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Shalom!
Who knew that the weather would be so bad in beautiful Paris? Due to heavy snowfall, our team was stuck in Paris an extra 4 hours. Fortunately our team remained strong and determined to endure this delay with a positive attitude. It was refreshing for both PJ and I to greet them at the airport. They arrived at 1:15am and we got back to the home by 3am. We began with a time of prayer of thanksgiving, followed by a time of worship, followed by a late dinner/early breakfast. Then from 4am onwards, we have been unpacking our team gear, resorting, reorganizing according to ministry (+ministry prep for arts and crafts) and then from 6:15-6:45 we will have team devotional, then leave for Mopti at 7am. Ron, could you fill people in on what/where Mopti is? It’ll be a long day of traveling, so please pray for traveling mercy to be upon us. It is currently 5:37am, so we don’t have much time before devotionals + departure! so i must get back!
Oh, in case i didn’t mention, everyone got here in one piece, safe and sound.
much love from Mali,
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Ron: MOPTI is a village along the Niger River; a full day journey from the school base in BAMAKO ; and the starting point of where the river ministry will begin. The “road” taken from Bamako to Mopti, although described as both “paved” and unpaved, all feels the same – unbearably bearable at best.
The Spiritually Vigorous Saint
(from: ”My Utmost for His Highest”)
(by: Oswald Chambers)
…that I may know Him… – Philippians 3:10
A saint is not to take the initiative toward self-realization, but toward knowing Jesus Christ. A spiritually vigorous saint never believes that his circumstances simply happen at random, nor does he ever think of his life as being divided into the secular and the sacred. He sees every situation in which he finds himself as the means of obtaining a greater knowledge of Jesus Christ, and he has an attitude of unrestrained abandon and total surrender about him. The Holy Spirit is determined that we will have the realization of Jesus Christ in every area of our lives, and He will bring us bak to the same point over and over again until we do. Self-realization only leads to the glorification of good works, whereas a saint of God glorifies Jesus Christ through his good works. Whatever we may be doing- even eating, drinking, or washing disciples’ feet- we have to take the initiative of realizing and recognizing Jesus Christ in it. Every phase of our life has its counterpart in the life of Jesus. Our Lord realized His relationship to the Father even in the most menial task. “Jesus, knowing… that He had come from God and was going to God, … took a towel… and began to wash the disciples’ feet…”(John 13:3-5).
The aim of a spiritually vigorous saint is “that I may know HIm…” Do I know Him where I am today? If not, I am failing Him. I am not here for self-realization, but to know Jesus Christ. In Christian work our initiative and motivation are too often simply the result of realizing that there is work to be done and that we must do it. Yet that is never the attitude of a spiritually vigorous saint. His aim is to achieve the realization of Jesus Christ in every set of circumstances.