At the time, I didn’t understand at all what she was  trying to get me to see. But the intervening years have  brought a measure of wisdom and with it a whole lot  of clarity.

During my college years and all through my 20’s and  30’s, I was afraid of dying.

I had reason to be. These were BC days (before  Christ)—when I lived life on the very edge. Not only  was I at times in danger of dire physical harm, but my  soul was in danger of perpetual damnation. I lived for  Self and worshipped the big “I” as unfortunately so  many do today.

I was no fool, however—I knew what a life without  Christ would bring at my demise. And although I  wanted no part of Hell, I apparently wasn’t willing to  give up my selfish life-style and live instead for Christ.  So I continued to exist in constant fear of being dis- covered for who I really was. And I continued to live  afraid of dying.

It wasn’t until I turned my life over to Jesus that life  no longer terrified me.

All the bad things that could  happen ceased to dominate my thoughts. I had prom- ised Jesus that I would go wherever He called and I  trusted Him to bring it about according to His own  perfect will.

I am reminded of Judas who lived in close proximity  of Jesus for the three years of the Master’s ministry  here on earth. Yet, though he lived in close quarters  with the Son of God, Judas could not bring himself to  turn his life over to the Him. He adamantly clung to   living life for Self up until the bitter end.

We should not be surprised by what happened to  Judas after his betrayal of the Christ, an act that put  into motion the events leading to the cross. Accord- ing to the Matthew 27 account, Judas tried to return  the thirty pieces of silver, and when the transaction  was refused he hanged himself. We cannot know  whether Judas was afraid of dying, but we certainly see  that he was afraid of living. Sometimes that is the  harder task of the two.

Scripture tells us that after we’ve lived a life of obedience to Christ’s commands, we are greeted with a  “Well done, good and faithful servant.” We know also  that Jesus tells us that we will obey Him if we love  Him. So a life of obedience brings about a life in love  with Jesus. How can we possibly be afraid of living  when we’re walking hand-in-hand with Him every step  of the way!

Then on the other side of the coin, the Bible promises an eternity with the Father if we believe that  Jesus is the Son of God. We do not know exactly  what heaven will be like, but scripture gives a cursory  glance into its secrets: no more tears, no sorrow,  only perpetual praises to the Lord, worshipping in the  throne room of God. Who can be afraid of that?

I have been privileged to be at the bedside of three  loved ones shortly before their passing. All three  embraced the process of leaving this world and enter- ing into the next. They were surrounded with God’s  peace and seemed as if they were taking their last few  steps on earth hand-in-hand with the Father.

These strong Christians were not afraid of living  and certainly they were not afraid of dying.

Photo by: Garry Wilmore

Mark 10:15

Often when we refer to a person as “being simple,” we think of him as having limited education or perhaps being mentally challenged to some degree.

If we consider being simple in terms of a relationship with the Lord, however, the term becomes an excellent description of the person who has a deep and lasting faith in God.

According to Merriam-Webster’s 11th Collegiate Dictionary, one definition of simple is to be innocent or humble.

The Bible tells us that it is with the innocent, humble faith of a child that we are to accept Christ as Lord. Once saved, our faith begins to grow and obedience to the commands of Jesus becomes a way of life. The more we obey, the more our faith grows. Eventually, we come to accept the will of God with- out any reservation at all.

Having a child-like faith in God—no matter the circumstances—is the best description of a “simple person.”

It’s through the innocent, humble believers of the world that God accomplishes much. All too often, accolades are sung of the things people do for the Lord. The truth is, a simple person doesn’t want this kind of praise. Rather than the applause of man, he or she longs for the praise of God. Wealth, fame and accolades hold no appeal. They desire to live as righteous a life as possible and ask nothing in return.

Jesus tells us that if we are good stewards of the life given to us here on earth, when we stand before Him in heaven He will say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” <

It’s a simple phrase for a simple people, who have a simple faith in Christ alone.

Photo By Tony Trần

Ever since first sin reared its ugly head in the third chapter of Genesis, it has been handed down through the generations. What a thought! Even though God makes it absurdly plain that we will never be judged by the sins of our fathers, the truth remains that we will suffer the consequences of their sins along with our own.

We are victims of the effects of sin all the days of our lives.

Only the Father knows the shameful secrets of our past. He’s also aware of the continued agony these past sins cause long after we’re forgiven of them. When it comes to the consequences of sin, there’s no getting off Scot-free. Our sins rear their ugly heads over and over as long as we walk on this earth. We will never be free of their effects until that day when we finally stand in the presence of Christ in the throne room of God.

God uses our past sins to build our faith. Sometimes our forgiven sins help us relate to others with similar pasts and makes our witness more viable to them. Other times, He uses these sins to remind us of where we came from. The list goes on and on. God uses our sins in many ways.

Frequently, the reminders of our past sins come through those who were affected by them. These are the most painful reminders of all. How we wish we could erase the bad choices we made and the hurt these caused our loved ones! We know we deserve the consequences for ourselves, but we want those affected by our sins to be set free. How can we realize the relief God’s forgiveness brings when we’re watching our loved ones suffer for what we’ve done. At times like these, we may feel as if we have NOT yet been forgiven.

As in all situations in the believer’s life, there is light at the end of the tunnel. God is sovereign and He uses all the bad, the hurt, the pain and sin for His glory. He is able to do—and does do—some pretty amazing things to bring about salvation when hope is lost. The effects of sin may continue to be passed down through the generations, but faith in God will deliver from that sin and heal the pain.

In the midst of the pain, we grow closer to God and realize that someday, sin will be no more.

    Look as hard as you will, you’ll probably not find any hidden meaning to what God is saying here.  He’s very clear about what He wants us to know—that what keeps us from sinning is not our own strength or determination or anything else about us.  In fact, there is no earthly help at all that can protect us from the natural inclination to sin.  This verse from Psalm 119 tells us that there is only one thing that can, and that is the Word of God. 

      This means we have the best defense ever known to mankind right at our fingertips.  All the time!  And in our country at least, it is readily accessible to each and every one of us.  No sneaking around, no reading under cover—we are free to explore the Bible whenever and as much as we want.

     Why then do believers sin so easily?  The answer should be plain and simple as we look at this verse in Psalms:  to be effective, the Word must be hidden in our  hearts and we do not spend enough time in the Word for that ever to happen.  In this busy world we live in, too many of us are content to get our exposure to the Word on Sunday mornings, through the reading of the scriptures and the teaching of the sermon. 

    But even if you are fortunate enough to attend a church that still preaches the Bible, God never intended for believers to rely solely on others to tell them what it says.  Would  you be content to have a friend tell  you about your spouse’s love for you?  Hardly!  Most probably, you’d want to hear “I love you” straight from his or her mouth.  Can  it be any different with the love letter that was sent by God?  Just as we want to hear “I love you” from our spouse, we want to hear God’s “I love you” directly from Him.  That means we have to read and study the Bible ourselves.

    God’s Word is personal.  And He longs for us to know it so well that when confronted with temptation we have a deep reservoir of wisdom upon which to draw in defense.  If we are going to resist sin, then, we have to work at increasing that reservoir in our hearts.   It is only through the personal study of the Bible that we are able to absorb His Word and thus be empowered to resist sinning against Him.

     We will be meeting with Philip’s people who will be coming to his hometown, and then we go up north where we will be teaching villagers that Methodist minister Muana has invited into his city.  Travel in this area is difficult at best, but for the poor it is virtually impossible.  God has made it clear to us that paying travel, lodging and meal expenses for the participants is part of our ministry.  If you would like to participate in that effort, we welcome your support.  Even a small donation will go a long way in this endeavor to get God’s words out into the most remote sections of Myanmar.

     God has opened yet another door of opportunity for Word Within International in which we can serve Him.  We have been contacted by an evangelist in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.  The evangelist is coordinator of a local Christian library in that area, beginning the operation with a mere 10 books.  “God is always faithful,” Kassahun says, “and our small library is packing with people who are reading our Christian books.”

     There is a note of sadness in what Kassahun relates to us from Addis Ababa.  “We don’t fulfill our mission,” he says, “because of the smallness of our library and limited books.”

     The harvest is plentiful and the workers are few!  This is a situation we simply cannot abide.  Kassahun is humble in his request.  They need English Bibles, spiritual books, tapes and other Christian literature—both new and used, whatever we can spare.  We ask that you search your shelves and do what you feel you can.  Books, tapes, etc., can be delivered to me and we will see that the material is shipped.  Shipping is extraordinarily expensive, so you might want to help in that area instead.

     In the words of Kassahun, “Please if you be able to send us both used and new Christian literature for our library so that we can reach as many people as possible to the knowledge of the saving gospel.  Is there anything worthier than to reach people with gospel of salvation and be an instrument for the growth and maturity of Christian people by feeding their spirit through gospel books?”

     If you would like more information or wish to help, please contact:  Gail at 918-492-0945.

The Scriptures continue in verses 2-8 with Jesus’ parable of the widow who kept coming to a judge with a request for protection.  Even though the judge wasn’t particularly concerned about her, he granted her request because of her persistence. 

The take-away we often hear in regards to this passage is a teaching on persistent prayer.

But there are two things the Bible is telling us in verse 1 and the second is as relevant as the first.  The Author is speaking to us in a very personal way when He uses the phrase “and not to lose heart.”  What an encouragement to hear these words when we have prayed about something for a long time and still don’t have an answer! 

As is always the case with our Lord, He doesn’t just leave us hanging as to what to do when things don’t happen as soon as we like.  In His quiet, sweet way He is telling us that He will answer.

Without a doubt, the parable of the unrighteous judge is about persistent prayer, but it is also about much more.  It’s a personal word from our Lord, who added the phrase “and not lose heart” so we will not become discouraged but know that He will answer. 

So!  Don’t lose heart.  Keep praying.  Your answer is on the way!

In November this year, we will bring a teaching to the pastors and missionaries in Philip’s organization who are able to travel to Yangon from outlying areas. At the conclusion of that seminar, we will travel inland again, this time north to Mandalay for a 3-day teaching to be held there. This is a brand-new location for our team.

This latter seminar will be held in conjunction with Brother Lalthlamuana ( Muana) with the Methodist Church in Mandalay. Our association with Muana stems from a meeting with the Director of Missions, Asbury United Methodist Church in Tulsa, during a training that Muana was attending here in the States.

By combining a trip to Mandalay with a teaching in Yangon, we are able to reach considerably more people with the same travel expenses. It is our hope that we can do more of this in the future and thereby maximize your dollars for the Lord.

We are receiving invitations to teach from a number of different nations: Tanzania, India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, in addition to others in Myanmar. Each request is prayerfully considered and decisions are made on the basis of what we feel God is leading us to do. We have neither the time nor the money to accept all the invitations, nor would it be prudent to do so. We are currently forming an association with a brother from Pakistan to have some of our teaching material translated into Urdu. Our mission is to accomplish the specific tasks that God gives us to do.

We are grateful to each and every one of your who make it possible for us to take God’s teaching to people who otherwise receive no outside help. Our goal always is to enable believers everywhere we go to read and study God’s word without the use of man’s commentaries. We believe this is the most effective way to minimize the risk of false teaching infiltrating their Christianity.

“Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”—Mark 10:35

Check out Mark 10:35-45 to read about the context of this verse. It’s a great passage about humbling ourselves just like Jesus. But there are other good things we can learn from this passage, such as letting go of our desires. As we can see from the first part of the passage, James and John approach Jesus and tell Him to do what they want to do.

“How rude!” I’ve often thought. Imagine, marching up to Jesus, the Son of God, and telling Him to do whatever it is you want, without any regard for what He wants. The nerve!

I could definitely relate with the other disciples in this passage. When they find out what James and John did, they became indignant (verse 41), which is certainly how I felt. But when I read this verse not too long ago, something suddenly occurred to me. Sadly, I am often more like James and John than the other disciples. How many times do I tell God what I want Him to do without asking Him what He would like? I may be less bossy than James and John, but that doesn’t matter–I still basically tell God to do what I want. But that’s not what God wants. We can ask Him for something, most definitely. The Bible is clear on that in several places, most notably in Matthew 7:7, when Jesus says “Ask and it will be given to you.” But, we need to seek God’s will first and foremost and see what He wants.

Jesus (as always) is the perfect example that we should follow. In the Garden of Gethsemane He asked that God would take away the cup He was about to drink, but He then prayed that God’s will would be done (Matthew 26:39). That’s exactly what we should do. We need to ask for His will to be done, no matter what His will is.

That is not an easy thing to do. It can be a daily struggle, one minute being like Jesus and the next being like James and John. It’s hard to let go of our desires and what we think is best. But when we give up those things and tell God that we are letting Him decide what is best, not only are we obeying Him, but we’re showing God how much we trust Him. It’s a deep and wonderful way of expressing not only our trust, but our love to Him.

There was a kid in our neighborhood that for no reason at all was not included in our play. In fact, whenever possible we tended to pick on her.

One day she left a little doll dressed in a kimono in my yard so the rest of us gathered in the club house and began dismantling the doll and bidding for the parts. I’m quite sure that I was the leader of this despicable act! I distinctly remember saying to the others, “It serves her right for leaving her doll in MY yard!” I know I took my fair share of the doll’s parts and got lots of goodies from the others too!

Later that same evening, the little girl’s mother came over to talk with my mom. I hid in my room. But kept an ear to the door to see if I was in trouble!

I was. Big trouble! The little girl was devastated and her mother quite concerned. Apparently, this doll had been sent to her by her father from Japan and it held a special place in the little girl’s heart.

That kimono-wrapped doll was the last contact she had from her father before he was killed by a sniper’s bullet immediately after the War. In fact, it wasn’t even delivered until after the news of his death.

My heart froze as I heard the story from our neighbor. I felt even worse when I overheard my mother assuring her that she would check with me to see if I’d seen it but she was quite certain that I hadn’t or I would have returned it already! I just knew God was going to send me directly to hell—I wouldn’t even be allowed to pass “Go”! Only 5 or 6 years old and already doomed to an eternity of fire and brimstone!

I was about as scared as a kid could get.

There’s no happy ending to this story. At least not way back then. For most of my life, I had to live with the fear of my condemnation to hell until I finally accepted Jesus as my Lord at the age of 44.

But here’s the good part. Jesus loves us just where we are—warts and all! My selfishness, my greed, my total insensitivity to others, none of this was big enough to keep God away from me. He wanted me as one of His. No matter what! And He pursued me until He got me.

If I were forced to say what the one quality I love most in our Lord God is, I guess I’d have to say His forgiving heart. It blows my mind that He can, does and will forgive anything we do.

I don’t ever want to put myself in a position requiring His forgiveness again—not after that ordeal way back then. But unfortunately, I sin today in spite of my myself. And you know what? He continues to forgive. He knows my heart. He knows I want more than anything to please Him. I just need help.

And when He forgives me, I find it easier to forgive others. If I become angry with someone, I remember how I grieve God every time I sin and how He always welcomes my repentant heart back into His arms.

In James 5:7-8 we read, “Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient, strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.”

There are other verses that say the same, some more directly than others. Paul tells us in I Thessalonians 5:9-11, “For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.”

Unquestionably, the most precious words of encouragement ever spoken came directly from the mouth of Jesus. In John 14: 1-3 He says, “Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places. If it were not so I would have told you, for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”

All three passages focus on the same theme: the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. We don’t need a bunch of magical words we have to dream up in our heads. God has already given us what to say. We can best encourage others by focusing their attention on Jesus and the promise of His coming again.