The Hour of Death

Lord, make me to know that I am so frail that I may die at any time, early morning, noon, night, midnight, cockcrow. I may die in any place; if I am in the house of sin, I may die there, if I am in the place of worship, I may die there. I may die in the street: I may die while undressing to-night. I may die in my sleep; die before I get to my work to-morrow morning. I may die in any occupation. But God grant I may never die a blasphemer. I may die with the cup of communion at my lips; I may die preaching; I may die singing. In all, grant I may die as I wish to die, doing your service for the love of Christ by the power of your spirit. Perhaps, as I stand here and readily speak, the arrow is on its way; soon may the hand He stretched, and dumb the mouth that lisps this faltering strain. Oh! may it never intrude upon an ill-spent hour, but find me wrapt in meditation, and hymning my great Creator, or serving my fellow-man with love to God, or in some way so laboring that it shall not come to me as a thief in the night, but shall find me watching, ready for His advent.

From the book Spurgeon Gold

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!!