Bethel Bible Church

Bethel Hosts International Students with “Up With People”

The World on Wednesday by Jim Smithies, Bethel's Pastor of World

Bethel got a phone call this week. It was from Matt Aboussie, a young man who is with the long-time singing group, "Up With People." His uncle now attends here and asked us to consider helping to host the students, most of them from foreign countries. Recently, Bethel made a commitment to reach international students who come to Tyler's colleges and universities through ISI, led by our own Emily Manasco. This is a little different slant but still so very valuable. "Up With People" is a high energy, positive message, extremely talented performing group that travels the world. The show here in Tyler on April 3 should be excellent.

The cast arrives this Sunday, March 29 and leaves the morning of April 4. Matt writes: "Basically, what we are asking from families in the community that can help is: a place to sleep, drop off at about 8:00am and pick up at about 6:30pm at First Christian Church, as well as something to eat in the morning and evening.  During the days, they will be working with local organizations doing community service projects. Our show is on the 3rd of April at the Caldwell Auditorium, and hosts get in free!  I think this will be a fun experience for the hosts as well as the students.  I am excited for our cast to be here in Tyler!"

Please contact us through Laura here at laura@bethelbible.com or call the office at 903-839-5007 if you have questions or if you would like to host a cast member or two.

 

JOY in Jamaica – March 2009

The World on Wednesday by Jim Smithies, Bethel's Pastor of World

I saw God work last week.  Now, He works in our lives every minute of every day, but I had a front-row seat during our Jamaica Mission 1 trip at New Generation Camp.  We ranged in age from mid-fifties (no names, please) to late-teens.  Some of us knew each other well and some of us had never met before the preparation for this trip.  Here's us at the beginning of our trip but we were sure different by the end:

I have never seen such an other-centered group of people in my life.  The work was much harder than I was expecting.  Carrying hundreds of pounds of lumber up and down a hill that seemed to get steeper with each load.  Pick-axes and shovels were needed to dig, and to remove roots and rocks.  Painting was done by hanging onto a makeshift ladder or just hanging onto a ledge while extending to ridiculous limits.  Precision carpentry was required in far less than ideal circumstances.  Yet, there was always a joy, always an other-centeredness, never a selfish meltdown, always a group helping do the dishes, etc.  Amazing.  It was hard.  It was good.  God allowed us to make a difference for His Kingdom work and for Nel, who runs New Generation Camp.

The treehouse was the big project - celebrated by a "flashlight" communion by 20 of us all in the top deck. But it is in the context of the great creation work God has already done (nearby Dunn's River Falls).

It is a cliché of sorts but not for this group: JOY – Jesus (we came to help expand His Kingdom); Others (the great care and focus on others characterized each person who went); and You (each person gave their all but were always willing to be last so others could be first). I saw JOY in Nel's response to our work and character and JOY in each person who worked so hard. Finally, here is a picture from the Field Day at the Basic School nearby…to bring you a little joy. [Think about joining us when we go back to New Generation the last few days of June and the first few days of July, 6/28-7/4):

 

Jamaica, Houston, and Tyler

The World on Wednesday by Jim Smithies, Bethel's Pastor of World

Our World story this week covers three areas in which Bethel is the common denominator.

First, please pray for the 12 of us who are going to Jamaica, leaving early Sunday morning, to serve at New Generation Camp, to enhance their ability to reach Jamaicans for Christ: Dan, Caren, Tom, Donna, Michael, Katelyn, Alayna, Preston, Stacy, Cay, Cheryl and Jim.

Secondly, please read and celebrate the article below written by our own Blake Ackerson, who is a full-time missionary with Bridges ministry in Houston.  It is a great testimony to "going" and to depending upon the Holy Spirit.  Please thank God for Blake and pray for his ministry.

Thirdly, Bethel is reaching international students right here in Tyler through Emily Manasco and ISI.  Please consider creating our own stories like Blake's by coming alongside Emily.

 

Blake's Article:

As I sat down to have lunch with Shantanu, one of my close Indian friends who came to our conference in DC, I didn’t expect for him to ask this question, “If you live according to Jesus’ teachings, then why don’t you focus on feeding the poor and helping the needy? That’s what Jesus did. Why doesn’t Houston Bridges focus onraising money to help the poor?”

Shantanu was right. Why don’t we give all of our efforts to social causes? I have a desire to help those in need and the need is great in Houston. I was thankful for Shantanu’s question and convicted by it, but at the same time incredibly caught off guard by his question. He was comparing my life with Jesus' which was a very humbling experience.

I quickly turned in the silence of my mind and prayed, “How do I answer his question, Lord?....Help me. Give me something to say from Your Word.”  In that moment, it was no strike of genius but the guidance from the Spirit that brought to remembrance these words…“Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”

Shantanu’s dilemma was that he saw that man’s greatest need was of a physical nature. This student has an incredible desire to serve those who are in physical need but sees our physical needs at a higher priority over our spiritual needs.

When I read this passage, I explained that Jesus had a great physical need after not eating for 40 days. When He was tempted by Satan to turn stones into bread in order to meet His physical need, He chose rather to have fellowship with God, which is also man’s greatest need. It just turns out that Jesus is the Word of God by which man lives, and through receiving this Bread of Life we have fellowship with God.

Through this difficult question, God gave me an opportunity to share the Gospel and to reveal to Shantanu that man’s greatest need is of a spiritual nature. After explaining that man has betrayed God through our sin and lost fellowship with him, I asked him if he desired to hear how God has provided a way to restore this relationship. To his nod, I then shared with him that the purpose of Jesus’ life was not to meet our temporary physical needs, but He came to stand in the gap between God and man through His death and resurrection, and choosing to have faith in Him we have a restored relationship with our Creator. I told him that the desire of Bridges is to make known to internationals this gift that meets man’s greatest need.

When I asked him if he would like to choose to receive this gift and to follow Jesus, he did not understand what that meant. It was clear to me that no matter how much I explained, it was not in God’s timing for Shantanu to receive the Bread of Life. I’m grateful for this opportunity to share Christ with my friend, and I am praying that God will give him the gift of faith.

I am so thankful to be a part of this ministry that builds “bridges” between cultures and worldviews so that internationals like Shantanu can hear about our Savior. One opportunity that I’m excited about is building a bridge with the Graduate Indian Student Organization. Through this I’m looking forward to making some lasting relationships and hoping that many will seek answers like Shantanu.

Everyday in ministry is a blessing and I want to thank you for being a part of it so that internationals that have come to us can hear the good news of Christ.

 

One Story Tells the One Story

The World on Wednesday by Jim Smithies, Bethel's Pastor of World

I learned a significant point this past weekend at Bethel.  I had the privilege of interviewing Adam and Katie - Bethel's newest missionaries.  In just a few weeks they will be traveling to Brazil with One Story - a mission organization committed to sharing God's Word in a novel, contextual way.

I learned that the majority of the unreached peoples in the world are Oral societies.  Some may have a written language but its use is relegated to the unimportant, mundane issues of life.  Instead, the vital, generational issues are preserved and conveyed through oral transmission.

Think what this means...and necessitates...in order to reach these folks for Christ!

One Story takes 40-60 stories from the Bible and tranlsates them into the common language of these unreached people.  They give them the whole scope of God's Word as well as the redeeming work of Christ.  It opens the door to eternal life...for this generation and for all those who follow.

As you watch the video notice also that the commitment of those like Adam and Katie is two years.  I find this phenomenal, too.  To be able to impact a culture for generations to come with the Good News of Jesus Christ...by giving just two years of our life!  That's amazing...enticing...compelling!

Celebrate with us as we thank God for Adam and Katie and their new venture for God.  Pray for them.

And as always, ask God where He might be sending you...across the street, across town, or across the world...but all Christians are commissioned to go.

How Much is that Wicked Heart in the Window?

The World on Wednesday by Jim Smithies, Bethel’s Pastor of World

Yesterday Mark wrote about the value of things – how much we are willing to pay or to give up for something that is valuable to God.  Yesterday I also learned that my wicked heart is worth about $260…and sadly, maybe only $10!  Not a very impressive day for me!

In Matthew 18:24-33 Jesus tells a parable about two servants who owed the king money.  One owed him 10,000 talents or about 60 million denarii.  The other owed him 100 denarii – a difference factor of 600,000!

"When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. "But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. "So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, 'Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.' "And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt."But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii ; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, 'Pay back what you owe.'  "So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, 'Have patience with me and I will repay you.' "But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed."So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. "Then summoning him, his lord said* to him, 'You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 'Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?

 

 My wife and I had overpaid one of the hospitals here in town…by $250.  I hate wrangling over money so I have been avoiding the pursuit of this…for months.  I have not had good luck getting funds back from the medical world and imagined the same endless cycle of futility and frustration on this one.  However, I walked into the business office and a very pleasant lady named Jean called out to me and asked if she could help.  So I put on my super-friendly, nice-guy smile and went into her office.  I gave her the sheet that showed our payment.  She was joyful, friendly, competent, talkative…and in a matter of moments said, “Let me go next door and get your receipt for the $250 refund.”  But…right before she left she stopped and said, “Oh….”  Guess what I was thinking…?  She then said, “We owe you another $10 from another bill.  I’ll get that refunded, too.”  And she did.  I told her that I loved her and that she was my new best friend!

 

 I had prayed for God’s mercies to precede me…in part because I hate this stuff and in part because we had some surprise bills come up that this money now mattered more.

 

 As I was leaving this wonderful office managed by Jean, stepping out into the rain, a very poorly bundled, cold, sad-looking woman stops me and asks if I have any money I can give her for food…because she is hungry.  Without batting an eye or slowing down I tell her “not today.”  I walk about 10 feet and am literally stricken by the wickedness of my heart:  God just granted me $250 AND a $10 bonus…and I have the unbelievable audacity to tell this woman I can’t help her today?!  I was stunned and ashamed by the wickedness of my heart…for the sake of the $10 I had in my wallet.

 

 So I turned around and caught up to her.  I asked why she needed money and she said her disability check had not come in.  I asked her why she was on disability and she said “because I am slow.”  Her innocent sincerity on this really broke my heart.  So I asked her if she had a relationship with God.  She said she goes to church every Sunday by the Salvation Army…so she knew she was going to heaven.  I explained that we go to heaven because we believe in Jesus who died on the cross for our sins; and, that God had us meet so that I could be sure she understood who Jesus was and what He alone did for her.  I gave her the $10 I had in my wallet.  She said “thank you” and waddled off in the pouring rain.  I never got her name.

 

 If Jesus was telling the parable today He could have used my name for the wicked slave.  I am still a little stunned over the hardness of my heart after God’s mercy to me.  Ten dollars can bring my wickedness to the surface…and it wasn’t even my $10.  God had already provided it at no cost to me.

 

 Here are three questions that come to my mind.  Pick one for you to answer or add one for me:

 

- God’s mercies are new every morning…why aren’t mine? (Lamentations

    3:22-23)

- He who is forgiven much loves much…why don’t I love more? (Luke 7:47)

- Everything of worth that I have has been given to me so why do I live as

    though I deserve to keep it? (1Co 4:7)

Matthew 5:16 and Texas Football

The World on Wednesday by Jim Smithies, Bethel's Pastor of World

"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."  Matt 5:16

This verse guided Bethel's outreach into the community a number of years ago.  The video below illustrates the power of living life this way.  Here is the set up:

This amazing football game all started when Grapevine Faith Christian's head coach, Kris Hogan, wanted to do something kind for the Gainesville State Correction School team. Faith had never played Gainesville, but he already knew the score. After all, Faith was 7-2 going into the game, Gainesville 0-8 with 2 TDs all year. Faith has 70 kids, 11 coaches, the latest equipment and involved parents. Gainesville has a lot of kids with convictions for drugs, assault and robbery—many of whose families had disowned them—wearing seven-year-old shoulder pads and ancient helmets.

So Hogan had this idea. What if half of our fans—for one night only—cheered for the other team? He sent out an email asking the Faithful to do just that. "Here's the message I want you to send:" Hogan wrote. "You are just as valuable as any other person on planet Earth."

 

After the game, both teams gathered in the middle of the field to pray and that's when Isaiah surprised everybody by asking to lead. "We had no idea what the kid was going to say," remembers Coach Hogan. But Isaiah said this: "Lord, I don't know how this happened, so I don't know how to say thank You, but I never would've known there was so many people in the world that cared about us."

As the Tornadoes walked back to their bus under guard, they each were handed a bag for the ride home—a burger, some fries, a soda, some candy, a Bible and an encouraging letter from a Faith player.

The Gainesville coach saw Hogan, grabbed him hard by the shoulders and said, "You'll never know what your people did for these kids tonight. You'll never, ever know."

Simple, powerful, life-changing.  That is God's call on those of us who know Jesus Christ as Savior.  Let's find somebody for Bethel to cheer for!

Celebrating Laborers in His Harvest

The World on Wednesday by Jim Smithies, Pastor of Bethel's World Ministries

Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” (Matthew 9:37-38)

This past Sunday one of our Children's Ministry Directors, Paula, came up to a small group of us talking after church. She had a gleam in her eye and you could tell she had something to tell us:

"One of our third graders trusted Christ as Savior today in Sunday School!"

It is moments like this that make it all worth it.  Moments like this make your eyes start to water.  They fill your heart with humble adoration and exhilaration - both at the same time. 

These moments move you as you remember Christ's words about "laborers in His harvest." 

This moment moved me as I celebrated the laborers at Bethel who are fully engaged in His harvest.

It begins with the child's mother who said something wonderful I was never wise enough to say to my kids: "You need some alone-time with God this morning."  I don't know everything that led her to say this eventual eternity-changing sentence, but I suspect the day had not begun as one of the child's best...!

It continues with Paula, making her rounds, but aware of God nudging her from within, to enter this classroom with an opening sentence totally different, perhaps radically different, from her norm.  She honored this nudge, and God used it to facilitate the next few steps in this child's day of salavation.

Just a little later, on this same day, Tracey, the child's Sunday School teacher, entered the eternal work that God was doing, and led the conversation that resulted in his salvation.

As I celebrated these "harvest laborers' with Todd, our Worship Pastor, I shared with him the longing of my heart for 2009 to be an astonishing year for Bethel Bible Church - a year that sees dozens and dozens and dozens of men, women and children, trust in Christ as Savior.

The boy's mother...and Paula...and Tracey were all laborers in this special harvest.  Each of us who knows Christ are to be laborers in His harvest, too.  Notice: They didn't have to travel far or attain advanced degrees.  They simply responded to where God was working in their current world.  We can all do that.  My prayer is that this be a wonderfully astonishing year at Bethel...that we have a multitude of stories about our laborers in His harvest.

So, if you have a story to share...I can't wait to hear it.

Sovereignty and Responsibility in Evangelism

The World On Wednesday by Jim Smithies, Pastor of Ministries and World

Two weeks ago our great buddy and Youth Pastor, Mark Kuykendall, very effectively addressed the challenge of walking the road of life between God's Sovereignty and Man's Responsibility.  Just a few weeks prior to that Mark and I had a great illustration of this issue - not something we could explain, predict or control, but something we did need to respond to.

We had taken a trip to Jamaica to investigate the New Generation Christian Camp.  Bethel will take two work teams there - over Spring Break in March and then again in early July.  As it turns out the camp is a great place for Bethel mission teams to make an impact.  (Please sign up to go...)

On our return trip we stopped in Miami and had a two hour layover.  We decided to look for a "real" restaurant to help pass the time.  The nearest such restaurant was about a 15 minute walk through two terminals...not a real blessing when you are carrying two full backpacks apiece!

When we finally made it we saw that there was a line of people waiting to get in!  The host asked us if we'd be willing to sit at the counter...and now having much less time than anticipated...accepted the only two seats in the whole restaurant.

Sitting next to me was a young lady from Canada, who teaches at a Montessori school in Grand Caymen.  She was a bit out of sorts having had to sit on the runway in Caymen for 5 hours waiting to finally take off.  Her opening was classic...asking me what time it was.  From there I learned about her day and her teaching job. 

She then asked what I did for a living.  I told her that Mark and I were pastors.  She got this quizzical look on her face and asked what did that mean.  So I tried "minister," "clergy," "priest"... all to no avail.  She explained that she had no idea what a minister did and had absolutely no religious background.

Up to this point the story is all about God's sovereignty.  We could not have orchestrated or planned for two seats in a crowded restaurant to put us next to a young lady who was willing to talk about God during the two hours we had in Miami.  Plus we had chosen not to take a non-stop flight that would have had us bypass Miami all together.  But at this point much of the story shifts to our responsibility...(though the power of the Gospel to lead a person to salvation is still entirely God's.)

In my effort to explain what it is that Mark and I do I mentioned that I used to be an engineer.  I always do this on purpose because it usually moves the other person to ask what I do now and why did I change.  Victoria (her real name) did just that - asking why I became a minister.   This allowed me to share the one to three minute testimony we all need to develop...where I explain that I'd lost so much in my life that my quest was for something or someone that I could never lose.  I was able to explain that God provided just that in Jesus Christ.  It also gave me the chance to then ask her about her standing with God and to share the gospel using a shortened version of the Bad News/Good News method.

I asked if she had any questions and she said, "Really, only one - 'What do you do about the age of the earth?'"  Neither Mark nor I expected this!  I don't think I've ever been asked that at this point in evangelism.  I gave her my best answer but kept the focus on God's work through Christ.

Then as quickly as the conversation had started, it ended.  Her flight was leaving.  The odds are that I will never see her again but she is in my prayers...and now maybe in your prayers.  But she did encounter the "power of God unto salvation...."  God arranged this but I needed to act on my part of the responsibility - to be friendly, curious, able to share my testimony, able to share the gospel and to ask a concluding question. Basic Christianity...nothing special...no special gifts or calling.  No merit badge...just walking between the God-given points of sovereignty and responsibility.

Romans 10:14-15: How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed?  How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard?  And how will they hear without someone preaching (telling)? 

My Second Favorite Christmas Story

The World on Wednesday by Jim Smithies, Pastor of Ministries and World

The Man and the Birds

Now the man to whom I'm going to introduce you was not a scrooge, he was a kind, decent, mostly good man. Generous to his family, upright in his dealings with other men. But he just didn't believe all that incarnation stuff which the churches proclaim at Christmas Time. It just didn't make sense and he was too honest to pretend otherwise. He just couldn't swallow the Jesus Story, about God coming to Earth as a man. "I'm truly sorry to distress you," he told his wife, "but I'm not going with you to church this Christmas Eve." He said he'd feel like a hypocrite. That he'd much rather just stay at home, but that he would wait up for them. And so he stayed and they went to the midnight service.

Shortly after the family drove away in the car, snow began to fall. He went to the window to watch the flurries getting heavier and heavier and then went back to his fireside chair and began to read his newspaper. Minutes later he was startled by a thudding sound. Then another, and then another. Sort of a thump or a thud. At first he thought someone must be throwing snowballs against his living room window. But when he went to the front door to investigate he found a flock of birds huddled miserably in the snow. They'd been caught in the storm and, in a desperate search for shelter, had tried to fly through his large landscape window.

Well, he couldn't let the poor creatures lie there and freeze, so he remembered the barn where his children stabled their pony. That would provide a warm shelter, if he could direct the birds to it. Quickly he put on a coat, galoshes, tramped through the deepening snow to the barn. He opened the doors wide and turned on a light, but the birds did not come in. He figured food would entice them in. So he hurried back to the house, fetched bread crumbs, sprinkled them on the snow, making a trail to the yellow-lighted wide open doorway of the stable. But to his dismay, the birds ignored the bread crumbs, and continued to flap around helplessly in the snow. He tried catching them. He tried shooing them into the barn by walking around them waving his arms. Instead, they scattered in every direction, except into the warm, lighted barn.

And then, he realized, that they were afraid of him. To them, he reasoned, I am a strange and terrifying creature. If only I could think of some way to let them know that they can trust me. That I am not trying to hurt them, but to help them. But how? Because any move he made tended to frighten them, confuse them. They just would not follow. They would not be led or shooed because they feared him. "If only I could be a bird," he thought to himself, "and mingle with them and speak their language. Then I could tell them not to be afraid. Then I could show them the way to safety ... to the safe warm barn. But I would have to be one of them so they could see, and hear and understand."

At that moment the church bells began to ring. The sound reached his ears above the sounds of the wind. And he stood there listening to the bells - Adeste Fidelis - listening to the bells pealing the glad tidings of Christmas. And he sank to his knees in the snow.

-- Author Unknown --
(Shared by Paul Harvey on his radio show)

---

This is my favorite Christmas Story!!

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God .... The Word became flesh and dwelt among us ....” (John 1:1,14)

 

"Whoa Nel-lie - Jamaica!"

The World on Wednesday by Jim Smithies, Pastor of Ministries and World

"We see every member of Bethel Bible Church joyously moving into a personal, sacrificial, active, lifestyle of missions - through praying, sending, giving and going."

The statement above is the third item in our recently developed Vision statement for Bethel's world missions.  This is a statement about you...about every believer...because every believer has been commissioned by God to reach their world by praying, sending, giving and going.

Those of us who developed the new Vision statement are also committed to the fact that "going" applies to every one of us...not just the committed, ordained folks we send as missionaries.  Some of us may go across the hall at work or school, across the street at home, across the country here in the US, or across the world...but we all need to be going somewhere.

(Eric Weir currently travels across the world almost every week doing evangelism over the internet through Global Media Outreach, a ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ, www.globalmediaoutreach.com!!)

The picture above is that of a Dutch lady named Nel.  She has led a Christian camp in Jamaica for years.  Her camp is under the ministry of our own Dan Bolin, International Director of Christian Camping International.

We are taking two trips to Jamaica to help Nel this year.  The first is over Spring Break and the second will be in early July.  The first trip will be more of a construction, work trip; the second will be helping Nel do the ministry with camp in session (teaching, serving as counselors, washing dishes, leading activities, games, crafts, music, etc. - all of this or none of this depending on what Nel needs us to do.

Mark Kuykendall and I are travelling to Jamaica on Dec. 15.  We will find out what kind of work Nel needs us to do in March and what kind of help she needs in July.  Then we can let you know the details.

These are great trips for you first-timers - as well as for you veterans...we always need your experience.  Families with kids of the right ages should consider these trips.  College-age and young adults - we need you on both!

As you pray about helping Nel in Jamaica, please also pray for the team of 8 people who will be going to Sierra Leone in January to further define the needs there and to develop our church-wide response.  Continue to pray for Rev. Peter Conteh, the Sierra Leonean pastor who is doing so much for his people and for the Lord's gospel in the rural areas of this country.

If you haven't already, let us know of your interest in the Jamaica trips!