Tenacity

Tenacity: The Quality of being tenacious.

Tenacious: Not easily pulled apart, persistent in maintaining to, adhering to, or seeking something valued.

One of the most often asked questions is "Why should I get involved"? "Why should this matter to me"? "What can you hope to gain working in this ministry"?  All very good questions which I hope to address here.

First and foremost I did not choose to be in this ministry, God chose me, same as he did with the other brothers whom I struggle in ministry with. This was not a calling as much as following God's will for which we were designed.

Look at the examples God gives us through the bible. Moses, not an eloquent speaker and certainly not a leader among his circles, but none the less God chose him to lead his chosen people out of bondage. He chose David the runt of the pack to be a King for his people. The bible is loaded with examples like this.

So he chose a group of men, some from Mindanao, some from southern Pennsylvania, directed by men who disregards their own health and safety to serve the needs of others, surrounding themselves with a mixture of men from mixed backgrounds all with the same love of God in their hearts. Following where God leads them to serve.

So why should I serve; God has lead us to this place, we are designed as Christians to serve others in the examples he has provided through his son, Jesus Christ.

So why should this matter to me; Simple you matter, God chose us, not the other way around. We are his, lock, stock and barrel. We should do as he calls us to be, but he never forces us. He does not punish if we sluff off or decide we know better, he loves us all the same. Ministries matter because we matter.

What can we hope to gain through this ministry; The souls of those lost and suffering calling out to a God they do not know for salvation. The people served by the ministers of this association serve the poorest of the poor, the uneducated in isolated areas, calling out for God to hear their pleas. There is no self-righteousness is serving these dear people. Same as Paul found no personal gain from preaching to those who threatened his life while bringing the message of God to the Gentiles.

Value: Job 28:13
Man does not know its value,Nor is it found in the land of the living.
1 Samuel 26:24
And indeed, as your life was valued much this day in my eyes, so let my life be valued much in the eyes of the LORD, and let Him deliver me out of all tribulation.”
Matthew 6:26
Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
The people we ultimately serve through our efforts with the help of many others, either through financial gifts or through direct work in bring them translated bibles or material things, understand value more than we do in the western world. Even though they may not know the Lord in a personal relationship, even though they do not have the luxury of reading his very words written for us, even though their very lives are threatened to organize in churches to worship God, even though all this, they understand it is by his hand that they live, it is by his hand they will be freed from their bondage, it is by his hand they will be given the gift of salvation everlasting through baptism.

The ministry we serves serves those who serve others. We provide the resources for our brothers who have been called to serve those in remote villages, we serve those that place their lives in peril of death threats from warlords.

Your involvement is by your own free will. Again his gift to us - even as he knows some will not live their lives to the fullest potential, even as he knows some will use it for their own pleasures and not in fulfilling the needs of others.

Our Tenacity speaks of our commitment, our belief that even though we struggle to gain support for those in Mindanao, even though we sell ourselves short on abilities, he knows he has chosen correctly and needs us to believe. The people of Mindanao have value, they deserve the same gift many Christians already share.

Your commitment is by your own choosing, don't sell yourself short of abilities, maybe your commitment to the ministry may seem small in our own minds, but to someone who has nothing it means more, your gift - your commitment is deeply appreciated.

May his endless blessings find favor with you and your family this day and always.

Partnering

Its not uncommon when we read the bible to see where many of the apostles were accompanied by others for security, companionship, survival and to share living expenses. Not much has changed since those times, examine your life growing up, how your parents may have bartered services or goods with others in the neighborhood or community.

Growing up on a produce farm, I was immersed in bartering at an early age through the time I graduated high school. Our need for partnering has not changed since biblical times. Today one might partner with someone for accountability or for companionship.

Our needs at MGO are no different, we need partners private and cooperate. Our mission needs far exceed our personal gifts and in some cases required our partner directors in the Philippines to shutdown part of their teach ministry to conserve funding for more essential project.

Ministries such as ours requires both one time and continual sponsorship from partners here at home and around the United States. Our commonality is our following one of the basic tenants of Christianity, which is Love Others as you would have them Love You.

Our mission centers around the love for those called to ministry in Mindanao. Churches are growing in number and need. Without our involvement over the past two years none of this would have been possible. A little goes a long way. Gifts of $20.00 a month supports a minister throughout the year, gifts of $100.00 a month builds, dedicates and staffs a new church.

In the  past two years over 58 churches have been built and staffed with ministers who tend to congregations of over 27,000 regular attendees and the numbers are growing. Your partnership is essential to our continued growth and the spreading of the Gospel to the people of Mindanao.

Faith

by Jim Young

I think all of us at one point in our lifetime has rendered the phrase "Well as long as we have faith". What does that really mean? I think most of us working in missions could render many stories to try and explain what having faith means, but really what does having faith mean?

Let's try this, When I have struggled and failed God lifts me up because I have returned my faith to him.

God's will will never take you anyplace where God's grace will not protect you.

Stating you have faith is like telling God you are ready to talk and trust in him. Whether it is for just a moment or a lifetime.

Having faith means you place your trust in our Lord and Savior not only for his sovereignty, but for every facet of your daily living. You simply have faith that the Lord will carry you through all times, good and bad, happy and sad, dangerous and safe, life here and life eternal with him.

Faith should not be compared to the sort of trust we have in other human beings. There is only one who will never forsake us, has always been there, even when murdered at hands of his own people, he forgave them and you and I, once and for all, by dying for our sins.

Don't just live by faith of this world, embrace a faith in Jesus Christ our Lord, one that renews and replenishes never abandoning us. Faith be with you today, tomorrow and forever.