Steady Courage

Here is Michelle, today age 20, holding one of the puppies.

Lucy called us from Guatemala so that Michelle could talk to us. It is her 20th birthday and as many times as we have come to the states and attempted to talk to Michelle back in Guatemala this is the first time she ever responded vocally. It was a blessing.

Aroldo emailed to say that there is another girl in need of dialysis so she will be coming to Casa in March. I told Aroldo to begin looking for another machine. So we will have two new kidney patients when we return. That will give us another 2 girls to live in the addition.

Sunday morning and evening we will minister at Peace Haven Baptist Church in Yadkinville, NC.

Paul tells us in Philippians 2 and 4 that a man named Epaphroditus who was ill but yet both a fellow worker and a fellow soldier came to him while he was imprisoned in Rome. In fact Paul writes in 4:18 that Epaproditus brought Paul “the things sent from you  an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable and well pleasing to God” and then he follows that verse with one that has become the foundation for many Christians. V9 “My God shall provide your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus”. This comment was made to Epaphroditus and carried back to the church in Philippi.

To Paul anyone who was a true soldier was a person of great courage. It takes courage to obey orders. What would happen in battle if every soldier did what he “feeled like”? Over my years of ministry I have had my own children do what they felt like doing and also many of the children here at Casa have made decisions based on their feelings. I have had many co-workers who were at one time faithful to helping us who simply walked away due to their feelings. Pastors see this constantly in their congregations where feelings control folks rather than the steadfast courage of soldiers.

The Celts threw 200,000 men into a battle against 15,000 Roman soldiers and they lost. They were helter-skelter and rushed head long into the battle. There was no coordination and the Romans stood as one. During the English-Scottish wars the English used bayonets which they thrust at the man in front of them. They soon learned that the enemy to their left would swing his broad sword at the soldier to his left. So the leadership decided that every English soldier was to thrust his bayonet at the man attacking not directly in front of him but to his left. This took tremendous courage on the part of each soldier as he depended on his fellow soldier on his right to stab the soldier in front of him

Courage as a Christian means you can depend on the other Christians standing with you to do their job in battle.

More tomorow