The Periodically

This year I've been walking and with a non-traditional ICC student, Evelyn. She is from the Philippines, and I met her through a student ministry at ICC. She and I have been walking and covering different topics such as her grown daughter who's living in Japan, her job, growing flowers, her marriage, and reading the Bible. During one walk I told her that being a Christian is not about a religion, but a relationship with Jesus. She seems very interested in learning more, so I'm hoping we can have more great conversations--if I can just get over how cold it is outside so I can continue the walks. We’re planning our next walk soon. Jesus said, "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel..." In light of that, I am compelled to ask myself this: "But what about when they come to you? Are you willing to do the same? Are you willing to go into their world and share Christ?" Shari Pittenger

I scan the headlines. Word begins to filter in. A virus in China. It is spreading. People are dying. It is far away. But … then it is not. Pandemic, coronavirus, quarantine… who would have thought those words would be in my 6-year-old grandson’s vocabulary. People around the world die. We are in lockdown. We have been exposed. We quarantine. People we know are getting sick. People we know die. Governments plan and pass mandates. A tiny little virus. Not even the most powerful governments on earth can stop it. People lose jobs. Businesses are destroyed. Conflict erupts. “Our rights are being stripped from us!” “You don’t care about people!” One day I wear a mask into a store. No one else is wearing one. I think people are looking at me. I hear their unvoiced accusations, “You are a political liberal. You don’t care about freedom. You live your life controlled by fear.” A little piece of cloth that says so much and draws such lines. Disease that disrupts and destroys. Sorrow and loss. Hu...

Tim Challies’ post regarding his grieving from the loss of his son’s recent death pointed me to this theme. He quoted Pr. 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. As I thought of “the fear of the Lord” as being a non-negotiable, foundational element of our heart’s respond to the person and work of our God, I began to think about the ramifications of the lack of or diminished fear of God. The fallout is staggering .  Sodom’s culture was a result of refusing to fear God (Gen. 20:11). Amalek’s lack of the fear of God (Deut.25:18) resulted in his ultimate destruction (Ex. 17:13-14). Israel and Jerusalem were devastated because they did not fear God (Jer. 5:24), instead they chose to trust in “lying words” (Jer. 7:4,8) and suffered great loss. Foundational Element #1 is “THE FEAR OF THE LORD”. Then consider the absolute necessity of faith in the LORD. Hebrews makes a statement that I believe is so familiar to the average person i...

So that title might have been a little intentionally worded to grab your questioning mind… =)  I don’t know where your family stands on the “Fat Man”… love and encourage your kids to love him, tell people the other person with those same letters in his name is “Satan”… wherever you land, his presence has inundated our culture as a part of our Christmas reality. In thinking about him some, it has led to me thinking a lot more about our God and His work we celebrate at Christmas time so I thought I’d share some of my ponderings with you. Ways Santa is similar to God The words of the now famous Bruce Springsteen song come to mind… (feel free to hum along like I’m doing while I write this =) ) “He sees you when you're sleeping He knows when you're awake” 1) Santa is ascribed an almost omniscient (all knowing) character like our God. “But I know your sitting down And your going out and your coming in…” (Isaiah 37:28). “He knows if you've been bad or good You better be good for g...

I recently had a parent email me about getting a good full text Bible for their child and thought our correspondence might benefit other parents as well in search of  a Bible for their child this Christmas.  Here are my suggestions of a few options that should be applicable for kids from younger early readers all the way through middle school and all of which will hopefully encourage your child to grow in their love for and reading of God’s Word. A lot of your decision will be around desired translation first, then looking at the cool added stuff inside to see what you think will most connect with your child. #1 - ESV Seek & Find Bible - ideal for reading while at church since BCC uses the ESV which will be more and more beneficial in the older grade levels Christian Books - ( Here ) Amazon - ( Here ) #2 - CSB Big Picture Interactive Bible - company is very focused on parents’ interaction with their children & has tried to also bring cool spin on technology to their ...

I got an email sometime in the past with a couple of thoughts that I believe are more common among modern American Christians than one might realize.  Here’s the first one, “…what does it mean to live faithfully with anxiety?”. A second and wise follow up thought, "I've been trying to ask myself what God is trying to teach me through my anxiety. And how he may use me to help others who struggle?” Let’s start with a few biblical principles to help answer the question, “What does God want me to learn about anxiety?” Anxiety weighs us down (Pr.12:25). Jesus tells us that anxiety is a form of fear, rooted in unbelief, “Oh you of little faith.” (Matt. 6:30b). Anxiety (fear/worry) is to be put off. (Matt. 6:25-34; Phil. 4:6) God commands us to throw our anxieties onto him (1 Peter 5:8), because He cares and is mighty enough to handle the concerns that we have that we are unable to handle. The implications are that anxiety is overcome by trusting in God’s Almighty hand. Isaiah also t...

       Please continue praying for Sam and Jamie Hornbrook who are faithfully serving the ʟᴏʀᴅ in Mexico. Here are some ways that you can be praying for these missionaries through COVID-19: 1. For Sam's complete recovery from COVID 2. For the spread of the gospel to be greater than the spread of COVID. 3. For an effective Biblical Counseling Conference in Spanish, which will be completely on line, Nov. 8-22

Colossians 3:20-21 says, [20] Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. [21] Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. I preached on this on Sunday, Oct 18. I thought I’d put some of the sermon on the blog to help us remember and apply. Here are some of the main themes of the sermon. Ben D. Our Fallen Condition We do what we do because we want what we want. We want our own way because we think we deserve our own way. The Main Idea and Hope for Our Fallen Condition A gospel-saturated life reorientates how we view the Bible’s commands in family relationships. Or also said: Gospel 🡪 I deserve nothing 🡪 He gives me everything 🡪 I joyfully strive to follow His commands no matter what my situation Paul writes the first 2 chapters of this 4 chapter book with a focus on Jesus and the gospel. He writes the last 2 chapters with a focus on how to live out the gospel. Main Point #1 – The Gospel and a Child’s Compliance The first gospel-moti...

  Please pray for Jill Hostetler and her family. Pray that they would continue trusting in God during the COVID-19 pandemic. Please pray that she would be able to reach many people through CEF (Child Evangelism Fellowship). Please pray that God would keep them safe in all that they do.

Psalm 57:1–2 (ESV) 1 Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by. 2  I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me. Over these last few months Psalm 57 has comforted and challenged me. It has challenged me to think more specifically about the phrase, “for in you my soul takes refuge.” That is a common idea in Scripture, but as I have struggled to respond in a biblical way to my life circumstances, I began to wonder, “What does it look like in my life in a very practical way to take refuge in God? As I seek to point others to take refuge in God, how can I help them understand in a very tangible way what this entails?” Here are a few thoughts that I am trying, with the Lord’s help, to apply in my own life. First of all, taking refuge in God means that I turn toward Him. It means turning from false refuges -  all the familiar, self-reliant ...

Please pray for Pablo and Judi Perez. Pray that they would continue trusting in God during the COVID-19 pandemic. Please pray that they would be able to reach many people. Pray that God would keep them safe.

The pandemic issues are severe in our area. We just had two families in our church, who are related to each other, pass COVID around to each other. Most of them are recovering with light symptoms, but one of the grandfathers of the family died on Monday, this week, at age 78. Just last night, his wife joined Jamie´s online ladies Bible Study, for the first time. May the Lord continue to work in her heart. She and her husband did not attend our church, but their children who do attend our church, have shared the gospel with them. We have been having Sunday services in person, at church for the last 6 weeks. Our attendance which has been between 40 and 50, is about half the regular, pre-pandemic numbers, but our online followers have grown quite a bit. Big praise is that we have now had 9 evangelistic Bible Studies on Fridays at our next-door neighbors. Teresa, the elderly lady in her 80s, Marisol who is about to turn 60, and Freddy, the grandson, and nephew, have all given testimony...

Please be praying for Dougg and LeAnn Custer during COVID-19: Praise:  Our daughter, Katrina, who teaches at Black Forest Academy (BFA), is out of quarantine and with us for a few days as she begins her year-long home assignment. Every 6th year, she has to deregister and leave Germany for 366 days in order to keep her US social security. Pray for her as she is seeking God’s will about returning to BFA or going to another mission school. She is also in need of more financial partners. Dougg and his team are happy that the decision has been made for an in-person Discover WorldVenture Weekend on October 23 – 25! Of course, new protocols will be in place, and it will look a little different than previous weekends. But it is anticipated that it will be a meaningful time for those who attend.  Prayer: For people who receive invitations to come to the weekend; space is limited to 20 For safety and good health in travel and during the meetings themselves For those who are organizing...

  Below are some ways that you can be praying for Mark and Charity during this turbulent time: We praise the Lord for a good opportunity to reengage with our house church in China. Mostly due to security issues, we had stopped attending last fall. Meeting with them via Zoom starting this spring has been a great opportunity to continue ministry to the pastor, parents, and Sunday School teachers who we meet with each month. We are thankful for the continued translation work at the IRC office. We have recently finished up and formatted for addition to the Chinese Bible Study Toolbox, a commentary on Hebrews by Homer Kent, as well as a Bible Atlas. We are currently working on nine commentaries which are at different stages in the translation/editing process and about 10 other books and resources. Please pray for a continued blessing on our staff and that these would be completed well and be a blessing to our Chinese brother and sisters. We are thankful for the ministry opportunities we...

- NCM LEADERSHIP: Please join us in prayer as we seek God regarding the leadership vacuum at New Creation Ministries. We believe that in God’s perfect timing, He will provide someone, or enable someone already on staff, to rise to the occasion and lead the school forward through the accreditation process and program development. Our missionary colleagues responsible for these tasks are currently out of the country…one on home assignment in the US and the other one stranded in Brazil due to Covid-19 restrictions. Our long term goal is to have a Rwandan in this position rather than a missionary. One of the most challenging requirements in this process of accreditation is finding Africans with PHDs to be on staff. - REOPENING CHURCHES: Pray for wisdom for churches here to know what to do about trying to meet all the new government requirements in order to reopen. It feels as though churches are being held to a higher standard than every other organization. Requirements have been cha...

Pray for wisdom for our leadership as we seek to open up our church services. Currently, we are only allowed to have 50 people in a service (total, including preacher, worship, and sound/deacon people). No singing is allowed, and masks are compulsory. An attendance roster must be completed, along with ID's and temperatures. Full sanitization required before and after. Very restrictive. The people here in RSA seem to be very afraid of the virus. We are hoping to open in a couple of weeks as we put our plan together. Much wisdom is needed as there are folks on both sides of the spectrum here.

I continue to talk with/meet with parents with wayward children. As parents, our hearts grieve for our kids who think they can find more joy in the things of this world as opposed to the things of God. We want to model the father of the prodigal son. The son remembered his father's kindness. That kindness drew the prodigal home. At the same time, we recognize that we can be the same kind father or mother to all our kids, and God allows some to respond to spiritual things and some to not respond. It's God that does the work. We hope to be the instruments in His hands to bring about change in our kids, but sometimes He allows our kids to be wayward to expose our pride that we, as parents, think we can "make" our children respond to the gospel. He crushes us as parents and strips us of our idols to force us to consider Him as sufficient...as glorious...and able to change us and our kids without our prideful recipes that we erroneously think can change hearts. “God is no...

I had a great conversation with one of my kids this month on why God calls some things sinful and some things not sinful. Some ideas that arose were: -We all decide to draw a line on what we consider sin and what we don’t consider sin. -From where do people choose to draw wisdom on where to draw this line? Some observations on this topic: -We often want to decide the line based on our own desires. -We also want to decide the line based on societal pressures. -We often draw it at the point where we believe we will no longer receive joy from a behavior. Conclusions drawn: -If one is a believer, we trust that God chooses the line based on the wisdom given in His Word. Romans 11:33–35 says, [33] Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! [34] “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” [35] “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” -God can be trusted to make the ...

Psalm 57:1–2 (ESV) Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings, I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by. I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me. The words of Psalm 57, which David wrote when he fled from Saul, have brought great comfort to me over these past few months as we have walked through these crazy months of 2020. The year began with a flurry of activity preparing for our son’s wedding at the end of March. We got everything done, and in mid-February hopped on a plane bound for Southeast Asia. A couple of people asked if we were concerned about that virus in China. “Nay, we’ll be a long way from China.” We had a wonderful trip, but as we started home, the situation was heating up. Korea now had cases of this new virus, and we had to travel through Korea. This far off problem suddenly hit home. After we arrived home, I became consumed with wor...

Hi Evan, Thanks so much for posting our prayer requests 1. Praise God with us for all the ministry opportunities provided by the Coronavirus. 2. Pray for our Bible Conversations with our next door neighbor´s on Fridays. We have had three so far. Marisol told us after the last one that she is on cloud 9 and so grateful for all she is learning! 3. This week Marisol´s nephew, Freddy, is borrowing Jamie´s computer because his broke and he works on line. His replacement should come in the mail soon. He is also asking for guitar lessons and Bible studies in English. Thank you for praying with us for the salvation of this family. 4. Thursday Jamie and I are going to meet with the unsaved husband of one of our long time members. His wife and daughters will be there as well. He seems extra open to spiritual conversations right now also. 5. That God will bless and provide for at least 8 families who are struggling to feed their families. Our church is helping to provide what they lack. May it ...

Below are some of the ways that you can be praying this week for the Perez's this week as they serve the Lord through COVID-19: Ministry: 1. Praise God for the first meeting, June 4, via Zoom of all of the house churches and discipleship groups. 69 devices were connected. 2. Pray for the coordinators of the strategic areas of MOPI (Movimiento de Plantación de Iglesias - Church Planting Movement) especially Communications and Media, Education, and Training so that we can use technology to effectively evangelize, make disciples, and train leaders. 3. Pray for the Renacimiento Church. A number of families are without work, and are therefore without money for food and being threatened with eviction. Due to COVID 19 regulations in Ecuador, the building is shut down until further notice. It has meant the real church is growing, but the "traditionalists" have a hard time comprehending that they can be the church without connecting to a building. We also ask for us personally: 1...

A long time ago, Pastor Daniel asked me to consider reading D. A. Carson's book, Exegetical Fallacies. He mentioned this book again a few weeks ago in our hermeneutics study. The following question really challenged me to consider the weightiness of words in a believer's life. We often say counsel is simply giving advice, offering an opinion, or even something as subtle as body language or silence itself. Every counsel, beginning with self-counsel, we are constantly offering counsel. In this statement, Carson describes a sobering description of what we all do, many times without forethought, that of "laying on the conscience". When you engage in the ministry of discipleship and/or biblical counsel, you are weighing doctrinal principles on the conscience of another person. Perhaps to people who literally are hanging on your every word. Carson warns about the seriousness of handling and interpreting the Word of God accurately when he says, "The sensitive stu...

Here are some ways that you can be praying for Dougg and LeAnne Custer as they serve the Lord during the COVID-19 situation: 1) Praise God for providing an experienced recruiter that will begin mid-July. Please continue to pray for someone to handle our online Learning Management System.       2) Praise God for a couple who was appointed to Black Forest Academy to help with the residence program. July 6th we will be interviewing - via Zoom - a couple who is interested in a central Asian country and would appreciate your prayers for all to go well.      3) There were 5 other candidates who decided they want to wait until November, when we hope to do our interviews in person. Pray that they will follow through on their desire to serve cross-culturally.       4) Dougg's training team has been busy discussing what sessions of the first pre-field training are vital and how to best to teach them via Zoom July 13-16. They hope to have the...