A Great Book on Job

I have been reading Beyond Suffering by Dr. Layton Talbert. This book is a study on the book of Job. The author makes the point that so many of us know only the beginning and end of the book and rarely do anything with the bulk of the book other than mining it for pithy sayings and proof texts. He explores these conversations between Job and his friends to help us understand the true message of Job. Below is are a few quotes from this book to whet your appetite for reading a truly enlightening study.

“Here is the core of comfort in the message of Job: beyond suffering, past our pain and loss, is a God Who is not only all-knowing and omnipotent, sovereign and free to do as He chooses but also always good and just, loving and wise, purposeful and perfect in all that He chooses to do or to allow—and intimately aware of all its effects on us” (Preface, xi).

“Robert Bell notes perceptively, ‘Satan would have us believe that God is not fair, yet we seldom consider the cruelty of the devil. I have never met anyone bitter about what Satan has done to him, but I have met many who were bitter toward God’” (p. 39).

“At the root of God’s dealings with fallen people is His intention to display dimensions of His character to a spiritual world that we never see and rarely consider” (p. 42).

“Job suffered to prove, among other things, that there are people who serve God “for nothing” other than for Who He is, people who worship God “without cause” (1:9) even when they suffer “without cause” (2:3)” (p. 45).

The book is full of helpful insights into our own lives and to the character of God that help to give meaning to experiences that seem to contradict what the Word so clearly teaches us about God. This book is available through Bob Jones University Press or on Amazon.com.

Summer Projects

This summer we are planning an ambitious list of projects in Ponce. With only two months to pack in all the necessary labor, advance planning is a must. However, long distance planning can complicate those plans. Due to our furlough, of course, we are not in Ponce, but we do have good folks there who help in organizing the details.

First, we will install terrazzo tile in the upstairs classrooms. This project has been delayed for at least 13 years due to other pressing matters. The rough texture of the floors makes cleaning a very difficult chore. After the tiling is done, maintenance will be much easier.

The second project is covering the area where the school students eat their lunch. This will also give us additional space for activities and protection from the weather. Torrential rains make lunch a less than pleasant experience in this expose area.

Final details of both projects should be in hand shortly. Funding will come from the school as well as the church. We are always glad to see our projects handled with our own funds. It is a faith-building experience. In July we also have a work team coming to help us ensure that the projects will be done so that classes may begin in early August. Keep these plans and projects in your prayers.

Heading South

On February 7, we headed even further south to Panama City, Florida. We are hosted by our good friends at Grace Baptist Church. They have always been very gracious hosts. We look forward to being with them for a few weeks as we visit several churches in that area.

Pray for the Pastor’s wife. Mrs. Curtis had hip replacement surgery yesterday and will need special prayer during the recovery stage. Pray that the Lord would prevent infection and allow her to regain mobility. She has suffered excruciating pain for some time and is trusting that the surgery will allow her to resume her former activities soon.

You may also pray for our health. Nathan and Matthew have colds which could easily spread to the rest of us. It’s so much easier to travel and visit with folks when you actually feel good.

Pray also for Steven to find a job soon. He has a few good contacts which may result in jobs and will be attending a job fair shortly. He hopes to make some good contacts there if not before. It is a bit frustrating to want to work and not find the right openings in the market place. We know that the Lord can do amazing things, so pray to that end. Most of all, we want him to have the job that the Lord has in mind for him.

Happy to Be Here

We are now located at Happy Acres Missionary Transit Center in Woodstock, GA. This is a marvelous facility dedicated to short-term housing for missionaries on furlough or deputation. They have a two-story building with various accommodations. We are occupying three rooms. The room Teresa and I share has a kitchenette which is very convenient.

The kids have a place to do their school work in their bedroom, a library and a sitting room, and I can get some office work done while they do so. We also have had opportunity to have some family fun time. It is amazing that though we are together most of the time that does not mean that family time is a regular item on the calendar. Most family time is spent in the car as we travel from one church to another. We are also enjoying some time to read and catch up on correspondence. The holidays put us a little behind in that department.

Praise the Lord for this merciful provision and the meetings we will participate in while here. That got off to a rocky start as two meetings had to be rescheduled due to conflicts. But the Lord was again gracious as both meetings were repositioned. The “down-time” has allowed us to visit a couple of churches we may not have visited otherwise. These have been refreshing to us as well.

Progress Toward Our Goal

We began furlough May 23, 2007 with a significant support deficit and a worrisome personal debt. So far we have made progress on both accounts. Our debt has been reduced due to a generous gift from a family member. We still have one more hurdle in that direction and need to raise the funds to eliminate this problem. The benefit will be a reduction in our operating budget making our monthly support goal more attainable.

Support has also increased. So far three supporting churches have increased their commitment by a total of $225. Several other supporters are considering similar action while some of our new contacts are weighing adding us to their list of supported ministries.

We need to raise an additional $600 per month to be fully supported. GFA has a sensible requirement of 100% for returning missionaries. This makes a lot of sense when you consider the volatility of our economy here and abroad. Pray with us that this goal will be reached soon so that we will be able to actively plan our return to PR.

Steven’s Situation

Our oldest son, Steven, is just 12 credits from finishing his bachelor’s degree at Bob Jones University. As a result he is finishing his final semester by correspondence. Since the close of the fall semester, the Lord has provided a car and lodging, but a job is still needed. Until he can afford the expense we will be helping with his apartment costs.

We are certain the Lord has a special niche for him, but finding that job can be a daunting prospect. He has the advantage of knowing three languages, but lacks any significant experience. Many jobs he is interested in require the experience he does not yet have. Pray with us for his prompt hiring.

Merry Christmas To All!

As I write, there is less than one week until the best day of the year, Christmas Day. I do not declare it so for all the commercialism and fanfare, but because of what it represents. This is the day we commemorate the incarnation of Jesus Christ! Were it not for the incarnation, no salvation would be possible. Our Savior had to robe Himself with human flesh in order to fulfill the Law of God for us, instruct us in the way of righteousness, give His life as a ransom for sinners, and then rise from the tomb.

Tonight, Bill preached on Galatians 4:4-5 on the "fullness of the times." It is absolutely amazing to meditate on how perfect was God's timing. The way He brought all the elements and individuals together to enact what His mind had conceived in eternity is just astounding. Think of how wonderful and inevitable are the plans and purposes of God as illustrated by the Christmas story. No one and nothing could have prevented even one detail from occurring exactly as God had mapped it out.

Why did God not choose a virgin from Bethlehem to be the mother of Jesus? He could have, but the magnificent display of His sovereignty in selecting one from Nazareth and then having Rome issue the decree which would take her to the City of David just in time for the birth of the King of kings was certainly part of the reason He did things His own way.

Think of the shepherds who gathered to see the Christ-child. They were not a convenient afterthought with God. These men raised lambs which would later be sacrificed for the sins of Israel. How fitting that they be witnesses to the birth of the Lamb of God who had come to take away the sin of the world! In a sense they represented the role of Joseph and Mary, the shepherds of the Lamb of God who would shield Him from danger and guide His early steps on this sod.

The wisemen, whether they arrived at the manger or not (Scripture says they came to the house where Jesus was), were called to give witness of the royalty of the Child and to present Him the gifts befitting His pedigree. None of the kings of this world came to pay homage, but these stargazers journeyed from afar to swear fealty to the Lord of the universe.

If only the leaders of our time had eyes to see Jesus Christ, not as the babe in the manger, but as the Sovereign ruler of all nations. If only the common people of this world could see Him as the God-man in whose name alone is salvation. If only the Jewish race could see Him as their one true Messiah. If only we could get beyond the bright lights and festive colors to see the beauty of the Altogether Lovely One. Then there would be peace on earth. This then is the sadness of Christmas. As long as men and women fight against the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, there will be no spiritual peace and no national peace either.

But those of us who know and love the Savior, who have bowed the knee to the one true Lord of all, possess a holy joy at this time of year as we celebrate the great grace which caused the Creator of heaven and earth to enter this world as a helpless infant so that He might taste death for every man. May your joy be unspeakable and full of glory. May this Christmas season fill you with an unquenchable desire to know Christ and to make Him known.