Saturday, September 17, 2011
Urgent prayer request
A friend of mine who is teaching in Uganda recently sent these prayer requests. There is so much sin and sorrow on that continent which needs to be prayed over. Please pray that Christians would be strong in the face of great trials. Pray that children who are daily haunted by atrocities they've witnessed, and been forced to commit against their own friends and family, might be rehabilitated. Pray that they might learn and truly believe that God will love them and forgive even the horrible sins they were forced to commit after being abducted. Pray that many unbelievers might hear and believe the Gospel before their lives are cut short by ethnic cleansing and brutal attacks.
Here is my friend's update:
"But now for the important things. The Lord’s Resistance Army continues to make attacks in the Congo, continuing to abduct child soldiers. Please be praying that Kony would stop leading these men in evil and that somehow justice would come about. I was just told a story from a former child soldier. His name is Pepito. Him and his best friend were abducted together. At some point after being taken, a soldier approached them during a march and asked if the boys were tired. Pepito’s friend said yes and – like that- was shot and killed. This is just one story, and one of the tamer ones at that. Please, please keep these children in prayer. Also, fighting has broken out in the Blue Nile region of Sudan. I cannot say much, but one of my former ESL students is in the area and is known to be in danger. I wish I could give details but for privacy and safety reasons I cannot. Please pray for this man as he is a Muslim and did not know Jesus the last time I saw him. He is most likely going to be executed. Please pray for him by name - an American variation of his name is Joe. My heart aches over him because I never once shared Jesus with him… even though I had him in class for months. So pray, and think about sharing your love for Jesus much much more."
Monday, September 12, 2011
William Wilberforce
I got the movie Amazing Grace from the library this week. I've watched it three times now. What a beautiful thing - to see the story of a man such as William Wilberforce told in such a way as to appeal to modern audiences, without shying away from the passionate Christian faith which drove this man to seek the abolition of the slave trade... how good to see prominent actors used in a truly Christian, clean film... oh that the time those actors and crew members invested in learning about this man would lead them to open their hearts to the Gospel.
Pray that the Lord might raise up more men (and women) like Wilberforce! I've studied a little about him this week and I am truly amazed at his character, zeal, love, and abundant faith demonstrated in such selfless works of mercy. As a member of Parliament, father of six children, and one of the most influential men in Britain, he did not make excuses - as so many of us do - no, he spent time in the Word, in prayer, in communing with God; he actually sat down with his diary, made lists of unbelieving friends and acquaintances, and took the time to plan out topics of conversation he could bring up that would deliberately give him an opportunity to share the Gospel. Having inherited great wealth, he gave most of it away and founded numerous charities. He was very sick and weak, hated by many of his fellows in Parliament, despised and even physically threatened by slavers and the landed aristocracy, haunted day and night by the cruelties of slavery which he just couldn't erase from his mind; but in all this he persevered, knowing that God had clearly called him to this task.
Isn't it sad that today we look at people who are zealous for serving the poor and wanting to do good in this world, and shy away from that as a "social gospel" mindset? Isn't it sad that many politicians say they are Christians in their private lives, but assure their constituents that this will NOT affect their public lives? Isn't it sad that those in politics who are professing Christians are often viewed so negatively by the general public? Wilberforce is an example of a man who was a professing Christian in the public realm, at a time much like today in which nominal Christianity was the norm. He was highly ridiculed for taking his faith too seriously; yet his personality was so winsome, so joyful, so pleasant and easy, that people were drawn to him like a magnet. He was always laughing, just gushing with deep and abiding joy, and he did not hide WHY he was joyful. It was all because of Christ. I hope that all of us who truly believe would have such vibrant, peaceful lives that we too might be magnets to a lost and dying world around us which is searching in vain for that joy in everything but God. May I learn to profess the cause of my joy and contentment more plainly and without shame: "I am a great sinner, and Christ is a great Savior."
Pray that the Lord might raise up more men (and women) like Wilberforce! I've studied a little about him this week and I am truly amazed at his character, zeal, love, and abundant faith demonstrated in such selfless works of mercy. As a member of Parliament, father of six children, and one of the most influential men in Britain, he did not make excuses - as so many of us do - no, he spent time in the Word, in prayer, in communing with God; he actually sat down with his diary, made lists of unbelieving friends and acquaintances, and took the time to plan out topics of conversation he could bring up that would deliberately give him an opportunity to share the Gospel. Having inherited great wealth, he gave most of it away and founded numerous charities. He was very sick and weak, hated by many of his fellows in Parliament, despised and even physically threatened by slavers and the landed aristocracy, haunted day and night by the cruelties of slavery which he just couldn't erase from his mind; but in all this he persevered, knowing that God had clearly called him to this task.
Isn't it sad that today we look at people who are zealous for serving the poor and wanting to do good in this world, and shy away from that as a "social gospel" mindset? Isn't it sad that many politicians say they are Christians in their private lives, but assure their constituents that this will NOT affect their public lives? Isn't it sad that those in politics who are professing Christians are often viewed so negatively by the general public? Wilberforce is an example of a man who was a professing Christian in the public realm, at a time much like today in which nominal Christianity was the norm. He was highly ridiculed for taking his faith too seriously; yet his personality was so winsome, so joyful, so pleasant and easy, that people were drawn to him like a magnet. He was always laughing, just gushing with deep and abiding joy, and he did not hide WHY he was joyful. It was all because of Christ. I hope that all of us who truly believe would have such vibrant, peaceful lives that we too might be magnets to a lost and dying world around us which is searching in vain for that joy in everything but God. May I learn to profess the cause of my joy and contentment more plainly and without shame: "I am a great sinner, and Christ is a great Savior."
Friday, September 9, 2011
Urgent Prayer Request
Leah Hopp, an OPC missionary associate serving as a community health director in Karamoja, is being evacuated to Kenya for medical care. She's been suffering from a kidney infection for two months, and is now so weak and severely dehydrated that the hospitals in Uganda can't treat her. Please pray for her healing, that it would be quick and complete, if it's the Lord's will. She was well enough to post on facebook that she's "only mostly dead" - I guess that's a good sign?!
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Praying for Christ's Ambassadors
My friend Tim Hopper shared this link from Justin Taylor's blog - Spurgeon on a Stupid Way to Read Scripture. Good stuff.
I'm excited - I get to go to a Voice of the Martyrs conference in Altoona, PA on Oct. 1 (if you're in PA, you should come too - it's free!). The talks are sure to be both distressing and inspiring.... how easy it is for us to forget the persecuted church. Funny thing is, from everything I've read, many of these persecuted congregations pray fervently for us here in America, that we might be strengthened and refined, if necessary, by persecution.
A couple weeks ago I got the book Operation World: The Definitive Prayer Guide to Every Nation. The first section talks about the state of the church around the world, and ways to pray for the global church. It offered these prayer items for long-term missionaries. I found this list really helpful. You may, too.
"Pray for:
Vital, supportive home fellowship of believers who are willing to pray the missionary out to the field and keep him or her there through the years of greatest effective...
The supply of their financial needs. Many missionaries live sacrificially for Christ, in harsh and demanding contexts, with simple lifestyles and neither present nor future guarantees of income or security...
Adequate preparation for missionary work. This is arduous and long - theological training, ministry experience, language learning and adaptation to a new land may take years before an effective ministry can be exercised. Those years can be traumatic and discouraging.... it is more training - and not less - that will see healthy, growing, culturally appropriate churches planted in cross-cultural situations.
Cultural adjustment. Many prospective missionaries cannot make the adjustment to new foods, lifestyles, languages, value systems and attitudes. Some return home disillusioned and with a sense of failure; others react wrongly on the field and hinder fellowship and witness; yet others go too far in their adaptation and compromise their health and sometimes their faith. Wisdom is precious in such situations, as is an authentic biblical love for the people and culture where the work is occurring.
Spiritual vitality and a rich devotional life. In the role of spiritual leadership, as a living testimony to the efficacy of the gospel, often in isolation from other believers and as an ambassador of God's Kingdom in dark places, a missionary cannot afford to exist with a tepid spiritual life.
Protection from Satan's attacks. The powers of darkness are real. In many areas, Satan's kingdom has never before been challenged. Missionaries... must be able to discern between cultural differences and spiritual opposition, but the spiritual authority to resist evil attacks is even more vital. These can come through many means, including physical health and disease, attacks upon the mind and attitude, in relationships, and in physical threats such as violent attacks and hostage taking.
Family life. For singles, the missionary call may mean foregoing marriage for the sake of the gospel - loneliness can be a heavy burden to bear.... For others, family life may be made difficult by living conditions, inadequate amenities or lack of finance; long separations, many visitors, and excessive workloads may disrupt it.... children's educational needs bring to an end the field ministry of countless missionary families.
Calling and commitment. The assurance than God has guided one to a particular ministry is often the only anchor to retain workers in difficult situations, misunderstandings, broken relationships and "impossible" crises. Pray that none may leave a place of calling for a negative or superficial reason, but only because of a positive leading from God.
Built-in obsolescence. Missionary presence on a field could end suddenly for a host of reasons; when expatriate workers make themselves irreplaceable this can spell disaster for the health of fledgling churches and movements. Success should be understood as having been achieved when the missionaries are no longer needed for the role for which they came. The ideal goal of all missionaries should be to train their own replacements from among the local believers.
Re-entry - temporary or long-term - which can be traumatic."
Please pray with me for the strength and encouragement of our brothers and sisters overseas.
I'm excited - I get to go to a Voice of the Martyrs conference in Altoona, PA on Oct. 1 (if you're in PA, you should come too - it's free!). The talks are sure to be both distressing and inspiring.... how easy it is for us to forget the persecuted church. Funny thing is, from everything I've read, many of these persecuted congregations pray fervently for us here in America, that we might be strengthened and refined, if necessary, by persecution.
A couple weeks ago I got the book Operation World: The Definitive Prayer Guide to Every Nation. The first section talks about the state of the church around the world, and ways to pray for the global church. It offered these prayer items for long-term missionaries. I found this list really helpful. You may, too.
"Pray for:
Vital, supportive home fellowship of believers who are willing to pray the missionary out to the field and keep him or her there through the years of greatest effective...
The supply of their financial needs. Many missionaries live sacrificially for Christ, in harsh and demanding contexts, with simple lifestyles and neither present nor future guarantees of income or security...
Adequate preparation for missionary work. This is arduous and long - theological training, ministry experience, language learning and adaptation to a new land may take years before an effective ministry can be exercised. Those years can be traumatic and discouraging.... it is more training - and not less - that will see healthy, growing, culturally appropriate churches planted in cross-cultural situations.
Cultural adjustment. Many prospective missionaries cannot make the adjustment to new foods, lifestyles, languages, value systems and attitudes. Some return home disillusioned and with a sense of failure; others react wrongly on the field and hinder fellowship and witness; yet others go too far in their adaptation and compromise their health and sometimes their faith. Wisdom is precious in such situations, as is an authentic biblical love for the people and culture where the work is occurring.
Spiritual vitality and a rich devotional life. In the role of spiritual leadership, as a living testimony to the efficacy of the gospel, often in isolation from other believers and as an ambassador of God's Kingdom in dark places, a missionary cannot afford to exist with a tepid spiritual life.
Protection from Satan's attacks. The powers of darkness are real. In many areas, Satan's kingdom has never before been challenged. Missionaries... must be able to discern between cultural differences and spiritual opposition, but the spiritual authority to resist evil attacks is even more vital. These can come through many means, including physical health and disease, attacks upon the mind and attitude, in relationships, and in physical threats such as violent attacks and hostage taking.
Family life. For singles, the missionary call may mean foregoing marriage for the sake of the gospel - loneliness can be a heavy burden to bear.... For others, family life may be made difficult by living conditions, inadequate amenities or lack of finance; long separations, many visitors, and excessive workloads may disrupt it.... children's educational needs bring to an end the field ministry of countless missionary families.
Calling and commitment. The assurance than God has guided one to a particular ministry is often the only anchor to retain workers in difficult situations, misunderstandings, broken relationships and "impossible" crises. Pray that none may leave a place of calling for a negative or superficial reason, but only because of a positive leading from God.
Built-in obsolescence. Missionary presence on a field could end suddenly for a host of reasons; when expatriate workers make themselves irreplaceable this can spell disaster for the health of fledgling churches and movements. Success should be understood as having been achieved when the missionaries are no longer needed for the role for which they came. The ideal goal of all missionaries should be to train their own replacements from among the local believers.
Re-entry - temporary or long-term - which can be traumatic."
Please pray with me for the strength and encouragement of our brothers and sisters overseas.
Friday, September 2, 2011
Revelation 21
1 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2
I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from
God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling
place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be
his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
6 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7 Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. 8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
9 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. 11 It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. 13 There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. 14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
15 The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. 16 The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long. 17 The angel measured the wall using human measurement, and it was 144 cubits thick. 18 The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. 19 The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.
22 I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. 25 On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. 26 The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. 27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I was blessed this week by some good conversations, and even met (through Blogger!) another RP sister who's also interested in missions and in the same phase of life I am, and it was great to talk to her. I've been reminded of how important it is to keep an eternal perspective! I hope these verses bless you as much as they've blessed me... maybe they'll even stir in you some missionary fervor :)
In prep for my class I've read the Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, Constitution, and a good bit of the Federalist Papers this week. It will be really interesting to discuss these founding documents in the context of a country that has been so bitterly ravaged by dictators, violence and corruption. It really is amazing that our Constitution has lasted so long! For all that we may complain about the state of our nation (regardless which side of the political fence you're on), we have SO MUCH to be thankful for and have been for the most part spared from suffering and oppression which are commonplace and accepted in most countries around the world. Praise the Lord for that... don't ever take that for granted.
5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
6 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7 Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. 8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
9 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. 11 It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. 13 There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. 14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
15 The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. 16 The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long. 17 The angel measured the wall using human measurement, and it was 144 cubits thick. 18 The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. 19 The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.
22 I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. 25 On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. 26 The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. 27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I was blessed this week by some good conversations, and even met (through Blogger!) another RP sister who's also interested in missions and in the same phase of life I am, and it was great to talk to her. I've been reminded of how important it is to keep an eternal perspective! I hope these verses bless you as much as they've blessed me... maybe they'll even stir in you some missionary fervor :)
In prep for my class I've read the Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, Constitution, and a good bit of the Federalist Papers this week. It will be really interesting to discuss these founding documents in the context of a country that has been so bitterly ravaged by dictators, violence and corruption. It really is amazing that our Constitution has lasted so long! For all that we may complain about the state of our nation (regardless which side of the political fence you're on), we have SO MUCH to be thankful for and have been for the most part spared from suffering and oppression which are commonplace and accepted in most countries around the world. Praise the Lord for that... don't ever take that for granted.
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