The Word Among Us News

I cannot help but wonder if it’s your habit to see the teachings of our Lord in everything around you. We all know God is omnipresent and, as such, He surrounds us day-in and day out; so we easily see His hand at work shaping the events of our lives and that of others.

But are we continually reminded of Biblical teachings when we look at the ordinary things in life?

It’s a well-know fact that when it comes to learning, visual aids are a powerful tool. It seems likely, then, that God would use visual aids to reinforce the Bible’s teachings so as to help us learn and then apply our new knowledge to our daily living.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been piecing together a patchwork of fieldstone to transform a 3×3 stoop into a 10×9 “patio.” Naturally, the project grew into something much larger than I ever imagined.

For the foundation, I had envisioned a 4-inch bed of sand; the “experts” convinced me to go with a 2-inch layer of chat that’s been partially ground to produce an aggregate loosely resembling concrete when mixed with water. Over the chat I was to spread a layer of sand, on which I supposedly could nestle fieldstone more easily. So we laid the chat.

Following the specs of the “experts,” I then began setting the various shapes and sizes of stone in a layer of sand covering the chat. Dave, on the other hand, decided to do it his own way—using solely chat. After laying the stones on top of the foundation, I noticed that a few of them had lost their stability—sinking down on one end as I walked over them.

When I popped out a loose one, I discovered the sand on which it was laid had shifted—in other words, the foundation had slid out from under it!

As I stood there pondering, I heard a voice from the other side of the patio saying, “When you build your house on a foundation of sand…” Oops!

In Matthew 7:26 Jesus called the man who did just that “foolish.” Why had I listened to the “experts” when Jesus knows more about foundations than anyone around?!

The patio project also became a teaching point on “love of the brethren.” The idea had been mine from the get-go, and I fully intended doing all the work—but like I said, the project grew. Before I knew it, Susan jumped in to work alongside. And then Dave joined the crew—and we were now three where there had been only one.

Doesn’t scripture talk about the strength of a cord of three strands? Doesn’t it also teach that we are to love others more than ourselves? What better way to learn these lessons than having it played out in real life right before my eyes—and to my benefit!

The clearest illustration of Biblical principle I saw in the project was in the rock itself. In stacks, the broken pieces were unattractive— irregular shapes, of varying thicknesses, dirty and not very appealing in color. But as I began to fit the curve of one stone against the curve of another, a pattern began to emerge.

By the time the spaces between the stones were filled, we had a fascinating grout pattern holding together an intricate mosaic of multi-hued fieldstone.

The transformation was awesome!

We see this same phenomenon happening in the Church every day. God hand-picks people to do His work and puts them together according to His plan. Individually, they may not accomplish a lot, but placed together as He sees fit, they create beautiful music all to His glory!

Try looking for illustrations of Biblical truth in everyday life—God will soon show them to you.

Dear Loyal Readers,

Senior Pastor Tom Harrison once said in regards to stewardship:  “Money was created for one thing only—to be used for God’s purposes.”  In my opinion, this is one of the wisest statements ever made. All that we have belongs to God and even though He allows us to enjoy it for a season, He wants us to remember that we actually own nothing. Our possessions and our money are merely on loan and we must never forget that we have been given them for the purpose of fulfilling His will.

Giving is not easy to talk about under the best of circumstances. But in today’s economy, it is even harder. People everywhere are feeling the squeeze—even businesses and nonprofits. We have to remember, though, that God’s call on our lives isn’t put on hold just because the economy is faltering. He still expects us to use what we have to carry out His purposes. Word Among Us Ministries is committed to doing just that.

You probably know by now that we will return to Myanmar in November to put on a second seminar for the year. This time, we have invited a young couple to join us who will be teaching on the subject of music and worship in the church, and we are hoping to be able to help them with their trip expenses. We believe God is asking Word Among Us to go to Myanmar twice a year for as long as the door is open, and to teach the Bible to pastors, students, and missionaries and equip them for teaching in the villages where they have planted churches.

Because of your generous giving, so far in 2008 we have been able to provide Pastor Philip with funds to help with:

·         Rice and financial support for victims of cyclone Nargis

·         The rebuilding of a structure demolished by the cyclone where a Christian Sunday school for Buddhist children meets

·         Travel and housing expenses for missionaries from outlying villages to attend our seminars

·         Major repairs to the pastor’s house in Chin State

·         Furniture rental, supplies and materials for putting on two seminars in Yangon

·         Travel expenses for Pastor Philip to their churches in outlying villages

In addition to what has already been done in the name of Christ, there are other needs we feel God is leading the Ministry to help with right now. These include:

·         Support to 12 missionaries that will go out in December to various villages witnessing to the Buddhist nationals (cost per missionary is $100, for a total of $1200 we hope to give)

·         Purchase of 13 textbooks to be used in the Bible College (we will take these with us on the plane)

We appreciate all that you have done to help this local group of missionaries minister to their people. We know that in times like these giving is harder than ever, but we do ask that you make it a matter of prayer and just do what you feel God would have you do. We covet your prayers for a safe trip and, even more, your prayers that God will be glorified in all that we do. These present days appear to be a time when God’s heart is turning to the nation of Myanmar and we are humbled by the small part He’s called us to play in what He is doing there.

God bless you in your giving and in your prayers.

Sincerely,

Susan Woodward

Secretary/Treasurer

Word Among Us Ministries, Inc.