Philippians 4:19 Scholarship
Philippians 4:19 Scholarship
Welcome
We want to commend you for furthering your biblical studies and application of God’s Word in your life and ministry. You are the next generation of spiritual leaders the Lord is raising up to bring hope to the hopeless and new life to those who do not know the love of our Heavenly Father.
Background
This scholarship fund was established in memory of Pastor Mel Amrine. He met the Lord, as well as his wife, Doris, through Intervarsity Christian Fellowship at the University of Illinois. Upon graduation, Mel was commissioned into the Air Force and sent to the Korean theater. It was there that the Lord deepened his hunger and thirst for the things of God. While in the Air Force, he taught himself Hebrew and Greek in order to study the scriptures and held many Bible studies with his fellow officers.
He spent so much time in study and teaching from the scriptures, his commanding officer recommended he decide to either stay in the Air Force or leave and go into the ministry. After prayerful consideration and discussion with Doris, Mel made the decision to leave the Air Force to wholly serve the Lord.
Mel and Doris left the security of the Air Force income and benefits with their new daughter, Laurie, to begin training for the ministry at Grace Gospel Church in Waco, TX.
While in training, they learned many spiritual truths, including the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Their training included daily teaching and study of the Bible with times set aside for prayer and for meetings where they saw the Holy Spirit in action. One remarkable encounter with the Holy Spirit that Mel personally experienced was the filling of a tooth that had a cavity. One night a pastor, who had a gift from God of healing cavities, visited where Mel was in training.
After the service, the pastor asked anyone with a cavity who wanted God to fill it to come forward. Mel went forward in faith believing God for a miracle. When it was his time to be prayed for, Mel was asked whether he wanted the Lord to fill it with enamel, gold or silver. Mel requested enamel. During the prayer, a mirror was used so that Mel could actually see the enamel filling the cavity. Years later, a dentist asked Mel, “Who did the expert filling work?” Mel smiled and said, “It was the Lord!” They witnessed many miracles similar to those in the Bible during their time in training. The Bible came to life and they couldn’t wait to share it with others!
Another Biblical truth that was taught and became a reality in Mel’s ministry was the truth of “living by faith.” When they completed their training, Mel and Doris felt God calling them to begin a church in Hawaii where Doris was born and raised. Thus began Mel and Doris’ incredible journey of living by faith. They sold virtually all they had and asked God to give them enough money for the plane tickets to Hawaii and one month’s rent. God answered their request and they flew to Hawaii to plant a church with no means of support other than to trust God! The Bible was no longer a book of good advice—they were putting into practice what the Word said!
In Hawaii, the Amrine family grew to include three more children: John, Cherith, and Valerie. They lived a simple life in a Quonset hut virtually off-grid with no city water, heating, or cooling. None of this mattered as every day was an adventure in the Hawaiian forest that surrounded this house and the people with whom they shared the love of the Lord. Mel and Doris began to instill the principle of living by faith in their children. Many times there were tropical rainstorms that would wash out the dirt road leading to their house. With bald tires spinning in the slick mud, it was next to impossible to get home.
Mel and Doris taught their children to sing the “Lord I Believe” song to ask the Lord for help to get the car up the hill to their house. And you know what? God pushed the car up the hill! Each time God answered prayer, their faith grew. One evening, they had run out of food. Rather than panic, Doris set the table even though there was no food to eat. At dinner time everyone sat down and Mel thanked the Lord for the food they were about to eat. After the prayer, there was a knock on the door. One of people in the church had been out fishing that day and brought half a tuna to share with them. The Lord’s provision was right on time even though no one in the congregation knew they were out of food! This was not the only time God literally provided food when it was needed. He abundantly met every need for their life and ministry. To further cement this “faith” principle, all the children memorized Philippians 4:19 “But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory.” KJV This verse remains the “family” verse even unto this day! Our family motto is: He ALWAYS provides!
With growing trust in God’s provision, Grace Bible Church was started in this lowly little home way back in the Kalihi Valley in 1958. Mel and Doris invited many of their neighbors to come to the church home to learn about the Lord. The congregation of islanders grew and grew in response to the Lord’s love for them. They grew in their knowledge of the Word and in faith as they saw God’s Word in action. Grace Bible Church relocated several times due to the increasing numbers of people who came to be fed and nourished by God’s Word. Each move God provided all that was needed.
Many people from all walks of life came to be a part of Grace Bible Church. God’s love reached out to the music department at the University of Hawaii and provided this fledging church with talented singers and musicians. Many college students became a part of the Lord’s work at the church. Later, these college students became pastors in outer island churches and in Japan. God even provided an interpreter for a Japanese language service to help the older Japanese population to learn about the Lord. From this original vision of faith, many churches have been planted throughout Hawaii, the Pacific and the world.
After seven years of pastoring Grace Bible Church, Mel travelled to Illinois to attend his father’s funeral. Before returning to Hawaii, he stopped in Little Rock, Arkansas, to visit with a family who wanted Mel and Doris to start a church in Little Rock like the one in Hawaii. Mel returned to Hawaii, prayed with Doris and the Lord confirmed it was His will for them to move to Arkansas to start a church. God provided a new pastor for Grace Bible Church and Mel prepared to leave the islands with his family. Again, they left all that they had been given by God and the prayer was the same as when they had come to Hawaii, “Lord, please provide the money for the tickets to Little Rock and one month’s rent.” On the day of departure, God miraculously provided for the airfare costs for the entire family using small monetary gifts from friends and family who came to the airport to give them their Aloha. Mel went down and purchased the tickets he had reserved in faith believing God would provide. Mel, Doris and all four children were on their way to the Lord’s new adventure for them in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Again, the Lord provided once they arrived in Little Rock. After briefly living with the family who invited them to Little Rock, they moved into a small rental house with nothing but a few clothes and a set of pots and pans. The Lord helped Mel and Doris start Bethel Chapel in a tiny clubhouse at the corner of West Markham Street and Rodney Parham Road. Bethel Chapel filled a vacancy for people who were looking for God’s love, power, and the working of the Holy Spirit in signs and wonders. It was a church where everyone was valued and accepted. God drew in prominent families who sat next to hippies with long hair, wild clothes, purple glasses and bare feet.
Mel provided teaching on the foundational truths of Spirit, Soul, and Body that he had learned at Waco. He also taught on the ministry and gifts of the Holy Spirit. The gifts of the Holy Spirit mentioned in I Corinthians 12:4-11 came to life at Bethel Chapel. As God’s Word spread from this church, college students came in busloads from Marshall, Minnesota and Oxford, Ohio to spend summers at Bethel Chapel to receive the Bible teaching and training from Mel and Doris. It was an exciting time see God’s Word activated through the Holy Spirit.
The journey of faith continued in the next season of life as the Lord called Mel and Doris to help other churches across the country and around the world. They, once again, left all they had to encourage people in their faith and teach foundational truths in churches wherever God led them. Mel also had a heart to bring unity among the pastors and churches in cities. He was instrumental in the formation of the Pastors’ Prayer ministry in central Arkansas.
Finally, their walk of faith led Mel and Doris to assist with the birthing of a New Life Church which was, at the time, meeting in Maumelle, Arkansas. Mel continued to teach what he had been taught 50+ years before through a teaching ministry called, Life University. The purpose of Life University was to provide an opportunity, for anyone who wanted, to learn how to grow deeper in the knowledge of the Word of God and how to apply what they learned to their everyday lives.
Mel and Doris have lived a life of faith and trust in God. Their lives truly embody the belief that the Lord provides for every need. They have proven it year after year on their journey with the Lord in what He called them to do and wherever they were called to go.
Now they and those who fund this scholarship look forward to supporting you as you learn more about the Lord and his faithful provision in your life.
26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. NKJV Matt 6:26-34
Application
Are you actively seeking the Lord’s will in your life? What is He asking you to do that will require faith on your part? How is this further education a step toward God’s plan for your life? What prompted you to ask for this scholarship?
Please answer the above questions on how a scholarship will help you achieve God’s plan for your life. We are interested in hearing the story of what you believe God wants to accomplish through your life. Recommended length is approximately two pages.
Put your faith in the God who will ALWAYS do abundantly more than we can ask or imagine and watch what He will do for you!