November 2013
Where Is the Humility Movement?
Since October 31, 1517, the pages of church history have recorded the Reformation Movement, the Counter-Reformation Movement, the proliferation of denominations movement, the Restoration Movement, the Charismatic Movement, the Promise Keepers Movement, the Prayer Movement, and perhaps others. Are we missing something? Where is the Humility Movement? Will there ever be another Great Awakening without humiliation and deep, genuine humility? It’s both interesting and enlightening to me that the deepest rooted sin of the human heart is pride. Why did God allow Job to suffer such agonizing pain and suffering? (See Job chapters 37-42).
“Humility Cures Worldliness”
“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” James 4:6-10 (NKJV).
“Submit to God, Resist the Devil”
“Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for
‘God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.’
“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 5:5-11 (NKJV)
Did you notice that both James and Peter shared the same thought? “But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: ‘God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.’”
Will you pray with me for the “Humility Movement” in America? Since God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble, it is our only hope!!!
Potent, Pertinent Quotes
“Nothing sets a man so much out of the devil’s reach as humility.” ~ Jonathan Edwards
“When you teach people their rights, you have a revolution. When you teach people their responsibilities, you have a revival.” ~ Bill Gothard
“I’d rather absolutely fail in doing something than to absolutely succeed in doing nothing!”
~ Charles Stanley
“Meaningless does not come from being weary of pain! Meaningless comes from being weary of pleasure.” ~ G. K. Chesterton
“Not to the strong is the battle, not to the swift is the race,
Yet to the true and the faithful vict’ry is promised through grace.” ~ Frances J. Crosby
Humility + Commitment = Effective Evangelism
Following are some very pertinent excerpts from the Summer 2013 issue of “ONE BODY” magazine on Evangelism. The first section is from an article by Leighton Ford entitled, “The Urgency of Evangelism”.
“I once heard an old preacher say, ‘If a man has a soul, and he has, and if that soul can be won or lost for eternity, and it can, then the most important thing in the world is to bring a man to Jesus Christ.’
“The question of urgency in evangelism troubles me today as I look at the Christian Church throughout the world. If (to quote Emil Bruner) ‘the church exists by mission as fire exists by burning,’ what has happened to the fire?”…..
“A missionary acquaintance of mine was working in Indochina shortly before the fall of Dien Bien Phu. He was taken captive by a band of Communist guerrillas and held for several weeks. During this period he became very friendly with their young officer, and taught him English by means of the Bible.
“Toward the end of this time they sat discussing an impending operation in which the guerrillas were going up against tremendous odds. When the missionary pointed out that he might die, the officer thought for a moment and then quietly said, ‘I would gladly die if I could advance the cause of Communism one more mile.’ Then he made this telling comment, ‘You know, as you have read to me from the Bible I have come to believe that you Christians have a greater message than that of Communism. But I believe that we are going to win the world, for Christianity means something to you, but Communism means everything to us.’
“We must seek for God’s wisdom in our evangelistic task today. What is our strategy to be? As we seek the answer, we must keep two things clearly in mind. First, we are not seeking to invent a plan, but to discover God’s strategy. Jesus Christ is the Great Evangelist, the Master Strategist. Paul did not ‘venture to speak of anything except what Christ has wrought through [him] to win obedience from the Gentiles, by word and deed.’ (Rom. 15:18).
“Second, we must not confuse strategy with tactics. Strategy includes methods, but much more. Strategy involves vision – a clear-cut sense of what we are sent to do and the best principles of achieving our objectives. Methods can become tyrants unless they are made the servants of strategy. This is why evangelism is always in peril of being stifled by the idolatry of one particular method.”
Great Quotes on Evangelism
(Also from the Summer 2013 ONE BODY Magazine)
“Go stand by the gates of hell, and hear the damned entreat you to go to their father’s house and bid their brothers and sisters and servants and masters not to come there. Then look Christ in the face – whose mercy you have professed to obey – and tell Him whether you will join heart and soul and body and circumstances in the march to publish His mercy to the world.” ~ William Booth
“And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” ~ Daniel
“Lord, make me a crisis man. Let me not be a mile-post on a single road, but make me a fork that men must turn one way or another if facing Christ in me.” ~ Jim Elliot
“I’d rather have people hate me with the knowledge that I tried to save them.” ~ Keith Green
“Some want to live within the sound of church or chapel bell; I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell.” ~C.T. Studd
“The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed. ~Hudson Taylor
“Give me one hundred people who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I care not whether they be clergymen or laymen, they alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the kingdom of heaven on earth.” ~ John Wesley
New Book Title???
“More Than Conquerors in Cultural Clashes” is now with our publisher, Bruce Malone, and I’m hoping and praying it will be published soon. Will you join me?
I’m now contemplating a sequel to the book: “From Napoleon Bonaparte and the French Revolution to Nearly Blown Apart in the American Devilution”. Would this be a historical novel or a hysterical novelty??? The look Della gave me when I mentioned writing another book conveyed that “blown apart” may become a reality if I try it!
Now Realistically…
On a more realistic note, I want to share an insert we put in a box in chapter 1 of the new book:
How Ironic!!!
The naturalist (atheist) argues for absolutes when it comes to God’s laws of nature, but argues against absolutes when it comes to God’s laws of ethics. He denies the possibility of miracles because they are exceptions to the laws of nature, but he denies absolutes in moral matters because of the possibility that there may be exceptions. So the “liberal” naturalist promotes “situational ethics” while at the same time rigidly affirming that “laws of nature” are absolute. Isn’t this revealing to his true motives???
Here is a sample from Chapter 4, which is entitled, “Phony Matrimony vs. Merry Marriage”.
Griping – or Gratitude?
Do you realize that dissatisfaction with the sexuality God has given you is sinful discontent? If you are grumbling and complaining because you want to be a woman, but God made you a man, or that you want to be a man, yet God made you a woman, then you are guilty of ingratitude. This also is serious – very serious. God condemned the whole nation of Israel (with the only exceptions being Joshua and Caleb) to die in the wilderness because of their ingratitude, complaining, and lack of faith in Him. Paul, by inspiration, wrote: “… because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. … Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.” Romans 1:21, 24-25
This is a good reminder that November is Thanksgiving, and we should all be giving God gratitude instead of grumbling and griping about anything. We do want you to know that we are deeply grateful for you who pray and those who give financially to Overseas Outreach for the glory of God. May He reward you richly beyond your fondest dreams.
I specifically praise God that your offerings and prayers enabled us to send a significant amount to help our persecuted brother (one of my students in a middle Asian nation). We shared his distress letter last month. One of the brothers in Ukraine, a co-worker in spreading the gospel and training soldiers of the cross, was able to safely transfer the funds to him in order to help him set up a business to support his family, provide a place to live, and have transportation. Thank you so much for your partnership! He sent a message of deep gratitude. Isn’t it wonderful to have a part in what God is doing for His hurting children?
Inspiring Letters from Our Contributing Artists
From Carolyn Benjamin:
“It was a pleasure to paint the paintings for you! ….. I appreciate your kind words and scripture verse. I’m writing them down in my journal for encouragement! I will be praying for you and Della, your book, the new creation museum, and amazing opportunities to share the Gospel to those who are ready and waiting to hear about God’s love for them and the message of hope and salvation! I kid you not, there have been times when I have been out and about, grocery shopping, etc. and I wished I had a few copies of your book already in my hand to give out to people I’ve met who are worried about the future, and trying to make sense of what to do, Christians and non-Christians. Many topics that you have written about happen to be what people are asking me questions on!!! I need a photographic memory!!! By the way, you do know that I want to have some copies of the book, right? It would be great for our Sunday school class, etc. I would like a signed copy.
Blessings, Carolyn”
From Paul Sudhaker:
“Thanks for your kind words Rick,
All praise, honor and glory to God. Thanks for your prayers. I really don’t know if God is using my sickness as a way to make me stronger, but I’ve never considered it as a trial. Though it hurts me badly (physically) sometimes, it never managed to take away my happiness, cause my Christ is the center of my happiness. He never changes and neither does my happiness. Seriously my bad health is not a problem at all. I never question God ‘why’ he gave me this. So, it doesn’t look like a problem to me. I only pray about my health literally when it hurts my body too badly.
I think, as a teenager, there is something more important to be concerned and worried about – my mind. I’m completely confident and sure, I would not sin physically. But there is a chance that I at some or the other time sin with my eyes or my words or thoughts. And I’m concerned about it. My prayers are about this. To keep me from falling for these traps of Satan. Most of my friends here are not Christians and we’re all teenagers. There’s no wonder in assuming that you can hear a lot of swearing and foul language in my surroundings all the time. And it would be a lie if I say I NEVER swore. I try to guard myself, but its easy to fall sometimes. Not just with words, in the world we’re living in now access to bad influence is too free and widely available, and its easy to sin with our looks and thoughts.
I consider these as real trials and tribulations. ‘Cause nothing from outside can kill me, but what comes from my inside can! Pray that God gives me strength to fight and win against these trails, whenever I face them.
I know I sin many times against God, both knowingly and unknowingly, but unwillingly always. I’m not perfect. But I’m fighting to be. I’m always fighting. Sometimes I fall, sometimes I fail. But I never gave up the fight and I’m never going to. I’m so thankful to God for his amazing Love, Grace and Strength that he’s showering upon me. I’m so thankful to him for not giving up on me.
Please pray that I keep myself pure, holy and blameless before God so that I can be a model to others and a reason why people praise and honor God. That’s the best thing you can ever do for me. ‘Cause, when I’m pure at heart, right in my works, and God-seeking, I have everything.
Thanks again for the tribute. I pray that this book touches hearts of many. Let God’s will be done, Amen.
Convey my warm wishes to Della and Sandy. Wish to see you again soon, if God is willing.
Love, Paul”
From a Heart of Gratitude in Ukraine
“Dear Rick and Della,
Thank you for your notes and staying in touch. I have just come back to Kharkiv from the 1st missionary forum in Kiev. The two day event had more than 3000 participants and was great! I was so very much encouraged about the mission work and our family commitment to the cause of the Kingdom of God. In this respect I would like to express our gratitude to you and Della for your continual and faithful support, prayers and encouragement. We thank you for your labour of love. We appreciate greatly you being our friends, mentors, coworkers, prayer partners and forwarding agents. We pray God will strengthen you and give you His grace and everything that you need at this time. Please, pray for my work at the police departments. I pray for many commitments to Christ among police servants.
For His glory,
Zhenya and family”
Attention! Calling Difference Makers!
Would you like to make a difference to turn our nation around? Are you tired of Michael Neudow and other atheists, along with the ACLU and Freedom from Religion, using lawsuits to try to take down crosses, delete “Under God” from our Pledge of Allegiance and force us to accept so-called “gay marriage”? Would you like to do something positive to impact our culture, especially our youth, with amazing evidence for our Creator and the accuracy of the Word of God? Would you like to help us rescue children from the lies of evolutionism, relativism, abortion acceptance, and other godless philosophies and turn them into bold witnesses for Jesus? You can! We need 40 individuals who will sacrifice $250 each to provide the $10,000 we need to fully equip our Northwest Science Museum Vision Center with first class, eye-catching displays demonstrating truth. We have the evidence! We can expose the frauds of evolutionism. Will you be one who enables us to open our Vision Center? If so, I would like to send you two copies of “More Than Conquerors in Cultural Clashes” when it is published.
Does the presentation of Christian evidences make a difference? Consider the following two examples.
When Lena first came to Commonwealth International University (formerly Crimean American College), she was an atheist and a member of the Communist Youth. However, she got much more than language study – she got a course in apologetics from John Murphy and experienced the love of Christ from committed believers that led her to repentance and transformation. When I first met her in 2001, she was already using her musical talent by serving on the worship team at Simferopol Christian Church. Now she is married to a Christian leader who trains church planters.
When another atheist young lady came to Crimean American College, Lena was by then teaching at CAC, and her contagious faith influenced this young woman to give her life to Jesus. Both of them have served as my interpreters and co-workers with World English Institute.
Do Christian Evidences matter! Definitely! Would you like to help enable us to influence other young people to come to Jesus and become life changers? Yes, you can be a difference maker! Will you consider a transformational gift that keeps on giving?
We are already behind schedule. We had planned to open the Vision Center in November – but have had to deal with the reality of road blocks, detours, and lack of funds. Wouldn’t it be great if we could open it before Christmas! Do you also feel the urgency?
Yours & His, Rick
P.S. If you believe in our cause for Northwest Science Museum and want to participate, but do not have the means to send $250, perhaps you can send $125. If we have 80 who send $125, we will still have the $10,000 needed to open the vision center. For that matter, any amount you can send will make a difference!!!
Northwest Science Museum now has its own 501(c) (3) and therefore donations are tax deductible. If you want to donate to this project, please make your check to Northwest Science Museum (or NWSM). You can mail it to:
Northwest Science Museum
P. O. Box 3933
Nampa, ID 83653-3933