Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | July 15, 2009

Deuteronomy 13

• Idolatry Not to Be Tolerated | Deuteronomy 12:29–14:2


13:1-18 | Chapter 12 dealt with places that might tempt Israel to serve other gods. Chapter 13 deals with people who might tempt Israel to follow after other gods. The enemies in chapter 12 were the Canaanites. The enemies in chapter 13 are trusted people within the congregation of Israel. This chapter deals with the matter of resisting enticement to apostasy. The central thrust of the chapter is to impress upon the people the importance of being totally committed to the Lord. Moses used three cases to illustrate the possible ways the people might be enticed to follow and worship other gods. Each case contains the phrase “Let us go after other gods … “ (13:2, 6, 13).

First, Moses cautioned the people against being seduced to apostasy by a prophet or a dreamer of dreams (13:1-5). Moses said that even if such a prophet authenticated his ministry by the performance of miracles (13:2), they should not allow such an individual to entice them to follow after and serve other gods (13:3). Instead, they should remain faithful to the Lord (13:4) and put the prophet to death and so purge the evil from among them (13:5). Any prophet who suggests that the people follow after other gods was a false prophet. The content of a prophet’s message will betray its origin. A true prophet would never tempt the people to violate the first (5:7) and greatest commandment (6:5).

Second, Moses tightened the circle by cautioning the people against being seduced to apostasy by a member of their own family or by a close and cherished friend (13:6-11). Often, the strongest temptations come from nearest friends. Moses knew and understood the powerful influence of relatives and friends. In one survey of ten thousand people who were asked the question, “Who was responsible for your coming to the church?”, 79% responded that they came to church because of the influence of a friend or relative. Even in cases where the seducer was a relative or friend, he or she was to be decisively dealt with. The tempter was to be put to death by stoning (13:9-10). Such decisive punishment would serve as a warning to others against committing the same crime (13:11).

Third, Moses told the people that the enticement to apostasy was to be dealt with even if it meant the destruction of an entire city (13:12-18). He told the people that if it was heard (13:12-14) and confirmed (13:14) that the inhabitants of a city were involved in enticing others to follow after other gods, the entire city and everything in it was to be destroyed and burned (13:15-17). Nothing was to remain that might serve to profit others. This total destruction served as a deterrent against such action being motivated by the prospect of material gain. Verse 16 states that such a city was to “be a ruin forever. It shall never be rebuilt.” Such a sight would serve as a visual reminder of the high price of idolatry to both present and future generations.

We must take evil seriously. | Moses understood the danger the Israelites would face both from without and within the congregation. He cautioned the people to not be led astray by religious people, friends and family, or people in the community. He outlined the serious steps to be followed in order to hold accountable those individuals guilty of leading others astray. The consequences of leading others astray illustrate the fact that Moses took evil seriously. We too, must take evil seriously. We must be willing to remove from our lives anything that seeks to destroy our love and devotion to God. We must quickly and decisively deal with anything in our lives that turns us away from serving God.

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Posted in Bible Study

Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | July 13, 2009

The Junkaholic

   Our Sixth Grade Mission Team has worked hard over the past few days. They have blessed children and the elderly in Houston’s Third and Fourth Wards through many practical expressions of God’s love. Our young students have worked cheerfully and without complaint and demonstrated initiative and flexibility beyond their years. One of our assignments on Saturday was to clean the home of an elderly woman in a wheelchair. Our hosts told us that the woman’s home was filled with items that would need to be sorted and packed in boxes – lots of boxes! So, I purchased boxes and packing tape and markers for the assignment.

   We arrived at the woman’s home on Saturday after lunch. The modest little house looked like every other home on the block with nothing particularly distinctive to set it apart. It’s a white frame house with blue trim and a small yard enclosed by a chain-link fence. However, the well-kept exterior of the house was hiding an awful secret, one that even the closest neighbors would never suspect. Every room was filled with a lifetime of junk piled as high as my shoulders. A narrow trail led from the front door to the other rooms of the house. Piles of junk covered the windows and all of the furniture. When I walked into the house I picked up a can of outdated food and crushed a scorpion hiding next to the can with my hand – first-fruits of what this task would hold for our students.

   I am proud of our students. They did not back away from the challenge or the foul odors inside the house. We divided them into teams and sent them into the abyss armed with gloves, shovels, trash bags, and boxes. They salvaged any useful personal items and discarded the rest of the junk. They found one dead rat under a pile of mildewed clothes that reeked of the urine of the owner’s many cats. And, they found the brittle carcasses of countless roaches who could not survive in this hostile environment. After hours of work, we made a dent in the piles, but follow-up teams will have to finish the work. I am not sure that I understand how a person becomes a junkaholic or a hoarder. But, I offer the following observations about our experience on Saturday.

  First, indecision creates clutter. Based upon what we found in the house, I have concluded that the owner was unable to make decisions about what to keep and what to discard. Therefore, useful things and useless things took on equal significance. In fact, many of the useful things in the house were buried and ruined under piles of useless things. When we lose the capacity to make decisions about the worth of things, then treasure can be easily ruined by trash.
 
   Second, clutter creates chaos. The woman had no idea where things were in her home, only that she had them. She knew that she had family photo albums but did not know where they were. She knew she had awards and recognitions and favorite books, but could not find them. We even found bags of groceries with cans of food with expiration dates several years old buried under piles of useless junk. And, because there was so much junk in the house, the poor woman was incapacitated in her own home, unable to do anything more than navigate the narrow trail that led from room to room.

   Third, chaos creates hazards. The confusing and disorderly state of the woman’s home created several hazards. The filthy environment — piles of clothes and stuff soiled by cats and rats and roaches and vermin — created hazards to her health. The state of her home also created hazards to her relationships. She had long ago stopped inviting guests into her home. And, her home presented major threats to her own personal safety – fire hazards, foul odors, the prospect of being bitten by a variety of insects, and more.

   Perhaps the saddest thing of all was that the woman had grown accustomed to her clutter. In fact, she seemed almost blind or oblivious to the whole mess. She never rummaged through the layers of junk nor did she keep an inventory. She just kept tossing the latest stuff on top of the piles of old junk in each room. And, although she knew she had things she might need someday, she could not locate any of those things. So, instead of managing her junk, this junkaholic allowed her junk to manage her. She willingly gave up the limited square footage in her modest little house to junk! She allowed junk to rob her and to marginalize her existence, one pile at a time. And, in the process she lost sight of the things that really are worth something.

   It’s easy to shake our heads and to point a finger at this poor woman. Yet, while we would never allow our homes to fall into such a sad state, it’s easy to allow our hearts to do so. We can easily deceive others with our outward appearance. However, God sees what we are harboring on the inside. He can see the clutter and the garbage of moral filth, ethical failures, bitterness, grudge-holding, selfishness, excuses for poor behavior, blaming others, and the many other things that keep us from loving Him, loving others, and moving on toward maturity in Christ. All of these are things that can incapacitate us, hinder our growth, and marginalize our influence for the kingdom. It would behoove us to set aside time to take a personal inventory of our hearts and to allow God to take out the garbage. Don’t become a junkaholic by hoarding things that will keep you from becoming all that you are meant to be in Christ. Get in the habit of de-cluttering, one day at a time!

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Posted in Devotional Thoughts

Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | July 10, 2009

John R. Mott

John R Mott   John R. Mott is one of my historical mentors. A historical mentor is someone who, although dead, continues to influence succeeding generations through writings and a life well-lived. Mott was born May 25, 1865 in Livingston Manor, New York and became a believer at a young age. He was a brilliant young man who was interested in pursuing a career in either law or business. God, however, had other plans for him. While a sophomore at Cornell University, Mott arrived late for a lecture by J.K. Studd on January 14, 1886. As he entered the room he heard Studd say, “Young man, seekest thou great things for thyself? Seek them not! Seek ye first the kingdom of God.” Studd’s words pierced his heart and kept him up that night. Mott later met privately with Studd for a conversation. That conversation changed the course of Mott’s life.

   In the summer of 1886, Mott attended a conference in Mount Hermon, Massachusetts held by D.L. Moody. On the final day of that conference, a young man from Princeton named Robert Wilder issued a missionary challenge and an appeal for personal commitment. One hundred of the 251 college-aged men in attendance from 89 colleges and universities signed the Princeton Pledge which read, “We hold ourselves willing and desirous to do the Lord’s work wherever He may call us, even if it be in the foreign lands.” These men became known as the “Mount Hermon Hundred.” John R. Mott was among the one-hundred men who signed the pledge. That meeting was the beginning of what would later be known as the Student Volunteer Movement for Foreign Missions. Mott led this movement for thirty years and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1946 for his work in international church and missionary movements.

   The Student Volunteer Movement’s motto was, “The evangelization of the world in this generation.” Mott felt that the best hope for the fulfillment of this motto was to mobilize college students to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. He successfully mobilized students from different denominational backgrounds around this unifying purpose and consequently helped organize the World Student Christian Federation that included societies in about 3,000 schools around the world. In April 1901, Mott spoke on the responsibility of young people for the evangelization of the world. His words are as relevant today as on the day he spoke them. In this speech, Mott said, “The last command of Christ is operative until it is repealed. It is not optional, as some would assume, but obligatory. It awaits its fulfillment by a generation which shall have the requisite faith and courage, and audacity and the purpose of heart to do their duty to the whole world.”

   Today, the last command of Christ still awaits its fulfillment. And today, multiplied thousands of students still continue to heed the call “to do their duty to the whole world” — to the nations. As I travel around the world, I am most encouraged and inspired by the audacious commitment of Christian students. I have met students serving the least of these from Darfur to the sewers of Delhi. I have talked with young backpackers trekking to mountain villages and shared rickshaws with students navigating back streets of mega-cities. I have watched young people laugh and play with filthy street kids and weep for the dying in Mother Teresa’s homes. I believe there is hope for reaching the nations with the truth of the gospel because of students like these “who have the requisite faith and courage, and audacity and the purpose of heart to do their duty to the whole world.” Perhaps this is the generation of students Mott dreamed of.

   Today, over three-hundred Kingsland students will leave our campus to serve in missions initiatives from Houston to the Gulf Coast, from New Mexico to Old Mexico, and in Nicaragua. Please pray for our students as they join hundreds of thousands of other students who are serving around the planet this summer. Because of their work, many will come to faith in Christ. And, join me in praying for what Mott longed for — “the evangelization of the world in this generation.”

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Posted in Biographies

Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | July 9, 2009

Deuteronomy 12

• Worship in an Approved Place | Deuteronomy 12:1-28

12:1-12 | Chapters 12 through 26 of Deuteronomy contain a long series of laws which were given to govern life in the Promised Land. Deuteronomy 12:1 states that the Israelites were to carefully (“which you shall carefully observe”) and continually (“as long as you live on the earth”) observe God’s laws. The discussion of the law begins with the law related to worship. This is an important place to begin a discussion of the law. A people who are not properly related to their God will not be concerned about observing other aspects of the law. Notice the following considerations concerning worship in the Promised Land.

First, the Israelites were to utterly destroy the idolatrous shrines of the Canaanites (12:2-3). The Canaanites were an idolatrous people (see also Deuteronomy 7:1-5) who sacrificed their sons and daughters to their gods (12:31). The reason for destroying the pagan shrines was to remove the temptation to use/adopt both the places and practices of pagan worship (12:29-31).

We must hate what God hates. | We should love the things that God loves and hate the things God hates. When we love things that God hates, we will have problems in our lives. When we hate things that God loves, we will also have problems in our lives. James wrote, “You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4).

We should guard against the things that distract us from worship. | The Israelites were instructed to remove the idolatrous influences of the Canaanites lest they be distracted in their worship. God wanted the undivided loyalty of His people in worship. We too, should guard against anything that keeps us from participating in worship or distracts us while we are involved in worship. We should give God our undivided attention in worship.

Second, the Israelites were to worship at “the place … the Lord your God chooses,” a phrase that appears six times in chapter 12 (verses 5, 11, 14, 18, 21, 26) and a total of twenty-one times in chapters 12 through 17. Notice the following considerations regarding the place of worship.

A. Deuteronomy 12:5 – “there you shall come.” The Israelites were to worship God in the place of His choosing in a manner different than that of Canaan’s inhabitants (12:4, 31). The Israelites were to come to the place where God chose “to establish His name” (12:5) or make “His name to dwell” (12:11). Some scholars comment that the phrase is used as an affirmation of ownership while others feel it refers to the place where God manifests His presence.

B. Deuteronomy 12:11 – “there you shall bring.”

C. Deuteronomy 12:14 – “there you shall offer.”

D. Deuteronomy 12:14 – “there you shall do.”

Third, the Israelites were to do several things at the place of worship.

A. They were to bring their offerings to the Lord (12:6, 11, 13-14, 17, 26-27).

B. They were to rejoice before the Lord (12:7, 12, 18). Their worship was to be characterized by joy.

C. They were to obey the Lord (12:28, 32).

12:13-28 | Moses instructed the people to offer sacrifices at “the place which the Lord chooses” (12:14). The people were at liberty, however, to slaughter animals for food at any place (12:15), but were prohibited from eating the blood of those animals (12:16). Tithes were to be brought to the sanctuary (12:6-7 and 17-18). The people were reminded and admonished not to forget or neglect the Levite (12:19) who had “no portion or inheritance” (12:12). Verses 13-19 are repeated, reemphasized, and expanded in verses 20-28. The repetition in this chapter may seem a bit tedious, but we must remember that Deuteronomy was presented in sermonic form. Repetition is important in oral presentations since the listeners do not have the benefit of written words that can be reread or reviewed.

• Idolatry Not to Be Tolerated | Deuteronomy 12:29–14:2

12:29-32 | Moses cautioned the people to avoid all contact with the Canaanite religious system lest they become ensnared in it (12:30). The idolatrous practices of the Canaanites, which included the sacrifice of children, were an abomination in the sight of God (12:31).

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Posted in Bible Study

Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | July 7, 2009

Living with Loss

   It’s been a little more than a month since my beautiful Mom passed away. To say that I miss her would be an understatement. Coming to grips with the fact that I will never see her again or hear her voice on this side of heaven is, without question, the toughest thing of all. I just want to talk with her again. I have read that patients who undergo the amputation of a limb often experience phantom pains or sensations in a limb which is no longer there. That may be the best way to describe the feelings I have when I instinctively reach for my phone to call Mom. Throughout all of the years I have lived away from home, I talked with Mom at least two or three times a week. I loved talking with her because she always made me laugh. I miss her laughter and her humor. But, I also miss her tears. Mom had a compassionate heart and would often cry when I shared stories about my latest initiatives to care for the least of these. Her tears were a sweet affirmation and an encouragement to me to keep investing in those who are less fortunate.

   Over the years I have officiated at lots of funerals and talked with lots of people about living with loss and grief. I have walked quietly beside others after funeral services, in the difficult days after flowers have faded and friends have departed — in the days marked by denial, anger, sadness, and more. And now, I am walking that road. Progress is slow. Some days I take two steps forward and one step back. If I live another fifty years, I know that I will never get over losing my beautiful Mom. My only option is to learn to live with her absence. I’ve already had days when I have been so overwhelmed by emotion that I have cried out to God, asking Him to tell me how I can live the rest of my life with the pain of her absence. And, He has answered by giving me the grace to live through another day. I know that His grace is sufficient and that He will continue to supply what I need, one day at a time.

   Grief is a normal and natural response to loss. It’s the emotional pain we feel when someone we love or something we depend on is taken away. If you do a Google search on the grief process you will find many helpful articles. I do not want to restate what has already been written about loss and grief. Instead, I want to write about how I am dealing with the loss of my Mom at this particular time. Grieving is a personal and highly individual experience. There is no right or wrong way to grieve nor a specified time table in which to work through our grief. Everyone who grieves will experience similar emotions and reactions but not necessarily in the same way. So, how I am handling my grief is the way I am handling my grief and not a prescription or pattern for others to follow. Here is what I have experienced over the past month.

Realization | The toughest thing for me has been dealing with the realization that I will not see my Mom again on this side of heaven. King David understood this when he lost a child. After the death of his baby he remarked to his servants, “I shall go to him, but he will not return to me” (2 Sam. 12:23). Because I believe the promises of God’s Word, I grieve with hope — believing that my Mom is safe in the arms of the Lord Jesus whom she loved. Mom cannot return to me, but I will go to her one day.

Celebration | One of the things that has helped me through these difficult days is reflecting on all of the great memories I have. I was privileged to enjoy a wonderful and secure childhood with parents who loved each other and who loved each of their children. When my mind is not focused on something else, it defaults to thinking about Mom and all that she did to make my childhood and growing-up years so meaningful. I am thankful for so many good memories to celebrate. Writing about Mom is helping me to work through my grief.

Conversation | I am thankful for all of the friends who have called, written cards and e-mails, and who have personally taken the time to chat with me. So many have shared with me about losing a parent and have testified to how God has helped them. Each of these friends has said the same thing, “It’s been x-number of years, and I still miss my (parent).” I have been encouraged to hear others share and celebrate their special memories. And, I am especially thankful for those who have just listened.

Dedication | I know the things that pleased my Mom and made her happy. It has helped me to rededicate or reaffirm my commitment to those things — all of which are things pleasing to God. I always tried to honor and respect my Mom when she was alive. I am committed to those same values after her death and would not want to do anything to dishonor her memory.

Inspiration | Reading the Scriptures is essential to coping with loss and dealing with grief. I have especially enjoyed reading the Psalms. David and the other writers of the Psalms understood loss, grief, and pain. Their words not only speak to me, they also speak for me. I have taken the words of the psalmists, made them my own, and offered them to God in prayer.

   It has only been a short time since Mom died. I have only taken a few short steps since her death and still have a lifetime to go. I understand that the grieving process takes time and cannot be forced or hurried. I will be patient. And, I am thankful that I do not have to walk this difficult road alone. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me” (Ps. 23:4).

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Posted in Home and Family, Living with ...

Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | July 5, 2009

Cancer in Pakistan

Leah Pullin My friend Leah Pullin was diagnosed with breast cancer six years ago this month. Leah and her husband Lee are very dear friends. We have shared many adventures among unreached people groups in remote and difficult places around the planet. Leah is with us today as a living testimony to God’s grace. None of us ever imagined how God would use her story to encourage so many women at home and abroad who are battling cancer. In recent years, God opened doors for Leah to speak to women in Pakistan about breast cancer. She was able to tell women about “the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God” (2 Cor. 1:3-4). Here is a brief summary of Leah’s story and of how God is using her to comfort and encourage other women.

OG | Leah, what was it like when you heard the word cancer used for the first time in your diagnosis?

LP | I got the phone call mid-morning on July 14, 2003. Grace was just barely nine months old and was on the floor, playing at my feet. When I heard the “cancer” word, my first thought was, “Grace will never remember me.” Later that day, I realized that Hudson, who was 3 years old, would likely spend his life looking at a picture of me trying to remember who I was. All the memories of his first three years of life and the time that we shared would die with me.

OG | The church I previously served in Irving, Texas prayed fervently for you when we learned of your diagnosis. And, so many of the people we’ve met on our travels around the world also prayed for you. How did knowing that so many people were praying for you help you in your battle against cancer?

LP | Because my prognosis was so bad, the only hope I had was in God. Knowing that people around the world were praying for me brought peace and the power to cling to my faith — to trust God. I believe that His power was unleashed in my life because of His mercy in answering the many prayers on my behalf. In moments when I couldn’t pray, I knew others were standing before the throne on my behalf. I had a prayer-pager that people would call whenever they had prayed for me. That pager beeped night and day!

OG | According to the Pakistani National Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign, Pakistan has the highest rate of breast cancer for any Asian population, accounting for 40,000 deaths per year. That means that about one in nine Pakistani women will get breast cancer. How did you first become aware of the problem of breast cancer in Pakistan?

LP | In 2006, I was working with Campus Crusade for Christ on a strategy to use breast cancer as a platform to share Christ with university students. I began to wonder if using breast cancer education could serve as an effective platform for sharing the Gospel with women in “hard to reach countries.” Pakistan had been on my heart and in my prayers for years — especially after you and Lee went to Pakistan after the devastating earthquake in 2005. I did a Google search on breast cancer rates in Asian and Muslim countries and found the statistics on Pakistan.

OG | Why did you feel the call to go to Pakistan to speak with women about breast cancer?

LP | Prior to getting sick, I had worked with Muslims enough to know that it’s difficult to start spiritual conversations with Muslim women. When you approach them, they will almost always involve their husbands. Many times if a husband becomes a Christ-follower, his wife will do so out of obedience to her husband and not necessarily at the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Many of our friends who work in Muslim countries had been looking for creative ways to share Christ with Muslim women. The goal of my first trip to Pakistan in 2007 was to determine if using breast cancer awareness was a viable platform for starting spiritual conversations with women.

OG | What educational resources do women in Pakistan have to help them understand breast cancer?

LP | The elite women of Pakistan have internet access and a lot of breast cancer awareness material. However, this is a narrow slice of the population. The majority of women have very little access to any educational resources. The government-run breast cancer awareness campaign is really aimed at the educated and not the majority of the population.

OG | What medical resources do the women in Pakistan have to help them battle their cancer?

LP | I was told that there are three mammogram machines in the country. At least two hospitals that I know of can perform the necessary surgeries and administer chemotherapy. However, surgery and chemotherapy are very expensive procedures and there is no such thing as medical insurance. So, few women can afford any treatment. And, many women will not seek treatment even if they can afford it because of the cultural taboo associated with breast cancer. If a young single woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, she will not be allowed to marry. If a woman who has daughters is diagnosed with breast cancer, her daughters will likely never get married. Breast cancer brings much shame to the family. So, many women would rather die of cancer than bring shame to their families.

OG | You had access to the very best cancer doctors and treatments at MD Anderson, so you have an idea of what good medical care is like and how important it is in the treatment of cancer. What did you experience when you visited women in the hospitals in Pakistan?

LP | On my 2009 trip I visited several hospitals —from very nice to very primitive. In all of the hospitals, however, we prayed over the patients, including cancer patients. In one hospital, we went floor by floor, bed by bed, and prayed for healing in the name of Jesus. In one hospital, I accidentally missed a bed and was on the other side of the ward when I heard a commotion. One of the nurses came to me and told me that I had missed “Bed No. 34.” The patient wanted to make sure that I didn’t forget to come and pray for her. Even in a place of spiritual darkness, the light of Jesus was recognized. Cancer patients in any hospital anywhere in the world will welcome prayer and the hope that it brings.

OG | The most effective way to fight breast cancer is to detect it early. Because mammography and clinical breast exams are options more accessible to wealthier women in Pakistan, were the women you spoke to aware of how to perform breast self-exams?

LP | Most women that I spoke to had no idea how to check their breasts for lumps or what to do if they found a lump. I was told that the cultural norm is to not touch your breasts, so very few women feel comfortable touching their breasts regularly. This is the main reason the survival rate is less than 10%. Many tumors are not discovered until they are breaking through the skin or have already spread to other parts of the body. In recent years, the American Oncology Association and the World Health Organization no longer recommend monthly breast self-exams. Instead they recommend “Breast Self-Awareness.” However, regardless of the name and method, early detection is the key. And, in countries where few women will ever get mammograms or clinical breast exams, self-checks are the only way to detect tumors early.

OG | Where did you speak in Pakistan and to whom?

LP | I spoke at several universities and also in a rural village area in 2007. As a result of this trip, the Pearls of Great Price Program, which uses breast cancer as a platform to present the Gospel, was developed. I returned to Pakistan in February 2009 and worked with a young Pakistani Christian woman who uses the Pearls of Great Price Program in nursing schools, hospitals, homes — essentially anywhere she can gather women. I spoke in five nursing schools, at a banquet, in homes, and other venues.

OG | I know that your faith in Jesus played a major role in your fight against cancer. Were you allowed to share the role your faith played?

LP | Absolutely! I talked about my faith in Christ at every opportunity. Every time I spoke, I shared about who Jesus is, what He did for us on the cross, and how He wants to help us every day. I have been told by many Muslims that they think it’s very strange that we Christians don’t talk more openly about our faith. At the first place I spoke in 2007, a person approached my escort and asked why I was being allowed to share such information. My heart pounded in fear because I had shared Bible stories and talked about Jesus. When my escort asked for clarification, the person remarked, “She said the word breast!” Ironically, the men were much more concerned that I was talking about breasts than that I was talking about Jesus.

OG | What questions or concerns did the women have?

LP | In 2007, I spoke to a large group of women at a university. The media was there along with several government officials. The girls wrote questions ahead of time that they wanted me to answer. One girl wrote, “Were you more afraid to die or to leave your children without a mother?” I explained that I have no fear of death because the final sacrifice for my sins and theirs was performed on the cross by Jesus. And, because I choose to follow the risen Jesus, I know that my place in heaven is secure. Everywhere I spoke, the women especially loved the Bible stories I shared and wanted to know more about Jesus.

OG | What did the media report about your visit?

LP | In 2007, a newspaper in a large city in Pakistan published an article about my breast cancer talks. And, I was featured in a television news segment as well. This media coverage made many people aware of the high incidence of breast cancer in Pakistan. This coverage also highlighted the role my faith in Jesus played in my own battle against cancer.

Note | Please pray for the women of Pakistan who are battling cancer. Pray for those involved in education initiatives and for those working to improve the availability of and access to treatment for breast cancer in Pakistan. Those diagnosed with cancer need our prayers, love, support, and encouragement.

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Posted in Interviews, Pakistan, Women on Mission

Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | July 3, 2009

Cool Ways to Grow

Books-4   In his letter to the Philippian believers, Paul wrote: “Not that I have already obtained it , or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:12). While Paul was satisfied with Christ, he was not satisfied with his Christian life. Watchman Nee said that all who aspire to spiritual maturity must maintain Paul’s attitude in Philippians 3:12. Warren Wiersbe agrees. He wrote, “A sanctified dissatisfaction is the first essential to progress in the Christian race.” Another commentator has written, “There is no progress possible to the man who does not see and mourn over his defects. ‘The soul of improvement is the improvement of the soul;’ and it is only a keen sense of need that stimulates the soul to continuous and repeated efforts. The ideal is ever ahead of the actual, revealing its defects and exciting to fresh and more earnest endeavors.” Lloyd John Ogilvie adds, “Satisfaction is a sure sign of an impasse of immobility. The evidence of the Spirit’s work in us is an urgent dissatisfaction with our present level of growth.”

   In December 2008, I posted a series on Personal Growth.  If you have not read these posts, I hope you will take a moment to do so. I offer the outline of each post below. Just click on the headings to read more about these practical and cool ways to grow in your walk with God.

Sharpen Your Mind
1. Read one chapter of Proverbs daily.
2. Memorize your favorite chapter of Scripture.
3. Bone up on apologetics.
4. Exercise your brain.
5. Write your own creed.
6. Learn conversational phrases in another language.
7. Research the answers to tough questions skeptics ask.
8. Learn to recite the alphabet backwards.
9. Have a friendly debate with a friend.
10. Mentor a younger believer.

Soften Your Heart
11. Focus on others.
12. Listen to what others have to say.
13. Keep a “count your many blessings” journal.
14. Write at least one thank you note per week.
15. Send a Valentine to a senior adult.
16. Invite someone who is lonely to share a meal with your family.
17. Pray daily for others.
18. Make more room in your life for the least of these.
19. Spend less on yourself and give more to charitable causes.

Strengthen Your Hands
20. Participate in a local service initiative through your church.
21. Prepare a meal for someone who is ill.
22. Assemble a “Candy for Cops” basket.
23. Volunteer at a local assistance ministry.
24. Go shopping for a homeless person.
25. Babysit for a single parent.
26. Mow the lawn of a friend or neighbor who is out of town.
27. Assemble a new parent’s kit for the arrival of a newborn.
28. Adopt a “grandfriend.”

Stretch Your Horizons
29. Open your eyes.
30. Get on your knees.
31. Move away from the table.
32. Get a clue.
33. Break the silence.
34. Roll up your sleeves.
35. Dig into your pockets.
36. Pack your bags.

Simplify Your Life
37. Learn to say no.
38. Plan ahead.
39. Reduce debt.
40. Stop upgrading.
41. Clear the clutter.
42. Stop maintaining.
43. Turn off and tune in.
44. Do the math.

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Posted in Personal Growth

Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | July 1, 2009

William Borden

William Borden   In 1904 William Borden, the heir of the famous Borden dairy estate, graduated from high school in Chicago. As a graduation gift, his parents sent him on a cruise around the world. While on this cruise, God began to open William’s eyes and heart to the masses of unsaved people around the world. William wrote to his mother about his desire to be a missionary. In one of his early letters he wrote, “I think God is calling me to be a missionary.” In his final letter he wrote, “I know God is calling me to be a missionary.” One friend expressed amazement that William was throwing his life away by choosing to become a missionary.

When he returned home, William enrolled in Yale University where he was instrumental in starting campus prayer and Bible study groups and evangelism initiatives. He also worked with the least of these on the streets of New Haven and founded Yale Hope Mission. Henry Wright, a professor at Yale, said, “It is my firm conviction that the Yale Hope Mission has done more to convince all classes of men at Yale of the power and practicability of Christianity to regenerate individuals and communities than any other force in the University.” While in school, William renounced his fortune in favor of missions and wrote two words in the flyleaf of his Bible – “No Reserves.” William wanted to live by faith and to trust God for everything in his life.

William attended a Student Volunteer Movement conference in Nashville where he learned about the great number of Muslims in China. He felt God wanted him to go to China where he hoped to work with Muslims. When he graduated from Yale, he had many lucrative job offers, including the opportunity to take over the multi-million dollar family business. However, he was determined to fulfill God’s call to serve as a missionary. Once again, he opened his Bible to the flyleaf and wrote two more words – “No Retreats.”

William set sail for China on December 17, 1912. He stopped in Egypt to study Arabic so that he would be better equipped to work with Muslims. While in Egypt, William contracted spinal meningitis and died on April 9, 1913 at the age of twenty-five. Years of training, a promising future, and William never made it to China. Charlie Campbell, one of William’s college friends, received his Bible after his death. When he opened it he found what William had written in the flyleaf. In addition to the words “No Reserves” and “No Retreats” that William had jotted down during his college days, he found two more words that William had written before he died – “No Regrets.”

Although William Borden never made it to the mission field in China, he touched hundreds of students at Yale University and Princeton Divinity School who became missionaries. And, because the news of his death was published all over the world, many people wrote letters to his family expressing how their lives had been influenced by William’s story of faith and commitment to the cause of Christ. His story continues to inspire selfless service for the cause of Christ.

• • • • •
See Unused Perfume, my related post on William Borden.

14 Comments

Posted in Biographies

Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | June 29, 2009

The 10/40 Window

1040windowmapThe 10/40 Window is a rectangular shaped area located between 10 degrees and 40 degrees latitude north of the equator. This geographical region stretches from North Africa all the way to East Asia and is home to the world’s least reached people groups. Here are a few fast facts about the 10/40 Window.

Did you know…
• 4.1 billion of the worlds 5.6 billion people live in the 10/40 Window.
• 97% of the world’s remaining unreached people groups are located in the 10/40 Window.

What if we could hear God’s heartbeat for the nations? What if we strategically and intentionally reached out to the world’s remaining unreached people groups?

Rickshaw WallaDid you know…
• 82% of the poorest of the poor live in the 10/40 Window.
• Over 2.4 billion people (40% of the world’s population) live on less than $1.40 per day in the 10/40 Window.

What if we ate less and gave more? What if we gave up one fast-food meal per week and invested that money in reaching the unreached in the 10/40 Window?

Did you know…
• Most of the 62 nations in the 10/40 Window are closed to western missionaries.
• The top 50 least evangelized cities in the world are all located in the 10/40 Window.

What if you responded to God’s call to pray and go to one of the mega-cities in the 10/40 Window? What if you offered your vocational expertise to serve the interests of God’s kingdom in the 10/40 Window?

Did you know…
• The seat of every major non-Christian religion is headquartered in the 10/40 Window, including Islam, Buddhism, Animism, Atheism, and Sikhism.

What if we learned to better articulate our biblical worldview? What if we truly understood the significance of Christ’s exclusive claims?

Did you know…
• The 10/40 Window contains over 70% of the world’s population but only 8% of the world’s missionary efforts.
• Less than one-half of 1% of the budget of our churches goes to reach people in the 10/40 Window.

What if we sent out more short-term mission teams to the world’s hard places? What if we weighted our missions giving in favor of those still waiting to hear?

Did you know…
OsamaBinLaden• Most of the people in the 10/40 Window have never met a Christian, seen a Bible, or entered a church.
• Most of the people in the 10/40 Window are kept in darkness by hostile cultures, governments, and religions.

What if we partnered with those who are igniting church planting movements in closed or restricted countries? What if we involved those who cannot travel abroad to join initiatives to reach people from 10/40 Window countries who now live in our own community?

Did you know…
• The 10/40 Window is also known as the “resistance belt” and remains the darkest and most inhospitable territory to the cause of Christ and represents the greatest remaining stronghold of Satan?

What if we mobilized teams to prayer-walk in countries closed to the gospel? What if we interceded for the people of the 10/40 Window on a regular basis?

What Will It Take to Reach the Peoples of the 10/40 Window?

Open Your Eyes | Ask God to enlarge your view of the world.

Lengthen Your Reach | Respond to opportunities to reach beyond your community to the ends of the earth.

Get on Your Knees | Mobilize your small group to pray for unreached peoples.

Use Your Head | Learn about the plight of unreached people groups and those who are trying to reach them.

Roll Up Your Sleeves | Develop a heart for the unreached by working at home and abroad.

Dig Into Your Pockets | Invest in initiatives that target unreached people groups.

Pack Your Bags | Take a short-term mission trip to the other end of the Great Commission.

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world
as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
Jesus | Matthew 24:14

9 Comments

Posted in Missions Musings

Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | June 27, 2009

Deuteronomy 11:26-32

• The Choice before Israel | Deuteronomy 11:26-32

11:26-32 | Moses called upon the people to make a choice. Notice the following things concerning the choice set before Israel:

First, it was a plain choice — “I am setting before you … “ (11:26). There was sufficient information available for the people to make an intelligent choice. Moses had not kept anything from them. He had spoken openly and plainly with them about God’s requirements. The people knew what God expected of them.

Second it was an urgent choice — “today … “ (11:26). The people had to decide whether or not they were going to obey God alone. This was not a decision they could put off to some future day. Moses called upon the people to choose to follow God “today.” He made no allowance for indecision. Joshua would later say to the people, “choose for yourselves today whom you will serve” (Joshua 24:15). Someone noted: “Defer not till tomorrow to be wise / Tomorrow’s sun to thee may never rise.”

Third, it was a serious choice — “a blessing and a curse” (11:26). Their choice would have an impact on them … either a blessing or a curse. The blessing was contingent upon obedience and complete loyalty to God (11:27) and the curse was the consequence of disobedience and “following other gods” (11:28). We can make choices in a moment, but the fruit of those choices can be endless.

Fourth, it was an inescapable choice — “and you shall be careful to do all the statutes and the judgments which I am setting before you today” (11:32).

Indecision is debilitating. | The Israelites were at a crossroads — at the intersection between their past and their future. Moses called upon them to choose a course of action that would determine the kind of future they would have. Indecision was not an option. Moses did not give the people the luxury of not deciding. Instead, he impressed upon them the urgency of making the right choice. Indecision keeps people from confidently pressing on toward the realization of God’s richest blessings. Indecision debilitates people. What we do at the crossroads of life reveals not only who we are, but impacts what we may become.

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Posted in Bible Study

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