Brazil!!!

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Well, after 10 summers on staff at Iowa Regular Baptist Camp, God is leading me somewhere else this year. If you haven’t guessed already, this summer I am going to Brazil.

God has blessed me with the opportunity to serve Him there for seven weeks alongside Jim and Julie Leonard, long-time family friends. I am excited for this ministry and consider it a privilege to become acquainted with missions work in Northeast Brazil. For many years I have wanted to go on an overseas missions trip, but I just never felt God leading me that direction. Well, this summer He has!

As I pursue future full-time ministry as a pastor and church planter, I believe God will use this trip in my life to increase my awareness for foreign

Challenged to Give: A Flask of Spikenard and an Envelope of $101

by Joshua on add a comment

What a wonderful day with Heartland Baptist Church! Today I was particularly challenged to be a sacrificial giver as a result of the message and a small child’s act of kindness.

Pastor Abell’s message today was from Mark 14:3-9. Mary, the sister of Lazarus came to a meal where Jesus was eating with his disciples and she anointed him with a jar of spikenard oil. Now, what is the significance of the spikenard? It was worth a whole year’s wages!

Imagine the average person taking their wages from a whole year, taking a jar of perfume worth that same amount, and pouring it out on one person. Wow!

Mary showed her supreme love for Jesus by pouring that out on Him. The disciples watched and were angered by the act of service, claiming that the jar could have been sold and the money given to the poor.

Obviously there hearts were not in the right place. Here they have their Creator sitting before them, and they’re saying that the poor are worth more than Him. I’m not saying that poor people are worthless, but no one compares to the value of God.

If you look at John 12 (the cross-reference of this passage), you would also notice that Mary’s sister, Martha, was serving the meal. Remember that Martha had a mindset of serving, but she put more emphasis on doing things than actually giving of her time and possessions to God.

But look at the sacrificial giving of Mary and her concept of serving her Savior.

So, that was the message from this morning. But I was challenged in one other small way.

Heartland Baptist is sending 20+ people to Guatemala this summer for a missions trip, and they are also bringing with them several Spanish Bibles for the children there. Each Bible costs about $10, and anyone is welcome to donate money for them.

Well, this morning a 5-year-old girl brought Pastor Abell and envelope with money that she had raised for the Bibles. $101! This little girl had made jewelry and sold it to people she knew so that she could give money toward the missions trip. Wow! What an example!

So…what about me? How am I giving to my Savior, and to what extent am I willing to give toward the furtherance of His gospel? Thank