This morning I met with one of our mission groups and shared about some wonderful mission opportunities God is beginning to formulate. We reflected upon our 5 year partnership with the mission work in Zambia, Africa. Our role has largely been one of prayerful support. We rejoiced as we sensed that God had indeed answered our prayers.
After the meeting I returned to my office and did some reading. For many years I have been blessed by the ministry of Dr. John Piper, Pastor of the Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis. One of the monumentally moving experiences of my life was attending the Pastors Conference at Bethlehem Baptist a couple of years ago. I frequent their web site weekly.
Dr. Piper preached a wonderful message on Sunday January 1 entitled "Prayer and the Victory of God." I was drawn to it because of the discussion of the morning missions meeting.
In his message, he stated:
"The connection that I want you to see today between your life and the victory of God is the connection of prayer. Your prayers are God's way of accomplishing the victory of Jesus Christ over this world. I know that for many of you this is way beyond what you usually pray about. I think God wants to change that. I hope that praying for the victory of God in this world will become part of your life. Don't object by saying, "I'm too small. I'm unsophisticated. I'm not educated. I'm just an ordinary, simple person." God chose a simple, peasant virgin to bear his Son. And he chooses simple people of faith to bring his victory by prayer. O, don't rule yourself out of this great calling."
What an incredibly challenging statement! But there is something more you should know. Just the prior week to his preaching this message, Dr. Piper had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. In making that announcement on January 6 he powerfully stated his desire to allow God to be glorified through this experience.
I want to include in my prayers this year, a focused request for the victory of Jesus Christ over this world! I think we have a tendency to write the world and our nation off, regarding the Gospel. And things are compounded when I deal with sometimes feeling so insignificant. No doubt that is the devil employing his favorite weapon of discouragement. But when I go to the Lord consistently, with powerful concerted prayer... bold prayers for God to bring His victory upon this planet... then the littleness of my life begins to evaporate and I see things in light of the greatness of God! Praise His Mighty Name!
There were 7 of us in that meeting this morning. That's about average for that morning meeting. But before you write it off as a not so significant meeting, seeing that only 7 were there... think on this... from a small little room off to the side of the church fellowship hall... we have been able to move heaven upon a region all the way on the other side of the world. How? We prayed and God answered! As a result, the Gospel in spreading across the plains of Zambia! Even the President of Zambia became a believer!
Pray! Pray! Pray! To use the words of Dr. Piper, "O, don't rule yourself out of this great calling."
Please remember to pray for Dr. Piper, his wife and family, and the congregation of Bethlehem Baptist Church as they trust God in the midst of this challenge.
By His grace,
Pastor David
Monday, January 09, 2006
Thursday, January 05, 2006
West Virginia Mine Disaster - The Disaster Within the Disaster
I stayed up late the other evening watching the Orange Bowl. Just prior to going to bed at the end of the game I flipped over to CNN to catch a quick look at the news. They were reporting that 12 of the 13 miners had been located and were alive. The images were of exuberant people, thankful for the apparent miracle.
Jennifer Yates, an AP writer captured the situation well in her report, Jubilation Turns to Anger, Outrage. "Shortly before midnight, word rushed up the hollow that 12 miners had been found alive and friends clapped in the early morning chill as a single ambulance drove away, presumably with one of the miners safely in the back.
"It just shows you enough prayers went out," Bula Smith, 27, said as she clutched her 7-month-old daughter, Cassey, close to her. "It's a miracle."The crowd gathered outside the church burst into a chorus of "How Great Thou Art" as family and friends threw themselves into each other's arms Everyone was praising God for answering prayers."
But the euphoria as you know was short lived and the when the truth was known, it shattered the atmosphere of the miraculous. Now the once crowded pews were largely empty in the Sago Baptist Church where earlier they sang and rejoiced.
When God doesn't act as we think He should.. How do we react to that? In the face of tragedy and heartache, where is God in all of this.
A disaster like this is a reminder to us of the brevity and the fragile nature of human life. It is also a reminder to us that every moment of life is a gift. It also reminds us of the sovereignty of God. Why does He allow things like this to happen... We truly cannot know! What we can know is a salvation that is able to conquer even death.... And in that there is comfort and victory!
Paul said it well, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better..." Philippians 1:21-23
Let us be fervent in praying for the families of the miners who perished in this terrible tragedy. Let us also pray that these families will be comforted as they deal with the travesty of mis-information that victimized them.
By His grace!
Jennifer Yates, an AP writer captured the situation well in her report, Jubilation Turns to Anger, Outrage. "Shortly before midnight, word rushed up the hollow that 12 miners had been found alive and friends clapped in the early morning chill as a single ambulance drove away, presumably with one of the miners safely in the back.
"It just shows you enough prayers went out," Bula Smith, 27, said as she clutched her 7-month-old daughter, Cassey, close to her. "It's a miracle."The crowd gathered outside the church burst into a chorus of "How Great Thou Art" as family and friends threw themselves into each other's arms Everyone was praising God for answering prayers."
But the euphoria as you know was short lived and the when the truth was known, it shattered the atmosphere of the miraculous. Now the once crowded pews were largely empty in the Sago Baptist Church where earlier they sang and rejoiced.
When God doesn't act as we think He should.. How do we react to that? In the face of tragedy and heartache, where is God in all of this.
A disaster like this is a reminder to us of the brevity and the fragile nature of human life. It is also a reminder to us that every moment of life is a gift. It also reminds us of the sovereignty of God. Why does He allow things like this to happen... We truly cannot know! What we can know is a salvation that is able to conquer even death.... And in that there is comfort and victory!
Paul said it well, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better..." Philippians 1:21-23
Let us be fervent in praying for the families of the miners who perished in this terrible tragedy. Let us also pray that these families will be comforted as they deal with the travesty of mis-information that victimized them.
By His grace!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)