From: David Jones [david.jones@lbfc.org]
Subject:Keeping up with the Joneses

October 5, 2003

Greetings to our friends at LBFC:

Good morning from Eudora! It has been some time since our last update, but you have been in our thoughts and prayers. We have especially been praying for Jesus to be glorified among you-that God would bring you close together to Him and each other. We also pray that your intimacy with Jesus and each other would be a beacon for those in the community, making them aware of the presence and love of Jesus. As I have been praying for you (daily on my commute to work in the morning), God has moved me to pray that you would truly realize and experience the hope that lives within you. In I Peter 3:15, the apostle reminds us, "In your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." As I have been praying for you, I have asked myself two questions: 1) Is Christ set apart as Lord in my life? (Does He have complete authority over my life? Are there things I am holding back from Him? Are their hurts/wounds in my life that I will not allow Him to heal? Am I being actively disobedient?); and 2) Do I really understand the hope that comes from having a relationship with our Savior? (I think that we often don't even realize the hope that we have because we are not setting apart Christ as Lord). I am praying that your community in Long Beach-neighbors, people around the church, coworkers, fellow students, etc.-will see the hope you have and be drawn to Jesus.

Along the theme of hope, I have recently drawn upon the Lord for strength as I am realizing how a life lived without Him is a wasted life. A few weeks ago, I got really sick, and Emily happened to be out of town at a conference. In that "down-time," the Lord met me and reminded me of my true calling in life-fellowship with Him! In I Corinthians 1:9, Paul says, "God is faithful who has called us into fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ our Lord." When I simply invest in the things of this world, I tend to focus on my insignificance. Do I really matter? Does what I do really matter? I can't see the results I am looking for. But when I focus on my relationship with Jesus, my life takes on new meaning. Even the details of my life matter as they are done to please my master, my Lord. Knowing that my life carries eternal significance and that my life with Jesus is now and forevermore, that brings great hope! What a calling! And it doesn't end. We don't have to say goodbye to Him or to those who He has called His own. What a motivation to minister to the needs of lost friends, family, and strangers. They live a life without true hope. And I am not speaking of hope in the sense of "I really hope that such and such happens." Instead, I am speaking of the biblical notion of hope: favorable and confident expectation of the good that is to come.

If we don't know this hope, it could be that we have forgotten who we are in Christ. It could be that the academic, social, vocational, or other aspects of our lives have taken precedent over what is most important. We can easily get caught up in simply doing good things, working tons of overtime at work (this is a big one for me), and yet forget about what is most important. I think the words to the church in Ephesus are fitting: "I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent, and do the things you did at first...He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God" (Rev. 2). God wants me. God wants you. He wants our attention, our devotion, our love. There is nothing more important!

On another note, Emily and I have been doing well. As we mentioned earlier, our schedules are such that we see each other late at night and on weekends, but we have been making the most of our time and growing in our relationship with each other. We are currently reading Daniel-good book! We are also hosting a high school bible study at our place on Sunday nights. We are going through the student version of Roaring Lambs by Bob Briner. The basic goal of the study is to get high school students to be bondservants of Christ in all areas of their lives-I think we can all relate!

Heather, Emily's sister, came for the weekend to celebrate her birthday. It has been wonderful to have her here. I know some of you have had the privilege of meeting her. Yesterday, the three of us went to Eudorafest, a community event where there were booths and activities. There was also a mock western showdown, the kind where people dress up like cowboys and act like they're shooting each other. You can go to Temecula and see the same thing. Anyway, we watched three of their acts and they all had the same basic storyline: guys with guns meet, guys with guns get in an argument, and guys with guns shoot everyone until all the guys, or just the "innocent" women bystanders are left standing. The only discrepancy was that they shot one of the ladies in the last act, but other than that the ladies did come away looking like the smarter bunch J!

Our weather has changed dramatically. No more 100 degree weather and I am fine with that. The leaves are beginning to change colors and autumn is here to stay. It has been a while since we have lived in a place with distinct seasons. The weather seemed to change in the middle of the day a few weeks ago. I went to work and had the air-conditioner on. When I left from work I had to turn on the heater.

Thanks for your prayers. We need them. We would also like to pray for you more specifically, so send any requests you have. Until next time, enjoy life and be blessed.

Dave and Emily