Author: Shawn

Missionary Brochure Planning

Posted by Shawn on May 4, 2010

We have been working on the brochure this last week and it has been an interesting challenge. Trying to put information on there for what we are planning on doing, yet not having all things established to do them. Basically we have to trust in the Lord for what He has put on our hearts to do in the Dominican Republic.

Part of the planning we have been doing involves another group that builds houses or a village for those in complete need. This group then has missionaries run different aspects of the villages. A problem that has been seen in the earlier villages is that people learn to be beggars instead of learning trades and working. This problem is caused by the ignorance of the short-term missions trips. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to see those stop by any means. It is just that those visiting see people in such great need that they will give not realizing that there is a habit of begging without really begging.

Our desire is to help and educate those in need to provide for their families in a way that reflects the values in God’s word. The witnessing and preaching the gospel are powerfully shown through love. The love that desires to help such a person to be able to provide for their family through work. This work is gained by having a skill, the skill by training.

To look at this in another way is to realize that many of these people were never taught much of anything besides what was passed on by previous generations. Many have never gone to school, learned a skill or know that they can.

To get back to the brochure, we had to decide how to explain some of the ministry functions even if they are not yet already in action. Our hope through all of this is to see God given the glory by obeying His word and what He has asked us to do as a family.

Did I mention, I love my wife? She is such a great gift the Lord has given me.

Made for Another World

Posted by Shawn on April 22, 2010

A good friend of mine who has been writing songs for years has been touring again and spend quite a bit of time recording multiple CD’s. Here is one of his newer songs that I think you will enjoy. To hear and see more of his music visit Michael Robert’s website with the link below.

Made for Another World

By Michael Robert & Chris Kuti of Chris and Conrad

Tucked away in what I’ve gained
Is knowing that it’s not enough,
To fill me up
I set my mind on things above
Believing what I have in You
Is more than all I need
Renew my mind to see somehow
That yesterday is gone

For my Heart was made
Made for another world
Another place
My Heart was made
Made for the only love
that took my place
So I could be where You are

There’s a hunger deep inside
That can only be filled
When I praise Your name
As I look inside I feel Your love
So I reach for more of You

For my Heart was made
Made for another world
Another place
My Heart was made
Made for the only love
that took my place
So I could be where You are

Son of God became man
Taking my place to die
And now stands alive
He conquered death in the grave
To show the world what it means to be alive

For My heart was made
Made for another world…

For My heart was made
Made for another world
Another place
My heart was made
Made for the only love that took my place So I could be where You are

www.michaelrobertmusic.com

Jesus washes my feet

Posted by Shawn on March 30, 2010

Being clean and pure as a Christian is a daily challenge. I know that each day I fail somewhere in my walk, my actions, my thoughts… something is imperfect. I will feel unworthy or unclean especially knowing that I know that Jesus died on a cross for my sins. I feel I am hanging him up there personally each day. I use to wonder how I will make it to the end this way and not be blotted out.

The Lord revealed something to me by bringing up this verse in my memory and what it means for us who believe and follow him.

John 13 ⁴so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. ⁵After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. ⁶He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

⁷Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

⁸“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

⁹“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”

¹⁰Jesus answered, “A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean,

Now go back and read that part of verse 10 again.

Peter wanting to be a part with Jesus did not refuse, but didn’t understand what Jesus was doing. I know the main part of the message we are taught about is His service, He served and we should serve each other as He gave an example of, but that isn’t the point I am getting to. Daily washing or forgiveness! How blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven!

If you believe in Him and have received his forgiveness you are clean, BUT we will need our feet cleaned because we are still walking in this world were we get our feet dirty. Each day we get in contact with the world and sin, and each day we need to be cleaned of that. Come to Jesus who will wash your feet because you are already clean!

What a wonderful Lord we serve!

Find me in His blessings

Posted by Shawn on February 12, 2010

Sometimes people have deep theological discussions about God’s blessings, can we earn them, can we get them, do we miss them, etc…

To me many of God’s blessings are like a welcome rain in the barren desert, if you stay in a shelter you will miss out on the life giving waters poured out so freely. If you were in need of the life giving water would you not run out and abandon all else to quench the thirst?

I don’t limit God’s ways of blessing us, but sometimes I think we can miss out on the obvious. First off we are blessed solely by the salvation that Jesus paid for by His blood, this blessing alone is enough, but why limit God in our lives? So get out of the sin that keeps you from the blessing, so often we miss out when we are unwilling to walk away from something that does not bless but only keeps us from communing with our Heavenly Father who loves us.

Quite often those who are suffering from depression, can find relief by letting go of the chains of sin that bind. I think most Christians who have walked with the Lord for some time could attest to this in their own lives. Something had kept them down and was held onto at the cost of peace and joy. Repent and enjoy your merciful Father, bask in the rays of His glory! Find yourself running out into the rains of His blessings and thirst no more! Read Psalms and see how David dealt with the turmoil of sin and the joy of repentance. See the walk of the apostles as they walked in the spirit and enjoyed the power of God being shown through their lives.

House sold and we have moved

Posted by Shawn on January 27, 2010

Sorry about the long delay in posting, it has been quite the whirlwind of activities for the Oliveria family. First off the house sold, but before that we signed papers and left for Mexico. No we were not running away, we went to visit our oldest son Jeremy who was at the Mission/Discipleship school that is ran by Applegate Fellowship. We spent a week down there and then drove back to move.

The house was suppose to close on the 31st, but since it had not we still moved in faith. God provided us a house that was partially furnished for about 6 months. This was at a price we could afford, but was much nicer than we were expecting at that price. So, we got moved in and then the house closed! Now, after owning for almost 16 years, this was a strange feeling. We were now homeless in a way, but I think God wants me to realize how dependent on Him we really are. As I type this I am looking out over the Rogue Valley from above, out a 3rd story window with views of pines and the Table Rocks. Definitely much better than views of tagged fences in the areas we thought we were going to be renting.

Once we got moved, Jeremy called us and said he was coming back to Medford. This was a surprise since the last thing he ever wanted to do was return to Medford, but in this case He felt God wanted him to return to get a job and pay bills he left hanging. Please pray that he finds a job quickly. Now Jeremy has been here for a couple of weeks and has been ministering to his uncle who is only 1 year older than him and some friends.

Between getting the engraver set up and car problems, it seems I can’t get anything caught up. Much to do with the business and the planning for the big move to the Dominican Republic. Island Light Ministries seems to be were God has directed us to serve. This new ministry was started by Jim and Debra Tunnicliff with a few visions of feeding the poor, ministering to the youth (locals and foreign) and working with a planned neighborhood of housing for the poor.

Lots to do, but I know God is the one directing and our faith just grows as we follow Him.

Sale pending on the house

Posted by Shawn on December 9, 2009

Praise God!

We have the house in escrow and it is expected to close on the 31st. This is great news, however, this is our busy month for business and we had already planned a trip to visit our son in Mexico. Not much time to pack, sort or even think. So, we are asking for your prayers on the following:

1. Peace and patience in our home
2. A house to rent
3. Someone to help with the business while we are gone
4. Wisdom with selling the business or getting a partner
5. God to get all the Glory
6. Rest for my wife who will probably be taking on way too much (supermom)
7. Clear vision for our Dominican Republic mission

Thank you to all those who have prayed for the house to sell, it is pending and things can change, we just know that God can pull it all the way through if this is His will for us.

Woo hoo!

Changing Kingdoms

Posted by Shawn on November 14, 2009

Well, I don’t normally write about dreams, especially the weird ones. But, this one seemed to have a very important message.

I can’t recall all of the dream, but I remember leaving a kingdom. I don’t remember being an escape, just I left. I didn’t want to be there anymore and found a new kingdom where the people were free. It seemed like it was easy to walk over too, but that is all that was easy. I then found myself having to watch out, because the old kingdom sent someone after me, it turns out they would do anything, kill anyone, to get me back in their kingdom.

This got very bloody fast, so intense it woke me up. This one that came back cut the skin and muscle off of an arm of a friend of mine (no one I know for real, but a friend in the dream.) This was done to show how serious and to what extreme this person would go to in order to get me back. Then immediately following that he killed another friend. All I remember was there was so much bloodshed and terror, yet I wasn’t really scared, but I knew I had to keep moving and flee from his blade. Then I awoke. I hate it when I want to go back to sleep, but my heart was pumping enough blood and I had enough adrenaline to run a few miles.

So the next few minutes while I was awake I realized the significance of the dream and how the enemy of our soul wants to destroy us. He may try to destroy everyone you love, such as in the case of Job. He wants to render you useless to God at very least or kill you at best. It may be easy to make the initial switch from his kingdom to the kingdom of God, but that is were the easy stops. Life as a born again Christian is like that of the military. You are to prepare for battle, be always watchful, expect the enemy to attack and never let down your guard. This is a spiritual battle, one not seen by many. Quite commonly we are tricked into fighting in the flesh, attacking that which is not the enemy. The enemy is real, wants to kill you, and will stop at nothing to accomplish his goal. Our King, however, is way more powerful, loves you and knows the end of the story.

By the way, our King wins.

Island Light Ministries

Posted by Shawn on September 14, 2009

Our friends Jim and Debra Tunnicliffe spent 6 years serving the Dominican people in the Dominican Republic. They returned to the states for a period of time to plan and then to return to the Dominican Republic with a renewed vision. I met them in 2008 in Sosua (Northern part of the Island) and I felt instantly connected. Their heart to serve the people and to reach out to the lost was obvious from the start.

Island Light Ministries

They plan to return there and continue implementing the vision they have. You can read more about Island Light Ministries at their website www.islandlightministries.org

Please lift them up in prayer as they will need God’s protection, guidance and finances to accomplish their goals. If you are your church body is looking for short term missions to be involved with contact Island Light Ministries to set up a date and plan, they will be glad to host small groups who desire to see what God is doing in other parts of the world.

False Gospel and Itching Ears

Posted by Shawn on September 1, 2009

In America today, we have lost sight of the true Gospel of Christ. We as a nation have either left God out of our lives or try to make God into our image. Paul wrote to Timothy about this in 2 Timothy 4:

¹ I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: ² Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. ³ For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; ⁴ and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. ⁵ But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. (These verses from Biblegateway.com)

Paul warns Timothy about what will be coming in verse 3. People will not endure sound doctrine. Why? Because it will be hard to accept, we don’t like feeling pain or guilt or displeasure, we want to feel good and not have to admit we are wrong. We want to hear things that make us feel good about ourselves.

I try not to judge even the pastors on TV, but as a follower of Christ we do have to call out those who are wrong – especially if they are doing it in Christ’s name or representing Christ. First if they are also a follower of Christ they should be corrected and set back on the right path, you will find Paul does this on a few occasions once even with Peter who walked with Jesus before Paul ever knew the truth. Secondly, if they are not of Christ we need to proclaim that they are not teaching the true gospel.

One example I have recently ran into was with seeing some of Joel Olsteens show. Not much, but what I did hear him say was true, but I never watched a whole program or sermon. One day I came across a video of him where he had a verse referenced on the screens for his church to read along with and the video was stating it wasn’t even correctly shown, so I even looked up the verse and found that it was re-written to support his sermon that “God helps those who help themselves.” My first thought was “did anyone there even notice or do they not open up a Bible???!!!”

Many mega-churches with TV broadcasting seem to have very similar teachings. They teach about wealth building, self-promotion, and a God who does not judge. How many people are going to church because it makes them feel good? Why do people even bother going if they don’t want to hear the truth? Those who can stand before thousands and proclaim their fables as God’s truth obviously do not believe in God. How could you believe in God who judges and purposely mis-quote His book? I challenge Joel to read the Bible and teach the truth.

Their Glory is in their shame

Posted by Shawn on August 5, 2009

What? Shame and glory in the same sentence? Yes and this is from God’s word.

What does this mean? Let’s read a couple of verses from Philippians 3:

18 For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things.

If you have been seeing the news, watching rock stars, movie stars, politicians and the general population to some degree you will see that people are proud of their sins. The sin is what their whole life is about. They march for their sin, try to pass laws to benefit their sin, complain about the medical issues caused by the sin, and basically glory in their sin.

The sin in our lives should be the shame, not the glory!

It is so sad to me to see those who live for a sin. What will the end be? Their sin will be all they had in life and when they meet the Lord that sin will be the ultimate shame for them. No longer will they glory in that sin. Our God has so much more for us even while we are living here on earth. We can experience joy, peace, love, hope and more while living for Him.

What should we do then? Not too much further in the next passage of scripture we read this:

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

We should focus on the Lord and all that He has. Basically I read those verses as a description of God through Christ Jesus.

Be blessed.