Report from Africa #3 This week will be a transition for us to the South African city of Knysna. We will be spending two weeks pouring into the lives of missionaries who we have a deep admiration and respect for their work. Pictured above is Cathy with one of the staff we met several years ago. This is an opportunity to go deeper still into their walk with Christ and their growth as leaders. They provide hope on multiple levels to the parched hearts of people who struggle to make ends meet in this beautiful city on the Indian Ocean. Led by veteran missionary Philip Schroder, he guides Hope HQ among needy families in the area. I think of it as the hope headquarters. It is a place where confidence grows, and people experience what it feels like to be loved and appreciated. My heart warms at the programs they conduct. They have Hands and Hearts workshop that is a trainee carpenter school. My father and grandfather were both carpenters. When I first walked into the building it reminded me of shop at school back in Jackson. They are learning practical skills that will support them and grow them for the future. They also have the Ithemba Skills Center for ladies. They design and make clothes using sewing machines that are provided. Both programs touch real life issues like dagga (a local issue) and drugs. They learn the foundations of faith in Jesus Christ and develop hope for the future. The flip side of Hope HQ is the local Youth for Christ Center. They run the Options Care Center for pregnant girls in the area. They have Team Khanya to minister in the schools and neighborhoods. Volunteers from Germany come and give a year of service to serve these kids. They have study clubs to help students with their schoolwork. Pray for us as we pour ourselves into these leaders for the next two weeks. Pray as our hearts listen carefully and our mind is laser focused on each person. May they go deeper still in their walk with Christ. 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. Re-Prints: Deeper Still Missions devotionals are protected by international copyright laws. To request reprint permission contact the offices of DSM. Permission is granted and encouraged to forward this post in its entirety to others without making any changes or deletions.
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Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things . . .
Psalm 119:18 (ESV) Boastful in the last days. 1–5 This be constantly knowing, that in the last days difficult times will set in, for men shall be fond of themselves, fond of money, swaggerers, haughty, revilers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, implacable, slanderers, lacking self-control, savage, haters of that which is good, betrayers, headstrong, besotted with pride, fond of pleasure rather than having an affection for God, having a mere outward semblance of piety toward God but denying the power of the same. And these be constantly shunning. Wuest, K. S. (1961). The New Testament: an expanded translation (2 Ti 3:1–5). Eerdmans. People like to know the signs of the last days. Paul gives a powerful picture of godlessness in the last days. From The Pastoral Epistles: a commentary on the Greek text. The next layer of terms, working from both the beginning and the end of the list, focuses on pride and hostility toward others. Associated, therefore, with self-love is an attitude of arrogant pride and disdain for others. In the first two words of this layer, joined here as in Rom. 1:30, Paul describes these people as “boasters” (ἀλαζόνες, notice Pr. 21:24 LXX and the associated concepts there) and as “arrogant” or “haughty” (ὑπερήφανοι,** Lk. 1:51; Rom. 1:30; Jas. 4:6; 1 Pet. 5:5), i.e., as those who express their pride in both talk and attitude. Here again Paul mentions characteristics of the false teachers (cf. 1 Tim. 1:7; 6:4; see Trench, Synonyms, 98–102 on both words; Barclay, More NT Words, 85–89 on the second). The third word of this group, βλάσφημοι** (Acts 6:11; 1 Tim. 1:13; here; 2 Pet. 2:11), “evil speakers,” “slanderers,” is most likely used here of “abusive” speech against other people, just as the related verb and abstract noun are used elsewhere in the PE of an evil that Christians must avoid in their dealings with non-Christians (βλασφημέω in Tit. 3:2) and that is associated with the false teachers (βλασφημία in 1 Tim. 6:4). From the Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains 88.220 ἀλαζών, όνος m: (derivative of ἀλαζονεία ‘pretentious pride,’ 88.219) one who is pretentiously proud and given to bragging about it—‘braggart, arrogant person.’ ἔσονται γὰρ οἱ ἄνθρωποι φίλαυτοι, φιλάργυροι, ἀλαζόνες ‘for there will be people who are lovers of themselves, lovers of money, braggarts’ 2 Tm 3:2. In a number of languages an arrogant person is described figuratively as ‘one who speaks big words about himself’ or ‘one whose mouth is too big for his body.’). From the Theological lexicon of the New Testament ἀλαζονεία, ἀλαζών alazoneia, boastful arrogance; alazōn, boaster mention as a third epithymia “the lust for riches or money,” it is precisely because he had his sights set on a more serious vice than the ostentation of the wealthy or their arrogance toward the poor. He contrasts with God the creaturely pride, the mastery of one’s own existence, of the person who decides and directs the course of his life without taking God into account.11 This “sufficiency” is the exact opposite of the absolute duty of worshiping God and serving God devoutly; it follows that this is something altogether different from the classical and profane alazoneia. This one word easily describes the attitudes we see in our world today. Go before our Lord in humility and worship. Cathy and Danny Sartin www.deeperstillmissions.com _________________________ Wuest, K. S. (1961). The New Testament: an expanded translation (2 Ti 3:1–5). Eerdmans. LXX Septuagint ** all occurrences of the word or phrase in the New Testament are listed or it is identified as a New Testament hapax legomenon ** all occurrences of the word or phrase in the New Testament are listed or it is identified as a New Testament hapax legomenon PE Pastoral Epistles Knight, G. W. (1992). The Pastoral Epistles: a commentary on the Greek text (p. 431). W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press. m masculine Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). In Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, p. 764). United Bible Societies. 11 This is the interpretation of J. Chaine, Les Epîtres catholiques, Paris, 1939, p. 164; R. Schnackenburg, Die Johannesbriefe, Freiburg, 1953, p. 114. Ἀλαζών does not occur in the papyri, but cf. P.Lond. 1927, 32 (Christian, mid-fourth century, H. I. Bell, Jews and Christians in Egypt, p. 111): τὴν τοῦ κόσμου ἀλαζονίαν ἀπεκήρυξας καὶ τὴν τῶν κενοδόξων μεγαλαυχίαν ἐβδέλυξας. Spicq, C., & Ernest, J. D. (1994). In Theological lexicon of the New Testament (Vol. 1, pp. 63–65). Hendrickson Publishers. Copyright © Danny Sartin. All Rights Reserved.Bible Nuggets are written for pastors, youth leaders and missionaries who desire to go deeper still in God’s Word. Re-Prints: Deeper Still Missions devotionals are protected by international copyright laws. To request reprint permission contact the offices of DSM. Permission is granted and encouraged to forward this post in its entirety to others without making any changes or deletions. Report from the field!Each day presents new circumstances and issues to work past. Yesterday started with a break down of a volunteer baakie (pickup truck in America). Cathy and I and two volunteers broke down beside the city dump coming out of Robertson, South Africa. We were twenty kilometers away from our farm. It is not the best place to be stranded on the road in Africa. One of the highlights of our time has been the Bible studies with the ministry volunteers. Pictured above is the current group who are completing a year of service among the farm children. My . . . are they a joy to work with! But they are also a delight to guide through God’s Word. Their questions are spot on. Their observations are sometimes a surprise to them. The basics of following Christ become alive, rich, and wonderful for application. After one study a visitor who claimed to not be religious said, if this is how your study the Bible then I am here! Their smiles say it all. We share the Bible, but we also share our lives with one another. Little by little we share a fresh layer of experiences with one another. They drop by our cottage and ask questions and seek to know Cathy and I as a couple. A couple of Germans wanted to see an American western movie from our collection we carry with us. Laughter and togetherness have led to deep discussions on faith and life. We are deeply grateful that God allows us to support this missionary family in Africa. It is with gratitude that we say thanks to everyone who made this possible. 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. Re-Prints: Deeper Still Missions devotionals are protected by international copyright laws. To request reprint permission contact the offices of DSM. Permission is granted and encouraged to forward this post in its entirety to others without making any changes or deletions. A Kingdom Leader is highly sensitive to the impression he leaves on others. He needs to show, with his behavior, that he is dependable and disciplined. You are to teach in such a way that it molds the character of other ministry partners. You want to enforce correct behavior. They learn by watching you! Are you positively influencing other staff members? Do you instruct younger staff on how to accomplish goals that are mutually agreed upon? Do they see you making mistakes and view your corrective steps? Do you reinforce good behavior with compliments and encouragement? There are two sides to a coin as there are two sides to discipline. One side is chastisement, correction, warning or rebuke. The other is instruction, training, upbringing or education. The most effective mentors in my life used the more positive synonyms. They impressed my heart, mind and soul to be the best that I can be. They were like a loving father to me! Ephesians 6:4 (NIV84) 4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. I was deeply blessed by so many leaders in my lifetime. They invited me into their world and let me patiently ask questions. They treated me like I was a son. They allowed me to fail! Then they left a strong impression when they gave me guidance on how to improve. Today you have the opportunity to leave a loving impression on the hearts of ministry partners. Give them focused attention and loving discipline. Allow them to see some of your world. Invite them in. The fingerprint of your heart leaves a forever impression. Cathy and Danny Sartin www.deeperstillmissions.com ________________________ The Holy Bible: New International Version (Eph 6:4). (1984). Zondervan. Copyright © Danny Sartin. All Rights Reserved. Photos taken by Cathy and Danny Sartin in Africa. Kingdom Leadership is written for missionaries and ministers serving our Lord in various parts of the world. Re-Prints: Deeper Still Missions devotionals are protected by international copyright laws. To request reprint permission contact the offices of DSM. Permission is granted and encouraged to forward this post in its entirety to others without making any changes or deletions. |
Danny SartinFour decade veteran of youth ministry in churches, Youth For Christ and now is the Founder and Executive Director of Deeper Still Missions. Danny and his wife Cathy spend most of their time mentoring missionaries in Africa, Europe, Central America and North America. Future opportunities include South America and the Asia Pacific area. Archives
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