Welcome to the GMAF Newsletter! We pray it will encourage you in your Martial Arts and Outreach for Christ.
"And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude."
Jesus Christ
"Be careful for nothing: but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God."
The Apostle Paul
"O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever."
Psalm 107:1
God wants His people to be thankful. He deserves it and it is a wonderful experience for us. God deserves our thanks because He has given us life and health. We owe everything to Him. All good things come from God. It is a wonderful experience for us because it brings our hearts and minds closer to Him. Thankfulness is a positive attitude and results in positive thoughts and physical response.
One of the greatest insights to giving thanks is in Psalm 107. The psalmist exhorts God's people to give thanks to the Lord because:
1) He is good
2) His mercy endureth for ever
3) He hath redeemed them from the hand of the enemy
4) He delivered them out of their distresses
5) He led them forth by the right way
6) His wonderful works
7) He satisfied the longing soul
8) He filled the hungry soul with goodness
9) He made the storm a calm
10) His loving kindness
All that God does for us comes from His Goodness. That is where our thankfulness begins. "O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good." God's Mercy, Redemption and Deliverance come from His Goodness. God is Good. For that we thank Him for ever and ever.
One of the shortest Psalms is Psalm 117. Though short (only two verses), it packs in everything we need to know and understand for thankfulness. Here is the entire Psalm.
"O praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people. For his merciful kindness is great toward us; and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever. Praise ye the Lord."
The psalmist cries out to every nation on Earth to praise God. The reasons: His Merciful Kindness is great toward us and the Truth of the Lord endures forever.
What we learn from that Psalm is God is Great, God is Good. The children's prayer states the Truth so well. God is a Great God. He is All-Powerful, All-Knowing, Every Where Present at the Same Time, and Unchangeable. God is also a Good God. He is Loving, Kind, Merciful, and Forgiving. For all of these reasons, we should "Praise the Lord."
Other Psalms to read this month as you consider being thankful:
Psalm 75
Psalm 118
Psalm 136
Our prayers are with you as you give thanks to God along with family and friends during this special season of the year. Thanksgiving and Christmas are wonderful holidays and a great time to gather with family and friends. It's also a tremendous opportunity to share Christ with others in our lives.
The Church is designed by God to provide the fellowship, biblical instruction, healing, guidance, maturity and sense of belonging believers need for continuous spiritual growth. It is intended to be a safe place where different forms of worship and service to the Lord can be expressed as a group. in this sense, it is a foretaste of heaven. It is designed to provide encouragement for the servants of the Lord to be renewed in their hope and faith.
The natural man "joins the Church" much the same as he would join a civic or fraternal organization. To him the Church is a building where God lives, where good people visit on Sunday morning and maybe even Wednesday nights. This building is to be highly respected and well-groomed at all times.
CHURCH IS NOT A BUILDING WHERE CHRISTIANS MEET. CHRISTIANS ARE THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST.
If a street bum or dirty and ill-mann ered person comes into this building, the religious man thinks God has been highly insulted that they have treated "His House" with such disrespect.
The carnal Christian may see the Church as a place to go for spiritual food and fellowship. He may go simply to have his own needs met, not realizing the treasure and purpose of God for the Church. If he is attending a "Church" which is not much more than a religious gathering, he may think it is a rule that he must go there in order to stay in good standing with God, even if it is boring and he doesn't receive the nurture he needs.
THE SPIRITUAL CHRISTIAN IS AWARE OF OTHERS AROUND HIM AND IS GROWING IN ABILITY TO MINISTER TO AND SERVE OTHERS.
The spiritual Christian realizes the Church is the Body of Christ. He is aware of others around him, and he is constantly growing in his ability to minister to and serve others. He treasures the relationship which have helped him grow strong in the Lord, and he continues in them as a vital part of his healthy lifestyle in Christ. He recognizes that "Church" is wherever two or more are gathered in Jesus' name, and he partakes in these gatherings as the Holy Spirit leads.
(Next month: Third Base)
We would love to share your inspirational thoughts with GMAF members. Please send your studies, essays and other writings for publication to mmcgee@gmaf.org. We will include them in future GMAF Newsletters.
I'm pleased to recommend a new Christian martial arts video from Master Joseph Lumpkin and Karate For Christ. Master Lumpkin is also the head of Martial Arts for Christ and Christian Hapkido Federation.
Master Lumpkin is Soke of the Shinsei System. It encompasses all of the basic and most effective techniques of Japanese and Korean self defense systems of Karate, Judo, Jujitsu, Hapkido and Aikido. Shinsei is the "In-house Style" of Karate For Christ.
Master Lumpkin has produced a most unusual video tape for Christian martial artists. It contains excellent techniques from White Belt to 5th Degree Black Belt. The tape begins teaching students breakfalls, followed by blocking, punching, striking, kicking, trapping, holding, projecting, throwing and other techniques from Japanese and Korean martial arts.
Shinsei is a complete system of martial arts and is Christian in the sense of its values and purpose. One of the great things about the video tape is it contains everything you need to know to be successful in your martial arts practice. Another great thing is the video tape is free! Master Lumpkin said he will make these videos available at no charge as long as supplies last. I recommend you contact Master Lumpkin quickly about getting your copy of this exciting tape. Visit Karate For Christ for contact information.
Thanks to Master Lumpkin and Karate For Christ for making this excellent video available to Christian martial artists around the world!
You'll find every GMAF newsletter at http://www.gmaf.org/gmaf_newsletters.html . These newsletters are a gold mine of information about Christianity and the Martial Arts.
Many GMAF members have told us their favorite part of the monthly newsletter is Fellowship News. It's wonderful to see Christian martial artists praying for each other across the United States and around the world. No distance is too far for Christians. The instant we pray, God hears. We can impact the lives of our brothers and sisters through our prayers. God answers prayer. It is pleasing to Him. Thank you for caring so much for each other!
Here is a wonderful note from our dear friend Vasile Filat.
"I would like to share
about wonderful things God made through our mission last summer
so that together we can glorify Him. We had 13 camps of Bible
study and there came more than 2000 students and young
people. More than a half of them came as unbelievers and as a
result of the camp 465 received Jesus as their Lord. One of this
camps was organized for the orphans of Caprineni orphanage, where
Nicolae and Svetlana Sili, the students of Chisinau Precept Ministries
Institute where teaching a class on Genesis and as a result 18
of the children received Jesus as their Savior. At the camp came
150 orphans and 42 received Jesus after studying the course on
Joseph. Alexandru, a boy of 15 told us the following: " The
biggest dream of my life was to become a killer and together with
my friend we started to prepare ourselves for this. First we killed
a cat, then a dog, then stole a goat and killed and the next step
we decided to kill a man. But, I was invited to this camp where
I found Jesus who gave me forgiveness for my sins. Now, I want
to come to other Bible studies and to the Institute to learn the
Word and to preach the Gospel bringing life and love to people
and not death as it was before"
Last year, when Svetlana was
teaching in that class, one of the orphans prayed after the lesson
asking from God love to love his mother who killed his father.
Then, Svetlana decided to go to the women prison to teach there.
After studying courses God, are you There? and Lord, I want to
know You, 40 ladies received Jesus there and Maria, one of them
testified:" I killed my husband and I was to stay for a long
time in prison. I was dreaming every second to get freedom and
God gave me real freedom in His Son. After some time, the
officers observed my good behavior and they canceled 5 years so
that in January I will be free. Then, I will go to the Institute
for Inductive Bible Study in Chisinau to prepare myself as a teacher
and then I want to teach in my prison and in other prisons of
the country to bring real freedom to prisoners."
In the month of August we made a camp where we where teaching English on the Bible using courses Lord, I want to know you and Marriage without Regrets. The 3 American and 7 Moldovian teachers were teaching to 170 students. By the end of the camp 25 of them received Jesus. Tatiana, who is 17 old said:" Two years before our mother died and I and my sister live in bad economical and emotional condition now and in our most bold dreams we never think to participate at this camp. Thank you so much !!! I found here how much loves us Father and how much He cares for us. I want to study well English and the Bible and then to teach God's Word as a member of this wonderful team of teachers.
The instructors of Taekwon-Do
Club "Stolas Leukas" also organized many camps of intensive
Bible study and training so that at the Fall Championship took
most of the first places. Alexei, who started his training in
our club 3 years before said:" All my life I was very abusive
and aggressive and at the age of 15 my parents were
afraid to tell me something. When my mother found that I am going
to train myself in martial arts she was crying all the time thinking
that I will become more bad. After a year of training and studying
the Bible, I received Jesus and He changed all my life. Now, my
mother has tears of joy and says that never she think of this
big change in my character and she wants to follow Jesus. I am
so glad to teach the young people in my village and 15 of them
received Jesus. This year, God gave me the opportunity to teach
at the orphanage in Chisinau and after some lessons the Holy Spirit
moved 18 students to receive Jesus in their lives."
This September Lord helped us to rent a little space for the Institute and till now 60 students have studied different courses and now teach to more than 1400 people in churches, public schools, orphanages, sports clubs, etc. Also started new groups of Taekwon-Do in 3 new towns. English teachers teach English Grammar to their students on Gospel of John and also started in new localities.
I am so glad for the family God gave me. We have been with Nastica, my wife, at conferences tout by Kay Arthur, the author of Precept Materials in Germany and Budapest. Then, we studied 2 sessions at Precept Ministries Institute in Romania with our teachers Mia and Costel Oglice. During this time, Nastica, our daughter used a very good opportunity in the school to preach the Word. When the teacher was teaching them that man comes from monkey, she stood up and said that it is not so and the Bible teaches that man was created by God and Charles Darwin, who wrote a book on this lie repent when he was to die but it was to late because many copies of his books have been bout by people who do not have faith.
When I was in Moldova, one day I went to the town of Taraclia to discuss with the bishop of that area about starting a group of Institute in their area and David, my son who is 5 year old, went with me in this trip. He stayed also there during all my teaching in the church all the day. By the end of the day he said that he realized that it is hard to be a missionary. Then I asked him if he wants more to be a missionary. He was very surprised by my question and he said:"Of course, Yes!" His brother, Daniel, who is only 3 stayed at home that day and was very sad that we are doing missions and he is not with us, so that I promised him to come with us next time.
Thank you very much for your prayer and may God bless you!
With love in Christ,
Vasile Filat"
Here is a note
from Master
Joseph Lumpkin
of Karate for Christ.
To: All Karate for Christ Members
From: Joseph Lumpkin, President of Karate For Christ
RE: The coming winter camp.
Winter camp is being hosted this year by Mark Barlow, Grandmaster
of Akayama Ryu and regional rep for the United States JuJitsu
Federation. In lieu of expensive insurance and membership
fees we are asking all attending the winter camp to simply fill
out the form below and send it to Mark Barlow at the address indicated.
As you will see, it will cut the costs dramatically.
The list of instructors below is a partial list. We also hope
to have several other instructors including Daryl Covington, Grandmaster
of Wha Moo Do Hapkido and Larry Hartsook, Grandmaster of Tae Kwon
Jutsu.
Remember, there will be a fellowship supper for all Karate
for Christ members and guests on Friday, 1/18. We will meet in
the lobby at 7:00 PM cst.
Thank you for all of your wonderful
support.
Joseph Lumpkin
Akayama-Ryu
Winter
Camp 2002
Saturday
& Sunday, Jan. 19 & 20, 2001
Hilton
Beach Garden Inn, Orange Beach, Alabama
The phone number to register at the Hilton Beach Garden Inn. It
is 1 (800) 445-8667 and use code ARJ. Singles are $45.00,
doubles $54.00.
We have at least 10 dojo participating and it promises to be an
outstanding weekend of training and fellowship.
Hosted
by Akayama-Ryu Jujitsu, http://akayama.topcities.com
All styles and ranks, 12 yrs of age and older, are welcome.
INSTRUCTORS:
Joseph Lumpkin Sensei, Shinsei Jujitsu
Greg Faulkner Sensei, ASU Aikido
Chris Magyar Sensei, Birmingham Sombo Club
John Stump Sensei, Shorinji Kempo
Mark Barlow Sensei, Akayama-Ryu Jujitsu
FEES:
$60.00 if paid before Dec. 31, 2001, $75.00 if paid at the door.
Send fees and application to:
Mark Barlow, P.O. Box 2062, Orange Beach, AL 36561
I release Akayama-Ryu Jujitsu,
instructors, students and guests from any and all liability in
the event of my injury or death before, during or after the Beach
Camp.
Name________________________________________________________
Date__________________________
Dojo_______________________________ Rank_________________
Instructor__________________________
Here are recent notes from Kevin Schaller.
"Fellow Martial Artists,
Ron McDowell, Sensei of the Great Basin College in Elko, passed away a couple days ago. Please visit the site and send a message of condolence. Our man Charlie Michael was a friend of Ron's and informed of Ron's untimely passing.
http://members.tripod.com/ElkoJudoClub/
Cherish the time we have together.
Go in Peace.
Kevin Schaller"
"As you may be aware the ATAMA National Conference and elections took place last weekend. Our man Alexander Archie was unanimously voted National President for a 2-year term. Further, David McNeill was elected to the National Board. Expect a number of changes to take effect rather quickly.
We will be processing renewals this month for your membership. Black Belt ranks are $25 per year and Kyu ranks are $10 per year. We are processing an order for new membership patches, with an upgraded logo, which should be available just after the first of the year. ATAMA will be issuing new certificates with all renewals.
ATAMA is also investigating setting up a group purchasing arrangement with a major national martial arts supply vendor. This agreement will allow all members to receive an additional discount beyond the wholesale pricesa real benefit to all. We are also finalizing some insurance options and an exciting new training program. "
Here is a note from Jeff McLaughlin. We are so pleased to hear that the new INCMA website will be ready soon. The address is http://incma.tripod.com.
"This e-mail is an update that is being
sent out to all members of the International Network of Christian
Martial Artists. Thanks for all of the recent e-mails that have
been coming in regarding the INCMA. We appreciate your patience.
We are alive and well and have great plans for the future. We
are currently working on a brand new website that we hope to have
finished and online by January 1, 2002. We are going to have enhancements
to the benefits and services offered by the INCMA and are very
excited about what
we will be offering. In order to do all of the things that we
are planning for, it is going to take resources beyond our immediate
reach. Therefore, we are still in the planning stages for some
of the issues concerning the future of the INCMA."
This note is from Don and Charlene Engelhardt of Faith Fighters for Christ.
"The Lord brought us two opportunities to have articles in the two local newspapers which we never asked for. The link below is to the Massillon Independent. Unfortunately, they did not put in the second photo which has our one student and our children in it. Enjoy!
http://www.massillonindependent.com/archive/left_archive.php?ID=2481&r=0---In
In Christ's Service,
Don & Char Engelhardt
This note is from Darrin Coe.
"Please use the email address dfcoe1@yahoo.com until further notice if you are attempting to contact Darrin Coe, Kim Coe, The Martial Arts Research Fellowship, or Creative Combat.
Thanks
Darrin Coe"
(I know you will join us in praying for each of these Christian martial artists and their ministries.)
We welcome Jaiprakash Prabhu of the ISDA/IBF in India. As we shared with Mr. Prabhu, membership in Grace Martial Arts Fellowship is easy and free. We welcome all Christian martial artists to our fellowship!
"Received your prompt reply but sorry for the delay from our side because we were on a official tour to Germany for attending seminar.
We are very much interested to join the federation which is led by you and that is Grace Martial Arts Fellowship and we hope you will help us and co-operate in completing the formalities for joining your federation and accordingly inform us and keep in touch with us.
Awaiting to hear from your end.
Regards,
Jaiprakash Prabhu
President ISDA/IBF-India"
We welcome Mark Sellers to GMAF.
"Praise God!!! My name is Mark Sellers, former student of Seiyu Oyata. I have been looking for something just like what I read on this web page. I am a 20 year student of the martial arts ( Isshin ryu , and Oyata shinshuho ryu). "
Please let us know if you have moved, changed jobs, received a belt promotion, started studying a new martial art, started a Christian martial arts ministry, etc. We want to be sure your listing in the GMAF Internet Directory is all you want it to be.
We appreciate your Fellowship in the Gospel of the Grace of God. We are praying for you and your opportunities to serve Christ. Please let us know about ways GMAF can help you in your service. If you know of anyone who might be interested in receiving this monthly newsletter, please ask them to e-mail Mark McGee. We'll be glad to put them on our monthly mailing list.
You are invited to read previous GMAF Newsletters.
If you would like to join Grace Martial Arts Fellowship ©, contact Mark McGee.
Grace Martial Arts Fellowship is a service of GraceLife Ministries.
Taking God's Grace to the World!