Tony is in Poland for the next few weeks. This is his unique perspective of the "opportunity evangelism" teaching English allows. This is a hard missionary field and not as flashy or quick-save as other parts of the world. But this field is just as "white unto harvest" as third-world countries more in the missionary spotlight. Pray for this work. -MKL, editor
Sitting across the table from you is a person who has known religion all his or her life but has little realization of what God and His word is all about. Some practice this religion into which they have been born but only out of the tradition they have been taught. Some have left this “national religion” for some ‘protestant’ theology and have, to some degree, become familiar with the Bible. Some have simply left religion because it has not offered them any more than the world has offered.
The person across the table from you has come to speak English with you and improve his or her skills. But they begin learning that they are receiving much more than skills in a language. A light begins to shine where there was darkness.
Darkness is the absence of light and you have begun sharing with this one sitting across the table from you the Light of God’s Word. Jesus said He had come as a light into the world and has asked us to let that light shine in dark places.
There is frustration. You want this person to know as much as you know and respond to this Word. It is so difficult to accept that someone does not have enough knowledge of the Bible to make the application to his or her life.
But the blessing of being in a situation like this is that you are letting this light shine into the life of this one sitting across the table from you. You begin to see the person realize that there is more to the Bible than just being a ‘religious book.’
Paul said some of us plant the seed and some of us water it but God is the one to give the increase. Jesus said in the parable of the sower that we are to be planting the seed and that there are different types of soil. Indeed, the one sitting across the table from you may be “seed by the wayside” but there are also those who are soil waiting for seed to be planted in their hearts.
Pray for that person sitting across the table from us. Pray for soil that will nurture the seed that is planted. Pray for the fruit to come forth.
See you when the Saints meet, Lord willing.
Love, Tony
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Refreshing Look
Jake Haskew and his wife Amanda are serving with a missionary team of four couples in Vienna, Austria. He has ‘hit the nail on the head’ about what it’s like to share the Bible with people who are educated but have never really read God’s Word. I ask you to read this and think about it from the perspective of the student. - tl
“Imagine growing up hearing numerous stories of a far away land. Tales of adventure, tales of happiness and joy, sadness and pain. Imagine having all kinds of questions about these stories that are never answered. Imagine wanting to hear more of these stories but not being able to read them, only listen to a storyteller. Imagine people around you knowing about this land and speaking about this land but finding out they have never been there.
Imagine a growing confusion about this land, questioning whether it exists, wondering if you’ll ever know the truth. Then imagine going on with life, ever wondering, ever thinking, but too busy with everyday tasks to seek out this land for yourself. Then imagine you win an all expense paid trip to this land. What do you do first?
What questions do you ask? All those previous thoughts, ideas, questions, feelings come flooding back as you start out to discover this land for the first time wanting to know everything, questioning everything, soaking it up like a sponge so that you won’t forget.
Some days it’s just habit. Open up the Bible to where I left off and begin reading... Israel once again rejects God and is now going to be punished...the kingdom of heaven is like...to the church at Corinth...etc. What if every time you open the Bible there is something new to discover?
“Such is the case of someone reading it for the first time. Details missing from a story are filled in. Questions are answered or freely discussed and new questions are discovered. A world that seemed so far away and distant is suddenly real, exciting, dangerous, and alive.
“I have the privilege to read the Bible once a week with someone who is experiencing all these things for the first time. Vicariously I live out those things as well and always feel I miss something when we are not able to read together.
“This is what is happening in Vienna. This is what we want to happen in the world. It’s refreshing, its challenging, it’s tiring, but it’s wonderful. I pray everyone will get a chance to have this experience and I pray for my reader that their journey never ends.”
This pretty well sums up what we do when we go to Sopot, Poland except that with many of our students, we are sharing with them more than once a week. We help our students learn, not just to read English using the Bible, but to understand what they are reading. It is a thrill to watch them become absorbed in what they are reading and then begin to realize that the Bible is not a book just for religious leaders but for each individual to read for himself or herself.
To borrow Jake’s statement - this is what is happening in the Gdynia-Sopot-Gdansk tri-city area of Poland. And you are a part of that by helping us and the Jesches go (and others who have gone or will go) to be God’s servants along with the Dawidow family. Keep us in your prayers and pray that there will be enough teachers commit to make this outreach continue on a regular basis.
And keep the Haskews and their team in your prayers. Amanda is due to give birth to their second child soon.
See you when the Saints meet, Lord willing.
Love, Tony
Refreshing Look
Jake Haskew - Vienna Austria
Imagine a growing confusion about this land, questioning whether it exists, wondering if you’ll ever know the truth. Then imagine going on with life, ever wondering, ever thinking, but too busy with everyday tasks to seek out this land for yourself. Then imagine you win an all expense paid trip to this land. What do you do first?
What questions do you ask? All those previous thoughts, ideas, questions, feelings come flooding back as you start out to discover this land for the first time wanting to know everything, questioning everything, soaking it up like a sponge so that you won’t forget.
Some days it’s just habit. Open up the Bible to where I left off and begin reading... Israel once again rejects God and is now going to be punished...the kingdom of heaven is like...to the church at Corinth...etc. What if every time you open the Bible there is something new to discover?
“Such is the case of someone reading it for the first time. Details missing from a story are filled in. Questions are answered or freely discussed and new questions are discovered. A world that seemed so far away and distant is suddenly real, exciting, dangerous, and alive.
“I have the privilege to read the Bible once a week with someone who is experiencing all these things for the first time. Vicariously I live out those things as well and always feel I miss something when we are not able to read together.
“This is what is happening in Vienna. This is what we want to happen in the world. It’s refreshing, its challenging, it’s tiring, but it’s wonderful. I pray everyone will get a chance to have this experience and I pray for my reader that their journey never ends.”
This pretty well sums up what we do when we go to Sopot, Poland except that with many of our students, we are sharing with them more than once a week. We help our students learn, not just to read English using the Bible, but to understand what they are reading. It is a thrill to watch them become absorbed in what they are reading and then begin to realize that the Bible is not a book just for religious leaders but for each individual to read for himself or herself.
To borrow Jake’s statement - this is what is happening in the Gdynia-Sopot-Gdansk tri-city area of Poland. And you are a part of that by helping us and the Jesches go (and others who have gone or will go) to be God’s servants along with the Dawidow family. Keep us in your prayers and pray that there will be enough teachers commit to make this outreach continue on a regular basis.
And keep the Haskews and their team in your prayers. Amanda is due to give birth to their second child soon.
See you when the Saints meet, Lord willing.
Love, Tony
Sunday, May 17, 2009
To Our Graduates
Long ago, God told the Israelites that He had placed before them two choices - “life and death, blessings and curses.” He tells them to choose life that they might live. (Deut. 30:15-20) In Matthew 7, Jesus tells of the broad way that leads to destruction and the narrow way that leads to life. A choice must be made.
It’s that time of year when many young people will be stepping into the unknown realms of ‘real life’ as they graduate from high school. There are many choices to make and paths that lie before them. As I think about the choices our young people must make as they embark on life, I offer these thoughts:
See you when the Saints meet, Lord willing.
Love, Tony
It’s that time of year when many young people will be stepping into the unknown realms of ‘real life’ as they graduate from high school. There are many choices to make and paths that lie before them. As I think about the choices our young people must make as they embark on life, I offer these thoughts:
GRADUATION
Graduation’s an exciting time;
For you a personal milestone
For stepping into the unknown,
With dreams to reach for heights sublime.
But many times you’ve been told
That graduation is just the start,
And you must have a stouter heart
For the times you must be bold.
Life’s way is now for you to choose,
And that just might give you a fright
To know that sometimes life’s a fight;
One that you don’t want to lose.
So choose with care life’s path you live,
For your life’s now in your own hands.
And you will find that life demands
All you have - all you can give.
God offers you a path that’s straight
If you will travel with His Son.
And then when your life’s fight is won,
He’ll welcome you through heaven’s gate.
tl-05/12/09
See you when the Saints meet, Lord willing.
Love, Tony
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Thoughts On Motherhood
Motherhood is an awesome thing. God has blessed the world with the love of mothers. God has honored mothers who trust in Him.
I know many mothers who, when dealing with the emotions of expecting that first child, have wondered if they would be able to fulfill the responsibility
about to be hers. I also know that the wise mother calls on God for the strength, courage, and wisdom to raise her children.
On this day when we honor our mothers and thinking of the awesomeness of motherhood, I offer these thoughts:
See you when the Saints meet, Lord willing. Love, Tony
I know many mothers who, when dealing with the emotions of expecting that first child, have wondered if they would be able to fulfill the responsibility
about to be hers. I also know that the wise mother calls on God for the strength, courage, and wisdom to raise her children.
On this day when we honor our mothers and thinking of the awesomeness of motherhood, I offer these thoughts:
MOTHERHOOD
Motherhood brings such responsibility
To nurture the family entrusted to you,
You wonder if you’ll have the ability
To be the mother God expects of you.But when in Him you place your trust,
Then motherhood brings you joy,
And you will do all that you must
To raise that little girl or boy.Motherhood means watching them grow
From a small child into maturity.
Teaching them the Way they should know,
Providing them with faith’s security.
Yes, Motherhood means children to raise,
And helping keep the family strong,
Through loving them and offering praise,
Providing a family where all belong.Motherhood - God’s high calling to you
Who so willingly give it all of your love.
We give you our praise for all that you do,
Giving thanks for you to our Father above.tl-05/05/09
See you when the Saints meet, Lord willing.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Second Chances?
There’s a cute little song by Veggie Tales that is entitled “A God of Second Chances.” It’s in the Veggie Tales movie about Jonah. (If you don’t know about Veggie Tales that’s okay. Maybe you can ask one of the little kids - or a parent.) Anyway, it teaches that God is willing to give us second chances.
I know this is going to really sound silly to some of you and may not be what you thought it would be from the title but let me tell you about a ‘second chance’ I had. Last year some wrens built a nest under our patio on a ledge where the fireplace extended out from the house. I noticed that they were not going to the nest so I checked it. Much to my surprise (and horror of my wife), there was a black snake coiled up in the nest. A large one - forty-two inches. It didn’t want to cooperate with me to get it out and capture it alive (which my wife and neighbor didn’t want me to do anyway since some people think the only good snake is a dead one.) So, I wound up killing the snake. I didn’t want to because it was not poisonous and therefore not a threat to us.
Now for the second chance. Sunday afternoon my wife noticed a blue jay and other birds on our back fence really putting up a fuss and looking down into the flower bed. I was pretty sure what was going on and upon checking out the flower bed, sure enough, there was another black snake. Not as big as the other one but still over two feet.
Still feeling bad because I had killed the first one, I picked this one up and put it in a bucket and then released it later in a wooded area outside of town.
But wait a minute. I said the snake was not a threat to me. However, it was definitely a threat to those birds and their babies. But in the nature of things snakes have to survive, too. What a dilemma!
You know there have been times in my life - and probably in yours, too - that I may have hurt someone who never really was a threat to me or intended me harm. Maybe it was by saying something meant to be funny or it could have been with malice. Maybe it was something that happened before I became a Christian. Maybe it was unintentional. Maybe it was …..
I know of people who wish they could change the last words they spoke to someone before they died. I have wished for opportunities to tell someone I’m sorry….to have a second chance.
Silly snake story? Maybe, but it just makes me think that if I felt remorse because of the way I treated that innocent (even though your opinion may differ) snake and wanted to treat the next one better, how should I feel toward my brothers and sisters, neighbors, co-workers, or anyone with whom I come in contact.
Jesus said, “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” He didn’t say to wait to see how they are going to treat you. Christians are to take the initiative in showing the world what it’s like to be treated in a Christlike manner. Let your light shine now. You may not get a second chance.
See you when the Saints meet, Lord willing.
Love, Tony
I know this is going to really sound silly to some of you and may not be what you thought it would be from the title but let me tell you about a ‘second chance’ I had. Last year some wrens built a nest under our patio on a ledge where the fireplace extended out from the house. I noticed that they were not going to the nest so I checked it. Much to my surprise (and horror of my wife), there was a black snake coiled up in the nest. A large one - forty-two inches. It didn’t want to cooperate with me to get it out and capture it alive (which my wife and neighbor didn’t want me to do anyway since some people think the only good snake is a dead one.) So, I wound up killing the snake. I didn’t want to because it was not poisonous and therefore not a threat to us.
Now for the second chance. Sunday afternoon my wife noticed a blue jay and other birds on our back fence really putting up a fuss and looking down into the flower bed. I was pretty sure what was going on and upon checking out the flower bed, sure enough, there was another black snake. Not as big as the other one but still over two feet.
Still feeling bad because I had killed the first one, I picked this one up and put it in a bucket and then released it later in a wooded area outside of town.
But wait a minute. I said the snake was not a threat to me. However, it was definitely a threat to those birds and their babies. But in the nature of things snakes have to survive, too. What a dilemma!
You know there have been times in my life - and probably in yours, too - that I may have hurt someone who never really was a threat to me or intended me harm. Maybe it was by saying something meant to be funny or it could have been with malice. Maybe it was something that happened before I became a Christian. Maybe it was unintentional. Maybe it was …..
I know of people who wish they could change the last words they spoke to someone before they died. I have wished for opportunities to tell someone I’m sorry….to have a second chance.
Silly snake story? Maybe, but it just makes me think that if I felt remorse because of the way I treated that innocent (even though your opinion may differ) snake and wanted to treat the next one better, how should I feel toward my brothers and sisters, neighbors, co-workers, or anyone with whom I come in contact.
Jesus said, “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” He didn’t say to wait to see how they are going to treat you. Christians are to take the initiative in showing the world what it’s like to be treated in a Christlike manner. Let your light shine now. You may not get a second chance.
See you when the Saints meet, Lord willing.
Love, Tony
