Last Tuesday it was my honor to present devotions in school right after flag raising. The theme for the week was the courage of the Christian. I was asked to share from Acts 4:23-31. That is the passage right after Peter and John are forbidden by the Jewish Sanhedrin to speak in the name of Jesus.When they were released, they returned to the other disciples and reported to them what had happened. Those disciples lifted up their voices together in prayer and asked the Lord for boldness to speak His word (vs 29)!
We are getting close to Mardi Gras time. Mardi Gras is not all fun and games and partying here, though it might look like that to some. Mardi Gras is a time when the people who practice voodoo dance in the streets celebrating the fact that Jesus was killed. They celebrate it as a victory of Satan over Jesus.
I encouraged the students to pray for boldness to counter that lie this coming week during Mardi Gras. Another part of Acts 4 (vss 27 & 28) states quite clearly that when Herod, Pilate and the Romans and the Jewish leaders crucified Christ, they were just doing what God had purposed from the beginning to do. Jesus said (John 10:17 & 18) that he give his life up of his own accord. I encouraged the students that when they saw the Mardi Gras bands celebrating Satan's victory in Christ's death they should remind people that Christ's death was a victory of Christ over sin and death, not of Satan over Jesus. Pray for the students and for all of us at HAFF that we might be given this boldness to speak the good news!
1 comment:
Greeting to you, Connie, and the Staff, I really enjoy your web, both your reports and the pictures. I have been so busy these past couple years, a long story, but I finally got back to my book after making a CD of my father's remembrances made from a tape recorder for his grandchildren. I gave it out to friends as well as family at Christmas as it spands almost a century of history
My book is ready to submit for publications in disc and book form to someone after I have it read for feedback by a few friends. Let me know if you would read it or anyone else.It was about my teaching the OT to Muslims and a course on Bible Literacy apprpriate for nonbeleivers. I just mentioned your mission in order to get the word out. Steve Henley has just retired in Florida half the year but reads your web also. I try to keep in touch with former missionaries and some of them are have passed away. Although I am only seventy and still going fairly strong it makes me feel old and apprecdiate those of you who are carrying on the work. I'll keep reading your letter. I also read the newsletter from Anne (no web?0 and enjoy it so give her special greetings. God bless you all.
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