January 4: 2 Samuel 7:28 (NIV)
28 O Sovereign Lord, you are God! Your words are trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant.
How shall we face the coming year with all of it uncertainties and trials? Let us take courage from the text of Scripture in front of us today. Our God is sovereign and he controls everything in his universe, nothing, not even evil can occur without his divine permission and direction. Such thoughts are perhaps too marvelous to us to grasp and yet they are true nonetheless. Whatever God has promised will come to pass no matter how many forces are aligned against such truths.
It was this confidence in the Word of God that would compel Adoniram Judson to cross the thousands of miles of ocean to set his course toward India and Burma. He would leave his homeland and family and travel with his wife, Ann and together they would give birth to several children that would all die under the harsh tropical climate. Along with the loss of his children, Adoniram would see his own beloved wife, Ann, taken by the same diseases.
How shall one fare when faced with such hardships? Hear in his own words how Adoniram viewed the sovereignty of God which would sustain him on the foreign field for decades while he would tarry for the Master often alone on foreign soil. "If I had not felt certain," he says, "that every additional trial was ordered by infinite love and mercy, I could not have survived my accumulated sufferings." Judson joined with Paul in declaring: "The love of Christ constraineth me ... Therefore I will glory in reproaches, in persecution and in distresses for Christ's sake."
We all face many trials in this life but none so hard that the sovereign God cannot keep us in the midst of such trials. He can deliver us from such trials but his most often way is to sustain us in His Word through such trials. Let us go forth into this new year with the confidence that the sovereignty of God will keep us, for he who commanded he light to shine out of darkness has shined into our hearts and he has already given us the knowledge of God in the face of Christ our Savior. If we have such a treasure like this then let us face the future with unwavering confidence.
Facing the Future under the Sovereign God’s Care,
Pastor Phil
Taking a Good look at Scripture
Pastor Phil
Teachng the Word
Monday, January 4, 2010
What God can Do With One Man Totally Committed to Him.
January 3: Philippians 3:12-14 (RSV)
12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brethren, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,
14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
In this day of success driven ministries and church growth conferences and principles of how to grow large churches and build thriving ministries I find some things very disturbing, something of vital importance is being neglected. I just finished reading a brief biography of Dwight L. Moody and found things in his life that were very visible at the outset that never left his ministry.
At the beginning of his ministry Mr. Moody heard a preacher raise the question, “The world has yet to see what God can do with one man that is totally committed to him.” Upon hearing that it is told that D.L. Moody said to himself and a few gathered around him that he wanted to be that man. It would be his practice from then on to rise early every morning for prayer and serious Bible study. Most mornings would find him up before 4 a.m. studying in his small prayer room.
This practice of significant Bible study would be the foundation on which God would build a worldwide ministry. Out of his commitment to serious Bible study he discovered the regular discipline of intercessory prayer. It would become his lifelong thrill to take every concern to his Heavenly Father and seek to prove the reality of God by his own prayers. He would often call many of those who supported his ministry to times of prayer and fasting for specific meetings in the cities he would travel in.
Out of his continued walking with God he came upon the commitment to not let a day go by where he did not talk with at least one person about their need for Christ. There would be some days when he would be preparing for bed and realize that he did not speak with someone about their need for Christ and he would get up and go about the city seeking to find one person whom he could share his Savior with.
I suppose if you were to travel with Mr. Moody you have been somewhat embarrassed by his constant pleading with people to put their faith in Christ. The conversation would not cover the topics of the day but would often turn to the truths of Scripture. Gossip would not do around Mr. Moody for there was too little time and too many lost persons around to spend it in trivial conversations.
May we set our course like that of Mr. Moody and set our sights much higher because of the path he has set for us, which in reality is only the path that our Savior has set before us. Let us seek to study and pray and share as if we had no more time before our Savior would come for us.
God give us the same spirit that was given to Mr. Moody, in our day,
Pastor Phil
12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brethren, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,
14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
In this day of success driven ministries and church growth conferences and principles of how to grow large churches and build thriving ministries I find some things very disturbing, something of vital importance is being neglected. I just finished reading a brief biography of Dwight L. Moody and found things in his life that were very visible at the outset that never left his ministry.
At the beginning of his ministry Mr. Moody heard a preacher raise the question, “The world has yet to see what God can do with one man that is totally committed to him.” Upon hearing that it is told that D.L. Moody said to himself and a few gathered around him that he wanted to be that man. It would be his practice from then on to rise early every morning for prayer and serious Bible study. Most mornings would find him up before 4 a.m. studying in his small prayer room.
This practice of significant Bible study would be the foundation on which God would build a worldwide ministry. Out of his commitment to serious Bible study he discovered the regular discipline of intercessory prayer. It would become his lifelong thrill to take every concern to his Heavenly Father and seek to prove the reality of God by his own prayers. He would often call many of those who supported his ministry to times of prayer and fasting for specific meetings in the cities he would travel in.
Out of his continued walking with God he came upon the commitment to not let a day go by where he did not talk with at least one person about their need for Christ. There would be some days when he would be preparing for bed and realize that he did not speak with someone about their need for Christ and he would get up and go about the city seeking to find one person whom he could share his Savior with.
I suppose if you were to travel with Mr. Moody you have been somewhat embarrassed by his constant pleading with people to put their faith in Christ. The conversation would not cover the topics of the day but would often turn to the truths of Scripture. Gossip would not do around Mr. Moody for there was too little time and too many lost persons around to spend it in trivial conversations.
May we set our course like that of Mr. Moody and set our sights much higher because of the path he has set for us, which in reality is only the path that our Savior has set before us. Let us seek to study and pray and share as if we had no more time before our Savior would come for us.
God give us the same spirit that was given to Mr. Moody, in our day,
Pastor Phil
The Greatest Promise
January 2: Matthew 28:18-20 (RSV)
18 And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age."
How shall this year fare when the calendar is finalized at the end of 2010? What promise can we take with us into this coming year that will sustain us and give us hope in the midst of challenging times? I suggest we take this verse from Matthew with us for it has been the foundation and the support of two of my favorite missionaries of all time, John Paton and David Livingstone.
David Livingstone was often heard to say, that this text is the word of a gentleman and I shall trust the word of such a gentleman. John Paton learned early on in his young childhood that he could take this promise and live off of it because he had witnessed his father living off such a promise every day of his life as he led his family in worship at the start and end of each day.
It would be this promise that would sustain John Paton as he went to minister among cannibals in the New Hebrides islands in the middle to late 1800’s. For our consideration today let me share one day in the life of John Paton as he jived among violent cannibal tribes.
The tribes that Paton had gone to minster among had circled around him several times to take his life. The following is one such record. “On one occasion when Paton was preaching in one of the villages, three sacred men stood up and declared that they could kill him by Nahak or sorcery, if only they could get possession of any piece of fruit or food of which he had eaten. Being thus challenged, he resolved, with his Lord's help, to strike a blow at the tremendous power for evil wielded by the sorcerers. After taking a bite out of three plums, he handed one of them to each of the sacred men. The natives were astounded at his action and momentarily expected to see him fall over dead, as the sorcerers proceeded with their incantations. With many gesticulations and mutterings, they rolled up in leaves the three plums, kindled a sacred fire and burned them. "Stir up your gods to help you," urged Paton. "I am not killed. In fact I am perfectly well."
At length the sorcerers said that they would call all the sacred men together and that they would kill Missi before the next Sabbath arrived. Paton told the people he would meet them at that same place the next Sabbath morning. Great excitement prevailed on the island. Every day messengers came from different quarters inquiring if the white man was ill. Sabbath morning he appeared before the people in sound health and said: "Now you must admit that your gods have no power over me and that I am protected by the true and living God. He is the only God who can hear and answer prayer. He loves all human beings, despite their great wickedness, and He sent His dear Son, Jesus, to save from sin all who will believe and follow Him." (Copyright 2009 www.WholesomeWords.org)
There would be many other times in Paton and Livingstone and countless other missionary lives that would stake all their hope on this one text. It served the faith of those who have gone before us well so let us take this text and set our affections on it as well as we seek to make the gospel known in our day.
Staking My Claim on his promise, “I am with you always.”
Pastor phil
18 And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age."
How shall this year fare when the calendar is finalized at the end of 2010? What promise can we take with us into this coming year that will sustain us and give us hope in the midst of challenging times? I suggest we take this verse from Matthew with us for it has been the foundation and the support of two of my favorite missionaries of all time, John Paton and David Livingstone.
David Livingstone was often heard to say, that this text is the word of a gentleman and I shall trust the word of such a gentleman. John Paton learned early on in his young childhood that he could take this promise and live off of it because he had witnessed his father living off such a promise every day of his life as he led his family in worship at the start and end of each day.
It would be this promise that would sustain John Paton as he went to minister among cannibals in the New Hebrides islands in the middle to late 1800’s. For our consideration today let me share one day in the life of John Paton as he jived among violent cannibal tribes.
The tribes that Paton had gone to minster among had circled around him several times to take his life. The following is one such record. “On one occasion when Paton was preaching in one of the villages, three sacred men stood up and declared that they could kill him by Nahak or sorcery, if only they could get possession of any piece of fruit or food of which he had eaten. Being thus challenged, he resolved, with his Lord's help, to strike a blow at the tremendous power for evil wielded by the sorcerers. After taking a bite out of three plums, he handed one of them to each of the sacred men. The natives were astounded at his action and momentarily expected to see him fall over dead, as the sorcerers proceeded with their incantations. With many gesticulations and mutterings, they rolled up in leaves the three plums, kindled a sacred fire and burned them. "Stir up your gods to help you," urged Paton. "I am not killed. In fact I am perfectly well."
At length the sorcerers said that they would call all the sacred men together and that they would kill Missi before the next Sabbath arrived. Paton told the people he would meet them at that same place the next Sabbath morning. Great excitement prevailed on the island. Every day messengers came from different quarters inquiring if the white man was ill. Sabbath morning he appeared before the people in sound health and said: "Now you must admit that your gods have no power over me and that I am protected by the true and living God. He is the only God who can hear and answer prayer. He loves all human beings, despite their great wickedness, and He sent His dear Son, Jesus, to save from sin all who will believe and follow Him." (Copyright 2009 www.WholesomeWords.org)
There would be many other times in Paton and Livingstone and countless other missionary lives that would stake all their hope on this one text. It served the faith of those who have gone before us well so let us take this text and set our affections on it as well as we seek to make the gospel known in our day.
Staking My Claim on his promise, “I am with you always.”
Pastor phil
Friday, January 1, 2010
Pressing On The Upward Way
January 1: Philippians 3:12-14 (NIV)
12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,
14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
With the new year in front of us and the past year over what shall be our first thought for this new year? Let me suggest one from Scripture from our text this morning. We have not yet arrived for there is much still to do so we press on to take hold of Christ. Though we have walked with Christ for years we have not yet reached our full maturity so we press on. We may have faltered many a time in the past but we will not give up we will press on. We may not have all that others have but still we press on not for ourselves as much as for those who have yet to hear the gospel of our Lord.
We come to this new year with thousands of people groups still untouched by the gospel of Christ so we press on for their sakes. There are those in our families and friendships that are still without his knowledge so we press on for them. There are places where our Lord is not glorified so we press on, not considering that we have attained anything for there are still millions who have not heard so we press on.
Let this new year be the year that you press on toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Brothers and sisters that high calling is to be found in him declaring his glory when he comes for you. Let us labor so to speak and live that the last words that form the breath of our mouths be words of praise and adoration so the nations can see that he is faithful to the end just as he promised.
Still Pressing one the Upward Way,
12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,
14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
With the new year in front of us and the past year over what shall be our first thought for this new year? Let me suggest one from Scripture from our text this morning. We have not yet arrived for there is much still to do so we press on to take hold of Christ. Though we have walked with Christ for years we have not yet reached our full maturity so we press on. We may have faltered many a time in the past but we will not give up we will press on. We may not have all that others have but still we press on not for ourselves as much as for those who have yet to hear the gospel of our Lord.
We come to this new year with thousands of people groups still untouched by the gospel of Christ so we press on for their sakes. There are those in our families and friendships that are still without his knowledge so we press on for them. There are places where our Lord is not glorified so we press on, not considering that we have attained anything for there are still millions who have not heard so we press on.
Let this new year be the year that you press on toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Brothers and sisters that high calling is to be found in him declaring his glory when he comes for you. Let us labor so to speak and live that the last words that form the breath of our mouths be words of praise and adoration so the nations can see that he is faithful to the end just as he promised.
Still Pressing one the Upward Way,
Longing for His Appearing?
December 31: 2 Timothy 4:6-8 (NIV)
6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
As we come to the end of another year and look back over the past months we must ask; Have we grown any in our walk with our Savior? Are we any better off this year than last in our fight against sin and evil? Perhaps some have made progress that they can see, but there are many others who look back over the past year and see nothing but more of the same; many frail attempts at remaining stedfast in the faith, few opportunities taken to further the gospel of Christ, many times of weakness and frailty.
Do not allow these times of failure to drag you down, even these times will be used by our God to grow in us a desire to depart this life and be with Christ. Paul says that he finished the race and kept the faith. Just what did this mean to him as he approached the end of his life? Did it mean that he never faltered from the course, he never wavered from his appointed task, he never sinned against his Lord after his conversion? Certainly this cannot be what Paul means for he writes in the same letter that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners of whom he was the chief.
If it does not mean these things then what can it mean for us? Notice the phrase, “to all who long for his appearing.” Who is it that longs for his appearing? It is only those who face the constant struggle against sin and evil and find that they grow weary of such battles, they really long to be free from such struggles but God has deemed it necessary for them to endure hardships and pain and difficulty so that they will love his appearing when it comes.
So as you look back over this year take careful stock of all the sin that you have been guilty of and let it mount up. Then take all of this and turn your eyes upon Jesus and look full in his wonderful face and you will find that the things of this world will no longer hold the power over you. You will find yourself longing for heaven so you can be done with sin and be in your Saviors presence for the rest of forever.
Go ahead and drink deeply of his grace this last day of 2009 and then turn your eyes toward the future with the great expectancy that it may be this year when we will all be gathered around the throne in worship without any sin to hinder our love for God ever again. O what a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see. Until then we walk with God through the pain and through the struggle. Let us be faithful as was Paul to always long for his return.
Looking Upward Until He comes,
Pastor phil
6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
As we come to the end of another year and look back over the past months we must ask; Have we grown any in our walk with our Savior? Are we any better off this year than last in our fight against sin and evil? Perhaps some have made progress that they can see, but there are many others who look back over the past year and see nothing but more of the same; many frail attempts at remaining stedfast in the faith, few opportunities taken to further the gospel of Christ, many times of weakness and frailty.
Do not allow these times of failure to drag you down, even these times will be used by our God to grow in us a desire to depart this life and be with Christ. Paul says that he finished the race and kept the faith. Just what did this mean to him as he approached the end of his life? Did it mean that he never faltered from the course, he never wavered from his appointed task, he never sinned against his Lord after his conversion? Certainly this cannot be what Paul means for he writes in the same letter that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners of whom he was the chief.
If it does not mean these things then what can it mean for us? Notice the phrase, “to all who long for his appearing.” Who is it that longs for his appearing? It is only those who face the constant struggle against sin and evil and find that they grow weary of such battles, they really long to be free from such struggles but God has deemed it necessary for them to endure hardships and pain and difficulty so that they will love his appearing when it comes.
So as you look back over this year take careful stock of all the sin that you have been guilty of and let it mount up. Then take all of this and turn your eyes upon Jesus and look full in his wonderful face and you will find that the things of this world will no longer hold the power over you. You will find yourself longing for heaven so you can be done with sin and be in your Saviors presence for the rest of forever.
Go ahead and drink deeply of his grace this last day of 2009 and then turn your eyes toward the future with the great expectancy that it may be this year when we will all be gathered around the throne in worship without any sin to hinder our love for God ever again. O what a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see. Until then we walk with God through the pain and through the struggle. Let us be faithful as was Paul to always long for his return.
Looking Upward Until He comes,
Pastor phil
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
The Real Way to Life and Happiness
December 30: When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." When he heard this he became very sad because he was a man of great wealth. Luke 18:22-23
The rich young ruler came to Jesus and asked how to inherit eternal life and the formula was given yet he refused, thinking he knew where life came from. How sad for the rich young ruler to refuse the advice of the Savior of the world, the richest man who had ever lived and yet he left it all in Heaven to come for us. Does not his coming to earth demonstrate for us how to find true wealth and riches? If he gave up his home in heaven and all the wealth and position and power and fame among the angels to come to this fallen sin cursed world to rescue his redeemed ones then would we fare better if we chose to live some other way?
Notice the text indicates that the rich young ruler went away sad because he was a man of great wealth. How significant to see that it is not riches that make happiness but the surrendering of our riches that brings us great joy. O if the world could only see and hear these words of our savior there would be much joy in the house of the Lord. But who will go to them and tell them of such truth? Who will go to them and wrest them from the enemy’s poisonous treats?
Just this morning I was reading a biography of C.T. Studd, missionary to China and Africa in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. How he responded to the call of Hudson Taylor to China and left with the famous Cambridge seven. They were all men who had great promise in business and medicine and other interests but they left them all behind in England for the riches of China and the gospel treasure they would find there.
C.T. Studd was the son of a very wealthy merchant in England and news arrived that he was going to inherit a large fortune soon. Attempting to decide what to do with the large sum he decided to find out what would have happened to the rich young ruler if he had given it all away as his Lord had directed, so he began to send large sums of money to Hudson Taylor for the work in China and sent another large sum of money to George Mueller in England for the work among the orphans and a significant sum for mission work in England. After his attempt to give away all his inheritance he had 3400 British pounds left to his name. He would propose marriage to his soon to be wife with this sum and she replied, “C.T. God told the rich young ruler to give it all away so let us make sure we start clean with the Lord.” They entered their marriage penniless and quite happy.
They served together in China for another ten years until ill health required that they return to England. In England they spent their time speaking to students about the missionary call of God, both in England and America. Hundreds of students responded to their influence to go to the mission field. In 1900 they set sail for India and served there for six years. They once again returned to England, this time completely penniless and in ill health, they were refused treatment because they were without the means to pay for the care. The group of businessmen refused to continue to support them as they were speaking of going to Africa, even though they were in ill health.
After four years in England, C.T. and his wife thought it best for him to go to Africa, even though they had little prospect of survival there. They agreed to leave his wife and children in England because the dangers of Africa were only too well known. Many predicted that C.T. would not survive his journey to Africa and they were right, he only lived another twenty one years serving the Lord in Africa, when doctors had said he would not survive the journey let alone the hostile climate in Africa.
C.T. would coin a phrase that has been quoted often since his death, "Some wish to live within the sound of Church or Chapel bell; I want to run a Rescue Shop within a yard of hell."
One missionary biographer writes these words of C.T. Studd “ "C.T.'s life stands as some rugged Gibraltar — a sign to all succeeding generations that it is worth while to lose all this world can offer and stake everything on the world to come. His life will be an eternal rebuke to easygoing Christianity. He has demonstrated what it means to follow Christ without counting the cost and without looking back.
May our lives be so influenced to give of our wealth and go with our lives to the places where the gospel has yet to be heard. Let us be found in giving, praying and going to the gospel poorest places on the earth.
Here We are Lord Send us!
Pastor phil
The rich young ruler came to Jesus and asked how to inherit eternal life and the formula was given yet he refused, thinking he knew where life came from. How sad for the rich young ruler to refuse the advice of the Savior of the world, the richest man who had ever lived and yet he left it all in Heaven to come for us. Does not his coming to earth demonstrate for us how to find true wealth and riches? If he gave up his home in heaven and all the wealth and position and power and fame among the angels to come to this fallen sin cursed world to rescue his redeemed ones then would we fare better if we chose to live some other way?
Notice the text indicates that the rich young ruler went away sad because he was a man of great wealth. How significant to see that it is not riches that make happiness but the surrendering of our riches that brings us great joy. O if the world could only see and hear these words of our savior there would be much joy in the house of the Lord. But who will go to them and tell them of such truth? Who will go to them and wrest them from the enemy’s poisonous treats?
Just this morning I was reading a biography of C.T. Studd, missionary to China and Africa in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. How he responded to the call of Hudson Taylor to China and left with the famous Cambridge seven. They were all men who had great promise in business and medicine and other interests but they left them all behind in England for the riches of China and the gospel treasure they would find there.
C.T. Studd was the son of a very wealthy merchant in England and news arrived that he was going to inherit a large fortune soon. Attempting to decide what to do with the large sum he decided to find out what would have happened to the rich young ruler if he had given it all away as his Lord had directed, so he began to send large sums of money to Hudson Taylor for the work in China and sent another large sum of money to George Mueller in England for the work among the orphans and a significant sum for mission work in England. After his attempt to give away all his inheritance he had 3400 British pounds left to his name. He would propose marriage to his soon to be wife with this sum and she replied, “C.T. God told the rich young ruler to give it all away so let us make sure we start clean with the Lord.” They entered their marriage penniless and quite happy.
They served together in China for another ten years until ill health required that they return to England. In England they spent their time speaking to students about the missionary call of God, both in England and America. Hundreds of students responded to their influence to go to the mission field. In 1900 they set sail for India and served there for six years. They once again returned to England, this time completely penniless and in ill health, they were refused treatment because they were without the means to pay for the care. The group of businessmen refused to continue to support them as they were speaking of going to Africa, even though they were in ill health.
After four years in England, C.T. and his wife thought it best for him to go to Africa, even though they had little prospect of survival there. They agreed to leave his wife and children in England because the dangers of Africa were only too well known. Many predicted that C.T. would not survive his journey to Africa and they were right, he only lived another twenty one years serving the Lord in Africa, when doctors had said he would not survive the journey let alone the hostile climate in Africa.
C.T. would coin a phrase that has been quoted often since his death, "Some wish to live within the sound of Church or Chapel bell; I want to run a Rescue Shop within a yard of hell."
One missionary biographer writes these words of C.T. Studd “ "C.T.'s life stands as some rugged Gibraltar — a sign to all succeeding generations that it is worth while to lose all this world can offer and stake everything on the world to come. His life will be an eternal rebuke to easygoing Christianity. He has demonstrated what it means to follow Christ without counting the cost and without looking back.
May our lives be so influenced to give of our wealth and go with our lives to the places where the gospel has yet to be heard. Let us be found in giving, praying and going to the gospel poorest places on the earth.
Here We are Lord Send us!
Pastor phil
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
To the Hard Places for the Glory of God
December 29: "Cannot the love of Christ," he asked, "carry the missionary where the slave trade carries the trader?" (David Livingstone, missionary to Africa)
“Now compelled by the Spirit I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there I only know that in every city the holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships await me.” Act 20:22-23
I don’t recommend reading the biographies of missionaries unless you want to be convicted of the smallness of your faith and the lagging zeal you have for Christ. But if you desire to be convicted of how much you still need to grow in godliness and holiness then by all means pick up a good biography and read away.
For the past two weeks we have been considering the lives of those who have set the path for us over the last two thousand years of missionary endeavors. Today I want to consider with you for a brief moment the life of one such missionary, David Livingstone.
As a young man he had chanced upon the service where Robert Moffatt, the great missionary to Africa, was speaking and heard him utter these words, "I have sometimes seen, in the morning sun, the smoke of a thousand villages where no missionary has ever been."
It would be these words that would compel a young doctor to leave everything behind and go to the dark continent of Africa to carry the message of Christ. He would suffer great discomforts and face grueling hardships for almost forty years on the African continent as he sought to carry the message of Christ to those villages where the gospel had never gone He would face lions that would tear his shoulder out of joint and leave his one arm almost paralyzed for the rest of his life. He would face the challenges of leaving to return to the comforts of England when circumstances would tell him that he was finished. He would lose the wife he loved to tropical disease eleven years before he would meet her in glory. He would see his children leave Africa and not see them for many years due to the rigors of his missionary endeavors and he would experience the ridicule of those who were at first his best supporters. He would travel through places where deadly pestilence was rampant, and eventually he would die on the soil he came to reclaim for his Savior.
When asked why he followed Christ into such hard and difficult places his only answer was "Cannot the love of Christ," he asked, "carry the missionary where the slave trade carries the trader?"
I leave you with this quote for your consideration today. We live in a nation that has more freedom to share the gospel than any other nation at any other time in history. I wonder how we shall fare when we stand next to these our brothers and sisters who have gone before us at that great day when we shall all stand before our Lord to receive the rewards for our labors. I can almost hear the questions of these who have gone to the hard and the difficult places, “Tell me, with such freedom surely you told everyone you saw about the glories of our great God! Surely you spoke often of his magnificent grace to all who came your way. Surely there were many who heard from your lips and life of his redeeming love. Surely you have some scars to show for your labors here below.
I can almost see Doctor Livingstone revealing the scars on his shoulders and scarred feet of his as he walked across deserts that left his feet burned and scarred because he loved his Savior so much and he loved the lost to whom he was sent as well. I wonder what scars we shall have to show for our love for the Savior, I wonder what names we can speak of that we shared our Lord with.
Should we not begin our day each day with these words, “O Love of Christ, carry the feet of this missionary to the places where the Drugs flow free and the terrorists run with boldness and the unbelievers are enslaved. Carry the feet of this missionary to those who do not yet know of the redeeming love that I have so richly been given.”
Let us set our course again for the hard places of our occupations and our neighborhoods and our cities and villages. Let us labor as Livingstone did until our Savior comes for us.
Following the path of those who have gone before us,
Pastor Phil
“Now compelled by the Spirit I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there I only know that in every city the holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships await me.” Act 20:22-23
I don’t recommend reading the biographies of missionaries unless you want to be convicted of the smallness of your faith and the lagging zeal you have for Christ. But if you desire to be convicted of how much you still need to grow in godliness and holiness then by all means pick up a good biography and read away.
For the past two weeks we have been considering the lives of those who have set the path for us over the last two thousand years of missionary endeavors. Today I want to consider with you for a brief moment the life of one such missionary, David Livingstone.
As a young man he had chanced upon the service where Robert Moffatt, the great missionary to Africa, was speaking and heard him utter these words, "I have sometimes seen, in the morning sun, the smoke of a thousand villages where no missionary has ever been."
It would be these words that would compel a young doctor to leave everything behind and go to the dark continent of Africa to carry the message of Christ. He would suffer great discomforts and face grueling hardships for almost forty years on the African continent as he sought to carry the message of Christ to those villages where the gospel had never gone He would face lions that would tear his shoulder out of joint and leave his one arm almost paralyzed for the rest of his life. He would face the challenges of leaving to return to the comforts of England when circumstances would tell him that he was finished. He would lose the wife he loved to tropical disease eleven years before he would meet her in glory. He would see his children leave Africa and not see them for many years due to the rigors of his missionary endeavors and he would experience the ridicule of those who were at first his best supporters. He would travel through places where deadly pestilence was rampant, and eventually he would die on the soil he came to reclaim for his Savior.
When asked why he followed Christ into such hard and difficult places his only answer was "Cannot the love of Christ," he asked, "carry the missionary where the slave trade carries the trader?"
I leave you with this quote for your consideration today. We live in a nation that has more freedom to share the gospel than any other nation at any other time in history. I wonder how we shall fare when we stand next to these our brothers and sisters who have gone before us at that great day when we shall all stand before our Lord to receive the rewards for our labors. I can almost hear the questions of these who have gone to the hard and the difficult places, “Tell me, with such freedom surely you told everyone you saw about the glories of our great God! Surely you spoke often of his magnificent grace to all who came your way. Surely there were many who heard from your lips and life of his redeeming love. Surely you have some scars to show for your labors here below.
I can almost see Doctor Livingstone revealing the scars on his shoulders and scarred feet of his as he walked across deserts that left his feet burned and scarred because he loved his Savior so much and he loved the lost to whom he was sent as well. I wonder what scars we shall have to show for our love for the Savior, I wonder what names we can speak of that we shared our Lord with.
Should we not begin our day each day with these words, “O Love of Christ, carry the feet of this missionary to the places where the Drugs flow free and the terrorists run with boldness and the unbelievers are enslaved. Carry the feet of this missionary to those who do not yet know of the redeeming love that I have so richly been given.”
Let us set our course again for the hard places of our occupations and our neighborhoods and our cities and villages. Let us labor as Livingstone did until our Savior comes for us.
Following the path of those who have gone before us,
Pastor Phil
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