The job of the evangelist is not done until the evangelized becomes the evangelist.
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For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
John 3:16-17 KJVR

Evangelism is nothing more than one beggar telling another beggar where to find food.

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Thursday, May 31, 2007

How to Study the Bible

The Psalmist declared, “Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path."(Psalms 119:105 NLT) His word lights the way, giving direction for each step (“for my feet”) and giving wisdom for long-range plans (“for my path”). Let God’s word guide, correct, instruct, lead, teach, and confirm, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. It is God's way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do.” (2 Tim 3:16-17 NLT)

Practical:

  • Start with prayer. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you understanding of the truths you’re reading and for a greater hunger for God’s word. See Psalm 5:3
  • Make a commitment to regularly spend time in God’s word. God commanded Joshua to “meditate on it day and night”See Joshua 1:8
  • Have a plan, a systematic approach to your study. It’s a lifetime endeavor so approach it with purpose. Our random, “God give me something today” approach while flipping open the Bible is not the best consistent plan. See Psalm 119:15
  • Make it a priority by scheduling it into your day. The “if I have time today” approach doesn't seem to work. Something always seems to squeeze it out. See Psalm 90:12
  • Have a notebook close at hand to write insights gleaned from your study. See Proverbs 2:3
  • Meditate on a text, read and reread. Meditate on it throughout the day, memorize key verses. See Psalm 119:48
  • Conclude in prayer. Ask the question, “How will I be different today because of what I have just read?” Then ask God help you to live it out. See Ephesians 4:16

Principles:

These are some principles of interpretation to keep in mind as we are admonished, “Work hard so God can approve you. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.”(2 Tim 2:15 NLT)

  • Start with your favorite translation of the bible when studying and not a paraphrase.

    NOTE: A "translation" attempts to communicate word-for-word from the original language. A "paraphrase" takes the meaning of a verse or passage of scripture and attempts to express the meaning in the “plain language” of today.

  • Let scripture interpret scripture: Consider all of God’s word in regards to any topic. Refrain from isolating one verse and building a doctrine or position.
  • Context is important – interpret a passage in the light of its context. Context is the portions of scripture surrounding the passage being studied, both before and after it.
  • Language can be tricky. Interpret according the correct meaning of the words. Some words change their meaning over a period of time. Use a bible dictionary to understand the original meaning and the grammar of a sentence.
  • What's the intention? Ask yourself “Why did the author write the text?” Knowing the purpose of the writing can help in interpreting texts.
  • Interpret the scripture in the light of the historical, geographical and cultural background as far as can be known. There are many reference books that will help you in this process.
  • With the help of reference books search out the literary form of a passage. Is it a narrative, poetry, teaching, prophecy, etc?
  • While studying look for repeated words and phrases. These can have great significance in a passage.

Personal:

There are many tools and techniques available at your local Christian bookstores to aid and enhance personal Bible study. One such tool is called “journaling” and consists of systematic daily bible reading, along with writing a journal following the acronym S.O.A.P.

S for Scripture

Take time reading and allow God to speak to you. Highlight, underline or place a mark in the margin of your bible next to the scriptures that stand out. When you are done, reread the verses you marked, look for one that particularly spoke to you that day, and write it in your journal.

O for Observation

What do you think God is saying to you in this scripture? Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and reveal Jesus to you. Paraphrase and write this scripture down in your own words in your journal.

A for Application

Personalize what you have read by asking yourself how it applies to your life right now. Perhaps it is instruction, encouragement, revelation of a new promise or corrections for a particular area of your life. Write how this scripture can apply to you today.

P for Prayer

This can be as simple as asking God to help you use this scripture, or it may be a greater insight on what He may be revealing to you. Remember, prayer is a two-way conversation, so be sure to listen to what God has to say! Then, write it down.

Resources:

Many of these resources can be bought at your local Christian Book store or even checked out at your local library.

  • A bible dictionary will define the meaning of a word in the original language.
  • A concordance will help you locate other passages that contain the same word.
  • Commentaries illustrate how other men of God have interpreted a specific text.
  • Other bible translations or paraphrases: reading text stated in a different way may allow for a greater understanding of the passage.
  • There are many online resources to enhance your study and provide tools to dig deeper into God’s word and enrich your study. Here are just a couple to get you started:

    http://www.klove.com/Interact/Links.aspx
    http://www.biblegateway.com/
    http://www.studylight.org/

May God’s blessing be upon you as you endeavor to be a faithful follower of Jesus, living out the command, “Meditate on it day and night so you may be sure to obey all that is written in it. Only then will you succeed.”(Joshua 1:8b NLT) And may the promised blessing be yours; “…be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”(Joshua 1:9 NLT)

(copied from http://klove.com/promodetails.aspx?i=779)

Thought for the Day

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Thought for the day

Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed His word by the signs that accompanied it.

Mark 16:20
The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies--in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And "If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?" Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.

1 Peter 4:7-19 ESV

Monday, May 21, 2007

Philly-Vision

by Donald King

Steeped in American history, Philadelphia is rich with unique attractions and metropolitan tinsel. It is also a showcase example of what today's North American mission field looks like and all the challenges that accompany it.

Philadelphia, PA

In Philadelphia, the 5th largest city in the nation, you'll find the Liberty Bell, the "Rocky" statue, the Betsy Ross house, Independence Hall, and Valley Forge. Sports enthusiasts know the city as the home of the Philadelphia Eagles and Phillies. And if you want a Philly cheese steak sandwich, don't even think about trying one anywhere else.

As is true with many urban environments, Philadelphia has an 80 - 85% unchurched population, a high crime rate and a broad representation of various world religions. Philadelphia is also the home of 80 college campuses with nearly 250,000 students enrolled of which 11,000 are international students.

You'll also find North American Mission Board missionaries serving in the city, suburbs and on college campuses sharing Christ and starting new churches. In fact, there is an intentional relationship between the college campus ministry and new church starts.

According to Robert Turner, Director of Collegiate Ministries, Baptist Convention of PA/S. Jersey, "Our collegiate ministries are strongly intertwined with church planting strategies in our area. It is vital that we be present at the birth of churches so we can be part of the "spiritual DNA" of a church located near a collegiate population. A number of our campus ministers have been trained and are conversant in the principles and language of church planting. We consider church planters to be close partners in the efforts to reach emerging generations with the Gospel."

The Journey Church,
West Chester, PA

Examples of integrated church planting and collegiate ministry efforts can be found at several locations in and around Philadelphia. One such example is on the West Chester University campus where Brodie and Becky Smith serve as campus ministers and are Missions Service Corps (MSC) missionaries through the North American Mission Board.

Brodie and Becky began their assignment in January 2007. Becky had attended West Chester University as an exchange student fr

Brodie and Becky Smith

om Oklahoma. Having fell in love with the area, she never dreamed of being able to return as a campus missionary.

Brodie and Becky are working in conjunction with The Journey, a new church start, which is located adjacent to the campus. They seek to engage and interact with students on the campus by providing Bible study, discipleship study and lead events which bring Christians and non-Christians together for fellowship. They value the importance of building relationships with students that bridge misconceptions about Southern Baptists.

Brian Musser (right),
Drexel University

Brian Musser, MSC missionary, serves as the campus minister on the prestigious Drexel University. Brian's commitment to share Christ at Drexel required a significant career change.
Prior to his current role, Brian was the Lab Manager in the Department of Pharmacology and Physiology at Drexel University's College of Medicine.

Brian meets with student ministry leaders on Drexel University campus.

Brian's new role on the Drexel campus is clear. "I have four goals: 1) to help students already in relationship with Christ mature and learn how to share their faith with others and become a leader among their peers; 2) to reach the unchurched and unsaved students with the message of the Gospel; 3) to gain favor among the administration and staff at Drexel; and, 4) to continue to make the presence of our ministry known on campus."

Stan Williams (wearing hat) talks about the size of the Univ. of PA campus

Stan Williams, MSC missionary and Regional Collegiate Ministry Coordinator for the Penn/S. Jersey Convention, has responsibility coordinating the collegiate ministry in Philadelphia. He also serves as campus minister at the University of Pennsylvania, Temple University and Rutgers University - Camden. The opportunities are tremendous on each campus but each has its own set of challenges as well.

Temple University


Stan's goal is "1) indigenous missional leadership development and deployment; and, 2) preparation of non-indigenous missionaries for greater effectiveness in urban ministry and urban student ministry." He believes it is very important to develop local leaders to assume responsibility and leadership for reaching the city for Christ.

There are new churches starting in and around Philadelphia. These new starts are working in concert with the collegiate ministry to provide the long-term connectivity, fellowship, discipleship and spiritual instruction necessary to grow new Christians.

Chuck Kieffer oversees the renovation project at
The Foundry

An example of partnership between church planting and campus ministry can be seen at The Foundry, a collegiate/young adult targeted church plant. Chuck Kieffer, MSC missionary, serves as the pastor of this new church which is being remodeled to suit their needs and be more appealing to their target audience.

Tim Bottomly (left) leads the middle school youth ministry at The Foundry

Kieffer says, "We are targeting the Mosaic generation of emerging people (thirty and under) by utilizing contemporary methodology, ministering within a multi-cultural community. We use the arts in worship. We're also building a ministry team to reach the next generation through church planting, student ministry, community arts outreach, media and entertainment."

Realife Church meets in a neighborhood corner cafe

Another innovative new church start can be found in the Bridesburg neighborhood in Philadelphia. Realife Church currently meets in a café where kids congregate after school and moms come to hangout and decompress with other moms.

Rob Burns, lead pastor/planter of a church planting team moved into the neighborhood and began investing in the lives of his neighbors.

Rob Burns and family

Rob is excited about how things are developing. "The cafe was established as a place for people from the surrounding communities to relax, have some coffee, and form relationships that explore faith and life. Since the opening of the cafe in May 2004 God has used ReaLife in many ways to serve our community and build relationships. We are very excited about the future. God has brought together an awesome core team and is bringing about many new opportunities to meet people, serve, and continue the conversation."

Ken Miller (center) shares how they aquired the church

It's also good to see new churches growing and that's the case with Bucks County Community Church where Ken Miller has been pastor since December 1998.

Ken just recently led his young congregation to purchase an existing church and property from another church that no longer needed the large facility.

Bucks County
Community Church

Ken has seen exciting growth and maturity of new members while breaking through misconceptions about Southern Baptists by residents in the neighborhood. His persistence in being a good neighbor who is a part of the community and actively seeking to develop relationships is essential in future growth.

Ken anticipates his church sponsoring a new church start in the very near future.

Christians who are looking for ways to engage in urban ministry should consider looking toward Philadelphia. There's plenty of work to do through collegiate ministry on campuses or in new church starts throughout the city.

NAMB missionaries in Philly need your help. Of course they covet your prayers but they also extend an invitation to come along side them to be involved in the work. In fact, they are prepared for your arrival. So take some time and go yourself or take a group from your church.

Go! Discover the North American mission field in Philadelphia.


Get Connected

  • Dr. Robert (Bob) Hylton, Director of Missions
    Greater Philadelphia Baptist Association
    Office: (215) 364-4984
  • Brian Musser, Campus Minister,
    Drexel University
    Office: (215) 499-2970
    www.peaceandpower.com
  • Rob Burns, Lead Pastor
    Realife Church
    Office: (215) 537-9669
    www.realifephilly.org
  • Ken Miller, Pastor
    Bucks Country Community Church
    Office: (215) 752-9945
    www.buckschurch.org
  • Chuck Kieffer, Pastor
    The Foundry
    Office: (610) 872-3344
    www.thefoundrypa.org
  • Robert Turner, Collegiate Ministry Director
    Baptist Resource Network, Pennsylvania/South Jersey
    Office: (717) 652-5856
    www.brnonline.org

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Thought for the day

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind...

Romans 12:2

Saturday, May 12, 2007

Turkish church requests prayer after three Christians martyred in Malatya

On April 18, five Muslims entered a Christian publishing company and killed three believers in the southeastern province of Malatya. Two of the victims were Turkish converts from Islam and the third man was a German citizen who had lived in Turkey for 10 years. News reports said four of the attackers admitted that the killings were motivated by both “nationalist and religious feelings.”

Below is a letter received by The Voice of the Martyrs from a church in Turkey.

The Voice of the Martyrs has already been actively involved in assisting the families of these courageous Christians. We encourage you to pray for them as they grieve, and to pray that this will be a significant turning point for the gospel in Turkey.

“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write...

“Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.” (Rev. 2: 8-11)

Pray that God will use the testimony of our brothers, who were faithful until death, to build His Kingdom.

A letter to the Global Church from The Protestant Church of Smyrna

This past week has been filled with much sorrow. Many of you have heard by now of our devastating loss here in an event that took place in Malatya, a Turkish province 300 miles northeast of Antioch, the city where believers were first called Christians (Acts 11:26).

On Wednesday morning, April 18, 2007, 46 year old German Christian and father of three Tilmann Geske prepared to go to his office, kissing his wife goodbye and taking a moment to hug his son and give him the priceless memory, “Goodbye, son. I love you.”

Tilmann rented an office space from Zirve Publishing. Zirve was also the location of the Malatya Evangelist Church office. A ministry of the church, Zirve prints and distributes Christian literature to Malatya and nearby cities in Eastern Turkey. In another area of town, 35 year old Pastor Necati Aydin, father of two, said goodbye to his wife, leaving for the office as well. They had a morning Bible Study and prayer meeting that some other believers in town would also be attending. Ugur Yuksel likewise made his way to the Bible study.

None of these three men knew that what awaited them at the Bible study was the ultimate testing and application of their faith, which would conclude with their entrance into glory to receive their crown of righteousness from Christ and honor from all the saints awaiting them in the Lord’s presence.

On the other side of town, ten young men all under 20 years old put into place final arrangements for their ultimate act of faith, living out their love for Allah and hatred of infidels who they felt undermined Islam.

On Resurrection Sunday, five of these men had been to a by-invitation-only evangelistic service that Pastor Necati and his men had arranged at a hotel conference room in the city. The men were known to the believers as “seekers.” No one knows what happened in the hearts of those men as they listened to the gospel. Were they touched by the Holy Spirit? Were they convicted of sin? Did they hear the gospel in their heart of hearts? Today we only have the beginning of their story.

These young men, one of whom is the son of a mayor in the Province of Malatya, are part of a tarikat, or a group of “faithful believers” in Islam. Tarikat membership is highly respected here; it’s like a fraternity membership. In fact, it is said that no one can get into public office without membership in a tarikat. These young men all lived in the same dorm, all preparing for university entrance exams.

The young men got guns, bread knives, ropes and towels ready for their final act of service to Allah. They knew there would be a lot of blood. They arrived in time for the Bible Study, around 10 o’clock.

They arrived, and apparently the Bible Study began. Reportedly, after Necati read a chapter from the Bible the assault began. The boys tied Ugur, Necati, and Tilmann’s hands and feet to chairs and as they videoed their work on their cellphones, they brutally tortured our brothers for almost three hours.

Neighbors in workplaces near the print house said later they had heard yelling, but assumed the owners were having a domestic argument so they did not respond.

Meanwhile, another believer Gokhan and his wife had a leisurely morning. He slept in till 10, ate a long breakfast and finally around 12:30 he and his wife arrived at the office. The door was locked from the inside, and his key would not work. He phoned and though it had connection on his end he did not hear the phone ringing inside. He called cell phones of his brothers and finally Ugur answered his phone. “We are not at the office. Go to the hotel meeting. We are there. We will come there,” he said cryptically. As Ugur spoke Gokhan heard in the telephone’s background weeping and a strange snarling sound.

He phoned the police, and the nearest officer arrived in about five minutes. He pounded on the door, “Police, open up!” Initially the officer thought it was a domestic disturbance. At that point they heard another snarl and a gurgling moan. The police understood that sound as human suffering, prepared the clip in his gun and tried over and over again to burst through the door. One of the frightened assailants unlocked the door for the policeman, who entered to find a grisly scene.

Tilmann and Necati had been slaughtered. Ugur’s throat was likewise slit and he was barely alive.

Three assailants in front of the policeman dropped their weapons.

Meanwhile Gokhan heard a sound of yelling in the street. Someone had fallen from their third story office. Running down, he found a man on the ground, whom he later recognized, named Emre Gunaydin. He had massive head trauma and, strangely, was snarling. He had tried to climb down the drainpipe to escape, and losing his balance had plummeted to the ground. It seems that he was the main leader of the attackers. Another assailant was found hiding on a lower balcony.

To untangle the web we need to back up six years. In April 2001, the National Security Council of Turkey (Milli Guvenlik Kurulu) began to consider evangelical Christians as a threat to national security, on equal footing as Al Quaida and PKK terrorism. Statements made in the press by political leaders, columnists and commentators have fueled a hatred against ‘missionaries’ who they claim bribe young people to change their religion.

After that decision in 2001, attacks and threats on churches, pastors and Christians began. Bombings, physical attacks, verbal and written abuse are only some of the ways Christians are being targeted. Most significant is the use of media propaganda.

From December 2005, after having a long meeting regarding the Christian threat, the wife of Former Prime Minister Ecevit, historian Ilber Ortayli, Professor Hasan Unsal, Politician Ahmet Tan and writer/propogandist Aytunc Altindal, each in their own profession began a campaign to bring the public’s attention to the looming threat of Christians who sought to “buy their children’s souls”. Hidden cameras in churches have taken church service footage and used it sensationally to promote fear and antagonism toward Christianity.

In an official televised response from Ankara, the Interior Minister of Turkey smirked as he spoke of the attacks on our brothers in Malatya. Amid public outrage and protests against the event and in favor of freedom of religion and freedom of thought, media and official comments ring with the same message, “We hope you have learned your lesson. We do not want Christians here.”

It appears that this was an organized attack initiated by an unknown adult tarikat leader. As in the Hrant Dink murder in January 2007, and a Catholic priest Andrea Santoro in February 2006, minors are being used to commit religious murders because public sympathy for youth is strong and they face lower penalties than an adult convicted of the same crime. Even the parents of these children are in favor of the acts. The mother of the 16 year old boy who killed the Catholic priest Andrea Santoro looked at the cameras as her son was going to prison and said, “he will serve time for Allah.”

The young men involved in the killing are currently in custody. Today news reported that they would be tried as terrorists, so their age would not affect the strict penalty. Assailant Emre Gunaydin is still in intensive care. The investigation centers around him and his contacts and they say the case will fall apart if he does not recover.

The Church in Turkey responded in a way that honored God as dozens of believers and pastors flew in as fast as they could to stand by the small church of Malatya and encourage the believers, take care of legal issues, and represent Christians to the media.

When Susanne expressed her wish to bury her husband in Malatya there were many complications. However, in the end Tilmann was buried in an old Armenian graveyard on April 20th.

Ugur was buried by his family in an Alevi Muslim ceremony in his hometown of Elazig, his believing fiance watching from the shadows as his family and friends refused to accept in death the faith Ugur had so long professed and died for.

Necati’s funeral took place in his hometown of Izmir, the city where he came to faith. The darkness does not understand the light. Though the churches expressed their forgiveness for the event, Christians were not to be trusted. Before they would load the coffin onto the plane from Malatya, it went through two separate x-ray exams to make sure it was not loaded with explosives. This is not a usual procedure for Muslim coffins.

Necati’s funeral was a beautiful event. Like a glimpse of heaven, hundreds of Turkish Christians and workers came to show their love for Christ, and their honor for this man chosen to die for Christ. Necati’s wife Shemsa told the world, “His death was full of meaning, because he died for Christ and he lived for Christ… Necati was a gift from God. I feel honored that he was in my life, I feel crowned with honor. I want to be worthy of that honor.”

Boldly the believers took their stand at Necati’s funeral, facing the risks of being seen publicly and likewise becoming targets. As expected, the anti-terror police attended and videotaped everyone attending the funeral for their future use. The service took place outside at Buca Baptist church, and he was buried in a small Christian graveyard in the outskirts of Izmir.

Two assistant Governors of Izmir were there solemnly watching the event from the front row. Dozens of news agencies were there documenting the events with live news and photographs. Who knows the impact the funeral had on those watching? This is the beginning of their story as well. Pray for them.

In an act that hit front pages in the largest newspapers in Turkey, Susanne Geske in a television interview expressed her forgiveness. She did not want revenge, she told reporters. “Oh God, forgive them for they know not what they do,” she said, wholeheartedly agreeing with the words of Christ on Calvary (Luke 23:34).

In a country where blood-for-blood revenge is as normal as breathing, many many reports have come to the attention of the church of how this comment of Susanne Geske has changed lives. One columnist wrote of her comment, “She said in one sentence what 1000 missionaries in 1000 years could never do.”

Many foreigners in Malatya will most likely move out, as their families and children have become publicly identified as targets to the hostile city. The remaining 10 believers are in hiding. What will happen to this church, this light in the darkness? Most likely it will go underground. Pray for wisdom, that Turkish brothers from other cities will go to lead the leaderless church. Should we not be concerned for that great city of Malatya, a city that does not know what it is doing? (Jonah 4:11)

When our Pastor Fikret Bocek went with a brother to give a statement to the Security Directorate on Monday they were ushered into the Anti-Terror Department. On the wall was a huge chart covering the whole wall listing all the terrorist cells in Izmir, categorized. In one prominent column were listed all the evangelical churches in Izmir. The darkness does not understand the light. “These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also.” (Acts 17:6)

Please pray for the Church in Turkey. “Don’t pray against persecution, pray for perseverance,” urges Pastor Fikret Bocek.

The Church is better having lost our brothers; the fruit in our lives, the renewed faith, the burning desire to spread the gospel to quench more darkness in Malatya …all these are not to be regretted. Pray that we stand strong against external opposition and especially pray that we stand strong against internal struggles with sin, our true debilitating weakness.

This we know. Christ Jesus was there when our brothers were giving their lives for Him. He was there, like He was when Stephen was being stoned in the sight of Saul of Tarsus.

Someday the video of the deaths of our brothers may reveal more to us about the strength that we know Christ gave them to endure their last cross, about the peace the Spirit of God endowed them with to suffer for their beloved Savior. But we know He did not leave their side. We know their minds were full of Scripture strengthening them to endure, as darkness tried to subdue the unsubduable Light of the Gospel. We know, in whatever way they were able, with a look or a word, they encouraged one another to stand strong. We know they knew they would soon be with Christ.

We don’t know the details. We don’t know the kind of justice that will or will not be served on this earth.

But we pray-- and urge you to pray-- that someday at least one of those five boys will come to faith because of the testimony in death of Tilmann Geske, who gave his life as a foreign Christian in Turkey, and the testimonies in death of Necati Aydin and Ugur Yuksel, the first martyrs for Christ out of the Turkish Church.

Details in this letter were obtained through various news and media sources based on preliminary press releases and interviews. The court cases are pending and specific evidence and autopsy reports from the crime are not yet available to the public.

Reported by Darlene N. Bocek, 01 May 2007

Contact The Protestant Church of Smyrna at www.izmirprotestan.org / izmirprotestan@gmail.com.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Godly woman

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

Proverbs 31:30

Wednesday, May 9, 2007

Thought for the day:

In case we find ourselves starting to believe all the anti-American sentiment and negativity, we should remember England's Prime Minister Tony Blair's words during an interview. When asked by one of his Parliament members why he believes so much in America, he said:

"A simple way to take measure of a country is to look at how many
want in... And how many want out."

Only two defining forces have
ever offered to die for you:

1. Jesus Christ
2. The American G. I.

One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.

Monday, May 7, 2007

Somewhere Over the Rainbow
















In loving Memory of Joyce Wigington February 11, 1931-April 17, 2007

Passage for May 6th, 2007

Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered. Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.For "Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil." 1 Peter 3:7-12 ESV

Thursday, May 3, 2007

NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER, 3 MAY 2007

On 6 May 1982, Ronald Reagan offered these words: "Today, prayer is still a powerful force in America, and our faith in God is a mighty source of strength. Our Pledge of Allegiance states that we are 'one nation under God,' and our currency bears the motto, 'In God We Trust.' The morality and values such faith implies are deeply embedded in our national character. Our country embraces those principles by design, and we abandon them at our peril. Yet in recent years, well-meaning Americans in the name of freedom have taken freedom away. For the sake of religious tolerance, they've forbidden religious practice in the classrooms. The law of this land has effectively removed prayer from our classrooms. How can we hope to retain our freedom through the generations if we fail to teach our young that our liberty springs from an abiding faith in our Creator?"

Wednesday, May 2, 2007

Why House Churches Are Flourishing, Part 2, by Josh Hunt

George Barna's research indicates that house churches have seen an 800% increase in recent years from about 1% of the population to 9% of the population involved in a house church. It begs the question, "Why?"

Last week we said that it is not because so many are sick of conventional churches--most house church leaders do their house church on a weeknight and attend a conventional church on weekends. They are not wanting to get away from conventional churches, they just want something more.

We said it was not the location of the house church. If you have a boring Sunday School class and you move it a home, you still have a boring group. You have to change more than geography.

We said it likely had to do with the idea that House Churches tap into the God-given desire we have for dominion. Xenos Church http://www.xenos.org/ and Mars Hill (Rob Bell, pastor) http://www.marshill.org/ Are two churches that have worked out a pretty good symbiotic relationship between the house church and the conventional church. Both of these churches have a big church / small church concept. The small group is seen as a house church--a microcosm of the church.

(If you missed last week's article, see www.joshhunt.com/mail194.htm )

This week, I would like to talk about two more reasons house churches are flourishing.

It is not about the geography; it does have something to do with time

I have been reconnecting with some old college buddies recently. There are five of us in five different times zones that have been emailing back and forth, catching up on the last 25 years. Three of the five are pretty hard core home group/ house church guys. Two of us are more traditional.

I kept pounding away in these emails about the idea that you have to change more than geography. My friend Bill had this reply, "It is not about the geography; it is about the time. The good stuff nearly always happens in the second hour." The light came on for me.

For a lot of house churches, they have the luxury of lots of time together. They often share a meal, then have a two hour session of singing, fellowship, teaching and prayer. You just can't do this in a Sunday School setting. The additional time changes the whole nature of the experience. (Although, I argued back to my friend Bill that time alone is not the factor either. I have been in more than a few classes where I was glad the time was over!)

Still, the point is well taken. There are lots of things you can't do in small snippets of time. Community is developed in a leisurely, unhurried context.

One answer to this in a Sunday School context is the perspective that Sunday morning is only part of Sunday School. Much of what happens in group life happens outside of Sunday School. I recommend that groups have an "all skate" party once a month and then other smaller parties once or twice a month. In healthy groups, members go to lunch with one another and play golf together and eat together and share meals together and did I mention that they eat together?

My most positive years in group life were the years after we started our Saturday night service and Sunday School. After the service and Sunday School, we would nearly always go out together to someone's house or to a restaurant, or both. It afforded lots of time together. It was a rich era of group life for all of us.

(I wrote this article in response to that conversation with my friends: http://www.joshhunt.com/mail191.htm )

Still, time is on the side of the house church or home group. I acknowledge that. Conventional churches that have success with home groups tend to replace Sunday night with home groups or Wednesday night with home groups. This way, they give their people back some time to spend on their home group.

But, there is another reason why house churches are flourishing.

Attitude

House churches are making some real progress in the United States, but they are not the center of gravity of what God is doing with house churches. The center of gravity is overseas, in places like China.

I just picked up a couple of books on house churches in China:

The first books reads like an extension of the book of Acts. It is amazing.

The title to the second book was a little hard for me to grasp. It refers to a movement among the Chinese Christians to raise up 100,000 missionaries to reach the area between China and Jerusalem--what we call the 10/40 window. The vast majority of the unreached people groups on planet earth are in that window. China wants to reach them. They plan to do it through an explosive movement of doubling house churches.

If you want to look at why house churches are doing well, don't look to the United States, look to China. They are deeply committed to doubling house church groups. There is, perhaps no better example of the power of doubling groups than the house church movement in China.

There is a tendency to read about what they are doing and want to copy the method: maybe we need to do house churches. What we need to do is copy the attitude.

Check out this slice of life for the training course of Chinese House Church leaders. Try this at your next Sunday School training event! (Back to Jerusalem, page 82. I have shortened this some.)

Just as Jesus trained his disciples, so each Back to Jerusalem Missionary receives training in a number of areas:
  • How to reach across cultural and other barriers.
  • How to reach specific groups (Muslims, Buddhists, etc.)
  • How to suffer and die for our Lord. We examine what the Bible says about suffering, and look at how the Lord's people have laid down their lives for the advance of the gospel through history.
  • How to witness for our Lord
  • How to escape. We teach missionaries special skills such as how to free themselves from hand cuffs in 30 seconds.

(I think I will start including that last one in my training seminars!)

There is an attitude that geography and time won't fix. We taught the Chinese about Jesus. We need to learn from the how to live for Him.

Eph. 3:17-18

... And I pray that you ... may have power ... to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ ...