Keeping it real

Keeping it real:
The last few days I have been struggling with being separated from our children, grandchild, and families. We had a trip planned to the States in April which has been canceled. I was so looking forward to spending time with our family and now that is not happening. I know we just left the States in Jan. but the heartache of thinking we were going and now we are not is very real. As I read Kevin's devotional today (below) it really spoke to my heart about sacrifice. Hannah sacrificed much so that she could have this child, Samuel. I can imagine her praying for him everyday as she looked forward to the time she could see him once a year. I imagine all the times she thought about him as she bought or made gifts to take to him. I think I could have been great friends with Hannah. I think as a missionary, mom, and now grandmother who has her family in the US yet I live overseas I have some things in common with this woman. Even though Hannah did as she promised the Lord and let her son go I know it had to be hard. Chapter 2 begins with, "Then Hannah prayed and said:
“My heart rejoices in the Lord;
in the Lord my horn[a] is lifted high."
Today as hard as it may be I'm choosing to let my heart rejoice in the Lord and know that in my sacrifice I'm pleasing Him.
Praying Kevin's devotional below will encourage others today.

1 Samuel 1-5 CSB
“I prayed for this boy, and since the LORD gave me what I asked him for, I now give the boy to the LORD. For as long as he lives, he is given to the LORD.” Then he worshiped the LORD there. 1:27-28
Reading this story today I was hanging on every word. Maybe, because my new grandson’s name is Samuel and it gives a new special twist to an old, old story. However, more likely it is because this story resonates with all of us in what is real life. In this story, we see an unhappy home and people trying to do the right thing amid brokenness. This story has jealousy, bitterness, heartache… but it also has hope and integrity and sacrifice. I live in a world where barrenness is often considered a curse and where polygamy is common. I have seen the heartache that is in this world and I have seen God break through time and time again to show Himself faithful amid the brokenness, the sin and the messiness of life.
In this story, we see Hannah wanting a son with all of her heart and enduring the ridicule of the second wife. We see this family going to worship (like many broken families going to worship today) and Hannah crying out to God. In praying from “the depth of her anguish and resentment” Hannah encounters Eli who is the priest of God, but who is also plagued with his own problems and imperfect home. Two things happen in that encounter that are significant; God comforts her heart and Eli somehow encourages her. She leaves the place of worship a different woman and God meets her at the point of her need. Now, this bitter, crushed woman is joyful and soon after gets the very thing she has been longing for. I can imagine her joy at holding Samuel for the first time; I cannot imagine her joy at letting him go. Yet, true to her word she gives back to God the very thing she has been pining for all along.
I love that conversation between her and Elkanah where she says, “Go on without me, I will stay here and wean him and then I will take him to stay there permanently. He says, do what you think is best” (1:22) I can picture her nursing him, singing over him, praying over him, thanking the Lord for him… but also envisioning the day she will let him go. I have done that very thing for my three children, but I never had to let them go at age 4. I can’t begin to understand all that was in her heart, but true to her promise Hannah takes little Samuel by the hand and begins the long journey to the temple. Then year after year she lives for that one time in the year when she can return to see him and take him the little robe and gifts she poured her heart into during their long separation. There is so much else that I could say… about Samuel hearing the call of God, about Eli’s sons and the judgment they brought on themselves, about the power of God, the loss of the ark, etc. but, I think I will leave this here.
The takeaway from this whole story is that God owns everything, even our children. Eli wasn’t the owner of the temple and the meat offerings, though he acted like he was. Hophni and Phinehas didn’t own the ark, though they acted as if they did. Hannah never owned Samuel, but she knew that from the very beginning. He had come from God and he belonged to God. God probably isn’t telling you to take your 4-year-old and enlist him in religious service, but no matter how old your kids are they are His. We are just stewards of the gifts God has given us and our job is to raise them and present them back to Him when they trust Him as Lord and Savior. Samuel had the courage to answer God’s call and became one of the greatest prophets who ever lived, because he had a mother who loved him, sang over him and taught him what it meant to give everything back to God. May we do that for our kids.
Blessings in Christ,
Kevin W. Rodgers

Ngando of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Ngando of the Democratic Republic of the Congo 

Most Ngando are farmers, but due to a lack of transportation, it is difficult to get their harvest to market. As a result, they remain impoverished. There is some fishing and gathering, but most live day to day. Some who graduate from school are employed in small businesses and the public sector. Most are nominally Christian, but there remains a strong adherence to divination. Two cults exist, the largest of which is Kitawala. Kitawala belief is that Jesus is the God of white people and Kitawala is the god of black people. They claim vaccinations are a white man’s strategy to kill African children.

Pray:
· that Christians would walk in God’s ways so that their lives would be visibly different from those around them.

· that God would give Christians courage to speak out against divination and other unbiblical practices.

· that God would work in their lives in such a way that those around would see that He is the only God.

May the LORD our God be with us, as He was with our fathers; may He not leave us or forsake us, that He may incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways and to keep His commandments. ... And may these words of mine ... be near to the LORD our God day and night, that He may maintain the cause of His servant and the cause of His people Israel, as each day requires, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God; there is no one else. (1 Kings 8:57-60 NASB)

Soninke of Burkina Faso

Soninke of Burkina Faso 

The Soninke people live in mainly rural areas across several West African countries. They live in a dry, dusty climate in one of the hottest regions of the world. Farming millet, corn and peanuts plays a big part in their daily lives. Historically, Sonike men have also worked as traders, so Soninke communities can also be found traveling all over the world. These migrant communities maintain strong links with their families in West Africa. Almost every Soninke is a Muslim, and Islam plays a dominant role in their daily lives, with mosques and Qur’anic schools in most villages.

Pray:

· for an openness among Soninke people to reading the Scriptures. The Gospels are available in their Western dialect.

· for open hearts and understanding as the Soninke hear the good news through tools such as the JESUS film and Bible stories.

· for the approximately 100 believers among the Soninke. Ask for their continued growth in the midst of severe persecution.

“Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted.” (Isaiah 12:4 NIV) 

 

The Hima of Uganda

Hima of Uganda 

The Hima of Uganda, also known as the Nyankore, have a population of about 300,000. They are located in the southwestern corner of Uganda, bordering Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Although there has been an evangelical presence among the Hima in Uganda, and there is a written Scripture in their language, there are no missionaries specifically working to get the gospel to the Hima. There are less than 50 known believers among the Hima, and no known Hima churches.


Pray:

· for God to put it on the hearts of the Ugandan church to reach out to the Hima and bring the good news to them.

· for the Holy Spirit to stir a desire among the Hima to know their Creator.

· for the few known believers among the Hima to be strong in their faith, willing and bold to share with their families and friends.

All the (Hima) will worship you, and will sing to you; they will sing to your name. Come, and see God’s deeds O (Hima) — awesome work on your behalf. He turned the sea into dry land. Rejoice in him for he rules by his might forever. His eyes watch you O (Hima people)! Don’t be rebellious and rise up against him. (Psalm 66:4-7) 

Senufo-Syenara of Mali

Senufo-Syenara of Mali 

The Senufo-Syenara are subsistence farmers who live in southeastern Mali. They are one of the four subgroups of Senufo peoples living in Mali and are distinguished by their language. Many Syenara people practice Islam, but when sickness or other troubles arise, they fall back on the rituals from their traditional African religion, including sacrificing to ancestors or placing fetishes in their homes or on their bodies for protection. A small number of Christians are now worshiping in very small groups. Praise the Lord for these dear brothers and sister and for their leaders who teach them from God’s Word.


Pray:
· for more Syenara people to hear the good news, understand their need for a Savior, and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins.

· for the conviction of the pastors and leaders of these small churches to stay rooted in the Bible and not stray from its teaching as they teach other believers.

· for the Spirit to help this handful of believers stand firm in the face of persecution, learn how to clearly share the gospel with others, and be bold in proclaiming the hope found in Christ with their neighbors and family.

 

“For to this day, at the reading of the old covenant, the same veil remains; it is not lifted, because it is set aside only in Christ. Yet still today, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts, but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Corinthians 3:14–17 CSB)

The Zigua People of Tanzania

Please join us in praying for the Zigua People of Tanzania.  They are one of our new UUPG's for the month of March. Over this next week I'll post about the other 4.  Feel free to share with others.

Zigua of Tanzania 

People all over Africa claim that they believe there is a “God” who is the creator of all things and who is all powerful. But Islam teaches that one cannot truly know God or have a relationship with Him. Animism, which includes the belief that spirits inhabit inanimate objects, often displays its practices in whatever religion an African takes on.


The Zigua (zee-goo-ah) of Tanzania are a rural, agricultural people of over a half a million who live in the northeastern part of Tanzania. They are predominately Muslims, and although they claim to know God, they have never truly yielded their lives to their Creator. Islam has grown in strength and has brought a lot of confusion and resistance to the spread of the gospel, thus forcing some missionary personnel to relocate away from the Zigua.

Pray
· for Great Commission partners who are able to continue to work among the Zigua for now, but will be relocating soon.
· that Zigua believers will be bold to share the gospel with their friends, family members and neighbors.
· for children who have heard the gospel during English lessons and church-related activities. Pray that these spiritual seeds will be watered by others.

“For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.” (Romans 1:21)

"I will never deny you"

Matt. 26-28 CSB

“Even if I have to die with you,” Peter told him, “I will never deny you,” and all the disciples said the same thing. 26:35

We often give Peter a hard time for making rash statements and then failing to back them up. By far, this was likely the most shameful moment of his life. I am sure that after he was restored by Jesus and long after Jesus had ascended to heaven, Peter remembered his moment of betrayal with great shame and regret. The bible is full of poignant passages, but there is none more powerful and ironic than that moment when Peter denies the Lord, the rooster crows and then he lifts his gaze to lock eyes with Jesus who is looking straight back at him from the other side of the courtyard. I can imagine the pain of that moment, and I can sympathize with the waves of shame that washed over him and washed him relentlessly into the night to weep bitterly before the Lord.

The reason I can imagine it is because I am no better than Peter; let’s be honest, none of us are. 26:56 says, “Then all the disciples deserted him and ran away.” Yet, in our text of vs. 35 when Peter said, “I will never deny you,” all the disciples said the very same thing. How many times have we made promises and broken them? How many times have we betrayed the Lord and fallen short? I am not absolving Peter of anything, because he reaped what he sowed. I imagine that every rooster that crowed for the rest of his life caused a shudder and a memory that pierced his heart. At times I see something, hear something or even smell something that brings painful memories flooding back to my mind. It is in those moments that I have to lean into the grace of God. If your not careful the Accuser of the brethren can use your past and your shame to paralyze you. That is how he works. But I am reminded that the same Peter who committed this egregious failure is the same Peter who was later restored and led the early church to take the gospel to the world. God is in the business of second chances (even third, fourth, fifth, etc.) and that gives me hope. No matter what happened yesterday, tomorrow is a new day and his mercies are new every morning.

Blessings in Christ,

Kevin W. Rodgers

Telling the story of Bartimaeus

Children are running and playing in a small lot in front of their school.  When I enter through the gate they stop what they are doing and run to meet me.  Their little dirty hands reach out to shake my hand or give me a high five.  They walk along beside me as we enter a small school room where we cram in about 50 children.  We sing two songs and then I welcome them to our time of learning about Jesus.  I asked the children to close their eyes real tight while I counted to 10.  They opened their eyes and I asked them what they saw, some said nothing and others said darkness. I asked them to imagine what it would be like to live in darkness all the time.  Today’s story was about Bartimaeus and he was blind. He sat by the roadside begging for money from the busy people who hurried in and out of Jericho during the day.  Then one day he heard excited voices and the sound of many feet.  He knew it was a big group.  Bartimaeus asked those close by what was going on and they told him that Jesus was coming to Jericho.  Bartimaeus was so excited because he had heard about Jesus and knew that he had healed people before.  He knew if he could get to Jesus then he would be healed from living in darkness.  He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”  The people around him became angry and told him to be quiet but Bartimaeus paid no attention to them and kept shouting.  When Jesus heard Bartimaeus calling, He immediately stopped walking and asked the people to bring Bartimaeus to him.  Jesus asked Bartimaeus what he wanted from him.  Of course, Bartimaeus said, “Lord, I want to see.”  Jesus said, “Receive your sight.  Your faith has healed you.”  All of a sudden, Bartimaeus could see!!  He began to praise God!  The Bible also says that the crowd was so excited for Bartimaeus that they also began to praise God.  It also tells us that from then on Bartimaeus followed Jesus.  Jesus had shown mercy to him by taking away his blindness and saving him from his sins.  

You and I are also born in the darkness of sin.  Living in sin is like being in darkness because you are apart from God and can’t find Him on your own.  We all deserve to be punished for our sins.  There is nothing we can do on our own to get rid of the sin in our lives.  Jesus is the only one who can save you from your sin.  God sent his son Jesus to die on a cross because of our sin.  Jesus is perfect and didn’t deserve to die but He willingly bled and died so that you could be forgiven when you believe in Him.  That is God’s mercy!  Three days after Jesus died He came alive again!  He is the promised Savior and He is the only one who can save you from the darkness of your sin.  If you don’t know Jesus as your Savior, your sin still separates you from God.  God loves you and wants to save you.  If you will just admit you are a sinner, believe in Jesus, and confess your sins you can be saved from the punishment of your sin.  God will save you, not because of anything good you have done but because of His mercy.  Will you believe in Jesus today as the only one who can save you?  Stop living in darkness like a blind person and open your heart up to Jesus and accept His free gift of love and forgiveness.  

The Bible says that the crowd praised God along with Bartimaeus.  Join me in rejoicing over about 45 older kids who heard this same story a bit later and decided to repent of their sins and follow Jesus!