Christian Movies - Jesus the Door

Flashback to the "80's

Saturday, April 11, 2009

 

Today was a good day of working for the LORD and a modernized attempt to get the gospel to the masses via the internet. 

     Before I explain what we did, allow me to share the history behind what we were able to do today.

     June 23, 1986--at that time we lived in Astoria Queens, NY. At the time, we were so small, that we couldn't afford to rent a place for services. We met in our apartment once-a-week for Bible study, which we conducted like a regular church service. There was singing, prayers, fellowship, and sermons.  

     To be public, and open to guests, we would meet as a group on the same street corner at the same time every Sunday. The address was printed on all our tracts. Obviously, only the serious enquirers showed-up. After waiting a reasonable amount of time, usually 15 - 30 min. we would walk back to our apartment for some light refreshments and church.

     Always on the lookout for interesting or different ways to get people's attention, Pastor Bob got the idea to start a phone ministry. 

     Pastor Bob's idea was to record a short gospel message on an answering machine. This was a painstaking process. There were no hi-tech gizmos available to help us. Pastor Bob would write up his sermon. It had to be exactly 3 minutes or the cassette which played on a loop would record over the beginning of the message.

     We also had business cards printed up with the title of the message or a catchy short phrase or question that would peak the curiousity of those who found the cards, and phone number. When the message and cards were ready to go, we would make a "midnight raid". Literally.  With rolls of scotch tape and stacks of cards, we would go to areas that were busy by day, and tape these cards to doors, storefront gates and windows, apartment building entrances, parking meters, etc. Any place we could tape them without causing damage to property, we put them up. 

     By the time we arrived home after our raid, the phone was already ringing off the hook. Hundreds of calls came in after these raids.

     Though we don't know if anyone ever got saved as a result of this ministry, MANY people heard part or all of the Gospel.

     A total of 5 messages were done.

     Speeding up to the present day, we still have the original cassettes these messages were recorded on. They have been digitized, and today they have been put back into use.

     If you would like to listen to any, or all of them; please follow the individual links below. Share them with your friends, relatives, acquaitance. Feel free to link your website or blog to them too.

 

Absolutely FREE GIFT          Are You Prepared?          Need Good News?

Plan for the Future          HELL

 

 

Missions Conference Pre-thoughts, and encouragment for mothers

Missions Conference, pre-conference exposition

I go to meetings like these expecting God to work, and do something in us, for us, with us, on some level or other. Don't get me wrong the fellowship is tops, but I want the preaching to help me, and my family. I desire with all my heart that my children will surrender their will and lives completely to Him and His will. That might mean they will be living in a a foreign land, that my crowns will be out of arms reach, but my prayers, love, care, will be able to reach millions of miles if need be. Praise the LORD they need only reach around this orb we live upon and call earth.

Part of me wants them to be missionaries, to go where we cannot go, to do what we are not able to do. By no means are we over the hill, not quite, yet!

Since Bob's accident, and surgeries, his foot and ankle have remained weak. This is in addition to problems with his neck, and on-off problems with his lower back. The foot adds to all these, and they seem to feed off each other. Therefore, a lot of physical moving, walking, etc, he is only able to tolerate for short amounts of time.

Our children, are our legacy, for the physical and the spiritual. It amazes me how much farther along they are in spiritual matters and knowledge, and how giving they are, compared to where I was at their ages.

Being a mother taught me so much of those lessons, and still I feel utterly selfish and unlearned. In many ways, when we became parents, we began "grooming" our children to love, honor, obey, and serve. Not only their parents, but God. He has blessed our minute efforts in ways we never envisioned way back when. Which is why I am almost sitting on the edge of my seat in anticipation of the next steps and stages.

In these years of isolation, past, present, and future, oft times I have felt rather useless for the work of the LORD. My resume' of works, by most Christians standards, are few. That is because many people view the work of the LORD and fulfilling your duties, obligations in the physical as non-spirtual work. I must confess that I think that way too. Ok, I used to think that way. What changed my mind? Paul. "Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God"

Changing diapers, scrubbing floors, making a pie, dusting, sweeping, washing, weeding, .... all the daily activities that encompass homekeeping and mothering, and being a wife, can glorify God.

God doesn't want us to work for the works sake. God does NOT US, I repeat, God does NOT NEED US, to do work for works sake. The Omnipotent Holy One can do all things, and do them perfectly. What He cannot do, is glorify Himself. He doesn't worship Himself. God doesn't rise from the Throne and swagger to the mirror and admire Himself, saying, Oh my, I am a Glorious God, and Oh how I worship Me. God states He is THE God, and makes known all His attitributes and glories, but that is for us to praise and worship Him. To fear Him also. He is worthy of all our glory and praise. That is what He created us to do, to bring glory to His name. He alone is worthy of it. Ladies, you can praise the LORD when the children are sick, and your umpteenth load of wash is swishing away. We can glorify God by making your husband his favorite dinner or pie, by ironing his shirt, or stroking his brow. You and I glorify Him when we hum hymns of worship, when we thank Him for His goodness, and when we love our children, and others. Matthew, I believe, wrote, "if ye have done it unto the least of these, ye have done it unto me", Jesus words' (I hope I didn't misquote that) In us, we want to be doing BIG things, that people SEE, and think LOOK at ALL they have done. Remember the tortoise and the hare....slow and steady. Doing the little everyday, seeming mundane things...being faithful...God blesses faithfulness.

The seasons of trials and struggle come and go, but being faithful will see you through....NOT because of YOU but because of Him.

I am stopping here....and I pray you are encouraged and that you will be faithful in the little things that seem/look unimportant to the world or even to the people at you church. You do right by your husband, children, and fulfill your role and duties, and God will be glorified by your service.

Do all to the Glory of God.

What Can I Give?

April 6, 2009


Today my mind is wandering to the future. Many questions are whirling around in my head.

Alot of them have come about as a result of the mission's conference last week. The need for workers in the fields is great. Each missionary, each field, made me ask, "Is that where one of my children will go?"


In our flesh, in our physical world, at least in our family/home, we don't have much to give as far as money goes. Yes, our home is beautiful, glory to God, and it is a great gift of love from Him to us, but our home is more than just the painted walls, and furnishings. What we have to give is priceless. We have offered up our children for His use. Now I realize that their full surrender to God is a personal choice that they must make for themselves, but we as parents desire our children to be vessels fit for the Master's use. Our heart's desire is that God will take them and use them, and that not one of them would refuse Him.


These thoughts have alot of emotions attatched to them. As a mom, in one way the last thing I want is for my children to go live in a distant land, and only visit with us every few years. I don't want to go to bed at night and wonder if my child is safe or being watched or taken to prison for preaching the glorious Gospel of Our LORD Jesus Christ. In my flesh, in the natural mother's heart, I don't want them to go very far from home, EVER. But with eternity in view, I want them to go for God without thought for dear old mom and dad. I want them to be consumed with Jesus. In fact, the last few months I have really begun to expect that in my golden years, if the LORD tarries that long, I will sit in my rocker, praying for my children, grandchildren, and maybe great-grandchildren, to stay by the stuff, to keep on for God, to fight the good fight, to finish the course, to reach for the prize of the high calling of God.

My mind is set upon them all being far from me, and yet close to my heart. I am expecting them to be warriors and servants in distant lands, to go to the regions beyond and to say with all that in them is, "Here am I LORD send me"


And if the LORD determines that they need not all go so far away to serve Him, then i will be extra blessed.


I give up my children for the service of the KING of Glory-Jesus Christ. What more can I give?


The other question that naturally follows, well several of them, are: when and where will they go? will they marry? who will they marry? when will this all come about?


David is on the verge of marriage, Godwilling. What plans are in his future after that?


We are so isolated, it is hard to keep my eyes of the practical issue of meeting prospective brides or grooms. Years ago I wrote to a precious sister about this matter. I told her that I believed that if necessary God would bring them to our front door-their car could break down, or asking for directions, or "accidentally" finding the wrong house. When I get a case of "how in the world will..." I remind myself of this...God's way are not our ways, His thoughts are not our thoughts. He can do anything, nothing is impossible with Him. All we know is we want God's choice.


When a family friend was about to marry, I began to fret, and wonder how we would ever be able to give our daughters wedding gowns and pull-off even a small wedding. This was going through my mind on a Tuesday as we drove home from town. Tuesday was the day that the clothes house was open (over the years we have gotten many items from them free of charge) so we decided to stop on the way. We ran in and then out pretty fast for us. But oddly enough they had a wedding dress that particular day. Never before had I seen one there.

As we drove up the hill for home, I went on and on about the wedding dress, chiding myself for not getting it. After we unloaded the van, Bob told me to take Charity back and look at it again. Off we went. The wedding gown was still there. We carefully removed it from the hanger, and one of the workers came over and held it close to Charity. I looked like it would be a perfect fit. Then more of the workers gathered nearby, formed a circle and prayed for her. They GAVE us the dress! As we were leaving they asked when she was getting married. I just had to laugh as I told them, she didn't even have a "boyfriend". They were amazed, and yet happy to give the dress to her.


To Charity, it seems to be a promise that one day she will need that gown.


To me, that was more a blessing to me than to Charity, because I'd be wondering about buying all the things you'd need for a wedding. It was God's way of telling me, in a dear, loving, gentle way, "Terry, see, you don't have to worry about anything. I've got it all under control"


During the missions conference, they had special sessions for just the ladies. The speaker was Mrs. Ireland. They were in the U.S. but soon returning to the Ukraine where they are missionaries. She spoke on the topic of "Prodigals". I wasn't able to talk to her but she really helped me by repeating my own words back to me, though we have never met. But during her lesson she said something very profound. "Control is an illusion" God is the one at the controls, He allows things to occur for our good, and learning.


The greatest thing I can do as a wife and mother is to stop trying to control anything and reliquish control to my great Father, who doeth all things well.


The future of our family will be full of changes, the unexpected-good and bad, but God is in control. And we know His way is perfect.