Men and Young Men of Faith OPC in Prayer This WeekendThe Puritans used to speak of refusing to lay unpolished stones into the super structure of the living temple of the Lord. This refers to their desire for pastors and elders to do their work well, to pastor well so that men and women are being polished by the Word, Prayer, the Sacraments and shepherding care.
This weekend around 20 men and young men--their sons--are gathering for prayer at a nearby Bible camp center. This will be our fourth year doing this.
We're going to prayer, this first full week of 2010, so that God's Spirit may polish His stones for His building purposes.
It will be different combinations of topics, times, places and gatherings. This is not a teaching occasion but concentrated times of corporate and private prayer, and hearing the Lord's Word read, and then, back to prayer.
Would you remember these brethren gathering for prayer?
May there be the genuine pursuit of God and His purpose. He is the Lord. He is mighty. Man must come underneath His banner of grace, truth and love.
May the Lord polish all of His living stones--from the pastor to every man and boy in the pew.
Bunyan said it well, We must pray until we have prayed.
G. Mark Sumpter
TAKE A WALK IN THE STREETS AGAIN IN YOUR MIND AMERICA…REALLY BEAUTIFUL? SO MANY UNKIND THE HOMES WITH PAIN, AND VARIED WITH NEED, EDUCATION, BUSINESS, AND GOVERNMENT GREED BIO-ETHICS, SAME-SEX UNIONS, GUNS AND DEATH PASTORS AND PORNOGRAPHY, KIDS AND METH IS JESUS REALLY RULING? REIGNING? WHERE IS HIS CHURCH? I THINK SO….I SURELY HOPE SO… WE’RE ALL IN A LURCH. IS THERE ANYTHING TO TRUST AT THE END OF THE DAY? WHERE CAN I GO, WHERE CAN I TURN, WHAT CAN I SAY?Jesus is addressing faith in John 14:12-following, “Truly, Truly, I say to you, He who believes in Me the works that I do, He will do also….” What is faith? Is it being positive about life? Is it an ability that faith itself has? Maybe it’s a quality that triggers the can-do work of God? What is this thing, faith?Faith is the instrument, the means that God has appointed by which He places the gift of salvation and its fruit into our hands. More than a placement into our hands; it is the reality and security of being united to Jesus Christ. It is being in Him, and He being in us!What is this salvation? What fruit? It’s the saving person and the saving fruit of the person and work of Jesus Christ. By the means of faith, He gives us Jesus Christ. It’s Christ being ours and at the same time Christ quickening us to abandoned fleshly works.In having Jesus, our God provides the Holy Spirit (vss. 17-18), by Whom and through Whom there is fruitfulness. Please note the fruit as displayed in the Book of Acts.Why fret over the world and its fruit? Our Master told us, Let not your heart be troubled. Let us go from faith to faith: asking, claiming, yielding, repenting, trusting and stepping out.G. Mark Sumpter
