WIN India Praise & Prayer Report, May 2013

WIN INDIA PRAISE & PRAYER REPORT, MAY 2013

 

1. Calvary Baptist Church (Secunderabad) in largest slum:

Aunty, VBS is going on very well, today we had love feast - fried rice, chicken curry and dal. 250 slum children are attending vbs. We thank God that we could feed rice four days this year. Thank you for all your financial and prayer support. [The immediate need is move Pastor’s family to a different house. Their current underground room is too hot and has many problems for their ailing health; Needs to wire electricity and get water to church basement for a room to be made into an apartment.]

2. House of Gethsemane (Hyderabad) new church for domestic workers in unreached area:

The Lord helped us to sow seeds in thirty children. Thank God for contributions for all the needs of VBS: cool drinks and snacks for children all five days; colorful and useful “Children’s Bible” was given to every child. Parents and church members came on the last day of VBS to hear songs and stories of what happened at VBS. They rejoiced in what their children learned. [Needs $ for pastor’s salary.]

3. Ayusha Nilayam Boys Home (Hyderabad):

Three of the boys were the top of their class in annual exam; and 11 boys were in the top 10 of their class. Twelve children were selected to attend computer and spoken English classes. This sparked a great interest among all the boys. Friends of Ayusha donated the much needed overhead water tanks to meet the severe water scarcity; a fun donation was a table tennis set (ping pong) for the hot summer vacation -- this provided indoor sport entertainment. Many children visited relatives during summer vacation. [Need $ for shoes & uniforms; school fees; and books for 33 boys.]

4. Abundant Life Church (Hyderabad):

 

I am happy to let you know I have joined Seminary for M.Div studies. I am enjoying the studies. I believe the Lord will equip and use me. We are putting efforts to reach Hindus, who are our neighbors; we are visiting slums and doing prayer walks in this area of 100,000 people. We are doing personal evangelism and focusing on building relationships. We rented a small room where we can conduct church services and prayer meetings. [Needs money for 2 children’s school fee; M.Div fee; new glasses and eye exam; church rent.]

 

5. Dan Symonds, WIN India Communications Director:

 

Is loving his time of missionary training at YWAM Awaken DTS (University of the Nations, KONA). Has been selected as Prayer Room Worship Team leader, and asked to lead/sing/play on several Worship Teams for special events; Will be doing 3 month Outreach Program in Fiji. [God has provided majority of his school expenses; still needs money for plane ticket to Fiji.]

 

6. Aneesh Daniel,  Director at Shepherd Films (Hyderabad):

 

Excited about two big wins at film festivals; now believing the time is right to come to USA to attend the filmmakers ICVM conference in St. Louis, just prior to the CBA Convention; as well as meet possible investors and donors for missions film production that needs to shoot in Nov, Dec, Jan. [Need: Speaking engagements to your church or group  in St. Louis, Chicago, Toronto, Dallas, Sacramento and San Jose, California areas. Needs sponsors and help with plane tickets, motel, travel in USA.]

Thanks so much for your prayers and support for the needs and work in India.                   

 

Elaine Wright Colvin

WHEN WE GET INSTRUCTIONS WE DON'T UNDERSTAND

WHEN WE GET INSTRUCTIONS WE DON’T UNDERSTAND

Sometimes God give us instructions that do not seem relevant to us at the moment. But later we can see the importance of those instructions.

Don’t discard the lessons of the Bible because certain details seem irrelevant.

God’s instructions (laws) revive us, make us wise, bring joy to the heart, give insight, warn us, and reward us. God’s guidelines are lights for our path, rather than chains on our hands and feet. They point at danger to warn us, and then point at success to guide us.

PRINCIPLE FOR LIFE:  OBEY GOD NOW―IN THE FUTURE you will have a clearer understanding of his instructions and the reason for them.

Psalm 19:7 NLT - The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul.

Psalm 18:28-30 NLT - You light a lamp for me. The Lord, my God lights up my darkness. I’m your strength. I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall. God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.

Psalm 18:21 NLT - For I have kept the ways of the Lord; I have not turned from my God to follow evil.

ARE YOU IN A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN HEAR GOD?

Do you  hear what God thinks about your life's direction, priorities, and activities? Can you hear again what your heart is telling you -- to be, to do, to say, to write?

When was the last time you said: "Speak, God. I'm your servant, ready to listen" (1 Samuel 3:9 MSG).

The New Testament story sheds a lot of light on how we, His servants, should follow: "The gatekeeper opens the gate to him and the sheep recognize his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he gets them all out, he leads them and they follow because they are familiar with his voice" (John 10:3-4 MSG).

IT'S ALL ABOUT KNOWING JESUS HIMSELF.

The true test/sign of His disciples is: An intimate oneness with Him; A knowledge of Jesus that nothing can shake.

DO I HAVE A PERSONAL HISTORY WITH JESUS CHRIST?

The stories are told of three who knew Jesus.

MARY: Once He called Mary by her name, she immediately knew that she had a personal history with the One who spoke. "She turned to Him and said, Rabboni!" (John 20:16).

PETER:  Even after Peter had denied Jesus, Jesus appeared to him alone. Jesus restored Peter in private, and then He restored him publicly before the others (Matthew 26:69-75).

THOMAS: Thomas needed the personal touch of Jesus. When His touches will come we never know, but when they do come they are indescribably precious. "Thomas said to Him, my Lord and my God!" (John 20:28).

We can count on it! Now we must get in a place where we can hear!

"He calls His own -- by name." (John 10:3)

FRIENDSHIP: TO KNOW AND BE KNOWN BY ANOTHER

Does anyone really know you -- your hearts desire, thoughts, problems, yearnings? Do you really know your special friends as much as you would like to?

We can never know another person unless he or she practices the gentle art of self-disclosure. And that openness rarely occurs unless we create a non-threatening environment and build bridges of trust and vulnerability. 

To "really know" a person means we intuitively explore what may be there, what could be said, and what may possibly be disclosed.

To get to know your friend -- you may have to name and articulate what the other person will then be able to recognize as true, and then claim as their own.

In charismatic circles this is often called sharing a "word of knowledge" that God gives you or calling the person out on what the Holy Spirit has revealed to you.

In psychological and therapy sessions this could be known as confrontation, intervention, or playing the devil's advocate to see if it brings recognition, admission, or denial.

The point is: this kind of openness that makes room for deep friendships begins with us. It begins with the process of allowing ourselves to be known by others.

"Words satisfy the mind as much as fruit does the stomach, good talk is as gratifying as a good harvest. Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit -- you choose" (Proverbs 18:20-21 Message).

WE ARE SAVED TO SERVE

We are saved to serve.
We are empowered to serve.
And we are blessed to serve.

Christians do not have an advantage over other people.
Our commitment to Christ simply puts us in a position to serve other people.
Being a Christian does not make us special people with special privileges or status in our social standing.

"God didn't claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life..." (Philippines 2:5-11)

"But the parent will die for what the parent did, for the sins of -- oppressing the weak, robbing brothers and sisters, doing what is dead wrong in the community" (Ezekiel 18:18  Message).

HOW CAN I BEST ENTER ANOTHER'S PAIN?

How Can I Best Enter Another's Pain?

We seldom really understand what our struggling brothers and sisters are going through. The journey of pain is the loneliest journey of all, upstaged only by the journey of death.

Some people suffer pain that is not fixable, people with disabilities, the poor, and those experiencing injustice do not have problems that have ready solutions!

We are called to walk in companionship, faith, prayer, and hope with another in pain -- and when helpful, take practical action.

(adapted from Whispers from the Edge by Charles Ringma)

Making Sense When Life Doesn't

An Interview with Cecil Murphey,

Author of Making Sense When Life Doesn’t

Life is like cleaning the house—no matter how hard you work to clean up the mess, tomorrow the clutter and disorder will reappear, and it will just need cleaning again. In Making Sense When Life Doesn’t: The Secrets of Thriving in Tough Times (Summerside Press) best-selling author Cecil Murphey writes that while life’s messiness is unavoidable, it’s how a person chooses to respond to the mess that matters.

Murphey explains that while you don’t get to choose your crisis, the crises will happen. Companies downsize, relationships end, trauma hits, and illness comes, but there are three ways in which we can respond: decide to live with the mess and comfort yourself with the memories of the past, move on with life and resent the change, or tell yourself that this can be the best time of life and try something new.

Q: You open Making Sense When Life Doesn't with the concept that life is like cleaning the house. Explain what you mean by that.

We get the house cleaned and it looks quite nice. It doesn't stay that way. The tendency is to go back to our careless or hurried lifestyle and the same habits. Before long, the house is messy again.

That's how life works. We fret and struggle to clean up our current mess, assuming that once we accomplish that feat, it won't happen again. But it will. Unless we make changes, we'll go back to the same lifestyle.

Q: What are the three or four ways we can respond to crisis?

We always have choices even if we think we don't.

1. We can do the throwing-our-hands-in-the air bit that says we give up.

2. We can complain about the way things used to be. Like the children of Israel in the wilderness, we tend to forget the negatives of the past and our world seemed much better than it is in the present. We cry out, "This is the worst time of my life." That attitude makes us immobile and often a little bitter. "It's not supposed to be this way," is the way we start our conversations.

3. We can move forward—grudgingly. We change because we've been forced to do so, but we resent the situation and often the people involved.

4. We can see this as an adventure, a new way of life. We can tell ourselves, “This can be the best time of my life. I can try things I wanted to do but never did. I can learn new things and enjoy life even more.”

Q: It has been said that the only constant in life is change. Why is that such an important truth that we need to face?

We tend to think that if we can just push beyond this present, pervasive situation, life will be "normal" once again. Life doesn't work that way. Living means moving from one problem to the next.

If we accept that we'll always face opposition and grow in the process, we aren't overwhelmed when the next eruption of life takes place.

We learn to say, "This is how life works."

Q: A few years ago, you lost your son-in-law in a fire that destroyed your home and all your possessions. At that time you told a friend, "I was preparing for this." How could have been preparing for what happened that morning?

I didn't mean that I expected death and a fire, and he understood my words. I meant I had experienced many hardships, rejections, pain, and disappointment. Each time I faced them and moved through those times, I was ready for the next one.

Those words came spontaneously. As broken up as I was, I knew I could handle the loss.

When I was in my early twenties and difficulties came, I wondered how I would make it through most of them. But after having overcome enough chaos and obstacles, I know I'm ready to face the next ordeal.

Q: You say you're not a person who likes to give advice, especially when people are hurting. Why not?

I suppose I like to give advice, but I avoid it. When people hurt or are going through difficult places, they don't need my advice. They need my support.

Through my own experiences, I realized people quickly gave me advice, quoted Bible verses, reminded me that God was with me, or told me how good life would be afterward. Their words didn't help; I already knew that. I also realized their words often came from their own discomfort and not from great wisdom.

What I needed—and what I want to offer others—is my concern. I don't have to give them answers.

Even if they ask questions, what they really need is for someone to show they care. I want to be with them while they figure out their own answers.

Q: Is it really okay for people to get angry or feel sorry for themselves when something bad happens? Is there a time limit for that kind of negative emotion?

Is it okay? It had better be because that's a natural reaction when life falls apart. That means we're aware of the seriousness of our situation. Not only is it all right, but it's important. Those feelings help us assess where we are. After that, we can begin to solve our issues.

Is there a time limit? We're all different. Some of us can hit the bottom and bounce up quickly. Others move slowly.

After the death of our son-in-law, it took our daughter three years before I felt she had decided to live again. (They had known each other since they were fourteen years old.)

Q: In one chapter, you say that only the strong can forgive. Isn’t that contrary to what society leads us to believe?

It's not natural or easy for most of us to admit our mistakes. But once we face our own shortcomings, we can accept others when they fail or don't live up to their highest standards.

We need a certain level of self-acceptance before we can forgive others. We don't have to wait for others to change, we can change and that means we can forgive.

Once I realized that God loves me, forgives me, and accepts me as I am—that took years for me to grasp inwardly—I understood the concept of grace. I know how it feels to be forgiven. I realized that Jesus Christ saw my motives and not just my actions. He knew my weaknesses and my blind spots. Because I know those things about myself and the overwhelming love of God, I can pass that grace or forgiveness on to others.

Too often I hear people say things like, "I don't forgive. I get even." Such an attitude weighs on our souls, and prevents our living in contentment.

Q: Like most writers, you’ve experienced your share of rejection. How have you learned to deal with rejection in life?

I detest rejections. For the first 50 rejections I received in my writing (and there have since been hundreds), I felt it was a personal attack. It wasn't; it was a business decision by a publisher.

I learned to remind myself, "They are not rejecting me, they are rejecting my product."

Another thing is that by receiving "non-acceptances" (as I chose to call them), I grew stronger. Instead of considering non-acceptances as intrusions, I was finally able to say, "This is how life works."

Q: Explain what you mean by “letting go is vital to grabbing hold.”

Too many want to feel safe, so they grasp what they have. They want life to be the way it was (at least the good part) and they constantly look backward. If they're going to go forward, they have to release their past and say, "That's the way it was then. I'm now moving ahead."

When we do that, we're ready to grab hold and move forward. We can't appreciate what we have now if we constantly compare it to the way it used to be, especially if we've been forced to leave the old.

Q: We often hear about the importance of having accountability partners, how does accountability fit in with the overall theme of this book?

We are on our own in life, even though God is with us. We pray. We make choices and feel we're doing the right thing. We all have blind spots and we need the insight of individuals we can trust.

True accountability partners push us to face reality, admit our imperfections, and to reframe or rethink our decisions.

Accountability is a vital part of making sense out of life. We need the perspectives and objectivity of those who care about us. An accountability partner enables me to open myself to my inner thoughts and express them—without fear of censure.

The Bible speaks of the sinfulness of every human, and we often need others to help us see that what we want to do may be self-centered and destructive.

Q: One thing you had trouble understanding at first was the idea that we need the people who make our lives more difficult. Most of us likely have the same problem. Why do we need our enemies?

Our enemies force us to examine ourselves. They tell us things our good friends won't. Even if they exaggerate or are mistaken, we still need to ponder their accusations.

They push us to look at what I call the unexamined parts of our lives.

Q: You also address topics such as jealousy, anger, pain, and regrets. Is there anything specific on one these subjects that you would like to leave our listeners with today?

Those emotions are normal and we need to admit to ourselves that we feel them. We're human. Disappointments come to all of us.

I enjoy my life because I've faced an enormous number of roadblocks, negative feelings and attitudes, and I've worked through them. I call myself an overcomer.

The true victors in life are only those who have faced their hardships and kept going.

Life isn't fair; life isn't easy. However, the inner contentment and joy we achieve when we overcome jealousy, anger, and other negative feelings enable us to enjoy life, friends, and God even more.

For more information about Cecil Murphey and his books, visit www.cecilmurphey.com.

Cecil Murphey is available for interviews to promote the release of Making Sense When Life Doesn’t. To request a review copy, schedule an interview or for more information, please contact Audra Jennings, audra@litfusegroup.com.

Thanks, Audra, for permission to publish your great interview!