Scripture
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed.
~Mark 1:35, NIV
Quote
“There is a natural drain that goes with ministry. Ministry by nature is depleting.”
~Nancy Leigh Demoss
It is good to be needed so don’t think that I am complaining but one of the shocking things about being 70 and semi-retired is that I have less time than I’ve ever had and there are more demands on my time today than there has ever been in my past. Last week I had four marathon days [12 hours or more] in a row. I came home last night, took a shower and fell in the recliner totally exhausted. Ministry by nature is a process of giving: it takes physical and spiritual energy to minister to another person’s need. One of the first things we have to learn in ministry is to follow Jesus example and get away from the crowd and alone with the Father. If we don’t come a part, we will eventually fall a part. This is exactly why the LORD created a SABBATH, we need rest.
If you think my mission in life is difficult, think about Jesus. He had only three brief years to fulfill His mission and yet Jesus never got in a hurry and He never got frustrated with interruptions. My ability to help others is very limited but Jesus could heal, cast out demons, turn energy into matter and meet every human need. Think about the demands on His time. After an exhausting day of ministry, Jesus got up before dawn and found a solitary place so He could be alone with His Father but as soon as the disciples got up, they began looking for Jesus. Mark 1:36-37...Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!” Why was everyone looking for Jesus? They wanted something from Him. They were not seeking Him, not to give Him worship or praise, but to get something from Him. Unlike Jesus, we attempt to live life in our own energy and strength. We think we are super men who can keep giving without being replenished. This leads to exhaustion, weariness, and impatience. We begin to get annoyed with people rather than seeing them as opportunities to show the love of Christ.
If Jesus needed time alone with the FATHER, how much more do we need it.
OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD
Grace Point sent a team to Atlanta last Friday to help pack shoe boxes for OCC. Brook Childers is our Team leader at GP and she does a fantastic job. I will not lie, I went primarily to support Brook who motivated our people to give 150 boxes this year. It may have been 175, I forget but it was less than 200. READ THIS: I was highly impressed; the place was anointed. It was a refreshing and soul stirring four hours and I wouldn’t take anything for it. I am serious, if you haven’t been, you need to go. June has been ahead of me for years on this kind of stuff and she didn’t get to go but this trip changed my entire outlook. The ride and traffic were brutal but it is far more exhilarating than a ball game and we fight the traffic for them. If we could get DBC and Grace Point to work together, we could charter a bus. I promise: you will not be disappointed.
Pray For The President
We all need to pray for our PRESIDENT…instead of “God save the King,” lets pray for God to save our president in more ways than one. To everyone’s shock and surprise, Donald J. Trump has been the best friend that evangelical, bible believing Christians have had in the White House since Ronald Regan. Unfortunately, we do have folks who claim to be Christians and yet do not see the evil and horror of killing the unborn. We need to pray for these misguided souls also. How can anyone, saved or lost, justify the murder of an unborn child?
Hallmark Betrays It’s Base
First Chick-Fil-A and now Hallmark. If you go to Hallmark’s web site, I think you will see this…Hallmark will be working with GLAAD to better represent the LGBTQ community…. I’m not taking the time to type the entire statement. Check it out! It’s another sad day for Christians, said Pastor Steve Gaines of Bellvue Baptist.
Tracey B. Prater
Stacey and Tracey are in Houston for a check up: pray for good news!