"HOMEWORK" FROM MISSIONARY KATHY VANARIA

For those of you who are not "Pentecostal" and/or not "born-again Christians" much of the following will not make much sense to you. I posted this on an AOL Assemblies of God site and I also sent it out as an e-mail to some Christian friends. I guess it's a little bit "gutsy" of me or even a little bit "crazy" of me to post it here, but while I don't usually take an "in your face" Pentecostal/Charismatic approach to what I write on this blog, it's nothing I'm ashamed of either. In fact, this is VERY important to me. So here is the text of what I posted and what I e-mailed out. If you want to e-mail me with questions or comments, I'll be open to that:

Our church, First Assembly of God of Framingham, was blessed to have Kathy Vanaria, Missionary to Papua New Guinea, as our special speaker today. (Assemblies of God missionaries Kathy Vanaria, her husband Neil, and their son Tony have ministered in Papua New Guinea for many years.)

She gave us a challenging sermon, which included “homework”. I won’t say WHAT I did, but I have already completed one part of my “homework”.

Here’s what Kathy Vanaria said and how she challenged us:

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE AN EFFECTIVE CHRISTIAN?

1. Pray God-sized prayers! (don’t pray only wimpy, easy, safe prayers...believe God for something “impossible”!)

2. THIS WEEK, DO something that is consistent with your belief that God will act in an extraordinary way! (Once in Papua New Guinea, a band of angry men armed with machetes attacked the village where the Vanarias were living. One held a machete to Kathy’s throat. She rebuked these attackers in the name of Jesus. They immediately fled and ceased their attack!)

3. Commit to something that’s bigger than yourself!

4. (If you are not baptized in the Holy Spirit) Do not let another week go by without being baptized in the Holy Spirit. (Spend the time alone with God that you need in order for this to happen.)

5. Do something this week that only a Christian would do. Write it down and do it. (Forgive someone that does not deserve forgiveness, Pray in the Spirit for someone, Do a random act of kindness, etc.)

6. Pray by name for someone to come to know Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.