MINISTRY UPDATE 1ST QUARTER JANUARY-MARCH, 2000

Greetings and Blessings to you in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!  We trust that all is well with you since our last newsletter and that your holidays were blessed as well.  We pray hopefully that this edition of our newsletter will be used to help in some sort of way to encourage you in your walk and service to the Lord.  We need to understand that God works through spiritual gifts to reproduce the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ in His church.  We also need to recognize the importance of these gifts for dynamic ministry.  We can do this if we let the LIFE of the Holy Spirit bring faith's works alive in us!  We will be discussing this subject from the scriptures in I Cor. 12:4-11 a little farther down in this newsletter.

It is our desire to see you prosper and grow in the things of God in your life - namely the Holy Spirit's gifts to you.  Learning how to employ the spiritual gifts is vital, because it is the means God has given us to nurture growth.  This occurs not only in our own lives personally but for the building up of the church through edification corporately, and beyond it through evangelism. 

Now in moving on to ministry updates for PRECIOUS TESTIMONIES, we want to first thank each and every one of you personally for your faithful prayers and financial support for those of you who have felt and been able to give to the Lord through this Outreach.  Without God using YOU and your willingness to be obedient to Him, we would not be where we are today in reaching the hurting and the lost.  To God be all the glory.   Thank you and God bless you!

 PRAISE REPORT!

Please allow us to share one of the many blessings we have recently received through a telephone conversation with a viewer from the public access station WTOB in Blacksburg, VA.  This caller had left a message for us to please call her because she was requesting a video copy of the broadcast she saw there, (which was Tape#300 of Judy & Paul Rousseau). This particular testimony is about the healing power of God to restore “impossible” broken and hurting marriages.  When we called her back, she was so blessed: Saying ‘it was a miracle that we would take the time to personally call her’. 

She too was in a painful situation in her marriage and was being tempted with suicide thoughts as a way out.  She said she had just "happened" to turn the TV on and there just "happened" to be this program with these people sharing about their “impossible” marriage being healed and restored.  She said since she saw that program (which was the night before this conversation) she had such peace in her heart and was able to sleep that night when she hadn't been able to sleep at all before.  She wanted a copy of that video so she could see it in full and be more encouraged.

When she asked about the price of it, Kathleen explained to her that we offer these tapes on a free-will offering basis and that we do not want money to stand in the way of helping someone who can't afford to give; we just want people to receive the help they need. 

She was also calling for prayer, and needing someone to talk to and listen to her.  Kathleen was privileged to spend about 30 minutes talking with her and encouraging her by inspiration of the giftings the Holy Spirit has given her. This precious caller confided that she felt such peace and encouragement in her heart - -  like she had a new friend for life.  What a blessing it is to be used of the Lord to help people like this! 

That is what being in service for God is all about - helping to reach out to the lost and hurting people of this world; giving them hope, encouragement, and insight into the things of God for their lives. We were able to give her the new address and phone number of Judy & Paul Rousseau so she could contact them for prayer and counsel as well.  Thank you to Judy & Paul for keeping us updated with your new address and phone number.  Without those kinds of updates from our testifiers, we have no way of referring these types of callers on to them.  As you can see, address, telephone and e-mail changes for our ministry records are very important for follow-up ministry.

We have maintained all stations for our TV broadcast since our last update except for one.  That one station is in Jackson, Michigan.  We lost our sponsor there due to their leaving the area and not informing us of their move, and the ministry tapes will not be able to play there again until we have a knew sponsor.

We ask that you pray that the door to that station in Jackson will reopen for the ministry and that God will provide us with a new sponsor.  If anyone reading this knows of someone who lives in the Jackson, MI viewing area and would like to refer him or her to us, please do so.  We will see that they receive the necessary information and forms they need to sign, which they will need with them when they go into the station to meet with the Programming Director, Mr. Dan Greer.  His address is AT&T Cable Services, 2000 Cooper St., Jackson, MI 49202, and his phone number is (517) 782-9353.

Some of our new readers may not be totally familiar with Cable TV Public Access, so please let us reemphasize that a "sponsor" for our video broadcasts does NOT require the giving of money. A "sponsor" is simply someone living in the viewing area of that city or community who is willing to sign a standard Public Access form requesting that our broadcast play on his or her local Access Channel. It's a formality that Public Access stations require for out of town producers such as Precious Testimonies. It primarily acts as a “screening process” the Public Access stations use from being "legally forced" to play pornographic videos and other undesirable videos from producers across the country who want to take advantage of FREE television that Public Access affords.

In the case of the station for Jackson, MI, the only requirement for the person who is willing to sponsor PRECIOUS TESTIMONIES would be for that person (whoever he or she is who lives in that viewing area) to personally go into the station to meet with the programming manager, Mr. Dan Greer.  He then would go over the station Operating Policies and Rules with them to be sure they understand everything before they agree to sign the Public Access User's Agreement and Public Access Channel Request For Cablecast forms.  We have filled out as much information that we can provide concerning our program and would just need the new sponsor to fill out their name, address, phone number, and drivers license # or other ID.  The drivers license # or other ID is required to verify that they do in fact live in that viewing area.  

There would be no other work or responsibility involved for the new sponsor other than what we just explained.  The dropping off and picking up of tapes are all done by mail from the PRECIOUS TESTIMONIES office.  We provide the station with postage-paid envelopes to return the tapes to us when they are finished playing.  That has worked quite well there in Jackson and they are willing to let that continue.  In some stations, that responsibility is required of the sponsor, but there it is not.  So again, your prayers for a new sponsor and our time slot to reopen in Jackson is greatly appreciated!

PRECIOUS TESTIMONIES has been blessed to be able to invest in a second computer for the purpose of streaming our testimony videos on the Internet.  We are still in the process of having that all set up by our computer consultant and will be sure to let you all know when that process is complete.  It will be such a glorious day when the testimonies we are able to broadcast on cable TV stations across the country will be aired potentially in every home that has Internet capability with their own personal computers around the world!    Again, we say, "Glory be to God and Him only do we give all of our praise and thanksgiving!"

We are now in the season for filming new testimonies. This is the time of year when we can devote some quality time to doing that. To date, we have been able to film five new testimonies and we will be contacting more people for the sharing of their testimonies also.  Please continue to pray if you would that God would orchestrate the filming time for each person we will be contacting, and that the enemy will have no part in hindering us, or those from sharing. This is one part of the ministry that is such a blessing to take part in! Not only are we able to meet new saints in the Body of Christ, but along with that comes new friendships and the beautiful fellowship that occurs during the film times.  

Thanks to each of you who have given of your time to allow us to film your testimony and minister.  Your reward in heaven will be greater than you can even imagine or think!  We look forward to continuing contacting those on our testimony calling list and arranging a time and place with them to help them share the Good News of the Gospel within their own lives.  Thank you for your prayers for this ministry and for those who will be availing themselves to be used on our ministry broadcast by sharing their testimonies and ministering words of hope, encouragement and insight.

We feel impressed to help someone reading this to gain some additional insights into how we Christians can let the LIFE of the Holy Spirit bring faith's works alive in us, which comes from the scriptures in I Cor. 12:4-11. Quoting from the New King James Version of the Spirit Filled Life Bible: There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.  There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord.  In addition, there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.  (I Cor. 12:4-6)

In the footnotes to the above scriptures, it reads: The three categories named in these verses coupled with the Trinity show the broad diversity, yet essential unity in the manifestation of the Spirit.  Unity does not make the Spirit uniform.  The Holy Spirit is not an impersonal power, and His gifts do not spring from a human source; it is the work of God.  Gifts are from the great gift, the Holy Spirit; ministries are modeled by the main minister, Christ (the Lord); and the works of the Spirit come from the chief worker, God the Father. 

In verse 7, Paul identifies a spiritual gift as a supernatural ability bestowed on an individual by the Holy Spirit, not as a heightened natural ability.  Thus, each gift is a manifestation of the Spirit, that is, visible evidence of His activity.  The Holy Spirit bestows the gifts to whom He wills as the occasion recommends from the divine viewpoint.  In verses 8-11, these nine gifts (listed below) specify the varied distribution necessary for a full manifestation of the Spirit. 

The word of wisdom is a spiritual utterance at a given moment through the Spirit, supernaturally disclosing the mind, purpose, and way of God as applied to a specific situation. 

The word of knowledge is a supernatural revelation of information pertaining to a person or an event, given for a specific purpose, usually having to do with an immediate need. 

The gift of faith is a unique form of faith that goes beyond natural faith and saving faith.  It supernaturally trusts and does not doubt with reference to the specific matters involved. 

Gifts of healings are those healings that God performs supernaturally by the Spirit.  The plural suggests that as there are many sicknesses and diseases, the gift is related to healings of many disorders. 

The working of miracles is a manifestation of power beyond the ordinary course of natural law.  It is a divine enablement to do something that could not be done naturally. 

Prophecy is a divine disclosure o behalf of the Spirit, and edifying revelation of the Spirit for the moment (14:3), a sudden insight of the Spirit, prompting exhortation or comfort (14:3, 30).   

Discerning of spirits is the ability to discern the spirit world, and especially to detect the true source of circumstances or motives of people.

Different kinds of tongues is the gift of speaking supernaturally in a language not known to the individual.   The plural allows different forms, possibly harmonizing the known spoken languages of Acts 2:4-6 and the unknown transrational utterances in Corinthians, designed particularly for praying and singing in the Spirit, mostly for private worship (14:14-19)

The interpretation of tongues is the gift of rendering the transrational (but not irrational) message of the Spirit meaningful to others when exercised in public.  It is not the translation of a foreign language.

(Note:  none the gifts require a "public" setting, although each may and should be welcomed in corporate gatherings.)

It is important that we not blur the distinction between the gifts given by each member of the Godhead.  Discovering the giftedness the Father has begotten in us should not substitute for our earnest availability to operate in any of the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit listed here, as He - of His will - distributes them through the church.  

Since the basis of all gifts is love, that spirit of love is the qualifying factor for biblical exercise of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  Thus, we must "try the spirits" to assure that those who exercise spiritual gifts actually "follow after love" as well as "desire spiritual gifts."   (Ephesians 4:11-16)

Dear fellow believers, we need to be imitators of God as His children, and to walk in love.  There are guidelines for growing in godliness too.   Simply put, godliness is living the way God wants us to. Few books speak as clearly and succinctly to this subject as does Ephesians.  Here godliness is exhorted in terms of behavior, motivating dynamic, and example.  Godly behavior is modeled after God Himself, especially as He has revealed Himself in His fullness in Jesus Christ.

We need to understand that our conduct is the most effective sermon we will ever preach.  We need to live a life that will give consistent, undeniable evidence of the truth of the gospel. (Ephesians 4:1)

If we model our lives after Jesus, imitating Him rather than others, the world will see that Jesus is real and that He loves and cares for them.  Jesus Christ is the perfect example of the love that God requires of us. (Eph. 5:1,2)

How can we model our lives after Jesus?  We can do that by being continually filled with the Holy Spirit; and how can we do that?  There needs to be an overflow with a continual song of praise and thanksgiving to maintain a Spirit-filled flow in our lives (Eph. 5:18-20).  We need to be giving ourselves to constant, faithful prayer; letting God change our prayer lives to a life of prayer (Eph. 6:18-20).

In summary here, if we are seeking to model our lives after Jesus Christ and are seeking Him to use us in the spiritual gifts He has provided for us, we can't help but walk in love because He is love Himself.  However, as we all know, it takes more than just saying we desire to walk in His ways and be like Him.  It takes a decision or determination in our hearts to follow after Him and be doers of the Word and not just hearers, right?  (James 1:22)

Obedience to the Word of God brings about the work of God.  We are to hear the Word and do the work.  To hear and do nothing is one sign of a deceived heart.  Faith acts. To believe is to do!

If we dare to evaluate our lives at this present point and time, let's ask ourselves this question and then ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the answer:

In what areas do you claim faith, while your actions declare unbelief?

When He reveals those areas in our life that contradict the faith we are claiming, our next step is to Acknowledge those areas.  We need to Decide to act on the faith we have!  Then, we need to Practice today what we have proclaimed.   

Thank you for letting us share that with you.  We trust that the Holy Spirit had a special word for someone as He did for us through this message just shared.  We pray that it will strengthen, encourage and exhort you to keep moving forward in your personal relationship with Jesus Christ so that you can be used more effectively by the Holy Spirit for the building of our Heavenly Father’s Kingdom in the lives of those He puts in your path.  For those of you who are discouraged and weary in ministry . . . remember – “Your labor in the Lord is NOT in vain.”  (I Cor. 15:58).  Treasures of joy are being stored up in heaven that can never be lost . . . where it will be appreciated the most.      

We covet your prayers and thank God for you.  Until the next ministry update time, may the Lord's peace, grace, and strength be with you all.  Amen and Amen!

In His Love & Service,
Norm & Kathleen Rasmussen

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: If you are questioning in your heart what this Christian life is all about and would like to know more about being reconciled to God, please click here to learn how you can do that. Thank you and God bless you!