What a loving, merciful and compassionate God we serve. When I think of all that He sacrificed, so that I can be with Him in Paradise, causes me to rethink what my priorities are. It causes me to ask myself the question, “Am I doing all that I can do, to help others in need?”
Recently, while in the U.S., I did a bit of self-examination, and I realized that I can do more for God’s cause. I saw that there were many things that I was buying, good things, healthy things that I wanted, but really didn’t need. Things like extra clothes, fruit juices, healthy snacks, etc.. Now, while these are all nice things to have, and there is nothing wrong with having them, I realized that I simply didn’t have to have them; they weren’t an absolute necessity. So I have begun cutting these unnecessary items out of my purchase plan, and taking the money I would have spent on these items, and put it into God’s treasury. If there’s one thing Elsa and I have learned over the years, it’s that, “You can’t beat God’s giving, … no matter how hard you try. The more you give, the more He gives to you.” Of course, that should not be the motive for giving. Our giving should be out of pure gratitude and thankfulness to God for what He has done and sacrificed for us. I’m certain that each and every one of us can find at least one or two things on our shopping list that we can really do without. I (lovingly) challenge you to refrain from buying that item, and apply that money to helping someone in need. Oh dear friends, let us now more than ever, develop a true Love for God, a Zeal His Glory, and a Sincere Love for Humanity.
As Christians, we know that very soon, our earthly material possessions will be worth nothing. What better time than now, to put into practice the method of simplicity. Let us think less and less of our “wants,” and more of our needs. Let us put our treasures into heaven’s storehouse, where neither moth nor rust can take them away. Sometimes, we become so caught up in the cares of this world, that we forget what our true mission is. The Lord tells us that, “Our mission to the world is not to serve or please ourselves; we are to glorify God by co-operating with Him to save sinners.” COL, 143
“Money has great value, because it can do great good. In the hands of God’s children it is food for the hungry, drink for the thirsty, and clothing for the naked. It is a defense for the oppressed, and a means of help to the sick. But money is of no more value than sand, only as it is put to use in providing for the necessities of life, in blessing others, and advancing the cause of Christ.” COL. 351
Dear friends, if we take a step back from “Self”, and look at the true picture, we will see a Loving God, with out-stretched arms, inviting us to learn of Him and experience true joy and happiness. Only in Christ can we find the Pearl of great
price. Only by following His example of selflessness and compassion for others, can we develop His character.
The Providences Of God
By Elsa
Have you ever experienced being actively involved in God’s great plan of salvation? Of course, we well know that all of heaven is actively involved, and works tirelessly in efforts to save all of mankind; But I guess the key words here are, “have you” found yourself being used by God, in His orchestrated plan to bring His truth of salvation to someone?
Some of you may remember, many years ago we treated a man at our outpost clinic by the name of Alejandro Mendoza. He suffered from a terrible cancer avulsing from his neck. Doctors had given him only a few weeks to live, and sent him home to die. One of Mr. Mendoza’s daughters, having heard about our medical ministry, and how we use natural remedies to treat disease, contacted me and explained her father’s situation. Long story short,….we brought Mr. Mendoza up to the clinic, and treated him with God’s healing remedies. For a time, his health improved, and the cancer even began to heal. Weeks went by, and Mr. Mendoza was not only feeling better physically, but because he was in a spiritual atmosphere, and reading his Bible and the book Ministry of Healing, he began to sense his great need of Christ in his life. Mr. Mendoza admitted that he had done many wrongs in his lifetime, and wanted to make things right with his wife, which he did. The marriage was reconciled, and, as God would have it, joy was brought back into the family circle. One evening, a vein in Mr. Mendoza’s neck ruptured, and in a moment of haste, the family rushed him to the hospital, where he was given several pints of blood,….polluted blood. This caused a setback in Alejandor’s condition. His last day alive was a Sunday; I remember it well, because Joe was in town, and was impressed to go and visit him; one look at him and he knew that Alejandro was not going to be around much longer. Joe rushed up to the outpost and told me to pack up my backpack, because Mr. Mendoza was not going to make it through the night. I spent the evening, and half of the night, reading the Bible to him and singing hymns, until he took his last breath. Alejandro Mendoza lived six months longer than doctors expected. Before he died, he acknowledged that God’s method of healing, is the true method of healing; Most importantly, he testified to his family and friends that God’s Seventh Day Sabbath, is the true day of worship.
The Lord brought Mr. Mendoza to us at that specific moment in time, in order to save his soul. What a wonderful story of God’s great love; But the story does not end there. Just a few months ago, I was needing some menu’s designed and printed for the restaurant.
[caption id="attachment_531" align="aligncenter" width="695" caption="(left) Mr. Mendoza (right) Elsa and Oscar with menu"]
[/caption]I was told that I could get some good work done at “Lap Creativos,” and to ask for a young man by the name of Oscar. Well, I met Oscar and sure enough, he was polite, respectful and very conscientious about his work. When he delivered the new menus, he stayed for lunch, and I found out that he was studying English, so I told him that whenever he wanted to practice his English, he could come over for lunch. A few months later, some volunteers came to visit needing some help with internet and computers, I sent them to Oscar, who was very kind and helpful. Well, they formed a close friendship, and Oscar now wanted to be around us in his free time; he even came to help us repaint the restaurant. We invited him to come to church on Sabbath and to spend the night with the guys, and he gladly came. The next morning, as I drove him back to Santa Barbara, he expressed how happy and peaceful he felt around us, and asked if he could come up on the weekends and stay with us. I told him sure! I then asked about his family. He told me that he had a younger brother and lived with his mother. He said, “I never knew my father. He died a few years ago. His name was Alejandro Mendoza.” Well, as you can imagine, I was speechless. I looked at him and said, “yeap, you are his son; you look just like him.” He looked at me in surprise, and asked if I knew his father? I told him that we had taken care of him for several months at the outpost, and how the Lord had worked in his life, had given him extra months to live, and how I had had the privilege of ministering to him the last night of his life.
[caption id="attachment_533" align="aligncenter" width="695" caption="(left) Oscar looks in amazement at a picture of His father and half-sisters, whom he’s never met."]
[/caption]Isn’t it wonderful how the Lord brought Alejandro Mendoza to us to find His saving truth, and then years later, in His marvelous providence, He had us to meet his son Oscar, in order that he too may find the same saving truth. Oscar is currently coming up every Sunday to help in the garden, have Christian fellowship, and study the Bible.
“Organics Of Santa Barbara”
By Joe
What can I say? Elsa simply cannot keep still. I keep telling her, “Honey, we’re getting older now; I think it’s time for us to settle in to the ministry and focus on doing simple outreach.” Of course Elsa replies, “You’re right….We will.”
When we purchased our land in La Zona 13 years ago, it was nothing more than cow pasture, with lots of rocks and boulders. I just knew that it would be impossible to grow anything on this property. We prayed and told the Lord, that if He would bless this land, we would use every inch of it to glorify Him. And friends, God is faithful. We began clearing the land and planting fruit trees. We now have mangoes, bananas, oranges, lemons, papayas, mandarins, avocadoes and sour saps. We also knew that agriculture is the AB and C of true education; So now, it is part of our daily life, here at the outpost.
Since the fellows finished their formal training, they have focused their time on agriculture; providing food for the outpost and for the restaurant. They have learned to love the garden, especially Roger. He loves hard work and he loves the soil. Every time I turned around he was digging another garden plot, to plant more vegetables. The Lord has surely blest their efforts. We ended up with an abundance of delicious organic produce, more than the Outpost, or the restaurant could use. Seeing all their hard work and the abundance of delicious organic veggies, we had to find a market for them; So Elsa decided to take one of those “big” steps of faith , and venture to offer organic home grown veggies to one of largest, and best known super markets in Honduras. It’s the supermarket “Los Andes” in San Pedro Sula, where she buys specialty items needed at La Canasta de Vida. She and Roger took a few samples of our garden veggies to the produce manager, to see if he would consider adding them to his produce section. Just one touch, one smell, one taste, and the deal was done. God had given favor to His children. The manager said we have the freshest, tastiest veggies he’s seen in a long time.
[caption id="attachment_534" align="aligncenter" width="695" caption="Rene loads up the truck, before Roger heads off to market."]
[/caption]He agreed to buy all that we have, and that we can deliver to the store regularly every week, or whenever we have produce ready. Needless to say, Roger could hardly believe what he was hearing. This was an answer to prayer, and also, an answer to our making full use of all of our veggies. Roger now has a weekly distribution route to one of the largest supermarkets in Honduras. I’m afraid to think about it, but I have a feeling this is only the beginning. I’ll keep you posted. :))
[caption id="attachment_535" align="aligncenter" width="695" caption="Roger and Elsa delivering their veggies"]
[/caption]By the way, did I mention that Elsa has even given a name to her new venture? You guessed it……….“Organics Of Santa Barbara.”
We are very proud of the boys and their faithfulness. Please pray for them that God will continue to manifest His power in their lives. We want them to experience and know, that with God all things are possible.
“Students should be given a practical education in agriculture. This will be of inestimable value to many in their future work. The training to be obtained in felling trees and in tilling the soil, as well as in literary lines, is the education that our youth should seek to obtain. Agriculture will open resources for self-support. Other lines of work, adapted to different students, may also be carried on. But the cultivation of the land will bring a special blessing to the workers. We should so train the youth that they will love to engage in the cultivation of the soil. {CT 311.1}
Health Corner
Finally,…The Truth About Sugar:
A spoonful of sugar might make the medicine go down. But it also makes blood pressure and cholesterol go up, along with your risk for liver failure, obesity, heart disease and diabetes.
Sugar and other sweeteners are, in fact, so toxic to the human body that they should be regulated as strictly as alcohol by governments worldwide, according to a commentary in the current issue of the journal Nature by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).
The researchers propose regulations such as taxing all foods and drinks that include added sugar, banning sales in or near schools and placing age limits on purchases.
Although the commentary might seem straight out of the Journal of Ideas That Will Never Fly, the researchers cite numerous studies and statistics to make their case that added sugar — or, more specifically, sucrose, an even mix of glucose and fructose found in high-fructose corn syrup and in table sugar made from sugar cane and sugar beets — has been as detrimental to society as alcohol and tobacco.
Sour words about sugar:
The background is well known: In the United States, more than two-thirds of the population is overweight, and half of them are obese. About 80 percent of those who are obese will have diabetes or metabolic disorders and will have shortened lives, according to the UCSF authors of the commentary, led by Robert Lustig. And about 75 percent of U.S. healthcare dollars are spent on diet related diseases, the authors said.
Worldwide, the obese now greatly outnumber the undernourished, according to the World Health Organization. Obesity is a public health problem in most countries. And chronic diseases related to diet such as heart diseases, diabetes and some cancers — for the first time in human history — kill more people than infectious diseases, according to the United Nations.
Less known, and still debated, is sugar's role in the obesity and chronic disease pandemic. From an evolutionary perceptive, sugar in the form of fruit was available only a few months of the year, at harvest time, the UCSF researchers said. Similarly, honey was guarded by bees and therefore was a treat, not a dietary staple. [6 Easy Ways to Eat More Fruits & Veggies]
Today, added sugar, as opposed to natural sugars found in fruits, is often added in foods ranging from soup to soda. Americans consume on average more than 600 calories per day from added sugar, equivalent to a whopping 40 teaspoons. "Nature made sugar hard to get; man made it easy," the researchers write.
Lustig, a medical doctor in UCSF's Department of Pediatrics, compares added sugar to tobacco and alcohol (coincidentally made from sugar) in that it is addictive, toxic and has a negative impact on society, thus meeting established public health criteria for regulation. Lustig advocates a consumer tax on any product with added sugar.
Among Lustig's more radical proposals are to ban the sale of sugary drinks to children under age 17 and to tighten zoning laws for the sale of sugary beverages and snacks around schools and in low-income areas plagued by obesity, analogous to alcoholism and alcohol regulation.
Remember dear friends, our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. They do not belong to us. God has entrusted us with this temple, to keep it pure and holy. By keeping our body free and pure from intoxicating elements, we also keep our mind strong in defense against the enemy’s attacks. There’s no better way, than God’s way.
“Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” 3 John 2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” Romans 12:1
Ministry Matters:
* We want to thank all who have sent us notes and letters of love and encouragement. You just don’t know how good it makes us feel, to know that we have family praying for us and who have a burden for those who are in the foreign mission field. Although we do not receive your communication right away, we do receive them when we come to the U.S., and we try to write back as often as we’re able; So, just because you don’t hear from us, don’t think for one minute that we don’t appreciate your kind letters,...we do; And we thank you so very much for your remembrance of us and Maranatha Medical Ministries.
*We also thank all who have sent us supplies, What a blessing!!! We encourage all who want to donate children’s summer clothes, small medical supplies (gauze, latex gloves, bandages etc.,) and school items for kids, to please send them to:
Joseph C. Willis
P.O. Box 3819 Walters Lane
Forestville, MD. 20747
*We, Joe & Elsa, are looking forward to coming into the U.S. around the beginning of June—2012; However, our plans for U.S. presentations this year depend upon the increase in gas prices, and the ability of those who want us to come, to be able to provide for our transportation. We do realize that times are tough, and we’re all feeling the need to tighten our financial belts. Nevertheless, if you would like for us to come to your church or meeting place for presentations, do let us know as soon as possible. You can e-mail us at mmm.mmtc@yahoo.com.
We will be traveling throughout the U.S., sharing what God is doing in the mission field. We will keep our itinerary open until June 1, 2012. First requests are first accepted. We look forward to seeing You this summer. We are also trying to get visas for Roger and Rene, so they too can come to the States with us and help with the presentations. Keep that in your prayers.
Prayer Corner:
[caption id="attachment_420" align="alignleft" width="285" caption="Pray without ceasing"]
[/caption]“The Lord says, Call upon Me in the day of trouble.” Ps. 50: 15. He invites us to present to Him our perplexities and necessities, and our need of divine help. He bids us be instant in prayer. As soon as difficulties arise, we are to offer to Him our sincere, earnest petitions. By our importunate prayers we give evidence of our strong confidence in God. The sense of our need leads us to pray earnestly, and our heavenly Father is moved by our supplications.” COL. 172
“Let your heart break for the longing it has for God, for the living God. The life of Christ has shown what humanity can do by being partaker of the divine nature. All that Christ received form God we too may have. Then ask and receive. With the persevering faith of Jacob, with the unyielding persistence of Elijah, claim for yourself all that God has promised.” COL. 149
Here are those who have asked for special prayer.
Philip Willis - Health & Healing
Joann Wetzel - Health & Healing
There are many unspoken prayer requests, and we ask that you pray for all of these
as well. God knows and hears, and He will answer the prayers offered in behalf of others.
No comments:
Post a Comment