions.

Being an engineer I typically can't just take things on face value; I need to measure all available options that will produce the best outcome. Engineer's are like that; weight the costs before spending the money. If I was asked to build Noah's boat and gather in some animals, I would want to know the final outcome, the purpose of the task, develop a cost analysis for the project, and determine the correct manpower allocations for the project before moving forward. To stop everything and just pick up a hammer...start banging on some wood without any formal blueprints (other than verbal direction) would not be logical. Talk about a "walk in faith"...and that is what we had to do!

I have been asked several times..."are you retired"...on the surface it may seem that way, not having any corporate income, no 401k plans, not even a long term goal written down in a day-timer. God simply wants us to walk in faith and allow Him to plan the future. Whether that was going through Noah's mind when he accept the position, only God knows, but it would certainly be an issue if I had to build a boat to transport these animals. All of us need long term planning, but when you deal with God...it is His plans...not ours - that we should follow.

Now, getting back to Noah...certainly the boat took more then a few years to build. If Noah is anything like me, there would be lots of time to think about the task and/or question the outcome. Being over budget, consuming all his spare time and efforts, being questioned from every Tom/Dick and Harry...what do you thing you are doing...building a boat that is too far away to launch, etc., certainly would raise some doubts. Whenever God wants something done in our lives, it may not be logical to the world, but most certainly have a purpose, even if we can't see it...He can. It shouldn't stop the forward progress of the task, but certainly it should make you question the mythology. Such was the case within Cosby presentation that is so real -- "no wait a minute, there got to be a better way." God always weighs the cost, knows the outcome, and looks at the big picture, even when we can't.

Now the question at hand...how would you handle such an assignment? Question it and analyze the outcome before moving forward or just walk through it in faith. I believe it is the walk that will get you there and not the analysis. Try it for a while and let God run the show. You won't be disappointed...trust me and certainly trust God. You will not go wrong...He will not let you.

TIME IS SHORT

As I sit here, thinking about the need to write our end of year Anchor of Mercy Newsletter, my mind began to wonder towards several areas around the world that are presently experiencing upheaval. Everywhere you look...newspaper, television, and magazines...you see a struggle; whether it is between people or countries…whether it is through natural causes (earthquakes or other forms of environmental calamity); there is always something going on. No country seems to be exempt; no country is without turmoil; unfortunately some more than others. Each day it seems to worsen; children killing children, countries threatening to kill their neighbors with unspeakable technology, and it is growing at a mega-scale.

The Bible gives many signs that should warn us of the coming end of the age. Six such signs are given by Jesus, two characteristics are given by Paul, and eleven other occurrences are given by the prophets to occur prior to or soon after the end of the age. While we are also told we will not know the time of the End, God obviously wanted us to know His timing and how to prepare as it got closer.

Unfortunately, Christians read Scripture and ignore many of these warnings; yet others have fallen into the trap of not wanting to be labeled..."conspiracy theorist" or “the radical right”…should they display an interest in the Biblical Prophecies. My philosophy is simple. God included future events in the Bible for a reason and, since God is all knowing...we should trust that it is true and study it along with the rest of His words.

As we all look to 2007 and hopefully beyond (Lord willing), we all need to remember what is important. Family, friends, and other very unique relationships that you have developed through the year; all should be at the top your list. For only through personal connection can we feel that we have contributed to our world’s indifferences...one person at a time.

Several years ago there was a commercial that suggested “you tell someone…they tell someone…and some on.” We don’t all need to go to a foreign field to serve, but we are all called to visit the guy next store. That is what it is all about…sharing Christ to the nations, but not at the expense of not meeting the need of the guy next store.

Time is short and our world is not getting any better…so the question is…what are we doing about it? Each of us needs to answer that question; each of us needs to listen to His calling for where He wants us to spend our time, our efforts, our energy and our assets. Time is short and certainly each of us wants to make our life count for Him.

Remember -- New Year’s Resolutions are only as good as our ability to act upon them; Faith is an action word, because each of us needs to walk in and by faith. Make a resolution that makes a difference, for time is short. If you ask me about my resolution for 2007 and beyond...I just want to serve Him more as He gives me strength. I also want to be there for others and to meet their needs in a timely fashion. Being in full-time missions...all I can do is give of myself...thank God for all of you...and pray for each of you, as I know you are praying for us. May God richly bless you in 2007.

Anchor of Mercy

SEASONS GREETINGS

FROM THE HENSMANS AT

MERCY SHIPS

Christ Born of Mary

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they cam together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a jus man, an dnot wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us." Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus. Matthew 1:18-24

To truly understand the birth of Christ, you need to understand the culture of that day. In Jewish culture, a marriage covenant is typically arranged years before the consummation of the marriage. It was during the one-year period of betrothal that Mary was found to be pregnant. The fact that Mary was a virgin at this time is clearly implied by the phrase "before they came together;" therefore, Joseph was not the physical father of Jesus Christ. That means...there had to be another donor.

Conceived...of the Holy Spirit; Verses 1-17 establish Jesus as a legal son of Joseph; vv. 18-25 deny that Joseph was Jesus' physical father. The first was necessary to establish Jesus' lineage to David and His royal right to be King. The second was necessary to establish His qualifications to be the Savior of all people; Jesus was God's Son and not merely Joseph's. Matthew elaborated on Jesus' kingship while Luke detailed His miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:26-56).

Certainly most if not all facts about the birth of Christ is known by many, but what I want to express within this posting is -- what would have happen if Christ was not born into the culture and time frame that He was? For example - take His birth and move it forward in time to our century. Although still Jewish, the culture of today would certainly look at this pregnancy differently. Would Mary consider or be forced into an abortion and if that happen, what would it mean to us to not have a Savior?

Whether you are Pro-life or Pro-choice really comes into a new way of thinking when you consider Christ as the baby. Calling yourself a Christian also changes when you consider Christ is a possible abortion situation. Joseph certainly had the right to make an example of Mary back then, but how would he handle it today. How would Mary handle the situation, even after being told the baby she was carrying was the Son of God.

What about Aunt Meg or Uncle Bob...how would they handle it to know that their neice was pregnant and could only offer this a story of being visited by the Holy Spirit. First, Mary would have be placed in a rubber-room, not to mention quietly removed from society and place in a home somewhere. Thank God they where in the culture that didn't have the opion of ending life so easily.

As we all move into yet another year...we as a society need to consider some things about where we are going as a society.

Why blame God for your present situation?

Did you ever take time to think about what God feels when He looks down from Heaven at the mess we have created?

We question His presents, His involvement, based on how we view His involvement in our lives, but at the same time express a true desire to want to do our own thing; believing we are fully in control of ever situational outcome. We only ask Him for help when we physically run into a brick wall and have no solution to our dilemma. We blame Him if the answer doesn’t meet with our time frame or what we thing the answer should reveal.

What would or should God do to correct the world’s situation and not jeopardize His present direction, hope, and love to us? Would He include the desires of our heart or simple do His own things and not consider our input? How would He handle it and would we be pleased with the outcome?

• God could let things drift on as they are with the present mixture of pain and pleasure we all experience. He could adopt the pose of the absentee, disinterested God. In doing so he would, of course, deny his love. He would publicly, as it were, give up on his creation - giving up on loving it, give up on desiring its healing. The cry of the martyrs How long, how long O Lord would go unanswered except with a shrug of the shoulders from the almighty indicating that they - and we - are just going to have to live without hope. That's not an encouraging scenario.
• The second possibility would be for God to re-engineer us so that we became those automatons that we prefer not to be. That too would be a denial of the love principle embedded in creation. Just as we cannot have meaningful relationships with a bunch of robots on the factory floor, neither could God have meaningful relationships with a rewired humanity.
• The third option would be to wipe it all out and start again - wipe the slate clean - re-visit the Flood - but do it more thoroughly. But that too is to admit defeat and, moreover, it is the path he said he would not go down.
• That leaves the fourth option which is to judge the world as he finds it. Respecting our freedom and the choices we make, he could nevertheless decide to preserve what is good and to purge what is bad - in other words to judge - to discriminate - and to separate.

Certainly based on the compassion of God, He would only want to pursue the fourth option, and that is exactly what He is doing. So the next time you blame God, understand the problem is not with Him…it is with us. Just something to think about!

Mission Support

"Mission is the very lifeblood of the church. As the body cannot survive without blood, so the church cannot survive without mission. Without blood the body dies; without mission the church dies. As the physical body becomes weak without sufficient oxygen-carrying red blood cells, so the church becomes anemic if it does not express its faith. The church . . . establishes its rationale for being—its purpose for existing—while articulating its faith. An unexpressed faith withers. A Christian fellowship without mission loses its vitality. Missions are the force that gives the body of Christ vibrancy, purpose, and direction. When the church neglects its role as God’s agent for mission, it is actually neglecting its own lifeblood.

Gailyn Van Rheenen, Missions
Biblical Foundations and Contemporary Strategies 1996:31

So how should a mission, wherever he or she serves, handle the concept of raising support? There are really only two ways to look at it. First, as a business that would require networking to conduct several campaigns to seek out and/or convince others that their mission efforts are worthy of support over other missionaries. This attitude is no different then corporate America where persons are hired based on skills/performance…the rat race is alive and well in this arena and/or competition between missionaries is at the forfront of any church decision. You would think that the primary thrust in any church is to support missions. “Mission is the very lifeblood of the church. As the body cannot survive without blood, so the church cannot survive without mission.”

Most churches believe that the mission field is to fill a building just to pass the plate so they can administer support to field logically. Unfortunately, based on a poor definition of what missions are true offering, most budgets are being cut to the point where mission efforts are being critically injured as to allow bigger and better facilities to be built. Thus, missions around the world and this includes missionaries right here at home, have to seek other means for income.

The second methodology for support comes from a well known person…George Mueller, which doesn’t use the services of any group to get the job done. Mueller had only two shillings to his name when he began the orphanage work, but over the next sixty years God sent more than $7,500,000 to supply their needs. New buildings were built or purchased, staff was hired, and the hundreds of children never missed a meal. In addition, during his life time, he started 117 schools, which educated over 120,000 young people and orphans. He became pastor of Bethesda Chapel in Bristol. The church had some 2,000 members at his death. Mueller resolved never to tell anyone what his needs were. He told them to God and confidently expected them to be met.

Now, of these two methodologies, which one is better? Certainly Mueller’s attitude of depending on God for everything proves beyond a shadow of doubt he was a man of God who truly walked by faith, but without church intervention, only Mueller saw God’s blessings. The church or other individuals could have certainly had a piece of the action, but they declined to build bigger and better buildings to their own glory.

"Let us see that we keep God before our eyes; that we walk in His ways and seek to please and glorify Him in everything, great and small. Depend upon it, God's work, done in God's way, will never lack God's supplies." (Hudson Taylor)

It certainly would make life easier if churches and other individuals would get involved as partners, but the work will continue, with or without their intervention.

Henry Blackaby’s Experiencing God states, “Christians need to find out where God is working and get there.” All any missionary could ask…be apart of our team and see how God blesses.

Old Sailors

The old sailor looked at the skies and saw a dark storm coming. As the sea became rough and choppy, the old salt calmly lowered the heavy-chained anchor link by link, battened down the hatches and went to bed for the night. He knew the storm would be rough. But he had faith in the grasp of the anchor. He knew his boat would be there in the morning.

Like that sailor, we have an "Anchor" for our lives that can help us stand fast through the storms of life. It's called hope.

Liberia 2006

Liberian President Sirleaf thanks U.S. Congress

Speaking before a joint meeting of the United States Congress on Wednesday (3/16/06), Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf asked for American support to help her country "become a brilliant beacon, an example to Africa and the world of what love of liberty can achieve."

Mercy Ships M/V Anastasis will be completing her second outreach into Liberia this year. Over the past several months the Anastasis has been physically right there to see the rebirth of Liberia; assisting her people in Healthcare Services and Sharing the love of Christ. We stand firm, as a ministry, to pray and support Liberia in the days, weeks, and years to come.

Although the Anastasis will be decommissioned at the end of this outreach, her sister ship -- The Africa Mercy -- will surely be visiting Liberia in the near future. The Africa Mercy, comes into service Apri 6, 2006. Her first field assignment will be to serve 10 months in Ghana. Please continue to pray that her launch is not delayed and she will be able to prove herself worthy of the name Mercy Ship M/V Africa Mercy...servicing the poor and needy of West Africa.

If you would like to view President Sirleaf speach, please open the following link:

http://allafrica.com/stories/200603150786.html

Be a blessing to others

It has been said that God’s people possess God’s provisions to accomplish and fulfill God’s purposes in the world. Indeed, according to Christian financial advisor Ron Blue, “Eighty percent of the world’s evangelical wealth is in North America – and the total represents way more than enough to fund the fulfillment of the Great Commission.”

A majority of people alive today do not know the Savior. This includes 1.19 billion Muslims, 811 million Hindus, 360 million Buddhists, 228 million ethno- religionists, 23 million Sikhs, 14 million Jews, 768 million agnostics, and 150 million atheists. Of all the people who have ever lived, it is believed that half of them are living today. More than 1 billion people live in absolute poverty. This includes 700 million people living in slums, 500 million people on the verge of starvation, 93 million beggars, and 200 million children exploited for labor.

If you think that is unbelievable…try this on for size. The church has grown more in the 20^th century than in all the previous 19 centuries since the time of Christ combined, with almost 12 billion adherents worldwide. Every day 166,000 people hear the good news of Jesus Christ for the first time. Every year, 27 million people profess faith in Christ as Savior for the first time. The current ranks of 81 million believers in China are expected to swell to 135 million by 2025. The 50 million faithful in India could mushroom to 125 million by 2050. And today’s census of 90 million Christians in Africa is likely to explode to 1 billion by 2050.

The total Christian income in the United States is 5.2 trillion annually, nearly half the world’s total Christian income. The average donation by adults who attend U.S. churches is about $17.00 per week. Certainly the need is great, but the giving is not! Among evangelical churches, 90 cent of every donated dollar goes to cover operational functions within the local church. Of the remaining 10 cent of every donated dollar, less than 2½ percent goes to support full time missionaries serving abroad and 1 percent to those serving within the boarders of The United States.

Rick Warren states, “One of the most misunderstood areas of life is the area of giving, particularly the question of how God wants us to handle our money.”

“Tell people to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and should give happily to those in need, always being ready to share with others whatever God has given them. By doing this they will be storing up real treasure for themselves in heaven – it is the only safe investment for eternity! And they will be living a fruitful Christian life down here as well” (1 Timothy (6:18-19).

These verses make it clear that money is to be used, not loved. You are to use money, and you are to love people. If you get that reversed, you are in trouble because if you start loving money (and what it offers), you will start using people to get more money. Money has a tremendous potential for good if you use it as God intended. It is a tool that the Bible tells us to use for good in order to fulfill God’s purposes for our lives.

Think about this concept the next time a missionary asks you to become a partner in his or her mission. Become a partner today and see what God has in store for you as you bless others.

The Plan of God

January 1, 2006

Each of us looks forward to yet another New Year; a chance for change, to resolve old habits through new promises in hopes of making this New Year better than the last. Did you ever stop to think if your promises where aligned in "The Plan of God" for your life.

Many of us just worry about making it through another day; fighting the next traffic jam that always seems to confront us when we are late for work, or missed meeting that should have been modified from the very beginning. Promises to do better in the year to come -- we can't even get past the major promises of loose weight, read God's Word more, or even have some quiet time with Him. Making new promises that include His plan for our life certainly sounds like a promise that will fail before it starts. But why is that? (Psalm 40:8 - "I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law is within my heart.")

Wanting to get right with Him should be our top priority, but normally it is farest thought from our daily tasks. Isn't it important to know that what we are doing is aligned with what He wants for us? Then why don't we take time to really make the change when given a chance? God must certainly understand our need to make intelligent decisions about very practical concerns, so why doesn't He help to get our personal life arranged to align with His will? He wants us to keep the big picture in mind and concentrate on our relationship with Him, but He is also a God of the details. So how can be balance our day to include Him? If you can honestly answer that question, you could make a promise that may work in 2006 and beyond.

Paul wrote - "For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins." (Colossians 1:9-14)

As we begin 2006, promise what you know you have the ability to complete...God will honor it. As to the rest..ask Him for strength and let Him supply it. If you really think about it...if we could do it on our own...we wouldn't give Him the credit; therefore, depend on Him for the strength to move forward. Happy New Year...

Politically Correct Christmas

A community declines when the majority of its citizens become selfish, and under this influence it slowly dismantles all the restraints upon self-indugence established by manners, customs, traditions and laws. As each subsequent generation of selfish citizens inherits control of the community, it takes its opportunity to abandon more of the irksome restraints that genius and wisdom has installed. The proponents of this social demolition achieve their irrational purpose by publicly embracing absurdity through slogans, while vilifying any who do not support their stance. The purpose of the slogan is to enshrine irrational fears, or fancies, as truth through the use of presumptuous words. Now, early in the 20^th century, the results of being bourgeois (retaining traditional notions), is being labeled racist, sexist, radical right, etc. with the risk of losing a job, your reputation, being jostled in the street, being subject to judicial penalty and death threats. And it is this extremity of reaction that has won media attention and the name Political Correctness, though the reaction will become even more unpleasant with the next generation.

AUSTIN, TX – Attorneys for the complaintive, filed a suit in the Austin Federal Court today seeking to prevent Santa Claus from making his list and then checking it twice. In addition and as part of this same suit, the complaintive added a secondary point to this immediate injunction against this well known Christmas icon asking that the court…

• Effectively bans all traditional practices of Mr. Claus claiming..."such practices determine behavioral patterns that produce irreversible trauma to the individual's self-esteem when labeled good or bad.” The suit goes on to ask the federal judge to hereby order, “Mr. Claus to cease and desist all repetitive and duplicative list-checking activity, and certify the original list is to be submitted, without amendment, alteration, deletion, or other unnecessary modification." “There are no standards for deciding who is naughty, and who is nice. Actions are totally arbitrary and capricious. How many more times does he need to check? This checking, checking, and re-checking over and over again must stop now."
• “Mr. Claus to stop referring to this December Holiday as ‘Christmas’, declaring that “people need to say “Have a Happy Holiday" in all public areas,” thus separate and/or remove any suggestion of Christ from Christmas" on the ground for separation of church and state.

Senator Edward Kennedy continued the arguement citing...“the potential for unauthorized list tampering suggests improprieties that are certainly questionable” and “that needs to fall under Homeland Security.” Senator Kennedy goes on to state..."Their security is really awful”, said Mr. Kennedy. "My mother just walked right in, told 'em she was Mrs. Claus and they didn't check her ID. No wonder there is questions associated with a list."

The Rev. Jesse Jackson was quick to respond to this latest development and plans to lead his protesters from Florida to the North Pole via dog sled. Jackson said. “Santa Claus could not be reached for comment”, but a Spokes-elf said he was "deeply distressed by news of the pending legal action against him.” "He's losing weight, and he hasn't said 'Ho Ho' for days," said the spokesman-elf. "He's just not feeling jolly." As for the concept of Christmas, the elf spokesmen stated that “Mr. Claus will continue calling this season Christmas until the court rules otherwise.”

Although this article is just made up for the purpose of this example...it maybe very closer to the truth in today's society. Some times “political correctness” just simply goes too far.” It seems like our country is being bombarded daily by extremist affixed with one agenda...to disrupt our faith based society and our normal way of life. The major question at hand...when will the Christians stand-up and be counted? Maybe it will take something larger then just questioning Christ in Christmas. Maybe it will take another physical attack like 911 to get people thinking about their relationship with Christ. Persecution can come in all sizes; it seems like only after it gains strength and becomes nation news do people really notice that their rights are being changed.

Taking Christ out of Christmas is yet just the beginning...tomorrow, you may not be allowed to attend church or even carry a Bible. O' we tell ourselves, "that can't happen here in our country"; but tell that to the many other countries around the world whos people are being persecuted; ask them how it got started!

Setting a Goal for Life

Emmett Kelly Sr. was born in Sedan, Kansas on December 9, 1898. His father worked the railroad, and his mother ran the family-owned boarding house. He grew up, not in Sedan, but on a farm in rural Missouri. He worked at various jobs, finally seeming to settle down working as a cartoonist for a silent film company in Kansas City. It was there that Emmett Kelly first drew the tramp clown character that he would later portray, Weary Willy.

Although gainfully employed, Emmett had dreamed of joining the circus since he was a young boy, as many of us did. Emmett, however, worked to make that dream a reality by purchasing a trapeze, and learning how to become a circus ... aerialist. His first performing circus job (he had previously worked painting circus wagons) was as a trapeze artist with Howe's Great London Circus -- with Emmett doubling as a clown. Emmett agreed, and began performing, not as Weary Willie, but as a white-face clown.

With the Great Depression, work became harder to come by -- Emmett worked at Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus, later joining the Cole Brothers & Clyde Beatty Circus in 1935, and joining the Mills Circus in England in the late 1930's. While performing in Europe, he performed for the Queen of Spain and Winston Churchill, among other notables. It was in London that he came to the attention of John Ringling North, who eventually signed Emmett in 1942 for the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus -- after Kelly had turned The Big Show down twice.

Emmett remained with the Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus for fourteen seasons, taking the 1956 season off to perform as the 'mascot' for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Emmett was active on Broadway ("Please Keep off the Grass") and movies (notably the circus classic The Greatest Show on Earth and Fellini's classic The Clowns). Beginning in 1957, he worked with the Shrine Circus and made personal appearances worldwide. Emmett Kelly Sr. died of a heart attack on March 28, 1979, at his home in Sarasota, Florida, USA.

Why am I telling you all this? Years ago I had a friend who made no plans, set no goals, aimed at nothing. His reason? He wanted always to be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Before he decided anything, he prayed. He asked the Lord whether he should go to work that day, brush his teeth, and use deodorant. (I wish he had asked me!) Needless to say, he didn't keep a job very long. Many believe that life is for just clowning around and to have a good time (if it feels good, doesn't hurt anyone, just do it!). If a clown can develop a goal for life, so why are we not setting our goals?

My friend made three faulty assumptions in determining God's will:

1. He thought that his feelings were an infallible guide for sensing the leading of the Spirit and wanted to be open and unencumbered as to not miss the Holy Spirit’s direction.
2. He believed that the Holy Spirit leads people only in a spontaneous way. That is, he does not move them to make plans.
3. He subconsciously rejected the idea that he could hear the Spirit's voice through the Scriptures. But by abandoning the Word of God as his normative guide, he was assuming that the Holy Spirit usually circumvents the Word when he speaks to men.

James calls such rigidity arrogance ( v. 16). But he does not say that we should not set goals. Rather, we should make plans, but submit them to the Lord: "Instead, you ought to to say, 'If the Lord wills, we shall live and also do this or that'" (v. 15). I n reality, James 4:15 balances out both extremes. We should use our minds and set goals, but we must do so in humility, recognizing that God alone controls our destiny.

Setting goals is serious business. We ought not to be so anxious about life that we make rigid plans which are beyond our capacity to keep, nor should we be so lazy as to make no plans at all. Rather, with all humility, let us submit our plans to the Lord, and work for his glory.

Working in full time ministry doesn’t exclude us from the need to set goals. Just because we have accepted God’s calling, doesn’t stop the forward progress for each life within that calling. God is not through with any of us; in fact, as Christians, we should be really seeking and setting goals that further the kingdom. “Men are to dream dreams” I believe that is within Scripture. Just because we serve full time, we are not retired for the business of moving our life forward in Him.

As a personal note - many of us at Mercy Ships are in transition; with the laying up of the Caribbean Mercy and the Anastsis, allowing Mercy Ships to focus on the launching of the Africa Mercy in 2006, full time staff have been force to move around. If we focus on what God called us to do, it doesn't matter where we do it. We still can set goals and dream dreams, as long as God and our service to Him is in the center of each task. I not saying that Emmitt Kelly was a Godly man, but we can all learn from him...he knew in his heart that he was to be a clown and when for it. When it comes right down to it...The question then is – how are you setting your goals?

If our Lord is not in the very center of each agenda, maybe we need to think about why/how they where set to begin with. I think it is about time to get moving for Him! So, what are you waiting for?

True Friend

When we honestly ask the question, which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advise, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares. (Henri Nouw)

Certainly each of us desires such a friend; one that we can consider a brother in Christ; one that hangs tuff when the battles of life intensify to the point that no one knows which end is up. King David had such a friend; one that stood by him in the good times and bad. Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, even to his sword, and his bow, and his belt (1 Samuel 18:3-4).

In today’s fast track society with the hustle and bustle of our world, many of us don’t stop long enough to just talk face-to-face. We send emails and voice over internet transmissions to convey our thoughts and needs. We tend to try to work out our problems without others, asking no one for help until it is too late or too distressing for us to handle. Our relationships (if there are any), tend to be superficial or non-committal based on a fear that someone will get too close and see our true nature. Without a long-term relationship, problems rarely get fixed, they just get bandaged.

This is not the way God planned it...The body is a unit, thought it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12). If one body part hurts, each part should be there to help support that member.

The question then is…who is your friend? Do you have anyone close to you that you could consider a brother or sister? If not, why not! God put us here on this earth to comfort one another. Stop thinking of yourself and start thinking about someone else. Your problems will decrease as you get involved with someone else whose problems are larger.

God's Word tells us that a friend sticks closer than a brother, and that in order for one to be a friend, one must show themselves friendly (Proverbs 18:24). The question is: what type of friend do you desire to be? What type of friend are you to someone else?

The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares.

It’s been one of those Days!

From calm to chaos; from peace to perplexity; within a matter of moments our world can be turned upside down. Did you ever have one of those days that you truly believe you should have stayed in bed; for everything you did just made things worst? Certainly each of us have had those days, but it is how we allow them to effect our life is how you go forward into tomorrow. Here is something to think about…

It's been one of those Days! My forgetter's getting better, but my rememberer is broken. To you that may seem funny, but, to me, I’m not joken. For when I'm “here" I'm wondering, if I really should be "there", and, when I try to think it through, I haven't got a prayer! Often times I walk into a room and say "What am I here for?" I wrack my brain, but all in vain! A zero is my score. At times I put something away where it is safe, but, gee, the person it is safest from is generally me! When shopping I may see someone, say "Hi" and have a chat, then, when the person walks away I ask myself, "who was that?" Yes, my forgetter's getting better, while my rememberer is broken, and it's driving me plumb crazy and that isn't any joken.

I am sure Job could relate to having a bad hair day…then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!” He just lost his property, children, and now his health. The interesting, God didn’t take away his wife and friends that physically made things worst; many of us have people in our life that certainly contribute to our situation. The words of Job’s wife – curse God and die, were probably Job’s most severe trial. Ironically, her question…do you still hold fast to you integrity employs almost exactly the same wording the Lord had used in Job 2:3 during His conversation with Satan about Job.

Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause.”

The wording emphasizes Job’s perseverance, which his wife misconstrued as religious fanaticism; she thought he was blindly refusing to face the reality of his desperate situation. Job’s response to his wife was certainly right on the money.

But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and shall we not accept adversity? (Job 2:10).

We live in a world that makes life difficult; we rejected a world that was freely given to us for a world of chaos. We like Job we should look at each situation, both good and bad and see God’s hand in it. Listen to Him; for He is the author and finisher of your life. So when bad days come, look through them to what lies just around the corner.

Are you a Blessing?

It blesses God when we yield ourselves to him as vessels for his purposes. For example, in woodworking when you use the right tool for a job it gives you a unique satisfaction in using the tool that does it best. It reminds me of Tim "the tool-man" Taylor grunting in approval over the perfect tool for the job.

Each one of us are tools in God's toolbox. He has tasks he desires to accomplish on earth that are best done through human instruments. Though he has many tools he could use, there are certain tools that are better than others for each job.

God has designed us with a special purpose, as a special tool for a special job. He has uniquely gifted us with talents, passions and spiritual gifts to best fulfill his purpose for our life. No one else has ever been or will be designed and created quite like you! God wants to help us experience the thrill and satisfaction of finding that perfect niche that has been design specifically for each of us.

Colossians 3:23 explains what being faithful means: "And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men" (NKJV).

Whether we are caring for our elderly parent, making widgets at the factory, or driving the church van, or spending quality time with our children, we are to do it heartily as we would for the Lord Himself.

Having a "kingdom mindset" will greatly help us in being faithful from day to day. A person with the kingdom mindset sees themselves as God's servant and is aware that they are under his authority at all times. Jesus illustrated the kingdom mindset in the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30). In the parable, the master entrusted his money to his three servants prior to a journey. Upon return, he rewarded the two servants who had invested the money. He rebuked the third who had not invested, gave his portion to the most profitable servant, and had him punished severely.

The kingdom mindset recognizes that we will give an account to God, just as the servants gave account to the master. God entrusts many such resources to us and expects us to put them to use for his interests. At the end of the age, we'll have to give an account to God for how we lived and what we did with what he gave us. Paul wrote:

"Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad." 2 Corinthians 5:9-10 NKJV

Make each day count for Him in everything you do. You only go through life once, so do it right the first time...

Accept No Substitutes

Pick up any paper or read any article...for centuries humanity around the world has been looking for ways to substitute God to justify their actions. Even within our own culture, we have begun to loose our belief in God as a personal force, as the decider of their fate, as the ultimate judge for our actions. We only turn to Him, as our supreme authority, in times of distress, or when we face conditions beyond our ability to solve. The idea that God, the creator of man has become old-fashion. If that is true, we must accept a lower status from being formed in His Image to a product of some warm chemical stew. Many of life's problems have been relegated to chance or luck of the draw; our home environment as a disfunctional family, or forced to accepted a specific political agenda. Within Christ there are no substitutions; there are no means of explaining away or relegating simply social fades with a stroke of a pen in the hall of government offices.

People today are trying all sorts of ineffective and destructive substitutes for God -- Astrology, philosophy, paganism, alcoholism, drugs, science, money, pleasure, etc. -- all will not make life easier, in fact will only confuse their relationship with Christ. People cannot run far enough away from God to turn a life from chaos to final peace through their own power. Families disintegrate, the social order collapses, and people make a mess of their lives! There are no substitutes! The dilemma of modern man is...we still try to control our own lives as if we really had the ability to do so.

In Yamine B. Mermer paper The Ever-Present God of Revelation, he suggests and I quote...

"Man is not mere flesh and blood. He has been endowed with the most comprehensive faculties and senses ever designed. He has such hopes and desires that nothing except eternal happiness can satisfy them. He continuously suffers the pain of separation from his objects of love and attachment. Moreover, he knows he will ultimately leave all of his loved ones and go alone to the darkness of the grave. It is therefore clear that man cannot reach happiness as long as his needs which spread through every part of the world, and his desires, which extend to eternity, are not satisfied. The fleeting pleasures of worldly life cannot bring about this happiness. Modern man lives in a vacuum of meaninglessness. In order to remedy this situation, he attributes to himself and to things around him fictitious meanings. He claims to be his own master although he knows very well that he is not. As a result, he is bound to live in an imaginary world, which is in conflict with reality. This situation is not restricted to personal life; it is characteristic of all areas of modern life, including philosophy and science. Indeed, how can man understand the world without having recourse to knowledge truth -- and it is not possible to escape from this obligation -- main is in need of a permanent historical matrix that will tell min once and for all what norms, what universals ought to govern his understanding of life. Then, from this vantage point that matrix will provide, he will be able to look at the reality of things. In absence of such universal matrix, all claims to understanding are arbitrary fancies."

Certainly, no matter how modern a civilization, it cannot deliver on its promises; material wealth does not yield happiness. Accepting any else but the real thing will not put your life in order. Christ's love cannot be substituted. The sooner we realize it the better off we will be.