*Volume 133 *No. 07 *Published by Christian Triumph Co. *Permit # 695 * SEPT 2011
Contents: Nehemiah. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 The Foundation of This Ministry. . . . . . 3 A Word from Ron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Donna’s Trip to Peru. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 The Value of Little Things. . . . . . . . . . . .7
Welcome Back!
“I refresh the humble and give new courage to those with repentant hearts.” Isaiah 57 (TLB)
Nehemiah Cupbearer and Builder
He was a captive and a royal servant of the King, but even more so, Nehemiah was a person of prayer who delighted in holding God’s name in the highest regard. Although a stranger in a foreign land, he rose to an exceptional position as food and wine-taster to the Persian King. Born to parents who had been taken hostage from Judah, Nehemiah deeply loved His own country and the Holy City of Jerusalem. In his Biblical autobiography entitled Nehemiah, he begins a fascinating story of personal and national revival which precludes and follows the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. “In December of the twentieth year…when I was at the palace…Hanani came to visit me with some men who had arrived from Judah. I took the opportunity to inquire about how things were going in Jerusalem… (Page 2)
“‘Well,’ they replied, ‘things are not good; the wall of Jerusalem is still torn down, and the gates are burned.’” Nehemiah continues, “When I heard this, I sat down and cried. In fact, I refused to eat for several days, for I spent the time in prayer to the God of heaven. O Lord, God…O great and awesome God who keeps his promises and is so loving and kind to those who love and obey him! Hear my prayer…I confess that we have sinned against you…” Swiftly, Nehemiah got to the point with God, as he recalled his homeland’s refusal to obey the commandments which eventually led to his nation’s captivity. This simple act of repentance set in motion God’s plan for rebuilding the walls of the Holy City and for the restoration of its people. But as the days passed and Nehemiah was still compelled to perform his duties to the King, his demeanor displayed a troubled heart. Finally, the King asked him, “Why are you so sad?” When Nehemiah explained, the King asked, “Well, what should be done?” What beautiful words - and words that were confirmed by the King’s actions as he provided assistance with royal favor, letters instructing the “governors” to let Nehemiah travel through their countries to Jerusalem, timbers to make beams, and army and cavalry officers to accompany him.
In the Holy City, Nehemiah soon became a laborer, dealing with not only reconstruction but opposition and threats from enemies. Yet, he kept “the vision” and never lost his inspiration or faith in God. The project moved forward as the priests, mayors of other areas, professional men, and even Shallum and Shallum’s daughters repaired section after section of the wall. Miraculously, the job was finished in about two months, and the people assembled to hear the law of God read. Everyone stood up as the scroll was opened and listened attentively. The reading of the commands touched the people’s hearts, and soon weeping was heard from all around – an indication of a (Pg.3) nation’s revival. Faith Messenger Permit #695 Periodical Paid at Corpus Christi, Texas Published monthly, except July and August. POSTMASTER SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO: Christian Triumph Company P.O. Box 5187 905-909 Bluntzer Corpus Christi, Texas 78405 L.Y. Janes, Founder (deceased); Israel Hernandez, President; William Anderson, Vice-President; Fred Pena, 2nd Vice-President; Diana Beletic, Secretary/Treasurer; Una Collins, Asst. Sec./Treas. This periodical is issued without charge in the name of the Lord Jesus to help inspire child-like faith and maintain Christ-like simplicity among the people of God. To send donations or for your FREE SUBSCRIPTION, write to the address above or contact Christian Triumph Co. at christiantriumph@yahoo.com. Or see us on the web at christiantriumphcompany.com 2
In time, the laws were read again and individuals confessed their sins plus the sins of their families, and true worship began. Revival means not only repentance but recovery and renewal. It requires a determination to face our own weaknesses as well as courage to change whatever needs changing. Churches, ministries, and missionary organizations need revival. Nehemiah was a cupbearer, a builder, and a Governor, but most of all, he was a man of prayer who delighted in God’s Presence.
ministry has survived through the years. The Janes family had a goal to spread the Word of God to as many people as they could reach, and their mission was among primarily Spanish-speaking people. They started the literature ministry in Oklahoma and decided they were too far away from the very people they were trying to reach. In 1934, they packed up the family and moved to Corpus Christi, to a neighborhood composed primarily of Spanish-speaking individuals. They moved to Corpus with a small trailer, and that was the first building of Christian Triumph in Corpus Christi. I think they lived in the trailer, but since much of their literature was printed in their home during the early days of missionary work, I imagine this trailer was used the same way. So now here we are, almost 80 years later, and Christian Triumph still has a local and an international ministry. We are sending out over 300 pounds of literature this month, and we are sending two missionaries to Peru.
Scriptures from The Living Bible of Tyndale House Publishers, Wheaton, Ill 60187.
+ The Foundation of this Ministry By Tamara Rose, great granddaughter of L. Y. Janes and granddaughter of Evelyn Anderson.
Old Mission Church had to be torn down
Cracks in the floor and foundation
“If you build your house on the Lord Jesus Christ, the blessings will come down.” I believe that to be true. Those who bless others somehow, somewhere receive blessings. That is how this
The foundation for the ministry is still in our hearts (Jesus Christ) and the mission field is still large. Page 4
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Unfortunately, the buildings are made by man with the knowledge that man possessed at that time. We cannot ignore the safety of our church members and employees and have had to close off several sections of the warehouse and demolish the old church building. The old buildings were meant to be strong and were made of concrete block. One builder we talked to said most of the problems with the buildings are because of the foundations. He said the industry has changed considerably since the old buildings were built. For example, they didn’t know to have engineers do a soil analysis to aid in the design of the foundation. When concrete walls are formed on a weak foundation, they will crumble and crack. That is what we see in the remaining structures built at that time. We are encouraged because while the ministry here has been focused on blessing others through literature distribution, God has blessed us with the means of building a new building. The new building will house the church sanctuary and fellowship hall. The new building will be used for the local congregation and the Bible Institute. The office and cramped mailroom will be moved from the old, very small building they now occupy together to a much larger space. The building design is in the planning stage now. The prayerful leaders of this project are following the same Christian Triumph philosophy of humility in designing a basic structure to simply meet the needs of the local congregation and the Christian Triumph ministry.
(Crumbling Cement Overhead)
Christian Triumph is not asking for contributions for this construction project. We place our faith in God, and He is already supplying the needs. Any sacrificial gifts we continue to receive will, as always, fund literature distribution and normal Christian Triumph necessities, unless, otherwise specified by the donor. Some of the local congregational members will be helping with construction to save cost. We are, however, asking for your prayers in choosing a design and builders. We want to spend as little as possible but yet have a building that will outlast the old ones. Eventually, we hope to hold a revival as soon as the new sanctuary is finished. Our Faith Messenger editor is blessed through her correspondence with you, and she will be extending an invitation in the future for a great time of celebration and renewal. We are hoping, if the Lord is willing, to have a dedication with a revival in July 2012 and would love for everyone to attend. Thank you! Note by Editor: Please feel free to write and ask questions about this ministry. We are always glad to hear from you. Our desire is to remain accountable and to prayerfully follow the will of God. God bless, and we appreciate you. 4
open; yet if we do not go to the altar or if we don’t repent, we will fail to draw closer to God. No one can make us do either of these things. It is our responsibility to seek out the God that seeks us. He will be found. God does bless those who search for Him. The true mark of a Christian is one who is Christ-like because of whose footsteps he follows.
A Word from Ron Chaplain and Pastor
Essential to life “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure” (Phil 2:12-13 (KJV).
Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling I do not know if I have ever heard a sermon on this text. Simple, straight forward and yet so powerful. Three things come to mind. 1. First it is work: It’s not easy, not a game, it is VERY serious. The outcome of our eternity is at stake. Paul wants us to search our hearts. Search to the very core and find out if we are actually what we claim to be. Are our hearts in the hands of God or are we too preoccupied with the things of the world? This work is something that we must do every day. It is not taking a list and checking it twice; it is, instead, looking at daily life. What consumes us? What is first in our thoughts, actions, and our checkbooks? Just as Paul stated to pray without ceasing, meaning that we can be in prayer in all that we do, we are also to work every day so that we may live closer to God tomorrow than we did today. 2. Your own: This means that it is our responsibility. There are many people around us that help: pastors, teachers, and Sunday school leaders. Radio and T.V. programs lift up Christ. We can attend church every time the door is
3. Salvation: Is our salvation past, present or future? I believe it is all three. When we repent and accept Christ as The Forgiver of our sins and The Redeemer of our souls, we have been saved. Paul often writes as though we are in the process of being saved which means that it is an ongoing work which takes effort and a continued measure of grace from God. And there is a future salvation that wipes all tears away, heals all hurts and delivers us to the presence of our God. (Three in one – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit) Fear and Trembling: We must remember that all of the above is to be done with fear and trembling. This is a reminder of the importance and urgency of working out your own salvation. Fear is a “rightful respect” for the power of a mighty God Who has the power to deliver to Heaven or to the pits of hell. Deuteronomy 5:29 (KJV): “O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!” God Bless, Pastor Ron 5
Editor’s Note: By the time you receive this September Faith Messenger, Donna Schillinger’s trip to Peru will be completed. As you will read below in her article, this is an exciting time for Christian Triumph’s mission outreach.
regular reports and become a distribution point for Spanish Gospel literature. More information on his work can be found in his autobiography, Walking Man: A Modern Missions Experience in Latin America.
God is opening doors for additional literature distribution, and we are thrilled to discover diverse ways to send the Gospel of Jesus’ Love.
Note: For a free copy of this book, please write Christian Triumph, PO BOX 5187, 905 BLUNTZER, Corpus Christi, TX 78465-5187 Please allow a little extra time for delivery as this is a very busy time for mail room staff. Thank you for your patience!
A final report on this trip will be printed in the October Faith Messenger.
Donna Schillinger’s Mission Trip to Peru in August 2011: I am speaking at a pastor's conference and a lay convention outside of Cajamarca, Peru, Aug 1-6, and I will be taking orders for Christian Triumph literature as well. There are going to be about 500 people in attendance at both meetings, so it's a great time to make those who attend aware of what the Christian Triumph ministry offers. We have been in informal collaboration with Narciso Zamora for some 30 years - he is the one organizing the conferences - and it is our desire for Christian Triumph to become formally involved with him. We will form a strategic alliance that will increase our mission outreach without significantly increasing the cost. Narciso Zamora also has a mission’s institute, as well as being a pastor and church planter. Narciso would contribute to Christian Triumph’s publications in English and Spanish with
Anita and Gerald THE VALUE OF LITTLE THINGS We had a huge wind storm which left tree limbs strewed over the yard. Some were large; many were small. It took an effort for three of us to get them all picked up and hauled away. After they were heaped on the burn pile, it required time and effort to get them burned. Page 7 6
After getting the fire started, it was quite obvious that the larger limbs were not as easy to burn as the smaller twigs. What seemed to work best was to gather several small twigs together, let them burn and create a hot fire which would ignite the larger limbs.
Editor’s Note: We have more to come in October such as: The Three Dreams of Jesus, by Peggy Phillips, Poems by Maxine and Byrum, articles by Donna discussing new methods of spreading the Good News, articles by others who attended the conference in Peru, update on distribution places and specific literature chosen for those.
Trying to get all the limbs burned up was rather time consuming. In this case, the little limbs, burning together, is what it took to get the chore finished.
THANKS to all those who stayed in touch through the hot summer. We appreciate hearing from you. Chesapeake, VA, Satanta, KS. Tipton, IN, Skiatook, OK Fort Worth, TX, Athens, TX McAllen, TX, Somerset, PA Las Vegas, NV, Los Angeles, CA Hugoton, KS, … AND MORE (This Faith Messenger is being prepared in July and will be received by you in September.) Thank you!
What a reminder! Some of us seem to have few talents compared to others. We feel that what we can do is so small, and we may be tempted to let others go ahead and do the little things. Yet, thinking about what can be attained by each small task being coupled with the help of others, we realize that greater things can be achieved.
MORE ENGLISH BIBLE LESSONS We may seem small in our own sight, yet when the Lord chooses to use what effort we are willing to put forth, greater things can be accomplished. We each have an important part to do.
Please send for your FREE English Bible lessons entitled MORE ABOUT THE LOVE OF GOD. These are 5 simple and refreshing reminders of God’s great love for You! More free Bible Lessons by George Bell - from: Principles of Doctrine of Christ Jesus to Saints in Light.
"For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward" (Mark 9:41 KJV).
Send your requests to Christian Triumph or email at christiantriumph @yahoo.com THANK YOU!
Anita H. 7
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The Law of the Lord Is perfect, Reviving the soul. Psalm 19:7
September Greetings! 8
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