Unique Opportunity: Reach North Korea With the Gospel

Posted on October 26, 2018 by KD Manes under Salvation, Service

We starve, but it’s not food we want. We thirst, but not for water. We are sick and have no medicine but we know that only the Gospel can heal our people.”

With tears in her eyes, this is what one woman told FEBC President, Ed Cannon, from his recent travel to Asia to meet with a group of North Korean refugees.

Who is FEBC? Far East Broadcasting Company is an interdenominational ministry whose sole purpose is to share the Good News to the world through radio, the Internet, and emerging technologies. FEBC seeks to cooperate with and support existing missionary efforts and the ministry of the greater body of Christ worldwide, based on a common belief in the Bible as the infallible, authoritative Word of God.

What is the one message FEBC proclaims? “The truth of salvation through Jesus Christ.”

Where does FEBC minister? For 73 years, FEBC has been committed to reaching people in the most unreached places on earth. The 10-40 Window, a geographic area between lines of latitude 40 degrees and 10 degrees north of the equator, hosts 69 nations containing 4.65 billion people. This is where 90% of the world’s poorest people live; 95% of these people are unevangelized. The Christian minorities here are often heavily persecuted for their faith.

FEBC is committed to seizing the moment by boldly positioning all of their resources for God. Their broadcasts are heard in 113 languages and 49 countries around the world aired from 149 stations and transmitters, totaling 842 hours of programming a day/365 days a year. Last year alone, 2.6 million responses to the Gospel were made in response to their ministry. While these numbers are impressive stats, the reality is that these people are being transformed because of the hope they now have through Jesus Christ.

And now God has uniquely positioned FEBC to broadcast the Good News into one of the darkest, most hopeless place in the world: North Korea. President Ed Cannon writes: “With the help of friends like you, we are dramatically expanding our ministry through a powerful new radio tower in South Korea that will blanket the entire country of North Korea with the Gospel!”

The cost estimate of this radio tower is $320,000. Would you pray for this endeavor as well as prayerfully consider giving to this ministry? You may check out their ministry at their website: FEBC. Here is a link to donate toward the radio tower in North Korea: https://www.febc.org/north-korea. Thank you for your consideration!

Leaving Footprints For Those Who Cannot

Posted on July 28, 2018 by KD Manes under Service

The following is based on a true story. However, I revised a few details.

(Photo credit: shutterstock)

I was terrified. My parents will kill me! I thought. I had been dating the same guy for two years. We used protection, most of the time anyway.

I finally broke the news to my boyfriend: “I’m pregnant”.

“You have to get an abortion,” he said. “I’ll pay for it.”

Fear paralyzed me. I had let my parents down. At the age of 15, I couldn’t afford to raise a child, let alone pay for the hospital bill. And what about my plans of becoming a doctor?

Although I never told my parents, nobody else offered me any other options. My best friend drove me to the abortion clinic and let me stay at her place afterwards until I felt normal again.

I admit, I felt a burden lift immediately afterwards. But now depression taunts me. When I see a mom with her baby, I can’t help but wonder about the baby I aborted. Was my baby a boy or a girl? What color of hair and eyes would she have had? What would her personality be like?

Every time I visit a gynecologist and have to fill out my medical history, I am reminded that I am part of a national statistic as a parent. I chose to abort my first child. And I have to ask myself: What did I miss with my child because I chose to abort? How would my life be different if I knew the options then that I know now?

***

Every day a young girl becomes pregnant. She is usually afraid and many times feels alone and unsure where to turn. At Life Choices Clinic in Lewiston, Idaho, a trained Pregnancy Coach helps her by talking through her fears without judgment, confirms her pregnancy with a free pregnancy test and free ultrasound, and provides information she needs to make an informed decision. A wide variety of classes are also available.

Life Choices Clinic is a non-profit Christian ministry affiliated with Care Net. This ministry is dedicated to upholding the sanctity of all human life by offering life-affirming choices through providing pregnancy related medical and other support services in a compassionate, nonjudgmental environment. The Life Choices staff envisions a culture where women and men faced with pregnancy decisions are transformed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ and empowered to choose life for their unborn children and abundant life for their families.

Nepal Campus Crusade for Christ: Krishna Chaudhary

Posted on November 14, 2017 by KD Manes under Service

I haven’t posted in the “Service” category for some time, but I hope to add more stories and service opportunities here.

Introducing Krishna Chaudhary

Krishna and his wife recently dedicated their beautiful baby, Jason, to God.

Krishna Chaudhary is a missionary at Campus Crusade for Christ in Kathmandu, Nepal where he has served as full time staff and Finance Manager from 2011 to the present. Krishna received his education from Tribhuvan University. There are six members in his KaV South City Team. His coverage area includes Birjung, Hetuda and Lalitpur.

Our Vision: Movements everywhere in Nepal so that everyone will know someone who truly follow Jesus
Our Mission: Launching spiritual movements everywhere in Nepal through winning, building, training and sending Christ Centered Multiplying Disciples

Despite great persecution and availability of few faithful kingdom leaders, God began to build a spiritual movement everywhere in Nepal since Campus Crusade for Christ began ministry in 1976. Below is an update from the ministry’s national director, Tara Singh Kathayat. As you read, would you prayerfully consider supporting Krishna through prayer and/or being a financial partner?

“Now, religious freedom has definitely given us more opportunity to reach unreached people of the country. But on the other hand nominalism is increasing immensely in Nepal. We have greater technology, resources, kingdom leaders and workers than ever before for proclaiming the gospel to every person, tribe and tongue. Yet many unreached peoples still await a fair opportunity to know and follow Jesus.

Lately, Nepal Campus Crusade for Christ has been identifying the systemic problems and obstacles that hinder us from bringing the gospel to every segment of the society. So we have set the Mission Critical Components-MCC as Student-led Movement, Leader-led Movement, Global Church Movement, Virtual-led Movement and Prayer Movement to highlight the mission strategies that can help us overcome the barriers and bring the love of Christ to every person regardless of their location, language or culture—building spiritual movement everywhere in Nepal by making disciples who makes disciples. We as a team are focused and dedicated to building and equipping followers of Christ.”

To receive Krishna’s current Ministry Partner Letter, view specific prayer requests, and/or financial partnership information contact Krishna Chaudhary at: krish.chudhary@gmail.com. Nepal Campus Crusade for Christ website may be found here: http://www.nepalccc.org/. Thank you for your prayerful consideration!

Consecration of the Priests (Part 2), Exodus 29; 30:22-33

Posted on October 13, 2017 by KD Manes under Bible Study, Service

For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.” –Hebrews 9:24-26

In order to set the high priest and his sons apart for service, God commanded that they participate in a public consecration ceremony that lasted a week. During this time, the priests had to remain in the tabernacle precincts. My last post summarized the first two stages of this ceremony. Below are the following five stages.

The priests were anointed (Ex. 29:7, 21; Lev. 8:10-12, 30). In the Old Testament, God granted priests, prophets, and kings His Holy Spirit for empowerment and service (Luke 4:17-19; Isa. 61:1-3). A special oil was used only to anoint the priests, tabernacle and its furnishings. Moses poured the oil over Aaron’s head. The oil flowed down his beard—covering his breastplate and stones that represent Israel’s tribes—displaying a beautiful picture of unity in the Lord (Ps. 133:2).

(Source: chongsoonkim.blogspot.com)
Under the new covenant, the Holy Spirit’s anointing isn’t reserved just for priests, prophets, and kings. Those who have placed their trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior have also received an anointing of God’s Spirit (1 John 2:20, 27; 2 Cor. 1:21-22). The Holy Spirit is the “down payment” of future glory. He has both anointed and sealed us by His Spirit.

The priests were forgiven (Ex. 29:10-14).
Jesus Christ is our sin offering. We find forgiveness in Him alone (Isa. 53:4-6, 12; Matt. 26:28; 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24; Rev. 1:5-6).

To atone for the priests’ sins, they had to sacrifice a slain bull (Lev. 4; 8:14-17). This sin offering was to be repeated daily for a week (Ex. 29:36-37) to cleanse not only themselves, but also to sanctify the altar where the priests would minister.
The priests were completely dedicated to God (Ex. 29:15-18; Lev. 8:18-21). God expected the high priest and his associates to fully devote themselves to their work of ministry. Total dedication to the Lord is depicted when the animal is completely given to Him during the burnt offering sacrifice (Lev. 1). Likewise, Jesus held nothing back in both His ministry before the cross and becoming our sacrifice on the cross.
The priests were marked by the blood (Ex. 29:19-22; Lev. 8:22-24). Warren Wiersbe (Be Delivered) writes: “At this point in the ordination ceremony, we would have expected Moses to offer a trespass offering (Lev. 5), but instead, he offered a ram as a peace offering, “the ram of consecration” (Ex. 29:22). The Hebrew word means “filling” because the priests’ hands were filled with bread and meat.” Moses not only sprinkled the blood—along with the anointing oil—on Aaron, his sons, and the altar, but also marked each man with some blood on the right thumb, right big toe, and right earlobe as a reminder to the following: Listen to God’s Word; carry out God’s work; and follow God’s way. As the blood speaks of sacrifice, the priests became “living sacrifices” in their service of the Lord (Rom. 12:1).
The priests were fed (Ex. 29:22-28, 31-34; Lev. 8:25-29). As part of the priests’ payment for serving at the altar, pieces from some of the offerings—along with special harvest tithes—were given to them. However, they were to eat in the tabernacle precincts and view these gifts as holy sacrifices. The priests’ hands were filled from the “food basket” (Ex. 29:2-3) and from the altar (vv. 22-28). Then the priests would wave these gifts toward the altar in devotion to God. Lastly, they shared this food in a fellowship meal (vv. 31-34). The priests would never lack for nourishment if they faithfully encouraged Israel to obey God and taught His Word. Sadly—in later years—some of the priests lost sight of God and His commands as they consumed the best for themselves (1 Sam. 2:12-17; Mal. 1:6-14).

Upon completion of their ordination ceremony, the priests immediately entered into ministry with no allotted vacation or sick days. Their daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly schedule were charted in the law that God gave Moses on Mount Sinai. Every day would start with sacrificing a lamb as a burnt offering. This signified the people’s total dedication to God. The day also ended with offering another lamb as a burnt offering. Wiersbe observes: “That’s a good example for us to follow, opening and closing the day with surrender to the Lord. . . . The flour and wine [given as a meal offering] represented the results of the people’s labor in the fields and the vineyards. Symbolically, they were presenting the fruit of their toil to God and thanking Him for the strength to work and for food to eat (Deut. 8:6-18). The wine poured out was a picture of their lives poured out in His service (Phil. 2:17; 2 Tim. 4:6, NIV).”

Reflect

The priests’ first obligation was to minister to God. What does this mean for God’s people today? Who has been anointed with the Holy Spirit today? What is gained from this anointing? What does it mean for believers to present their bodies as a living and holy sacrifice (Rom. 12:1)?

Seven Primary Spiritual Gifts

Posted on March 28, 2014 by KD Manes under Service

We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.” Romans 12:6-8 (NIV)

Every believer has one primary motivational gift

According to the above passage, the seven motivational gifts are:

Prophecy – Communication of revealed truth that builds up believers
Service – Practical service to help others
Teaching – To provide guidance and moral instruction
Encouragement – Encouraging, comforting, and exhorting others
Giving – Cheerfully contributing to the needs of others
Leadership – Service carried out for the benefit of others
Mercy – Helpful activities such as feeding the hungry, caring of the sick and aging

Not only does the Bible command the church to lovingly exercise all seven of these motivational gifts, but every believer also needs these seven areas in order to grow as God desires.

Do you know your primary motivational gift? It’s our job to discover what that gift is. Spiritual gift inventories may be helpful, but I’ve found the best way is to jump in and try an area of service that seems fitting, (see God’s Masterpiece & Sublime Design).

Taking a class at church and/or talking to someone who knows you well will also help you discover your primary gift. I really like how our church encourages and gives people permission to volunteer for 90 days in an area of service. By the end of three months, the individual has a pretty good idea if he/she has that particular gift. If it’s not a good fit, we’re encouraged to try another area of ministry.

We are most effective for Christ when we lovingly use the gift(s) He has given us, (see 1 Corinthians 13). But this shouldn’t be an excuse for not occasionally taking out the trash, or lending a helping hand for someone whose primary gift isn’t service.

I love that God shapes us uniquely. Our gifts will look differently in the way they are expressed through a variety of ministry. When we exercise our gifts through ministry, the Holy Spirit is the One who determines what impact another believer will receive (1 Corinthians 12:8-11).