In his book, A Treasury of Prayer – The Best of E. M. Bounds, he says this about the importance of prayer:
“The men in the pew given to praying for the pastor are like poles which hold up the wires along which the electric current runs. They are not the power, neither are they the specific agents in making the Word of God effective. But they hold up the wires upon which the divine power runs to the hearts of men. They make conditions favorable for the preaching of the Gospel.”
Well said. Would you agree or disagree? Why or why not?
Tags: power, prayer, support
The great sequoia trees of California tower as much as 300 feet above the ground. Strangely, these giants have unusually shallow root systems that reach out in all directions to capture the greatest amount of surface moisture.
Their intertwining roots also provide support for each other against the storms. That’s why they usually grow in clusters. Seldom will you see a redwood standing alone, because high winds would quickly uproot it.
Just as Jesus needed support from his disciples in His hour of trial (Matthew 26:37-38), so do we need such support from one another. Let’s stay connected.
Tags: fellowship, support, tree
In his book Why Christians Sin, J. Kirk Johnston tells about a young Russian woman who, before the collapse of the Iron Curtain, was allowed to visit her relatives in Canada. She was a devout Christian, and her friends assumed that she would defect and seek asylum in Canada or the US because of the religious oppression in the USSR. But they were wrong. She wanted to go back to her homeland.
This Russian woman said that people in the West were too busy acquiring material things and not concerned enough about their relationships. In her homeland, Christian fellowship was essential to their faith because it provided the support and encouragement they so desperately needed.
What do you think? Is America so materialistic that God needs to send persecution to get the church to come together? Would tribulation do any good? What do you think?
Tags: persecution, Russia, support
If you were in church this weekend (Oct 4 or 5) you know that I have been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Its in an early stage and is not life threatening unless I stick my head in the sand and hope it goes away, or try some unproven home remedy, like too many men do.
My faith is strong and I see the hand of God in and through this. I expect Him to teach me many lessons that I could not have learned otherwise. And, as a vessel of the Holy Spirit, I intend to pass those lessons and insights along to you through the whole process via this blog, which will be updated almost daily. We’ll walk through this together.
Anita and I need some space and time alone to process all of this until we’re on the other side, so although we appreciate your love and concern, we ask for your patience in getting your reliable news from this blog; its here especially for our church friends and family who are a powerful part of our lives. Stay tuned…
Tags: cancer, faith, support
I smiled as I watched the Verizon commercial showing a host of a hundred and fifty workmen, each a specialist, following around a single cell phone customer. There was no support that anyone would ever need anytime that there wasn’t a specialist right there beside them to instantly resolve the problem. That was a very effective commercial; a great incentive to buy into the Verizon cell network.
My smile was because that is a picture of what the church should be. Wherever an individual Christian goes there should be a network of supportive Christians right there to assist in the journey. Whatever problem we face, there is always an experienced believer to coach us along. The Spirit of God works through believers, right? This is God’s care for us. What a thought! Can you hear me now?
Tags: Christian, church, support, Verizon