Valerie Rae Hanneman
Isaiah 49:13 (NIV) Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; burst into song, O mountains! For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.
I was driving down Palm Avenue towards Fig Garden for the CCLS Board of Directors meeting and I was not a happy camper. It had been a rough week. Kids Klub and choir had just started up again, I was still getting used to those additions to my schedule. Job pressures were intense. Fall is generally a slow time for me but just earlier that week I had been given a little traveling computer storage unit to use because I was e-mailing so much work to home that I kept crashing CCLS’s server. I worked most of my lunch hours – and breaks? Those were a few seconds to load up on caffeine. And then the challenges of home? Don’t get me started! They start with money and go downhill from there. So here I am – driving down Palm – going to a meeting that I am required to be at. There had been a union negotiation meeting earlier that week that had been contentious to the extreme. Now there were rumors that about 15 union members, were going to show up at the Board meeting to voice their dissatisfaction. Past history of them doing that said to me that it was going to be a l-o-o-o-o-n-g meeting. And why not? WHY not? It was only the series season premier of CSI-Las Vegas that night. I was going to miss it! No, I was not a happy camper – if fact – I took a step past “not a happy camperdom” and started kicking down my tent when I turned K-Love 91.1 way down. (I didn’t want anything to distract me from my complaints) I am not going to go into all the gruesome details of how I whined – and I mean WHINED to Father as I voiced more and more of my complaints during this pity party pileup.
I got to the corner of Palm & McKinley – right there by Fresno High – and was caught at the last second by the red light. A group of kids caught my attention as they started to cross the street in front of me. They were shouting something and as they got close to my car I saw their sign “honk if you love JESUS” My mouth dropped open in surprise, then I honked my horn. They stopped in front of my car and started waving & shouting even louder. So I rolled down my window and shouted, “Jesus is the way!” They cheered, I cheered and next thing you know we are having a praise & worship time in the middle of Palm & McKinley. And we praised until their light turned yellow and they scampered to the corner. I gave a final wave, rolled up my window and went on my way. I turned up K-Love and just kept praising and worshiping.
God used those wonderful young people to remind me of what I had forgotten in my pity-party pileup. It is not about me – it is ALL about Him.
In the NIV the word “Rejoice” is used 156 times. When you add similar words like “joy, glad, happy” and all their derivative like rejoicing, joyful, etc you quickly realize that the main theme of the Bible is Jesus, and a major theme that accompanies Him is rejoicing in Him.
I sure wasn’t rejoicing in Jesus as I drove down Palm was I? But in my pity-party I was definitely sending messages to Him. The first message I sent Him through my whining. With my voice sounding like fingernails on a chalkboard I told Him that I didn’t think He was paying enough attention to me. He may have the hairs of my head counted, but He wasn’t paying attention to what I was going through! And so I proceeded to tell Him in the most obnoxious tone of voice - not asking - but telling Him. Not asking for His will but demanding mine. Not waiting for His timing but trying to force Him to mine.
The second message that I was sending Jesus was that I did not trust Him. Oh, I trusted Him with my eternity, but not with my day-by-day. I held the challenges of home, job and church close to my chest and chose to fret about them rather than release them to Him. I even fretted about what had not yet occurred - how the union would act during the Board meeting. 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” but I did not trust that He really would - so I held on to my anxiety.
Even as I was telling Him that He didn’t pay enough attention to me, even as I was telling Him that I did not really trust Him to handle my problems, Jesus was planning an unexpected encounter for me that would shake me out of my pity party pileup and turn me back to Him.
What an amazing God He is. Nobody but God would think to use a bunch of on-fire high school students walking across a street with a hand-made sign to remind a pity-partying woman in a car of what is truly important in her life.
It is not the challenges at work - they will pass away. It’s Jesus. It’s not the finances at home - they will pass away. It’s Jesus. It’s not trying to find time to do everything - time will pass away. It’s Jesus. What is truly important is what will never pass away. It’s Jesus.
By the time I got to the meeting I had made a 180 degree attitude adjustment. I walked in with my focus on Jesus and not on my surroundings. Because I was properly focused, when a union member was rude to me later in the meeting I was able to handle the situation in a manner that made Jesus proud of me. If pity-partying Valerie had still been there she would have lost her temper and said something that would not have honored Jesus.
My life is so much better when I rejoice in Jesus with my life. Oh, I still have all those challenges - new ones even - but when I am focused on Jesus - then the challenges take their proper place in my life - specks of dust that swirl away in the winds of eternity.
(and I made it home in time to see CSI)
LORD Jesus, I don’t know why I descend into the pity-parties. I feel yucky when I am in them. Help me to stay away from self-pity - to keep my focus on You and keep rejoicing in You. I like dancing in You much more than dragging in the pity.
Contact Valerie or sign up for the e-Ministry at valerie@fresnofirst.org
We need to have a mindset of letting God use us to make somebody else’s life better. When we do that, then there's a joy released in us that we’re not ever going to get anywhere else. -Joyce Meyer
Katie Arizon, Debbie & Stan Jenk’s daughter, was bitten several times by a pit bull this past Friday. She is relatively okay, she has several punctures on her legs – one of which started to get infected, but was treated and is okay. Praise God for His grace in this situation – that dog could have done major damage to this child.
Clytie Klassen has passed her test to become an American citizen. Praise God! We get to keep her! Her swearing in as a citizen will be in October.
Larry Martin is in Fresno for a short time. I talked to him yesterday and he and Jan are doing fine after the coup because they are in the more rural area of Thailand. However, there are other missionaries in the capital that Larry has been in contact with who are okay for now, but face a higher risk because they are there in the middle of things. Please keep them in prayer.
Please continue to keep Reaching Hand Society in your prayers as they deal with the flooding in their state. The floods are devastating – but as we could tell from Dr. Iris’ report – Jesus’ hand can be seen in providing the means to help.
Please keep Tony McDonald in prayer. Tony has been fighting prostrate cancer, but recently, when removing a cyst off of Tony’s back, the doctors accidentally clipped a nerve and as a result, Tony is in great pain.
Pray for our Nigeria mission trip as they are in the final two weeks before they head off. Lift up Debbi Ruud’s mom in a special prayer as she does not know Jesus in a personal relationship. Joy Nolte and a few others have been bitten by this flu bug that is going around, pray a stronghold of protection around the team so that satan, that serpent-deceiver, does not use illness to harm our team.
We continue to pray for the following: Sharleen Ferree, Yolanda’s sister, Sandra, Geneva Schaeffer, Larry Reynolds, Richard Massie, Dallis, Samee Myers, Bill Eland, Chuck Alstrom, Michael Ferris, Dennis Galloway, Bonnie Mendoza, Bob Molander, Roy Rahn, Lance Corporal Eric Hamilton in Iraq, Jacob Filpala in Iraq, Willie serving in Iraq, Dorothy Wajckus, my young friend down at juvenile hall, Khamla & arm pains, Jonathan Rumsey, serving in Bagdad, Mike Abbott in Afghanistan, Walt Couch & prostrate cancer, John Rodgers with cancer.
Pray for our missionaries – Megan Dineen in Mexico, Matthew, Lisa & Nathan in Jos Nigeria. Judy, Faye & Miisaw at the New Life Center in Thailand, Jan & Larry Martin in Thailand, The Reaching Hand Society in India, Bounkham & Khamla’s mission to Laos, Gospel for Asia, Biana Grogg with The Faith Alive Clinic in Jos, Nigeria, Laurie Bethall in Prague, and all the missionaries worldwide.
Pray for our pastors our leadership, our ministries, and Father’s provision for His Church. Pray that we recognize opportunities to share our faith with others.
Pray for our country, her leadership and our military. There is a website www.letssaythanks.com that you can go to and send a free card of support and encouragement to a member of the military.
YHWH,
With hearts leaping, voices singing, and bodies dancing, we come before You. Thank You for not just welcoming us into Your presence, but also for longing to be with us, just as we long to be with You.
Abba, Our hearts grieve over what has happened to Katie. She has so many challenges in her life already and now this dog attack. LORD God, heal her body, but even more important, heal her spirit. Don’t let this incident change Katie from being Your bubbling fountain of joy. Restore her completely.
We pray for the missionaries in Thailand, that You keep them safe during this time of upheaval. We pray for the missionaries at Reaching Hand Society, Jesu Mapru, continue to provide for them as they help those who have been displaced by the floods. Use these situations to bring Your missionaries closer to You, and bring those who do not know You to Your side.
We pray for the team that that is going to serve You in Nigeria. We pray a stronghold of protection around them, Elohim, and ask that You bind satan away from them and keep him from interfering with all that they will accomplish.
LORD Jesus, Place Your Hand of grace on Tony as he recovers from this clipped nerve in his back. Release him from the pain.
Holy God, there are so many wonderful praise and worship songs that we love to sing to You. The streets resound with the sounds of our singing. But all the different tunes, different beats and different words – they all come down to a few simple words. We love You, LORD God, with all our heart.
Be sovereign in the lives of those who are listed in our prayer chain, Father God. Sometimes when we face troubled times, Father; we forget that You are right there with us. Reveal Yourself anew to us.
Holy Spirit, we lift before You Pastor Willie, Pastor Terrie, Pastor Chris, Pastor Bryan, Pastor Dale, Pastor Gene and all the pastors who serve You so faithfully and ask, Spirit, that you renew them with Your strength, Your peace and Your wisdom. Help us to support them completely with our love.
We call out to You and ask that Your mercy be poured out on all of Your missionaries as they serve You with their hearts, souls and lives.
Jehovah-Jirah, God, our Provider, help us to be more like You every day. Bless our ministries with enough. Help us to have the courage to stand strong for You everyday.
God bless America and bring her to her knees before You.
In every day and in every way, we surrender ourselves to You. You have released from sin and have given us a new life. And when it is time, we will shed this physical body like a worn out coat dropped behind us, and without a backwards glance, we will run to be with You. For us to live is Christ, and to die is to gain everything.
We are going to do something a little different this week – because what I have to share with you just blew my socks – and my shoes – right off me. We have to go back a week into our reading, back to King Neb’s dream about the statue in Daniel 2. You will remember that the statue had a gold head that represented the Babylonian empire, a silver torso that represented the Medes & Persian empire, a bronze belly & thighs that represented the Greek empire, iron legs that represented the Roman empire, and feet and toes of mixed clay and iron – representing an empire that we are just going to have to wait and see about. Now I want us to skip back to Isaiah 44:28; 45:1; and 45:13 which we read in July. In these passages God talks about raising a gentile leader – Cyrus - who will be powerful in subduing nations and will rebuild Jerusalem and send the captive Israelites back home. Going back to Daniel’s statue – the head of gold were the Babylonians – whose leader was King Neb. He took the Israelites into captivity back to Babylon. In Daniel’s lifetime, the Babylonian empire was defeated by the Medes & Persian empire – the silver torso. The leader of the Medes & Persians was Cyrus the Great. During his reign he had Jerusalem rebuilt and sent the Jewish captives home. He is the Cyrus that these verses in Isaiah refer to. Now – are you ready for the kicker? Isaiah lived one hundred and fifty years BEFORE Daniel.
We finished out Revelation this week. As I read this last chapter, there were a couple of times that I just had to lift my hands in praise as I read my future. The last verse of Revelation is John’s “sincerely yours” – I want to direct your attention to verse 20 right before it. It says “He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” The very first verse in Genesis 1:1 is “In the beginning, God.” All of time, all of history is written between those two verses. In these verses He shows us once again that He is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. But only of time. The Uncreated One had always been in existence when He began time in Genesis 1:1, He will always be in existence after He returns and ends time. And we will be with Him – how cool is that?
This week’s readings:
Sonday, Sept 24…....Ezra 1; Psalm 84-85; Luke 7
Monday, Sept 25…...Ezra 2-3; Luke 8
Tuesday, Sept 26…..Ezra 4; Psalm 113; 127; Luke 9
Wed. Sept 27…...… Haggai 1-2; Psalm 128; Luke 10
Thurs, Sept 28…..…Zech 1-3; Luke 11
Friday, Sept 29…… Zech 4-6; Luke 12
Sat. Sept 30……...…Zech 7-9, Luke 13
Dearly Beloved in Christ,
Greetings in Jesus' Name.
WATER --- WATER --- EVERYWHERE --- NOT A DROP TO DRINK.
Never in the history of Malkangiri have we had a flood situation. There are 2 rivers, which form the borders of Malkangiri. River Sabari separates Malkangiri Dt from Chathisgrarh and River Seleru separates Malkangiri form Andhra. Though they flow about 80 feet below the land area , this time both the rivers rose and met each other covering the tip of Malkangiri for a distance of 3 km and covered the IMST mission compound up to the first floor in Kunta. The bridges in the district on streams and Poteru River over flowed and the main bridge was broken and the side washed away for 2 km, disrupting road and telephone service for 10 days. The lighting strikes disrupted many phone lines and till today the house line is not connected. Mobiles work on and off. The whole area including our office area and my old home area was stinking of sewage. The filth and stench is less now. Praise God that none of the missionaries who had to drink the stinking boiled water is sick. This is a miracle.
With No money to do relief work I was in tears and Praise the Lord - EFICOR stepped in to help 2600 families out of the 4000 flood and rain affected families. Our missionaries worked as volunteers during this time, along with EFICOR staff. On 18th Sep the 2nd warning from the Government has come for Kunta area for a second flood situation. The Poteru Bridge was over flowing on 18th. The river runs 60 feet below the bridge during non-rainy season. A fear is gripping many. We need your prayers. I have taken credits to buy medicines for all medical centres. There is now a pending loan of Rs 15000 in the medical shop. My thanks to those who sent money to clear bills up to Rs 22,000 so far. This is beside the Rs 25000 that came for purchase of immediate medical relief for flood and rain relief areas. Thanks a ton for all who stood with us in this time of crisis.
My heart felt thanks to 3 volunteers from Canada who came for a week in this flood affected time, with every thing wet, infections at its peak and were willing to trek with me to the most interior areas though mud and infected water. They do not know anything about me, they just heard of the work here and came all of a sudden. They were a Great encouragement to missionaries and the people here. To me they were like 3 angles to minister to me when I was passing through a period of utter despair and depression. Praise God that He loves me still to minister to my inner most spiritual needs.
I will not be involved in any Administrative work form Oct 1st. Remo and our missionaries Laban, Jyothi and Romesh will handle administration.
Praise God for:
1. EFICOR, which did an awesome job during the recent flood and rain crisis. 2. For the gift of baby boy for Prabathy wife of missionary Niranjan Kuldeep on 17th Oct. 3.For missionaries Niranjan Kuldeep, Niranjan Goroda, Dilip and Prakash who helped EFICOR in the flood relief as volunteers and who were kept well during the whole month as they went to most affected areas. 4. Helping me to teach Godly Leadership in the Haggai Seminar at Berhampur. 5. For the good response among the prisoners for the literacy and evangelistic work for the inmates. Missionaries Jyoti, Sabitha, Laban, Romesh and Sewpan are involved in the prisoners rehabilitation programme. 6. The invitation form the collector of Koraput to start work among the inmates in Koraput Jail and the invitation form the Jail superintendent of Jeypore to start work among the inmates in the Jeypore Jail. 7. Mary has obtained her eligibility certificate for college education form Delhi (this needs to be confirmed by the Madras University). 8. For the 3 volunteers form Canada who came for a week in this time of crisis to help us.
Please Pray for:
1. Shanti under treatment at Andhra for repeated urinary infection. 2.The need for Rs 71,000 to pay the allowance for Sep 2006. 3.The need of Rs 15,000 to clear the pending medical bills. 4. The Koya people of Rhabhaguda to take baptism. 5, For strength for all missionaries to face the constant day-to-day opposition. 6. This month many prisoners are being sentenced to life imprisonment and shifted to Koraput main Jail and so there is much fear among the prisoners. Please pray for them. 7. For the need of Rs. 10,000 each month for 4 missionaries to go and train volunteers and start work for the inmates in Koraput and Jeypore Jail. 8. Halima the sister of our missionary Dilip to find a bridegroom soon. 9. Our missionaries - Romesh, Niranjan Goroda and Dilip request prayer for their marriage to be fixed with in this year. 10. Mary's eligibility certificate to come form Madras University by 30th of Sep to continue her BA course.
Thank you for standing with us in prayer and finance,
Love and Prayers,
Iris
Valerie Rae Hanneman
Luke 2:7 (NIV) “and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped Him in cloths and placed Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”
Matthew 27:59-60 (NIV) “Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away.”
Paris Hilton was recently arrested for DUI. Did you know that? If you didn’t – I am trying to think of where you might have been – and I simply can’t imagine! It was reported on MSN.com, which I get at work, it was reported on Comcast.net, which I get at home. It was reported on all the gossip programs I saw ads for on the TV. And it was reported in all 5 of the newspapers I read – including FoxNews.com (which I consider to be my “serious” newspaper). We have been kept informed of every move that Paris Hilton has made. We have known her boyfriends, we have seen her try to act – then sing. We are almost daily apprised of her comings and goings, her parties and the heartbreak of her split with her “best friend forever” Nichole Ritchie. And I would like to know – WHY? Why do we care about this spoiled rich girl whose only contribution to this earth has been the increase in donations to the Animal Humane Society when she started carrying around that pitiful little rat-dog of hers?
On the same day that Paris’ arrest was splashed across the international news, Dr. Chris and Dr. Mercy Isichei, and the Faith Alive clinic in Jos, Nigeria kept 1,000 HIV-positive people alive for another day through the distribution of anti-retroviral drugs. They treated the medical problems of others who came to the clinic. They provided counseling, housing, and job training to AIDS/HIV victims. They facilitated the meeting of an HIV support group. They supported an orphanage where children whose parents died from AIDS can have a chance at life. And all of these services were provided without charge to their clients. They made a tremendous contribution to this earth and to a country whose AIDS infected population may be as high as 10%. But they weren’t on MSN or Comcast, or TV or in the newspapers. They were ignored by the world.
Why was Paris on all the news - and Faith Alive was ignored? It is because Paris Hilton embodies all that the world holds sacred - she is rich - she is powerful (because of her family) and she is beautiful. The Faith Alive Clinic has none of this.
There was a baby born a couple of thousand years ago. There was nothing that set Him apart from the crowd - in fact - quite the opposite. This Child was born to a peasant girl and her carpenter husband. He wasn’t even born in their home in Nazareth, but was instead born in a borrowed stable. There was nothing about Him that the world valued - just another brat peasant. That Child was Jesus. Thirty-three short years later, Jesus would die and be buried in a borrowed tomb. Born in a borrowed stable, buried in a borrowed tomb, Jesus’ whole life was an example of what the world despises.
Jesus has everything that the world values. He has riches beyond anything we can imagine. He lives in a city where the streets are paved with gold - and it is His city. He is absolutely powerful - He is the Creator of the universe! And nothing that has ever been can compare to His beauty.
Jesus could have come to earth with all His riches, power and beauty, and people would have flocked to Him. Caesar would have had Him on his speed-dial. The Roman Senate would have been wearing “WWJD?” bracelets. Herod and Pontius Pilate would have been His “yes-men.” But that was not Jesus’ goal. Jesus left everything He had in heaven and He came to us with nothing but Himself. He came to show us a better way than what the earth was worshiping. The earth says store up earthly treasures. Jesus says for us to store up our treasures in heaven - where they are eternal. The world says that “might is right” - only power counts. Jesus came to be a servant and calls us to be a servant. The world pants after physical beauty - Jesus says that Heaven stands in awe of the beauty of a life that is lived for Him.
Jesus made sure that He was born in a borrowed stable and buried in a borrowed tomb so that all who followed Him would follow Him because of who He is and not because of what He has. He calls us to chase after Him and not after the transient things that the world values.
In fifteen years the world will be saying, “Paris who?” as they chase after the latest and greatest symbol of their values. Faith Alive clinic will probably still be largely ignored.
But what a different story in eternity. In eternity they are already saying, “Paris who?” They don’t know her. But, oh my, how they know Dr. Chris, Dr. Mercy and Faith Alive. How they celebrate the work of these faithful servants when lives are saved and souls are turned to Jesus.
The earth is going to pass away - but eternity will always be. Where do you want your name known?
My Savior, My Jesus, this world holds nothing for me. I want more of You in me, I want to chase after You, I want to be known in eternity because of You.
Contact Valerie or sign up for the e-Ministry of Fresno First Baptist at valerie@fresnofirst.org
Dear friends
Just a quick one to let you know that even though we had a coup here in
Thailand last night - everything is "fine" - I have spoken with other
missionaries in Thailand today and everyone is safe and well.
A coup in Thailand is usually not as big a deal as it would be in a lot of
countries and things passed hands very quickly and somewhat
painlessly. The new leaders say they will reform the constitution in the
next 2 weeks, probably appoint a caretaker prime minster and have elections
next year. Which would be similar to the coup in Feb 1991.
We would ask that you pray for Thailand, not just for political and
economic stability but for a movement of the Holy Spirit among Thai people.
Yours in Christ,
Larry and Jan
Prayer is the most powerful means of overcoming any kind of discouragement. It connects you with an omnipotent, omniscient Father who loves you unconditionally, who sees where you are and is going to help you in it. -Charles Stanley
Yolanda’s sister had her operation and the spread of cancer is much less than anticipated. It doesn’t appear that she will have to have a mastendectomy (sp). Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!
Sharleen Ferree goes to University of California, San Francisco on October 4th for the consultation on her kidney stones – the date of her operation will be determined at that time.
In November Samee Myers will be having a knee replacement on her other knee.
Mathew, Lisa and Nathan have arrived safely in Nigeria. By now they are busy at the clinic – changing our world for Jesus.
We have received a request from Georgette’s sister to pray for her friend, Richard Massie, who has been diagnosed with prostrate cancer. Also from her sister is a request for her friend, Dallis, who went to the doctor for stomach problems and has been diagnosed with cancer on her liver and brain.
Please pray for Larry Reynolds, Hal & Char Cole’s friend, who has been diagnosed with lung cancer. The prognosis is not hopeful. Pray for his salvation and that of his family.
Geneva Schaeffer has lost sight in her right eye due to Giant Cell Temporal Arteritis. She is receiving heavy treatment to keep it from spreading to her left eye.
Sandra, Kelli Hastings’ roommate, as they wait for the results of her cancer spreading to her lymph nodes.
Pray for our Nigeria mission trip as they are in the final weeks before they head off. Rough estimates on the Spoonfest says that $1,300 +/- was earned. I am really surprised by that number. As stuffed as I was when I rolled on outta there – I thought that I had done more than that just by myself!
I have received a message from Larry & Jan in Thailand – they are fine following the military coup in Thailand – I will send the note from them out tomorrow night.
We continue to pray for the following: Bill Eland, Chuck Alstrom, Michael Ferris, Dennis Galloway, Bonnie Mendoza, Bob Molander, Roy Rahn, Lance Corporal Eric Hamilton in Iraq, Jacob Filpala in Iraq, Willie serving in Iraq, Dorothy Wajckus, my young friend down at juvenile hall, Khamla & arm pains, Jonathan Rumsey, serving in Bagdad, Mike Abbott in Afghanistan, Walt Couch & prostrate cancer, John Rodgers with cancer.
Pray for our missionaries – Megan Dineen in Mexico, Matthew, Lisa & Nathan in Jos Nigeria. Judy, Faye & Miisaw at the New Life Center in Thailand, Jan & Larry Martin in Thailand, The Reaching Hand Society in India, Bounkham & Khamla’s mission to Laos, Gospel for Asia, Biana Grogg with The Faith Alive Clinic in Jos, Nigeria, Laurie Bethall in Prague, and all the missionaries worldwide.
Pray for our pastors our leadership, our ministries, and Father’s provision for His Church. Pray that we recognize opportunities to share our faith with others.
Pray for our country, her leadership and our military.
Abba,
I read of a woman getting through a difficult time by resolving every morning to choose joy that day. I thought that was pretty cool – but the truth of the matter is that eleven years ago when I chose You, I chose joy. Thank You for the joy You have brought to my life. Though the good times, through the bad times, through the boring times, my joy in You is as constant as the beat of my heart. It is the song that cannot be denied.
We pray for Yolanda’s sister as she deals with the breast cancer. We thank You that it is not as bad as they thought. Be with her, LORD-Of-All. Be with Sharleen as she travels soon to San Francisco and with Samee as she prepares for her knee surgery. We lift up Georgette’s sister’s friends, Richard and Dallis, as they also face their own cancer challenges. We call out for our beloved Geneva Schaeffer and ask that You protect her remaining eyesight. We pray for Sandra as she waits for results of her cancer tests and ask that You grant her strength.
Savior, we pray for Larry at this time. We pray for his health needs and ask that you touch him and his family with comfort. But even more importantly Jesus, we pray about his spiritual needs. LORD God, urge him and his family to come to You before it is too late.
Holy Spirit, we thank You for Your hand of protection on Larry and Jan during this time of upheaval in Thailand. Continue to keep them safe. We also thank You for Your provision for Matthew, Lisa and little Nathan as they traveled and began this work in Jos, Nigeria. We lift up Biana as she continues her work in Jos. We ask Your blessings and strength be poured out on our Megan as she goes to serve You in Mexico. It is so exciting to see this young woman, who grew up in front of us, take this giant step of faith and service. We pray in agreement for our Nigeria mission team who will soon be traveling around the world to serve You. Father, we lift up Debbi’s mom as she takes this trip. LORD God, she does not personally know You. We ask that You use Debbi’s, Carter’s and the rest of our teams witness for You, we ask that You use the people of the Faith Alive clinic’s devotion to You, to turn Debbi’s mom’s heart to You.
We lift up the beloved names that are on our prayer chain and ask that You continue to move in each life and that each situation be used to Your glory.
Holy Jesus, may we never grow tired of lifting our pastors before You in prayer. We pray that Your abundance be poured out upon them, that You guard them from all that comes against them, that You grant them Your wisdom and guidance as they lead Your people. You are our resting place – and so we pray for our pastors to get a good night’s sleep.
Bless our country, Father, and turn her back to You.
You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. When we are confused, show us Your Way, when we don’t know what to do, show us Your Truth, when we are frightened show us that You are our Life. We are always securely held in Your hand and in Your heart. Holy, Holy, Holy, LORD God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come. We love You LORD.
Interview With A Foolish Virgin
(Photo at www.SheepTrax.com)
They are the stuff of Jesus most enigmatic, haunting parable – the five foolish virgins. SheepTrax Undercover managed to catch up to one of the rejected ones, a member of the bridal Company who awaited His return only to be shut out, un-betrothed.
There, draped in white, beautiful, lampless, huffing on a cigarette (see photo) and strung out like a brazen trollip, stood one of the Foolish Five, waiting for the Wedding Feast that for her, would nev er be.
SheepTrax: Can we get a word, Miss…?
Foolish Virgin: Since he dumped me at the altar, Miss would be correct, not Misses.
SheepTrax: Uh, yeah. Tough break. Wait - Altars are places to worship and meet God and yet He dumped you there. Hummm...
Foolish Virgin: I don’t get it, really. I was dressed for the Bridegroom, had my lamp in hand but ran out of oil. What’s the big deal?
SheepTrax: Are you serious? The story of the 10 Virgins, the five wise and 5 foolish, is an end time parable, a dire warning to those who call themselves the Church of J esus Christ. It is a very big deal – and a theological quagmire of the first order.
Foolish Virgin: (Taking a long drag from her Virginia Slim). Don’t mind the cigarette. I use it to keep my lamp lit. (another long puff) I was supposed to be getting married to the Prince of Peace. Does the phrase “Marriage Supper of the Lamb” ring any bells? I’m part of the **%$@ Bride of Christ!
SheepTrax: Ouch. Look, the problem for you (and many others) was that you ran out of oil and went off sauntering into the darkness looking for more. The lamp you and the other nine carried are a picture of the human spirit and the oil speaks of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. A parable is a spiritual story…
F oolish Virgin: But our lamps began to sputter and go out…
SheepTrax: Times of darkness happen to everybody, foolish and wise alike. The issue becomes then: what next? Will I truly trust God when all seems dark? Will he be your supply, your source? In him, do you really “live, and move, and have your being?” Truth is, you weren’t really ready to meet God.
Foolish Virgin: You’re telling me this was all a test?
SheepTrax: Yep. Com’on, tell the truth. Are you really a Virgin?
Foolish Virgin: (pause) Tech-nic-ally… and you have no right to judge me!
SheepTrax: I’m sure having the eternal door to the Wedding Feast slammed in your face is Judgment enough.
Foolish Virgin: (deftly changing the subject) Have you seen the News? There’s another guy who claims to be the Bridegroom. He does signs and wonders, too. Wonder if he needs a Bride? I mean, I do look the part.
SheepTrax: That was another problem: you only looked the part. Jesus is coming for a Virgin who is, to quote the Bible, “without spot or wrinkle.”
Foolish Virgin: (Sighs) They always want the young, pretty ones.
SheepTrax: No! You’re missing the message here. The real issues of the end- times are about purity of spirit and single-hearted devotion to God. Who do you really worship? The other guy you mentioned is seeking followers, too. He is actually against Christ, hence the name anti-Christ. He is just a power mad pretender…
Foolish Virgin: He’s got a girlfriend?
SheepTrax: (Sighs) Many.
Foolish Virgin: Does he mind tattoos?
SheepTrax: Tattoo? It’s more of a mark, but yes, he’s got one and he’ll give it to you – but you’ll have to swear allegiance to him forever.
Foolish Virgin: Does he smoke?
SheepTrax: Not yet, anyway. - Hey, you aren’t seriously going after that guy?
And she was gone into the abyss. Was she ever really a Bride? Decide for yourself by reading Matthew’s Gospel, chapter 25, which also deals with wise and foolish servants, sheep and goats. These stories finally end with this stark promise: "Then they (foolish virgins, wicked servants, and goats) will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
In the light of Eternity, will you be found to be Foolish or Wise?
Bryan Hupperts
Copyright 2006
SheepTrax Media
PO Box 270256
St. Louis, MO 63127 USA
bryanhupperts@hotmail.com
http://www.sheeptrax.injesus.com
www.SheepTrax.com
I am sorry this is a day late – but the truth is, when I came rolling in (literally) from the Nigerian Spoonfest last night I was more stuffed than the Thanksgiving turkey!
I loved reading Daniel! What an example those four young men were. In the first chapter they refused to eat the extravagant food from the king’s table, choosing instead to eat vegetables and water. (They were not vegetarians – there simply weren’t any meats available that had been prepared according to the Jewish dietary laws.) They prospered under this diet (not because of the food – but because of God’s joy in their faithfulness to Him) and at the end of chapter one the king is asking for their advice. In chapter two, Daniel tells King Neb what he dreamed and then told him what the dream meant. At the end of Chapter 2, Daniel is governing from the royal palace; his friends are administrators throughout Babylon. Chapter 3 was a little hairy, but didn’t your heart just leap with the statement of faith made by these three men when King Neb was going to have them tossed into the furnace? "Your threat means nothing to us. If you throw us in the fire, the God we serve can rescue us from your roaring furnace and anything else you might cook up, O king. But even if he doesn't, it wouldn't make a bit of difference, O king. We still wouldn't serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up." In Chapter 4, after his own rough time, King Neb acknowledges and worships God.
The lesson that is shown to us is simple. These men were faithful to God, even when apparently none of the other Jewish captives were. Because they were faithful in the little things, when the time came, they were faithful in the really big things (their very lives). And as a result of their faithfulness, a soul was brought to the knowledge of God.
Our readings in Revelation had me on my knees, praying that Father help me to be faithful in the little things now – just in case I have to face those things later. Chapters 20 and 21 had me in tears of joy as I imagined the beauty and glory of my real home.
This week’s readings:
Sonday, Sept 17…….Ezek 42-44; Rev 22
Monday, Sept 18……Ezek 45-46; Lk 1
Tuesday, Sept 19……Ezek 47-48; Lk 2
Wed. Sept 20……… Dan 5-6; Psalm 130; Lk 3
Thurs, Sept 21………Dan 7-8; Psalm 137; Luke 4
Friday, Sept 22…… Dan 9-10; Psalm 123; Luke 5
Sat. Sept 23………Dan 11-12; Lk 6
Valerie Rae Hanneman
John 18:1 (New International Version) “When He had finished praying, Jesus left with His disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was an olive grove, and He and His disciples went into it.
When I was younger, still in elementary school, I remember my mom and other women on our street getting together during the week to have a time of coffee and conversation. It was most usually mom, Sheila, Sharon and sometimes Jean. They all took turns hosting the coffee in their homes. Every once in awhile mom would let me go with her to her coffee klatch, as long as I promised to behave like a lady. (Stop laughing) When I was there they talked about kids, husbands, school grades, and high prices.
When I wasn’t there, I believe that they talked about the other challenges they faced. Sheila was impulsive and lacked self-control. I remember that she had big mirrors on her living room wall that she didn’t like anymore. She got tired of waiting for her husband to take them down so she tore them off the walls. Because she didn’t know what she was doing the damage to the walls was extensive. Sharon, a devout Catholic, had a husband who drank heavily. I remember coming out to go to school one day and he was passed out in the driveway. Jean was so stiff and uptight all the time that everybody knew there was something seriously wrong in that household. I wonder if my mom ever talked about my stepfather’s vicious, unpredictable temper.
I knew that when I grew up and got married, that I too would have a coffee klatch to share the ups and downs of life.
That never happened though. The world moved on from single wage earner families and stable marriages. My world is that of a single mom working too many hours and barely able to make ends meet. Not only do I never have coffee with the neighbors – I can only call 4 of them by name. Bob down the street was once married to a co-worker of mine. I met Herb & Myra next door when he asked me to pray for Myra when she was having eye surgery. Todd across the street ran a haunted house so the coffins, ghouls, and hearses that were often in his yard were great conversation starters. But none of these neighborhood people are my friends. I have shared what Jesus has done in my life with them – but never that part of me that very few see.
Jesus had His klatch. I doubt that they drank coffee – but I know that Jesus relished time alone with His disciples. How often in the Word do we see Him withdrawing from His public ministry to gather the 12 around Him? In the Word we read of these times being used to teach the disciples in more detail then what He could teach the crowds. But you know, Jesus was a fun sorta guy (come on now - who do you think created fun?) I will bet there were times when they had “Who has the hairiest toes” contests, or traded jokes, or played “scissors, rock or paper.” There were times when the disciples talked about personal challenges they faced with the spouses or the kids. Even Jesus shared things that troubled Him. Mark 10:32 tells of how He took the 12 disciples aside – away from the crowd – and told them what was going to happen to Him in Jerusalem. In John 11:54 Jesus withdrew to a small village named Ephraim when the priests got serious about plotting to kill Him. In this time of trouble, when He needed support, the disciples went with Him.
Jesus’ life is the perfect model of how we should live our lives. He gathered around Himself like-minded people. And within this community of faith there was a small group of people – His klatch (disciples) – with whom He was more intimate with.
I am also in a community of like-minded people. It is called Fresno First Baptist Church. I love my church (the people – not the building – although I like the building a whole bunch!). My life is centered in my church. But the truth is that I arrive on Sonday morning at 8:00 to practice with the choir, at 9:00 I am usually on camera three. Once I shut down the camera it is back to the choir room for second service. After the choir comes down from the platform I am off to either the second service or one of the classes we offer. It feels non-stop. Don’t get me wrong – I love my Sonday mornings. They are hectic but I thrive on that. In the midst of the hectic ness I connect with my friends – but usually just for a minute or so. I am connected to a community of faith – but they are not my klatch. My klatch is on Tuesday nights and is called a small group. It is just the coolest thing! We get together to share conversation, snacks, a Bible Study and prayer requests. There are generally 15 or so that get together to share this time. As our kids, dogs and cats run around us, we get to relax into a more intimate, shared time of fellowship. Just as Jesus used His time alone to teach His disciples to go a little deeper into what He was teaching, we use part of our time to get deeper into the Word. There are all sorts of levels of Christian maturity in our klatch so these are lively and interesting times of sharing ideas and thoughts on the Word. We do not compare our hairy toes but we do have a lot of fun and share a lot of laughter. We talk about high prices and headlines. We talk about the challenges we face with our spouses, children, jobs and finances. We cheer each other on and lift each other up. Just as the disciples supported Jesus in His times of trouble in Ephraim, I know that if I were to enter a time of trouble my small group klatch would be there for me – just as I would be there for them
I didn’t get to grow up and follow the example that my mother modeled of a neighborhood coffee klatch. My life turned out radically different from hers. But I got something much better. I get to follow the example that Jesus modeled of a smaller, closer group within the larger community of faith - a Jesus coffee klatch.
If you are not currently connected to a small group then I urge you to get connected. There are different groups with different focuses. Some meet in houses – some meet in the church. Some are directed towards our older members, some are directed towards our youth. Some are for marrieds and some are for singles. Some are so open that even your pets are welcome! (That would be my small group!) Some are long-term - others are like the Beth Moore Bible studies that meet for a number of weeks for a specific reason. What they all have in common is the opportunity to build stronger relationships within the Body of Christ. Don’t miss out on this opportunity.
LORD of Heaven and Earth, the way that You lived Your life here on earth is the role model of how I wish to live my life. I want to be just like You. I thank You for my small group and the way that I support them, they support me and together we support Your Kingdom.
Contact Valerie or sign up for the e-Ministry of Fresno First Baptist at Valerie@fresnofirst.org
There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world than for bread. -Mother Teresa
Please keep Lorna Sabbatini in prayer. She has been fighting the flu for a couple of weeks now.
Yolanda says that her back is doing much better and she is hoping to return to work on Monday – let’s hope that her doctor agrees.
Awana had a great kick off for their new year by enrolling 31 kids and several new leaders. Care Fresno also had a great start enrolling 33 kids, and 20 leaders. Pray for the leaders and volunteers of these ministries – we need lots of prayer.
On Sonday Pastor Gene Wright was not only in services – he was teaching his Sonday class! This is a “both hands in the air and shout to the LORD” type praise. Welcome home, Pastor, we have missed you!
On Sonday, September 17th the Nigeria Missions team will be hosting a “spoonfest.” Lots of food - $1.00 a spoonful (and they are not small spoons.) Contact Joy Nolte or Norm Baird if you can help provide food. Be sure to mark your calendars to attend and help support our team. Let’s see – good food & a GREAT cause – I love being a Baptist!
We continue to pray for the following: Chuck Alstrom, Michael Ferris, Dennis Galloway, Yolanda’s sister. Bonnie Mendoza, Sharleen Ferree, Bob Molander, Roy Rahn, Lance Corporal Eric Hamilton in Iraq, Jacob Filpala in Iraq, Willie serving in Iraq, Carol Simmerman and the two disks affecting her hip, Dorothy Wajckus, my young friend down at juvenile hall, Ivy Huff as she job hunts, Matthew & Lisa as they raise funds for Nigeria, Megan Dineen as she prepares to go to Mexico this month, Khamla & arm pains, Jonathan Rumsey, serving in Bagdad, Mike Abbott in Afghanistan, Walt Couch & prostrate cancer, John Rodgers with cancer.
Pray for our missionaries - Judy, Faye & Miisaw at the New Life Center in Thailand, Jan & Larry Martin in Thailand, The Reaching Hand Society in India, Bounkham & Khamla’s mission to Laos, Gospel for Asia, Biana Grogg with The Faith Alive Clinic in Jos, Nigeria, Laurie Bethall in Prague, and all the missionaries worldwide.
Pray for our pastors our leadership, our ministries, and Father’s provision for His Church. Pray that we recognize opportunities to share our faith with others
Pray for our country, her leadership and our military.
Great and Glorious God,
How we love this time when we are privileged to come into Your very Presence. In this quiet time with You, LORD God, we realize anew that there is nothing this world can offer that compares to You. We give up fortune, fame, power – we give up everything – to feel Your touch in our lives and to hear You say, “My child.” Your love is better than life.
LORD God, we ask that You forgive us for the times when we have ignored You, when we have turned away from You, when through our thoughts and deeds we have denied You. I am sorry, LORD, for the times when I have failed You. Search our hearts and see that our desire is to follow You completely – but our minds and bodies are weak. Help us to be stronger and to follow You more closely.
We pray, Father, for Lorna and ask that You heal her of this persistent flu bug.
LORD Jesus, You give us so many reasons to praise You! I could go on for a couple of pages and barely scratch the surface of how grateful I am for Your grace and mercy. We praise You for restored health! Thank You that Yolanda is doing better with her back, continue to be with her. On our knees before You we thank You and praise You for bringing our beloved Pastor Wright back to us and for allowing him to be able to continue to teach his class. Continue to strengthen him!
We praise You, Holy Spirit, for the hand of Life that You place on our ministries. We lift up the leaders of Awana and Care Fresno and ask that You bless them with a fresh vision of what You are going to do in these children’s lives. Continue to bless these ministries with growth and with new lives. Yesu yanna so mu yarra (Jesus loves the little children) is Your promise.
We praise You for Your team that is going to Nigeria. Build a stronghold of protection around them so that satan, that liar, cannot come against them. We pray for that one member of this team that needs Your special touch upon their lives.
Theotes, Triune God, we lift our hands before You. Your love has captured us – it is like nothing we have ever experienced. We try to find something that compares to Your love but we can’t. The love of our parents, the love of our spouses, the love of our children, the love of our friends – they are wonderful, but they simply do not compare to Your love. You bridged time and space to hang Your Love on a cross so that we could see and know how much You love us. Somehow Your love found us worthy of Your sacrifice. You reached out and saved us. Thank You forever.
Abba, Your ways are always good. Every thought You have, every action You take is good. Sometimes in the confusion of our lives, we just need to hear Your voice so that we can be reminded that no matter where we are in our life – You are good. We ask that You speak to those that remain on our prayer chain so that they can hear You in the midst of the trouble that is around them.
Jesu Mapru, we lift up Your missionaries before You and ask that You grant them strength and courage as they serve You.
Beautiful God, we cannot thank You or praise You enough for our pastors. We ask that You bless them beyond their needs. We pray for the leadership and the ministries of our church, that in everything we do we honor You. You are our heart.
God of the Angel Armies, this week has been hard for our country, as we have looked back five years ago to the day when the towers fell. The pain still runs deep. We pray for the loved ones of those who lost their lives, we pray for the survivors, we pray for the police and fire units who lost heroes on that day. We pray for our country – that the healing will continue.
Open our eyes LORD so that we may see You more clearly. Open our hearts so we may love You more completely. Strengthen our spirit so that we may follow You more closely. We love You so much.
In Rememberence of 9/11
Do It Again, Lord
A Prayer for Troubled Times
by Max Lucado
DEAR LORD,
We’re still hoping we’ll wake up. We’re still hoping we’ll open a sleepy eye and think, What a horrible dream.
But we won’t, will we, Father? What we saw was not a dream. Planes did gouge towers. Flames did consume our fortress. People did perish. It was no dream, and, dear Father, we are sad.
There is a ballet dancer who will no longer dance and a doctor who will no longer heal. A church has lost her priest; a classroom is minus a teacher. Cora ran a food pantry. Paige was a counselor, and Dana, dearest Father, Dana was only three years old. (Who held her in those final moments?)
We are sad, Father. For as the innocent are buried, our innocence is buried as well. We thought we were safe. Perhaps we should have known better. But we didn’t.
And so we come to you. We don’t ask you for help; we beg you for it. We don’t request; we implore. We know what you can do. We’ve read the accounts. We’ve pondered the stories, and now we plead, “Do it again, Lord. Do it again.”
Remember Joseph? You rescued him from the pit. You can do the same for us. Do it again, Lord.
Remember the Hebrews in Egypt? You protected their children from the angel of death. We have children too, Lord. Do it again.
And Sarah? Remember her prayers? You heard them. Joshua? Remember his fears? You inspired him. The women at the tomb? You resurrected their hope. The doubts of Thomas? You took them away. Do it again, Lord. Do it again.
You changed Daniel from a captive into a king’s counselor. You took Peter the fisherman and made him Peter an apostle. Because of you, David went from leading sheep to leading armies. Do it again, Lord, for we need counselors today. We need apostles. We need leaders. Do it again, dear Lord.
Most of all, do again what you did at Calvary. What we saw here on that Tuesday, you saw there on that Friday. Innocence slaughtered. Goodness murdered. Mothers weeping. Evil dancing. Just as the ash fell on our children, the darkness fell on your Son. Just as our towers were shattered, the very Tower of Eternity was pierced.
And by dusk, heaven’s sweetest song was silent, buried behind a rock.
But you did not waver, O Lord. You did not waver. After your Son lay three days in a dark hole, you rolled the rock and rumbled the earth and turned the darkest Friday into the brightest Sunday. Do it again, Lord. Grant us a September Easter.
We thank you, dear Father, for these hours of unity. Disaster has done what discussions could not. Doctrinal fences have fallen. Republicans are standing with Democrats. Skin colors have been covered by the ash of burning buildings. We thank you for these hours of unity.
And we thank you for these hours of prayer. The Enemy sought to bring us to our knees and succeeded. He had no idea, however, that we would kneel before you. And he has no idea what you can do.
Let your mercy be upon our president, vice president, and their families. Grant to those who lead us wisdom beyond their years and experience. Have mercy upon the souls who have departed and the wounded who remain. Give us grace that we might forgive and faith that we might believe.
And look kindly upon your church. For two thousand years you’ve used her to heal a hurting world.
Do it again, Lord. Do it again.
Through Christ, amen
Written by Max Lucado for America Prays, a national prayer vigil on September 15, 2001.
Published in America Looks Up: Reaching Toward Heaven for Hope and Healing. W Pub. Group: Nashville, Tenn.
We read Obadiah this week. That was a chilling book wasn’t it? I was expecting another minor prophet going off on Israel being so far from God, but instead it was a stinging prophecy against Edom for their refusal to help Israel when she was in trouble. It reminded me that people who say that the Bible isn’t relevant to today – are not reading the Bible!
Ezekiel 20:32 had a statement that just floored me – because I had never thought of false idols that way - but isn’t it the truth? “We’re going to worship gods we can make and control”
Revelation is a difficult book to read and understand – isn’t it? Everybody seems to take a position on the end times. There are the pre-tribs who believe that the rapture will occur prior to the tribulation. There are the mid-tribs who believe the rapture will occur at the mid-point of the tribulation – just before it gets really, really bad. Last, there are the post-tribs who believe that we will be raptured at the end of the tribulation – as Jesus is coming back. Each of these positions can support their position through their interpretation of scripture. I personally am a pan-trib. A pan-trib believes that God has a plan for the end times – and however it pans out – that’s how we’re going for it. A pan-trib has an easy view of the end times – we don’t get into arguments about whose scripture interpretation is the correct interpretation. But after reading this week’s chapter’s in Revelation – I am sure hoping that the pre-tribs are right!
This week’s readings:
Sonday, Sept 10…….Lamentations 3-5, Rev 15
Monday, Sept 11……Daniel 1-2, Rev 16
Tuesday, Sept 12……Dan 3-4, Psalm 81; Rev 17
Wed. Sept 13……… Ezek 34-35; Rev 18
Thurs, Sept 14………Ezek 36-37; Psalm 110; Rev 19
Friday, Sept 15……Ezek 38-39; psalm 145; Rev 20
Sat. Sept 16………Ezek 40-41; Psalm 128; Rev 21
Just up the road from my home is a field, with two horses in it. From a distance, each looks like every other horse. But if you stop your car, or are walking by, you will notice something quite amazing. Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is blind.
His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but has made a good home for him. This alone is amazing. If nearby and listening, you will hear the sound of a bell. Looking around for the source of the sound, you will see that it comes from the smaller horse in the field. Attached to her halter is a small bell. It lets her blind friend know where she is, so he can follow her.
As you stand and watch these two friends, you'll see how she is always checking on him, and that he will listen for her bell and then slowly walk to where she is, trusting that she will not lead him astray. When she returns to the shelter of the barn each evening, she stops occasionally and looks back, making sure her friend isn't too far behind to hear the bell.
Like the owners of these two horses, God does not throw us away just because we are not perfect or because we have problems or challenges. He watches over us and even brings others into our lives to help us when we are in need.
Sometimes we are the blind horse being guided by the little ringing bell of those who God places in our lives. Other times we are the guide horse, helping others see.
Good friends are like this ......... You don't always see them, but you know they are always there. Please listen for my bell and I'll listen for yours.
"Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle."
Valerie Rae Hanneman
Matthew 16:18 (The Message) “You are Peter, a rock. This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out.”
Recently I got into a rather lively discussion with three Christian friends. Two of us have fairly conservative views, one of us has fairly liberal views and the fourth is more middle of the road. We were discussing whether or not the police shooting of Joaquin Figueroa was justified. For those not in the Fresno area, Mr Figueroa was the main suspect in several home invasions, robberies, carjackings, shootings and a murder. In late July a police officer was shot during a routine traffic stop, and Mr Figueroa was the only suspect. A few days later, as the police were attempting to arrest him, Mr. Figueroa was killed. The discussion was back and forth with points made on all sides. Needless to say there were not any changes in position and the only new issue to be resolved was if the middle-of-the-road person was yawning because they were really that tired, or was it a clue that they thought we should all just go home and go to bed.
There was a statement made during our discussion “The only thing I regret about his death is that there is another soul in hell” Now I can not say for absolute certainty that this soul is in hell - that is between God and him. But I can say that Jesus says that by their fruit we shall know them - and Mr. Figueroa’s life had some pretty rotten fruit. So odds are that he is in hell. And there is no coming back from that - no second chance - no hope - it’s too late. Jesus loves Joaquin Figueroa, He died for Joaquin Figueroa and He had intended for Joaquin Figueroa to spend eternity with Him. But that is probably not what happened.
The discussion about the police shooting Mr. Figueroa was interesting but it wasn’t relevant. I think that the relevant discussion that we (all of us - my three friends, me, you, and all Christians) should be having is how we as the Church (Big “C” - meaning the worldwide eternal Church of Jesus) failed Mr. Figueroa and how we can make sure it doesn’t happen again.
“The Message” says that not even the gates of hell will keep the Church out. In other translations it says that the gates of hell will not prevail against the Church. I love that imagery - the picture of the gates of hell falling before an on-fire Church. There are plenty of examples throughout our history of us storming the gates of hell. The first church added daily those who would be saved - it spread like wildfire despite persecution. Or the Reformation when Martin Luther questioned the teachings and the rituals, or the Great Awakening, lead by Whitefield and the Wesley’s that swept England and America bringing multitudes to Christ.
But what have we done lately?
In thinking about this devotional I remembered a radio-preacher I heard awhile back who challenged us to draw a line in the sand and tell satan he could not cross it. In light of this verse - doesn’t that seem a little backwards? Shouldn’t satan be drawing the line in the sand and telling the Church not to cross it? Shouldn’t we, the Church, be kicking that sand back into his lying face - and then stomping him into it as we storm the gates of hell?
But it is hard to storm the gates of hell when your act of service to Jesus is that you sit down every Sonday in the same pew and struggle to stay awake during the sermon.
I did a bit of research on “sitting down” in the Bible. It was really interesting. Did you know that when the angels of the LORD came to warn Lot about the impending destruction of Sodom they found him sitting down at the gates of the city. He wasn’t in the city trying to point people to the Living God - he was sitting down. And when the fire of God’s wrath poured out on the city all of the people that Lot called friends, those he had built his life among, were gone and in hell. They are still there.
Jesus talked about sitting down. In Luke 17:7-10 Jesus says, (my paraphrase - go check it out for yourself) “Do you tell your servant to sit down to dinner before the work is done? No, he sits down after the work is done. Same thing for you.” Jesus does mention His people sitting down, though. He says that we will be sitting down at the feast in Heaven. So my personal take on sitting down is that we are Jesus’ servants, we don’t sit down until the work is done and our work is done when we sit down at the feast He is serving up in Heaven.
It is a common saying in business that 90% of the work is done by 10% of the people. I think that that is true of the Church too. How many times have we seen the same faces popping up in multiple ministries?
We want to storm the gates of hell but how can we when the 10% minority of the Army of God is on the front lines and the rest are in the mess hall? But what if 100% of the Church was storming hell’s gates? We already know that answer - Jesus promised that the gates of hell would not keep us out. There are different levels of service at different stages of our life but at all stages of our lives we can do something to serve our God. He’s worth it.
There is a day coming when Jesus is going to judge His people according to what they did for Him on this earth. I don’t know about you, but on that day I don’t want my most significant service to Him to be that the pattern on the pews is permanently imbedded in my butt.
Let’s work together to serve Jesus. Let’s kick some sand in satan’s face and trample him in our dust as we tear down his gates.
LORD Jesus, Here I am - send me. Take me two steps outside of my comfort zone in serving You.
Contact Valerie or sign up for the e-ministry of Fresno First Baptist at valerie@fresnofirst.org.
Yolanda’s sister is scheduled for surgery to remove the lump in her breast on September 12th. Yolanda has damaged her back and will be out of work for three weeks.
Chuck Alstrom underwent surgery and is now at home recuperating.
Jean Ferris’ son, Michael, is suffering from depression after some stents were put into his heart. Her granddaughter, Keri Reynolds is doing much better.
Dennis Galloway is still fighting off a persistent staph infection.
Awana kicks off their new year tonight – Care Fresno kicks off on Friday with a piñata party. More help is needed with both ministries. Celebrate Recovery is kicking off their second year. What an amazing year they have had and are going to continue to have!
In update on his brother, John Eland said that Bill’s arteriogram went well, the blockage in his carotid arteries was not as bad as they feared. Bill will be having surgery on Sept. 27th to clear the blockage from one artery.
On Sonday, September 17th the Nigeria Missions team will be hosting a “spoonfest.” Lots of food - $1.00 a spoonful (and they are not small spoons.) Contact Joy Nolte or Norm Baird if you can help provide food. Be sure to mark your calendars to attend and help support our team.
We continue to pray for the following: Bonnie Mendoza, Sharleen Ferree, Jeanette & Gene Wright, Bob Molander, Roy Rahn, Lance Corporal Eric Hamilton in Iraq, Jacob Filpala in Iraq, Willie serving in Iraq, Carol Simmerman and the two disks affecting her hip, Dorothy Wajckus, my young friend down at juvenile hall, Ivy Huff as she job hunts, Matthew & Lisa as they raise funds for Nigeria, Megan Dineen as she prepares to go to Mexico in September, Sandy Hall & radiation treatments, Jonathan Rumsey, serving in Bagdad, Mike Abbott in Afghanistan, Walt Couch & prostrate cancer, John Rodgers with cancer.
Pray for our missionaries - Laurie Bethall in Prague, Judy, Faye & Miisaw at the New Life Center in Thailand, Jan & Larry Martin in Thailand, The Reaching Hand Society in India, Bounkham & Khamla’s mission to Laos, Gospel for Asia, Biana Grogg with The Faith Alive Clinic in Jos, Nigeria, and all the missionaries worldwide.
Pray for our pastors our leadership, our ministries, and Father’s provision for His Church. Pray that we recognize opportunities to share our faith with others
Pray for our country, her leadership and our military.
Melekh, King,
You are sovereign King over all of creation and over all of eternity. You speak with the voice of thunder and all of creation leaps to do Your biddings. Your voice shakes the foundations of the earth. At Your voice the mountains tremble in the joy of hearing You. When You speak with the sound of thunder help us to hear You. When You whisper in a small still voice, help us to hear You, and we will tremble with the joy of hearing You speak. We need to hear Your voice above all others. Hear our plea, LORD God, and speak to us.
Father, we lift up Yolanda and her sister as they face these medical challenges. Place you hand of healing on both of them and comfort their spirits. We pray for Chuck as he continues to recover from surgery. LORD God, this staph infection that plagues Dennis is a long term problem. We call upon Your power LORD, and ask that You destroy this infection. We pray for a healing for Michael both a spiritual healing from his depression, and a physical healing of his heart. We continue to lift up John’s brother, Bill, and ask that You continue to heal him. Calm his spirit as he waits for this surgery.
Spirit of Life, we pray for the Awana and Care Fresno ministries as they kick-off this week. Bring children in abundance to both of the ministries – and bring the leaders an volunteers to handle the increase. We pray for the children that come to these programs, that You will open their eyes, open their ears, and open their hearts to see Your glory. We thank You for the Celebrate Recovery ministry and for the extraordinary servants that You have placed to lead it.
We pray for the Nigeria mission trip and for the Spoonfest fundraiser. We thank You for the opportunity to come together as the Body of Christ for a fun time of fellowship that also supports carrying Your message around the world.
Theotes, Triune God, we were created in Your image. Like You, we are three parts that make one whole. You are Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We are soul, body and spirit. We rejoice to know that You are eternal and You have created us to share eternity with You.
We continue to lift up the names of those who are on our prayer chain and ask that Your mercy and grace be poured out on them.
We ask that You bless in abundance the pastors of our churches. We pray for our leadership and ministries. Provide the people and the resources that will help us to reach out to the world in Your name. Give us opportunities to share Your name with those around us. Protect Your missionaries who serve You so faithfully around the world. Grant them peace of mind.
We pray for those who serve our country in the military, LORD of All, and ask that You protect them. Guide the leadership of our country. We pray for our congresspersons, that they will be guided by Your voice and not by the voice of the deepest pocket.
You are all that we need. The rest of all this, the world and what it strives for, will pass away – but You will still remain. And we will be with You. Your promise that You will never leave us or forsake us is what we hold onto.
September 2, 2006
Greetings from Jos, Nigeria!
August was a month of continued transitions and new beginnings.
The Management Team at Faith Alive has been working long hours to complete an evaluation of all of our systems and processes, and is beginning to implement some new systems in the clinic’s day to day activities in an effort to serve our clients better and to prepare for the expansion into the in-patient hospital.
The current class of computer students is completing their 3 month course of study at the Social Services Centre, will graduate soon, and will begin to use their new skills to acquire new resources and support for their families. A new class of computer students will begin by the end of September.
Summer break is almost over, and the new school year begins soon for children. Faith Alive has a special program called the Angel Programme that provides school scholarships and support for orphans. In August, I was privileged to assist with the interview process for the applicants for the Angel Programme. Those of you who know me well, probably realize that this was an emotional experience for me, although I wasn’t the only one with tears in my eyes that day. Education in Nigeria is not as readily available to everyone as it is in the USA. All schools have tuition and fees that must be paid in order for children to attend. As a result, many children from poor families do not attend school. Orphans who have lost one or both parents are especially affected by this, as extended family, friends, and communities struggle to care for the increasing numbers of children orphaned as a result of HIV/AIDS. James 1:27 reminds us that “real religion, the kind that passes muster before God, the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and the loveless in their plight” (Message/Remix version). The Angel Programme at Faith Alive is one way that we can be the hands of Jesus, as we assist Nigerians to reach out to those in need. All financial donations to the program are used towards school tuition costs for orphans. In addition, each child and their caregiver are partnered with a local mentor who develops a relationship with them, visits the school, and provides support, encouragement, and love. It was also my joy to be able to provide a monetary donation to the Angel Programme on your behalf, as a result of your gifts supporting my service at Faith Alive. Pray for these children, and for the mentors who are giving their time and their love to children in need in Jos, Bakin Kogi, and Kafanchan.
Faith Alive is looking forward expectantly to the return in mid-September of our “daddy” and Director Dr Chris Isichei from an extended trip to the United States. We will also be blessed by the arrival of Matthew and Lisa Watson from Fresno, California to spend two years serving here in Jos. Pray for protection and blessings as they travel.
Thank you to all of you for your continued support and prayers. I’d love to hear how all of you are doing. Emails can be sent to me at bgrogg@gmail.com .
May God watch over each of you and fill you with his peace and joy.
Yours faithfully,
Biana Grogg
e-Bible Reading Plan
I loved Zek’s visions in the first of Ezekiel. I wonder if anybody has ever tried to draw that first vision. It was interesting to read what God asked Zek to do as a witness against Israel. But in chapter 4 when God told him to bake muffins over a fire made from human excrement – I was with Zeke – I wasn’t surprised when Zek protested mightily against that. God let Zek cook them over cow excrement instead – I am not sure that would have been enough of a compromise for me. And I got a big laugh out of Ezekiel 8 when Zek is sitting in his house talking to the leaders of Judah; God appeared before him, grabbed him by the hair and took him to Jerusalem. I am going to ask the Professional Christian this week if Zek was physically taken to Jerusalem – or only within the vision. Either way – I bet it freaked the leaders of Judah to the max. What God showed Zek in Jerusalem was nauseating – and yet – are we so different?
I loved the first chapter of Revelation – I loved all the descriptions of Jesus – loved it when He said that He holds the keys to death and hell – it reminded me that He will never unlock those doors for me. The seven seals on the scroll were a little frightening – I got that the second rider is war – the third is famine and the fourth is death – but what was the first rider? Revelation is going to talk about some pretty horrible things that are going to take place on the earth - but remember – when it is all said and done – we win.
This week’s readings:
Sonday, Sept 3…….Ezek 20-21; Ps 111; Rev 8
Monday, Sept 4……Ezek 22-24; Rev 9
Tuesday, Sept 5…… Ezek 25-28; Rev 10
Wed. Sept 6……… Ezek 29-32; Rev 11
Thurs, Sept 7………2 Kings 25; 2 Chon 36; Jer 40-41, Rev 12
Friday, Sept 8……Jer 42-44; Psalm 48; Rev 13
Sat. Sept 9………Lam 1-2; Obadiah; Rev 4
Please see the following copy of an emai l just received from the Watsons regarding their final preparations to travel to Faith Alive to serve for the next 2 years. Faith Alive has qualified for an annual quota of visas. We are praying that the Watsons will receive their visas from this quota instead of having to use a tourist visa.
We'd appreciate it if you would contact your prayer chains and lists and ask for special prayer for this, as time is short to complete the process. thanks for your continued support.
"We completed our STR application and contacted the Nigerian Embassy in
Washington, D.C. to see how to pay. In the course of conversation,
the staffer there told us that we need additional documentation or
else our STR application would be rejected. That additional
documentation included:
Original Marriage License
Original Copies of College and Graduate Degrees
Nathan's Birth Certificate
So, we're working on getting all of these together but time is ticking
away on us. We'll have to recieve all the documents that are being
sent to us in Texas from California (birth cert. & degrees) and
Florida (marriage lic.) get everything in the mail by Wednesday if
we're even to have a chance of getting the visas in time for
departure. Monday the 4th is a holiday in the US and no govt. offices
will be open including the mail service. Please be praying for things
to arrive on time and for our application to find favor with the
embassy in New York where it will be processed.
Also, FA Team, if you could go ahead and send us a letter of
invitation for a tourist visa in the event that we do not recieve
everything needed by Wed. we can still expedite the tourist visas and
get the STR later.
--matthew"
Valerie Rae Hanneman
Philippians 2:10-12 (ESV) “so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
I ran into a friend at a Christian Conference a while back. She had taken a new job at a Christian ministry a few months before and we hadn’t seen much of each other since then. As we walked to the next session a little further down the street we stopped to sit and chat at a bus stop. As we sat there a number of people greeted her as they walked by. I didn’t know any of them, so as they walked away, my friend told me who these people were. I recognized some of their names, the ones that I didn’t recognize she made sure to tell me who they were. According to her, they were all the movers and shakers of the Christian community. Then this tall dark-haired man walked by. He looked at my friend for a moment, and then the light came on as he recognized her. He greeted her by name and then went on. I looked at my friend and she was positively giddy. “Can you believe that? He remembered my name!” “Who was that?” I asked. She gave me this look of disbelief. “That was H!” “H?” I said, “That’s his name? H?” “That was H Spees!” she said in awe. I was just sitting there looking at her wondering when Fresno had crowned a king – and how did I miss the announcement? At my blank look she proceeded to tell me all about H Spees. I could tell from the way she described him and the tone of her voice, that she was highly impressed by this man I had never even heard of. “He’s the most important man in Fresno!” she gushed, “and he knows my name!” I couldn’t help myself so I said, “I know somebody more important than H and he calls me by name too.” She gave me a “Yeah, right” look and said, “Who do you know?” “I know Jesus and actually, He calls me His own.” I could tell that my answer surprised her. She stuttered for just a second then said, “Well, yeah, you’re right – but H is here and doing good things.” To be honest, her reaction surprised me. It almost seemed as if she were brushing Jesus aside in favor of this man who was here on earth and doing good things. Please understand, I am not questioning the level of her faith or her love for Jesus. Both are strong. But I wondered if she had allowed her hero-worship to get a little misdirected.
There is nothing wrong with having heroes. I think that we need heroes – somebody to look up to and often times try to emulate. How many times have you seen somebody on the street and knew who they looked up to? A young man with his britches hanging onto his rear end by a thread, his hat backwards and the “gansta-rap” strut. Or a young woman with her belly button pierced looking like Britney Spears. We make household names of actors, elevating them high above us. And when they are actually someplace where we can see them – maybe even touch them – we join the people swarming around them.
The above are examples of secular heroes, but even we Christians have heroes. I have a number of heroes. There are men and women in our church whose testimony for Christ just awes me. Outside of our church there are Todd Agnew, Third Day and Rich Mullins, Christian singers whose lifestyles live out the music they sing, or Max Lucado who writes the most fantastic Christ centered books and whose life reflects what he writes. I am willing to travel to hear any of these and have on many occasions
The problem with these heroes is that they are all human and subject to human failings. When they fall off of the pedestal that we have put them on – it is a long hard fall. The sports hero is caught with drugs, the movie star has a drinking problem, the musician is arrested, and the Christian leader has a problem with pornography. We are shocked and disappointed to find out that the public face that they put on for us hides the human being who is just as broken and dysfunctional as we are. Our heroes are just like us.
I have another hero. This hero is my #1 hero. He will never fail, He will never change, and He will never have to think for a moment before He remembers my name. He will never disappoint me. He IS here on earth and He IS doing great things – in fact, He is changing me and He is changing the world. Jesus is my ultimate hero. He is the One that I try to be just like. Even the others who are heroes to me – what I copy about them is what is most like Jesus. I tease my spiritual mom, Samee Myers, that I want to be just like her when (if) I grow up. And I do. But I want to be like my hero, Jesus, today.
There was a long moment of silence on the bus stop and then my friend said, “I was name dropping, wasn’t I?” I gave a little nod of agreement. “I’m sorry,” she said, “I guess I was just trying to show you who I am because of who I know.” “You know Jesus,” I reminded her, “And when you know Him the rest of the “whose who” just don’t matter.”
“It’s not who you know,” she agreed, “It’s WHO you know.”
I teased her a little bit about making H. Spees sound like the king of Fresno. But the truth is that no matter how much H Spees does for the Kingdom, he will never be king.
The day is coming when Jesus will stand on this earth as her King of kings. On that day, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that He is LORD of all. And we are going to be in His entourage.
LORD Jesus, I can hardly wait for the day when all of humanity is on our knees before You declaring You to be King. I will joyfully take my place with them for You are my Hero, You are my King and You are my God. Help me to be more like You.
Contact Valerie or sign up for the e-Ministry of Fresno First Baptist at valerie@fresnofirst.org.