Outreach Center Network News Letter
August 2018
In this issue:
God does not show favoritism - A Devotion
September Start-ups
Encouragement from the past
Facts about the United States
Final Thoughts
Each article will begin with ###. You may move to the next article by searching for this.
### God does not show favoritism
Sin does not show favoritism. People in the under develop countries and industrial countries alike, both kill each other. Some do it with sticks and other by computer guided bombs. Educated and uneducated people alike do not show favoritism. It has been this way in every time in history, and in every place. This is because sin brings this out in people.
Therefore God responded in the same way. He shows no favoritism either. He judges fairly and states that all fall short of his glory. (Rom. 3:23)
God knew the consequences of sin. He wanted something else for humanity. He knew that he had to act. This is why he sent Jesus his son.
Acts 10:25‑35 As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence.
26 But Peter made him get up. "Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself. "
27 Talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people.
28 He said to them: "You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean.
29 So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?"
30 Cornelius answered: "Four days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me
31 and said, 'Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor.
32 Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.'
33 So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us."
34 Then Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism
35 but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right."
One might think that a father would show favoritism toward a child that he loves. Not with God the Father. He remained consistent. In that Jesus his son identified with humanity, even though sinless, Jesus suffered the consequences of sinners. Jesus received the full punishment for sins, especially the sins of our wrongfully showing favoritism.
God the Father remained consistent. He showed no favoritism. In that Jesus took the punishment of sin on the cross, anyone who believes in him is forgiven. The bad sinner and the not so bad sinner all receive the same treatment from God. In Jesus he shows them love and forgiveness.
God's word now goes to all nations. He now uses us, not because of who we are or are not. Whether European, African, Australian or American, he uses us to share this story. , He uses us, not because we are tall or short, male or female, have sight or are blind. God shows no favoritism in who we are in order to reach others under sin. All need salvation and this is now possible through Jesus by faith.
And so we are witnesses, to carry on the message.
No favoritism, just God’s love for all.
Pastor Dave
### September Start-ups
September holds the beginning of many things. Not only do schools start but many programs and activities. It’s a good time at the outreach center to also emphasize this month as an opportunity to try new approaches and to make a statement about your priorities. Here are a few ideas to try.
1 Recommit to becoming a welcoming community. At your next gathering encourage those who attend to talk with another person who is blind about the outreach center. Also, those who have not shown up for six months or more, telephone them. Let them know you are thinking and praying for them.
2 Dedicate a part of the devotional time to praying for those in need in your community.
3 Re-cast the vision of the outreach center. It is helpful for your members as well as new people to know what the outreach center is all about. If you need help with this, don’t hesitate to contact me.
Pastor Dave
###Encouragement from the past
In an email update that I sent out in March 2006 to outreach center leaders I wrote the following:
The goal of what we do at outreach centers is focused on the future. We cannot do it alone. It requires teamwork, delegation and accountability.
So how is it going, or should I better ask, what will you be doing with this all this month?
As encouragers, each month I'll drop in some things for you to read, use and share.
What is failure? It is, not learning from your mistakes or learning from what didn't work.
What is success? It is, continuing to try and never giving up.
Success is learning from the past to do the present and plan for the future
Success is the action, the process, the next step
Pastor Dave
### Facts about the United States
More people live in New York City than in 40 of the 50 states.
The word “Pennsylvania” is misspelled on the Liberty Bell.
There is enough water in Lake Superior to cover all of North and South America in one foot of liquid.
There's a town in Washington with treetop bridges made specifically to help squirrels cross the street
In 1872, Russia sold Alaska to the Unites States for about 2 cents per acre.
It would take you more than 400 years to spend a night in all of Las Vegas's hotel rooms.
Western Michigan is home to a giant lavender labyrinth so big you can see it on Google Earth.
There’s an island full of wild monkeys off the coast of South Carolina called Morgan Island, and it's not open to humans.
There's enough concrete in the Hoover Dam to build a two-lane highway from San Francisco to New York City.
Kansas produces enough wheat each year to feed everyone in the world for about two weeks.
Oregon's Crater Lake is deep enough to cover six Statues of Liberty stacked on top of each other
The Empire State building has its own zip code.
The Los Angeles Coroner’s Office has its own quirky gift shop called Skeletons in the Closet.
The Library of Congress contains approximately 838 miles of bookshelves—long enough to stretch from Houston to Chicago.
In 1922, a man built a house and all his furniture entirely out of 100,000 newspapers. The structure still stands today in Rockport, Massachusetts.
The total length of Idaho's rivers could stretch across the United States about 40 times.
The town of Centralia, Pennsylvania has been on fire for 55 years.
Montana's Glacier National Park has a canine "bark ranger" that helps herd wildlife away from high-traffic areas.
You can watch more than 100 ponies swim to Chincoteague Island every year in Virginia.
In 1943, the temperature in Spearfish, South Dakota jumped 49 degrees in two minutes (-4°F to 45°F), one of the most drastic changes on record.
The world's tiniest park is in Portland, measuring a mere two feet wide.
The biggest signature in human history belongs to Texas farmer Jimmie Luecke. The two-mile landmark can be seen from space.
There are around 5,000 commercial airplanes flying over the United States at any given time.
Only one-third of all $100 bills are actually inside the United States.
The smallest county in the U.S., Kalawao County on the Hawaiian island of Moloka'i, is also a leprosy colony where a few former patients still live.
South Florida is the only place in the world where alligators and crocodiles coexist in the wild.
### Final Thoughts
In upcoming issues we can and will look at many of the same topics as well as others. If you have questions, thoughts or suggestions, please send them to me or post them on the blind ministry email list.
Pastor Dave