An Encouraging Sunday

An Encouraging Sunday

"And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders ... They broke bread in their homes and ate together with GLAD and SINCERE hearts." Acts 2:42; 43a; 46b

Yesterday I wrote about praying for your Pastor. I trust that many of you will take up the challenge to pray for your shepherd in 2009. I believe with all of my heart that it can make a difference in his life, the life of his family, in the life of your church ... and most likely, in yours.

This weekend we spent some time with our kids in New Hampshire and attended their church. Every time I have visited Dover Baptist Church, I have come away blessed and encouraged at what I see God doing in this congregation.

Because of the snow storm, the attendance was down, the praise team wasn't all there, they had some tech challenges. Rather than get all flustered, they rolled with the flow and adjusted with some praise singing. Pastor Ken decided to put the message on hold until next week, and instead, encouraged the body to share some of the things God has been teaching them.

We came away so blessed to hear how God has been at work in this body. They have been praying that there would be five people leave DBC to serve the Lord in full-time missions. From what we heard today, at least three families are now on deputation to raise support. The Pastor's son just accepted the call to serve on the staff with his Dad for a ridiculously low amount of money, no housing and no medical insurance. He and his wife believe that God has called them to serve at DBC and are going to trust God to provide for their needs.

Several of the people who shared today have come from addiction or domestic violence backgrounds. The testified to the power of God in transforming their lives and how God is now using them to reach others with the same message of hope.

This body lovingly cared for Laura, Jon and Tanner during Lindsay's illness and home-going, and have continued to love on them.

One man spoke with me after church and said, "Our church is small, but growing. We are a 'poor' church financially, but we are so rich in how God has poured out His blessing on our lives."

I think DBC is a small glimpse into the church in the book of Acts. Wouldn't it be great to see this happen in our churches today? It can happen. Revival can break out. And it might need to start with YOU! My prayer is "DO IT AGAIN LORD -- FOR YOUR GLORY! -- Bill Welte is President and CEO of America's KESWICK

God's WORD for YOU: Proverbs 12; Genesis 29-30; Matthew 9:1-17

Great Quote: Every logical position will eventually lead you into trouble, and heresy, and chaos. Every logical position is consistent, but it is logic which is in the human mind, not God's logic. The human mind is finite and cannot grasp eternity, and therefore the finite mind sees the infinite as not graspable coherently. If we could grasp it all coherently, without contradiction, we would be God. The person who insists on being logical to the end winds up in a mess. I am not saying that we should not be rational. I am not anti-intellectual. I am saying that the intellect by itself is helpless to arrive at total truth. Kenneth L. Pike