Operation Auca

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." --Jim Elliot

     This is one of the most amazing quotes.  It isn't because it was perfectly worded.  Nor is it because of any charm, or style of the wording.  The reason that the quote is so inspiring to many is because the writer believed it.  He based his life on it.  And he lost his life because of it.

     On January 8th, 1956, five faithful missionaries gave their lives up for God's glory.  Yesterday marked the 60th anniversary of their sacrifices.  Five ordinary men did extraordinary things for Jesus.  Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, Ed McCully, Peter Fleming, and Roger Youderian.  They gave their lives up for Him.  They loved the savage, Ecuadorian Indians enough to relinquish holds of their futures.

     The five men with their wives had decided that there was no better mission field than the hardest one for missionaries to reach--the Auca Indians of Ecuador.  They were known to kill foreigners.  They even killed each other.  They were bloodthirsty, lost souls.  Five families left their comfortable, American homes to follow God's leading.  In the end, all of the husbands were speared to death, and five widows were left to care for their numerous children.  The men had weapons; they could have defended themselves.  But they knew that their souls would go to heaven.  Those who killed them were not saved.  They didn't know the Truth.   Thus, they laid down their weapons and loved their enemies.

   The story didn't stop there.  God used Rachel Saint (the sister of Nate Saint), a native Auca Indian named Dayuma, and many others to open a door into the savages' hearts.  They learned about Jesus.  They realized the love that the missionaries had shown them.  And one Indian admitted, "Not understanding, we killed your men."  God used five lives to change whole tribes of people with the Gospel.  Dozens and dozens of lives were touched by their sacrifices.  Maybe hundreds or thousands.  Even today, the same men who killed the American missionaries believe in God and spread the Good News.

     Are you willing to give everything up for Jesus?  Are you willing to love your enemies and to give your lives up for them?  Can you trust God that much, to put your future in His hands?  He might ask for a lot, but wonderful things will happen because of it.  Things that you could never have expected or imagined.  God is cool like that.

Trust in the Lord

     Typically, I am a shy person.  I don't enjoy talking to strangers, saying speeches, or performing in front of a crowd.  I have been trying to overcome this weakness (and yes, being shy is a weakness, not a personality trait exactly), but it doesn't always feel like it gets easier.  

     Anyway, one day I was in town with my mom and sisters shopping at a consignment store.  (my kind of shopping) =) I felt like God wanted me to talk to someone I saw across the store!  My first instinct was, "No way!  I can't do that!  What would I say?  We are about to leave anyway, so my family would have to wait for me.  There is NO way I am going to do this!" 

     But then I remembered.  I thought about the times that I have said no.  I realized that when I got home, I would feel bad that I had disobeyed.  I would always remember how I failed.  And I would be ashamed that I had really just said "No" to God, the One who had given me the very air I was breathing!  It was a hard struggle, but eventually, I forced my feet forward and walked over to where the elderly, African-American woman stood with her daughter trying on shoes.

     "I just wanted to tell you that God loves you."  It was more of a whisper than anything else, and I am not even sure that she heard me.  But I do know that she felt the hug I gave her and the smile I forced to my lips.  My heart was pounding harder than it ever had, I think, but I did it.  I obeyed God and was glad that I did.  Even as I walked out of the store, I could see the woman staring at me in wonder.  I don't know what she thought, or if she even heard my words, but it doesn't matter. I trusted God, and I am so glad that I did.  Even a month later, it makes me smile to remember how scared I was and how I relied on God.  That is all that matters.

     Next time remember that.  All that matters is that you obey God.  You don't have to be scared, and you don't have to hesitate.  You just have to trust.  It sounds so easy doesn't it?

A Letter to Girls I Know (on Modesty)

Hello!  Hosanna here!  This is an article that my mom found several years ago.  I did not write this!!  I know it is long, but if you have the time, this is a great read!!

(author’s name removed at his request)
A Letter to the Girls I Know:
Dear Girls, 

There are two kinds of men: Godly men, and worldly men. What kind of man do you want? I’m betting most of you said “a Godly man.” Someday, you want to marry a man who loves God with every fiber of his being because he will be an excellent husband and father. He will honor and be true only to you. Most women want a Godly man or at least think they do. Well, I think I have found a way to tell you exactly what kind of guy you will get. I don’t even have to know you! All I have to do is look at you. The kind of guy you want or will get is advertised by the clothing you wear. I know what men want. Trust me, I am a guy. I know more guys than you do and I know them better. I know what we think, what we talk about, what we want, and what we look for, and it is different for each one of us depending on our relationship with God. I’m sure you already know this, but men were created differently than you. We have different desires and priorities. Our eyes and minds react very differently to some things than yours do. It isn’t disgusting, perverted, or wrong; it is wonderful and good! It is how God made us. It’s how we handle these differences that separate a Godly man from a worldly man.

A worldly man doesn’t control himself, rather, he looks at anything that attracts his attention or gets him excited. A worldly guy has no problem when girls wear clothes that show off skin, like boxers, high or low-cut shirts, low-rise jeans, and “cute” little swim-suits. He’s a fan of tight-fitting shirts and pants that show off your form, he thinks they’re fine! Worldly guy watches a lot of TV and R-rated movies, isn’t really offended by sexual content or nudity and secretly dabbles in pornography. He’s a “Christian” and makes up a significant portion of your church and youth group. He’s a really nice guy and sees you mainly for your body. If you were to marry worldly guy, he’d bring lots of baggage into the relationship, have intimacy problems, entertain thoughts of other women, and possibly cheat on you.

A Godly man is in control of his drives and desires. He constantly seeks God and reads his Bible. He “walks in the Spirit” and isn’t set off by everything he sees. When immodestly-dressed girls, magazine covers, or risqué advertisements come into view, Godly guy quickly “bounces his eyes” away from the image. He’s constantly guarding his thoughts and what he allows into his mind. He hates being around girls that disrespect him and his struggles by wearing inappropriate attire. Godly guy doesn’t watch much TV and is selective about the movies he sees. He views you as a person, knows you and respects you. He has your best interests in mind and guards against inappropriate thoughts of you. If you were to marry Godly guy, he would give you the emotional attention you need, he would ignore other women and remain faithful to you no matter what.

Unfortunately, there are more worldly men than Godly men. And to make matters worse, to the untrained eye, a worldly man can look a lot like a Godly man. So what can you do to only attract a Godly man? An important way of delineating between them lies in how you dress. As mentioned before, the clothes you wear advertise what kind of guy you are looking for. If you dress immodestly, you will attract worldly guys and scare away the Godly ones. It all comes down to the kind of man you want to spend your time around and eventually marry. You cannot afford to be complacent in this area of your life! You will pay the price someday.

This issue isn’t limited strictly to you and your future relationship. The way you dress directly affects other men and women and their relationships. You don’t see the struggles, the pain, the tears and the sin that you cause, but I can promise that you would be shocked if you did! Ask any Christian young man; we’ve all seen it. It’s kept hidden but it is definitely there. By dressing immodestly, you effectually spit on the struggles of our weaker ranks, appearing to care more about toying with us than helping us. You’ll never know how many broken relationships and lifestyles of sin you’ve contributed to simply by the way you dress. You want to marry a Godly man someday, well so do many other women. Don’t just help yourself and your future, help all women and their relationships by showing discretion in your dress.

Of course, I understand the desire to look stylish, attractive, and “cute.” It’s important to fit in and get attention. Trust me, it can be done modestly! I also understand that it is easier for some girls to find stylish and well-fitting clothes than it is for others. This is an area where guys really don’t understand what you are up against. But just remember, for every sacrifice you make to honor God with your image, Godly men are making sacrifices in their lives that are just as hard, if not harder! They will and do respect you so much for choosing to be modest! A real lady is conscientious of the image she presents, and real men want a real lady. And you can forget about any guys missing out on how attractive you are because you don’t wear revealing clothing. You could wear a circus tent and we would still know; it’s a gift we have.

And so the question still remains: What kind of man do you want? Answer me with your clothes.

Having Self-Control in Your Day-to-Day Life

     “Self-control is the exercise of inner strength under the direction of sound judgment that enables us to do, think, and say the things that are pleasing to God.”—Jerry Bridges

     Self-control, or temperance, is something that is commonly spoken about, taught about, and esteemed in others, but how many of us actually practice it?  How many times have you been in a supermarket and heard the sound of someone yelling at his or her parents?  How many times have you seen children (or adults) throw fits when they did not get their own way?  How many times has that person been you?

     The Bible has examples of what a life is like without self-control. None of the examples are positive.  In fact, they are everything you would not want to have.

     “He who guards his mouth preserves his life, but he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.” (Proverbs 13:3)

      “Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.” (Proverbs 25:28)

However, there are also verses about a holy life with temperance.  “(better is) one with self-control than one who takes a city.” (Proverbs 16:32)  What is the point of an “amazing” life, if you do not have temperance?  You have probably seen famous people in the news—politicians, movie stars, or billionaires, who, without self-control, have come to ruin.  Perhaps they still were rich and popular, but did they have joy in life?  Of course not.

     Self-control is the control of yourself. It sounds so simple and yet, no one in this world can make himself have temperance in anything!  It is something that can only come from God, by asking Him for it.  You can try…but you will never perfectly master it without His help.  However, 2 Peter 1:3 says, “His (God’s) divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue…”  If God has given us everything we need to live a Godly life, then why would we not accept it?  This is such great news! We can have self-control in any circumstances because of this free gift from God!  All we need to do is ask.

     This means you don’t have to answer back when someone speaks bad about you.

     You don’t have to argue with that person who just loves to bug you.

     You don’t have to whine when you don’t get your way.

     You don’t have to frown when something bad happens.

     Instead, you can have joy all the time because you know something that many people do not—you can rely on the One who is perfect, and let Him fight your battles for you!

     I read part of an article online about self-control.  This was the first paragraph that shows the value of temperance in real life.  Maybe if you have a similar instance in your life, you can do the same.

     “In a department store, a young husband was minding the baby while his wife was making a purchase. The infant was wailing, but the father seemed quite controlled and unperturbed as he quietly said, ‘Easy now, Albert, control your temper.’

     A woman passing by remarked, ‘Sir, I must congratulate you! You seem to know just how to speak to a baby.’

     ‘Baby nothing!’ came the reply. ‘MY name is Albert!’” ¹

¹Self Control. Bible.org. J. Hampton Keathley III. May 26th 2004. Web. September 27, 2015.

Using Your Gifts For God!

Gifts.  We have plenty of them.  I’m not talking about presents.  Presents are something that last for a day or two…and then they somehow turn into clutter.  A gift is completely different.  A gift is something that is given freely to you with “no strings attached”.  If you look in the dictionary, it would perfectly state that a gift is “something given voluntarily without payment in return, as to show favor toward someone…”

Why talk about gifts? Because everyone has at least one!  I have never met someone who didn’t have a God-given gift.  This can come in a million forms—a personality trait, ability, or even something you can see, like your family members, home, or pets.  No one can truthfully say that they have no gifts.  Are you breathing?  That’s a gift from God in itself!

In Romans 12:6 it says, “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them…” (Emphasis added)  Then it goes on to state some different gifts. Ministry …giving …exhorting…and others.  But what should stand out to you is the last part.  “Let us use them”.  How should we use them?

Maybe you are sitting at your computer wondering how you can use your unique gift to serve others.  I can’t give you the answer, because most likely your gifts are different than mine!  However, I will take a minute to list the gifts I have seen in each of the separate authors of this blog, and how they can use theirs for God.

Alea H is a writer.  She is about to publish her first novel!  Her gift, if used wisely, could touch thousands around the world! 

Shelby R is friendly, and a good friend can make all the difference!

Aubrey R has the gift of drawing.  She could share her artwork with others, helping them with their own talents of art and encouraging them not to give up on it.

I (Hosanna K) have always loved writing letters, and try to bless others by sending letters for birthdays to older people who may not get any otherwise.  Also, sending get well letters is a good way to make someone smile!

Psalm ist is a great leader.  She led this very group of girls for a year, encouraging, praying and loving all of us.  She could do that for others who definitely need the encouraging.

Caroline N is gushing with love for everyone around her!  There are zillions of ways for her to make Jesus shine through her love and to love the unloved around her.  And she is quite the motivational speaker.

Karina N is very easy-going and gets along with…everyone!    She is the perfect type of person to listen to someone when they just need to talk!

Maybe your gift is different from any one of ours, but you have one!  And you need to use it!  We are not perfect, and many times, we use our gift selfishly, but through Jesus, we can do all things!  So step out there and use your gifts!  Remember that Jesus gave the perfect Gift on the cross…isn’t the least you can do to use the gifts that HE has given to you for His glory?