We continually remember before our God and
Father
your work produced by
faith
your labor prompted by
love
and your endurance inspired by hope
in our Lord Jesus Christ.
1
Thessalonians 1:3
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Last week Todd Ellingson spoke at our Monday night fellowship. I think we
were all moved by Todd's stories as he told us about his ministry in Rwanda and
the work he and his wife are doing there among the people in that beautiful
country. Some would call it a mission field; Todd and Andria call it
home.
When I was young I used to worry about God calling me to the
mission field. I didn't want to go. But in a way we are all called to missions,
aren't we? It's part of belonging to the family of humanity around the globe.
So how do we answer that call to missions? Jack Hayford encourages us to
'pray our "reach."'
What he means by "reach" is that when we pray we
should bring to God all those within our sphere of influence. These are all the
people and places that are so often on our heart and, therefore, are given to us
to pray for. We lift up our family and friends, our church community and our
city; and we pray for our country. We also lift up to the Lord the greater
circle of our human family around the world. Doing so enables us as "citizens"
of the Kingdom of God to take up the sword and cut through the bonds of
darkness.
And now, because of Todd, we have a "reach" in Rwanda. We have
the faces and places imprinted on our minds and hearts.
We remember the
children who have milk to drink because of the goats that are purchased and
given out - one to each family. We remember the pictures of the women - the
mothers and grandmothers - who are learning to sew on treadle sewing machines so
they have a skill they can use to feed their households. We remember the men who
have regained a sense of dignity by being hired to help build the new school and
community center.
Make Rwanda part of your prayers as you pray your
"reach." Ask God to show you where your sphere of influence extends, and
faithfully go there in prayer. We are the troops in this great battle, folks.
Take up your sword!
"I will build my church, and the gates of
Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom
of heaven." Matthew 16:18-19
Greg |
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