September Prayer/Praises and Special Dates
Click the link above to download a PDF of prayer requests and praises as well as the birthdays and anniversaries for September. Note: You will need to login to SecureCloud in order to view this document. Once you have logged in, click on Files Shared, then Headquarter Happenings, then scroll to the month you would like to view. This step protects people with WWNTBM in restricted access fields.
“And David said, Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites first shall be chief and captain. So Joab the son of Zeruiah went first up, and was chief . . . Do thou therefore according to thy wisdom, and let not his hoar head go down to the grave in peace. (1 Chr 11:6/1 Kings 2:6)
These two statements of David were separated by forty years. The first paved the way for Joab to become his general commander. The second was spoken to Solomon, advising him to kill Joab.
What in the world had happened? Why was David now encouraging his son to get rid of the man who had successfully led his armies for so many years?
There are, perhaps, a number of reasons, but I think these two are key. First, and concerning Solomon himself, David was obviously trying to save him a ton of grief. He knew that if Joab stayed on the scene, Solomon would suffer hugely. The man was dangerous and bad.
But how had it come to this? How had David chosen such a man?
Part of the answer surely lies in a very early decision of David, just as he was setting up his government. He had done many good things, but here he made a serious leadership mistake. Every leader has blind spots and David was no exception. I think he blew it in his method of delegating responsibilities and authority.
The setting was Jerusalem, before it was ever the City of David. The Jebusite inhabitants had taunted David, saying that even their blind and lame men could ward off his attack. Perhaps distracted by the sting of pride, the young king hurled a challenge to his men: “Whoever is the first to take him will be my chief and captain!” Joab, his very own cousin, did just that. He gathered a group of fighters and proved himself one of the best warriors in the land. So began one of David’s nightmares.
He had found a great fighter but a vicious man. Joab had a strong personal agenda and would ruthlessly and deceitfully assassinate anyone who got in his way. First to fall was Abner, stabbed in the stomach when he expected a peaceful conversation. Then came Absalom, David’s own son, butchered as he hung from the tree by his hair, against the wishes of the emotionally distraught king. Finally it was Amasa, also reconciled to David, whom Joab gutted after tricking him with a fallen dagger.
No wonder dying David wanted him out of Solomon’s life.
How sad that David did not remember the words God had spoken through Samuel when he himself was selected for the position of king: “the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.”
When seeking leaders, he had focused on the outside skill, not the heart inside.
It is even sadder when we don’t learn the lesson. How often churches have split and pain has flooded a congregation because someone was chosen for leadership simply because they had talent. They could sing, they could speak, they could write . . . but they were not good.
Faithfulness is more important in ministry than talent. The problem is, faithfulness, by definition, requires a certain amount of time to be proven. And we are often in too much of a hurry.
Dear Father, help me realize that you do not need my talent unless it comes with a faithful heart. And as I deal with others and serve your flock, give me discernment to know who is loyal and true to you. Amen.
“Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house.” (Ezekiel 12:2)
There was actually nothing wrong with their eyes or ears. Like us, the Israelites were created to spiritually see and hear God. Their problem lay in the deepest part of their being–their hearts.
It is amazing how much we can see and hear from God when we really want to. A simple Bible message from a novice preacher can flood our souls with joy. However, too often we come to the Lord and His Word with hidden reservations. Essentially, we are not totally honest. We know His blessing rests in obeying His Word and we want it. But we hope that we can acquire blessing, at least to some degree, without a complete and unreserved surrender. That very intention is rebellion and renders us blind and deaf to His gifts. We cannot see, hear, or value His goodness.
God made us with the unique ability to perceive Him. For one thing, and unlike animals, our minds can comprehend the concept of time, which opens before us the vast horizon of past and future. From this wider balcony of time, we can in a limited way catch a glimpse of eternity. If we could not calculate in terms of minutes and years, the eternality of God would not make even a lick of sense to us.
Our eyes let us see what He has made and reach conclusions. Our ears hear the Word and allow us to understand even more than what our eyes reveal. But if these two witnesses shout their evidence at a heart that is proud and disobedient they are wasting their breath. A rebellious soul will look at nature and force evolution into it. The same rebel will listen to the Gospel and cry, “Foolishness!” While modern man thinks he is an intelligent observer and listener, he is actually blind and deaf.
Have I ever found it hard to discern the truth in God’s Word? Has my soul remained cool while others shined with zeal for God? Did I blame it on the speaker for not making his sermons more attractive? The problem probably had nothing to do with my eyes or ears, but with the dullness of my heart. When the heart is glazed over with stubbornness, truth will rarely be able to shine in through the two windows of sight and hearing.
Dear Father, rid my heart of every rebellious strain so that my eyes and ears can show me what I am uniquely qualified to see.
Click the link above to download a PDF of prayer requests and praises as well as the birthdays and anniversaries for August. Note: You will need to login to SecureCloud in order to view this document. Once you have logged in, click on Files Shared, then Headquarter Happenings, then scroll to the month you would like to view. This step protects people with WWNTBM in restricted access fields.
We are enjoying having Kaitlyn Haye as an intern in the Office this summer! Kaitlyn grew up in a ministry family. She is a student at Ambassador Baptist College, where she is majoring in Church Ministries. She and her husband, Drew, were married in May of this year. They are members of the Crossroads Baptist Church of Columbus, NC, with Pastor Nathan Deatrick. Upon completion of her schooling in December, they plan to pursue a ministry in evangelism.
Stephen and Charity Jenney have joined the World Wide family. The Jenneys are sent out of Shalom Baptist Church in North Tonawanda, NY. Charity’s father, Roland Mills, is their pastor. The Jenneys are both graduates of Ambassador Baptist College. Their plans are to begin deputation to plant churches in Arizona. Their son Judson is one, and they are expecting another baby early next year. Please be in prayer for them as they begin this new ministry.
Nathan Fry’s parents, Jim & Pat Fry, have a house in central Pennsylvania. They would like to make it available to missionaries on a first come basis, for the reasonable cost of $250 per month to help cover the utilities. For more information, you may contact the Frys at 717-808-7922.
Congratulations to John and Sarah on the birth of their first child, John Gabriel, on July 28. He was 20 inches long and weighed 7 pounds 6.3 ounces. Everyone is doing well! Keep them in prayer as they are finishing deputation and preparing to leave for the field soon.
In reading again God’s instructions to Moses on the building of the tabernacle, I was taken with the amazing details. Nothing was left for anyone to decide concerning the construction of this house of sacrifice. The materials, the colors, and the furniture, as well as its placement, was given. How the priests would carry out their duties, and even explicit instructions concerning how they would dress in fulfilling those duties, was detailed.
Many hands would be called upon to build the tabernacle according to this master plan given by the Master. The willingness of the people to build and give to make this work a reality should be a great encouragement to us all. As a matter of fact, they were so willing that Moses had to restrain them.
Once everything was completed, the tabernacle was raised for the first time. It must have been a blessed day for the servants of God. The combination of materials and colors could have only been imagined by those observing its construction, but now every detail could be seen. There was only one thing to be added – the presence of God. The glory of His presence could be seen by all. The wonder of this major accomplishment by the hands of the people of Israel was certainly noteworthy, but it meant nothing without the glory of God.
Now we are the temple of God. We are given instructions in equal detail concerning our life for Christ. Much attention is given to what others can see, but all is vain without the glory of God. No doubt the physical appearance that others observe is important, and no doubt intellectual preparation is good. However, these things are simple window dressings if the presence and power of God are lacking. Everything about the building of the tabernacle was in the hands of the people, and then God came! We on the other hand need the presence of God to have the ability to shape the temple as He desires. He is the power, and we are the vessel. As we yield our members to Him, righteousness is the result. This is not self-produced righteousness. It is Christ-imputed righteousness, and it is absolutely necessary if we are to do the work He has given us to do.
The world we live in is changing everyday, but we serve a Savior who is unchanging. Not only is He able to empower us for each task before us, but He is also willing. Are we prepared for Him to accomplish His perfect work through us?
Make plans to attend Family Fellowship Week 2016 in Edinburg, Virginia — June 20-23, 2016. Click below to see what others had to say about this year’s Family Fellowship Week.
Promo video from WWNTBM on Vimeo.
FFW Testimonies from WWNTBM on Vimeo.
We asked all of our guests to upload their photo memories, so everyone can enjoy them. These are available for viewing & downloading by clicking one of the following links. If you are on Facebook, you can also search for #FFW15 to view additional pictures, videos, and comments.
Following is a brief synopsis of each session and sermon preached during the week. The full audio for these messages is available by clicking here.
Regardless of the situation we face, we can rejoice when we take time to meet with The Man, Jesus Christ. Countless examples in Scripture illustrate this for us. Abraham met Melchizedek just before he was tempted to accept gifts from pagan kings, and thus was strengthened to resist temptation. Jacob’s wrestling match with The Angel of God prepared him to face the consequences of his prior relationship with Esau. Moses’s meeting at the burning bush gave him the grace he needed to deal with problems in his own family, so he could be ready to lead the nation of Israel. Joshua’s meeting with the Captain of the hosts of the Lord prepared him to lead the attack on their enemies. When all hope seemed gone, Mary Magdelene was encouraged to meet The Man in the garden. Two men on the road to Emmaus met The Man, and heard the greatest Bible lesson of all time. Saul met Him on the road to Damascus, and was called into service. We today can meet with Him, and will be forever changed when we spend time with our Lord.
Habakkuk began his book by sharing his concern for his people. The condition of the culture made him cry out for revival. He then described Judah’s disobedience, which began with the leaders. Just as Elijah felt all alone, so did Habakkuk. When we feel alone we must remember that God has not left us. The Lord’s counsel to Habakkuk was to remind him that He was at work. Although God was not obligated to explain Himself, He did assure Habakkuk that He was not aloof to the situation. We too can take joy in knowing that God has a plan and has not forgotten us in the midst of our situation.
Why are people cruel? Perhaps we deserve it. If there is truth to their criticism, we must be willing to change and make things right. In Habakkuk’s case, Judah deserved the cruelty they were facing. Perhaps the attacker is deceived, discouraged, or backslidden. In that case, we must respond gently with the Spirit’s leading. It may be that the devil is attacking us, and we must stand firm. Maybe the Lord is using our attacker to draw us closer to Him. What choices do we have in our response? We could choose revenge or retaliation. We should return good for evil. We must rejoice in the indication that if we are being opposed, we may be doing something right. We should remember that God has promised a reward for those who suffer, and as a result of this we will one day have a crown to cast at His feet.
Habakkuk chapter three is a prayer hymn of victory and excitement. We must choose to rejoice and sing because God is with us. That alone is cause for excitement! He will remember us and revive us, as David plead in Psalm 59 and 85. We can sing because of God’s character. He is glorious in his coming, deliverance, diety, and in our difficulties. The difficulties we face do not diminish His glory. He is eternal. He is just. We can rejoice because God is in control. He split the Red Sea for the Israelites. He can do things for you that He’s never done for anyone else. We can sing because there is a cause. God’s cause is the salvation of His people. Our cause is to lead people to the One Who can deliver them.
God’s revelation causes trusting. As Habakkuk looked around, he saw nothing in which to trust. Figs were a sign of health, but were not blossoming. Vines were a symbol of emotions, which were discouraged. Olives represent the Spirit of the Lord, which seemed to be lacking in Israel. The fields were bare of laborers, and the flocks were not producing. Yet he chose to rejoice because he could trust God. God’s revelation also causes triumph. Habakkuk stated, “I will joy.” This word is defined as “to spin around under the influence of violent motion.” We will never truly enjoy our salvation until we have laid down our dignity, and resolved to truly joy in God alone.
Joy is an authoritative command, and gives the avenue to contentment. Joy is derived by divine assessment. We must be sure we have the right assessment of our God. Joy demands a deliberate action. We must make up our mind to be joyful, and then work at it. Part of those actions may be determining who we will spend time with so as not to be robbed of our joy. Joy delivers a delightful accomplishment. God has made the high places, but Habakkuk claims the high place as his very own; we can do the same. The state of joy is in the mind of God. He has prepared a table for us, created still waters, and makes us to rest. He desires that joy will remain in us, and that our joy will be full.
Ezra recorded the events surrounding the Jew’s return to the land. As they gathered in Jerusalem, establishing the altar was a priority. Could it be some of our problems today come from failing to set our altars of prayer in order? The next task was to lay the foundation. This brought great rejoicing, as well as great weeping. The joy of great successes should bring great joy to our hearts. The young men looked forward in excitement; the older men looked back in remembrance. At each end of the spectrum, they understood the perspective of the other. The only hope an older generation has of seeing beyond their own finish line, is to look into the hearts of younger men and realize that tomorrow is in good hands. Young men must be willing to dream big dreams, and then realize that the greatest goal they can fathom is smaller than what God can accomplish through them. He desires to do “exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.”
David is a study in contrasts. He was a man after God’s heart, yet committed adultery. He was a strong warrior, yet a gentle poet. In a moment of victory he killed Goliath, yet in a moment of weakness he had Uriah killed. Life can be overwhelming. What matters is your strategy for how to respond. In Psalm 61 we have an example of David’s response. He plead for God to listen to him. He plead for God to lead him. Though a leader himself, he realized that he needed a helper to take him by the hand and the heart in a moment of hopelessness. He needed to be taken to a higher place, by a Higher Person. He plead for God to look out for him. David also promised to abide with God, in the place of hope and help. We must realize that the path on which God has placed us is the path on which we need to be, and learn to respond with rejoicing.
No audio available for this session.
In I Thessalonians 5, Paul admonished the believers, “Let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch . . .” It is not good for the church to be asleep on the job. One who is asleep is inactive, has no insight, and is insensitive to what is happening around them. God has designed us to rise to the challenge. We must have an awakening in our singing, giving, Bible reading, and praying, in order to experience revival.
We know that God is omnipotent; but we must move beyond recognizing this as a theological fact, and apply it in our life. He has power over creation. Think what it would have been like to watch Him create the world! He has power over Satan, yet allows Satan to interact with us lest we should be exalted above measure. He has power over mankind, which is manifested in the gospel. The joy of knowing an omnipotent God allows us to triumph over temptation, trust in God, and thank God. We must sing the mighty power of our God!
When we consider the greatness, wonder, goodness, and power of God, the only thing left to do is learn to worship Him, because He is worthy! He seeks for us to worship Him in spirit and in truth, and He has given us the reasons to do what He longs for us to do. Worship involves adoration. We cannot truly worship until we are still and learn to think about God. Worship is manifested in our actions. Throughout the Scriptures, worship involved active individual participation. Too often today we have false ideas that worship is a passive observation rather than active participation, and that corporate worship is isolated from our personal worship. In reality, corporate worship is the combined overflow of our individual worship. True worship must be acceptable to God. When we worship as He wants, He will use it to bless and encourage those around us.
