Featured Article: True Diagnosis

“And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead.” (Luke 8:52-53)

As Jesus walked into the house, the mourning party exploded in ridicule. What He had told them concerning the little girl inside sounded preposterous, and they responded in a chorus of irreverent laughter.

However, what an amusing array of expressions they must have displayed a few minutes later as the Lord and His trio of disciples said goodbye to the happy family.

Once again, the Lord’s assessment had been true, though it had made no sense.

Throughout His ministry, the Lord was continually shaking up people’s thoughts about reality.

For centuries the Jews had been without a prophetic word from Heaven, and their faith had all but died. Oh, they had adopted a lifestyle of sacred traditions and rituals inherited from Moses and others, but in every practical aspect of life, the majority lived on a completely horizontal level.

It is not that they openly denied the truths of the Old Testament. They still heard them read at the synagogues and claimed them as their treasure. However, much of that knowledge they stored on the dusty, old shelves of theory.

So deeply was this error entrenched that when the Lord came and actually lived according to those principles, they questioned His sanity. When He gave the true diagnosis, which inevitably was at odds with the interpretations of the day, the atmosphere would turn nasty. A few of the bolder and more humorous ones would start to laugh, soon to be joined by their admirers. Before long the whole bunch would be making fun of Him.

Tragically, few of them ever seemed to realize or admit that they were actually laughing at the facts according to God!

We can learn from their mistakes.

As we read the Bible, the voice of Deity makes statements that are squarely against popular attitudes and philosophies. Faced with these opposing ideas, we have to choose.

Either we listen to the tune of the culture, and move to their side, or we lean our hearts toward the words of the Lord. If we are of those who have ears to hear, His authoritative voice will drown out the cheap cackle of the scorners and our souls will swell in harmony with the majestic symphony of Truth.

Though rarely a large crowd at any given time, the ensemble of true worshippers has a long history, and down through the ages, thousands have joined its ranks.

Earlier in this Gospel, when Luke recorded his investigation into the arrival of Messiah, he revealed evidence that not everyone had been swayed by the mood of unbelief. Even in that dark hour of ignorance, there were still a few who believed the prophets of the Lord, no matter how hopeless the situation looked. Simeon and Anna were two of these, an elderly duet that knew God was always right.

And so each of us faces the choice of every individual of every age: Who will I believe?

Dear Father, You are always right. Even when what You say doesn’t seem to make sense on this sin-cursed earth, Your diagnosis is correct. Help me listen and believe.

Prayers and Dates: January 2015

Click the link above to download a PDF of prayer requests and praises as well as the birthdays and anniversaries for January. Note: You will need to login to SecureCloud in order to view this document.  Once you have logged in, click on Files Shared, then Headquarter Happenings, then scroll to the month you would like to view. This step protects people with WWNTBM in restricted access fields.

From the Memo Board: January 2015

January Income

During a typical month, we close out the books on the 25th, and any checks received after that date are posted to the following month. Due to receipting requirements, we cannot do this in the month of December. As a result, please be aware that the December support may be higher than normal, while your January support may be lower than normal. Please be sure to plan ahead for this.

 

Housing Allowances for 2015

Housing allowances previously in place have automatically rolled over to the new year. Missionaries who are ordained are eligible to have a housing allowance in place, which can provide certain tax benefits. If you did not have a housing allowance in 2014 and would like to have one for 2015, or if you have questions regarding this, please contact our office.

 

New Excel Template

A new Excel template for the year 2015 will be available during the first week of February. This will give us time to review the need for any possible updates. January financial reports will be due on March 1. Should you wish to complete your report before the new template is available, you are welcome to submit it on the 2014 template.

 

New Mileage Rate

Beginning January 1st, the IRS mileage rate has increased to $0.575 per mile for business/ministry miles. This change will be reflected on the new Excel template for 2015.

Elena Germano

New Baby!

Elena Lisa Germano was born to Timothy and Stephanie Germano on November 29. She weighed 7 lb. 13 oz. and was 20.5″ long. The family is doing well and Elena has already been traveling on deputation! The Germanos are on deputation to go to the Dominican Republic.

 

Nathan Fry & HannahNew Engagement!

Nathan Fry and Hannah Joyal were engaged on Christmas Eve! Nathan will soon be returning to Pohnpei, where he will continue to assist Ruth Ann Arthurs with the radio station until the Eibens arrive and are trained. Pray for this couple as they make plans for their future together!

 

Michael DeatrickNew Graduate!

Michael Deatrick completed his missions degree in December from Ambassador Baptist College. Now that his schooling is completed, he and his wife Nora have moved to Missouri, where they will base the remainder of their deputation. They are planning to go to the Solomon Islands.

From Our President: January 2015

Psalm 104:33-34, “I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD.”

Are you terribly busy right now? Could you possibly find a quiet place? Is it possible to go to a room with no electronic devices to be seen or heard? If so, I would like to challenge you to go there and read Psalm 104. Do not speed read. Perhaps even read it aloud to yourself. Then, ask yourself if there is any wonder why the Psalmist would then write verses thirty-three and thirty-four.

Have you ever gotten so caught up with the Lord that you just broke out in song to Him? Sometimes the songwriters are able to capture our thoughts in a few words that we can sing to the Lord. The overflow of the heart cannot be easily explained, and too often its importance is overlooked. Maybe no one ever compliments your ability to sing, but I have every reason to believe that it is a blessing to our God when it flows from within.

Why does it not happen more often? It could be that the answer is in verse thirty-four. “My meditation of Him shall be sweet.” We are engaged with so many things. Even when we pillow our heads to rest, it is difficult to arrest the spinning mind long enough to get a peaceful night of sleep. Be still! Be still long enough for Psalm 104 to really register in your heart and mind. Believe it or not everything can do without us for a few minutes. Very soon we can get back to the race of life. However, for a moment let us think on Him. Oh! Isn’t it sweet? Just for a little while we are not asking Him for anything. We are simply immersing ourselves in His divine presence. Psalm 34:8, “O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.”

We cannot by thought or deed bring the whole world to a standstill, but we do have the power to call a timeout! Is it possible that we could emerge from this sweet moment of meditation saying, “I will be glad in the Lord.” To be glad is to be joyful. It means to brighten up. We can face today, and we can face it joyfully. However, we must prepare for it by spending time with our Lord. “My meditation of him shall be sweet.”

As we face the challenges of the New Year, let us commit ourselves to time with the Lord. It will be the oil that lubricates everything else in our schedule. It is my sincere prayer that the Lord will use each of us to glorify His name.

In His Service,
Danny A. Whetstone