Here I am. Send me.
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying: “Who should I send? Who will go for Us?” I said: “Here I am. Send me.” Isaiah 6:8
It was November 1900. A group of five missionaries were looking over the rail of their banana boat that had just arrived in Cuba. As they leaned over the rail watching the ship cargo being unloaded, one of them heard and understood his first Spanish words in Cuba, “Poco a poco.” The group had been on an intensive Spanish course in the last few months as they got ready to leave for Cuba. Mr. Jones understood that it meant “little by little” in other words, “take it easy.” He took these words as a sign from the Lord. Ministry was going to take a while, and he was not to try to rush it. Their first convert was the carpenter that built a few benches for their meetings. Ministry in Cuba did take a while, but by 1927, there was an independent, thriving church in Cuba.
Why am I telling this story? Those five missionaries answered God’s call and joined Him on mission. When God asked “Who should I send,” they answered, “Send us.” They could never have imagined the impact that their answer would have on thousands of Cubans. They impacted the lives of thousands of people they never met. I am one of them. I came to know Jesus in one of those churches founded by that group of missionaries, and those who followed them. It is interesting that I am writing this in November because every November we celebrated the lives of those five missionaries. I remember how we had to learn their names in Sunday School. By the time I was old enough to understand salvation, there were no missionaries left in Cuba. The Communist regime revoked all of their visas and they had to leave, but their work and the Holy Spirit remain in Cuba. Generations continue to worship the Lord and study the Bible in spite of all the hardships.
Those five missionaries were not super-Christians, but ordinary people like you and me. They just heard a call from God and answered it. If you hear His call and answer it, the Lord will send you on an amazing journey, and you will never know until you get to Heaven the impact that you had on many lives.
Isabel Hines
Global Outreach Council
What will you say?
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10
Early on in my involvement with EFCC’s Journey of Hope Refugee Ministry, I found myself driving two Syrian refugee women home from an event in El Cajon. I wasn’t familiar with the area and these two ladies were doing their best to give me directions by pointing, speaking to each other in Arabic and then to me with a few words of English! I remember thinking how did I get here? In fact, I’ve asked myself that question many times.
The answer goes back to the opportunity I had to find out more about serving refugees at an informational session. I didn’t know what might be involved but I wanted to find out more and to say “yes” and take a step forward. Not long after, there was an invitation to join the refugee ministry leadership team. Who me? Surely there were others more qualified and knowledgeable than me. I had never met a Muslim. I knew nothing of Arabic culture or the honor-shame worldview. Yet, I knew in my heart that the nudge I was feeling was the Holy Spirit encouraging me to say “yes” again and take another step forward.
Six years later, I can joyfully say that while in service to Him, God has expanded my life with purpose and blessings beyond what I could have ever imagined. He has given me a love for refugees, enlarged my community of other believers with whom I am blessed to serve and continued to open doors for other service. I am so grateful that He has. given me the opportunity to participate with Him in what He is doing locally and around the world.
What are the interests in your life that animate your spirit and excite you? Will you be intentional about pursuing opportunities for service by being open to taking a step toward those opportunities and by making yourself available? What will you say?
Nancy Wood, Global Outreach Council
My Global Family in Christ
It was a beautiful clear evening. We were in a small church in the mountains high above the city of Cochabamba, Bolivia. We had a beautiful view of the city lights. My husband and I had been ministering there with a team from Costa Rica. One of the local workers invited us to visit her home church. Most of the members were Quechuan and did not speak Spanish fluently. The moment we stepped into the building everybody was eager to make our acquaintance. We were greeted with the usual Bolivian way of hand shake, kiss, hand shake again. At my 5'-3`` height, I was a head taller than most women. They wore their traditional colorful skirts, typical hats and long braids past their waists. I definitely did not look like them and did not even speak their language. And yet…I felt at home! I was with my family! My family in Christ!
I have never felt more like I was participating in a true New Testament church than that evening. The service was conducted in a mixture of Spanish and Quechuan. There was singing and praying. My husband shared a brief message in Spanish and it was translated to Quechuan, followed by a message from one of the elders. What a treat!
When it was time for communion, the leaders announced that a member of the congregation who was put under Elder discipline had gone through all the requirements and was ready to be reinstated. The congregation was asked if they agreed that he could again participate in the communion service. They did. Then we were asked to get on our knees (on the tile floor) and get our hearts right with the Lord by confessing any sins committed. People all around me were whispering prayers in Quechuan. I was praying in Spanish. John was praying in English. After a while, still with our heads bowed, we were asked if we had anything against a brother or a sister to get up and reconcile. I could hear some shuffling of chairs and feet. Then there was a final prayer, we sat up, and communion started pretty much how we conduct it in our congregation.
This was the closest I have ever felt to real communion with my brothers and sisters in the Lord. I still get tears in my eyes thinking about that experience. The service lasted over two hours. The best two hours I have ever spent. I will probably never see those dear people again until we get to heaven. But I am looking forward to that event described in Revelation 7:9-10, "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, and crying out with a loud voice, ''Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”'
If you have the Lord Jesus Christ in your heart, you can also look forward to that event, but you can have glimpses here on Earth as my husband and I did that evening. You can participate in short or long term missions and experience the joy of being with our global family in Christ.
Isabel Hines
Global Outreach Council
God’s Infinite and Beautiful Story
One of my favorite experiences as an elder is listening to testimonies from people in the New Members Class. I love hearing stories of the beautiful ways God has worked in people’s lives. The testimonies are beautiful in and of themselves as they stand alone, a singular point in time and history, but when I think about how they fit into God’s bigger picture, they are even more beautiful and a stronger witness to what God is building. God is building something that transcends time and space, a feat that only God can accomplish.
My mother loves to put together big colorful puzzles. As she looks at each of the pieces, they are truly beautiful in hue and in unique shape. However, they make sense and are only truly beautiful when seen as part of a whole as they are purposefully placed together. In this world, I cannot see the whole until it is completely assembled, but as God puts together his story, he knows and sees the bigger picture and how it all fits beautifully together.
This bigger picture not only transcends my limited earthly view, but it also transcends time. Only God can orchestrate a narrative that transcends time. In 1 Corinthians 3:10, Paul talks about being a part of the building process. He acknowledges his part and our part, building throughout time on the foundation laid by Christ.
Toward the end of his book, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, Eugene Peterson points out that when I share my story or when I listen to the testimonies of others, it is not how God fits into my story. It is how I fit into God’s story. I am not beyond the scope of time and space, but God is. I will wither and fade but God’s plan and purposes are eternal. God has a plan for me individually and a plan for us corporately. God is writing his story, history. Because of God’s work on the cross, I get to be a part of a bigger story that is even more beautiful than my singular story. I get to be a part of that story because of his work on the cross. That is not only beautiful but it is purposeful and eternal.
Lord, thank you for giving deeper and broader meaning to my story because it is part of your story. As I live out the story you have planned for me, and as I encounter the stories of others, help me to see each one in light and in view of your plan and purposes. Your kingdom story is a vantage point that is infinitely more beautiful.
Rich Bell
Global Outreach Council
Missio Dei
I was on a mission and could not be stopped. Undergoing a house remodel, the work was paused while a broken plumbing part had to be replaced. The plumber could not continue. That meant the drywaller could not finish. Next the painter had to reschedule. The housing inspector's appointment changed. I had to find that part. Life was certainly tougher in these pre-internet days. Driving from Valley Center to all the different plumbing supply stores in Escondido and surrounding areas to locate this part was quite an effort. Eventually though, mission accomplished!
Thankfully, the mission of God continues in a more joyful manner and on a much grander and eternal scale. Throughout history, God has called men and women to be His workers. Beginning in Genesis 12 with the call of Abraham, summoning Moses and revealing Him as the greatest I AM to deliver Israel, appointing David a king that would produce seed in Jesus that would rule forever.
Jesus was on mission too. The Father was sending Jesus to reconcile all people to Himself. Jesus was sent by the Father to do not His will, but the will of the Father. “Then Jesus explained: My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work." (John 4:34) We are not bystanders. I remember Gary Haugen from IJM teaching one morning at EFCC. “God doesn’t have a Plan B. The church is His plan.”
This paragraph from an essay in the Perspectives on the Christian Movement by Henry Blackaby and Avery Willis is convicting and challenging to me. “Christians are Kingdom people and Christ Himself is the eternal King over His kingdom. He “has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father.” (Rev 1:6) You are called into a partnership with Christ the King. In this partnership, you will become involved in His mission to reconcile a lost world to God. To be related to Christ is to be on mission with Him. You cannot be in relationship with Jesus and not be on mission with Him. Jesus said, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you too.” (John 20:21).
Those are clear marching orders. May we all be faithful and obedient to the call that the Father has put on each one of our lives. Soli deo gloria.
Todd Hoyt,
Global Outreach Council
The Death of Death
For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
1 Corinthians 15:25,26
According to this scripture, our Lord Jesus must reign and will be a conqueror during his second coming. We know him as the sacrificial lamb in his first coming, but this is Jesus as the warrior putting everything under his feet, stomping out evil everywhere. And we will be here to witness it!
To be honest, I thought the whole world would be subjected to his authority in a relatively short battle called Armageddon and then we would enjoy 1,000 years of perfection. But it seems we will instead be watching Jesus lead a long and drawn out epic campaign against the various evils of the world, until he finally defeats death itself!
We will see our Jesus undo all these evils, unmake them and expose deep-seated lies we never knew before. We will get to witness the deconstruction of sin and death. Revelation 20:14 says, at the great white throne of judgment, Jesus will cast death into the lake of fire. What a fitting end to such an ever-present plight. Praise the Lord forever more!
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing
with the glory that will be revealed in us.
Romans 8:18
Jonathan Duncan
The Fear of Death
In 2019, according to some published statistics, 31% of people were somewhat afraid of death, 11% very afraid and only 25% not at all afraid. I’m usually skeptical of statistics, but even if these are only partially true, about 42% of people surveyed are afraid of dying. During the worst of Covid in 2020 I would venture to guess that even more people were afraid, even believers who put their faith and trust in God the Creator.
Charles Spurgeon said, “beloved sisters and brothers in Christ, there is no need that you should be afraid to die! It Is even possible for you to look upon death as your best friend! You may come to be familiar with the shroud, the mattock, the grave–and find the cemetery to be no place of gloom and may even rejoice in the prospect of death . . .”
This quote confirms that believers can and do have that fear. Here comes the good news in Hebrews 2:14-15. Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, he likewise shared in their humanity, so that through death he could destroy the one who holds the power of death (that is, the devil), and set free those who were held in slavery all their lives by their fear of death.
Notice we are called “the children.” We are God’s children and he cares for us–tenderly but firmly, he protects us and frees us. “God’s voice thunders, and the earth melts! The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress” (Psalm 46:6-7).
Jesus shared in our flesh and blood humanity so that through his death, the devil’s power over us and our fear of death would be defeated. Paul reminded the Corinthians, "For as in Adam all die, so in Christ, all will be made alive." (1 Cor.15: 22)
The devil no longer has a death grip on us, we now have the sure hope of eternal life. We have eternal joy in heaven to look forward to and we have a best friend in Jesus who knows exactly what we are going through right here and right now. No matter what the fear is, he wants to help you overcome it and he will when you ask. If you need to talk it out with someone though or ask questions, we are here to help. Please reach out. You can reply to this email with total confidentiality and be put in touch with someone who will listen to you. I’m praying you will.
Deb Hill
The New Adam’s Family Tree
For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. - 1 Corinthians 15:22
In October of 1964 (59 years ago), the fifth episode of “The Addams Family” aired on CBS, and the title of the episode was called, “The Addams Family Tree.” In this episode, the quirky Addams’ find out that their family tree is filled with all sorts of devious people and characters of disrepute. However, instead of being embarrassed by these facts, they take ghoulish pride in them, reveling in the misdeeds of their predecessors. Of course, the brilliance of this old television series was how this odd family turned our normal conventions on their heads in order to force the viewer to look at them with a new light. Clearly, no one takes pride in the misdeeds in their family history, but at the same time, no one has a family history without any misdeeds. Whether we like it or not, we all have liars, murders, theives, and hate filled people in our bloodline. None of us have a perfect heritage. I can say this with certainty because ultimately all of our genealogical lines converge on a single man and woman, Adam and Eve. Therefore, we all have grown up in the original Adam’s Family Tree (notice only one “n” in Adam).
Later in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul describes Jesus as a new type of “Adam,” or literally, “the last Adam.” However, while the old Adam started a group of people through biological means, the new “Adam,” Jesus, started a new type of people through spiritual means, offered by faith. This is the great news that while you can’t change your earthly family tree, you can change your spiritual family tree by joining God’s family by faith. When you do that, you are adopted into Jesus’ family, he will make you come alive, and you take your place in the new Adam’s family tree.
So today, maybe we should actually try to be more like the TV Addams ... not having pride about our past sins of our heritage, but being honest about them, knowing that those sins have been wiped out by the blood of Jesus. He is the new name at the top of our family tree.
Josh Rose
Firstfruits
One of my favorite childhood memories is picking blueberries with my uncle in Indiana near the shores of Lake Michigan. The goal was to bring them back to my aunt and make blueberry pancakes for the family. Yet, for every early July, plump, juicy blueberry that ended up in our buckets, there were at least two more that my brother and I consumed right there on the farm. As Southern California kids, who rarely had this experience, we couldn’t get enough of those delicious first fruits of the season.
Today, in 2022, most of us have spent far more time in a grocery store than on a farm, but those few opportunities to experience a ripe harvest is one we will never forget. Even more so, agrarian illustrations were ones that resonated deeply in the souls of Jews and Gentiles alike, both before and after Christ walked this earth. They understood the firstfruits were the finest; a promise of what was to come.
In Leviticus 23, God commanded Moses to tell the Israelites to bring the firstfruits of their harvest, the first and best that they had, as an offering to the priest that he may present it to the Lord for his acceptance. This harvest was a perfect picture of what was yet to come. In 1 Corinthians 15:20-23 we see Paul referring to Jesus as the firstfruit; the best of humanity, fully acceptable as the perfect sacrifice for mankind. God did not hold back, he gave his very best, a spotless, unblemished sacrifice; his one and only Son.
In 1 Corinthian 15:20 Paul says, “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” Jesus was the prototype, the firstfruit, a perfect portrayal of what humanity was created to be. This was God’s guarantee that we would share in Christ’s resurrection with the anticipation of eternity with him. Jesus’ resurrection is not the end of the story. It is a vision for the future, the firstfruit, the longing of all mankind. It is the beginning of the hope that is yet to come!
Lynette Fuson
Care & Counseling Director
Resurrection Debate
People say there is no afterlife. This is not a new idea. In Jesus’ day, the same argument existed. There were two main camps in Judaism. The Sadducees claimed there was no resurrection and the Pharisees said there was. The Sadducees tried to trick or trap Jesus by telling him the story of a woman married to seven brothers (all of whom passed away one at a time) during her life. They asked Jesus whose wife she would be in heaven. That story begins with this line, “That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question,” Matthew 22:23.
No resurrection eh?
Jesus’ response was, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God,” Matthew 22:27. Jesus taught there would be a resurrection and he was himself resurrected.
This is Paul’s point in 1 Cor 15:12, “Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?” Paul was still dealing with this teaching so many years later. He was too familiar with it. Sometime before writing to the Corinthians, he used the argument to deflect accusations away and onto this hotly debated issue. He was on trial in front of the Sanhedrin, which was the Jewish court in Jerusalem.
Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “My brothers, I am a Pharisee, descended from Pharisees. I stand on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead.” When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees believe all these things.)” There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up and argued vigorously. “We find nothing wrong with this man,” they said. “What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. Acts 23:6-10
People might get violent because you believe in and proclaim in Jesus’ resurrection and the resurrection all believers will follow Jesus into. Don’t be afraid. Some people might not believe in angels, spirits, or an afterlife, but believers know and rely on the Scriptures and the power of God that raised Jesus from the dead!
Pastor John Riley
