Redeeming the Time for the Days are Evil ……… a testimony by Babs Gaziano

 

The year 2013 brought three major events in to my life:  I celebrated my 80^th birthday in May, my husband of 56 years died in June, and my dear daughter-in-law, Mysti, accepted Christ as her Savior in September.

 

Anyone living as long as I have has seen this country turn from worshiping God to worshiping materialism and self love.  So, it is not surprising that we are in “the days are evil” (Eph 5:16b). What are we as believers to do about this?  Keep on serving the Lord, serving His people with encouragement and hope and truthfully speaking up for the Lord every chance we have.

 

For several years I brought Mysti to women’s special events at Salem First Baptist, and she began to feel comfortable with those she met.  This September I was able to get her to sign up for a Bible class, only to learn it was already filled and unavailable. Suddenly I began to feel a great burden for her soul – as nice as she is, I suspicioned she was not a Christ follower since she grew up in a cult.  It was time for Mysti to get in a study and to choose salvation.  Many prayed. We joined the Lies Women Believe and the Truth that Sets them Free book study class.  In her cult days, Mysti learned lies about God and now she needed to hear the truth.  We began studying together.  The first lesson was on the devil, the father of lies.  One reference we looked at referred to the “Gospel.”  I asked her if she knew what the Gospel was.  Her answer revealed she did not.  “Would you like to know what it really is so that you can have your sins forgiven and spend eternity with Jesus?” I asked.

 

First, I confirmed that she believed Jesus Christ is God in human flesh who died on the cross taking our punishment for all of our past, present and future sins.  I continued to detail the whole Gospel story ending with His resurrection from death to eternal life in which God showed He accepted Christ’s sacrifice of dying in her place for her sins–“Would you like to accept Him as your Savior and become a saved Christian?”  A quiet, serious women held my hands as we prayed the sinner’s prayer.  What rejoicing in my heart, in the angels’ hearts and with everyone who prayed for her!!  Now, she is my sister in the Lord.

 

I want to use every opportunity to speak for God’s truth–I hope you do too!  Redeem your time because the days are becoming dangerously evil.

Priority One - Follow Up

So what?

It is one of the best questions in the world.  It is short and to the point.  It should be asked of every sermon, every Bible study, every class and every Priority One conference.  So what?  What happened?  It is a question you can ask corporately and individually.  We were praying that God would raise up 4 people to consider international ministry.  We wanted every missionary and mission representative to be encouraged by the passion of one local church’s love for the world.  And we prayed for 1200 people to be encouraged in their willingness to say yes to God:  Anything, Anytime, Anywhere.  So what? 

1.    We met with one person who indicated she wanted to pray to receive Christ as her personal Savior.  She had actually asked Christ to forgive her a week earlier, but confirmed it P1 weekend.  We have celebrated her name being written in the lamb’s book of life and currently she is in a Bible study. 

 

2.    The GMT has two new members. 

 

3.    Four of the “global prayer team” responders came to the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church prayer time.  There are five others who desire to participate in a global prayer team who were not at the IDOP meeting, but most of those are elderly members who may not be comfortable driving after dark, which it was when the meeting ended.

 

Now, we are looking for someone who would take ownership and leadership of an ongoing prayer time for the unreached people and the international church.

 

4.    Five people requested information on unreached people.  They have been contacted and directed to the World Missions Center for Unreached Prayer Cards, the touchscreen Unreached Info, and also to www.JoshuaProject.com.

 

5.    Six of the seven who desired more information on becoming a Home Team Partner with our missionaries are moving ahead with Rebecca Alvey on the link-up.  Rebecca is pursuing people personally to join the HTP and is speaking of a HTP dinner event following the holidays to draw us all into a focused group.

 

6.    A couple is following through with talks about entering more officially the International Student ministry.

 

7.    Six people have expressed an interest in short-term mission trips and we have given them information about trips planned for next year.

 

8.    50 people came to the first Dominican Republic short-term mission trip meeting.

 

9.    Multiple people signed up to be mentored.

 

I received this note from one of the participants.  She captures well the fruit of P1 2013.  “I really appreciated the weekend and the challenge to my thinking about the church and her mission - somehow in all my growing-up in a Christian ‘bubble’ I've never learned to think that way - either I missed it or it wasn't being taught.  Thank you to the leadership of the church for teaching this and making time for it, making it a priority.”

Now on to Priority One 2014.  Brace yourself, you will be changed. 

Pastor Mark, for the Priority One team

 

 

Christ-Follower

Leon Chriestenson joined our staff a few months ago focusing on leading our men into a transformational journey with Jesus.  We welcome this gifted brother to our team.

 

I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior as a late teenager. I desired to follow Christ and do what He wanted me to do, so I gave my attention to studying the message of Jesus. I was all about learning to love God and loving others --at least the easy ones to love. I knew the right words to say. I could quote the essential Bible verses and knew where to find the good stories in the Bible. This method of following Jesus did not help me overcome my attitude of “it’s all about me.”  “Me” was my idol. Something was missing.

So I said to myself—Self, you need to add the methods of Jesus to your repertoire. So I was trying to concentrate on following Jesus’ methods and message. The methods of Jesus taught me the correct behavior.  I served as a youth worker, Sunday School teacher, deacon, mission chairman, elder and any other ministry I could work into my schedule. Man-- I was working for the Lord! But it seemed like I was just going through the motions of following Him. As important as the message and the method of Jesus are, I felt like becoming like Jesus was based on my works.

About 3 or 4 years ago I had a mentor challenge me not to spend all my time concentrating on the message and the method of Jesus, but to model Jesus. I thought that by my works I had been modeling Jesus. But I started concentrating on I John 2:6 “whoever says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same way in which He walked”. Studying the Gospels I see how Jesus walked and I notice the following actions that I am now trying to incorporate into my life as I model Him. These are the things that I want to equip our men to model.

Jesus was a man of prayer. How often did He slip away to have conversations with His Father? He started His ministry in prayer and fasting. At the end of His ministry Luke 22:39 says “as was His custom He went to the Mount of Olives…..to pray”   Let us become men of prayer. What would our homes, neighborhoods, businesses, and community look like if our men became men of prayer? 

Jesus allowed the Holy Spirit to lead and empower Him. He was a man of the Word of God. How often Jesus said “it is written” or “have you not read”. “He explained the words of Moses and the prophets, He interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” Luke 24:27.  Yes, it is very important for us to know the Word of God. It is a matter of life and death. Jesus was obedient to His Father’s will. Can I (we) say --not my will but your will be done? Am I willing to sign on a blank form that I will do whatever, whenever and wherever for Jesus? 

Jesus also exalted His Father. And-- He was about building intentional relationships.

My goal is to equip men to become men of prayer, men of the Word, trusting the Holy Spirit to lead, obeying and exalting our King. We will then be effectively building relationships with those who need the Gospel message. As I walk as Jesus walked, I find it easier to love God and love others. I also find it easier to live a life on mission looking for opportunities to build someone up in their faith, equip them for works of service and send them out as work place ministers. Men --come join me on this journey.

                                                                    - Leon Chriestenson

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