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But God...

6/25/2019

Ephesians 2:4-5 - 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace, you have been saved.

Recently at one of our Life Group gatherings, we were asked what our favorite movie was. For me (Tim) it is Saving Private Ryan, and with the 75th anniversary of D-Day, we watched it again. For many, it is a tough movie as it graphically depicts war, but I am always caught by the story line of the "saving" of Private Ryan. For those who haven't watched the movie after the D-day invasion, it comes to the attention of the army commanders that the Ryan family had sent four sons into war, and three of them were now dead. They decide that they are going to find the fourth son and send him home to his mother. So a group of eight soldiers led by Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) is sent on a mission to find Ryan and bring him home alive. The only problem is he is lost somewhere in the French countryside. A good part of the movie is this group of eight soldiers wandering the French countryside in search of Ryan and debating the morality and fairness of this mission. I mean potentially sacrificing eight men for one seems absurd. As they go along they get into small skirmishes with German soldiers and one by one they are dying, making the mission seem even more futile.

Eventually, the six remaining soldiers find private Ryan and a small group of soldiers guarding a bridge key to the allies advance through France. The soldiers are elated that they can take Ryan back to safety and maybe even they will get to go home alive. However, Ryan isn't willing to abandon his post, even when he learns of the death of his three brothers. What are they to do??? Captain Miller (Hanks) decides they will stay with Ryan and help him defend the bridge until reinforcements arrive. In the final battle scene, the Germans attack and the bridge is almost overrun until P-51 planes arrive to drive the Germans back. However, three more of the original eight soldiers are killed in action and Miller (Hanks) is mortally wounded on the bridge. Ryan comes up to Miller to be with him. That scene and following is below (sorry for the poor quality).

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A Man You Would Write About vs. Only Jesus

3/21/2019

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Many of you know that I (Tim) love music (primarily Christian Contemporary/Worship) and as I have listened to some songs lyrics wondered if they are on track. An old time favorite song of mine by 4Him (who remembers that group from the 80s and 90s) is called "A Man You Would Write About" you can view the old music video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WCZXNhx3TgWe. The lyrics for that song are:

From the time, time began You Always chose a man
To lead the people safely by Your way
To be a voice and echo what You say
Like David or Abraham
Your Word is full of such men
And if the Bible had no closing page
And still was being written to this day

CHORUS
I want to be a man that you would write about
Oh a thousand years from now
That they could read about
Your servant of choice in whom you found favor
A man who heard Your voice

Generations away it is my prayer
That they will look back and say
Oh to have that kind of faith and love
What a solid man of God he was!

More recently, Casting Crowns has a song out called "Only Jesus". The music video can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXIBP2BdYR8. The lyrics for this song are:

Make it count, leave a mark, build a name for yourself
Dream your dreams, chase your heart, above all else
Make a name the world remembers

But all an empty world can sell is empty dreams
I got lost in the light when it was up to me
To make a name the world remembers
But Jesus is the only name to remember

CHORUS
And I, I don’t want to leave a legacy
I don’t care if they remember me
Only Jesus
And I, I’ve only got one life to live
I’ll let every second point to Him
Only Jesus

All the kingdoms built, all the trophies won
Will crumble into dust when it’s said and done
'Cause all that really mattered
Did I live the truth to the ones I love?
Was my life the proof that there is only One
Whose name will last forever?

Both songs have interesting premises. What do you think? Is one song "right" and the other song "wrong"? Can they both be "right"? Parts of both songs "right"? I think it depends on the heart of the songwriter. In the 4Him song, if the desire is only to be someone God would want to use as an example in His word then I think the song is great. If it is more about vanity and leaving a mark on the world than maybe it is missing the mark. What do you think? Let me know how you see things.

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What is Real Treasure?

8/1/2018

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At times we try so hard to hold on to something when the Lord is asking us to just let go. Below is a favorite story of mine that illustrates this point so well.

The Treasure
by Alice Gray, as printed in "More Stories for the Heart"

The cheerful girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five. Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them: a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box. "Oh please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please, mommy, please!"

Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned face. "A dollar ninety-five. That's almost $2.00 If you really want them, I'll think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy them for yourself. Your birthday's only a week away and you might get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma."

As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her penny bank and counted out 17 pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores and she went to the neighbor and asked Mrs. McJames if she could pick dandelions for ten cents. On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill and at last, she had enough money to buy the necklace.
Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown up. She wore them everywhere--Sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed. The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. Mother said if they got wet, they might turn her neck green.
Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story. One night when he finished the story, he asked Jenny, "Do you love me?"

"Oh yes, Daddy. You know that I love you."

"Then give me your pearls."

"Oh, Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess--the white horse from my collection. The one with the pink tail. Remember, Daddy? The one you gave me. She's my favorite."

"That's okay, Honey. Daddy loves you. Good night." And he brushed her cheek with a kiss.

About a week later, after the story time, Jenny's daddy asked again, "Do you love me?"

"Daddy, you know I love you."

"Then give me your pearls."

"Oh Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby doll. The brand new one I got for my birthday. She is so beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that matches her sleeper."

"That's okay. Sleep well. God bless you, little one. Daddy loves you." And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss.

A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed Indian-style. As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek.

"What is it, Jenny? What's the matter?"

Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to her daddy. And when she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace. With a little quiver, she finally said, "Here, Daddy. It's for you."

With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny's kind daddy reached out with one hand to take the dime-store necklace, and with the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine pearls and gave them to Jenny. He had had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the dime-store stuff so he could give her genuine treasure.

So like our heavenly Father.

What are you hanging on to?

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God's Masterpiece in Process

5/1/2018

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This past year has been a bit crazy. I lost my mom last June, ended up deciding to leave Impact Ministries after giving seven + years of our lives to help the US arm of the ministry get off the ground, and then relocated to Knoxville, TN, a place where we have never lived and know almost no one. I can understand why people are shaking their heads wondering if Tim has finally lost it. :)

However, we believe God is in control and he has a purpose for all things. I am reminded of a story about embroidery, that I am titling "Embroidering Your Life" which I copied below. The author is unknown to me.

When I was a little boy, my mother used to embroider a great deal. I would sit at her knee and look up from the floor and ask what she was doing. She informed me that she was embroidering. I told her that it looked like a mess from where I was. As from the underside I watched her work within the boundaries of the little round hoop that she held in her hand, I complained to her that it sure looked messy from where I sat. She would smile at me, look down and gently say, “My son, you go about your playing for a while, and when I am finished with my embroidering, I will put you on my knee and let you see it from my side.”
I would wonder why she was using some dark threads along with the bright ones and why they seemed so jumbled from my view. A few minutes would pass and then I would hear Mother’s voice say, “Son, come and sit on my knee.”

This I did only to be surprised and thrilled to see a beautiful flower or a sunset. I could not believe it, because from underneath it looked so messy.

Then Mother would say to me, “My son, from underneath it did look messy and jumbled, but you did not realize that there was a pre-drawn plan on the top. It was a design. I was only following it. Now look at it from my side and you will see what I was doing.”

Many times through the years I have looked up to my Heavenly Father and said, “Father, what are You doing?” He has answered, “I am embroidering your life.” I say, “But it looks like a mess to me. It seems so jumbled. The threads seem so dark. Why can’t they all be bright?”

The Father seems to tell me, “My child, you go about your business of doing My business, and one day I will bring you to Heaven and put you on My knee and you will see the plan from My side.”

Author Unknown

For all of us, when we face uncertain and/or difficult times we know that God is embroidering our life. Even though it may seem messy and difficult on our side, his purposes are being fulfilled in the midst of even the most difficult times. Thank you for your continued prayers for Candy and me! It continues to be a huge blessing to us!

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Finiteness in Light of an Eternal God

1/17/2018

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I recently heard someone quote a writer who said: “If you don’t think about your future, you cannot have one.” It made me think about Christ’s example of how he intentionally lived his life from beginning to end knowing his future; rejection by the very people claiming they knew God, a public and painful death, and God forsaking him. And without sinning, Christ felt anguish in the Garden of Gethsemane. Wow, powerful.

Somehow all of this reminded me, God is a god of order. There are days, seasons, a progression of time, and ages modeled in the scriptures. Life, as we experience it, has a beginning, and a clear end, in that each human being, including Christ, has an expiration date. (see Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 for a clearer statement of God’s order of time). These biblical truths lead me to revisit a verse that God used to show me that God, not time, is never-ending.

John 17:3 says, “Now this is eternal life [aeonios (greek) Chayei Sha'ah (Hebrew)]: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” If I study the word of God – not just read it, as I often do – I find that the Greek and Hebrew words used in this passage have nothing to do with “eternal life” (never-ending life). They actually mean “this age” or “fleeting life” respectively, clearly having nothing to do with life having no end. The verse actually explains more fully eternal life (this age or fleeting life) as a quality of relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ who brings us into a present knowledge and experience with God our Father, El ‘olam (Genesis 21:33). In short, eternal life is knowing intimately the “everlasting God” ( El ‘olam).

So while the word eternal may lead me astray in my thinking, God continues to teach me day by day that He is eternal and I am finite. From God’s example of the 33 years, Jesus Christ ministered on this earth to how I experience everyday deadlines, my full, but fleeting life was given to me for the purpose of eternal life. Where eternal life is a personal, intimate relationship with the Lord. And the good news is that our Lord wants each of us to have this more than we do, time notwithstanding.

I end with this, I was recently challenged with these questions. How many people would die to have what I have? Is anyone envious of my relationship with the Lord? If not, then am I experiencing eternal life as the Bible describes it and as our Lord Jesus died to give to me?

God tells us in Proverbs “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another”, so please feel free to respond with your thoughts and comments.

Candance (Candy) Weaver

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At a Loss for Words

11/1/2017

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Ever come upon one of those days when you are at a loss for words. Well, that is us right now. We had a great time at Dayton UMC for their missions conference and then returned to Guatemala to help with the last medical team of the year and pack up our "casita" in Guatemala, before returning to the states for our fall church and conferences.

Our first stop was Solomon's Porch Community Church in Michigan and then we headed to Massachusetts to visit with many we consider family at Grace Chapel. We attended a banquet for PEER Servants and were amazed at what God is doing around the world! All in all, things have been going well, but with each meeting, we've come to a deeper realization of how much God loves his children. And with the knowledge of that love, we are without words to express our awe and gratitude to God and those he chooses to use to touch our lives.

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International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples

8/9/2017

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Have you ever suggested an idea with the expectation that someone would love it and run with it, just to have your idea affirmed as a good one, and then tossed back at you to bring to completion? Well that is how my first Facebook post on the International Day of Indigenous Peoples has come about. Boy do I have a renewed appreciation for all the posts everyone else has done. The hours of research, story collection, Bible study, and reflection all for something short enough to capture the hearts of 100’s of Facebook followers in a way that moves them to greater service unto God. What can I say? WOW, those that have gone before me are giants in the arena where I am so lacking. I’d like to say thanks for giving me a chance to grow and seek God in a new and exciting way, by offering my thoughts on the subject of the International Day of Indigenous Peoples.

While the United Nations (UN) is by no means a solution to the world’s ills, it does make a stand for the equality of people of all origins. And with that at the core, the UN holds August 9th as the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples. With an estimated 370 million indigenous people in the world, making up less than 5 per cent of the world's population, they account for 15 per cent of the poorest, and represent 5,000 different cultures. An excerpt from the UN document on the rights of indigenous states that the UN

"affirms “that all doctrines, policies and practices based on or advocating superiority of peoples or individuals on the basis of national origin or racial, religious, ethnic or cultural differences are racist, scientifically false, legally invalid, morally condemnable and socially unjust,..”

When I read that, I had to read it again and get to the core of what they were saying. All……superiority …. are.... morally condemnable…… Do I believe that? Is it biblical?

The story of the Pharisee and the tax collector divergent prayers tells us how the Pharisee prayed raising up his “righteousness” to God in prayer and the Tax Collector raise up his “unrighteousness” to God in prayer. Jesus says at the end of that parable, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” Wow what an example of how thoughts of superiority can be hidden in even our prayers to God. And, what a warning that comes with it. (Luke 18:9-14 MSG)

Now does the UN take their affirmation from the New Testament? Maybe, maybe not, but I personally have a hard time saying that the affirmation the UN made doesn’t echo the sentiment in the warning given at the end of the parable. Superiority or what might be summarized as pride has consequences. So, it comes as no surprise to me that as fallen people each and every one of us play a part in the need for such documents as the UN’s document on the rights of indigenous and its strong statements.

While the bible tells us that we are all made in God’s image, we all have various inborn traits and characteristics, God had all of us in mind equally when he created the human race. The human race, wow did you catch that? Humans are one race. We are created from the same original blueprint. We are one in the image of God. Realizing this, to think less of our fellow man is to think less of God. It is in his image we are created (Genesis 1:27 NIV).

So today on the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, I ask each of us to examine ourselves. Seek God’s heart for the many cultures He so intentionally created across His image bearers. Praise God for the tapestry of humans that bear His image and share that image through their individual cultures. Remember those that are oppressed for their "different-ness" and ask God to teach us a little bit more about who he is through the "different-ness" of each person that is a part of the human race he has created.

Many of you know that Tim and I work with Impact Ministries, a ministry training up leaders in Biblical principles. It is our hearts desire to see the peoples of Guatemala empowered by God, a God who purposefully made each of us in His image with different cultures, languages, and ways of reflecting that image. So I ask a special favor of each of us today, pray with me that God continues to strengthen the indigenous leaders of Impact Ministries to make a difference in the lives of the children they teach at the Vida Schools of Alta and Baja Verapaz, Guatemala. And, pray for the many people around the world that still need to know they are a valuable image bearer of God.

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Update and request for continued prayer

5/31/2017

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The last month has had Candy returning from the USA, the two of us being together for about 10 days, and then Tim heading to the states to see his mom and family for about 10 days. Tim returned on May 20th with the next medical team and has been playing catch-up ever since.

The medical team left today to return to the states and we have a bit of a gap between teams to get caught up on other things. Thank you for being a blessing and lifting us up in prayer. There is a lot going on in our lives right now, and we need all the prayer support you can offer up to God.

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