The extent of flood damage and ongoing health and safety threats are apparent in the photos shown below. These were sent by Oakseed’s Ministry Partner in the Philippines, Rev. Glen Melo, who has boots on the ground right now. Glen is President of Open Eyes Mission and Pastor of Kagay-an Reformed Church and he and his magnificent Team do an extraordinary job in touching and changing the lives of destitute people for Jesus Christ.

Right now you and Oakseed have a unique opportunity to double any gift given to Oakseed for “Philippine Flood Relief”. A generous supporter of Oakseed will provide a dollar-for-dollar match for any gift given by the Oakseed Family. That means your $25 donation will become $50; $50 will become $100; $100 will become $200.

• The matching donor will match up to a total of $2,000.
• All donated funds (including the matching funds) will go to Open Eyes Mission, which is led by Rev. Melo, and will be carefully distributed to his network of churches helping in the relief efforts.
• This opportunity to take advantage of this dollar-for-dollar match ends on September 5th.
• To give, send a check and note “Philippine Flood Relief” on the memo line, or call April Wise at 703-876-9020 to donate with a credit card.

Matching fund opportunities like this are somewhat rare, so please consider how you can help reach and care for suffering people immediately.

Blessings to you!

Charlie Jarvis
President

P.S. If you attend Oakseed’s 20th Anniversary Banquet on September 14th, you will be able to meet Glen Melo, who will be our Speaker! Go to oakseed.org and click on the link for the Banquet.

Message from Rev. Glimar B. Melo

We hope you will be able to join us on Friday, September 14th at 7pm for our annual Oakseed Celebration Banquet to meet Charlie and to participate in a special 20th anniversary celebration. The Banquet will take place at McLean Presbyterian Church.

In Christ,

Mark Whittle
Oakseed Board Chairman

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

The secular world is all about first impressions. After the initial impact, people’s impressions are set. What matters is the first-time event.

Paul clearly states that everything we do should be for the glory of God – even the small details. Life is far more than one event.

The great composer Bach said, “All music should have no other end and aim than the glory of God and the soul’s refreshment.” He always ended his compositions with the letters “S.D.G.” These letters stand for “Soli Dei Gratia,” which mean “to God alone be the praise.”

What does it mean for you to honor God in the small details of your life? Bringing glory to God is done in relationship to others. Here are three areas to reflect upon:

1. Do you intentionally speak to others for the purpose of edifying, encouraging and giving a blessing?
2. Is the joy of the Lord that is in your heart visible on the outside?
3. Giving glory to God means returning to God what he has given to you. If you do not spend time in God’s presence, you will not have much to return to him. This means reading His word, worshiping Him, and joyfully celebrating His righteous, holy rule.

What small things have you given to the Lord today through blessing and encouraging others?

– Written by Edward Bradley, August 7^th, 2007

 “所以你们或吃或喝，无论作什么，都要为荣耀神而行。”

这个世俗的世界是以第一印象来判断事和人的。最初的印象留下后，就一成不变了。第一次的事件至关重要。

保罗清楚地指出，我们所做的一切应该是为神的荣耀 – 甚至是小小的细节。生命中发生的事情数不胜数，绝不仅仅是一件事。

伟大的作曲家巴赫说：“所有的音乐作品最终的目的都是要荣耀上帝和让灵魂得以洗礼。” 他总是以字母“S.D.G”来结束他每个作品。这三个字母代表“Soli Dei Gratia”, 意思是“ 赞美谨献给上帝。”

生命中的每个细节都要为荣耀神而行意味着什么呢？将荣耀归给神是在与他人的关系中体现的。表现在以下三个方面：

1. 你与他人交谈时，是否是有意给人以启发，鼓励，和祝福？
2. 主给你心中的喜悦，是否能从你的外在表现中让他人看出来呢？
3. 荣耀归给神，就是回报上帝赐给你的一切。如果你没有与神同在的时间，你就不太会有时机回报他。这意就味着要读他的话，敬拜他，称颂他的公义和律法的圣洁。

你今天是通过什么小事来祝福和鼓励别人，进而让神得荣耀的呢？

-- 爱德华·布拉德利写于2007年8月7日

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

It was only a small bug, but its presence on her [my daughter’s] shoulder caused a nuclear reaction. The decibel level, the jumping up and down with escalating speed – all this was a reaction calling for immediate removal of the small bug as far away as possible. All other issues, cares, conversations were set aside. Only one thing mattered – bug removal.

Our journey of faith is portrayed here as a race. In running such a long race, it is easy to become casual, comfortable, and contented. We can become spiritual tourists focusing on the experiences of the moment, the roadside attractions – and forget we are in a race with a glorious finish line ahead.

Here are three thoughts about this phrase that will help us focus in this race:

1. We all carry encumbrances with us on the journey. These hindrances are to be identified and put out of the way. An Olympic runner removes everything but the bare essentials to run the race.
2. These obstacles you carry with you may be good things. The choice then is between what is better and what is best. What will help me most in the race and what slows me down? No marathon runner carries a backpack with 20 of his favorite CDs, a large sandwich, ½-gallon of a power drink, and the morning paper for his break time. He is not in a race. He is sightseeing!
3. If you are too busy for Bible study, prayer, or serving to bless others, then your business is an encumbrance.

The goal is to run free by the grace of God to bless others, to proclaim His goodness and to enjoy Him forever.

 – Written by Edward Bradley, July 8^th 2008

 “我们既有许多的见证人，如同云彩围着我们，就当放下各样的重担，脱去容易缠累我们的罪，存心忍耐，奔那摆在我们前头的路程。”

 我女儿的肩膀上落了只虫子，就是这么小小的一只虫，却引起了象核爆炸一样强烈的反应。声音分贝剧增，上蹿下跳想要立即摆脱这个小虫，离它越远越好。尽量远离。所有其他问题，关心，谈话都被搁置一旁。只有一件事最要紧 – 除去这个虫。

 我们信心之旅在这里被描绘成一次赛跑。在这么持久的赛跑中，我们很容易变得随意，贪图舒适和满足。我们可以成为精神游客，专注于当下的经历和路边风景，却忘了我们正是在一场赛跑中，奔向那个辉煌的终点线。

 关于这段经文，有以下三个点想法，有助于我们集中精力在这场比赛中：

 1. 我们都随身携带了重担在这个旅程上。我们要识别这些重担，并卸下这些负担。一个奥林匹克赛跑选手会去除一切负担运行比赛。

2. 那些随身携带的障碍也许是好东西。那么现在的问题就是决定那个是更好和最好的选择。哪些东西在比赛中会帮助我，哪些东西会让我减速？没有一个马拉松运动员在比赛中会携带背包，里面装上20张心爱的光盘，一个巨大的三明治，半加仑饮料，还有晨报供休息时享用。他不是在比赛中，而是观光！

3. 如果你是忙于一些事务，但不是查经，祈祷，或服侍祝福别人，那么你忙的业务就是一个负累。

我们的目标是靠着神的恩典，服侍祝福他人，宣扬神的美好，并永远享受于神同在。

 -- 爱德华·布拉德利写于2008年7月8日

 “61耶稣却不言语，一句也不回答。大祭司又问他说，你是那当称颂者的儿子基督不是。”“62耶稣说，我是。你们必看见人子，坐在那权能者的右边，驾着天上的云降临。”

耶稣上在通往十字架的道路上。他独自站在暴徒面前。带着嘲讽的问题是向耶稣投来，但他保持沉默。然后大祭司提出了最终提问，“你是基督吗？”

请注意，耶稣的回应既是当前的真理，又是未来的真理。耶稣的重点是交叉和超越。

我们常常面临试探考验，哪怕是程度非常微小的，我们的注意力常常始终是在我们的所面临的问题和经受的考验上。我们很少能穿越当前的挣扎去看待事物。然而，我们被告诫去凭着信心生活，而不是凭着所见的。

信心是什么？ “信就是所望之事的实底，是未见之事的确据。”（希伯来书11:1）

要做个有希望的人，我们必须相信神对我们所需所求有充分供应，而且确信上帝是信实的，他对未来的所有承诺的忠实不变。

在基督里,我们的生命并没有终止于十字架，而是在“世尊之子”所到之处延续。

 悲伤的人啊！何等尊贵的名字，
为神的儿子，来到世上，
拯救败坏的罪人。
哈利路亚！救世主！

 –菲尔 P布利斯 – 1875

-- 爱德华·布拉德利写于2006年6月26日

“⁶¹But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer, and the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” ⁶²“I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

Jesus is on the road to the cross. He stands alone before the mob. Mocking questions are hurled at Jesus, but he remains silent. Then the high priest sets forth the definitive question, “Are you the Christ?”

Notice that Jesus’ response is both the truth present and the truth yet to come. The focus of Jesus is to the cross and beyond.

How often do we face trials, even to a far lesser magnitude, and yet our focus is always on our problems and trials. We rarely see past our present struggles. Yet, we are exhorted to live by faith and not by sight.

What is faith? “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1)

To be a people of hope, we must believe that God is sufficient for all our needs in the present and confident that God is faithful in all his promises for the future.

In Christ our life does not end at the cross, but it continues into the very presence of “the Son of the Blessed One.”

Man of Sorrows! What a name,
For the Son of God, Who came,
Ruined sinners to reclaim.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

 – Phil­ip P. Bliss – 1875

 – Written by Edward Bradley, June 23^rd 2006

^61″Pero Jesús se quedó callado y no contestó nada. — ¿Eres el Cristo, el Hijo del Bendito? —le preguntó de nuevo el sumo sacerdote. ⁶² —Sí, yo soy —dijo Jesús—. Y ustedes verán al Hijo del hombre sentado a la derecha del Todopoderoso, y viniendo en las nubes del cielo.”

Jesús está en camino a la cruz. Él se encuentra solo frente a la multitud.  Preguntas burlonas son lanzadas a Jesús, pero El permanece en silencio.  Entonces el Sumo sacerdote presenta una pregunta definitoria: “¿Eres tú el Cristo?”

Noten que la respuesta de Jesús es tanto la verdad para el presente como la verdad acerca del futuro. El enfoque de Jesús está en la cruz, y más allá.

Cuán a menudo tenemos que enfrentar pruebas. Aunque en una menor magnitud, pero aun así nuestro enfoque es siempre los problemas y las pruebas. Nosotros raramente pensamos más allá de nuestras luchas actuales. Aún, nosotros somos exhortados a vivir por fe y no por vista.

¿Qué es la fe?  “Ahora bien, la fe es la garantía de lo que se espera, la certeza de lo que no se ve.” (Hebreos 11:1)

Para ser personas de esperanza, debemos creer que Dios es suficiente para todas nuestras necesidades en el presente, y confiar que Dios es fiel en todas sus promesas para el futuro.

En Cristo, nuestra vida no termina en la cruz, sino que continúa en la misma presencia del “Hijo del Bendito.”

¡Varón de Dolores! ¡Qué nombre!
Para el Hijo de Dios que vino,
a arruinados  pecadores a salvar.
¡Aleluya!  ¡Oh, Que Gran Salvador! (free translation  TEY) 

 – Phil­ip P. Bliss – 1875

 – Escrito por Edward Bradley, Junio 23 de 2006