Reflection on a rainy afternoon

"Job 28:12-28 NASB

"But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? "Man does not know its value, Nor is it found in the land of the living. "The deep says, 'It is not in me'; And the sea says, 'It is not with me.' "Pure gold cannot be given in exchange for it, Nor can silver be weighed as its price. "It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, In precious onyx, or sapphire. "Gold or glass cannot equal it, Nor can it be exchanged for articles of fine gold. "Coral and crystal are not to be mentioned; And the acquisition of wisdom is above that of pearls. "The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it, Nor can it be valued in pure gold. "Where then does wisdom come from? And where is the place of understanding? "Thus it is hidden from the eyes of all living And concealed from the birds of the sky. " Abaddon and Death say, 'With our ears we have heard a report of it.' "God understands its way, And He knows its place. "For He looks to the ends of the earth And sees everything under the heavens. "When He imparted weight to the wind And meted out the waters by measure, When He set a limit for the rain And a course for the thunderbolt, Then He saw it and declared it; He established it and also searched it out. "And to man He said, 'Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; And to depart from evil is understanding.'""
  -New American Standard Bible

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Where did the summer go?
Was it not yesterday we celebrated the last day of school? Was it not just yesterday we said goodbye to part of our team as they left to visit the States?
Now it is September and most of the team members are back!!
Wow!!!  Not sure about the rest of you but ours flew by, and at times has felt like it never started, now it is September and in less than two weeks school will be starting for the kids. We had the priviledge of having a young lady, Allison stay with us a month in July, and help in the village and with our own kids. It was nice to have a date night out of the house once a week for 4 weeks. We also had the priviledge of visiting an orphanage about 2 hours away in Brosteni, Romania up in the mountains, and the director has invited us to come back in September. The girls Bible study retreat went wonderful and the whole family got to participate as we had it right here camping out in our own yard.

The church has been going well, and Chris will continue to preach a couple weeks after Brian returns to finish up the book of 1 John. Please continue to pray that the Holy Spirit will speak through him to the church. Please continue to pray for the Bible study as well in Pintic among the Roma there. Somedays it seems like we are really seeing progress while other times it seems like there is no fruit. The people really need Jesus so please please pray for them.

Please pray for our two boys as they will be transferring to the Christian, private school in town. Pray for it to be easy for them to meet new friends and for them to be diligent in school this year. Please pray for our family as a whole.

We took a family day to ride horses. The kids had a wonderful time riding and enjoying the outdoors.

We do hope to visit the states next summer so please pray for the Lord's provision in this area.

Thank you for your love, prayers, and support.

Summer!!

Wow, it just seemed like yesterday we were putting away the Christmas tree and decorations. Where has the time gone?
Summer is here and summer plans have begun to take place.
Some of the things that have already taken place this spring.

We were able to help replace a roof of a family in a very poor village. Thank you to all those that helped with this project. We attended bible study here at this house throughout the winter.
As the weather has turned warm and beautiful we once again have moved outdoors under a tree.

English classes at the village school ended with pictures for each child in the class. they were able to decorate thier frames any way they wanted while eating some snacks and drinks.


Easter monday a team from the bible college in hungary came with us to the village. after a short teaching we gathered around the tv and watched the jesus film. many of the villagers came to watch. Some drifted in and out, but a good number stayed throughout the film. There were others that were listening to music quite loudly when we arrived, but as we wanted to start, one of the villagers went and asked them if they could turn down the music as were were having a bible study and then were going to watch a movie. for over three and a half hours of bible study and the movie they left the music at a low volume as to not distrub the teaching and the movie. What an encouragement as for a year ago, the music would have stayed on or gotten louder.

Easter monday we brought with us to the village a team from the hungary bible college. We shared a short bible study and watched the jesus film. as we arrived many of the people were listening to music quite loudly on thier sterio systems outside thier houses. When it was time to start one of the older men that came to the bible study went down and talked with each asking them to turn down the music as we were about to start. every single one of them turned down the music so that it would not interupt our bible study and film. for over three hours not one of them turned the music up. A year ago this most likely would not have happened. What an encouragement this was. The village children loved the attention they recieved from the team.

We attended a concert of bells put on by a team from the USA that came and ministered to the churches here in romania. The large Lutheran church in the center of the city was fortunate to have them play inside. Listening to A mighty fortress is our God by Martin Luther was amazing. And knowing that about the time Martin Luther penned this song, this exact church was being built. Encredible!

Be in prayer for us as summer is in full swing, kids camps, continueing the bible study in the village in the Gospel of John, and preaching through the book of 1john at church. Exciting times!!

Whose fault is it?

John 9

 Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth.  And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

When something bad happens to somebody there are those who ask questions about where one went wrong. What law or laws did one break? Why is one suffering? Why has this tradedy happened?  They want to tell why one is in this situation. They are quick to tell what one did wrong or what might have done wrong. They are quick to point out one's sin and tell what one did wrong. 

Then there are others who are not so interested in why one is hurting, but on how to help take away some of the hurt and pain. 

John 9:1-5 

The disciples asked Jesus who had sinned, this man or his parents. He had been born blind and they wanted to know who'se fault it was. 

Was this some kind of punishment from God on the parents for thier sin, or is he suffering for the sins of his father?

The disciples wanted to know who was to blame. 

Jesus's answer was neither this man or his parents. His blindness was not a punishment for some sin.

When things go wrong we are quick to blame God. we look at it as some punishment from God. Too often we think that God is punishing or judging us. 

The women caught in adultry that was brought to Jesus. The Pharisees were quick to blame her and stone her. What was Jesus' response? He told her to go and sin no more. Jesus did not cast judgement. Jesus came to seek and save the lost. God sent His Son into the world not to condemn the world, but that through Him the world might be saved. 

Why do we look at human punishment as punishment from God? 

There are certain things we do that carry natural consequences. God warns us about doing certain things because He loves us and knows the pain that they can bring.

A child is playing around the soba and the parent warns him not to touch the soba. If he decides to touch the soba and gets burned you did not burn the child. You only warned him. It is  a cause and effect. Certain actions bring certain effects.

God does not always warn us what the consequences will be for certain actions. He just warns us not to. 

In the garden of eden, God did warn Adam and Eve and what the consequences would be and yet they did not heed the warning. 

So why was this man born blind?

God had a purpose. God is always working out his purpose in our lvies. Many times what seems like a tradedy is intended by God to be an opportunity for Him to work and be glorified.  Jesus said,: I must work the works of him who sent me."

What was the work of God who sent HIm? 

To heal the man from blindness, and to bring him to a knowledge of who Jesus is.  

The work of God is: to heal, to make wrongs right, to remove the pain and suffering of the world cursed by sin.

God gives us a different picture than what man traditionally gives us.

Jesus had told the Jews, you dont know me or my Faither. If you would have known me, you would have known the Father.

They did not know God or the loving heart of God. They were ready to stone the adulterous woman, Jesus was eager to forgive her.

So how do we react to the tragic consequesnces of human nature?

Do we point and say, what did they do to deserve this or do we rush to help them heal from the pain?

We are not to try to find out the cause of the suffering, but God has called us to minister to those who are suffering and hurting. 

The work of our Father is to heal the hurts of this broken world.

Jesus said Ï am the light of the world". 

The suffering in this world is a natural consequence of living without Jesus. Wanting to live in darkness, wanting to live without Jesus. Wanting to live without the rules that God has put on us. They are not rules that God has put on us but warnings.

God warns us for our own good. 

Jesus is the light of the world, bu man loved darness, because they did evil. 

Now Jesus is no longer here in the world, but his disciples are and Jesus said that they are the light of the world. We are reflecting His light to the world. We must also do the works of the Father.

Works of the Faither are to heal the effects of men who live in darkness and open the eyes of men who are blind to the truth so that they may see the light- that they may see Jesus and begin to follow Him. As Christians we are to share the light of Jesus so that others may see and follow Him. 

Hope

Now may The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. -Romans 15:13

Christmas is a time of joy, a time to celebrate the birth of our saviour, a time for family to come together to fellowship and worship the King of Kings. For many of us this Christmas will be bitter-sweet.

 Bitter, as we can only remember our loved ones who now kneel in the presence of our Lord and Saviour, praising and glorifying Him with lifted hands. 

Sweet, as we know we too will one day soon kneel alongside with lifted hands saying, Holy, Holy, Holy!

Bitter, as we celebrate without thier laughter ringing in our ears, thier song echoing only in our memories, and the strum that now only throbs from within. 

Sweet, as they once walked in Christ, but now they walk with Him in glory.

Bitter, as we must wait for the day we too may kneel side by side with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

As followers of Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, we look forward with hope to the joyous anticipation of being with Christ in glory forever. Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as the substance of things hoped for. The things of the future are grasped through faith.  This we know, this we believe. Hope is certain! It is our anchor, it is steadfast and sure! Christ is our hope, and my God is called the God of hope! 

We are only strangers in this land on our way to a glorious and majestic home. 

Our hope is to be more like Jesus every day, our hope is to be ready to leave this fallen world at any moment. 

Hope calls us to be patient, gives us strength and confidence to endure the struggles that our fallen nature, this world, and the Deciever casts upon us. 

Though our lives as followers of Christ may be marked by suffering and loss; our hope is sure, steadfast and certain. 

As we celebrate the birth of our Saviour this Christmas, remembering those who no longer hope but now walk with Christ, may our Christmas be more sweet than bitter- for our loved ones are with the One whom we now celebrate!

To those whose hope is certain,

                     MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

In loving memory to each one who has finished thier journey, entered His gates, and have arrived Home! 

A day at the park

Sometimes you just need to drop everything you are doing and take a walk in the park. The big park in town just recently finished renovations. It is now a wonderful, beautiful place for a walk, stroll, or just a great place to sit on a bench and watch your kids play. Here a few pictures to enjoy from our "drop everything and go to the park" time.

Everlasting Life

John 5:24

New King James Version (NKJV)

24 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.

This last Sunday in the village Bible study we looked at everlasting life. i have heard many people say, "well, i hope to get into heaven when i die". Salvation is not an object or something we only hope for in the future. It is a present reality for us as Christians, for us as followers of Jesus Christ. In John 6:47 Jesus says,"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life". When Jesus was talking to Nicodemus about being born again He told Nicodemus that... Whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. Jesus, talking to the Samaritan woman at the well tells her that "the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life". 

John 5:39-40 

You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.

I John 5:13

These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life,[a] and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.

When I accepted Jesus as my Savior, believing that He died for my sins, paid the price for my sins, and rose from the dead- I passed from death to life, being born again I received everlasting life. I no longer have to hope that i might make it into heaven. I am assured that I will be in heaven. I have a place prepared for me in Heaven. You to can have a place prepared for you. You to can have everlasting life. You too can know for sure.

John 6:40

New King James Version (NKJV)

And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

Praise:

Although our washing machine broke down, I was able to repair the motor and we once again have a washing machine. 

Adoption process is moving along smoothly.

Prayer Requests:

1. Pray for adoption process

2. Pray for Bible study in the village. Pray that the Lord would change hearts, continue to mold the hearts of those that attend, and bring life to the lost.

3. Pray for the Girls Bible study as they began studying the Life of David.

4. Pray for the teenagers in our church as they step up and help out with worship. Pray for spiritual growth within our church.

5. Pray for the women's tea to be a time for the women to share and worship together and for those that attend who are not saved to receive Christ. 

6. Pray for our finances as we pray about visiting the States next summer.

7. Pray for the children to be an Christian example at school.