What is Our Purpose?

All of us want to live a life of purpose and meaning. We were created with that desire. But how do we know what the true purpose of our life should be? Do we look inwardly to find the answer? Do we look at the world around us to find the answer? Or, do we look to God, our creator, and His Word to find the answer? I believe it is this last place that we should look. 

God’s purpose for creating people was to glorify and worship Him. He desires that His name be worshipped, glorified, revered, sanctified and honored by all nations. He wants people to know Him and to love and worship Him. Throughout the Bible, the call to praise and worship God is foremost (Ps 97:1, Ps 67:3-4, Ps 96:3, Rev 15:3-4). 

Yet, our selfish, sinful nature, time and again, tries to convince us that this world is all about us. We want to believe that God created this world solely for our enjoyment. Two examples, from the Bible, that indicate this focus on self is how we view the Exodus and the birth of Jesus. Many of us may believe, I know I did until recently, that God saved Israel out of Egypt and numerous other tribulations because, for some reason, they pleased Him and He wanted to help them; that Jesus Christ came solely to save us from Hell and that Heaven is our reward for doing the best we can do at living our lives in obedience to God and His Word. 

While there is truth in each of the above statements, these beliefs miss the underlying reason or purpose for creation, the Exodus, Jesus’ time on Earth and Heaven. They are not about us. They are all about God and His glory. All that has been created was made to glorify/point to God. “For since the creation of the world, God's invisible qualities-His eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” (Rom 1:20).

The Exodus occurred so that the nations, especially Israel and Egypt, would see that God was much more powerful than any of the gods that Egypt (the greatest world power at that time) worshipped. The plagues showcased God’s power over Satan and his demons. 

While Jesus certainly came to Earth to seek and save sinners, His main purpose was to glorify God, “I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.’ And what was the work? ‘I manifested Your name to the men You gave me out of the world” (John 17:4, 6). Jesus made known to the world who God was. He caused his followers to know and adore Him, God incarnate. 

Lastly, Heaven will be a place of happiness, joy, peace, all the good that we can ever imagine. But our primary purpose in Heaven will be to worship God, as seen in the numerous visions of Heaven that God gives to people in the Bible. John tells us in Revelation 15:3-4, what is said about God around His throne, "Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the ages. Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed." The incredible thing about this worship, and worship of God on Earth, is that through worship of God, we find our greatest happiness. We were made to worship God and we find our greatest fulfillment when we do what we were made to do. God will be worshipped and we will be filled with endless, incredible joy! 

In light of all this truth from the Word, our purpose in life is not to find the most happiness, prosperity, success and peace we can find. It is to glorify the Lord. Our life’s purpose of glorification can be best summed up by what John Piper said, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” May we live a life that points others to God! 

Christianity and Kublai Khan - A Missed Opportunity

While studying the lives of Marco Polo and Kublai Khan with my children, and then reading about them once again in Scott W. Sundquist’s article entitled Asian Christianity, I was deeply saddened by the HUGE loss of opportunity for mission outreach to Asia during the time of Kublai Khan.

“In the 13th century, when Genghis Khan ruled, this empire stretched from China to Central Europe — a kingdom larger even than those of Alexander and the Roman Caesars, covering all of Asia, Indochina, and even Eastern Europe. No nation has yet to rival the magnitude of the Mongolian Empire,” (Sundquist).  His grandson, Kublai Khan, had a mother who was a Christian. Kublai “ruled when the Mongol Empire had reached its limit. It could not expand any farther, so Kublai concentrated on maintaining peace in his borders. When Marco Polo (1254 - 1323?) journeyed to China, he found evidence of Christian communities and served in the court of Kublai, having become the Khan’s trusted friend.

Kublai became interested in Christianity and even asked the Polo’s to bring back teachers and missionaries to his land,” (Sundquist). He specifically requested from Pope Gregory X, that 100 missionaries be sent to the Mongol empire to teach himself and his people about the Christian faith. Sadly and regretfully, “the request was never fulfilled because the Popes in Europe were more concerned about defending themselves militarily than they were interested in extending the Gospel spiritually,” (Sunquist, 241). This may be one of the greatest lost missionary opportunities of all times!

Imagine if Pope Gregory X had immediately fulfilled that request. He was in charge of the vast Christian Church. Popes had been able to stir up huge support for the Crusades, in the past, and he could have found 100 or more monks who were willing to go to Asia to share the Gospel of Christ with the Mongols and thus the entire Mongol Empire. God was opening a door of opportunity for Christianity to spread to the largest empire the world had ever seen through a man whose mother was a Christian. If these monks had been sent, history may have seen the conversion of a vast empire to Christianity. Look at how God used one monk, St. Patrick, to convert Ireland or Columbu to convert Scotland. What could have have been done with 100 monks who were requested, specifically, by the Mongol leader himself?

Instead, “it is in the time of the Great Khans that the Tibetan form of Buddhism gained influence in Mongolia...(and) Buddhism became the predominant religion in the Mongolian territories... Today, they do not persecute Christians (though there are only a few), but they still firmly believe that Buddhism is the only true religion and even more so as a reaction to Christian missionary efforts.,” (Sundquist).

If Christianity, however, had been the religion that Kublai Khan and his followers embraced, Mongolia, and possibly other countries in Asia today may have become Christian. Christianity may have swept across Asia the way it did across Europe. The strongholds of Islam and Communism may never have gained a foothold if Christianity had been the predominant religion.

This is a huge lesson for the Christian Church today. When God opens a door, we must walk through it! We must take every opportunity given to us to share the Gospel with those who are lost, no matter their religion or skin color. This lesson can be applied especially today where America, a Christian nation, has a powerful influence on many strongholds of Satan.. Will we send the “100 missionaries” to share the love of Jesus with them or will we, like the Popes of old, be more concerned about defending ourselves militarily than we are interested in extending the Gospel spiritually?

Women Missionaries in the Bible

Were there female missionaries in the Bible that we can look to as examples for the modern-day Christian? The answer is a resounding yes! I have highlighted four such women, but I encourage you to look for more. It once again amazes me how a book, written 2,000 or more years ago, continues to speak to us today, in every area of our lives. God is so good!

Esther, whose name appears in the Bible more often than any other woman's, was an orphan Jewess, reared by her cousin. She was born of a noble Jewish family and carried into captivity when Nebuchadnezzar invaded Jerusalem. Four years later, however, she had risen to the position of queen of the Persian Empire.  She was most likely the only one of the king’s court who worshiped the true God. However, as a result of the warning from her cousin Mordecai, the king did not know that she was Jewish. As time went on, she won both his confidence and his love. Her position allowed her to play an incredibly important role in the lives of her people, who had been threatened with destruction.
Mordecai warned Esther that the Jews were to be destroyed at the request of their enemy, Haman. But Esther, if she was willing, might be able to intercede for them. He told her, "Who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14). In order to seek the king's protection of her people, Esther risked her own life by going unbidden before the king. The end result was the downfall of the wicked Haman, whom the king ordered to be hanged, and the salvation of the Jews.
In today’s day and age, women missionaries are asked, time and again, to approach the throne of grace on behalf of a people group whom Satan has tried to destroy. His methods are varied: cannibalism, violent warfare, infanticide, jihad...but his intent is the same as Haman’s, destruction of the people God has made. A missionary goes before the throne of God to plead for this people, more often than not, risking their lives in order to live and interact with these, sometimes dangerous, people groups. The Lord, time and again, recognizes the sacrifice of these modern-day Esthers, and holds out His scepter of pardon and forgiveness to each people group who is willing to acknowledge Him as Savior and Lord. Yet, it is not only the foreign missionary who does this, but each Christian has the privilege and responsibility to intercede for the lost, praying daily for salvation for the unreached people of our world.

Dorcas, (Acts 9: 36, 39) lived in the port city of Joppa, about 35 miles northwest of Jerusalem.  It was an important Christian center in the first century AD, a time when the new faith was spreading from Jerusalem across the Mediterranean. Dorcas had great compassion for the widows and the fatherless. She began making clothing for the poor, rising early each day to sew.
One day she was seized with illness . . . and death came suddenly. Saints in the Church and widows whom she had befriended came to her house to prepare her for burial. Some in the group knew that Peter and other apostles were performing miracles, and a few had faith that she could be raised from the dead. They sent two men over to Lydda where Peter had gone to preach, asking him to travel the ten miles to her home and raise Dorcas from the dead. Such faith!
Peter listened to them, left his preaching at Lydda, and hurried on foot to her house. He dismissed the people who stood around her body weeping, telling them he would pray. After a bit, he was heard to say, "Tabitha, arise" (Acts 9:40). Dorcas opened her eyes, saw Peter and sat up. Then Peter called the saints and widows and presented her to them, alive!
Dorcas is an example of the care and concern that women missionaries extend toward the poor, homeless, orphans and widows. This compassion can be seen throughout history in the lives of women such as Mother Theresa, Amy Carmichael, Gladys Aylward, Elizabeth Elliot, and the list goes on. God has designed women to be especially compassionate...a mother’s heart. This equips them for the very important missionary role of being the hands and feet of Jesus to those who are suffering. This care and concern is often behind-the-scenes, as in the case of Dorcas, but it does not go unseen by the Lord, or by those whose lives have been impacted. Each of us, whether in America or overseas, can reach out to those in need with the love of the Lord, following in the footsteps of Dorcas.

Lydia, Acts 16:14, 40, was a businesswoman in the city of Philippi. She provided purple-dyed textiles which were greatly sought after by the people in the markets. She was easily recognized on the streets of Philippi and would often dress in purple herself.  A native of Thyatira in western Asia Minor, she was a Gentile, among Gentiles. But she was set apart because she worshipped the one God of the Jews. In her desire to know better the wonders and powers of the one God, she joined with some other women to become a small group of worshipers.
About this time, Paul and his companion Silas came over from Troas. As they came into the midst of her gathering, she and her companions listened to Paul as he related his story of the new Gospel proclaimed in Jerusalem by Jesus Christ and now spreading westward into Macedonia. As Lydia listened, “the Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message” (Acts 16:14). Believing in what he had to say, Lydia and her household were baptized. Then she said to Paul and Silas, "If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house,” (Acts 16:15). They accepted her hospitality, and in return, she had the opportunity to learn more from them about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Her prayers and friendship with Paul continued. It was to her house that Paul and Silas returned when they were released from prison. They had been cast into prison because of the complaint of some men who had been exploiting a demented girl as a soothsayer. Paul healed the child, and the men were angry about their financial loss. Even in prison though, Paul and Silas were fearless Christians. They sang and prayed, and a great earthquake opened the prison doors. The keeper of the prison was so moved at these wonders that he became a convert to the new faith before Paul and Silas departed (Acts 15:40). Arriving at Lydia’s home, they told of their experiences to her and others who gathered to rejoice with them.
Lydia personifies the spirit of hospitality which must be present in every female, and male, missionary. Just as the Lord Jesus throws open the gates of Heaven to welcome every wayward sinner who approaches His throne of grace, the missionary must be willing and eager to open their home, and their lives, to the people who they are trying to reach with the Gospel of Christ. Unlike in America, where much of the art of hospitality has been lost, in the East, hospitality is practiced by most and is one of the best ways for Christians to share the love of Jesus with those around them. It is often over a shared meal that the hearts and minds of those who are searching are enlightened by the Gospel. May we all, as Christians, be willing and ready to show hospitality to those who need to hear the Good News of Jesus.  

Priscilla, Acts 18:2, 18, 26 – Romans 16:3 – I Corinthians 16:19 – II Timothy 4:19, was a woman who had an impact for God in at least three different nations: Rome, Greece and Asia Minor. With her husband Aquila, they supported Paul, hosted him in their home, “led a house church, and were assigned by Paul to disciple the eloquent and committed Egyptian Jew, Apollos, ‘instructing him in the way of God more perfectly,’ (Acts 18:26)” (Kraft, 294). Her role in mission outreach did not seem out of the ordinary which leads one to believe that many women were involved in the Great Commission from the beginning.
She and Aquila were tentmakers and teachers. They came out of Italy first to live at Corinth and then about a year and a half later they went to Ephesus. They left Rome at the time when Claudius expelled all Jews. Their home, in the weaving sections of Corinth and Ephesus, became a rendezvous for those wanting to know more about the new Christian faith.
At Corinth, Paul, the tent-making missionary, lived and worked with them. Then when Paul departed from Corinth and embarked for Syria, they went with him. When they reached Ephesus, Paul left them there. Upon taking leave of them, he said, "I will return to you, if God wills," (Acts 18:21). Then he set sail from Ephesus. It was a year or more before Paul returned to them at Ephesus, and he found that they had established a well-organized congregation.
Not long after they arrived in Ephesus, Priscilla and Aquila had the opportunity to teach  the eloquent and learned Apollos.  He was well versed in the Old Testament Scriptures. He had been introduced to the Christian religion first by John the Baptist, but he had only a superficial knowledge of the new Christian faith, and so they “explained the way of God to him more adequately” (Acts 18:26).  He accepted Christ as his Savior and after traveling to Achaia, “he vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ,” (Acts 18:28). It was the teaching of Priscilla and Aquila that helped him enter this very public role for Christ.  
Priscilla, working as a team with her husband, exemplifies the missionary role of witness, partnership and church planting. They were bold witnesses to Apollos, not being intimidated by his scholarly prowess but sharing the Gospel as people who had been lost to one who was currently lost. In addition, they were first of all partners with each other as all married couples should be on the mission field. Also, their partnership with Paul was evidenced a few times in Scripture.
The Christian life is not meant to be walked alone. God grants other Christians as friends, encouragers and supporters, Priscilla, Aquila and Paul fulfilled this role for each other. Thirdly Priscilla, with her husband, also planted a church in Ephesus, building on the foundation that Paul had set while he was there. Church planting is so very important in today’s mission field...it is one of the pillars. This wife/husband team should be used as an example for any Christian couple who desires to follow God more closely, fulfilling His Great Commission in this world.

In conclusion, one can see through the lives of Esther, Dorcas, Lydia and Priscilla, some of the key roles women of today are asked to take in their desire to fulfill the Great Commission: intercessory prayer, compassion and outreach to the poor, hospitality, witness, partnership and church planting.

(some of these writing attributed to Beverly Whitaker, http://freepages.religions.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~gentutor/Biblewomen.html)

Children's DVD Series About Christian Heroes

I wanted to let you know about some awesome DVDs available for your children. They are DVDs based on the lives of:
Jim Elliot (missionary to Auca Indians)
Perpetua (one of the first Christian martyrs who heroically gave her life in the Coliseum)
Eric Liddell (runner made famous in movie Chariots of Fire)
John Bunyan (wrote Pilgrims Progress...most influential Christian book outside of Bible)
Gladys Aylward (missionary to China who led over 100 orphans to safety during WWII)
Richard Wurmbrand (imprisoned for his faith for 21 years in Romania and founder of Voice of the Martyrs)
Harriet Tubman (a brave young woman who not only saved her family from slavery in America but countless others as she led them on the Underground Railroad)
Adoniram and Ann Judson (young American missionary couple who bring the gospel to the closed nation of Burma)
Martin Luther (young Catholic monk who courageously stood up to church corruption and began the Protestant movement)
Robert Jermain Thomas (a brave missionary who smuggles God's Word into the hermit kingdom of Korea with amazing results)
John Wesley (fiery preacher who, with his message of God's free grace for all, goes on to evangelize England and early America and help found the Methodist Church)
Corrie ten Boom (brave woman who, with her family, hid hundreds of Jews from the Nazis and was later sent to a concentration camp)
Augustine (a famous Christian preacher, author and apologist in the early Roman empire)
Samuel Morris (a young African prince who was captured, found Christ, miraculously escaped and went on to share his faith as a missionary)
William Booth (founder of the Salvation Army, a worldwide charity organization)
Amy Carmichael (missionary to India who saved many young girls from temple slavery and started an orphanage)
William Tyndale (translated the Bible into English and killed by English government for that).

Each of them are TRUE Christian heroes and people our children should know about and admire. The DVDs are very well done and for those who were martyred (Elliot, Perpetua, Robert Thomas and Tyndale) that fact is done in such a way as to give honor to God and to show that their lives were not in vain. 

Plus, each DVD comes with about 30 pages of printable activities for your children. I will be showing these to my Elementary age children this school year.

In my experience, it is often hard to find videos which are about heroic Christians and are done in such a way as to keep your children's attention. But these do both and I can't say enough great things about them! 

You can find out all about them at their website  http://www.torchlighters.org

Women in Missions

"After the last road ended, there was still a 2-day hike to where the Balangao people lived. Two single women missionaries were making that hike. The Balangao, a tribe of former headhunters in the Philippines, continued to sacrifice to powerful and demanding spirits who caused sickness, death and constant turmoil. These women, trained in Bible translation, had volunteered to work among them.

When they arrived, they were greeted by men wearing G-strings and women wrapped in cloth from home-made looms. It is hard to say who was more amazed. The Balangao had asked for Americans to come live with them and write their language, but they never dreamed the Americans would be women!

An old man offered to be their father and was faithful in looking after them. Besides the work of translation, these women began giving medical assistance, learning about the spirit world, and answering questions about life and death. One of them, Jo Shetler, stayed for 20 years, winning her way into the hearts and lives of the people and completing the New Testament translation. Because of this dedication, thousands now know Jesus as Lord of the Balangao.

Jo Shetler, a shy farm girl with a dream, has stirred many with her story. However, stories remain unwritten of multitudes of women who likewise obeyed the call of God to serve Him on the far horizons. Many women do not realize how greatly God can use their giftedness and commitment in situations such as this."

This excerpt was taken from an article entitled "Women in Mission" by Marguerite Kraft and Meg Crossman. During now of our past school years, our family truly enjoyed reading about Jo and the tremendous way God used her in an excellent book entitled And the Word Came With Power.

God has used women tremendously in the missionary movement. Beginning with Jesus, he recognized and enlisted the help of women, as did Paul. One such woman was Priscilla. She had an impact for God in at least three different nations: Rome, Greece and Asia Minor. With her husband Aquila, they supported Paul, hosted him in their home, “led a house church, and were assigned by Paul to disciple the eloquent and committed Egyptian Jew, Apollos, ‘instructing him in the way of God more perfectly,’ (Acts 18:26)” (Kraft; Grossman). Priscilla' role in mission outreach did not seem out of the ordinary which leads one to believe that many women were involved in the Great Commission from the beginning.

Despite the Protestant Reformation’s restrictions on women, some women did enter the mission field, usually married to missionaries. Their husbands recognized the role they could play in reaching women and children in these nations...people who would generally not respond well to a man or who may not have been allowed any contact because of their culture. These women “received very little recognition for the heavy load they carried, managing the home and children as well as developing programs to reach local women and girls,” (Kraft and Grossman).

“Overall, probably two-thirds of the missions force has been, and currently is, female. Many mission executives agree that the more difficult and dangerous the work, the more likely women are to volunteer to do it!” (Kraft; Grossman) This is an amazing truth that may not be very well known. In fact, though most Americans would probably think that the largest women’s movement in American history was the suffrage movement, in fact, it was the women’s missionary movement...”By the early decades of the 20th century, the women’s missionary movement had become the largest women’s movement in the United States, and women outnumbered men on the mission field by a ration of more than two to one,” (Kraft; Grossman).

One group of people who are difficult to reach are Muslims. Yet, God is using women to reach them, partly due to the non-threatening nature of women. One such story is set in a nomadic Muslim group in Sub-Saharan Africa, where a single woman is effectively training Imams (Islamic teachers) in the gospel. They perceive her to be non-threatening, 'just a woman.' Building upon a foundation of interpersonal relationship and Biblical knowledge, she does not give them answers herself, but directs them to the Word. The Lord has confirmed her teaching giving dreams and visions to these leaders. As they have been converted, they are now training many others. She is accepted as a loving, caring elder sister, who gives high priority to their welfare," (Kraft; Grossman).

“From Mary Slessor, single woman pioneer to Africa, to Ann Judson of Burma and Rosalind Goforth of China and Sara Cronbaugh (a sweet friend from college) reaching the Northern Caucasus region, wives who fully served; from Amy Carmichael of India to Mildred Cable in the Gobi Desert; from Gladys Aylward, the little chambermaid determined to go to China, to Eliza Davis George, black woman missionary to Liberia; from translator Rachel Saint to medical doctor Helen Roseveare; from Isobel Kuhn and Elizabeth Elliot, mobilizing missionary authors, to Lottie Moon, pacesetting mission educator; from simple Filipino housemaids in the Middle East to women executives in denominational offices to unsung Bible women in China, to my dear friend Katie DePooter who is training even now to become a Bible translator in India, the roll is lengthy and glorious!

That roll, however, remains incomplete, awaiting the contribution of current and future generations. God's women now enjoy freedoms and opportunities their forebearers never envisioned. Most small businesses started in the U.S. are owned by women. Women now hold highly responsible positions in government, business, and medicine. "To whom much is given, much is required." How will women of God today harvest such opportunities for their Father's purposes?

Women, stirred by the task that lies ahead, can mobilize, devoting their skills, their accessibility, their knowledge, their tenderness, their intuitiveness, their own distinctive fervor to the work. The pioneer spirit, full of dedication and faithfulness, which women throughout history have shown will set the standard. The task is too vast to be completed without all God's people!" (Kraft; Grossman).

Who is the "Rich Young Ruler?"

This message has been weighing on my heart for some time. When I read the account of the rich young ruler, every time I am reminded, not only of myself, but of America. It's found in Luke 18:18-30

A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" America, a ruler amongst the world's nations, still, as a majority, looks to Christianity/Jesus for salvation. 

Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good-except God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.'" The message of the Bible is as true today as it was when it was written. We must obey its teachings in order to inherit eternal life.

"All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said.  America, throughout history, has done much that is good and has kept the Lord's commands in many instances. She is still a symbol of hope and freedom for many millions in the world. 

When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." This is where the difficulty for me and the American Church lies. Many of us, when we read this, instantly feel uncomfortable. What is God saying? Are we to actually sell everything we have and give to the poor? That is a hard question because we are a nation with so much stuff! According to World Bank figures, America is one of the richest countries in the world. Now, we are a country who gives much to charity (see http://www.aei.org/publication/a-nation-of-givers/) but this only accounts for 3-4%, on average, of the yearly income of Americans. Thus, this is the question that each of us needs to ask...are we giving to the Lord all that He would ask of us? Are we storing up treasures on earth, with the money He has blessed us, or are we storing up treasures in Heaven? To put this in perspective...I read that Americans spend more money on cosmetics, annually, than they do on mission outreach. Are our priorities right, as a nation and as individuals? And for those of you who know me, you may be thinking..."what a hypocrite." Yes, we as a family are very well off and have accumulated a lot of possessions. I struggle with this reality daily. How to be obedient to God and not be the rich ruler. I don't have the answer to that. All I know is that it burdens my heart and causes me to seek after the Lord.

When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. Do we become sad at the thought of selling our possessions and giving that money for the furtherance of the Gospel? I believe our feelings about this reveal our inner beliefs on money in general. Is it God's money that He is allowing us to have for His purposes or is it our money? How each of us views this often determines our willingness to give generously. 

Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."Jesus never said it was impossible but He did say it was hard. And the worldwide facts bare this out. In other nations, the segments of the population which come to Christ more quickly are the poor and destitute. They have no great possessions to keep them tied to this world. They seem to be much more eager and willing to hear the Good News of Jesus, who promises them hope and peace in a difficult world.  But those who are rich tend to put their hope and security in their possessions, making it more difficult to appreciate and accept the wonderful gift of salvation that the Lord offers them. 

Those who heard this asked, "Who then can be saved?" Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God." Here is the key...in our human nature it is almost impossible for us to imagine selling all our possessions, giving the money to the poor and following Him wherever He leads. But, if we are truly seeking after Christ, He is able and will give us the strength we need to do ALL that He has asked us to do.  Jesus ends this discussion with an incredible promise:

"I tell you the truth," Jesus said to them, "no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life." I believe it is so important for each of us to ask God what He would have us do and then to be obedient. The Bible is very clear that we are not to horde worldly possessions, building up our treasure on earth, but to give generously. May we give all that God asks of us, whether it be money, time or our very lives and believe that He is more than enough to satisfy and bring us joy and peace. 

A Hot Water Bottle and a Dolly

THE HOT WATER BOTTLE - A True Story By Helen Roseveare, Missionary to Africa

One night, in Central Africa, I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in spite of all that we could do, she died leaving us with a tiny, premature baby and a crying, two-year-old daughter.

We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive. We had no incubator. We had no electricity to run an incubator, and no special feeding facilities. Although we lived on the equator, nights were often chilly with treacherous drafts.

A student-midwife went for the box we had for such babies and for the cotton wool that the baby would be wrapped in. Another went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She came back shortly, in distress, to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had burst. Rubber perishes easily in tropical climates. "...and it is our last hot water bottle!" she exclaimed. As in the West, it is no good crying over spilled milk; so, in Central Africa it might be considered no good crying over a burst water bottle. They do not grow on trees, and there are no drugstores down forest pathways. All right," I said, "Put the baby as near the fire as you safely can; sleep between the baby and the door to keep it free from drafts. Your job is to keep the baby warm."

The following noon, as I did most days, I went to have prayers with many of the orphanage children who chose to gather with me. I gave the youngsters various suggestions of things to pray about and told them about the tiny baby. I explained our problem about keeping the baby warm enough, mentioning the hot water bottle. The baby could so easily die if it got chilled. I also told them about the two-year-old sister, crying because her mother had died. During the prayer time, one ten-year-old girl, Ruth, prayed with the usual blunt consciousness of our African children. "Please, God," she prayed, "send us a water bottle. It'll be no good tomorrow, God, the baby'll be dead; so, please send it this afternoon." While I gasped inwardly at the audacity of the prayer, she added by way of corollary, " ...And while You are about it, would You please send a dolly for the little girl so she'll know You really love her?" As often with children's prayers, I was put on the spot. Could I honestly say, "Amen?" I just did not believe that God could do this. Oh, yes, I know that He can do everything: The Bible says so, but there are limits, aren't there? The only way God could answer this particular prayer would be by sending a parcel from the homeland. I had been in Africa for almost four years at that time, and I had never, ever received a parcel from home. Anyway, if anyone did send a parcel, who would put in a hot water bottle? I lived on the equator!

Halfway through the afternoon, while I was teaching in the nurses' training school, a message was sent that there was a car at my front door. By the time that I reached home, the car had gone, but there, on the veranda, was a large twenty-two pound parcel! I felt tears pricking my eyes. I could not open the parcel alone; so, I sent for the orphanage children. Together we pulled off the string, carefully undoing each knot. We folded the paper, taking care not to tear it unduly. Excitement was mounting. Some thirty or forty pairs of eyes were focused on the large cardboard box. From the top, I lifted out brightly colored, knitted jerseys. Eyes sparkled as I gave them out. Then, there were the knitted bandages for the leprosy patients, and the children began to look a little bored. Next, came a box of mixed raisins and sultanas - - that would make a nice batch of buns for the weekend. As I put my hand in again, I felt the...could it really be? I grasped it, and pulled it out. Yes, "A brand-new rubber, hot water bottle!" I cried. I had not asked God to send it; I had not truly believed that He could. Ruth was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward, crying out, "If God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly, too!" Rummaging down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small, beautifully dressed dolly. Her eyes shone: She had never doubted! Looking up at me, she asked, "Can I go over with you, Mummy, and give this dolly to that little girl, so she'll know that Jesus really loves her?"

That parcel had been on the way for five whole months, packed up by my former Sunday School class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God's prompting to send a hot water bottle, even to the equator. One of the girls had put in a dolly for an African child -- five months earlier in answer to the believing prayer of a ten-year-old to bring it "That afternoon!" "And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear." Isaiah 65:24

Helen Roseveare a doctor missionary from England to Zaire, Africa, told this as it had happened to her in Africa. She shared it in her testimony on a Wednesday night at Thomas Road Baptist Church.

Do Not Fear the Muslims

"Then I said to you, 'Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them." (Deuteronomy 1:29)

The Bible tells us more than 365 times not to be afraid, do not fear. But do we hear Him? Do we believe God when He says He will be with us and that we should not be afraid? 

The Muslim world terrifies many Christians. Images of hooded terrorists chopping heads off, of towers burning, of mobs chanting and lifting high their weapons seems to have immobilized the progress of the Christian Church into the Muslim world. Statistics speak this truth plainly. The greatest concentration of Muslims is in a place labeled the 10/40 Window which includes North Africa, the Middle East and Southern Asia. Many of these countries are predominantly Muslim. The Western Church sends only 1 out of every 40 missionaries to this region according to Jason Mandryk in State of the Gospel  This means that in many Muslim countries there are less than three missionaries per one million people. 

Why the imbalance...part of it is that many in the Western Christian Church fear the Muslims. 

Yet “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind,” 2 Timothy 1:7. The Church needs to believe in the power of God to overcome the obstacles Satan has placed in the 10/40 Window. The gates of Hades will not prevail against the Lord. We need to believe this and move out in trust, wisdom and power. 

We also, as Christians, need to learn about the Muslims. What do they believe? What is their family life like? What makes them happy, sad, concerned? As we learn about them, God can begin to break our hearts for them. They need to hear of the love of Jesus. They need someone who is willing to cast aside fear, which so easily entangles, and follow the call of Christ into the Muslim world. Jesus is waiting, but He needs obedient servants.

There are many stories of how God uses the willing servant to reach the Muslim people who He loves. One is set in a nomadic Muslim group in Sub-Saharan Africa, where a single woman is effectively training Imams (Islamic teachers) in the gospel. They perceive her to be non-threatening, 'just a woman.' Building upon a foundation of interpersonal relationship and Biblical knowledge, she does not give them answers herself, but directs them to the Word. The Lord has confirmed her teaching giving dreams and visions to these leaders. As they have been converted, they are now training many others. She is accepted as a loving, caring elder sister, who gives high priority to their welfare," (from Women in Mission by Marguerite Kraft and Meg Crossman)

We can begin today by praying for them specifically, learning about them and then asking God how He would have us reach out to the Muslim world, be it our neighbor, a university student in our city or to an unreached people group half way around the world.