Father's Day, 2011

He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers.  Malachi 4:6 NASB

Though "Father's Day" is not a "Christian celebration" as such, the principle of honoring our parents is indeed well covered in the Scriptures.  If for whatever reason you are a father that has become estranged from his children, or if perhaps you are estranged from your own father, please consider doing whatever it takes to restore that relationship.  Life passes far too quickly to allow important family connections to fall by the wayside until the point that "reconnection" in the relationship is no longer possible.  Important things left unsaid, differences not discussed and then resolved or burnt bridges still not rebuilt within the family structure have a way of affecting future generations for years to come.  This Father's Day, why not take the steps needed to make right that which has caused a separation within your family...do what it takes to renew that link that is stressed or even broken by past differences.  Do it while you still can!  Our Creator will be pleased and your heart will be mended, so make that phone call, send that E-mail, open that door to reconciliation within your family...you can be the one that takes the first step.  May God richly bless you and yours in your efforts to be that instrument of healing!

"Father's Day is a celebration of fathers inaugurated in the early twentieth century to complement Mother's Day in celebrating fatherhood and male parenting. Father's Day is celebrated on a variety of dates worldwide and typically involves gift-giving, special dinners to fathers, and family-oriented activities.
The first observance of Father's Day actually took place in Fairmont, West Virginia on July 5, 1908. It was organized by Mrs. Grace Golden Clayton, who wanted to celebrate the lives of the 210 fathers who had been lost in the Monongah Mining disaster several months earlier in Monongah, West Virginia, on December 6, 1907. It's possible that Clayton was influenced by the first celebration of Mother's Day that same year, just a few miles away. Clayton chose the Sunday nearest to the birthday of her recently deceased father.
Unfortunately, the day was overshadowed by other events in the city, West Virginia did not officially register the holiday, and it was not celebrated again. All the credit for Father's Day went to Sonora Dodd from Spokane, who invented independently her own celebration of Father's Day just two years later, also influenced by Jarvis' Mother's Day.
Clayton's celebration was forgotten until 1972, when one of the attendants to the celebration saw Nixon's proclamation of Father's Day, and worked to recover its legacy. The celebration is now held every year in the Central United Methodist Church – the Williams Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church, South, was torn down in 1922. Fairmont is now promoted as the "Home of the First Father's Day Service".
A bill to accord national recognition of the holiday was introduced in Congress in 1913.  In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson went to Spokane to speak in a Father's Day celebration and wanted to make it official, but Congress resisted, fearing that it would become commercialized.  US President Calvin Coolidge recommended in 1924 that the day be observed by the nation, but stopped short of issuing a national proclamation. Two earlier attempts to formally recognize the holiday had been defeated by Congress.  In 1957, Maine Senator Margaret Chase Smith wrote a proposal accusing Congress of ignoring fathers for 40 years while honoring mothers, thus "[singling] out just one of our two parents" In 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson issued the first presidential proclamation honoring fathers, designating the third Sunday in June as Father's Day. Six years later, the day was made a permanent national holiday when President Richard Nixon signed it into law in 1972.
In addition to Father's Day, International Men's Day is celebrated in many countries on November 19 for men and boys who are not fathers."

Source: Wikipedia

Resurrection Sunday Thought...

~ This Easter-time brings us the assurance that when He comes and shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God, believers who sleep in Christ and those then living will be caught up together to meet Him in the air, and all will be, as in the twinkling of an eye, transformed and transfigured and possessed of bodies as perfect and as glorious as His own and in these glorious and resplendent bodies we shall reign and rejoice forever. ~

 E. P Goodwin

There is a Season...

A Time for Everything

 "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing...."   Eccl. 3:1-5

This past Sunday, Mar. 27, 2011, we celebrated the birthday of our youngest grandchild, Maddilyn Rose.  There were over 50 friends and family members present at our local Pietro's Pizza and we all enjoyed helping the little gal celebrate her special day.  The pizza was good too!

As we sat and watched this youngest family member tear into her first birthday cake, my thoughts turned to the celebration we had attended just the day before.  It too was a celebration, but of a different kind.  It was the Celebration of Life for my oldest brother, John, who had just turned 60 on Jan. 23.  He passed away quietly in his sleep 2 weeks before, as a result of multiple health issues.

Almost 19 years ago, John received a donated kidney to replace his two which were failing, and at less than 7% function.  The kidney was still functioning fine, but other issues had cropped up in recent years and ultimately took his life.

In recent years, John had become increasingly aware of his own mortality.  In many discussions with him, often around a campfire or in the truck making the trip over the mountains to hunt or shoot, it became apparent that he had not forgotten the Bible teaching he had received as a youth.  His path in life wandered to and fro, exploring avenues that caught his attention or even waylaid him for a period of his life.

However, in his final years, I think that John acknowledged that most of the wandering about was his own meandering and not the path that would lead him to a final eternal destination in the presence of his Savior.  He did not make a big fanfare of his realization, in fact found it difficult to talk about, but there were windows into his thinking now and then that revealed his heart's direction.

The last such conversation on the topic was back in July of 2010.  We had been camped with a group of fellow outdoor related sports enthusiasts.  At the end of the long weekend, folks loaded up gear and headed home.  John and I were the last ones in camp, doing the final clean-up detail of our location on the edge of a beautiful meadow situated in the Ochoco Forest.

As we cleaned up the area and made sure that the campfire was indeed out, John brought up the topic of spiritual things.  We talked for well over an hour and then some more on the way home.  What became apparent in the conversation was that John had been thinking seriously about his afterlife.  His daughter, Kelly, approached the subject more directly, however.

She very pointedly ask him if he had made peace with God.  John was a bit flustered, stating that it was a highly personal question, but eventually affirmed that he had indeed done so.  He further stated that he thanked God every day for the life he had been given.

As we celebrate both new beginnings, as in the birthday party of our youngest grandchild, Maddi, and the closure of an earthly sojourn, as in John's Celebration of Life, all in the same weekend, the circle of life becomes complete.  We once again remember the words of the author of Ecclesiastics when he wrote,
"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot..." 

Incidentally, Saturday, March 26, the day we said good bye to John for a time, was also the 2 year anniversary of my father's passing in 2009.

So...  

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Maddi, and John, we will catch up to you later, on down the trail a ways....

Added to His Kingdom...

Welcome to another new brother. 

 

                                                      Enrique baptized into his Lord

 

 

Every once in a while someone comes into your life and ministry that is an incredible blessing.   Ariana, from northern Mexico, is one of those.  She started attending, then participating, then ministering.  Since she joined our worship team, it is renewed and she is serving excitedly.  Because she worked patiently with Enrique, he went from doubt to belief to commitment .

 

 

 

                                                                 Ariana with Enrique

 

 

MUCHAS GRACIAS TO YOU, OUR FAITHFUL ONES, FOR YOUR LOVE, PRAYERS AND SUPPORT.

 

I AM OFF TO CUBA AT THE END OF THE MONTH,  BY HIS GRACE!

 

Harry and De

 

 

This past weekend, Feb 12, 13, each of our churches reported conversions.

One other person, besides Enrique (in the photos above) who gave their life to the Lord, was a young Vietnamese man who met one of our Hispanic girls at Chemeketa Community College.  She invited him to the Spanish service, and explained the Gospel message in English.  He was baptized this past Sunday and is planning to attend the English services at Court St. Christian Church in Salem!  Talk about a multi-cultural effort!  PTL for all of the souls added to His Kingdom recently!

 

Drugenomics or Religious Persecution?

     Persecution of religious bodies is nothing new in Mexico, dating from before "Los Conquistadores" invaded Mexico from Spain till the present day. The rampant harassment of indigenous Christians in the State of Chiapas dates back to the first efforts by "los evangelicos" in the first half of the last century. 

     Though Christians in many States of Mexico have suffered for their faith in Jesus Christ, there is a new trend in the aggression against churches there, and it appears to have nothing to do with theological differences at all.
     At a recent OLE Church Planters board meeting, after a challenge to the board to pray more for believers around the world being persecuted for their faith, a question was raised.  "Are we seeing any aggression against churches in Mexico as a direct result of the current 'drug wars'?"
     Attending the meeting was one of our Hispanic church planters.  The chairman referred the question to him, and the following account is what he shared with the board:
     In a recent trip to Northern Mexico, the church planter made contact with a Mexican pastor and his congregation.  The purpose was to distribute needed items to children in the vicinity ministered to by that particular church.  The distribution of said items is used as a tool to make inroads into communities to reach more souls for Christ, as well as for meeting practical needs.  This has been an ongoing, annual outreach by our church planter and his team.
     The church in the story being related was a rather large church, and had obviously benefited from relationships with congregations in the U.S. who had sent "short-term mission teams" to help in construction projects, etc.  Some time after the visit being related by our church planter, the pastor's son was kidnapped.  A large sum was demanded, far and away beyond the family's or the churches' ability to pay.
     That information was relayed to the kidnappers and their response was to kidnap the pastor's second son and to double the ransom amount.  A similar answer was communicated to the kidnappers who responded the third time by kidnapping the pastor himself and again, doubling the ransom required for the release of all three, the pastor and his two sons.  Of course the church nor any family could meet the amount and as a result, all three lost their lives.
     In another church, three men entered into a regular church service and during the worship time, rose to their feet, pulled out pistols and demanded they be handed the tithes and offerings received that day, and stated that they had no desire to harm anyone.  The congregational leaders complied and the three men left without further incident.  As a result of this and other similar incidents, churches are cutting back on their services and keeping doors locked except when members are entering or leaving.
    In one incident, the three family members lost their lives.  In the other, a small amount of money was taken.  It does not appear that in these cases, religious beliefs had anything to do with the attacks, but rather, appears to be a simple desire for money, based on drug-driven greed.  One thing in common with the churches in these two incidents is their connection with U.S. churches.  There seems to be a belief that through the Mexican churches, there is financial access to our American dollars which can easily be intercepted by kidnappers and other thugs to fund the drug cartels.  It is believed that in the first case, the kidnappers actually attended several worship services to "case" the church and plan the kidnapping.
    So, the need for our prayers for Christians being persecuted in other countries does not only include those who are persecuted for their faith, but also in a more general way.  We need to pray that God would place a hedge of protection around His own in Mexico, a hedge that still permits the LIGHT to shine out into the surrounding darkness of fear brought on by the "drug wars" and that calls souls to the feet of the Savior.  Our Spanish-speaking brethren to the South will need our prayers for discernment and boldness as well.


   

New Year, New Life!!

Harry Douglass reports...

Talked to Pancho (Francisco, one of our church planters) this morning.  Their New Years eve service lasted from 9 p.m. till into the next day.  One attender who had accepted Christ, was baptized into Him at 12:30 a.m. on New Years!!  Is that a great way to start the year or not?

Pancho works in Yamhill County with services and training program located at Newberg Christian Church, and also in Tigard.

Christmas Contrasts...

Have a BLESSED CHRISTMAS                        Dec. 2010

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.  Isaiah 9:6

When one considers the humble circumstances surrounding the birth of our Savior, it is an amazing thing, miraculous in every way, from the virgin birth to the supernatural signs of His birth.  Amazing it is that our Creator took on the form of man, His own creation, and not just of any man, but that of a servant, to reach across the barrier of sin to reconcile us to Himself.  The Apostle John, in chapter 3 verse 16 in The Gospel of John, states that "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son..."

Paul, in his letter to the Philippian believers wrote the following:

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.   Phil. 2:5-11

Also amazing, as an observant grandfather who is blessed to have significant interaction with our wee ones, is to witness how quickly they learn what it takes to call attention to themselves and their needs, perceived or legitimate.  As life goes on, we get better and better at it, sometimes carrying it to the extreme!  

Reading once again the incredible account of the birth of our Lord and His humble way along His life journey, I see an amazing contrast between The Lamb of God and the typical "me, me, me promotional mindset" that is so representative of the human race in general.

 

An observant writer said the following of our human race: Half the harm that is done in this world is due to people who want to feel important. They don't mean to do harm-but the harm does not interest them. Or they do not see it, or they justify it because they are absorbed in the endless struggle to think well of themselves. — T.S. Eliot

So let us focus on the Savior, His birth, His life, but most especially, His journey to the cross, His death and resurrection and the process the led Him there and us into His fold, His family, and our eternity together, in His presence.  

May REAL PEACE be abundant in your life and family every day, every hour, every minute until we celebrate and worship together forever.

David Phelps sings "O Holy Night"...ENJOY! (copy and paste the link below into your browser address bar)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37NQ2VlFfXc&feature=related