September 18, 2013

Close-up of photo used as Monday's SSAPeoples
Nudge to Action, sharing one of the contrasts
found in Sub-Saharan African cities.

A friend recently asked, “What is God teaching you?” My answer, “Not what you might expect, but He is teaching me lots!”  So what has God taught me this week as we’ve done many things, including Jack spending hours commuting to and administrating/ teaching at the Kenya Baptist Theological College (KBTC) and as I’ve spent time sharing what God is doing among Sub-Saharan African Peoples?*

Photo which I may have shared earlier that was
used as last Saturday's Nudge to Action.

THURSDAY - I should “Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts” (1 Chronicles 16:8,9.) This is difficult when I’m tired of sitting at my desk with only a computer as a companion or when Jack is working 12+ hour days ‘catching-up’ with the principal’s work at KBTC.
PRAYER REQUEST: Pray for patience and strength.  Pray that Jack’s last few days of teaching Church Planting (one hour most days) and four hours of Baptist History and Church Planting during this current three week term will end well. 

A view that always strengthens our hearts -
the first view of the season of
Jacaranda blooms (purple) in our yard.

FRIDAY - Psalm 31 challenged me to choose my reaction when my “strength fails” thanks to the frustrations which will occur as we serve our Father. I can have a ‘pity-party’ and forget to trust Him and acknowledge His goodness or I can praise Him (even if I don’t feel like it) and put my hope in Him!
PRAYER REQUEST: Pray that we will “Be strong and take heart” (v.23) this coming week.

How can anyone not being joyful when
viewing this scene in a neighbour's yard?

SATURDAY - “Sing joyfully to the Lord… it is fitting for the upright to praise him” (Psalm 33:1), led me to when David celebrated before the Lord even when accused of being undignified (2 Samuel 6:20-23).
PRAYER REQUEST:  Pray that we will learn from our African brothers and sisters to not be reserved Americans, but to fully celebrate what God is doing and learn to “Sing to him… and shout for joy” (v. 3).

It is always a joy to serve through praying (for Jack
last Sunday) and through taking photos (Bert's way
of helping our Media Team) at our church.

SUNDAY - Questions from Psalm 34: Do I extol the Lord and praise Him at all times?  Do others hear me rejoicing and boasting of the Lord?
PRAYER REQUEST:  Pray that as we do our Father’s work, Jack and I will rely upon Him and trust that we “lack nothing… lack no good thing” (v 9,10).  Pray that we will claim Him are our refuge and deliverer know that He is attentive to our prayers (v.15).  Pray that we will remember that this is true even for the problems in need of resolution at KBTC.

Rural view of ministering "To the Ends of the Earth."

MONDAY - After the problems encountered in recent months related to KBTC, Psalm 35 is a lot more ‘real’ to us!  There have been and still are times we would like God to ‘contend’ with things the way we think He should!
PRAYER REQUEST: Pray that we will focus on praising God for His righteousness and His desire for all to know of His salvation! Which leads to this week’s photo album, “To the Ends of the Earth”, as I share photos captured this month to challenge Believers to truly claim the power of the Holy Spirit and serve as witnesses of the eternal gospel "to the ends of the earth." **

Not a 'potted' poinsettia at KBTC,
but a small tree outside the offices.

TUESDAY - In Psalm 36, David is concerned about the sin he encounters, but he puts his focus on God’s love, faithfulness, righteousness and justice.
PRAYER REQUEST:  Pray that Jack and I will always remember that as God’s servants, God will provide what we need, as well as the needed guidance (v.8,9) when we seek to obey Him and do the work He has called us to do. 

Found in most church offices - a cup of chai (milky
sweet tea) and a Visitor's Book awaiting your greeting.

TODAY - As I read suggested verses and notes related Psalm 36:9, “With you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light,” I was led to Psalm 18.
PRAYER REQUEST:  Pray that as I seek to ‘strengthen’ our co-workers and God’s work among Sub-Saharan African Peoples and as Jack strives to ‘encourage’ (Acts 14:22) KBTC to becoming a school that can truly be used to accomplish our Father’s purposes that we will claim His Words in Psalm 18:28-30.  Pray that we will allow God to keep our lamps burning as he turns our darkness into light. Pray that we will rely upon His help and be willing to aim for the impossible and difficult as we advance against barricades and difficulties, knowing that with God, we can scale what is impossible for man!   BERT YATES

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* For daily SSAPeoples Nudges to Action (Praying/ Giving/ Serving), visit https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sub-Saharan-African-Peoples/100173880060607?ref=hl. Non-Facebook members can easily view these nudges by scrolling down the page.

** “To the Ends of the Earth” at https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152182996730130.1073741838.685050129&type=1&l=d504186283

Another view of a Mouse Bird showing off its tail, and
NO, the large critter on the pot is not real!