My Favorite Cardinal Player

I think this guy is my favorite player, if for no other reason than the way he leaves the field after every inning. He doesn't have to run as fast as he does inbetween plays, but he is so full of energy! He really deserved to win the 2006 World Series Most Valuable Player Trophy and Corvette. A job very well done. He did make the difference between a victory and perhaps a long drawn out victory or even a possible defeat.

Thank you David Eckstein for all you have done for the 'world class' St. Louis Cardinals team. (photo from www.mlb.com today)

St. Jude Researchers Amazing Medical Breakthrough

For those who have survived chemotherapy and have beaten leukemia or other cancers, the idea of a relapse is normally in the back of our minds. Now, that is all changing with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital's new genetically modified natural killer cells.

See sources at the bottom of this article:

St Jude lab studies shows that new genetic modification and culture techniques produce NK cells with significantly enhanced ability to eradicate leukemia cells -

Natural killer (NK) immune system cells can be genetically modified to brandish a powerful "on-switch" that prompts them to aggressively attack and kill leukemic cells. This finding, from researchers at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, suggests a way to improve the outcome of children who receive treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) or other blood cancers.

Results of the St. Jude study are published in the current online issue of Blood.

The researchers demonstrated how to overcome significant technical hurdles that have until now slowed development of NK-based therapies for ALL, according to Dario Campana, M.D., Ph.D., a member of St. Jude Hematology-Oncology and Pathology, and senior author of the Blood report. Progress in adapting NK cells to the treatment of ALL had been significantly hampered because researchers were not able to grow large numbers of these immune cells in the laboratory, and because NK cells normally have only weak anti-leukemic activity.

The key breakthroughs made by the St. Jude team were the development of a laboratory technique for rapidly producing a large, pure population of NK cells from a small sample of blood; and developing a technique for genetically modifying NK cells so that they would become potent killers when they encountered leukemic cells.

In order to grow large populations of NK cells, the team started with samples of blood containing a variety of different immune system cells. They placed this sample into a dish containing a type of human leukemia cell called K562. Campana's team genetically modified the K562 cells so they carried on their surfaces many copies of two different proteins, 4-1BBL and IL-15. The genetically modified K562 cells quickly stimulated the expansion of the NK cell population to more than10,000 times their original number. The technique triggered growth of NK cells specifically, which greatly simplified the ability of the researchers to collect a pure population of these immune cells.

The researchers then genetically modified the growing NK cells so they carried on their surface an artificial receptor that made them particularly aggressive and effective killers that attacked only leukemic cells. A receptor is a protein that binds to a specific target molecule. The artificial receptor on the NK molecule was designed to recognize a protein called CD19, which is found on the surface of leukemic cells. When the receptor bound to CD19 on leukemic cells, it set off a reaction that super-charged the killing activity of the NK cell.

"By developing a technique for cultivating large numbers of NK cells from a small blood sample, we made it practical to consider them a potential treatment against many different types of cancer," Campana said. "By genetically modifying NK cells so they expressed the CD19 receptor, we made them specifically effective against ALL cells."

A potential clinical application for the technology developed in this study is in leukemia patients who are treated with hematopoietic (blood cell-forming) cell transplantation. In this case, NK cells will be derived from the transplant donor, expanded and genetically modified. These modified NK cells will then be infused into the patient after the transplant in order to eliminate residual leukemic cells. In another application, NK cells could be obtained from a patient while in remission and then reinfused after genetic modification if the patient suffers a resurgence of the leukemia.

"We look forward to seeing this strategy being added to the management of children with ALL," said Chihaya Imai, M.D., the postdoctoral student who did most of the work on this project.

The other author of this study is Shotaro Iwamoto, M.D., of St. Jude.

This work was supported in part by the National Cancer Institute and ALSAC.

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is internationally recognized for its pioneering work in finding cures and saving children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. Founded by late entertainer Danny Thomas and based in Memphis, Tenn., St. Jude freely shares its discoveries with scientific and medical communities around the world. No family ever pays for treatments not covered by insurance, and families without insurance are never asked to pay. St. Jude is financially supported by ALSAC, its fundraising organization. For more information, please visit http://www.stjude.org.

Contact: Bonnie Cameron
bonnie.cameron@stjude.org
901-495-4815
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
http://www.stjude.org

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=21818

Fuel Price Help

I have a couple of ideas for the gasoline price problem that if implemented might spur our legislators to do something concrete. What if we had a deal where if the price of gasoline rose above $3 on average that the tax collected by the State of Illinois would be cut by 1/3 or 1/2. The tax is about 19 cents per gallon right now. If they cut it in half the State would still get money, but not as much. This would encourage the State to more aggressively find a solution to this problem. We could do the same thing with the Feds.

What if we the people started a gas tax amendment that did something like this?

What if we took the power to tax us more than is reasonable right out of the hands of the legislators?

I think something like that would be a spur in the sides of the governing officials to push them to find a working solution to these problems.

What do you think?

You are invited

Do you know how I got into the Vineyard movement? My pastor in the late 1980’s, Mike Bickle, asked a group of leaders in our fellowship to pray about going to a conference at the Anaheim Vineyard with him. Amy and I prayed one time and said…’Lord if you want us to go…you will have to provide the money’.

Soon a few people were giving me money to go to that conference. They didn’t know we had prayed about it…they just felt led to support our going. That event gave me a personal connection with the Vineyard movement that the Lord brought me back to eventually.

There’s another Vineyard conference happening this year not in Anaheim, but at Wheaton College.

http://www.thevineyardchurch.us/regconference/index.htm

I would like you to pray about either going or donating towards someone else in our fellowship going.

This will be a great conference with sessions by Steve Nicholson on power healing…Dan Paxton (my favorite) on building effective teams, Jeff Heidkamp on sharing the gospel….Tom Severson on prayer….Dianne Leman on the Kingdom of God…Don Williams on how to help addicts…Happy Leman on ‘Building the Church”

And lots of great worship and ministry time.

Bert Waggoner (Houston TX) will speak also…along with Eloise McKitric (Children’s Pastor of Evanston Vineyard).

There will be a lot on kids ministry ideas and things related to this.

If you can only do one conference this year, please pray hard about this one!

It’s my hope that we will have at least 10 adults and 10 children from our fellowship go to this event. Are you one of those twenty?

The childrens conference sessions are limited to only 200 kids.

Is there someone in our fellowship that you feel should attend this event? Are you willing to go but don’t have the funds? Just pray and let the Lord answer your prayer. If He wants you there, He can provide.

Thanks!

David Bielby

Exegetical Fallacies by D.A. Carson

I write reviews on Amazon.com

Here is my latest review I've written. This one is about a book by D.A. Carson called Exegetical Fallacies. If you've ever heard someone teach that Agape is one kind of love in Greek...Phileo is another kind...and that Agape is God's unconditional love...and that Phileo is brotherly love...then you need to read this review...and Dr. Carson's book.

Here it is.


I've been pastoring for about 10 yrs...do sermon prep in the Greek text and try to bring the text in a relevant way to my congregation. This book has a ton of great error checkers for those who work with any Greek at all.

For example, the Root Word fallacy section...Carson deals with issues that have bothered me for a long time. One of the most famous is the AGAPE is a special kind of God's love...that is different from PHILEO. Think with me on this for a minute...if the devil could get pastors to miss the biblical definition on the most important virtue in the bible...then he has shifted their entire ministry off base to a degree. That is what has happened in America today with so many bible teachers/preachers appealing to the Greek meaning of Agape as different from Phileo...

Carson calls the approach a root fallacy...in other words the root meaning of the word reveals the true meaning of the word.
One of his illustrations is "Good-bye" which originally was 'God be with ye'. He points out that no one is thinking today 'God be with ye' when they are saying Good-bye....it is a similar thing to probe for the root meaning of the Greek word and then try to bring a revelation out that 'changes' the translation to something deeper, more spiritual. It's really a twisting of the text into a wrong definition.

Agape is frequently used to describe lots of feelings outside of God's love. The popular teaching that Agape is God's love...that it means unconditional love...whereas Phileo means brotherly love doesn't stand up if you do a basic word study in the bible of the two words. When I was first in the ministry I was stunned to find that word studies in the LXX & GNT did not back up this very popular teaching-that Agape is God's unconditional love...and Phileo is human love...of a lower grade. Almost everyone in my congregation had heard that popular teaching somewhere...either on Christian radio, books, magazines, or TV. But in fact, it seemed that the two words for love were used interchangeably a lot. Not only that...agape is used in one place to describe a rapists feelings for his victim!!!! How could that be God's unconditional love? Something is very wrong with the popular teachings on love today.

To my delight, Carson shows why this is so...and how to identify these sorts of errors. The book is a little hard to understand in some places because he packs so much into each paragraph, but if you find the issue you are working on and read his stuff slowly, it should alter the way you approach God's word (if your approach is flawed).

One really cannot get to a more important issue than dealing with a definition of love...can we?

Some of the criticism about negativity in this book is probably fair...but there is so much linguistic nonsense out there being taught in the name of spirituality, it's tough to deal with it all in a 'positive' way. I just think all pastors should read and more importantly learn to apply this book when doing exegesis for sermons.

Hope you get two copies and give an extra one to a pastor friend.

Cure rate goes up!!!

The A.L.L. cure rate (the kind of cancer little David had), is going up to over 90%!
http://www.stjude.org/media/0,2561,453_2086_20340,00.html

So far David has no side effects. We're excited he's doing so well.

David Bielby

Hannah Thorp Announcment

Distribution to the general public, friends & family of Derek & Laura Thorp.

Please pass this information on to members of the church/friends of the church whom you think may not receive email or who know the Thorps.

Hannah Thorp’s visitation time is now set for Friday February 24, 2006 from 4 to 6:30 PM.

Her funeral will be on Saturday February 25, 2006 at 10 AM.

Both the visitation and the funeral will be held at the Vineyard Christian Fellowship
located at 3501 Joshua Tree Rd. Bloomington, IL.

Please note that directions to the Vineyard on the internet mapping services is incorrect.

Please go to the info/directions page at the Vineyard website for an accurate map.

The direct link is: http://www.bloomingtonvineyard.org/info/info.html

Scroll to the bottom of the page for the map.

There will be a lunch provided after the graveside service. For those interested in assisting with the lunch, please contact Rebecca Hovar or the Church office. 309-827-8292.

Meals have been organized for the Thorps. Melissa Marko is the contact person for that.

Please keep the Thorp family in your prayers as they walk through this valley. Pray that they will be kept & comforted by the Lord Jesus Himself.

Thank you so much.

David Bielby

Exercise, Supplements & Alcohol

This very interesting study http://www.stjude.org/act/0,2526,418_2045_19156,00.html

shows three things: Exercise builds bone health for post ALL patients. Nutritional supplements & alcohol may inhibit bone health.

Now I didn't expect that finding at all. I would have expected to see supplements aiding bone development.

I wonder why the opposite occured?

Little David Overcomes

Little David has overcome in his battle with leukemia. The Lord's hand has helped him make it through all the chemotherpay and procedures that were part of his treatment at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis. When he started they cure rate there was 80% for kids (70% nationwide). They have since raised the published cure rate to 85%. We were told yesterday by his attending physician that the new cure rate will be raised to 92 or 93% for ALL. That is based on the current feedback for kids in his protocol.

We are excited that this kind of progress has been made with the research group our son is part of. The things learned will help other cancer patients...especially kids with cancer...to find cures faster and with fewer side effects!!!

Little David helping me install new calipers for our van brakes

Fund raiser for St. Jude/Chili's

http://www.stjude.org/corporate/0,2516,410_2034_19059,00.html

Sept 26 is the date to eat out at Chili's. 100% of their profits that day go to St. Jude Children's Hospital.

Please go there if you can on Sept 26th.

Thank you!!

Christian Response to Hurricane Katrina Sermon Notes from David Bielby at Vineyard Christian Fellowship Preached September 4, 2005

Christian response to Hurricane Katrina
Edited by David Bielby
Contributions from Sam Storms, Happy Leman, David Bielby

Introduction:

To All Vineyard Midwest Pastors & The Church Family,

I just spent one hour on a conference call with the National Vineyard Board discussing our relief efforts to the people impacted by hurricane Katrina. First, let me share a couple of good stories.
• The Vineyard in Kenner, Louisiana is brand new. This was to be their first Sunday in a $5M building. The building was first reported under watered and destroyed. A policeman has reported there is no visible exterior damage and no water around the building.
• The downtown New Orleans Vineyard is under water. The pastor saw people from his church sitting on rooftops needing to be rescued.
• Another downtown Vineyard meets in a hotel which is heavily damaged by water and wind.
• The Vineyard in Slidell is a miracle story. Only four buildings in the entire town were not damaged. The church and pastors' home are two of those four.
As a Vineyard, we want to help the 13 Vineyards in Louisiana, 3 in Mississippi, and others throughout the Panhandle of Florida and Alabama. Nationally, we are devising two tracks. The first track is short term in which we will attempt to raise money. This money will go to Vineyard churches and people in those churches. Our nation-wide goal is to raise in the neighborhood of $500,000 over the next month.

Our other track is to devise plans to help resettle people in larger cities. If we do not resettle them in Champaign-Urbana, we could help the bigger cities such as Chicago, St. Louis, Milwaukee, Minneapolis in resettlement efforts. We will know more about that strategy after a National Board Meeting in 10 days.

Obviously the damage is great and the needs are overwhelming. Please be generous in your response to helping other hurting members of God's family and our own Vineyard Community. Thanks in advance.


A) Common Favor
1. Preventative effect: Common favor restrains sin and its effect.
The Mark the Lord put on Cain so people would not kill him for his sin…that is ‘common favor’ Gen 4:15


NLT 2 Thessalonians 2:6 And you know what is holding him back, for he can be revealed only when his time comes. 7 For this lawlessness is already at work secretly, and it will remain secret until the one who is holding it back steps out of the way. 8 Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will consume with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. 9 This evil man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. 10 He will use every kind of wicked deception to fool those who are on their way to destruction because they refuse to believe the truth that would save them. 11 So God will send great deception upon them, and they will believe all these lies. 12 Then they will be condemned for not believing the truth and for enjoying the evil they do.

Common Favor is very much like the electricity, alarm systems, video cameras, police protection and security guards that protect people and property in a city. When all that is gone, like it has been gone in New Orleans this past week, then the power of evil rises with stunning quickness. This is because the common protection on the city was lifted. So it is in society when God’s commonly given favor is lifted off of a nation or a city, one can see the effect of the seething nature of corrupt humanity. Common favor restrains evil in our society much like the security and police networks/equipment do in an ordinary city today.

2. Delayed judgment: Common favor delays the issuing of judgement until a later date.

NLT 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord isn't really being slow about his promise to return, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to perish, so he is giving more time for everyone to repent.

This is God’s favor driven by His love for all people.


3. Checks the forces of nature: NIV Romans 8:20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.. The question we ought to ask is this…if Creation is decaying because of the effects of sin in the world, then why is it that we don’t see more
Of the sorts of things that happened in New Orleans?
Hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, fires, earthquakes, typhoons are all part of the frustration that the creation has been subjected to.

4. God gives favor to creation and to humanity (but not reaching all the way to salvation). Gifts, talents, aptitudes, interests and worthy tasks…science and the arts as well as the general Ability of human beings to pursue noble tasks completely apart from the gift of salvation Is the realm of God’s common favor to all mankind.
ESV Acts 14:16 In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. 17 Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness."

ESV Matthew 5:44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

B)Saving Favor

NLT Ephesians 2:8 God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

Human folly
The wise man built his house upon the rock. The foolish man built his house on the sand.

ESV Matthew 7:24 "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it."

C)Common Favor will lift while Saving Favor continues to multiply

NIV Luke 21:11 There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.

ESV Revelation 7:9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,

Ultimately this will culminate in all common favor being completely lifted and saving favor coming to its fullest extent when everyone who is going to be saved has been saved and the remaining people in the world will be judged at the final judgment.

D)Christians bearing saving favor must rescue those living under a receding canopy of common favor.

NLT Luke 10:25 One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: "Teacher, what must I do to receive eternal life?" 26 Jesus replied, "What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?" 27 The man answered, " 'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.' And, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' " 28 "Right!" Jesus told him. "Do this and you will live!" 29 The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" 30 Jesus replied with an illustration: "A Jewish man was traveling on a trip from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes and money, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road. 31 "By chance a Jewish priest came along; but when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. 32 A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side. 33 "Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt deep pity. 34 Kneeling beside him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with medicine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. 35 The next day he handed the innkeeper two pieces of silver and told him to take care of the man. 'If his bill runs higher than that,' he said, 'I'll pay the difference the next time I am here.' 36 "Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?" Jesus asked. 37 The man replied, "The one who showed him mercy." Then Jesus said, "Yes, now go and do the same."

E)Christians walking in saving favor must not engage in political bickering.
F)Christians walking in saving favor must lead in this tragic hour.

Southern Baptist Arkansas District-organizing campgrounds across their state to take in refugees.

Many churches nationwide are taking offerings today.

Franklin Graham challenged every church in the affected region to take in 10 refugees…which would completely solve the problem.
G)Vineyard has a missing persons list on the national website.
Phil Jeansonne - the Kenner, LA (New Orleans area) Vineyard pastor and Area Pastor Coordinator, is staying at a church camp north of New Orleans. He has very little communication, and probably knows less than you do about what is happening because of that -- can be emailed at olepisc@i-55.com

There is such a gasoline shortage here in Jackson that even the emergency vehicles are having trouble finding fuel. The ambulances in Jackson will stop running if they can't find diesel fuel today. If you are sending crews to help, be sure you have enough fuel to get in and out of where ever you are going. I-10 is closed, and I would check on any other ro! ads south of Jackson. Some of them are open only to relief vehicles.

There is a great need for folks to clean up tree damage from Jackson south. Water and gasoline are in short supply everywhere, and there is limited electricity.

Jackson has doubled in population because of the refugees. The shelters here are short of bedding, food, water, clothing, baby supplies, etc. Many of the refugees have almost no clothing, because they didn't plan on staying long, and there is no way to wash clothing. There is very limited electric power. The shelter at the coliseum in Jackson is housing 1500 refugees (without air-conditioning. ) Many of these people will be there for a long time. They put out a plea for help yesterday.

Vineyard Jackson's ministry (My Father's House - that houses 22 addicts in a 6 month program) lost all of the food in their big walk-in freezer. Today, they purchased a $1650 generator to keep the freezer going, but now ! they don't have any food. The men are required to pay $125 a week to stay in the program, and most of them are not working because their places of employment don't have any power. This program is almost entirely self-supporting. Any help for them can be channeled through

Vineyard Church of Jackson (specify MFH on checks)
PO Box 4189
Jackson, MS 39047

Or if you have specific questions, you can call the director,

Maria Pond
601-955-9023
601-937-1519
601-354-0950

I'll try to keep you up to date on what is happening.

Blessings from Jackson,

Bruce Wimberley
Pastor of the Vineyard Church of Jackson

--

A letter from Pete Kennedy the pastor of the Baton Rouge Vineyard:

This is the Baton Rouge Vineyard located about 70 miles to the west of New Orleans. We still have a significant power outtage in the Baton Rouge area but the church is still up and running with all services. We own our own facilities on 17 acres of land including a fairly big warehouse...approx. 1500sf which can be used to relay supplies if needed. We are getting lots of calls about relief shipments from other Vineyards and I am telling them to contact Housten. Baton rouge is and will remaine a significant relief center for months to come and items like blankets, pillows, cotts, personal items(tooth brushetc.) and non perishaable foods (rice beans soups etc.)are all in short supply. We are able to receive and distribute such supplies immediately should Vineyard want to direct churches to us. Please pray with us as to what the Lord wants our part to b! e in this disaster...especially for our Vineyard brothers and sisters.

If you can help with relief aid you can contact Pete at petek@brvineyard.org.

In His Service,
Pete Kennedy


Conclusion:

We who live in God’s saving favor choose today to extend ourselves to those who are suffering as God’s common favor has receded from their region-to an extent.

We are going to take an special offering to join forces with the Vineyard movement to help churches recover in the stricken areas, but also to empower them to help in the greatest areas of need.

Our vision is to grow a life-giving, Kingdom minded congregation that touches this world for Jesus…taking as many people with us to heaven as we can before we go. Therefore it’s exceptionally critical that we respond to imminent and real needs physically and spiritually. We do not function as good Samaritans to become saved, but because we have already received ‘saving favor’ from the Lord.

1)Give
2)Form a catastrophe response team
3)Help find and relocate one family here
4)Pray with College Avenue Baptist Church & the community on Wednesday 6:30 to 7:30 pm.

To all Christians of Bloomington/Normal,

We are inviting you to join us for a Hurricane Katrina Prayer Assembly this Wednesday evening September 7, 2005 at College Avenue Baptist Church in Normal from 6:30 to 7:30 PM. This inter-denominational prayer meeting is being jointly sponsored by College Avenue Baptist Church and the Vineyard Christian Fellowship of Bloomington/Normal. You are invited to come this Wednesday evening to College Avenue Baptist Church for prayer. You are also encouraged to forward this note to any Christian you feel may be interested in joining us for this event.

During this assembly we will be taking a collection for relief of the suffering we see in the affected areas.

St. Jude 2005 Telethon

BIG NEWS: The annual St. Jude Memphis to Peoria run, which is a well known fund raiser for St. Jude happens August 6th. As part of this, TV25 in Peoria helps put up billboards all over central Illinois. This year David and several other children were selected to be in the billboard. When they go up, look at the weather man, Lee Ranson, and you’ll see David sitting on his lap. It was quite an experience to go into the TV studios and meet all the news people we’ve watched for years.

I will be sending out an appeal on behalf of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital this year to coincide with the telethon. I’ll be on the air at 7:30 to 8:30 PM August 6th. My telethon number will be 309-763-6922 for that hour only. There is research going on at St. Jude right now which may help bring the cure rate for leukemia for children close to 100%. It’s now being quoted at 85%. I have to say that of all the hospitals I’ve seen St. Jude is very unique. They have world leaders in multiple fields working together with primary research capabilities on all of the terminal cancers-with a special focus on children. Did you know that when China had the SARS scare a few years ago there were three doctors flown in from
the USA to help stop it. The head of St. Jude’s infectious disease department was one of the three. I could go on and on for a long time about the virtues of St. Jude’s medical care. Suffice it to say this, that If you are interested in investing in children’s cancer research, it is cutting edge, world class treatment.

The goal they’ve asked me to meet as a VIP for this years Telethon is to raise $1,000 for the telethon. I think we can beat that by quite a bit. All of the proceeds will go directly to St. Jude in Memphis. The Memphis hospital funds the Peoria clinic fees not covered by insurance.

For those of you in Central Illinois, St. Jude Midwest Affiliate in Peoria cares for about 70 children who have cancer. In the past year we’ve lost about 6 of those children. More children are being diagnosed with cancer each year. I’m honored and excited that the clinic staff has chosen us to represent them on TV this year.

Romans as a missions letter

While reading Paul's letter to the Romans, I was struck with how it may be viewed as a missions letter ultimately. It seems that Paul was hoping to develop a deeper bond with the Romans so that when he travelled beyond Rome, towards the west, that they would be excited about investing in his mission there.

Then I found this in Dr. Douglas Moo's NICNT on Romans, pg 290.

"In this letter to the Romans, Paul explains and defends his gospel to a Christian community he has neither founded nor visited but which he hopes to enlist as supporters of an evangelistic campaign in the western Mediterranean."

That's exactly what I thought when I read the letter through in one sitting.

What better way to encourage people to invest in a church planting ministry than for the Apostle to lay out his teaching in a clear and inspiringly thorough way so there are no questions about what he teaches or why he teaches it?

I think this is a hidden lesson for missionaries today and for church planters. Minister to those you would like to receive support from and do not go heavy on the request for aid stuff. Lay out the wonderful gospel and what you believe. Enrich the lives of those you hope will assist you.

Ephesians

We are enjoying the book of Ephesians right now. As I've been studying it, I've come to appreciate Dr. F.F.Bruce's commentary. He seems to handle the Greek text very well.

That's my recommended commentary on Ephesians. I also have seen a several places where my old favorite has probably missed the Greek text...so I am not really that hot on Stott's commentary for Greek issues. However, for laying out a pastoral outline, he's really great!

Psalm 90:12 David Bielby

David Bielby

Teach us to number our days

The Lord has impressed Psalm 90:12 on my heart recently.

NKJ Psalm 90:12 So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom.

As I've studied it, I discovered the Greek version of Psalm 90:12 uses the word we get arithmetic from in English. It's translated 'teach us to number'. This idea made me start thinking about counting each of my days. So I decided to count up the number of days in my life so far. This has helped me to subtly put more value on each day...just the simple act of numbering my days. Using a 3x5" index card, I write the date and the day number on the top corner. Then I wait on the Lord and ask Him for a scripture verse to live by that day. After I have something I believe is from Him, then I write it on the card and take that with me for the day. That verse becomes my 'manna' for the day. I pray over it and think about it from time to time. This helps me to make decisions on what to do.

For example, a few days ago I had the verse Ephesians 6:2. "Honor your father and your mother". It just happens that my Dad will be 70 years old this year. And it just happened that I had not planned a thing for his birthday. But after this verse was laid on my heart I began to pray and meditate on how I could honor my Dad. That's when the idea of having a party for him was birthed. Unfortunately he was thinking of going somewhere else on his birthday (by other relatives in another state). But because I started planning to honor him on his birthday, he adjusted his tentative plans and will be here by us. He will also be honored on his 70th birtday. I hope many people come to the event-but even if only a few come, I was able to put that scripture verse into my daily life. I think that day will count for something before God when this life is evaluated on the judgement day for believers in Christ.

This is just one simple example of how we can 'number our days'. Why not take 3x5" index cards and start numbering your days literally. Put a scripture on today's card. Place value on each day. I think simple things can help us to adjust our values and place an emphasis on the things that really matter. Don't let a day be wasted. You never know how many you have left.