September 30, 2003

New Listings

Just a short note to let everybody know that the Comings Communiqué is now listed on two major archives: blogs4God and blogwise. Both of these sites have areas where you can rate this blog, so have at it!

Posted by Andrew at 1:39 PM // Comments: 4 //
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September 29, 2003

Miami Mishaps

Today will not go down as one of the most effective days in the life of the Comings family. Here is a brief recap.

1. After getting packed and checking out of the hotel, we left to go to the Brazilian Consulate. Our little Mikey is eligible to become a Brazilian citizen, and we wanted to take care of that. So far so good.

2. The Brazilian consulate is on Bayshore Drive. We soon discovered that there are two Bayshore Drives in Miami. Actually, "soon" is probably the wrong word to use. We left the hotel at noon. We arrived at 3:30 pm. Needless to say, we know downtown Miami VERY well.

3. Upon our arrival at the consulate, we filled out the necessary paperwork, and stood in line. Finally, we were waited upon, only to discover that one of the documents that we had was not valid. We need to get the valid one and return.

4. We arrived home in Lakeland at about 9:30 pm. What a day! At least we got some good "family time" in the car!

Posted by Andrew at 1:29 PM // Comments: 1 //
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September 28, 2003

A Growing Idea

When we get to Brazil, I am looking forward to the prospect of planting a church in the coastal city of São Luis. With this in mind, I have been doing alot of thinking about church planting recently, and some questions have been formenting in my mind.

Is the way we do church planting today the most effective way?

Do we have any long-range goals other than the simple establishment of a local church with a national pastor?

What is the best use of American funds for church-planting works?

To what extent does the modern church-planting movement seek to impose American culture onto foreign Christianity?

To what extent are missionary-planted churches seen as "American" to foreign nationals outside the church?

Church planting today (at least in the circles in which I travel) follows a set pattern:

1. Missionary goes to unreached area.
2. Missionary wins converts.
3. Missionary uses American money to build a church building.
4. Missionary brings in a national pastor.
5. Missionary leaves national pastor in charge.

I see some inherent problems with this model.

1. When the missionary goes to an unreached area, the message he preaches is automatically identified with his (the missionary's) culture. People of a foreign culture will have difficulty identifying with the Gospel for this reason. A national missionary would have much more acceptance.

2. The converts won by an American missionary are often converts to the American culture. I have seen many instances when an American missionary has left, and the "converts" have left as well.

3. Using American funds to build national churches establishes a bad precident. It is easy for the nationals to begin to trust the Americans for resources, not God. This is very dangerous ground.

4. One of the most difficult transitions in the life of a national church is the "transfer of power" from a missionary to a national pastor. It seems to me that a national pastor right at the outset would be the better part of wisdom.

5. When the missionary leaves to start a new church, he often takes his money with him. He also takes his culture, which has been the basis for the opperation of the church from day one. Now the church is left with a national pastor with no money and a completely different way of doing things.

Based on these observations, I would like to suggest the following model:

1. Missionary and national pastor go to the unreached area together. It is made clear that the national worker is the pastor of the church. He will be supported by national churches in existence, and perhaps by some American churches.

2. Converts are discipled by the national pastor. The American missionary helps in the areas of planning, outreach, and training.

3. American funds are used sparingly. Every effort is made to insure that the congregation assumes full responsibility for buildings and other material assets, and that the national church is not indebted to or dependant on the missionary or the mission board.

4. The national pastor is there from day one, so there is no "culture shock" when he moves on and another national pastor takes his place.

5. When the American missionary moves on, the church is in no way dependent on American money, nor subservient to the American way of doing things.

I am in no way trying to belittle those who have invested their lives in the first model. I am sure the model I have just presented needs work. These are just some thoughts going through my head recently. They will most certainly evolve into definite plans as time goes by.

I would love to hear feedback from anybody who reads this article.

Posted by Andrew at 2:24 PM // Comments: 1 //
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September 27, 2003

Brazil Quiz

In yesterday's entry, I mentioned the Brazil Quiz that we give at churches we visit. It occurred to me that perhaps some of the readers of this Blog might be interested in testing their knowlege of Brazil.

Below is the quiz, in multiple choice form. Have at it!

By the way, some of the choices may seem a bit obvious, but each wrong answer on this quiz is one that has actually been given to me when I have asked these questions in times past.

Continue reading "Brazil Quiz"

Posted by Andrew at 2:05 PM // Comments: 2 //
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September 26, 2003

Fort Lauderdale in the Fall

Today we traveled the four hours from our house to Ft. Lauderdale for a conference with the folks from First Baptist Church in Dania, Florida. We had a very nice time with the congregation this evening--sharing our testimonies and giving our Brazil Quiz.

This was a truly international congregation. They took us out to dinner afterword, and I was seated next to three people from France, and one from Vietnam. Tonight go out with them again, and then tomorrow we will present our ministry in their church.

Posted by Andrew at 10:58 PM // Comments: 4 //
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September 25, 2003

The Testament

I had never read a John Grisham novel until yesterday. While in St. Petersburg we happened to stop in at a used book store. I remembered that somebody had told me about a Grisham book which dealt extensively with Brazil. I asked the clerk about it, and he directed me to The Testament. I picked it up, and began reading it as soon as I got home.

I soon found that I could not put it down. It is a riveting narative, and the details Grisham includes about Brazil and the Brazilian culture. What's more, the portrayal of missions and missionary life is refreshingly positive.

In the book, an American billionair makes out a will which excludes all of his children, except for one illegitemate daughter who now serves as a missionary to the Indians in the Pantanal region of Brazil. Upon the billionair's death (I won't spoil the plot, but the account of the making of his will and his subsequent demise is nailbitingly intense!) the executor of the will is faced with finding the heiress before her greedy siblings can successfully contest the will.

In order to do this, he enlists the help of a lawyer, Nate, who has little to lose in life. It is Nate's job to go to the vast Pantanal swamp and try to find the heiress.

One of the most surprising aspects of this book is the spiritual journey taken by Nate as he treks through the jungle in search of the billionair missionary. The Gospel is portrayed more clearly than I have ever seen in any secular work. Grisham, a Southern Baptist, is clearly a very talented writer who succeeded in inserting his Christian faith without upseting the plot of the book.

This book is a tremendous read. I recommend it for any who are interested in Brazil, missions, Christianity, or legal thrillers.

Posted by Andrew at 4:48 PM // Comments: 1 //
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September 24, 2003

I Wanna Go to Awanna!

This morning Tassie, Mike, and I went to D&D Missionary Homes in St. Petersburg. This is a wonderful establishment wich exists to help missionaries in a variety of ways.

One of the ways they help (and the reason we were there) visit the missionary store. Here missionaries can go and pick out a variety of products (mostly clothing) at no cost. Many thanks to Col. Phil Fogle and his staff for continuing this ministry.

This evening I had did council time (devotions) for the AWANA group at our church. It was a lot of fun.

Tomorrow it will be back to McDonalds, then preparing for a series of meetings this week near Miami.

Posted by Andrew at 9:18 PM
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September 23, 2003

The Gospel According to Ron

I am not one to put much stock in the professions of faith of public figures. I even have serious doubts about alot of Christian artists.

I am a great admirer of Ronald Reagan, not for his spiritual qualities--whatever they may have been, but for his leadership of our country. Having said that, I came across this eloquent defense of the Deity of Christ made in a letter to a pastor (!) by our fortieth president:

"(E)ither he was what he said he was or he was the world's greatest liar. It is impossible for me to believe a liar or charlatan could have had the effect on mankind that he has had for 2000 years. We could ask, would even the greatest of liars carry his lie through the crucifixion, when a simple confession would have saved him? ... Did he allow us the choice you say that you and others have made, to believe in his teaching but reject his statements about his own identity?"

I do not know if the Great Communicator had a personal relationship with the Great Creator, but he at least had a stronger grasp of Christ's Deity than do many believers today.

Posted by Andrew at 7:37 PM // Comments: 1 //
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September 22, 2003

A Great Idea

We spent the day yesterday with the wonderful folks at Shepherd Road Baptist Church in Mulberry, Florida. This church has one of the best ways we have seen to keep their congregation informed about their missionaries.

One lady in the church collects all the prayer letters that come in, and then summarizes them and puts together a missions prayer bulletin. The computer literate in the congregation receive this bulletin as an e-mail. The rest get a hard copy. We can’t think of a better way to make sure that all the missionaries of a church get prayed for!

Posted by Andrew at 11:07 PM
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September 21, 2003

The Great Commission Revisited

1. The basis for the Great Commission is Christ's authority, not man's compassion, the vast need, or any of the other emotional tugs we get at missionary conferences. Of course we are to have compassion on the lost, but based on Christ's compassion--because His authority is the basis for our mission.

2. The goal of missions is disciples, not converts. It makes me sick every time a person assures me they are going to heaven because of a decision they made as a young person, while their lives show no fruits of salvation. Because we have lost our emphasis on discipleship, I fear that we are guilty of populating Hell with people who thought they were going to heaven.

3. The worldwide missions effort is powered byChrist, not by men. It is His promise to be with us until the end of the age that should encourage us. It is the knowlege that He will provide for our needs, and give us the victory, that should motivate us to attempt great things for Him.

Posted by Andrew at 12:47 PM TrackBack: 1 //
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September 20, 2003

Earning My Arches

Spent the better part of today working at McDonalds. I actually went a couple of hours early to study for the sermon at Shepherd Road tomorrow.

I have taken a closer look at the great commission, and have discovered at least three key elements that are missing from the modern missions movement:

I will post them in tomorrow's entry.

Posted by Andrew at 11:37 PM
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September 19, 2003

What?????

I usually don't submit two entries in one day, but this one really got my attention. I was reading an article about the situation in Iraq, when the following paragraph caught my attention:

Any South Korean deployment would likely provoke a fight with anti-war activists, who launched violent protests in April when parliament agreed to send 675 military engineers and medics to Iraq.

Is it not odd that there are actually violent protests on the part of anti-war protesters?

We live in crazy times!

Posted by Andrew at 11:03 PM // Comments: 1 //
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A National Tragedy

I have not yet dedicated any space in this blog to the national tragedy that is abortion. I would like to thank the Chairman for brining this article to my attention.

Do not read it unless you are prepared to be moved.

Posted by Andrew at 10:33 PM
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September 18, 2003

He Who Sits in the Heavens Laughs

Sometimes I view those who attack Christianity and its Author as if they were standing in a canoe, attacking a battleship with pea-shooters. Such foolishness makes these men more objects of pity than anything else. Just as shooting the inhabitants of the canoe would be a wast of ammunition for the battleship, so responding to God's "detractors" is usually a colossal waste of breath.

Yet today I will digress from my normal policy long enough to analyse the comments of one man.

Al Franken is an individual who has been blessed with an unusual level of intelligence, and a rare gift for using the English language. Yet he has chosen to use these gifts to scorn instead of uplift.

Below are selections from an interview he gave, with my humble comments.

Continue reading "He Who Sits in the Heavens Laughs"

Posted by Andrew at 9:32 PM // Comments: 13 //
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September 17, 2003

The Comyn Clan

During the past few days, I have been actively engaged with members of the extended Comings family in discussions on our family history. I have been fascinated by what I have learned.

From what I can tell, the Comings family has its roots in northern Italy. From there they moved to southern France, eventually coming to England with William the Conqueror. At that point the family (now bearing the surname Comyn) seems to have split into two branches--one in England and another in Scotland. The Scottish branch grew to great power and wealth. During Scotland's struggle with Edward Longshanks in England, the Comyn clan sided with William Wallace of Braveheart fame.

At one point, the head of the family, one John (Red) Comyn, was named co-protector of Scotland with Robert Bruce. The two quarelled, and Robert ended up killing John at the base of an altar of a Scottish church.

There ensued a clan war between the two families which resulted in utter defeat for the Comyns. As a result they scattered, and their name was banned from Scotland. Some of the family had holdings in England, or else went to live with members of the English branch. Among these were my direct ancestors.

In my readings today, I came across the last will and testament of John Commyn, the father of Isaac, who was the first of our family to come to the new world. The following words from that will struck me:

I John Commyn of Ipswich in the county of Suff yeoman being in good helth of body and of good and perfect memory thankes be given unto Almighty God therefore doe make and ordayne this my last will and testament in manner and forme followeing Ffirst I com[m]itt and com[m]end my soule and body into the handes of my alone Saviour and Redeemer Jesus Christ by and thorough whose most pretious merrits I assuredly hope and expect fruic[i]on of a ioyfull resurrection and eternall lyfe.

If you can get past the old English way of writing, you find a clear testimony of the man's faith in Jesus Christ.

I am proud of the courage "Red" Comyn showed when he stood up for what he believed in, even though it resulted in his death. I am even more proud of the testimony that my ancestor John Commyn left, which endures today, years after his death.

May my descendants remember me for both!

Posted by Andrew at 2:52 PM // Comments: 2 //
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September 16, 2003

One Month of Blogging!

Today marks one month to the day from when I started this blog. It has been an excercise that I thoroghly enjoyed. Here are some of my observations on one month of blogging.

The discipline of writting something every day is much harder than I had expected. Admittedly, there have been times when I have submitted and entry and dated it for the previous day. For the most part, however, I write these things on a daily basis.

Putting my thoughts down has helped me to crystalize ideas that otherwise would never have taken shape. This is especially the case with the devotional entries of the blog.

Ideas that otherwise would have died a natural death have gained a life of their own. A perfect example of this is the Narthex series. It started as a joke with some friends, and has grown into a homerian epic.

Thank you to all who have read and commented on this blog. It is my hope that it will continue to edify, encourage, and challenge (and perhaps tickle the occasional funny bone) for years to come.

Posted by Andrew at 1:34 PM
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September 15, 2003

Monday Monday

Today has been one of those days where it has seemed like I have gotten nothing done.

Actually, I have updated my website (still not all done!), sent out a prayer letter, and taken care of quite a bit of letter-writing. I guess what makes discouraging is that I still have so much to do.

Bills to pay, letters to write, roofs to fix...the list goes on.

And to top it all off, I am going in right now for orientation at McDonalds. Not exactly the most inspiring of activities.

Today has been a day of being "faithful in what is least." Those days are hardest when they come right after days of being "faithful also in much"--like yesterday.

God, help me to see the importance of being faithful in the little things, as well as the big things!

Posted by Andrew at 5:48 PM
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September 14, 2003

Filling Brazil with His Doctrine

Today in the morning service, my pastor spoke on Acts 5. As he was speaking, verse 28 jumped out at me. The desciples have been arrested for preaching the gospel after they had been forbidden to do so. The frustrated religious leaders ask them "Did we not stricly comand you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine..."

If there is one thing I want said of me at the end of my life, it is that I have filled Brazil with the doctrine of Jesus Christ. In fact, that should be the goal of any believer in Jesus Christ--to fill the place where they are with His doctrine. If this charge could be brought against every believer, soon the whole world would be filled with His doctrine!

Posted by Andrew at 1:50 PM
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September 13, 2003

The Narthex Chronicles Part 4: The Land of the Blue Frogs

When we left our story, the intrepid members of the starship Extrasize--recently joined by the robot Scott-E--were trecking aimlessly through that void region of the planet Narthex known as The Continuum.

"Hey look!" shouted K-Three. "Civilization!"
"Finally!" sighed Captain Kurt.
Chairman Gop squinted his eyes and peered ahead. "My fellow travelers, I have good news. Before us lies Sapazulia, the land of the blue frogs."
"You mean the inhabitants of the land trade in blue frogs?" asked K-Three.
"No, I mean the inhabitants of the land ARE blue frogs." replied the Chairman.

Sure enough, as they approached the entrance to the city, they were accosted by a large frog with a decidedly bluish hue.

"Halt!" bellowed the frog. "Who goes there?"
"Chairman Gop of the planet Narthex requires an audience with Werdna, Frog Regent of Sapazulia."
"What is your business?"
"We request safe conduct to Narthex City, capital of the planet Narthex."
"I thought the capital was Garbcinium." said the guard frog, obviously suspicious.
"Garbcinium is not, never was, and never will be the capital." replied Gop. "That was just an urben legend perpetuated by Garbcinians seeking to gain some relevance after they lost the business of the Cedar People to the SBC."
"SBC?" asked the captain.
"Southern Business Conglomerate."
"I see."
"Well, I guess you are legit." mumbled the frog. "Follow me."

The weary travelers were led through the streets of the city where they stared in wonder at the large blue frogs around them, and were stared at in turn by said large blue frogs. Finally, they were brought before a very large, very blue frog sitting on a throne.

"Greetings Gop, chairman of Narthex." said the frog.
"Greetings Wernda, Regent of the blue frogs. How go things with your people...er, amphibians?"
"Not well." replied the frog, looking sadder than anybody in the group could imagine a frog looking. "Our frogs have been affected by a rare disease. It is a virus that is causing them to turn slowly yellow."
"Funny." said Scott-E. "We didn't notice any yellow frogs on the way in."
"That is because they were hiding inside out of embarassment. The yellow frog disease is decimating our numbers."
"You mean they turn yellow and croak...er...die?" asked the Chairman?
"Precisely." replied the frog. "If the present trend continues, Sapazulia will cease to exist within 10 years." A single tear ran down the frog's cheek.
"I didn't know frogs had tears." whispered Scott-E.
"Shush!" relied K-Three.

Kurt spoke up. "Sir, I believe that on our ship, the Extrasize, we have advanced medical technology that could cure this disease. We are on our way now to Narthex City to get parts to repare the ship. When we get back, we would be glad to help your peop...er frogs."
"That would be wonderful!" exclaimed the Regent. He clapped his flippers. "Bring me the guide."

Almost immediately a very yellow frog entered the room. "Genlemen...and robot...this is Guido. He will guide you to Narthex City."
"But he looks sick!" observed Kurt. "Do you think he will be able to guide us?"
"The disease has not yet effected my strength, or my sense of direction." replied Guido.
"You will be in Narthex City in no time." said the Regent. "Just follow the yellow sick toad."

Soon, the group was out on the continuum again, each one mounted on a large frog, lead by Guido. As the ground rose and fell beneath them with each hop, Scott-E turned to Captain Kurt.

"Hey, I just thought of something."
"What's that?" asked Kurt.
"Wouldn't it have been easier for us if we had just beamed ourselves into Narthex City instead of making this long trip on foot?
"Oh yeah." mused the Captain. "I didn't think of that."
"And they say MY intelligence is artificial." mumbled the robot.

Be sure to stay tuned for the next installment of the Narthex Epic.

Posted by Andrew at 11:56 AM // Comments: 1 //
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September 12, 2003

McDonalds, and Other News

Let me start out by saying that my family and I are having the time of our lives while on deputation (that's "pre-field ministry" for any ABWE people out there). We get to go out almost every Sunday and challenge a different church for missions. We meet new people, see God at work, and get to see many new sights along the way.

However, this is a time of some uncertainty, financially and otherwise.

We recently returned home and for the last two days have been playing "catch-up" with the house. Bushes needed to be trimmed, the roof needs to be fixed, the inside needs a general cleaning--all of this with the realization that in a little over a month we will be packing up and heading to NY for more meetings. Then, of course, less than a month later we will be coming back and doing the same thing all over again.

Added to this, there is financial uncertainty. It has been incredible to see God provide for us. One of the ways he provided for us was today, when he allowed me to get a part-time job at the McDonalds where I used to work. This makes me officially the employee of two Mickey-Ds restaurants--one in New York, and one here in Florida.

Of course, I would not trade what I do now for all the financial certainty in the world! Seeing God at work in people's lives, and knowing that I had a part, is a privilege beyond compare.

One advantage of this job is that it will give me regular contact with unsaved people. This is kind of important for a missionary!

So, next time you eat a Big Mac, think of missions and pray for a missionary!

Posted by Andrew at 7:12 PM
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September 11, 2003

A Day That Shall Live in Infamy

September 11. The mere mention of the date conjurs up deep emotions with the same certainty as removing a scab from a recently healed wound produces blood. The despicable acts perpetrated on this nation on that horrible day have indellibly marked our national psyche.

Growing up, I used to hear my parents and grandparents refer to life "before the war" and "after the war." World War Two was, for them, the great point of reference that divided history.

My children will hear me talk about "before September 11" and "After September 11." This date is now a turning point in our national history.

The great question that arises from this event is "where do we go from here?" After Pearl Harbor was bombed, the course of action is clear. Defeat Japan and anybody associated with them. The course of action we should take with regard to the terrorists is the same--defeat them and anybody associated with them. The problem lies in whether our society has the intenstinal fortitude to carry it out.

It was my dubious privilege to see some clips from recent Democratic debates. It would appear that American resolve to end terror does not extend to most of the pretenders to the Democratic nomination. Instead, a whiney, we-can't-do-it-by-ourselves, it's-too-dangerous, it-will-take-too-long type of attitude is prevelent. Some even have the gall to suggest that it should already be over.

Do they actually believe this, or are they just trying to get elected? I fear for our country's future should people like this come to power.

I usually do not go political in this blog, but some things just need to be said. It is my desire, as an American, that this generation show the same resolve as was shown by our fathers when they wrote:

And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

Posted by Andrew at 6:43 PM
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September 10, 2003

Home Sweet Home

We arived home today at about 10:30 pm. Upon walking in the door, we were suprised to see that folks from our church had stocked our pantry and our refrigerator. What a blessing!

Now that we are in Florida, we will be holding meetings and looking for more opportunities to share our burden for missions in Brazil.

Posted by Andrew at 11:04 PM
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September 9, 2003

Virginia is for...Speeders?

Today was the first day of our journey, and it was not without event. We were cruising along on Rt. 81 as it winds through the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia, when I passed two police cars hidden in behind the trees. One of them immediately pulled out and began following us with his lights flashing.

The verdict: 80 mph in a 60 mph zone. The result: a hefty (for me!) fine.

I found that in the minutes after I got my ticked, it was harder for me to control my attitude than to control my speed. I desperately wanted to say something to the policeman--like "Give my regards to Andy and Barney." The only thing that kept me from doing that was when my sense of self preservation kicked in and reminded me that it is never a good idea to insult somebody who is packing heat.

It took a long time for me to be able to thank God for the reminder to obey the law, and for his protection. Who knows what kind of accident my recklessness could have gotten us into down the road.

The rest of the trip was un-eventful and we stopped for the night in Statesville, North Carolina.

Posted by Andrew at 10:23 PM
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September 8, 2003

Getting Ready for the Journey

My wife Tassie, my son Mikey (2 years old!) and myself spent most of the day today preparing, in one way or another, for our trip back down to Florida. We have known that tomorrow was our date of departure for some time now, and yet, true to form, we left most of the packing for today. Brilliant!

There is a journey that everybody on this planet is going to take, at one time or another. I refer, of course, to the journey into eternity. Death is an inevitable part of life. And yet, so many people act as if it is never going to happen, and do no "packing." I am not talking here about the preparing of wills and other such tasks (although suprisingly few people even take that step!). Rather, I am talking about preparations for eternity.

God's word says that "...it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment..." (Hebrews 9:27) There is no getting around it. The option of eternal life is open to all who will confess their sin and put their trust in the finished work of Christ on the cross. The other option is eternity without Christ, in a place called Hell. It should be very easy to make that choice.

Oh, one more thing. I knew that tomorrow I would have today to pack before I left tomorrow. However, we have no clue when we will be leaving this life for eternity. Don't try to wait until the last minute.

Posted by Andrew at 11:27 PM // Comments: 1 //
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September 7, 2003

Happy September 7th

If you are not a Brazilian, or are not connected to Brazil in any way, September 7th is most likely just another date for you. If, however, you have any knowledge of Brazil, you know today as Independence Day.

It was on this day in 1822 that Dom Pedro--son of King João and Crown Prince of Portugual--declared Brazil's independence from Portuguese rule. His cry of independência ou morte! (independence or death!) inspired Brazilians to throw of the their colonial yoke. On December 1st of that same year he had himself crowned Dom Pedro I, emperor of Brazil.

Interestingly enough, he never lost his status as Crown Prince of Portugal.

This reminds me of another time the Son of a great King came to declare independence for His people. As Son of God, Jesus Christ had a right to all the privileges of the heavenly realm. Yet He put all that aside and came to earth to declare our independence, not from mere mortal oppressors, but from the bonds of sin. He paid the ultimate price, dying on the cross as the atonement for our wrongdoings. Yet He did not stay dead, but rose again and now sits at the right hand of the Father.

If you, dear reader, find yourself still under the bondage of sin, know that you could make September 7th (or whatever day you happen to be reading this) your own personal Independence Day. For God so love the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

If you would like to know more about the freedom that Christ offers, please do not hesitate to contact me. I would love to hear from you.

Posted by Andrew at 4:56 PM // Comments: 1 //
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September 6, 2003

Beer Lahai Roi

I would like to do a study on wells in the Bible. A particular well has fascinated me recently in my studies. It is called Beer Lahai Roi.

The name Beer Lahai Roi (Well of the One Who Lives and Sees Me) was given to this particular spring by Hagar (Gen. 26:13-15), as she fled from the abuses of her mistress, Sarah. Here, God appeared to her in a vision and told her that her son Ishmael (fathered by Abraham) would be the father of a great nation.

The only other place where the well is mentioned in Scripture is in chapters 25 and 26 of Genesis. Isaac (Abraham's other son, by Sarah) comes from there to meet his new bride, and then eventually settles there.

Some rudimentary observations on the two events which involve the well.

In The Case Of Hagar

She finds herself at the well as a result of a series of sins (the wrong choices of Abraham and Sarah)(16:1-6)
God seeks out Hagar (16:7)
God makes a promise to Hagar (16:10-12)
Hagar worships (16:13)
Hagar names the well (16:14)
God fulfills His promise (16:15)

In The Case Of Isaac

Isaac departs from Beer Lahai Roi to recieve his bride (24:62)
Isaac recieves his bride (24:66)
Isaac dwells at Beer Lahai Roi (25:11)

I know there is alot more that can be done with this passage. If anybody reading this has any insights, please don't hesitate to send them. This has piqued my interest, and I will be studying it a lot more in the days ahead.

Posted by Andrew at 10:15 PM // Comments: 3 //
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September 5, 2003

Mickey D's

Below is a graphic that pretty much describes my day today. Enjoy.

Posted by Andrew at 10:37 PM
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September 4, 2003

I Am Writing This Tomorrow

As you can see from the title of this piece, I have invented a new, groundbreaking form of time travel. I am actually writing this piece tomorrow. If you look at the date on this article, you will note that it says September 4, 2003. Yet, I am actually writing it on September 5, 2003.

Therefore, as a public service to those who are reading this article, I will give you a peak at what tomorrow (September 5th, 2003) holds in store.

In the news, hurricane Fabian has slammed into Bermuda. Those of you with vacation plans for tomorrow (or today, as the case may be) should probably cancel them.

In my life, today (the 5th) I go to McDonalds and spend 8 hours making hamburgers. Then I come home and meet myself at the computer typing this letter. The conversation I have with myself is a little awkward.

If any of you are wondering about the technology involved in this time travel, it is very simple. It is fueled by procrastination, and involves putting the date for yesterday (the 4th, or is that today?) on todays (the 5th, or is that tomorrow?) blog. Whatever the case, here it is. All this time travel has tired me out, and I am going to quit for now.

Posted by Andrew at 7:47 PM
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September 3, 2003

Of Love and Poultry and Unexptected Things

The intro was unmistakable. The progressive chords on a cheap electric organ let me know that the next thing I would be hearing was the throaty wail of Percy Sledge's voice. I was listening to web radio while busily at work on the computer.

Sure enough, the voice came through loud and clear: "When a man loves a...chicken?" Startled, I stopped what I was doing and turned up the volume. Sure enough, a man who did a remarkable job imitating the voice of Percy Sledge was singing about his affection for poultry, to the tune of the classic When A Man Loves A Woman.

After I picked myself up off the floor, I reflected on the the effect of the unexpected in our lives. Something happens that is out of the ordinary, and BANG! it has our attention.

That must have been the case with Moses at the burning bush. This was clearly something out of the ordinary, and he had to take a look at it. The results changed his life, and changed history.

What unexpected things will God use in your life today to get your attention?

Posted by Andrew at 9:45 PM
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September 2, 2003

What God Wants Me To Do Now

The following is an exerpt of the Comings and Goings prayerletter that we sent out earlier today. This has been on my heart alot, and a meeting with Pastor Matthew Smith from Faith Baptist Church in Cortland NY kind of put it into focus for me. Enjoy:

Dear Praying Friends,

This last week has been one of continued ministry and opportunity of us. Thank you for your prayers for us as we continue our deputation.

The Ministry God Has Given Us

When God sent Abraham up out of Ur, He promised to make of him a great nation, to bless him, and to make his name great. He also gave Abraham a task: to be a blessing. There were times when Abraham fulfilled this task, and times when he did not. God’s promises were in the future, but his responsibility of being a blessing was in the present.

God has given us a vision for Brazil. That is in the future. He has helped us to see, however, that our present ministry is to be a blessing to the churches in which we minister on a weekly basis.

Our support level is currently at 21.5%. We keep you updated on that because we feel it is important that you know. We are, however, focused on the ministry God has given to us now. What a privilege it is to go from church to church challenging people for worldwide missions. God has allowed us to see some tremendous fruit from these meetings, in the form of people dedicating their lives to missions, and even some decisions for salvation.

Some Examples

On Sunday we spent the morning at Bible Baptist Church in Cortland, NY. We had ministered there before, and on this day we were just there to attend the service. A lady came up to us before the message and related how her daughter had been impacted by our ministry, and had surrendered herself to missions should that be God’s will. There are no words to express the gratification we felt in hearing that.

Sunday evening was spent at Peoples Baptist Church in Newfield, NY. There we were able to share our burden for Brazil. Afterward the people asked us several pointed questions, demonstrating that their interest had been piqued. Several committed themselves to pray for us.

The Challenge

We will continue to throw ourselves fully into this ministry until God sees fit to provide the funds for our ministry in Brazil. We pray that this will be soon. Please pray with us to that end, and also that God will continue to use us to be a blessing, and show us other ways we can minister while we are hear.

Posted by Andrew at 4:33 PM // Comments: 1 //
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September 1, 2003

Narthex, Part 3 The Continuum

"Where are we?" asked K-Three. He, Captain Kurt, and Chairman Gop were in a large, flat area. The flatness extended as far as the eye could see, and in all directions.
"We are in a place on the planet Narthex called 'The Continuum'." replied Chairman Gop.
"There is nothing around here. Why did we come here in the first place?" asked Captain Kurt, not a little unnerved by the size and, well, flatness of the expanse.
"This is the only way to get to Narthex City, the capital of the Planet Narthex. It is only there that we will find the parts to make the neccessary repairs on the starship Extrasize.
"How much farther?" asked K-Three.
"I don't know." was the response.
"Which direction do we go?" asked Captain Kurt
"I don't know."
"How can we get there if we don't know how far it is or which direction to go?" was a frustrated Kurt's next question.
"We just keep walking. We will know when we get there."
"How do you know?"
Gop thought a moment. "Well, it has always worked for us before."
This was not a satisfactory answer for the captain. "Let's get Scott-E, our navigation robot, help get us there sooner." He pulled out his remote beaming device ("Where did he get that?" "I don't know. Just be quiet and listen to the story!") and pressed a button. Scott-E materialized before them.
"You beamed, Captian?"
"Scott-E, I need you to set coordinates for Narthex City, capital of the planet Narthex."
"Right away, Captain." replied the robot. He began to buzz and whirr. The buzzing and whirring continued much longer than normal. Finally he stopped.
"Captain, after activating my NPS (narthex positioning system, for the uneducated), I have determined that Narthex City lies due north."
"Great!" exclaimed Captain Kurt. "See, I told you there was a better way."
"Unfortunately," continued Scott-E, "I have been unable to determine which way is due North."
"What!"
"Directions get kind of fuzzy here in the continuum." explained Chairman Gop. "Not to worry, we will get there eventually. We always have."
"Well, I guess we will have to do it your way." sighed the captian. "Let's bring the robot along. He might be of some use to us later."
With that, all three began to trudge together in no particular direction.

Will the intrepid voyagers find their way to Narthex City, or be trapped forever in the continuum? Stay tuned to find out.

Posted by Andrew at 11:08 AM // Comments: 7 //
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