Quote of the day

"God will send the rain when He is ready. Your job is to prepare the field to receive it." (source unknown)

The Ethiopian Eunuch Loved by God

At the title many of you may be assuming this post is about Acts 8. Philip's encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch is certainly an incredible story of the God who loved this one man enough to take Philip away from a successful evangelistic outreach to share the Gospel on a quiet road! But the story of the eunuch I'm talking about is told not in Acts, but in Jeremiah. In the context of the judgment of Jerusalem and God's promises to Jeremiah about the new covenant, God presents an intriguing episode.

In prison, Jeremiah receives a word from God - not a word for the King for the Israelites, but a specific word for a specific man, an Ethiopian at that.

Jeremiah 38:7-13; 39:15-18
When Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, a eunuch who was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the cistern—the king was sitting in the Benjamin Gate— 8 Ebed-melech went from the king's house and said to the king, 9 “My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they did to Jeremiah the prophet by casting him into the cistern, and he will die there of hunger, for there is no bread left in the city.” 10 Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, “Take thirty men with you from here, and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies.” 11 So Ebed-melech took the men with him and went to the house of the king, to a wardrobe in the storehouse, and took from there old rags and worn-out clothes, which he let down to Jeremiah in the cistern by ropes. 12 Then Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, “Put the rags and clothes between your armpits and the ropes.” Jeremiah did so. 13 Then they drew Jeremiah up with ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard. ... 15 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah while he was shut up in the court of the guard: 16 “Go, and say to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will fulfill my words against this city for harm and not for good, and they shall be accomplished before you on that day. 17 But I will deliver you on that day, declares the Lord, and you shall not be given into the hand of the men of whom you are afraid. 18 For I will surely save you, and you shall not fall by the sword, but you shall have your life as a prize of war, because you have put your trust in me, declares the Lord.’”

Because he put his trust in Yahweh, this Ethipian eunuch received a word specifically for his life. God's heart for the nations is revealed here. "Ebed-melech" means "servant of a king" and God certainly makes him the servant the highest King!

Be encouraged that God has been at work among your people far before you ever got there. When Philip talked to the Ethiopian eunuch, he was simply God's vessel for that time. God had been at work in the Ethiopian people for generations!

The Heart of Prayer

We humans love to make things so difficult. God, on the other hand, really keeps things pretty simple. When you stop to think of His majesty and glory, His infinite knowledge and wisdom, we really do see only the "fringes of His ways" (Job 26:14). What He has chosen to reveal in His Word is sufficient; we just like to complicate it so much. And one area where we are most vulnerable to this tendency is the area we need to pursue with the most freedom and simplicity of all: Prayer.

Jesus' model prayer to the disciples was very simple and basic in its wording, but deep in its theology. Coming from someone who prayed through the night, its brevity is especially surprising! And yet the model prayer, combined with a few other teachings such as persistence, focusing on God's will, having unselfish motives, and being childlike toward God, is what He chose to tell us.

Are you struggling with your prayer life? Perhaps an illustration will help. The following is on p. 339-340 of Don Cormack's "Killing Fields, Living Fields" - an incredible story of the church in Cambodia. As you read, as God to let you see the heart of prayer through this little boy's story. May God bless your prayer time tonight!

"One day, as I stood interpreting for one of the only two doctors at a place called Klong Wah where thousands needed their immediate attention, a little lad of about eight came up to me calling, 'Uncle, uncle, please come and help me carry my older brother over here where he can be given medicine.' The boy explained that the brother, about twelve, was lying a good two kilometres away in the bush, unconscious in a malaria coma. But I couldn't just walk away from my responsibilities as interpreter and the enormous task I already had on my hands helping to care for hundreds of dying people right there. Only a few yards into the forest there were more. How could I justify going so far and using up so much valuable time for just one? I told the boy I couldn't go with him, but to get one or two to help carry his brother in. Of course I knew even as I spoke that it was unlikely anyone was going to expend their own limited energy on a dying boy. ...

The boy however would not be put off. He persisted in crying out after me, till I finally steeled myself and ignored him. After about an hour of whimpering and pleading, he fell silent, deep in thought. He knew that I was the only lifeline there was to save his brothers' life. Next thing, I felt a pair of sinewy arms grip me round the legs, and a pair of ankles lock around mine. And there he clung like a leech. Now it was my turn to protest. But his lips were sealed. He clearly wasn't going to let go his vice-like grip on my legs till they followed him to that place where his brother lay dying. I was thus compelled to go with him in order to get rid of him. His dogged importunity had gained him the victory. And I reflected as I pursued him through the trees that this was surely what serious believing Christian pryaer was all about. It entailed a crucial element of 'violence.' It involved patiently holding on to the knees of God, even in the face of apparent silence and lack of movement. The older brother's life was saved."

Love vs. Duty

God has the power to force us to worship Him. John 18 pictures this when the Roman cohort falls to the ground when Jesus states "I am He"; John foresees this in Revelation when he describes a day when every knee will bow, every tongue confess that He is Lord - everything in heaven and earth and under the earth. The God who forms mountains and creates wind, who knows your thoughts (Amos 4:13) - this is the God whom we worship.

And yet, He has chosen not to have a people worship Him out of duty or compulsion, but out of love. The heart of salvation is the creation of a worshiper -- God, in His sovereignty, somehow takes someone who is so far from Him that Scripture calls him "dead", gives a new heart and a new spirit, and enables that individual to desire to walk in His ways. "We love because He first loved us", John writes, and Scripture makes it clear that faith and worship are inseparable. Our mighty, awesome God has us worship Him from a heart of love, a heart that He gives us.

Worship Him today for making you a worshiper. Together we will anticipate the worshipers He is creating around the globe ... in your neighborhood and in mine!

Christian Excellence and Ambition

I'm not a very good housekeeper. While I do manage to keep things tidy and sanitary, I never seem to get around to the "big jobs", forget to dust, and prefer the decorating scheme of "Modern Nostalgia" (i.e., whatever family members and kids have given or made). While I do consider myself a good homemaker (a different role than mere housekeeping, to my mind), I hold no illusions about winning a Better Homes and Gardens house of the year award! The word "excellent" would never cross my mind when describing my housekeeping skills!

Likewise, I have little "ambition" in the earthly sense of the word. I don't have a specific career-ladder goal in mind; I am not sure that I even want to achieve the next "step". I do want to do a good job every day, but earthly success is not my definition of "ambition".

Thankfully, God is very good at redefining terms for His children. Writing to the Thessalonians, Paul spells out very clearly what Christian excellence and ambition should look like.

Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; for indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you, so that you will behave properly toward outsiders and not be in any need.
I Thessalonians 4:9-12

Excellence. Paul encourages the Thessalonians to "excel still more" in the second greatest commandment: Love one another. Love for other believers is so important that John writes if we don't love each other, we don't love God! Likewise he writes that if we love God, we will love one another. And he calls the commandment to love a singular command - though Jesus had stated love for God was number one and love for others number two. The sum of John's teachings leads to the conclusion that the first and second commands are two sides of the same coin -- if you have one, you must have the other. In calling us to excel in love, Paul comes alongside John's emphasis on love and strips away much of what is extraneous in our lives. We're not called to be excellent singers, excellent speakers, excellent newsletter writers. We're called to love excellently. That turns a lot of "musts" into optional activities and solidifies our priorities in the right direction.

Ambition. Paul also defines for the Thessalonians what their "ambition" should be. Their ambition is not to single-handedly save a continent, country, or even city for Christ; their ambition is not to meet an artificial numerical goal; instead, Paul defines ambition for them as leading a quiet life, minding their own business, and working with their hands. Pretty simple for a group of new believers, but good advice for all of us who love to set big plans in motion and fret when every cog in the wheel doesn't turn like we anticipated. Just work hard, don't do anything that would cause unbelievers to focus more on our "noise" than on the Gospel, and see what God does. This doesn't mean trouble won't come our way - but it does mean than when it does, the focus can be on the Gospel, not our antagonistic behavior. Here Paul concurs with Peter's teaching that our lives and testimony should be with such a gentle and quiet spirit that when we are attacked, even our accusers won't find any legitimate cause for complaint against us. The attack will be revealed to be against the message, not the messenger.

Have you been struggling with frustration at the lack of excellence in some area of your work? Are you overwhelmed with priorities and unsure where to begin? Are you ready to scream at the goals laid out before you -- goals that seem not to take into account the realities of your daily grind?

Come back to the basics. Excel in love. Make it your amibition to live a quiet life and work hard. See what God does when you get your plans out of the way and just be a vessel.

Encouraging - or being encouraged?

We’re supposed to comfort the dying – right?

That was my attitude as I ministered to my mother-in-law during her last weeks on this earth. While we never talked about it, she seemed to know that her time would soon come to join the crowd from every tribe, tongue, and nation around the throne. My husband and I were blessed as her caregivers to minister to her when she still lived in her own apartment, and doubly blessed when she moved in with us. We focused on making whatever time she had left – we didn’t know how much it would be – as pleasant and comfortable as possible. When her time to pass from this life to the next came, we were standing at her bedside.

We were intending to comfort her. Instead, we found ourselves experiencing the truth of 2 Cor. 1:6a: If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort….

“Comfort” here is the word often translated “encourage” in the New Testament. “Paraklesis” refers to calling to one’s side, exhorting, consoling, encouraging and strengthening, and, yes, comforting. If the word looks familiar, it should – it’s closely related to “Paraklete”, the Greek term used for the Holy Spirit.

Looking at this verse after Mom’s homegoing, it suddenly made sense to me. Both our affliction and our comfort are for the “paraklesis”, the comfort, the encouragement of others. Whether we are going through a difficult time or an easy time, God’s design is that we pass it on to others “for their comfort” – for their encouragement, in an encouraging way.

Mom never once quoted me this verse, but she lived it out every day. Even as she spent 99 of her last 105 days in the hospital, individuals still left her room feeling better than when they arrived. Within two weeks of her homegoing, she prayed with a family friend, “Lord, cause me to be a blessing to someone today.” Within an hour and a half before crossing into eternity, she was thanking the medical providers coming into her room and just enjoying hearing her family’s voice. In her last minutes, as she fixed her eyes on my husband and me and listened to us sing hymns and praise songs, she had a look of transcendent peace that spoke volumes to us weeks afterward.

I learned much through my encouraging mother-in-law. But among the most unexpected lessons was this paradoxical truth: Our affliction is for others’ encouragement. By God’s grace, when I face affliction I’ll try to be an encouragement to others. Meanwhile, I’ll continue to minister comfort to those in difficult situations, even those who are dying. But I won’t be surprised if I find myself on the receiving end instead.

How about you? What affliction are you facing that leaves you desperately feeling like you need to be encouraged? Is the load on the field weighing more heavily than usual today, causing you to need an encourager yourself?

Consider whether God has put this affliction in your life for the comfort, the encouragement of others. Then look around and see how your affliction becomes their comfort. Leave them wondering how, with all you are going through, you can possibly care about them. Then be ready with an answer for the hope that is within you -- because they'll ask!

Standing with you - to encourage you as you encourage them through the very trials that wear you down tonight.

Trying to Learn What is Pleasing to the Lord

Have you ever been in a place where you find yourself seeking to do things differently than you ever have before?

Many of you know that struggle better than I can ever describe. You've relocated your family, learned a new language, and adapted to new cultural demands and expectations. Again I'm reminded that field workers aren't "super-Christians"; instead, they are learning the same lessons I'm learning, but in a different location.

My life is in transition. My mother-in-law passed from worshipping in this life to worshipping in the next on May 25. She lived with us, and my husband and I were her caregivers - a blessing I highly recommend if God puts the opportunity before you. But after 12 1/2 years of providing some level of care for her, with the past 1 1/2 being fairly intense care, I find myself seeking to discover what to do with that part of me that was a caregiver.

Some days I get a lot done; other days I find myself fumbling around. But I take heart in Eph. 5:10 - "trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord." Not that I get it right or have a huge revelation ... but each day, I try to learn what is pleasing to Him.

This blog will continue and I will post here regularly, but I'm still working out how that will look. In this as everything else in life right now, I am "trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord".

My prayer is that in your transitions today you will do the same!

True Strength

My husband says that his mom is the strongest person he knows, male or female. In her physical heydey, she ran a 300-acre farm byherself in Pennsylvania when her husband (Bob's stepdad) was an alcoholic and gambler. It's taken her years to accept her physical decline because all her life, she's had to do what she was told she couldn't do, but didn't have a choice because there was no one left to do it. When your mom dies at 4 and your dad is in prison, when you are passed around from relative to relative as free house help; when you are working for pay from age 12; when a nurse tells you your baby boy is not being fed and the doctor wants to let him die; when you find yourself divorced with three young boys at 23 in the 1950s; when you are told you won't live to see 40 because of a family heart ailment and you have to prepare your sons to care for themselves ... you become a strong person.

So it should be no surprise to us that my mother-in-law celebrated her 80th birthday recently. Her strength is exemplified in different ways these days -- she is strong spiritually, mentally, and emotionally, if not physically. She teaches us lessons every day -- lessons about contentment, lessons about ministry, lessons about life. Yet her physical problems remain severe.

We were visiting with a dear family friend (a rare gem who is more family than friend) and we all prayed together. When it was mom's turn to pray, she prayed such a simple prayer but it has stayed with me: "Lord, cause me to be a blessing to someone." Friends, that is true quality of life. Don't be fooled by the arguments that say people can't live without quality of life. Our mindset, our attitude, our relationship with God determine our quality of life ... NOTour circumstances. As I shared before, if we have consciousness we are here to praise Him in the land of the living ... and as Paul shared in Phil. 4:13 - the secret to contentment is knowing we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. That is the true secret to True Strength.

2 Cor. 4:7-18 speaks to mom's physical situation .. and to all the rest of our human limitations which are not always so obvious.

7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested inour bodies. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death forJesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in ourmortal flesh. 12 So death is at work in us, but life in you.13 Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, 14 knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. 15 For it is all foryour sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond allcomparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to thethings that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, butthe things that are unseen are eternal.

The life of Jeuss is being manifested in her body, even as her outer self is wasting away. May it be true of all of us. This treasure - the transforming power of the Gospel through the Holy Spirit - is in our human jars of clay, our flesh with all its limitations, so that we have no doubt that the power is His, not ours. That lesson means more to me now than ever.

If you are in a difficult situation, unsure why things are happening ...if your circumstances are not in line with what you expected ... don't lose heart. Look to the eternal weight of glory; focus on what is unseen.Don't miss the blessings and lessons in the journey by failing to see thevalue in your suffering. It shows more than you know.Glory is at stake here.

Stretching and Changing

Wow. Since my last post on March 1, it's been a wild ride. I know it's nothing compared to what many of you face constantly ... but things have completely turned around from that hopeful email.

On March 3, my mother-in-law collapsed in respiratory failure. My husband and I found ourselves on her floor giving her CPR until the EMT's arrived. She remained in the hospital until April 2. Meanwhile, we determined she needed to live with us, and because our place was so small, we moved two households in 2 weeks. She came home April 2, and on April 6 went back to the hospital with near-respiratory failure. On April 14 she came home, then back to the hospital we went on April 15 with an allergic reaction causing respiratory distress. She remains there today - home only 6 days in the past 75.

This time has been filled with a completely haphazard schedule, lots of fatigue, and a significant change in our circumstances as my husband is taking a paid leave of absence to be with her. We never know if our plans for a given evening will come through or not. I am literally having to learn to live in the moments and trust God with my lists (which seem to grow longer rather than shorter). And yet strangely, I wouldn't trade this time for anything. For in it, I've learned the importance of stretching and changing.

Stretching. Each morning I do a series of stretches which keep some joint problems in check and help reduce the risk of muscle pulls, etc., while walking. Physically, research shows that 30 seconds of stretching increases range of motion in each muscle group stretched. It also increases balance and facilitates relaxation.

Spiritually, the past few weeks have taught me the same truths. I have been stretched in my faith, in my schedule, in my quiet times, in my priorities ... and yet I have learned that my spiritual "range of motion" has increased significantly! I am capable of much more than I thought ... and I know that God used this time of "stretching" to get me there a little at a time. My spiritual "balance" has been equally affected, as I have learned that my definition of "balance" might not be God's, and that "balance" can change from day to day. As a pastor friend advised once, "Don't pursue balance ... pursue God, and He'll give you the balance you need." I've relearned that truth. Finally, relaxation has most definitely been facilitated as I have had the benefit of more times of sitting and waiting, praying or reading and allowing God to minister to me as I await the latest doctor to the room or the next test or procedure.

Are you being stretched spiritually? Ask God how He would have this stretching produce in you an increased range of motion, balance, and relaxation!

Change. Scientists and doctors tell us that healthy cells are dynamic, not static. What that means is that anything alive and healthy is in the process of CHANGE. It is truth that if your cells are now growing and changing, they are dying. A static, unchanging cell is on its way to death unless something turns it around.

Likewise, this time of change has been good for me spiritually. Despite the difficulties I feel ALIVE and growing, and reminded that keeping things the same is simply a sign of impending loss - death!

Are you facing change? Remember that all God promises is that HE will not change ... He gives no certainties about our circumstances. Praise Him for the signs of life that change reflects ... and embrace it as a gift.

It is my privilege to begin to minister again as I have adjusted to a "new normal". I make no promises about number of posts, but please know that I will try to be faithful to the Lord in full obedience.

Blessings,
Rosa

Beyond what we ask ...

Eph. 3:20-21 says, "Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly thanall that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations,forever and ever. Amen."

Paul's spontaneous prayer culminating his teaching to the Ephesians about their position in Christ reflects our heart as I share with you an update about my mother-in-law. After spending 3 weeks in the hospital and rehab (the reason for my lack of posting of late), she is going home from the hospital tomorrow (Friday) -- but that is only part of the story.

As we (and others) prayed, God worked a miracle in her heart, changing her mindset and attitude and giving her joy in her circumstances. After this, He went far beyond what we thought to ask. After years of being confined to a wheelchair, she is now walking!

Her osteoporosis has been so severe, and her body so weak, that the doctor confined her to a wheelchair for her own safety, to prevent falls and breaks. However, at rehab she was assigned a determined therapist named Iris. Iris understood this limitation and risk, but also knew that bones need to bear weight to get stronger. So in consultation with thephysiasist (an MD specializing in physical therapy), she developed a plan to get mom walking a little. She can now walk 20 feet at a time unassisted, 4 times in a row. 80 feet might not seem a lot to you, but for someone who hasn't been able to putter around her kitchen, this is huge.

I share this to let you know how God answers prayers, but also to remind you that whatever stage in life you are at, God meets you in intimate ways when your heart is to continue to serve Him. Unlike some of the medical field, God doesn't set us aside to wither away when we get old. Some of the greatest ministries start at 80! Sure, we all have a limited number of days on this earth, but whether they are 37 (like a high school friend of mine who died this week) or 79 like my mother-in-law, let's commit to living them all to the glory of God, and watch to see how He intimately intervenes beyond all we ask or think to allow that to continue to happen when the world might give up on us!

Going the Second Mile

"The second mile." It's a phrase often used in Christian circles, and even by non-Christians, to refer to going above and beyond the call of duty. Our understanding of this phrase is that it is a choice made by someone to do something extra.

And to a large degree, that is an accurate perception. But the context of Jesus' reference begs for a deeper understanding - something that is harder even than putting forth a little extra effort on the job. Jesus said in Matthew 5:38-42:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’
But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.

And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.

And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.

Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you."

Look at that context in the underlined portion: if anyone FORCES you to go one mile, go two.

Yes, we can choose to go the extra mile in something we enjoy or even in hard times with work or family - and that is good. But it's not supernatural. It doesn't require something beyond ourselves and our own sense of accomplishment to attain.

But choosing to go an extra mile when we are being mistreated, forced to do something we don't want to do in the first place - for example, to voluntarily go two miles instead of the one required by Roman law at the command of a soldier while carrying his burden - that requires something we don't have. Too often we think, "You can make me do it, but I don't have to like it." We never consider giving extra in such situations.

Yet it is in those situations where we do more than we are required to do when it is something we would never have chosen in the first place, that the power of Christ is manifest in our lives. It is at those time that we reflect His image and His heart. It is at those times that our servant's heart is tested. The implication is that this is a situation beyond the individual's control - not a parental or relational situation, where the relationship should be worked out under biblical guidelines, but a circumstantial one. Our jobs, certain laws, paperwork reporting requirements - these things are "a mile" that we feel force us into servitude. Jesus calls us to go the "second mile" - to voluntarily go beyond servanthood to surrender.

Are you watching???

Psalm 5:1-3 Give ear to my words, O Lord;consider my groaning. Give attention to the sound of my cry,my King and my God,for to you do I pray. O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.

Getting up in the morning for prayer time is a sacrifice! It is also a joy and the highlight of my day ... but especially on these cold mornings, it can be a sacrifice.

David's words are encouraging to us all - God will hear our prayer. This man after God's own heart prayed and WATCHED! (The Hebrew indicates "eagerly watch").

Are you watching for the answers to your prayers today? If we believe God is really going to answer them - why not start watching?

Last Friday I sent out a prayer newsletter to some friends. My mother-in-law was one of the subjects. She had injured a rib and was in severe pain. Her health conditions prohibited her from taking enough painkiller to ease the pain. I asked for prayer almost in passing, and forgot about it. Then on Monday morning she announced that she woke up during the night pain-free. I suddenly remembered the prayers! God answered them ... but I had forgotten to watch.

What a great reminder this Scripture is ... pray - then watch!

Don't forget to watch today!!!

Lessons from Obscurity

For all the honor of the field worker in God's eyes, to the eyes of the world you are relatively obscure. Even within the church, few can name more than a handful of you by name -- and if you limit that to those currently on the field, the number dwindles more. Where God is awakening a church to His kingdom purposes the interest in general prompts prayers for "the workers" and even for the specific regions ... but to much of the church, you are nameless and faceless. Loved, respected, even idealized ... but obscure.

You may struggle with that from time to time. Like the one who returned home from 25 years on the field who happened to be on the same boat with a dignitary who was welcomed home on red carpet while he and his wife had no one to meet them, you may wonder about your relative importance. (You probably know the story: his wife reminded him that he didn't have a homecoming welcome because "you're not home yet".)

I too have struggled with relative obscurity. In my pre-Christian days I had huge ambitions ... selfish ambitions. My dreams and ambitions changed after I became a Christian, and He has purified me consistently to remove the "selfish" part (an ongoing process) ... but the desire to do something "big" for the kingdom has remained. Yet I often feel quite obscure as I can pretty easily count the number of people within my small sphere of influence.

Yet somehow, God in His wisdom has used this for my good and His glory. One day, sitting at my mother-in-law's house and praying over this very subject, I found myself writing down my words to God. He didn't need me to write them down, of course ... but He knew I would need them. I found them again today and I share them as a fellow traveler who is learning the blessings of obscurity. For as I decrease, He increases. True significance is not what I do, but how I let Him live through me. May this cry of my heart encourage your heart today.

Lessons from Obscurity

I asked You to give me something to do for Your glory, something grand and magnificent.
You gave me a wounded child and said "Believe".

I asked You for more, for a grander task.
You gave me a husband with dreams and said "Hope".

I wanted to reach even higher and sought a broader place to serve.
You gave me a sick mother-in-law and said "Love".

The bigger the vision you have given me for the world
The more you remind me that faith, hope, and love begin at home.

I have the faith to do big things for You.
Do I have the faith to be obscure?

Whose Rights?

In free western societies, the heavy emphasis on "rights" is sometimes hard to swallow ... and easy to get caught up in. It is easy, even in Christian circles, to think of "my" rights. Those of you who are on mission with God have learned, probably the hard way, that "my" rights are consumed into the will of God. He has the right to ask me to lay down "my" rights.

But Scripture does talk about "rights" that we are to fight for. No, not our own rights ... He asks us to lay those down out of love. But in one of many passages that address this matter, Proverbs 31:8-9 asks us to fight for the rights of the destitute, the poor and needy, those who cannot speak for themselves:

"Open your mouth for the mute,for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously,defend the rights of the poor and needy."

Earlier in verse 5, kings are warned not to get drunk "lest they drink and forget what has been decreed and pervert the rights of all the afflicted."

Wherever you are today, you have a chance to fight for the rights that God calls us to stand up for. I know those of you on the field seek to do this daily. May we on this end of the task find the heart to see the significance of this aspect of your work, as you touch the heart of God by helping those whom no one thinks of when they mention "rights". As Kenneth Cragg writes,
"The meaning of the Church is more often 'caught' than taught. Too many theologians and ecclesiastics have gone astray in the past by seeking to locate the true Church, when they should have sought simply to be it. In the end, the Church will not so much identify itself by description, as be identified by others in recognition." (The Call of the Minaret, p. 301).

Let's seek to be the church today.

What is revival?

In my readings this week I found this awesome quote from John White. He says that revival is "an action of God whereby He pours out His Holy Spirit, initially upon the church, and it comes as an alternative to His judgment which is about to fall on teh church and on the secular world." John Wimber notes that "Revival and refreshing come because the church is at a low ebb ... God doesn't revive people who have it all together. He revives people who are hungry, thirsty, weak, naked, blind, and less than spotless."

In other words, when we're looking pretty rough, and judgment is near, we are prime candidates for REVIVAL!

Let that encourage you today as you wonder what God could possibly do ... and then pray for Him to do what only He can!

When the glory of God comes

I know you pray for God's glory to be revealed to your people group. I know you long for the day when praise to Him will fill the earth. Go with me for a moment to that place in the future when it happens ... when it's real. What will it look like when the wilderness and dry land you are in today see the glory of the living God? Isaiah 35 gives us a picture:

35:1 The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad;the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus;2 it shall blossom abundantlyand rejoice with joy and singing.The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.They shall see the glory of the Lord,the majesty of our God. 3 Strengthen the weak hands,and make firm the feeble knees.4 Say to those who have an anxious heart,“Be strong; fear not!Behold, your Godwill come with vengeance,with the recompense of God.He will come and save you.” 5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,and the ears of the deaf unstopped;6 then shall the lame man leap like a deer,and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.For waters break forth in the wilderness,and streams in the desert;7 the burning sand shall become a pool,and the thirsty ground springs of water;in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down,the grass shall become reeds and rushes. 8 And a highway shall be there,and it shall be called the Way of Holiness;the unclean shall not pass over it.It shall belong to those who walk on the way;even if they are fools, they shall not go astray. 9 No lion shall be there,nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it;they shall not be found there,but the redeemed shall walk there.10 And the ransomed of the Lord shall returnand come to Zion with singing;everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;they shall obtain gladness and joy,and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

In that day your land will see:

* Joy (vv. 1-2)
* Fruitfulness (vv. 1-2)
* Wholeness (vv. 5-6)
* Refreshing (v. 7)
* Holiness (vv. 8-9)
* Restoration (v. 10)

What should you do in the meantime! Verses 3-4 make it clear: Believe God!

I pray for your nations, your people, YOU, to see the glory of God. I pray that in your spiritual deserts you would see His glory. Seeing His glory is transformational!

2 Cor. 3:18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

A prayer from an Indian believer

I have been so blessed to read devotional writings from non-western Christians. One that really stuck with me is N.V. Tilak, a high-caste Hindu who became a Christian in India in the late 19th century. Tilak had a grasp of contextualizing the truths of Scripture for an Indian audience and pushed for a truly "Indian" indigenous worship of Christ. This poem is written in a common Indian style but captures a truth we must all learn: we must decrease and let Christ increase. Enjoy!

The Lowest Room
by N.V. Tilak

Grant me to give to men what they desire,
And for my portion take what they do slight.
Grant me, Lord, a mind that doth aspire
To less than it may claim of proper right.
Rather, the lowest place, at all men's feet
That do Thou graciously reserve for me.
This only bounty I would fain entreat,
That Thy will, my God, my will be.
And yet one other boon must Thou bestow;
I name it not ... for Thou dost know.

Appropriate Wisdom

It's one of the most common themes in Scripture, but it bears repeating: God is full of wisdom ... He IS wisdom. What I love most, though, is that His wisdom is appropriate for every situation.

Isa. 28:23-29: Give ear, and hear my voice; give attention, and hear my speech. Does he who plows for sowing plow continually? Does he continually open and harrow his ground? When he has leveled its surface,does he not scatter dill, sow cumin,and put in wheat in rowsand barley in its proper place,and emmer as the border? For he is rightly instructed; his God teaches him. Dill is not threshed with a threshing sledge, nor is a cart wheel rolled over cumin,but dill is beaten out with a stick,and cumin with a rod. Does one crush grain for bread?No, he does not thresh it forever; when he drives his cart wheel over it with his horses, he does not crush it. This also comes from the Lord of hosts; he is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom.

Our human limitations want us to make a 'one-size-fits-all' rule for something ... especially we Americans love to standardize! But look at the examples God gives ... the farmer doesn't harvest every crop the same. It is no accident that God chose this analogy for His wisdom.

God gives wisdom to handle each situation appropriately - whether plowing, sowing, or harvesting. Trust Him to grant wisdom in your ministry. If it doesn't look like it did the last time, or like that of others you know - test it against Scripture and if it is not unscriptural, consider that God, who sees and knows all, understands the intricacies of your situation and tailors His wisdom appropriately.

Why Prayer?

You are on the field, so you know that prayer works. You may have even commented, "I don't know why, but things happen when I pray that simply don't happen when I fail to pray." I've noticed the same thing!

Over the past several years God has helped me develop somewhat of a "theology of prayer". What I share here are notes I keep in the front of my prayer journal as a reminder of why I take that time each morning. Although I don't have the Scriptures noted, I jotted each one down after discovering it in Bible study times (and some day will formally write them down). May God help you learn from what He has taught me as you get a glimpse into my prayer journal.

The Purpose of My Prayer Life

1. Dependence on God. Prayer serves as a reminder that it's not up to me to solve the problems around me.

2. Humility. Prayer reminds me how many things only God can do.

3. Glory of God. God is glorified when we ask and He answers. Here is the power of united prayer: The more people who ask, the more glory God gets as the answer is passed along.

4. Theology. Prayer is where theology meets reality. When I turn Scripture into prayer, I come to grasp the doctrine better.

5. Faith. Prayer helps me to grow in faith.

6. Prayer gives me the mind of Christ.

7. Praying God's promises is His means of allowing me to share in the victory that is certain.

8. Power. Prayer gives me power as I walk in obedience.

9. Joy. Isa. 65:7 tells me there is joy in the house of prayer.

Housekeeping Notes

First, I want to thank those of you who regularly read (or check) this blog. I pray for God to use these few words to encourage you. I appreciate your patience in this endeavor.

Second, I want to let you know about my plan for posting this year. I have become convinced through prayer that God definitely wants me to continue this blog and will continue to guide me in what to put on here. My goal is to post 3 times a week. Two of these will be the devotional-type posts a previously, and the third will be a summary of my studies for the preceding week.

Most of you know that I am working on a Master's Degree in Global Civilization through William Carey International University. (You can access the information through the link on the blog.) Each week I spend several hours studying Scripture, Hebrew and Greek, and my textbook articles on missions, church history, and the relationship to the cultures and civilizations of the world. Currently I am studying the era of the early church. I feel that some of this might be helpful to you (or at least interesting) and so plan to start making my weekly "summary lesson" one of my posts. You'll find that most likely on Mondays.

I would appreciate your prayers in these endeavors! Blessings to you ... you are all a blessing to me.