Friday, December 18, 2015
Monday, November 30, 2015
The Mission Foundation -- Ministry in Review
Would you please take a moment to pray for us? We would be very grateful for your prayers.
Rod and Bec
You can now make your donations to our ministry online. You can simply can simplyCLICK HERE TO MAKE A DONATION .
Or if you prefer, you can use the QR Code below:
Or if you prefer, you can use the QR Code below:
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Happy Thanksgiving!
Dear friends,
There is so much for which we give thanks to our Lord. He has blessed us in many ways. We are especially thankful for you, dear friends, and we pray that your Thanksgiving Day will be a very special time for you and your families.
Rod and Bec
Saturday, October 31, 2015
PERU, EXPOSITORY PREACHING SEMINAR, A MOVEMENT IS LAUNCHED!
October 31, 2015
Dear friends,
It’s
good to be in our home on this stormy afternoon in Baton Rouge Louisiana
Peru
Mission posted photos on their Facebook page which they preceded with these
very kind words:
"Thank you to Rodney
Wood for coming to teach a week long seminar to several of our Peruvian
pastors. Dr. Wood taught the men how to preach expositorily. He not only gave
great information from his book "Action Steps" (he also gave the book
newly printed in Spanish) but encouraged the pastors and motivated them to be
faithful to God's Word and to His people. We had about 20 men who benefited
greatly from this time together who left with hearts filled with God's Word and
His Spirit. The pastors will continue in groups in our various cities working
together to study and preach God's Word. This will be a tremendous asset to
northern Peru Northern Peru ."
I am very grateful to Rev. Wes Baker, Rev. Steve Hill, Rev. Stuart Mills, and the
Peruvian pastors for granting me the privilege to teach and join with them in
the effort to advance expository preaching in Peru
FINANCIAL NEED: Brothers and
sisters, we are very grateful for every gift that has been provided to help us
fulfill our calling. But we are
presently in great need of your financial participation with us. We are totally dependent on our Lord’s workings
through your response to our communication of our need. Would
you please consider providing a special year-end gift to The Mission Foundation? We will be
praying earnestly that God will give you guidance regarding our request.
In the love of the One who shields us all from the storms!
Rod
and Bec
You can now make your donations to our ministry online. You can simply can simply CLICK HERE TO MAKE A DONATION .
Or if you prefer, you can use the QR Code below:
Or if you prefer, you can use the QR Code below:
Thursday, September 10, 2015
Sunday, August 30, 2015
Ragamuffin Rich Mullins: "Did you believe that I loved you?"
The Mission Foundation
Sunday Evening, August 30, 2015
Dear friends,
Recently Becky and I watched a film that came out in 2014 but for some reason had flown under our radar: Ragamuffin, the life story of Rich Mullins. As you may know, it was Rich who gave us “Awesome God” and other songs that many of you have sung countless times. But, as you may not know, Rich Mullins lived in almost constant desperation to survive the turbulence of his soul.
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In his days as a child with two brothers and two sisters on a farm in Indiana, Rich was not like the other children. He was a musical prodigy who studied classical piano. He says that, as hard as he tried, he never seemed to be able to do anything right on the farm. This garnered the strongest disapproval from his father John Mullins who had to work extremely hard to support his family. Seemingly unaware of the lasting injury he was causing, Mr. Mullins related to Rich in a manner that bruised and bruised until at last the mark of the blows was unfading. Even when Rich was an adult and had reached great heights of success, the rawness of those wounds was regularly renewed by jab after jab of rejection by his father. And then there was the devastating blow: a breakup with the girl whom he met at Bible college and he was sure he would marry. It all left him staggering in the ring. He battled against despair. At least a couple of times, he mustered late night courage to call his father, but his father refused the phone. Rich’s spirit sank lower and lower as he smoked another cigarette and took another drink.
Although Rich’s struggles never seemed to go away completely, by the gracious workings of God, he learned something that we must all learn and learn and learn some more: Our Heavenly Father loves ragamuffins! What is a ragamuffin? Merriam-Webster defines a ragamuffin as “a child who is dressed in rags and is usually dirty and poor.” As I write this, I am reminded of the very first words of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are the poor in spirit . . . .” The favor of God is upon those who recognize that they are ragamuffins!
Rich came to understand God’s love for ragamuffins through a man with whom some of you may be familiar – a native New Yorker who spent most of his life serving our Lord in the city of New Orleans – Brennan Manning, author of The Ragamuffin Gospel. It all began one day when Rich was driving to yet another city to take his tortured heart onto another stage and give of himself, which he did with an uncommon vulnerability. His traveling assistant pled earnestly with him to listen for just a few minutes to a certain sermon. As the tape was inserted, a most pleasant and distinguished, baritone voice said:
In the 33 years since I was first ambushed by Jesus in a little chapel in the Allegheny Mountains in western Pennsylvania, and then, literally, the thousands of hours of prayer, meditation, silence, and solitude over those years, I am now utterly convinced that on judgment day, the Lord Jesus is going to ask each of us one question and only one question, “Did you believe that I loved you? that I desired you? that I waited for you day after day? that I longed to hear the sound of your voice?” The real believers there will answer, “Yes, Jesus, I believed in Your love, and I tried to shape my life in response to it.”. . . . Jesus Christ in this moment comes right to your seat and says, “I have a word for you. I know your whole life story. I know every skeleton in your closet. I know every moment of sin, shame, dishonesty and degraded love that has darkened your past. Right now I know your shallow faith, your feeble prayer life, your inconsistent discipleship. And my word is this: I dare you to trust that I love you just as you are, and not as you should be – because you’re never going to be as you should be. (excerpt from a sermon by Brennan Manning)
As Bec and I watched that film, I asked myself, “Is it true that the central question for us when we get to heaven will be ‘Did you believe that I loved you?’” My mind was taken to Genesis, Chapter 3. We humans, in our parents Adam and Eve, chose not to believe that God loves us. We believed that God’s prohibition with regard to “the tree” was more restrictive than it really was: Eve told Satan that God said that they were not even to “touch it.” We believed that God had lied to us about the consequences: The Serpent said, “You shall surely not die.” We believed that God was withholding good from us: Satan said, “God knows that you will be like Him . . . .” We chose to believe that God did not love us!
What a dishonor to God! Dishonor by those whom He had created to be the recipients of His love! But God the Son became a Man and honored His Father with the sacrifice of His own blood – love unto death – as He the Divine Man suffered dishonor at the hands of His own creatures, having made Himself their fellow man. He endured this in order that you and I might be forgiven of disbelieving in His love and that we might become men and women who will one day stand before Him and say, “I believed that You loved me.”
May God bless you, my fellow ragamuffins!
Rod (for Bec and me)
Monday, August 24, 2015
2003 - Standing Beside My New Friend Who Would Become My First Teammate, Rev. Dr. Femi Adeleye of Nigeria, now living in Ghana
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| Langham Preaching, the initial International Consultation, 2003, High Lea Conference Center, near Cambridge Femi and I in 2003: Having recently attended the Ten Year Celebration of Langham Preaching in Ghana, I found it interesting that my Nigerian brother Rev. Dr. Femi Adeleye and I are standing together at the right side of this photo of the delegates a the initial International Consultation for Langham Preaching, a brand new work of Langham Partnership International founded by John Stott (back row, just right of center).
I well remember the quite meaningful conversation that Femi and I had about his ministry as we rode the train together after the consultation. Little did he and I know that we would later (2005) be asked to team up in our very first assignment -- the launching of a new program in Ghana!
Although Femi was not able to attend the Ten Year Celebration, I am very thankful that he and his wife Affy came to the home of our brother Emmanuel Ahlijah to visit with Becky and me. It was a delight to see them! Femi is included in the pictorial presentation in my most recent post here on my blogspot. (I should mention that I did work with Chris Wright in El Salvador in 2004, but Ghana was the first country in which I was asked to actually join with a colleague in the establishment of a new program.) |
Friday, August 7, 2015
CELEBRATING TEN YEARS! GHANA - LANGHAM PREACHING - NEPS, National Expository Preaching Seminar
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| Rev. Emmanuel Ahlijah, former National General Secretary of GHAFES (IFES, known in the U.S. as Inter-Varsity) was the first coordinator of the work in Ghana. It was while he was attending a conference in Germany that Emmanuel spoke with John Stott about bringing Langham Preaching to Ghana. In 2005 his vision for his country became a reality! |
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| Rod, Femi, and Emmanuel, 2005 |
Emmanuel Ahlijah was joined by a great group of leaders
in establishing this new movement. Below are some of
the original members of the planning committee and
some from more recent years.
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| Our 2005 seminar was held at this lovely Presbyterian Women's Center |
AND NOW TEN YEARS LATER,
THE LANGHAM PREACHING MOVEMENT
IN GHANA CONTINUES!
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| Femi, Rod, and Emmanuel - 10 years older! |
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| Affy and Femi Adeleye and Emmanuel |
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It was great to be with these planning committee members again. They have been involved in the movement since its beginning: Rev. Dr. T. B. Dankwa (Chairman), Mr. Victor Obeng (Country Coordinator), Mrs. Beatrice Nkyekyer (member),Rev. Emmanuel Bortey (Vice-Chairman), and Mr. Kwame Adu (member). |
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| Rev. Jude Hama, former National Director of Scripture Union has been a leader in the movement from the beginning. I finally had the opportunity to give him a copy of my book, Action Steps for Expository Preachers. He and other Ghanian leaders have been great encouragers to me through the years as I have sought to develop the methodology provided in my book. |
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| This is the young man who picked me up at the airport in 2005 when I first arrived in Ghana. |
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| Bec with Dr. Theopholis "TB" Dankwa, who serves as chairman of the planning committee Our brother TB was for many years the pastor of one of the leading evangelical churches in Ghana - Accra Chapel, which is located next to the University of Ghana Medical School. A number of years ago, Pastor TB granted me the privilege of delivering the installation sermon for his successor. We give thanks to our Lord for our brother TB and his much blessed service to the people of Ghana. |
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| Organizer of the Kumasi Seminar |
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| Bec with Emmanuel and Beatrice |
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| Bec giving words of greeting at one of our seminars. |
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| We want to thank you again for making it possible for us to go and serve in places like Ghana. We are deeply grateful. With much love to all of you! Rod and Bec |
Thursday, June 4, 2015
"We live for those we love." - Cornerstone of the Louisiana State Capitol
Celebrating
Our 16th Year
“We
live for those we love.”
–
Cornerstone of the Louisiana State
“We
live for those we love.” In 1931 this
great motto was written in the cornerstone of this building. Those words call us to ask: For whom do I live today? Whom do I love? The people to whom I have been called by God
to be a servant? Or myself? Throughout this day and every day, as you make
decisions and take actions, you must keep this question ever before you. You must ask God to help you to look upon the
people of Louisiana
Every year, at the beginning of the
session for the past sixteen years, we have turned to the 13th
chapter of Paul’s letter to the Romans, and you are reminded of God’s sovereign
appointment of you to your office: ". . . there is no authority except that which God
has established. The authorities
that exist have been established by God." You are also reminded of His purpose for you
as His governmental leader: "For he
(the governmental leader) is God's minister (servant) to do you (the people of
God) good." You are also reminded
that God has established you as an "agent of justice", and we listen
to the words of advice given to King Lemuel by his mother: "Speak up for those who cannot
speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend
the rights of the poor and needy."
(Proverbs 31:8-9)
This
can all be summed up in these words:
You, as God’s governmental minister, are to live for the people because
you love the people.
Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays donw his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters then. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me . . . ." (John 10:11-14)
Jesus, God the Son, our Good Shepherd laid down His life for you and me. He laid it down as a bloody sacrifice before God on a cross in order that we might be forgiven of our sinful attitudes, words, and actions and that we might be brought into a love relationship, an everlasting friendship with our God Who created you and me for Himself to be His sons and daughters. He bought us with the price of His life: He is the Good Shepherd Who owns us. And He says, “I know My own and My own know me.”
Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays donw his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters then. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me . . . ." (John 10:11-14)
Jesus, God the Son, our Good Shepherd laid down His life for you and me. He laid it down as a bloody sacrifice before God on a cross in order that we might be forgiven of our sinful attitudes, words, and actions and that we might be brought into a love relationship, an everlasting friendship with our God Who created you and me for Himself to be His sons and daughters. He bought us with the price of His life: He is the Good Shepherd Who owns us. And He says, “I know My own and My own know me.”
While
God has called your pastors and priests to provide spiritual shepherding for
His people, He has called you to be a shepherd in their governance, offering
restraint to their harm and facilitating their collaboration, their united
efforts, in seeking their own good. To your calling I believe that we can apply
Jesus’ description of the Good Shepherd.
You, as a good shepherd, are to lay down
your life, to be willing to lose everything, for the people.
You are not to be like the hired hand
who enjoys the privileges of his position but has no real interest in the
people.
- The hired hand does
not say in his heart “These are my people.”
- The hired hand
abandons the people and seeks his own safety.
- The hired hand allows
wolves to prey upon the people.
- The hired hand “cares
nothing for the (people).”
You are to be one who knows the people,
and the people know you: “I know my own,
and my own know me.”
Dear
friends, if you will have mercy toward your fellow members with regard to his
or her shortcomings, and if you will ask God for forgiveness of your own and
for His enabling grace, you can declare with one voice, “We live for those we
love.” You can fulfill the cornerstone motto!
R Wood
Friday, May 1, 2015
MILITARY FAMILY DAY AT THE SENATE, 2015
 Photo by Senate Communication Office |
 Photo by Senate Communications Office |
On Tuesday, April 28th, it was my solemn privilege again this year to offer the prayer for the Louisiana Senate's annual Military Family Day as the fallen soldiers of Louisiana (who have died during the past year) and their families were honored in a very meaningful and extended ceremony.
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| LA National Guard Color Guard and Bagpiper from the Baton Rouge Pipes and Drums The Advocate Staff Photo by Bill Feig
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