missions

Don’t Miss the Adventure!

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Just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many that they may be saved. 1 Corinthians 1:10:33 ESV

Do you ever struggle with wondering who to trust in a world in which we are constantly being bombarded by junk mail, telephone solicitors or even neighbors trying to sell us stuff? As I have grown older, I have developed the tendency of being skeptical of almost everyone. But then I remember Melissa. She was the daughter of one of our friends at church. When she was just about thirteen, Melissa caught me one day just as we were leaving church. “So, Mr. Caligiuri, how are you today?” she asked flashing what seemed like a sincere smile. Now I liked all the Newell kids, but I knew that something was up, so I asked her in return, “That depends on how much it’s going to cost me” “Weeeeeell,” she confessed with a sheepish grin. “If you buy a box of candy from this catalogue it will help me to go to youth camp!”

Now, you might think that she was taking advantage of our families’ friendship, but today I am delighted that I bought that candy because she not only made it to youth camp, but she and her husband now serve as missionaries in Japan. They also have a couple of sweet little girls who I bet can sell all the candy they can get their hands on! Too often we miss opportunities to bless others because we build walls to protect ourselves from everyone. But choosing to always play it safe means missing the adventure of opening our hearts in ways that reap eternal rewards, both for us and for people we may never meet on this side of eternity!

A Lesson From Kenya

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If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:3 ESV

This past Saturday we had a special speaker at our monthly prayer and praise meeting at Sunshine Village. Our friend Sandy had just returned from the Generations Christian church trip to Kenya. There the team visited the work of Mission of Hope International (MOHI) and this past week she came to speak twice at senior communities where I visit. After the first meeting I discovered that the video recording didn’t come out, but the second time around I was thankfully able to capture her message. The exciting heart of the lesson that Sandy shared is a great one for all of us. “You don’t have to give everything away….and you don’t have to join a monastery, to do God’s work.” The core of the matter is whether we are living in and sharing God’s love. Has His love made a difference in our lives, and are we allowing His love to flow out of us to others. I pray you will be touched by Sandy’s testimony and that you will be motivated to ask God how you can serve Him right where you are. But, strangely enough we all must begin serving by being served. Has Jesus Christ served as your Savior, and washed your heart clean from your sins? Only i you can honestly say yes to those questions will you be able to seek how He would have you pour that love out to others, whether it is on the mission field, in your neighborhood or in nursing home ministry. Have a blessed week everyone and my prayer is that this week’s video will touch your heart and draw you closer to Christ.

Prayer for Armenia – Part Two

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 Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. Hebrews 13:3 ESV

This morning we go into day two of Jacob Pursley’s appeal for prayers for Armenia in this off and on war with Turkey and Azerbaijan. As I watched and listened, I remembered this verse and how it is so easy for us, here in the Western world, to complain about small things. A leaky toilet, a termite problem or a higher tax bill can prevent us from seeing the suffering of others. The Bible reminds us that we are a part of the world of our brothers and sisters. When we enter into that spiritual connection with them, we will both be enriched: they by our prayers and we by the richness of their faith. I love how Jacob ends his second video by saying that the only true solution to the hatred and spiritual evil behind this war, is the good news of Jesus Christ. So let us pray for not only Armenia, but also for the Christians in Turkey and Azerbaijan, that God will open a door for them to share the gospel, and that hearts may be changed, and nations won for Jesus Christ.