“But thanks be to God . . .”
Everyone loves stories! So, today, as I read through the names of the foreign missionaries celebrating birthdays, I came to a particular name, one that stopped me, one that took me back in time, and one that reminded me of a story. A young student became a Christian while living in America as a foreign exchange student & one of how an English teacher made a call to a missionary one summer day.
Before we hear the details of this amazing story of a young girl’s new faith, let us be reminded by the words of one of the first preachers in the first church of Antioch—the apostle Peter—as he reminds us of who we have become in Jesus Christ.
“But you are
- A CHOSEN RACE,
- A royal PRIESTHOOD,
- A HOLY NATION,
- A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION,
so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
for you once were NOT A PEOPLE,
but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD;
you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY,
but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.”
(The First Letter of Peter 2: 9-10 NASB)
Many semesters ago, a young student traveled from Germany to become a foreign exchange student in Kentucky. As God would have it, this student was placed in a Christian home, a location where she was surrounded by a church family and a strong youth group of believers. Also, as God planned, this young student was placed into my classroom. Immediately, I fell in love with this beautiful young lady. Often, we spoke about Germany, about her family, and about her new “adopted” family.
Over the course of the school year, she attended school, attended church, and hung out with her group of friends within her church youth group. As God would have it, this young student became under the conviction of the Holy Spirit and recognized her need to become a child of God.
Can We Raise a Hallelujah? !!!
This young lady accepted Jesus into her heart during the spring, leaving many weeks until her VISA required she return to her home country. We talked often about her “new” faith, about her divorced parents, and about their lack of faith. To say that she was worried about returning home, about going back to her old way of life is to say it mildly. She was worried. So we often prayed over this concern.
I was privileged to attend her ‘going-away’ party her youth leader threw for her at the end of May. It was a joyously sad affair. There was much laughter, many funny and thoughtful gifts, and too many tears to count. There remained just a few days until she would leave. Time was so precious.
One particular day, I drove to her ‘adopted’ foreign exchange house in the city where she temporarily lived, and we sat in my vehicle talking about her new faith in Christ. I remember her many questions and my prayers, asking God to give her the correct answers in a way that she could understand.
Then I remember asking her this question: “Do you have a Bible to take home with you so that you can continue to read?”
She did, but there was a problem. Even though her English was strong, the Bible that would go home with her was written in the English language and not in her heart language.
This is when I began my pursuit of an International Missionary, and after several weeks, I found her: Jackie.
Then after much searching, I located her WhatsApp phone number. What came next was a beautiful phone conversation with this foreign missionary, as we spoke together about this young student who came home and needed the Word of God in her heart language.
I do not know all the details of the rest of the story, but I do know this student was contacted by the missionary, that a Bible was gifted in her language.
My continual WhatsApp conversations with this (now) young adult revealed how her mom and dad have remained unbelieving, how she has attended the university and began her career, and how life in Europe where Christianity comprises such a small percentage of the population. Please join me today in praying for Paula, as she walks with God in her faith, walking among a sea of unbelieving friends, co-workers, and family members.
This morning, as I began my time of Bible study, as usual, I began by reading through the names of missionaries celebrating birthdays today—May 28. Today just happens to be Jackie’s birthday, and she still faithfully serves in Europe. I have often heard that when we are faithful to pray for missionaries, great events happen within their lives—especially on their birthdays. Please join me today in praying as she serves with her family.
In Christ, once we accept God’s Amazing Grace, accepting His Salvation, His Mercy, we change.
We are never, ever who we once were, changing from the inside out, revealing to the world this internal change that manifests into our outward actions.
- A CHOSEN RACE—GOD chose us—His children—HIS creation—All to become the image of HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON—Therefore, we are to look like HIM.
“For if we have become united with Him to the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,”
(The Letter of Paul to the Romans 6: 5 NASB)
- A royal PRIESTHOOD—GOD commissions us to His service—As priests who walk among the walking dead—those who do not yet know JESUS as SAVIOR.
“Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin,
(The Letter of Paul to the Romans 6: 11-13 NASB)
but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts,
and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteouness;
but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead,
and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.”
- A HOLY NATION—GOD urges us to live separate—To not living sequestered together with other believers, but HE calls us to live among those who need to hear about JESUS. However, GOD urges us to live in a specific way.
“Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.
(The First Letter of Peter 2: 11-12 NASB)
Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers,
they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them,
glorify God in the day of visitation [in Christ’s coming judgment].”
- A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION—GOD expects us to walk throughout our days as HIS PEOPLE—Changed, not walking as we once were but as “THE PEOPLE OF GOD” reflecting HIM in everything we say and do.
“for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD;
(The First Letter of Peter 2: 10 NASB)
you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.”
So, today is a special day in the life of an international missionary. Let’s remember to lift her up in prayer throughout this day. Today is also a wonderful day to recall the memory of a young foreign exchange student who traveled over 5,000 miles to find and fall in love with her SAVIOR JESUS. Let’s remember to also lift her up in prayer throughout this day.
The apostle Paul reminds us Whose We Are & What We Have Become.
May we Remain Faithful Servants to our Father God.
“Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience,
(The Letter of Paul to the Romans 6: 16-18 NASB)
you are slaves of the one whom you obey,
either of sin resulting in death,
or of obedience resulting in righteousness?
But thanks be to God
that though you were slaves to sin,
you became obedient from the heart
to that form of teaching to which you were committed,
and having been freed from sin,
you became slaves to righteousness.”