“Sometimes our light goes out, but is blown again into instant flame by an encounter with another human being.”—Albert Schweitzer Learning of the below testimony has given me a whole new perspective on the astounding power of united prayer and how much depends on it. The story begins with a Norwegian missionary who had reached a point in her life where she wondered what good praying could do. Marie Monsen (1878–1962) was a Norwegian missionary active in China between 1901 and 1932. She longed for the day when spiritually dry China would flow like a river, but she didn’t see a way. While observing the Yangtze River one day, she noticed that the source of the mighty river started with tiny drops of rain that joined at the top of the mountain. From this single observation, Marie sought a prayer partner who would join her in claiming the promise that “if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven” (NKJV). When she finally found someone she exclaimed, “The awakening has begun. Two of us have agreed!” The raindrops of revival prayer were coming together. Soon about 40 Christians began meeting in a town in North China for prayer four times a day beginning at dawn. When the awakening came, more people were born again than in any previous year in North China. One missionary estimated that 3,000 people came to Christ in his town. People, including pastors and missionaries, experienced a deeper Christian life than they had ever known before. A spirit of prayer was poured out on the church, and many times prayer meetings lasted two or three hours. Even children’s prayers led to the salvation of their parents and teachers. In 1932, after several years of people standing together in prayer, Marie Monsen’s saw her longing for spiritually dry northern China to flow like a river was fulfilled. In Ecclesiastes we read that “Two are better than one … for they have a good return for their labor” (Ecclesiastes 4:9 NIV). You may be mighty in prayer alone, but you can be mightier with someone joining you. P.S. Download your free verse sheet--God's Promises in Times of Trouble on the Verse sheet page.
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Verse of the day:
Let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. – 2 Corinthians 9:7 Think about it: Unselfishness isn’t just about giving money. Sometimes it’s easier to give money than to give of ourselves. To give our time, attention, sympathy, understanding, and prayers to someone else, we have to be the “real deal.” We have to reach out, to understand, to feel compassion, and to do something about it. Often it’s those sacrifices of time that really count—such as when we give up our day off to participate in a local charity’s work or to visit someone who is sick. It’s not just about money. It’s about what we give from our hearts, out of love. There’s a great story about a missionary who was teaching in Africa. Before Christmas he had been telling his native students how Christians, as an expression of their joy, gave each other presents on Christ’s birthday. On Christmas morning one of the natives brought the missionary a seashell of lustrous beauty. When asked where he had discovered such an extraordinary shell, the native said he had walked many miles to a bay, the only spot where such shells could be found. “I think it was wonderful of you to travel so far to get this lovely gift for me,” the teacher exclaimed. His eyes brightening, the native answered, “Long walk, part of gift.” We each have many opportunities to help others. The Bible says: “Let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.”1 Let’s look for ways to give to those around us. Let’s make it a habit. Let’s make giving unselfishly of our time, service, and finances part of our personal code of ethics, and we’ll find we will not lack, as God will give back to us in abundance, and our life of unselfishness will be a blessed life. You’ll never regret giving, both in this life and in the life to come. When your Christian love moves from just being a sermon to being a living example of Jesus’ generosity, care, and sympathy, it’s like you’ve just dressed your love in work clothes and set about to build something beautiful. That’s the kind of practical everyday love that makes people stand up and take notice, as it’s a living example of the unconditional love of Jesus. Praise of the day: Psalm 148:13 Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven. P.S. Download your free verse sheet--God's Promises in Times of Trouble on the Verse sheet page. Promise of the day:
… and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. --- Matthew 28:20 Think about it: I heard a story about a young boy who was paralyzed and unable to move, except for his head. Clearly, it was hopeless for him to try to do anything “sporty.” But he didn’t resign himself. When he heard of a 5 km run behing hosted as a fundraiser for a friend who also had become paralyzed through a tragic accident, he had a bold idea. With the assistance of technology that enables him to type messages using his eyes and head, he told his father, “I want to run in that race.” Instead of pointing out the impossibility of the plan, his father made a cart that his son could lie in and pulled it the entire 5 km. At the end of the race, his son typed another message: “This is the first time I don’t feel handicapped.” And so they did it again. And again. And again! To date, this father has competed with his son in over 300 races—including marathons and triathlons. He runs, swims, and cycles, pulling, pushing, and carrying his son every single step of the way. Why? Simply because he loves his son and wants him to be happy. The son didn’t do anything particular to deserve such love. He’s the son, and that’s all that matters. We’re the sons and daughters of our heavenly Father, which means we don’t have to push on alone when we’re weary. We can fall into His arms, and He will carry us. That’s what “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5) means. No matter the mess we’re in, or the troubles we face, His love towards us never wavers. He is always there, ready to help us reach each goal, and one day, we’ll cross the ultimate finish line together. – by Chris Mizrany Praise of the day: Psalm 146:1 Praise ye the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul. P.S. Download your free verse sheet--God's Promises in Times of Trouble on the Verse sheet page. Verse of the day:
The Lord God took the man, and put him in the garden of Eden to dress it and keep it. -- Genesis 2:15 Think about it: When it comes to the environment and climate change, it’s easy to mentally block out the topic entirely and decide that there’s nothing we can do about it—or foist the responsibility on someone else, relieving ourselves of the obligation. But God gave us the responsibility to take care of His creation, not just out of duty, but out of love for Him and His creatures. “The Lord God took the man, and put him in the garden of Eden to dress it and keep it.” (Genesis 2:15 KJV) That’s the main factor that has motivated me to be more ecologically mindful. Looking at our world and the damage the environment has sustained can lead to feelings of sadness, discouragement, and even fear. It’s also human nature to say: “Send my brother” or “Let the government or big corporations do it. They have the means and the money. It’s their responsibility.” But there are many ways to make a difference. Consider Olivia Bouler. When she was 11, she started drawing birds and auctioning some of her drawings to help recovery efforts after an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Positive action is potent, and contagious. Neighbors can band together to clean a park, kids can organize a cleaning crew to pick up trash from a beach. All of us can join tree-planting groups. Even small actions like turning off lights, not letting the faucet run, or taking shorter showers can make a difference and a better world for us and our children and future generations. Actions speak louder than words, and change begins at home. Environmental sermons can make people uncomfortable and defensive, but environmental-friendly action can encourage others to make positive changes of their own. In Chile, like in many other countries, there are no colored bins for each kind of trash. But that doesn’t stop Hans, my German neighbor, from collecting all the cans and bottles from the nearby houses and taking them to a recycling plant himself. And let’s not forget that taking care of the environment is also being kind to the people around us. An encouraging word to the man that tends to the municipal green areas and flowerbeds, a hearty thank-you to the lady that has to graciously handle the difficult personalities in a public hospital line, a kind greeting to the man cleaning the public bathroom of a mall. Let’s be the change we want to see. – By Gabriel García Praise of the day: Psalm 124:8 Our help is in the name of the LORD, blessed be the LORD God who made heaven and earth. here to edit. P.S. Download your free verse sheet--God's Promises in Times of Trouble on the Verse sheet page. Verse of the day:
Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven. -- Matthew 5:16 Think about it: I was amazed when I saw the colorful, intricate constructions on a YouTube video. Tiny houses, barely bigger than a doghouse, with doors, round little windows, and slanted roofs, so the rainwater would flow off. And all of them on wheels, so they could be moved. They actually looked cozy. The truth is that they were not doghouses, but shelters for the homeless in Oakland, entirely made of trash. Garbage, after all, can be recycled. These homes are part of a project set up by an artist, Gregory Kloehn, who wants to supply the homeless with places of their own. Mr. Kloehn searches the streets for illegally dumped garbage, furniture, and other materials and uses them to make homes for the homeless. Some of his contraptions are real works of art. It may not be much, but it means the world for a homeless person, and it brings hope and light. And in this case, garbage is being used to bring that hope. That night, I pondered the project. This man is willing to put his talents to use in a creative way and to make a difference. God has given all of us special talents, and when we yield them to God, no matter how small they may seem, He uses them. To Him, everybody has value and everybody is important. I was also reminded of how one man’s garbage is another man’s treasure. One time, when I was living in Brazil, I put my old leather boots outside the gate. There was a big hole in one of the soles—but those boots were gone in less than a minute. Recycling garbage can be an interesting subject, especially considering what Jesus told me next in my ponderings: People once thought you were garbage, but I recycled you too. That’s the truth. I thought back to when I was lost myself—confused, groping in darkness, with nowhere to go. That time when I had no faith and no light. People had no hope for me. I could almost hear them think, Poor boy. He’s only good for the trash. But Jesus said, I can recycle you. I can make something beautiful out of you. And He did. What’s my point? Everything we do should be for the recycling business. We need to recycle this old world and bring about God’s kingdom on earth. Jesus said: “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16) – By Koos Stenger Praise of the day: Psalm 146:2 While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being. P.S. If you want to read more about people doing what they can go to Action Vision Coaching site and see the blog and update pages https://radadgiving.weebly.com Quote of the day:
Treat everyone with politeness, even those who are rude to you—not because they’re nice, but because you are. -- Roy T, Bennett Think about it: John sighed as he pushed his cart forward in the queue and glanced at his phone’s clock for the third time. 40 minutes already! How long can this take? A technical issue had developed in several of the supermarket’s tills, and the store’s customers were directed to queue in front of the only one that still worked. And I only have a few items, he thought, I don’t know if I can still make it to the appointment in time. The afternoon traffic will get worse.--His thoughts were interrupted by a commotion behind him, and he instinctively moved to the side as a burly, frazzled woman clutching an overloaded armful of groceries barged past. Complaining loudly about how long she’d already waited, she barreled her way toward the front of the line. No one attempted to stop her. But as she nearly reached the cash register, a tall man in a gray suit held out his arm, blocking her path. The woman stopped, and by now, everyone in line was watching to see what would happen. “Madam,” the man began calmly, “all of us here are tired of waiting. Some of us have appointments to meet, some of us have children waiting to be picked up from school, and some of us even have flights to catch.” He paused. “There’s nothing any of us can do at this point. All we can do is wait patiently. Please return to your place in the queue.” The woman looked around at the row of tired-looking customers silently awaiting their turn, then she bit her lip, turned, and slowly made her way back to her former position. Everyone breathed a silent sigh of relief that the situation was resolved. The queue continued to inch forward. When it was the man’s turn, however, he turned around and called the woman forward to take his place. The woman nearly dropped her items. Customers shifted out of the way to let her pass. She stumbled her way to the front of the line, profusely apologizing and thanking the gentleman, who remained silent. She paid for her items and left, and the queue flowed smoothly forward from then on. As John reflected on the situation that had just unfolded, he was reminded of a quote he’d read that morning in his devotional: “Treat everyone with politeness, even those who are rude to you—not because they’re nice, but because you are.” He had just seen a practical example of it. – By Li Lian Verse of the day:
Blessed are the peacemakers.–Matthew 5:9 Think about it: When Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount, (Matthew 5–7.) one of the most quoted orations of all time, He said, “Blessed are the peacemakers.” So what is a peacemaker? A peacemaker is someone who comes into a situation that is stressful, angry, or disturbed and creates peace. This is hard and requires courage. In Jesus’ day, the Jewish people were suffering under Roman rule, and peace was superficial and tenuous at best. It took very little to create an uprising or a disturbance. That’s much like today, where it seems each news cycle hails a social media war fought by angry people with ever-polarizing opinions. I used to think of “peacemaker” as a negotiator, with the objective being to convince both sides to compromise and come to an agreement. As a parent, I know what this kind of “peace” looks like. It’s a situation where one is only giving to get, and good will isn’t part of the equation. It’s the kind of peace that’s held together by rules and enforcers, and disintegrates as soon as it appears one side has failed to comply. As peacemakers, our most important job isn’t to change someone’s mind. Jesus didn’t say “Blessed are the mind-changers or argument-winners.” Gregory Boyle, a Catholic priest who has dedicated his life to the gang community in Los Angeles, said something that I think is quite fitting: “Moral outrage is the opposite of God; it only divides and separates what God wants for us, which is to be united in kinship. Moral outrage doesn’t lead us to solutions—it keeps us from them. It keeps us from moving forward toward a fuller, more compassionate response to members of our community who belong to us, no matter what they’ve done.” Spoken like a true peacemaker, one who has stepped out of the boundaries of merely keeping peace and into the hard work of crafting peace, and has inspired me to see, within my own world, opportunities to create peace by loving others into good will. – By Marie Alvero Praise of the day: Psalm 117:2 For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever. Praise ye the Lord. P.S. Download your free verse sheet--God's Promises in Times of Trouble on the Verse sheet page. From Robin, Uganda
A few folk have asked about how the Family Care Uganda school project started and how I got involved. I’ve been in Uganda 17 years now. In about 2010 the Lord showed me to step out and follow and trust Him in a whole new project. My heart’s desire was to really work with the extremely needy here in Africa to help them learn that if they follow the Lord, He can bring the solutions to this dark and difficult Continent. I hadn’t even realised that buying land and building a school would be such a key for people in extremely impoverished communities to begin to understand the Lord’s love. But in situations where they’ve had plenty of religion and even evangelists, they’ve been surrounded by such destruction, fear, mistrust, hate and pain, Jesus showed me they need, as Moody suggested, “The Bible wrapped in shoe leather”. I would never have had the faith to bring kids in, to care for their entire living, but we soon learned that our very rough area in Northern Uganda, (where so many around us were returned child soldiers from the Kony LRA war of 20 years) that boys would follow horrible samples of violent drunkards, and none of the young girls would be able to stay safe, non-pregnant and focused, unless we did. Faith is a very odd thing. We absolutely believe the promises, but I feel, sadly, at times that I’m not too different from the children of Israel. The Lord had brought them through so many miracles of protection, culminating in the Red sea being opened, it seems that their faith memory should be so clear. Wondering if they were going to get the next meal should have never happened—but it did, and it does! From the first days when the Lord miraculously provided a cash donation we were able to build the classrooms with, then the local-style teachers’ houses, it’s all been miracle by miracle. There has not been one single day our kids have not had all the medical care, clothing, bedding or food on the table…and that’s impossible! —but that’s our Jesus! But it’s odd because even though we pace ourselves in trusting Him to not fail, still there are times when a challenge comes, the battle to fully trust the Lord and then follow Him with no obvious signs, is as big a test as ever. It is one thing to trust Him for my own needs or direction, but when you’re responsible for 300 beautiful lives, it’s a bit scary at times! Since the beginning of this adventure, George Mueller has become quite a mentor of mine. He wrote something very interesting about faith. He was so adamant that his faith was not the gift of faith in 1 Corinthians 12:9 that only some people have, but it was the grace of faith that all believers should have. I really relate to this because it’s simply a matter of taking God at His Word and believing it, then stepping out and trusting Him…and that’s something we each do many times a week, wherever the Lord has put us. I’m tested in practical matters so many times. The Lord will supply and I’d be tempted to want to (again!) build a buffer. After all and I’m supposed to be acting very responsibly for these extremely important, vulnerable young lives. But then the Lord will bring up a needy situation and I’ll hear something like: “Withhold not good from whom it is due, when it’s in the power of your hand to do it”. Prov 3:27 and I’ll use the funds the way He’s showing, trusting Him for the supply each day for my kids. I’m positive I make wrong judgements at times but that’s the whole thing. It’s really nothing to do with me. I really don’t believe in praying certain ways or trying to be ‘so righteous’ so He’ll bless. It’s all about the Lord—He knows our weak vessels, and He loves these beautiful kids so whole heartedly, so He brings it all to work together for good, despite me! And as Mueller famously said; “All this comes from taking God at His Word!” We now have 2 in university, one boy finishing high school, praying for a scholarship so he can go into medicine. Our kids from the remote Ik tribe the elders begged us to take, are now doing so well in secondary school and just about to launch into training in midwifery, agriculture, business and teaching (with 2 headed to be doctors)—all things that are going to be very instrumental in lifting their entire tribe from having one meagre meal a day, into living more fully and healthfully! The Lord has shown us to take in South Sudanese kids from a refugee camp here in Uganda and we now have all together 3 tribes with over 230 living with us with a large staff on our property, and over 40 of our students we’re providing all the living and academics for in high school. It’s all Jesus each step of the way! I used to think, before reading John Piper’s “George Mueller’s Strategy for Showing God” that he was probably a fairly staid, perhaps stern Austrian chap. But the more I have read, the more real, down-to-earth and fun-loving I’ve learned he must have been. One of the last things he taught was something he’d repeated several times, and I totally concur: “According to my judgement, the most important point to be attended to is this: above all things, see to it that your souls are happy in the Lord. Other things may press upon you, the Lord’s work may even have urgent claims upon your attention, but I deliberately repeat, it is of supreme and parament importance that you should seek above all things to have your souls truly happy in God Himself. Day by day seek to make this the most important business of your life. The secret of all true effectual service is joy in God”. The joy of the Lord is our strength. ***** To learn more about Robin’s project go to the Radical Giving site http://radgiving.weebly.com/ and look in the archive for Family Care Uganda. Or go to http://www.familycareuganda.com/blog/ or http://www.facebook.com/familycareuganda/ To give a donation use Paypal: [email protected] Promise of the day:
… Do not your giving before men, to be seen of them: [so that] … your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly. -- Matthew 6:1, 4 Think about it: While rushing to an appointment, I passed a scruffy beggar with a baby in her arms. It’s a common sight in Caracas, Venezuela, where this took place. Give her something. I recognized that inner voice as Jesus’. But she looks like she would spend it on drugs, I protested as I kept walking. Well then, buy her some food. Just then I came to a hot dog stand. Okay, I’ll do it for You. I hurriedly ordered a hot dog and took it back to her. As I handed it to her, I told her that Jesus loved her and offered to pray for her. She accepted, and we bowed our heads and prayed right there on the street. Several days later I stopped for a hot dog for myself at the same stand, but the vendor wouldn’t let me pay for it. “I saw what you did the other day,” he said. “You not only bought a hot dog for that homeless woman, but you also prayed with her. I’ve been on this spot for 15 years. Thousands of people pass my stand every day, but I had never seen that! You never have to pay to eat here again.” Like that hot dog vendor, God is always watching, and “your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.” (Matthew 6:4) Praise of the day: Psalm 135:3 Praise the LORD; for the LORD is good: sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant. P.S. Download your free verse sheet--God's Promises in Times of Trouble on the Verse sheet page. Promise of the day:
Deu. 28:2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God. Think about it: “Pull over at the next gas station!” The firm voice came to the driver’s mind. He argued mentally with the instruction God was suddenly giving, saying how tired he was, and how he didn’t need gas anyway. However, the voice was insistent; he must do it, no matter how he felt. Thankfully, the driver turned at the very next opportunity and not a second too late. What he heard and saw as soon as he stepped out of his VW van at the gas station, showed the utter importance of following what God said to do. A twelve-car smash-up happened, right at the place, right at the time he would have been driving. There was screeching, metal crushing, flames, and terrible injury and life loss. The driver describes the feeling and his thoughts: “I stood mouth agape, my senses reeling under the impact of what had happened. As the numbness gradually subsided, I was struck by a thought that sent shock waves through my system so strong that they caused me to jump off the ground. “If I had not stopped, I would be right in the middle of that carnage!” It pays to listen and obey God’s still small voice. Praise of the day: Psa.109:30 I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude. |
AuthorThe goal of the blog is to provide interesting, motivational, soul feeding material. All to help remind us that God loves us all and wants a personal relationship with each of us and will take care of us in times of trouble. I aspire to be a force for good by providing you with positive input. I encourage you to share the blog with others. Archives
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