jesus – The Creels' Catch

Spring 2024 Home assignment

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever. Psalm 107:1 (NKJV)

From January 29 to April 20, 2024 we traveled from Southeast Asia to the Southeastern part of the United States of America and back, to visit some supporting churches.

We travelled thousands of miles by air and automobile. We thank the Lord for the strength He gave us for each journey. Here are some of the highlights of our Spring 2024 home assignment in the USA.

Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Psalm 103:1 (NKJV)

11-Week Home Assignment

Week 1

We traveled around 12,000 miles from Phnom Penh to Singapore to San Francisco to Atlanta. We picked up a rental car in Jonesboro, GA. Thank you, Lord, for Macedonian Call of Georgia’s ministry of helping missionaries to have an affordable rental car. We drove to Pine Mountain to stay at a mission guest house. Thank you, Lord, for the Barretts.

On the weekend of Feb. 2-4, we participated in the Global Impact Celebration (GIC) of St. James Church in Athens, Georgia.

Week 2 – February 9-11

GIC at First Methodist Church of Tuscumbia, Alabama

Week 3 – February 18

We had a good visit and enjoyed our time at Guntersville First Methodist Church in Alabama as we shared ministry highlights in two church services.

Guntersville First Methodist Church, Alabama

Week 4/5

On February 24 to March 3, we participated in the Global Ministries Conference at Briarwood Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Alabama

Week 6: March 9/10

GIC at Hartselle First Methodist Church, Alabama

Refreshing the Soul

The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake. Psalm 23:1-3 (NKJV)

Since our weekends were full and hectic with visiting churches, mission conferences, driving miles and miles, and talking with people, the Lord provided refreshment for our bodies and souls through visiting the FDR State Park in Pine Mountain, GA during weekdays.

On week 7/8/9, we had to take care of some medical issues and doctors visits. Thank the Lord for giving us His grace and strength to go through it.

On week 10, we were blessed to visit another supporting church in the Northeast.

On week 11, we went through another long journey as we traveled from Pine Mountain, to Atlanta, to San Francisco to Singapore, and finally to Phnom Penh.

We thank our Lord God for His faithfulness in providing us a vehicle to use, places to stay and for strength in the travels. We are grateful for the hospitality and generosity of those who hosted us. We thank our Lord also for the faithful support of our ministry partners and for friends and families who pray for us.

Precious Blood Sacrifice

Early one morning, I was lying in bed half-awake feeling sick. I got concerned with a new virus going around. I felt in my spirit the Lord spoke to me:

” Do you believe my words or the report (news)? Not many of my people know and understand the power of my precious blood. My blood is fully divine and fully human. Even though human, my blood is pure – the only perfect lamb sacrifice.”

In the ancient Jewish tradition as recorded in the Old Testament of the Bible, a lamb without blemish was required for a perfect sacrifice to atone for sins.

‘If the offering is a burnt offering from the flock, from either the sheep or the goats, you are to offer a male without defect. ¹¹You are to slaughter it at the north side of the altar before the Lord, and Aaron’s sons the priests shall splash its blood against the sides of the altar. ¹²You are to cut it into pieces, and the priest shall arrange them, including the head and the fat, on the wood that is burning on the altar. ¹³You are to wash the internal organs and the legs with water, and the priest is to bring all of them and burn them on the altar. It is a burnt offering, a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord. Leviticus 1:10-13 (NIV)

Because Jesus was conceived without sin, I felt that He said,

“Every drop of my blood is pure, perfect. I poured out my precious blood for you all.”

As we remember the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus this week, let’s remember what He has done for us on the cross.

Jesus gave His life, His body as a sacrifice for our sins. Jesus’s body was beaten severely, bruised, mocked, ridiculed, spat upon, and nailed to a cross because of His great love for you and me. Thus, Jesus fully understands human suffering, the pain of rejection, abandonment, betrayal, etc.

“Surely he took up our pain
    and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
    stricken by him, and afflicted.
⁵But he was pierced for our transgressions,
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
    and by his wounds we are healed.
⁶We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
    each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53: 4-6 (NIV)

“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29 (NKJV)

All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Revelation 13:8 (NKJV)

My Morning Star

My Morning Star

Jesus You are my bright and morning star

Who always leads and guides.

Whether through turbulent seas

Or through quiet and calm streams.

When the night is dark and gloomy

When dawn seems so far away

I know You are still with me

With Your steady hand

Guiding, leading, prodding

Showing me the way.

Jesus You are my bright and morning star

You are the way, the truth, and the life.

When dark clouds and storms come my way

I know the next day

You are with me to calm my day.

Jesus you are my bright and morning star.

To eternal bliss you are the only way.

I will be forever grateful to you,

From eternity past to eternity future

Jesus You are forever my bright and morning star.

“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.” Revelation 22:16 NKJV

Christmas is Emmanuel

“Behold the virgin shall be with child, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, God with us.” Matthew 1:23 (NKJV)

Reading: Matthew 1:18-25

How can we celebrate Christmas this year with all the unsettling and negative news reports from around the world such as violence, wars, sickness, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, flooding, and other natural disasters? Sometimes doesn’t it feel like the world is coming to an end?

What about those who lost loved ones and are not looking forward to spending Christmas alone? Maybe some are struggling to make ends meet. How can they celebrate Christmas with all these challenges and difficulties?

When Jesus came and was born as a baby, the situation in Israel was no better; it was the worst of times. The tyranny of Roman rule was felt all over the world. People in Israel were oppressed by violence and over taxation. People were hopeless and desperate, and the religious leaders were certainly not helpful.

In the most desperate time of world history, baby Jesus was born. His parents Joseph and Mary did not have much so Baby Jesus was born in a humble feeding trough in a barn.

“And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” Luke 2:7 (NKJV)

However, God fulfilled His Word spoken by the prophet Isaiah, “Behold the virgin shall be with child, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, God with us.” (See Isaiah 7:14 and Matthew 1:23.)

During this Christmas season, no matter what is going on in the world, even if our personal situation or the economy is not looking good, let us remember the true message of Christmas.

Be of good cheer, for Jesus is “Emmanuel, God with us.” Since Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8), Jesus is still Emmanuel. He is still with us in good times and in hard times. He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5) and someday Jesus will come again, not as a baby in the manger, but as King of Kings.

In that day, the words of the Apostle Paul will be fulfilled when he said, “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2: 10-11 (NKJV)

Then, the fulfillment of the words written by the Prophet Isaiah also came to pass,

“For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;

And the government will be upon His shoulder.

And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Someday we will all see, the reality of the second part of this Word;

“And the government will be upon His shoulder.

Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end. (Isaiah 9: 6-7)

That is why we sing, “ Joy to the world, the Lord is come!” (by Isaac Watts)