Have you ever been flat broke? There’ve been a few times I’ve been there, and it’s not a real enjoyable place to be. At the other end of that gamut is having more than enough, which is a whole lot more comfortable and easier to appreciate!

The Apostle Paul, like most of us, didn’t have a whole lot of trouble dealing with the upper end of the “poverty to plenty” spectrum—that wouldn’t have been an issue.

Writing to the Philippians about the downer end of that prosperity scale was more where the tires met the tarmac. He might have been referring to some of the Mideast dungeons he’d been a “guest” in on a number of occasions. These were often just a hole in the ground; the food was just what friends and family would come and toss in; it was either bone-chilling wet or sweltering dry, and there were no set release dates. Paul had learned how to handle hard places!

Verse 13 is usually quoted in the broader field of “God strengthening His people for any situation they face.” That isn’t wrong but, in this context, it focuses on being able to live contentedly and work effectively in this unpredictable “poverty to plenty” life space of the believer’s journey.

“I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13, NIV). No matter where a person is on the comfort, financial and social registers, our God gives His people the stamina and staying power to be content in whatever scenario life finds them.

– Kene Jackson

It doesn’t take courage to run the race you know you will win. It takes courage to run the race you know you can’t win.

When my daughter, Storm, was in school she joined the track team. She was small for her age and she had asthma. She would enter every event and she always came in last . . . and not just “last,” but sometimes minutes behind the winner. At times it was painful to watch her struggling to cross the finish line when every breath was an effort.

At one event she was so far behind that the race was not just “over”—people were leaving the bleachers and headed toward their cars before she crossed the finish line. The only people there to cheer for her were her family and the coach.

She ran the race she knew she couldn’t win, but she ran anyway and she always finished the race.

She never felt shame or regret; she never felt she had to apologize or explain why she kept running; she never dropped out or quit the team. She would shrug off the loss and say, “Someone has to win the race and someone has to come in last. If I didn’t come in last, someone else would be last, and maybe they would feel badly about it. But I don’t feel bad. For me, it is enough to just run and feel the wind in my face and my hair and my sneakers hitting the track. That’s enough.”

Eventually, Storm graduated from university and traveled the world, and every night she runs a mile in a park for the joy of running.

Lord, remind me that I don’t have to win worldly races, or even worldly prizes. You love me just as I am.

– Crying Wind

I can remember when a certain woman came to me. She was very distraught. She told me that her grandson had just been born, and she had been told to go find a priest to baptize her grandson, or else he would go to hell. I told her that, as a pastor, I don’t do water baptisms for babies. I told her what I do is called a “dedication” to the Lord, and we wouldn’t have to rush right into it.

She was surprised that I said this. I told her that in Scripture Jesus Himself was dedicated. I also told her if her grandchild would die as an infant, he would be accepted into the kingdom by Jesus himself. So I told her not to worry, and that I could dedicate her grandchild. She said thank you and walked away. I am not sure what she did because I did not hear from her again.

This is what Scripture says in Luke 2:21-23 (NLT): “Eight days later, when the baby was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel even before he was conceived. Then it was time for their purification offering, as required by the law of Moses after the birth of a child; so his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. The law of the Lord says, ‘If a woman’s first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the LORD.’ ”

It is written that Jesus was dedicated after birth, and it would be great if all babies could be given this opportunity—to be dedicated to the Lord by parents who follow Jesus.

– Kirby James

When asked, “Why do you believe in the white man’s God?” by those who reject Christianity, many if not most Native/Indigenous Christians may feel a level of discomfort. The long history of mistreatment of Native peoples by Euro-Americans on many levels speaks for itself, and many still feel the psychological lashes of that brutal and unfortunate era.

In Native communities, Native Christians may find themselves being treated (subtly or outwardly) as traitors to their cultures. Witnessing— telling others about God and the sacrifice Jesus made for the redemption of all who believe in His divinity—can be especially difficult under such circumstances.

But, although Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor (an unbeliever as far as we know) was shouted down when he tried to save Jesus from the mob that called for his crucifi xion, he stood his ground: “Why? What evil has He done?” He pleads to a crowd that was crying out for Jesus’s death all the louder. Standing his ground, Pilate risked losing the support of the chief priests and possibly other Romans when he retorted, “What I have written, I have written.”

When challenged by others when sharing our faith, we believers must stand as well!

Father God, in the Name of Jesus, I ask that You be with me in my moments of trial. Help me to hold on to Your promise that You will never leave me or forsake me. And having done all . . . stand.

– Kiki BelMonte-Schaller

“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” Galatians 6:7 (NKJV)

The God of the Bible is a God of love, mercy and justice. I gave up trying to understand God a long time ago because His ways are far higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). Both my wife and I came to know Christ in 1979 as a result of a terrible tragedy in my brother and sister-in law’s lives. Their five-year-old son drowned in a small creek in central Winnipeg.

God spoke to me “loud and clear” about my own life and the direction I was going. I was definitely on the road to hell and destruction. But the good news! God took that tragedy and turned it around for the good— not only for my family, but many other family members and friends, as well. Romans 8:28 says, “All things work together for the good to those who love God and have been called according to His purpose.” (NET)

I don’t know where you are at today, but I ask you to seriously consider the God of love, mercy, and justice as your personal Savior by receiving His Son Jesus. He died for our sins; but He also rose again to give us victory over our sins. Simply pray, “God, I am lost in sin, please forgive me of all my sins and shortcomings in life; I turn away from that lifestyle now and receive you as my Lord and Savior. Amen.”

If you have prayed the above prayer … or one similar … Welcome to the family of God! I encourage you to get a Bible and begin reading it. Get into a community with people who teach the Bible. Seek to make Christian friends and meet regularly for encouragement, support, and prayer. And start sharing your faith with people whom God sends your way.

– Marshall Murdock

When my father passed away in 2019, it was the first time in my parents’ 57 years of marriage that my mother would be alone. We had assured my father not to worry, that my four brothers and one sister and I would take care of her.

We were all taught that in the first year we should let the grieving grieve. So, we let our mother do that and, like we promised our dad, we were there for her. In 2020, I started to notice a change in my mom. I didn’t think much of it, but the signs became clearer. In 2022, my mom was diagnosed with dementia. At first, we didn’t know what to expect, and it was hard learning how this neurological disease was robbing our mother of her memory.

This was a very dark time of my life, as the woman who I have always looked up to was slowly disappearing. In the beginning I cried many nights, almost becoming consumed in grief. During those times I cried out to the Lord to help my family and I through the journey we were about to take.

Now, as I awake in the mornings after a year of her diagnosis, I am thankful that my mother is still with us, in spite of her illness. I am also thankful that, because of her own faith, someday she will become whole again in reunion with my dad and the loved ones that have gone before her—in the presence of God Himself.

This illness has reminded me to lean on God for His strength. He has never left us, and we continue trusting in His love. This is not the end, but the beginning of something beautiful. Today I just continue to keep trusting God’s faithful love for us.

– Laurie Wood Ducharme

Time has a way of changing things—well, not everything, but some things. One of the things that sometimes needs to change is the way we do ministry. I remember back in the early 1980s, reading some of the writings of NEFC Founder, Tom Francis, and his successor, Joseph Jolly.

There was a section in our NEFC objectives that said: “NEFC yearns to share the Gospel in every Native community in Canada.” My unspoken thought at the time was, “Yeah, right! That’s just dreamy. It’s not reality! How could we ever reach a goal like that?”

In the early 2000s, NEFC’s radio broadcast “Christ Jesus the Light (CJTL)” was born. As time went on, it became more and more of a gospel tool that has been used effectively for Jesus. When we added internet audio broadcasting several years later, it became globally accessible. Anyplace that has internet can now tune in to the 24-hour, 365-days-a-year gospel programming that CJTL offers! About 90% of our Native communities can now get nonstop gospel broadcasting! (That’s besides the 28 communities that have a local CJTL FM radio broadcast.)

The words that were penned back in the early 1970s are becoming reality many years later! The message hasn’t changed, only the methods.

– Kene Jackson

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33 (NIV)

We once had trophies lined up in our house from accomplishments, and we were especially recognized and known for the sport of volleyball. One day, as I was sitting there looking at those trophies, I realized that I, as a father, was missing the whole point if I was raising my children to base their lives only on who they are and what they can be through education and sports.

In Deuteronomy 6:7, the Word of God commands us parents to impress upon the hearts of our children, to talk to them about loving God with all our heart, soul and strength. We thought we had achieved a lot, and yet sin had crept in because I was not alert as a father, a leader, a spiritual protector of our household.

I needed to prepare my family not only for this world, with its presence of evil, but to prepare them ever so greatly to put their trust in Jesus Christ, to follow Him, and walk with Him to enjoy the abundant life by having a close relationship with Jesus Christ.

I started “cleaning” my house. I put aside the gold trophies that get tarnished by time, and I brought out the more important thing: the Word of God. I have never made a better choice. I love my Lord and thank Him for the time He has given me to share what is the most important thing in life.

There are so many distractions in life, even good ones, whether it be music, sports, jobs and security. We can become so busy that we forget our calling from the Lord, to seek first the kingdom of God.

– Ken Mitsuing

Our Ladies Bible study is really bolstering my faith and how I see myself as a born-again believer. I admit the enemy was gaining in holding me down. It has been difficult these past two years as I age, and physical problems persist. Yet I remember all that Jesus endured before His death on the cross and I say, “Why not me? Jesus, you went through so much more, this is trivial compared to the pain and suffering you had.”

Our study is based on Colossians. We are reminded that our words should be gracious and seasoned with salt to give the unbeliever a reason to hear more and come to Jesus. I have also learned to turn off the accusations, the attempts to burden me with guilt and, most of all, to turn to Jesus every time and acknowledge His strength is sufficient for me in all things. The study book is called He Is Enough.

I remember when my husband first came to the Lord. He led singing at fellowship on Sundays, and we had Bible studies in our home. All the learning I had growing up came back and had so much more meaning and brought joy to my heart. Because my husband had become sober through Alcoholics Anonymous, most of the men who came to study were also in the AA program. They liked what they saw and heard in my husband’s sharing. Several were men he grew up with in Merritt, B.C., and two accepted Jesus because of his example.

Dear Heavenly Father, may we always shine for You so others will be attracted to You.

– Loretta Oppenheim

God called Gideon to save Israel from the Midianites. Gideon started with 32,000 men, but that was too many for God’s purpose, so He reduced them down to 300 men. The victory would come through God’s power—not their own. God wanted His people to trust Him and shine. Gideon divided the men into three groups; each carried a trumpet and a hidden torch inside a clay pot. Upon command, they blew their trumpets and broke their jars and let the light pour out. The enemy believed that each trumpet and light had thousands of troops behind it, so they panicked and turned on each other.

My pot’s artistic decoration wore off years ago. It carries a few chips now, and a crack runs part way down one side. I pray that God’s light will shine through the brokenness. I thought of Romans 8:28: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (NIV) A potter’s hands work the clay, shaping and forming it to fi t his purpose.

Dear Father, thank You for working out the lumps of my transgressions so that You can form me into the image of Christ according to Your purpose. Please give me insight and understanding from Your Word and Your Holy Spirit so that I can take advantage of diffi cult times and use them as an opportunity to share Your light with others.

– Sue Carlisle

We see that Jacob practiced favoritism. This show of affection for one boy from a large family did not help the brothers in their attitude toward the favored one.

There is no excuse for sin at any time, but there are also actions that can be offensive, and could hinder a person from coming to the Lord. Joseph’s testimony was not received by most of his brothers, who treated him rudely and sold him into slavery.

This problem of favoritism showed up again when the brothers came with the coat of many colors, which had been dipped in blood. Note Genesis 37:32: “Your son’s coat”—not our brother’s coat—as it might have been said.

Ask God to give you love for all the children in your house, and be sure you teach them God’s way, even if it is not the practice in your community. Being fair to all members of the family is God’s way, and you will see that God’s way is always best.

“Then Peter opened his mouth and said: ‘in truth I perceive that God shows no partiality’” Acts 10:34 (NKJV).

– Bill Jackson

A few years ago at our Kikino Family Bible Camp, one of our dogs was sniffing in a small white garbage bag, and his head got caught in the handle. He took off running for his life, as the bag was following him wherever he went! He was scared and running in all directions. Finally, after calling our dog multiple times, he came so I could rescue him.

This incident has always stuck in my memory for various reasons. Many people run from many things in their lives, and they can run from those things for many years. They can run from painful hurts of the past that are diffi cult to work through. However, God can heal all pains, and the running can stop.

Then there are those people who are running from God because they are unwilling to surrender an area of their lives or unwilling to obey a calling from God for their lives. The psalmist David wondered about where he could run from God—since God was everywhere at the same time.

The prophet Jonah had a specifi c calling to his enemies, and his unwillingness to obey that call set off a sequence of events that finally brought him to a place of humility and obedience. Truly we can never run away from God. Instead of running from Him, let us run to Him like the Prodigal Son (see Luke 15:11-31) running back to his father. What are you running from? When will you stop running? Will you run to the Lord?

Lord, enable me to run to You in all of life’s struggles and problems. Amen.

– Frank Ward

I was watching a news report this morning about an earthquake in Asia. It wasn’t as bad as some earthquakes, but it got me thinking about the “storms” we all face in life. Everybody has their share of storms—storms of health, relationships, finances, employment (or lack thereof) . . . storms of scenarios we didn’t choose, and then the “reap what you sow” quagmires we find ourselves in.

God’s Word gives us answers to the storms we face in this life. Everything from attitude struggles to marriage breakdown, from noisy neighbors to out-of-control credit cards—you get the picture . . . everything!

You or I might not be too thrilled sometimes about the answers we find in God’s Word, but that’s not the point. God’s Word is the truth, and the truth doesn’t change.

Storms come whether we deserve them or not—that’s just how life goes. God’s Word has the answer to each tempest. It’s up to us to apply those principles and parameters to the life scenarios we find ourselves or put ourselves in. Our response to the storm is in our hands.

– Kene Jackson