“YOU WILL BE MY WITNESSES in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8 (NIV, caps my own)

Time has a way of changing things—well, not everything, but some things. One of the things that sometimes needs to change is the way we do ministry. I remember back in the early 1980s, reading some of the writings of NEFC Founder, Tom Francis, and his successor, Joseph Jolly.

There was a section in our NEFC objectives that said: “NEFC yearns to share the Gospel in every Native community in Canada.” My unspoken thought at the time was, “Yeah, right! That’s just dreamy. It’s not reality! How could we ever reach a goal like that?”

In the early 2000s, NEFC’s radio broadcast “Christ Jesus the Light (CJTL)” was born. As time went on, it became more and more of a gospel tool that has been used effectively for Jesus. When we added internet audio broadcasting several years later, it became globally accessible. Anyplace that has internet can now tune in to the 24-hour, 365-days-a-year gospel programming that CJTL offers! About 90% of our Native communities can now get nonstop gospel broadcasting! (That’s besides the 28 communities that have a local CJTL FM radio broadcast.)

The words that were penned back in the early 1970s are becoming reality many years later! The message hasn’t changed, only the methods.

– Kene Jackson

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21 (NIV)

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33 (NIV)

We once had trophies lined up in our house from accomplishments, and we were especially recognized and known for the sport of volleyball. One day, as I was sitting there looking at those trophies, I realized that I, as a father, was missing the whole point if I was raising my children to base their lives only on who they are and what they can be through education and sports.

In Deuteronomy 6:7, the Word of God commands us parents to impress upon the hearts of our children, to talk to them about loving God with all our heart, soul and strength. We thought we had achieved a lot, and yet sin had crept in because I was not alert as a father, a leader, a spiritual protector of our household.

I needed to prepare my family not only for this world, with its presence of evil, but to prepare them ever so greatly to put their trust in Jesus Christ, to follow Him, and walk with Him to enjoy the abundant life by having a close relationship with Jesus Christ.

I started “cleaning” my house. I put aside the gold trophies that get tarnished by time, and I brought out the more important thing: the Word of God. I have never made a better choice. I love my Lord and thank Him for the time He has given me to share what is the most important thing in life.

There are so many distractions in life, even good ones, whether it be music, sports, jobs and security. We can become so busy that we forget our calling from the Lord, to seek first the kingdom of God.

– Ken Mitsuing

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16 (ESV)

Our Ladies Bible study is really bolstering my faith and how I see myself as a born-again believer. I admit the enemy was gaining in holding me down. It has been difficult these past two years as I age, and physical problems persist. Yet I remember all that Jesus endured before His death on the cross and I say, “Why not me? Jesus, you went through so much more, this is trivial compared to the pain and suffering you had.”

Our study is based on Colossians. We are reminded that our words should be gracious and seasoned with salt to give the unbeliever a reason to hear more and come to Jesus. I have also learned to turn off the accusations, the attempts to burden me with guilt and, most of all, to turn to Jesus every time and acknowledge His strength is sufficient for me in all things. The study book is called He Is Enough.

I remember when my husband first came to the Lord. He led singing at fellowship on Sundays, and we had Bible studies in our home. All the learning I had growing up came back and had so much more meaning and brought joy to my heart. Because my husband had become sober through Alcoholics Anonymous, most of the men who came to study were also in the AA program. They liked what they saw and heard in my husband’s sharing. Several were men he grew up with in Merritt, B.C., and two accepted Jesus because of his example.

Dear Heavenly Father, may we always shine for You so others will be attracted to You.

– Loretta Oppenheim

“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” 2 Corinthians 4:6-9 (NIV)

God called Gideon to save Israel from the Midianites. Gideon started with 32,000 men, but that was too many for God’s purpose, so He reduced them down to 300 men. The victory would come through God’s power—not their own. God wanted His people to trust Him and shine. Gideon divided the men into three groups; each carried a trumpet and a hidden torch inside a clay pot. Upon command, they blew their trumpets and broke their jars and let the light pour out. The enemy believed that each trumpet and light had thousands of troops behind it, so they panicked and turned on each other.

My pot’s artistic decoration wore off years ago. It carries a few chips now, and a crack runs part way down one side. I pray that God’s light will shine through the brokenness. I thought of Romans 8:28: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (NIV) A potter’s hands work the clay, shaping and forming it to fi t his purpose.

Dear Father, thank You for working out the lumps of my transgressions so that You can form me into the image of Christ according to Your purpose. Please give me insight and understanding from Your Word and Your Holy Spirit so that I can take advantage of diffi cult times and use them as an opportunity to share Your light with others.

– Sue Carlisle

“Now Israel (Jacob) loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a coat of many colors. And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.” Genesis 37:3-4 (KJV, clarification added)

We see that Jacob practiced favoritism. This show of affection for one boy from a large family did not help the brothers in their attitude toward the favored one.

There is no excuse for sin at any time, but there are also actions that can be offensive, and could hinder a person from coming to the Lord. Joseph’s testimony was not received by most of his brothers, who treated him rudely and sold him into slavery.

This problem of favoritism showed up again when the brothers came with the coat of many colors, which had been dipped in blood. Note Genesis 37:32: “Your son’s coat”—not our brother’s coat—as it might have been said.

Ask God to give you love for all the children in your house, and be sure you teach them God’s way, even if it is not the practice in your community. Being fair to all members of the family is God’s way, and you will see that God’s way is always best.

“Then Peter opened his mouth and said: ‘in truth I perceive that God shows no partiality’” Acts 10:34 (NKJV).

– Bill Jackson

“But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.” Jonah 1:3 (NKJV)

A few years ago at our Kikino Family Bible Camp, one of our dogs was sniffing in a small white garbage bag, and his head got caught in the handle. He took off running for his life, as the bag was following him wherever he went! He was scared and running in all directions. Finally, after calling our dog multiple times, he came so I could rescue him.

This incident has always stuck in my memory for various reasons. Many people run from many things in their lives, and they can run from those things for many years. They can run from painful hurts of the past that are diffi cult to work through. However, God can heal all pains, and the running can stop.

Then there are those people who are running from God because they are unwilling to surrender an area of their lives or unwilling to obey a calling from God for their lives. The psalmist David wondered about where he could run from God—since God was everywhere at the same time.

The prophet Jonah had a specifi c calling to his enemies, and his unwillingness to obey that call set off a sequence of events that finally brought him to a place of humility and obedience. Truly we can never run away from God. Instead of running from Him, let us run to Him like the Prodigal Son (see Luke 15:11-31) running back to his father. What are you running from? When will you stop running? Will you run to the Lord?

Lord, enable me to run to You in all of life’s struggles and problems. Amen.

– Frank Ward

“When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of diffi culty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fi re of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.” Isaiah 43:2 (NLT)

I was watching a news report this morning about an earthquake in Asia. It wasn’t as bad as some earthquakes, but it got me thinking about the “storms” we all face in life. Everybody has their share of storms—storms of health, relationships, finances, employment (or lack thereof) . . . storms of scenarios we didn’t choose, and then the “reap what you sow” quagmires we find ourselves in.

God’s Word gives us answers to the storms we face in this life. Everything from attitude struggles to marriage breakdown, from noisy neighbors to out-of-control credit cards—you get the picture . . . everything!

You or I might not be too thrilled sometimes about the answers we find in God’s Word, but that’s not the point. God’s Word is the truth, and the truth doesn’t change.

Storms come whether we deserve them or not—that’s just how life goes. God’s Word has the answer to each tempest. It’s up to us to apply those principles and parameters to the life scenarios we find ourselves or put ourselves in. Our response to the storm is in our hands.

– Kene Jackson