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November 2004

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A striking Christmas card was once published with this title based upon the words of Christ: “If I had not come.” The card represented a clergyman falling into a short sleep in his study Christmas morning and dreaming of a world into which Jesus had never come.

In his dream he found himself looking through his home, but there were no little stockings in the chimney corner, no Christmas

bells, no wreaths of holly. He walked out on the street, but there was no church, with its spire pointing toward Heaven. He came back and sat down in his library, but every book about the Savior had disappeared.

A ring of the door bell, and a messenger asked him to visit a poor, dying mother. He hastened with the weeping child, and as he reached the home he sat down and said, “I have something here that will comfort you.” He opened his Bible to look for a familiar promise, but it ended with Malachi, and there was no gospel and no promise of hope and salvation, and he could only bow his head and weep with her in deep and bitter despair.

Two days afterward he stood beside the mother’s coffin and conducted the funeral service, but there was no message of consolation, no word of a glorious resurrection.

Suddenly he awoke with a start, and a great shout of joy and praise burst from his lips as he heard his choir singing in the church close by:

“O come , all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant;
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him, born the King of angels.
O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.”

Let us be glad and rejoice because “Christ HAS come.” “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners...” (I Timothy 1:15)

Today He stand knocking at your heart’s door, asking that you let Him in. “Wherefore He IS able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth…” (Hebrews 7:25). Gospel Tract Harvester

Youth Page

I’m writing part A of this article at 2:00 p.m. on November 2nd. I just came home from voting in the presidential election in my home town of Collinsville Mississippi. This is a friendly, God fearing community that I’m thankful to live in.

Many thoughts are crowding my mind today. Do we Americans really appreciate the freedoms we enjoy because our forefathers fought and died for them? I’m afraid some people are sitting home right now thinking, “Who cares if I vote? My vote doesn’t count anyway!” Maybe some didn’t even register to vote.

I, like many of you, am anxiously awaiting for the final outcome of this very important election. Many religious and political leaders are stating that this election is one of the most important of this generation! I know one thing, I’ve changed my prayer from, “God bless America” to “God please have mercy on our America”!

There are so many issues facing voters today, abortion, homosexual rights, gun laws the war on terror. We must make our voices heard. God saw fit to bless America in the past and without Him we can’t expect His blessing today! The way I vote will affect me, my children and my grandchildren. When I look at Trey, Kasey and Lizzi, I’m reminded that their future is at stake. We need godly leaders who willing stand against abortion (this is murder of the unborn), homosexual rights (God calls this an abomination– Leviticus 18:22, also in Romans 1:26-28). On a personal note: When I see films of a candidate protesting and dishonoring a war and men and women who were fighting in another country, my anger is kindled! My husband left me and his unborn daughter to proudly fight for our nation while this man and others were exercising the freedoms that had been fought and died for by Americans. WAKE UP AMERICA!! If God judged His beloved Israel why don’t we think He will judge America? As I await the election result my prayer is “God please give us another chance to be able to pray, “God bless America”!

Part B

I’m writing now at 6:30 a.m. November 3rd. It’s been along night for all Americans. I, like many of you were praying, “God please have mercy on us, Thy will be done”. What lies ahead of us in the near future? As we take a day at a time, only God knows. He is in control. We know the scriptures. We know the ultimate end is Christ’s return to bring ‘perfection’ to this earth. But what we do as a church, denomination, nation and as individuals determine OUR future. I believe personally that God has allowed the United States time to turn ‘sincerely’ back to HIM! Our leaders and laws must reflect our spiritual condition. The major concern of voters appeared to be moral issues!! So TAKE A STAND! BE FAITHFUL TO OUR GOD! Our future is at stake. Our children and grandchildren depend on us.

My daily Bible reading today is John 15-17. These are Jesus’ words and are fitting for today. John 15:5 ...I AM the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing. Also Oswald Chambers in, My Utmost for His Highest (which President Bush says he reads daily) stated.. “The passion of Christianity is that I deliberately sign away my own rights to become a bond-slave of Jesus Christ.”

This has spoken to my heart and encourages me to live a life that will project this message.

GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!

“A Macedonian Call”
From Myanmar
By Mang Herh

General Introduction:

The Union of Myanmar gained her Independence for the British on January 4, 1948. It is situated in southeast Asia, bordered on the north and northeast by China, on the east and southeast by Laos and Thailand, on the south by the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal, and on the west by Bangladesh and India. East longitude 96 H13’ and north latitude 16 H45’ run through Yangon, the Capital City. The Myanmar Standard time is 61/2 hours ahead of GMT. Its total area is 677,000 sqkms. It stretches for 936 kms from east to west, and 2 051 kms from north to south. Myanmar is made up of 7 states: Kachin, Kayah, Kayin, Chin, Mon, Rakhine, and Shan (the major racial groups); and 7 Divisions. Generally Myanmar enjoys a tropical Monsoon climate, and has three main seasons: summer (from March to Mid-May), rainy (Mid-May to the end of October), and cold season (November to the end of February).

The Challenge:

Today the population of Myanmar is over 50 millions, and Christian percentage is only about 6%. It shows that the harvest is plentiful but the workers are very few. It is our responsibility to ask the Lord of harvest to send out more workers into His harvest to reap the rest 94% of the of the souls in Myanmar. Whom shall we send? And who will go for us? The answer from the workers of Methodist Protestant Church of Myanmar is: “Here am I; send me.”

Jesus was moved with compassion upon the multitudes when He saw them as sheep having no shepherd. He lamented over Jerusalem, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets..how often would I have gathered thy children together..!” Today Jesus weeps over Myanmar as He wept over Jerusalem in the past. Do you have compassion upon the lost souls? Do you know that the Non-Christians have no assurance in their religions? Like Jesus, John Wesley’s great concern is to saves the lost souls. Thus he urges the Methodist preachers that they had “nothing to do but to save souls.” Wesley exclaimed, “I love a commodious room, as soft cushion and a handsome pulpit. But where is my zeal, if I do not trample all these under foot, in order to save one more soul?” Doing as such he could say, “Our societies were formed from those who were wandering upon the dark mountains that ...were awakened by the preaching of Methodists.”

The Commitment:

Following the footsteps of Wesley, we forsook all these things to do the will of God, and started new mission work, launching by faith missionaries into Shan State, the northeastern part of Myanmar in order to save more souls. Unfortunately, this year Myanmar receives unusual heavy rain. The torrential rain caused floods. Many houses were destroyed many people perished, paddy fields and other crops were damaged. Among them the crops of our missionaries and Church members are included. “A Macedonian Call” comes from our missionaries to help and rescue them from the affects of this disaster. The true Methodism is found in its fundamental faith, compassion for souls, and concern for the poor and the needy. Thus, “throw out the lifeline, throw out the lifeline; someone is drifting away.”

Supporting Our Pastor

Are you giving your Pastor the support and encouragement that he needs? We tend to get so wrapped up in our own lives that we forget that our Pastor is only human. We expect him to have all the answers, to always be happy, to never make a mistake—to be perfect. Have you taken time lately to tell him how much you appreciate him? To ask if there is anything you can do to help him? For that matter when was the last time you really prayed for your Pastor and his family? If you haven’t told your Pastor lately how much you appreciate him, take time this week to do something special to show your appreciation. Below are some suggestions:

1. Pick up the phone and call him. Tell him you just called to tell him how much you appreciate all he does for the Church and to see if you can do anything to help him or his family.

2. fix a meal and invite your Pastor and his family over.

3. Fix a dish and drop it off with a little note of appreciation.

4. Send a “Thinking of You” card.

5. Email an encouraging note.

6. Most importantly—pray for your Pastor and his family.

Valerie Jenkins

San Lazarzo School Project
Charlie Joe Green

One of my prayers immediately arriving in Belize was that God would give us the resources to upgrade both our schools where students would have a better environment to learn. Our old classrooms have served us well but some were simply rotting down. One such class is in the picture. With some new improvements at Pancotto School we now have started the work for 4 new classrooms at San Lazaro School. This will finally allow each grade to have their own classroom and also give the pre-school their very own classroom. More importantly this will remove the two classes out of the mission house and the wooden frame classroom. Please consider helping us with this much needed expansion of our school.

Work team for Belize

We need people to go to Belize to build four rooms at San Lazaro school. The team will be leaving on the 13th of January, and returning the 31st of January. Anyone who can not stay that long can come back in one week. We will have to fly on week days or the ticket price will be more. (Monday-Friday) The team will be staying at San Lazaro mission house. Cooks will prepare food for the workers at the mission house. The price of the round trip ticket should be about $525:00 (air fair only) depending on what airport you leave from. You will fly to Houston, Texas and then on to Belize. The entire team will leave Houston together. To get the group rates you have to fly together as a group one way. (Either to Belize or back to the States.) The expense of the trip may vary a little bit. The team will share the expense of the food, gasoline and any expense of travel. (Extra) This expense will be kept to a minimum. Other expenses will be: Play day for the team, souvenirs, etc. If you want to be a part of this work team contact:

Donald Smith
ph# 870 797 2706
e-mail address: dpsmith@seark.net

I need to know who is going as soon as possible to purchase tickets at this rate.

Donald Smith