I've been just starting to read this book
recently.
It actually belongs to me.
And I was just reading through a little
bit more of it this morning and it
really spoke to me again and just brought
something out which I really wanted to, which
I've really learnt and would really like to
pass on.
What is it called?
It's called Lessons from a Sheepdog, believe it
or not.
The beginning of the story talks about how
this sheepdog was really kept on a chain
by a really unloving sort of master and
the dog wasn't really doing what it was
made for.
Many of us human beings have been under
the wrong management most of our lives.
We have been in the wrong hands.
We have been so mishandled that all of
the original superb purposes for which we were
created have been totally distorted and misspent.
We are virtual slaves to sin, to ourselves
and to Satan.
Yet the stranger of Galilee comes into our
lives.
He looks upon us with love.
He touches us with tenderness.
He sees beyond our sins.
He extends his knowing hands to take us
into his understanding care.
We are not always keen to go.
We are afraid he may have sinister motives.
We recoil from his control.
Life under the old master has made us
very suspicious.
We are not at all sure things will
be any better now.
In our human ignorance and suspicion we are
convinced that to come into Christ's care can
be even worse bondage than before.
As I put last, that's the dog, into
my old car and started off down the
road to Fairwinds she was sure something terrible
was about to happen.
She crouched on the floor behind my seat
trembling and tense with apprehension.
Even when I stretched out my hand to
touch her head or spoke to her softly
in reassuring tones she withdrew in terror, snarling
with tension.
Little did that sad, twisted dove realise that
one day soon she would enjoy those same
hands and respond to that voice with unabashed
devotion.
But it would take time.
It would take weeks and months for her
to fully discover that her new master had
only her best interests at heart.
That every move he made was for her
well-being.
It takes some of us a lifetime to
learn that Christ, our Good Shepherd knows exactly
what He is doing with us.
He understands us perfectly.
He manages us with incredible wisdom and loving
skill, both for our benefit and His.
I'll probably be leaving Saturday to go back
to Cornwall.
Ursula will go with me for, I'll be
there for three weeks.
Ursula's there for a week just to, we
have to arrange a lot of things for
the family.
Then hopefully I'll be getting a job.
It's sort of fixed for me to get
a summer job here in London, driving a
truck.
And then we get married in September, probably
towards the end of the month, in Germany.
And after that is what we're just not
sure about yet, where we should live and
what we'll be doing.
That's really open and in the Lord's control.
It would be good if you could pray
that we would do what God wants us
to do.
I'm really thankful for the two years I've
been here and the things that the Lord's
shown me, that He has been really faithful.
Even when we're suspicious and we're scared of
what God is leading us into, it's been
really good to know that He does understand
us.
What God does for us is what's best
for us.
It's not just something that we have to
put up with.
If we follow the Lord, that's my experience,
if I follow in His way, whatever happens,
because that's what's best for me.
I'm so thankful for that.
Amen.
Good challenge for jogging as well as living
the Christian life.
I think many of us have been praying
for the son of Pastor Forrester.
It's been a terrible accident.
I think many of you are more informed
than I am, since I'm in and out
of Bromley.
Yesterday was over in Wales on a pastor's
missions day.
Also had a very good time with Graham
Scott, Ray and Diana Anderson, and their son,
as you know, was also in an accident.
The lady was killed, who their son hit.
I saw David yesterday.
Nothing much has happened in their pending court
case and all that kind of thing.
They would ask special prayer.
They really feel it's God's time to move
into Bromley.
Ray and Diana joined OM in January, and
he's already had really a very significant ministry,
especially counseling ex-OMers, and also some of
the people that write to me with very
heavy situations that I cannot possibly jump in
the car and drive out to West Country
and speak to.
He's very motivated in this work, both he
and his wife, working together as a team.
She's doing the secretarial work.
But they really feel it is God's time
to move to London.
All the children are happy about it.
A church in the States had called him
to be a pastor there, sort of a
Brethren Assembly type thing.
He's gone there at their expense and explained
that that's not the Lord's mind for them.
So that's resolved.
So if any of you see a house
for a family of three children, somewhat grown
up, and Diana and Ray could live, let
us know right away.
They'd like to move in this summer and
be with us.
He will be here teaching, I think, the
end of May, when I'm up in the
north at a conference near Penrith.
They will be here.
Let's be in prayer for Nigel's visit.
Nigel has an unbelievable schedule.
So the fact that he's giving a couple
of days to us I think is quite
significant.
Let's really come prepared for that.
Can anybody share about Pastor Forrester's son?
I don't think we know of any chain
of choice.
Someone said that he'd been taken off his
life support machine.
As a matter of fact, he's had to
be on one.
So there have been rumors.
He's taking out intensive care because they don't
think they can do anything more for him.
It's just that they don't know what they're
waiting for.
And is it true that two other people
were killed in this accident?
No, he was on his own.
Just around the corner here, a three-year
-old.
And no one else was hurt?
I think he was overtaking another car.
Went into a wall and on his own.
Well, it's good to just somehow get some
of the facts.
What's his name again?
Mike Forrester.
Mike.
It happened to Nora about a week ago,
at least now, isn't it?
Two weeks.
Let's just pray.
We know many, many people are praying for
this.
There are so many cases.
Those of us involved with a lot of
people, almost every day we have something like
this from someone we know.
Not quite this bad, but, you know, between
cars and cancer and heart attacks and other
things.
We find ourselves sometimes like a boxer in
a ring, except that we're lightweight, and the
boxer seems to be in the heavyweight class.
Fortunately, we have a shield we can hold
up instead of taking all the blows direct.
But it must be a tremendous, tremendous test
for the Forrester family and the Assembly of
God Church at this time.
Let's pray.
Father, we pray for Michael.
This is a mystery.
It's already two weeks.
So many have prayed, and he doesn't seem
to be improving.
We know that we, as human beings, are
subject to accidents as Christians, similar to non
-Christians.
The rain comes on the just and the
unjust.
Father, maybe you're allowing this to shake some
people out of spiritual naiveness.
Maybe you're challenging our faith.
Maybe it's both.
Lord, we do pray that your healing hand
would be upon this dear one, and we
pray, Lord, that you'd give discernment and wisdom
to all those that are involved.
We have seen miraculous cases of people in
comas come out and live normal lives.
We've also seen some go to be with
you.
Lord, give those who are much closer involved
in this the right faith, the right prayers,
and guide us in our many, many relationships,
and also our burden to prevent accidents within
our own fellowship, as we have had our
share across the world.
We have so many vehicles, and we really
look to you for our own mechanics department,
which is short, and when that department is
short, it will affect the state of the
vehicles, and we just pray and commit that
to you.
In Jesus' name, amen.
I'd like to just pass this out.
Some of you may not be interested.
This is the USA prayer letter.
I'm going to refer to it.
We'd like every other one to take one,
and then whoever feels interested can keep it.
Some of you are not interested in keeping
such things, and I don't have enough, but
I'd like us just to have a few
minutes of prayer.
A lot of work goes into producing this
letter.
A lot of money goes into getting it
into the post.
This is the USA letter, which takes weeks
to get there.
I've already finished the June letter.
It's already telexed out.
May 5th is the deadline date, David Hicks,
and the new New Jersey Communications Department has
given me.
I missed them two months ago, and so
you'll see that Nepal letter is actually a
little late because it got there one day
late, so they put it in the next
month.
For you, that will seem a bit out
of date, but that's the problem with the
system over there.
Here in England, we don't have that so
much, but I'd like us just to pray
for several things.
I, at that month, was pushing my Big
Father.
I offered it free in Britain, or maybe
for a donation.
I saw that came out in Canada.
I notice in the States they're selling it.
It doesn't matter, but let's pray that we
get a response to that.
Don't think many people write in as a
result of that, even though it's more artistic
than perhaps in the past, especially in the
States.
If we got 50 write-ins for that
book, it would be an encouragement, and that's
a mailing list of 15,000 plus.
In fact, the mailing list is getting so
big, New Jersey's asking for a new computer,
which is giving some of us a mild
migraine, because, as you know right now, OM
is back in its traditional May financial blues.
Then I'd like you to pray for the
USA Conference mentioned there, June 3rd through 7th,
in First Federated Church in Des Moines.
I'd like you to pray about the hotline,
the USA hotline.
They have only five years behind us in
Britain, putting this in.
It's better than ours, in that after people
hear the prayer request, they speak.
This comes out on the computer eventually, and
I get a copy, so I'm getting all
this feedback from the people who call into
the prayer phone, including sometimes personal greetings.
Quite interesting.
Then you can read the little statement I
made about computerization, and pray for the ongoing
challenge of computerization.
In addition, let's really thank God, especially for
people so gifted in this area that God
has given us, including a couple right here
in Bromley, Bob Creighton and Ron Tenney.
Looks like Brian Bounds, is his last name?
Burnett.
Brian Burnett.
In God's providence, he's going to be staying
with us another year, so he's gone over
to Mosbach.
It's amazing the way the Lord can crumble
up some people's plans.
We don't pray this way much, but we
thank the Lord, I just wrote Brian, for
his providence in these things.
Well, there's other prayer requests there, but we're
lacking time, so let's have several people pray
just brief prayers, anything you gleam from that
little around the world, out of New Jersey,
on especially the items that I mentioned.
Items of praise there as well, Easter results
in Mexico.
Praise the Lord.
Several people, just quickly pray.
Lord, we pray on the perennial problem, the
problem of finance.
OM needs money, needs more money, and still
needs more money to take your word in
the way in which we wish to do
it, through your Holy Spirit, to the places
where your word is needed.
So we pray that our main consideration may
not be a burden of finance, but that
the finance will be there.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
Lord, we just pray for this GBA project
of books.
We thank you for the response in this
country.
We also want to just pray now for
the whole question of where are we going
to store these 50 tons, which the ship
doesn't want until November.
We do pray that you might guide us
in our desire to find a solution to
this present problem.
Father, we pray for Alfie Franks and for
his family.
We do pray that during this time in
Carolina they might be refreshed and renewed.
There would not be a lot of pressure
from family problems and difficulties.
And we do pray that you would reveal
your perfect timing for Alfie to go to
America and to have this heart operation.
We wait upon you.
We pray that you would tell us all
the details of the puzzle together.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
Praise the Lord.
I'd like to just say a word about
prayer rooms this day because some people have
asked me if prayer rooms this day is
Thursday all over the world, why are we
moving it to Tuesday here?
I might say from the beginning, I don't
think India moved their prayer rooms this day.
They had one before the rest of Europe.
And the main thing is not that we
have it all on Thursday.
That is a fact there.
But each country has its freedom to decide
other factors.
It's good for me because I can sometimes
get in in two different prayer rooms this
day.
I was with the Arab team yesterday morning
before going off to Wales.
But the leaders have discussed this here quite
at length.
We're dealing with so many issues.
I don't know if you realize just how
many things we are dealing with and we
have convictions about, sometimes too many convictions.
But after a lot of prayer and discussion,
it seems that Tuesday is a better day.
So let's run with that and make this
day next Tuesday really count.
I'd like to just share some burdens.
I don't think I've in the last 10
years read, 25 years, read a sermon.
But I'm going to read one this morning.
I don't know if it's a call.
I don't call it a sermon.
But I'm working on this as a possible
memo to go around the world and I
want to just read it to you, try
to put a little message, challenge into it.
You know, I used to think there were
just one or two of God's graduate schools.
One certainly is marriage.
And I think when we have people testifying
like Kevin about launching out into marriage in
the summer, we should get their pictures and
get them to the top of our prayer
list as quickly as possible.
Because it is the biggest step you take
in your life.
Often much bigger than the decision to accept
Christ.
We always hear people say it's the biggest
decision next to accepting Christ.
Well, of course, accepting Christ in terms of
eternity eclipses all decisions, right?
But on a practical level, marriage, you see,
is equally large.
Now, with Jesus, a lot of people seem
to accept him and then a couple of
months later, a year later, they reject him.
And don't think, don't get this lopsided idea
that when someone's been on OM, they go
off, they can't turn away from Christ.
Not just OM people who sometimes turn away
from Christ.
We know those people, right?
They're our friends.
But many, many people turn.
Many of these leaders of the Christian Union
years later turn away from Christ.
It's just part of the spiritual warfare.
You know, one set of people may have
a statistic this high, another that high.
And I, of course, in indirect contact with
thousands and thousands of people, of course, pick
up more bad news, perhaps, than some of
you because I gravitate toward bad news on
the basis of the principle of the 99.
If 99 people are going well, you know,
no problem.
That's why some of you, you and I
have never had any fellowship because, you know,
if you're going well and pressing on and
you feel you haven't got anything to bother
me with, great, you know, run the race.
Because there's plenty of people to talk to,
plus I like to talk to people who
don't have problems as well, you know, like
Neil.
It is quite normal for people to come
to Christ and then after a period of
time somehow they drift away.
Thousands of these people have made decisions for
Christ and Billy Graham, Luis Palau are drifting
away right now.
Thousands.
And this is very hard for some people
to understand.
It was hard for me.
It came early.
125 people came to Christ in just one
of my meetings.
You all heard that as part of my
testimony.
I don't always tell it.
Probably at least 50% of them, you
know, within a year were gone.
They weren't following Christ.
Parental pressure, cultural pressure, every kind of insinuation
you can imagine.
I do usually make a statement about that
in my testimony, that many of these people,
not all these people went on.
Many do go on.
But you know, when we're married, even after
several months or several years, there's no provision
for rejecting your wife or your husband and
then going off and doing your own thing.
Unfortunately, some people also do that.
And it's probably the great, probably one of
the greatest struggles the church is faced with
today.
There's not a church that is not wrestling
with the divorce issue among believers.
I've never known hardly a church, maybe a
real small one somewhere just being born.
And it's often done behind closed doors and
people don't know what's happening.
And praise the Lord.
A lot of times these marriages are rescued
and wonderful things take place.
We know also that God is able to
work and forgive and there's reconstruction and wonderful
things happen after there has been marital breakdown.
Another thing I was thinking of and I'm
sure Nigel Lee will touch on this in
God's graduate school is that no matter how
much we give you in terms of truth,
exhortation, messages, memos, so much truth is coming
out here in the course of one year.
Count the books and the tapes.
No matter how much we give you, you
can only get part of your spiritual growth
while you're here in one year.
Because everybody has a limited absorption rate.
The problem here isn't mainly not enough being
given out.
Of course we'd like more to give out.
We want to stay up late nights.
The problem is how much can you absorb
where you are now mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
Some of you are already oversaturated.
For your spiritual age you've been overexposed and
oversaturated.
I've seen it happen in O.M. And
when you leave there's bound to be adjustments.
Don't be frightened by those adjustments.
That's absolutely normal.
We have had top Christian leaders not just
in O.M. but from other mission groups
when they have left their group and gone
into a whole new job or a new
area, of course there have been bumps and
bounces.
That is absolutely normal.
But I was thinking this morning as I
was thinking about this message which I put
together some time ago, that another one of
the spiritual graduate schools is the graduate school
of attitudes.
As our behavior gets more controlled by the
Holy Spirit and we learn more of holiness,
righteousness, and godliness, God starts zeroing in on
our attitudes.
Long after the outward things may be improving,
we wrestle with attitudes.
And I think this is a thing that
really has shocked me at times even about
Christian leaders, even leaders within O.M., is
the attitudes, the wrong attitudes that sometimes come
in.
And it's on that basis that I wrote
this little message out.
Again and again in the scriptures we see
the importance of unity.
We even see greater importance put on love
and all that it should mean in terms
of practical reality as outlined in 1 Corinthians
13.
If we have time, I'd like to read
that because certainly that's the passage that so
deals with attitude.
The title of this little message is Keeping
a Positive Attitude Toward the Other O.M.
Field or the Other O.M. Work.
1 Corinthians 13 and of course many other
passages.
Certainly it is not honoring to God when
we have a wrong attitude or when we
make a harsh or negative statement about another
brother's work.
Whether it be in O.M. or it
be out of O.M. I've shared in
the past about the need for maintaining a
right attitude toward other Christian organizations even when
there are things that we don't particularly understand
or agree with.
Now I wish to deal with maintaining the
right attitude toward other parts of O.M.
You know, this is especially important for us
because it is possible when you're in the
I.C.T. side of this little conglomeration
to get a wrong attitude toward S.T
.L. And it's possible when you're in the
S.T.L. side to get a wrong
attitude toward I.C.T. And it's even
possible to get a wrong attitude toward other
departments.
When you're in one department in S.T
.L. the culprit can be the other department
in S.T.L. And then what about
Manchester?
What about the Arab team?
And what about friends from abroad?
Of course our contact is limited.
The more limited the contact sometimes the easier
it goes because you just don't know anything
so how can you comment?
But in I.C.T. we are very
closely linked with Manchester.
And we need a right attitude toward that
part of the work.
And then of course many different fields around
the world.
We've had O.M. leaders come here to
Bromley and actually from other fields and actually
go a bit offended.
I haven't heard anything lately.
Praise the Lord.
But this is such a fast-moving conglomerate
of people.
It is easy to come here and somehow
just not quite feel a warm loving reception.
It just it can change literally from one
day to the next depending on people's moods
depending on the workload.
And I think that's far more positive about
this in Bromley than it would be negative.
But it's an ongoing enormous ongoing challenge.
And I can't stress enough just the importance
of the first encounter we have with people.
Whoever they are maybe you think they're loony.
Maybe you think they don't belong here.
Maybe you think they're sponging off the O
.M. whatever fat cow that's getting skinny.
That doesn't excuse us for a wrong attitude.
Here are some of the dangers and mistakes
we make in this area where we need
to ask God for greater wisdom grace and
discipline.
First of all listening then basing our judgment
on half-truths.
This happens probably everyday here and around the
world.
We're all limited in time and so it
is not always easy to get all the
facts before we make some statement about a
particular field or work or I could add
person.
Sometimes these half-truths especially if there's a
negative factor affect people's decisions as to whether
they should even go to that field.
Keep in mind bad news travels quicker than
good news.
And I know of cases where people have
decided just like that not to go to
a particular O.M. field maybe the Arab
world maybe India on the basis of one
conversation.
Talk about real objective decision making.
Number two the problem of the pinched recruit.
So cold.
Quite a few of the O.M. leaders
meetings get rather warm as Peter Maiden shared
with me the other day when we were
having lunch together.
As a leader maybe we had someone we
thought was coming to fill a strategic position
on our team or field.
Then later we find out he's going somewhere
else.
We may feel that someone has pinched our
man our disciple.
There are many problems connected with this and
sometimes they are linked with the recruit who
may give a number of leaders the idea
that he's definitely moving in their direction.
After all he would like to have several
doors open.
There are games leaders play and there are
games the recruits play.
And we don't mean to play games but
sometimes it happens that way.
Sometimes this happens without us knowing all that's
going on simultaneously.
Don't we all sometimes read things into people's
words?
Communication problems.
Sometimes it is just a basic misunderstanding and
other times of course people change their minds.
People have the right to change their minds
and dear brothers that are planning to get
married wives have a great extra privilege to
change their minds.
Number three a need to take a real
interest in other fields.
This is a positive thing.
So easily we get caught up with our
own work and our own vision.
And let's face it this often can be
connected with our own ego and our own
emotional needs.
It's not all just objective Christ-centered spirit
-controlled service.
As God is merciful with us you're all
hoping for that so we should be merciful
with others at the same time how good
it would be for all of us to
have a real interest in the other person's
work and the other person's problem and try
to develop a real balanced view of actually
what is happening.
This will mean that we can avoid both
generalizations as well as dogmatism in terms of
what we think and say about another aspect
of the work.
Number four this is a plea for involved
intercession where we realize the truth of that
statement of God's word when it says where
one member suffers we all suffer and as
one rejoices we all rejoice.
Let us learn how to really sense in
our inner being that the victory of a
work in another field or out of OM
is our victory.
It is our victory.
It is sometimes we can be involved in.
It's something we can be involved in.
We should not detach ourselves just because maybe
we feel that person doesn't have an interest
in what we are doing.
We can't say well when you get interested
in STL those of you trying to plant
churches in Turkey then we are going to
become interested in Turkey.
That's not how the Christian life works.
Now we would like all these people around
the world to be interested in STL and
I'm trying to promote that.
Others are trying to promote that.
We once sent a letter about STL to
every worker in India challenging them getting them
to pray and consider coming here as a
recruit.
It's something we can get involved in.
Surely we must never detach ourselves because of
some small disagreement or some hurt that may
have been inflicted on us we think by
the leader of that field or by the
corporate efforts or mistakes of whatever in that
particular field.
We go without knowing it as Christians sometimes
on emotional strikes.
We don't go on outward real pickets.
Maybe someday it would be good if a
group here marched in front of STL with
little picket signs.
We are picketing.
Devotions are getting too long.
We are picketing against pressure to go to
prayer meetings.
You know one of the great miracles here
every area needs improvement is that management gets
on with the workers.
We're all one.
I think the fact that we get the
same salary is a help.
The danger in Christian work of course is
that we can go on an emotional picket.
We can turn people off.
We can turn sections of OM off.
We can avoid people that we maybe find
we're not relaxed in their presence.
The failures, mistakes and the sins of other
fields are an opportunity for us to really
put into practice what we are constantly preaching
about in terms of revolutionary love and Calvary
Road.
Number five, openness and honesty but with esteem
and love.
Every once in a while you see people
get on the honesty binge.
It happens in OM because there is a
strong emphasis on honesty but you know honesty
without esteem and love can become very ugly.
We've been discussing that in our family lately
and come up on some interesting conclusions that
I wish I had understood 20 years ago.
If we sense something is going on in
another field then in love and esteem we
should go to the person or persons involved
sharing prayerfully with them.
If we are going to write someone about
something especially if it's fairly negative or at
least for the first letter it should be
confidential and without necessarily carbon copies.
A lot of agony goes on in OM
because of carbon copies of heavy negative letters
that implicate other people or insinuate things.
It seems to me that is the method
of Matthew chapter 18.
This needs wisdom as other times when it
is purely a practical item it doesn't necessarily
have any sinful or negative factors involved.
There's nothing wrong with carbon copies going out
to various people involved as soon as possible.
Number six, beware of the scapegoat mechanism.
Sometimes because of our closeness in working together
it is easy to blame the other field
or the other office for some of our
problems.
This happens in ICT STL the scapegoat mechanism.
This couldn't possibly be our fault.
It can happen in relationship with our vehicles.
The mechanics are the great scapegoat.
It's never our driving it's that this vehicle
was not in perfect condition.
The windshield wiper was hiccuping or the seat
was loose and caused you to drive into
the tree Of course, if anybody needs prayer
in operation mobilization it must be the mechanics
without which all of us would be hindered
in our work.
Apart from perhaps people like Phillip and Rosemary
Morris neither of whom have licenses and go
by public transport.
They are the exception and I'm sure they
travel in OM vehicles at times as well.
Now, this is the problem in reading the
message as you can be aware I have
seldom done this and I'm not doing too
well and I've lost my place.
Beware of the scapegoat mechanism.
Point six.
Sometimes because of our closeness and working together
it is easy to blame the other field.
This may seem to release some pressure.
Emotionally it does.
It's just like swearing.
I wish as a Christian at times I
could engage in swearing.
It's a terrific release but it's not God's
way.
Now, the world has certain releases that we
don't have and don't think the people in
the world don't get some help.
They don't get saved through this.
They get deeper actually but they get temporary
release from some of the crazy things that
they do that we don't feel are right.
And of course we repress things and sometimes
it becomes worse than swearing.
I mean, I don't know whether you want
to swear or have an ulcer.
Personally I don't want either one.
But this means we have to at times
talk these things out.
It may release some pressure, this kind of
scapegoat mechanism but ultimately it doesn't glorify God.
Number seven, subtle jealousy.
Yes, even among God's workers subtle jealousy can
come in without us even realizing it.
Emotionally we can be competing with another field.
Our approach to this based on the Word
of God is something that is not known
very well or much in the world very
much in the world in which we live.
We know clearly from Scripture that God hates
jealousy and that we must not be motivated
by any jealousy or envy in the work
of God.
Contrary, we're told to outdo one another in
good works.
And then number eight, the need to recognize
unity and experience unity even in the midst
of diversity.
Another field may not be wrong in a
particular issue just different from us.
In OM we must be ready for a
wide range of differences in terms of strategy,
organization, outlook, philosophy and even to some degree
our goals.
And if we could understand that I think
we could go not only a long way
in greater unity with other entities within OM
but those of other fellowships and other organizations
and churches and all the rest, all the
different parts of the body of Christ.
And then lastly to legitimately be involved in
recruiting for the other field and mobilizing prayer
for the other field.
It can be such a healthy balance, such
a great tonic in this ongoing struggle.
As we practice generosity in all that we
can be and all that we can do
being sure God will almost always continue to
be very generous with us in more ways
than we can ever imagine.
In closing I would like to ask that
you put this memo or outline in a
place where you won't lose it rather that
you would take it and prayerfully look it
over, perhaps putting different scripture references to some
of these points, asking the Holy Spirit to
lead and guide you as to what your
actions should be both now and in the
months to come.
Very much standing with you for ongoing unity
and victory throughout every field across the world.
Let's pray.
Father, you know our own hearts.
You know the struggles we've had in O
.M. and this area as we are a
movement consisting of some 30 or 40 different
nations, each one an individual entity, each one
a degree of difference in philosophy, strategy, vision.
All of them looking for recruits, people to
carry their vision and their burden forward.
All of them battling to get the finance
needed to get more literature and vehicles and
films and everything else that's needed to get
the job done.
So we don't feel, our father, that this
will be an easy road as we go
forward together, as we increase our sensitivity toward
the other field, the other group, the other
person.
As we learn to grow into maturity, we
know, Lord, some of these same principles apply
on a personal basis toward the other person
who's living with us or that person that
we may even get married to.
And we pray that in the midst of
all of our strong convictions that we may
be large of heart and large of mind
so that we will develop a Christ-centered
and a proper attitude toward other people and
other groups.
And, Lord, you know, we'll fail.
These goals are so high, we're destined to
fail and even sin against you.
But, Lord, we will repent and we will
bounce back and take up the cross and
follow you again.
Help us, Father, in our attitude also toward
ourselves as well as others, for we pray
in Jesus' name.
Amen.