On February 2, 2022, I will begin working full-time through Istoria Ministries, a 501(c)3 non-profit ministry organization that Rachelle and I founded ten years ago.
Rachelle thought it a good idea to write this post to let everyone know our plans for the last quarter of our ministry.
Through Istoria, I will be writing, speaking, podcasting, leading tours, conducting pastor and marriage retreats, and other special ministries. I hope to inspire people to follow Jesus and be "salt and light" in our wounded and dark world. My focus during this time will be more prophetic than pastoral.
Istoria is a Greek word that means "to ask or inquire." We get our English words story and history from its root. The source of all knowledge is asking questions. The moment people are prevented from asking their questions or telling their stories, liberty is lost.
Istoria's purpose is for people to know the story of Jesus Christ so that His Story becomes central to everyone's story.
At Istoria's new website beginning on 2.2.22, there will be three essential features:
- The archives of my writing ministry (thousands of blog articles on hundreds of subjects).
- The audio archives of my teaching (40 years of sermon series).
- New weekly content, both written blogs, and audible podcasts.
- Love Never Fails (A Study of I Corinthians 13)
- The 12 Days of Christmas (An Illustrated Family Coffee Table Book)
- The Good News According to Jonah (A Study of the Book of Jonah).
With the help of many friends who have volunteered their time, skills, and time, we will be opening Istoria's office building (801 S. Van Buren, Enid, Oklahoma 73703) in January 2022. That will give me 30 days to get the podcast studio and my office ready to go for 2.2.22.
I have refrained from raising funds for Istoria Ministries while leading Emmanuel Enid. The time has come for me to request your help. Rachelle and I own the building that houses Istoria, but the amount of equipment needed to do an online ministry is incredible (servers, cameras, computers, etc.). Thank you in advance for all your assistance. We plan to upload a Bible study every week, and as always, we will address cultural, social, and moral issues.
My message of grace through Istoria Ministries is one I desire to be accessible to everyone. To operate Istoria's website, produce a weekly podcast, write my blog regularly, and have a home base from which we can minister, Istoria requires funding.
A friend of Istoria Ministries has promised to match whatever contributions Istoria Ministries receives in December 2021, dollar for dollar. If you would like to contribute a tax-deductible donation to Istoria Ministries before the end of the year, go to www.istoriaministries.com and donate either via secure credit card or PayPal. Or, if you desire, you may send a check to:
71 comments:
Blessings on your next ministry! I appreciate your insight over the years in helping pastors. Thank you!!
Wade,
Well, old friend, at my age, this could be goodbye. :)
Today, Judy and I are putting back a sign that fell from our archway that lights up a star. The sign has “Two Flags Over Texas”.
I’m happy for your great plans. Check is in the mail.
Who will you be accountable to in this ministry? Will there be a board giving oversight?
Wade,
With a platform of plywood over our pick-up, and a long ladder clamped to a four-legged ladder, we got one side fasten to the sign: “Two Flags Over Texas.
Neil, I’m sure you’d volunteer to be on that board giving oversight. :)
Yes, Neill, all charitable non-profits in the United States require a board. Istoria’s board is composed of ten people.
Rex,
No sir! Not a good - bye! You’ve got many more moons to give us your wit and wisdom. We’ll be up and running in 60 days.
Wade, make sure you have a contact email for the board on the new website.
Just in case, you know, some random person decides to complain about you.
Wade,
I think you know my history of ladders; one resulted with 3 cracked ribs, broken pelvis, and removal of spleen.
Yesterday, I omitted about the pick-up rolling. There’s a slight downhill grade where it was parked. Judy had left the automatic transmission in reverse.
I was fastening one side of the sign when I yelled, “Stop the truck!” Judy quickly got in and hit the brake.
Judy got on my ‘good side’ by saying, I was amazing.
Neil, when someone wants advice, they usually ask for it.
Wow, Rex! That could have been catastrophic! You ARE amazing.
And SO is Judy! :)
And, I agree with you on people wanting advice will ask for it. :)
Wade,
Today, I watched as our church song director, Liviu, put the other side of the sign in place. At one time he was a paratrooper in Romania.
The sign, Two Flags Over Texas, was suggested by my brother-in-law since we have a lot of things to play on.
Wade,
I forgot to say yesterday that our Fannin County Association Missionary, Darrel Hathcock was the one that got Liviu to finish putting up the sign. Darrel’s a retired missionary from Hungary. He lives ¼ mile from us; a member of our church, and a close friend. If anything goes wrong with our computer; he fixes it. He even got the sound to working.
We have a dock that floats on 20 parrels. It’s on a 10-acre lake. A lot of friends use it for fishing. (Judy caught the first fish in her life on the dock.)
A few years ago, my granddaughter’s volley-ball team jumped off a 12-foot-high platform that’s on the dock. My daughter took a picture of them. When I told her I didn’t remember it, she said, “You can’t deny it; you’re in the picture.”
It has a 30-foot walkway from the bank. A while back some of the walkway sunk a little under water when too many people got in one spot.
Today, Judy and I plan to add a ‘bridge’ over that spot with two long wide boards that will be side by side.
After following you for 15 years or so, I've come to a couple of conclusions:
1) Your delight is in the Lord. You delight in serving Him, even when it's uncomfortable (remember 2005-2006?).
2) Psalm 37:4 says that, if we delight ourselves in the Lord, He will give us the desires of our heart. The active portion seems, to me, to say He'll give us the desires.
3) The purpose of Istoria Ministries seems to be a desire of your heart.
4) I cannot think of a better ministry to plan and work to fulfill than a God-given desire.
Well done, sir.
Bob,
I am honored to call you a friend!
Thanks for the encouraging words!
Rex,
Darrel Hathcock is the kind of friend all of us should have! :)
Bob Cleveland,
Good to hear your nice words to Wade.
Wade,
Today, there was a bad comment made on Post 11-25-21.
Rex,
Thank you.
I will always believe that the Church needs you 'more', WADE; but it does look like you are not departing from ministry, only changing how you will continue on your journey going forward. I believe you have a good heart for people, especially for those who are persecuted, and that you have shown this in the past, even at your own peril when you helped the missionaries and Dr. Klouda and others.
I wish only the best for you and your family going forward. You will always have my prayers for good to come. That's a 'given'. Be blessed, and may Our Lord keep you safe from all harm.
Center on Christ, WADE. He will protect you from evil.
Christiane,
Thank you for your kind words. And, you are correct! I'm not departing from ministry - just changing direction.
Neil, you continue to amaze me by what I see as being your contradictory personality. At times you seem to be intelligent, rational, and informative. Then there seems to be this other personality that surfaces who comes up with some really non-rational statements and opinions that are so absurd so as to come across as your attempting to be comical.
Again with your "Board" comments to Wade I think, "Is this guy serious or is it his comic-relief attempt, or is it that other Neil that is again sticking his head out with these ridiculous comments?"
Are you okay, Neil?
Neil,
I am accountable. Just not to you. :) God is amazingly merciful. :) I respectfully request that you refrain from additional comments.
If you don't like what I write, stop reading. If you don't like what I teach, stop listening.
It's that simple.
Many blessings to you Wade as you shift direction! I very rarely comment here as some of your commenters seem very learned (and sometimes quick to jump on each other) and that can be intimidating. My brain is fried from the stress of the past 6 yrs of caring for my Mother, who had a bi-polar psychotic break, and who was also Mis-diagnosed with dementia for several years of this time. However I read every post and have been challenged and encouraged by your wisdom and forthrightness. And also sometimes frightened and overwhelmed by the things you have told us about what's truly going on. You are a prophet for our times, to open our eyes and minds to see truth. May you and your loved ones have a blessed, peaceful, and fun Chistmas! I look forward to your return! ~Debra B
GladsomeHeart,
Thank you for your kind words. I look forward to coming back as well, Debra - and to offer yous some encouragement from my writings and podcasts!
Rex,
Received your check to Istoria in the mail this am. Thank you for your gift, and Merry Christmas!
Rachelle and I appreciate you and Judy!
Wade
Hello WADE,
I thought about what you wrote, this:
"I hope to inspire people to follow Jesus and be "salt and light" in our wounded and dark world. My focus during this time will be more prophetic than pastoral.";
when I read this:
"“The distinctive sign of consecrated life is prophecy. a religious must never abandon prophecy. Prophets receive from God the ability to scrutinize the times in which they live and to interpret events: they are like sentinels who keep watch in the night and sense the coming of the dawn (cf. Is 21:11-12). Prophets know God and they know the men and women who are their brothers and sisters. They are able to discern and denounce the evil of sin and injustice. Because they are free, they are beholden to no one but God, and they have no interest other than God. Prophets tend to be on the side of the poor AND THE POWERLESS, for they know that God Himself is on their side”
(Apostolic Letter from Francis to all consecrated people, 24 Novembre 2014).
CHRISTANE,
Good thinking!
Wade,
Thank you!
PLEASE pray for the tornado victims and their families
I have heard that some now who call themselves 'Christian' no longer feel the need to pray to God.
My appeal is to those who still have a conscience that calls them to prayer, especially for those who are helpless and who suffer greatly, that God have mercy on them.
There are funds being set up in Kentucky and other areas to receive offered help and this information is being shared on the national news now. So there will be ways in which people far away from those who suffer can reach out to help, thank God.
SANCTUS Deus, Sanctus Fortis, Sanctus Immortalis, miserere nobis et totius mundi.
Hey out there, REX RAY
I wrote something about you (not by name) on Roger Olson's blog, about that story you told concerning the chapel you helped build as a missionary, the one with the dirt floor, and how you came home to the states and wept when you were asked to speak about your home Church's choice of color for the new sanctuary carpeting . . .
I still remember that story. It was a blessing for me.
Hope you are pain-free these days, or as comfortable as can be. The holidays come in two weeks and so many of our own American families have had their homes damaged or destroyed by tornado activity . . . It helps to put what is 'celebrated' into perspective when what we believe in prompts us to care about those who are in need of even the basics. Our Lord's stable had a dirt floor and His bed was a humble manger with straw in it to sleep on, so we know from His humility what is important to the Church in this season. We know.
CHRISTIANE,
Thank you,
I’d about forgotten. The Christians were so poor, they’d used all their money to buy the land to build their church. There were laws that if they didn’t build in one year, they’d lose the land. The time was almost up. I called my wife to send a check for half our Lottie Moon offering.
I gave the check to their pastor, but he became fearful; saying if some knew he had that amount of money, he’d be killed for it. I gave it to a local missionary. The church didn’t cost much to build with a dirt floor and a ten roof.
REX RAY,
this is part of what I wrote as a comment on Dr. Olson's blog:
"a story:
a friend helped to pay for and to build a small Church in Mexico that had a dirt floor all compacted;
when he returned to his 'home Church' in the states, he was chosen to be on the committee that had to do with getting a new carpet for their Church and he stood up to speak about the color choices for the carpet . . . . and as he stood there trying to speak, he did not know why but he
began to weep openly, and had to sit down . . . . .
I told him that the contrast between the little humble Church he had helped the people to build in Mexico with a dirt floor must have been too much for him when he was standing before his own Church congregation to speak to them about the color choice of a new carpet . . . . too great a contrast, but in a paradoxical way that helped him to see what was REALLY important in the whole scheme of things in the Body of Christ. . .
He is always surprised that I remembered what he had told me that happened to him. But how could I forget it. It was one of the most authentic stories of revelation to a man's soul that I have ever heard, and told in a way that was so humbly said. You don't forget that, no."
CHRISTIANE,
You dear hearted lady; I’m going to try to tell some of the story I left out.
I was a deacon in our church. After I’d returned from Mexico, before our pastor started to preach, he called on me to come to the pulpit and pray. In my prayer, I told the story of the poor Christians in Mexico about to lose their land, and here we were about to spend thousands to change our carpet color. As I returning to my seat, I was crying. Some lady, that I didn’t know stood up and gave me a big hug. (The carpet stayed the same color.)
REX RAY,
your addition makes the story even better! It's one of your best stories ever!
so glad you shared this
Be safe, take care, stay warm in the cold that is coming. Christmas soon! :)
CHRISTIANE,
I feel bad that I didn’t thank you for your nice words. BTW, our pastor never asked me to lead in prayer again. :)
Last week we had gust of wind up to 40 mph. A 12-foot section of the slide at the top started flapping with a lot of noise. Judy pushed it in place with a hoe, and I put four vise-grips to hold it. I need to replace the small bolts, washers, and nuts and get the vise-grips back.
Judy’s son, Jim, and wife, Lorie, are coming from New York to visit us on Christmas. She can play the ‘Lone Ranger song’ on the violin so good, it makes you visualize him and Tonto riding their horses at full speed. She played at our wedding.
A farmer, William Lee, said, “She sure could play that fiddle.” Please say a prayer for him as last week he’s in the hospital from being run over by a tractor.
Hello out there, REX RAY
you wrote:
"Judy pushed it in place with a hoe, and I put four vise-grips to hold it. I need to replace the small bolts, washers, and nuts and get the vise-grips back."
Judy sounds like my sister-in-law who got a John Deere tractor shovel for Christmas one year (she asked 'Santa' for it) so she could dig the mud out from under the bridge that led to their farmhouse near Charlottesville. I think Judy and Bonnie are likely two very strong women.
As for you messing with the slide, I know nothing I can say will stop you. Put some good boots on for goodness sake, that cover your ankles for protection while you work! And may the Good Lord send His angels to watch over you both.
Of course, I will pray for the good farmer, Mr. William Lee, that God will soon heal him of his wounds. I take prayer seriously these days and I will remember him in vigil prayer in the evenings, yes.
Those winds! Climate is changing in that there are more EXTREMES in weather changes showing up. May God have mercy on the good people of Kentucky and the other states so terribly hurt by those tornadoes. So sad about the deaths of the children especially.
Take care. Get some of those heavy duty boots with steel toes. Or better yet, hire some good help. You have my prayers for your safety. Try to stay out of bad trouble. Good trouble is OKAY. Bad trouble? No one needs THAT. :)
CHRISTIANE,
Yes, sad about the tornadoes in Kentucky. When my wife, Belle, was a young girl, they went to check on her uncle that lived in a near-by town in Oklahoma. A tornado had hit the town. He was OK, but she saw bodies of many people that had been placed on a sidewalk.
When we built our house, she liked the ‘tornado-safe-room’. (Thank the Lord, we’ve never had to use it.)
Today, our 20-year-old plus cat was howling her head off. I thought she was dying. Found her hanging of the back of a couch. Her claws were stuck. I lifted her, and pulled her claws out.
Now was that “bad trouble” or ‘good trouble”? :)
She’s enjoying her retirement home and her two servants. When Judy is sitting in her recliner, she gets on the couch, crosses over and lays in her lap, but never in mine.
a 'safe room' - I like that, REX RAY
your aging cat sounds VERY sensible!
I was very re-assured to hear what Mike McConnell had to say about the newest developments coming out of the Jan. 6th Investigation, this:
that the Jan.6th committee's findings are "something the public needs to know"
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/mcconnell-says-jan-6-committee-s-findings-are-something-public-n1286194
It seems that the latest news revealed has shone the light on that which Mr. McConnell previously did not want to surface (likely because he did not know ALL the details and who was involved)
Even Churchill, when he was considering pandering to Hitler, was able change his mind and take a stand against that monster in a speech where he said to the British Parliament: 'we shall NEVER surrender'! In it he hoped Britain could hang on in the fight against Hitler until 'the New World' chose to come to their aid.
I hope we, in the 'New World' keep faith with our allies and not bow down before the autocrats and those within our own country who would destroy our democracy from within. (I need to stop watching Netflix, as I get too wound up, LOL) but that film about Churchill seemed very on the mark with what McConnell said yesterday:
'something the public NEEDS to know'
this shows me that even McConnell understands that a people cannot vote their consciences UNLESS they know the truth about who it is who tried to subvert their votes during the last election.
Glad that the Jan. 6th Committee is progressing and that McConnell now realizes that they are on the track of some really important revelations. Good stuff!
REX RAY, that netflix film about Churchill is called 'Darkest Hour'
CHRISTIANE,
Churchill said about the war: “All we have to fear is fear itself.”
Some woman told him: “If you were my husband, I’d give you poison!”
“If you were my wife, I’d drink it!”
You’d said, “…people cannot vote their conscience UNLESS they know the truth about who it is who tried to subvert their votes during the last election.”
I’d change that to: …people cannot vote their conscience UNLESS they know the truth about who it is who subverted their votes during the last election.
Respectfully, REX RAY,
it turned out that the people accepted the rule of law in the end.
seems to me that the current argument is focused on 'democracy' and whether or not our nation IS still a 'democracy' whereby every person who is legally allowed to vote still has a VOICE
I'd say that controversy is still raging. And there is no end in sight as of yet. Maybe we will become a 'banana republic' like Russia and North Korea and Brazil ?
Once that happens, if it does, it will be because our democracy was no longer valued and 'something else' was wanted more. Times are changing. Voting restrictions are being voted in. There is even a movement to have the majority vote in a state set aside in certain circumstances, and 'alternative' electors sent to Congress. When THAT happens, we will know more about where we are at as a country these days. It is supposed to be a curse to live in 'interesting times'.
Better to set aside the transitory worries of the present days and recall the prophetic voices of the OT who foretold of the coming of Christ. And then, to find a moment of peace to celebrate the nativity of Our Lord if that is still something that is meaningful to folks. I think it is to most Christian people still. :)
How are you doing? Are you ready for the Holidays? :) Hope all is as good as it can be. It is here where I live by the sea and my son now lives nearby, thank God.
Family is the best thing in life especially at the Holidays when they can gather and celebrate 'en famille'. :) Take care.
CHRISTIANE,
Texas border wall: Gov. Greg Abbott debuts first stretch in Starr County | The Texas Tribune
“Abbott has made immigration enforcement one of his top agenda items as he seeks reelection next year. At a news conference in front of the new wall segment Saturday, Abbott condemned the federal government’s immigration policies — and criticized President Joe Biden’s reversal of the efforts to build a barrier between the U.S. and Mexico.”
My oldest son, and his wife visited today. Laugh a lot about old times.
Hey out there, REX RAY
wonderful to hear that your oldest boy visited you at this holiday time:
Family gatherings are 'everything' in my world at this season when the Holy Family is celebrated as they were first together in that stable in Bethlehem long ago by stratas of angels, by shepherds, by magi from afar, and by the animals who are said in legend to have 'talked' when Christ was born! (I don't believe in legends, but it is a nice one anyway, so I write about it)
:)
just this about Gov. Abbott: I wish he would protect the good people of Texas from THESE SCAMMERS:
https://www.npr.org/sections/live-updates-winter-storms-2021/2021/02/21/969912613/after-days-of-mass-outages-some-texas-residents-now-face-huge-electric-bills
CHRISTIANE,
That’s horrible about overcharging for electricity. I’m glad we’re in a ‘co-op’.
Prices are controlled by local people.
Just between me and you, on the next election would you vote for Biden or anyone else excluding Harris. :)
Will there BE another election, REX RAY?
:)
I don't know who will be running.
If the Republicans ran Liz Chaney for President, I could consider voting for HER. She is honest, principled, and she IS an old-fashioned Republican in her values (on the whole), and she cares about the country.
Maybe Harris will run? I don't know.
Who do you support to run in '24?
The nation really needs to regain confidence in the voting procedures for national elections. All this nonsense had led to chaos, a coup attempt, and massive voting laws being changed to favor one party's interests.
Be patient, REX RAY, we shall see what happens when we cross that bridge. :)
May I ask, why do you ASK?
CHRISTIANE,
“Why do I ask?”
I was just wondering if you believe our country is in more ‘trouble’ under Biden than we were under Trump.
I hope to be voting for Trump.
I hope you will be around to vote too, REX RAY, for whomever you choose.
That's the special thing about this country: people have 'choice', people have 'a voice' in how the country is to function, and that is guaranteed in the Constitution and is backed up by the system of laws (the courts).
Our right to vote is 'sacred' because so many of our soldiers have given their lives so that we could be free as a people.
That makes it very, very important that we closely examine all of the details of what happened in '20 as well as what happened on Jan 6th, 2021,
so we can come to terms with the truth.
I think we are at least on the same page is seeking 'the truth', yes.
I hope to be around to vote in '24 also. :)
CHRISTIANE,
What do you think?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/12/15/biden-administration-releases-previously-classified-jfk-assassination-files/
“The Biden administration released a batch of secret government files Wednesday related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the latest milestone in a decades-long push by advocates to have all of the documents about the former president’s untimely death declassified.
The newly released batch of files, posted by the National Archives and Records Administration here, include 1,491 documents, 958 of which are from the CIA. That is less than 10 percent of the 15,834 documents that had remained partially or mostly redacted before Wednesday.
Among the most significant JFK files not released Wednesday, Morley noted, are tapes of interviews the historian William Manchester conducted with Jacqueline Kennedy, the late president’s wife, and his brother Robert F. Kennedy in 1964 and 1965.
“Neither Jackie nor RFK believed the official theory that Kennedy was killed by one man alone for no reason,” Morley said.
The Warren Commission concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone when he killed the president on Nov. 22, 1963, and there was no conspiracy.
All of the remaining JFK files were originally supposed to have been released in October. President Biden postponed that planned release, citing delays caused by the coronavirus pandemic, and announced that they would be instead disclosed in two batches — one Wednesday and another by Dec. 15, 2022, after undergoing an “intensive 1-year review.”
“Temporary continued postponement is necessary to protect against identifiable harm to the military defense, intelligence operations, law enforcement, or the conduct of foreign relations that is of such gravity that it outweighs the public interest in immediate disclosure,” Biden said then.
President Donald Trump in 2017 announced that he planned to publicly disclose the remaining JFK files, only to delay the release of some of the files for national security reasons, setting a new deadline of Oct. 26, 2021. In 2018, Trump did end up authorizing the disclosure of 19,045 documents, about three-quarters of which still contained some redactions.
In October, some members of Congress wrote to Biden urging him to fully release all of the JFK files, including 520 documents that remained withheld from the public and 15,834 documents that had been previously released but were partially or mostly redacted.”
CHRISTIAN, on my ‘bucket list’ is to have LBJ Freeway changed to JFK Freeway. Wonder how long I’ll have to live? :)
I suppose as long as Caroline Kennedy and her children live, there may be some hesitancy to 'un-redact' and publish certain documents, depending on who is 'named' as possibly implicated in some kind of way as this may be hear-say or simply more 'conspiracy theories' put forth by them with an 'agenda'.
Who knows?
Rex Ray, a LOT is now coming out about pre-and-post Jan. 6th in how communications connecting certain individuals who attempted to 'over-throw' the work of Congress on Jan. 6th. The information is stunning. You won't find it on Fox News, now that the last two credible hosts have left the Fox News network.
See what you can find out on your own. All I'm going to say is some people have a LOT to hide (A.K.A. 'a lot to answer for'). Wow. It's better than 'theories', these revelations . . . the investigation committee has recordings or peoples' own words.
As to how long you will live, do not worry. Once you are a baptized member of the Body of Christ, you have ALREADY begun living an eternal life. The Good Lord cares for you now and forevermore. Be peaceful and trust Our Lord to take care of you. He will.
One of my favorite prayers: 'Jesus Christ, I trust in You.'
another favorite: "Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, Have mercy on us."
No need to worry, REX RAY. All shall be well in the Kingdom of Our Lord.
CHRISTIANE,
Yes, all will be well in the Kingdom of Our Lord for it is written:
“…EYE HATH NOT SEEN, NOR EAR HEARD, NEITHER HAVE ENTERED INTO THE HEART OF MAN, THE THINGS WHICH GOD HATH PREPARED FOR THOSE THAT LOVE HIM.” (1 Corinthians 2:9 KJ)
Yesterday, my son-in-law gave me what was written about his uncle in World War Two. He was in a ski-patrol and could ski 75 mph. He trained in Leadville, Colorado.
Years ago, I was skiing in Leadville, and hit a tree that gave me temporary amnesia. A ski patrol brought me down, and my nephew said, “There’s something wrong with Uncle Rex.”
I kept asking the same question over and over: “What day is this?”
“Sunday!” And I’d say, “No wonder the Lord zapped me!”
A doctor said I’d be OK after a night’s sleep.
That night, my wife, Belle, woke me up three times; saying “Who am I?”
She stopped when I told her she was my brother’s girlfriend.
Hey REX RAY,
I was thinking about how accidents and illnesses interfere with our awareness of our situations sometimes. Belle's story is repeated thousands of times as folks age and for some, memories are lost and comes confusion about identity.
Kind of like that ancient human question in sacred Scripture, this:
"What is man, that Thou art mindful of him?
And the son of man, that Thou thinkest of him?"
(from Psalm 8)
I'm glad the Christian ideal is a person who helps others without thought of self.
Like Wade helping the missionaries and Dr.Klouda and others even though it cost him to do it. That is a kind of love that helps others who suffer at the cost of self.
Self-Identity?
The Good Lord came and showed us what it means to be un-selfish.
I think a Christian's best life is lived 'in Him, with Him, and through Him'.
On this Earth, that does mean sometimes we must get 'into good trouble'. :)
CHRISTIAN,
AH, now I know what you mean by “good trouble” when you mentioning Jesus showed us…
Jesus on the cross was in good trouble.
I’ve always given our three children Christmas money. My daughter’s husband hasn’t been able to work in a long time. Yesterday, it touched my heart when she said, “Now, we can get our kids better Christmas gifts.”
CHRISTIANE,
From my missionary uncle, Rex Ray’s writings, is this story in Korea.
One night there a knock on our door. A Baptist preacher was preaching on the streets when he saw a Korean woman about 23 years old. She was a Christian. Her hair was tangled, and her clothes were torn, ragged, and dirty. Her face and hands were scratched with dried bloody marks that showed she had been in a battle of some kind. The preacher told us her sad story.
When the multitudes had fled south from Seoul, ahead of pursuing Communist, this woman got lost from her family. She joined other girls in the Korean Army to help her country in its struggle against the Communist.
However Korean soldiers took advantage of her beauty and tried to drag her down. She fled to the police for protection, but they put her in a hotel where she had to fight them.
My wife got her some clothes, and we put her in a hotel nearby for the night. The next day, we found an orphanage that would keep her until we could find a home for her.
My assistant was so angry, he called a news reporter and gave him her story. After the paper was published, a well-dressed woman knocked on our door. She believed the woman was her sister.
We took her to the orphanage, and they recognized each other and wept for joy. “My sister that was dead is alive!” She told her their mother was alive and lived nearby.
Good stories, REX RAY
Hope your Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are filled with the joy of family and friends.
https://youtu.be/1u3Ia6msMFw
Good Christmas to all here! Peace and good will and a merry tune or two, a hot meal, a good nap, and many blessings for a happy new year to come. Oh, the mercy of the Christ Child! So much love, so much.
CHRISTIANE,
Now that link was funny.
Judy’s son, Jim Abbott, and his wife, Lorie, from New York, are visiting us now. She can play the ‘Long Ranger’ song on the violin so good; you can almost see him and Tonto on their horses in the room. :)
https://www.playbill.com/person/jim-abbott-vault-0000115631
The link above shows a picture of Judy’s son.
REX RAY,
Merry Christmas to you and Judy and your family! That is a wonderful picture of Judy's son.
I saw a film you might like to see on Netflix called 'Don't Look Up'.
It's a strange reflection on our times and worth watching in my opinion. You will recognize some of the 'parallels' which are both amusing and very sad at times.
That 'link' is an old 'Peanuts' special which is now a 'classic'. Something very simple and beautiful happens when 'The Story' is told by children, as it so often is during this season of the year.
Glad you liked it!
REX RAY, WADE,
Oh my goodness!
Enid OK is in the news:
And WADE, they mention you towards the end of the article.
I found this:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/26/us/oklahoma-masks.html
CHRISTIANE,
From your link, all I got about Enid was: “First They Fought About Masks. Then over the soul of the city.”
If I wanted to read more, I was asked my name, email, and to prescribe to the New York Times.
(I think there’s some ‘monkey-business going on.)
BTW, my brother-in-law lives 100 yards from us, came down with COVID. So yesterday, Judy and I got tested since we had colds. (My nose was running like a facet.) We tested OK. :)
They prescribed some medicine and we’re fine now. Her son and daughter-in-law went back to their home in Connecticut.
GLAD TO HEAR you and Judy tested 'okay'! Good News, that.
Sorry to hear about your brother-in-law and I hope he doesn't have a severe case of the virus.
What troubles me now is that with the new Omicron variant, children under five years old apparently are getting sick at a greater rate than before. Children's hospitals are seeing more admissions at those tender ages. May God have mercy.
REX RAY,
yes, that 'link' was associated with the New York Times, and I'm not sure why I got to read the article because I do not have a membership with the NYTimes on line. I wish there was another way for you to see the article. Let me do some research on it.
STAY HEALTHY!
REX RAY,
this link might work:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/26/us/oklahoma-masks.html?unlocked_article_code=AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACEIPuonUktbfqohlSlUZBSbIRp8grRmPhf_Kyfk5j2T9N26VVTNGhawzMrS3xn3sN-BldsdhmHOSXsNAO7siA6cjn7EFYBRjDgL5_sbBxZgLc2Bkoty5Gzk81MmdUelkrzLjNCPxMupwxZyT7UjYamfsUKffwCdhcF4j-c05AAnsjX8Yxa7FEvp22c1-25oiDpN9RTQCZUqarqWiSkU-aJjdMEaqukRhUPpZWDrTgdef97oCFQ1ZAl7FR3p9in0u-PNy0HzEFJ9ZMTXbyPSI2Q&smid=tw-share
CHRISTIANE,
Yes, that link was GOOD!
If the COVERNMENT has the power to force wearing a mask, there’s the potential it has the power to force us to do whatever it likes.
Did you hear about the guy that got in big trouble on an airplane because he took off his mask to eat?
We breath LESS oxygen when wearing a mask. The store of Walmart in Bonham, Texas no longer requires you to wearing a mask. (At one time, you were not allowed to enter without a mask.)
Wade,
Better late than never:
On Wade’s Post on November 22, 2021, I wrote: ‘The favorite song of my uncle Rex Ray’s little girl was THIS IS MY FATHER’S WORLD.
From Rex Ray’s manuscript: “Before leaving China forever, we visited the Happy Valley Cemetery in Hong Kong. We put a bouquet at a grave with this inscription:
Marian McNair Ray. Age 5. Daughter of Missionaries Rex and Janet Ray. Every Thing’s All Right in My Father’s House.” We held not fear, for we know that we would see our little daughter again in our Father’s house. Her last words before she slipped away from earth were, Mama, which one is our house?” as though she was already entering the eternal streets of our Home on high.”
CHRISTIANE,
Five minutes ago, it was dark and there was a LOUD bang on our window. A male cardinal thought he saw a ‘competitor’. (It was its on reflection.) Wonder if he died thinking his competitor had killed him?
I came up empty thinking how this applies to our politicians. Can you? :)
CHRISTIANE,
Five minutes ago, it was dark and there was a LOUD bang on our window. A male cardinal thought he saw a ‘competitor’. (It was its on reflection.) Wonder if he died thinking his competitor had killed him?
I came up empty thinking how this applies to our politicians. Can you? :)
My missionary uncle, Rex Ray, wrote:
“On New Year’s Day 1958, a Telegram arrived. No doubt it’s from our son, David as yesterday was his birthday. “With deep regret, your son died after being hit by an automobile.”
“I am the resurrection and the life.” I’d preached this message for fifty years. Help me Lord to realize now its full meaning. Help me to grasp that “death is swallowed up in victory”.
Within three weeks of his son’s funeral, Rex Ray died of acute leukemia; a disease that is ‘strengthen’ by deep sorrow.
REX RAY,
I love that story.
Hope you are as well as can be during this 'deep mid-winter'. We had snow yesterday and it was SO beautiful as many Christmas lights were still on in my community (including mine - a small real tree ablaze with little colorful lights).
I've been reading some criticism of evangelical teaching which I found stunning and painful to read. It is a comment on a post by Dr. Roger Olson. I can't stop thinking about it, so I'll share it here and ask what you think about it also:
The comment is by a reader of Dr. Olson's blog:
"I am late to see this post. But let me say that this is among the most important blog posts I have ever read. I am not rejoicing in your pain at all, but I am saying there is and will be fruit from it. You wrote something many, many months ago that is absolutely related to this heartbreaking reality, in my view. In essence, you said that the notion that "God is Jesus" was "new if not entirely novel" and also cited the Anabaptists as notable historic exceptions. This notion, though seemingly obvious for Christ-ianity, has always been present, you've noted, but not having its implications worked through to effect one's entire body of belief.
In sum, Christianity is not as Jesus-shaped as we might hope or expect.
I can't tell you how disturbing it was as a much younger man to realize, after growing up going to church regularly, bible class every day, to realize I knew next to nothing of Jesus' central topic and gospel: the kingdom of God. His gospel wasn't my gospel. His teachings weren't our teachings. He just didn't frame the categories, the movement, the practices of the Evangelical faith I was raised within. And Evangelicals are not alone in this. It became a personal quest of the last 30 years. You've been clear that if someone is in doubt about God's goodness, focus on Christ. Amen. What if Christ's priorities and categories and focus were those of Christianity?
But my simple point is when you say, "what we need is some semblance of a center of Christian ethics" it betrays the truth you've noted before, namely, that the notion that "God is Jesus" is new even if not entirely novel. Its implications have not been prioritized or worked through to permeate the entire body of belief, priority and practice.
In any event, if I could look you in the eye, with tears in my own as I expressed both my gratitude as well as the shared pain of your experience, I would do so. Thank you. Jesus is at work, my friend. Jesus is still at work to accomplish what you long to see."
REX RAY,
(The commentator is a Mr. Freeman and Dr. Olson's blog was on Christian ethics)
https://www.patheos.com/blogs/rogereolson/2021/12/the-sorry-condition-of-christian-ethics/#comment-5665659104
REX RAY,
I hope this note finds you as well as can be. Let me know how you are doing.
REX RAY,
I hope this note finds you well or as well as can be. Let me know how you are doing.
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