Anyone could do that!

Anyone
could
do
that!
Devotional mesages
for misions-minded
Christians
Doug Nichols

A n yo n e
c o u l d
d o
t h at !

A n yo n e
c o u l d
d o
t h at !
Devotional messages
for missions-minded
Christians
D o u g N i c h o l s
c o m p i l e D b y b r i a N s t e w a r t

Copyright © 2013 by Doug Nichols and Action
International Ministries, USA.
PO Box 398, Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043
communications@actionusa.org
Printed in the United States of America

Contents
Foreword .......................................................1
Witnessing in a TB sanitarium ........................5
Witnessing in a Manila garbage dump ............8
Admonish whom? Or, I’m certainly
not going to say anything! ............................11
Advice to new missionaries ..........................16
Are ten “lickins” enough? .............................20
Are you about through? ...............................25
Are you easily offended? ..............................28
Are you into fads? ........................................31

Bibles before bullets .....................................33
Blood on the floor and pigs running wild! ...36
Brotherly kindness .......................................39
Can you stay on your horse? ........................41
Cancer survivor by God’s grace ....................44
Do our sins catch up to us in our old age? ....47
Do you fire people graciously,
or as the world does?....................................50
Do you go to God with small matters,
as well as big? ...............................................53
Do you have any spoons
you need to return? .....................................56
Does a little matter? .....................................58
Embarrassed without notes ..........................62
Francis Schaeffer slept here ..........................64

Honor to whom honor is due ......................67
Hospitality and caring
for the needs of others .................................70
I wish I could be a brother like that .............72
Is it okay for a missionary to
drive a Cadillac? ...........................................76
It is always too early to quit! .........................79
Jail break in Bangalore, India ........................82
Jesus sends a sword, so He must be God! ......86
Leaving China .............................................89
Little lady in the cancer ward .......................92
Moaning and groaning does not
do a bit of good ...........................................95
Only the beautiful lip-synch .........................97
Playing hurt ...............................................100

Reggie Jackson, Willie Mays, and
Pastor Siodora ............................................102
Self-denial, afflictions, and a thorny bed ......104
Street boy becomes academic dean .............108
Thanks, mister, for talking to me ................111
The Gospel is not word and deeds,
but word only! ...........................................114
The race is on ............................................116
The State of California is on your side .......119
Useless, or strategic ministry? .....................122
Ushers, get the plates!.................................124
We walk by faith ... not by sight,
even in spending money ............................128
What? $2.55 for a little cup of lemonade? ...131

What pictures do you have on your wall
and who do you pray for? ..........................133
What would you do? .................................136
Where are the missionaries? .......................140
Why are we not more friendly
and kind to others? ....................................144
You are not very smart, are you? .................146
Missionaries are still needed ......................151

1
Foreword
The fact that you are holding this book in your
hands is certainly no thanks to Doug Nichols.
What I mean by that is that for years I have
proposed to Doug that he combine some of his
most inspiring missions messages into a book.
But he has never been interested in doing so.
You see, Doug is the type of person who would
rather talk about you and your ministry than be
in the spotlight himself.
So, while he was ministering in the
Philippines in December, 2012, I compiled and
edited these stories from all our archives of his
writings here at the ACTION headquarters, and
sent them off to be printed in a book. This book.
I even put his picture on the cover, though I
know he won’t like it because he always prefers
that the attention be on Christ and others, not
himself.

So if you are reading this, then somehow I
have prevailed by “sneak attack” and after getting
this printed up while he was away, have finally
won his approval to distribute it. Sometimes it is
easier to get forgiveness than permission!
I hate to do this to one of my bosses, but
these messages really deserve a wider audience.
This book is also my way of saying thanks
to a man who has been a great help and
encouragement to me.
I have always considered Doug Nichols to be
the co-founder of my ministry in Cuba, because
twelve years ago when I started out I had no
money and very few contacts. It was Doug who
initially found the money, found the conference
speakers, and found the books for us to print!
Perhaps more amazingly, he found confidence
in this new missionary and treated me with
greater respect than I possibly deserved. Doug
surely realized that at the beginning I didn’t
know what I was doing, but he never gave a hint
of that. Rather, he encouraged me every step
of the way and continued to introduce me to
his friends and ministry colleagues, which made
2

me feel that he was very proud of me and the
ministry.
His faith in me helped me to grow into the
leadership role I have, and the opportunities he
gave me caused me to grow and learn in ways
that I wouldn’t have otherwise.
I have been blessed to know and work with
Doug, and there are now tens of thousands
of Cuban pastors and leaders who have been
blessed with conferences and books because
Doug Nichols found it in his heart to take a
young missionary under his wing.
I trust that these brief devotional messages
written by Doug will encourage even those
missionaries and missions-minded Christians
who have not had the privilege of knowing him
personally.
—Brian Stewart, ACTION Cuba Director
3

witnessing in A
tB sAnitArium
While serving with Operation Mobilization
in India in 1967, tuberculosis forced me into
a sanitarium for several months. I did not yet
speak the language, but I tried to give Christian
literature written in their language to the
patients, doctors and nurses. Everyone politely
refused.
I sensed many weren’t happy about a rich
American (to them all Americans are rich) being
in a free, government-run sanitarium. (They
didn’t know I was just as broke as they were!)
The first few nights I woke around 2:00 a.m.
coughing. One morning during my coughing
spell, I noticed one of the older and sicker
patients across the aisle trying to get out of bed.
He would sit up on the edge of the bed and try
to stand, but in weakness would fall back into
5

ed. I didn’t understand what he was trying to
do. He finally fell back into bed, exhausted. I
heard him crying softly.
The next morning I realized that the man
had been trying to get up and walk to the
bathroom! The stench in the ward was awful.
Other patients yelled insults at the man. Angry
nurses moved him roughly from side to side
as they cleaned up the mess. One nurse even
slapped him. The old man curled into a ball and
wept.
The next night I again woke up coughing. I
noticed the man across the aisle sit up and again
try to stand. Like the night before, he fell back
whimpering. I don’t like bad smells, and I didn’t
want to become involved, but I got out of bed and
went over to him. When I touched his shoulder,
His eyes opened wide with fear. I smiled, put my
arms under him, and picked him up.
He was very light, due to old age and
advanced TB. I carried him to the washroom,
which was just a small filthy room with a hole
in the floor. I stood behind him with my arms
under his armpits as he took care of himself.
6

After he finished, I picked him up and carried
him back to his bed. As I laid him down, he kissed
me on the cheek, smiled, and said something I
couldn’t understand.
The next morning another patient woke
me and handed me a steaming cup of tea. He
motioned with his hands that he wanted a tract.
As the sun rose, other patients approached
and indicated they also wanted the booklets I
had tried to distribute before. Throughout the
day nurses, interns and doctors also asked for
literature.
Weeks later an evangelist who spoke the
language visited me, and as he talked to others
in the sanitarium he discovered that several had
put their trust in Christ as Savior as a result of
reading the literature!
What did it take to reach these people with
the Gospel? It wasn’t health, the ability to speak
their language, or a persuasive talk. I simply took
a trip to the bathroom.
Anyone could have done that!
7

witnessing in A mAnilA
gArBAge dump
It was in the early 1980s that Aries, a Filipino
coworker, and I were standing at the top edge
of the Manila garbage dump, in those days
known as “Smoky Mountain,” nearly ten stories
high. Below us lay a village which was home to
15,000 people who eked out an existence at the
dump.
It was early morning, around 5:45, and the
sun was just coming up. Aries and I had met at
the dump to pray. We were asking God to assist
us and the other team members in effectively
reaching these extremely poor people with the
Gospel of salvation in Christ.
As we prayed, an old man approached us.
He had begun his day’s work, scavenging at the
dump. He was gathering aluminum cans to sell,
but was too weak to carry many at the same
8

time. He asked if we would guard the cans he
had already gathered while he looked for more,
and we gladly said yes. I guess it is okay to guard
cans and pray at the same time. We continued
to pray.
The old man came and went with his
tin cans as Aries and I discussed and prayed
about evangelism and church planting among
the poor. After our prayer time, the old man
approached with another load of cans. Since it
was now daylight, I could see that he was really
quite elderly. He was not wearing a shirt, had
wrinkled skin, and was very thin.
It is respectable in the Philippines to ask
older people their age. I greeted the man,
commented on the fact that he was up so early
to work, and politely asked his age.
With a big smile, he answered, “Oh, it’s
wonderful that you asked. Today is my birthday!
I am 78 years old today!”
Aries and I gave our congratulations and
then broke out singing “Happy Birthday!” As
we finished, we shook his hand and gave him
a hug. He was so excited and thanked us very
9

much for being so kind to him and singing for
him on his birthday.
We then asked him if he was prepared to go
to heaven. He did not know what we meant. We
proceeded to share the Good News of salvation
in Christ. After some time, this early morning
can-gathering old man, this garbage dump
resident, turned from his sins and in joy trusted
Jesus Christ as Savior!
What a place to receive Christ—on the top
of the Manila garbage dump.
The old man then invited us to his little
shack to meet his wife, son, daughter-in-law and
grandchildren. During the next several weeks
several in his family also trusted the Lord Jesus
Christ.
I guess you could call this event “From the
Dump to Glory”! All this came about as the
result of a simple prayer meeting on top of a
dump and in the process guarding a few dirty
cans for an old man.
Anybody could have done the same.
10

Admonish whom? or, i’ m
CertAinly not going
to sAy Anything!
…Christ in you, the hope of glory. We
proclaim Him, admonishing every man and
teaching every man with all wisdom, so that
we may present every man complete in Christ
(Colossians 1:27-28, nasb).
Have you ever been surprised or disheartened
with the conduct or teaching of pastors of large
churches or directors of large ministries? Or
discouraged by their rudeness, crudeness, anger,
language, teaching, or lavish and ostentatious life
style?
Many of us are intimidated and fearful to
say anything, for after all we may only be a
pastor of a small church of 50, so who are we to
11

confront (even graciously) a pastor of a church
of 5000? How can we speak to the conduct of
a famous Christian author when we’ve never
even written a book?
But should not all of us in the body of Christ
encourage each in the body in our conduct and
walk with God?
A pastor of a megachurch speaks crudely
of sex from the pulpit, publically says he does
not like people (except his own family), treats
others rudely and is known as the “angry
pastor.” I spoke at a meeting of pastors and
was seated next to this famous young pastor.
He spoke to no one at the table even when
spoken to. When I sought to encourage and
talk to him, he simply answered with an angry
stare.
Was this a time to say something like, “Hey,
brother, what do you think of Paul’s instruction
to the church of Colossae in Colossians
chapter 3, when he says in verses 10 to 12 that
as a Christian, we are to put on (so the world
can see) a heart of compassion, kindness, and
humility? Brother, as a pastor and teacher of the
12

Word, is it possible to be a true believer without
the evidence in our lives of things that clothe a
follower of Christ?”
The reason most of us would not speak
(even kindly) to a “big shot” church leader like
this is because we are afraid he would answer,
“Who do you think you are?”
Well, we do know (or should know) who
we are; we are members to each other in Christ,
in His body the Church!
So, don’t be a coward like me. Tactfully,
in love, with gracious speech (or writing)
speak to those who bring shame to Christ and
discouragement to those in the church. Don’t
be intimidated and fooled with statements
like, “I know Pastor So and So is not perfect,
but look at the size of his church. He may be
angry, use crude language, and not like people,
but look at all he does for the Kingdom.”
So, as those who have been chosen of
God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of
compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness
and patience; bearing with one another, and
13

forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint
against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you,
so also should you. Beyond all these things
put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity
(Colossians 3:12-14, nasb).
Let no unwholesome word proceed from
your mouth, but only such a word as is good for
edification according to the need of the moment,
so that it will give grace to those who hear
(Ephesians 4:29, nasb).
Let all bitterness and wrath and anger
and clamor and slander be put away from
you, along with all malice. Be kind to one
another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other,
just as God in Christ also has forgiven you
(Ephesians 4:31-32, nasb).
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he
is a new creature; the old things passed
away; behold, new things have come
(2 Corinthians 5:17, nasb).
For the love of Christ controls us, having
concluded this, that one died for all, therefore
all died; and He died for all, so that they who
live might no longer live for themselves, but for
14

Him who died and rose again on their behalf
(2 Corinthians 5:14-15, nasb).
If our teaching, lifestyle, and conduct do not
glorify the Lord Jesus, what good is it, whatever
the size of our ministry or church?
15

AdviCe to new
missionAries
1. No Bible, no breakfast! Do regular daily
devotions and be serious about this. “O how
I love Your law! It is my meditation all the
day” (Psalm 197:97, nasb).
2. Read! Read! Read! Read good books and
read the Bible through at least once yearly!
“Grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18, nasb).
Someone said, “If you do not read, you will
not grow.”
3. Live by faith. “But my Righteous one shall
live by faith; and if he shrinks back, my soul
has no pleasure in him” (Hebrews 10:38,
nasb).
16

4. Build friendships with local believers,
unbelievers and fellow missionaries.
“Behold, how good and how pleasant it
is for brothers to dwell together in unity”
(Psalm 133:1, nasb).
5. Network for the glory of God. “…but if
we walk in the Light as He Himself is in
the Light, we have fellowship with one
another…” (1 Peter 1:7, nasb).
6. Preach the Gospel to others. “Now I make
known to you, brethren, the gospel which
I preached to you, which also you received,
in which also you stand, by which also you
are saved, if you hold fast the word which I
preached to you, unless you believed in vain.
For I delivered to you as of first importance
what I also received, that Christ died for our
sins according to the Scriptures, and that
He was buried, and that He was raised on
the third day according to the Scriptures…”
(1 Corinthians 15:1-4, nasb).
17

7. Practice hospitality whether you are single
or married and do this often. “Be hospitable
to one another without complaint”
(1 Peter 4:9, nasb).
8. Learn to love the Savior, love saints, and love
sinners. “…You shall love the Lord your God
with all you heart, and with all your soul,
and with all your mind. This is the great and
foremost commandment. The second is like
it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’”
(Matthew 22:38-39, nasb).
9. Put on humility daily. “… clothe yourselves
with humility toward one another…”
(1 Peter 5:5b, nasb).
10. Be a servant of Christ by serving others.
Remember manners are “the kindness of
Christ in action.” “As each one has received
a special gift, employ it in serving one
another as good stewards of the manifold
grace of God. Whoever speaks, is to do
so as one who is speaking the utterances
18

of God; whoever serves is to do so as one
who is serving by the strength which God
supplies; so that in all things God may be
glorified through Jesus Christ…” (1 Peter
4:10-11, nasb).
19

Are ten "liCkins"
enough?
When I was growing up in the 1940s, a spanking
was called a “lickin,” and a swat was called a
“lick.” Few people seem to know much about
this anymore, so I was particularly intrigued by
the excellent movie Places in the Heart.
The movie deals with love, sacrifice,
determination, and racial prejudice. In one
scene, a young widow is faced with the need
to spank her son. The mother asks the 11-yearold
how his daddy had spanked him before. The
little boy obediently says, “Mom, I bent over the
table and he would spank me with his belt.”
Distraught, the mother asks, “Would he hit
you hard or softly?”
“What I did was pretty bad, Mom, so he
would probably spank me hard,” the boy
responds.
20

“How many licks would he give you?” asks
the mother.
“Well, Mom,” The boy replies, “Dad would
be pretty mad so he would probably give me
ten.”
So the mother proceeds to give him ten
swats. Through tears, she later says, “I will never
spank my son again.”
It was a very moving scene, but I laughed
at the difference between the mother portrayed
in the movie and my own mother. My mom
would have said, “If you do it again, I will give
you twenty!”
Mom and Granddad, who helped raise me,
believed in lickins. Boy, did they ever!
On one occasion I received two spankings.
I had thrown a rock through the window of a
moving car and my grandfather almost wore out
his thick brown belt on my backside! When my
mother got home from work, she did not think
he had beaten me enough, so she went at me
with a black plastic belt. I may have had welts
on my legs from these two hard spankings, but I
did not throw rocks at cars anymore.
21

When I was about six or seven, someone
was selling fruit on the side of the road. It
looked to me like they were making quite a bit
of money, so I proceeded to open a fruit and
vegetable stand myself. One thing was missing:
product. We had no garden so I stole the fruits
and vegetables from the neighbor’s backyard. It
was a profitable little venture.
Until my grandfather found out.
He thought it was so funny and was laughing
so hard that he could barely hold the belt to
spank me. When Mom got home, she laughed
in her room for a while, then got in a few good
licks as well. I had to pay the neighbor back of
course, but I don’t think that was enough. From
then on, I noticed that whenever I passed his
house, he watched me very closely.
Growing up, I think my middle name was
“lickin.”
The Word of God says there is a very
important place for discipline. “Discipline your
son while there is hope, and do not desire his
death,” we are told in Proverbs 19:18. And again
in Proverbs 22:15, “Foolishness is bound up in
22

the heart of a child; the rod of discipline will
remove it far from Him.”
In the New Testament we read of God’s
discipline of us, His children:
My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of
the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by Him;
for those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and
He scourges every son whom He receives…it is for
discipline that you endure; God deals with you as
with sons; for what son is there whom his father does
not discipline? But if you are without discipline,
of which all have become partakers, then you are
illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, we
had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected
them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father
of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short
time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us
for our good, so that we may share His holiness. All
discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but
sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it,
afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness
(Heb. 12:5-11, nasb).
Yes, God disciplines His children, but He has
a purpose for doing so: it is for our good. How
23

can this be? That we might share His holiness,
His righteousness.
There is however, a difference in the way
we discipline our children and the way God
disciplines us, His children. As earthly parents,
we make mistakes. We give five swats when we
should have given ten or when we should have
taken them for ice cream instead and had a
meaningful talk.
But when God uses whatever means of
discipline He wants to use, He knows exactly
how much to give, what pressure to use, and
in what situation. He spanks exactly right; not
too hard and not too soft, but only that which
accomplishes His purpose for His glory.
I knew my mom and grandfather loved me
because of their care and—yes—even because
of their lickins. If, like me, you have experienced
God’s hand of discipline, remember the fruit it
will bring. His love is felt daily as He cares and
reproves us for our sake and especially for His
glory.
24

Are you ABout
through?
Recently my wife, Margaret, and her sister were
visiting a dear elderly and godly friend in the
hospital.
As Margaret was reading Psalm 42 from the
Word of God, suddenly the lady in the next bed
said, “Are you about through? I don’t like that!”
The Word of God does that, doesn’t it?
To some, it soothes, comforts, challenges,
encourages, convicts and builds up. To others,
the Word of God is a stinging sound!
Should we not read and use the Word of
God more to let it do its work?
During my cancer treatment years ago,
Margaret had to rush me to emergency one
night. After the doctors worked on me through
the night, not really knowing what to do, they
called Margaret into the hall the next morning
25

to explain my situation to her. About that time,
a chaplain came in to see me and I thought, “Oh
no, this must be it.”
As the chaplain talked softly to me for a few
minutes, I finally opened my eyes and as tactfully
as I could in my pain said, “Is that the stuff you
share with people all the time?”
He said, “What do you mean?”
I said, “Well, I’m dying of cancer. I do not
want to hear about the sweet breeze blowing
through the trees, the smell of flowers or the
birds chirping. I am dying! You need to read the
Word of God.”
He said, “The Word of God? Where do I
get a copy?” I said, “For Pete’s sake, you are a
chaplain! Get one of those Gideon Bibles over
there on the table.”
As he picked up the Bible he asked, “Where
do I read?” I said, “Well, why don’t you start with
Romans?” (I forgot that when you are dying
you are supposed to read Psalms, not Romans.)
So he began to read Romans chapter one. In my
pain I went to sleep just as he got to verse 16,
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power
26

of God for salvation to everyone who believes... What
a great verse to go to sleep on!
The next day, he came to see me again and
asked, “Can we read the Word of God some
more?” As he read and we talked, I challenged
him to use the Word with more patients because
even in our misery, agony, pain and discomfort,
the Word of God brings hope.
The Scripture says, So faith comes from hearing,
and hearing by the word of Christ (Romans 10:17).
So let’s read the Word of God and our faith will
continue to grow.
27

Are you eAsily
oFFended?
One of the biggest problems in the Christian
church today is Christians who are easily
offended. The sad truth is that even some
Christian leaders are easily angered and
offended!
The true mark of a mature Christian is a life
that is characterized by the fruit of the Spirit:
“love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control”
(Galatians 5:22-23, nasb).
Many Bible commentators feel that love is
the fruit, with the other eight characteristics
listed simply as a manifestation of love.
We read in 1 Corinthians 13:5 that love “is
not easily provoked”, which means “not easily
offended.”
28

Are you living a life of love? Do you manifest
in your life the qualities of this spiritual fruit of
love? If you do, you will not be easily offended.
A spirit-filled life is one that is not easily
angered or insulted. Here is a simple list of
questions to check yourself to see if you are
truly walking in the Spirit.
How do you react or act when:
1. Your name is spelled wrong or
mispronounced or not remembered?
2. You are not recognized?
3. You are not called upon to pray, sing, cook,
speak, testify, or lead?
4. You are not elected to the church board of
elders or deacons or even to the music or
Sunday School committee?
5. You are not chosen as the most creative,
most friendly, or cutest?
29

6. You are just plain forgotten, or treated
wrongly or rudely?
7. You are not given a raise or promotion?
8. No one seems to like you, or you are
lonely and no one seems to care, or no one
encourages you?
If you react to any of these situations with
anger or by being offended or insulted, the Bible
says you are not living in the spirit of love.
Let us all deal with this matter in our lives!
Let’s put Christ and others first and not think of
ourselves and our feelings so much.
The mark of maturity in a Christian life is
Christ having first place in our lives and not we
ourselves!
30

Are you into FAds?
It was recently reported on the news that a special
study in Copenhagen found that there are no
more vitamins or minerals in organic food than
non-organic. They are no more healthy than
foods that are grown with insecticides, yet they
cost at least 30% more!
It was also recently reported here in Seattle
that the water straight from the faucet is better
and purer than bottled water. Yet, you still see
people lined up to buy bottled water, which is
nearly $12 a gallon (and we’re concerned about
$4 for a gallon of gas?)
We also have fads in the church and in
Christian missions, don’t we? A new method
for evangelism, the key way to reach Hindus
or Muslims, six laws for spiritual success, three
ways of guaranteeing church growth, and other
faddish secrets.
31

These fads seem to run their course in
several months or a couple of years, and then
there is something else new.
The problem with these fads in the church
is that people almost sell their body and soul to
new fads, a certain method, a book or a style, to
the point that relationships are broken, there are
splits in churches and organizations and many of
God’s people become discouraged.
Instead of following a fad, a new teaching,
or a method or style, let’s follow Christ and
the teachings that He has left for us in His
Word regarding our relationship with Him
and obedience to His commands for life and
ministry.
Jesus said, If you love me, keep my commands
(John 14:15). The Apostle John in his epistle
said, …His commandments are not burdensome
(1 John 5:3b, nasb).
So dear friend, let’s trust, obey and live!
32

BiBles BeFore
Bullets
For the Word of the Lord is upright; all His
work is done in faithfulness (Psalm 33:4, nasb).
Just before the People’s Revolution in the
Philippines in 1985, after which President
Marcos and wife were forced to leave the
country, we received a call from General Fidel
V. Ramos (who later became President of the
Philippines) asking if our ministry could provide
New Testaments for 75,000 soldiers and police!
This was a huge request for New Testaments
valued at $1 each. I said we would try. The
Lord was gracious and two organizations,
The Bible League and the International Bible
Society, provide the funds to print 75,000 New
Testaments in Tagalog (Filipino), English, and
three other languages. The New Testaments
33

were delivered to General Ramos and he had
these systematically distributed to soldiers and
police throughout the country.
One missionary friend, who worked with
army officers at a very secure military base,
said he normally had to go through three very
strict checkpoints every time he conducted
a Bible study with the officers. However, the
day the New Testaments were delivered, he
was simply waved through each security check
point with the guards paying him little mind
because they were busily reading their New
Testaments!
When the peaceful People Power
Revolution began a few days later, the army
was ordered by the President to shoot into the
crowd and run over them with their tanks. The
army refused to shoot the innocent. Was this a
result of the military reading the Word of God?
Who knows? But we do know that it was one of
the first “peaceful” revolutions which resulted in
the overthrow of an unjust regime.
34

We may be shy sharing the Gospel, but we
can give people the Word of God encouraging,
them to read it. The Word of God is “upright.”
Who knows, another revolution may be just
around the corner.
35

Blood on the Floor And
pigs running wild!
When I was a freshman in high school, trying
to make my way through school, not really
knowing how to read or write, I always chose
what I thought to be the easiest classes.
One class was an agricultural class and I even
became a member of Future Farmers of America.
In my English class, we all were assigned to give
a demonstration speech on topics such as how
to blow a trumpet, how to thread a needle, how
to read a book, how to make a kite, and so on.
I chose a topic that I thought would be
quite easy and fit in with what I was learning
in my agricultural class and that was how to notch
the ears of a pig.
So, on the day of my speech, I took a piglet
to class. This was a young pig, not really a piglet,
36

which was supposedly not going to bleed much.
However, as my friends tried to hold the pig
while I attempted to cut the notches in the ears,
the pig jerked, causing me to cut a big hunk out
of the poor pig’s ear! Blood went everywhere!
The girls in the front row screamed and one
fainted. The pig got loose, and while slipping
and sliding on the blood on the floor, instead
of catching it, I knocked over a desk. It was
pandemonium!
Later, after being man-handled by my
teacher to the principal’s office, the principal
simply said, “Doug, you are nothing but trouble.
You can’t even give a speech without causing a
problem!”
Yes, I was trouble then, and as I became
older, I became even worse in violence,
thievery, and drunkenness. But praise God for
His grace, when at age 21 someone shared
with me the Good News of Salvation in Christ
and in Him alone, and I turned to Christ in
simple repentance and faith. Someone said,
“No one is so bad that he is beyond grace’s
37

each, or so good that he is not in grace’s
need!
…so that being justified by His grace we
would be made heirs according to the hope of
eternal life (Titus 3:7, nasb).
38

Brotherly kindness
“Brotherly kindness” is from the Greek word
philadelphia which means “an affectionate
involvement of our lives with others,” especially
with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Commitment to Jesus Christ means
commitment to His people!
In 1 Thessalonians 5:14-15, Paul gives
instruction to the church in its relations with one
another, “And we urge you, brethren, admonish
the unruly [this is a judgment call], encourage
the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with
all men. See that no one repays another with
evil for evil, but always seek after that which is
good for one another and for all men” (nasb).
Years ago the USS PUEBLO was captured
by North Korea. Thirteen of the crew were put
in one room and given assigned chairs. Every
day a Korean soldier would suddenly come in
and beat the sailor in the first chair. This went
39

on for three days. This sailor was slowly being
beaten to death. Finally the other prisoners
began to take his place each day. Each sailor
knew what would happen when he sat in the
first chair. They knew what was coming. But
out of concern for his fellow sailor, they each
took his chair!
When was the last time that “in brotherly
kindness” you sat in the chair of someone who
was suffering? The chair of pain, of loneliness, of
heartache, of grief, of poverty, or of helplessness?
40

CAn you stAy on
your horse?
Jane Austin was a writer during the Victorian
era and wrote several books, most of which
portrayed the clergy in a demeaning way. The
clergy were always simpletons and prideful,
seemingly turning down their noses at people,
rather than ministering the grace of God and
His loving kindness.
Recently my family and I watched a new
rendition of Emma by the BBC. The acting and
photography were excellent!
In the first part of the series, the Vicar
(clergy) was leaving a house and getting on a
horse and someone said about him, “That man
is so full of himself, it is a wonder he can stay on
his horse!”
41

This is exactly the opposite description of
what should be said about a pastor or even a
Christian.
Instead, a person should be able to say, “That
man [woman] is such a wonderful person. He is
so kind, gracious, humble and easy to get along.
He is always reaching out to others, serving
them, taking the back seat (or even giving up
his seat) so that others can be cared for; he is
the last one to be served and the first one to
graciously give a kind word of encouragement
and minister to others, even though he may be
suffering himself.”
In Colossians 3:12-13, Paul says, “So, as
those who have been chosen of God, holy and
beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness,
humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with
one another, and forgiving each other, whoever
has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord
forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these
things put on love, which is the perfect bond of
unity” (nasb).
42

As you can see, these nine character qualities
listed in Colossians are the exact opposite of
pride. A good question for each of us, therefore,
is, “Can we stay on a horse or are we too full of
ourselves with pride?”
God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace
to the humble” (James 4:6, nasb).
43

CAnCer survivor
By g o d’ s grACe
I am a survivor of colon cancer which was
diagnosed in 1993 and treated over the next
year. God’s hand was on my life through
this experience, especially in giving me two
extraordinary doctors. Dr. Dan Froese was the
skilled surgeon who, when faced with a difficult
choice in the middle of my surgery, stopped and
asked God for direction. The decision he made
to perform a colostomy helped save my life.
The second doctor par excellence was Dr. Saul
Rivkin. All the patients who are privileged to
be in his care love this man and appreciate his
dedication to each one of us. He aggressively
attacked any cancer cells that escaped the knife,
and so I’m alive and well today.
Several months ago during a regular
checkup with Dr. Rivkin he mentioned to me
44

that he had only one other patient of similar
circumstances to mine who was still alive.
“Why do you think God allowed you to live
when so many others have died?” he asked me.
For a moment I was taken aback by his question,
but then I thought of several possible reasons. I
replied that perhaps God gave me cancer so that
I could share the Gospel with him.
Also, it was during my cancer treatment
that God gave me a deep concern for Africa,
especially to the 13 million AIDS orphans. In
the intervening years I have had the opportunity
to begin projects on that continent. Another
purpose for still being alive is that God
continues to work in my life for my good and
His glory.
In a recent discussion with my former
surgeon and now friend, Dr. Froese, in which
we were planning a medical outreach to Africa
with a team of doctors, I related to him my
conversation with Dr. Rivkin. Dr. Froese
concurred about the severity of my cancer and
shocked me by saying that it was one of his
worst cases which survived.
45

I had not known that, and am humbled that
God has allowed me to live these extra years.
Whether I die today or live many more years,
my prayer is that my life will be pleasing to my
Heavenly Father. In the words of John Newton,
“I am a wretched sinner, but I have a wonderful
Saviour!”
46

do our sins CAtCh up to
us in our old Age?
Our sins have a way of catching up to us in our
age. As we read in the Word of God, “The sins of
some men are quite evident, going before them
to judgment; for others, their sins follow after”
(1 Timothy 5:24, nasb).
If you and I do not deal with our sins
now, they will surely be evident when we get
older. Sins such as stubbornness, unkindness
and selfishness seem to really hit us as older
people.
Recently I was visiting a friend in need at
a senior care home. As I was leaving, they asked
me if my friend was like another Christian
acquaintance of ours whom they had cared for
previously. I answered, “What do you mean?”
They responded, “Well, we had so much
trouble with Mr. ____. In fact, not only did we
47

have real problems with him, but with his wife
also, when she came to visit!” They went on
to say that this Christian couple said very bad
things to the directors and staff, were extremely
difficult to care for, and were rude and never
satisfied.
I felt ashamed that this was the testimony of
some of my friends. Even though I had noticed
this, especially in the gentleman’s life over the
years, I was never in a situation to discuss this
with him, but possibly should have.
It is important to not only hear the Word
of God Sunday after Sunday in messages from
our pastors, but also to obey the Word of God.
As we read Scripture day by day describing the
characteristics of a godly person, we need to
immediately confess our sins before God and
ask His help in obeying for His glory.
Any offense that we give or criticism that
we receive should never be because of our
crudeness in speech or un-Christlike actions.
Our only offence should be because of our
godly character and in speaking of the cross and
the Gospel.
48

So what type of person are you going to be
at age 70, 80 and 90? Grumpy? Unkind? Selfish?
Stubborn? Or are you going to be a man or
woman of God with character qualities which
bring glory to God.
49

do you Fire people
grACiously, or As
the world does?
Recently, a friend of ours was laid off from a
large Christian organization. He was one of
the top men in the ministry and was given no
notice or warning at all.
He was followed to his car by one of
the executives at the end of the day’s work.
The executive simply informed him that the
company was going in a new direction and his
services were no longer needed. He was not
allowed to go back to his office; they would
clean out his office and send his items to his
home by courier!
Another acquaintance was at the airport
when he received a telephone call from one
of the vice presidents of the ministry, located
in several major cities throughout the United
50

States. The call from the corporate office was
to inform him that he was terminated, effective
immediately. This was quite a shock as he had
just received a wonderful commendation from
the president and had excellent reviews of the
effectiveness of his ministry for Christ.
My wife and I were counting up similar
stories of friends and acquaintances. Even
the organizations of the world do not treat
their people this way. What is so amazing
about the stories above is that in each of
these ministries, their leaders teach Christian
management seminars throughout the United
States and write books on Christian leadership
principles.
So, dear friends, what can we learn from this
in our everyday lives, ministry and activities?
When we are faced with the need to “let
people go,” we should follow the principles
of the Word of God …as those who have been
chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart
of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and
patience (Colossians 3:10-12, nasb).
51

Yes, sometimes we may need to fire someone,
but do it graciously and kindly, helping the
person move on to another ministry for the
glory of God.
52

do you go to god
with smAll mAtters,
As well As Big?
Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and do not lean on your own understanding. In
all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will
make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6, nasb).
Recently I woke up late at night meditating
on this wonderful passage in Proverbs 3:5-
6. What a wonderful, encouraging, as well as
convicting, passage of Scripture.
The next morning I went through Proverbs
3 again and read several commentaries on this
passage. The saintly Matthew Henry, in his
commentary on the verse, states that so often
we only go to God with the big things that we
consider to be important, rather than relying
upon God for everything, even the small things.
53

I was bothered by a certain “small thing”
that morning as I needed to take out the four
heavy back seats of our van to make room for
nearly $2000 worth of used Christian books that
had been donated to ACTION by a church, for
needy pastors in the Philippines. I was scheduled
to speak at the church the next day. They had the
books ready for me to load into our van after
the service, yet I did not know how to remove
the seats. To make things even more difficult, my
hands are arthritic and I am dealing with high
blood pressure which made the task even more
frustrating.
As I was struggling as to what to do, I
prayed, “Lord, to many people this may be a
simple thing, so maybe it is. So will you help me
figure out how to get the seats out of the van
so I can load the books for needy pastors in the
Philippines?”
I went back into the house to do more study
for the message I was to give the next morning.
After I had warmed up a bit, I put on a pair of
work gloves and went out to try to figure out a
way to remove those heavy seats.
54

Believe it or not, the seats were out and
safely stored on our back porch out of the rain
within ten minutes! So I was able to phone my
strong and younger friend who had volunteered
to help and let him know that he would no
longer need to come, as the job was done!
Yes, in all things we are to “trust in the
Lord with all your heart and lean not on your
own understanding.” I guess this might include
abilities and strength.
55

do you hAve Any spoons
you need to return?
A few years ago, when my father-in-law, Walter
Jespersen, could still drive, we took several
people out for Sunday dinner at a restaurant
called The Country Buffet about eight miles
from our home.
When Dad was going through the line, he
put his knife, fork, spoon and napkin in the
upper pocket of his suit coat while he served
the food onto his plate.
Later that day, he noticed the spoon from
the restaurant in his coat pocket and was very
bothered by this. He had used the other utensils
but had forgotten about the spoon.
I told him that we would return the spoon
later in the week when we passed by the
restaurant, or we could mail it to them. However,
by Monday, Dad was still very bothered that he
56

had taken the spoon. He decided to drive (even
though it had become very difficult) to the
restaurant to return the spoon and apologize.
Dad, now 93, is still the same. He continues
in the Word of God daily. He cannot see, but
listens to theological books on tape and the
Scriptures. He continues to grow in grace and
the knowledge of Christ. Being a godly man, he
is not overly sensitive, but is sensitive to truth,
error and what it takes to live a godly life in an
uncaring, wicked world. He is the kind of man
we should all emulate!
So, I have asked myself a question quite
often, “Do I have any spoons to return?” In
other words, is there anything I need to take
care of today? Do I need to apologize, return
a favor, minister to others, show graciousness,
display goodness, or share the gospel? What do I
need to take care of today so that I will be more
like Jesus?
57

does A little
mAtter?
Africa is a continent with massive needs, but
with wonderful opportunities for ministry with
the gospel and compassionate care for God’s
glory!
We should not settle for doing little for the
kingdom of God when we can do so much
more by trusting in our sovereign Lord to use
us for His glory. On the other hand, we should
never despise the day of small things and do
what we can, even if that might be something
small. The boy in the Gospel of John only had
a small, poor lunch of five loaves and two fish,
yet in the hands of Jesus the food was multiplied
to meet the physical needs of 5000 men plus
women and children.
On one occasion in Africa, my wife
Margaret held a little AIDS baby for about one
58

hour. Did this baby know what was happening?
I carried another baby around the AIDS
hospice and sat with another little sick boy who
hugged up next to me. He did not understand a
thing I was saying as I sought to minister to him
from the Word of God and sang, “Jesus loves
the little children…” We may not have made a
real difference in the lives of these children, or
did we?
Margaret and I were on the streets with a
young ACTION missionary from Minneapolis
working with street children.
We bought lunch for 20 boys, which only
cost 25¢ each. Did this make a difference? Most
of the boys ate their lunch and left; only a few
were very thankful and appreciative. Five dollars
to buy a large lunch for 20 boys is such a little
thing. Did it make any difference?
We visited a church-based community
school in a building with no roof, no windows,
no chairs, and a dirt floor. Almost 500 children
were gathered in the one room. I saw a little boy
with an open, infected sore above his eye. I put
on a little antiseptic and band-aid. This was such
59

a small thing. Did it make any difference? The
little boy sure seemed to appreciate this care and
concern and repaid us with a smile and a hug.
The ACTION Zambia team leader and I
conducted a three-hour seminar for 44 pastors
and Christian workers which included a snack.
The three-hour seminar along with the snack
and soft drink for each came to a total of only
$20, which is less than 50¢ each. This is such
a small amount. Did it make any difference?
These pastors sure appreciated it, especially the
teaching from the Word of God and the small
snack of bread and soft drinks. Many of these
pastors go without food weekly so their wives
and children can eat.
Many times we think missions and ministry
are only for the people who are well-educated,
very knowledgeable, articulate speakers, can
sing, lead well, direct, and give counsel to every
problem. However, many of us are not is this
category, but we can do small things. We can sit
on the corner with a street child and offer a
piece of bread and a soft drink while sharing
the Gospel. We can hold children in an AIDS
60

hospice or in the many Christian orphanages in
Malawi, Uganda, or Zambia.
There are at present 12 to 13 million AIDS
orphans in Africa and thousands of untrained,
needy pastors. It would be wonderful if many of
God’s people age 21 to 83 would consider taking
their abilities, talents, background, finances and
expertise, give them all to Jesus, and let Him
multiply these gifts to reach the multitudes with
His Gospel and compassion, for His glory! Why
not?
Someone said years ago, “a little from our
world makes a big difference in theirs!”
61

emBArrAssed
without notes
Recently I spoke to a group of pastors, elders,
missions committee members, and missionaries.
I was to give a word of encouragement for
10 or 15 minutes to these men and women
who have faithfully served God. I spoke from
one of my favorite passages of Scripture:
1 Corinthians 15:57-58.
I had meditated on this verse for several
days and felt prepared. However, I had traveled
all day, was very tired, and my knee was giving
me problems with pain. Nevertheless, I felt
confident in the Lord to minister to these dear
saints of God, and felt I did not need to use
notes. Was I ever mistaken! I forgot special points
in mid-sentence, lost my train of thought twice,
did not finish certain applications properly from
62

the Word, and sat down in complete frustration
and embarrassment.
I have come to realize I cannot speak without
notes. It is good to trust God, but also remember
our limitations. God will lead and guide as
we prepare, and then we trust Him. He leads
us to divert to other matters and applications.
I’ve learned I need to at least have studied and
prepared the basic framework to speak from,
and God will help me to prepare.
It was a good experience for me to learn
from my mistake; however, I feel sorry for the
50 people who had to listen to me that day!
Throughout the night the incident
kept returning to my mind because of the
overwhelming sense of embarrassment and
failure. My prayer was, “Oh, God, you taught
me this wonderful lesson, BUT I ask that You
still use my stammering speech to glorify Your
name and encourage Your people!”
63

FrAnCis sChAeFFer
slept here
In 1966, I joined Operation Mobilization for a
year of ministry in France, but spent two years in
India instead. While in London in the summer
of 1966 at a one-month OM orientation, I
volunteered to work on a clean-up crew late
one night. Around 12:30 am, I was sweeping
the front steps of the conference center when
an older gentleman approached and asked if this
was the OM conference. I told him it was, but
that almost everyone was in bed.
He had a small bag with him and was
dressed very simply. He said he was attending
the conference, so I said, “Let me see if I can
find you a place to sleep.” Since there were
many different age groups at OM, I thought he
was an older OMer. I took him to the room
where I had been sleeping on the floor with
64

about 50 others and, seeing that he had nothing
to sleep on, laid some padding and a blanket on
the floor and gave him a towel for a pillow. He
said it would be fine and that he appreciated it
very much.
As he was preparing for bed, I asked him
if he had eaten. He had not, as he had been
traveling all day. I took him to the dining room,
but it was locked, so after picking the lock, I
found cornflakes, milk, bread, butter and jam—
all of which he thanked me for.
As he ate and we began to fellowship, I asked
where he was from. He said he and his wife had
been working in Switzerland for several years
in a ministry mainly to hippies and travelers. It
was wonderful to talk to him and hear about his
work and those who had come to Christ. When
he finished eating, we turned in for the night.
The next day I was in trouble! The leaders
of OM really got on my case. “Don’t you know
who that man is on the floor next to you? It
is Dr. Francis Schaeffer, the speaker for the
conference!” I did not know we were going
to have a speaker, nor did I know who Francis
65

Schaeffer was, nor did I know they had a special
room for him!
After Francis Schaeffer became well-known
because of his books and I had read more about
him, I thought about this occasion many times –
this gracious, kind, humble man of God sleeping
on the floor with OM recruits! This was the
kind of man I wanted to be.
Of course, I will never obtain the intellect,
knowledge, or wisdom of Francis Schaeffer, but
I can reach out to younger people and humbly
minister to them in Christ’s name by living a life
of humility. What about you?
66

honor to whom
honor is due
In this rude, disrespectful world, it is refreshing
to read simple teachings in the Word of God,
such as giving honor to others. Romans 12
and 13 give very practical guidelines for God’s
people to live the life of Christ, being salt and
light, in a dark, cruel world.
Take, for example, the simple phrase, Render
to all what is due them…honor to whom honor
(Romans 13:7 nasb).
Recently I was thinking of men and women
who have influenced me in practical daily living
for Christ. When I was twelve, my widowed
mother remarried and we moved to Southern
California to the little desert town of Indio. As
a 12-year-old boy, it was difficult for me to find
work that summer. I began to go door-to-door
asking for odd jobs. One kind, older man, Mr.
67

Jones, hired me to mow his lawn, using his lawn
mower since I did not have one. He was very
patient and kind, and took time to show me
how to use the lawn mower and do a good job.
Mr. Jones knew that I was trying to find
other lawns to mow and that I did not have a
lawn mower. He said if I would mow his lawn
throughout the summer for free, he would give
me his mower. What a wonderful, generous
offer! He inspected some of the lawns I worked
on and showed me how to do a better job.
Soon I had more than I could do and began to
hire other kids to help me. He taught me how
to supervise and pay them properly. By the
end of the summer, I had eight others working
with me.
Over the next three years my lawn
mowing business grew such that I had to hire
older people to help me including one with a
car to drive and pull my gardening trailer to
various mowing sites. When I was 15, I had a
crew of 30!
I have thought of Mr. Jones many times.
Not only did he reach out to me as an unknown
68

12-year-old nobody with no job skills, he
patiently and kindly instructed me in basic work
skills. Mr. Jones, therefore, was a man I sought to
emulate when I came to Christ years later.
Another man to whom honor is due is
my father-in-law, Walter Jespersen. My wife,
Margaret, and I have had the privilege of living
with him for several years. Even though he is
95 and cannot see or hear well, he still radiates
Christ’s love and has a desire to continue to walk
with God and minister to others loving care and
the good news of salvation in Christ.
So, dear friends, whom shall we honor
today? Let us be men and women who obey
this simple, but important, command in God’s
Word.
Render to all what is due them…honor to
whom honor (Romans 13:7 nasb).
69

hospitAlity And CAring
For the needs oF others
As a Christian, do you care about the needs
and comfort of others? If you are a pastor, elder,
church leader, or missionary, this is an especially
important question to answer.
Let us look at a few “when” questions:
When you are eating with others, do you
wait until all are served before you begin eating?
Do you pass the food and help others or only
yourself? Do you teach your fellow workers,
family, and children these basics? In a restaurant
are you polite and friendly to the workers and
do you tip well?
When traveling, do you make sure others
have a seat and that women, children, and the
elderly are helped and cared for? Do you let
others go first? Are you especially helpful to
70

people from other countries? (This especially
opens the door for the Gospel.)
When speaking, are you gracious and kind?
Do you say things like, “How are you today?”
“Thank you.” “I appreciate your help.” “What is
your name?” “You really do well.”
When sharing your home, do not keep your
guest guessing. Do you show them where the
towels, soap, and shampoo are? Are there places
to hang clothes in the bathroom so that they do
not have to put their clothes on the floor? Do
they know where the tea and coffee pots are?
Might they have special needs? Be careful about
putting them in an uncomfortable situation
by leaving them alone with a member of the
opposite sex.
“So, as those who have been chosen of God,
holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion,
kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;
bearing with one another, and forgiving each
other, whoever has a complaint against anyone;
just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you”
(Colossians 3: 12-13, nasb).
71

i wish i Could Be
A Brother like thAt
Years ago in the Philippines, I heard a story of
a man who parked his car in his office complex
in downtown Manila. There was a street boy
nearby and to pick up some money, he asked if
he could watch (guard) the man’s car while he
was in the office.
Several hours later, when the man came
back to get his nice Mercedes, he paid the boy
some loose change and, as he was getting in his
car, the little street boy said, “Mister, you sure
have a nice car.”
The man was quite surprised that this boy
had even spoken to him and said, “Well, thank
you.” Then the little boy said, “Where did you
get your car? Did somebody give it to you?”
The man replied, “Well yes, somebody did give
it to me. My brother gave it to me.”
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As he continued to get in the car, he
expected the boy to say something like, “Oh,
I wish I had a brother who would give me a
nice car.” Instead, he heard the little boy say,
“Your brother gave it to you? I wish I could be
a brother like that.”
The man was so amazed at the statement of
the little boy, he asked, “Have you ever been in
a nice car like this?” The little boy said, “No.”
The man replied, “Well, get in. Let me give you
a ride.” The boy jumped up in the front seat and
as they drove down the road, the man had to
roll down the windows because the little boy
was so smelly.
The boy was so joyful and in awe that he said,
“Sir, could we go get my little brother and give
him a ride too?” The man said, “Tell me about
your brother. Where is he?” The boy pointed at
a poor slum area of Manila called Tondo. They
drove there and parked and the man said, “Go
get your brother and we will give him a ride.”
The little boy ran down a filthy alleyway
and a few minutes later came back with his
little brother on his back, as he was crippled!
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The man said, “So this is your little brother?
What’s wrong with him?” as they put him up
in the front seat. The little boy said, “He had an
accident. He’s crippled and can’t walk.”
As they drove and talked, the man found out
that the brother had a crippling accident and
because his family was so poor, they could not
get him the medical care he needed.
The businessman said, “Well, my brother is
a doctor. Why don’t we go see him and find out
what he can do for your little brother.” After
the examination they found that after a simple
operation, the boy would be able to walk again.
The operation was performed and the little boy
who could not walk, but had a brother who
loved him, was able to walk again.
Why did all this happen? Simply because
of the unselfishness of someone caring for
someone else, rather than for himself. So, might
we have the words on our lips, “I wish I could
be a brother (or mother, father, sister, fellow
worker) like that.”
In the words of the missionary, the Apostle
Paul, “…regard one another as more important
74

than yourselves; do not merely look out for your
own personal interests, but also for the interests
of others” (Philippians 2:3-4, nasb).
Yes, “I wish I could be a brother like that.”
75

is it okAy For A
missionAry to drive
A CAdillAC?
For we have regard for what is honorable, not
only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight
of men (2 Corinthians 8: 21, nasb).
Several years ago, I arrived in Chicago in the dead
of winter to speak at Moody Bible Institute for
three days. The school arranged for me to have a
rental car, so when I picked it up, the attendant
said, “Good news! You have been upgraded to a
luxury car at the same price!”
I walked to the parking lot and saw the black
Cadillac Escalade, and it was beautiful! However,
I told the attendant I could not take it; I would
have to stay with the simple Chevy Malibu.
He exclaimed, “Sir, you don’t understand,
it’s free. There is no extra charge at all!”
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I responded, “I’d like to drive the Cadillac.
In fact, I enjoy cars very much, but I will not be
able to take it.”
The attendant still did not understand so
finally in my frustration I said, “I am sorry,
but I am speaking at a Bible school and will
be challenging the students to give their lives
to Christ serving Him among the needy of
the world with the Gospel and compassionate
care. It would not be good for me, even though
it is free, to drive a Cadillac Escalade when I
am asking young people to live sacrificially.”
The attendant still did not understand, but
went ahead and gave me the less expensive
rental car, a Chevy Malibu. As I walked out of
the building toward the car, I turned and saw the
attendants shaking their heads at me—this crazy,
older man who would not take the Cadillac
even though it was free.
That week as I drove professors, staff, and
students to various places, I was relieved that I
did not have to explain what type of car I was
driving! We were able to concentrate on the
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things of God, not on the distracting thoughts
of why I, a missionary, was driving a Cadillac.
There is a saying used by some, “Others may,
you cannot,” in reference to those in Christian
ministry regarding what we can or should do.
Layman and the rich can drive whatever they
like, but those of us in ministry, need not and
should not, but be “…honorable, not only in the
sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men”
(2 Corinthians 8: 21, nasb).
78

it is AlwAys
too eArly to quit!
Does it bother you that there are 160 million
street children and 140 million orphans
worldwide? Most likely it does, and for good
reason. Being disturbed by something is often
the Holy’s Spirit’s way of prompting us to take
action and dive into missionary work—which
is positive. However, as missionaries we must be
cautious not to move from being bothered to
being discouraged or defeated.
My family recently watched the excellent
film Amazing Grace about William Wilberforce
and the 1800s abolition movement in the
United Kingdom. Wilberforce was bothered
by slavery. This movie chronicled Wilberforce’s
battle in the British Parliament for the abolition
of the slave trade. In one scene, Wilberforce’s
future wife asked him why he could no longer
79

talk about the matter of slavery. He responded,
“I have been battling slavery for years, and yet
after all the petitions, all the speeches, and all the
bills presented to Parliament, ships filled with
human souls in chains continue to sail around
the world as cargo!”
He was right. Slaves continued to be beaten,
brutalized, raped, and killed. Little children were
separated from their families or even burned
alive. Masses of slaves died in the hulls of slave
ships. After years and years of fighting the slave
trade, Wilberforce felt nothing seemed to have
changed, and he was deeply discouraged.
Those of us in ministry to street and
underprivileged children and orphans can be
just as easily discouraged. We have had camps for
thousands of needy children, street children, and
orphans. We’ve cared for thousands of precious
little ones, rescued hundreds from pedophiles,
opened hundreds of orphan homes and day
care centers, and we’ve challenged church after
church in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America
to reach out to needy children. Yet, there are
27,000 children dying daily from malnutrition
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and disease, another 160 million still on the
streets, 143 million orphans worldwide, and 27
million slaves (mostly children) throughout the
world—with up to 400,000 child slaves in Haiti
alone.
Yes, we see thousands rescued and coming
to Christ every year, but there are still millions
not being reached. It is easy to become
discouraged just like Wilberforce, and yet, he
persevered in the grace of God to see the slave
trade throughout the British Empire come to
an end. Will we persevere as God’s servants in
ministry to children? We must! And, with God’s
help, we will! Encourage one another and take
encouragement from God and His Word:
But thanks be to God, who gives us the
victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore,
my beloved brethren [and sisters], be steadfast,
immovable, always abounding in the work of the
Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the
Lord (1 Corinthians 15:57-58, nasb).
81

JAil BreAk in
BAngAlore, indiA
When I was serving with Operation Mobilization
for two years from 1966 to 1968, I spent time
in Bangalore working with OM future leaders
while I was recovering from tuberculosis and
hepatitis.
One afternoon after we had prayed, we
targeted a radical Hindu area in Bangalor, and
preached the Gospel there, from the back of a
lorry (the British word for a large truck).
It was my turn to preach, and while doing
so, a man jumped up onto the truck and
slugged me very hard in the nose and mouth.
I fell backwards, but instinctively gave him a
hard kick in the chest which threw him out
into the crowd, some of whom were trying
to get onto the truck to beat us and burn the
truck.
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Mercifully, a large group of police arrived
just at that time, stopping the riot and arresting
me and my ten Indian coworkers.
When the police escorted us to the station,
about one hundred of the radical Hindus came
with them. My coworkers were left in the
truck and I was taken inside to face charges
with the chief of police. About twenty leaders
of the radicals circled around his desk basically
screaming for my blood. I had no idea what they
were talking about, what the charges were, or
what was going to happen to us.
As they continued to yell and scream, I
backed away from the crowd to another desk
where a police officer was sitting. I smiled and
said, “Excuse me, sir, would you mind helping
me? I have no idea what I am being accused
of. We had a public meeting and I was sharing
about the gospel of Christ. Is that what I am
being charged for?”
He replied, “No, they can’t charge you on
that so they are trying to make up something,
most likely that you did not have a permit to use
a loudspeaker.”
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I answered, “Oh, a permit. Where do I get
a permit?”
The police officer explained and I asked
him to write the address on a piece of paper,
which he proceeded to do.
As he gave me the written directions, I said,
“Another thing, sir, I am very thirsty. Do you
have a drinking fountain here?”
He replied, “Yes, there is one right outside
the door and around the corner in the hallway.”
So, as people continued to yell and scream, I
slowly walked around the corner, out of sight, to
the drinking fountain. I then noticed the hallway
led to the truck which was still surrounded by
police and about 100 fanatics.
An idea came to mind, so I walked boldly
out the door, smiling and waving the piece of
paper and told the team members that it was
time to go. Everyone assumed that the paper
was my release. I had not said a thing, but simply
waved the paper, got in my truck and drove
away. As I picked up speed, I looked behind in
the rear view mirror and saw all the fanatics and
police running out the door after me.
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Needless to say, I did not drive slowly and
made it all the way across town (which had a
population of 2.5 million at that time) to the
safety of our OM headquarters.
I am not a brave person, but was very
concerned about the safety of my ten coworkers
who would have been treated very badly inside
the jail cells.
I guess you can say this was a “mass escape”
for the safety of God’s people and the glory of
God!
85

Jesus sends A sword,
so he must Be god!
Do not think that I came to bring peace on the
earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
For I came to set a man against his father, and
a daughter against her mother, and a daughterin-law
against her mother-in-law; and a man’s
enemies will be the members of his household. He
who loves father or mother more than Me is not
worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter
more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who
does not take his cross and follow after Me is not
worthy of Me. He who has found his life will lose
it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will
find it (Matthew 10:34-39, nasb).
My wife has a Chinese friend who married
an Iranian man named Omar. Years ago, when
Omar first came from Iran to the United States,
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he lived in New York City. He was a Muslim
who hated Americans, and wanted to make a
lot of money and go back to Iran rich. Desiring
to be a successful businessman, he purchased a
self-help book entitled How to Win Friends and
Influence People. Although not a Christian book,
the author included several verses from the
Bible.
As Omar read these verses, they rang true
to him. There was something different about
these verses compared to other words in the
book. Later, he bought another book, How to
be a Successful Salesman by Zig Zigler, who is a
Christian. This book included quite a few verses
from the Bible.
As Omar read these, a desire came over
him to read the whole Bible. So, he went to a
bookstore in New York City and quietly, so no
one could hear, asked the clerk if the store had a
Bible. The clerk said they didn’t have Bibles, but
they had a New Testament, which was part of
the Bible. Omar purchased the New Testament
and went to his apartment and began to read
God’s Word.
87

Here was Omar, a Muslim who hated Jews,
reading Matthew, the first book in the New
Testament. Omar was reading a book that was
primarily written to explain the Messiah to
Jews.
As Omar read of the genealogy of the Lord
Jesus, and on through the beatitudes and the
wonderful teachings of the Lord Jesus, God
began to draw his heart to the Savior.
As he read the verses in Matthew 10 about
members of your own household being your
enemies and Jesus bringing a sword which
would divide family, he fell to his knees and
confessed Christ as Savior.
Later when someone asked him why those
verses, of all verses, would be the very ones that
would bring him to faith in Christ, he said,
“When I read them, I knew that Jesus must
be God because only God would require such
from His followers.”
88

leAving ChinA
Fifty-three years ago, when my wife,
Margaret, was a little girl, she began the trip
from Suyung, Szechwan Province, China,
to Canada, with her mother and father
(Walter and Helen Jespersen), two sisters
(Carol and Linda), and baby brother (David,
who was only seven months old at the time).
The family was asked to leave communist China
by government officials, and began the trip on
May 26, 1951. They arrived at their family home
near Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, on October
13, over four months later!
It took Dad and Mom and their four
children, with several other missionary single
ladies, nearly seven weeks to reach the Hong
Kong border. On this long journey, their
baggage and documents were inspected eight
times, once just before crossing the border.
89

At the border crossing, one of the missionary
ladies could not find her documents, so they
wouldn’t let her cross. Dad thought that possibly
her documents might have been placed in her
baggage by accident at the previous inspection
point. He asked if he could remain in China
and let her cross (her baggage had already gone
ahead). The official agreed, saying that if her
documents could not be found, then Dad would
have to return all the way back to Suyung (sevenweek
journey) and begin the process again.
It was very tense for Dad waiting in China,
realizing he might be separated from his wife
and four children for another 14 weeks or so –
and possibly permanently!
The lady eventually returned with her
papers, and Dad was able to cross the border to
freedom.
I have heard this story many times, and it
never ceases to amaze, challenge, encourage
and motivate me to be like my father-in-law;
one who, even with family responsibilities,
would immediately offer to stand in the place
of another (yes, possibly even give his life) that
90

they might be free. May we be such a person,
especially one who would give up our life that
people might be free through the Gospel of
Christ, whatever cost it might be!
For the love of Christ controls us, having
concluded this, that one died for all, therefore
all died; and He died for all, so that they who
live might no longer live for themselves, but for
Him who died and rose again on their behalf
(2 Corinthians 5:14-15, nasb).
91

little lAdy in
the CAnCer wArd
Several years ago while going through cancer
treatment, I was in a room with about 15 other
oncology patients in a major Seattle hospital.
As I sat there feeling sorry for myself, ill
and miserable along with these others, I looked
around and realized everyone was a sorry mess!
In fact, we were all in such terrible shape, it
was quite humorous. As I smiled, a little black
lady sitting across from me said, “What are you
laughing at?”
I said, “Oh, am I laughing?”
She said, “Yes; what do you have that big
smile on your face for?”
I said, “Well, ma’am, have you looked around
this room? We are the most sorry-looking bunch
of people you have ever seen!”
She replied, “Well, I don’t think it is funny!”
92

I said, “Well, you are correct, but to tell you
the truth, I am so ill I feel like lying on the
floor right now and dying because I am going
to heaven and I can hardly wait to get there!”
She said, “Are you going to heaven? Well so
am I.”
I asked, “How do you know you are going
to heaven?”
She gave her testimony of how she came
to faith in Christ. It wasn’t a normal testimony.
She shared how she was a wicked person and
someone shared with her the Gospel of salvation
by faith in Christ alone.
As she related how she turned from sin and
trusted the Savior, her face beamed. Here was a
little lady with red spots all over her beautiful
black skin, who could hardly talk because her
face was so skinny and drawn that her false teeth
didn’t fit properly, whose wig was off to one
side, and yet, she glowed with the joy of the
Lord.
When she finished, she said, “And how
do you know you are going to heaven?” So, I
shared how Christ had worked in my life, how I
93

had come to repentance, and that I had trusted
Him for salvation.
It was amazing how two sickly, miserablelooking
people could share what Christ had
done in and through their lives for His glory
with thirteen other people listening intently.
My, oh my, it was worth having cancer to
share the Gospel so openly in a cancer ward.
94

moAning And groAning
does not do A Bit oF good
Moaning and groaning does not seem to do a
bit of good. The old saying goes, “When it rains,
it pours!”
Recently, we picked up our van that we had
loaned to a family who needed a car for several
weeks and noticed the “Service Engine Now”
light was on. I took the van to our mechanic
and it cost over $1400 to repair.
Recent computer and equipment problems
this week for my office will cost $2100.
The doctor told me that surgery on my knee
is badly needed, but he cannot guarantee results.
Because of my arthritis and other problems, the
pain will probably continue, as he says my knee
is one big mess!
However, when you and I as Christians begin
to ponder bad situations, it is good to realize
95

that compared to the situation that millions are
facing in Haiti and the Philippines, our troubles
are nothing. For example, I just watched a video
of street children going through garbage in
Manila just trying to find a scrap of food they
could eat to keep from starving.
So what if there is a large bill for the repair
of our vehicle. God owns it! It is His money. So
what if computers crash? It is His equipment
dedicated to His service; and the same goes
for my body. If it has been dedicated to Him
(Romans 12:1-2), then He can do with it that
which He pleases: cripple it, heal it, use it, or put
it in the barn!
Psalm 66:11-12:“You (God) laid an
oppressive burden upon our loins... yet You
brought us out into a place of abundance” (nasb).
Charles Spurgeon said, “We often forget
that God lays our afflictions upon us; if
we remembered this fact, we should more
patiently submit to the pressure which now
pains us.”
96

only the BeAutiFul
lip-synCh
At the Olympics opening ceremony recently, a
sweet, very cute little girl of about 7, 8 or 9 sang
a beautiful song with several thousand other
singers. It was later revealed that the girl was
only lip-synching. The real singer was off-stage,
as she was not attractive enough to be on stage.
The government said that it was in the
interests of the nation that they use a girl to lipsynch
who had a “flawless image.”
Many of us are like the girl off-camera, not
good-looking at all. In fact, we look in the mirror
and say, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the
fairest of them all?” And the mirror answers back
quite quickly and loudly, “Certainly not you!”
What is really bad is when the mirror continues
to talk. It said to me the other day, “You look
like you’re on your way out!”
97

Yes, many people have flawless images, but
the majority of us are flawed, maybe not in our
appearances, but certainly in our lives. Praise
God that He chooses the weak things of the
world to confound the wise.
On one occasion, I spoke to a large group
of teenagers in a church in Detroit. In the
beginning of my short talk I said something like,
“I am sorry you have to listen to an old, ugly
missionary.” One of the young people in the
front row said, “You are not so old.” He didn’t
say anything about not being ugly!
Years ago when I served with Operation
Mobilization on a village evangelism team in
India before Margaret and I were married, an
elderly, very poor lady came to faith in Christ.
Her Hindu family immediately turned
against her, with one even saying to her very
shamefully and degradingly, “You’re just an ugly,
old woman!”
This new follower of Christ humbly
answered, “Isn’t it wonderful that God could
love such an old, ugly person like me? Isn’t it
wonderful that God could love me so much that
98

He sent His son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to die in
my place for my sin!”
But God has chosen the foolish things of the
world to shame the wise, and God has chosen
the weak things of the world to shame the things
which are strong (1 Corinthians 1:27, nasb).
So, whatever we have, flawed or good looks,
let us magnify Christ. He is the altogether lovely
One!
99

plAying hurt
Some years ago, I was able to watch the last four
minutes of the Super Bowl. It was an exciting
game. Several times in the reporting of the game
and interviews afterward, it was mentioned that
one of the key players played hurt. He had an
injury, but continued to play thorough the pain
for the good of his team and the game.
I know many pastors, Christian workers, and
missionaries who do the same. They serve, work,
and help others, but with pain and sadness. They
have hurt in their lives: sickness, inabilities,
a child that is not walking with the Lord, an
unloving parent, a relative who couldn’t care
less about their life or ministry. Even though
they have friends that pray for and encourage
them, health to get through the day, and enough
money to buy food, they still have sadness, they
still have that little hurt.
100

We need to realize that this hurt is the very
thing that God uses to bring sanctification in
our lives to trust in God and not in man. Hurt
is simply a feeling, an emotion, and one of the
basic tenets of Scripture is that we are not to
walk by our feelings or let them dictate our
lives. We walk in faith trusting that God will
care, lead, guide, and minister to us in our need.
A great verse to remember during sad and
hurtful times is “For You have tried us, O God;
You have refined us as silver is refined. You
brought us into the net; You laid an oppressive
burden upon our loins. You made men ride over
our heads; we went through fire and through
water, yet You brought us out into a place of
abundance” (Psalm 66:10-12, nasb).
So, dear brother and sister, continue to
minister to others in your hurt in Jesus’ name.
It is the very thing that God uses in your life to
draw you closer to Him and to bring glory to
God!
101

eggie JACkson,
willie mAys, And
pAstor siodorA
One time on a flight I saw a short video on
the life of Reggie Jackson, the baseball celebrity
who retired at the peak of his career with the
Oakland Athletics in 1987.
A few years ago, Margaret and I met him
briefly. As I shook his hand, I mentioned that
the only other famous baseball player I had ever
shaken hands with was the great Willie Mays.
Reggie immediately grabbed my hand again as
Willie Mays was his hero!
Meeting the famous Reggie Jackson and
Willie Mays, however, is nothing in comparison
to other people I have met, such as Pastor
Evangelista Siodora, the little man barely five
feet tall with a big heart who died in his 70s. He
pioneered the Philippine Missionary Fellowship,
102

and for 40 years took the gospel to small villages
and tribes throughout the country.
Once when asked to visit the United States
to speak in meetings, he applied for a visa at
the U.S. embassy in Manila. They rudely asked
him why he wanted to go to the USA. He
politely replied, “I don’t want to go the USA; it
is God who wants me to go to the USA! Who
would want to go to the States? I am only going
because God wants me to go!” (He got his visa!)
On one occasion in Manila about 1974,
Pastor Siodora knew I was very discouraged. At
a meeting for pastors and leaders, he called me
aside, sat me down, took my hands in his and
for 20 minutes (with his face only a few inches
from mine) preached and shared from the Word
of God the encouragement we have in Christ!
He helped get my focus back on the Sovereign
Lord.
Yes, I have shaken the hands of Reggie
Jackson and Willie Mays, but so what? God
touched me and so many others through the life
of a humble, zealous, godly Filipino, the truly
great Evangelista Siodora.
103

selF-deniAl,
AFFliCtions, And
A thorny Bed
As all of you know, life is a marathon, not a
100-meter dash! If you are not having troubles
today then wait until tomorrow.
Some of us may be shocked when we first
arrive on the mission field or the first month
of marriage, or the first year of our baby or
adopted child. Things that were supposed to be
so wonderful, blessed and easy become difficult.
We rejoice at the birth of our little children
and yet they are sickly. We get married and
find out our mate does not agree with us on
everything. We arrive on the field enthusiastic in
serving God and we find we have to work with
a bunch of grumpy, inhospitable missionaries
that appear to have no vision, or we get sick, or
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the people we came to minister to don’t seem
to really like us.
The world would say give the children back,
get a divorce, or leave the field and go back to
where people like you. Good questions to ask
ourselves are: “What will happen to our mate if
we don’t love and care for them, our children if
we don’t nurture and train them, and what will
happen to the needy pastors or street children
or the church in the country in which we have
been called to serve if we pack up and leave?”
Let me share three quotes which might
encourage all of us in our walk with God:
1. Matthew Henry, one of my favorite British
pastors, who died in 1714, made an excellent
comment regarding Luke 6:40: “Christ’s
followers cannot expect better treatment in
the world than their Master had. Let them
not promise themselves more honor or
pleasure in the world than Christ had. Let
each live a life of labor and self-denial as his
Master, and make himself a servant of all; let
him stoop, and let him toil, and do all the
105

good he can, and then he will be a complete
disciple.”
2. Psalm 66:11-12: “You (God) laid an
oppressive burden upon our loins... yet You
brought us out into a place of abundance”
(nasb). Charles Spurgeon said, “We often
forget that God lays our afflictions upon us;
if we remembered this fact, we should more
patiently submit to the pressure which now
pains us.”
3. J.I. Packer said the Puritans teach us much
of the love of God: “...that it is a love that
redeems, converts, sanctifies, and ultimately
glorifies sinners, and that Calvary was the
one place in human history where it was
fully and unambiguously revealed, and that
in relation to our own situation, we may
know for certain that nothing can separate
us from that love (Romans 8:38), although
no situation in this world will ever be free
from flies in the ointment and thorns in the
bed.”
106

I trust this will encourage you to persevere.
Keep your mate, love your child, and make a
long-term commitment to the country that He
has called you to for His glory!
It is always too early to give up, walk away
or quit!
107

street Boy BeComes
ACAdemiC deAn
He who oppresses the poor taunts his Maker,
but he who is gracious to the needy honors Him,
(Proverbs 14:31, nasb).
Sometimes there may be a subtle slight in
the way we treat the poor, the needy, and the
orphan. Although we would never knowingly
oppress orphans, are we gracious to them?
In Christian history a man of faith cared
for thousands of orphans. This was wonderful!
However, since the children were orphans,
they were considered low class by society.
Instead of sending these children to college
and encouraging them to enter ministerial
training, the boys and the girls were
apprenticed out as laborers and servants at age
15 and 17.
108

The love and care given to these orphans
were exemplary, but none were ever known to
become lawyers, doctors, educators, pastors, or
missionaries because of their social standing.
Praise God for this man of faith who cared
for thousands of orphans. As many of God’s
people worldwide care for street children and
orphans, let us follow in faith as this great man
did, but let us go further. Let us make sure that
we care for them as we would our own children
and give them the same opportunities to serve
God whether as a bus driver, civil engineer,
doctor, educator, missionary or pastor.
A street boy of Manila went to an evangelistic
camp. He came to faith in Christ and was
trained in ACTION’s Second Mile Discipleship
& Vocational Training Program. Later he got a
welding job, but felt that God was calling him
into ministry. He took a job in maintenance at
a large church in Manila so he could attend all
the services and seminars to prepare for ministry.
Later a wealthy church member noticed his
industriousness and paid for him to attend Bible
school at Philippine Mission Institute (PMI).
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Even though he was from the streets and had
no education, the faculty helped him through
school. He later received assistance to attend
Asia Theological Seminary (one of the largest
in Asia), graduated, and returned to PMI as
Academic Dean! He has been considered for
future presidency of this same institution.
Praise God for the people who did not give
up on this orphaned street boy. They instead
encouraged him to be all he should be to the
glory of God.
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thAnks, mister,
For tAlking to me
I try to walk at least one or two miles daily. One
afternoon, on my daily one-mile walk, I was
reading printed-out copies of my email. A little
nine-year-old boy getting out of school walked
up behind me and said, “There you are again.
We talk about you at school all the time. This
old man that walks down the street reading.
What are you reading?”
Surprised, I simply answered “Oh, I’m
reading some letters from the people I work
with in other countries who work with street
kids.” He then asked, “What’s a street kid?”
I said, “A street kid is an orphan.” He replied,
“What’s an orphan?”
This really surprised me because here was a
boy of at least 9, not knowing what an orphan
was. I answered, “You know, that’s a good
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question. I am a Christian and God has given
Christians a book called the Bible to show us
how to know Him and live for Him. God says
in His book that an orphan is a fatherless child.”
The boy was quiet for a moment as we
walked along. He said, “Oh, I guess most of
my friends are orphans because they don’t have
fathers.” A few moments later he said, “I guess I
am an orphan too because I don’t have a father.”
I said, “I know a Father who cares for you.”
He said, “What Father?” I replied, “God, the
Heavenly Father.” I then began to share with
him the glorious Gospel of Christ.
After a few minutes, he had to turn into his
house and as he walked away he waved and said,
“Thanks, mister, for talking to me.”
Two or three days later I had almost the
same conversation with a 13-year-old girl. As I
was walking and reading, she got off the bus just
as I passed the bus stop, and walking behind me
said, “Hey mister. There you are again reading.
What are you reading?”
As I began to explain, she suddenly said,
“Do you have a cigarette?” I said, “No, I don’t.
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Do your parents know you smoke?” I expected
her to say, “My parents don’t care what I do,”
but instead she said, “My parents don’t care
about me.”
At that I said, “I’m sorry, but I know a parent
that cares about you.” She said, “What parent
cares about me?” I replied, “God, the Heavenly
Father, cares about you.” She said, “Really?” and
I began to share the Gospel with her.
The same thing happened as with the little
boy. As she came to her house and turned to
leave, she said, “Thanks, mister, for talking to me.”
So, dear friends, whether you are out walking,
reading, or whatever, even if you’re an old man
or an old woman, God will bring opportunities
to share the glorious Gospel of Christ. Perhaps
someone will say to you today, “Thank you for
talking to me.”
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the gospel is not
word And deeds,
But word only!
Quite often people quote St. Francis of Assisi,
“Preach the Gospel; if necessary, use words.”
However, St. Francis never said this. The closest
that researchers have found of something similar
was when he was upset with some Franciscan
priests for preaching without permission, but to
encourage them, he said, “Let all the brothers
(Franciscans) … preach by their deeds.”
The truth of the Word of God is that the
Gospel stands alone. It is that Jesus, sent by His
Father from Heaven lived a perfect sinless life,
died on the cross for sin, was buried, rose again,
and ascended into Heaven. If anyone believes and
turns from sin and trusts Jesus Christ alone for
salvation, he will receive forgiveness and inherit
eternal life (John 3 and 1 Corinthians 15).
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John Piper outlines the Gospel in his book,
Finally Alive, “It comes as a God-given, clearheaded,
conscious embrace of the historical
person Jesus Christ as Savior, Lord, and Treasure
of our life. Look at Him in the Gospel—the
story of His life and death and resurrection and
what they mean for your life. See His glory
and His truth. Receive Him and believe in His
name. And you will be a child of God.”
The Gospel stands alone! Good deeds are
the result of salvation through Christ through
the Gospel (Ephesians 2:8-9, 10). We are to trust
God to build into our lives character qualities
taught in the Word of God in obedience to
Christ, but these are not the Gospel, but the
results which help and prove that we have turned
to faith in Christ. But the Gospel stands alone!
115

the rACe is on
Soon after trusting Christ in my early twenties,
I got a job on the night shift at a plywood
company, mainly with Hispanics. We enjoyed
working with each other, on an 8-man crew
(4 teams of 2 men) that off-loaded huge crates
of fifty 4’ x 8’ sheets of plywood from trucks.
We would then unstrap each crate of plywood,
inspect each piece and then stack them into piles
of 100 good sheets. The stacks of plywood were
then taken to another building to be painted for
mobile homes.
In an 8-hour shift, each 2-man team would
prepare two or three stacks of 100 good sheets
ready for painting. My teammate was also a new
Christian, and as we began to reach out to others
with the Gospel and do Bible study together
on breaks, we began to be concerned about our
testimony in the lazy, union-controlled work
environment.
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So we began to pick up speed and work
harder. Soon we were doing four stacks of
plywood, instead of two or three. The other
teams also began to speed up as they did not
want to look bad. The race was on as each team
began to race each other and still be careful of
quality control. The amount of stacks increased.
Soon it was three or four stacks by lunch, and
eight or ten stacks completed on each shift
instead of the previous two or three.
This became a problem as the painters
then had to keep up and go faster on the paint
machines. The union bosses then came in
and made a fuss, but the management was so
happy that they gave everyone a raise, extended
our break and lunch times, and provided all
kinds of amenities to the 250 workers. Our
company became the most productive factory
in California.
As young Christians this made a great impact
on our personal life as we saw the difference
Christ made in the simple matter of stacking
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plywood for the testimony of Christ for the
glory of God!
“Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as
for the Lord rather than for men” (Colossians 3:23,
nasb).
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the stAte oF CAliForniA
is on your side
When I was only 15 years old, but had obtained
my driver’s license early, I was involved in a
major traffic accident involving two fatalities.
I was driving on a main highway, and a lady,
driving a car full of other women who had been
working in the vineyards, ran a stop sign directly
in front of me. I was driving about 55 mph and
had no way to avoid her.
On impact, I lost most of my teeth, and a
good friend who was with me went through the
windshield and was almost killed. He panicked
and ran from the accident scene. I ran after him
and was able to tackle him a half a block away
from the accident. No one helped me care for
him because in those days people were sued
for helping. I took off my shirt and wrapped
it around his head wound which was bleeding
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profusely. When the ambulance finally came, I
was bare-chested and covered with blood. I held
my friend’s pressure points all the way to the
hospital.
You can imagine the scene when I was in
the waiting room as the medical staff took care
of those seriously injured. I had no shirt, was
scared, had thoughts of what had happened and
didn’t know if my friend would die. There was
blood everywhere. I knew already that others
had died. My step-father’s car was totaled, and
I knew the wrath of others would be upon me,
being a teenage driver.
About this time, a state patrolman walked
in to the waiting room. He was an impressive
figure, well over six feet in height. I always
remember how he approached me, took off
his hat, and asked if I was Doug Nichols. He
sat down next to me, put his arm around me,
and said, “Young man, I know you are very
frightened. I have thoroughly investigated the
scene of the accident, and want you to know
that you are not in the wrong. People will be
angry with you because you are a teenager, and
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there are several deaths, but I want you to know
that you did everything right. Remember one
thing, the State of California is on your side!”
My mother arrived soon afterward crying,
and my step-father swore in anger at the loss of
his car. Others were crying and screaming, and
yet this state patrolman continued to sit with his
arm around me.
What a great testimony of a public official,
especially his example to us as Christian
believers in our care of others even if they are in
the wrong or thought to be in the wrong!
The world is filled with people who are
fearful, uncertain, and filled with pain. You and I
as believers can put our arms around them and
say something much greater than “The State of
California is on your side.” We can say, “God is
here, and He will care for you.”
We can minister to people the grace and the
peace of God through His Son Christ Jesus.
Casting all your anxiety on Him, because
He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7, nasb).
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useless, or
strAtegiC ministry?
Recently, while on an early morning walk in
Manila, I noticed an older, filthy, mentallyhandicapped
man surrounded by his meager
possessions. I felt compelled to speak with him
to at least show some measure of kindness. There
was no response, just glazed, lifeless eyes, not
even focusing on me as I was speaking to him.
I decided to help him and gave him the
delicious bread which I had purchased for
breakfast. He said nothing as he took the bread
and began to eat it.
Years ago a noted Christian leader said, “All
souls are precious, but not all souls are strategic.”
In other words, spend your time with the people
of prestige who can influence others, not some
poor man on the street.
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Well, I sure blew it this morning, wasting
time on an old, mentally-deranged dirty man
living on the streets. “Useless ministry.” Or was
it?
Jesus said, I was hungry and you gave me food …
(Matthew 25:35, esv). He also said, If you love me,
you will keep my commandments (John 14:15, esv).
Perhaps my bread-giving was not useless
after all. If given in Jesus’ Name, for His sake, and
in obedience to Him, how much more strategic
can you get?
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ushers, get
the plAtes!
My family and I recently attended four days of
seminars on “Evangelism to World Religions,”
led by Ron Carlson. He is an excellent
communicator. Ron, his wife, Marge, and
their two young sons served in the Philippines
with ACTION for one year in the 1980s. He
spoke and conducted lectures throughout the
Philippines and instructed many pastors and
Christian workers on how to share the gospel
to the cults. It was a great year of ministry!
Upon return to their large home church
in the Minneapolis area, Ron was asked to
give a report on his year in the Philippines
on a Sunday evening. During his report, he
shared how ACTION had a real burden to
start a ministry among the 50,000 prostitutes
in downtown Manila. However, he said that
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we were not able to start a ministry because
we had made a decision that until we had a
budget for one year of ministry, we would not
begin. The budget would include the rental of a
facility for evangelism and counseling ministry,
support for a large team of godly Filipina ladies
for evangelism and discipleship, a small van,
discipleship material, food and many other
expenses. As the budget was $55,000, Ron said
that we would probably never begin because, as
a small mission, how could we ever come up
with that huge amount of money?
As he continued his report, he began to hear
people tear checks out of their checkbooks.
He suddenly realized what was happening, and
because the elders had informed him that they
would not be taking an offering, he stopped
and said, “I think you might be writing checks
for ACTION’s ministry, but please do not
do so, as we have no permission to take an
offering.” However, the people continued
to write checks and there was a continuous
rustling noise of checks being torn out of
checkbooks.
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Ron began to cry, basically in fear of getting
in trouble with the church and the elders. At
that moment, the chairman of the elders stood
up and slowly walked up to the platform, put
his arm around Ron, and said, “Ron, I am the
new chairman of the elders and you are not in
trouble.” Then, looking to the audience, he said,
“Ushers, get the plates!” The ushers began to
pass the offering plates randomly throughout the
church, collecting a cash offering of $55,400!
The money was used for a one-year
outreach, right in the heart of the area of Manila
given over to prostitution, with many people
being trained in working with the girls involved.
Nearly 900 of these ladies of the night indicated
coming to faith in Christ, and many of them left
this wicked profession.
In another meeting with Ron, the pastor
said he felt he should take an offering to raise
$10,000 to print Ron’s book in Italian for use
in Italy. This was not a planned offering and
was a real testimony and encouragement to all
when the pastor shared the need. He then said,
“Ushers, get the plates.”
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Friends, as God leads you among your
people, always be ready when there is a need
and you sense that God’s people want to do
something about that need to encourage and
challenge them and simply say, “Let’s get the
plates! Let’s do something about this need for
the glory of God.”
127

we wAlk By FAith ...
not By sight, even in
spending money
Our car mileage was nearing 90,000 miles.
Repairs were more expensive as the car became
older.
We were advised to sell it before it hit
100,000 miles to get a better price. We also
needed to obtain a newer car, especially for
long ministry trips and large enough for Dad
Jespersen, age 95, to get in and out.
We a saw a 2007 Chevrolet with only
31,000 miles on sale for only $14,500. It was
a good price, but I offered much less and the
Christian dealer said yes!
We only had $600 in our car fund, but we
were able to come up with the balance and also
sell our older car to a family who needed it.
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However, later, I really had doubts (as
I always do) in spending so much money.
Questions such as: “Should I spend so much
money at this time?” “Perhaps our older car
would have lasted a few more years?” “The
car looks so new (even if it is two years old),
what will people say?” “Perhaps we should have
waited.” Even though friends recently bought a
smaller car for double what we paid, I still had
doubts.
Doubts, however, are just feelings. For
example, Margaret and I both have feelings
of low self-worth, but so what? Feelings are
feelings, and if we only made decisions and lived
our lives for Christ by feelings, we would be
most miserable. As followers of Christ we are
able to live by faith. Our funds (and our lives)
are God’s and we can trust Him with all of it.
The car belongs to God, and if it falls apart next
week, well, so be it!
If we only live to satisfy ourselves and think
our funds are ours instead of God’s, we have a
problem. But if we move forward in obedience
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to God, we can trust Him, doubtful feelings or
not.
Our prayer should be Jehoshaphat’s prayer
in Chronicles, O our God…we are powerless ...
We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You
(2 Chronicles 20:12, esv).
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whAt? $2.55 For A little
Cup oF lemonAde?
On the way home recently, I stopped at a
lemonade stand. The two little girls were so
excited to have a customer! I asked, “How
much?”
They said, “Well, look at the sign.” So, I
looked at the sign and could hardly read it, but
it looked like it said $2.55. So, I said, “I just want
a little cup of lemonade.” They said, “Okay, that’s
$2.55.”
I asked, “How big is the cup?” One of them
said, “I don’t know. What size would you like?” I
said, “Those cups don’t look very big to me and
I can’t afford $2.55 for a glass of lemonade.”
One of them quickly said, “Okay, how about
55¢?” I said, “That sounds pretty good but can I
see the lemonade?” She said, “Oh, no, it’s inside
this container here.” I said, “Well, what color is
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it?” She said, “I think it’s pink.” The other one
said, “No, it’s not!”
As much as I like to help little kids in their
entrepreneurial efforts, I decided that since the
two girls were arguing about what size it was,
what color it was and how much to charge, I
needed to keep going!
This may be a picture of the church these
days. We have the glorious Gospel and are still
trying to figure out how to present it; what
color to paint it, and how big a cup to serve it
in. It might be best to leave it as it is and do what
the Word of God says and simply tell the Good
News to people.
The Gospel is the power of God to salvation
for everyone who believes. It is the Good News
of Christ and His death on the cross to pay the
penalty for sin. Because of His grace, we can
come to Him by faith. Now that is good news,
no matter what color you paint it or what
container you serve it in!
Jesus said, I am the door; if anyone enters
through Me, he will be saved…(John 10:9, nasb).
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whAt piCtures do you
hAve on your wAll And
who do you prAy For?
Margaret and I were able to visit her Uncle
Harvey Jespersen, living in a very small room
in a retirement home in Wetaskiwin, Alberta,
Canada. After only a 2 ½-hour visit, Margaret
and I left greatly encouraged in our walk with
God and with a determination to share our
resources and the years remaining in our lives to
the glory of God!
Uncle Harvey is 89 and has served the Lord
faithfully in ministry to orphans, the needy,
and foster children for over 60 years, with
possibly millions of dollars passing through his
hands for the work of the Lord. Yet here he is
now, in a small room with no earthly treasures,
rejoicing in the Lord and stating, “What need
I more? The Bible says to be content with food
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and raiment, and I am content!” Uncle Harvey’s
room is filled with pictures, some of family, but
mostly of missionaries from around the world
for whom he prays daily.
Each day he rises at 5:30 a.m. and prays
for missionaries who serve in different parts of
the world. On Monday he prays for Asia; on
Tuesday, Africa; on Wednesday, North America;
on Thursday, South America; on Friday, Europe,
and on Saturday, the islands of the world
including the Philippines. Each Sunday he
prays for family members, friends, and each
pastor of the local evangelical churches in the
town where he lives. He regularly writes each
pastor ensuring them of his prayer. What a man
of God!
As Margaret and I left after our short
visit she said, “When I get to be 89, I would
like to be like Uncle Henry.” I reiterated,
“So would I.” To be happy in the Lord and
content with only food and raiment, daily
giving ourselves to the Lord in prayer and
praise for the Gospel and His compassionate
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care to go to the ends of the earth should be
the goal of each of us.
Uncle Harvey is truly happy, thankful, and
holy. Might we all follow in his steps to the
glory of God!
135

whAt would you do?
What would you do if you and your team
planned a camp for 75 underprivileged street
children of Manila but 280 boys ages 10 to 18
showed up? Would you send them home? If so,
which ones?
What would you do if you planned a
Christmas jail party for 10 prisoners who
had trusted Christ the previous year and you
became aware that there would be about 220
other prisoners listening in and watching from
their near-by jail cells? Would you invite them
also?
What would you do if you published a
Gospel ad in a secular magazine with funds
to handle follow-up for 100 people but you
received 3000 letters? The letters not only
requested more information about the Word of
God, but many asked for someone to meet with
them for a Bible study in their home?
136

What would you do if you and a team were
conducting a midnight ministry at two in the
morning for 150 children and a little child
prostitute 9 years of age came to faith in Christ?
Would you let her remain with the lady she was
living with in the park, the lady who was selling
her to men?
What would you do if a man was dying of
heart trouble in a small village in the central part
of the Philippines, and the only way to save his
life was to fly him to Manila as soon as possible?
You could not get him to a main airport which
was 3 hours away. The only way to get him out
was to fly him from a small landing strip nearby
but this would involve leasing a private plane at
a cost of $4000, money which you did not have?
What would you do?
Hard decisions? Let me mention a few more:
What would you do if one of your followup
workers visiting a small boy who had trusted
Christ the week before in a camp became
aware that the boy had no food in his house
and had not eaten since the camp? His sister
had died the previous week of tuberculosis, his
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father had just abandoned the family, his mother
had tuberculosis, and they had no money for
medicine. Would you close your Bible (as the
follow-up worker did) and take the family to
buy some food and medicine, feed them and
then have the Bible study? I hope you would,
but what would you do if you found out the
follow-up worker had used all of his own
personal money and the organization had no
money to repay him?
What would you do if you were already
swamped with nearly 8000 people who trusted
Christ during the year and yet more people
were crying out for follow-up, for Bible studies,
for counsel, for help?
These are just some of the situations we are
faced with almost daily! Some may not be as
dramatic as these, but many are. What would
you do?
It is very easy for people to say, “Well, all you
have to do is say No.” We would like to challenge
these people to come to the Philippines (or
India or Uganda or Mexico or Colombia),
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join the team, and be in a position to say “No.”
ACTION needs missionaries!
We would like to encourage many to
participate with ACTION and other missions
in dealing with problems like these. Especially
for additional missionaries to reach out to
others in the name of Christ, to ask Him to give
wisdom in dealing with situations like these,
and encourage men and women to trust Him
as Savior.
The need is overwhelming and the
opportunities are staggering. What can we do?
All we can!
139

where Are
the missionAries?
In traveling the USA, Canada, and United
Kingdom, I get caught up easily in the
excitement of evangelical happenings, but, even
so, I come away with a deep concern. Where is
the burden to reach the world with the Gospel?
Hundreds of Christian book titles are being
published monthly, yet there are thousands
of pastors in the developing world who
still do not have a single Bible commentary
or Bible dictionary. Scripture cookies and
candies are being sold in Christian bookstores
while missionaries are brokenhearted with
people starving in countries where they serve.
There are Gospel-verse T-shirts, belts, jackets
and hats, while thousands of Christians in
developing nations wear rags. Christians in
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North America continue to argue about what
is the best version of the Bible when there
are still millions without any version of the Word
of God!
Our Bible schools, colleges, and seminaries
are more modern and nicer. We do not have
to be ashamed in any way of low intellectual
attainments or facilities. We have really come up
in the educational world!
And what about our evangelical church
buildings—they are really something else! Old
European cathedrals may still have it for grandeur
and majesty, but for sheer “football field” size,
the North American church has really caught
the world’s attention.
Yes, the Church has made great strides in
the last 20 years. Christians are on TV, in the
movies, politics and sports. Many of these have
a very effective, positive Christian testimony.
But I ask a question. In the excitement, growth
and spotlight—where are the missionaries who are
needed throughout the world?
It seems to be popular to talk about missions,
to have a missions committee, to break last year’s
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missions budget, but where are the missionaries
who are being trained and sent out?
Many evangelical pastors and laymen, as well
as some of my own friends in North America,
look upon missions as good, but not as a priority.
The hardest things for me to understand as a
Christian is why are there so few foreign missionaries.
It is estimated that there are about one million
Christian workers in North America, but only
50,000 foreign missionaries! To reach the world’s
unreached 3 billion, over 300,000 more crosscultural
missionaries are needed! Not all of these
need come from the North American church,
but many should.
At no other time in history has the Church
been as large or as influential or as wealthy,
but where are the missionaries? I love the North
American Church! If bigger and better buildings
need to be built, then build them, but let reaching
the whole world be a priority!
Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all
nations.” The Church needs to send more people.
More need to go. The North American Church
142

can rise to its responsibility and opportunity and
send many more missionaries to make disciples of
all nations.
143

why Are we not
more Friendly And
kind to others?
I am most likely coming to the end years of
my life. I am 66 years old and probably do not
have too many more years. I was supposed to die
fourteen years ago with cancer as the doctors
only gave me three months to live.
Today I was waiting at the pharmacy for
a prescription. An older lady seemed quite
distressed with problems and about losing some
prescriptions. As she was leaving, I simply said,
“I am sorry you are having such difficulty. Is
there anything I can do to help?”
She immediately started to talk about how
she lost her purse, how her medicines were not
working, her diabetes count was up, and so on.
She followed me as I went through the line
and stayed with me until I got my prescription.
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When I was leaving she said, “Thank you for
talking to me and cheering me up. I appreciate
it very much!”
Our brief conversation probably irritated
the other people in line, as the lady was quite
loud. But so what! She was blessed in the Name
of Christ for a few moments and I trust God
will use this brief kindness in her life to manifest
His glory.
So, don’t be like what my grandkids call a
“grumpy gut.” Smile. Say hello. Be friendly. As
Christ has changed our life and given us a new
life in Him, does the world see this change? Are
we just as grumpy, rude, and miserable as the
world, or do we have the joy of Christ evident
in our life?
So, as those who have been chosen of God,
holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion,
kindness, humility, gentleness and patience
(Colossians 3:12, nasb).
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you Are not
very smArt,
Are you?
On one occasion, I had arrived at the Manila
airport after 30 hours of travel. Needless to
say, I was exhausted. I was taken directly to a
conference center, where I was to speak to a
gathering of 300 workers with children in crisis
throughout the Philippines. It was a special
banquet and celebration that night, and I was
trying to stay awake.
After eating and during the preliminaries
of the program, I was reviewing the notes of
my message. A choir from a local orphanage
had sung and was standing immediately behind
me, waiting to sing again. One of the little boys,
named Raffy, about six years old, was an orphan
living at the Home of Joy and was standing quite
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close to me. We began to talk. He reminded me
of my son, Robby.
Raffy noticed I was reviewing some notes
and said, “What are you doing?” I said, “Well,
I am going over my notes for my message
tonight.” He said, “You need notes when you
speak?” I said, “Yes.”
He said, “You’re not very smart, are you?”
I laughed and said, “No, I’m not.” In his
youthful innocence he said, “I don’t need to
look at words when I sing. I just memorize
them and sing.”
That night during my restless sleep, I
thought of Raffy quite a bit. I telephoned
my wife, Margaret, the next day and said,
“God has given us two adopted children and
perhaps we should think about one or two
more.”
So, the next day I went to the Home of Joy
orphanage and the director, who is a friend of
ours, saw me coming, stepped outside and said,
“No, Mr. Nichols. You cannot adopt Raffy.” I
said, “How did you know I was coming to you
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to talk about adopting Raffy?” She said, “I saw
how you and he were drawn to each other at
the banquet last night.”
I said, “Why can’t Margaret and I adopt
him?” She replied, “Well, for one thing, you are
too old! But seriously, we can’t release Raffy
because the new law in the Philippines is that
you have to keep families together and he has
one brother and two sisters.”
We have kept in contact with Raffy through
the Home of Joy over the years. His brother is
now a second-year student at the Philippine
Missionary Institute and Raffy is in his second
year of studying automobile mechanics. Raffy
and his brother and sisters are continuing on in
the Lord and are trusting Him to use them for
His glory.
James 1:27 (nasb) says, Pure and lasting
religion in the sight of our God and Father
is this: to visit [care for] orphans … in their
distress ….
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No, I am not very smart, but I praise the
Lord for allowing me to meet this little boy,
whom God has continued to care for and
work in and through to the blessing of others
for His glory!
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missionAries
Are still needed
Perhaps God has spoken to your mind and heart
about serving Him in world missions. The needs
are great:
• Hundreds of additional missionaries are
needed to take the Gospel to Africa, Asia,
Europe, and Latin America as people
can only go to heaven through faith in
Christ Jesus.
• Missionaries are needed to take the Gospel
and compassionate care to the estimated
over 160 million street children of the
world and about 140 million orphans.
• Workers are also needed in Lusaka,
Zambia; the bush regions of Malawi; the
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urban areas of São Paulo, Brazil; Manila,
Philippines; and in the city of Phnom
Penh, Cambodia.
• There are thousands of towns in Europe
with no Gospel witness.
• For every Christian in Thailand, there
are 999 Buddhists. Missionaries are
needed to take the Gospel to them.
• Older pastoral couples are needed to help
train the estimated 3.2 million untrained
and needy pastors worldwide especially
in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
For more information on becoming involved
in world missions, please visit the website of
Action International Ministries, or contact any
of our offices listed on the next page.
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Action International Ministries (ACTION)
www.actioninternational.org
ACTION Canada
3015A 21 st Street NE
Calgary, Alberta T2E 7T1
Tel: 403-204-1421
info@actioncanada.org
ACTION Philippines
PO Box 110, Greenhills Post Office
1502 Metro Manila
Tel: 632-477-3559
take.action@actionintl.org
ACTION United Kingdom
PO Box 144
Wallasey, Wirral CH44 5WE
Tel: 0151-630-2451
info@actionuk.org
UK Registered Charity 1058661
ACTION USA
PO Box 398
Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043-0398
Tel: 425-775-4800
info@actionusa.org

About the author:
Doug Nichols and his wife, Margaret, have
served in missions for over 40 years, of
which the first 20 were spent ministering in
the Philippines.
They presently reside in Seatle,
Washington, where Doug serves as Founder
and International Director Emeritus with
Action International Ministries (ACTION).
He is an advocate for Children in Crisis and
Pastoral Leadership Development with a
special focus of evangelism, discipleship,
and development.
After a serious bout with cancer in 1994,
Doug continues to travel in ministry
worldwide, speaking on behalf of the glory
of God in missions. Margaret accompanies
Doug when possible and is involved in
teaching and discipling.