Kingdom Exploits With Uche

The audacity to come up

I’m blessed to be connected to and learning from a few
dreamer-visionary-idealists; who possess and express an urgent disposition to
Kingdom truths and insist there must be a “reality” that lies beneath
the confused, painful surface of things. I’m following these guys as we
frantically pursue an unnamed “something” out there, “something”
hanging where only God’s gracious thrust and glorious leadership can lift us to
apprehend.

I’m learning to dream, to dare and to change. It gets very
scary sometimes but as I doubt my fears with faith, I see opportunities, I see
possibilities, I see hope for the peoples of Sudan, a nation that has known
much pain and darkness for too long.

God-sent revivals and reformations could be triggered by the
weirdest things imaginable and from the strangest of places. But they never happen by
accident. His will, always connects with the earnest passion of a few that
resist status quo by engaging in culture defying quests targeted at honoring
Jesus Christ.

There comes a time in a people’s history and a time in the
church, when spiritual miasma and religious deception must be removed by a
clear, passionate pursuit of truth. How significant it will be if this
generation of young Sudanese in the secondary and primary schools birth that
revival that takes Sudan from a receiver nation to a giver nation,
in everything? That’s our destination. Isn’t it true that the giver is always on top?

The theme of our Students’ Camp scheduled for 23^rd
– 29^th May 2010 is Come Up Here. I see 200 students, like
living seeds in the hand of the Gardener, like arrows in the hand of The
Greatest Warrior; they’ll assemble, yearning and hoping for an awesome time, a
time to ascend and engage.

There’s a place up-there for them and for us all; a next
level in God’s dreams and desires, that only a change in attitude can
actualize. The path up, to His side, which always begins with a falling into
the ground and a dying, must be embraced willingly.

This profound illustration in John 12:24 by the Master, who
Himself underwent the cruel process of falling into the ground and dying, in
order to bring many into life with Him highlights the need for translocation
which brings about a transformation.

Falling unto the ground happens to all men by divine
design (we get born into this evil world). But falling into the ground
and dying happens by choice. Yet, some have fallen into the ground but are yet
to die. The dying could take awhile depending on various factors. But when it
happens, a harvest is almost guaranteed.

I recently dug up a seed I planted 4weeks back, wondering
why it had not germinated; only to discover the outer shell was yet to breakup.
Though it’s been beneath the earth for weeks, until that outer-shell cracks
open, signifying the death of the seed and the release of the life within, there’ll be no growth, no plant, no
fruit and no harvest.

We are praying that these young minds gathering in a few
days from now will take the step and make that sacrifice that will crack the
outer shell and thus be launched into their glorious destinies in Jesus.

You can support us here, you can pray with us.

Support our Students’ Camp 2010

Our ministry here in
South Sudan is 85% youth based. Raising vibrant youth and Christian students’
movements for the global harvest out of Sudan and for Sudan, is one of our
primary objectives.

We’ve seen tremendous growth in the last 5years.
We’ve seen many students come to Jesus. We’ve seen them graduate and continue
in The Way; being channels of blessing to their families, churches and
community. We’ve also had huge difficulties following up on hundreds of converts.
I beg to leave this to your imagination.

But we believe we are at the threshold of
something great; we cannot find a word for it yet, but we sense the Lord is
nudging us to take this work to another level by focusing on breeding disciples
which is quite different from making converts. We see our greatest challenge to
date, here.

This necessitated a change
of strategy; thus, the proposed students’ camp this season; instead of our
usual one or two day(s) conference meetings. The camp is scheduled to hold from
23^rd to 29^th May 2010 at the Yei Teacher Training College. We
hope to organize one every year subsequently.

Our students’
conferences in the past have awakened the students to the need for prayer,
Bible study and fellowship. All 13 secondary schools and even some primary
schools now hold Scripture Union fellowships weekly. Some have theirs more than
once a week. We are looking forward to a time when it will be every lunch hour,
in every school, everyday. Com’on Jesus!!

But there must be something
more; more than just fellowship meetings with youthful singers, prayer times
and sharing of Scriptures. Deliberate discipling, with emphasis on intimacy
with Jesus and building trust relationships that will transcend the camp ground
with radical positive change are our goals. We will spend more time engaging the
participants in small groups, hoping to address their general and individual issues.

We have limited the number of participants to
200 students; from all 13 secondary schools here in Yei. It will be good to have less than 200; more than this will be a great challenge. But we welcome
every challenge with faith in a God that can do beyond our wildest dreams and
hopes.

Earlier this week, we
managed to negotiate the “unexpected” bill for the accommodation for
the camp (which we thought would be free) from $4,360 to $2,200 for 200
students. This is not inclusive of their feeding and other materials needed for
the camp, which we’ve budgeted at $5,500 bringing the total to $7,700. Our
initial budget was $3,000. We were misinformed.

$2,500 has been
raised so far, we’ll need the balance of $5,500 in less than 3weeks from now. God
is able! With an exchange rate of 2.75spds/$ things are pretty expensive here.
However, we believe every time and treasure sent and spent is worth this cause.

We are therefore appealing to you to
donate towards this camp here. This fund raising site
was created on our behalf by Adventures In Missions.
All donations are tax deductible. If you prefer to send a check, please
send to: Adventures In Missions, P.O.Box 534470, Atlanta, GA 30353-4470
and PLEASE indicate in the memo line, “Students’ Holiday Camp in
Sudan” Kindly call toll free: 1-800-881-2461 ext 270 for confirmation.

For those in Nigeria, kindly pay into: GT
Bank Account No. 202-142979-110; Uche and Sola Izuora.

In anticipation of
your donations and prayers, we say thank you and God bless you!

10years and still one item

Today, my wife and I celebrate 10 years together as a
couple; as one item. On the 29^th of April 2000, seven years and
seven months of waiting ended. The wait has proved to be worth it for both of
us. Read how it all started here and here. Thank God for His unspeakable
mercies and grace.

As we reflect on the past, we see more of God’s finger
prints and His footsteps all around us. What joy we feel today, knowing He’s
been in this from the start t

ill now?

Our expectations and dreams of the future are anchored in
God’s will for us as we strive to follow Him on this narrow way that offers no
options. He said, “It’s My way or no way.”

Ten great years have gone by, not without expected and unexpected challenges. But here we are today, together in South Sudan pursuing God’s will,
seeking His wisdom, spreading His word, hoping His way will be made known and
embraced by many through our thrusts. Our joys reach for a new climax at this juncture. This is
what we are made for. We are living our dream progressively.

Thank you for your support, your encouragement, your prayers
and partnership. May our influence on the youths of this generation thrive. We
are determined to finish well. You that feel or know for sure that this union is of God, we covet your prayers and
prophetic utterances.

Please pray for us, that our love for Jesus and for each
other will continue to grow. Also pray that our marriage and ministry will
forever bear testimony to the greatness and goodness of the God we serve.

God moments and their tears of joy

Yesterday was a memorable day in many ways I’ll relish for some time to come. I can’t tell all here

but find joy and hope in these…

One of my disciples walked into my room before 8am with another
friend, both in their mid 20s. I thought they’re just visiting. But it turned
out to be more than a mere how-are-you-doing call.

The smell of alcohol occupied my room as soon as these
fellows worked in. It’s not uncommon here for people to be drunk early in the
morning; so I wasn’t surprised.

“What’s up guys?”

“This my friend wants
to receive Jesus today; so he begged me to bring him to you.”

It was this friend that has already had some shots of cheap
alcohol this early in the morning that needs Jesus? Nice one God, I thought to myself.

“Tell me the story of your
life.” I pleaded.

“I once was born again back in Uganda, but when I came to
Yei 2yrs ago, things were too tough and all my friends were smokers and
drunkards so I started small by small and after I was full in this thing…”

His story was long and pitiful. Right before me was a victim
of the devil’s deception and lies. But God had started a work in this young man
I know He alone can finish. I allowed him to pour out his heart. As he did, I
saw a hunger and a determination in his body language. I prayed and begged God
as he spoke to come and help me guide this young man. He did!

I encouraged him with few words and as we all knelt and
prayed; tears and more tears poured from him. He wept and I wept too, tears of
joy me. For him, he questioned why he left such peace in Jesus to return to his
vomit. Godly sorrow was working
repentance.

I was admonishing these guys when my phone rang. It was my
darling wife. She told me a friend of ours we’d been praying for to get married
has said yes to the guy and they’ll be getting married next month; more tears
of joy for me. I was so excited, by the time I came round, I lost track of my conversation with the guys before me.

They left joyful and we agreed on times for follow-up. They
both showed up again in the evening for prayers. The journey for this once lost
son has taken a new and awesome turn for good. It’s all God.

As we rounded up, I got another call from one of the
secondary schools, “Bro Uche, we are expecting you in our fellowship at lunch
time today, can you make it?”

In the company of one of my dear disciples we arrived there
on time to encourage and challenge these students. Over 40 of them had come. As
usual, several came forward to receive Jesus. We knelt down on the dirt floor
there and prayed for forgiveness. More tears are flowing here again. I could not
hold myself; I cracked and wept with these kids as we prayed together. It was a
most sobering moment. It was obvious God had center stage.

Later in the evening, I was told some man had been waiting for
a long time to see me. But I was attending a pastors’ meeting which lasted a
while. I went to see him with three other pastors.

This man had a story that was more pathetic than most I’ve heard
since I arrived here. He’d attended a famous Bible school here in Yei in 2002
and was doing ministry until he got married 4yrs ago. In his words, “…that
woman is a devil…” He was determined to prove it with all the horrific stories
he told. Worse still, he’d gone back to drinking, smoking and womanizing;
blaming it all on this “wicked, devilish and fetish” wife- his first wife.
There’s another woman on ground now.

His case was too complex for simple answers and quick fixes.
But God came down there and helped us again. I guided him to take
responsibility for the sad state of things within his family. He saw my point
and did. He confessed he needed to restore his relationship with Jesus. That
was the clincher. Everything seemed to fall into place with that choice.

I begged the pastors with me that we all kneel down with our
brother and pray for him. As we did, in that open space, sobs and tears made
praying difficult. As more tears flowed so did the prayers. Each of us had our
reasons for weeping before the Lord. For me, it was connecting with this man’s
wounded heart and seeing God’s healing hand smoother his pain and bring hope in
the midst of many seemingly hopeless cases.

I felt my day ending perfectly when I read these words from
Butch Maltby’s Face Book page, “About the
time you reach your dead end– God’s incredible prankster like solution to your
grandest problem rolls into town. It announces itself by making order out of
the chaos. My joy comes in admitting I can’t fix anything. But He can. And He
did.”

Looking for a remnant

A book I browsed through on community building says, “Ninety-five percent of inactive church members have experienced a cluster of “anxiety-producing events”-a snub, a lack of care when really needed, a moral lapse by a church leader. If we learn to hear and respond to people’s cries for help, we can usually prevent their dropping out.” This sounds right but is it always true?

Some people who are fed up with church have defined their own terms for fellowship. If Jesus attends their meetings, good for them. Some are jumping from one church to another looking for something they may or may not have a definition for, but may identify it when they see or experience it. For those ones, I wish it is love, the Agape, given and received without strings attached.

But some people will never be committed to any gathering of believers for the simple reason that their salvation is suspect. They’ve learnt to act and talk like the people they meet during Sunday services and have successfully blended into the mixed multitude. Their conscience tells them, “You belong here”. But one can never be half pregnant.

Last Sunday, we held meetings with two groups of people in our church here in Yei after the worship service. One group was made up of older folks; members who felt an urgent need for authentic spiritual growth and are willing to covenant with us as we take a trip together, and unmasked towards reality and truth land. The second group, my prime target, were the youths. They insisted on an encounter with God with a hunger that both encouraged and scared me.

So, two groups, agreeing on two different meetings every weekend (aside regular church meetings), with two different agendas, one aim, all bound by a covenant. God is up to something here.

As we pray and plan for these meetings, it gives me so much joy to imagine that God is always looking for a remnant not a crowd. A few that may have been snubbed at one point, ignored by leadership knowingly or unknowingly, discouraged over and over again by moral lapses within the church. But something inside them yearns for truth and drives them towards it.

By God’s mercies, these remnants often arrive at a point of no return; where they pull through a crisis of faith and cross their individual River Jordans, with the assistance of a coach, and together, they begin to engage a future and hope reserved for them before the foundation of the world.

It’s going to be a busy season for me as I PIECE several puzzles together, with my gaze on the Master, asking Him to assemble for Himself those that will drink His blood and eat His flesh indeed… His tribe’s men and women, who belong to this clan. Even so Lord!

Discipling adults is tough. They have a lot to contend with, to give up and eventually buy into. But there’s always a remnant and I’m looking for them with the eyes of faith, hoping to see clearly and further.

I’m surrounded by many young minds who continue to wonder what lies beyond “there”; that unfamiliar and seemingly distant place tickling their fancy and arouses their adventurous spirit, which poles both negative and positive ends. But we dare to step out in the right direction, regardless of the pains accompanying these initial baby steps.

I’m unlearning a lot and it feels very awkward. But I’m seeing results. I welcome your questions, counsels and certainly covet your prayers.

Pure love poured forth

Easter holiday is almost over, we’ve spent time reflecting on the sufferings of Christ, the betrayal and denials, the empty tomb, its implications today and others. I’m still stuck somewhere back in the days before the first Easter. I’m relishing one great story that will continue to be told until Jesus returns. What does pure love look like?

One night, few days to His crucifixion, Jesus and His disciples were having dinner with some friends as told in Matthew 26:6-13 and John 12:1-8. After dinner, Mary broke a jar of extremely expensive perfume and poured it over Jesus’ feet. Today, this might be comparable in price to treating Jesus to the most expensive luxury spa package. Mary and her family weren’t rich. This sealed jar of perfume was probably Mary’s most valuable possession.

She didn’t open it, sprinkle a few drops and give Jesus a quick foot massage. No. She broke the seal, poured every drop of this perfume on Jesus’ feet and wiped it with her hair. Why His feet? Why her hair? What’s the connection?

It shocked everybody. Judas, the clan’s thieving treasurer and the eventual betrayer, couldn’t hide his disgust. He said it was a mega waste. “This perfume was worth a fortune. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.” That comment could be likened to the question, “What’s this neurosurgeon doing in this nameless village in the name of world missions?”

What could anyone give to or for Jesus that would be a waste? What could ever be too much for Him? Some may not think deeply about this question until their love is tested, with other alternatives and options that seem suitable or sufficient or within reach.

Jesus had few days earlier raised Mary’s brother Lazarus from the dead. Was this a way to show appreciation? Was it just an expression of unconditional love; of deep devotion that words could not fitly tell? Whatever was going on in Mary’s mind that day, she alone knew. Cost was certainly not an issue.

Cost equaled worth here. No piece of clothe was worthy of an ounce of that perfume. Mary chose to share its rich fragrance with her Lord alone as she wiped it with her hair. I imagine that when she was done, there was not a drop on the floor.

No soul on earth that day could claim closer intimacy with Jesus than Mary. She shared a common fragrance with Him, one best suited for His burial. She’d seized an opportunity to connect with the Lord for the last time, giving her life’s fortune as a parting gift. Are you connecting, with what?

Do you give to win God’s approval or get some immediate reward? Sadly, some have been taught to give with an aim to get something back. Mary gave to One on His way to the cross. What could she be expecting in return?

The idea of sowing in order to reap, sooner than later, has come to stay in the theology of many; so much that even unbelievers who stumble into our churches needing salvation, are encouraged to “sow” money and expect 100% (“double-double“) return from God. Is this right? The principle in general is biblical but the practice could be dubious when the givers heart is distant from God.

A man was once asked by his friend, “Why do you spend so much time doing church work and giving away your stuff to these poor lazy folks…” His reply was, “I hope you’ll still be able to ask this when we are dead and standing before God on judgment day.”

Authentic Christian living should manifest extravagant giving, not just money, but also our time in prayer for others and our talents and energy in service are all expected. We respond to God’s love by first giving our heart and then giving our best.

May God help us crack open something valuable today and lavish it on someone; especially those we feel don’t remotely deserve it. You never know, he or she may later turn out to be Jesus. (Matthew 25:31-43)

HAPPY EASTER!

Battling for the truth in this generation

I leave Kampala in a few hours from now for Sudan. It’s been
a great time of ministrations, counseling, praying and preparing. One major challenge I’ve noted here is the
overwhelming need for discipleship among youths in the church.

Truth, fantasy, fiction and deception play a great role in
shaping every generation. I’m seeing less of truth and more of the rest in the
past couple of weeks. As I think and pray of what and how I would engage these
issues among the youths in Sudan and in Uganda, I reminded of this story told
by Dr. Ravi Zacharias, one of my favorite apologetics ministers.

“A young couple who got married some years ago were the mascot
of excellence before the youth of their church. Both were in preparation for
the practice of medicine, and were on sizable scholarships of merit.

But then like a shattered
dream, only a few months into the marriage there was a dreadful awakening. In
the pre-dawn hours of a wintry night their pastor was aroused by the telephone,
and a voice out of control which begged him to come to their apartment.

What had happened? What had led to this
pitiful state of affairs?

Some weeks earlier this
young woman had discovered that she was pregnant. With years of study still
ahead, neither of them had wanted to start a family.

This sudden turn of events
spelled chaos into all their plans, and drove them desperately in search of a
solution. Every option was considered. Finally, one statement escaped from the
young woman’s lips that she had never dreamed she would utter.

“This is completely
devastating,” she said. “There is no other way but to abort this
child if our careers are to survive.”

The very suggestion precipitated
a deep rift between them. They were both known on their campus for their
outspoken conviction on the sanctity of the child’s life in the womb, and that
that life, they fervently believed, had a right all its own.

Now, their controlled contingencies
had invaded their absolutes, and “fate” had threatened their
autonomy. Conviction was in conflict with ambition, and a private decision was
being made that they hoped would never be betrayed in public. Husband and wife
were uncompromisingly on the opposite ends of this dilemma as he pled with her
to reconsider.

That is when her final
solution was proposed. “Then let us do this at home,” she said.

“You bring all the
equipment we need to the apartment and no one need ever know.”

As a young medical student,
he felt this could be accomplished, and so meticulous plans were nervously laid
for that fateful night. Not yet fully trained in the administration of an
anesthetic, he stumbled through the procedure and unwittingly gave her a much
larger dose than he should have.

His greatest fear became a
ghastly deed, and he lost her. In the panicking moments that followed, with
trembling hands and a cry of desperation he reached for the telephone and
uttered those remorse-ridden words, “Pastor, please hurry and come to our
apartment. I think I have killed her.”

Anyone who has experienced the immediate or even delayed
consequences of a tragic act or event, knows the horror of such a feeling, from
which no amount of human ingenuity can bring about an undoing. The most
agonizing effect of such irreversibility is the very humbling fact that it was
human finitude that brought about the consequence in the first place.

As I grapple with the huge responsibility
of coaching youths and pressing them to embrace and live the truth; I shudder at
the consequences of half baked convictions revealed by wrong choices in moments of unrehearsed pressures that may leave eternal scars in the soul of a young disciple.

Youth Ministers tread on delicate grounds and we dare not lose focus. I
desire to raise youths that will stand for and die by the truth at all cost.

I continue to covet your prayers.

Stand with us here

Yesterday, I posted a list of possible bad reports that will
by and by overcome a message bearer on the field in the absence of prayer
support. Here’s a list of my heart’s cry as I return to Sudan. I urge you to
stand with us.

My family: The
success of my ministry largely rests on the events that occur here from day to
day, when I’m home but especially, when I’m away in Sudan.

Please pray that:

My wife Sola, be filled
with grace and wisdom to manage the home.
It’s our 10^th
wedding anniversary on the 29^th of April. Sola and I plan be
together (for the first time in 5yrs) on this date. Pray that it will be
possible.
God will actualize all His
desires for initiating our union.
Our children- Ed and
Othniel; will not be discouraged by my/our absence
God’s peace, protection and sound health
of my family.

My Ministry and me “God
in his mercy has given us this work to do, and so we do not become discouraged.
We put aside all secret and shameful deeds; we do not act with deceit, nor do
we falsify the word of God. In the full light of truth we live in God’s sight and
try to commend ourselves to everyone’s good conscience.” 2Cor 4:1-2

Please pray that:

I’ll be a source of
blessing to many on this trip in Sudan and Uganda.
I’ll dwell in safety and health- spirit, soul and body.
God’s power to heal the
sick, restore the faint, recover lost treasures, break strongholds and save
sinners flood my ministrations.
an aura of humility to
grace me, my messages, teachings and interpersonal relationships.
I’d be blessed with
productive cooperation of friends and partners in Sudan.
I’d be graced with the ability
to set 500-600 young minds ablaze with God’s truth as we embark on a
discipleship journey.

The Students’/Youth
Camp (9^th– 15^th May 2010) In the past 3yrs, we held
student prayer conferences, every 1^st of May; where we prayed for Sudan, challenged
the students to godly living and led many to Jesus. But this year, we seek to
focus on those that have once committed to Jesus but whose spiritual growth has
been stunted by many unaddressed issues. This camp should help us help them.

Please pray that:

this camp will provide
ample opportunity to disciple many students and youths in Yei.
We intend to run non-stop
prayer and worship sessions throughout the duration of this Camp. Pray for
wisdom and grace to engage such an exercise.
the Lord will raise a prayer movement from this Camp
to serve His purposes in Yei and the nations.
Pray for a life
transforming encounter for every participant.
funds will be raised to
run this camp. We need $3000. We’ve raised $700.
we’ll have good resource
persons for the Camp and other programs.
this Camp will usher in a vibrant youth movement that will
initiate and sustain the revival the Lord has promised.

The Children’s
Ministry (Dreamland Children’s Home) These 71 children are growing older
and need spiritual exposure and depth to nurture them into adolescence. We need
helpers that will be fully committed to their overall welfare.

Please pray that:

a spiritually rich family be built in Dreamland.
volunteer teachers, nurses and workers to come help
serve these kids.
they’d live in safety, peace and harmony.
more partners and sponsors will run with the
vision of Dreamland.
Rebuke the spirit of infirmity and disease among
them.

The Students’
Ministry: This is at the core of my pursuits in Sudan. Working among
students and young people with an aim to raising passionate mission-minded
disciples, is what my ministry in Sudan is all about.

Please pray that:

the Lord will raise great leaders from among the
students we are coaching.
the Scripture Union fellowships in all the
schools grow strong and multiple.
a vibrant Christian students’ and youth movement come
alive in Yei.
the fruit of our labors in the schools will abide
and abound.
that the student leaders in the various
fellowships will lead by example.
Pray for Mubarak. May the Lord keep him safe and
make manifest His power through his witness in the Nuba Mountains.

We’ll be highly honored with your choice to stand with us in prayer as we long to see Jesus loved and worshiped by many in Sudan.

Why pray for us?

There’s an old almanac hanging at a corner in my church titled- What happens to your missionary when you fail
to pray. It’s a list of possible occurrences
where prayer backup is lacking for the gospel bearer.

I don’t know who put it up there; but it’s been hanging
there for many years. While I treasure the prayers of friends and brethren, I
crave for more. This is one duty reserved for believers alone. May that almanac
continue to serve as a reminder to the church, of the enormous responsibility
laid before it for the missionaries that call her- Home.

Please reflect on this list as you pray for us:

What happens to
your missionary when you fail to pray

He cannot pray.

He cannot have time to read/study the Bible.

He cannot plan Bible teaching.

He cannot mediate on what he read or studied.

He cannot apply the Scriptures to his life.

He cannot overcome traditions of the land.

He cannot love his converts.

He cannot be a true light of change.

He cannot tolerate the weak in faith.

He can fight the converts to any length.

He cannot pray for the converts.

He lusts after female converts and other
women.

He complains and grumbles against the work.

He travels a lot without reasons.

He cannot go out for evangelism.

He has no faith.

He discourages converts from holding their
faith.

He can destroy what he builds with his hands.

He has no sexual disciple with his spouse.

His children are obstacles to his work.

The people have no respect for his work and he
gets no favor from them.

He is stingy, partial and selfish in his
spending of money.

He can give false report concerning his work.

He can easily lose focus of his vision.

The sending body may be losing all financial
report to the missionary.

The devil will influence his relationship with
his wife.

No family alter and agreement in the work with
his family.

He has poor relationship with his co-workers.

He has a high manifestation of his temper in
his activities.

He criticizes all the efforts of the people group
he serves.

He cannot discern the true spirit.

He can fall easily into adultery with converts
and other women.

He can be attacked by any sickness or disease.

He can be rejected or ejected where he is.

He shows pride.

He robs the church of money.

He can easily be attacked by evil spirits.

He judges and condemns the converts and the
people.

He becomes rebellious in his leadership.

He
has no plan or strategy for the work.

He has no respect or love for his spouse.

He compares himself with others and his
sending body with other ministries.

He despises the labor of his sending body.

He can die young being exposed to danger.

He
can place his work above his family.

He can be deformed by evil forces.

He cannot be a good example.

He works much in the flesh rather than in the
Spirit.

He rebels against authority and constituted
leadership.

The list is endless and we know it.

But we may never know
how many missionaries are currently wrestling alone on the field, abandoned in whole or in part by
their senders and thus exposed to the subtlety and brutality of the enemy.

Nobody spends time praying for what they don’t understand or believe in. So I’m here, wondering how many friends and family out there understand exactly what I’m doing in Sudan well enough to pray for its success. My blogs here and here may give insights to our mission in Sudan.

As I leave for Sudan in a few days for the cause of the Kingdom, I covet your prayers. I’m
persuaded of your believe in God’s power and promise to do exceedingly,
abundantly and above all we could ever dare to do or desire.

With every mention of Sudan in the news or elsewhere, may you be reminded of our common Kingdom pursuit in that nation. Please take a few
minutes to reflect and speak to God on behalf of His people and His purposes
there.

Together, we’ll do valiantly, kneeling in prayer before our
Lord and Master Jesus Christ.

Please pray for us.

Modeling truth for our children

Parenting is serious business. There’s always a mixture of pain and pleasure in the entire experience. As I grapple with my responsibilities here, I’m beginning to understand what my parents had to put up with.

My 9yr old son Ed has been asking some very interesting questions lately.

“Before God created heaven and the earth, where was He staying?”

“Ed, I asked Him the same question some years ago and He didn’t tell me so I stopped asking Him.”

“Are the Four Beasts in heaven mentioned in the book of Revelation aliens?”

“I don’t know, I’m still reading my Bible to understand it better. When I do, I will tell you. I think you should watch less of Ben-10 Alien force cartoons and spend more time reading your books.”

“Dad, will there be children in heaven?”

“Of course!”

“Dad, will there be children in hell?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Why not, there are some very bad boys in my class?”

“What makes them bad?” I asked.

“They hit me and tell lies and steal and…”

“Well, that’s bad but they don’t know what they are doing, so God will forgive them.”

“But you spank me when I do the same things.”

“Do I spank you all the time when you do wrong?” “No dad.”

“Dad, so every child will go to heaven?” “Yes!”

“That means there’ll be more children in heaven than adults.”

“Why did you say that?” I asked.

“Adults know what they are doing but we children don’t, so God will forgive us or what do you think?”

“I guess you’re right.”

I paused to ponder; have I given this boy the right perspectives to these very interesting questions? But more than right answers to knotty questions is modeling a godly lifestyle. Am I modeling truth for my boys?

In his blogs here and here, Seth Barnes Jr. talks about his parents.

“My dad also sacrificed himself for my sisters and me. He set up dates with us to make us feel special, he played football with me every single day before dinner for years; he encouraged me to discover truth…”

“My mom has a true mother’s heart. She gives and gives and gives. She absolutely loved raising her children. She regularly spends herself cooking wonderful meals. She plans events, consistently thinks of others above herself, seeks the Lord with all her heart, and supports a very busy husband all the while.”

What are your children learning from you? What do they observe as your treasures? What do they hear you pray for? What passion oozes out of your life that influences their choices and motivates their behavior? Do they see a different you at home and another you at church?

How God-centered are your priorities, do your kids share them? Are you really modeling truth for them?

What do you think about this video clip?