Hot off the press preview of THE SCARLET CORD!!!
It’s a dream coming true . . .
The Scarlet Cord: Nothing but the Blood of Jesus is a concise call to world missions. This brand-new little book, co-authored by Jon & Ann Dunagan of Harvest Ministry, has been a dream of our hearts for many, many years.
And it’s finally becoming a reality!
An Excerpt . . .
From the Preface of The Scarlet Cord . . .
Jesus Christ allowed His hands and feet to be pierced by Roman nails.
As His blood flowed down that rugged cross, it was God’s love that was poured out for you and for this world. As we were writing this little book, we prayed for those of you who would someday read these pages, and as we prayed, that word “pierced” kept coming to our minds.
Our Lord was pierced because of God’s perfect love.
As you take hold of The Scarlet Cord: Nothing but the Blood of Jesus, may God’s passion pierce Your heart.
–Jon & Ann Dunagan
A Review . . .
“I have just finished reading The Scarlet Cord: Nothing but the Blood of Jesus. This powerful book has put a fresh fire in my heart for world evangelization.
To those serious about world missions, I recommend this book strongly, and to those not serious about world missions, I recommend it even more.”
— Timothy Johnson, Dominican Republic:
foreign-based missionary for over 25 years
Click here for a closeup preview of the COVER . . .
Please pray for us . . .
We would appreciate your prayers as we are beginning to share this new book with others.
Our preliminary vision is for it to be used in churches (especially in congregations where we will be ministering) to instill a passion for world missions and reaching the lost for Jesus.
If you are interested in learning more, please CONTACT US.
LOVING ORPHANS: Home Sweet Home in Uganda
Praising God for His Provision
We’re so thankful to be able to share an AWESOME report of God’s provision for much needed renovations (building maintenance, painting, roof repairs) along with a retaining wall to keep flood waters away from the school buildings and living areas.
Thank you for caring for these precious children!
Balancing Missions & Motherhood
Finding God’s balance for motherhood and ministry is sometimes a difficult (and continually changing) tug-of-war; but I believe the struggle is healthy . . .
(Photo: Ann Dunagan encouraged many women in ministry from Uganda, Rwanda, Congo, and Tanzania at the recent HMFI – Harvest Ministry Fellowship International leadership conference in Uganda, East Africa.)
Most of the time, just doing another load of laundry, or drilling the kids on grammar, or reading a bedtime story . . . doesn’t seem very important. But God sees the big picture. He highly esteems motherhood and He values a faithful mom who is willing to lay down her “big dreams” . . . to serve her family. And at the same time, He sees the lost and the reality of heaven and hell . . .
God cares about my kids and God cares about the lost. As a mission-minded mom, how can I keep these two “pulls “on my heart in balance — in a way that will truly please the heart of the Lord?
Screaming Babies & Praying Mommas . . .
Today, Ann is leading a discussion about balancing missions and motherhood over at Passionate Homemaking (a great site especially for young women and moms, focused on simple, natural, and intentional living).
The featured article is: Screaming Babies & Praying Mommas. Come see . . . > > >
A Mission-Minded Family Legacy
Today, the Christian Post is featuring a fascinating article about the generational legacy of a wonderful mission-minded family hero.
Hudson Taylor, the legendary missionary to China, is an outstanding example of how to effectively balance a passion for ministry and for family. Hudson Taylor was known as a man of consistent prayer and daily devotion to God’s word. Along with his world-impacting ministry, he was consistent at home and believed in the spiritual training and discipleship of his own children.
And what a difference this balance made, not only during his own lifetime, but even today, three complete generations later. Hudson Taylor died in 1905, yet over 100 years later, his godly legacy is still making Christian news headlines. What a beautiful mission-minded family example!
Take a look at this: Great-Grandson of Legendary Missionary to China Dies.
Equipping Nationals: N.E.T.S. News from Naboth!!!
“N.E.T.S” – National Evangelism Team Support: EAST AFRICA
N.E.T.S. Minister Naboth Tumuhairwe and his wife Alice have been working together with Harvest Ministry’s N.E.T.S. Outreach since 1991. By God’s grace, they have planted hundreds of self-supporting village churches throughout East Africa (currently overseeing 190 congregations and many national ministers), and are directors of Guma Na Yesu Children’s Center in Mbarara, Uganda.
Here’s a glimpse of remote mission outreaches from Naboth & Alice:
Please PRAY for Naboth & Alice and their ministry outreaches and village churches!
For more about Harvest Ministry’s N.E.T.S. Outreach – click here.
For more about N.E.T.S. Ministers, Naboth & Alice – click here.
Next Generation Missionaries: to ASIA
Mission to INDIA:
Recently, four of our newlywed young adults, Josh & Anna Dunagan (along with their baby-in-the-womb) and Trae & Christi Childs, ministered in South Asia with Gospel Projects International.
Mission outreaches included visiting remote village churches, checking up on the “orphans-no-longer” at GPI’s Aasha Children’s Home, and ministering at the two Bible schools they pioneered.
We’re so proud of them. Be sure to head over to the GPI Website to see their mission video.
“My friend, will you go? Has God spoken to you? Have you heard His Call? Will you not answer, ‘Lord, here am I, send me’? And if you cannot go, will you not send a substitute? — Oswald J. Smith
Lately, the continent of Asia has been in our thoughts and in our prayers, especially the need to support remote national ministers and evangelists.
There are many spiritual needs in this vast region, and so many people who need to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Here are some links to help you to focus your prayers:
Dr. Duff’s Appeal
An excerpt from A Challenge to Missions
By Oswald J. Smith
Dr. Alexander Duff, that great veteran missionary to India, returned to Scotland to die, and as he stood before the general assembly . . . he made his appeal, but there was no response.
In the midst of his appeal he fainted and was carried off the platform.
The doctor bent over him and examined his heart.
Presently he opened his eyes. “Where am I?” he cried. “Where am I?”
“Lie still,” said the doctor. “You have had a heart attack. Lie still.”
“But,” exclaimed Dr. Duff, “I haven’t finished my appeal. Take me back. Take me back. I must finish my appeal.”
“Lie still,” said the doctor again. “You will go back at the peril of you life.”
But, in spite of the protests of the physician, the old warrior struggled to his feet, and, with the doctor on one side and the moderator of the assembly of the other side, he again mounted the steps of the pulpit platform, and, as he did so, the entire assembly rose to do him honor. Then, when they were seated, he continued his appeal.
And this is what he said:
“When Queen Victoria calls for volunteers for India, hundreds of young men respond; but, when King Jesus calls, no one goes.”
Then he paused. There was silence.
Again he spoke: “Very well,” he concluded, “then, aged though I am, I’ll go back to India. I can lie down on the banks of the Ganges and I can die and thereby I can let the people of India know that there was one man in Scotland who loved them enough to give his life for them.”
In a moment, young men all over the assembly sprang to their feet, crying, “I’ll go! I’ll go!”
And after the old white-haired warrior had been laid to rest, these young men, having graduated, found their way to dark benighted India, there to labor as his substitutes for the Lord Jesus Christ.
My friend, will you go? Has God spoken to you? Have you heard His Call? Will you not answer, “Lord, here am I, send me”? And if you cannot go, will you not send a substitute?
It is for you to decide.
Why should anyone hear the Gospel twice before everyone has heard it once?
ORPHAN NEWS: Group pictures & Answered prayers!
Group Pictures: Primary Kids @ “Guma Na Yesu”
We just received some new group photos from the primary school at Guma Na Yesu Children’s Center. It’s challenging to get a picture with so many kids at once. These are the younger children. The older children are at the Secondary School (a few miles away).
Non-teaching staff
With the teachers & directors
Answered Prayers!
At Harvest Ministry’s Guma Na Yesu (Keep With Jesus) Children’s Center, in Uganda, East Africa, we had an urgent need for a new water tank and for teacher’s rooms at the school. Through a generous gift from a brand-new friend, God provided . . . and answered this need.
Recently, we shared about the testimony of answered prayer, and now we’re excited to share a few praise-report photos. This answer to prayer brings a HUGE RELIEF to the children and workers. We’re so thankful to the Lord.
From all of us and on behalf of every child at Guma Na Yesu Children’s Center . . .“Thank You!!!”
We’re so appreciative for every friend
and for every gift of love . . . and for every prayer!God bless you!
God bless you . . . and please keep praying!!!
Learn more about how Harvest Ministry is LOVING ORPHANS.
Learn more about how you can SPONSOR ORPHAN CHILDREN.
Learn more about what GOD’S WORD says about ORPHANS.
Learn more about a few STARTLING ORPHAN STATISTICS.
Ann’s Speaking Information & Topics
No matter what the forum, as a motivational speaker and minister, Ann Dunagan is called to “BRING FORTH LIFE!” The following are sample speaking topics and frequently requested themes; however, if you have a different idea or need, just contact Harvest Ministry.
For Missions Conventions:
- The Mission-Minded Child – Raising a New Generation for God’s Purpose
- The Mission-Minded Family – Releasing Your Family for God’s Destiny
- Our Godly Tug-of-War – Learning to Balance Dual-Passions – for Missions & our Family
NOTE: Along with mission-minded workshops for parents, teachers, and families, Ann can also be available to lead special kids workshops at mission conventions:
- Glorifying God as a Mission-Minded Kid!
- Using Hand Commands to Share the Good News of Jesus!
For Women’s Events:
- Living in SUB-Mission – It’s under the surface that matters!
- Get Me in Alignment! – Living a Life of Balance and Fulfillment with JOY!
For Mother-Daughter Retreats:
Ann and the Dunagan’s college-age daughter, Christi, often minister together for mother-daughter events. Two ideas are:
- Pillars in God’s Palace – A princess-theme event for little girls, based on The Princess and the Kiss and The Little Rose of Sharon and focused on the Faith of Anna, the True Beauty of Esther, the Purity of Mary, and the Excellence of the Proverbs 31 Woman.
- iPlead – an inspirational theme for older girls – about surrendering ourselves to let God “plead” through us . . . for missions, orphans, and the lost.
For Youth, College Students, and Christian Schools:
- C.L.A.S.S. Destiny – Christian Leadership and Speaking Skills
- Preparing Now for a Mission-Minded Family
Ann also leads an energetic mission-minded team of kids and youth called “The Flood” for Christian school chapel services. This special 45 minute presentation includes drama, music and dance, and a power-packed world missions theme.
- The Scarlet Cord – A Concise Message on the “Why?” of World Missions – God’s Enduring Passion for Souls – The Blood of Jesus . . .throughout time, throughout the Bible, throughout the world.
For Homeschool Conventions:
- The Mission-Minded Family – Teaching With God’s Heart for the World
- Training Teens On-Target – Making the Most of Homeschooling High School
- Playing the College Game: Winning Admissions and Scholarships . . .for God’s Glory!
Can “Tension” be Good in the Missions-Family Balance?
Just because we feel an inward “tension” between God’s heart for missions and His heart for our family does not mean the tension is bad.
In fact, this tension can be healthy . . . and even beautiful.
Balancing Missions & Family
As a mission-minded family, do you ever feel that trying to find God’s proper balance can seem like never-ending tug-of-war? There are so many “pulls” on our lives, and at times, various areas of tension. Can this on-going struggle for balance possibly be good?
Today, Ann is blogging over at The Heart of Simplicity, with a new article for Christian women, entitled “Fine-Tuning the Balance for Missions & Family.” It compares the process of finding God’s daily balance, and the “tension” that we can feel in the different areas of our lives, to the continual process of tuning the strings of a piano or a guitar.
Come join the discussion over at The Heart of Simplicity
. . . and leave a comment if you can!
Good Friday Series – GOD’S PASSOVER LAMB
Jesus is the Lamb of God. It is only through His blood–His perfect sinless blood–that we can receive forgiveness for God for our sins.
Follow the full GOOD FRIDAY series
Do you know why every year Good Friday and Easter Sunday is always on a different calendar day (usually in March or April)? The date changes in order to coincide with the yearly Jewish feast of the Passover (which is on the Jewish calendar system).
Do you know (and do your children know) that Jesus Christ was taken to be crucified on the night of the Passover? And do you know why this is so significant?The Old Testament feast of the Passover is filled with symbolism and prophecies — all pointing to Jesus Christ and His crucifixion on the Cross. He is our Passover Lamb!
Our Passover Lamb: JESUS!
This Jewish celebration is to remember how God delivered the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt and how the death angel “passed over” their homes.
A special dinner called “Seder” includes unleavened bread (Matzah), lamb, and bitter herbs.
Jesus celebrated the Passover every year, and through His death on the cross, He fulfilled it. God has provided freedom from the bitterness of sin and eternal death, for:
“. . . Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us.”
(1 Corinthians 5:7 NLT).
An excerpt from The Scarlet Cord
After Jesus died on the cross, the Bible says that Jesus took His own blood and sprinkled it on the mercy seat of heaven. He did not have to repeat this daily, weekly, or yearly, as required in the Old Testament sacrifices.
Once, and one time only, Jesus offered His blood.
Jesus’ blood is more powerful than all the sacrificial blood combined throughout history. Hebrews chapter 9 declares that Christ came as our High Priest, with a greater and more perfect sacrifice, not with the blood of bulls and goals and calves, but with His own precious blood. Jesus’ offering on the cross was once and for all.
As we see in Hebrews chapter 10, the blood of Jesus Christ was the final sacrifice for sins:
“By that will we have been sanctified
through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
–Hebrews 10:10
“But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever,
sat down at the right hand of God.”
“For by one offering He has perfected forever
those who are being sanctified.”
–Hebrews 10:12, 14
Before the cross, the children of Israel celebrated the Passover every year to remember how the death angel “passed-over” every believing home that was covered by the blood of the Passover lamb.
After the cross, we as Christians celebrate Christ’s final sacrifice by taking Communion, as we remember how Jesus Christ fully paid the final penalty price for our sins. All previous sacrifices, including the Passover sacrifice each year, pointed forward to the cross. Today, we look back to the cross of Calvary and thank God that no further sacrifice is necessary.
Jesus Christ’s blood was not the same as the blood of animals, which had to be offered up continually–over-and-over–as periodic coverings for sin.
It is by faith we believe and understand that Jesus’ blood was pure enough, life-giving enough, and strong enough. He only had to offer it up one time.
This excerpt is from Chapter 2, “God’s Only Way,” from
Jon & Ann Dunagan’s book, THE SCARLET CORD: Nothing but the Blood of Jesus. It’s a concise call to world missions, emphasizing God’s only way of salvation through the precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Passover Prayer Focus:
Pray for God’s blessing and peace for the people of Israel, and for Jewish people from all over the world. Pray for Jewish families, especially as they are celebrating the Passover, that they would recognize Jesus Christ (Y’shua) as their promised Messiah.
Jesus Christ was (and is) the
“Lamb slain from the foundation of the world”
(Revelation 13:8).
Even before God created our world, He knew there would be sin, and the need for the Cross. Yet out of His incredible love, He chose to create us anyway . . . and to die for us.
Thank God for the blood of Jesus Christ, our Lamb of God.
5 ideas – to remember JESUS as our Lamb of God
#1 – Celebrate Communion.
Partaking of communion, either as a family or even all by yourself during a quiet time, is a powerful way to remember Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. This week, perhaps on Thursday (to remember the Last Supper) or on Good Friday (to remember the day of the crucifixion), this communion time can be especially significant. Sing together a simple song you know about the cross or the blood of Jesus.
Read aloud I Corinthians 11:23,
“For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you,
That the Lord Jesus the same night
in which he was betrayed took bread…”
#2 – Watch a movie about the Passover.
The classic movie, The Ten Commandments, starring Charlton Heston, can be a great Holy Week tradition, especially as you focus on the scene of the Passover and the blood of the Lamb. Also, children’s cartoon videos about Moses and the Passover can help teach a child about the spiritual significance of this special day of the year.
#3 – Watch a film about the Cross and the Resurrection.
The JESUS Film by Campus Crusade for Christ (from the Gospel of Luke, translated into about 1000 languages and is utilized in missions and evangelism throughout the world). Also recommended is the Matthew Video, The Gospel of John, and (for adults and older children) The Passion.
#4 – Pet Baby Lambs.
Visit a nearby farm or petting zoo (or look online for a local 4H group). Think about how Jesus came as the perfect innocent Lamb of God.
#5 – Watch a Live Passion Play.
Search your local area to see if any church or Christian ministry is performing a live Passion Play to attend with your family (and invite a friend or a family to join you!).
