Fall 2011 How Beautiful Are the Feet of Those Who Bring Good News
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International Messengers Good News Fall 2011 How beautiful are the feet of those who bring Good News. Romans 10:15 Darwin Anderson INSIDE Lessons on Courage . 2 Northern Reflections . 3 Can He? Ministry in Odessa . 3 Thoughts from the Train . 4 Could He? Simply Following Him . 5 Developing an Elder’s Heart . 6 Staff Care & Barnabas Int’l . 6 Would He? Oh My Money! . 7 his Cathedrals hit song from the someone rises from the dead.” Both Living Your Faith . 8 mid-80’s brings back memories of these accounts seem to paint an Fifteen Years & Counting . 9 T of a light heart and joyful accurate picture of how hard it is for Seeking People . 10 worship. But the title also reveals us to trust the loving heart of God French Without Borders . 11 some deeper questions of our hearts and believe His promises to us. If He Life and Ministry in Egypt . 12 that regularly need to be brought back would only …, then I would be faithful. A Heart to Serve . 13 to the plumbline of God’s truth. Our No we wouldn’t! Changed Lives . 14 hearts are hard to convince as we don’t MUM is the Word . 15 believe easily in any authority other The Hubble telescope has given us a 2012 Camp Schedule . 16 than self. It must be in our DNA to continually clearer understanding of Am I Like Moses . 17 doubt God’s character and goodness the astounding universe God has put Global Compassion Network . 18 no matter how He proves Himself and us in, and yet we doubt and question Opportunity is Knocking . 19 blesses. His power, His existence, and His No Presentation of the Gospel? . 20 majesty. Having a name like Darwin Czesc! Jak sie masz? . 21 In the early 90’s Darlis and I were at the has given me plenty of exposure to the God is Big, Isn’t He? . 21 end of a Czech university English camp long lasting effects of Charles Darwin’s Want God to Bless You? . 22 and a student asked the American evolutionary theory. This theory took team, “Why doesn’t God send Jesus hold of the scientific community at a Blowing the Whistle . 23 back to our generation to do miracles time when there was no access to the The Blessing of Discipleship . 24 so we can believe?” One of our team tools of microbiology that we have That We May Be Worthy . 25 members soberly answered, “Because now. Has our incredible technology Just Past the 3rd Billboard . 26 the last time He sent Him we nailed to see the inner workings of the cell The Truth Project . 26 Him to a Cross and He only needed to turned the science community whole- 2011 Staff Conference . 27 do that one time.” This reminds me, heartedly towards intelligent design Invest in People . 28 too, of Jesus’ account of Lazarus and and belief in God’s creative hand? Hugs from God . 29 the rich man from Luke 16. The rich Nope. The battle may rage more Are You a Dog or a Cat? . 30 man, suffering in Hades, requested intensely now than ever. Our hearts are Journey of Faith . 31 that Abraham send Lazarus back from not easily swayed away from needing Stateside for a Time . 32 the dead to his five brothers so they to be “in charge” or “in control” of our Is it Real or is it Virtual? . 33 could believe. Abraham replied, “If own destiny, even as miserable as that Biblical Education . 34 they won’t listen to Moses and the leaves us. Reaching Refugees . 35 prophets, they won’t listen even if An Instrument in God’s Hands . 36 continued on page 2 Ministry in Radom Poland . 37 Brent Howland Can He?...continued from page 1 It is not surprising then, that we are reading debates and challenges within Lessons on the believing community as to how a loving God could send humans to an eternity in Hell. That’s really not so far Courage away from our own questions of how a truly good God could allow us and our loved ones to endure such suffering. ’ve been inspired this year by lost, even though I know that I simply Can He? Could He? Would He? What some great stories of courage that don’t have the wisdom or ability or would this God allow in my life to make me want to live for Christ character to make those things turn accomplish His purposes? What will I I have to suffer to enter His Kingdom? and expel the fears and insecurities out the way I hope they will. Biblical that hold me back. The biblical story phrases like, “My grace is sufficient Why me? If He allows this, what will these remaining years bring? of Jonathan and his armor bearer for you for My power is made perfect in 1 Samuel 14 has challenged me in weakness,” and “with God all It’s time that we go back to Jesus’ to surrender myself to whatever things are possible,” help me face instructions on how to pray. “Thy outcomes God has for me. I need to the situations with a Christ-focused Kingdom come, Thy will be done, take new steps of faith in Christ and confidence. on earth as it is in Heaven.” Can we let God control the results of those discipline our minds and will to give faith steps in whatever ways He sees I’ve also learned that acts of God the room in our own daily lives to fit. The dramatic courage of IM staff courage are often more mundane be God, by working out His sovereign who see this chaotic time in Egypt as than the things I read in missionary and loving will for us and the lost around a window of opportunity for ministry biographies. In my context, courage us? He doesn’t need our permission rather than a time to retreat, and means humbly working to resolve a but, as part of living by faith to please of those who view economic crises conflict instead of holding on to my Him, it is right for us to pray, “You GO as a tool to bring people to Christ prideful “I was wronged!” mentality. AHEAD, loving LORD. You do what challenge me to re-examine where It means being open about my You need to do to accomplish Your my trust is. When my trust is in Jesus personal struggles and trusting that purposes. I trust Your heart. Thank and my sense of security comes spiritual victory comes from telling the you for who You are. Get it done!” from God, then I’m set free from the truth instead of through appearing to things that hold me back — I can act have it all together. Courage means Let’s keep our hearts and minds with courage because I know that His picking up the phone even when I trained in faithfulness to this incredible wisdom and His ways are best. should have called weeks ago. God. He spoke our universe — which currently is thought to measure 15 As an athlete and a coach, my Lastly, I’ve learned from several billion light years in radius — into courage was based on a competitive IM missionaries that courage also existence from NOTHING! Then drive that I had and on a lot of things means praying when things seem even more miraculously, He created that I could control, like practice, hopeless. In the last year, we’ve seen us in His image to walk with Him and hard work, conditioning, etc. But I’m God resurrect dead relationships and planned from the start to send His starting to see that I’m completely revive burned-out spirits and even beloved Son to die in our place while we were rebelling against Him. What bankrupt when it comes to an ability give us opportunities for sharing the an awe-inspiring, unfathomable, to make my ministry go well. It’s hard Gospel in places where the doors compassionate God Who would to admit that. It feels backwards to seemed very firmly shut. So why and could do such things. He was me to let go of self-reliance and not have courage? If God can do all and continues to be “in charge” to to admit my neediness. This has those things that seem impossible bring about the completion of His been a step of courage for me — to me, then why fear, why hesitate, Kingdom work in this present age. You to continue to take steps forward why hold back from serving Him in a Can God! I know You Could, God. in preaching, in ministering to radical way? And if You Would, I will love You missionaries, in reaching out to the and trust You. 2 Alex & Beth Oehler Northern Reflections e live in Northern Can- We are challenged daily by these ada, a region legendary questions, Alex in post-residential Wfor adventure, giant land- school language revitalization and scapes and wild animals. Our region Beth as regional nutritionist. We have is also legendary for inter-cultural seen our respect for others grow in conflict. Huge heartache has proportion to our understanding of human beings . This will demand time resulted through the colonial-style resi- their values. We continue to seek the and much patient prayer, but the dential schooling of aboriginal children best ways to live out the calling of Christ Savior, as the Risen One, will open the which forced disassociation with family, in this setting.