Suffering: a rose among the thorns . . .

Dear friends and faithful prayer partners,


A long time ago an old Greek philosopher wrote:

“The way up and the way down are one and the same.” – Heraclitus

Several millennia later T. S. Eliot, the renowned English poet, in one of his Four Quartets took up the same refrain when he penned,

“And the way up is the way down.”

Reflecting on that, I thought of a verse of Scripture found in James 1:2 and following in which the great Apostle of practical Christianity writes,

“When all kinds of trials and temptations crowd into your lives my brothers, don’t resent them as intruders, but welcome them as friends! Realize that they come to test your faith and to produce in you the quality of endurance.” James 1:2-8 (Phillips)

Allow me to explain.

Often we rejoice in our triumphs. Success in so many ways seems like a blessing—and it usually is; however, not always if it distances us from Christ. We also love the euphoria—especially, we Pentecostals—of a heightened worship service. Yet, we fail to see the hand of God in failure or when Heaven turns to brass, or when the doctor looks us in the eye and says, “I’ve got bad news. The tests have come back and you have stage 4 cancer. There’s hope, but the chemo is not pleasant, and there is no guarantee.”

Now, granted hard times are hard times, and there are times when God does hand us a bouquet of roses and the thorns get in the way. But, it is a bouquet of roses none-the-less. The fragrance is just as sweet but it is hard to get past the pain prick of thorn. It hurts, and it hurts badly. So, we cry out. We react. God, we say, why in the name of commonsense did you hand me roses instead of daisies? Then it surprises us when he replies, “Because I know you love roses, and roses don’t come without the thorns.”

Solomon once wrote, I believe speaking of Christ figuratively,

“I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys.”
(Song of Solomon 2:1)

Although this interpretation is one of many thoughts among commentaries, it does nonetheless fit the analogy. Christ is indeed a rose, a beauty to behold among the thorns and trials along our path as we trudge through the valleys of our journey towards our Heavenly home.  

Yet, strange as it may seem, Our Lord, too, has walked along the same paths, as He continues to do each day with us as we struggle through the briar patches that conceal that one eternal rose, the Rose of Sharon.

I must admit that perhaps I am carrying the metaphor a bit too far so please forgive me when I suggest that our journey along the path that leads up and over the mountain tops and down through the valleys is all the same because the joys of the mountain tops and the struggles in the valleys are all in pursuit of that Rose, the Rose of Sharon.

Paradoxically, however, the experiences that we enjoy or endure are all in the pattern of His purposes for us. The Apostle Paul, reminds us that:

“[God] causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren.”  Romans 8:28-29 (NASB)

Notice he said all things. And all things mean all things—the exhilarating mountain top experiences, our Mount of Transfiguration moments as well as our Gethsemanes. Both are the same, there is no purposeful difference; and we should never let either blur our image of the prize, the Rose of Sharon which lies just ahead for the way up and the way down are one and the same.

Yours For A Greater End Time Harvest,

P.S. Please continue to pray for and support our ministry in the former Soviet Union and in Southern Asia. 

The God who listens . . .

Dear friends and faithful prayer partners,

Psalms 88 and the Book of Esther have always fascinated me.

The Book of Esther as you know does not mention the name God once, so you are left with only an assumption that He is there behind the scene pulling on the strings of history.

Psalm 88, however, leaves you with frustration that He’s not pulling the strings at all. You are just left there alone to dangle.

Below are a few verses of that psalm that captures the essence of this one sided dialogue. (Yes, I know that that is an oxymoron; how can a dialogue be a dialogue and be one sided? Well, after you read these verses I will suggest why it is.) 

Here are the verses:

1 Lord, you are the God who saves me; day and night I cry out to you.2 May my prayer come before you; turn your ear to my cry.3 I am overwhelmed with troubles and my life draws near to death.5 I am set apart with the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom you remember no more, who are cut off from your care.6 You have put me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths.8 . . . I am confined and cannot escape;9     my eyes are dim with grief. I call to you, Lord, every day; I spread out my hands to you.13 . . . I cry to you for help, Lord; in the morning my prayer comes before you.14 Why, Lord, do you reject me and hide your face from me?16 Your wrath has swept over me; your terrors have destroyed me.17 All day long they surround me like a flood; they have completely engulfed me.18 You have taken from me friend and neighbor— darkness is my closest friend.

Some pretty straightforward talk here. The psalmist is not only bearing his soul but he is letting God have it with both barrels. Read it, he blames God for not showing up when he needed Him and furthermore he accuses God of getting him in the mess he is in. 

Now, if you come from the religious tradition I was raised in that is one of the things that you just do not do—that is talk back to God and blame Him for your troubles. You might think it but you sure wouldn’t publish it. However, talking back to God is precisely what this psalmist did. 

And, what does God do? Nothing. God just listens. 

Now, let’s fast forward to today. What’s your beef? An incurable disease? Or is it financial problems? Maybe a cheating husband or wife? It could be a child that has gone bad. Whatever it is, Psalms 88 is a good example of a listening God, and The Book of Esther let’s us know that He is working behind the scenes to work out His purposes in our life. 

That is not to say that we don’t suffer a whole lot just because we are creatures living in a hostile environment. The world is fallen. Evil. Under the almost overwhelming influence of the old Devil himself. He does walk around like a roaring lion in places like Afghanistan and the streets of Chicago, and in the very city where you live. He’s there. We cannot deny that. 

But, I can assure you God is listening and working to fulfill His purposes. How can I be so sure. Well, that’s easy—it’s all because of Calvary. 

Calvary assures me that God was listening, and the Resurrection assures me that He is working, as it were, behind the scenes to accomplish his purposes in my life. 

The Pietà by Michelangelo I feel captures the essence of Calvary. So at the risk of you thinking that I have suddenly become Catholic I am suggesting that you click onto the image above and watch the short video about this marvelous sculptor. Listen to the commentary. It is moving. 

So, yes, I can say, without hesitation that Calvary tells me that God is listening and that He cares enough to identify with us in our suffering. He is there and He is not silent. 

So, let’s make it a habit to listen to Him also.  

Yours For A Greater End Time Harvest,
 


Jim M. Roane
P.S. Continue to pray for our ministry in the former Soviet Union and in Southern Asia.

What We're Doing

Teaching in Sri Lanka and Russia
What We Need
We must pay for all travel expenses, room and board in route.
This amounts to:

Sri Lanka—$3,449 for travel and other incidental expenses
Russia—$1,900 in travel expenses while in the former Soviet Union
Total $5,349 covers the primary costs.

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We are not underwritten by any church or organization.

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The Jury Is Out

The six female jurors who determined whether George Zimmerman committed second-degree murder when he fatally shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin last year have heard the case and reached a verdict. Innocent on all charges.

During almost three weeks of testimony, they listened to 56 witnesses — 38 for the prosecution and 18 for the defense. A number of items were the source of conflicting testimony, and jurors had to sort out those contradictions in the deliberation room without any new evidence.  The trial was over. The decision was theirs.

Thanks God for America and for our judicial system. It is not perfect.  Yet, if I were going on trial in any county and had a choice it would be America.

Hopefully, on Judgment Day the judge of all the earth will come to the same conclusion. Who am I to second guess then or now, however.

Another verdict of enormous consequence is awaits America right now, and the jury of public opinion is still out. Thousands of innocent victims are sentenced to death each year in this otherwise great country simply because they were so unfortunate to be given a chance at life at a time like this. I am thinking of those precious little one who struggle for life in the womb of a potential mother who decides to abort the child because of (in most cases) the inconvenience it might cause her.

I must admit that I sat in total astonishment as I watched the Texas House deliberate on whether or not a surgically safe environment should be provided when a child is aborted prior to the 20th week of pregnancy—previously it was 24 weeks, and the pro-choice fanatics in mob fashion tried to disrupt the proceedings.

The sad fact is, however, timing is the only consideration at this point. Killing is still okay, it is just a matter of time and whether or not it should be done in a sterile environment. The argument is, therefore, not that abortion should be outlawed; but rather that dirty killing is just undesirable.

I know that we must be pragmatic about these things, but how can one be pragmatic about killing? I guess about the only pragmatic comfort that I can get out of the whole affair is that these little ones are now safe in the arms of Jesus. 

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A Question of Birth: "Why were you born?"

Chuck Swindoll once remarked, “There are two great events in your life. One is the day you were born; and the other is when you asked ‘Why?’”

Strangely, the ‘Why’ has never been a problem with me. I have known as long as I can remember that my vocational calling was to serve God in one capacity or another. When I was around 5 years old I promised the little girl next door that I would give her an apple if she would listen to me preach. She agreed, and I must say was an attentive audience of one. Problem is, when I handed her the apple across the fence, she took a bite out of the apple and then announced, “I am a Catholic, and I don’t believe a word of it!” And, with that she ran towards her home with me in hot pursuit.

Galatians 6:7

Fortunately—for her, and me, too, perhaps—she made it inside and locked the door behind her. So, to really get back at her, I splattered the whole side of her newly painted home. That gave me a great deal of satisfaction, especially since it was white and the black mud really showed up.

Following that, as mother reminded me years later; I went home and immediately went to my least favorite spot: a chair in the corner. Mother then asked, “Jimmy, what did you do?”

I said, “You’ll find out pretty soon,” and just continued to sit there.

Well, it wasn’t long before I heard the girl’s mother stomping across our back porch. And, of course, the rest is history.
I learned two things that day: one was I wasn’t Catholic, and number two was that it was sure a lot easier muddying the side of the house up than cleaning it off.

Life is like that isn’t it? Sometimes—most times for some—our purposes are noble, but we just can’t see beyond mudding the situation up when things do not go our way.

Many a pastor has muddied up a congregation or particular members because things just didn’t go as he expected. Perhaps, his apple had a worm in it, or they just weren’t ready for his sermonic treat—not hungry enough or whatever. In any event things were only made worst by his reaction. This applies to missionaries and other Christians as well; so, no I am not picking on pastors since this applies to all.

Years ago, I pastored a small church in Southern California. The district officials had encourage me to take the pastorate with one of them remarking, “Jim, you can’t make it any worst, they have had 19 pastors in the last 20 years.”

Upon arrival, I found a pretty sizable group in the church that were not contributing one cent to the church. In my first board meeting I asked why and was told that these members were some of the finest in the congregation previously, but absolutely detested my predecessor so they sabotaged anything he was for—things like missions, funds for outreach, the Sunday school, choir, what have you, if he were for it they were against it. Of course, one of the most potent tools in their arsenal was money. So, they tried starving the poor fellow out and when that didn’t work the ballot did.

He was gone, and probably for good cause. The way that they went about it, however, only muddied up the situation and acerbated the problem. It took us months to recover.

Why do I even mention all of this? Well, simply for this cause: Perhaps, one of us is dissatisfied with the way Springfield "runs" things, or you think your pastor is not up to par, or whatever; if so, please don't muddy up the situation by withdrawing your gifts, because if you do, you are hurting the Kingdom of God. 

Yours For A Greater End Time Harvest,

P.S. Continue to pray for our ministry in the former Soviet Union and in Southern Asia. 

Crossing the red line morally . . . .

Dear friends and faithful supporters,

Syria is in the news this week, as you know. Approximately, 150 people were allegedly killed by some type of chemical weapon which was dropped on rebel territory by the Assad regime. President Bashar al-Assad had crossed the red line as far as the administration was concerned. Immediately politicians (keep in mind these are the people who run our country) jumped in the fray mouth first from both sides of the aisle and accused the president and his supporters of either not doing enough, or doing too much too late. It's been a three ring circus.

Now, I ask you, if you have been following the proceedings, is there any reason that the American public should not be cynical or skeptical of the entire process? Strangely enough, however, this is not really what disturbs me. What disturbs me is that from 1973 through 2008, nearly 50 million legal abortions have occurred in the U.S with nary a peep out of these vociferous “crossing-the-red-line” champions of human rights.

Furthermore, it’s a fact also that a shocking 49 percent of all babies born in the U.S. are born to families receiving food supplements from the WIC program, according to Jean Daniel, spokesperson for the United States Department of Agriculture. And, a whopping 14.2 % of America's children are suffering malnutrition and most go to bed hungry each night.

So, I say it is high time for us to remove the beam from our own eye before we complain about the splinters in the eyes of the rest of the world. How many senseless wars must we involve ourselves in before we learn that we cannot control the rest of the world through force alone? Money’s not the answer, either. We cannot buy peace, or justice or even enough food to feed the poor for that matter. And, as bad as I hate to admit it we cannot legislate morality, either. Fornicators will fornicate. Thieves will steal. Conmen will con. Swindlers will swindle.    

But one thing we can do, and that is we can prevent our own from committing embryonic genocide, and protect and nourish those children that have escaped the forceps, scalpels and suction tube of an abortionist by them providing opportunity for a better life. Capitalism and entrepreneurship is the American way. With that I have no beef. However, when we witness failing executives walk off with millions of dollars of bonuses while Joe Blue Collar struggles to make ends men, I say something has got to give.

Politics is not the answer. Moreover, philanthropy will not do the trick, either. I do believe, however, that a changed heart will. Allow me to give you a most unlikely example, that of Onesimus and Philemon. I said it was unlikely, didn’t I?Onesimus was a slave owned by Philemon, and one day Onesimus said to himself, “I’ve had enough, I am going to take the law in my own hands and runaway.” Which he did. He left Colossi and skipped off to Rome to hide himself in the big city. Problem was, however, he had to keep looking over his shoulder, knowing all the while that if he was discovered Philemon could lop his head off with total impunity under Roman law. 

One day Onesimus hired out to run errands and do odd jobs for a prisoner named Paul who was awaiting trial in Rome for sedition, thinking no doubt that this new job would provide him enough wherewithal to survive as he plotted his next move. Times were rough and he did not want to lose his job, so he really worked hard at it.

  

Run cursor over picture

Eventually, Onesimus became interested in Paul’s faith and decided that he, too, wanted to put Jesus front and center in his life. Which he did.

As fortune would have it, Paul knew Philemon’s son Archippus and that his father had become a believer, so he told Onesimus that as a Christian he should go back and throw himself on Philemon’s mercy. Which Onesimus did and lived happily ever after.

The moral of the story?

Well, it is simple. What politicians and legal codes failed to accomplish two hearts that met at the foot of the Cross did.

Should we therefore just give up on the political process? No, that is not what I am advocating; although, I must admit that it is tempting to do at times. What I am saying is that we do not fight against flesh and blood—politics or political systems; we are in a spiritual battle. A battle for the souls of men and women. A battle we cannot afford to lose, as a country or individual. We must, therefore, work while there is yet daylight, for as scripture reminds us there will come a night when no one will work.

In closing, I can almost hear someone say, “Why make such a fuss over the United States? I thought you are a missionary.” Well, the answer is, I am a missionary, but I am also an American that understands that if we lose our home base we have lost the battle from our end of things. The United States is still missions’ greatest ally. You and I are vital to its continued success. Millions have yet to hear the good news of God’s gift to us through Jesus Christ. So, let's do our very best to keep America morally strong because the rest of the world and indeed the Kingdom of God needs us. Now, this is not an arrogant statement either; after all, Christ does admonish us to pray that the Lord of the harvest will thrust out workers into the harvest field. (Matt. 9:38) And, why would he asks us to pray unless workers were needed? Makes sense, doesn't it? Therefore, we need to continue to pray in order that we may send workers to the mission field; for, indeed, the harvest is plenteous but the workers are few.

Thanks for helping us spread this good news around the world through discipling others in our colleges and seminaries. 

Yours For A Greater End Time Harvest,

P.S. Continue to pray for our ministry in the former Soviet Union and in Southern Asia. 

Please keep in mind that we minister entirely by faith. We are not underwritten by any church or organization.

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Suffering for someone else's sake . . .

One Man's Opinion by Jim Roane, Ph.D. Dear friends and faithful supporters:  Cancer? Even the word just about scares the pants off some people—me included! And, believe me, as a cancer survivor I can testify to how sobering it is to hear your doctor say, “I’ve got the results back and unfortunately Mr. Roane they are not good … you’ve got cancer. There is hope, however, we can retard its growth and ‘who knows’ chances are new research will develop a cure; until then however, we must aggressively attack it.” Following that, the rest of the conversation is a blur.  Attack it, we did. Given a choice, I chose surgery and then later radiation over a less proactive approach. That along with prayer basically did the trick. Not completely, but enough so that every time the cancer cells raise their ugly heads we zap them with hormone treatments and starve them almost to death. The dirty little rascals are still there but are limping around on crutches, you might say. So, I've had my share of ups and downs. In line with that, today while listening to some of the amputees from the Boston Marathon bombings share their experiences, it dawned on me more than ever that suffering can and does play a part in our growth as Christians.  Paul wrote so many years ago to a group of struggling, fearful Christians that to suffer has a purpose. Here is what he said,  “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” (2 Corinthians 1: 3-4) In essence what he is saying here is that suffering serves a purpose, a very high purpose: that of comforting others in their sufferings in a way that someone who has never experienced that particular type of pain can be comforted because you have experienced suffering yourself and really know that God in His great mercy and grace comforted you. Whew! That's a long sentence—but true!  Many times in my Christian walk I have come across someone suffering and I struggled with just the right words to say. Many times words of comfort do not come easy—like for example when someone has just lost a child or been diagnosed with cancer, or have a loved one who has. Perhaps, it may be a tragic mutilating, disfiguring car accident, or any number of terrible incidences, and the person is really hurting; and, we simply cannot find the right words to say. I have found, also that words sometime get in the way. All the person needs is a kind sympathetic arm around their shoulder and a look on your face that says, “I know how it feels. I’ve been there and it is not pleasant. But, I also know that Jesus is a friend that never leaves us, even in our darkest hours. He too suffered, and therefore he also understands.”  A skeptic will say,” ‘nonsense!’ why doesn’t God do something about it if he really cares?” To which I can only say, “I don’t know. But, I do know that He cares. I know that He suffered for me, too. I don’t have to bear the ultimate pain and rightful consequences of my sins either, because He cared enough to die for me. He took my place. Suffered for me. Paid the penalty for my sins; and now because He lives, I too have great confidence in His assurance that I will not have to suffer yet even more once this life here on earth is over. As you know, we have been at teaching at Evangel Theological Seminary teaching in the Ukraine. What a lesson in Christian dedication and in suffering for the cause of Christ. I noticed a reserved humility that can in my opinion be the primary results of years of persecution and suffering for Christ. Only eternity will reveal what these dear brothers and sisters have gone through under Communism. But, I sensed that in the long run they are the better for it. Thanks once again for the opportunity to minister there, and may God comfort you all along your Christian journey. En agape Christou,

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Killing babies in the name of women's rights . . .

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"One Man's Opinion"
by Jim M. Roane, Ph.D.

Recently, Andrea Lafferty the president of the Traditional Values Coalition hit the nail squarely on the head when she wrote:

"Kermit Gosnell may have been the one convicted on three counts of murder today, but it was abortion that was on trial. I'll spare you the details.  But the difference between snapping the neck of a 24-week old baby in the womb and outside of the womb has been finally reduced to meaningless word games.  What of the 28-week old baby?  The 34-week old baby?"

Kudos to you, Andrea.

How much of a victory we have won, though, is not clear. There are however several things that I have been able to deduct from the whole episode. One is—do you remember part of the argument used against a pro-life stance was that we just had to take unsafe abortion clinics out of the back alleys, and bring them out in the clear sunshine so everyone would have access to a clean and safe abortion that wanted one? Afterall, the argument went, abortion was a fundamental Constitutional right! Well, so much for that. I’ve seen pictures and read reports of the filthy clinic that Dr. Gosnell ran. My veterinarian’s clinic is run better, and is a whole lot cleaner too. And, what about the Constitutional rights of the poor helpless child?

“Oh, he was a nice man,” I heard one interviewee say. “He made house calls when mama was sick.” Now that is just the point. Just a whole lot of “bad people” can do “good things.” Hitler did a lot of “good things” for the German Republic, but he also tortured, slaughtered, and cremated a whole lot of good people in the process.

Seems to me that liberal Christians would get the point; but some don’t.

If you don’t believe me drop by the Episcopal Diocese office in your neck of the woods when you have a little spare time and have a chat with the local bishop. Chances are that he or she will look you straight in the eye without one ounce of remorse and defend a woman’s choice to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. And, oh, yeah, while you are there ask the fine bishop what he or she thinks about sanctioning a gay marriage with the dignity of a church ceremony. Sure, he or she reads the same Bible you do; but the difference is they get to interpret theirs to meet their politically correct whims, and, of course, we don't want to stoop that low, nor do we have that choice.

Now back to our convicted murderer Dr. Kermit Gosnell. Why single him out? So he was off by a few days. Maybe it was just a little over 26 months into the pregnancy in some cases; but, you know pregnancies do have a way of fooling us time wise. So, the poor little fellow came out crying? He can’t make it on his on now anyway, so what’s wrong in severing his little neck to stop the suffering and especially the crying?

Of course, I am being sarcastic, and you know it.

Now—just in case you think the battle is over—I found it interesting to read what Ilyse Hogue the president of NARAL Pro-Choice America had to say in defense of their stance on abortion. Firstly, she goes on the attack by advocating the role of the victimized woman who is not allow to terminate her pregnancy—ignoring, of course, the poor child who never got a chance to breath one breath of fresh air. Here’s what she said:

[Pro-choice advocates] are exploiting the Gosnell case to boost their 40-year-old agenda to ban abortion altogether. These opportunists are shamelessly using the case of these victimized women to take even more control away from our ability to make private decisions about how, when, and with whom we have families.

And, her only qualm seemed to be providing a sanitary environment with a surgically adept physician to perform the procedure. In other words, make it a clean, fast, and hopefully painless procedure—the latter of which, Gosnell provided by severing the spinal cord with some razor sharp scissors; unfortunately according to her, his big mistake is that he wasn’t as sanitary as he should have been. Here’s that statement.

“Women, regardless of their background, deserve access to high-quality health care. Women deserve the opportunity to determine if and when they want to have families. Women deserve the dignity of controlling their own lives and, without a doubt, women deserve a lot better than the likes of Kermit Gosnell.”

Problem is America is not weeping loudly enough. May God rouse us into a holy righteousness that will fearlessly confront this horrible crime on every legal front we have.

With that in mind, I must say that America is not the only country that is guilty of such unspeakable Godlessness; the Ukraine, where Bonnie and I are presently, has one of the highest abortion rates on the globe. So, friends, there is still work to be done. 

One of the joys I had today was to give the Commencement address here at Evangel Theological Seminary and witness a small class of graduates from countries that most people have never heard of graduate with their master’s degrees and commissioned to return to their homes with a mandate to reach their generation for Christ. Pray for them.

Pray for us also. There are more ministry opportunities than we can fulfill so we need guidance from above to make some hard decisions in the future. More about that later.

Thanks for taking time once again to read my newsletter.

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Abortion: a moral choice

Every single day, abortion kills more Americans than were killed on 9/11. Every single year, this silent horror snuffs out about as many Americans as have been killed on all the battlefields in all of the wars in U.S. history combined. This is a national disgrace. At the current time, more than 50 million babies have been slaughtered since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973.

What a tragedy.

The longer I struggle with the abortion issue, however, the more I am convinced that abortion is a moral choice, and the most effective way to swing the pendulum towards righteousness is through a national spiritual renewal.

Legislation has failed us, and will continue to fail us as long as moral corruption infects the hearts and lives of our people. Pass all the legislation you want to and hopefully it will stem the tide, but it will never stop the flow to back alley abortion clinics or to the morning after abortion pill.

Yes, there are major issues involved here, and I am not saying that we should not strive for legislation that is fair and just for all. This we should do. That said, however, does not solve the problem.

If we believe that life begins at conception (as I do) then abortion, any abortion is a horrid choice. What do we do, however, if the life of the mother is at stake. Well, the argument goes, that hardly every is the case. Hold on a minute. What about an ectopic pregnancy? Many times a heart beat is even registered there. There is, however, absolutely no way the child can survive, and in most cases the mother will either die or suffer years of excuciating pain. And, the facts are that ectopic pregnancy remains the leading cause of pregnancy-related death in the first trimester of pregnancy.

So, exception number one in favor of pro-choice.

Now, let’s take the case of rape or incest. The best way to cover this, I believe, is to use the example of Jaycee Dugard who was kidnapped and held hostage for 18 years by convicted sex offender Phillip Craig Garrido and his wife, Nancy; during which time Jaycee gave birth to two beautiful girls which were fathered by Garrido.

Following Jaycee’s rescue, she remarked at the birth of her first daughter that,

"She came out and then I saw her. She was beautiful. I felt like I wasn't alone anymore. I had somebody who was mine."

Now, as horrible as that whole episode is with kidnapping and rape with torture, Jaycee still cherishes her daughters and said she would do anything to protect them, including giving her own life.

Jaycee, by the way, is not a Christian, but she did make a moral choice. That is, she came to the conclusion that these two precious children had a right to live and be loved by a caring mother.

So that we understand what I am saying, please understand that I in no way condone rape or incest for that matter. All I am saying is that one must decide whether life is worth saving under the most dire circumstances. It is interesting to note, however, that in Old Testament times that a woman caught in adultery was stoned thus by extention killing the fetus (if any) within her. Which some may construe to indicate the lack of value placed on a potentially unborn child.

We, have, however, a more humane example with Christ which is best express when the woman caught in adultery was brought to him in John 8:7, he replied,

"Let him that is without sin cast the first stone."

Thereby, saving both the woman and, once again by extention, any unborn child which may have been concieved.

So, let’s call this decision a tie between a pro-choice stance and a pro-life stand. Me? I am a man, that is not a personal choice that I must make; however, even in those circumstances life is a beautiful gift, and I would struggle long and hard to make the right choice.

Perhaps, this is why Billy Graham has said,

“We should accept abortion in these cases: rape or incest or if the delivery of the child is a threat to a mother's life."

Do I agree? Personally, I believe that life begins at conception, and if I were a woman I certainly would agonize before my maker before making either of these choices except for a medical condition like an ectopic pregnancy.

My position is, and really has always been, I am not God, therefore not the final judge and all I can do as a minister is lay out the case and pray with you that you make the right choice.

Thank you for taking time out from your schedule to read this, and may God give you wisdom, understanding and courage to vote with the firm belief that your candidate choice champions the sanctity of life.

May God richly bless you!

Any Complaints?

Am I just getting old and forgetful or are people complaining more these days?

I'm not talking about ordinary people, either. It's Christians that seem to have the grumps. In my circles, it's Springfield, or the Missions Department, or pastors, or loud music in the church. And, if that is not enough then they are prepared to take on the world at large.

Now, don't get me wrong, there is a lot to upset good earnest Christians; however, most complaints I heard are materialistic in nature, not spiritual concerns.

For sure the economy is rotten, but that's that not the economy's fault ~ let's blame that one on crooked politicians or greedy business men who can't seem to resist the urge to keep their hands out of the cookie jar. Sure a plummeting dollar or a bankrupt company is awful. But, I've got news for you. The less than almighty dollar did not just suddenly decide to take a nosedive one day or an otherwise healthy company decide to go belly-up.

No sir, 9 times out of 10 some ungodly reprobate ~ whether here or abroad ­­~ decided to raid a company, then siphon off as much of the assets as possible and leave the poor shareholders or employees holding the leftovers. Or a greedy public asks for more and more, and politicians, eager to be elected, delivers all the pork barrel they can and more.

Well, someone says, you are sounding like all the rest. What's your point?

My point is a simple one. It is as old as the Garden of Eden. And, a point that was perhaps best expressed when "Geraldine" (Flip Wilson) used to say, "The Devil made me do it!"

These fellows are full of the Devil. That's all there is to it.

Slice it anyway you want to, and it still comes out all the same. Their hearts are, in the words of Scripture, "The most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?" (NLT)

Man is capable of the most subtle and sinister crimes, including murder; which has most recently been demonstrated by the massacre at the showing of "The Dark Knight Rises" in Aurora, Colorado, when James (The Joker) Holmes flooded the theater with a volley of shotbun blast, injuring 80 and killing 10.

All of this is true. However, I try not to concentrate on the bad things men have done, but on the good things they are capable of doing.

Things like the 80,000 appointments made at the Calcutta Mission of Mercy Hospital where my wife and I served as a missionaries. Or the work of educating young men and women for the ministry, which Bonnie and I are committed to in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and in the Ukraine. I try to remember the 1,000’s we were able to feed following the 2004 tsunami in Sri Lanka, and the 100’s of homes we were able to see built. In other words, at this point in life I think of over 40 years of full time service that we have been able to give to God and man. The Lillian Trasher Orphanage where we served as directors comes to mind; the University of Nairobi were I served as chaplain; the Philippine Islands; and on and on it goes. Remember, we are talking about 40 years here.

There have been ups and downs. At times a few of my colleagues have disappointed me; and, yes, that includes some of my leaders. However, through it all, I have come to the solemn conclusion that when all is said and done, everything else pales in light of the tremendous joy it is and has been to serve.

So, I really have no complaints.

A Miracle A Day

"One Man's Opinion"
by Jim Roane

Feeding the five thousand (Matthew 14:13-21) with just a few fish and some loaves of bread was surely a miracle. However, I think the real lesson here is that not only could Jesus perform miracles, but he did the work of the Father by providing daily bread (i.e., loaves and fishes). Many times we over look the goodness of God by looking for the big miracles; often his goodness and great love for us is found in His daily provisions. He performs this miracle for us everyday.

As Paul and Barnabus said to the crowd at Iconium, “Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy." (Acts 14: 17)

This, I find, is especially true as we grow older.

Perhaps, if this current heat wave and drought continues throughout the country, people will wake up to that reality. I am not holding my breath on that one, though.

God in his great mercy does, nevertheless, allow nature to take a turn for the worst to, I believe, sober us up. We unfortunately have a tendency to get high on the exuberance of a bull market until we are jarred back into the reality that the stakes in life or high and really none of us is far from the mercies of God.

Paul has been often referred to as the Apostle of Grace. I think it is an appropriate description. Paul, like our Savior, knew what it was to go without. Jesus said on one occasion,

"Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." (Luke 9: 58)

And, Paul, a former Pharisee of considerable means, was reduced to a shivering outcast who depended on others to bring him a warm coat and even went hungry at times. Yet, he could proudly boast that in each and every circumstance he was content. (Philippians 4:11, 12)

Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not championing hardship or poverty as a sure path to spiritual success. I am saying, however, that when I get a good case of the whines, I try to focus on Paul’s advice to:

“Fix my thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. And, to think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. (Philippians 4:8)

Oh, I know, it’s a familiar, at times almost over worked verse; but the truth is: It works!

So, today, I have committed myself to teach in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and the Ukraine—and in doing so, I remind myself of God’s daily provisions, and of His faithfulness to sustain us in ministry. Surely, he can also provide the necessary funds to make this journey.


May God bless you.

Now , in closing, if you wish to contribute to towards our overseas ministry expenses to help "Others" reach their generation, please click onto the donate button (left) and when prompted clearly designate all gifts in the comment section to: Class (40) Ministry Trip. Or, for those of you who have asked how to contribute to our personal expenses, just enter Class (09) Personal Expenses in the comments section.

If you are not on line and wish to mail your contributions in, send them to that address below and I will see that you get AGWM and IRS credit:

Missionaries Jim & Bonnie Roane
1013 Madera Court, Allen,TX75013-3639

Thank for making all of this possible!


P.S. The total budget is $6,000 (dollars) for airfare, room and board and ministry expenses for the entire trip. The truth is that someone that reads this email who never given to this ministry before could easily drop this amount into our ministry account without much trouble. I would love to believe God for that, so I would not have to keep asking. So, why don't just all pray that God will prompt someone to do that? You do understand that if there is any excess that you or anyone else gives will go into ministry as I do not use any of the ministry funds for personal use. Thanks for taking time to read this! JMR