No Days Off (Please do not call me after work hours!) – by Doug Nichols

A friend of mine is a chaplain with the Fire Department. He was visiting a family to inform them of the death of their teenage son in a fire. He asked the grieving couple if they were involved in a local church. They answered “yes” and proceeded to give him the name of the church. The chaplain told them he would call their pastor so he could come over to visit them.

They both responded, “Oh no! Don’t call our pastor now. It is after office hours. He has a very strict policy of not taking phone calls for any reason after 5 PM and during no time on the weekends!”

This is quite a contrast to our pastor who recently stated in a sermon that anybody in the church could call him at any hour of the day or night.

Is this our policy as God’s people? Are we available as Christ’s representative to anybody at anytime? Do people know that they can approach us for assistance whether it is morning, noon or at midnight?

Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin (James 4:17, nasb).

Street Children and Orphans

There is an estimated 143 million orphans worldwide and 100 million street children.  I wrote the following short paragraph for my blog “No Time to Waste!”  It is basically adapted from David Platt’s book, “Radical.” What do you think?

 “What happens to people who never hear about Jesus? According to the book of Romans, all people know God, and all people reject God.  All people are guilty before God, and all people are condemned for rejecting God. God has made a way of salvation for the lost, and people cannot come to God apart from faith in Christ.  As a result, Christ commands the church to make the Gospel known to all peoples. The implication of these facts for our lives is huge.  If more than a billion people today are headed to a Christless eternity and have not heard the Gospel, then we do not have time to waste. There are at least 143 million orphans worldwide who need the Gospel and compassionate care. There are 100 million street children throughout the world who can only come to faith in Christ through the Gospel. The will of God for us is to give our lives urgently and recklessly to making the Gospel and the glory of God known among all peoples, particularly those who have never even heard of Jesus.

Twelve reasons to read the Bible everyday

by Arnold Pent III

All verses from New American Standard Bible

1.  The Lord commanded it.  “Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress may be evident to all.  Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things; for as you do this you will insure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.” 1 Timothy 4:15,16

2.  We are to be fruitful.  “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me.  I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing.” John 15:4,5

3.  We need to know doctrine.  “Jesus therefore was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’” John 8:31,32

4.  To be clean.  “"You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.” John 15: 3

5.  So our prayers answered.  “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you.” John 15:7

6.  To be successful in life.  “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.” Joshua 1:8

7.  To keep from backsliding.  “The law of his God is in his heart; His steps do not slip.” Psalm 37:31

8.  To be fed from God’s Word.  “"And He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD.” Deuteronomy 8:3

9.  To Grow in Scriptural Maturity.  “Like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation.” 1 Peter 2:2

10.  I want understanding.  “I have more insight than all my teachers, For Thy testimonies are my meditation.” Psalm 119:99

11.  To really live.  “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.” John 6:63

12.  To be thoroughly equipped to every good work.  “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16,17.

Is Cheating and Adultery Okay?

^“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Cor. 6:9-10, nasb)

Some people ask what is wrong with homosexuality.  Our answer could simply be “What’s wrong with cheating, adultery, and theft?” If it is sin, it’s wrong.

We need to reach homosexuals with the gospel and in doing so with compassion and grace and truth as with all sinners: to be delivered from sin, not remain in it. 

Past, Present, and Future!

ACTION began in the Philippines in 1975 and is an international, evangelical fellowship of missionaries with main sending offices in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the USA. 265 missionaries minister in over 25 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. We at present need an additional 100 missionaries (ages 40 to 80) to work among the 3.2 million untrained pastors worldwide. We are also trusting God for 120 additional missionaries (ages 21 to 81) to minister the gospel and compassionate care to 100 million street children and an estimated 143 million orphans throughout the world. “Seeing the people, He (Jesus) felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest’" (Matthew 9:36-38, nasb).

Home of Joy

Home of Joy is a ministry to orphans in the Philippines. ACTION started this ministry nearly 35 years ago with our partner, Christian Growth Ministries (CGM). Over 1000 children have been rescued! Funds are now needed to install a new water system for the home as the water from the current system is contaminated and not safe to drink. Installation of a new system will cost $10,700. In addition, the current electrical power supply of the orphanage desperately needs to be upgraded because of the increased use of electricity to run fans, air conditioning, computers, lights and other electrical equipment. The current power supply is a fire hazard and needs to be replaced which will cost $22,000 for the several homes. These two CGM projects for the Home of Joy total $32,700. Perhaps someone reading this letter can write a check for the complete amount which would meet a great need at this time. 

Cramps and the Book of Psalms

Cramps are painful, aren’t they? Last night I had them so bad that they woke me up and almost knocked me out of bed around 12:30 am.  I went to another room and while waiting for the cramps to subside, I had the wonderful opportunity of reading some of the Psalms and the commentary by James Boice on Psalm 19 and some of Psalm 119 on the power, encouragement and sufficiency of the Word of God.

I would really like a full night’s sleep sometime, but if God wants to give me cramps to get me into His Word, so be it.  Even though cramps are painful, Scripture is refreshing, healing, sweet, and honey to the soul!