There are different kinds of self-talk. There’s positive self-talk, such as, “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me,” for example. And there’s negative self-talk, such as, “Why am I so clumsy?” “I’m not prepared enough for this test, I just know I’m going to flunk.” “Why doesn’t anybody like me?” “How can the Lord bless me?” This kind of negative self-talk consists of demeaning and self-deprecating thoughts where we belittle ourselves. Anything ring a bell?
However, I shocked myself one day when I realized what a low level my negative self-talk had gotten to without my realizing it. Basically, it had gone to the extreme. I would carry on whole conversations with myself about some event that I wasn’t happy about the way it had gone—the lacks, shortcomings, people who weren’t on time, who hadn’t brought all the needed supplies, who should be more professional by now, and on and on and on. And then once I finished with that, I would start the whole conversation all over again—like a broken record—only this time filling in even more negative details than the last time. Sometimes we can develop a habit ever so slowly that we don’t even see it; then one day, it shocks us how much we’ve digressed when we go just a bit too far. It could happen with self-talk, anger, impatience, procrastination, swearing, selfishness, over-eating—anything. If this happens, we need the strength and willpower to turn around and change, and this is something only the Lord can give. We need more than “willpower”; we need Holy Ghost power, because willpower runs out. What can we do about negative self-talk? I’ll share what helped me. Prayer: The first step is to pray, asking the Lord for strength and help to change the habit. A prayer something like this: Lord, please forgive me. I just realized I’ve gotten off track and this is really not being like You at all, and it’s making me a poor testimony. Please show me what I can do to remedy this habit and get back to Christlike behavior. Show me what Word to read to shed light on my problem. What practical things can I do? And please work in my heart and mind to overcome this. I can’t do it myself. Thank You, Jesus. Read the Word on the subject: Specific verses that help me are:
Memorize Bible verses on the subject. When God’s Word is memorized, it can be thrown at the Devil almost automatically. Memorization is like having your gun loaded. Jesus talked back to the Devil, and we can too! He said, “It is written…” and the Devil always ran off like a squealing little punk. Research to learn about self-talk to be able to be more knowledgeable about it, how the habit forms, the kinds of self-talk (there is good self-talk and bad self-talk), the stages of this habit. My research was very eye-opening for me and enabled me to deal with it more specifically and accurately. There are many Christian authors who write about many topics that give faith-based input. For example, a good book is The Rewired Brain1, which explains how every time we think the same thought over and over, it makes a “groove” in our neurons that grows bigger and bigger with time—regardless of whether they’re good or bad thought patterns. Conclusion: I still self-talk, but my previous habit of extreme, negative, critical self-talking is broken. I used to not be able to stop myself, even though I knew it was wrong. That’s the first stage—actually recognizing you have a bad habit and acknowledging that it’s wrong. The next stage is getting spiritual help from the Word and other faith-based resources, and help from loved ones to lick it. Now when I indulge in negative self-talking, I can stop it. Also, I have the extra motivation to stop it, knowing that negative self-talk is harming me and others. In the beginning, when I first started working on overcoming my habit of negative self-talk, I realized I was doing it, but I enjoyed indulging it in so much that I felt powerless to stop—even though I was able to recognize I was doing it. That seems to be the difficult point, the make-or-break point: We can be aware we are doing something that is not right, but because we like doing it, we don’t feel we have the power to stop. Once we get past that point of wanting to hang on to the negative habit, then healing is on the way and a new habit can be formed. The “want to” has to be greater than the “pleasure” we derive from the bad habit we enjoy. Accountability is great, too, if you have a friend or loved one who you can share your battle with who loves you and can help you. Jesus came to set us free from nagging bad habits. He came to set the captives free. We are captives sometimes to our own thoughts, habits, and attitudes. But we can be set free from anything and everything negative. “He hath sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives” (Isaiah 61:1). We can claim this promise for anything we are a slave to in our personal lives. Praise the Lord!
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I’ve been watching the TV series The X Factor, in which singers across the United States participate in a talent show contest where the winner will be awarded a multimillion-dollar recording contract. For those unfamiliar with the show, in each episode the judges choose who will move on to the next level in the competition, based on talent, of course! But there’s another trait that they’re also looking for. They want someone reliable.
Judging from the remarks that the judges make to the contestants, it seems that recording companies don’t want to invest millions of dollars in someone who may be momentarily fantastic and seemingly hugely talented, but is unreliable when it comes to giving stellar performances to sell-out crowds. Show business is tough, and performers who stand out from the crowd are those who consistently deliver excellent performances. Of course, performing artists aren’t the only ones who need to be reliable. Coach John Wooden—considered one of the greatest basketball coaches of all time—talks about some of his basketball players who had reliability and what that meant to him. In his book, Coach Wooden’s Pyramid of Success, he wrote, “Curtis Rowe was one of my most consistent players. Although he wasn’t usually spectacular, he consistently played at a very high level and made it look easy. I could have almost penciled in his stat line before the game began.” Coach Wooden goes on: “Two of my best players during the mid-1950s stood out for different reasons. Morrie Taft was spectacular and explosive. But I never knew how he was going to play from night to night. On the other hand, I knew what Dick ‘Skeets’ Banton would deliver each game. Morrie [Taft] might get five rebounds, but they were memorable. Dick [Banton] would get eight or nine, but no one gave them much notice. Most people would say [Morrie] Taft was a better player than [Dick] Banton, because [Morrie] Taft had more natural ability and was so dazzling. But I’m not so sure that [Dick Banton] wasn’t the more valuable player, because of his reliability.” I’ve found the same to be true in my line of work. There are times when I need to find artists to illustrate articles or stories, and I consider several things when picking an artist for an assignment, such as art style, and, of course, the level of talent and ability. But the real selling point for me, which might seem rather lackluster, is the artist’s ability to meet deadlines. Having watched a few episodes of The X Factor, and having read that excerpt from Coach Wooden’s book, I began to notice this trait in certain Bible characters. Of the 50 Old Testament miracles listed in the concordance at the back of my Bible, close to a third are by the hand of Elijah. And as I was reading episodes of Elijah’s story in the Old Testament I was struck by the immediacy and reliability of Elijah’s obedience to God. God gives Elijah a command, and Elijah obeys. Merriam-Webster gives this definition for reliable: “1. Suitable or fit to be relied on: dependable; 2. Giving the same result on successive trials.” That second definition sounds a lot like what God found in His servant Elijah. Look at the following scenario: “The word of the Lord came to Elijah: ‘Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land.’ So Elijah went.”2 And that’s just one of the many verses that reflect the kind of relationship that God and Elijah shared. Perhaps it was because God found Elijah to be reliable that He continued to call on him. Coach Wooden describes the characteristics of a reliable person in this way: “When we are reliable, others know that they can depend on us. They know that we will make the effort to do our best, whatever the situation might be. They know we won’t run, cower, or become paralyzed by fear. They have learned to count on our consistency and trustworthiness. We’ll still be there making the effort to do our best long after the weaker ones have faded.” Do you have people like this in your life?—Those you can count on and who you know will be there to help you when life seems grim? Reliable people are treasured wherever they are found. How can you practice this trait in your own life? You may love that you can count on a certain best friend to always show up when you need help, but can that person count on you in the same way? We may love that God is so reliable and utterly trustworthy, but can God also count on us to show up when He calls? These are worthwhile questions to consider. My interest in Charles Blondin (1824–1897) was piqued when I heard this story about him that took place in the summer of 1859. Dressed in pink tights and spangles that gloriously reflected the light, he set off across a high two-inch-wide (5 cm) rope that was stretched 1,300 feet (396 m) across Niagara Falls. After braving the 78 mph (125 kmh) gusts of wind and pushing a wheelbarrow, he reached the other side. Blondin took a bow and called out to the cheering audience of 25,000 people that had gathered from all over the country to watch him: “Do you believe I could carry a person across in this wheelbarrow?”
The crowd answered, “Yes! Of course! You are the greatest tightrope walker in the world!” “OK, who would like to get in the wheelbarrow and cross with me?” The silence was palpable even above the roar of the mighty falls. Everyone believed Blondin could do it, but no one wanted to take the chance. The consequences of failure were certain death. These spectators had an intellectual faith in Blondin’s skill, but it was a different matter to get in the wheelbarrow and entrust their lives to his care. They were like some who believe in God but don’t trust Him with their lives. Getting in the wheelbarrow was like putting faith into action. Of course, analogies like this are limited. They are not meant to be taken literally. I don’t think I would get in that wheelbarrow either, because Blondin was imperfect, whereas God is perfect. God promises us that He won’t “drop” or forsake us. Nevertheless, anecdotes like these can be helpful to make abstract principles a bit easier to grasp. A footnote to this story is that there was one person who took up the dare—his manager, Harry Colcord—who knew him well, and had seen him cross many times before and remarked, “He can walk the rope as a bird soars in the air.” Like Jesus’ disciples who saw Him multiply the bread and fish, turn water into wine, heal the diseased and maimed, and even walk on stormy water, the disciples eventually fully trusted their lives to Christ after overcoming their doubts and fears and coming to understand that He was the promised Messiah who conquered death and rose from the grave. On August 14, 1859, Harry got on Blondin’s back. But before they set out, Blondin gave him a word of caution: “Look up, Harry. … You are no longer Colcord, you are Blondin. Until I clear this place, be a part of me, mind, body, and soul. If I sway, sway with me. Do not attempt to do any balancing yourself. If you do, we will both go to our death.” Despite a few of the safety guy ropes snapping on the way, they made it safely across to everyone’s relief. Blondin’s advice to Harry is sound counsel for us as well, which is to stay close to the Lord and follow His lead as He carries us through difficult times. Being a curious kind of guy, I like to know what’s under the tip of the visible iceberg. What goes into the making of a man like Blondin, and what can I learn from him to help me on my way? After Blondin saw an acrobat perform, when he was just four years old, he knew that was his calling. He later said, “Tightrope walkers like poets are born, not made.” The little lad tried to walk across a rope that he rigged between two chairs. He often fell but he didn’t give up. He was helped by a sailor who brought him a thick boat rope used for docking. His parents, seeing his talent and desire to be a performer, helped him by enrolling him in a school that focused on sport training, the École de Gymnase in Lyon, France. Encouraging our kids and helping them to shine to develop their talents is a big part of being a parent. Being a funambulist—or rope dancer, as a tightrope walker was called—took a lot of courage and daring. But Blondin’s courage was not limited to his performances. One time on a voyage, a young man fell in the water and Blondin dove in after him, braving the high waves to rescue him. We too need to be ready at any time to take advantage of the opportunities the Lord sets up for us to do His work, to “be prepared in season and out of season.” “Be prepared” is the motto of the Boy Scouts and something that Jesus encourages us to do as well in His parable of the watchman who is always ready and on duty. Like many great feats, it started with a dream; his was to be the first to cross Niagara Falls on a rope. He is still remembered today for his daring feats on the rope, such as walking with a sack over his head, walking backwards, on stilts, cooking a meal, cycling, doing somersaults, and much more! One reporter said, “One can scarcely believe that the feat was indeed real. I stood gazing upon the slender cord and the awful gulf in a state of utter bewilderment. … I look back upon it as upon a dream.” In his life Blondin crossed Niagara Falls 300 times and walked the equivalent of 10,000 miles (16,093 km) on ropes all over the world. He died at the age of 72 from diabetes. Of course, risking our lives for a thrill is not something we would want to emulate, but hopefully we can say at the end of our days that we fulfilled God’s purpose for us and were faithful to our calling. -- By Peter van Gorder During an especially busy time, I had a perspective adjustment that changed my outlook for the better. I was involved in several major projects, had a huge amount of work to do, and was quite tired—almost exhausted.
The Bible verse that came to mind and changed my attitude about my circumstances was, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” I realized that the long hours of work, the tiredness, and the difficult decisions I faced were all part of my “reasonable service.” Most of us have responsibilities that are sometimes difficult and trying. We all face situations that are challenging or cost us personally. We all have times when we feel so tired we think we can’t go on. Some of the great men and women of God, our forefathers in the faith—people like Abraham, Moses, Peter, and Paul, as well as outstanding Christians down through the ages such as David Livingstone and Mother Teresa—made great sacrifices and endured many hardships and sorrows during their lifetimes. They repeatedly suffered poor health, many of them experienced loneliness, some of them struggled with depression, and they sometimes worked years on end without seeing much in the way of results. When we look at our situations from that perspective, it helps to see some of the things we go through in a different light. The verse that comes right after “present your bodies a living sacrifice” says, “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” That verse applies well to having the right perspective on the sacrifices we make. Perspective If we have a realistic and yet also positive, praiseful attitude, it can make a big difference. When our perspective is renewed and realigned with the Lord’s, it does literally transform our life. So whenever you are tempted to feel that life is too rough, try to look at the sacrifices you have to make through this new perspective. When you do, you can’t help but see things more positively. -- By P.A. There is power in “blessing” someone, even a simple “God bless you.” And anybody can do it. Recently when reading through the Old Testament & seeing how people would bless others it was apparent we have lost an ancient privilege & secret to bettering & adding to others’ lives in a powerful way. A blessing was sacred & people knew when they blessed someone, that God would follow up on it. When you bless someone, the Lord does it. The Lord takes you at your word, & every word counts.
You can see this when Jacob stole Esau’s blessing. Jacob disguised himself as Esau to get his blessing, so when Isaac pronounced the blessing over him, Jacob received the full blessing, anointing, prosperity & favor of the Lord—even though Esau was supposed to get it. It proves there is power in the words of a blessing. Esau then asked Isaac for a blessing too, but it wasn’t like Jacob’s. There is power in blessing others, & God is behind it. Blessings & cursings were really serious things back in Bible times, it wasn’t just empty words. And the blessings were there not just for the one person who was blessed, but their children too, for generations! The blessing usually covered & included their houses, possessions & well-being. Now we say, “God bless you” so repeatedly & redundantly that we have become so accustomed to it that it’s lost much of its meaning, we’ve become numb to it. But if you want to bless someone, & you say it with intention & as a prayer, that person is blessed, because the Lord will honour His Word. It’s a vow He will keep. We can bring back this powerful gift into our lives by sincerely saying to people, “God bless you” not just as a by-word or non-thinking habit, but as an intentional prayer, & the Lord will add blessing to their life. You can also add what kind of blessing you want to give. You can say, “God bless you with a safe trip”, or “God bless your work today to be fruitful”, or “God bless your pregnancy & keep you safe & healthy”, or “God bless your children to grow up knowing the Lord.” You can bless strangers or those you meet, such as to the taxi driver, “God bless you with a safe day”, or to a teacher, “God bless you with joy in your work & teaching the next generation.” But as the household of God we are especially privileged to bless each other. What do you want the Lord to do for those in our Christian Family? Give them a good financial state? Joy & happiness? Health? Protection from accidents? A blessed home life full of love? In ancient times blessings were so powerful a prophecy would sometimes accompany it. These blessings were coveted, respected & sought after. The Patriarchs many times just before they passed on to their heavenly reward, would gather their sons & grandsons around them & bless each one. For example, Jacob, before dying called his 12 sons that became the 12 tribes & blessed each one & a prophecy followed telling how the blessing would be fulfilled in their future. Quite amazing! (Asher, Dan, Ephraim, Gad, Issachar, Manasseh, Naphtali, Reuben, Simeon, Zebulun, Joseph and Benjamin.) To give an idea of how a blessing was used, which was even a sacred rite, here are a few examples:
And God bless all of you as you read His Word, work for Him in the harvest, pray for others, & be His light in today’s world. God bless you with strength, wisdom, love, patience & endurance to run the race & finish well. God bless you with passion for the mission He’s called you to, & blessed with all the support & tools to do the job! And God bless you as you bless others with His love. In Jesus’ name! By Robin (Continuation from yesterday’s post.)
Last-minute supply A dear young man, Gustav, in Uganda needed four million shillings for his two-year course in training to be a clinical technician. In the middle of the night I got the idea to write the Member of Parliament for the Ik tribe to share Gustav’s need, and he offered to pay for the whole second year! Suddenly the boy’s medical tech course was affordable! Gustav being qualified to be able to test for malaria, TB, pregnancy, AIDS, Covid-19 and numerous other things will be of immense help to his community when a small clinic will be set up. But if you had asked me any time in the previous week if I was going to pay for Gustav’s training, I was so concerned about all we need to run the school, I would have had a bewildered look on my face and just not known what to do! But the Lord is always faithful, and the supply of Gustav’s need has fallen into place in the nick of time! The Lord’s pandemic plans In March 2020, life was busy and the school was going well when suddenly COVID hit! The Ugandan president announced that the airport would close the following night. I was planning on staying, even though all the schools across the nation had closed three days earlier, but my four wonderful children helped arrange for my trip to Australia. I was happy to join my daughter’s family, who had been in Uganda for 15 years but who had moved to Australia a couple of years earlier. My main goal the last two years has been to delegate and train! I’m in touch with our staff and all our older students on a daily basis with WhatsApp. Our whole training had been in teamworking, and I’m thrilled that our team is facing challenges, opportunities, and everything together and in prayer. I’m hoping to head back to Uganda before long, but the goal is that in the future the project will be fully managed by the local staff, with the Lord continuing at the helm! Primary school through higher education We are not only schooling almost 300 young ones in our primary school, but thanks to your kind and generous gifts, many of the students we’ve sponsored through high school are now training in higher education—university, nursing school, clinical medical officer training, business, and agriculture. And recently a group of our former students decided on their own initiative to meet together and begin finding ways they can help not only give back to the community, but help us at Family Care school to mentor the young ones. The Lord is really giving them the vision to “pay it forward.” Schooling girls is a huge challenge in Uganda. So many young girls start primary school, but many do not attend secondary school. The reasons for this are many—the culture, the lack of sanitary care items, and early marriages. We’ve countered this energetically, and every time you help us, you are enabling more girls and young women to be able to receive an education and help lift entire communities out of poverty! Thank you so much for all the love, prayer, and support you have provided for us all these years. We couldn’t have done it without you! Email: [email protected] PayPal: [email protected] noting it’s for FCU (Family Care Uganda) www.facebook.com/familycareuganda (Our website needs a mighty upgrade) By Robin
Gold-mining motorcyclists out of the blue The amount of food we need for 280 children and our staff of 32 is massive. We wait till the prices are optimum and then we buy four to five tons at a time! We’ve built a sealed storeroom and bought UN-designed silos for the grain. We put the donations we were receiving into school fees, health matters, and food, but continuing to build was a big challenge. Then a friend in Kenya contacted me and said they had friends who own gold mines who were riding motorcycles across the African continent. They wanted to help the local people, but they didn’t know any charities in Uganda, so my friend asked if we wanted them to be involved with us. These folks helped us build another home for children, more storerooms, and our community hall! We had huge needs, but not a single visible way to meet them! Then, out of the blue, came our angels riding motorcycles with their pockets. For the first few years, we concentrated on elementary schooling, but it was clear that if we were going to really make a difference, we needed to help the students continue to study through high school and then on to career training. We support scores of them now through secondary school, and in courses for nursing, medicine, social work, teaching, business, agriculture, construction, and more. Every single donation to us goes far, and our goal is long-term change, where we stick with these dear young ones through thick and thin, and help them to lean on the Lord and trust Him step by step for the solutions to each challenge they and their communities face. Korean missionaries offering to help Out of the blue, a group of very well-dressed Koreans drove up to the top of the Ik mountains at the beginning of 2019. They said the Lord had brought them, and they wanted to help pay for the educational expenses of the older Ik young people! (The Ik tribe is extremely remote and marginalized; they are hunters and gatherers.) So now this wonderful Korean team is paying for all the high school fees for all our Ik young people! What a miracle! The Lord has supplied and never failed to protect Late one evening I was driving from town to our school 32 km away. I was bringing the salaries for the teachers and a lot of money for a bulk purchase of food. I was about to turn off the main road to head down a narrow road surrounded by elephant grass that winds from the town to the school. Just as I was getting near the turn at the edge of town, I saw a car parked on the edge of the road. As soon as I passed, it started up and began following me. The Lord is so faithful, and I got a check right away. So, I pulled over before turning off the road, and the car had to pass me. As they drove by, I saw three men in the car, and what looked like the reflection of a gun in the hand of the passenger in front. Three days earlier a priest had been held up and robbed of a great deal of money, his collection and salaries for his school staff and church team. I thought these might be the same fellows. By then it had become dark. As I turned on to the narrow road that leads to the school, I saw they had parked way up ahead on the side of the road, and as soon as I entered the road, their headlights went on and they began to drive, probably planning to park ahead and wait for me to fall into a trap. The Lord had exposed their plan, so I simply turned my headlights off, and turned around to go back into the city! Safe and protected by our ever-busy angels! Praise the Lord! (Part 3 contuses tomorrow.) By Robin
Training in living by faith The Lord taught me about living by faith and trusting Him right after I received Him in August 1970 in Australia. I began teaching in a prison for 16- to 24-year-olds as I loved the challenge of working with delinquents. It was during that time that He got through to me that all my study, psych techniques, and best intentions would never bring about lasting change in these dear young lives; only His Spirit could! The Lord showed me one day to give all my teacher’s salary to a girl who was in dire straits. That week, by many small miracles, He took care of me. And so began my training of living by faith. A while later, the Lord told me to go to the U.S. to study the Bible, so I enrolled in a Bible college in Southern California, and put what money I had into my fare and the tuition fees for a semester. It wasn’t until I was driving to the airport that the financial support that I needed materialized. A friend drove up and stopped beside me at a light. She said she’d had a dream that she was supposed to give her tax rebate to me, which had just come in, but didn’t know where to find me since I’d left home for the airport. She handed me an envelope with hundreds of dollars, which I needed to complete my study fees! At the Bible college, I received some mail with a letter signed “A friend” from someone in Queensland I’d never met. The letter said that the Lord had told him/her to send me money because I was serving Him. Even while doing laundry at the college I would sometimes find a quarter on the ground right before I needed to wash my clothes. The Lord’s training was very specific—to follow Him closely, to listen to Him, and to really stay in the Word. 28 years in Asia In 1974 I took my first trip to Thailand. I had a total of 10 years of very inspiring times in Asia, with lots of pioneering in South East Asia. Then I was in Japan for 18 years. Even during that whole time, caring for people from home to home, the Lord was very much focusing on living by faith as a big part of my training. I remember arriving in Bangkok back in 1973. The mail system was extremely slow, and our teams would stay with a friend for a few weeks, so we had to find them amidst five million people. It happened twice that we didn’t have a single lead as to where they were, but the Lord had us meet them. We were sitting at their table within five hours of arriving in the city! Absolutely impossible! But all things are possible with God! Uganda—20 years of Miracles In 2001, after living 28 years in Asia, I had an unexpected change from the Lord! When I was 53 years old, He showed me that my next step would be Uganda! I was thrilled! Having previously lived a lot in the third world, it wasn’t hard to get used to the dramatic change in living conditions from Japan, and I found it so extremely needy that I fell in love, just as I’d loved Japan and thought I’d never leave there! Wow! At first, we were doing CTPs and teaching lots of classes. But then He showed me that He wanted me to focus on the Africans and to go deep into the neediest areas in my field, to be “the Bible in shoe leather” for them. They’d had evangelists come through over the years, but after having experienced so much pain and hurt year after year, they needed something steady, consistent, and in a way that they could understand God’s love for them. There had been a 20-year Kony (LRA) war where the UN estimates that over 30,000 children had been dragged from schools to become child soldiers. It was absolutely unimaginable horror! People had lost their families, entire villages had been burned, and loved ones killed, raped, and maimed year after year. Where You lead, I will follow. The Lord told me: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid: do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you, wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9). My answer was: “Wherever You lead, I will follow.” His timing has been impeccable! As soon as we had located a plot of land, dear friends gave a large donation that enabled us to buy the land (which was very cheap) and then build seven classrooms and a library. We bought a 20-acre farm across the road, with the vision of the project eventually becoming self-sustainable and not donor-funded. As we started to school children, it soon became very clear that unless we took them in under our wings and protected them from all the violent, angry people in the villages, they would be extremely vulnerable, especially the young girls. I never dreamt of taking on the responsibility for the entire care of over 280 children, but it became clear that, unless we did, they would not be safe from all the negative forces around them. We have always tried to minister in the community too. The children go home every school break and holiday in order to retain contact with what’s left of their families, but for most of the year they are safely under our care. When children first come to our school, few can speak even a word of English. We tend to their spiritual and academic training and also their social skills and practical training! The Lord has never once failed to provide for every single child. Because the full-time care of these children is such a huge responsibility, we hire a full-time trained nurse and have an infirmary, since we live in a malaria-endemic area. But in all these years, we’ve never had anything serious happen. His angels have cared for each child, day after day, year after year. (To be continued in tomorrow’s post.) We are told to trust Him, praise Him, & watch Him work. This is essentially how Jesus operated during His time of ministry in Israel. He openly admitted that of Himself He could do nothing; His part was to submit to His Father's will in perfect obedience, trust, & faith, so that God's power could meet the needs of the people.
Let's look at a couple of Jesus' prayers concerning a difficult problem. There was the case of the 5,000 who had followed Him out of town to hear Him preach. They were hungry. The only food available was one little boy's lunch--five loaves of bread & two fishes. How did Jesus pray? Did He plead with God to perform a miracle? "When He had taken the five loaves & the two fishes, He looked up to Heaven, & blessed, & break the loaves, & gave them to His disciples to set before them; & the two fishes divided He among them all & they did all eat, & were filled & they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, & of the fishes" (Mark 6:41–43). Some of us may object here & say, "But that was Jesus; He knew what God could do. It wouldn't work for us!" But Jesus told His followers, "He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall ye do also; & greater works than these shall ye do; because I go unto My Father & whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son" (John 14:12–13). Jesus said we could do even greater things. When Jesus was confronted with the death of Lazarus, He again prayed a simple prayer of thanksgiving. When the stone was rolled away from the grave opening where Lazarus had been buried for four days, Jesus lifted His eyes & said, "Father, thank You for hearing Me" (John 11:41). Then He commanded Lazarus to come from the grave. The man who had been dead four days walked out! The Bible says that Jesus came to earth to make it possible for us to praise God. Isaiah the prophet foretold Jesus' coming & said that He would come "to preach good tidings unto the meek … to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, & the opening of the prison to them that are bound … to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, & the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; … to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; … that He might be glorified" (Isa.61:1–3). You may recognize your own condition on the list. Are you brokenhearted? Bound by physical limitations, sickness, spiritual limitations? In physical prison, or imprisoned by your own spiritual blindness? Are you mourning? Unable to rejoice, be thankful, or praise God? Is your spirit heavily burdened & failing? Perhaps it is because you haven't fully accepted & understood the Good News Jesus came to bring. Praise is an active response to what we know that God has done & is doing for us in our lives & in this world through His Son Jesus & the Holy Spirit. If we doubt in our hearts what God has done & is doing, we cannot wholeheartedly praise Him. Uncertainty about the Good News will always be a barrier to praise. If we want to be able to praise God in everything, we need to be sure our foundation is solid & without cracks of doubt & uncertainty. By John Willing
Since Mabala is located in an area where the coronavirus was not so widespread, the Congolese government gave permission for all schools in this region to reopen after a short time of closure. We are very grateful for this because in Congo’s countryside there is no online communication for schools as there is in industrialized countries or in some private schools in Kinshasa. Our school director Philemon continued to oversee the work on the acacia and palm-nut tree nurseries. The students have now been able to plant the first batches of trees on our field around the school. Two hectares of cassava, the main staple food in the Congo, have also been planted. After many similar previous ventures in Mushapo, all of which we unfortunately had to stop due to theft, this is a long-awaited dream that is gradually coming true for us. It will still take years before the palm trees yield fruit, but the beginning has been made. The organization that initiated this project and donated 1,000 seeds for each tree type is supporting the school in the implementation of the project with a small contribution, in addition to our funding for the teachers. A great victory is the building of a well for drinking water for the schoolchildren, as well as for watering the school’s agricultural projects. Mr. S., a well specialist, came with his team all the way from Mbandaka, 670 km north of Nioki, for this task. They found water at a depth of seven meters, but they continued to dig to ten meters so that the school would have water in all seasons. Both the school and the population of Mabala are very grateful for the drinking water supply. We started a microfinance project with Joseph N., one of our first friends in Congo, to support his rice, corn and fishing project in Nsioni. Joseph is a very active and creative man, who is committed to rural development in his native region of Congo Centrale. With our support, he planted a new rice field and a new corn field, built a new fish pond, and purchased materials with which he constructed two machines that will facilitate the peeling of corn and rice. Madlen is making great progress in her school building project adjacent to the Kimbondo Children’s Home on the outskirts of Kinshasa. With the help of her friends, she has now completed the big school building and dorms for the young orphans in her care. She asked us to contact our friends in Kinshasa, to ask them to help her with the school desks and benches she still needs. We wish you all good health and more freedom to move about. God bless you! |
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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