Gospel for Asia

Gospel for Asia ministries has produced "Forgotten Christmas."  Take a moment to view the video, then let's continue our conversation.



It's estimated that Americans will spend $400 billion on Christmas this year.  Forty percent of the toys given in December will be broken by March.  Fifty percent of us will spend more than we can afford.  A third of us will take six months to pay off our Christmas spending.  And 20 percent will have trouble making their mortgage or rent payment in January because of Christmas spending.

The commercialism of Christmas continues apace.  Kmart aired its first Christmas ad last September.  More than a dozen major retailers will be open all day Thanksgiving for Christmas shopping, rendering Abraham Lincoln's vision of "a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father" less relevant than ever.

How do we balance the holiday of Christmas with the holy day of Christ's birth?

Paul instructed Timothy: "As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment" (1 Timothy 6:17, NRSV).  Here we find two truths in apparent conflict.

On one hand, we are not to confuse prosperity with purpose.  Paul warns that riches are "uncertain"—the Greek word describes a foundation that could crumble and cause the house to collapse.  Hebrews 13:5 warns us to "keep your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have."  1 Timothy 6:10 adds that "the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils."  Ecclesiastes 5:10 predicts, "He who loves money will not be satisfied with money."

On the other hand, God "richly" (plousios, abundantly, extremely) gives us what we have for our "enjoyment" (apolausis, pleasure, profit, advantage, joyfulness).  Our Father has "plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope" (Jeremiah 29:11).

A way to harmonize these truths is to use our material possessions for eternal purposes.  From Abraham and Barnabas to today, the Lord uses wealth for his glory and our good.  According to the Gospel for Asia video, one percent of what we spend on Christmas gifts would provide clean water to over a billion people in South Asia and a Bible to everyone in the world.  By giving that amount to ministries, millions could hear about the first Christmas for the first time this year.

How can we make Christmas less commercial and more spiritual?  Please share your thoughts in our comments section.  And ask the Lord how he wants the holidays to be holy days for you and your family.  Mother Teresa was right: "It is Christmas every time you let God love others through you."

- Written by Jim Denison

Personal Testimony to Baseball Turmoil

 Recently, the original organization I was going to join up with and I split ways.  I'm not writing this blog post to recount the events in which that all occurred, but to share with you how God is presently at work through all of this.  The cutting of ties with that organization and the feelings I felt at are certainly important, but their importance is resigned to the fact that because of them, the absolute devestation that seemed invevitable, are proving to be the source of another one of God's unpredictable and astonishing way of working in my life as well as every life of my teams and their families.

I have shared with my Bible study that I am leaving for Arizona tomorrow night to have surgery on Tuesday and I got an email tonight from on of my friends in it.  They know I coach baseball and I have shared with them my request to pray for the team and I  every week it seems before the split ever happened.  He wrote tonight to tell me that the group was praying for me.  I was planning on writing back a short thank you, but instead I shared with him what I can attest to being God's work in the team and I's lives.

Thank You Brother.

Your words mean a lot to me and I'm blessed to have so many people praying for us!  I'm sorry I wasn't there Wednesday and hope y'all still were able to make it without me - ha!  Thank you for your prayers for my baseball team as well.  I'll tell you more about it when I see you again but in short, I am no longer with the organization I had expecting to be joining.  This is with complete support of every parent and baseball associate from my two teams.  It was an unexpected and very unfortunate turn of events that came with what seemed to be devastating consequences to me, my teams and my players.

I am going to be completely honest with anyone that asks... God is taking care of us!  The 14U team will no longer be playing together and being this late in the game with tryouts for all organizations almost over, I was fearful that these amazing young men would have a hard time finding a team that they could continue to develop with, that suited their skill levels and actually cared about them.  God has found them all (but one) a team.  The one kid who doesn't, I'm confident will have a team yet will next weekend when he's back in town from boy scouts.

The 11U team was in the same boat but not to as great an extent.  Returning from my original team will be my two best players.  The talent level aside, those two kids also have exceptional parents and families that I have wonderful relationships with.  Two is not an insignificant number, because really only five were going to move on to a more competitive schedule and commitment which was the direction I was planning on taking my teams.  I was only going into the spring season with the expectation of keeping only four players.  When the kids are this age, I would say this is generally the case when making a decision whether they really want to pursue playing a sport or if they just want to play rec.

The 11U team is already at 8 and from meeting with and evaluating the players (and parents) coming to the team, we actually have a really strong bunch!  The parents I have met aren't crazy and are so supportive!  The kids are talented and I see a lot of potential in them.  They are just the kind of kids I want to coach - good kids and good players.

God has blessed us and is working His plan throughout all of this.  Yes, it hurt a ton but I already see Him at work.  The 14U team and I had developed a very special relationship and established almost a family-like culture.  Since the move away from the organization, it has only gotten stronger.  I can't wait to see the kids continue playing baseball and to see them around.  I was with a couple 11U's yesterday and saw the 14U's fishing at the same park.  One by one they showed up.  I didn't realize it until after practice, but every single one of the core members of that team were there!  It was a very heartfelt moment for me and I still feel the happiness I got from seeing them all together still.  We all had burgers tonight before my trip which they organized.

God is doing amazing things in my life and I know He is as well in the rest of the Dallas Shooters' lives.

Thank you for your prayers and I can't wait to see you guys again!

- Rob

Story: The Grace of Christianity

 

An elderly professor of world religions surprised his colleagues

by declaring his commitment to Christ.

He explained: 

"It was as if I had fallen into a deep, abandoned well.

Muhammad came by and told me it was the will of

Allah that I be in this well, then he left.

The Buddha came by and told me if I would cease desire

I would cease to suffer in the well, then he left.

A Hindu teacher came by and told me if I was faithful in the well

I would escape through reincarnation, then he left.

Confucius came by and told me if I'd not tripped

I would not be in the well, then he left.

Jesus came by, saw me, and got into the well with me.  

That is why I am a Christian."

Puzzles and More Than Setting a Lineup Card

It was raining and gloomy today so I stayed home and watched a Sunday worship service on TV from a church that is filled with white hair and lots of empty pews but a wonderful organist and a good message that I want to pass on to all of you.  The topic of the sermon was being willing to pray for others and when we don't know exactly how to express that prayer.  The pastor suggested that we say the 23rd psalm and insert that person's name in that psalm. What a simple thing to do but a very effective way of expressing our prayer for that individual!   The sermon also reinforced the importance of prayer requests for others which we should continue to do.  We know that prayers for others are important and I encourage you all to share your requests so we can all include them in our prayers.

Love you all.

Mom (Honey)

The Lord Is My Shepherd

A Psalm of David.

23 The Lord is my d shepherd; I shall not e want.

2 He makes me lie down in green f pastures.

He leads me beside still waters.

3 He g restores my soul.

He h leads me in i paths of righteousness

for his j name's sake.

4 Even though I k walk through the valley of l the shadow of death,

I will m fear no evil,

for n you are with me;

your o rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

5 You p prepare a table before me

in q the presence of my enemies;

you r anoint my head with oil;

my s cup overflows.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

all the days of my life,

and I shall t dwell in the house of the Lord

u forever.

I came across this the other day when praying for some of the kids on my team and what do you know you send me this email!  When I was praying I said things like, "I don't know what to pray for and I don't know my motive, but please see what's on my heart because I don't know how to say or what to say."  God's will be done, not ours.

I also met with one of the dad's that helps me coach the 10U's today for lunch.  I knew he had done some youth coaching before but didn't know the extent.  Turns out coaching was what was his income as he went through med school.  He's in his 40's or 50's but you can tell he was (and actually still is) a heck of an athlete.  He shared some great wisdom on coaching this age group that I wouldn't have considered.

I'm glad I'm replying all to this message because its a great way to share God's work in my life with my family.  I told Honey the other day to please pray for me and my teams because I was feeling like I wasn't getting something done or doing something right.  I didn't know what that something was and to say its one thing would be foolish.  Pieces of the puzzle were either missing or in the wrong place.  I believe in God's plan for my life and that He's with me every step of the way and this email Honey sent out is another example of how God is trying to refine me.

Love you all!  Sorry I've been out of touch but this is even crazier than last year with all the responsibilities that have been added to my position.

Rob

P.S.  I think I'll add this to my blog that I haven't been adding to in sometime.  Been one of those things.