Why A Rooster on Top of A Church Steeple?

Photo courtesy of The Voice of the Martyrs

Indonesia has the largest Muslim population of any nation in the world. Because of the darkness in this island nation, tragically, many churches have been and are being closed down. Like many church buildings around the world, the churches that remain have a cross on top of their steeple. One particular church has the unusual feature of a silhouette of a rooster on top of its steeple.

A western Christian man visiting the area was graciously taken around town by a guide. The visitor's curiosity was aroused when they came to this church. When asked why a rooster was placed on the steeple rather than a cross, the guide carried the man to Luke 22:54-62. Jesus Christ's prophecy in Luke 22:34 came to pass: "I say to you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me." The guide shared that the rooster was placed there to remind any believer who saw this that they ought to always confess Christ and never deny Him.

My prayer for you, Christian, as you read this is that you would be strong in the Lord, always confessing Christ before men in your words, thoughts and deeds. As He says in Matthew 5:16, "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."

Light for North Korea Fund

Photo courtesy of The Voice of the Martyrs

This satellite picture of the Korean peninsula shows a dramatic difference between South Korea and North Korea at night. The economic collapse that began in the 1990s continues to devastate North Korea (NK) in many ways. NK is a "dark" country spiritually, with Juche ideology as the official state religion. Because Christianity is considered a threat and a top offense against the NK government, fear has caused Christians (many of who became Christians prior to the Korean War in 1950) to be silent about their faith. Many children have heard about Jesus at their parent's deathbed. It is encouraging that bold Christians from China, near the NK border, are risking their lives to cross into NK to carry Bibles and share the gospel.

Voice of the Martyrs has started the "Light to North Korea Fund" to help the spread of the gospel to that country. Please pray how you may participate, whether through interceding in prayer, or perhaps financially.

Click here for more information on the Light to North Korea Fund

In the Past Six Months, God Has Taught (or Reminded) Me...

...He equips His children to the work He is calling them to do. (Exodus 4:11)
...To rejoice in His presence always (Phil 4:4)
...That I am commanded to be strong in the Lord, putting on His full armor (Eph. 6:10-17)
...Of the joy in giving to others (Acts 20:35)
...That I am blessed with a prudent and excellent wife (Prov. 19:14, 31:10)
...I am always before the face of God (Psalm 33:13)
...To do *everything* in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father (Col. 3:17)
...Before God saved me, I was not dreadfully sick, but I was dead in my transgressions. (Eph. 2:1)
...That it has been granted to me to not only believe in Christ, but to suffer for His sake. (Phil 1:29)
...That He is always faithful (Psalm 37:25)

It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life. (1 Timothy 1:15-16)

Jesus Is The Answer

I was thinking about how in Sunday school when little kids are asked a question, most often their answer is “Jesus”.
Who……..? Jesus!
What…….? Jesus!
Why…….? Jesus!

As I was pondering on this, I thought to myself, Jesus truly is the answer for everything.

How will I make it through this day? Jesus!
What happens if I become sick? Jesus!
What happens if I lose a family member or friend? Jesus!
How will I ever get these bills paid? Jesus!
How will I handle this situation where I don’t know what to do? Jesus!

It doesn’t matter the question, the answer will always be Jesus! God has given me all I could ever want or need: Jesus. He has saved me from an eternity without Him. He has given me life. Anything else that I have is really icing on the cake.

The name which is so powerful; the name which demons flee from; the name that has the power to heal; the name that offends; the name that those who are blinded (2 Corinthians 4:4) don’t like to hear; the name that is above every name: Jesus!

Jesus Name Above All Names
Jesus, name above all names,
Beautiful Savior, Glorious Lord.
Emmanuel, God is with us,
Blessed Redeemer, Living Word

I Am, Light of the Gentiles
Lord God Almighty, Prince of Peace
El Shaddai, God is Sufficient,
Shepherd of Souls, King of Kings

Lily of the Valley
Son of David, Rose of Sharon
The Alpha and the Omega,
Seed of Jesse, Morning Star

Jesus, Our Intercessor
Promised Messiah, Bread of Life
The Giver of Living Water
Mighty Baptizer, Son of God

Jesus, name above all names,
Beautiful Savior, Glorious Lord.
Emmanuel, God is with us,
Blessed Redeemer, Living Word

“For this reason also, God highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:10-11

God's Our Insurance Carrier

Several months before God made it clear that we were to volunteer at The Voice of the Martyrs, we heard our pastor remark during a sermon that, depending on one's stage in life, health insurance might be considered optional. That may be unthinkable to some, especially living in the US. That option became reality when we began volunteering full-time. Having to depend on God more, we are learning that He is so faithful. Not only has He graciously met our need for a Savior in Jesus Christ, He met all of our earthly needs. Before we even travelled to Bartlesville, OK, He provided for housing expenses for our entire one-year committment. We have never gone hungry, and He has provided for us to practice hospitality in our home several times.

Yet, we have not had health insurance for several months. Neither of us are crazy drivers. There's not currently room for skydiving in the budget. We are, however, blessed with good health. We are not workout fiends to excess, but we do seek to honor God with our own "wellness program" of eating sensibly and working out several days a week. We are thankful that He has kept us healthy, though we pray much more than before for His healing whenever a cold or fever comes upon us. Recently, my dear wife and I were running when she suddenly felt weak and out of breath. I carefully laid her down in a nearby parking lot, and prayed for God's healing. He is so faithful.

Could we ever be visited with some sickness which God would not take away in this life? If so, we would trust in Christ's words to the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9 "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Whatever "thorn in the flesh" we may experience, Christ is sufficient. Because Christ has been raised, we look forward to the resurrection of the dead, when all those in Christ will be made perfect.

We share our experience to encourage other believers, and to tell the world that God is faithful and true. We know this experientally, and more importantly through the promises of His words in the Bible. Do you know Him?

There Is No Other

I’ve heard countless stories of courageous brothers and sisters in Christ who stood up in the face of danger when they knew they would be kidnapped, imprisoned, tortured and/or killed. These brothers and sisters do (did) so not in their own strength, but in the power and strength of the Holy Spirit. They do (did) so because they know the truth of who Jesus is and that He is who He says He is: He is the way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father except through Him ( John 14:6 bold emphasis mine). Jesus is the ONLY Savior. There is no other contrary to what many say today. Many speak of there being many roads that lead to heaven. Oh, what a sad and terrible day it will be when these people who are so deceived by the “god of this world who has blinded their eyes” (2 Corinthians 4:4), know the truth when it’s too late. I am humbled and convicted by the Holy Spirit in how I am living. Do I live as a bold witness for Christ? I have no worry here of someone kidnapping me, going to jail, being tortured or being killed for sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. All the more reason I should be out there boldly proclaiming Christ where I go. The most “persecution” I might get here is a dirty look, some name calling, weird looks, maybe some spitting, but nothing compared to the “Daniels” out there who worship the Living and True God, Jesus Christ in spite of their government saying it is “illegal” to do so. What an honor to be in the body of Christ with such brothers and sisters who love not their life even to death. Let us, who are a part of the body of Christ (born-again believers saved by faith), “press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14). Amen!!

A Bible, A Bicycle, and A One-way Ticket

At the 2003 graduation ceremony from Emmanuel Theological Seminary and Bible College in Kota, Rajasthan, India, the graduating students stood together and made the following pledge:

I stand with the apostle Paul in stating that “for me to live is Christ and to die is gain.”

I take a stand to honor the Lord Jesus Christ with my hands to serve all mankind.

I take a stand to honor the Lord Jesus Christ with my feet to spread the gospel to all the ends of the earth no matter what the cost.

I take a stand to honor the Lord Jesus Christ with my lips by proclaiming the Good News to all who hear and by edifying the Body of Christ.

I take a stand to honor the Lord Jesus Christ with my mind as I meditate upon His Word and His promises to me.

I give my earthly treasures and all that I possess to follow the way of the cross.

I commit to love my family, orphans, widows, lepers, the wealthy and the poor the way that Christ loved the church.

I surrender my will and life to His will and life.

I commit to the services of the Lord by being a good steward of my time.

I surrender this body on earth to the perfect will of Jesus, and should my blood be spilled may it bring forth a mighty harvest of souls.

I pledge allegiance to the Lamb, I will seek to honor His command. I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes.

Lord Jesus, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

I love my India and my fellow citizens, and I claim India for Christ.

At each graduation ceremony, each new graduate is given a Bible, a bicycle, and a one-way ticket to the destination they believe the Lord is calling them.

Notice nothing in their pledge is made concerning their personal comfort, or 401(k) plans, or air-conditioned sanctuaries, as they follow the example of Jesus: “Foxes have holes, and birds have their nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.”

How can this be? This is due only to their single-minded commitment to serve the One who can provide comfort and security. This commitment may lead to persecution by an angry mob, perhaps being doused in gasoline, one match-strike away from being absent from the body, only to be with the Lord.

People will come from all over just to see a man or woman of God burn (figuratively or literally). What’s the destination for your one-way ticket?

Psalm 111

Praise the LORD!
I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart,
In the company of the upright and in the assembly.
Great are the works of the LORD;
They are studied by all who delight in them.
Splendid and majestic is His work,
And His righteousness endures forever.
He has made His wonders to be remembered;
The LORD is gracious and compassionate.
He has given food to those who fear Him;
He will remember His covenant forever.
He has made known to His people the power of His works,
In giving them the heritage of nations.

The works of His hands are truth and justice;
All His precepts are sure.
They are upheld forever and ever;
They are performed in truth and uprightness.
He has sent redemption to His people;
He has ordained His covenant forever;
Holy and awesome is His name.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
A good understanding have all those who do His
commandments;
His praise endures forever.

How God is Working

*Good health
*The Lord provided an anniversary dessert to us through our neighbor Miss Pearl, two days before our anniversary.
*Been praying about making some Korean food to take to some VOM people who enjoy it, but didn’t have the money to go to Tulsa to do so(this is where the nearest Oriental Market is where I needed to get some ingredients), and then the Lord provided some money for us to do so.
*We needed to get the oil/filter in the car changed and was looking at two places: Wal-Mart and some other place. Well, one day before we were going to take it to one of those places, the Lord made it clear which one by providing a Wal-Mart gift card to us through a couple.
*We are responsible for our yard here and we were in search of an inexpensive lawnmower to do the work. We prayed the Lord would help us find one, and instead of an inexpensive one, He has provided a free one. Someone at VOM found out we needed one and is going to give us one of his, free!
PRAISE THE LORD!!!!

Martyrs of China

We have just finished reading about two Christian martyrs: John and Betty Stam. They loved the Chinese people, but even more so, they loved the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30). The following is an excerpt about John and Betty Stam from Asia Harvest publication (May 2005). May we as Christians be found to be so faithful to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ who is the only way, truth and the life (John 14:6).

“The Stams were united on October 25, 1933...The newlyweds were assigned to the mission base at Jingde in southern Anhui Province. After many weeks of arduous boat and overland travel they arrived at their new home. Communist activity in this part of Anhui had lessened in the previous years, and both the Stams and their mission leaders felt the risk of a Communist insurgency in Jingde was extremely low. The city magistrate of Jingde welcomed the Stams and gave a personal assurance that they would be safe from the Communist threat. Almost as soon as they had settled in, the Stams started to hear rumours of the Red Army nearing Jingde…Suddenly, in the morning of December 6, a letter was rushed to the Stams’ house from the City Magistrate, informing the Stams that 2,000 Communist insurgents were just four miles from the city. The missionaries were advised to flee…The magistrate, who just a few weeks before had personally guaranteed the Stams safety, was one of the first to flee Jingde…Soldiers made their way directly to the mission compound…John Stam calmly opened the door and welcomed the men inside. Betty served them tea and cakes while John tried to explain their peaceful intentions. When they finished their tea, the visitors politely said, ‘You will go with us.’…The young missionaries, along with their baby daughter, were taken to the prison in Jingde for the rest of the day (December 6, 1934). The Communist soldiers forced John Stam to write a letter to the China Inland Mission headquarters in Shanghai, outlining their ransom demand. Stam knew the request would not be considered, as it was the strict policy of the mission never to pay a ransom for a kidnapped worker, believing such an action would only encourage more kidnappings and result in a more dire situation overall…The next day the Communists abandoned Jindge, taking John and Betty with them, along with little three-month-old baby Helen. After arriving in Miaoshou, the soldiers made John write a second ransom letter to the China Inland Mission, which he did. When the postmaster was summoned to receive the letter he recognized Stam and asked, ‘Where are you going?’ John Stam replied, ‘We don’t know where they’re going, but we are going to heaven.’…John and Betty Stam were bound with ropes that cut deeply into their wrists, then stripped of their outer clothing, leaving them in their underwear…The next morning they were paraded through the town, with the whole population rallied to come out and witness the execution of the ‘foreign devils.’…The Stams were ordered to kneel down in the dust. One biographer recounts the events that followed:
‘A huge sword was in the hands of one of the young Communists. John spoke only a few words as he knelt on one knee. Probably only his wife understood what he was saying. Without a doubt, she was reaffirming him, even if it meant giving up his life. While he was talking, he was struck to the ground, his throat having been cut so completely that the head fell beside the slain body…Betty trembled, but she did not cry out. Her lips uttered a prayer as she fell over the beheaded body of her beloved husband. In this position the cruel hand struck the same blood-stained knife in at the back of her neck and she fell down dead over her husband’s body.’
The bodies of John and Betty Stam were buried in a small Christian graveyard in the suburbs of Wuhu City, in Anhui Province. Remarkably, on the same day that news of the Stams’ death reached America, John’s father, the Rev. Peter Stam, received a letter from his son that had been posted from China many weeks before…John Stam repeated a poem written by another China missionary, J.W. Vinson, who had himself been captured by bandits. The bandits asked Vinson if he was afraid to die. Vinson replied, ‘No! If you shoot straight, I shall go straight to heaven!’ His captors did shoot straight, and Vinson entered heaven as one who ‘loved not his life unto death.’ Earlier, Vinson had penned this poem, which Stam now quoted to his father:

AFRAID?
Afraid? Of what?
To feel the spirit’s glad release?
To pass from pain to perfect peace?
The strife and strain of life to cease?
Afraid? – of that?

Afraid? Of what?
Afraid to see the Saviour’s face?
To hear His welcome, and to trace
The glory gleam from wounds of grace?
Afraid? – of that?

Afraid? Of what?
A flash – a crash – a pierced heart;
Darkness – light – O heaven’s art!
A wound of his counterpart!
Afraid? - of that?

Afraid? Of what?
To do by death what life could not –
Baptize with blood a stony plot,
Till souls shall blossom from the spot?
Afraid? of that?

What fruit, if any, sprung from the blood-soaked soil where the Stams offered their lives for the Lord Jesus Christ? In 1942 a fellow missionary wrote:

‘It was over seven years ago on a little hill outside the town of Miaoshou that the blood of John and Betty Stem was shed in martyrdom. It seemed like the end of the work in Jingde County; but God honoured the death of His two servants…The first baptism in Jingde was held in March, 1941. Five were baptized by Pastor Cheng in the little preaching chapel, which was packed to the doors for the occasion. Truly it can be said of Jingde, the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.’”

Learning Much

We have not only been blessed to “settle in” to Bartlesville quickly, but have also begun serving at Voice of the Martyrs. Our official start date was May 3rd, 2005. We are serving in different capacities. Joe is assisting the Information Technology department with user support for several weeks, planning to move in a few weeks to assisting with a long-term file archiving project in the News Services Department. And Rebecca is a General Volunteer doing whatever needs to be done: signing receipts, putting DVD covers in their cases, putting the DVDs in the cases, putting the VOM newsletters in envelopes, helping out in other departments…whatever needs to be done.

Please pray for us as we continue to search for an Oklahoma church home. We have visited two churches so far, both of which exalt the Word of God. We know that God has a church for us, and look forward expectantly to worshiping with that body of believers.

The fellowship here with the brothers and sisters (both volunteers and workers) has just been a real blessing! One of the couples we have met, Mr. Jim and Miss Alma have been volunteering with VOM when VOM was not called VOM, but was called Christ to the Communist World when Richard Wurmbrand and his wife Sabina were still alive. They’ve seen lots of changes, but for the better as the Lord has just grown this ministry.

We are very thankful for the Lord allowing some wonderful fellowship recently. We were honored to be at the homes of several godly couples who are all very hospitable as well. They are all passionate for God, and especially serving our persecuted brothers and sisters. We’ve had the privilege to hear some of the stories of people who have been on missions to other countries. The husband of one of the couples we’ve shared a meal with recently came back from China and will be sharing about that trip soon during chapel time here at VOM. We’re looking forward to that. Something we continually hear is how our brothers and sisters in other countries really cherish our prayers for them. We continually hear of how they are asked what we can do for them and instead of asking for food, clothes, money…they ask for prayer. So please keep our persecuted brothers and sisters in your prayers. Another thing we have heard and have read about is how the countries who do the persecution really make things look so good for outsiders coming in. For instance, there are countries that have churches, but the only time you see them full is when there are tourists or US officials, and so these tourists or officials from the US come and see this and think all is okay. Pray that we would have eyes to see the deception that is going on and that things are not what they seem, even if the news says so.

To God be all the Glory!

Great Is His Faithfulness!

We must give praise and honor to the Lord for something He did before we left South Carolina. It’s been a failure on our part not to have mentioned it earlier, but we do now. On our last Lord’s Day at church, three individuals came to us at different times after the service and gave us something. What was the “something”? The Lord moved in these three individuals to give to us monetarily and it was the exact amount needed to put a deposit on the place that we are staying! Only God could do that. Great is His faithfulness!

We've Arrived

Yes, Praise the Lord we have arrived in Bartlesville, OK. The Lord granted us safe travel from Columbia, SC to our new home here in downtown Bartlesville. The Lord has given us much strength as we have unpacked and have set up our household. We pray that this place He has given us will be used for His glory. Please be in prayer as we seek the Lord’s direction for jobs (paid ones). We are still praying about whether the Lord would have us get a job or devote all our time to VOM. Either way, we would be relying on Him to provide, so please pray that He would make this clear to us. Another item of prayer is for a church. We were very blessed to be at Christ Church for 2 years where God’s word is preached with much boldness and without apology. We are praying God’s wisdom as we seek to be where He wants us to be.
The Lord has blessed us with a wonderful Christian woman as a neighbor. No matter what you are talking about, she always brings up the Lord and/or always brings up something from God’s word. We were talking one day and she said something to the effect that it’s okay to do “things” but we must not let “things” get us distracted from the Lord. Then she asked, “Do you know the account of Mary and Martha?” We said, “Yes” and she said, “Well, you know then what happened there.” She is such a godly woman and we’ve been very blessed by her. Apparently the last tenant who was in this house was put off by her because she witnesses so much! We have much to learn from her, praise the Lord!

Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men,

I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. Matthew 10:32

Jehovah-Jireh Provided for our Rent!

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21, NASB)

We praise the Lord for moving in the hearts of several brothers and sisters to contribute financially as we prepare to move. The total amount exceeds the cost of our rent for the next year. We did not ask anyone to do so, so this is all the more encouraging and humbling. To Him be the glory, indeed!

Welcome to Gershom

Why is this blog (and our home) named “Gershom”? Read on…

Moses was willing to dwell with the man [Jethro], and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses. Then she gave birth to a son, and he named him Gershom, for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land.” (Exodus 2:21-22)

Moses fled in fear from Egypt to Midian after his killing of an Egyptian was found out. Midian proved to be a profitable place for Moses, for there he gained a profession (shepherd), a wife (Zipporah), and, revealed to him first at Mount Horeb, his God (Yahweh), whom he would serve for forty years. Moses named his first-born son “Gershom” for he himself had been “a sojourner in a foreign land.” Christians today, like those titans of the faith named in Hebrews 11, confess they are “strangers and exiles on the earth.” Like Abraham, those whose Lord and Savior is Jesus Christ are “looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder are God.” (Hebr. 11:10)

God warns that “the love of money (not money itself) is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” Christ allowed Himself to be “pierced through” (Isaiah 53:5) for the transgressions of His people. What and who do you love with all your heart, mind, soul and strength?

So, we are in this world, but not of it, and “we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the one to come.” (Hebr. 13:14). In God’s strength, and for His glory, we sojourn.

Trust, Comfort, Contentment

I write the following to give glory to God first and then also that it might be an encouragement to anyone else. Trust, Comfort and Contentment are 3 areas in which the Lord has recently been working on me. First, the trust factor. Coming back from our visit out to Oklahoma in February, I knew it was where the Lord was calling us, but there was still something bothering me. Well, the Holy Spirit revealed it was a lack of trust in my Father who owns the cattle on a thousand hills! He showed me that I was worrying about how bills would get paid and about how we would eat and keep a roof over our heads. The Lord laid on my heart to memorize Matthew 6:25-34 where we are not to worry about such things. The Lord knows all of our needs. A very short sentence in there hit me hard: “You of little faith.” I do not want to be a child of God with little faith! I gave this over to the Lord and told Him He is great and will take care of Joe and I. Well, one or two days later, I was still bothered. I thought maybe I hadn’t really gave over the trust issue to the Lord, but then the Spirit revealed another aspect I needed to ask for forgiveness of: Comfort. Now growing up in a military family, I have moved around quite a bit. And even though I knew I would miss the friends that I had made, I was fine with moving. Now, the longest time I have ever stayed anywhere while growing up in the military had been 4 years. I moved here in 1996 and so I’ve been here for almost 10 years. I had become very comfortable where I was. Now don’t get me wrong. I will indeed miss all the friends I have made here, but the comfortableness of being in one place all these years had gotten in the way of my relationship with the Lord. I am not saying that being comfortable is wrong, but I am saying that if the Lord calls you to go someplace and you tell Him, “well Lord, I am just to comfortable right now, I think here will be just fine”, well, then it becomes a problem and downright sin since you then would be being disobedient to Him. Well, in essence, I had just become so comfortable in where I was at that moving was kind of an inconvienence for me. And lastly: Contentment. Before heading out to visit VOM in Oklahoma, I had already put preconceived notions in my mind as to what VOM would look like, where exactly it would be located, what I would be doing…Notice the “I” and how it was all about what “I” thought it should be. Well, after returning from VOM, nothing was what “I” thought it would be. The place looked different, it was not where “I” expected it to be and “I” was not going to be doing what “I” thought “I” might get a chance to do. While driving one day, the Lord put the word “contentment” in my mind. Now, the previous evening I had attended an on-going women’s Bible study on money and that particular session had to do with contentment. And although I am content with what the Lord has allowed us to have, He showed me that I was not content with doing what He wants me to do. I have to say that I was so saddened that I had all of this in me, BUT I greatly rejoiced also because the precious Holy Spirit had revealed this to me and I was able to give it all over to the Lord and ask for forgiveness. I praise the Lord for what He reveals and the lessons He teaches those that are His. To God be ALL the Glory!!!

Praise/Move

Hello All,

Thought I’d drop a line and fill you in one what’s happening in our lives. First I have to tell you of a big praise. We’ve been praying about selling of one of our cars and since the Mercury Sable needed a lot of work, that was the one to go. So we looked at the blue book value for it. In fair condition it would get $425 I believe. We figured we would probably get $250-$400 because the Sable is needing much work: transmission, brakes, there’s a leak somewhere…We took it to CARMAX and they drove it around and came back with a price of $1000!! The only thing I could think of after that was Ephesians 3:20-21 which says: “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (NIV) The Lord gave us so much more than we thought and with that money, we will be using it for our move. Lord willing, on April 18, 2005 we’ll be heading out to Bartlesville, Oklahoma where we will be volunteering there at the Headquarters with a ministry called Voice of the Martyrs. This ministry is dedicated to helping, equipping, and encouraging persecuted Christians in parts of the world such as: China, Sudan, North Korea…If you’d like to know more about them or read about our brothers and sisters in other countries and pray for them, you can go to: www.persecution.com
If the Lord brings us to your mind, please pray that we would follow Him completely in all He is calling us to do.

love,
joe and rebecca