The Preacher of Ecclesiastes declares that “To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under Heaven.” The time is now, at the end of the old year and the beginning of the new, to both reflect on the past and look forward to the future of Ezra Rural Ministry.

The year 2008 has been a milestone year. It began with the two-month-long mission trip of Minnesota teenager David Suda to Addis Ababa, and ended with the opening of new doors to ministry with the Women’s Health Education program.

In between, in America, we all spent quite a bit of time working with Chris K. Grinnell of Bearing the Light to bring the Ezra Rural Ministry website online.

In between, in Ethiopia, many rural evangelists, pastors, and lay leaders received training in the Word of God, equipping them to evangelize and disciple, plant churches, and bring health education to their own village communities.

It has been a productive year and we hope to be able to say the same thing of this coming New Year. It too will be a milestone year as 2009 marks the fifth anniversary of Ezra Rural Ministry. We look forward to this new season, this new time in which we work with God and His people to bring about His purposes and plans for Ethiopia.

Back in 1977, my husband and I were focused on coming up with the perfect name for, it would turn out to be, our firstborn son. The name had to be just right. It had to have meaning, reflecting our dreams for him and our hopes for his future.

It seems to be a universal desire in mankind to give meaningful names to our children. I believe that the desire has been planted in us by God, or at least reflects something of our likeness to Him. After all, it was God Who started it when He named His first created son Adam. And even before that, before time began, in that place we call eternity, God named His only begotten Son Jesus, which means The LORD Saves.

Of course, Jesus isn’t His only name. In Isaiah 9:6, the prophet foretold of the One Who would be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. He is also called the Bright Morning Star, the Good Shepherd, the Light of the World, and the Bread of Life…

But, of all the many names in the Bible given Him, I would have to say my favorite is the one found both in Isaiah 9:6 and in Matthew 1:22 and 23-

“All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means God with Us.”

I believe that Immanuel is the perfect name for the only begotten Son of God Who was sent to live and die amongst us so that He could live again within us.

It is the name that is just right.

From the beginning of its history, there have always been those within the Church who are in need, and those within the Church who are not in need. As you read the Word, particularly in the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles, you might notice that God spent a great deal of time and effort in bringing these two subgroups together. One of the first descriptions of the Early Church is found in Acts 2:42-47 and includes the following, “All believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.”

The beleaguered Apostle Paul, though he had learned “the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or want”, still could not contain his gratitude to the Philippians for their gifts to him. He wrote, “yet it was good of you to share in my troubles…you sent me aid again and again when I was in need.” Had they not been so generous, would we now have that wonderful “thank you note” to the Philippians? This is a perfect example of how God can multiply the blessing of a gift given to those in need:

1. Paul is used by God to give the believers in Philippi the gift of life in Jesus Christ.
2. The Philippians, in turn, send gifts to Paul that enable him to live more comfortably as he awaits his fate in Rome.
3. Paul is so blessed by these gifts that he sends a lengthy note of gratitude.
4. This note from Paul is so precious to the Philippians that they preserve it for posterity.
5. Posterity adds it to the collection of other letters we now call the Epistles.
6. To this very day, untold numbers of people read Philippians for the inspired encouragement and wisdom it contains.

In this season of gift-giving, let us ask God to multiply the blessing of the gift that we give to those in need. Who knows what a God like our God can do with it?

This morning, as I was drinking my second cup of freshly-ground vanilla nut coffee with fat-free french vanilla creamer, I opened RBC Ministries’ devotional, Our Daily Bread, to today’s date. Highlighted for our reading and meditation was Philippians 1:12-21, and as usual God had something to say to me as I read. In fact, He had so much to say that I missed the end and read on past verse 21 to the beginning of verse 27- “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ…”

Chained in a Roman prison and awaiting his eventual execution, Paul the Apostle was writing to his Christian brothers and sisters in Philippi, thanking them for a gift they had sent him for his relief.  Paul wanted to reassure them- “Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the Gospel.” Paul wanted to explain how that could be- “Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the Word of the Lord more courageously and fearlessly.” Paul wanted to provide them with hope- “For I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.”

As I type this, in the background I can hear a prominent Christian radio ministry informing its supporters that the reduction of financial aid and the weakening economy has regrettably forced it to downsize. Many ministries are facing the same situation and are being forced to their knees, in much the same way Paul the Apostle was forced to his, chained to the confines of his jail cell. And it turns out, his advice of two thousand years ago to the Philippians is still as appropriate as it was then-

“Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

On November 27th, Americans will be gathering together to celebrate the holiday we call Thanksgiving. Though we think of this holiday as having been thought up by the Pilgrims in the early 1620’s, it is an idea that goes back thousands of years to the days of ancient Israel. At that time, God’s people gave thank offerings as expressions of gratitude to Him.

Later, the psalmist wrote:

“Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His Name. For the LORD is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.”

In the tradition of ancient Israel and in obedience to the psalmist’s command, we at Ezra Rural Ministry would like to take the opportunity to give a thank offering to God for all the special friends He has given us:

LORD God Almighty, we thank You for those who pray faithfully for this ministry; we thank You for those who give money to this ministry; we thank You for those who sacrifice their time to this ministry; we thank You for those who are at the front lines of this ministry; we thank You for those who receive the Good News through this ministry! We thank You in the Name of Jesus the Christ, amen.