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Volume 49 December 2011 Number 4
We Preach Christby Warnings and TeachingsThat All May Be Ready When He Comes, Colossians 1:28
In this issue ...Christmas Blues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
The Great Shepherd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
We Need to Encourage Each Other . . 10
Imag
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Dep
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“People walking in darkness have seen a great Light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a Light has dawned.”
“Prepare the way for the Lord, ... the glory of the Lord shall be revealed. The virgin will give birth to a Son, and His name will be called Emmanuel (God with us).”
“The whole world was lost in the darkness of sin; the Light of the world is Jesus; like sunshine at noon day His glory shone in, the Light of the world is Jesus.”
“Joseph ... went up to Bethlehem ... while there, Mary gave birth to her firstborn Son.”
“O little town of Bethlehem ... the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight. For Christ is born of Mary.”
“You are to give Him the name Jesus because He will save His people from their sins.”
“Wonderful birth to a manger He came, made in the likeness of man, to proclaim God’s boundless love for a world sick with sin.”
“My eyes have seen the One who will save men from the penalty of their sins. Mary ..., this Child will make many people fall and many people rise in the Jewish nation. He will be spoken against. A sword will cut through your soul. By this the thoughts of many people will be understood.”
“He was pierced for our sins, He was crushed for our wicked sins; the punishment that brought us peace
Compiled by the late Jay Jennings,
Founding Editor of Muskeg Moccasingraph,
Aug. 18, 1923 – May 16, 2005
Jesus Christwas upon Him, and by His wounds we (our hearts) are healed (from the results of sin).”
“Wounded for me, wounded for me, there on the cross He was wounded for me; gone my sin, and now I am free, all because Jesus was wounded for me.
“Dying for me, dying for me, there upon the cross He was dying for me; now in His death my redemption I see, all because Jesus was dying for me.
“Risen for me, risen for me, up from the grave He has risen for me; NOW FOREVER from death’s sting I am free, all because Jesus has risen for me.
“Living for me, living for me, up in heaven He is living for me; DAILY He is pleading and praying for me, all because Jesus is living for me.
“Coming for me, coming for me, one day to earth He is coming for me; THEN with what joy His dear face I shall see, oh how I praise Him! He is coming for me.”
“This same Jesus, Who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back.”
“The government will be on His shoulders. There will be NO END TO HIS GOVERNMENT AND PEACE. His King-dom with Justice and Righteousness will be forever.”
“Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
“Joy to the world!”
“Come to Me. Jesus gave the right and the power to become children of God to those who received Him. He gave this to those who put their trust in His name.” �[Isaiah 9:2, 40:3, 7:14. “The Light of the World is Jesus.” Luke 2:4-7.
“O Little Town of Bethlehem.” Matthew 1:21. “Wonderful.” Luke 2:29-35. Isaiah 53:5. “Wounded for Me.” Acts 1:8. Isaiah 9:6-7. Matthew 6:10. “Joy to the World.” Matthew 11:28. John 1:12.]
Godhas come to us in
From the MM Archives: Volume 20, Number 6, Nov.-Dec. 1982
2 | muskeg moccasIngraph
Christmas
Christmas comes and goes. It is a time to be of good cheer. There is
almost the command to be happy and everyone obeys.
The whole world seems to be hope-ful. The stores do their best to show to their customers what they have to sell. There is a smile on the cashier’s face instead of a scowl. People seem to be more friendly; more willing to give. All that is sour and selfish is put in the closet for a while. We talk to people we would not talk to in April or May. We take time to talk to the trapper in his cabin on Highway 399. We even talk to the police officer who gives us a ticket for speeding.
It Does Not Last
Why does it not last? Why is it that in January it is back to the same routine? Why do we still feel empty inside? We suddenly find ourselves with a massive bill. We find ourselves eating fish and rabbit instead of turkey and ham. No one wants to hear “Silent Night” even if it is sung by the best singer in the world. Stores want their money for the credit they gave. The gifts you paid so much money for are now at half price.
Christmas Is Not Enough
My friend, the reason we feel empty is that Christmas is not enough. Yes, we remember that the Saviour was born. We also remember that He died to be our Saviour. He was raised from the dead. He went back to Heaven.
We look at Mary sit-ting at the manger with her baby Son. We also see her sitting at the foot of the cross where her Son died for the sin of the world.
We look at the shepherds leading their sheep. We also see the soldiers leading the “Lamb of God” to Calvary.
It takes more than pretty trees and decorations to give us true happiness. We also need to see the spikes and thorns. We also need to see Jesus’ drip-ping blood and beaten body that hung on the wooden cross.
We not only hear great carols being sung. We also hear the groans, sobs and cries of the Son of God. Listen. He cried out, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”
Calvary Takes It Away
So, if we look at the total Gospel picture, we will not need to feel empty and blue inside when Christmas is over. We will find Calvary takes away the Christmas blues. We do not just think of Jesus in the stable. We receive the Saviour into our hearts. We then find that every day of the year can be like Christmas.
Jesus came “to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1:79). �
From the MM Archives: Volume 19, Number 1, Jan.-Feb. 1981
B l u e sb y F r e d e v a n s
Why do
we still
feel empty
inside?
DecemBer 2011 | 3
there were six families of sheep that lived in a small village. They had a lot of fun going swimming, fishing, racing and going to Lamb Academy School. They would go play everywhere together.
Then one day all the little lambs wanted to play “hide and seek.” There were male lambs and female lambs. There was a little fe-male lamb named Marie. She loved play-ing “hide and seek,” so she went to hide. Two little male lambs who were brothers came to the place where little Marie was hiding and took advantage of her. It hurt little Marie so much that she didn’t trust male lambs, especially the ones that play “hide and seek.”
Little Lamb Marie grew into a sheep. She got married and had nine little lambs. She loved them very much. When Marie would come home and see her little lambs and their father playing “hide and seek,” she would get angry and stop them. Marie’s little lambs got hurt and won-dered WHY they could not play that game.
Once upon a time One day Marie met a sheep named Dietrich, who was preach-ing about a great Shepherd named Jesus. Marie was very interested in what she heard; how He was born in the barn because there was no
room in the inn. There was a bright purple star right
above the barn door.Marie went to see Pastor
Dietrich who led her in
prayer where she met
the great Shepherd. Jesus told her she was not
alone and that He loves
her. He told her that little Marie be-lieves in a lie which is not true. The lie Marie believed was that whoever played “hide and seek,” they were taken advantage of. That is not true; not everyone is like that.
Marie was set free. Now she can play “hide and seek” with her darling little lambs, who love play-ing that game. The Martens Sheep Family is doing better, thanks to the Great Shepherd, Jesus Christ. �
The
Te s T i m o n y b y Ma r i e Ma r t e n s
Image lic
ensed by D
esignpics/n
pine
From Bethlehem Aboriginal Fellowship News Bulletin, November 2011. Published with permission.
Pastor Dietrich Desmerais goes on to explain, “Marie Martens is ‘one’ of the reasons why we are here in Winnipeg, MB; known as Canada’s largest Urban Reserve. Marie is Aboriginal and Kurt is Mennonite. Kurt runs a small business and Marie is training as a support worker in the FASD program.”
4 | muskeg moccasIngraph
Originally from the Six Nations reserve in southern Ontario, the Hills moved to Saskatchewan to attend Briercrest Bible College in the early 80s. After taking to the stage at a local missions conference, the audience enthusiastically flooded them with requests to come minister in their home communities and mission fields across North America.
Roger and Patti Hill with their four girls: Kari, Kelli, Kim and Corrie, ac-cepted the calling and took to the road with nothing but the money in their pockets and faith that the Lord would provide for the miles He had placed before them.
Known for their heartfelt sincerity, close family harmonies, original songs and great sense of humor, the Hills uplift and inspire their audience through their personal, up-close presentation. They have recorded over a dozen albums and made numerous television appear-ances such as on “100 Huntley Street,” “It’s a New Day” and “Tribal Trails.”
Every year thousands of people at-tend the Hills’ powerful live concerts, and appreciate their gracious ability to gently communicate the gospel message to all ages. The Singing Hills’ quality of performance, unique style of Southern Gospel and heartwarming energy both on stage and off continues to bless many people every year.
To get to know more about
The Singing Hills, you can
visit their website:
www.thesinginghills.com
What started out as a class
project in Bible school has
become a far-reaching and
long-lasting ministry for
“the Singing Hills.”
“Family harmony since 1981”
TheSingingHills
DecemBer 2011 | 5
Dr. Marcia Anderson-DeCoteau
Indian Life is thrilled to announce that Dr. Marcia Anderson DeCoteau, Cree-Saulteaux, has received the prestigious Aboriginal Achievement Award by the National Aboriginal Achievement Awards Foundation. She was awarded this honor in Edmonton, Alberta, on March 11, 2011.
Marcia is the daughter of Indian Life Ministries’ director Jo-Anne Anderson and her husband Gerry Anderson.
Marcia was the youngest Aboriginal Medical Doctor to graduate from any Canadian Faculty of Medicine. She was also the youngest president of the Indigenous Physicians Association of Canada (IPAC).
She obtained a Masters of Public Health Degree at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Currently she serves as an Assistant Professor at the University of Manitoba.
The awards show was broadcast by Global and the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) in Canada on April 9.
Our congratulations to you, Marcia, for a well-deserved award!
From INDIAN LIFE, March-April 2011. Used with permission.
Muskeg Moccasingraph would like to add that Marcia is a granddaughter of Dolly Anderson and the late Bert Anderson, who are well-known to our MM readers.
6 | muskeg moccasIngraph
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DecemBer 2011 | 7
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Image licensed by Tadija savic / Dreamstime.com
2012Sh
ow
me
Yo
ur
way
s, O
LO
RD
;
Tea
ch
me
Yo
ur
pat
hs.
Lead
me
in Y
ou
r t
ru
th a
nd
tea
ch
me,
For
Yo
u a
re
the
Go
d o
f m
y sa
lvat
ion
;
On
Yo
u I
wai
t al
l th
e d
ay.
Psa
lm 2
5:4,
5 N
KJV
JAN
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Image licensed by Tadija savic / Dreamstime.com
2012Sh
ow
me
Yo
ur
way
s, O
LO
RD
;
Tea
ch
me
Yo
ur
pat
hs.
Lead
me
in Y
ou
r t
ru
th a
nd
tea
ch
me,
For
Yo
u a
re
the
Go
d o
f m
y sa
lvat
ion
;
On
Yo
u I
wai
t al
l th
e d
ay.
Psa
lm 2
5:4,
5 N
KJV
o encourage means to inspire with courage, confidence,
and hope; to support. Some-times we are called to help someone who is in need of
comfort. We can encourage each other to keep on going.
We need to love and encourage those who are weak in their faith to help them on to maturity. “We who have strong faith should help the weak with their problems. We should not please only ourselves. We should all please our neighbors. Let us do what is good for them. Let us build them up.
“Even Christ did not please Himself. It is written, ‘Those who make fun of you made fun of Me also’ (Psalm 69:9). Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us. The Scriptures give us strength to go on. They cheer us up and give us hope” (Romans 15:1-4 NIrV).
We encourage one another by being hospitable with food, relaxation, com-forting words and a place to stay. “Be
b y A l b e r t W A h l
sure your love is true love. Hate what is sinful. Hold on to whatever is good.
“Love each other as Christian broth-ers. Show respect for each other.
“Do not be lazy but always work hard. Work for the Lord with a heart full of love for Him.
“Be happy in your hope. Do not give up when trouble comes. Do not let anything stop you from praying.
“Share what you have with Christian brothers who are in need. Give meals and a place to stay to those who need it.
“Pray and give thanks for those who make trouble for you. Yes, pray for them instead of talking against them.
“Be happy with those who are happy. Be sad with those who are sad. Live in peace with each other” (Romans 12:9-16).
We can encourage one another when we face persecution, torment and fear. When we belong to Jesus Christ and preach the cross of Christ as the one and only way to have peace with God, we will suffer persecution from unsaved
EncourageWe Need to
Each other
Imag
e lic
ense
d by
Dep
ositp
hoto
s.co
m/k
udry
ashk
a
10 | muskeg moccasIngraph
family members, unsaved neighbors and others.
“Now that we have been made right with God by putting our trust in Him, we have peace with Him. It is because of what our Lord Jesus Christ did for us. By putting our trust in God, He has giv-en us His loving-favor and has received us. We are happy for the hope we have of sharing the shining-greatness of God.
“We are glad for our troubles also. We know that troubles help us learn not to give up. When we have learned not to give up, it shows we have stood the test. When we have stood the test, it gives us hope. Hope never makes us ashamed because the love of God has come into our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who was given to us” (Romans 5:1-5).
What did Jesus say should be our response to those who persecute us? He said, “You have heard that it has been said, ‘You must love your neighbor and hate those who hate you.’ But I tell you, love those who hate you. Respect and give thanks for those who say bad things to you. Do good to those who hate you. Pray for those who do bad things to you and who make it hard for you. Then you may be the sons of your Father Who is in heaven. …
“If you love those who love you, what pay can you expect from that? Do not even the tax gatherers do that? If you say ‘hello’ only to the people you like, are you doing any more than others? The people who do not know God do that much. You must be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.
“If you forgive people their sins, your Father in heaven will forgive your sins also. If you do not forgive people
their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 5:43-48, 6:14-15).
How do we help someone through a hard time? We can listen to their heart cry of their hurt and pain. It helps them when we are silent and listen to them to find out what is really happening. Then we can pray and share words of comfort. We can let them rest and feed them. To be in the centre of trouble wears us out in every way: spiritually, emotionally, mentally, physically and materially.
We went through a very hard time a few years ago. Many hard things hap-pened and we didn’t know why. There was the pain of rejection; like death and grieving; depression and burnout. We are thankful for our pastor and his wife who listened to our hearts. They helped us understand and accept what had happened. They lovingly counseled us and met our needs. We rested and slowly I could thank God for that painful experience. I asked Him to forgive me for blaming Him. Then the Bible made sense to me again. We have forgiven the people and have been forgiven by them.
God is the God of all comfort. “May you have loving-favor and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
“We give thanks to the God and Fa-ther of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is our Father Who shows us loving-kindness and our God Who give us comfort. He gives us comfort in all our troubles. Then we can comfort other people who have the same troubles. We give the same kind of comfort God gives us. As we have suf-fered much for Christ and have shared in His pain, we also share His great comfort” (2 Corinthians 1:2-5).
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Childrens
That night God’s special Son was born. Joseph and Mary named him Jesus, just as the angels had told them. Baby Jesus slept on hay in an animal feed box, called a manger.
One day, a young woman named Mary, ESPECIALLY remembered God’s promise. She was visited by an ANGEL! The angel told her that she was going
to be the mother of God’s very special Son, the
King, whom God had promised. An angel also went to Joseph, the man Mary was going to
marry. The angel told Joseph about this special child who was to be born.
Not long after the angel’s visits, the ruler of all the countries in that part of the world wanted to keep track of the people he could tax. All the men had to return to the towns where their families were from. Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem because he belonged to the family of David, the famous king of long, long ago.
It was VERY crowded in Bethlehem and Mary’s baby was about to be born. The only place Mary and Joseph could find to stay was a stable for animals. It wasn’t very fancy, but it was warm and better than being outside.
We all have a birthday - the day we were born. We look forward to our birthday and tell people excitedly that it is coming. We can hardly wait for the day to arrive. In the Bible we read about the birthday of a very special King. Prophets in the Bible had written years before that He was going to be born. Who was this King? When and where was He born? Please read the story to find out.
Hundreds of years had passed since any prophet in Israel told God’s words to the people. But the people still read the scrolls written by the prophets many years earlier. These scrolls told of God’s promise to send a GREAT King.
Celebrate Jesus’ Birth
Matt. 1:18-2:23; Luke 1:26-56; Ch. 2
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cornerAfter the angels went back to heaven, the shepherds hurried off to find baby Jesus. Once they had seen baby Jesus, the shepherds were so excited, they told everyone they met about the wonderful baby! At last the shepherds returned to their sheep in the fields, praising God for everything that they had seen and heard that
night.
Jesus grew and grew. When He was still little, some wise men traveled from far away to worship Him, bringing Him wonderful gifts.
That very same night, some shepherds were nearby in the fields with their sheep. SUDDENLY an angel came to them and the glory of God came shining all around! The shepherds were afraid. But the angel told them not to be afraid. They brought good news, the Savior, Chris the Lord, had been born! A crowd of angels sang in the sky, praising God.
When it was safe to return home, an angel told Joseph he could take Mary and Jesus back to Nazareth, where they had lived before Jesus was born. Jesus grew up in Nazareth, just as the prophets had said He would. And as Jesus grew, God loved Him and many people did, too!
What made the birth of Jesus so special? What had God promised that Jesus would do? God had said that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem. He had made this promise through His prophets hundreds of years before. God’s promise to send a Savior came true! And more things that God had said about Jesus were yet to come true! Jesus’ birth is so important that people all over the world celebrate His birthday. Will you remember Jesus’ birthday this Christmas? If you want to know more about Jesus, you
may write me at:Mary Green 159 Cree roadthompson MB r8N 0C2
When King Herod heard that these men had come to see a child who was to become a GREAT King, he wanted to get rid of Jesus. Because of an angel’s warning, Joseph took Mary and Jesus and went away one n i g h t . T h e y traveled to a country called Egypt and lived there.
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Martha Van NortwickAugust 4, 1924 – September 15, 2011
Many of our Muskeg Moccasingraph readers over the years have come to know Mervin & Martha Van Nortwick.
As Martha Heppner, she was among the original missionaries of Northern Canada Evangelical Mission. She joined the mission in 1949, just three years after NCEM was organized.
As a single worker, she served at Grand Rapids, MB. Then at Molonosa, SK she helped begin what would become known as Montreal Lake Children’s Home. Martha also served at Descham-bault Lake, SK before marrying Mervin in 1960.
Together the Van Nortwicks served at the Montreal Lake Children’s Home; then at Thicket Portage, MB; Grand Rapids, MB; Deschambault Lake, SK; La Ronge, SK; and Brabant, SK.
In the late 1980s they served in Manitoba on loan to Continental Mission, Thompson. In retirement they made their home in North Battleford, SK.
Martha is survived by her husband, Mervin, two children and their families. One daughter passed away before Martha.From Northern Lights Fall 2011
in loving memory
“Our lives can feel uprooted when we
go through times of grief and loss … but
if we hold on to the GOD of our faith
and the comfort of our memories, we
can find a way to go on.”
Oscar BeattyMarch 27, 1924 – October 20, 2010Deschambault Lake, SK.
“Thank the Lord for each new day. Don’t worry about yesterday; forgive those who have wronged you.”
Tim BallantyneMarch 17, 1983 – December 18, 2010Deschambault Lake, SK.
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“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The God Who lives forever is the Lord, the One Who
made the ends of the earth. He will not become weak or tired. His understanding is too great for us to begin to know. He gives strength to the weak. And He gives power to him who has little strength. Even very young men get tired and become weak and strong young men trip and fall. But they who wait upon the Lord will get new strength. They will rise up with wings like eagles. They will run and not get tired. They will walk and not become weak” (Isaiah 40:28-31).
“The Lord is right and good in all His ways, and kind in all His works. The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. ... And all flesh will honor His holy name forever and ever.
“Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! I will praise the Lord as long as I live. I will sing praises to my God as long as I live” (Psalm 145:17
- 146:2).“For God is the King of all the earth. Sing praises
with a well written song. God rules over the nations. God sits on His holy throne.
“Lord, You have been the place of comfort for all people of all time. Before the mountains were born, before You gave birth to the earth and the world, forever and ever, You are God” (Psalm 47:7-8, 90:1-2).
“The Lord came to us from far away, saying, ‘I have loved you with a love that lasts forever. So I have helped you come to Me with loving-kindness’” (Jeremiah 31:3).
“The Lord has set up His throne in the heavens. And His holy nation rules over all. Praise the Lord, you powerful angels of His who do what He says, obeying His voice as He speaks! Praise the Lord, all you armies of His who work for Him and do what pleases Him. Praise the Lord, all His works in all places under His rule. Praise the Lord, O my soul!” (Psalm 103:19-22).
“Think as Christ Jesus thought.“Jesus has always been as God is. But He did not
hold to His rights as God. He put aside everything that belonged to Him and made Himself the same as a servant who is owned by someone. He became human by being born as a man. After He became a man, He gave up His important place and obeyed by dying on a cross.
“Because of this, God lifted Jesus high above everything else. He gave Him a name that is greater than any other name. So when the name of Jesus is spoken, everyone in heaven and on earth and under the earth will bow down before Him. And every tongue will say Jesus Christ is Lord. Everyone will give honor to God the Father” (Philippians 2:5-11).
“Do you not know that your body is a house of God where the Holy Spirit lives?
“God gave you His Holy Spirit. Now you belong to God. You do not belong to yourselves. God bought you with a great price. So honor God with your body. You belong to Him” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
This God is our God
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Muskeg Moccasingraph Publications Mail159 Cree Road Agreement #40022421Thompson, MB Paid at Thompson, MBR8N 0C2
The “Muskeg Moccasingraph” is published by Continental Mission, Inc. It is printed four times a year with a circulation of approx. 8000 copies. It is paid for by people who want to continue receiving it. It costs over $4000.00 every time we print and mail the paper. People who want to help pay for it can send their donations to Continental Mission, 159 Cree Rd., Thompson, MB R8N 0C2 Editor: Lorena Wahl; Contributing Writers: Fred Evans, Mary Green, Albert Wahl.Scripture quotations, unless noted otherwise, are from the HOLY BIBLE, New Life Version. Copyright © 1969 – 2003. Christian Literature International, PO Box 777, Canby, OR 97103. Used by Permission.Printed in Canada
Missio n Press
Nor
thern Canada
A hockey team was wiped out in a plane crash. A man was crushed underneath a gravel truck. A grandmother was killed in her own home.
It really does not matter where we are or what we do, death can overtake us at any time. The most important message in all this is: Are we ready to meet Almighty God?
The Bible tells us in several places how to be reconciled to God after repenting from our sins. Romans 3:23 tells us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” But there is a way out as we can read in Romans 10:9, “that if you confess with your mouth ‘Jesus is Lord’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him (Jesus) from the dead, you will be saved.”
After we see these tragedies, our hearts should be stirred for the Lord to have His way in our lives.
viewpointby addy Oberlin, swan river, Mb
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