Don't Get Discouraged--Stand for Biblical Right

A supporting church Pastor's Wife sent us a copy of a letter she wrote her family. It was so good we asked permission to share it with you--
We live in a wicked cultures, and sometimes it seems that all we can do is complain about it. I just want to share a couple of events that have motivated me to be salt in the earth - salt that has not lost its flavor.

My aunt has given me a subscription to Reader's Digest, and I enjoy it.
However, the last three issues have come with the back cover being a Dove soap/lotion commerical in full page indecency. This kind of viewing material is not appropriate in our home, so I called the company and kindly told them how I felt and that if it continued on the next issue, I would call them again and have them cancel my subscription. Well, the next issue came yesterday, and Dove is still advertising, but the picture has changed to a very decent scene. Praise the Lord!

Back when we lived in Adrian, cherry coke came out with a pop can decorated in scantily dressed women. I wrote them and told them that cherry coke was my husband's favorite pop, but we would not be buying any more because we did not want to bring that kind of scenery into our home.
They wrote me back and said that they could not please all their customers and made no apologies, but I never saw that design on a can again.

Another time I wrote a letter to a local business that was advertising cold alcoholic drinks in a drive thru window. I felt that was just encouraging our drinking and driving problem on the highways. The sign
changed the next week. Today I am going to write a letter to a catalog
company that contains lots of neat things, but they also sell shirts with blasphemous sayings such as "Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy," "I feel a sing comin' on," etc.

So Christian, don't get discouraged. We all need to share our positive results because we all face so many disheartening moments in our wicked world. Most of all, in times like these we need a Savior, so we keep giving out the Word and fighting the opposition in obedience to occupy until He comes.

---Here in Japan we need to kindly unashamedly stand for right as well. Convenience stores have 'manga' books right where you have to stand in line for the door; sometimes some of those books can be seen in the window where you park to go in. A local book/candy store had an ad one time pasted right outside on it's wall that had half undressed women on it...when reminded that there were grade school children that walked right past their door each day not to mention the children that went in for candy, and wouldn't they consider taking it down--the next day it was gone. Just remember if 'one' doesn't say "I am only one, it won't help" but "I am but one, so let my voice be heard along with all the other 'ones' around the country and the world, maybe it will open doors for improvement and for witnessing!
Pray for us to not get discouraged and we pray for you to stand strong too! Also, remember THIS year that every 'one' voice in a vote in November may help get the better person in the White House. Your vote DOES count.

By God's grace and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit may we GANBA (hang in there, persevere) today.

Why Go To Church?

A Church goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday. "I've gone for 30 years now," he wrote, "and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So, I think I'm wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all."

This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher:

"I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this.. They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!"

Please pray that our Japanese believers will come to understand that the 'nourishment' they need is here in studying the Word together AND in studying personally as well. Their religious beliefs before becoming a Christian has no regular meetings; no time for encouragement; no prayer times with others;--just single thought prayers after ringing a bell at New Year's or in front of an altar at home. Only death memorials are attended at regular intervals and that isn't for the benefit of the living but the dead! And may American Christians never take their time with others over the Word of God for granted OR neglect it.

When Satan is knocking at your door, simply say,

"Jesus, could you get that for me?"