Spiritual Workout

FALL BACK INTO YOUR ROUTINE



"If you can pray 3 x's a day, 7 days a week, and if you can read the Bible daily for 15-30 minutes, if you re-commit your life to worship the Lord, not only every Sunday but everyday, YOU WILL SEE RESULTS!"

The long relaxing days of summer have transformed into the busy rush of fall, which meant it's time to get back and kick-start your spiritual routine into high gear! But working your spiritual stamina and energy into consistency is the difficult part. When the days of the week are divided between school, work, family, running errands, and the occasional home-cooked meal, finding a regular time to pray, read the Bible, attend Bible class(es), and worship God requires an extra creativity and commitment.

Just like everyone else in your life, planning your spiritual workouts will help you get your spiritual stamina up and running. Consistency is the key! Time-blocking is the key to making it happen. If you can pray 3 x's a day, 7 days a week, and if you can read the Bible daily for 15-30 minutes, if you re-commit your life to worship the Lord, not only every Sunday but everyday, YOU WILL SEE RESULTS! Or shoot for two-three days of spiritual workouts and two days of one-on-one fellowship with a brother or sister in Christ.

Another great suggestion is setting up a reward system: indulging in something that is your favorite such as a restaurant that you love after each week of spiritual workout, a trip to Aruba (I may be exaggerating here :) ) after a year of commitment to the Lord in worship and fellowship. The reward system is especially helpful if you have a specific spiritual workout goals defined and recorded. Have a Christian friend or spouse be your coach and you can coach them to ensure you're keeping up with your spiritual workouts.

But whatever goal you choose, make sure to ease back into your spiritual routine to avoid early spiritual burnout. You see so many people defeat themselves because they come in with their expectations so high. It is like Christians making a "New Year's Resolution" with a desire to do more for the Lord in a month! And that's just not realistic. Christians come in too fast, too hard and they over-train in their spiritual workouts.

In order to maximize your spiritual workouts, it is recommended that you have a buddy system to keep you from missing your workout sessions. Having someone who is relying on you to be spiritually fit will help you stay on track. Couples, or pairs tend to stick to it, they have fun, and it becomes this thing they're doing together. When you're doing it with a loved one, or a Christian, your entire goal is being supported. If you can include the kids in it too, how inspirational is that!?


"Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed - not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence - continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling." Philippians 2:12 (niv)

Trivia #2 Answer

When were Israelites required to free their servants?

The votes were:

1. In the seventh year of service, (8 people - 88%)

2. In the twelfth year of service,

3. When the servant produce offspring (babies)

4. Never (1 person - 11%)


Answer:

1. In the seventh year of service...

Christian Interpreter's Workshop

The Deaf Missions Christian Interpreters Conference is just around the corner. Mark your calendars for April 7 - 10, 2011, and plan to be in Council Bluffs, Iowa! The conference will not only offer solid interpreter training with CEUs for most everything on the schedule, it will also deal with specific issues that may be faced by a Christian interpreter in ministry settings. Our featured presenters will be David Reynolds, Actor and Deaf Advocate; DeAnn Sampley, Interpreter Educator; Pam Warkentin, Nationally Certified Legal Interpreter and CODA; Rosemary Diaz, Certified Deaf Interpreter; and Dr. Francis Casale, Deaf-Blind Pastor to a thriving Deaf church in California.

Registration will open in January (watch for details about online registration). Plan to register early for the best value. Registration cost will be $130 for the early-bird rate (available Jan. 1 - Feb. 15), $160 if registering Feb. 16 - Mar. 31, and $190 if registering Apr. 1 or after.

Our conference hotels are in place and you can call them directly to make your reservations -- simply say that you are attending the Deaf Missions Interpreters Conference. They are: Microtel Inn and Suites (712-256-2900) with rates of $65 or $70 per night and the SpringHill Suites by Marriott (712-256-6500) offering a rate of $79 per night for our conference.

Monthly e-mail updates are being sent out specifically about the conference. To receive the e-mail updates, contact Deaf Missions or directly e-mail our conference coordinator at angiemathis@deafmissions.com.

VDC

Another great resource site to add to your bible study journey!

Click here: Virtual Deaf Church

40th Anniversary Celebration

During the weekend of November 5 – 7, Deaf Missions will be celebrating 40 years of ministry with deaf people, their families and friends! We will be sharing accomplishments of the past, plans for the future and presenting lives who have been impacted by Deaf Missions. Best of all, you’re invited! Will you join us?


Click here to go to the Deaf Missions 40th Anniversary Celebration page for more information:

Complete schedule of events
Printable announcement is available.
Printable Fun Run/Walk Flyer available.

Hope to see you here!!

New DM Staff Picture (Fall 2010)

(Front Row, L to R):
Mark Lowenstein, Director of Training and Outreach
Joseph Josselyn, Director of Visuals
Chad Entinger, Executive Director

(Middle Row, L to R):
Jose Abenchuchan, Director of Bible Translation
Jolynn Stinehagen, Publications Editor
Alexa Abenchuchan, Eastern Europe Missionary
Mavis Brink, Business Manager
Jo Krueger, Executive Assistant/Editor
Rachel Burkum, Order Manager
Glory Entinger, Interpreter
Alicia Kraft, Layout Designer
Stacey Morgan, Dean of Extension Program
Michelle Lowenstein, Front Desk Receptionist

(Back Row, L to R):
Duane King, Founder
Alex Abenchuchan, Eastern Europe Missionary
Bill Pike, Printer
Jeff Osborne, Maintenance
Clarene Erickson, Bible Correspondence Representative
Matt Keller, Artist
Trevor Keller, Systems Administrator

Bible Info

A very special thanks to my brother in Christ, Darrin Forshay (Leesburg, Virginia) for sending me these links to add to your Bible study journey:

CHECK IT OUT!!!

For grade-level reading Bibles, click here!

Out-of-print English Version for the Deaf Bible is now online!

Trivia #1 Answer

Last week's trivia question was:

Which of the following animals were the Israelites forbidden to eat by the Old Testament?

The votes were:

Sheep - 2 people (8%)
Goat - 11 people (45%)
Rabbit - 7 people (29%)
Antelope - 4 people (16%)

Answer is:

Rabbit.....

Read Deuteronomy 14:3-8

Thanks for playing... New Trivia posted...

Volunteering

Take a peek at what we do every quarter to keep you informed on the "Happenings" at Deaf Missions. We had a bunch of volunteers today getting ready to mail out the "Deaf Missions Report"... I learned approximately 30,000 envelope have been placed in the reports. This is a great way to keep you informed and thank you for your support! Check out the video...

Sit at the Feet of Jesus

I personally find this story in Luke 10:38-42 (NIV) quite fascinating:

“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"

"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

Who do you find yourself more like these days? Mary or Martha? Busy and distracted by all the preparations that need to be made and work that needs to be done, or full by sitting at the Lord’s feet listening to what he is saying to you as He leads you, your life and your ministry? One of our greatest challenges as Christians is to remain full in Him.

Now, is it wrong for us to work and get things done? No. But, it is better to spend time with Jesus. What is worse? When we become so busy, worried and upset that we do not spend time with Jesus. I’m afraid to say that is probably true of many Christians. We become so busy, so distracted, so worried and so upset we forget what is better – to sit at the feet of Jesus, listen to Him, learn from Him and depend on Him to guide us in our daily lives and ministries.

Here is a poem titled “Busy vs. Full” (Author Unknown):

Busy is frantic, shallow, stressed, out of control.
Full is satisfying, fruitful, paced and controlled, rich.

Busy takes control of time and energy.
Full renews my strength and comes from a life under the Spirit.

Busy is the broken cistern that cannot hold water.
Full flows from the spring of living water.

Busy declares, “I’m important, I’m indispensable. I have value because so many people need me and my services.”
Full says, “Apart from Christ, I can do nothing, but with Him all things are possible. I need Him.”

Busy is driven, pushed.
Full is called.

Busy is motivated by the “Badge of busyness,” loving to talk about how busy one is, receiving sympathy or admiration for busyness.
Full is motivated by pleasing the Father, performing for an audience of One.

Busy gets results.
Full brings rewards.

Busy is distracted by many things, worries, concerned, wondering why no one else is helping and why no one else seems to care.
Full is receiving, trusting God as the provider and source.

Busy says, “Don’t bother me right now, I don’t have time.”
Full says, “Come, rest, and drink in abundance.”

Lamentations 3:26a says, “The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him…” Lord, help us to be more like Mary who “has chosen what is better.”

Zombieland

Look back to the moment when you first became a Christian. Maybe you didn't know what you're getting yourself into? Satan hates Christians. He's in a full-scale battle against them. Before you became a Christian, you were a walking zombie with other zombies in the world.

But now...

God put LIFE in you and you find yourselves struggling against the enemy, Satan. "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world." 1 John 2:16 (nas) Here, the world loves darkness and hates the light. In the gospel of John, Jesus warned us that darkness hates the light.

Satan is darkness.
Satan is the "god of this world" (2 Cor. 4:4)
Satan is the "prince of the power of the air" (Ephesians 2:2)
Satan is also the Master of lust.

Lust is unlawful in the eyes of God. It corrupts. It destroys. Whether it be a lust for sexual sin, for materialism, for money, for power. Lust draws us back into zombieland. The more lust we experience, the deader we'll become. Lust is alive and will never be satisfied so don't feed it. The more we feed our lust, the harder it will be to kill it. Stop feeding it!

The Bible says the Christian have "escaped" the corruption that is in the world through lust. In 2 Peter 1:4, "Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires." What a great promise He has given us!

Sadly, there's one problem. We're seeing more and more Christians returning to the graveyards of the world.

"If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning." 2 Peter 2:20 (niv)

Mind if I clarify this Scripture? Christians used to escape the corruption of Satan when they gave their lives to the Lord. They un-zombified themselves allowing Jesus to put life in them. When they returned to zombieland, the eyes of the Lord are on them and He will bring swift judgment.

If we know the eyes of the Lord is in every place watching the evil and the good, and that He brings every accounts to judgment, we're encouraged to know His faithful love and our reverent fear of the Lord:

"Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of the Lord a man avoids evil." Proverbs 16:6 (niv)

God bless you!

Tour of Deaf Missions Part 1

Deaf Missions at National Christian Convention of the Deaf

Jose Abenchuchan, Alex Abenchuchan, Dwight and Grace Poore, and I thoroughly enjoyed our time at the National Christian Convention of the Deaf in Colorado Springs, Colorado, last Thursday through Sunday. Praise God we arrived back home safely at 2 a.m. late Sunday night.

It felt like a family reunion with many familiar faces among the 110 people gathered for this annual convention. The theme was "God's Beauty in Our Hearts." Convention president Tim Thurston, deaf preacher James Wines and I preached during the main sessions. Jose and Alex were among those who conducted workshops on Friday and Saturday morning. Deaf Missions had a booth there - Daily Devotions for the Deaf booklets were given out to everyone and as always, people expressed appreciation for the quality ministry resources we produce. We also enjoyed excursions during free time, especially the one to Royal Gorge, where they boast of having the highest suspension bridge in the world.

Check out the pictures below...and mark your calendars for next year's National Christian Convention of the Deaf, to be hosted October 6-9, 2011, in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Chad

Song of Songs ASL Translation Work Begins...

Road Trip - Colorado!

We have a group, representing Deaf Missions, enroute to Colorado Springs, Colorado today for the National Christian Convention for the Deaf (NCCD). We ask for your prayers for the following on their road trip:

Jose Abenchuchan
Alex Abenchuchan
Chad Entinger
Dwight Poore
Grace Poore

NCCD begins tonight through Sunday morning! The Deaf Missions team will return late Sunday night.

Keep in mind that NCCD '11 will be right here in Council Bluffs, Iowa!!! Also, the National Workshop for the Deaf 2011 (NWD) will be in Fairfax, Virginia at the Fairfax Church of Christ!!

God bless you!!