Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Hope for a Suffering Church

Ummm?...

Hello faithful followers!
Happy Holidays to you all.
We hope and pray that you all are doing well.

Thanksgiving & Snow
Life is going great out here in Montana. We are gearing up here for winter with about seven inches of snow and it is still coming. Praise God. The mountains are covered and it is cold. It doesn't get any better than this winter wonderland.

I can't believe that Thanksgiving has come and gone already. We love the holiday season. We had the great opportunity to trek out to Seattle to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with Annie's family. It was a great time; full of lots of eggnog consumption, some Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade watching, and another New York Jet's Victory! What a great Thanksgiving. O how sweet life is!

Left Behind?
So I (Justin) am writing today to say thanks to everyone that prayed for me with my 1st Thessalonian's teaching in November. It went so well. God really spoke through me and moved in the lives of the students.

Last year I had the privilege of teaching the book of 2nd Thessalonians and this year, the book of 1st Thessalonians. They have turned out to be two of my favorite books in the Bible. These books were written to a discouraged and suffering church in the Roman Province of Thessalonica. I relate so well with the church in Thessalonica because of what they believed about the second coming of Christ. You see, like the church in Thessalonica who struggled with misconceptions about the second coming, I, in my own past have struggled with this.

In the book of 1st Thessalonians the church of Thessalonica is worried about their relatives who have died because they believed that if they were dead they would miss out on the 2nd coming of Christ. This was because of their Greek mindset. The 1st century Greeks did not believe in an afterlife, but that after death one was in a state of eternal "nothingness."

In the book of 2nd Thessalonians the church believed that they themselves had missed the second coming completely, because of some false teaching that was circulating. They believed that they were"left behind."

Before I did my SBS in 2007 I thought that the only book in the bible that talked about Christ's second coming was the book of Revelation. So with everything I heard about the book of Revelation and with the help of the "Left Behind" books and the "Thief in the Night" movies I used to be confused about the Second Coming and it led to fear because all I heard about the return of Christ was that is was a scary event. There were times where as a little boy, I actually believed that all the Christians I knew had been raptured and I was "left behind." This was terrifying for me as a child.

Being fearful of the Second Coming was by no means Paul's intentions when he wrote to the church of Thessalonica. If there is fear involved with Christ's Return then their is something seriously wrong with what we as followers of Jesus believe about this day. Paul wrote in both books to encourage the church of Thessalonica about Christ's return and to not have them be fearful or confused about what is going to happen on that day. In the book of 1st Thessalonians Paul encourages them that not only are their dead friends and relatives fine, but they are already in heaven and they are coming back with Jesus so there is no reason to worry about them. In the book of 2nd Thessalonians Paul writes to encourage them that they have not missed the second coming of Christ and that they already know about what is going to happen because he told them exactly what was going to happen. If only we today had heard what Paul had already told them about Christ's return. But unfortunately all we have is one side of a two way conversation. But knowing every single detail about Christ's return, or when it is going to happen is not the point! The point is, "you haven't missed it so don't worry! It won't happen until the things that I have already told you about take place." Also he encourages this suffering and horrendously persecuted people that on that day their persecutors will judged for the horrible things that they have done. Right there and then at the moment of His return those who love him, will be with him forever. Paul's message to this church was not of fear but of hope. He wants to lift up a persecuted church and encourage them with the fact that they are ok. They are not "left behind" and they will be vindicated. Their suffering will end.

This message speaks so much to me, because like I said, as a child growing up, I was terrified about the return of Christ. But after studying this book I have peace and know that it is a joyful thing. I don't have to be afraid but can be comforted at the thought of Jesus' return.

May this be an encouragement to you also. If you are someone who feels fearful at the thought of Christ's return, you can have peace. Relax and know that if you love him, and follow him, you are good to go.

It's actually amazing how well this church was doing at the time Paul wrote to them, considering he was was only in Thessalonica discipling them for about a month, maybe a little longer before he was kicked out by a riot (see Acts 17). So they only had a month with Paul the man who taught them about Jesus, before he was kicked out and their own persecution increased. To only have some confusion about the Second Coming of Christ and still standing firm in the midst of persecution in their new beliefs shows that this church is strong. These believers risked death, the safety of their families, and their ability to earn a living and function as normal members of society for Christ. Yet they risked it all and were strong in their faith.

This is a challenge to us, to keep the faith when we have hard times of our own. And to be encouraged that when he comes back, all of the suffering that we have endured will be gone in the blink of an eye. We will be with Jesus forever!

We can all chill out about figuring out when Jesus is coming. We don't know! ONLY God knows, so we can relax, follow him and trust that when it happens, we will be vindicated. We like the believers in Thessalonica will be with Christ in that blessed instant.

So that is just a tiny tiny tiny snap shot of my lecture. I would encourage you all to read these books because they are amazing. Also I would encourage you to read Acts 17 first for some good background to the church. If you have any questions about them I would love to dialog about these. You can get my contact info from the Contact tab on our blog.

Thanks for following!

Prayer Requests:

1) TEACHING: I teach the book of James on the 15th of the month. Please pray for
- God to use the book of James in our lives
- Final preparations to go smoothly

2) TRAVEL: We are heading to New York for Christmas on the 16th so please pray for
- Travel Money
- That traveling with Ella will go smoothly (i.e. crying on the plane)
- safe travel
(We return January to MT 4th)

3) A NEW CAR - the car we have has been SUCH a blessing to us, but we realized on our last road trip to Seattle that our family has outgrown it. With all of the driving that we do back and forth from Seattle, and our growing family, we think that now is an appropriate time to start saving. We are hoping to start looking for our new car in a year. Please pray for the finances to do this and that the right car would come along. If you feel led to give towards our car fund, you can see how to do so on the Partner with us tab on our blog. Just specify with a note that your donation is is for our "car fund"

4) FAMILY - Ella is sick with a nasty virus. Please pray for her quick recovery.

We love and appreciate you all so much! Thank you for being a part of our lives.

Happy Holidays!!!!

Justin, Annie & Ella








Friday, October 15, 2010

SBS 2010 - 2011

Hello Faithful Followers!
We hope and pray that you are doing well.

Here's what's up with the SBS: We we are well underway here with the School of Biblical studies 2010 - 2011. We just finished our 3 week seminar which consists of classes all day, morning to night training the students with the tools that they will be using to study the Bible this year. It is an intense first three weeks for both staff and students. So far so good everything is going smoothly. We have a great class this year consisting of 44 Students from all over the world. This year we have students from the US, Canada, England, Norway, Nepal, Kosovo, South Korea and Ukraine. They are remarkable people, who are passionate about serving God and the nations

So far the students have studied the books of Philemon, Titus, Galatians, Ephesians, Acts, and Mark. Six books down and sixty-six to go. Next week they will study the book of Luke.

Some stuff God is up to: God is already moving miracles among the students in our school. We have seen Him heal a torn rotator cuff ligament, restore a student's vision after years of wearing glasses, and use both his word and times of ministry to set people free from lies that have held them back for years. God is moving in all of our lives and doing amazing things, and it is only the beginning! We are excited for what God will continue to do over the next eight months!

Teaching: As you know, teaching is one of our many responsibilities as SBS staff. For this quarter, I (Justin) am teaching 1 Thessalonians on Nov 1st and James on December 15th.
Annie is focusing more on being mom, than being in the classroom right now, but is finding unique ways of being involved in the school that don't require her to be in the classroom on a daily basis. She is hoping that as we move into winter and spring quarter she will be able to take on some teaching, but for now is enjoying using her gifts to bless the school in other ways.

On the home front: As a family we are adjusting to our new roles as parents, and all the changes it has brought to our lives. We are learning how to maintain the balance between family and staffing the school. We absolutely love being parents! Annie is such an amazing mom. It is hard to believe that Ella is already two months old! We are so thankful that God brought her into our lives. She is a greater source of joy than we could have ever imagined!

Life in our new cabin is going well. We love our home and are enjoy having more space. We feel so blessed that God has provided us with such a great place to live.


Here are some things you can be praying for for us:

1) Balance: as we work to maintain everything that is involved with staffing the SBS and Family Life

2)
Grace: as we continue to adjust to all the changes that have recently occurred in our lives

3) Growth: That we will continue to grow closer to God both individually and as a family

4) Provision: That we will gain more monthly supporters. We are so grateful for how God has provided so far!

4) Ministry: That we can serve those around us well

5) Family: That we will be faithful in our ministry as parents. Please pray for our daughter as she is growing up in this unique setting of world missions. Pray that we'll be good parents. Please also pray for our marriage.

Thank you for your faithfulness in following us in our ministry and all of the many ways in which you, our readers support us.

Thank you for believing in us, and the ministry God has called us to.

in Christ's service,

Justin, Annie & Ella







Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Welome Ella Joy!

"Every Child has been created for greater things, to love and be loved, in the image of God. Once a Child is conceived there is life, God's Life. " -Mother Teresa




After nine very long months, our precious baby girl has arrived!!! Ella Joy Frase was born on August 17th at 5 o'clock pm weighing 7 lbs 71/2 oz. Mommy are Ella are both doing well, mommy is recovering nicely....thanks to everyone who has been praying for us throughout this long journey.

We could not feel more blessed or be more excited about this new little person who has just entered our lives. We are absolutely smitten, and feel that somehow Ella's arrival has made many of life's pieces fall into place for us. God's timing is so perfect. He knew that at this time in our lives, to become parents was exactly right for us. We feel as though a huge part of our destiny has been revealed to us; giving us an incredible sense of peace, purpose, and fulfillment. This has also drawn us closer together as a couple. It is crazy to us how God can use a humble little helpless person to completely change the lives of those around it. It reveals so much about the Kingdom of God, and the very heart of our father in heaven.

We are looking forward to our journey as parents, and the journeys we will take as a family! We appreciate your prayers as we begin...

with love and joy,

The Frases


Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Summer Times and New Beginnings...


Hi friends,

This week marks the official beginning of our prep for the up and coming 2010/11 SBS!
Man, what a summer it has been for us! Since we graduated the 09/10 school at the end of June, Justin has been in two weddings, we have moved into our new house, I have had two overnight hospital visits (still no baby.) I was put on bed rest for about two weeks and am now mostly bed ridden with some physical complications due to my pregnancy. Fortunately even though I am in pain, neither Baby, nor I are in any danger. Nothing to worry about...this pregnancy has just been hard on my body.
When not preoccupied with the above, Justin and I have been helping out logistically here on the YWAM base: Justin helping keep up the base grounds and I have helped in the base snack bar.

Also, Justin has been having fun playing drums at a few local gigs with one of the bands that formed here on the base. The band is called Stoner Creek Band, and its a country band, which is something different than what Justin is used to musically and he has a blast doing it. Its a great way for him to get involved in the local community while doing something he loves.

Baby Girl Frase is due any day now!

Next SBS: As we sat down with one of our session leaders today to talk about what staffing this new school is going to look like for our family, Justin and I started getting really excited about this next school! We look so forward to investing into these students God is sending to us, and growing in our abilities as staff. We know things are going to look different for us now, having a little one, and are excited to learn about and walk in the unique contribution that our family will make in the world through the School of Biblical Studies. The 10/11 school starts September 20th! The countdown to the craziness begins! :-)


Please be Praying:
  • for Baby to come soon!! (and in perfect health)
  • for healing and grace in Mom's physical struggles with the pregnancy
  • for grace with the HUGE life transition that we are about to go through becoming parents
  • for our family as we learn our "groove" as a family in full time missions
  • for the students who will be coming to us in September
  • for the staff as we prepare for the upcoming school
  • finances
Thanks God! Moving into our new house was such a GOD STORY for us! Thank you to everyone who prayed for us in regards to this. What an incredible blessing it is for us to be living on a missionary budget, but to have a beautiful little home to start our family in. How amazing to have things like a full kitchen, a bath tub, a bedroom that is separate from the living room! From our bedroom window can see the Montana mountains and here the creek rush by outside. God has been so faithful to us in the little and big things, and we are overcome with gratitude! When we trust him, he really does take care of us.

We love you all so much and are grateful for all the ways that you support the work we are doing here. We are overwhelmed with the love that we are received from those around us.

with love and gratitude,

Justin, Annie & Baby Girl Frase





Saturday, June 5, 2010

Three Weeks Till Take Off...



Warmest Greetings,

Here at YWAM Montana, the SBS students and staff are are busily nearing the end of the 09/10 school year. The SBS Students graduate on June 26th. Justin and I have both finished teaching for the year, and are now busy planning end of the year activities for students, grading their final books, and most importantly using the time we have left to prepare students to take what they have spent nine months learning, and fly with it.

I have to admit that for various reasons, these past nine months have been some of the most difficult of mine and Justin's personal lives. It is hard, when you are going through difficult things personally, to know whether or not you are successful in your ministry. When things don't go as you expect, you begin to ask yourself questions like, "Is what I am doing making a difference? Am I doing enough to invest in the people God has brought to me? Will my students ever know how much I truly love them?

The answer to these questions, I am learning, is YES and the reason is because God is FAITHFUL. The following is a testimony of how God choose to remind me of that:

Each staff person is responsible for a small group of 2-5 students that we look after and meet with weekly throughout the year. Last Wednesday, my small group decided to bless me, so they surprised me by taking me out for my favorite dessert, and blessing me with words of affirmation and prayers. I cannot tell you how much it meant to me to hear these ladies say to me how much my influence has meant in their lives. I am blown away when I see how much these young women have grown since they first came here in September. Each of them has become a stronger women of God. They seem to have gained such a greater awareness of who they are; their identity in God and what that means for them as they are taking the next steps in their lives after SBS. God has done amazing things in them, and I am SO proud of them!

I do not say this to to make you think that I am somehow great, or deserve some kind of credit...because I don't, and I am not. My reason for sharing this, rather is to remind all of us, myself included of the INCREDIBLE faithfulness of God. Even when we feel inadequate or unprepared for that which he has called us to, God is faithful. Our calling is not about us! Rather, it's about God wanting to do something through us. Our job, is to obey him when he asks us to do something, whatever it is, no matter how out of control, or difficult life might seem, when we walk in obedience, He will fill in the gaps.

What an amazing breath of fresh air for me, to send out these amazing students, knowing that is will be the same with them. As we have been obedient to invest in them, God has been faithful to bring about his purposes for them in this season. Now, equipped with truth, and eager for what awaits them they are going forth to the places where God is calling them, and He is going to be faithful to use them just the same. Wherever they go he will fill in the gaps where they need it. He will use them to influence people all over the earth with the life transforming truth of God's love that they have just spent nine months soaking in.

As Justin and I prepare for parenthood, this same thought carries over. As much as we feel inadequate or unequipped to be parents, the fact is that God has called us to this. This is the next greatest call that God has placed on us, and if we are trusting him, and walking in obedience, it is HE who will be faithful to our daughter and future children. He will be faithful to fill in the gaps where we lack and bring about his beautiful plan for our children's lives.

This leads me to challenge you. What is the area of you life where God has called you? Is it right where you are currently such as your work? ministry? school? your family? Maybe it is somewhere new that he is leading you; some change that he is stirring in your life? We all struggle with fear, self doubt, busyness, distraction...but my encouragement to you is that God will fill in the gaps. Don't concentrate on where you lack, but rather where God is strong. Give yourself grace and know that God is going to be faithful to bring about his plans for your life. No matter how much you doubt yourself, remember that our job is not to have it all together, but to obey. If we all waited until we had it all together, The Kingdom of God would not be what it is today, and we would all miss out on the incredible opportunity we have as believers to aid in God's work of transforming lives.

Thank you to all of you who have been obedient to your call to invest in Justin and I through your prayers, encouragement and financial blessings. As you have walked in obedience, these students' lives have been changed. You have played a part in the many things that they will go on to do for the Kingdom of God throughout the world.

Prayer Points:
  • finances
  • healthy baby and mommy (baby will be here in 10 weeks)
  • we are still waiting to move- please pray that this process speeds up so that we can be settled in before baby comes
  • our marriage - please pray for strength and growth, especially with all the changes in the coming season
  • students- that they would finish strong, and also that God would provide for them and prepare them for the places they are going next
Our Plans for Summer/Next Year:

With a baby coming soon...we plan to spend July here in Montana. Since SBS doesn't run in the summer, we will help out logistically with other departments here on the YWAM base that continue to run in the summer time. The rest of our time will be spent preparing for baby, moving into our new home, and enjoying the beautiful Montana summer. August is when Baby comes, and also when staff training and preparation begins for the next SBS which we will be staffing. The next SBS starts in September.

Thanks for tuning in! We love you all so much!

In His grace,

Justin and Annie (& Baby Girl)

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

God Story! We have a Washer & Dryer!

Hey guys,

Thank you so much for praying about a stacked washer and dryer for us! God answered our prayers! Here is the God Story:

I sent the prayer request about the washer/dryer to you on Saturday...at that point, we had checked everything that there was on Craigslist in this area, and there was nothing available that would be right for us.

Sunday (the very next day) we got an email from a friend telling us to check out a stacked washer/dryer that he found on Craigslist here in Kalispell. The owner must have just posted it, because there was NOTHING when we had looked just the night before.

I contacted the owner and we went to look at it on Tuesday. It was exactly what we needed! Not only was it in GREAT shape, but the dimensions were exactly what we needed to fit in our closet (a rare find) and the owner was willing to negotiate on price. So we got it for a STEAL.

We arranged to pick it up on Wed morning and in the meantime a repair man had come to install the owner's new washer/dryer. While there, the repair man appraised the one waiting in her kitchen to be picked up by us. He said that this was a fantastic washer/dryer...better quality than most stacked and that she could have sold it to us for WAY more money than she did. He was very surprised that she had agree to part with it for so cheap. (thankfully she kept her word to us at the price we had agreed on, we couldn't have afforded to pay more)

So, to make a long story short: you prayed, THE NEXT DAY God provided the perfect washer and dryer for us, at a price so low that we should never have gotten it that cheap! AWESOME! I love having God on my side! He cares even about the little things, like us being able to do our laundry :-)

Thanks to you also for being on our side, and praying for us! We love you.

PS: Justin's lecture went well, but I will let him tell you about that, so stay tuned....

with love and gratitude,

A&J

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Home Sweet Home...God provides

Hey lovely people,

We have a God story, and a couple of prayer requests, so here goes:

God story:
We are finally going to be able to move into a bigger place! Yay!

Up till now we have been sharing one small room with a small 3/4 bathroom and a mini kitchenette space. The only sink that we have is in the bathroom, so basically we have been washing our dishes in the same sink that we brush our teeth in (so much fun ;-). While cramped, this placed has been a blessing to and we are grateful that God provided for us to be able to live here for the past year. However with a baby coming, this just isn't going to be enough space for the three of us. Which is why we have been praying for somewhere else to live, but considering the small budget we already live off of every month, this was going to be a challenge.

After much praying and waiting on God, we have learned that we are going to be able to move into one of the cabins that are here on the YWAM base. Even though we call them cabins, the mental picture should probably be that of more of a small cottage. The cabin we will be moving into is only about two years old! We will have a room for the baby, a kitchen, our own bedroom that is not in the living room (like we have now) even a bathtub! We are thrilled and so excited to God for providing this space for us to live in. And while our monthly costs will go up with our new housing, it is still going to be a very economical option for us.

So, thank you everyone to who has been praying for us! God has been so faithful to provide for us all along! We hope that this encourages you, as you trust in him to provide for your needs as well.

Prayer Requests:
With that said, we have a few things that we would humbly as for you to pray about for us...

1. We need a washer and dryer. The cabin we are moving into has a small closet that is designed to fit a stacked washer and dryer. We don't have the finances to buy a new one, (they start at about 900 dollars) and finding them used is a bit tricky....please pray that God would provide a stacked washer and dryer for us. With a baby coming, this is VERY important...as you all know, babies create lots of laundry!

2. Justin is teaching Joel and Obadiah this Monday (April 26th.) Please pray for him as he continues to prepare throughout the weekend and when he teaches on Monday. His lecture is from 2-5 pm mountain time, for those of you who want to be interceding while he teaches.

Thanks so much for your interest in our lives! We love you all!

J & A

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Praise Report: New Computer

Hello Faithful Blog Followers,

I have a great update for you all today!


I GOT A NEW COMPUTER...PRAISE GOD!

As most of you know, before this school started my (Justin) old computer became unusable. Not the greatest time for that to happen (having a functioning personal computer is a must in staffing this school) but throughout the process of waiting on God to get a new one, He has been faithful. I have been borrowing friends' computers for about eight months now which has gotten me through, so I am very thankful for that! Now I have a nice new computer that I can depend on when I work and it has changed things already! I can have my own computer software that helps me study and prepare for my lectures. I also am able to do my own PowerPoint presentations for my lectures (which was very difficult before in that I had to borrow other peoples'. ) Also, I can actually see the screen! The one I was borrowing most recently was so small that I had trouble using it. We are praising God for this blessing; many prayers for a new computer have been answered!

I sincerely thank you all for praying with me for this. And for those who gave thank you so so much for being willing to be used by God through giving and encouraging me!!

That's all for now...Again...thank you so so much!


Love,
Justin and Annie

Friday, April 2, 2010

Proverbs - "Pass it on"


Hello Everybody! I hope you are all doing well! Students are now returning from having a week of spring break and Monday marks the start of the third and final quarter of the 09/10 SBS.

I (Justin) had the awesome privilege of teaching the book of Proverbs a couple weeks ago in our School of Biblical Studies, and it went awesome! Thanks so much for praying for me as I prepared and taught.

The book of Proverbs is such and amazing book of the Bible! God really used this book to speak to me where I am at at this point in my life. This book is about passing wisdom and guidance on to the next generation; showing them practical ways to live everyday life so that they can walk in their Covenant with God. As you know, Annie and I are about to have a baby girl. God used this book to challenge me that I need to take this next five months to get as ready as I can for this baby girl. It is up to me to learn and grow so I can be the best father I can be.

The other main thing God really highlighted to me both for my life and for the students, is that wisdom is a lifestyle. When we look at the life of Solomon (author of some of the proverbs) we see that he was the smartest man in the world and he still fell because of his love for women. He had all the wisdom he could need, and still fell, because he failed to use it. It isn't about just having wisdom but living that wisdom out in every day situations in our lives. It is up to us to walk in a lifestyle of wisdom and the book of proverbs has some good helps for us to do this. Although some of the proverbs, don't apply to us culturally there are specific truths in each of them; truths that can be applied by us today.

My main application of the lecture was seeking wise counsel. The book of Proverbs encourages one to seek wise counsel for wisdom in whatever decisions you are going to make and situations you are in. For me, as our daughter is about to come I need to be asking other parents what I can do to get ready to better prepare me to be a father.

Our students are in the part of this school where they are making decisions about what they are to do next, after the school is over. As an application, I had them write down three people that they trust and can talk to for advice in any area of their lives so that they can go to those people and seek wise counsel.

I am so thankful that God had me teach this book! It was such a blessing to me and it was awesome to see the students discover what God had for them in this book as well.

Next Teachings

Justin:
Joel and Obadiah April 26th
Esther June 4th

Annie:
Zephaniah May 14th

Praise reports:

  • After being very sick the first five months of her pregnancy, Annie is finally starting to feel better. Annie has had to step back a bit from her normal SBS duties in order to focus on her health, but she is now hopeful to jump back in with the start of the new quarter and finish the year strong.
  • We have been seeing God provide for us in amazing ways! Thank you to everyone who has been praying for us!
  • Justin has been able to borrow a laptop until we can afford to get him a new one. Thanks to everyone who has been donating and praying for this.
Prayer Requests:
  • Finances- We are still trying to raise finances to cover our increase in costs of living with baby coming.
  • Housing -We are still waiting to get into a bigger place that will fit our growing family. This also means an increase in our monthly expenses. Please pray for the right place to open up for us, before the baby comes, and for the finances we will need to afford it.
  • Health- continued health for mom and baby
  • Our marriage and family- It has been a year full of changes!!! Please pray that we will grow together as we process through all of the changes that we have encountered this year and will continue to encounter with the growth of our family. Also for grace and wisdom as we raise a family on the mission field.
  • Lectures-pray for us as we prepare to teach the word of God this quarter. Teaching is a responsibility that we do not take lightly. Also that we would be good stewards of the other many hats we wear as SBS staff, from discipleship to grading and beyond.
With love and gratitude,

Justin & Annie (& baby girl)

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight." Proverbs 19:10



Thursday, February 4, 2010

The "Open Door" Book



HOWDY YA'LL,

I hope everything is going very very well for you all. Please keep us updated on how you are doing!!!

3 John

So I (Justin) got the awesome privilege to teach the book of 3rd John for both classes we work with, the AM session who Annie works with and the PM session which I work with.

3rd John is the second smallest book in the Bible (next to 2nd John) and yet it is one of the most overlooked and crucial. The book's message of hospitality, is one that should to applied by every single person who desires to be a follower of Christ.

Both 2nd and 3rd John deal with the issue of hospitality within the church. 2nd John is known as the "Closed Door" book because the author is calling the original readers to not show hospitality to false teachers, who intended to do damage to their homes, and the church. 3rd John is the perfect contrast being known as the "Open Door" book because the author is writing to encourage a man named Gaius who is showing hospitality to those who are traveling and ministering the gospel.

Traveling teachers and philosophers were very common during this time (80's 90's AD). In fact they depended on the hospitality of others for their ministry to keep going. If they didn't have anyone to show them hospitality then they could no longer do what they were called to do.

The word Hospitality is made up of two Greek words "Philo" and "Xenos" and it means "The Love of Strangers". This love of strangers is so crucial to be walked out by believers because we are called to love all and the most important reason is because it is at the core of God's Character. In God himself we see the ULTIMATE act of Hospitality. It is God who calls every single person in the world to come to him and to live with him forever. Now that is Hospitality!

Now the amazing thing about hospitality is that it is so easy to walk out. It is probably the easiest thing we could work on to be more like God, and it is a huge part of who God is. This is a call that God has given us all.

I learned so much teaching this book. It is so easy for me to be selfish with what I have and not want to bless others with it, but God challenged me to give what I have and bless others with it even though it isn't much at all! I am so thankful for this lesson, and that I got to learn it through teaching this book.

As an application for the students, I challenged them to find ways of practicing hospitality in their own lives. Every day there are opportunities all around them to practice hospitality, and I encouraged them not to let those opportunities pass them by. It is a way for them to reflect God's character to others.

At the end of the lecture, the other SBS staff and I surprised the class with a special brunch, that we were prepared to serve to them. It was an awesome time of fellowship, and a great chance for us as staff to show hospitality to the students.

That is my lecture in a nutshell and if any of you want to talk 3 John please write me or call me...518-225-5602 or justin.frase@ywammontana.org

Prayer Requests

Marriage: That we will grow closer to God and each other during this exciting time getting ready for the baby to come.

Finances: This is HUGE need right now with the baby on the way! We really need to build our support base because we can't live on with what we have coming in right now. Please pray for an increase in our support. Please also pray about whether God would have you join our support team; Anything Counts...whether it is 5, 10, 25 dollars a month. We need to raise at least 1000 more dollars a month.

Health: Momma has been sick. Both "Baby sick" and she got a pretty nasty cold.
Pray for health for the little baby too. We are now 12 weeks along in the pregnancy.

Housing: Our little room isn't going to be suitable for our new little baby so please pray that a house opens up for us here on the YWAM base.

Lectures: Annie is no longer teaching Leviticus because she has been so sick. Justin teaches Proverbs in 4 weeks.

Thanks for readin' up on the Frase Files!

We Love you!

Justin & Annie





Tuesday, January 5, 2010

New Year, New Quarter, New Adventure...


Happy 2010! We hope that all of you had an amazing holiday season!

New things for SBS: Not only is it a new Year for us, but the start of a new quarter for the SBS. Students started winter quarter off on Monday with the book of 1 Peter, and in a few weeks time will be ready to start the Old Testament...beginning with the book of Genesis! This is my (Annie) favorite time of the SBS! I love watching the old testament come alive to the students, as they see God's heart; his pursuit of people, and make the discovery that he truly is the same God in the Old Testament, that we see in the New. His compassion, mercy, redemption and love are all a gleaming beacon throughout the Bible from Genesis to Revelations.

New News for us: Not only are things changing in SBS, but we have received some news that is going to change our personal lives drastically! We are expecting a baby!!!! That's right, Little Baby Frase is due in August and we are thrilled! However, things have been a little crazy around here, as morning sickness, fatigue, and all of the other experiences that come along with the first trimester of pregnancy have taken up residence with us. Please be praying for us, as we walk through this time and continue trying to keep up with the crazy pace of life. (unfortunately life goes on whether you're sick or not, too bad we can't hit the freeze and resume button on life :-) )


lectures:

Our last lectures went well, so thanks to everyone who prayed for us.

1 Tim (Justin) this book is a charge to stop false teaching from spreading in the churches, and to refute it through sound doctrine. As Justin studied this book, I (Annie) watched his passion against false teaching grow outwardly, as God ignited his passion inwardly. He did an amazing job of showing the students the negative effect that false teaching can have on people. He used some examples from history and present. One of the things he did was to show a couple of Youtube videos, posted by people who have taken passages from 1 Tim out of context, and completely distorted them with hate and bitterness. Students were blown away by how people could take passages from scripture, misinterpret them, and then fuel them with so much hate, to convince others that what they had to say was valid.

Another example he used was that of the World Wide Church of God, which is a cult started by a false prophet and self proclaimed "apostle" named Herbert W. Armstrong. Justin showed a portion of a documentary about this cult. It shows the great pain that this man's false teaching has done, in leading people into bondage. The documentary also showed the power of God's word to speak truth into the darkness. In this documentary, many of the cult's leaders came to look at scripture, and realized that everything they believed and had taught for years was wrong. God walked them through a process of speaking out the word of truth and through their boldness to proclaim the world many lives were led back to truth, and much damage was done to the cult. Many people refused to see the truth and continue to this day to believe the false teachings of Herbert W. Armstrong. Others, however have been set free from a life of bondage by the proclaiming of the Word of Truth. Justin's charge to the students, was to continue studying and teaching the word, because there are so many people out there still in bondage, they need to hear the truth.

2 Tim (Annie) - was Paul's final letter, written shortly before his martyrdom in the late sixties, AD. I started the lecture off, as if it were a funeral service for Paul and we (myself and the students) were the first century church in Ephesus. This exercise was to get them to understand the plight of the original reader/s of this book. Theirs' was one of persecution, suffering, and the rapid spread of false teaching, which was threatening them, their families, and friends. Just as in this book, Paul urged Timothy to not give up, know matter what the cost, this was my charge to the students. God has placed a calling on each of their lives, and he is investing in them as they do SBS. I urged them, not to be selfish with that; not to take all of this bible knowledge that they will have spent 9 months acquiring and keep it to themselves. The point is to use it for others. I promised them that there will be a temptation to walk away from their calling, when things get hard, just as Timothy was tempted; but that they must have eternal perspective. So often we forget that material comforts are not eternal. When we give up God's calling and trade it for material or other such fleeting comforts, we are trading something eternal for something fleeting. Don't make material possessions, or comfort more important than people who are to reap from you're influence. There is a suffering and broken world that needs to hear about Jesus and be set free from bondage through the power of his word, don't make your own comfort more important than that! I ended the class by Knighting each of them as warrior prince/princesses of God's kingdom. My charge as I held a sword upon their shoulder, imitating a traditional knighting ceremony was this: that they not held back by fear, but be aided with the spirit of power, love and self control, as 2 Tim talks about. I charged them to go forth, as warriors for good, not counting the cost, but looking to God as they march forward to change the world. It was a powerful moment for all of us, and I truly believe it was one taken seriously by God. I believe in that moment, he truly anointed many of them to go forward into their calling.

Looking Back: As we look back on the year 2009, is seems like a whirlwind. It was a year of many new things, engagement, marriage, SBS staff. While the end of it was busy, with both of us teaching, preparing for the holidays, the trip home to Seattle, the News of Baby, we look back on the entire year with joy. We remember God's faithfulness to us, and continue to look to him to be our guide and our provider in the New Year.

Prayer Requests:
  • finances: Babies cost money, and right now we need at least 300 dollars more a month in financial support.This would help us to move into a house here on the YWAM base, pay for costs of living, and costs of baby. We KNOW God will provide and we refuse to give up our work in global missions, so long as he calls us to it. Please pray that he will provide, and also, if you feel so led, pray about joining our monthly support team. Any amount is GREATLY appreciated!!
  • Health: Healthy baby and mommy
  • upcoming lectures: Justin- 2 & 3rd John; Annie- Leviticus
We love you all and wish you an amazing 2010!