Month: October 2018

The Creels Autumn 2018 Prayer Letter

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Creel Autumn 2018 Prayer Letter (2)PDF

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! We hope that you are enjoying this autumn season.  Soon, the fall foliage will be here in all its splendor, reminding us of our Creator God who changes the times and the seasons. May you also be reminded of His faithfulness in this beautiful season of the year.

In this prayer letter, we would like to focus on one of the countries that FEBC serves, Mongolia, since much of David’s recent work has been with this country.

According to Wikipedia:

Mongolia is a landlocked country in East Asia. It is sandwiched between China to the south and Russia to the north. At 603,909 square miles, it is the 18th-largest and the most sparsely populated country in the world, with a population of around 3 million people. The country contains very little arable land, as much of its area is covered by grassy steppe, with mountains to the north and west and the Gobi Desert to the south. Ulaanbaatar, the capital and largest city, is home to about 45% of the country’s population.

Approximately 30% of the population is nomadic or semi-nomadic; horse culture is still integral. The majority of the state’s citizens are of Mongol ethnicity, although Kazakhs, Tuvans, and other minorities also live in the country, especially in the west. Mongolia joined the World Trade Organization in 1997 and seeks to expand its participation in regional economic and trade groups.

History

The area of what is now Mongolia has been ruled by various nomadic empires, including the Xiongnu, the Xianbei, the Rouran, the Turkic Khaganate, and others. In 1206, Genghis Khan founded the Mongol Empire, which became the largest contiguous land empire in history. His grandson Kublai Khan conquered China to establish the Yuan dynasty. After the collapse of the Yuan, the Mongols retreated to Mongolia and resumed their earlier pattern of factional conflict, except during the era of Dayan Khan and Tumen Zasagt Khan.

In the 16th century, Tibetan Buddhism began to spread in Mongolia, being further led by the Manchu-founded Qing dynasty, which absorbed the country in the 17th century. By the early 1900s, almost one-third of the adult male population were Buddhist monks. After the collapse of the Qing dynasty in 1911, Mongolia declared independence from the Qing dynasty, and in 1921 established de factor independence from the Republic of China. Shortly thereafter, the country came under the control of the Soviet Union, which had aided its independence from China. In 1924, the Mongolian People’s Republic was founded as a socialist state. After the anti-Communist revolutions of 1989, Mongolia conducted its own peaceful democratic revolution in early 1990. This led to a multi-party system, a new constitution of 1992, and transition to a market economy.

The majority of Mongolia’s population is Buddhists. The non-religious population is the second largest group. Islam is the dominant religion among ethnic Kazakhs. Christianity in Mongolia is a minority religion. As of 2005, the United States Department of State reports that approximately 24,000 Christians live in Mongolia’s capital, Ulaanbaatar, which is around 2.5 percent of the entire registered population of the city.

Most Christians in Mongolia became Christian after the end of Mongolia’s communist regime in 1990. According to the Christian missionary group Barnabas Fund, the number of Christians grew from just four in 1989 to around 40,000 as of 2008.

Most Christians in Mongolia today are Protestant, and most have become Christians since Mongolia’s transition to democracy in the early 1990s.

FEBC Mongolia

For many years, FEBC had to depend on shortwave broadcasts to bring the Gospel to the people of Mongolia.

But in 2000, FEBC was given permission to build a Christian radio station in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar – the first Christian radio station in the country, known locally as WIND-FM. In early 2003, a devastating fire destroyed the station, but it was rebuilt and went back on the air in 2008. WIND-FM has received several accolades through the years including the 2016 NRB Media Award for International Radio Ministry and a commendation from the Mongolian government. A total of 10 stations have now been built giving the network a potential listening audience of around 1.5 million people, representing over half the population. More stations are planned in the coming years so that everyone in Mongolia will have a chance to hear the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Our broadcasts in Mongolia are having a tremendous impact in the lives of listeners such as 24-year old “Batchimeg” from Nalaih:

“I am Batchimeg…I live with my family in Nalaih town, about 45 kms from Ulaanbaatar. I have been a believer for 15 years and I listen to FEBC programs daily. The biblical teaching programs are a blessing and encouragement to many believers, because these programs talk about the one and only true God. I always pray that many others will come to know Him as well, like my family does.”

Please pray that many more people like Batchimeg will come to know Jesus through FEBC’s ministry in Mongolia. Pray for the Lord’s anointing on our programmers. Pray for David as he works with the local technician to resolve several technical issues. Finally, please pray for wisdom and guidance for David & Vicki as they make plans for travel to Mongolia in November. More items for prayer can be found in FEBC’s monthly “Prayer Target” which can be found at:

https://www.febc.org/take-action

In closing, we want to thank you for your faithful support of our ministry through your prayers and gifts.  Truly, you are a partner in taking “Christ to the World by Radio and Media.” If your church or Sunday School Class would like for us to come and speak about our ministry, please contact us. Thank you, and may God bless you!

In Christ,

David & Vicki Creel

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The King is born!

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(Photo: a replica of an animal stable as the birth place of Baby Jesus-from Biblical History Center, La Grange, GA)

Matthew Chapter 1

Day 1- to download the study guide

Day 1

Reading: Matthew 1:1-17

v.17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations. (This is the main verse that spoke to me in the passage)

Matthew, the writer of the Gospel of Matthew, began his account of the life of Christ by listing all the ancestors of Jesus beginning with Abraham.  In the Old Testament, the covenant of God, or the promise to the nation of Israel, started with the life of Abraham.

I will make you a great nation; I will bless you. And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:2-3)

Matthew also mentioned that Jesus is the Son of David.  (Matthew 1:1)

In Psalm 89:28-29, the Lord God made His covenant and His sure mercies to David:

My mercy I will keep for him forever, And My covenant shall stand firm with him.29 His seed also I will make to endure forever, And his throne as the days of heaven.

In between Abraham and David were different men who carried on the legacy and the fulfillment of God’s Words and promise from Abraham to Isaac, to Jacob, and to the children of Jacob.  And from the children of Jacob, the family grew into the nation of Israel.  From the children of Abraham came David who became the greatest king of Israel.  From King David came his sons and their descendants who also became kings in Israel.  Some were good and some were not.  Some followed the ways of God and some did not – until the kingdom was taken from them and the people of Israel were carried away to Babylon.  After the Babylonian captivity, when the children of Israel returned to their land, new descendants of David ruled Israel including Jeconiah, Shealtiel, and Zerubbabel until Joseph the father of Jesus was born.

“So, all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations.” (Matthew 1:17)

Reflection:

Reading the story of the ancestors of Jesus, from Abraham to David and their descendants, reminded me that a lot of them messed up and made horrible mistakes.  Yet the promise of God to Abraham and to David remained true.  Jesus Christ came from the line of Abraham and David.  It is encouraging to me to know that God is faithful and sovereign over the lives of His people, and in my life too.

Prayer :

Lord, I thank you that You are in control, and that You set the times and the seasons.  I praise You Lord, that You are merciful and faithful.  You control the timeline, and you have history in Your hands.  What hope and encouragement we have in You!  You’ve got my future too – and the future of the world!  You are Sovereign Lord, and our lives are in Your hands.  You see and control the big picture.  I praise You Jesus!

Your Thoughts:

Your Prayer:

Day 2

Day 2- download the study guide

Matthew 1:20 “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit”.

Reading:  Matthew 1:18-20

In this chapter in Matthew, he mentioned that one of the children of Abraham and David’s children’s children was Joseph. V. 16 says, “And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ”.

At that point of history, Joseph was a young man and was engaged to a young lady named Mary. However, before they got officially married, Joseph found out that Mary was pregnant.

v.19 “Then Joseph, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly”.  However, the Lord God intervened in the situation. The Lord sent His angel to speak to Joseph in his dream.

v.20 “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.”

I guess when Joseph found out that Mary was pregnant, he was upset and heartbroken.  Perhaps they had a heart to heart talk. Maybe Mary tried to explain to Joseph that the baby in her womb is from God. And that could have been very difficult for Joseph to believe her. Joseph may have felt betrayed. In their culture that time, if somebody was found in adultery, the person could be punished by the law. So, Joseph, though feeling hurt and betrayed, still had compassion on Mary. So, he made plans to put off the engagement quietly. He did not want to embarrass Mary in the public or be punished by their law. And Joseph ‘s mind was made up, he could not believe Mary’s explanation. Thank the Lord that He is sovereign and had a plan. So, God sent His angel to speak to Joseph in his dream.  Thus, Joseph then believed what Mary told him already. “…for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit”. V.21

Reflection:

God is s sovereign over the life of His people and His plan of salvation. Mary obeyed God when Joseph almost missed it. Joseph could have had missed God’s big plan for Jesus ‘s life, and the salvation of the world.  Thank the Lord that He sent His angel to speak to Joseph.  When the angel of God spoke to Mary about His plan for Jesus, Mary willingly obeyed.  So, God took care of Mary as she obeyed His leading.  Thank the Lord, that Joseph listened and obeyed too in the end.

Prayer:

Lord help me do Your will. Help us your children to heed and listen to Your voice.  Please help us follow and obey Your leading, empower us to do Your will like Joseph and Mary , to follow Your ways. In Jesus’ name.

Your Thoughts:

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Your Prayer:

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Day 3

download the study guide

Matthew 1:21 “His name is Jesus; for He will save His people from their sins.”

Reading: Matthew 1:18-21

The story continues with Joseph and Mary. When Joseph found out that Mary was already carrying a baby in her womb, he was disappointed. So Joseph made plans to break up the engagement from Mary. However, God intervened and sent His angel to speak to Joseph in his dream. The angel told Joseph that the baby Mary had in her womb is of the Holy Spirit. The angel further said, that

“And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name [h]Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” V. 21

The name of Jesus literally means “Savior”.  The angel was clear to Mary and Joseph when he said, Jesus will save His people from their sins, and not from the Roman rule and oppression, but from SIN.  The people of Israel at that time of history was ruled by the Roman government. And according to history, many of  the people suffered and were oppressed by the tyranny of the Roman rule. So many of the Jews or people of Israel were expecting and waiting for their Messiah, their Deliverer. They were expecting somebody that maybe similar to Moses or King David in the Old Testament who delivered the people of Israel from slavery and oppression. King David had fought many battles against the enemies of Israel- neighboring countries who tried to oppress them.  So, many of the people of Israel on Jesus time on earth were waiting for their Messiah, someone to deliver them from the oppression of the Roman rule.

However, from the start and the plan of God was to send Jesus to save His people from their sins- from the bondage of sins. Jesus came to seek and save the lost. John 1:29 says, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! “

Reflection: Only Jesus can save Israel and the people of the world from sin.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank you that You came to save us from our sins! I thank you for Your forgiveness and mercy. I praise You that you are the lamb that was slain and the only atonement for our sins.

Your Thoughts:

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Your Prayers:

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Day 4

to download study guide-PDF

Matthew 1:22

“ So, all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet”.

Reading: Matthew 1:18-24

The coming of Christ was foretold by some of the prophets in the Old Testament many years before. One of the prophets that spoke of the coming of Messiah was the Prophet Isaiah.

Isaiah 7:14 says, “Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel”.

Joseph and Mary were the chosen biological parents of Jesus. At that time, before they got officially married, Mary had the baby Jesus already in her womb. Mary having a baby was not from a union with a man, but a divine intervention from heaven. Mary that time was considered a virgin, and yet she conceived a Son. God put a seed in her womb.  That became the fulfillment of the words spoken by the prophet Isaiah, 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” (Matthew 1:23)

God did not forget what He promised to His people Israel. Even though it took many, many years , about 700 years, yet God in Hi sovereignty and power fulfilled His plan of salvation,  Jesus Christ was born.  The Lord fulfilled His promise when Christ came to the world as a baby to save the people from sins.

Reflection: God keeps His promises. What He says, He will do. It is an encouragement to me that God keeps His words. God’s words say, someday Jesus will come back again, not as a baby but as the King and I will be with Him forever in eternity.

Prayer: Lord God, thank You that You are faithful and true. I praise You that I could trust You for the fulfillment of Your Word.

Your Thoughts:

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Your Prayer:

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Day 5

Day 5-download the study guide

Matthew 1:23

“Behold the virgin shall be with child, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, God with us.”

Reading: Matthew 1:18-25

We are still in the story of the biological parents of Jesus, Joseph and Mary. An angel of God spoke to Joseph in his dream about the child that Mary his fiancée was carrying in her womb. The angel told Joseph the Mary will bring forth a son, and His name will be Jesus, v.21. And it was written that the birth of Jesus is the fulfillment of the words of God through the prophets in the Old Testament, Isaiah 7:14.

“Behold the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated, ‘God with us’.

Since Christ came to earth 2000 years ago, God’s presence through the Holy Spirit has been with men. When Jesus came to earth, God literally came down to earth because of His love, His compassion, and His mercy.  He chose to come and live among men, when Jesus returned to heaven physically, He sent His Holy Spirit, thus He still lives among us. Through the Holy Spirit we have the seal of salvation, a personal connection to the Father and with the Son. We have the power to overcome because God is with us.

Reflection: The Lord Jesus Christ came from heaven to earth so that God could dwell with His people. For me, as a follower of Jesus, it is an encouragement and comfort to me to know that God is always with me because Christ lives in my heart.

Prayer: Thank you Lord for sending your Son to us so that You could be with us always and forever, Amen!

Your Thoughts:

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Your Prayer:

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Introduction to the Gospel of Matthew Devotion Studies

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The past couple of years or so, I have spent time studying the Gospel of Matthew. With the use of only the Bible as a cross-reference, I took a few minutes most days to study the passages in Matthew. My desire and goal was to do this study daily, but due to intervening circumstances, I was not able to do it every day. But I tried.  Anyway, I would like to share with you my devotional study of the Gospel of Matthew in hopes that you will enjoy it and glean insights from it.  I started with 15 minutes, then gradually it grew to 30 minutes a day. Sometimes, I was able to have a good 40 to 50 minutes, it depends on how early I get up in the morning.  My schedule sometimes is not able to do it, but I try to be consistent. And sometimes with travel schedules, it is a bit challenge to be consistent with my daily quite time. However, with the Lord’s grace and the power of the Holy Spirit, He keeps me going.

If you are interested to try this, here is a simple guide for a Daily Quiet Time (DQT) or hang-out with Jesus!

Spend a few minutes day with the Lord in His Word. If you could do one hour, that would be great! Sit still and think of God’s goodness. Thank Him for one or two things that He gave you for the day – the sunshine, clean water, etc. Thank Him for the big things – a call from a friend, passing a school test or a job promotion!  And praise God for who He is – our Creator, the giver of life and the God of all. If you like singing, you could also sing a simple hymn or praise-song to the Lord!

Then take time in His Word. Read a chapter or a short passage in the Bible. I like to read systematically and chronologically, as it helps me with the sequence of events or story line. I like using the New King James version Bible as I am more comfortable with it, but you could use any version of the Bible that you are most comfortable with.

Ask the Holy Spirit to give you a spirit of revelation and wisdom. Some Christians who study the Bible look for what the Lord is saying to them through the passage, that is His message for them. For me, I like to look at the character of God in every story or Bible passage. As I study and read the words of God in the Bible, I get to know more about His character and His attributes. Through the stories and passages, I see and learn that God is good, merciful, just, compassionate, tender-hearted, patient, loving, holy, righteous, sovereign and powerful.

Other guidelines that help me with my study are the use of this questions in the story: Who, What, When, Where or Why or How. Who was speaking in the passage, Who he is speaking or who is the audience. What was said, How it was said, Where is the location, or Why it was said. These questions helped to understand the context of the story or the passage in the Bible.

I also included in the study guide, a portion of writing “your thoughts” and “your prayers”.  Your thoughts could include “Application” and answer to question such as “What the study meant to you? How it would help you in your day to day life.

So, I challenge you to take the time – start with a few minutes a day spending time with the Lord Jesus and His Word and see how He will reveal Himself to you.

Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

The Word of God has changed my life, and it is still changing me up to now. The Word of God has changed my heart, my attitude, and my character. That’s how powerful it is.  And the Word of God has changed countless others from all walks of life, from the many different nations and continents, and in every place throughout all generations.