Lest we forget we do have an adversary.

Going spiritual here folks...hope i don't bug anybody.

As a believer in the Bible, a follower of Jesus, a son of God, it is at times easy to forget that we are waged in a battle for our and others sanctity and souls. Recently this has come to our attention in a very real and terrible way.

Here in Mozambique things can be hard. Real hard. In the last weeks we personally know of a child who received 3rd degree burns over their back side and legs (now OK), our friends child who was evacuated to south Africa still suffering in intensive care with seizures unable to shake a nasty infection/virus/lung damage, another missionary is receiving vicious rumors which are all untrue but may land him in jail, another women was driving home and her axle broke causing her to lose control and roll the truck (both she and her baby are ok now after another evacuated to SA) others have been robbed, harassed, thwarted in ministry, found pastors being immoral and unethical and this list is not including the little things like depression, marital stress, children with malaria, lack of funding, car problems, forced airplane landings and struggles to learn language...

We've come to the conclusion we are under attack and we have also found 'If one part suffers, every part suffers with it;'(1 Corinthians 12:26a) So we suffer for the sake of making Jesus known here and yet are surprised when we suffer. Even more so we are angered when our children suffer. We are heartbroken at times.

Today I ask you to pray for your missionaries. (Pray for us too). Satan does not want us here. The darkness is thick. Satan is busy distracting, discouraging and flat out attacking God's people and confusing, distracting and leading others away form the truth. We know our troubles are 'light and momentary' and we are in the in the hands of a loving God...but that doesn't mean bad things don't happen nor that it feels good to be here and go through these things. Contrary to all the health and wealth stuff out there these days Jesus promises his followers that they WILL suffer (Luke 9:23)

'Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.'2 Cor. 4:17

We are not losing heart, don't you either, not matter what you are going through. Go to Jesus, talk to him, pray for everyone you know. Serve others...get out of yourself! Read the history of God's people and know you are not alone.

Be encouraged...these things will pass.

Pray for Ben, Caleb, Charles, Amy, Paul, Dave...and their families.

Thanks.

Suffering Part 2
I read some thought-provoking words the other day in a magazine. I thought they were worth repeating because i think they relate and conclude my last entry.

We Americans like to think of justice and equality and are upset and offended if we have to suffer any abuse for another. We do not like suffering at all, for any reason and in fact are surprised wen something less than optimum happens to us. Yet Christ did exactly that and yet i, as a Christian still complain. The quote bellow sums it up.

"Some therefore suffer for their sins, while others suffer for the sins of others, The former is suffering of cleansing, the latter is substitutionary suffering. Both are redemptive, and both can be accepted with grace."

The fact we should handle the abuses and suffering with grace is a counter-culture thing which i often fight. More often i will take my cup of suffering and then expect some sort of reward in return when in fact possibly I am meant to be absorbing the suffering as part of one, my own maturity and two, as redemption for someone else. Now, lest you read this and think i am considering myself saviorific stop it! What i mean is that any act of suffering can show, point to and demonstrate love...on a humanitarian level and as a poor reflection of God.

"The trials that keep us kneeling before our lifelong assignments are never haphazard. All the sufferings that are thrust upon us can serve to bring us to maturity. Hurt is the essential ingredient of ultimate Christ-likeness."

The second quote i thought was directly connected in that the trails or as some like to say, 'opportunities' are just that. We can choose how to respond when junk happens to us. The choose is ours. To forgive or not, to take abuse and show love in return , or not. To suffer pain and heartache not because we are anxious to die but because maybe , just maybe we will understand Jesus a little better.


So, enjoy the ride friends, brothers and sisters. This life is much bigger than you and me and don't you forget it.