All too common

This morning I was asked to preach at a funeral/burial service. My wife and I arrived at the funeral house at 10 am... there was some singing and words spoken by both sides of the family. I was then given a chance to preach from God's word - the message was simple... Turn To Jesus!

Death is a common occurrence. As I was at the burial site - I wondered how many others around the world were being buried at the same exact time? Although so very common, it seems to hit each time with fresh vigor. Today's funeral was for a 9 month old baby of one of our Pastor's. From what I was told, the child was in good health on Monday, by Tuesday he was not feeling well, by Wednesday he was dehydrated... it was Wednesday night the pastor told me his little boy had died.

Please pray for this man (Pastor Collins) and his family. I have often heard the phrase that a parent should never have to bury their own children. After seeing the sorrow on their face I could only pray God would put his arms of comfort around them all.

pray for heat... in Africa

This may sound like a funny request... please pray for the temperatures to rise in Zambia. We are having a conference in just about 2 weeks in which many children will be coming. Most of these children will be sleeping outside all bundled up in blankets under the stars. It sounds quite nice - but the reality is that current nigh time temperatures are around 35-38 degrees Fahrenheit.

John 3:16

I was asked to come preach at Agape Baptist Church. Pastor Chisenge has a congregation of about 130 people. The church is growing, vibrant, and seems to really want to know Christ more and more. With that in mind, I felt the need to remind these people about God's amazing sacrifice that "
He gave". If we could all just get a better grasp of the Gift that was truly given... I believe sacrifice, devotion, contribution, and commitment would not seem like the exception, but more like the norm!

Maunda Bible Baptist

Although Savannah has not been feeling well, over the weekend, it was my turn to have stomach problems. All night Friday and throughout the entire day on Saturday I was experiencing the joys of food poisoning. I was not sure if I would have the ability or strength to preach at church on Sunday.

Thankfully, after carefully getting out of bed on Sunday all systems checked out for a GO! It was a wonderful service - the Pastor seems to have a good handle on what needs to be happening for spiritual growth. I preached a message from James 1 - in which 3 people responded to the call of salvation!

Being sick was a reminder of how fragile we truly are made. We like to think we are in control but it only takes a minor sickness for us to be reminded that our bodies require a delicate balance that only God can hold together!

Psalm 127:3

About 10 days ago Savannah was not feeling well. We took her to get tested for Malaria - it came back negative. Still a few days later she had not eaten and was very nauseous. I took her to another clinic in which they tested her again for Malaria - the doctor told us the results to the Malaria test were negative but the test for pregnancy was positive! We were both shocked, thrilled, awed, and of course VERY excited!!! We took time to pray and thank God for the little gift He has given us!!

This morning we went back to the clinic to get further verification. They were able to do an ultra sound and see our little prize! Hallelujah!! Please continue to pray for Savannah and our new addition!!

Ecc 7:2

Sharon Kalusa, the wife to one of the local pastors here at Kafulafuta went to be with Jesus. She left a husband and two small children behind. Yesterday I spent the day at a funeral. I was expecting to be there for maybe 2 hours - in the end, it was an ALL day event. It was well worth it...

There was a crowd of probably 400 people that gathered. Family members, friends, politicians, police officers, pastors - you name it - this family is well loved. Please pray for Pastor Kalusa and his children as there will be a large adjustment in all of their lives.

As Solomon states, it is better to go to the house of morning... although I have never enjoyed going to funerals, there is something sobering and penetrating that occurs. It is a time of reflection that forces a person to re-think what is important and be reminded of the frailty of life. Oh to God we would not waste this life...

July 2009 Refresher Course

This year's refresher course was different than in the past. Normally we have some men from the States come in an preach/teach on a certain subject or theme that we have seen to be a weakness or an area that needs improvement. This year, I wanted to see the Zambian pastors take the responsibility for encouraging and challenging each other. I made the theme this year to be "men of God" and I picked 10 different men from the Scriptures and asked each man to speak for 90 minutes. It was wonderful!! I chose both town pastors and rural pastors - each man stepped up to the challenge.

I believe this is a history book week! The 55 pastors that came were challenged as the Spirit of God worked in all of our hearts. When I asked a couple different men their thoughts about this format, the response, "fantastic" and "wonderful". We were all refreshed as we sat aside the things of the world for the week and just feasted from God's word!

Mpika seminar

Savannah and I returned from Mpika late Sunday night. It was a wonderful time! I was originally told I would be preaching 3 different times. However, when I arrived I found out there was a need for 6 lessons! Had to do a little last minute prep... but it all worked out!

There were probably 45-50 people during each session. The theme was "rise up and build". The messages were:
Building with the hand of God
Building the Temple of God
Building the People of God
Building the Church of God
Building the Kingdom of God

During one session in particular, the Lord seemed to really move in the people. There were so many people praying that even the singing stopped. It was wonderful to see God's people praying and seeking the face of God!

Please pray for the people of Antioch Bible Baptist Church. They are really seeking to serve the Lord. We were privileged to give out many BEAMS KJV Bibles!!

Rise up and build

Friday morning Savannah and I will be leaving early. We are traveling to Mpika to teach and preach a couple day seminary entitled "rise up and build". Pastor Kanyama is a dynamic preacher that is really trying to bring his flock to the next level. Please pray for us - it will be an 8 hour drive. This will be Savannah's first long trip out of the mission for this type of thing. I will be teaching / preaching on three different occassions. Savannah is hoping to have some time with the ladies as well. We are praying to be used of God to edify the saints and introduce any lost to our Lord Jesus Christ.