Do Justly. Love Mercy. Walk Humbly.

Have you ever sinned against the Lord with what you consider a "big" sin, or you've been away from Him for a long time, and feel like you have to make up for it in an equally big way? Like God is going to ask something really hard from you as payment for it?

God isn’t like that, but that’s sometimes how we are with each other, isn't it? If someone hurts me in a big way, I want them to make it right in a big way. Prove they really mean it.

Israel sinned against God big-time. For a LONG time.

In the book of Micah chapter 6, they wonder what they can do to make things right with God. They even list some suggestions:

v6- Should I bow myself before the high God?
v6- Shall I come before him with burnt offerings?
v6- Shall I bring calves of a year old?
v7- Will he be pleased with thousands of rams?
v7- Ten thousands of rivers of oil?
v7- Shall I give my firstborn, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

The things mentioned start off reasonable, but become increasingly excessive, until they seem frantic in wanting to know what they can do to make it right, even suggesting things that are impossible (who can gather ten thousand rivers of oil?), or things God would never ask of them (to sacrifice their children for their own sin).

But Micah reminds them the Lord has already shown them what is good. He requires of them:

1. Do justly.
2. Love mercy.
3. Walk humbly with God.

Sometimes we try to make things harder than they need to be, perhaps as an excuse as to why we haven't gotten right with the Lord, or can't get right. "God just wants too much from me."

But God lays it out so clearly and simply for us, and will help us do it! He wants us to be in fellowship with Him!

"For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee." Psalm 86:5

Do justly. Love mercy. Walk humbly.

Hummus

Hummus 

Last week I shared a recipe for Tahini. This week I’m sharing a recipe for hummus. When I was little, I did not like hummus at all! I didn’t like hummus until I tried fresh homemade hummus! It taste so much different than the stuff from the store! 

Soak chickpeas (a.k.a.garbanzo beans) overnight. Boil chickpeas until they are soft enough to eat. You don’t want them crunchy at all. The softer they are, the smoother your hummus will be. Once chickpeas are soft, allow them to cool slightly. Once they are cool enough to handle, you can start putting them through the food processor. Combine all the ingredients with the chickpeas and blend until smooth. If you think the hummus is too thick, add more water. I recommend adding the original 300 ml of water gradually. It’s much easier to add water than to take water away. Once you have a smooth texture, move to your serving bowl and enjoy! We like to pour olive oil on the top, and just barely mix it in. We like eating hummus with chips, flat bread, sour dough bread, bagels, pancakes, or if you have no other vehicle, a spoon works just as well! 

If you want to be fancy, save a couple boiled chickpeas to sprinkle on top of the hummus for decoration. 

Enjoy! 

Amber Wells 

Papua New Guinea 🇵🇬

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Clean Pajamas

Have you ever been sick? I don’t mean with the sniffles, or a little stomachache. I mean knock-down-high-fever-what-day-is-it-delusional-am-I-dying sick.

If you’ve ever experienced that kind of sickness, then you know how exhausting and confusing it is. You also know that most people wear the same pajamas for days on end during that kind of illness, because even thinking about changing them is exhausting.

But have you ever also experienced the bliss that is a hot shower and clean clothes after being so ill? It’s like you’re a whole new person. You’re winning the battle against the germs, your energy has boosted, your hair no longer looks like you stuck your finger in a light socket.

You almost feel and look human again!

And even though you’re better, you aren’t 100% well yet, and crave your pajamas again so you can snuggle back down in bed for some rest. (Hopefully after someone has changed your sheets!) Because sometimes getting better feels like hard work, and even a shower can make you tired.

But when you go to put those pajamas back on, they smell like the dump. Like, maybe you actually gag when trying to lift the shirt over your head. You have literally been wearing these for days, and been around your family smelling like this, and no one said anything?!? I’ve had pajamas that smelled like toxic waste when I was sick and had sweated through various fevers without changing them.

No way can I put these back on- I just had a shower! I don’t care how sick I am, I’ve gotta get some clean pjs!

This applies so clearly in a spiritual sense. We come to Christ with all our baggage, our sickness, things that need healing, and He cleanses us- makes it all whiter than snow. There is bliss at the feeling of being clean, like a whole new person! We have a renewed sense of purpose, we are energized because, hello, our sins are forgiven!

But we aren’t 100% better yet. We’re still spiritually sick- it’s just that Jesus has showered us with His grace and righteousness, so we’re more aware of the stench of our previous ‘pajamas’. And sometimes, even though we like smelling good, we get tired. Because getting better sometimes feels like hard work, and it would be so much easier to just put on the pajamas from a pile on the floor next to us, rather than going to find clean ones.

But Jesus has called us to walk in the Spirit, and put ON certain things while taking and keeping others OFF. And if we truly want to be better, we need to take His advice, and make changes that keep us from getting knocked down with spiritual sickness.

And it benefits us all if we will commit to gently reminding one another to go take a shower and put on clean pajamas when we get a whiff of the dump from each other. Because, let’s be honest, sometimes you just can’t smell yourself. Especially when the ‘pajamas’ you've been wearing are your favorite.

Thanks be to God who has cleansed me through the finished work of Christ on the cross!

Lord, help me to walk in righteousness, and put off the old man with his nasty pajamas that need not be picked up again, except to be thrown out and hauled away. Help me not to be lazy and reach for the old because getting clean feels like hard work. Thank You that in You I can do all things!

Romans 13:12-14
(12) The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
(13) Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.
(14) But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

Ephesians 4:21-29
(21) If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
(22) That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
(23) And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
(24) And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
(25) Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
(26) Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
(27) Neither give place to the devil.
(28) Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
(29) Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

Colossians 3:8-15
(8) But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
(9) Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
(10) And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
(11) Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
(12) Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
(13) Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
(14) And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
(15) And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

Tahini

Tahini

Tahini is not only a delicious ingredient, but also an amazing appetizer! I made a double batch of this stuff the other day, and my brother and I, just the two of us, ate all of it! One batch makes two cups, which means my brother and I ate two cups each of tahini in 24 hours… call us crazy! 

I got this recipe from an Israeli that works here in Pangia. He brought us a bowl of it one evening, and we just couldn’t get enough of it! 

Soak the sesame seeds in water for 5 minutes. Rinse and drain seeds. On medium heat roast seeds until seeds are dry. You don’t want them brown though. Cool seeds. Once seeds are cool, blend them with water (you add water until the tahini is as thick or thin as you want), garlic, lemon juice and salt. Blend till smooth. Mine wouldn’t come to a paste using my normal food processor blade, I had to change it to  the smoothie cup and blade. If yours isn’t coming to a paste after about two minutes, try changing blades. I did try making this using an emersion blender, but it didn’t work. But, try what you have, and if it doesn’t work you can always toast the seeds till they start to brown and use them to top salads. 😜 

One your seeds are all ground up into tahini, it will be around two cups. The quantity is determined by how much water you added to the sesame seeds as they were being blended. 

You can use the tahini in recipes just like you would the stuff you buy from the store. I personally think this stuff tastes so much better than the stuff from the can! But, I’ll let you be the judge of that. Next week I’ll put up a couple of recipes that use tahini in them. But, while you wait, check your cookbooks, and try a recipe that calls for tahini. 

Keep the tahini in the fridge. I don’t know how long this will last in the fridge, but I am assuming less than a week. Use this as an ingredient or as a chip or cracker dip. 

Enjoy! 

Amber Wells

Papua New Guinea 🇵🇬

What is Your Isaac?

Genesis 22:1 "And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am."

I decided to look up the word 'tempt', because although I was pretty sure I knew what it meant, I wanted to see what the actual word means. And it surprised me that it means: Test, adventure. 

So when my faith is tested by God, I can change my perspective, and look at it as going on an adventure with God! 

Adventure: 

(noun) 

1. An undertaking usually involving danger and unknown risks. 

2. An exciting or remarkable experience. 

3. An enterprise involving financial risk. 

(verb) 

1. To expose to danger or loss. 

2. to venture upon; try. 

(intransitive verb) 

1. To proceed despite risk. 

2. To take the risk. 

I can walk confidently with God through any trial because I know that, despite the risk, He will use it for my good and His glory. Though it may result in loss, it will be a remarkable experience that will draw me closer to Him, and whatever is lost was meant to be taken away and replaced with something better for me. 

This leads into Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac. Here was this child he had prayed for, suffered for, waited so long for, and he was being asked to give him to the Lord. And not just give him to the Lord, but make him a burnt offering. 

Though Abraham had faith that God would provide himself a lamb, he didn't see that provision until he let go of what he held so dearly. It wasn't until Isaac was bound on the altar and Abraham had the knife ready to give him fully to God, that the angel stopped him and he saw the ram caught in the thicket. 

Genesis 22:8-13

(8) "And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. 

(9) And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.

(10) And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
(11) And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
(12) And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. (13) And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son." 

God had a plan the whole time, and provided a ram before Abraham ever got to the place of sacrifice. He just had to let go of what he held dear to see the better thing God had prepared for him. 

What is your Isaac that you can give to God today? 

Sad Good Byes

My grandmother used to always say, “Without any sad goodbyes, there wouldn’t be any sweet hellos.”  I think of that every time I have to say good bye to someone.  Good byes are an inevitable part of being a missionary.  One is always having to say good bye to someone.  When leaving the home country to go the field, there are many good byes.  When leaving the field for a furlough, there are more good byes.  

Our furlough is drawing to a close and I am reminded of our former mission director telling us of a veteran missionary that they went to see off at the airport at the end of her furlough.  She made the comment that the good byes get more and more difficult.  I am beginning to understand that as I face saying good bye to family members and a new grand baby.  It is definitely more difficult.  

I was comforted by the following reading in my devotional book that I have been reading.  God is so good to always meet us where we are.  I shouldn’t be, but I was amazed when this was the reading on a day when I was thinking about those dreaded good byes.  I pray that it will be a comfort to you as well.

~from Devotions from the Front Porch by Stacy J. Edwards

Bravery vs Bravado

When I was about 10 years old, my sister and I were playing outside with our friends. One time we were at their house just down the block, and our ball went into the bushes. My sister did not know these were rose bushes, and when she went to retrieve the ball, she got all scratched up and began crying.

Two boys from our elementary school were walking by at the time and immediately began to make fun of her. Nothing infuriated me more than people making fun of my sister (who was extremely shy and therefore an easy target). So I promptly walked over to them, explained why she was crying, and then with hands on hips, told them to say it again so I could punch them in the head.

So they did.

And then I did.

And then THEY were the ones crying. They said (as they began running home) that they were going to bring their dad over and he would deal with me. I yelled after them to go ahead, and I would punch their dad in the head, too.

Needless to say he never showed up.

[Full disclosure: I was not nearly as cute as the girl in the photo. I am sure I was covered in sweat and dirt, and sported an out of control afro. And my clothes probably did not match. It was the 80s after all.]

Part of me likes to think that I would’ve punched their dad out if he’d had the nerve to come to my friend’s house, but I know I never, ever would have. This was evidenced by the fact that we played inside the house for the rest of the afternoon.

I don’t think it was bravery that made me punch those kids (not even righteous indignation- just plain old offense), but it was certainly bravado that made me yell that I would punch their dad too, should he show up.

After the sermon by my pastor yesterday about having courage, I got to thinking about the topic of bravery vs bravado, and what that looks like in the Christian realm.

Bravery obeys God’s call, regardless of the circumstances.
Bravado says she would, but when faced with an actual trial, she wilts.

Bravery speaks up when a situation calls for intervention.
Bravado does nothing in the moment, but dissects it later among friends, criticizing the actions of others.

Bravery depends on the Lord in the present and for the future, and shares current ways the Lord is working, regardless of how ‘small’ they seem.
Bravado constantly rehearses ‘amazing’ things God did 25 years ago regardless of whether they were actually involved (and perhaps with a bit of exaggeration), but has no current stories of the Lord’s working.

Bravery gives when called to, even when it is a major sacrifice.
Bravado says “If I won the lottery I’d give it ALL to the church!” but never gives anything now.

Bravery speaks of ways GOD has shown HIS power in extraordinary circumstances.
Bravado speaks of “Boy, what I would do for God if given the chance…” but never moves out of the hypothetical.

You see, it takes bravery to walk the path of faith. To do what God has called us to, regardless of outside reactions (whether positive or negative). True bravery knows that God is the source of all goodness in our lives, and anything amazing is from His hand alone.

There is no faith in bravado, because it isn’t real. It depends solely on outside reactions, and is done to impress with no intention of follow-through. Bravado is focused on ME and MY actions, and actually has little or nothing to do with God; except that I say I have done it/would do it in His name.

Talk is cheap, as the saying goes. You can say whatever you want about crazy/amazing things you’ve done, or crazy/amazing things you COULD do for God, and there won’t be a way to tell if it’s true or not. You can fool some people some of the time, and even some people ALL of the time, but you can’t fool ALL people all of the time. And you can never fool God. If you are walking in bravado, eventually someone is going to call you on the carpet. How will you respond?

Lord, as we go into a new year, help me to truly be brave and not full of bravado.

Psalm 36:1-3 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David the servant of the LORD. The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.
(2) For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful.
(3) The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good.

Proverbs 20:6 Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?

James 2:14-20 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
(15) If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
(16) And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
(17) Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
(18) Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
(19) Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
(20) But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

Deut. 31:6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

Joshua 1:9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

1 Thessalonians 5:24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.