Sunday, November 22, 2009

Back in time, off in space




This blog will be going on hiatus for about two weeks. I will indulge in a brief personal history to explain why.

From 1968 through 1970 I served with the Foreign Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention in Hong Kong as a missionary teacher. My primary assignment was teaching English and Bible at Pui Ching Middle School, a school which had been founded by Baptists in Canton, but was relocated to Hong Kong when the communists overran China. Incidentally "Middle school" in the Chinese system refers primarily to high school ("Little school" is elementary and "Big school" is university). However, Pui Ching was a K-12 school with about 5000 students at the time.

By the time I taught there, Pui Ching had established itself as the most academically superior school in Hong Kong among those teaching primarily in the Chinese language. At that time, because Hong Kong was still a British colony, most schools wishing to seem prestigious taught primarily in English. Of the two hundred seniors I taught each year, nearly eighty per cent continued their education in U.S. colleges and universities. It was significant that for many of them, I was the first American they ever knew; yet most of them were only one year away from freshman year in the U.S., and their English was not very good.

Although Pui Ching students attended weekly chapels and mandatory Bible class, less than ten per cent were Christians. But the seeds did not fall on hard soil in all cases, and I am happy to report that perhaps as many as twenty-five per cent or more of those students are now believers. And at least one is now a pastor of a Chinese church in New Zealand.

I happen to know this because, through the wonders of the internet, I have reconnected with many of those former students. In fact, I read e mails almost daily from many of them through a common listserve which they use. In the early years of my return from Hong Kong, I saw quite a few of them while they were in college, and in recent years have attended several of their reunions in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Two have visited me here in Tucson within the past five years, and one actually lives here, a pharmacy professor at U of A.

Even so, I was not prepared for the wonderful surprise I received last spring when one of them wrote to me saying that the Class of 1969 has invited Linda and me, at their expense, to attend their fortieth reunion in Hong Kong next week. It is timed to coincide with the schools's celebration of its 120th anniversary. It's hard to believe that I was actually teaching there during the 80th anniversary!

Chinese students are, by nature, very respectful to their teachers, but the bonds in this school are remarkably tight. Their worldwide alumni assocation numbers in the tens of thousands. Most have been quite successful as entrepreneurs, college professors, doctors, programmers, scientists, and so on. There is even a Nobel Prize physicist among the alumni of this school (although he graduated several years before I was there).

I should mention that Linda was serving in the same mission program during the same two years in Peru, teaching missionary children for several different families. I often say we were never on the same continent long enough to get married during our first seven years out of college!

At any rate, preparations for the trip, the trip itself, and recovery from the trip, along with the fact that this is my busy tax credit season, will keep me from posting for probably about two weeks. Please pray for our journey (we don't travel much nowadays) and for the wonderful contacts we will make during this time.

Friday, November 20, 2009

The Mission



A film that Pastor Allen has referred to several times in his messages, the British movie The Mission was made in 1986, loosely based on Father Roque, of whom I wrote in this blog on October 15.

I finally had a chance to watch the film this past week end and I strongly recommend it for the sake of one particular scene, if nothing else. It is the scene in which the character played by Robert de Niro, Rodrigo Mendoza, is forgiven by the Guarani whom he had previously been kidnapping and selling as slaves. The Guarani themselve would not have been able to forgive him had they not already been converted to Christ through the efforts of Father Roque.

Inciedentally, the reviewer who wrote the movie's description on Wikipedia refers to Mendoza's conversion as him being "symbolically relieved of his violent past." When I read this I wanted to tell the writer, "This is no mere symbol; this is life-changing transformation through the power of the Holy Spirit." But, pearls before swine....

At any rate, you will recognize what Mendoza's conversion looks like when you watch the well-depicted transition from grief and despair to tears of gratitude, and finally, to shared laughter with his Guarani brothers in Christ. It is rare in a major movie to find forgiveness and faith so beautfully depicted. It is a cinematic jewel that any Christian would be thrilled to see, as I was.

Filmed on location in South America, the scenery is also breath-taking, especially the waterfalls. As with many movies, the violence may not be appropriate for children. While many would say the movie has a depressing ending, which I won't give away, I felt the actual (and dreadful) history of what happened to the Jesuit missions was sensitively and artistically portrayed. And to the movie-makers' credit, the last image on the screen is the text of John 1:5 - "The Light shines in darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Anna's baptism





Many of you will remember Anna Oliver, who was Margaret Cole's foster child for over a year. She has now been adopted by Mark and Sharon Summerville of Marana, joining her birth brother, Robert, as a member of the Summerville family. Last Saturday was Pima County Adoption Celebration, with a huge number of adopting families at Udall Park, where Anna and Robert officially became Anna and Robert Summerville.

The next morning both Anna and her brother were baptised by their father, Mark, at Desert Son Community Church on Cortaro Farms Road. Above you can see the photos of Anna joining the family of God in holy baptism. Glory to God!

In a future blog I will tell more of Margaret's story and the story of her adopted daughter, Elizabeth (whom we get to see with Margaret every Sunday at Dove Mountain Church).

Saturday, November 14, 2009

More news from Marlene



Dove Mountaineer Marlene Luartes recently e-mailed "Moments with Marlene," a November newsletter about her work in Kenya, with lots of photos and other news. Here is a brief excerpt:

"I can’t believe that I’ve been here a month already! Time has been flying by! I lived in a guest apartment at the East Africa Bible Translation Center for the first 11 days, then moved into a condo managed by AIM Intl. It’s in a small, mostly African, gated community, but there’s an AIM family on every short street. They have all been so gracious, inviting me into their homes for dinner, or to go along to church or shopping centers, or out for a meal.

I work on the top floor of the hangar, which means climbing three flights of stairs several times a day. I do get my exercise! My boss is a hard-working but fun-loving guy. He’s the head of the Maintenance Dept and also oversees the financial workings of all of AIM AIR. We’re doing account and cost analysis for the department...sound like fun? My desk is in the scheduling office and it’s delightful to hear Lydia talking to folks, scheduling their flights. She often speaks in Kiswahili, with just a phrase of English thrown in here and there. She’s really good at her job...and such a delightful person!"

If you would like to receive Marlene's newsletters directly to your e mail box, just let her know at Marlene_luartes@wycliffe.org

Friday, November 13, 2009

Another Movie Recommendation from Pastor Allen



Pastor Allen used this film as an illustration of the power of one person "standing for justice" against popular opinion. For those who aren't aware, a great place to rent the old classics like this is Casa Video at 2905 E. Speedway.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Loose change to loosen chains



A Dove Mountaineers salute to Steve Johnson for taking on the "Loose Change to Loosen Chains" project with Dove Mountain children and youth! You can read more about this project and the International Justice Mission here.

Here is a short description of this program in their own words:

"Loose Change to Loosen Chains (LC2LC) is a student-led campaign for elementary to college students to combat modern-day slavery while learning about the reality of injustices today. According to Real Simple magazine there is $10.5 billion in loose change lying around American households. Imagine what you could do if you were to collect even just a fraction of this amount and use it for a good cause!"

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Pure Religion in Thailand


James 1:
27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.


In the 1980's, when I was administrator of Shiloh Christian School in Sierra Vista, one of the teachers, Ron Miller was restless to do more for Jesus. A veteran of Viet Nam, he remembered with compassion the "thrown away" children he had seen in Southeast Asia during his years there. Eventually God led him to return to the "golden triangle" area of Northern Thailand, near the borders of Laos and Myanmar (Burma). This is an area ripe with drug traffic; the indigenous people there are very poor. Thousands of children end up with fates similar to the story Pastor Allen told in his message of Bo Pa, a child kidnapped and forced into prostitution.

Ron arrived in Chiang Rai, Thailand in 1991 with about $2 in his his pocket, speaking no Thai, and knowing no one. From the beginning, his work there has been an act of faith, relying on God's provision for all his needs. Ron started his first orphanage there with four children who would have inevitably ended up in the sex trade, in a building so dilapidated that eventually the local government required it to be demolished. Undaunted and undismayed by challenges that would have overcome most of us, Ron persevered in his faith that God would enable to rescure more and more children from a life of enslavement and despair. Today all four of those original children are healthy adult Christians, two of them serving as leaders of his current five orphanages.

Here is Ron's update to those humble beginnings, told in his own words:

"Today we have around 120 of us: 22 staff members and one hundred plus children in five orphanages. One of our works is located in Chiang Mai for disabled children. The others are all located in Chiang Rai province. This is a testimony of God’s grace and faithfulness. We have seen over 12,000 Hmong come to faith through our little work here in the 'outer' reaches. We are involved in over 40 Hmong churches in Northern Thailand and Laos. By the way, many of these men working amongst the Hmong are a product of Baan Immanuel.

This year we opened our fifth orphanage in the mountains of Huey Lou (in the Doi Tung Mountain Range) for Red Lahu. Batha, our first boy with the ministry, is the overseer of this work. We have seen around 350 Red Lahu come to faith since the New Year. Last year we opened an orphanage for the Yao children. Ardizone, one of our Yao boys, and his wife are the leaders of this ministry. He arrived at Baan Immanuel with our second group of children.

The work in Chiang Khong for Hmong children is under the care of two young Hmong men, Somsaat and Kraigklay. They arrived at Baan Immanuel with Ardizone’s group...14 years ago! During those 14 years I have experienced many blessings, but of the many blessings I am most grateful for is this: All our orphanages and works are run by our own children, and each is working with the tribal group from which they are a member. It is not that we necessarily planned it this way – it was just the Lord’s will and wisdom. These kids, well, I guess now they are young men and women now, just have a heart for God. My blessing is to see my spiritual children doing the work of ministry. And they are raising their children to do the same."

You can read more about the work of Baan Immanuel here.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Voice of the Martyrs




Dove Mountaineer Jack Hauschildt has been a faithful supporter and promoter of Voice of the Martyrs for many years. As a teacher at Cornerstone Christian Academy, he has always dedicated a bulletin board in his sixth grade classroom to making his students aware of their persecuted brethren in Christ around the world, as well as encouraging them (through his own leadership and example) to pray for the persecuted church. This past Sunday his information table on Voice of the Martyrs was the perfect complement to Pastor Alllen's massage on justice ministry.

After the service, Dove Mountaineer Diana Robinson and I both found ourselves back at the information table, and she was wondering how to learn more about this wonderful work among our suffering brothers and sister in Christ around the world. For her and all other Dove Mountaineers, here is a link to the VOM web site.

From the web site, here is a brief summary of their vision and work:

"The Voice of the Martyrs is a non-profit, inter-denominational Christian organization dedicated to assisting the persecuted church worldwide. VOM was founded in 1967 by Pastor Richard Wurmbrand, who was imprisoned 14 years in Communist Romania for his faith in Christ. His wife, Sabina, was imprisoned for three years. In the 1960s, Richard, Sabina, and their son, Mihai, were ransomed out of Romania and came to the United States. Through their travels, the Wurmbrands spread the message of the atrocities that Christians face in restricted nations, while establishing a network of offices dedicated to assisting the persecuted church. The Voice of the Martyrs continues in this mission around the world today through the following main purposes:

To encourage and empower Christians to fulfill the Great Commission in areas of the world where they are persecuted for their involvement in propagating the gospel of Jesus Christ. We accomplish this by providing Bibles, literature, radio broadcasts, medical assistance, and other forms of aid.

To give relief to the families of Christian martyrs in these areas of the world.
To equip local Christians to love and win to Christ their enemies who are opposed to the gospel in countries where believers are actively persecuted for their Christian witness.

To undertake projects of encouragement, helping believers rebuild their lives and Christian witness in countries that have formerly suffered Communist oppression.
To emphasize the fellowship of all believers by informing the world of atrocities committed against Christians and by remembering their courage and faith."

Monday, November 9, 2009

Pleading their cause...


Proverbs 31:
8 Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.
9 Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.




Thank you, Pastor Allen, for the challenge to care about God's justice in today's world. Other scriptures that were cited to support the main passage from Proverbs included...

Amos 5:
24 But let justice roll on like a river,
righteousness like a never-failing stream!

Micah 6:
8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

Proverbs 14:
31 He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker,
but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.

Isaiah 61:
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendor.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Issues Facing Christians Today



If you're like me, I pay a lot of attention to books that Pastor Allen quotes from in his sermons. I've even ended up ordering many of them to read myself (I usually order used copies for a very low price from Amazon.com). We have all observed that John Stott is one of his favorite authors, but I must admit I had never heard of this particular book until this past Sunday, and it seems (based on his quotes from it) that this may be a very important book.

Here are some notes from the product description on the back of the book:

"Terrorism...Same-Sex Marriage...Debt Cancellation...The AIDS Pandemic...These are just some of the critical contemporary issues addressed in this book. Issues Facing Christians Today helps thinking Christians sift through and respond to a sweeping array of complex and pressing topics.

Thoroughly revised and updated by Roy McCloughry and fully endorsed by John Stott, this fourth edition continues a two-decades-plus legacy of bringing important current issues under the lens of biblically informed thinking. Combining a keen global awareness with a gift for penetrating analysis, the authors examine such vital topics as:

Pluralism and Christian witness
Cohabitation
Environmentalism and ecological stewardship
War and peace
Abortion and euthanasia … and much more

An entirely new chapter on bio-engineering has been contributed by Professor John Wyatt of University College London.

Including a study guide, Issues Facing Christians Today is essential reading for Christians who wish to engage our culture with insight, passion, and faith, knowing that the gospel is as relevant and deeply needed today as at any time in history. As the culture wars continue, this book will remain a critical contribution, helping to define Christian social and ethical thinking in the years ahead."

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Perverting Scripture



It was gratifying to hear the audible gasp of disbelief and dismay from the congregation last Sunday when Pastor Allen quoted a self-help guru as having said, "I can do all things through my subconscious, which strenghens me." This shows that our congregation is Biblically literate, and are not fooled by substitutes. I'm afraid some Christians would not even be familiar enough with Scriptures to recognize that this is a direct perversion of Philippians 4:13.

This is important for us in our day, because all sorts of counterfeits abound, and some of the elect may even be taken in by them. I have been in social situations where people come out with some of these unBiblical paraphrases, and am astonished that I am expected to nod my head in agreement with something that sounds "so harmless." In the spirit of Pastor Allen's "Five Smooth Stones" challenge (see Monday's post), we should be ready to "bear witness of the Truth" and "protest."

Curious to know who may have said such a thing, I found this quote from a book entitled The Power of Your Subconscious Mind, originally published in the 1970s:

"Never use the terms, “I can’t afford it” or “I can’t do this.” Your subconscious mind takes you at your word and sees to it that you do not have the money or the ability to do what you want to do. Affirm, “I can do all things through the power of my subconscious mind.”

It was not surprising to find that the author, Joseph Murphy, was an active practioner of Divine Science, and a world-renowned authority on mysticism and mind dynamics. He also taught that the mind is "totally neutral in a moral sense." But the Bible says "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9).

Friday, November 6, 2009

A Little Bit of History














In setting the stage for his lesson on the armor of God, Pastor Allen quoted from two speeches by Winston Churchill. The first was on the occasion of his speech to the House of Commons after becoming Prime Minister. Although Churchill received only lukewarm applause upon his entrance that day, the stirring speech evoked a tumultuous ovation from Parliament at its conclusion. Popularly referred to as the "Blood, sweat, and tears" speech, you will note below, in the original, that the phrase was actually "blood, toil, tears, and sweat."

May 13, 1940

"I say to the House as I said to ministers who have joined this government, I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat. We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many months of struggle and suffering.

You ask, what is our policy? I say it is to wage war by land, sea, and air. War with all our might and with all the strength God has given us, and to wage war against a monstrous tyranny never surpassed in the dark and lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy.

You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word. It is victory. Victory at all costs - Victory in spite of all terrors - Victory, however long and hard the road may be, for without victory there is no survival.

Let that be realized. No survival for the British Empire, no survival for all that the British Empire has stood for, no survival for the urge, the impulse of the ages, that mankind shall move forward toward his goal.

I take up my task in buoyancy and hope. I feel sure that our cause will not be suffered to fail among men. I feel entitled at this juncture, at this time, to claim the aid of all and to say, "Come then, let us go forward together with our united strength."

June 4, 1940

Less than a month later, Churchill delivered a much longer and more strategically detailed speech following the heroic evacuation of Allied troops from France to Dunkirk by a flotilla composed primarily of private British citizens. Reprinted here is the last paragraph of that speech.

"I have, myself, full confidence that if all do their duty, if nothing is neglected, and if the best arrangements are made, as they are being made, we shall prove ourselves once again able to defend our Island home, to ride out the storm of war, and to outlive the menace of tyranny, if necessary for years, if necessary alone. At any rate, that is what we are going to try to do. That is the resolve of His Majesty's Government-every man of them. That is the will of Parliament and the nation. The British Empire and the French Republic, linked together in their cause and in their need, will defend to the death their native soil, aiding each other like good comrades to the utmost of their strength. Even though large tracts of Europe and many old and famous States have fallen or may fall into the grip of the Gestapo and all the odious apparatus of Nazi rule, we shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender, and even if, which I do not for a moment believe, this Island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in God's good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old."

Thursday, November 5, 2009

More on Ephesians 6


Like some of you, I suppose, I do a bit of blog-browsing. One site I enjoy is that of Emmanuel Covenant Church in Phoenix, where former Tucsonan and Cornerstone assistant headmaster Brian McKinley is now worshipping. It just so happens one of their teaching elders, Richard Klaus, recently spoke on the same passage Pastor Allen used last Sunday. I asked him for permission to reproduce his notes on this blog, and he graciously consented. Here they are, for our further enrichment on this great passage of Scripture:

Ephesians 6.10-17: Some Sermon Notes

This past Sunday (9-6-09) I was able to preach on Ephesians 6.10-17. I went over a number of scripture texts and someone asked if I would post these on the website. So here are a few of my notes from the sermon (with a few additions as well!):

Three main points: 1) The Reality of the conflict, 2) Our Responsibility in the conflict, and 3) The Resources for the conflict.

1. The Reality of the Conflict (6. 11, 12, 16). Other references to the devil or the demonic in Ephesians: 1.21; 2.2; 3.10; 4.27.

"There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them." C. S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters

*The Reformed community’s tendency is toward disbelief; not unhealthy interest.

"I am certain that one of the main causes of the ill state of the church today is the fact that the devil is being forgotten. All is attributed to us; we have all become so psychological in our attitude and thinking. We are ignorant of this great objective fact, the being, the existence of the devil, the adversary, the accuser, and his ‘fiery darts.’" Martyn Lloyd-Jones

The Ephesian church had no such problem. They lived in a magic, spirit-infested culture. See Acts 19. 11-20 for biblical background. See Ephesians, Power and Magic: The Concept of Power in Ephesians in Light of Its Historical Setting by Clinton E. Arnold for the historical background. Ephesians 6.12 would make perfect sense to the Ephesian church. It also makes perfect sense to vast stretches of the church in the non-Western world (i.e., “the global South”). Phillip Jenkins’ work The New Faces of Christianity: Believing the Bible in the Global South is crucial reading in this regard.

Ephesians 6.10 and its call to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might must be read in light of the rest of the letter to the Ephesians. Two contextual points to consider: 1) The power of God revealed in Christ in the salvation of his people (1.3-14) and 2) The power of Christ ruling and reigning over the powers (1.19-22).

Already/Not Yet Tension must be kept in mind and maintained. Already the powers are subject to Christ (1.19-22) and still there is the Not Yet of the struggle we face we the powers (6.12).

"Already" texts: John 12.31-32; Colossians 2.13-15; Hebrews 2.14-15; 1 John 3.8; 4.4; 5.8; Matthew 12.28-29; Luke 10.17-19. Notice especially the cross-focused theme of many of these passages.

"Not Yet" texts: 1 Thessalonians 2.18; 2 Corinthians 12.7; 1 Corinthians 7.5; 1 Thessalonians 3.5; 2 Timothy 2.26; 2 Corinthians 4.4; 11.13-15; 1 Timothy 4.1; 1 Timothy 3.6-7; 5.14-15; 2 Corinthians 2.5-11.

Christ is the victor and yet the battle is real.

2. Our Responsibility in the Conflict. Verses 11, 13, and 14a all bring out this need to engage ourselves in the battle. The language of “stand firm” is used three times as well as the language of “struggle” and “resist.” The exhortation to stand firm is given in the face of the enemies who are 1. Powerful, 2. Wicked, and 3. Cunning (vv. 11-12).

3. The Resources for the Conflict. It is the Lord’s strength but we must put it on. Two times the exhortation comes: “Put on/take up the full armor of God” (vv. 11, 13).

Armor of God: Old Testament roots–Isaiah 11.4-5; 59.17.

Truth: See Ephesians 1.13; 4.21, 24-25; 5.9.

Righteousness: Ephesians 4.24; 5.9. We are taking up the virtues that flow from the gospel of grace and applying them to the warfare we are involved in with the powers.
Readiness for the gospel: This is readiness to share the gospel. Context: Isaiah 52.7 and Ephesians 6.19. Gospel of peace: Peace with God (Eph 2.16) and peace with men (2.14-15; 4.3). Unity in the body is essential for the successful proclamation of the gospel and the defeat of the devil.

Shield of Faith: Ephesians 1.13, 15, 19; 2.8; 3.12, 17. Faith in Christ: what he has done and who we are in him. This faith protects against: temptation, heresy, and despair in persecution (cf. 1 Peter 5.8-9).

Helmet of Salvation: Ephesians 2 states we are “saved by grace” (vv. 5,8). Salvation in Ephesians 2 consists in 1) Being made alive with Christ, 2) Being raised up with Christ, and 3) Being seated in the heavenly places in Christ. How do we take up the helmet of salvation? Rehearse the reality of God’s grace and its effects in our lives. Pray for sustained faith.

Sword of the Spirit: This the word of God, the gospel (cf. Romans 10.8). We go on the offense with the gospel!

The armor of God is gospel-centered. In the beginning of Ephesians the gospel moves Paul to blessing and praise (1.3-14). At the end of the letter it is still gospel centered but now it is set in the context of battle.

For Christ and His Kingdom,

Richard Klaus

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Wearing the Armor



In my humble opinion, Steve's object lesson Sunday on the armor of God was much more effective for having the members of the congregation supply the "homemade" armor items than it would have been if he had used the cheesy plastic pieces of "armor" that are sold in Christian supply stores. Not that an Easter basket helmet isn't pretty cheesy itself!

On a serious note, it did undergird the "body" principle that we all work together to "watch each other's back."

Thanks to Steve, Jessica Williams, and all the other "armor suppliers" for memorable object lesson!

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Frodo's lament


For those of us who don't mind Pastor Allen's quotes from Lord of the Rings (but with thanks to him for making the disclaimer on Sunday anyway!) here is the text of the conversation he quoted in his sermon on Sunday:

"I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo. "So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us. And already, Frodo, our time is beginning to look black. The Enemy is fast becoming very strong. His plans are far from ripe, I think, but they are ripening. We shall be hard put to it. We should be very hard put to it, even if it were not for this dreadful chance."

Monday, November 2, 2009

Five Smooth Stones


From yesterday's Town Hall Meeting with Pastor Allen, it is important that all Dove Mountaineers remember the Five Smooth Stones! I suggest that we each make a copy and meditate on how they apply in our individual lives and corporate life as a church.


1. Prayer
2. Evangelism
3. Bearing witness to the Truth
4. Protesting and resisting
5. Demonstrating

I will have more to say in future postings!