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Dear friends,
About twenty-seven years ago in London, I heard John Stott speaking about the three quests of modern man: transcendence, significance, and community. During the past few weeks, these hungers of the human heart have been the subject of my teaching at the Louisiana State Capitol and at The Gathering of Men as well as at a men’s conference at Trinity Bible Church in Lafayette. I would like to share a few thoughts about the first of these – transcendence.
Transcendence is that which is beyond – beyond the universe, beyond time and space. Every man knows that there is something beyond this world, that there must be more than that which we can see around us. We’ve always felt some kind of pull to that which is above the clouds and beyond the stars. Our souls have longed for connection to the Unseen. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “God has put eternity in their hearts.”
But Paul says in Romans 1:18-19 that apart from a work of God’s grace, we humans “suppress” what God has put in our hearts. Paul says “that which is known about God is evident within them; for God has made it evident to them.” He goes on to explain in verse 20 that “since the creation of the world” God’s “eternal power and divine nature” have been “clearly seen.” He says that all men “are without excuse.” Every man knows that God exists, and yet, Paul says, “There is none who seeks for God” (Romans 3:11b).
So what happens? God seeks men. He graciously works in their hearts, awakening a desire within us to pursue Him. It is then that, as Augustine said, “Our hearts are restless until they find rest in Thee.” By His grace, our souls are blessed with a restlessness to discover the Transcendent One.
John Stott says that man’s quest for transcendence presents “a great challenge to the quality of our Christian worship. Does it offer people what they are instinctively looking for, which is transcendence, the reality of God? Human beings are spiritual beings, seeking for something transcendent, sacred, beyond our earthly limitations. In Christ there is a connection with the transcendent God, most acutely in the Word preached and Holy Communion of worship.”
When you (and your children and grandchildren) walk into your place of worship, and the pastor presents the invocation (the humble request for the manifestation of God’s presence), is your heart stirred to say, “God is here. The One from beyond is among us!”? Dear friends, this was the experience of the first Christ-followers as they gathered to worship in Jerusalem. Dr. Luke says, “And everyone kept feeling a sense of awe” (Acts 2:43). And in his comments on the primacy of prophesy, Paul speaks of the impact on the unbeliever who is “convicted” and “called to account” and “will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you” (1 Corinthians 14:24-25).
Why will you gather with other believers this Sunday? What are you expecting to happen? Are you expecting the Transcendent One Whom you love to be “among you”? The Apostle Peter speaks of our love and of our rejoicing before Him: “Though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory” (1 Peter 1:8). When you assemble on the Lord’s Day, are you anticipating that as you listen to the preaching of Holy Scripture, you will hear the Voice of God Himself? And as you come to the Holy Table, is your heart filled with anticipation of the moment when you behold and eat God’s “visible words” (as Augustine and later Calvin called them)? Do you and I enter the doors of our sanctuaries expecting an encounter with the Transcendent Holy Trinity? “Holy Spirit, please help us to experience this joy!”
In the Savior,
Rod and Bec
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Pray for Legislators / Draw Near to the Savior this Easter
Dear friends,
The extraordinary session of the Louisiana Legislature ended last Wednesday, April 13th, and the regular session will begin next Monday, April 25th. In 1 Timothy 2:1-2, we hear Paul saying to Timothy, “First of all, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness.”
I hope these words of Paul will move you to pray for our legislators. I would like to make a few suggestions for your consideration regarding your prayers for those who serve in the House of Representatives and the Senate (and others in governmental leadership here in Louisiana or in your state or country):
1. Morning and/or Evening Prayers: Include those in government in your personal morning prayers and/or in your evening prayers with your spouse.
2. Mealtime Prayers: Pray and give thanks for the legislators that represent you by name at mealtime prayers. This will allow your children to participate in this important intercessory ministry.
3. Prayers in Worship on Sunday Mornings: Ask your pastor to include our legislators in the corporate prayers of the church on Sunday mornings. This might be a simple one-line request for certain blessings from the Lord, e.g., wisdom, courage, and strength.
4. Letters to Leaders: Write to your senators and representatives and let them know that you are praying for them. Your children could be involved in this correspondence. The contact information can be obtained from the following websites:
http://senate.legis.state.la.us/Senators/offices.asp
http://house.louisiana.gov/H_Reps/H_Reps_FullInfo.asp
I would suggest that you not send an email. I think it would be far better to send your letter by regular mail.
These are just a few suggestions that easily come to mind. You may have other ways of increasing your involvement in praying for these men and women who serve us. By the way, those representatives and senators who attend our weekly breakfast do pray for you. They share prayer requests each week for those who have special need of prayer. They also pray for God’s guidance in their service at the Capitol on your behalf. It is my joy this afternoon to let you know of their prayers for you and to seek to stir your hearts to more prayer for them.
Tonight Christians all over the world will be giving special remembrance to our Lord’s agony in Gethsemane where He prayed and contemplated the terrors of His sacrificial death for you. Tomorrow men, women, and children will come together in great cathedrals and in tiny chapels to be still and solemnly meditate on our Savior’s crucifixion. Then we will wait . . . until daybreak on the Lord’s Day to declare with joyful hearts that He is risen! I pray, as I close, that in every hour between now and Sunday morning, your heart and mine will be drawn nearer to the One who loved us so much – so very much.
In the Savior,
Rod (for Bec and me)
The extraordinary session of the Louisiana Legislature ended last Wednesday, April 13th, and the regular session will begin next Monday, April 25th. In 1 Timothy 2:1-2, we hear Paul saying to Timothy, “First of all, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness.”
I hope these words of Paul will move you to pray for our legislators. I would like to make a few suggestions for your consideration regarding your prayers for those who serve in the House of Representatives and the Senate (and others in governmental leadership here in Louisiana or in your state or country):
1. Morning and/or Evening Prayers: Include those in government in your personal morning prayers and/or in your evening prayers with your spouse.
2. Mealtime Prayers: Pray and give thanks for the legislators that represent you by name at mealtime prayers. This will allow your children to participate in this important intercessory ministry.
3. Prayers in Worship on Sunday Mornings: Ask your pastor to include our legislators in the corporate prayers of the church on Sunday mornings. This might be a simple one-line request for certain blessings from the Lord, e.g., wisdom, courage, and strength.
4. Letters to Leaders: Write to your senators and representatives and let them know that you are praying for them. Your children could be involved in this correspondence. The contact information can be obtained from the following websites:
http://senate.legis.state.la.us/Senators/offices.asp
http://house.louisiana.gov/H_Reps/H_Reps_FullInfo.asp
I would suggest that you not send an email. I think it would be far better to send your letter by regular mail.
These are just a few suggestions that easily come to mind. You may have other ways of increasing your involvement in praying for these men and women who serve us. By the way, those representatives and senators who attend our weekly breakfast do pray for you. They share prayer requests each week for those who have special need of prayer. They also pray for God’s guidance in their service at the Capitol on your behalf. It is my joy this afternoon to let you know of their prayers for you and to seek to stir your hearts to more prayer for them.
Tonight Christians all over the world will be giving special remembrance to our Lord’s agony in Gethsemane where He prayed and contemplated the terrors of His sacrificial death for you. Tomorrow men, women, and children will come together in great cathedrals and in tiny chapels to be still and solemnly meditate on our Savior’s crucifixion. Then we will wait . . . until daybreak on the Lord’s Day to declare with joyful hearts that He is risen! I pray, as I close, that in every hour between now and Sunday morning, your heart and mine will be drawn nearer to the One who loved us so much – so very much.
In the Savior,
Rod (for Bec and me)
Friday, April 8, 2011
The Mission Foundation Letter, March 28, 2011
Dear brothers and sisters,
Last weekend Bec and I were privileged to lead a marriage conference for Providence Bible Church of Denver (the church that our son Jim and his wife Amelia attend). On Friday evening, we began the conference by calling everyone to focus on this: Marriages that are growing in healthiness and happiness are enjoyed by those men and women who, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, are committing and re-committing themselves to growing in healthiness and happiness as individual disciples of Jesus. We followed this statement with the following quote from a book that was given to Bec and me when we were first married, The Marriage Affair edited by Rev. J. Allan Peterson. Rev. Peterson writes,
The journey toward a happy marriage is the journey from childishness to maturity, from egocentricity to the commitment of love. . . . . Maturity delivers a person from a childish preoccupation with himself and the use of his partner to
satisfy his own desires and needs. Maturity gives a person the ability and willingness to act. The mature one acceptsresponsibility and the consequences of his own decisions. Such a person is able to take the long look and patiently
persevere while looking for a way through his present difficulties – not a way out of them. (p. 6, italics mine)
Brothers and sisters, to grow in marriage you must heed Paul’s words to Timothy: “Give careful attention to yourself” (1 Timothy 4:16). To put it in the Southern vernacular: Y’all can’t grow as a couple unless you as individuals “give careful attention” to your own walk with Jesus.
In Ephesians 5 (well known because of its teaching on marriage), Paul spends the first 21 verses addressing the walk of the individual disciple in his or her devotion to God. Then in the last 12 verses, he talks about the walk of married disciples in their devotion to one another. He says that this devotion to one another in marriage portrays the profound mystery of the relationship between Christ and His bride, the Church. The following is an abbreviated and slightly edited form of our outline of Ephesians 5. I hope that you will find it helpful in your own mediation on this text.
I. God has first called you to walk in devotion to Him. (Ephesians 5:1-21)
A. Walk like God your Father. “Be imitators of God, as beloved children.” (vs 1)
B. Walk in love. “Walk in love, just as Christ also loved you.” (vs 2)
C. Walk in purity and truth. “Walk as children of light.” (vs. 3-14)
D. Walk in wisdom. “. . . walk, not as unwise men, but as wise.” (vs. 15-17)
E. Walk in the power of the Holy Spirit. “Be filled with the Spirit.” (vs. 18-20)
F. Walk in submission to one another, as you reverence Christ. “Be subject to one another.” (vs. 21)
II. As His disciple, you are also to walk in daily devotion to your spouse, and thereby portray the
incomparable beauty of the relationship between Christ and His bride, the Church. (vs. 22-33)
A. Wives, you are to portray the loving response of the Church to the leadership of Christ. (vs. 22-24)
1. Confidently follow your husband’s leadership, placing your trust in the Lord’s
work through him. “Wives, be subject to your husbands, as to the Lord.” (vs. 22)
Note: You are no more inferior to your husband than Christ is to His Father. (1 Cor. 11:3)
2. You are to submit to your husband in all areas of life. “in everything.” (vs. 24)
B. Husbands are to portray Christ’s great love for His Church, His Bride. (vs. 25-31)
1. Your love is to be a preserving and protecting love. “Savior of the body.” (vs. 23)
Kent Hughes calls us to ask, “Is my wife more like Christ because she is married to me? Or is she like Christ in spite of me? Has she shrunk from His likeness because of me? Do I sanctify her or hold her back? Is she a better woman because she is married to me? Is she a better friend? A better mother?”
Robert Lewis says that the husband should be “devoted to the advancement and completion of the beauty of her character.”
4. Your love is to be self-love. “He who loves his wife loves himself.” (vs. 28-31)
C. Because this is such a great mystery that we are depicting – “Christ and the Church”, it must be said
again: Husbands, love your wives as yourself, and wives respect your husbands. (vs. 32-33)
How will you be able to walk in this devotion to God and to one another? In Luke 11:13, Jesus says, “If you being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” Jesus is saying that our Father will “give the experience of the ministry, influence, and blessings of the Holy Spirit” to us, if we will ask. (Dr. J. I. Packer, Keep in Step with the Spirit, p. 227)
Go well in the Holy Spirit!
Rod and Bec
Monday, February 28, 2011
Thank You For Praying for the Texas Legislature and Cynthia Wenz
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Dear friends,
Thank you for praying for Cynthia Wenz, her son Roman, and the Texas Legislature. Cynthia and her 14 year-old son did testify, and the House committee members passed the abortion-ultrasound bill. If you would like to follow the progress of this bill in the days ahead, simply search "House Bill 15, Texas, 2011." If you have a moment, you may want to look at the article below.
In the Savior,
Rodney
Texas State House Committee Passes Abortion-Ultrasound Bill
by Steven Ertelt Austin, TX LifeNews.com 2/24/11 12:19 PM
A Texas state House committee on Wednesday approved a bill similar to one the state Senate has already approved that would allow women considering an abortion a chance to see an ultrasound of their unborn child beforehand.
When used in pregnancy centers, ultrasounds have convinced 80 percent or more women to keep their baby as opposed to having an abortion.
Rep. Sid Miller, a Republican from Stephenville who is the author of the House measure, told members of the State Affairs Committee the bill “is about informed consent,” saying, “We want to make sure the best information is available to women.”
Democrats like Rep. Jessica Farrar of Houston panned the bill and said the legislature should not be tackling the issue of abortion when the economy and jobs are what are on the minds of voters.
The committee ultimately voted for the measure 9-3 with all of the Republicans voting for the bill and all of the Democrats voting against it. HB 15, which pro-life groups support, may be debated on the House floor as early as next week.
Under the House bill, women would get a chance to see an ultrasound 24 hours before the abortion and she can decline to view the sonogram, hear a detailed description of fetal development, or listen to the heartbeat of her unborn child. Abortion centers would be required to make these options available to her and give her a chance to sign a waiver saying they did so, which is not normally the case without the legislation.
The Dallas News indicated Dr. Mikeal Love, an Austin obstetrician-gynecologist, testified before the State Affairs Committee that the bill will “improve the quality of care” by making sure a woman has a chance to get more information from a medical professional before making the abortion decision.
“By using an ultrasound, you have a real-time picture that transcends educational levels, language barriers and cultural differences that may exist,” Love said.
But Kelly Hart, spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood of North Texas opposed the idea. After the vote, Texas Alliance for Life said the House bill “joins SB 16 as the second sonogram bill in play. Thanks to the dedication of pro-life Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and Sen. Dan Patrick (R-Houston), the bill’s author, the full Senate approved SB 16 last week, also very early in the session.”
“After four hours of incredibly moving and compelling pro-life testimony, the Texas House State Affairs Committee voted out HB 15, a strong sonogram bill,” the group said. “Kudos to committee Chairman Byron Cook (R-Corsicana) for hearing a pro-life bill so early in the session. It may be the very first bill to have been voted out of committee in the House.”
The state Senate voted 21-10 to approve the bill introduce on its side. The bill, passed by the Senate State Affairs Committee 7-2 earlier this month, requires an ultrasound be performed 24 hours before an abortion. The mother must be presented with a sonogram and an audible fetal heartbeat, if detectable, which she can refuse to see or hear. Even if she did, doctors would still have to orally describe the development of the unborn child at the time.
Houston state Sen. Dan Patrick is the main sponsor of the legislation, which enjoys support from pro-life Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst. The measure received approval from the state Senate in 2009 but eventually died in the state House as Speaker Joe Strauss was accused of not pushing the bill before time expired on the legislative session.
Patrick opened debate saying the bill is necessary to provide the mother considering an abortion with the information she needs to make a decision. He also rebuffed concerns from the Texas Medical Association which said the measure would somehow intrude on the doctor-patient relationship even though women getting abortions have never met the abortion practitioner before.
“This is the only medical procedure that the goal ends in death. There is no patient relationship between that baby and the doctor,” Patrick said.
Passage comes after Texas Governor Rick Perry said he would grant emergency status to the legislation. Perry announced the fast track status last month during his speech at the March for Life in Austin.
“It’s pretty hard to imagine people of good conscience sitting idly by through this, and in Texas we haven’t,” he said, saying the Supreme Court decision to allow virtually unlimited abortions, Roe v. Wade, is a “tragedy.”
Patrick said too many women are denied information about fetal development because abortion providers “don’t want them to see the sonogram.”
Teresa Sadler, 35, said that while she was a 19-year-old college student in Denton, she had an abortion where her provider turned the sonogram screen away and tried to prevent her from seeing it.
“I was told immediately to lie back down on the table,” she said. A drug was administered and the abortion was completed when she woke up. She said she never saw a doctor.
“I take responsibility for my decision,” said Sadler, who is now a nurse. But she said if she had the chance to see a sonogram and better informed, “I might have made a different decision.”
Dear friends,
Thank you for praying for Cynthia Wenz, her son Roman, and the Texas Legislature. Cynthia and her 14 year-old son did testify, and the House committee members passed the abortion-ultrasound bill. If you would like to follow the progress of this bill in the days ahead, simply search "House Bill 15, Texas, 2011." If you have a moment, you may want to look at the article below.
In the Savior,
Rodney
Texas State House Committee Passes Abortion-Ultrasound Bill
by Steven Ertelt Austin, TX LifeNews.com 2/24/11 12:19 PM
A Texas state House committee on Wednesday approved a bill similar to one the state Senate has already approved that would allow women considering an abortion a chance to see an ultrasound of their unborn child beforehand.
When used in pregnancy centers, ultrasounds have convinced 80 percent or more women to keep their baby as opposed to having an abortion.
Rep. Sid Miller, a Republican from Stephenville who is the author of the House measure, told members of the State Affairs Committee the bill “is about informed consent,” saying, “We want to make sure the best information is available to women.”
Democrats like Rep. Jessica Farrar of Houston panned the bill and said the legislature should not be tackling the issue of abortion when the economy and jobs are what are on the minds of voters.
The committee ultimately voted for the measure 9-3 with all of the Republicans voting for the bill and all of the Democrats voting against it. HB 15, which pro-life groups support, may be debated on the House floor as early as next week.
Under the House bill, women would get a chance to see an ultrasound 24 hours before the abortion and she can decline to view the sonogram, hear a detailed description of fetal development, or listen to the heartbeat of her unborn child. Abortion centers would be required to make these options available to her and give her a chance to sign a waiver saying they did so, which is not normally the case without the legislation.
The Dallas News indicated Dr. Mikeal Love, an Austin obstetrician-gynecologist, testified before the State Affairs Committee that the bill will “improve the quality of care” by making sure a woman has a chance to get more information from a medical professional before making the abortion decision.
“By using an ultrasound, you have a real-time picture that transcends educational levels, language barriers and cultural differences that may exist,” Love said.
But Kelly Hart, spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood of North Texas opposed the idea. After the vote, Texas Alliance for Life said the House bill “joins SB 16 as the second sonogram bill in play. Thanks to the dedication of pro-life Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and Sen. Dan Patrick (R-Houston), the bill’s author, the full Senate approved SB 16 last week, also very early in the session.”
“After four hours of incredibly moving and compelling pro-life testimony, the Texas House State Affairs Committee voted out HB 15, a strong sonogram bill,” the group said. “Kudos to committee Chairman Byron Cook (R-Corsicana) for hearing a pro-life bill so early in the session. It may be the very first bill to have been voted out of committee in the House.”
The state Senate voted 21-10 to approve the bill introduce on its side. The bill, passed by the Senate State Affairs Committee 7-2 earlier this month, requires an ultrasound be performed 24 hours before an abortion. The mother must be presented with a sonogram and an audible fetal heartbeat, if detectable, which she can refuse to see or hear. Even if she did, doctors would still have to orally describe the development of the unborn child at the time.
Houston state Sen. Dan Patrick is the main sponsor of the legislation, which enjoys support from pro-life Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst. The measure received approval from the state Senate in 2009 but eventually died in the state House as Speaker Joe Strauss was accused of not pushing the bill before time expired on the legislative session.
Patrick opened debate saying the bill is necessary to provide the mother considering an abortion with the information she needs to make a decision. He also rebuffed concerns from the Texas Medical Association which said the measure would somehow intrude on the doctor-patient relationship even though women getting abortions have never met the abortion practitioner before.
“This is the only medical procedure that the goal ends in death. There is no patient relationship between that baby and the doctor,” Patrick said.
Passage comes after Texas Governor Rick Perry said he would grant emergency status to the legislation. Perry announced the fast track status last month during his speech at the March for Life in Austin.
“It’s pretty hard to imagine people of good conscience sitting idly by through this, and in Texas we haven’t,” he said, saying the Supreme Court decision to allow virtually unlimited abortions, Roe v. Wade, is a “tragedy.”
Patrick said too many women are denied information about fetal development because abortion providers “don’t want them to see the sonogram.”
Teresa Sadler, 35, said that while she was a 19-year-old college student in Denton, she had an abortion where her provider turned the sonogram screen away and tried to prevent her from seeing it.
“I was told immediately to lie back down on the table,” she said. A drug was administered and the abortion was completed when she woke up. She said she never saw a doctor.
“I take responsibility for my decision,” said Sadler, who is now a nurse. But she said if she had the chance to see a sonogram and better informed, “I might have made a different decision.”
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Please pray for TX Legislature and Cynthia Wentz
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Dear friends, some of you were aware of our missions conference at Christ Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Houston last Sunday and were praying for us. I would like to ask you to pray this morning for a lady named Cynthia Wentz. I hope you don't mind taking a moment to read the introduction to my sermon below. I think it will help you understand what the Lord did in the worship service last Sunday morning.
Introduction
On the final night of the 1971 Campus Crusade Christmas Conference in Dallas, Dr. Bill Bright closed his message with this life-changing challenge: “Will you go anywhere to do anything at any time? If so, I want you to stand up right now.”
I well remember sitting there thinking, “Anywhere? Anything? Anytime? Am I really willing to do that?” It was in that moment that I first heard God calling me to be a “world Christian.”
What is a “World Christian”? The term seems to have been coined by Daniel Fleming in his 1920 book, Marks of a World Christian. But more recently it has been popularized by the writing of well known missiologist, David Bryant. In his book, In the Gap, David says,
World Christians are those for whom for Christ’s global cause has become the integrating, overriding priority for all that life is for them.
(Their) life directions have been solidly transformed by a world vision. (They) want to keep that vision and obey it unhesitatingly.
(They want to) run the race before them setting no limits on how, where, or among whom God will use them.
(They have) made a discovery so important that life can never be the same again.
A world Christian is a man, woman, or young person who, as John Piper says, has reordered his or her life around God's global cause.
Reaching the unreached is the passion of the World Christian. Why? Because he or she views the world in a way that is radically different.
The world Christian sees the world through the lens of the cross. John 3:16 says, “For God SO loved the world” --- He “SO loved the world that He gave (He sacrificed) His one and only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him, whoever trusts in Him for the forgiveness of their sins, should not perish, but have everlasting life.” That’s how much God loves you and me and the people of this planet!
Fix your eyes on the cross, on the crucified Christ, and you will see the millions of men, women, and children whose sins have been nailed to the tree! When we lose our desire to go anywhere anytime to do anything, it’s because we have lost sight of the cross. May the Lord cause you and me to see the people of the world through the lens of the cross!
_________________________________________
After the service, the various missions organizations held "breakout" sessions in meetings rooms throughout the church facility. Below is a a report from Will and Christina Whitaker, who served on the missions committee and who are very dear friends of ours. Will is an attorney in Houston and is the son of Bill and Carol (Howard) Whitaker, alums of LSU who lived in Baton Rouge until recently.
_________________________________________
2-20-11; 3:15 p.m. Christina shares the following story from the Family ministry lunch breakout meeting following the sermon:
Cynthia Wentz, Executive Director of The Source for Women (www.thesourceforwomen.org), told the story of a young woman who became pregnant and chose to have an abortion. Regrettably, abortion had been the answer this young lady had chosen for a prior pregnancy, making that answer all the more routine this time. After the abortion was performed, she saw the physician in follow-up. He stated that something had gone wrong because a heartbeat was detected. The young woman demanded to see the ultrasound. It revealed a perfect fetus, indicating that while one twin had been aborted, the other remained unharmed. Cynthia then disclosed that she was the young lady and that the baby on the screen in the abortion clinic was her son, now fourteen years old.
Cynthia went on to share that earlier this week she had been asked to speak to the Texas House of Representatives in support of new legislation requiring that women be given the opportunity to see an ultrasound within two hours of the abortion procedure and hear a fetal heartbeat, if detectable. Although the opportunity can be declined, physicians would nonetheless be required to describe what they see in the ultrasound, including the development of the body and organs.
Before this morning, Cynthia decided that she would not go to Austin because there was far too much work and activities to keep her busy in Houston. However, the Lord spoke during the service and, on the way to the breakout meeting, she decided that she must “go” because this was her “anywhere”, “anytime”, “anything” calling. Immediately, the women in the room gathered round, laid their hands on Cynthia, and prayed for Cynthia’s mission to the Texas Capital. Cynthia will be there on Wednesday of this week.
Many are fasting and praying for Cynthia as she goes to Austin with her son to tell their story. "Lord we thank you for what you have done, are doing, and will do. Be with Cynthia. Comfort her. Strengthen her. Protect her. Keep Christ crucified on her lips and work in the hearts of the members of House of Representatives. Use Cynthia that she might feel Your joy and be Your instrument to change hearts while removing the stain of abortion from our land."
Please take a moment right now to join Will and many people in Texas in prayer. May many lives be saved from abortion.
In the Savior,
Rodney
Dear friends, some of you were aware of our missions conference at Christ Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Houston last Sunday and were praying for us. I would like to ask you to pray this morning for a lady named Cynthia Wentz. I hope you don't mind taking a moment to read the introduction to my sermon below. I think it will help you understand what the Lord did in the worship service last Sunday morning.
Introduction
On the final night of the 1971 Campus Crusade Christmas Conference in Dallas, Dr. Bill Bright closed his message with this life-changing challenge: “Will you go anywhere to do anything at any time? If so, I want you to stand up right now.”
I well remember sitting there thinking, “Anywhere? Anything? Anytime? Am I really willing to do that?” It was in that moment that I first heard God calling me to be a “world Christian.”
What is a “World Christian”? The term seems to have been coined by Daniel Fleming in his 1920 book, Marks of a World Christian. But more recently it has been popularized by the writing of well known missiologist, David Bryant. In his book, In the Gap, David says,
World Christians are those for whom for Christ’s global cause has become the integrating, overriding priority for all that life is for them.
(Their) life directions have been solidly transformed by a world vision. (They) want to keep that vision and obey it unhesitatingly.
(They want to) run the race before them setting no limits on how, where, or among whom God will use them.
(They have) made a discovery so important that life can never be the same again.
A world Christian is a man, woman, or young person who, as John Piper says, has reordered his or her life around God's global cause.
Reaching the unreached is the passion of the World Christian. Why? Because he or she views the world in a way that is radically different.
The world Christian sees the world through the lens of the cross. John 3:16 says, “For God SO loved the world” --- He “SO loved the world that He gave (He sacrificed) His one and only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him, whoever trusts in Him for the forgiveness of their sins, should not perish, but have everlasting life.” That’s how much God loves you and me and the people of this planet!
Fix your eyes on the cross, on the crucified Christ, and you will see the millions of men, women, and children whose sins have been nailed to the tree! When we lose our desire to go anywhere anytime to do anything, it’s because we have lost sight of the cross. May the Lord cause you and me to see the people of the world through the lens of the cross!
_________________________________________
After the service, the various missions organizations held "breakout" sessions in meetings rooms throughout the church facility. Below is a a report from Will and Christina Whitaker, who served on the missions committee and who are very dear friends of ours. Will is an attorney in Houston and is the son of Bill and Carol (Howard) Whitaker, alums of LSU who lived in Baton Rouge until recently.
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2-20-11; 3:15 p.m. Christina shares the following story from the Family ministry lunch breakout meeting following the sermon:
Cynthia Wentz, Executive Director of The Source for Women (www.thesourceforwomen.org), told the story of a young woman who became pregnant and chose to have an abortion. Regrettably, abortion had been the answer this young lady had chosen for a prior pregnancy, making that answer all the more routine this time. After the abortion was performed, she saw the physician in follow-up. He stated that something had gone wrong because a heartbeat was detected. The young woman demanded to see the ultrasound. It revealed a perfect fetus, indicating that while one twin had been aborted, the other remained unharmed. Cynthia then disclosed that she was the young lady and that the baby on the screen in the abortion clinic was her son, now fourteen years old.
Cynthia went on to share that earlier this week she had been asked to speak to the Texas House of Representatives in support of new legislation requiring that women be given the opportunity to see an ultrasound within two hours of the abortion procedure and hear a fetal heartbeat, if detectable. Although the opportunity can be declined, physicians would nonetheless be required to describe what they see in the ultrasound, including the development of the body and organs.
Before this morning, Cynthia decided that she would not go to Austin because there was far too much work and activities to keep her busy in Houston. However, the Lord spoke during the service and, on the way to the breakout meeting, she decided that she must “go” because this was her “anywhere”, “anytime”, “anything” calling. Immediately, the women in the room gathered round, laid their hands on Cynthia, and prayed for Cynthia’s mission to the Texas Capital. Cynthia will be there on Wednesday of this week.
Many are fasting and praying for Cynthia as she goes to Austin with her son to tell their story. "Lord we thank you for what you have done, are doing, and will do. Be with Cynthia. Comfort her. Strengthen her. Protect her. Keep Christ crucified on her lips and work in the hearts of the members of House of Representatives. Use Cynthia that she might feel Your joy and be Your instrument to change hearts while removing the stain of abortion from our land."
Please take a moment right now to join Will and many people in Texas in prayer. May many lives be saved from abortion.
In the Savior,
Rodney
Saturday, February 12, 2011
In Memory of Phillip Earl Wood - Worship Service at Bethel Baptist Church
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Thank you for praying for us last weekend. The Lord heard your prayers regarding my daddy's funeral.
I believe that Daddy's life was honored and that our Savior was given glory for His great work of salvation in my daddy's life. Dr. Gene Richards and Rev. Denny Brumfield of Franklinton were pastors who knew and loved my daddy. I give thanks to God for the wonderful words they shared in the funeral.
Also, Pop Cooksey and members of the Cooksey Family (Southern Gospel Singers), who had been close friends of Daddy's for 35 years and who had seen the great transforming work of Christ in his life, participated in the service by ministering to us all in song.
Our sons, Jake, Jim, and John played their guitars and mandolin and sang "On Jordan's Stormy Banks."
I was blessed with the privilege of giving the eulogy and felt strengthened by the Lord in doing it.
Thank you again very, very much for your prayers.
Phillip Rodney Wood
Thank you for praying for us last weekend. The Lord heard your prayers regarding my daddy's funeral.
I believe that Daddy's life was honored and that our Savior was given glory for His great work of salvation in my daddy's life. Dr. Gene Richards and Rev. Denny Brumfield of Franklinton were pastors who knew and loved my daddy. I give thanks to God for the wonderful words they shared in the funeral.
Also, Pop Cooksey and members of the Cooksey Family (Southern Gospel Singers), who had been close friends of Daddy's for 35 years and who had seen the great transforming work of Christ in his life, participated in the service by ministering to us all in song.
Our sons, Jake, Jim, and John played their guitars and mandolin and sang "On Jordan's Stormy Banks."
I was blessed with the privilege of giving the eulogy and felt strengthened by the Lord in doing it.
Thank you again very, very much for your prayers.
Phillip Rodney Wood
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