Saturday, February 16, 2008

William Still - The Intercession of Aaron

"It is tremendous that God listens to individuals he has appointed to his service and given them responsibility under him to plead for the people.

See Aaron running with the censer in his hand to atone for the people before they were all slain by the plague. It reminds us of our great High Priest, Jesus, seated at the right hand of his Father ruling and reigning and yet hearing the prayers of his intercessors and, having vetted them as to their acceptableness, presenting them to the Father for his answer.

We have more power to accomplish the Lord's will in the world than we know. We are never helpless who know the Lord. We ought to bring all matters to him, not only urgent ones, and discover his heart and mind on them. If he gives us carte blanche to go ahead and plead, or even claim his power in a given situation, then we are to act upon it, and wait his answer, which may be sudden, slow or gradual."

Submitted by: Lance Quinn

Prayer - Spurgeon "The Power of Prayer in the Believers Life"

"It was the early church father Ambrose who used a wonderful illustration concerning believers' prayers. He said we are like little children who run into the garden to gather flowers to please their father—but we are so ignorant and childish that we pluck as many weeds as flowers, and some of them are very noxious.

We carry this strange mixture in our hands, thinking that it is acceptable to him. The mother meets the child at the door and says, "Little one, you don't know what you have gathered." She unbinds the mixture and takes from it all the weeds, leaving only the sweet flowers; and then she takes other flowers, sweeter than those the child plucked—and inserts them instead of the weeds. Then she puts the perfect posy in the child's hand, and he runs with it to his father.

Jesus Christ in more than motherly tenderness, thus deals with our supplications. If we could see one of our prayers after Christ Jesus has amended it—we would hardly recognize it! Jesus has such skill that even our good flowers grow fairer in His hand. We clumsily tie them into a bundle—but He arranges them into a lovely bouquet, where each beauty enhances the charm of its neighbor.

If I could see my prayer after the Lord has prayed it, I would discover so much missing and so much there that was none of mine—that I am sure its fullest acceptance with God would not cause me a moment's pride. It would rather make me blush with grateful humility before Him, whose boundless sweetness lent to me, and my poor prayer—a sweetness not my own."

Submitted by: Jennifer Rahman

Prayer Prompts

Periodically, we will post encouragements to prayer. Because focused, strenuous, prayer requires us to engage the whole of our volitional, mental, spiritual, and physical energies, we may at times find ourselves feeling deficient and in need of personal exhortation, edification, and comfort.

Thankfully, we often find wonderful help from others who understand and embrace prayer as both an absolute necessity, and as a blessed and mysterious privilige to partner with the Eternal One in His great purpose and work.

May the Greatest Intercessor of all, the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself, serve as our example and be our greatest encouragement toward believing, focused, energized, and consistent prayer!

Friday, February 15, 2008

Hefner - Senegal

Dear praying friends,

We have now starting our fourth week of teaching in Madina Bafe. We have now taught through the story of the flood. Attendance is holding steady, thank you for your prayers in this regard.

We greatly appreciate your prayers. You play a critical role during this time. As Paul told the Corinthians, 11 You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.

Your prayers do make a difference, God’s Word must be preached in order for His sheep to come to him.

The following week’s teaching schedule is as follows:

Saturday: the tower of Babel
Sunday: Abraham
Monday: Sodom and Gommorrah
Wednesday: Abraham offering Isaac
Thursday: Isaac’s life

We will be teaching the themes of: man’s goal in life is not his own advancement but to glorify God, God is pleased with the faith of his people (as exemplified by Abraham), God judges sin, God is merciful and saves people, God provides a substitutionary sacrifice (Isaac and the ram).

Please pray that God would help me to clearly communicate these important concepts.

Please pray for Bakari Kamara and his family. He has been out of town working since the teaching started, but his 3 wives have been attending regularly.

For the King,

Aaron Hefner

Hart - Florida

Hi from Florida! How is the new year going?

Carolyn began the new year with a new right knee. As her orthopedic doctor told her, “You now have a matched pair.” The therapy has taken a little longer on this one but she is making good progress. Her goal is to be able to go on an overseas trip this year.
Her remark to me today was, “When we go to see Dr. Hughes next time I need to get a statement from him to show the security people that I have two titanium knees when the alarm sounds.” I guess that means that she is bionic??

Bud has started two new classes at Suncoast Community Church. He teaches New Testament Survey on Monday nights and Bible Study Methods on Thursday mornings. There are some new students in each of the classes as well as those who are continuing on in the five course BTC program.

In March we will fly up to Philadelphia to participate in the missionary conference at Aldan Union Church (Bud’s home church). It will be good to see many old friends, stay with Robin and Bob in Havertown and speak on the closing Sunday morning of the conference.

We then return home to Florida and participate in the missions conference at Suncoast. Since we are on the committee planning the meetings we will be busy with schedules, displays, decorations and other details. Our promotion for the conference is starting and our theme is exciting and challenging, “Global Warning ..and our response.”

There are many things happening around the world, as you know, and we as Christians have a real task to bring a spiritual dimension to the problems, conflicts and suffering.

Another year – another year of challenge. We ask you to pray for us that we will make wise decisions, have good health and be effective in the ministry of teaching and training others to serve the Lord.

In His Grace,

Bud and Carolyn Hart

Bridgman - Japan

Challenges for 2008

Ⅰ.Our son, Kevin’s challenge was to contract a severe case of Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (an allergic reaction to some medication that he received). It started out as sores in his mouth that got so severe that he had to be hospitalized. At first they thought it was some kind of infection like herpes, but when he didn’t respond to the medication, the doctors at Tokyo University Hospital had the wisdom to change what they were doing. We praise God for the wisdom He gave them and that Kevin is now recovering and should be out of the hospital in a couple of weeks. We were impressed with how Kevin handled the ordeal. He really enjoyed being read to from the Bible, and when he felt up to communicating with us, agreed positively that God was going to do something good through all this (as in Romans 8:28). Keep praying that God will be glorified.

This experience has made us appreciate what our Christian brother, Mr. Igarashi, is going through. He has a son with terminal cancer. Pray for healing and salvation!

Ⅱ.The believers of our church in Sanyo are challenged with vision for growth and a building. Each week in the worship service they take turns praying for the growth of the church and provision of land and building. Although we have some land that we like, and it is for sale, the land-lord isn’t quite ready to sell it, yet. While we wait, we are looking to God to provide the finances and to make us, the church, grow numerically and spiritually. Praise the Lord for the offerings that are coming in to the building fund, both from some of you and our believers.

Ⅲ.Individuals that we minister to are a challenge. Here are two. Mr. Nakae has lost interest in studying the Bible right now, but we still work together passing out each other’s announcements. Pray for God’s time when his heart as well as many others hearts will be open again. Miss Ishihara found out about our church from the web site. She came to prayer meeting a few weeks ago and has accepted Christ and has already read through 1/3 of her Bible.

Ⅳ.Our Lord’s return must be very near. We are challenged to be faithful to Him in all that He has called us to do. Then we can sing: “We are more than conquerors, over comers in this life. We’ve been made victorious through the blood of Jesus Christ.”

Thanks for your continued prayers and support!

Paul and Violette Bridgman

Mack - South Africa

Dear Partners in Ministry,

We're sending this note to you to keep you updated on what is going in our lives and ministry and also to solicit prayer on your part.

Our schedule for this summer is hectic:

GMI Conference - Israel June 21 to July 1
Pennsylvania - Brief time with relatives
Little Rock, AR for a few days
Carol speaks at the women's conference in California
Wayne does one week of teaching at The Master's College
Saturday - speak at a men's conference

Back to Little Rock, AR where we will stay
Marriage Conference at Jerry Wragg's church in Florida September 12 -14
Head back to South Africa

While in Little Rock I'll be teaching a course for the Expositor's Seminary and also doing whatever I am asked to do and whatever my strength will allow me to do in terms of teaching Biblical Counseling material at the church on weekdays and on Sundays.

As you are probably aware, we now have two HIV positive orphans living in our house. Actually we're talking about the section of the house where Josh and Marda and their children live. We don't have any room for more in our section of the house. The plans are to increase the number of children. To do that the house will have to be enlarged and perhaps a staff worker will have to be hired. We have a contractor who has already come and told us how the house could be enlarged to accomodate and parent up to 10 or 11 orphans.

The problem is that to do that will require some money that would have to be raised somehow, but, if it is of the Lord, He will provide somehow.

We are now trying to encourage others to do the same in their families, that is, as far as taking some orphans (not 10 or 11) into their homes and raising them. There are millions of orphans in Africa and hundreds of thousands of them close by in the Pretoria and Joburg area (some HIV positive and some not).

The challenge is enormous and we are thinking (just thinking at this stage) that perhaps the best way to make our little dent in the problem without incurring the enormous expense of purchasing land and building houses and facilities and also to provide a Christian family upbringing would be to encourage Christian families to open their homes and become foster parents.

Josh and Marda have set the example and the idea is being suggested to men in a Bible Study group that Josh and I have led. It has also been floated by others. For these men, it is a totally new concept that God is using to stretch some and is also meeting with some hesitancy on the part of others. The hesitant ones have said that if they did this their Africaner relatives would be highly offended. We're not pushing, but just sowing some seed. We'll see what God will do.

Incidentally, Josh has found a series of messages by Jonathan Edwards on our responsibility to the poor. He would like to see them put out in a book form with study guide questions. He says they are terrific. Also, Josh is just about finished with all his work for his DMin at Southern. He finished the last segment of his dissertation two week ago and has sent it in.

He's been doing some preaching in black churches in settlements as well as preaching at Grace Fellowship Church at least once a week. I'm right now doing a series at the church on Maintaining Sexual Purity and Sanity in a Sexually Impure and Insane World. We're gearing up for our 7th of 8 weeks of modules for this cohort of people. We'll be doing Problems and Procedures in this module and then Observations and Practicum in the next.

I'm doing a couple of family camps in February and March and along with Josh some Biblical Counseling teaching at Tim Cantrell's church. Later in the spring, I will speak at a Pastor's conference sponsored by Evangelical Press in Barberton, South Africa. And then I'll participate in the Shepherd's conference in Joburg, Polokwane and Capetown.

Carol is doing a women's retreat at Grace Fellowship Church in February and she and Beth and Marda plan and prepare the food for the meal that we provide for 50 or more students one evening when GSM classes are in session. Carol also teaches a women's Bible study where they are using my new book, It's Not Fair, as the basis for their study.

Blessings and thank you for your faithful partnership with us in ministry.

For Him,

Wayne and Carol Mack
James 1:27
Romans 14:7, 8

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Bridgman - Japan

Hi!

I went up toTokyo on Sunday, 2/3, and returned home on Friday evening, 2/8. I was gone 6 days and got to see Kevin 5 of those days! Paul was there during his worst time and was able to be the strong father figure to him. I was there during his recovery and was there to enjoy talking with him.

I also had an encouraing time at Ladies' Retreat and a profitable time talking to staff and teachers at Kevin's school.

Kevin was discharged from the hospital on Saturday, 2/9, at 10:00 a.m.!!!!! He was in the hospital 16 full days, but normally it would be 1-2 months! He is staying at some fellow missionaries' home now. He is unable to go back to the hostel yet, because another boarder got sick and they don't want to risk Kevin catching anything.

Kevin is in good spirits! He is already diligently working on getting back into shape and getting his make-up work done. His plan is to start back to school next week. He seems full of energy and eager to get on with life. Someone may need to slow him down a bit??

The song that expresses my thoughts well is "Great is the Lord" by Michael W. Smith and Deborah D. Smith.

"Great is the Lord, He is holy and just; By his power we trust in His love.
Great is the Lord, He is faithful and true; By his mercy He proves He is love.
Great is the Lord and worthy of glory! Great is the Lord and worthy of praise.
Great is the Lord; now lift up your voice: Great is the Lord! Great is the Lord!"

Praise and glory be to God!! God protected him from what could have been very serious and gave him a speedy recovery! Thanks so much for your prayers! We would appreciate your continued prayers for Kevin's safety, transition back to his life, and for opportunities to give glory to God. Thanks again! God bless you!

Love, Violette

Monday, February 11, 2008

Kinch - Columbia

  • Pray that the believers among the Yuriti (U-do-tee) continue to make progress in spiritual growth
  • Pray that the gospel will continue to go forth in power among the Yuriti

Lyon - India

  • Pray for the Lyons as they secure their home in India for their absence and for safety as they travel to the States on February 13
  • Pray for clear direction as to where they should fit into the ministry in India

Solis - Mexico

  • Pray for the churches in La Ermita and Jerez that they would grow and prosper spiritually
  • Pray for spiritual growth in the Solis children
  • Pray for health for the entire family

Claxton - Ukraine

  • Pray for three marriage seminars in the month of March and discipleship follow-up
  • Pray that many couples will attend and be committed to their marriages
  • Pray for Carra's spiritual and physical health as she attends Moody Bible Institute in Chicago
  • Pray for God's provision and wisdom as they make decision regarding the furninshing of their house

Bridgeman - Japan

  • Pray for Kevin's recovery (their 17 yr old son), from Stevens-Johnson Syndrome and for his return to school life as usual
  • Pray for God to be glorified in the Sanyo Church

Panjwani - India

  • Pray for God to use them as they make presentations about India during the month of February
  • Pray for their return to India on March 10
  • Pray for God to do a mighty work in the Madhipura area.
  • Pray that the Lord Jesus Christ will become known, loved, and worshipped among the people there.

Hefner - Senegal

We are emphasizing prayer for the Hefner’s teaching ministry as the Dialonke people hear God’s Word for the first time.

1. That the Dialonke will understand God's Word

  • That they would listen without the distractions of village life
  • That there would be no unrest (religious, cultural, familial, political, economic, crime, etc.)

2. That Aaron will clearly understand the Dialonke culture and language

  • Communicating the content, context, and the proper understanding of those truths

3.

That that the Dialonke will understand
  • That God is their Creator and Judge
  • That their sin violates God’s law
  • That they need redemption and a Redeemer

4. That God would grant repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ

5. For Lindsey as she serves and supports her family

  • For physical/ spiritual health and stamina
  • For protection from harm
  • For Aaron’s family time during these demanding days

6. That Aaron will be able to quickly deal with the inevitable practical challenges that will come his way

  • Housing, supplies, power, water, sanitation, etc.

7. That all their support needs will be met

Purpose of the BCLR 15:30 Campaign

The BCLR 15:30 Campaign is intended to stimulate the BCLR family toward persevering and believing prayer for our international workers. This blog serves several purposes:

1. Prayer requests can be updated regularly and quickly

2. Answers to prayer can be recorded for our encouragement

3. We can share what we are learning about the Lord

4. We can share what we are learning about God's work and workers

5. We share what God is teaching us about prayer

Please subscribe to this blog and participate regularly. But do keep in mind, the focus of this blog is international ministries (missions) of BCLR. If you have questions or suggestions, email me at patrick.howell@bclr.org

May the Lord of the great commission and of the great harvest bring glory to Himself, and may we enjoy the blessed privilige of fellowship with Him in this great work!