Author Archives: mission127brookside

Introducing: Ebenezer Children’s Ministry

George Silvia and Leslie 012013
We want to introduce Ebenezer Children’s Ministry to all of our friends. They are way out in the bush of Uganda. George and Sylvia Kooli run this ministry. The children they take care of are wonderful. Though the children struggle with health problems from AIDS to Malaria and a host of other things that are a world away for most of us, they are filled with Joy. What a blessing to see these servants of God defending the fatherless. Even more, Ebenezer has recently expanded its influence for the kingdom by starting a school, that is already serving hundreds of children. And that is really only the tip of the iceberg of all God is using them to do.

We are excited about the work God is doing. Please pray for this ministry. Click on the image below about how you can help.

ebenezer-campaign-banner

Defend this. Debate this.

In the past 24 hours, many people have been festering over a question about the nature of the origins of the earth. We’ve defended our position, defended our expert. And yet all sides, when pushed, admit that they don’t really know the details. There’s no certainty. Which is, I suppose, why there’s so much talky talk talk.
But let me remind us all of something we know with certainty. Something that should make us stay up at night and ask ourselves, “What am I DOING?”
Creator God is defender of the fatherless. He is not a defender of your personal convictions. He defends what HE wants to defend. If you follow him, you defend what he defends. Isn’t it odd, that most times he didn’t even defend himself? He defends the fatherless, the helpless, the weak. And this doesn’t mean he posts about them on facebook, or “likes” this blog post. He literally takes care of them. Think about this. Take hope in this.
So how will you defend them, take up their cause? I hope you will debate THIS. How to best do it. Which kid to invest in. Which adoptive family to support financially. Which show you’ll give up to spend time in prayer instead. Instead of debating and defending yourself, consider defending who God defends.

Angel armies, huh?

Angel armies 

There is a song by Chris Tomlin that has a line that says, “the God of angel armies is always by my side.” As I sip my hot cocoa (I don’t drink coffee) early in the morning, I am comforted by this line. It is good to know that the God of the universe is always by my side. Even when I’m not doing much of anything, right?

Like when I’m brushing my teeth and thinking about my outfit, he is the general and I, the soldier, prepare for battle. Now I’m on my way downstairs to find out when the Michigan basketball game is on. Now I’m barking orders at the kids like a good drill sergeant. Now I’m hearing the baby cry and, like one honed on the skills of delegation, I decide to let her take this one. She needs to get up anyway. God eagerly awaits to charge out into the battlefields I am on today. The battalions of angels are standing at the ready to participate with me. Just look at them all! So eager and willing to go with me! Yes, it is so comforting to know that the God of angel armies is right by my side, following me around as I do all this…really important stuff.

What really hit me as I heard this song this morning is that for some of us, this song doesn’t apply whatsoever. God is NOT by my side. He is NOT interested in the stuff I’m doing. He is NOT standing beside someone who is angry, manipulative, selfish, greedy, and unkind. He is not standing by someone on the sidelines, playing it safe. I’m all alone over here. I’m out of touch with reality, with the battles that bring his ‘kingdom rule’ to bear. Do I really think the God of the universe is going to be with me in my battles to exercise selfishishness, complacency, anger, insecurity, and laziness? Now I’m not questioning the omnipresence of God. Of course he’s there. But the purpose of the words of Tomlin is to give strength to those who are actually in the battle. These are ones living with eyes of faith, engaging in God’s activity, fulfilling and bringing to fruition his kingdom and helping to “establish it with justice and righteousness.”

I have friends who are so battle worn in God’s fight for the fatherless that I can smell the depth and profundity of their allegiance to their general. People who are so set on his course of love that their victories lead me to rejoice. Even in their weakness and helpless situations I am made to stop and wonder at this God in whom they place their trust. The God of angel armies goes behind, he goes before, and he really does seem to always be at their side. And not because they get glory on earth. Far from it! You wouldn’t believe the words of venom spewed at God’s soldiers. But maybe you would.

So the next time I hear this song, I’m stopping to ask myself, “Am I doing and being a person whom the God of angel armies would align himself with? Am I even doing battle in his kingdom? Am I an instrument of his love, his peace, his justice, his righteousness?”

If I am, I’ll sing it strong, with all my soul. But if I’m not, this song isn’t a truth I can claim.

Someone is Crying

There it is. That face. One of my kids is crying again. Someone stole a toy, declined an offer to play a game, or my personal favorite, was bitten (by another kid). Kids cry at the drop of a hat around here. Its part of every day, every hour, at our home. It has become common place.

When I consider the reasons why my kids cry, it infrequently moves me to compassion. Now if someone takes a bad fall, then sure, I rush over and do what I can to console and help them feel the love of their father. But overall, I’ve grown immune to the tantrums, bickering, and attention grabbing cries that frequent my home. Its almost as if I’ve grown immune to the tears of children.

When you think about it, there are a lot of tears shed by children. But have you ever stopped and considered the reasons children cry? Tears are shed for any number of reasons, and as I’ve already mentioned, many aren’t worth consideration. But some carry a weight so heavy they shake the foundations of the earth. Some tears, if we understood them, would rip the heart right out of our chests. If we simply made ourselves aware, we’d break through walls, do anything, to take them away. But these tears are out of our view, perhaps never to be seen. They’re in orphanages, foster homes, and other places we scarcely frequent. It is these tears I wonder about. It is these tears I’m thinking about. Tears that go unnoticed.

Psalms 10:14 says God is the “helper of the fatherless” and he “considers their grief  and takes it in hand.” I read that 5 times and just pondered on it. This is the type of verse that fills me with so much hope and joy, and simultaneously punches me right in the gut. How have I never considered the grief of the orphan? How have I never wept in prayer over this cosmic injustice, these tears of the fatherless?!? Someone is crying, and I’m immune to it.

Graciously, God IS noticing those tears. Someone, even many someones, are out there this minute, crying tears that ought not be, and while no human is taking their grief into hand, God himself sees. Someone is crying, and God sees. Its time for me to wake up, to follow my Teacher’s heart, and to “see their grief and take it to hand.” Its time for me to run through some walls.

Pray:

“God, like you, I ache for children whose hearts are burdened by fatherlessnes. They cry tears of loneliness, pain, and rejection. Someone is crying, Lord, and you see their tears. Lift up their head. May you be their refuge. Guard them in the shadow of your wings. Show me what to do to reduce the number of tears that fall from these little eyes. Bring your love, your fathering life, to them, through your people and through me. In Jesus’ name.”

Orphans on Mount Sinai

Travel back in time with me to Mount Sinai. It’s about 1,400 years before Jesus was born, and the Jews are on their way to the Promised Land.
But first, God gives the Ten Commandments to His people (see Exodus 20:1-17), along with other instructions.  Chapters 21, 22 and 23 of Exodus provide additional commands that became part of the Law of Moses and the blueprint for Israel’s success in Canaan.
And so we come to this directive: ““Do not take advantage of the widow or the fatherless. If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry.” (Exodus 22:22-23)
The Israelites have just been liberated from slavery in Egypt. They are on their way to their new home in Canaan. And what is on God’s mind?  The plight of the fatherless!
There were over 1 million people in this divine caravan, and God is concerned about orphans, for certainly in a group of this size, there are children whose parents have died and are in need of special attention.
The point of these verses is simple: Over 3,000 years ago, God cared deeply about orphans and wanted His people to do the same.  May this ancient message be on our hearts and in our lives today.

Power of Numbers

What’s in a number?

How about the number 7.  As in, 7 Billion.

Can we even begin to wrap our minds around a number like that? According to the United States Census Bureau, the world population exceeded 7 billion on March 12, 2012.

I don’t know about you, but for me, a billion is too big of a number to grasp.

Let’s try another number.  Something smaller, like a million.  I’m not sure why, but that’s a number I can relate to. Things like:

Who wants to be a millionaire?
The million dollar question.
The Millionaire Next Door.
“I would have never thought of that in a million years.”

How big is 1 million?  If you were to count to 1 million by speaking one number out loud every 2 seconds, it would take 23 days.

Now that you have an idea of how big a million is, please consider this statistic: There are over 147 million orphans in the world.

Please think about that.  Even if just for a few seconds. Let the weight of that number take residence in your soul. The tragedy is 147 doesn’t represent empty numbers. 147 million represents precious souls. May it move you to reflect, to pray, to cry.  And then to act.