Newsletter
Volume 12, No. 12
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NewsletterVolume 12, No. 12 |
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"Suki" is Filipino for "a regular customer or supplier". God is regularly using our newest teacher, Sally, to supply the gospel for people to be led to Jesus Christ.
In Sunday School I have been teaching how to share our faith with others. Sally is showing us how it is done in real life! "The Philippines and the USA have one thing in common: neither knows who'll be their president, come January!" With USA elections counted and recounted and disputed, and the Philippine president in impeachment trials, uncertainty was the key word during this year's Foundation Day. Before the children's presentations, and before the message from the Bible College president Labawan, I challenged those present to trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior. Although the economy is unsure, we can be sure of our salvation in Jesus. Although our life's breath teeters on the brink of extinction, we can be sure where we'll be after we breathe our last. I challenged the 300 pupils and parents present at the ceremony to leave their uncertainty behind and pray to receive Jesus into their hearts. Dances, songs, colorful costumes and lots of good food made the festive spirit of our 3rd Foundation Day grand. The Gospel of Jesus, shared by both speakers, made the day worthwhile eternally.
"Nice guitar!" A quarter century ago as I was collecting from my paper route customers what they owed, I saw Mr. Woodward's Kent guitar hang on his wall. "You want it? It's yours. I am tone deaf, so I just use it as a decoration." On my way home I clutched that guitar dearer to me than gold. Yet a decade later, the Kent had collected lots of dust and had broken a string. So I gave it to my sister. Last year during furlough I was borrowing a pair of jeans from my brother Bud and noticed the Kent in his closet. "Hey, that's my guitar!" I told him. "No, I bought it from Sue at a garage sale years ago. But you can have it." The next day I customized a careful packing job out of sliced down cardboard boxes, to send the guitar to the Philippines. Six months later, I unwrapped it overseas. When Bud and Sue visited on their short-term missions trip, Bud replaced the busted string. Jimbo, from church, came by with his family to sing happy birthday to Elvie in September at 4am. He tried out the guitar then and liked the sound so much that he brought it back to the church. Now that Kent hangs on the wall in the church, and is used every Sunday morning in the worship program. It is getting more use now than it has in the past three decades! Church people hear of Jesus on Sundays. Children hear of Jesus in our Christian school. Future pastors study about and hear of Jesus in Bible college. I teach to all three of these types of people every week. But what about the unbelieving adults who have not yet heard? How will they hear about Jesus? Since enrollment is down at one of the Bible colleges I teach at, I have a semester off from teaching there. Instead, my Bible history course in I & II Kings will be taught at our school, to the parents of the pupils in the kinderschool. They, like college students, are studying lessons, taking quizzes and exams, and even memorizing scripture. Jesus preached to the multitudes. So did Peter and Paul. Now, we are too. Even to those who do not come to church! |
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Archived Newsletters -- Return to homepage Last edited September 02, 2002 |
