A Kingdom Leader keeps a crisp focus on the direction of the commander. He is not entangled in the ordinary affairs of daily life trying to make his life smooth and manageable. Life is difficult and so is leadership. Each person has to face certain difficulties because of his commitment to Christ.

Are you seduced to seek simple solutions to the thorny issues of life and leadership? Are you content and pleased with your daily life? Have certain snares grabbed your heart, mind and soul to keep you focused on other things besides Jesus? What thoughts capture your mind when you are idle?

2Timothy 2:4 says, No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier. (1)

We are praying for you today.

Cathy and Danny Sartin

www.deeperstillmissions.com

(1) The Holy Bible: New International Version. Electronic ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. 2 Tim. 2:4

Copyright © Danny Sartin and Deeper Still Missions. All Rights Reserved.

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Many see the Word of God. . .few observe!

Jesus grew as a child and teenager in a balanced manner. He grew mentally, physically, socially and spiritually during those years. Consider another key word in this classic scripture.

Luke 2:52 (NIV) 52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

Take a closer look at the favor gained by this child and young man. He was not given special approval. He earned his relationship with qualities that could win others over. 

Here is an entry from A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament:

χάρις, ιτος, ἡ (Hom.+) acc. quite predom. χάριν, but χάριτα Ac 24:27; 25:9 v.l.; Jd 4 and pl. χάριτας Ac 24:27 v.l.; 1 Cl 23:1 (Eur., Hel. 1378; Hdt. 6, 41; X., Hell. 3, 5, 16; ins, pap; Zech 4:7; 6:14; EpArist 272, pl. 230.—B-D-F §47, 3; W-S. §9, 7; Mayser 271f; Thackeray 150; Helbing 40f; Mlt-H. 132.—It seems that χάρις is not always clearly differentiated in mng. fr. χαρά; Apollodorus [II b.c.]: 244 Fgm. 90 Jac. says in the second book περὶ θεῶν: κληθῆναι δὲ αὐτὰς ἀπὸ μὲν τ. χαρᾶς Χάριτας· καὶ γὰρ πολλάκις … οἱ ποιηταὶ τ. χάριν χαρὰν καλοῦσιν ‘the [deities] Charites are so called from χαρά [joy], for poets freq. equate χάρις with χαρά’. Cp. the wordplay AcPl Ha 8, 7 χαρᾶς καὶ χάριτος the house was filled with gaiety and gratitude.).

① a winning quality or attractiveness that invites a favorable reaction, graciousness, attractiveness, charm, winsomeness (Hom.+; Jos., Ant. 2, 231) of human form and appearance παῖς λίαν εὐειδής ἐν χάριτι an exceptionally fine-looking and winsome youth AcPl Ha 3, 13. Of speech (Demosth. 51, 9; Ps.-Demetr. [I a.d.], Eloc. §127; 133; 135 al.; Eccl 10:12; Sir 21:16; Jos., Ant. 18, 208) οἱ λόγοι τῆς χάριτος (gen. of quality) the gracious words Lk 4:22. ὁ λόγος ὑμῶν πάντοτε ἐν χάριτι let your conversation always be winsome Col 4:6 (cp. Plut., Mor. 514f; s. also HAlmqvist, Plut. u. das NT ’46, 121f; Epict. 3, 22, 90). τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ χάριτος ἐπληροῦτο MPol 12:1 can also be placed here in case χάρις means nothing more than graciousness (s. 4 below); prob. also GJs 7:3 (s. 3b).[1]

Do others see you as gracious, attractive, charming and winsome? Do you get permission from others to have a relationship? Or do you demand respect without giving respective attention to them? 

God the father stated at the baptism of Jesus that this is my son in whom I am well pleased. Pleased with what? No formal ministry had transpired yet! I think another one of those items he was pleased with was his attractiveness.

Cathy and Danny Sartin

Deeper Still Missions

Copyright © Danny Sartin and Deeper Still Missions. All Rights Reserved.

Bible Nuggets are written for pastors, youth leaders and missionaries who desire to go deeper still in God’s Word. 

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Hom Hom , VIII b.c.—List 5
acc. acc. = accusative
predom. predom. = predominant(ly)
v.l. v.l. = varia lectio (variant reading)
pl. pl. = plural
v.l. v.l. = varia lectio (variant reading)
1 Cl 1 Cl = 1 Clement—List 1
Eur Eur , V b.c.—List 5
Hdt. Hdt. = Herodotus, V b.c.—List 5
X. X. = Xenophon, V–IV b.c.—List 5
ins Ins, ins = Inscription, Inschrift, inscription(s). Without a period, esp. in lists, as at the beginning of entries; the capitalized form is used in titles. In conjunction with literary works this abbr. refers to the title or description of contents.
pap pap = papyrus, -yri
EpArist EpArist = Epistle of Aristeas, II b.c.—List 5
pl. pl. = plural
B-D-F B-D-F = FBlass, ADebrunner, RFunk, A Greek Grammar of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature—List 6
W-S. W-S. = GWiner, Grammatik des neutestamentlichen Sprachidioms, ed. PSchmiedel—List 6
Mayser Mayser = EM., Grammatik der griechischen Papyri aus der Ptolemäerzeit—Lists 4, 6
Thackeray Thackeray = HT., A Grammar of the OT in Greek according to the Septuagint—List 6
Helbing Helbing = RH.—List 6
Mlt-H. Mlt-H. = JMoulton/WHoward, A Grammar of NT Greek II: Accidence and Word-formation—List 6
mng. mng. = meaning(s)
fr. fr. = from
Fgm. Fgm. = fragment, fragmentary
Jac. Jac. = Die Fragmente der griechischen Historiker, ed. FJacoby—Lists 5, 6
freq. freq. = frequent(ly)
AcPl Ha AcPl Ha = Acts of Paul, PHamb—List 1
Hom Hom , VIII b.c.—List 5
Jos. Jos. = Josephus. This abbr. used when follow by title; I a.d.—Lists 5
AcPl Ha AcPl Ha = Acts of Paul, PHamb—List 1
Demosth Demosth , IV b.c.—List 5
Ps. Ps. = pseudo, pseudonymous
Demetr Demetr , III b.c.—List 5
al. al. =alibi (elsewhere), aliter (otherwise), alii (others)
Jos. Jos. = Josephus. This abbr. used when follow by title; I a.d.—Lists 5
gen. gen. = genitive
cp. cp. = compare, freq. in ref. to citation fr. ancient texts
Plut Plut , I–II a.d.—List 5
Plut Plut , I–II a.d.—List 5
NT NT = New Testament
Epict Epict , various works, I–II a.d.—List 5
MPol MPol = Martyrdom of Polycarp; after II a.d.—List 1
prob. prob. = probable, probably
GJs GJs = Gospel of James (Protevangelium Jacobi), II a.d.—List 1
[1] Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., & Bauer, W. (2000). A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Today we are riding on one of the famous German high-speed trains at over 150 kilometers per hour. Fields, cars on the autobahn and small villages whisk by in a blur. The beautiful villages are often built around a church steeple or castle. Canola flowers seem to be planted everywhere. The bright yellow blooms and plants are over a meter tall and all over the place. Germany is certainly a beautiful country.

I recognize names of towns my father saw almost sixty-nine years ago at the end of WWII. I read the memoir of his battalion and imagine what his thoughts must have been. No longer is this a foreign country but a place that brings the memory of my father’s experiences to life. I can now appreciate what his battalion did in the final six weeks of the war. Riding bumpy trucks for hundreds of miles and fighting a resolute foe desperately trying to protect their motherland. It is no longer just stories told by my dad or accounts I have read in books. It is now a living and breathing memory that has opened my eyes.

We spent an outstanding week with Kim and Jenny Garrity of Greater European Missions. What a joy to learn of their family, ministry, dreams and their heartbeat for the Kingdom of God. We spent many hours listening, talking and sharing our hearts with one another.

Kim did not just tell us stories but showed us pictures of people they have come to know. One picture was a former member of the Taliban sitting at a table and reading the Bible. Refugees from Syria, Iran, Iraq and other volatile regions have gathered in Greece and other more friendly countries to seek asylum from the oppression. Kim regularly visits a Persian speaking church to bring short-term ministry teams alongside this fledgling church to serve.

The pastor of this church has a death sentence on his life from radical groups and unhappy governments. Great caution must be taken when discussing their needs, location and names. It reminds us of the stories we have read about Christian martyrs in the centuries past.

We walked into a former jail cell where Christians were persecuted for heresy, witchcraft and other crimes. The walls were covered with drawing by the prisoners testifying to Jesus, God and His Word. Biblical characters and the Gospel was clearly shown on those walls. Dates going back to the 1600’s jumped out at my heart. Sometimes with their own blood they sketched these rough figures, scriptures and messages.

After spending time with missionaries in Europe we am convicted for their needs. Hopefully God will allow us to return and visit the people in the pictures we saw. It is no longer just stories told by CNN or accounts I have read in books. It is now a living and breathing memory that has opened our hearts

It is also Cathy’s birthday. Normally it is a day reserved for time with the family. That is one thing we miss greatly on the road. But we are deeply grateful that you sent us.

Cathy and Danny Sartin

www.deeperstillmissions.com


Copyright © Danny Sartin and Deeper Still Missions. All Rights Reserved.

This on the field report is written for those who support Deeper Still Missions and our goal of missionary retention.

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