Impossible made Possible

Something of late I’ve been most uncomfortable with are the celebrations of the earthly justice finally brought by our government recently.  Don’t get me wrong, I am thankful that justice has been served on someone who publicly confessed to such a horrific crime.  However, all of the celebration was very disconcerting to me, considering the high cost to so many, especially on the heals of my previous blog where I see such hate and division in the news stories of today and the comments that follow.  This should not be.  My every sense said that this should be a somber thing that where we nod our heads in sorrow of the whole affair and all those affected from beginning to end as a sign of this fallen world and the ghastly evil men are capable of.  

In preparing for the sunday school lesson tomorrow, the text asks the question: “In what circumstances are victory celebrations appropriate and inappropriate for Christians?  Explain your reasoning.”

No answers, just scripture references but this one jumped out at me:

“Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice, or the LORD will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from him.”  Proverbs 24:17

I guess that is why it is uncomfortable.  It is not what what God intends for us who seek to follow Him in all our human frailty.  How natural for us to wish God's fury on those who are enemies against us, on a huge scale, or even a small scale. I think another term that comes to mind here is humility.

And next in today’s news is a story of a Nazi war criminal who was just convicted and reported to be responsible for over 28,000 deaths.  His defense was that it was just his job; it was what he had to do when he went to work at the ‘corpse factory’; never mind that these people being killed were the race of  very people God chose to bring the savior of the world and the Bible (OT) through.  That alone makes you realize that this dark dark time was about evil rising up in rebellion against God as it does over and over again.  The article goes on to talk about how men can do terrible atrocities in a detached manner as ‘normal’ people.  My goodness, someone who participated in the relentless murders in the Nazi death camps is ‘normal’.  Wrap your mind around that, but recognize that these kind of things still go on today for the nature of man has not changed.

Well, maybe we should all take note of these things.  Mankind is inherently evil and without the restraining power of God’s Spirit, there is no end to the evil mankind is capable of.  Normal people are capable of great evil absent of God’s presence in their lives.  The news makes that clear nearly every day.

To bridge the great divide between a holy God and men fascinated with evil, God in His grace and mercy had no choice but to provide a perfect sacrifice (Jesus) as payment for the incredible evil man is capable of and that he perpetrates on other men even though all are made ‘in the image of God’.  I think it is only His long-suffering and enduring love for mankind that preserves the beauty and wonder of His creation and keeps His children in the palm of His hand.  It makes sense; it provides a hope we cannot have otherwise for no one (ever notice how ‘no one’ can be compressed into ‘none’?) can be ‘good enough’ in his own power this side of heaven. There is just too much evil in us.

There is a saying, if God doesn’t do something about the rising evil in the world, He is going to have to raise Sodom and Gomorrah and apologize.  Maybe as His people we have become too complacent and too comfortable.  

When Jesus had just finished talking to the rich young ruler (Matthew 19:16) who had asked ‘what good thing must I do to get eternal life?’  The answer was seen as absolutely impossible to the disciples and challenged them to their very core as they asked, “who then can be saved?”   The answer is quoted in my summary verse below.  It says, basically, that no one (none) can....because it has to be through God and His mercy, that is the only way.  And when we stand before the Throne, as we all will whether we believe in Christ - or not, we will all be very surprised because “...many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.”  We are not to be judge and jury, we are not capable of it for only God sees the heart.  I simply want to be there because I have relinquished my selfishness and my weakness into His hands.  It is an ongoing process that is, well, impossible made possible....What about you?

Your homework - Read and study Matthew 19:16 - 30.

Blessings,

Dave 

“When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, Who then can be saved?  Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  Matthew 19:25 & 26

More Praise

One of the things that we and many of our friends have been praying about for a very log time is a 'real job' for our third daughter.  She graduated from the University of Tennessee and worked in her field for one month before being laid off in the economic collapse.  So, after three years of surviving on whatever, she just started what we call a 'real job' that includes benefits.  And, she gets to move out of her college apartment!  We have been so encouraged by Lynsey's strength and forbearance in these difficult times.  We were blessed to swing through Knoxville for mother's day and celebrate this good news with her.  She has always been a special joy in our lives and we often refer to her as our 'neat kid' because she is, well...really a neat kid, well, young lady now.  More nicknames in future blogs!

Thank you for praying.  Thank you for this answer to prayer that relieves us so as we make our final preparations to return to Mozambique.

Please continue to pray about our shipment.  We still are baffled by the apparent inability to ship personal effects over to Mozambique because of Homeland Security requirements.  So many people tell us, oh yes, we can do that, only to say latter, 'no, we can't because of homeland security requirements.'  Crazy crazy times.   We are continuing to pack, trusting God in even this mundane but necessary task.  We are baffled.  How can any small business even survive in the face of something as simple as this?  We may be going back a whole lot lighter than we thought!

Photo is of us on mother's day with our 'neat kid' as we left her apartment to walk to church.  What a wonderful day it was.

Dave and Ann


"I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer.  Show the wonder of your great love..." Psalm 17:7
 

Baby Praise

We have had the privilege to do a little babysitting for the Grandson.  When he gets a little fussy, which is rare, we just plop him in his Boppy (don't ask) and turn on this DVD called "Baby Praise". It is a DVD that I think is prepared in Nashville, that has Christian praise music with videos of animals, other babies, geometric shapes, that go with the music.  Our little eight-month old, just stops and coo's and waves his hands to the music and the fussing goes away.  It is the most amazing thing.  In fact, it helps grumpy old grandpa to not be fussy too!

Praise cureth much!

I wish we'd had baby praise back when our kids were that age (back when we walked to school in the snow up hill both ways....).

Dave and Ann

"Praise the LORD.  How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him!"  Psalm 147:1

Graduation

As our furlough time comes to a close, we we feel like we are racing to a rapidly approaching finish line, or as the saying goes, 'so much to do and so little time.'   It was our joy to be with our youngest daughter and her husband on Monday for Allison's graduation from nursing school.  Upon completion of her state boards in a few weeks, she will be a registered nurse (RN) like her mom.  When they get together now, they speak a different language of NICUs, ICUs, BPs, CPs, CBCs, and I&Os.   It was a lovely ceremony and we are so thankful for this significant accomplishment by daughter 4 of 4.  We are so proud of her!

This is our youngest who spent nearly half a year in Mozambique working at a school before we ever got there.  She reminds us that she was there before we were.   She also has a good understanding of what we do and some of the challenges we face because she's 'been there, done that' so there is an unsaid understanding that only those who have walked the same path can sometimes understand.

Isn't that in a way what God did for us? - the infinite creator, who walked along side of man, experiencing what we experience including the unfairness of life like we do - for what could be more unfair from the human perspective, that the very son of God would come to earth to do such good, to heal many, to feed many, to teach many, and yet, be treated with such contempt, to be unfairly tried, beaten, and crucified; He knows how bad it can be first hand.  We are blessed to have a mediator who understands on loves us so radically.

Congratulations to our precious Allison.  What a joy to be there for this important life event.

The following pledge was taken by the nursing students.  It would be a good pledge for all of us who are  in ministry, teachers, counselors, and for all those who seek to serve others in our human frailty:

I solemnly pledge myself before God and in the presence of this assembly,
to live my life with integrity and to practice my profession faithfully.


I will maintain confidentiality and continue to elevate the standard of care.
I will do what I can to alleviate suffering, prevent illness, promote healing, and will do no harm.


With dedication I will endeavor to uphold the ethical, scientific, and legal standards of my profession, 
and devote myself to the welfare of those committed to my care.


The Nurses' Pledge - Author unknown

Dave and Ann

Some Sad News

In the last couple of weeks, we’ve been writing and texting back and forth to our village church planting coordinator in Mozambique.  A scheduled pastor training conference didn’t go so well with one of our key trainers rallying others around him against others at the conference and he has apparently been an instigator of some of the unrest going on in our established churches.  To top it all off, it is alleged that he attempted to have the final paperwork for our training center land registered in his personal name rather than the name of the church denomination.  The conference ended in disarray and two of the national leaders took the problem to the National Assembly who took disciplinary action against the leader.   It is tragic; it is heart breaking; it is shocking; it is simply sad.  We had put so much faith and trust in this individual and were looking to him for leadership into the future.  From what I am hearing however, I am not certain that the fallen leader has truly been given ‘his say’ and perhaps that is a cultural thing where with me I like to think the accused needs to be able to face his accusers.  There are always two sides to a story and we need both sides to learn how to improve in times of relational failure, with a goal of reconciliation.  We have prayed; we have shed tears; we have tried to provide counsel but in the end we are all subject to the choices that we make and the consequences that they bring.

So, while we know that all things work together for good to those who love God and are called by him, sometimes the path can be rocky and painful as we are shaped and molded into His image.  But in the end we can have peace for He is in control and He will certainly accomplish His plans, with us or without us.  

The church planting work is progressing and a new work is developing between Gurué and Milange and we are thankful for the continuing moving of God’s Spirit in Mozambique and look forward to returning in what is not so very far off now. 

As I read the news and sometimes peruse the comments on various stories in the news, I cannot help but be taken aback by the raw hate and ill-will voiced in the comments.  In our own country, it seems we are becoming entirely polarized into hate groups as people strive to justify their own views; we are incapable of extending grace to those who walk a different path.  It is as if a great evil is again arising across the world and the world is hungry for someone, for anyone, to come and provide some assurance that personal peace and affluence can be retained or gained, however that looks in whatever culture.  It seems that times of great darkness come before times of great blessing.  But, the Bible teaches us that we cannot find peace when our focus is on ourselves - it just doesn’t happen.

Maybe that is why Jesus said “I am the light of the world” for he knew that times of great darkness would fall upon man as he fell into the wisdom of his own madness.  What other hope is there absent of relationship with the One who loves us so much?  Where else can we find the light of hope?

As I write, there is a great darkness coming over the mountain with tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in the forecast.  We have had wave after wave of such storms over the past few months.  A precursor to the darkness of the times.  This day has brought so much pain and suffering to so many and our hearts grieve.

There is an urgency in the air.  Come quickly Lord Jesus.

Dave & Ann

“The city (the new Jerusalem) does not need the sun or the moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God gives it light...Behold, I am coming soon!  My reward is with me and will give to everyone according to what he has done...Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life...”  Rev. 21:23 and 22:12,17