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TO BE ADDED OR NOTED IN FUTURE SSB WEEKLY EDITIONS

• Support a Nigerian Missionary (Al's info below)
•  “Four the Master” to “For the Master Music Ministry”
• July Business Meeting on 7/27
• Info class on July 13, 20, 27

NIGERIAN MISSIONARY:
Some of you may recall that when Al was here, he spoke of his return to Nigeria.  He grew up there when his dad was a missionary.  One interesting comment on Nigeria:  90% of all Christians killed in the world are in Nigeria.   Al shared with us the great news that they have 1,000 men and women trained and ready to be sent as missionaries.  They just lack funds.   What is amazing is the price tag to send just one is $600... ANNUALLY!  I suggested we might have a few folks interested in sending a missionary outright.  He has given me the following information:

To support one of these Nigerian missionaries, send your $600.00 check to:  Mr. Tony Rondinella, Box 5310, Glendale, CA 91201. Make your check out to Global Teaching Network and ear mark your check EMS Missionary support. They will choose your missionary and send you a tax receipt, bio of the missionary, tribe where he or she is from, and where they will be sent.   You will not be able to be in contact the missionary at any time for security reasons.  They do ask that you pray for your missionary every day.

June 23, 2025

Psalm 83         A Song. A Psalm of Asaph.
1 O God, do not keep silence;
    do not hold your peace or be still, O God!
2 For behold, your enemies make an uproar;
    those who hate you have raised their heads.
3 They lay crafty plans against your people;
    they consult together against your treasured ones.
4 They say, “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation;
    let the name of Israel be remembered no more!”
5 For they conspire with one accord;
    against you they make a covenant—
6 the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
    Moab and the Hagrites,
7 Gebal and Ammon and Amalek,
    Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;
8 Asshur also has joined them;
    they are the strong arm of the children of Lot.   Selah

Asaph continues but the question for us today is "How do we think about and handle this new conflict that we have set ourselves on?"   Saturday evening, the United States bombed three sites in Iran.  Some will say "it was unprovoked" (an act of war).  Good intel has shown they were close to having completed nuclear weapons.  But, does that require a response like this?  

I would argue "yes - we needed to act" for various reasons that I will not include here.  Yet, the question at hand now is "how do we handle this going forward?"   We pray... we discuss...  we protect.   There may be "crafty plans" at foot.  I would argue with a very open border from 2021 to 2024, there are already hostage "sleeper cells" inside of the United States.  It was very easy to cross in the past four years.  Only God can protect us - if He is willing.   The United States is on a time-table. . .   we are not mentioned in the final revelation of Scripture.  .  .  gone or not a world power.    Yet, for the time being, I am prayerful that God might move to protect His people in the US.   That He might help us to be righteous (including the US leadership) in decision-making for the days ahead.   And, prayerful that God will use this current situation for His glory.  

As Asaph nears the end of the Psalm, he prays to God:  
16 Fill their faces with shame,
    that they may seek your name, O Lord.
17 Let them be put to shame and dismayed forever;
    let them perish in disgrace,
18 that they may know that you alone,
    whose name is the Lord,
    are the Most High over all the earth.

"That they may seek" and "that they may know..."  May those in Iran know that God is the Lord, the Most High over all the earth and may they seek His name.  May we pray that for Iran, for Israel, and for the United States.  

•  Annually, we make available "Safety Training" sessions
•  Safety training is for anyone at SSB who regularly works with children and teens.   This includes those who may only help with VBS, Creation Days kid's activities, as well as ushers and the security team.  
•  To be eligible to work with children/teens after this summer, you will be required to attend one of the sessions.  
• The 2025 sessions this summer will be Saturday, June 28th at 10am  OR   Monday evening, June 30, at 7pm
• If you realize neither date will work, please let the church office know.  

We have considered the first two steps of discipleship. After investigating a rabbi and deciding to follow him, disciples would next immerse themselves into a deep relationship with him.  They went alongside of him, obeying and becoming like him.  This is our walk with Jesus.  In addition to this, disciples do one more thing.

They live as one on a mission.  In a very real sense, Christ was the greatest missionary.  A missionary is one sent on a mission.  He left His home, position, safety, and all that was His to carry out an assignment.   He was sent to make disciples.  To follow Jesus means we must also follow this example.  Although not every one of us will be called to completely abandon our lives and go live among foreign peoples, as disciples, we are called to completely abandon our lives and live among foreign peoples.  .  .  as an ambassador for Christ, the moment we are saved, we become a foreigner amongst what was once our people.  We are to be as workers sent out into the harvest – confessing Jesus as Lord (Rom. 10:8-17), defending the hope of Christ (1 Pet. 3:15), answering people with the mystery of Christ (Col. 4:2-6), gently correcting those who oppose godliness (2 Tim. 2:22-26), persuading them to fear the Lord (2 Cor. 5:6-11) and contending for the faith (Jude 3). Live as one on a mission for God!