AD's April Devotional

Ministry in a ‘Till Love Do Us Part’ Culture

Fox News.com (July 29, 2005) reported a major shift in our culture’s view of marriage.  They observed that the traditional “till death do us part” vow was being eroded by vows such as  “For as long as our love endures.”    This trend to center the marriage commitment on the couple’s unreliable feelings rather than their deep conviction of the value of a lifetime pledge underscored a major cultural slide away from absolutes into our present post-modern drift.    This subtle but persuasive shift can impact us all in our understanding of commitments in life and even our missionary call.   If, as the culture suggests, ministry is rooted in the vacillating and capricious whelm of our emotional state, we’d all be adrift subject to every wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind (James 1:4-6).   Thankfully, God reached out to us and He will sustain us.    Rom. 5:10 NIV “For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!”   His love draws us out of the sea of cultural uncertainty into a life of hope, based on God’s power to sustain our commitments.     Heb. 6:19 “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.”   There is two ways we can live our lives, i.e. by feelings or by faith.   Because of the changing nature of feelings, this path leads to a “Till Love Do us Part” level of commitment.  The other way is God’s way.   His love draws us apart from this world and anchors our lives and ministry in His unchanging nature.  Two paths, two choices: “Till love Do Us Part” or “His Love Draws Us Apart.”   You choose, but know this: Only God’s way will stand the test of time.

Ernie and Linda Henson - 50 Years of Ordained Ministry

     The Hensons were approved as Assemblies of God missionaries to the Caribbean in 2002.  They served as Missionaries-in-Residence at Northpoint Bible College (formerly Zion Bible College) in Haverhill, Massachusetts from 2008-2013.
     Ernie and Linda pastored 40 years in the United States and in Canada prior to missions appointment to the Bahamas where they established the Abaco Bible College.  Linda is a freelance writer and is published in numerous books, magazines and newspapers and authored her own book, "Touched By the Rain".
     As missionaries-in-residence at Northpoint Bible College they hosted missions trips to Taiwan and China where they lead children's retreats, youth retreats and English camps.
     Ernie was honored for 50 years of ordained ministry and they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this year.  The Hensons have two children.

ADs March Devotional

Cowboy Wisdom 

   Heaven with a Gun is a 1969 western film in which Glenn Ford plays Jim Killian, a gunslinger-turned-preacher arrives in a town divided between cattlemen and sheepherders.  He tries to bring the townsfolk together but the situation flares up when the dominant cattleman, Asa Beck, persuades the cattlemen to block the sheepherders from their only source of water.  The conflict comes to a head when four of Asa’s cowhands burn the church.  In desperation, Jim straps his guns back on to fight the cattlemen alone as his parishioners look on with sadden disillusionment. 

   One friend acting as his conscience exhorts him: “I really thought you had changed!”  “I tried, he replies.”  She continues, “You came to this town saying you were a preacher but what’s that strapped to your hip, a bible, or a 45?  What you’re really saying is that you wouldn’t have had a chance here without your guns!  Maybe you would have failed but you’ll never really know because you didn’t have enough faith in God to try.  It’s your choice.  Gunmen or preacher.  Heaven or hell.   Don’t be half and half because that is really hell.”  Her earthy wisdom sounds like Galatians 3:3 (NIV) “Are you so foolish?  After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?” 

 

   In the end, Jim puts down his gun and rallies the church folk to take a stand against the insanity.  Seeing the whole town united, the cattlemen back down and the crisis is averted.  What about you?  Is your ministry in the spirit or in the flesh?  Based on talent or brokenness?  It’s your decision but the whole world is watching.

ADs February Devotional

 

The Glorious Paradox of Celebrating Life in Death! 

Life is so precious that it defies logic for us to release loved ones when it’s their time.   Yet we see this exhortation, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.” Psalm 116:15.  Death graphically reminds us that we aren’t home yet. (Heb. 11:16) Meanwhile, we journey and don’t lose heart.  Though our outward man is wasting away, we see our inward man being renewed day by day.  Perhaps, there is true life in death and paradoxically a genuine experience of death in our daily life.  

That is the compelling reason that “we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.’ (2 Cor. 4:18)  There is a true sense that “our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”  Glory, God’s glory is tugging at all of our hearts, that yearning to be in our heavenly home.  On January 5, 2013 one of our precious colleagues felt that tug and went home.

 

Kathleen Elizabeth Powers went to glory in a true celebration of life.    Even though her earthly departure was commemorated with great dignity, it is nothing compared to the majesty of her reception in heaven.   As the scripture says,  ^“For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face.”   Kathleen is beholding the face of Jesus.   Kathleen is home.