Missionary wisdom

    “Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.” (Hebrews 13:17

  On the first medical/dental mission trip to Ecuador that Miriam went on with another church as a translator she encountered several dangerous moments when God kept her safe from harm and also a couple of days where she could clearly see the hand of God guiding the team. One scary moment was the first day! They had landed at Quito and then took a long bus ride up higher into the mountains on a winding dirt road with no guardrails and a steep precipice on the side of the road. As most of the team was asleep around midnight, she was awake and witnessed the driver of the bus steering the bus with one hand around a tight curve and with the other hand putting eye drops into his eye! On another occasion they had boarded a raft to cross a swollen river and as she was standing next to the end of the raft that had no guardrails, they backed a truck to within 6 inches of her face before it stopped.

        But the rest of that day ministering to a tiny village deep in the jungle turned out to be one of the most awesome days of the trip. They had ministered to 3 or 4 villages already and as was the custom they always presented the gospel to every patient prior to them seeing a doctor or a dentist and each person on the team had a gospel bracelet to help tell the story of salvation if anyone asked about the colorful bracelets they were wearing. The local missionary explained to them the night before that they were going to visit a small village that he had been trying to gain access to for many years but had been blocked by the local Catholic priest who had told the mayor of the town that we were a cult. He had been able to persuade the mayor that this accusation was not true, but knew that we would have to tread lightly, so he said that we would only provide medical help and would not present the gospel to each patient. Perhaps at a later time that might be possible but that we would only mention the gospel if someone requested it.

    There was much murmuring and complaining among the team members that night. Each person knew that the medical/dental help was just a vehicle to present the gospel and they were not happy. The next day, after traveling for 2 hours through winding jungle roads and making a river crossing by raft over a rain-swollen river, they arrived at the village school. There were very few children in the school and even less adults in the village as they opened up shop. The principal told them that a lot of people were sick. By lunchtime the team had seen everyone that showed up and the team leader decided they would eat lunch in the village and then depart even though they had planned to work until 4PM.

    Miriam approached the principal and asked her how many children were missing. She said 30, so Miriam told her that they would but together 30 packets of vitamins and crafts for those children for when they returned to school. The principle asked: “Why are you doing this?” Miriam replied, “ We love Jesus and He has called us to minister to the people of Ecuador and it is our joy to do it.”

Before the team could finish their lunch they witnessed hundreds of adults and children coming out of the jungle and lining up for the doctors and dentists. The team quickly jumped into action and before the first patients could be seen several villagers were asking what the colorful bracelets they were wearing meant. Immediately small groups of children and adults were hearing the gospel message

    The mayor explained that the local priest had told the villagers that if they accepted any medical help from us they would be forced to worship the devil so they were afraid. When they heard how friendly and loving the team was they knew it was not true. The mayor even agreed for the local missionary to come back next week and show the Jesus film to the village!

   Miriam was thrilled to see that God had a much better plan than they had had to impact the village for Christ and His kingdom. Even though it did not make sense to not present the gospel initially, the whole team learned the wisdom of listening to the local missionary who knew the situation better than they did and to be obedient to the spiritual leaders who God had entrusted to this part of Ecuador.

     “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways, says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)

PRAY:

1.     Lord help me to look to You first and to study to know how to talk to others about You whenever the opportunity arises.

2.     Help me to submit to the spiritual leaders You have provided for me in my church and for leading us in the path that You want us to take.

Help me to spend time today in Your Word so that I can know you better and that You can lead and direct my day for me on the path You wish to guide me.

Who is Lord?

         Dr. Robertson McQuilkin is a man that God has used greatly in his life. He and his wife, Muriel, were missionaries in Japan and he served many years as the president of Columbia International University in Columbia, SC before resigning to take care of his bride, who had Alzheimer’s. His book, “A Promise Kept,” is a wonderful testimony of his faithfulness in marriage to her. In his book, “Life In The Spirit,” he tells the story of a young girl he had spoken to after a youth conference in Birmingham, AL. She had told him of her failed Christian life where she had continuously consecrated her life to Christ only to fall back into her sinful lifestyle a week or so after. Their conversation went like this:

   “‘Debbie, who’s in the driver’s seat of your life?’ I asked.
    ‘Jesus is….’ She paused and then added,  ‘Most of the time.’

   ‘Oh, no, I said. It doesn’t work that way. You don’t let Him drive down the road to the first intersection and then grab the wheel. I think this is what you are saying.’ On a piece of paper I wrote two words: No and Lord.

   ‘Well, yes, sometimes I do say that.’

    ‘But you can’t,’ I said.

    Debbie bristled a little, ‘But I do.’

   ‘But you can’t,’ I insisted. ‘What does Lord mean?’

   ‘Savior?’ she queried.

   ‘The Savior is Lord, but what does the word Lord mean?’ I asked. After a few more guesses she gave up. I tried again. ‘How about king? What does king meant?’

  ‘That’s easy. A king is the big boss.’

   ‘Do you say no to the king?’

   ‘It wouldn’t be healthy.’

   ‘Right I said.  ‘And Jesus is King of all kings, Lord of all lords. You can’t say no to Him! It’s either ‘Yes, Lord’ or ‘ No, Jesus.’ No cancels out the meaning of Lord.’ I tore the paper in half, with No on one piece and Lord on the other. ‘Which will it be?’ I asked? ‘No or Lord?’

   She dropped her head and her long hair covered her face as she wrestled with the choice. Minutes passed. Finally, she threw her head back, tears streaming down her face. She reached out to take the paper with Lord written on it, but I pulled it away. ‘How long do you want Him to be your Lord, Debbie?’ I asked.

    “I want Him to be Lord forever!’ she said. At that moment Debbie experienced something the Bible describes as being filled with the Spirit.”

   A year later Dr. McQuilkin met Debbie again. She had gone back to her high school and started a prayer meeting where dozens came to Christ. A spiritual awakening spread over the entire school. “The entire campus had been affected by her decision.” (Life In The Spirit, by Robertson McQuilkin, p. 135)

Who is the Lord of your life? Is it the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords? If so, be filled with the Spirit; be controlled by the Spirit, and let Him lead you every hour of every day.

Pray:

1.     That you will seek the Lord today and ask him to direct your life every day. That you will be obedient to all that He shows you to do.

2.     That you will be full of your Spirit today and that the Love of Jesus will permeate everything you say or do.

3.     That our hearts will be receptive and our feet quick to respond to whatever the Lord and His Holy Spirit reveal to us today.

4.     That the Name of Jesus will be lifted up and glorified in our lives and in our church.

A centurion's faith

   
       "Now when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, saying, 'Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.' And Jesus said to him,  "I will come and heal him.' The centurion said,  'Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another,  'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it.' (Matthew 8:5-9)

       It would probably not surprise you to know that since I spent 21 years of my life as a U.S. Army infantry officer, that some of my favorite people in the bible are centurions. There are five that get some ink: The one you just read about in chapter 8 of Matthew; The one in charge of the crucifixion who says: "Truly this was the Son of God!" in Matthew 27:54;  Centurion Cornelius, who was he first Gentile convert to Christianity in Acts chapter 10; Centurion Claudius Lysias who rescues the Apostle Paul from the Jewish mob and Sanhedrin in Acts chapters 21- 23; and finally Centurion Julius who escorts Paul to Rome in Acts 27 & 28.

     However, it might surprise you to know that even though a centurion commanded a century, the actual number of soldiers in a century was not 100, even though we have 100 years in a century. In the Imperial Roman Army, there were 80 or 160 soldiers in a century, depending on which Cohort of the Legion you were assigned. (160 in centuries of the First Cohort, and 80 in Cohorts two though six) During  this time in the history of the Roman Army a centurion was a man who had risen from the ranks and had distinguished himself as a leader and a man of courage and valor.

     Needless to say, my favorite centurion is the one we read about at the top of the page from Matthew chapter 8. He was located in Capernaum and his mission was to control the flow of traffic and exact the taxes from those traveling from Judea, through Galilee to Syria and beyond. He was to keep the peace and to represent the conquering power of Rome and its Emperor. We are not told too much about this centurion, not even his name, but we are told all we need to know. He was a man of faith that understood that Jesus was the Son of God and that he had the power to heal the sick.

    He also understood authority. If he told a soldier or servant to do something, he could be sure that they would do it. If he received orders from his commanding officer, then he would be quick to obey also. He knew that Jesus had the power and authority to heal and He needed only to speak the word and his servant would be healed. Jesus responded to this man of faith and the Scripture says that he "marveled."

       "Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham , Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' Then Jesus said to the centurion,  'Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be  done for you.' And his servant was healed at that same hour." (Matthew 8:10-13)

    The centurion knew who had the power to meet his needs. He knew that Jesus need only speak the words and His command would be carried out. Just as Jesus, together with God and the Holy Spirit spoke and the world came into existence. (Genesis Chapter one) What kind of trouble or situation are you in right now? Do you need  Jesus to come to your rescue? You need to go to Him and ask in faith for Him to meet your need. He said He would do it. Do you believe Him? Do you have the faith like this Roman Centurion?

       Pray:

1. Lord help me to come to you with all my needs and to lay them at your feet. I believe you will answer my prayers and grant my petitions if I come to you with faith and great expectancy to see you act on behalf of your Kingdom and Your children
2. Lord I praise you and lift my eyes to You. You are my source of strength for this day and for every hour of the day.
3. Lord thank you for loving me first, for saving me from death, and planting my feet on solid ground.  I was headed for the outer darkness that Jesus mentioned but you rescued me and adopted me as your precious son or daughter.

Prayer for the prodigal

     

      Pastor Jim Cymbala of the Brooklyn Tabernacle in New York City talks about a desperate time in his life when his oldest daughter, who had been a model child, became very rebellious at age 16 and eventually left the church and the family to live with her boyfriend. His wife, Carol, at one point heard the devil whisper in her  ear that even though she and her husband were making a great impact for Jesus in  their church and community, he had their oldest child and was going to take the rest. She threatened to take the children out of NYC if he remained there. Pastor Cymbala and his wife went through a long time of anguish and suffering for their daughter but nothing changed. He was impressed by God to cry out to Him only and to not involve other members of the congregation in their struggle.

    One Tuesday night prayer meeting he preached from Acts chapter 4 about the church boldly calling out to God in the face of persecution. A young woman whom he considered spiritually sensitive sent him a note, which read: “Pastor Cymbala, I feel impressed that we should stop the meeting and all pray for your daughter.”  Hesitantly, he decided that the note was good advice from the Lord so he stopped the meeting and addressed the congregation. “The truth of the matter,” he said, “although I haven’t talked much about it, is that my daughter is very far from God these days. She thinks up is down, and down is up; light is dark, and dark is light. But I know God can break through to her, and so I’m going to ask Pastor Boekstaaf to lead us in praying for Chrissy. Let’s join hands across the sanctuary.”

     What happened next can only be described as “the church turned into a labor room.” “There arose a groaning, a sense of desperate determination, as if to say, ‘Satan, you will not have this girl. Take your hands off her---she is coming back!’ I was overwhelmed. The force of the vast throng calling on God almost literally knocked me over.”

Thirty-two hours later, on a Thursday morning, Chrissy returned home and asked her mother if she could talk to her father. When he came down from upstairs where he had been shaving, he cautiously spoke her name: “Chrissy?” She grabbed his pants leg and spoke in anguish. “Daddy---Daddy—I have sinned against God, I’ve sinned against myself. I have sinned against you and Mommy. Please forgive me.”

    After hugging his daughter and crying for a while, Chrissy spoke again. “Who was praying for me? In the middle of the night, God woke me and showed me I was heading into the abyss. There was no bottom to it—it scared me to death. I was so frightened. I realized how hard I’ve been, how wrong, how rebellious. But at the same time, it was like God wrapped His arms around me and held me tight. He kept me from sliding any farther as He said, ‘I still love you.’ Daddy, tell me the truth—who was praying for me Tuesday night?” (Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala)

Please increase the fervency and urgency of my prayers for spiritual awakening, and use me to make prayer contagious to others.

Pray

1.     For a desire to pray for the lost and those who know the Lord and are not walking close to Him daily.

2.     Pray for a sensitive spirit to discern who needs to be prayed for and to quickly obey God’s Spirit when prompted to pray for someone.

3.     Ask God to help you be more faithful in your prayer life.

Come to the banquet

     In chapter 14 of the book of Luke we find the parable of the Great Supper that Jesus gave at the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees on the Sabbath. Jesus knew that their motives for inviting Him were wrong but He went anyway and shocked them not only with his healing of a man who had dropsy but also gave them a class on humility and how to entertain at home. But the longest discourse He gave that day was on what would happen when the Kingdom of God has come and who would be sitting at the table when it comes. Doctor Luke records it this way:

    “Then He said to him,  “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come for all things are now ready.’ But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him. ‘I have bought a piece of ground and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’ And another said, ‘ I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’ Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ (Luke 14:16-20)

    Life is full of busyness, things that have to be done. Things that we want to do for one reason or another that take our time and we often have to make decisions on what is most important. These men decided that the normal day-to-day activities that they had on their schedule were more important than the invitation to the great supper.

     Jesus continued: “So the servant came and reported these things to the master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant,  ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and blind.’ And the servant said, ‘Master it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’ Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and byways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. ‘For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’” (Luke 14:21-24)

    Jesus told this parable to inform the Pharisees that He had come to them, and the Jewish nation, to give them the Good News of the Gospel but that they had rejected Him and now the message of salvation would be taken to the Gentiles. This coming week, at your church, Jesus has prepared another banquet for you and I. We all have busy lives and things that need to be done. But, think of it this way; the King of the Universe has prepared a feast for you and me at His table. Let us come with excitement and joy in our hearts to see and hear what He has prepared for us! Let’s not miss a single word that He has for you and I and let us come with joy in our hearts and great expectation of what He will do in our midst. 

Pray:

1.     That I will be faithful to attend each session that the Lord has prepared for us at His table.

2.     That I will come with faith in Him to provide the words I need to hear, and the desire to be obedient to His voice as He lovingly speaks to my heart.

3.     That I will invite others to my church this week, and even pick them up and bring them if they need my help.

4.     That God will be glorified in all that is done in His precious and Holy name this week and that we will never forget what God has done in our hearts and lives when we surrendered our wills to His.