Translating the manger

Wondering how necessary it is to be accurate in translating the text of Scripture to the culture while maintaining the integrity of the message? I am reminded that each word translated from the original needs to reflect the context and the meaning of Scripture. Check out this post for a great interpretational reminder. http://wycliffeusa.wordpress.com/tag/mbe/

Investing in a young life for the Kingdom

Meet Abishek. A young man who lives at the Peniel Gospel Missionaries Children's home in Bagdogra, West Bengal, India. Seeking to provide the children of missionaries an education, the Peniel Gospel Team provides the children of missionaries sent out by the PTG lodging, food, and education while their parents are in the field. Travel is difficult, provisions are slim, and education is mostly unavailable in the villages the missionaries are reaching, thus PGT provides the basic needs of clothing, food, and education for the children while the parents are in the field, all for the futherance of the gospel in India. The overall planin of PGT is to utilize all their resources to train and send church planters out to reach the unreached villages. Their prayer and desire is that these missionary children will use their biblical and secular education to reach the nation of India with the gospel. Interested in partnering with them in this endeavor? You can provide for a student at the PGT missionary home for $35/month - about the cost of a McDonalds meal for 5. For some this would be a sacrifice. For others this would he 1/2 or less of your monthly cable/satellite bill. Nothing more eternally rewarding than investing in God's kingdom. Email me if you are interested. joelbradsher@gmail.com

Christian forgiveness exemplified

Go here: http://www.cnn.com/video/standard.html?/video/us/2013/12/20/ac-intv-widow-forgives-after-husband-killed-in-libya.cnn&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29&video_referrer=http%3A%2F%2Ft.co%2Fm2yzlHOKRe to hear the widow of Ronnie Smith, teacher martyred in Bengazi for the gospel, testify concerning the Spirit of God working in her to forgive the men who murdered her husband. Forgiveness such as she is experiencing only comes through the indwelling of the Spirit of God, it is a supernatural forgiveness only extended through the grace of God. 

Feast

Feeding 5 kids, Kimberly and myself demands a lot of meat. Thankful for the Father supplying venison in abundance last night as I successfully bagged 2 does. The Family, biological and church, gathered to aid in cleaning the kill to refrigerate for the later feasting. Thanks Ed and Shannon for "helping a brother out" when going at it alone would have been overwhelming. 

Married to a Jewel

The writer of Proverbs 31 was instructed, quite possibly by his mother, that a virtuous wife's worth is far above rubies, "Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies." I confess that I have found and married a Jewel; for, my wife, Kimberly Newton Bradsher, is indeed worth more than rubies. She faithfully trains 5 children daily, 3 biological and 2 adopted, while serving her husband and keeping the home. She works with her hands when sewing, cooking, cleaning, tending the horse farm, designing our future house, and then homeschooling our children. Her desire to faithfully serve the Kingdom of God excels far beyond mine in many ways. We share a passion to reach the nations with the gospel. She treasures Jesus above all else, rarely being distracted from the tasks at hand. I am thankful to my God for allowing me to marry a wife whose worth is "far above rubies!" I pray that if you have not found a Jewel to marry, that the Father will send one your way gentleman - though I am not so sure there are any quite like Kimberly :). 

Laying it all down

A Must Read!
http://www.worldmag.com/2013/12/a_life_laid_down

Jamie obviously saw his gift of teaching and his training, as a teacher, as an opportunity to proclaim Christ to a nation in desperate need of the Light of the Gospel. We should and must be willing to utilize all our gifts, talents, resources, and training as an opportunity to serve the King both here and abroad. However, I will say, that now more than ever we need occupationally trained teachers, mechanics, engineers, architects, electricians, etc. to trade in the supposed comforts and safety of the US to serve in a country, such as Lybia, for the greater purpose of the King. Are you willing? What hinders you? Why not spend your life glorifying the King in this manner. I pray, that God will raise up from the church young men and women who pursue their education for the purpose of laying it all down for the gospel. (Philippians 3:1-11).

Ram Mohan

Meet Ram Mohan and his family. Ram is a missionary/church planter with the Peniel Gospel Team who presently plants churches among the Santhal people of NE India as well as various other unreached people groups. He has recently began 8 "House Church" plants that will grow into Village churches. Our team had the privilege of interviewing Ram. He shared that one family recently professed Christ and broke their idols to show their allegiance to the King. Kimberly and I provide financial support for Ram to freely move from village to village planting churches. The cost to provide the basics for him and his family is $50/month. WOW! What a small investment that has eternal rewards. Will you consider supporting an indigenous missionary in NE India? If so, shoot me an email at joelbradsher@gmail.com.