1. Am I exempt from the Great Commission?
2. Do I have the Master's permission to stay home or be idle during the harvest?
3. Is there any need that will move me to action?
4. Can I ignore Africa's 14 million AIDS orphans?
5. Even though I've trusted the Lord with my eternal soul, do I trust Him with my checkbook?
6. Is He urging me to give right now?
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Sunday, December 24, 2006
A NEW VERSE FOR AWAY IN A MANGER
The Savior is coming, is coming again,
But not to a manger in small Bethlehem;
The sound of a trumpet announcement will bring,
The coming of Jesus, our glorious King.
But not to a manger in small Bethlehem;
The sound of a trumpet announcement will bring,
The coming of Jesus, our glorious King.
Friday, December 22, 2006
THE MUSIC OF CHRISTMAS
Even here in muggy Africa, the thundering decibels of secular sound are rolling back like the Red Sea did for Moses and allowing the gentle, beautiful music of Christmas to pass by.
Every year I fall in love again with "Silent Night, Holy Night" and "Away in a Manger."
Every year I fall in love again with "Silent Night, Holy Night" and "Away in a Manger."
Sunday, December 17, 2006
BABEL II
Think about it.
Babel, already united in language, joined in intent to rise up against God.
God stopped it probably saying under His breath, "Not yet."
Today man is creating another Babel--the internet.
Let's call it Babel ll.
The awesome commonizer of communication called Internet is forcing the world back into a universal language stream.
The one who inspired the first Babel has the world's communications right where he wants them.
Filth, debauchery and anarchy are shaping hundreds of millions of hearts and minds into God-haters.
Maybe God is saying, "Go ahead, it's time."
The reader of the Book of Revelation will recognize what is happening and say, "Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!"
The reader of Mark 16:15 will leap forward to avail of this awesome communication tool to "Preach the Gospel to every creature."
Babel, already united in language, joined in intent to rise up against God.
God stopped it probably saying under His breath, "Not yet."
Today man is creating another Babel--the internet.
Let's call it Babel ll.
The awesome commonizer of communication called Internet is forcing the world back into a universal language stream.
The one who inspired the first Babel has the world's communications right where he wants them.
Filth, debauchery and anarchy are shaping hundreds of millions of hearts and minds into God-haters.
Maybe God is saying, "Go ahead, it's time."
The reader of the Book of Revelation will recognize what is happening and say, "Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!"
The reader of Mark 16:15 will leap forward to avail of this awesome communication tool to "Preach the Gospel to every creature."
THERE’S A STORM COMING
Can you hear the thunder echoing through our mountain valley?
The air is heavy.
The storm is coming.
What are the little ones thinking right now? Can they find a place to be safe and dry?
Six days ago a storm came up just like this. The first hailstones that fell in our yard were the size of softballs and grapefruits. For twenty, maybe thirty minutes the biggest hail I’ve ever seen crashed down from the skies on Mbabane leaving massive destruction of homes, autos and livestock.
Five people died.
Missionary friends saved the life of a man who was caught out in the hail with no place to hide. They got him into their truck and took him to their home.
“You have saved my life, thank you,” he gushed.
What does this storm hold today? One thing for sure, the car is in the garage. Last time I was too late—the hail was much too big and fast to try to get it in. Windows smashed and sledge hammer sized dents all over it.
And even now the little ones who have been hammered by hunger, abuse and AIDS are scampering for shelter. Many get under trees—trees that attract killer lightning.
Oh, Jesus, shelter the children like you would have Jerusalem—under your wings.
Follow up:
I wrote that yesterday.
The storm didn’t come.
Quite a lesson…
Let’s call it a climatologically illustrated sermon about not fearing threats. Don’t ignore warnings, but don’t let caution give way to fear.
The air is heavy.
The storm is coming.
What are the little ones thinking right now? Can they find a place to be safe and dry?
Six days ago a storm came up just like this. The first hailstones that fell in our yard were the size of softballs and grapefruits. For twenty, maybe thirty minutes the biggest hail I’ve ever seen crashed down from the skies on Mbabane leaving massive destruction of homes, autos and livestock.
Five people died.
Missionary friends saved the life of a man who was caught out in the hail with no place to hide. They got him into their truck and took him to their home.
“You have saved my life, thank you,” he gushed.
What does this storm hold today? One thing for sure, the car is in the garage. Last time I was too late—the hail was much too big and fast to try to get it in. Windows smashed and sledge hammer sized dents all over it.
And even now the little ones who have been hammered by hunger, abuse and AIDS are scampering for shelter. Many get under trees—trees that attract killer lightning.
Oh, Jesus, shelter the children like you would have Jerusalem—under your wings.
Follow up:
I wrote that yesterday.
The storm didn’t come.
Quite a lesson…
Let’s call it a climatologically illustrated sermon about not fearing threats. Don’t ignore warnings, but don’t let caution give way to fear.
Saturday, December 16, 2006
ECHOES AND QUOTES
Sometimes when it is quiet and my mind is free to roam I start to hear swirling quotes and see the speakers’ faces. Events and incidents flash in my vision in random sequence. And then I feel so very blessed to have been a missionary for nearly four decades.
Sit down with me and hear some of the voices that fill my memory.
“WHEREVER I'M INVITED"
We asked a young Swazi where he attended church. A hard hitting lesson, isn’t it?.
“AIDS IS SILENTLY KILLING US.”
A Swazi health official.
“WE ARE JUST HALF-PEOPLE.”
An African child living in hopeless poverty. A new pair of shoes and food everyday changed his self-concept. “Maybe I can be somebody someday.”
“IS THE STOCK MARKET WHERE YOU BUY COWS?”
An African government official trying to understand America asked me this.
“WHY DO YOU SAVE THAT STUFF?”
An African boy asked the missionary this when she blew her nose and put the Kleenex in her pocket.
“I DANG THE BELL.”
The cook’s remonstration when nobody answered the dinner bell.”
“I TOLD YOU A BIG ENOUGH LIE THAT YOU WOULD KNOW IT WAS A LIE AND LET ME SAVE MY FACE.”
Causing an Asian to lose face is one of the worst possible personal affronts. By his making the lie obvious you could let the speaker hide behind the words but you would not be deceived.
”YOU MAY HAVE WHITE SKIN BUT YOU HAVE A BLACK HEART.”
The Africans really were trying to honor me.
“WHY SHOULDN'T I BE A PROSTITUTE--AT LEAST I'M GETTING PAID FOR WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO ME ALL MY LIFE?”
A young teen told our staff when they encouraged her to stay off the streets.
“WHY DID YOU COME ALL THIS WAY ACROSS THE OCEAN TO SEE ME?”
A common question from the children and adults we help.
“HOW DO YOU GET YOUR STAFF TO TAKE SUCH RISKS?”
The head of UNICEF for an African country asked me this as we flew over “Stinger Alley”—a war zone where our teams risked ambush and land mines and missiles to get food to starving people.
“CAN I GO HOME AND LIVE WITH YOU.”
Over and over we hear this as precious little ones plead with us. How can we say “No” but we can’t say “Yes.”
“WILL YOU GIVE ME MONEY FOR FOOD FOR MY SISTER--SHE'S REALLY HUNGRY. WE HAVEN'T EATEN FOR DAYS.”
I’ve heard Asians, Latins ands Africans say this. You never forget it.
“WILL YOU HURT ME TOO?”
Usually it’s the children’s eyes that say this, not their words. Nobody has ever touched them except to hurt them.
“ALL OUR ICE CREAM IS COLD.”
A missionary in the Philippines had asked for a hot fudge Sunday.
“WE HAVE NO BREAD FOR AN ICE CREAM SANDWICH.”
“IF YOU DRIVE TOO CAREFULLY YOU WILL HAVE AN ACCIDENT.”
A Manila policeman told a fellow missionary this. He was very serious.
“DO NOT ENTER--FOR ENTRANCE ONLY”
A sign at the entrance to our doctor’s parking lot in Manila.
“IF I DON'T GO BACK MY FAMILY MAY NEVER KNOW THE PEACE AND LOVE I FOUND IN JESUS.”
A Vietnamese businessman who was on the evacuation flight with me out of Vietnam when Saigon was falling. He came to our church in Manila and found Christ. His company had hired a plane to take him back to get his wife and leave Vietnam for good.
I got a letter from him after Vietnam fell telling how they stayed in Vietnam and Jesus was helping his family.
“FOR THE FIRST TIME WE CAN SING”
A Buddhist couple that had just got saved in Saigon and were being baptized in water.
“I WOULD FOLLOW YOU INTO HELL AND BACK, BROTHER.”
My own brother Don after doing missions projects in war zones with me. Don is in Heaven now. His grave marker says, “MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.”
“CAN I HAVE YOUR DOGGIE BAG?”
Queues of hungry children and adults wait for you to leave the restaurant
“ 'WHY-QUESTIONS' HAVE NO VALUE ON THE MISSION FIELD.”
“IT WILL TAKE YOU A YEAR ON THE FIELD TO SEE WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING AT”
Advice from a fellow missionary when we first arrived in Manila.
“IF TWO NATIONALS FIGHT, THE MISSIONARY WILL LOSE.”
More good advice.
“GOD COULD NEVER FORGIVE ME.”
I’ve heard this so many different ways in so many different places. It’s one of the devil’s favorite lies.
“I KNEW IT WAS WRONG BUT I LOOKED GOD IN THE EYE AND DID IT ANYWAY.”
A desperate man asking for prayer before he faced his neighbor and and the neighbor’s ten year old daughter he had molested. He left the altar to go face them.
“LISTEN TO THEIR EYES”
Words my late brother Don wrote about the hurting children he helped us reach. Don died a few days after writing this essay.
“GOD GAVE ME A FORGIVENESS BIGGER THAN ANYTHING THEY COULD DO TO ME.”
Lt. Col. Paul Kari who was tortured for 8 years a P.O.W. in the infamous “Hanoi Hilton” prison. He want back to the prison with me with a forgiving heart. Vietnamese national TV covered his visit.
“DADDY, YOU GO FIRST--IT'S DARK IN THERE.”
“MY ARMS ARE TOO SHORT--I CAN'T REACH IT.”
“HOLD ME.”
Sermons my children preached to me when they were toddlers.
“I WILL LIVE WITH YOU AND DO ANYTHING YOU ASK ME TO IF YOU'LL JUST GIVE ME FOOD FOR MY BABY”
A Vietnamese lady with a two year old daughter grabbed hold of me on TuDo street in downtown Saigon. Her body was the only value she could bargain with to save here baby’s life.
“YOU'VE CHANGED MY COUNTRY.”
Jose Napoleon Duarte, President of El Salvador, as he hugged my neck thanking us for building dozens of Christian Schools in his country. The 100,000 graduates at that time were truly changing business and government.
“TIME TAKES TIME”
My children got tired of hearing me say this.
“HOPE'S NAME IS JESUS!”
I’ll never get tired of telling audiences and hurting people this wonderful truth.
“THERE WE'VE SAID SOMETHING ABOUT EVERYTHING AND NOTHING ABOUT ANYTHING.”
A Filipino committee member was discussing the just adjourned meeting.
“THE DIFFERENCE IS THE SAME”
The Asian thought that ended it all and finished the question.
“GIVE US MONEY OR WE'LL TELL THE LAW WE DISCOVERED THESE DRUGS ON YOU.”
My captors in Manila threatened me. When they discovered I had only $23 and my mission would never pay for me they dumped me out of their car. Phew!
“JESUS, I’M GOING TO THANK YOU FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE FOR DYING FOR ME AND SAVING MY SOUL.”
Hearing our 5000 orphans and vulnerable children (sometimes six hundred at a time) sing this as loud and passionately as they can takes my breath away.
These and so many more echoes and memories remind me why I’m a missionary!
Sit down with me and hear some of the voices that fill my memory.
“WHEREVER I'M INVITED"
We asked a young Swazi where he attended church. A hard hitting lesson, isn’t it?.
“AIDS IS SILENTLY KILLING US.”
A Swazi health official.
“WE ARE JUST HALF-PEOPLE.”
An African child living in hopeless poverty. A new pair of shoes and food everyday changed his self-concept. “Maybe I can be somebody someday.”
“IS THE STOCK MARKET WHERE YOU BUY COWS?”
An African government official trying to understand America asked me this.
“WHY DO YOU SAVE THAT STUFF?”
An African boy asked the missionary this when she blew her nose and put the Kleenex in her pocket.
“I DANG THE BELL.”
The cook’s remonstration when nobody answered the dinner bell.”
“I TOLD YOU A BIG ENOUGH LIE THAT YOU WOULD KNOW IT WAS A LIE AND LET ME SAVE MY FACE.”
Causing an Asian to lose face is one of the worst possible personal affronts. By his making the lie obvious you could let the speaker hide behind the words but you would not be deceived.
”YOU MAY HAVE WHITE SKIN BUT YOU HAVE A BLACK HEART.”
The Africans really were trying to honor me.
“WHY SHOULDN'T I BE A PROSTITUTE--AT LEAST I'M GETTING PAID FOR WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO ME ALL MY LIFE?”
A young teen told our staff when they encouraged her to stay off the streets.
“WHY DID YOU COME ALL THIS WAY ACROSS THE OCEAN TO SEE ME?”
A common question from the children and adults we help.
“HOW DO YOU GET YOUR STAFF TO TAKE SUCH RISKS?”
The head of UNICEF for an African country asked me this as we flew over “Stinger Alley”—a war zone where our teams risked ambush and land mines and missiles to get food to starving people.
“CAN I GO HOME AND LIVE WITH YOU.”
Over and over we hear this as precious little ones plead with us. How can we say “No” but we can’t say “Yes.”
“WILL YOU GIVE ME MONEY FOR FOOD FOR MY SISTER--SHE'S REALLY HUNGRY. WE HAVEN'T EATEN FOR DAYS.”
I’ve heard Asians, Latins ands Africans say this. You never forget it.
“WILL YOU HURT ME TOO?”
Usually it’s the children’s eyes that say this, not their words. Nobody has ever touched them except to hurt them.
“ALL OUR ICE CREAM IS COLD.”
A missionary in the Philippines had asked for a hot fudge Sunday.
“WE HAVE NO BREAD FOR AN ICE CREAM SANDWICH.”
“IF YOU DRIVE TOO CAREFULLY YOU WILL HAVE AN ACCIDENT.”
A Manila policeman told a fellow missionary this. He was very serious.
“DO NOT ENTER--FOR ENTRANCE ONLY”
A sign at the entrance to our doctor’s parking lot in Manila.
“IF I DON'T GO BACK MY FAMILY MAY NEVER KNOW THE PEACE AND LOVE I FOUND IN JESUS.”
A Vietnamese businessman who was on the evacuation flight with me out of Vietnam when Saigon was falling. He came to our church in Manila and found Christ. His company had hired a plane to take him back to get his wife and leave Vietnam for good.
I got a letter from him after Vietnam fell telling how they stayed in Vietnam and Jesus was helping his family.
“FOR THE FIRST TIME WE CAN SING”
A Buddhist couple that had just got saved in Saigon and were being baptized in water.
“I WOULD FOLLOW YOU INTO HELL AND BACK, BROTHER.”
My own brother Don after doing missions projects in war zones with me. Don is in Heaven now. His grave marker says, “MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.”
“CAN I HAVE YOUR DOGGIE BAG?”
Queues of hungry children and adults wait for you to leave the restaurant
“ 'WHY-QUESTIONS' HAVE NO VALUE ON THE MISSION FIELD.”
“IT WILL TAKE YOU A YEAR ON THE FIELD TO SEE WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING AT”
Advice from a fellow missionary when we first arrived in Manila.
“IF TWO NATIONALS FIGHT, THE MISSIONARY WILL LOSE.”
More good advice.
“GOD COULD NEVER FORGIVE ME.”
I’ve heard this so many different ways in so many different places. It’s one of the devil’s favorite lies.
“I KNEW IT WAS WRONG BUT I LOOKED GOD IN THE EYE AND DID IT ANYWAY.”
A desperate man asking for prayer before he faced his neighbor and and the neighbor’s ten year old daughter he had molested. He left the altar to go face them.
“LISTEN TO THEIR EYES”
Words my late brother Don wrote about the hurting children he helped us reach. Don died a few days after writing this essay.
“GOD GAVE ME A FORGIVENESS BIGGER THAN ANYTHING THEY COULD DO TO ME.”
Lt. Col. Paul Kari who was tortured for 8 years a P.O.W. in the infamous “Hanoi Hilton” prison. He want back to the prison with me with a forgiving heart. Vietnamese national TV covered his visit.
“DADDY, YOU GO FIRST--IT'S DARK IN THERE.”
“MY ARMS ARE TOO SHORT--I CAN'T REACH IT.”
“HOLD ME.”
Sermons my children preached to me when they were toddlers.
“I WILL LIVE WITH YOU AND DO ANYTHING YOU ASK ME TO IF YOU'LL JUST GIVE ME FOOD FOR MY BABY”
A Vietnamese lady with a two year old daughter grabbed hold of me on TuDo street in downtown Saigon. Her body was the only value she could bargain with to save here baby’s life.
“YOU'VE CHANGED MY COUNTRY.”
Jose Napoleon Duarte, President of El Salvador, as he hugged my neck thanking us for building dozens of Christian Schools in his country. The 100,000 graduates at that time were truly changing business and government.
“TIME TAKES TIME”
My children got tired of hearing me say this.
“HOPE'S NAME IS JESUS!”
I’ll never get tired of telling audiences and hurting people this wonderful truth.
“THERE WE'VE SAID SOMETHING ABOUT EVERYTHING AND NOTHING ABOUT ANYTHING.”
A Filipino committee member was discussing the just adjourned meeting.
“THE DIFFERENCE IS THE SAME”
The Asian thought that ended it all and finished the question.
“GIVE US MONEY OR WE'LL TELL THE LAW WE DISCOVERED THESE DRUGS ON YOU.”
My captors in Manila threatened me. When they discovered I had only $23 and my mission would never pay for me they dumped me out of their car. Phew!
“JESUS, I’M GOING TO THANK YOU FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE FOR DYING FOR ME AND SAVING MY SOUL.”
Hearing our 5000 orphans and vulnerable children (sometimes six hundred at a time) sing this as loud and passionately as they can takes my breath away.
These and so many more echoes and memories remind me why I’m a missionary!
Monday, December 11, 2006
HAIL!
It made us think of the plague on Egypt.
Yesterday the biggest hail I've ever seen blasted down on the Mbabane area.
The very first hailstone that fell in our yard was as big as a softball--and they kept coming for about twenty minutes. Almost every dwelling and every unprotected car was damaged--some cars were totaled.
Please pray as the Children's Cup team assesses the damage to our vehicles and CarePoints. (The Toyota Condor we are using is now unsafe to drive.)
People here are likening the damage and impact of the storm to Katrina.
Please pray that God gives us a clear course through the insurance maze and leads us to the right repair people that can actually get the parts. This did not surprise Him--He knows the way through the mess.
Please pray for the tens of thousands of Swazis whose meager resources cannot cope with this disaster.
The Book of Revelation talks about even larger hail--how horrible that will be.
Thursday, December 07, 2006
A CHRISTMAS SEND-OFF PARTY INTO THE ARMS OF JESUS
Children’s Cup CarePoint Christmas Party.
Inflated jumping castles, tug-of-wars, acrobatic contests, three-legged races, getting soaked by the water hose, face-painting, Gospel music, skits, anointed preaching by a 13 year-old evangelist, and of course, food and drinks. Even fried chicken—a delight few have ever tasted. Very few ever get even a taste of meat.
Giggles, screams of delight, teams cheering each other on—that is what it sounded like.
Between 2500 and 3000 (did you ever try to count scurrying ants at an ant hill?) children orphaned by AIDS or abandoned by families that have very little in their lives to even smile about were experiencing a new level of joy.
Kind friends of an eleven-year-old girl near death from AIDS brought her to experience the big party. Great joy beamed on her face—in spite of her hollow cheeks and sunken eyes. I like to think of the event as a send-off party into the arms of Jesus for her and the other children who won’t live until next Christmas..
Thanks Children’s Cup friends for making it happen.
It ended up costing about $3.00 per child. So much happiness for so small an investment!
And the real value is all the children who gave their lives to Jesus at the altar call.
Maybe our best Christmas ever…
Inflated jumping castles, tug-of-wars, acrobatic contests, three-legged races, getting soaked by the water hose, face-painting, Gospel music, skits, anointed preaching by a 13 year-old evangelist, and of course, food and drinks. Even fried chicken—a delight few have ever tasted. Very few ever get even a taste of meat.
Giggles, screams of delight, teams cheering each other on—that is what it sounded like.
Between 2500 and 3000 (did you ever try to count scurrying ants at an ant hill?) children orphaned by AIDS or abandoned by families that have very little in their lives to even smile about were experiencing a new level of joy.
Kind friends of an eleven-year-old girl near death from AIDS brought her to experience the big party. Great joy beamed on her face—in spite of her hollow cheeks and sunken eyes. I like to think of the event as a send-off party into the arms of Jesus for her and the other children who won’t live until next Christmas..
Thanks Children’s Cup friends for making it happen.
It ended up costing about $3.00 per child. So much happiness for so small an investment!
And the real value is all the children who gave their lives to Jesus at the altar call.
Maybe our best Christmas ever…
Sunday, December 03, 2006
JESUS--THE BREAD OF LIFE
Jesus was introduced to us as "The Bread of Life."
The significance of that name deepens as we remember that Jesus was first placed by human hands in a manger--a place where the hungry come to be fed.
In fact, "manger" is the French word meaning "to eat."
One step deeper: that manger was in Bethlehem which translates to "House of Bread"!
Absolute symmetry, exquisite and thrilling to my hungry heart.
The significance of that name deepens as we remember that Jesus was first placed by human hands in a manger--a place where the hungry come to be fed.
In fact, "manger" is the French word meaning "to eat."
One step deeper: that manger was in Bethlehem which translates to "House of Bread"!
Absolute symmetry, exquisite and thrilling to my hungry heart.
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