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3rd Quarter July-September 2000 |
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| Misiker,
one of EOM's staff, was in Ethiopia the first two weeks of May to spend
some time with his parents, whose health is deteriorating. There
Misiker spent a few hours of his last day in Ethiopia with a young evangelist
named Amanuel.
Amanuel attends Meserete Kristos College, a Mennonite seminary. He is supported by a small Ethiopian congregation, Meserete Wongel Ethiopian Evangelical Church (MWEEC) of which Misiker is a part. Misiker wanted to know how Amanuel was doing and wanted to extend the greetings of brothers and sisters from MWEEC. When Amanuel learned that Misiker is a missionary
with EOM, he
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Mirror of Life (Yehiwot Mestawot), a bimonthly
Bible study publication, and EOM's biweekly radio broadcast from
the Middle East. This is what he said:
"Before the Lord opened the doors for me to attend seminary, I was serving God under Meserete Kristos Church as an evangelist in the western border of Ethiopia. In the most rural villages where there is no civilization, a small transistor radio brings the voice of brother Melese, sharing with us the comforting and encouraging words of God. The relevancy of the topics he talks about from the Scriptures clearly testify to us that his messages and teachings are directly from the almighty God. Yehiwot Mestawot is certainly a mirror that shows us where we are spiritually. My own soul has been spared from perishing when life's |
challenges became too much to bear.
God spoke to and comforted me through the teachings of Yehiwot Mestawot. This publication has reached places no one can imagine. I witnessed nonbelievers desperately searching for it because it speaks the truth in love with so many practical applications for life. Brother Melese, I don't have the words to thank you for what you are doing among your people. Believers as well as those of us who are ministering God's Word benefit a great deal from your teachings. Materials produced by EOM are a valuable resource for the church in Ethiopia. We are blessed to have you among Ethiopians. I just wanted to say God bless you and protect you from any harm. We continue praying for you and the ministry,
that God will be honored with everything that you do as a result of your
obedience to Him."
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| We are looking for a paper folding machine
that will enable us to be more productive while saving hundreds of dollars
on folding costs. After researching a great deal on price, efficiency
and durability, we chose the DUPLO DF-520 automatic setting folder.
The cost is $3,995. We need ten people who can commit $100 per month
for just four months (or a one time gift of $400) to cover this cost.
When you send your special contribution, please designate your checks by writing "Folding Machine" on the memo line of your check or money order. |
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| We all hate suffering. We
use any means possible to avoid or run away from it. We covet a good,
easy life. One of the greatest misconceptions held by many Christians
today is that when we become Christians, life will suddenly be full of
joy and laughter. The winds of unfavorable circumstances will be
restrained, and difficulties and hardships will disappear. That is
not what I have experienced in my life. I have been a Christian for
many years. However, life never smoothed out for me; all the difficulties
of life haven't suddenly vanished. I still have my own pains, aches,
hardships and sufferings. The problems and pressures of life remain
the same. Sometimes they are actually more intense.
Whether we like it or not suffering is an integral part of our lives. One way or another every person experiences suffering. Christians are no exception. When we experience difficulties and hardships in our lives, many questions float through our minds. "Why do I suffer? Does God care about me? Does He understand how much pain and agony I am experiencing? Is He willing to help? Is He able to help?" More than anything else, there is one thing we need to be absolutely sure of. God always has very good reasons when He allows suffering in our lives. When life goes smoothly for us, we often do not see the decline of our spiritual lives. On the other hand, when life gets harder, it serves as a wake-up call. If nothing else, suffering certainly gets our attention. We often ask, "What is God's will for me? What is He saying to me? What is He trying to teach me?" When we ask the right questions, we always get the right answers. |
God's purpose for our lives
is clearly summarized in the statement that Jesus gave to one of the Pharisees,
an expert in the law: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with
all your soul and with all your mind" (Matt. 22:37). What is our
basis for loving God? It is knowing His love for us. "We love
Him because He first loved us." (1 John 4:19). God's measureless
love for us is expressed by the giving of His Son to die a cruel death
for our sake. If God's purpose for us is to live our lives in love
for His sake, how do we then demonstrate that love in our lives?
True love involves self-sacrifice. For Paul, who supremely loved
his Lord, the keenest desire of his mind, the burning passion of his heart,
and the ultimate goal of his life was to know Christ. He would not
be satisfied until he was perfectly conformed to Christ and the marks of
Jesus fully carved in his life through suffering. He said, Ï
want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship
of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so ,
somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead." (Phil. 3:10-11).
A closer fellowship with Christ transpires as we go through suffering.
That is why God made suffering a part of His plan for His children.
Jesus said, "And any one who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me" (Matt. 10:38). Carrying the cross is a clear and intelligent choice, a choice that the individual Christian has to make. The cross is the suffering that a Christian tolerates as a consequence of his following Christ in perfect obedience. Why is it that God wants us to experience suffering? Why |
does He insist that we carry the cross? It is not
because He enjoys our suffering. HE wants to use it to build us and
not to break us. Most of the time God wants to educate us through
life's experiences. We all agree that when we have suffered the most,
we have learned the most. When we experience suffering, we begin
to live from the inner resources that lie deep within us. We feel
closest to God in the moments of our sufferings and stresses.
God allows suffering in our lives in order to make us more useful to others. The alabaster vase must be broken that the ointment may flow out to fill the house. The grapes must be crushed that there may be wine to quench our thirst. Someone said, "Unbruised and unbroken men are but of little use; they live isolated, selfish lives, indifferent to everyone but themselves." Therefore, when we go through suffering, let us not try to fight with God. Even if we do, we are aware that He will win. Instead, let us search our hearts closely. Is there any sin in our lives that we have overlooked? If there is, let us confess it. What else is God trying to communicate to us? What is he trying to teach us? Maybe he is seeking our attention. No matter how rough our lives get, let us never quit. When we suffer, let us be sure that Jesus knows what we are going through. When Paul said, "For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for Him" (Phil. 1:29), it is to remind us that suffering is part of the total package of Christianity. It is impossible to avoid suffering. Therefore, let us rise above it!
Melese Wogu |
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Dear Servants of God at EOM,
May the peace of God be multiplied in you. I have wanted to write you for a long time. God has been communicating His truth to me, which has transformed my life to better stages daily. He has been doing that through the teachings of God's word that I receive from you on a regular basis. In one of the recently taped messages I received, God taught me something I thought I knew well before. Indeed, He is closer to us than our own heartbeat. Thank you for showing us the word of God in a way that we understand. Your messages are always timely. They come with the right content for my situation. I thank God for His servants like you who listen and obey. Many times, the teachings I receive from you show me where I am spiritually. I feel as if I am sitting at the feet of Jesus, listening to Him. Certainly, your teaching of his word is anointed. It is my prayer that God will continue to bless you for His glory and for the benefit of those who hear the life-transforming message of almighty God. Please accept my financial contribution to the ministry. As the Lord enables me, I will send my financial support on a regular basis. God bless you, F. Tekleab
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Saturday, October 14, 2000 (From 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m.) Dinner Banquet Featuring: Authentic Ethiopian Delicacies that will benefit EOM's work around the world. |
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record number of
friends and supporters enjoyed the first of the two Ethiopian Banquet dinners
for the year 2000. Contributions, however, were not as much as expected.
We hope more people will come to the next Authentic Ethiopian Dinner with
a greater spirit of giving while understanding the purpose of the dinner.
he highly
anticapted book of brother Melese is about to be sent to the printers.
The next few months are very critical to the printing process. Please
pray that God will provide the finances needed to publish the first batch
of 2000 copies.
lease continue praying
for brother Melese as he is getting prepared to travel to the Middle East
this summer. He will be in two major cities in Yemen, Aden and Sana'a
from July 20 through August 7. Then he will be preaching to over four hundred
Ethiopians in Beirut from August 8 through August 14. Please lift
up
