" . . . of whom the world was not worthy." (Heb. 11:38)

SOMETHING  TO THINK ABOUT One of the privileges of being a small church pastor Ruth Hodge visiting with some CBC ladies last Saturday is hosting visiting missionaries in our home.  This past weekend we enjoyed having Ruth and Lonnie Hodge as house guests.  Our church has invested in the Hodges ministry in Bolivia for decades. One of the things I've noticed about missionaries Lonnie enjoying a good laugh over the years, is that the dedication it takes to settle in a foreign culture, learn a new language, and reach out to people whose ways seems strange is something often handed down from parent to child.  At breakfast this morning Ruth told us about her step-mom, Muriel DeRitter.   Muriel was one of those hardy folk who didn't have sense enough to realize what they couldn't do, so they just went out and did it.  Muriel went to Africa during World War 2.  Her ship had to outrun a submarine in order to arrive.  She--a nurse, who hadn't been schooled in tropical medicine, because the war prevented her from getting to the school--was put in charge of a clinic in the Belgium Congo.  A doctor who visited once a week helped her out.  On her first furlough she received training in treating tropical diseases and remained in the Congo until the revolution forced the white missionaries to leave.  After that she married a widower and became step-mom to one of the finest missionaries I know.   Muriel appeared before the Lord a short time ago after her assignment on earth was finished. "Well done, good and faithful servant." It's STTA.   You can find out more about the message, and her step-daughter proclaim here.

Doesn't Jesus Die Every Year?

(Today's STTA was written by a missionary friend. It is a great Good Friday Meditation.)

"Doesn't Jesus die every year on good Friday?"
It was one of those teachable moments.
After sharing a short devotion before literacy class from Hebrews 10:12, we had gotten into an interesting discussion about things the [people my friend works with] do over Easter weekend. Some of the beliefs are quite strange (like not eating chicken because it turns into buzzard meat, or abstaining from alcohol until Sunday morning at 3:00 AM. Then you are supposed to drink and drink a lot.). I had wanted to get more
information about these ideas for some colleagues who are teaching about animism. After recording what was said, I kind of figured we were done with it, and forgot about it until the next day. Then the next morning we were about to start class when I remembered I had neglected to get a devotion ready for class.
"Oh well, repetition never hurts" I thought as I quickly flipped through my Bible to Romans 6:10 and shared once more how that Jesus only had to die once for all time, and that now he lives forever to God. As soon as I was done reading, it was then that one of my friends from the tribe asked his question. What a joy it was to be able to read the Scripture again, and then read from Hebrews 10:12 again as well and tell him that without a doubt, Jesus only died once. He was buried, and arose from the grave, never to die again. His work of paying for our sins was done, and it was ONCE AND FOR ALL.
On hearing the news, my friend nodded and said, "I'm glad you told us 'more straight.' I had believed wrong because that's what what my grandparents had always told me."
In spite of knowing the Lord for a number of years, Good Friday was still a blind spot for this man.
But then I asked myself, "What kind of blind spots do we have about all that Jesus has done for us?" Maybe our biggest one is just not thinking much about it. Did you thank Him for it today?

With thanks to my friend, and Praise to God for the gift of His Son . . .

It's STTA.