If My People – John Deal

Secrets to Success!

Titus Coan, one of the first missionaries to Hawaii, landed there in 1835. His success makes me motivated! He came to pastor a church with 23 members and he didn’t know a word of their language. Love for them spurred him on to learn. His secrets were prayer and loving people!

There were around 16,000 Hawaiians living within a distance from him of 100 miles, and he determined to tell every single one the gospel. After one year he made a 30-day tour on foot and preached 3, 4, or 5 times a day wherever he went! His heart was bursting with love for these people and unceasing prayer for revival.

Soon the natives were in tears and following him from town to town. Coan’s method was not only prayer, but a thorough follow-up system. He wrote the names of everyone he met in his notebook, and on all his subsequent tours he would call the roll at each place. If someone didn’t answer, he asked why. If dead, he marked the date. If sick, he visited them and prayed. If backslidden, he sent for or visited them. He kept notes on each person. This is God’s kind of love!

In 1838 he took in 639 new church members! In 1839 he admitted 5,244! Of course it was a remarkable work of the Holy Spirit, but what if you and I took such zealous, loving care of checking on previous disciples and their generations? I could have been keeping a follow-up notebook like Titus Coan, but I haven’t. Let’s do it, with earnest love and prayers for the Harvest!

(excerpt from Anne Ortlund’s Discipleship Tip of the Week – February 9, 2009)

God’s WORD is the Pathway to Revelation

Scripture:    “Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but blessed is he who keeps the law.”    (Proverbs 29:18)

Directionless. Aimless. Pointless.  These words describe the person whose life is absent a divine destiny.  In reality God’s WORD provides the revelation you and I need to focus our lives to live above the monotony of sameness and the dullness of a meaningless routine.

We need revelation that speaks of purpose, destiny and future.  Where can we find this?  The WORD teaches us that the “law” – God’s covenant is our guarantee of revelation and blessing.

Prayer:  Dear Lord, Forgive me for being easily distracted by the meaningless data that swarms around my every day life.  Today I seek the revelation available through your WORD and ask You to grant me increased clarity for my divine destiny.   You will make known to me the path of life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Praise Report from our PEACE missionary

Below is an excerpt from an email sent from Tom Adleta. Thank you to all who prayed for our PEACE missionary. Continue to lift Tom, Liz and the whole Adleta family up to Him!

Pastor Curtis

 

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Friends and Family, Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,
Greetings from South Africa,                            

First of all a praise report. Thanks to your prayers I got my VISA Tuesday.I had not received it on Monday and it would have been impossible to get it since the visa have to come from Khartoum, Sudan, only. However, we went to the Embassy here in Pretoria at 11am on Tuesday and walked out at 1pm with the visa. A miracle, Keep praying. God answers Prayer. In addition, I received the remaining bags as well!

We need a high level of intercessory prayer over the next two months, please keep us lifted up and pray whatever the Holy Spirit brings you to do. Love each of you and thanks for you supporting prayers.

Blessings,
Rev Tom Adleta

PEACE Missionary Prayer Alert

Dear Family and Friends:

We greatly covet your prayers for Tom and the rest of our family as he departs today for Africa!

Here are some brief details for prayer:

1)     Pray for traveling mercies for Tom, for ease of travel, passage through immigration/customs, health and safety (especially for his back, legs and heart). Pray for the least expensive costs for the baggage he’s carrying along and that none will be lost, stolen, damaged or delayed along the way.

2)     Pray for Liz as she, Jubilee and Honour drive today from Jackson, MS to Tulsa, OK to deliver Jubilee and Joy’s furniture to their new apartment and move it in. She’s driving a 26’ truck with a car dolley by herself (a first for her) and they need God’s grace for their own travel and moving. The apartment is a 3rd floor one—a challenge in moving everything in, but better for the girls for their security later on!

3)     Pray for Liz and the other Ethne steering committee members and prayer strategy workgroup members as they meeting in Dallas area Sep 18-23. Pray that all who should be there are able to join us and that the meetings are productive and God-directed in all areas. Pray for real unity and passion to work together to accomplish God’s purposes among least-reached peoples.

4)     Pray for Tom’s visa to be released for the upcoming survey trip; we heard he had not yet received it. He cannot make that journey without it.

5)     Pray for all needs to be met for all the family members and ask that the enemy be bound from any backlash or attacks whatsoever. Pray for full release of the financial provision needed as well.

Thank you so much for standing with us! We will be sending more frequent reports to those who requested to be part of Tom’s prayer team for the next month so if you didn’t yet ask to join that and are willing, let us know and we can still add you.

Blessings,

Tom and Liz

LET’S JOIN TOGETHER AND LIFT UP OUR PEACE MISSIONARY FAMILY – Pastor Curtis

A “Wow” Night at CrosStones!

What an awesome meeting of CrosStones last night!  For those of you who weren’t able to be with us, you truly missed a great evening.  After a powerful time of worship, God showed Himself to be the God who cares deeply for individuals.  Noah Walls, who came to CrosStones as a result of our skate park ministry, gave a moving tesimony of God’s healing power.  [Noah's doctors had, a week ago, diagnosed a dangerous heart condition which would severely limit Noah's activities--no running, jumping, skateboarding, football (basically, no physical activity of any kind).  The doctors' talked of a possible heart transplant as one of the remedies for his condition.  Noah's response to his mother after this diagnosis was, "Mom, I have to go to church."  He came on September 3rd, and both Propel and CrosStones groups prayed for him.]  This week, Noah had another test done, and the doctor declared his heart to be perfectly normal!!!!    Praise God for His immediate healing of Noah’s heart!!!!!  Noah will be attending our retreat at Camp Silver Beach this weekend and, much to his delight, participating in ALL of our physical activities.  What an encouragement to our family of the power of prayer!

As if all of this was not enough, the evening ended with a great message from Mr. Roy, spoken with a fire and passion we have never seen in Mr. Roy!  And Jane Dare gave a wonderful testimony of how God has used her involvement with CrosStones to greatly enrich her life.  God is moving at CrosStones, in the kids as well as the adults–I can’t wait to see what He has in store for us this weekend at the retreat!

Pray for the people of Camaguey

Just a month ago, Greenbrier Church sent a team of 10 people to minister and work with a church in Camaguey. We had an incredible time there and really connected with the wonderful staff and many families. If you watch the news, you know that Hurricane Ike hit Cuba yesterday as a high category 3 hurricane and passed directly over the town of Camaguey. I have been unable to reach the Pastor. Please join me in praying for Pastor Miguel, his staff, and the church families. My prayer is that God’s hand of protection was over them the entire time and that his provision and presence is there now as they assess the situation. They have an incredible heart to serve and reach others for Christ, so I know they are already trying to figure out how they can reach those most affected by the winds and waves. Let’s see what the Lord will ask us to do to help.

2nd Chances

Monday we start our new devotional series on 2nd Chances!  Be sure to make learning from the Book of Jonah a regular part of your daily time with God.  Forward it to your friends and spread the news — God is a God of 2nd Chances!