Giver of life, Creator of all that is lovely,
Teach me to sing the words of Your song:
I want to feel the music of the living
And not fear the sand songs
But from them make new songs
Composed of both laughter and tears.
Teach me to dance to the sounds
Of Your world and Your people
I want to move in rhythm with Your plan
Help me to try to follow Your leading.
To risk even falling
To rise and keep trying
Because You are leading the dance.
Author Unknown
Valerie Rae Hanneman
Matthew 27:27-31(MSG) “The soldiers assigned to the governor took Jesus into the governor's palace and got the entire brigade together for some fun. They stripped Him and dressed Him in a red toga. They plaited a crown from branches of a thornbush and set it on His head. They put a stick in His right hand for a scepter. Then they knelt before Him in mocking reverence: "Bravo, King of the Jews!" they said. "Bravo!" Then they spit on Him and hit Him on the head with the stick. When they had had their fun, they took off the toga and put His own clothes back on Him. Then they proceeded out to the crucifixion.”
Maybe if I were a hot-weather person instead of a cold weather person this would not have happened. But I am a cold weather person. I am far more comfortable in the winter than I am in the summer. So, in late June, when the air conditioning went down in the building where I work, I was pretty miserable. After it had been down for a week I asked one of the repairmen when it was going to be fixed. You cannot imagine my surprise – and anger – when I found out that the repair work had been stopped days earlier because the building owner thought the needed parts cost too much money. I was livid – not just for myself but also for 10 stories of hot, sweaty, miserable office workers. When I left the building later that afternoon I saw the owner’s pristine Jaguar in the parking lot. I saw red. ‘I’ll bet that that creep doesn’t balk at the price of an oil change when his little toy needs it,’ I thought to myself, ‘but he sure doesn’t care about all of us sweating to death in his death-trap building!” I stood for a moment looking at the car, then looked down at the keys in my hand. ‘It would serve him right if I just drug my keys right down the side of that car!’ I looked around to see if there was anybody who would see me.
Their orders were fairly simple. Pilate was clear – take Jesus, flog Him and crucify Him. But that’s not what the soldiers did. After they had flogged Jesus to near-death they had some time to kill before they had to head out to Golgotha so they decided to have a little fun. What they did then had nothing to do with their orders, nothing to do with a flogging or a crucifixion. It had everything to do with humiliating a helpless victim. It had everything to do with a show of power over the powerless. They got the whole brigade together. They stripped Jesus’ clothes off of Him, they dressed Him in a royal robe, forced a crown of thorns on His head, gave Him a stick as a scepter and mocked Him by bowing down before Him. When that got boring they took His scepter and beat Him about the head with it. And then they had even more fun by spitting on Him. They did not do this to Him to control Him – Jesus was too weak from loss of blood, exhaustion and pain to give them any trouble. They did not do it to cause any real physical damage – Jesus was already so beat up that some blows to His head probably didn’t make that much difference. They did it to batter His soul. They ganged up on this defenseless, physically broken man and tried to break the only thing left – His soul. They did it because there is a pus-filled spot of spitefulness in every human heart. Spitefulness to bully and break an already helpless man, spitefulness to drag your keys down the side of another’s car. Spitefulness that could take pleasure in making yourself feel bigger by making another feel small.
I am not too different from the soldiers that day am I? Out of spitefulness and a need to feel powerful, they mocked and spit on Jesus, humiliating Him, hurting His soul, making Him feel powerless. Out of spitefulness and a need to feel powerful in a situation where I had no power, I wanted to damage that car because I knew that it would damage the man who owned it, it would hurt his soul, it would make him feel powerless.
The difference between the soldiers and me is that they did it – and I did not. I did not drag my keys down that car. Almost immediately the part of me that Jesus has redeemed and restored screamed out, “Are you out of your MIND!?!” I looked around, not because I intended to key the car, but because I did not want others to see the guilt and shame written on my face.
The true difference between the soldiers and me is Jesus.
The spit dried on Him as Jesus stumbled His way to Calvary. As He was suspended between heaven and earth, as He died for my sins, the symbol of my spitefulness was still on His skin. By His death, Jesus redeemed me and forgave me for my spitefulness and my need to make others small so I can feel tall.
It is not often that my spitefulness is as blatant as the urge to key a car. It is usually much more subtle. It is found in my making another small by gossiping about them, or by criticizing them, or by ignoring them. Actions that seem so small, but are so destructive to others and even more destructive to me.
Jesus bore the spit to the cross because He wants better for us then for us to allow the spitefulness in our soul to fester. Through His power he wants us to defeat it, to clean it out, to expose it to His healing light. We just have to give it up to Him.
My LORD and Savior, I don’t want to be like the soldiers on that day, I don’t want that spitefulness in my soul. The only power I want in my life is Your power working through me. Help me to be more like you.
Contact Valerie or sign up for the e-Ministry of Fresno First Baptist at Valerie@fresnofirst.org
Valerie Rae Hanneman
Matthew 27:27-31(MSG) “The soldiers assigned to the governor took Jesus into the governor's palace and got the entire brigade together for some fun. They stripped Him and dressed Him in a red toga. They plaited a crown from branches of a thornbush and set it on His head. They put a stick in His right hand for a scepter. Then they knelt before Him in mocking reverence: "Bravo, King of the Jews!" they said. "Bravo!" Then they spit on Him and hit Him on the head with the stick. When they had had their fun, they took off the toga and put His own clothes back on Him. Then they proceeded out to the crucifixion.”
Maybe if I were a hot-weather person instead of a cold weather person this would not have happened. But I am a cold weather person. I am far more comfortable in the winter than I am in the summer. So, in late June, when the air conditioning went down in the building where I work, I was pretty miserable. After it had been down for a week I asked one of the repairmen when it was going to be fixed. You cannot imagine my surprise – and anger – when I found out that the repair work had been stopped days earlier because the building owner thought the needed parts cost too much money. I was livid – not just for myself but also for 10 stories of hot, sweaty, miserable office workers. When I left the building later that afternoon I saw the owner’s pristine Jaguar in the parking lot. I saw red. ‘I’ll bet that that creep doesn’t balk at the price of an oil change when his little toy needs it,’ I thought to myself, ‘but he sure doesn’t care about all of us sweating to death in his death-trap building!” I stood for a moment looking at the car, then looked down at the keys in my hand. ‘It would serve him right if I just drug my keys right down the side of that car!’ I looked around to see if there was anybody who would see me.
Their orders were fairly simple. Pilate was clear – take Jesus, flog Him and crucify Him. But that’s not what the soldiers did. After they had flogged Jesus to near-death they had some time to kill before they had to head out to Golgotha so they decided to have a little fun. What they did then had nothing to do with their orders, nothing to do with a flogging or a crucifixion. It had everything to do with humiliating a helpless victim. It had everything to do with a show of power over the powerless. They got the whole brigade together. They stripped Jesus’ clothes off of Him, they dressed Him in a royal robe, forced a crown of thorns on His head, gave Him a stick as a scepter and mocked Him by bowing down before Him. When that got boring they took His scepter and beat Him about the head with it. And then they had even more fun by spitting on Him. They did not do this to Him to control Him – Jesus was too weak from loss of blood, exhaustion and pain to give them any trouble. They did not do it to cause any real physical damage – Jesus was already so beat up that some blows to His head probably didn’t make that much difference. They did it to batter His soul. They ganged up on this defenseless, physically broken man and tried to break the only thing left – His soul. They did it because there is a pus-filled spot of spitefulness in every human heart. Spitefulness to bully and break an already helpless man, spitefulness to drag your keys down the side of another’s car. Spitefulness that could take pleasure in making yourself feel bigger by making another feel small.
I am not too different from the soldiers that day am I? Out of spitefulness and a need to feel powerful, they mocked and spit on Jesus, humiliating Him, hurting His soul, making Him feel powerless. Out of spitefulness and a need to feel powerful in a situation where I had no power, I wanted to damage that car because I knew that it would damage the man who owned it, it would hurt his soul, it would make him feel powerless.
The difference between the soldiers and me is that they did it – and I did not. I did not drag my keys down that car. Almost immediately the part of me that Jesus has redeemed and restored screamed out, “Are you out of your MIND!?!” I looked around, not because I intended to key the car, but because I did not want others to see the guilt and shame written on my face.
The true difference between the soldiers and me is Jesus.
The spit dried on Him as Jesus stumbled His way to Calvary. As He was suspended between heaven and earth, as He died for my sins, the symbol of my spitefulness was still on His skin. By His death, Jesus redeemed me and forgave me for my spitefulness and my need to make others small so I can feel tall.
It is not often that my spitefulness is as blatant as the urge to key a car. It is usually much more subtle. It is found in my making another small by gossiping about them, or by criticizing them, or by ignoring them. Actions that seem so small, but are so destructive to others and even more destructive to me.
Jesus bore the spit to the cross because He wants better for us then for us to allow the spitefulness in our soul to fester. Through His power he wants us to defeat it, to clean it out, to expose it to His healing light. We just have to give it up to Him.
My LORD and Savior, I don’t want to be like the soldiers on that day, I don’t want that spitefulness in my soul. The only power I want in my life is Your power working through me. Help me to be more like you.
Contact Valerie or sign up for the e-Ministry of Fresno First Baptist at Valerie@fresnofirst.org
Larry and Jan Martin,
International Ministries Missionaries
Thailand April 2007
Dear Partners in Ministry:
Hot and sticky, Hot and dry but this is coupled with cool mornings and cold iced drinks so we can’t complain too much. School break and the Hot Season are upon us but God has touched us with much hope over the past month and that sustains us.
We did a round of end of school parties that meant more this year, as we won’t be coming back next year. Still the school break hasn’t meant a slow down in the work. Many people have requested special summer programs and more people have free time to come and chat. Many meetings are scheduled for the break and we ask for your prayers as we do a lot of traveling.
Last month we asked you to pray for the community of Ban Faa where we were building an exercise course and play area. It is finished and we have been enjoying exercising there but even more, getting to know the people in the surrounding area. We asked you to pray for one man that was showing interest in the Gospel. He invited us over to his house one night and we were able to share the gospel with him and about a dozen of his friends that he had invited to hear our presentation. It felt very good to be able to share the gospel openly and directly and not in veiled words as we had been invited expressly to do that. Please continue to pray that as we follow up these people they will eventually turn their lives over to the Lord.
In July to November we will be coming to the States for Home assignment and hopefully will be speaking in your churches and meeting lots of you. If you would like to have us would you please contact through the area office in your region so that it can go through the office and our expenses will be covered and scheduled. If you don’t have this then just contact us directly and we will figure out how to do it. Also this time we will be asking churches to support us directly in the ministry here. This is a new thing for International Ministries and for us. Please pray for us as we adjust to the new style.
With our love and thanks for your partnership,
Larry & Jan
Prayer Points
• For travel as we go to meetings around the country.
• For the witness in Ban Faa
• For guidance as we plan teaching materials to be used while we are gone.
When a man is wrapped up in himself he makes a pretty small package. -John Ruskin
I received an e-mail from Jon Aycock earlier this evening. They got Kathryn’s pathology report today and she is cancer free! About mid-April she will start her radiation treatments. Jon sends their praises to Father.
I talked to Michaela Wren at our Life group last night. She showed me the “packing” in her ear and told me that it comes out today. Everything is going well and she will have the other ear done in a few months.
Biana will be heading back to Nigeria at the end of April. Please pray that she can get everything done she needs to get done before she goes
I have been invited by Dr. Chris and Biana to go to Nigeria this summer to help set up the accounting records for Faith Alive and train the staff in how to maintain them. I am (highly) enthusiastic about going. I have been given the time off at work. My family is (mostly) enthusiastic about me going. All that is left is the financing issue. Please pray that Abba will provide.
Jehovah-Jirah, our God who Provides, is working in Kelli & Sandy’s life in just an amazing ways. Because of a recent rent increase, they needed to be able to break their lease and move to a less expensive apartment. Suddenly the manager of the apts had a woman who was looking for a bigger apt and has agreed to take Kelli’s. The woman’s husband has been fighting a cancer whose symptoms closely mirror Kelli’s symptoms – so she will be asking her doctor about that type of cancer. Sandy is doing much better in her battle with breast cancer.
We continue to pray for: Ron Dangaren, Barbara Kansler, Nola Ambler, Peggy Molander, Remo & Susan Paul and their pregnancy, Lorraine Esparza’s daughter, Bianca & Stephanie, Tony McDonald, Ellen Burton, Walt Couch, and Michael Ferris.
Pray for our missionaries – 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, Yvonne Deel in Belize, Bounkham & Khamla’s mission to Laos, Gospel for Asia, Laurie Bethall in Prague, Meghan Dineen in Mexico, 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.
Jehovah-Shalom, God of our Peace,
What joy there is to be found in You, what joy we have because we are called the children of the Most High God. We find our completeness in You.
Thank-You, Glory of Eternity, for the great news on Kathryn and Michaela. Continue to heal them. Hold them close to Your heart, as we are secure in knowing that You do.
Spirit of Life, help Biana get ready to follow You back to Faith Alive. Use her in a mighty way, Jesus, to impact the people she will serve in Your name.
Abba, thank You for the opportunity to go to Faith Alive and use my “secular” skills in Your service. Clear the way for me to go.
Holy Spirit, I don’t know why it blows us away to see You in action in one of Your children’s lives like we have seen with Kelli and Sandy. You are the Great I AM – there is nothing that is beyond Your power. Thank You for turning Your power to provide for Your daughters.
With absolute confidence in Your faithfulness, we lift up those who remain on our prayer chain and ask, Holy God, that you continue to act in their lives.
With humble hearts we lift up the missionaries who serve You so faithfully around the world and ask, Father, that You continue to fill their lives with the wonder of Your presence.
El Neeman, Our Faithful God, we ask that You remember our pastors and leaders of our churches. Provide for their needs, physical, spiritual and mental. God of the angel armies, we pray a wall of protection around our pastors. satan has a giant bull’s-eye on them because he can damage your kingdom the most by tearing down your leaders. We rebuke satan in Your name and cast him away from our pastors.
LORD Jesus, before Whom we bow, Your last command was for us to go into the world and make disciples. Help us to have the courage at work, in school, at the post office and in the grocery store to speak Your name with power and boldness. Show us those You would have us tell Your story to.
We ask Your blessings on our country and ask that You help us to reach out to each other and heal the differences between us.
We live a life of joy, LORD of eternity, not because of anything we have done, but because of all that You have done. We live a life of peace because we know that the circumstances that are around us do not affect our eternity. We live a life of hope because we know that no matter what tomorrow will bring, You are with us. We love You, LORD. We live for You.
Six year-old Brandon decided one Saturday morning to fix his parents pancakes. He found a big bowl and spoon, pulled a chair to the counter, opened the cupboard and pulled out the heavy flour canister, spilling it on the floor. He scooped some of the flour into the bowl with his hands, mixed in most of a cup of milk and added some sugar, leaving a floury trail on the floor which by now had a few tracks left by his kitten. Brandon was covered with flour and getting frustrated. He wanted this to be something very good for Mom and Dad, but it was getting very bad. He didn't know what to do next, whether to put it all into the oven or on the stove and he didn't know how the stove worked!.
Suddenly he saw his kitten licking from the bowl of mix and reached to push her away, knocking the egg carton to the floor. Frantically he tried to clean up this monumental mess but slipped on the eggs, getting his pajamas white and sticky.
And just then he saw Dad standing at the door. Big crocodile tears welled up in Brandon 's eyes. All he'd wanted to do was something good, but he'd made a terrible mess. He was sure a scolding was coming, maybe even a spanking. But his father just watched him. Then, walking through the mess, he picked up his crying son, hugged him and loved him, getting his own pajamas white and sticky in the process!
That's how God deals with us.. We try to do something good in life, but it turns into a mess. Our marriage gets all sticky or we insult a friend, or we can't stand our job, or our health goes sour. Sometimes we just stand there in tears because we can't think of anything else to do. That's when God picks us up and loves us and forgives us, even though some of our mess gets all over Him.
But just because we might mess up, we can't stop trying to "make pancakes" for God or for others. Sooner or later we'll get it right, and then they'll be glad we tried... I was thinking. and I wondered if I had any wounds needing to be healed, friendships that need rekindling or three words needing to be said, sometimes, "I love you" can heal & bless! Remind every one of your friends that you love them. Even if you think they don't love back, you would be amazed at what those three little words, a smile, and a reminder like this can do. Just in case I haven't told you lately... I LOVE YA!!!
Please pass some of this love on to others.... suppose one morning you were called to God; do all your friends know you love them? Send this to everyone you love, and send it back to the person who sent it to you.. And never stop "making pancakes."
Author Unknown - from a forward on e-mail
Valerie Rae Hanneman
John 13:12 (NIV) “When He had finished washing their feet, He put on His clothes and returned to His place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" He asked them”
They were right there by the door as Jesus and the disciples entered the upper room. The pitcher of clean water, the basin and the towel. The custom was that the guests’ feet were washed as they prepared to eat the meal. It was a ritual reserved for the lowliest slave in the household to perform. But there was no slave to do this for those who would join Jesus for this last supper.
One by one they walk past it. Peter, one of the oldest disciples, may have thought it was below his dignity to perform this service - let the youngest do it. John, the youngest disciple, may have decided that he was tired of getting stuck with the dirty work - just because he was the youngest. Maybe the rest of them were still excited about the reception they had received earlier that week. Jesus had all but verbally shouted that He was the Messiah when He rode into Jerusalem on that little donkey. Any time now He was going to finally declare Himself Messiah and King of Israel and He was going to kick some Roman keister right out of Israel and back across the sea. The twelfth disciple may not even seen the pitcher, basin and towel because he was wrapped up in his anger, guilt and shame.
And then there is the thirteenth man. Look closely at Him and see the fine lines of tension and sorrow on His face. He - of all of them - knows that there is not going to be any taking the throne of Israel or kicking Roman keister. He knows that He stands on the precipice of a hell that His followers cannot even begin to imagine. A quick flash of pain crosses His face as He looks at Judas. Judas, His disciple, a man whom Jesus has loved and traveled with for three years won’t even meet His eyes. Judas, His friend, will betray Him and push Him off that precipice and into hell.
Jesus waits for just a few minutes, but when nobody else moves, with an inner sigh, He gets up. Three years of His teachings - and they still don’t get the whole “the first shall be last and the last shall be first”idea. They are still so wrapped up in the thought of ruling with Him that they cannot grasp serving with Him. I wonder if there was a shocked silence as Jesus took off His outer robe, and took the position of the lowliest slave. As He went from disciple to disciple carefully washing each one’s feet - do you wonder what they were thinking? They did not understand the Messiah He was, but they firmly believed that He was Messiah, the King, the Savior, the Restorer of the Throne of David. What was the King of Kings doing washing their feet? And yet not one of them stood up and said, “Hey, Jesus, this ain’t right. I will wash everyone’s feet!” Peter comes about the closest when he asks Jesus, “Are You going to wash my feet?” And when Jesus says He is - Peter says “Oh no You’re not!” But still, he doesn’t offer to take Jesus’ place.
How many times have I walked past the opportunity to serve? How many times have I passed by a needy soul because the person attached to it was dirty, or scary, or just plain crazy-looking? How many times did I think that that particular place of service was a little “low-brow” for somebody who has been serving faithfully in the same church for eleven (count them eleven!) years. Or I pass by because I am tired of always getting stuck with that particular job! How many times have I not taken Jesus’s place - not been His hands and feet to this world?
How many times has Jesus sighed when I have failed to serve Him by going where He would have me serve. How many times has He shook His head as I offer up empty excuse after empty excuse, and then He looks around for somebody else to serve Him. Too many times, LORD God, too many times.
LORD Jesus, I call myself Your duelos, Your slave-by-choice, but the truth is that I have failed You by failing to serve You more times than I am willing to admit to even myself. Forgive me, LORD, for my pride, my stubbornness and my lack of compassion.
I think that some of the most amazing words in this story are the first seven words of our verse - “When He had finished washing their feet...” Jesus washed all of their feet. He washed dignified Peter’s feet, He washed put-upon John’s feet, He washed the dreamers feet and He washed Judas’ feet. What must that have been like for Jesus? To wash the feet of this man, knowing that in a very short time those feet He had cleaned so carefully would bear the betrayer to his appointment with the High Priest. Jesus knelt at Judas’ feet like the lowliest of slaves, knowing that Judas would shortly sell Him for the price of a slave and yet, by neither by word nor deed did Jesus treat Judas any differently from the rest.
Jesus calls us to serve Him with the same humility and servants heart that He had that night as He held Judas’ feet in His hands. Sometimes we don’t think that the people we are called to serve are worthy of our attention, sometimes we don’t even think that they are worthy of Jesus’ attention. But Jesus has taught us by His words and by His deeds that that is not our call. Our call is to serve Him as willingly as He served us. It is His job to determine the worthiness of the individual - and He says that we are all equally worthy of His mercy and grace
Jesus, my heart’s desire is to truly be Your duelos, to have no other will in my life but Yours. My problem is that I am better at wanting it than actually doing it. Help me to be stronger in serving You. Help me to make “Not my will but Yours be done” not only the cry of my heart - but the actions of my life.
Contact Valerie or sign up for the e-Ministry of Fresno First Baptist at valerie@fresnofirst.org.
The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved - loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves. -Victor Hugo
Kathryn Aycock went in for her second surgery on this morning. Pray that the doctors got all of the cancer this time, and for a speedy recovery for Kathryn.
Our little Michaela Wren underwent surgery on her ears on Tuesday. She is recovering well.
George Esparza came home from Community Hospital yesterday. The best indication of how well he is doing is that he wanted to go to Shepherd's Inn for lunch.
Biana had sent off for her new STR-VISA application and has received approval for it in record time. I get the sneaking suspicion that Father wants her back in Nigeria - what do you think?
Pray for the Prague missions team. We have received a couple of e-mails from Char. They should be heading to Amsterdam today. They are having a wonderful time.
In our Life group Tuesday night Willie had a persistent little cough that he admitted he has had for a few weeks now. Please pray for our beloved pastor - that he can kick this little irritation to the curb.
Max Lucado, my favorite author, has stepped down as senior pastor of his church in San Antonio because of heart problems. He is only 51. Max writes with such joy in our relationship with God that I call him the "writer of light." Please pray for him.
We continue to pray for: Ron Dangaren, Barbara Kansler, Kelli Hastings, Nola Ambler, Peggy Molander, Remo & Susan Paul and their pregnancy, Lorraine Esparza’s daughter, Bianca & Stephanie, Tony McDonald, Ellen Burton, Walt Couch, and Michael Ferris.
Pray for our missionaries – Meghan 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, Yvonne Deel in Belize, Bounkham & Khamla’s mission to Laos, Gospel for Asia, 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.
Father of Lights,
How we love being here with You like this. The world has faded away; we choose to leave our worries and fears behind us and to simply be whole in Your presence. You are the resting place of a weary soul, the source of water to a thirsty soul, the light that dispels the darkness around us. Great is Your name, LORD God, and greatly to be praised.
El Elohim, we lift before You our beloved friends who are facing health challenges. We pray for Kathryn, LORD of All, and ask that she recovers quickly from this surgery and that they have gotten all of the cancer this time. We pray for Michaela and ask that she continue to recover quickly. We thank You that George has come home and we ask Holy LORD, that You touch his body and heal him completely.
Abba, we pray for all of our pastors and we thank You so much for them. Truly You have blessed us beyond measure with them. In particular we lift up Pastor Willie and ask that You heal his little cough. We also lift up Pastor Max Lucado and ask, God of the Angel Armies, that You touch his heart and strengthen it.
We pray for our missionaries, Good Shepherd, both those who are long-term in the field and those who are short-term. Grant them peace of mind and strength of spirit.
Counselor, we ask that You guide us as we serve You and serve Your Kingdom. Help us to keep our focus in our ministries on You. Provide for the needs of our ministries.
God Who fills eternity, we are concerned by the direction our country is taking into secularism. We have removed You from our schools, from our government and from our courts in the name of “inclusion” and for the “betterment” of our society. So far all that we have seen as a result is murders in our schools, corruption in our government and lawlessness in our courts. Father, we are going the wrong direction. Help us to turn around – help us to come back to You where we belong.
Your glory lights up all of eternity, Your power shapes and shakes everything known and unknown, Your mercy flows like an endless river. You are more awesome than we can comprehend. We are but dust when compared to You, and yet our lives are built on the assurance of Your love for us. We praise You, we worship You, and we love You.
Hey!!!!!!!!!!!!
Had a chance to use a machine so I thought that I would write and tell you that this trip is really one of the most awesome ever. You could love it here. The historical parts of Prague date back to the 1200's and in some cases even earlier. The castles and cathedrals are beyond description and I will get a book to show people because a camera cannot do them justice. The spires, flying buttresses, gold leaf, engravings, statues and fresco paintings are unique from building to building.
Yesterday was probably the most emotional day yet. We went to a concentration camp holding village called Terezin. More than 50,000 people passed through on their way to the death camps. Many were either executed or died there too. The cemetery is huge. Each grave stone is a slab of concrete that is about 12"x18". All that is marked is the number of the prisoner and a crude date. Mourning stones have been placed on top of each marker (it is a Jewish tradition) to show that at least, somewhere along the way, someone cared.
Today I am going with another Jewish Christian to the Jewish ghetto. The cemetery and temples are supposed to be breathtaking. The oldest temple in all of Europe is here, and it is on our list of things to see also.
Tomorrow we are off to Amsterdam and the second part of the trip. Have walked the streets here and spoken to some of the women who work them at night. Will be different to see them sitting in windows waiting to be needed. So much to tell you about! We have visited a half way house for at risk kids. Those that stay, will never need to sell themselves. The receive vocational training, education, etc. The success rate is amazing. Got to run, it is time for breakfast. Loveand miss you all! Char
Greetings and salutations from the computer lab for visitors of the
International Baptist Seminary!
We are really having a good time. Learning to live with 8 new sisters full
time is just part of the adventure. Lois, Diane,Lisa (a new friend from
Cornerstone that is with us) and I share an apartment here in Prague.
Apparently I snore, talk, and sing in my sleep, Lois and Lisa talk longer
than Diane and I stay awake, and if Diane falls asleep first, we all get a
good nights sleep!
We have seen so much of this beautiful place. The architecture is from the
1300's to present. The cathedrals, statues, bridges, and castles are mind
boggling. I am looking for a book to purchase because pictures from my
camera will not capture what I want to share.
Lauran is an amazing host. She has taken us everywhere, feedS us (tacos on
our first night) and been so very patient. All of this in spite of the fact
that one of her oldest and dear friends in Minneapolis died yesterday
(3/19) of colon cancer. She was a friend from seminary, 43 years old, a
Dr. and preacher. She leaves her husband and two young children - 2 and 8.
Lauran will leave us in Amsterdam and fly to do her friends service. Having
Lauran do the service was a direct request from her friend. She learned
that her friend had died while driving us home from a full day of seeing a
town famous for the bead making.
We already made a few bookmarks with the new beads. Today a ministry
partner of Lauran's will take us on a 2 hour trip to a concentration camp
compound. I don't think I can go inside, I am still praying about that.
Lisa is also Jewish and feels as I do - so we will see.
We have been out street walking and had a hard time with the hope- less part
of these young women's lives. Lauren is so awesome with them, it is
encouraging to watch her and her team work. The women loved the small
gifts we brought from home for them. Not a dry eye in the street as we
watched them accept unconditional love from pure strangers. I am so glad God
allowed me to be a part of this! We are tired, but all remain well and
excited to see what the next adventure will be.
Thank you dear sister. I love and miss you all. You can share this with
Ilene and anyone else that might be interested in my ramblings.
Oh, if you want, you can tell Bryan I think it was praise songs I was
singing in my sleep. My first ever solo, and even I did not get to hear
it!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love, Char
This was written by the Saint himself. As you read it remember that it was written 377 years after Christ. There are some truths in this, though, that are as relevent today as they were then.
Lorica of Saint Patrick
I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through a belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
Of the Creator of creation.
I arise today
Through the strength of Christ's birth and His baptism,
Through the strength of His crucifixion and His burial,
Through the strength of His resurrection and His ascension,
Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.
I arise today
Through the strength of the love of cherubim,
In obedience of angels,
In service of archangels,
In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In the prayers of patriarchs,
In preachings of the apostles,
In faiths of confessors,
In innocence of virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.
I arise today
Through the strength of heaven;
Light of the sun,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of the wind,
Depth of the sea,
Stability of the earth,
Firmness of the rock.
I arise today
Through God's strength to pilot me;
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's way to lie before me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's hosts to save me
From snares of the devil,
From temptations of vices,
From every one who desires me ill,
Afar and anear,
Alone or in a mulitude.
I summon today all these powers between me and evil,
Against every cruel merciless power that opposes my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom,
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of women and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul.
Christ shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that reward may come to me in abundance.
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in the eye that sees me,
Christ in the ear that hears me.
I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through a belief in the Threeness,
Through a confession of the Oneness
Of the Creator of creation
St. Patrick (ca. 377)
I was reading my (internet) newspapers on Monday and ran across a story that simply broke my heart. A woman in New York disappeared and after several years was declared legally dead. Her home was purchased by some investment-type person who sent cleaners to the house to clean it up. In the house they found the woman's bones. She had died in her own home and nobody cared enough about her to go to her home and check on her. For all those years she lay abandoned in her own home. How brutal to die so alone in this world. I cried for her - but I cried too late. It reminds me of a song currently on the radio that says "In the shadows of our steeple live all the lost and lonely people."
George Esparza is back in the hospital. The cyst on his liver is acting up again.
Please continue to pray for Ron Dangaran. He is not responding to treatment as well as had been hoped.
Our beloved Barbara Kanzler is having a difficult recovery following surgery, and has not been able to attend church in awhile
Kelli Hastings is home from the Sansum Clinic. They have narrowed her diagnosis to three possibilities - bladder cancer, urinary tract cancer or leukaemia. None of them a welcome thought - but Kelli's e-mail to me was so upbeat and trusting in Father that I think I am going to keep it to remind myself of what my attitude should be when I get whiney with Father.
Biana has sent off for her new STR-VISA application (not the credit card). Please pray that it will be expedited by the Nigerian officials.
Pray for the Prague missions team.
Harley Sowell is home!
We continue to pray for: Nola Ambler, Peggy Molander, Remo & Susan Paul and their pregnancy, Lorraine Esparza’s daughter, Bianca & Stephanie, Tony McDonald, Ellen Burton, Walt Couch, and Michael Ferris.
Pray for our missionaries – Meghan 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, Yvonne Deel in Belize, Bounkham & Khamla’s mission to Laos, Gospel for Asia, 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.
Holy, Holy, Holy, are You, LORD God Almighty! The whole earth is full of Your glory. We join with all of creation to sing praises and to worship You.
Abba, we pray for those who are facing health challenges. We ask you to touch George and heal him completely. We ask that You continue to heal Barbara so she can return to services. We miss her. We lift up Ron, Father, and ask for Your mercy and grace upon him - no matter what that gift looks like. We praise You, Spirit, for the testimony of Kelli. In spite of the confusion and indecision on her doctor's part - there is not confusion or indecision on Kelli's part. She trusts in You. Bless her Father. We thank You for Harley being able to come home. We ask that You continue to speed his recovery.
Our missions team took off for Prague this week, LORD Jesus, going to be Your hands and feet in a land far from here and among people we seldom notice. Be with them and protect them.
We ask that You expedite Biana's visa so that she can return to Nigeria.
We continue to lift up all of those who are long-term on our prayer chain. Deliver them from their situation, and use them to Your glory.
LORD Jesus, we thank You so much for our pastors and we ask, Holy One of Israel and of Us, that You pour a special blessing on them. We pray for the ministries of our fellowship and ask that You help us to keep the focus only on You.
Triune God, lost people matter to You, lonely people matter to You, hurting people matter to You. Help us to make them matter to us as well. Help us to reach out to those we have a tendency to overlook.
Be with Your missionaries who serve You so faithfully – remind them of how vital their work is to the kingdom.
We lift up our country before You, Father God, and ask that You bless her, bless our leaders and bless all those who serve in our military.
You are our Alpha and Omega, our beginning and end. We long to be closer to You, to be more like You, to reflect You fully into the darkness of this world. We love You, LORD.
¡Saludos a todos! We here at YWAM Pachuca - I here at ywam pachuca especially - would like to invite each one of you to check out the website that I just completed. I am proud of the ministry and priveleged to do the design work. Additionally, you can read more about what we are about as a YWAM base, our ministry, etc. We've plans for the first school to start in January, so we're pumping the site and trying to get many youth interested. So, CHECK IT OUT! (and tell a friend). :)
Blessings!
http://www.ywampachuca.org
Hey everybody! Nosotros de JuCUM Pachuca, bueno yo especialmente, quiero invitarles a ver nuestra página web que acabo de completar. Estoy orgullosa del ministerio y es un privilegio poder hacer el diseño. Además, pueden leer de lo que se trata nuestro ministerio como base de JuCUM, etc. Tenemos planes para empezar la primera escuela en enero, así que queremos que muchos jóvenes sepan de la base y que muchos estén interesados. Entonces, ¡vé al sitio y dile a un amigo!
Bendiciones,
en Cristo,
Meg
I was shocked, confused, bewildered
as I entered Heaven's door,
Not by the beauty of it all,
by the lights or its decor.
But it was the folks in Heaven
who made me sputter and gasp--
the thieves, the liars, the sinners,
the alcoholics, the trash.
There stood the kid from seventh grade
who swiped my lunch money twice.
Next to him was my old neighbor
who never said anything nice.
Herb, who I always thought
was rotting away in hell,
was sitting pretty on cloud nine,
looking incredibly well.
I nudged Jesus, "What's the deal?
I would love to hear Your take.
How'd all these sinners get up here?
God must've made a mistake.
And why's everyone so quiet,
so somber? Give me a clue ."
"Hush, child," said He "They're all in shock.
No one thought they'd ever see you."
Author unknown
Larry and Jan Martin International Ministries
Ban Luang, Thailand, March 2007
Dear Partners in Ministry,
Greetings from a construction site. Well not really but sometimes recently when I have felt my sore muscles or looked at the dusty, dirty clothes in the laundry I wonder what sort of business we are in. Aah. You thought we signed up for church planting and so did I – So, why am I carrying cement?
Over the last 2 months we have had visitors who have come to encourage and bless us and the communities we live in. One group helped build a shelter at a local school - a place for the kids to park their bikes and it doubles as the officials area for local sports functions. We had a great time building it and the locals were so impressed at the way everyone worked on the bucket brigade and loading the cement mixer that they declared that, even the women on the team should get men’s wages.
Our latest project is bigger and we have acted as the contractors for it - meal conversations seem to be - Do you think chin up bars are high enough? Is the angle on the slide right,? Did you order the cement? Do you think all the uprights should be red? We were joined by a team who have helped us and the community at another school to build an exercise course with a kids play area. As I am typing this, the cement slab is being poured. It has been a great time of fun and fellowship around a project, which will benefit a school and its community.
Back to church planting!
Last Saturday we were excited to visit Payameng Rai and celebrate with the fellowship there their new building and their graduating from “preaching station” to “church” status. It was very satisfying to see people we had been used to bring to the Lord and disciple now leading the church there.
The new fellowship at Barn Sra had it’s 1st anniversary recently and is doing well with the new believers growing stronger in their faith and witnessing to family and neighbours. There are currently 4 people who are coming on a regular basis and moving in a Jesus ward direction. We continue to be involved in writing the teaching materials and teach on a regular basis.
We are more than delighted with the playground – not just because of the look of it. But because it gave us an opportunity to really get into a community and get to know people there – over the past few weeks as we have been going there on a regular basis we have been able to get to know people and share with them. One man has made it known that he would like to know more about Jesus and says there are others too. Pray with us as we follow them up. Our hope is to start a bible study group out there.
We ask our God our father to make us all wise with spiritual wisdom, Then the way we live will always please the Lord and we will continually do good, kind things for others.
(Col. 1:9-10)
With our love and thanks for your partnership,
Larry & Jan
Prayer points.
Pray for wisdom in relating to those showing an interest in the Gospel at Ban Fah.
Pray that we are able to start a group there and they will understand the great compassion Jesus has for them.
Pray for the Ban Sra fellowship – may they continue to grow both spiritually and numerically. Pray that spiritual leaders emerge in that group
Give thanks for those who have worked along side us in these last few months
Pray that God will bless and encourage them.
Pray that we will be well organized over the next few months before we leave for home assignment. We have a number of meetings to attend but also want to finish writing a tract and the discipleship materials. We are moving into the long summer holidays and we are getting a number of requests for English teaching and need to say no to some of these requests.
Valerie Rae Hanneman
John 14:1-3(KJV) Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”
John 14:1-3 (NIV) "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me. In My Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am.”
Sometimes this world just gets to me. It’s not that I am facing a disaster like a car repair - or my children have gone off the deep end - or the job pressures are unbearable or anything else like that. It is that the world is being irritating and I am not in the mood to be irritated. So I leave this planet for awhile. No - not physically! Physically, I am still here, but mentally and spiritually I step out of the realm of the secular and into the realm of the eternal. In other words, I go visit my Dad. He never has time for me - He has eternity for me, so if I am with Him for a few minutes of prayer, rest and renewal or with Him for an hour or more, He welcomes me with open arms. In one of my recent visits with Him I was reading John in the NIV and I came across these favored and well-loved verses of mine. Only, in the NIV the wording is a little different then the ones I memorized in the King James Version. The Kings James talks about mansions - the NIV talks about rooms. Now I don’t know about you, but when I think of mansions, I think Bill Gates. When I think of rooms I think of Budget 8's. The two don’t seen to be hardly compatible - do they?
Then I got to dreaming a little dream about my mansion - what would I need to have in it? I don’t think I will need a bathroom. My body will be absolutely perfect, no toothbrush, face cream, shower or toilet necessary. I will never have a bad hair day again, there will be no need for the multitude of hair products under my sink. Because my face will be beautiful, glowing with the radiance of Jesus, I will have no need of the makeup in the drawers. Yep, looks like the bathroom is out. Revelation 21:25 says that there is no night in the New Jerusalem and that God’s glory is the light of it - so if there isn’t any night - would we need a bedroom? Probably not. What does that leave - the kitchen? I am not sure we will need a kitchen, after all we are all invited to partake of the Marriage feast of the Lamb. We won’t need to be doing our own cooking - besides - cooking means dishes, and doing dishes just isn’t my idea of heaven! As best as I can figure - that leaves hall closets and the living room. We will be clothed in the snow-white garments of Christ’s righteousness - so we won’t need a closet to store different outfits - or raincoats and umbrellas - or vacuum cleaners.
So what does that leave me in my mansion in the New Jerusalem? It leaves me with just one room. Maybe there is not that much difference between the KJV and NIV versions, after all.
What a room my mansion/room must be! I will hazard a guess that it makes Bill Gates’ mansion look like a dog house. A nice dog house - but a dog house nonetheless. I also know that God has promised that no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived of what He has prepared for those who love Him. I know that it is impossible for me to even begin to fully imagine what is waiting for me. In fact, in my mind’s eye, I see Father on the throne, His eyes sparkling with laughter as I daydream in His presence. He is laughing because He knows that - as always - what He has for me is so much more than I could ever dream of.
Actually - why do I even need a room? I can’t imagine spending any time in it. If I could be listening to Moses tell about what it was like to cross the Red Sea on dry land - why would I choose to be in a room? Would I choose to stay in my room when the angels are getting together an impromptu praise session. Somehow I don’t think so. And here is the big one - would I stay in my room when I could take my place around the Throne with every tribe, tongue and nation? No way - I have waited too long to be there.
I love dreaming a little dream of what my home is like. Even more, I love dreaming a little dream of finally being at Jesus’ feet, reaching out to touch Him in wonder, then feeling the touch of His hand on me. That one is powerful.
What is the purpose of me dreaming my little dreams - does it change the irritating world I am in? No, it doesn’t change the world - but it changes me. For whatever length of time that I am in my dream world my focus changes. No matter where my dream starts - wondering about my mansion/room, thinking about the taste of food at the Feast, wondering I’m going to sound like when I finally have the perfect voice - my dream always ends up the same - with me in the presence of God, worshiping Him. When I leave the warmth and joy of my dreaming and come back to the cold reality of this world, the world has lost it’s ability to irritate me. My focus has been changed off of what is irritating in this world and onto my life - my real life, my dreamed of life, my eternal life in Jesus’ presence.
Does life get to you once in awhile? Step away from it and into the presence of Father. When you have been with the Eternal - the temporary loses it’s power.
Precious LORD Jesus, Just as I know that my dreams of home do not begin to scratch the surface of reality, I know that the joy that I imagine when I am at Your feet in worship does not begin to scratch the reality of that moment. I long to be at Your feet - never to leave You.
Contact Valerie or sign up for the e-Ministries of Fresno First Baptist at valerie@fresnofirst.org
Dear GOD:
I want to thank You for what you have already done.
I am not going to wait until I see results or receive rewards; I am thanking you right now.
I am not going to wait until I feel better or things look better; I am thanking you right now.
I am not going to wait until people say they are sorry or until they stop talking about me; I am thanking you right now.
I am not going to wait until the pain in my body disappears; I am thanking you right now.
I am not going to wait until my financial situation improves; I am going to thank you right now.
I am not going to wait until the children are asleep and the house is quiet; I am going to thank you right now.
I am not going to wait until I get promoted at work or until I get the job; I am going to thank you right now.
I am not going to wait until I understand every experience in my life that has caused me pain or grief; I am thanking you right now.
I am not going to wait until the journey gets easier or the challenges are removed; I am thanking you right now.
I am thanking you because I am alive.
I am thanking you because I made it through the day's difficulties.
I am thanking you because I have walked around the obstacles.
I am thanking you because I have the ability and the opportunity to do more to do more and do better.
I'm thanking you because, Father, YOU haven't given up on me
Author unknow