Weekly Bible Verses: Ephesians 6:10-20: Be Strong in the Lord

Ephesians 6: ¹⁰Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. ¹¹Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹²For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. ¹³Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. ¹⁴Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness.¹⁵As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. ¹⁶With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. ¹⁸Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints.

¹⁹Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message 
may be given to me to make known with boldness 
the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰for which I am an 
ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, 
as I must speak.

News from ECBC's Own Missionary on Her New Assignment

If you wish to support missionary Sue Hegarty in her important work, there is a link below to take you to International Ministries. God bless you Sue in your endeavors!

God Provides for New Beginnings in Costa Rica <http://www.internationalministries.org/read/44297-god-provides-for-new-beginnings-in-costa-rica>;

Journal by Susan Hegarty <http://www.internationalministries.org/people/555>; August 16, 2012
[Sue and Katy are welcomed by Pastoral Care for Women leaders] <http://www.internationalministries.org/read/44297-god-provides-for-new-beginnings-in-costa-rica>; [Worship team at the Pastoral Care for Women reunion] <http://www.internationalministries.org/read/44297-god-provides-for-new-beginnings-in-costa-rica>;

It is always exciting to see God´s leading in your life. I was excited to see God leading me to service in Costa Rica, working with the Baptist Federation and Pastoral Care for Women ministry.

However, following that leading can be a bumpy ride since it involves moving from one country to another. Nevertheless, God is always with us as Katy and I have seen over the past few weeks.

We moved out of our U.S. apartment with a lot of help, especially from family who were visiting for a reunion. I believe God sent them!  Many others helped us, including getting us to the airport by 4:30 a.m.

We arrived in Costa Rica on Wednesday, July 25, to be met by my colleague Ruth Mooney and by Rebeca Cascante, who directs the Costa Rican Pastoral Care for Women ministry. Ruth graciously has housed and fed us and driven us all over to run errands of all kinds. She also did a lot of legwork on housing options so that we actually found the apartment we wanted the day after we arrived, although we didn´t sign a lease until a week later. The Pastoral Care for Women ladies have also helped me get the apartment ready for moving in.

Katy started sixth grade on August 6 at the English-language Marian Baker School. So far she is really enjoying the classes as well as learning basketball and her drama elective. She is looking forward to an overnight class trip at the end of the month. God provided two new American students in her class so she is not the only new kid!

We are finding a lot of bureaucracy here, mostly set in place to prevent drug money laundering, but it does make the banking system cumbersome (I need a list of certain documents in order to set up a bank account).  In addition, without having residency you cannot set up a phone line for your house.  All of this makes what I have gotten in such short time miraculous:  a loan of a stove and refrigerator, loan of access to phone and internet, loan of table and chairs, plus used furniture bought at reasonable prices. God´s hand is in all of this! All this setting up house is necessary in order to begin work.

We have been establishing relationships with our work partners in the meantime. This is always an on-going process but crucial to ministry.   Ruth has taken us to several of the Baptist churches, which I´ll share about in a future journal. We´ve also attended the funeral of a woman dear to members of the Pastoral Care for Women leadership team, which has become a bonding experience. In addition, they held a special activity where over 60 graduates from the Pastoral Care for Women classes met to talk about the past, present and future of this ministry. It was a beautiful program (combining worship, fun, fellowship, food and a challenging message), ending with a call to the women to commit themselves to serve in a number of ways.

We thank our partners who have supported us financially and with prayer.  We continue to count on you as we settle in and get started on this new ministry direction.  We also praise God for being present at all times and for God´s wonderful provision. 



American Baptist International Ministries (IM) was organized in 1814 as the first Baptist international mission agency in America. It began its pioneer mission work in Burma and today works in Asia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas serving more than 1,800 long-term and short-term missionaries. Its central mission is to help people come to Christ, grow in their relationship with God, and change their worlds through the power of the Spirit. It works with respected partners in over 70 countries in ministries that meet human need.

1.800.222.3872
www.internationalministries.org <http://www.internationalministries.org>;
1-800-222-3872
P.O. Box 851
Valley Forge, PA 19482

Weekly Bible Verses: Ephesians 5:15-20: Be Careful Then How You Live ...

Ephesians 5: ¹⁵Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise,¹⁶making the most of the time, because the days are evil. ¹⁷So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. ¹⁸Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit,¹⁹as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, ²⁰giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Ministry of Bearing: Advice from Deitrich Bonhoeffer

Christian theologian Deitrich Bonhoeffer (born 1909, died 1945) wrote about how best to deal with others and his wisdom is applicable today. Please note, in this quote he was writing to fellow brothers in an illegal seminary during the Nazi regime in Germany. For every case of he, his, and brother add she, hers, and sister as well. This advice is good for everyone. We don't want anyone to feel excluded ... or as if they have a pass here!  

The ministry of bearing: "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ" (Gal 6:2). Thus the law of Christ is a law of bearing. Bearing means forbearing and sustaining ... The Christian must suffer and endure the brother. It is only when he is a burden that another person is really a brother and not merely an object to be manipulated. It is, first of all, the freedom of the other person that is a burden to the Christian. The freedom of the other person includes all that we mean by a person's nature, individuality, endowment. It also includes his weakness and oddities, which are such a trial to our patience, everything that produces frictions, conflicts, and collisions among us. Then, there is the abuse of that freedom that becomes a burden for the Christian. In sin, fellowship with God and with his brother is broken. To cherish no contempt for the sinner but rather to prize the privilege of bearing him means not to have to give him up as lost, to be able to accept him, to preserve fellowship with him through forgiveness ... The service of forgiveness is rendered by one to the others daily. It occurs, without words, in the intercessions for one another. He who is bearing others knows that he himself is being borne. [Emphasis is mine]

The original source of this
Bonhoeffer material
for further reading

When considering whether to implement this idea in your life, remember another of Deitrich Bonhoeffer's quotes: "One act of obedience is better than one hundred sermons." Who will you bear with today? Who is bearing with you? That last is one humbling question.

Less Can Definitely Be More: A Lesson From Job

You visit a suffering family member or friend at home or in the hospital. You don't know what to say. You don't know what to do. You leave feeling frustrated and useless. You wish you could fix things. You're angry you can't. It feels so bad you avoid going back. You hope the person gets well soon. You want your comfortable relationship back.

We're told to reach out and comfort the sick. We know we should. But it's so hard. Especially when there is nothing we can do to fix the situation ...and we really want to fix it!

Here's where the Bible offers some guidance. In the book of Job, a book that emphatically states life is not a bowl of cherries for a strong and righteous believer (or anyone else for that matter), Job's three friends come to him in his suffering, for he is suffering greatly. Job 2: 11-13 reads: 

11 Now when Job’s three friends heard of all these troubles that had come upon him, each of them set out from his home—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They met together to go and console and comfort him. ¹²When they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him, and they raised their voices and wept aloud; they tore their robes and threw dust in the air upon their heads. ¹³They sat with him on the ground for seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great. 

Let's give these well-intentioned friends credit. For seven days, they got it exactly right. That's a long time not to try and fix things. But what they did before they started trying to fix Job's situation is just what we should do.

When you visit an incapacitated friend or loved one, be like Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar were at first. Be there with the person. Be a calming presence in the room. Not much needs said. Being there helps a whole lot (being sick in bed is incredibly lonely work). If the person chooses to speak, there is only one thing you need to do and do well. Listen to that person with sympathy. Really listen to them. You don't have to worry about your answers. They don't want your answers. And as for solutions, you aren't the one to provide them. If the person, in anger and pain, makes declarations like God has abandoned me or there is no God or this wouldn't have happened ... let it go. This is no time for theology. This is time for vented grief, for getting the poison out of the system. Let it flow. There will be time to talk later when healing occurs.

Don't worry what you'll say or do in your visit. Be present and listen. That's what you'll be remembered for by the person who is/was sick. And you'll be appreciated for having done so. If the illness is protracted, repeat this procedure as often as you can.

Less is most definitely more in this situation. Good luck to you and may your friend or loved one be returned to health ... or relieved from suffering ... soon.

Weekly Bible Verses: Ephesians 4: 25 - 5:2: Live In Love

Ephesians 4: ²⁵So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are members of one another. ²⁶Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, ²⁷and do not make room for the devil. ²⁸Thieves must give up stealing; rather let them labor and work honestly with their own hands, so as to have something to share with the needy. ²⁹Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. ³⁰And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption.³¹Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, ³²and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.

5Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children,
²and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself
up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.