Pestilence Confronted: Therefore, Do Not Be Anxious…

This week I am traveling in Chattanooga, Tennessee visiting the CBMC USA headquarters for prayer, fellowship, discussions and collaboration planning. The airports are still quite slow and many shops closed due to Covid. It is a sight I hope I never see again in my life. Conversations are still dominated by the virus and its many disruptions, and this week people are also quietly and carefully discussing the outcomes (and possible ones) from the USA elections held last week. It is like a double dose of anxiety for many people I think. On the positive side is the news that a Covid vaccine is coming in record time.

These life situations can bring ups and downs in unexpected ways. They are also a reminder that if our happiness and hope rest upon the things of the world, we will suffer anxiety.

In his masterful discourse on truth known as the “Sermon on the Mount” (Matthew 5-7), Jesus emphatically declares (commands) “do not be anxious about your life” (Matthew 6:25-34). Wow! Jesus teaches that it is utterly pointless to be and allow oneself to enter into any level of concern or anxiety about this life. Okay, I agree with you that what Jesus is saying is not going to be easy to achieve. A big challenge is because of the fact that we are called to live a kind of “amphibious life” (D. Bonhoeffer) by being in the world but not of it; in the flesh yet walking by faith in the Spirit. So what does Jesus recommend we do to stay calm, enjoying the peace of Christ?

Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things (things you lack, things out of place, things not going your way) will be added (given, made right, sorted out) unto you.

In other words: practice telling God about your every concern in prayer, read His word daily, use the full privilege of your local church community to hear the wisdom and encouragement of your pastor and your brothers and sisters in Christ. These are elements of the kingdom of God available to all of us today.

Blessings,
Jim

Global Prayer Points

As we seek to see our marketplace transformed by the Gospel, join us in prayer this week for the following requests from our Global Leadership. 

Africa: Pray for greater Kingdom impact through CBMC in Kasoa, Ghana and for our CBMC Nigeria brothers and sisters during this difficult time of unrest. Pray for the translation teams working on translating Operation Timothy into Portuguese and Arabic.

Asia/Pacific: Pray for the translation of Operation Timothy to Khmer, the language of Cambodia.

Europe: Specific prayer requests can be sent to [email protected]

Latin America: Pray for good follow-up from the Transcende 2020 virtual conference hosted last month by CBMC Mexico and the speakers from Latin America.
 
North America: Pray for establishing an e-CBMC (next generation) in North America Korean CBMC. Pray that Christian leaders would take the challenge to lead other leaders who need Jesus.

If you have a prayer request, please send an email to CBMC International.