Why Children???

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The renowned evangelist, D.L. Moody said, "If I could relive my life, I would devote my entire ministry to reaching children for God!” It is a known fact that people are more likely to accept Christ as their Savior when they are young. Barna research supports this, concluding that 85 percent of all those who accept Christ do so between the ages of 4 and 14.[1]

Children: A Receptive People Group

Children are the most numerous, weak, needy, disrupted, suffering, overlooked, and quite possibly the most receptive of the world’s population groups! Defining “children” as a people group is, in fact, much too broad to fit the customary description of a people group. Typically a people group is defined “along ethnic, geographic, habitat or social affinity lines”[2] however, such descriptions have a distinct adult bias. There are many diverse groups of children and youth who require not only specific spiritual needs but also physical needs differing from those directed toward adults.

Barna entreats Christians to “Consider the facts…People are much more likely to accept Christ as their Savior when they are young. Absorption of biblical information and principles typically peaks during the preteen years…Habits related to the practice of one’s faith develop when one is young and change surprisingly little over time.”[3]

“The implication of these findings is clear,” says Barna. “Anyone who wishes to have significant influence on the development of a person’s moral and spiritual foundations had better exert that influence while the person is still open-minded and impressionable – in other words, while the person is still young.”[4]

Another important factor to consider is the extensive study, which proves people are more receptive when their lives are interrupted or disrupted. The poor and oppressed tend to be much more open to the Gospel due to daily interruptions and hardships of impoverished life. It is a known fact that every day some 30,000 children die around the world from malnutrition and preventable diseases!

Children are also an unwanted people group. An alarming static reveals that between 100 and 200 million children around the world live on the streets! Everyday children face enormous risks, as they remain the most vulnerable group for every kind of disease and suffering. Children and youth are undoubtedly one of, if not the most receptive “people group” presently on the face of the earth as they are ready and willing to receive the Gospel due to their daily interruptions from the enormous risks they face.

In light of all these facts and startling statistics it is a wonder why children are overlooked within church, ministry and missions. What does the church have to say and what can they do for the most numerous, poorest, interrupted, brokenhearted and perhaps the most responsive of the world’s population?

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                [1] Barna Research Group, “Teens and Adults Have Little Chance of Accepting Christ as Their

Saviour”, November, 1999.

[2] The State of the World’s Children 1995 Published for UNICEF by Oxford University Press. 1995.

[3] George Barna, Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions (Ventura, California: Regal, 2003). 41.

[4] Ibid, 47.

Adoniram Judson's Testimony

Adoniram was born August 9, 1788 in the quiet town of Malden, Massachusetts to Adoniram senior and Abigail Judson. He grew up in a devout Christian home filled with knowledge of the Scripture and a love for God. His father was a Congregational minister who believed his son would become a great man and hoped he would follow in his footsteps. When Judson was just three years old he learned to read, and was known for his mammoth brilliance. However, Judson was besotted of his intelligence and had his own idea of what he would do.

He attended Providence College a year early at the age of seventeen and graduated at nineteen as valedictorian of his class. Exorbitantly determined, he amused the most profligate ambitions and his mind ran wild as he considered his future prominence, fancying himself as an illustrious orator, or a renowned poem writer, such as the famous Homer. Not only was Judson passionately driven by his fancy ambitions; he was also a Deist.

His intimate friend and fellow peer, Jacob Eames, who nearly matched Judson’s brilliance and wit, was an audacious advocate of infidelity, which resulted in Judson losing his childhood faith. To the utter horror of his father and mother, he would not relent his new found atheistic belief even at his father’s frantic debate and his mother’s continuous tears. Shortly after his graduation he set out on horseback in seek of adventure but mostly to escape the bereavement of his parents.

In New York City he joined a band of reckless players, leaving him just weeks later further void and disheartened at his previous plans of adventure and fame. As he abandoned his short-lived excitement he found himself aimlessly settled at a rural country inn. Judson accepted the only room available, which happened to be, by no coincidence, next to a dying man. Thinking death was no fear of his he agreed to take the room only to find as he lay on his bed, sleep evaded him. The walls of the inn were very thin and so it was, that Judson endured the night agonizing over the dying groans and cries of despair. As he lay in terror with the covers pulled over his head, he questioned his new found Deist belief, finding comfort only by rationalizing what his intelligent, witty friend, Eames would say or do. After his sleepless night, Judson rose at dawn and inquired about the dying man to find he was indeed dead, and the man being his very own witty, brilliant friend, Eames! So overwhelmed and distraught with this news Judson could not deny that this was no coincidence and that the hand of divine Providence was indeed directing his steps. Judson’s conversion was not immediate, but he realized at that time God was on his trail and there was no escape.

Adoniram Judson became the first American overseas missionary.

Mortification of the flesh

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Sanctification is “a progressive work of God and man that makes [one] more and more free from sin and like Christ in [their] actual lives.”[1] It is “the continuing work of God in the life of the believer, making him or her actually holy…‘bearing an actual likeness to God.’”[2]

An important part of sanctification is mortification of the flesh, Owen explains: “to mortify is to put to death or crucify any living thing or principle, to take away its strength, so that it cannot act according to its nature…to extinguish and destroy all that force and vigor of corrupted nature which inclines to earthly, carnal things, opposite untothat spiritual, heavenly life and its acting’s, which we have in and from Christ.” [3] Owen continues to explain that to mortify a sin does not mean a person is going to fully kill and destroy it so that it no longer resides in their heart. This, however, is the aim, yet complete mortification will never be fully accomplished in this life. No one can completely mortify their sin, nevertheless, they should aim and desire for complete destruction of sin. They should aspire for sin to be wholly rooted out of their heart of life.[4] Owen further explains:

He [should] so kill [sin] that it should never move nor stir any more, cry or call, seduce or tempt, to eternity. Its not-being is the thing aimed at. Now, though doubtless there may, by the Spirit and grace of Christ, a wonderful success and eminency of victory against any sin be attained, so that a man may have almost constant triumph over it, yet an utter killing and destroying of it, that it should not be, is not in this life to be expected’[5]

So to mortify means to kill, but not utterly. Owen warns Christians: “be killing sin or sin will be killing you”[6]. It should be a Christian’s constant aim to fight and kill the sin in their life that they might become more holy. So mortification works hand in hand in the life-long process of sanctification.

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[1] Grudem, Wayne. Systematic Theology. 746.

[2] Erickson. 980.

[3] Owen, John. The Works of John Owen, Vol. 3, p. 540.

[4] Kapic, Kelly M. and Justin Taylor. Overcoming Sin and Temptation. (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2006).70.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Owen, John. The Works of John Owen, Volume 6. Ch. 2.1.

LIEDSTRAND 2011 Christmas Letter

	All’s well in the Liedstrand apartment “down under.” We’ve been here in Australia for 4 whole years – we’ve set a record for living in one place the longest ever, now that the kids have moved out. All the girls are here in our itty-bitty 2 bedroom apartment for the next 4 weeks! We’re squishing in the kitchen that’s made for one – we’re walking all over the City, along the river walks in the 75-80 degree weather, neither hot nor cold. The Christmas music is on, we’re visiting friends….it’s almost feeling like “home” here in Oz. One of my goals was to get all our girls graduated by next May….they are all graduating!!! Hooray. Holly has her Masters in Intercultural Studies, Julie her Masters in Teaching, and Krista her undergrad in Education. What more could they want? Another Masters??? They always keep us guessing. Holly is continuing on at Liberty Uni as a graduate assistant for Women’s Ministry. She is now working on her Master’s of Divinity… another 2 years of seminary. She hopes to someday go back to Africa to work with street children. Holly and Julie also stay busy working with inner-city children of downtown Lynchburg. They just had a big Christmas event where many children came and were entertained by a rapper, break-dancers and of course heard the Christmas story. Keep Holly in prayer as she is going on a mission trip to Nepal May 15th-Jun 20th. Julie has kept very busy between her studies and inner-city ministry. She will be student teaching this spring. She also stays busy salsa dancing and studying Hebrew and French. Krista got a fluffy white Pomeranian puppy named, Buddy who keeps her on her toes. She is graduating this May and then student teaching in the fall. Pray for her summer plans, as she has none at the moment. Dennis has us guessing too. After finishing the big Study for a copper project in Papua New Guinea, he’s out in space awaiting his next position. We all have our guesses as to where he will go next, but one thing is certain – it will still be in Australia. Brian is fortunate to be away from the Christmas rush….well actually away from anything to do with Christmas….out in Afghanistan. He gets up from a good day’s sleep to begin work at midnight, starting with yummy left-over dinner from the night before. If it’s not too busy, he can take a work-out break. Lunch comes at breakfast-time, then dinner at noon – time to get off work. 12-hour days, 7 days a week, right through Christmas & New Years, no decorations allowed. Back to the good ‘ole USA in March, and back to Civvie life in June. Ahhhhhhh. No big trips last year (except a trip to New Zealand), no big events (except I saw the Queen of England), no weddings or grandkids. Not even coming. So I am writing a book about all our past adventures. Look for a little eBook coming soon on Amazon.com….. Let us all remember the “Reason for the Season,” and endeavour to “Keep Christ in Christmas,” now and forevermore.

Pray for NEPAL 2013

Pray for my trip to NEPAL

• For a renewed passion for prayer and that the Kingdom of God would be established across Nepal
• For a revival and awakening.
• That all 348 people groups would be reached.
• That there would be at least one church and one trained leader in each village throughout Nepal.
• For God’s blessing upon the people of Nepal.

JESUS PAID IT ALL

How do Christians live in VICTORY over the contestant sin that endeavors to pull them down? How does one overcome strongholds and sin that so easily entangles?

The ANSWER is so simple: Jesus Paid it ALL

What does this mean?

Any person would clearly admit they most definitely fall short of being perfect. Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Every person born of the seed of Adam is under sin and essentially cursed with death. That means every person is born with sin and every person will eventually die.

Now, God is perfect, holy, and righteous. He is without sin. Man is unholy, sinful and thus separated from God.

Not only are people separated from God, but they are responsible to pay for every single sin they have committed! In the Old Testament it says, "If there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe."(Exodus 21:23-25)

Jesus said, "For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you." (Matthew 7:2)

Thus, one is bound to pay for every sin they commit and “the wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6:23).

In the Old Testament God called Abraham to be the father of Israel, his chosen people. They were to be set apart from all the other nations. They were to be holy just as God is holy. The Israelites were commanded by God to offer sacrifices for their sins. They would pay for their sins by sprinkling the blood of an unblemished firstborn lamb on themselves. The shed blood of the lamb paid for their sins temporarily. They continually had to offer sacrifices day after day, year after year.

Because God loved the whole world he had a plan to redeem every nation, tribe and tongue. He sent his only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross as the perfect sacrifice. He was the unblemished Lamb who was slain. On the third day Jesus rose from the grave and conquered death!

Jesus blood shed on the cross paid the debt that no human could pay. When anyone sincerely asks that the blood of Jesus cover their sins, then they are forgiven. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life!” Romans 6:23.

Jesus PAID for all the sins that we were supposed to pay for. So the next time you are struggling with the things of this world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions (1 John 2)—renounce this sin and pray:

“Lord, I deserve nothing more than death yet Jesus was the perfect Lamb who was sacrificed. I lay my sin/burden down and cover myself with Jesus’ blood. Jesus paid for my __________________, infirmities, lust, pride, selfishness, cancer, idolatry, eating disorder, disobedience to parents, oppression…

He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters. He rescued me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. —Psalm 18:16-17

Lord, teach us the power of the cross and what it means that you bore our sins and infirmities.

JESUS PAID IT ALL

The person of PEACE…

Jesus urged his disciples to “pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Matt. 10:38)

Six of my roommates gathered around to pray for our Christmas break. Each girl shared a request. One of my requests was that God would open the door for me to share the Gospel with 20 people during my trip from Lynchburg, VA to Brisbane, Australia.

I believe one of the main strategies of the enemy is to proclaim Jesus everywhere so that everyone has heard about him and even believe in him, but there is no repentance, there is no turning from sin and becoming a new creation.

So on this trip I prayed that God would use me to share the Gospel, and tell everyone I met how to become a Christian. When sharing the Gospel we must earnestly ask the Lord to send us out into his harvest field. We need to go in God’s strength rather than our own confidence. We must also look for the person of peace, as Jesus said, “And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. As you enter the house, greet it. And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you” (Matt. 10). To be worthy indicates someone who responds in peace to the gospel message.

Over the course of my 30 hour trip the Lord of the harvest brought many people who were worthy to hear the gospel. One lady, Jill, had pink hair and tattoos all over, I asked her about her trip and she told me all about her travels around the world and how she lived in a Hindu temple in India for a year. She had grown up in an American Lutheran home, but became a Hindu in high school. At the end I asked if I could share the Gospel with her and her teenage son and they were open to hear it. When I finished I asked them if they had ever heard how to invite the Lord Jesus Christ into their life, they had never heard how to do it.

As I boarded my flight from Charlotte, North Carolina to Las Angeles, I prayed and asked God that whoever I sat next to would become a Christian. I sat next to a man from India, named Rajesh. After talking for a while I share the Gospel with him. He had heard that Jesus was part of a religion called Christianity, but he had never heard the Gospel! Over the course of the trip we talked for about 2-3 hours.

I explained the Gospel and read from the bible explaining the Scriptures to him. He said he had no peace and was ready to accept Christ Jesus as his Savior. I prayed and he repeated the prayer of salvation. I believe he sincerely prayed from his heart. Afterwards, he said he felt peace and looked at me and said he was refreshed. I truly believe he accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior, the ONLY way, truth and life.

“The Lord opened her (Lydia’s) heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.” I believe God opened Rajesh’s heart to pay attention and receive the Gospel message, just as Lydia did in Acts 16:14.

Please pray for Rajesh as he starts this new journey. I pray he will one day take the Gospel back to his people in India, as I believe they are an unreached people group.

I also shared the gospel with an elderly lady from Florida, a college girl, Jess, who has been involved with the church some, a Muslim man, Fazel from Afghanistan and a Catholic lady from the Philippines and her agnostic American finance. I blessed some people from Mexico. I was surprised to hear many of them knew about Jesus, but none of them had heard about repentance or inviting Jesus into their life as Lord and Savior. They all thought that being a good person or going to church and being baptized was enough for salvation.