“Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to the world. Shout aloud and sing for joy…for great is the Holy One.” When things get frustrating, I too often focus on what the devil is doing, rather than what is God is doing and can do – 
AND the result is a definite loss of joy! As I read Isaiah 12:4-5 this week, it was yet another time when our Heavenly Father used his words to teach, rebuke, correct me and guide me into focusing on His glorious work and exalting only Him!
So rather than focusing on water problems, computer malfunctions, disappointments, etc., and definite actions of the devil this week I want to share some incredible things God is doing in our part of the world. I listened with awe last Sunday as Parkland’s youth minister used the positions of a soccer team (the sport all Kenyan kids play in school) to explain the meaning, purpose and responsibilities of being a Christian/Church Member. He used bits he knew those in the Youth Service were studying in biology to explain that a Christian is a living thing which can live or die – dependent upon being alive and active about God’s work! God is using the World Cup to make His name known, in Africa and around the world - for more go to: http://worldsoccerjourneys.com and http://mReport.org
I viewed another awesome bit of God’s children at-work in last Sunday’s service at Parklands Baptist Church - decorated Kenyan style for Father's Day - before I slipped out to see why the youth were having so much fun in their service. The regular service focused on the church’s Member Care Department and the young man who introduced the work was Daniel, a young Maasai man that I have mentioned before. As he spoke of making disciples and carrying the Great Commission, I was in awe of God’s plan as I remembered Daniel’s history. When he was a pre-teen, one of your missionaries visited in his home in the Maasai area of Kenya. Daniel’s family could not afford to educate their son, so your missionary assisted their very smart son. Today, Daniel is working on his Doctorate in Geothermal Energy and finds ways to help his country and the Maasai area of southern Kenya. Daniel, a maturing disciple of our Savior, is also making more disciples who can carry out the Great Commission!
And yet another joyful event occurred yesterday as I went with Jack,
Samson Kisia and Mzungu (one of the young men Samson is discipling) to visit property which has been offered to the baby Ngoingwa Community Baptist Church for lease/purchase. Jack and Samson are now definitely wazee (mature adults) and Mzungu became a dad two weeks after the church began, but they acted like little boys as they meandered through the property and dreamed of how the walled-in area with a partial building, could be used in worship, Bible study and ministry. (For a prayer guide view of the church when it began in March, go to: Ngoingwa Community Baptist Church - Praying for a Baby Church at: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=207717&id=685050129&l=796d83142f
As you praise God for the things I’ve shared today and pray for the ongoing needs, I want to share a praise/request from a co-worker in South Africa involved in World Cup ministries: “We are hearing reports of hundreds of children professing Jesus at camps and holiday clubs. This is a fabulous… but now (we must make sure) they are discipled!! Please pray for all the follow-ups.. It is most important that these be discipled as quickly as possible…generally Africans will say yes to just about anything when a foreigner asks them to do something, including raising their hands indicating a profession of faith. Their mindset is different from our Western mindset…That is why follow-up with anyone who makes a profession of faith is so very critical, so please be in much prayer for this!!”
This last request is one that you can always pray for volunteer groups at work in our part of the world. Many volunteers are in Kenya at the moment and more will come during your summer months. God is blessing their work and many are accepting His love and salvation, but do continue praying not only for people to come to know our Lord, but that they become disciples who can disciple others. To encourage you in your prayers, you can find a new group of pictures entitled: Making Known What He Has Done ( http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=238724&id=685050129&l=5eeb87b9d9 ) Thanks for your prayer support! BERT
No comments:
Post a Comment