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How to Find More Joy in Life

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The path to more joy in your life is different than you might think.
Does it ever amaze you how many responsible people there are in this
world? I have discovered:
1. The world is full of people who are trying their very best to do
what is right.
2. The world is also full of people who are irresponsible.
3. This is a sliding scale, and depends on many factors.
4. I find my own natural tendency is to slide myself way over to the
responsible side while sliding most other people way over to the less
responsible side.
5. If they believe things differently, or they were raised differently,
or they assume different outcomes, or they act or dress or look really
different than I do, I find myself assuming they have “issues”.
Our unproven assumptions about people are important. Two factors
greatly affect how we see others:
1. Our upbringing, our friends and our heroes.
2. What we feed our spirits through books, movies, tv and private
thoughts.
Assuming others are selfish and irresponsible makes us act this way
ourselves.
Abraham assumed a foreign king, Abimelech, would kill him for his wife.
He assumed Abimelech was irresponsible and had no respect for God.
Abraham lied to the king. Luckily, God intervened. “But one night God
came to Abimelech in a dream and told him, “You are a dead man, for
that woman you took is married.” Gen. 20:3 NLT. Wouldn’t you know it?
Isaac learned some lessons from his dad and did the same thing, with
the same wrong assumptions. The foreign king was very indignant when he
learned the truth, “How could you treat us this way!…you would have
made us guilty of great sin.” Gen. 26:10.
There is a better way.
1. Assume everyone would really like a living relationship with God.
2. Assume people would rather not spend eternity in hell.
3. Assume people are wounded, making choices based on things you do not
understand.
4. Help some people find healing.
5. Help some people make better choices.
You will find more joy in this lifestyle.
Rick.
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Ordaining Ivanildo and Monica

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Several years ago I started a Bible Study in Altamira on the porch of our Guest House. Ivanildo would stop by on his way home from his job as a bartender at the army base. He would ask for prayer because their marriage was on its last legs, and his lifestyle was making things worse. Eventually he asked God to come into his heart, and to transform him.

Monica was greatly influenced by Elba in her first years as a Christian. Elba is now one of the key national leaders in this church planting movement. It was a great step forward on January 2, 2011, to ordain Ivanildo and Monica as Senior Pastors of this church. In reality they are already functioning in this role. We recognized publicly what they are already doing, and passed on all spiritual blessings we could.

I am so very grateful to the Lord for giving us this young family to work with. The first two years have flown by, and we have great expectations for many more ministry years together.

Rick.

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The Work of Christmas Begins

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When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flocks,

The work of Christmas begins:

To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild nations,
To bring peace among brothers,
To make music in the heart.

Howard Thurman (1899-1981)

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Visitors For New Years

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We are so thankful for the “family” God has given us in Brazil.

Steve and Elba and their two girls came from Altamira to spend a week with us.
Angelita, Denise, Johnatas and Junior also came. They have come every year we have been in Marabá. It feels like relatives coming from a far country. (Clenildo – who we first moved to Altamira with 15 years ago – could not come this year).

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New Years Eve Service

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Elba preached our at our first service in our new building on New Years Eve, at 10:30 p.m. Several people came forward to give their hearts to Jesus and to ask Him to give them another chance. After prayer heavy rains started. The building is not quite ready for tropical rainstorms yet. We all got soaked as we ate seasonal foods, thanked God for 2010 and asked for His help in 2011.

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Four Disciplines That Change My Life

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I would like to share some of my best council with you.

  1. Read the whole Bible again, cover to cover.
    1. I have been doing this for many years, and look forward to reading it again.
    2. Get an alarm clock and a coffee pot. You have to leave for work at 5:00 a.m.? No problem. Put God and His word first, and you will see good changes in your life.
    3. Get a new Bible translated in a style you can understand. This is an investment where you will spend many hours in this coming year. I read the New Living Translation (NLT) in 2010 and plan to read it again. If you get a study Bible it will take more time to read but you get the advantage of having a mentor walk with you.
    4. I have a plan that includes the Old Testament, the New Testament and a portion of  Psalms and Proverbs each day. I like the variety of texts each morning.
  2. Learn to be grateful.
    1. I bought a journal that had five lines per day. Each day I had to write down five things I was grateful for. I did this as a discipline for one year. Now I do it as a lifestyle.
    2. God despises excessive grumbling, complaining and murmuring. It gets on His nerves. Always having insight into what is wrong is not God’s gift to you.
    3. Honest, overflowing, spoken and written gratefulness helps God want to do even more with you and through you.
  3. Keep a journal with your Bible. Write in it every day.
    1. Purchase an expensive journal. Get a pen that is a real treat to use. It might cost a few dollars more that you would usually pay but this is another important investment.
    2. Here are some suggestions to write on one page or less per day.
      1. What Happened – WH? – a few highlights of the previous day.
      2. Gave / Took – Two lines. What gave you life? What drained you of life?
      3. Thankfulness – 3 or 5 bullet points per day.
      4. Me to God – M2G – What are your prayer requests? Make them known to God.
      5. God to Me – G2M – I usually try to end my devotional time with 5 minutes of quiet listening. Who likes one-way conversations? Not God. What is He showing you through the Bible reading? Any dreams or visions? Any unusual thoughts or friends keep coming to mind? Do you hear God encouraging you? If you listen you will hear this more here than anywhere else in your day. Write it down.
  4. Find a mentor.
    1. Think about a godly person you respect.
    2. Ask them if they will meet with you once a week, or once a month.
    3. At these meetings ask them about how they would handle the various situations that you find yourself in.
These disciplines change my life. 
I look forward to every new morning.
This is my prayer and hope for you.


Warmly,


Rick Bergen.