Waiting

Good evening to you again tonight from beacon Baptist Church on Pastor Michael Carnes, one of the elders here at beacon Baptist Church in thank you for joining us for lifestream service been doing this now for about two months and were encouraged to see some lighting of restrictions that have been going on in the hope that churches will be soon be able to start gathering again to some degree we talk at staff meeting today about some churches and pastors aware friends with and this past Sunday we know of two churches that met outside one under pavilion one in a parking lot and reading through the guidelines that's permissible as long as social distancing is practiced so we talked about that in our staff meeting about our situation here in believe that that would be a major pivot to quit doing over doing presently in trying to something different.

This is from everything we can perceive is working well for us. You are's tuning in and benefiting from these lifestream services and for those of you that haven't been able to do that for one reason or another. Perhaps a weak signal wherever your located you been going to the sermon audio website where their archive been able to watch the services later on. So you're getting the benefit there so well. We believe will continue to do this until I were able to begin to meet and were anticipating when that happens that there will be some still some restrictions in place so were planning and thinking forward and we will be ready as the Lord directs in this transition wherein but we are thankful for God in his grace and how he has sustained church and has sustained you and is fed us and kept us in the way over faith that will endure though press by many a foe of faith that always stands secure through every earthly woe that will not murmur nor complain beneath the chastening rod, but in the hour of grief or pain can lean upon its God of faith that shines more bright and clear when Tempest rage without that when in danger knows no fear in darkness feels no doubt a faith that keeps the narrow way to life's last spark is fled in with a pure and heavenly Ray lights up a dying bed. Lord, give me such a faith as this and then what air may come. I'll Tase in here the shallow bliss of an eternal home.

Words written by William Beth Hearst, who lived from 1796 to 1877 over faith that will endure when you join me as we look to the Lord for his blessing upon our gathering this evening. Our father and our God. We bow in your presence with humbleness of heart and also with confidence knowing that we have audience with you through your son, the Lord Jesus Christ, we come through his merit and we come because he has made us children of thine. We thank you that the entity is no longer a barrier that we are no longer your enemies.

We have been reconciled to you through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ Lord, we acknowledge that these are difficult days. These are days filled with uncertainty and power is easy to become anxious and to become worrisome and fearful in many around us are manifesting those symptoms. What an opportunity for the children of God to shine his light in this darkness and to have a word in season to speak to those who are outside of Christ, we thank you for your sustaining grace. We thank you for your keeping power. We thank you for the fact that you're the author and the finisher of our faith. And as we keep our eyes on Jesus, you promise to keep us in the way thank you father for ministering to our souls needs. Thank you for supplying our temporal needs. Thank you for the way in which you have met the needs of the members of beacon Baptist Church Lord we want to be careful to thank you for answered prayer and for the many tokens of your grace and power that we have known some of our people have been through the The Valley of the shadow of death, and you have been with them.

You have brought them through and they are still trusting you and we are grateful that your God, who has made promises to us. You begun a good work in us will continue it until the day of Jesus Christ. So thank you for this means of gathering to church together around the throne of God around the word of God, we come tonight to acknowledge our dependence upon you offer praise and worship to you to offer the the sacrifice of praise Lord we acknowledge that it is in you that we live and breathe and have our being that it is you who has given us life, it's you who has and is sustaining our lives. It's you who is given us new life in Christ and you are the same one who is keeping us by your grace. We thank you for the means of grace for the word of God and for the preaching of the word of God and how it is a means that you've given for us to feed upon Christ. So we pray our father that you would increase our hunger for righteousness you would increase our hunger and appetite for spiritual things that you would cause your word to live in our hearts tonight as we consider a vital subject.

It's on the minds of many people in our day.

We commit the service to you now and ask that you would own it and ask that you would bless it for the good of your people for the honor and glory of Christ Jesus our Lord, we pray. Amen. I will, I think, go ahead. In bringing the lesson tonight and then I'll transition into some missionary correspondences and then these in a prayer at the end of the service, but I would like to speak to you tonight on the subject of elements, the subject in a minute subject that's very much in the hearts of many people. It seems that the subject is at the end of human activity. It's what we do when we have exhausted our options and we have come to the end of ourselves and we do not know what else to do and it is the subject of waiting seems that authority has been invested in a certain number of people who are making decisions that are affecting everyone in the country and we don't get a say so in those decisions but we are expected to submit to the directives that are given so people are waiting, waiting for the virus to pass waiting for the danger to the dissipate waiting for the restrictions to be lifted in waiting is not an easy thing for us because waiting implies there is anything we can do. There is an anything we can do to change the circumstances where were stock, as it were, were between a rock and a hard place.

We have an anything else to do but wait and wait also carries a connotation of past 70 it can be discouraging when were called to wait and wait and wait and wait and nothing seems to change, but I want to take that subject waiting and I want to grounded in a biblical context because taking that subject just adding a couple of words, changes everything. Do not want to talk to about waiting on the Lord.

Waiting on the Lord you see by injecting on the Lord into the subject. It changes everything released onto as we wait on the Lord there's hope. There's confidence there is assurance there's were not left the passive motive we understand what waiting means in the Lord there's activity to be engaged in are things that we can be doing is where waiting on the Lord. So tonight I'd like to ground that subject waiting in Isaiah chapter 40 Isaiah chapter 40 and let me begin to read the verse 28 of Isaiah 40. Have you not known, have you not heard the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.

He gives power to the weak and to those who have no might he increases strength, even the use shall faint and be weary in the young men shall utterly fail, but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. Tonight as we consider the subject of waiting on the Lord. I have four questions.

Question number one. Why do we have to wait on the Lord motion number two why should we wait on the Lord.

Question number three. How do we wait on the Lord in question number four what is promised to those who wait on the Lord as I've Artie said waiting is not something that we do very well.

We don't like it seems to communicate inactivity. It's it's frustration. It's frustrating to us.

It's inconvenient. It's an annoyance lease.

We associate those things with waiting. But as we wait on the Lord.

That's a different subject altogether.

The context here in Isaiah chapter 40 is the northern kingdom is been carried off into captivity by the Assyrian army and kings inaccurate is come down and brought threatenings and has begun to recap, make on the southern kingdom of Judah and Israel and God.

In a miraculous way has delivered the nation in the middle of the night hundred and 85,000 Syrians are killed but Babylonian captivity is in the near future for the people and the prophet is writing to those who are facing very dire circumstances. There are dangers there is stress and they are real is one thing to say, well, let's just wait when there isn't some alarming concern but when there is danger pending imminent danger. There something about our nature. The wants to do something.

We've got to do something. We've got to spring into action and that's not what the prophet is not the word that the prophet has from God concerning the needs of the hour of the hour to wait on the Lord there's a complaint that's registered in verse 27 says, why do you say, oh, Jacob, and speak. Oh Israel my way is hidden from the Lord in my just claim is passed over by my God. The complaint is that God is hidden himself.

God is not a very present help in this hour of trouble. People have been considering and contemplating what they believed to be God's absence in the midst of these difficulties. The been wondering where God is. They've ask him why is not doing anything about their situation. Why hasn't taken up their cause, and again as I suggested when there is peril in danger imminent. We want we want not only to do something but we want God to do something for prone to activity do something, do anything. The Council that the people received from the prophet is to wait on the Lord wait on the Lord so the first question why do we have to wait on the Lord.

Again, we don't like to wait.

We want things to happen. We want things to happen now.

So why, why should we wait on the Lord because God has so ordered things and so structured things in this broken world that he wants us to look away from ourselves into our limited resources, and to trust him.

That's what God wants us to do and God wants us to wait upon him because God is able to do, wanted to things God is able to change our circumstances and remove the threat or God is able to change us and sustain us in the midst of the threat and we don't have the power to do either one.

So that's why we have to wait on the Lord. We have to wait on the Lord is honored and that way this not what the people wanted to hear. They wanted to hear some action plan but this is the action plan. Isaiah tells them to wait on the Lord now this is not a strange answer for its and answer the God has given to questioning and complaining people many times here's us just a small sampling of Scripture that speaks to the subject's on 27 verse 14 wait for the Lord be strong and take heart and wait. I say on the Lord's on 37 verse seven. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him. Do not fret when men succeed in their ways. When they carry out their wicked schemes. Psalm 37 verse 34 wait for the Lord and keep his way, he will exalt you to inherit the land when the wicked are cut off. You will see it. Isaiah 64 verse four since ancient times. No one is heard no ear has perceived no eye has seen any God beside you who acts on behalf of those who, what, who wait for him is a 64 four Habakkuk chapter 2 and verse three at the time, I have decided my words will come true.

You can trust what I say about the future. It may take a long time but keep on waiting. It will happen, and then one verse from Romans chapter 8 verse 23 the New Testament not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we do what as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

So again, the question why do we have to wait on the Lord because the answer to our dilemma. The solution to our situation lies outside of us.

We don't have the power we don't have the authority to change circumstances and we don't have the ability to change our own hearts. But God can do either or whichever he chooses to do whichever is in keeping with his will for us so that's the answer to why we have to wait on the Lord. Some say well it's not a very satisfactory answer I I would think there would be something more profitable for us to do well reveals the problem of human pride doesn't this sense of independence, a sense of autonomy the sense that that I can find there the reservoir of power and strength within myself to push on through.

No, we must wait on the Lord. Question number two. Why should we wait on the Lord does Isaiah give us any reasons why we should wait on the Lord.

We most certainly does because he speaks of God in who he is in verse 28 have you not known, have you not heard the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. He is understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak and those who have no might he increases strength.

What's the prophet doing here was drawing our attention to the fact that were waiting on a God whose everlasting who is eternal waiting on a God who's the creator of everything we see the earth is the Lords and the fullness thereof, and all that dwell therein is the everlasting God is the creator God. He is the omniscient God's ways are unsearchable and he is also the omnipotent God. He gives power to the weak and to those who have no might he increases strength is the everlasting God, who better to wait upon the God who inhabits eternity. He has always been, and he will forever be, he is the one constant. Let's wait on him. He is the creator he made all things. He's greater than all things. He controls all things, and he knows what is best for his creation sounds like someone worth waiting on is all-powerful is the source of all strength even use Isaiah says get tired and weary is not just older folk, even young people get weary, but in contrast, God does not get tired. God does not get weary and that's why the psalmist had in mind when he wrote Psalm 121.

I would recommend you read verses one through eight. Some time he gives strength to the weak is he not only does God not get weary. Not only does he have strength, but he gives strength to the weak goddesses come to me and will make an exchange, you come to me and give me your weakness in exchange for your weakness. I will give you my strength that's the God that were called wait upon. Have you known that by personal experience. Have you brought all your cares all your anxieties to the Lord cast them at his feet and if you known the burden lifted and if you known the renewing of strength in her strength to carry on all for a faith that will endure course you have your child of God. If you're a believer in Jesus Christ. If you walked any length of time is Christian way. The next question is how how do we wait on the Lord. How do we wait on the Lord well again to keep us from importing passivity into our thinking on the subject. We wait on the Lord in faith in faith. The word in Hebrew means to hope. See hope and faith are very closely related. Faith is confidence in the present and hope is confidence in the future, both related to trust in God.

So we wait on the Lord in faith, we know that he can be trusted. We know that is faithful with test of the Lord and we found him to be faithful. What is he was jealous. Faith is the confidence of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

So we wait in faith.

Secondly how do we wait we wait in expectation. We wait in expectation and why do we have an expectation because we believe that God orders all things that God has a purpose in everything that he orders the God is wise in his dealings. The God is a purpose for the coronavirus. He's working all things for our good and his own glory is working all things after the counsel of his own will. So we have an expectation that this is a good outcome that God is working a wise purpose in this and we don't even know what that is there something about our nature that says what you know if I knew what that was. It would help me to trust him more. Know where were called to trust the Lord not trust his plan not trust his purpose, but trust the Lord trust with expectation knowing that this too shall pass. God's purposes will be accomplished is purposes, will not be frustrated and we are fulfilled because we see some evidence of God at work, we see how this has sobered people we see how it is removed people's self self-confidence and have removed the props of people of been leaning upon.

So we wait in faith and we wait in expectation. So we considered number one why we are to wait in who we are waiting on the Lord wait in faith and with great expectation brings us to this question.

What will happen when we wait on the Lord, what will happen when we wait on the Lord. What is promised to those who wait on the Lord will notice what the text says he gives power to the weak and to those who have no mighty strength, even the use shall faint and be weary in the young men shall utterly fall but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

God will put wind in our sales, God will strengthen us for this trial again 04 faith that will endure. Will our faith will endure because God will see to it. God will strengthen us as we wait upon him and doesn't have to be just the coronavirus. There are various and sundry trials that our people are dealing with some more relational. Some are emotional summer financial summer just the turmoil of the uncertainty of these days wondering about the future ill health, sickness, wait on the Lord. So as we wait on the Lord. Let's have realistic expectations. What I mean by that will have done a fair amount of counseling in my 25 years of pastoring here at beacon Baptist Church and one common thing I see is many people have unrealistic expectation unrealistic expectations in that they want life to be without problems without difficulties without stress and without pain and without difficulty, and that's having unrealistic expectations. Because we live in a broken world we live in a world that's under the curse of sin and we need to keep that before us to have realistic expectations not unrealistic expectations. We need to come to grips with an honest appraisal of this world and when we do will be less disappointed about life itself.

Now please understand me when a marriage is struggling when a husband and wife are having difficulties in a marriage, get all the help you can come for counseling get some help on how to communicate better get some help on rebuilding trust get some help on knowing what it means to extend forgiveness and receive forgiveness. There are there's help in that but no wife, no husband can meet the deepest needs of your heart, no wife, no husband can be a substitute for the Lord Jesus Christ. We must trust him must have our needs met by him and as we move through this life we work toward a better marriage.

We work toward better relationships but there's gonna constantly be room for improvement room for growth. We should not expect life on earth to be like it's going to be in heaven.

Only there will be free from sin and disappointment and heartache in tears and misunderstanding and all the rest don't bring that expectation to bear upon your present circumstance, its attention understand that. But let's have realistic expectations is work at our marriages. Let's work at the Christian life. Let's Paul exhorted the church in Philippi to work out your salvation with fear and trembling for God is at work in you both to will and to do according to his good pleasure. So life is not meant to be easy.

Life is not meant to be a bed of roses, we should expect suffering we should expect opposition, we should expect difficulty not be surprised by that's the way life is in this broken sinful curse world's number one lower your expert expectations down here and if you do you'll be easier to live with and you find life easier to live. Not only do we need to lower our expectations down here. We need number to focus our attention up there set our affections on things above. Set our minds on heavenly things in the more difficult life is down here, it should increase our longings for those things and been secured for us by the Lord Jesus Christ that are guaranteed laid up for us in heaven, where moth and rust cannot corrupt where they can be tarnished where they can be stolen away. We have an inheritance so there's two final challenges. Adjust your expectations to be realistic down here and focus your attention up there. Have you not heard. Have you not known.

The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak and to those who have no might he increases strength, even the use shall faint and be weary in the young men shall utterly fall but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall faint me challenge you about something because most likely in any conversation you had with anybody about what's currently going on in our country with over 19 that subject is gonna come up what were just waiting. Waiting for this wedding for that will take what you've heard tonight. Listen to whoever it is you're talking to and turn the conversation in a spiritual direction, so I'm yeah I think everybody's waiting.

But you know as a Christian.

I'm waiting on the Lord because in and give your reasons why you are waiting on and encourage that person to be looking to the Lord. Trust God to use your your testimony and use his word and the lives of those that you talk to these days of opportunity don't have to force a conversation. It's on everybody's heart and mind as I thought about tonight what what is the dominant thing that's on people's mind. I suppose there's a lot of right answers to that question, but as I thought about that. I thought most people are just there so they feel like they're stuck waiting. That's why was drawn to the subject tonight and to take the subject of waiting and put it in a biblical context will not meeting were waiting on the Lord and is you communicate that whoever it is you're talking to your enthusiasm and your hope in your confidence in God should come through and they make walk away say you know what that person. They've got something I don't have. They got perspective that I need see how God might use that your witness in the life of the person that you are blessed to talk with.

Let's Isaiah 40 may transition here to some prayer requests Esther Barkman will be conducting a private website service for his mother tomorrow. Elements Memorial Park, 1 o'clock in the afternoon so I say it's private restricted to their family and there's room for a few folks that are close and would like to go so I mentioned Sunday night. If you're planning to go to call at the church knowing we we've heard for from three people in that way. So I believe it be possible for you to be included in that so I just don't want you to go to the effort and go there and the people at the at the elements Park sale you you too many people here you can be here our understanding is that as long as people are standing outside the tent and maintaining social distancing. Then the crowd isn't a huge crowd were so that would be permissible so with that those parameters make your own decision would be praying be praying for the service for Pastor Barkman in particular so extra challenging to officiate your own mother's funeral service so the gotta give them grace to minister to his extended family, or government official week is US Sen. Richard Burr praising the Lord that Wendy Lynch's sister Linda Bruner who fell and broke her hip and had surgery is through that surgery will pray need to pray for her recovery and then Stephen Aaron Lynch's brother, Harold, Vince Junior is home from the veterans hospital, we thank the Lord for that are glad to report to you that Marty Barkman is improving some from the fall she took and cracked some ribs do you remember her. Drew Guthrie is at home.

She was at Brian center. She is recently come home she's weak. So just undergird her in your prayers, Shirley Watkins, who is recovering from some lung issues. See, I know you been remembering Scott the lorries he separated from his wife, Evelyn, Daniel, Amanda Dube, a Sherry Keynes grandson. He needs a kidney transplant heard its Amanda. So it's a lady. Her dialysis is not really working well anymore so please remember her. John Duncan, son of Pat Betty Duncan has some spiritual needs and some physical needs are waiting on God for direction to know how best to help him keep the neck is a three-year-old great-grandson of Annie Nick was bitten by a dog. Remember the young young women prayer Larry and Lettie Noris's nephew Brandon Noris had a foot amputated. Now it UNC hospital in critical care's kidneys are shutting down his mother's been notified. Michael Wood, who carries on a ministry of the word. It white oak manner made us aware that there's been covert outbreak at Whiteoak Manor 12 of the staff in 22, or three. The residents have contracted the virus so others will need for our upholding that place in prayer the people who live there. I will be reading about Trevor Johnson here in a little bit about his current situation.

Please remember Paul and Trish Snyder who are here in the states recovering from illness. Their daughter Marianne who has some challenges with learning also needs God's intervention. There's some encouragement there but still some challenges. I have a letter here. I want to just read a paragraph and then all your attention to a very unique situation. This is concerning Stuart Waugh is writing as you know, I continue to deteriorate with liver disease. I am in Johannesburg South Africa waiting for a liver transplant and must be within two hours of the hospital to facilitate the operation was suitable liver is made available, and he talks about some other health issues that he's wrestling with why reading that is a will is nothing new with known that you will the date on this letter is October 13, 2011 2011 was doing some housecleaning them office and came across this letter and I was distracted by nearly 10 years he's been in condition of failing liver function caused me to rejoice in God's grace that is sustained him all these years, but he is on a transplant list to three people ahead of him now has cancer in his liver and the doctors are trying to decide how best to retard the growth as they wait for a liver so were trusting the Lord and were waiting on the Lord concerning Disney under sympathy very mention Pastor Barkman's mother Mary Barkman on the be with the Lord. Saturday little after midnight.

Ray Culberson is a brother of Roger Culberson, former member.

Here he passed away before that family Carol Maria Mearns passed away last week she lived in New Mexico was a friend of Rose Bradshaw's family and then Durwood Owens passed away this past Saturday.

He is the father-in-law of Ken and Sue Elliott's daughter Mandy is another family bereaved under cancer. There's two names Melanie Allison continues treatments for brain cancer. She had a cardiac ablation on Tuesday of this week. Acquaintance of Wendy Lynch and then Amy Freeman's mother Naomi Williams continues her cancer treatments.

Those are the prayer requests. I trust that that's working well as we post the announcement sheet and the prayer request sheet online and you're able to download those and if not download them at least pull them up and see them to keep track of the needs here at the church. This is a fairly well so long. Report from Trevor Johnson among can read all of it on just going to go through it in drawing attention to some highlights, but it makes us aware of his current situation. Here's a summary statement of the situation. Trevor and Therese are currently in Malaysia recovering from Trevor's 24th about malaria that made his liver, spleen and gallbladder swell. He says my health is pretty much broken and I seem stalled in my recovery. Here's a short summary of his situation. He says I am not recovering well. I had a relapse and I'm not doing well, says I am blacklisted and I cannot enter Indonesia friends in Indonesia were going to appeal but then coded 19 hit and now they say wait till next year until the virus passes and immigration personnel rotate and maybe I can returned Indonesia. He says I hope to check out other areas for future ministry. This year I need to prove in my health.

However, there been some questions about whether he should return to the states or stay worries that he is unable obviously to go back to Indonesia or to Papua New Guinea because of his health and because of these visa restrictions but is also been sent out by us sending church in his sending church has this to say. He says talk to my sending church last week and my pastor was a great comfort and they are comfortable with me staying here in Malaysia. I'm grateful they can understand my determination to stick it out as close to the front lines as possible in here couple of we get is about five reasons why wants to stay in Malaysia one. It's cheap, far cheaper to stay there than it is to come to the states number two Penang were the city he's out there. Malaysia is a center for medical tourism Malaysia is currently ranked among the world's top health tourism destination thanks to its affordable, high quality medical treatment with the majority of health tourists making Penang their preferred destination. So he is in a place receiving excellent medical care than the question about where home is. He says America is not always the best choice to heal from tropical the last time I was treated for malaria in the US. The doctors confiscated the antimalarial meds and never gave them back and then misdiagnosed me with hepatitis and kept asking if I was an IV drug user I was the first malaria case they'd seen in 14 years.

He says it is safer to be treated for tropical parasites in a tropical country so that is another very good reason not to return to the US to recover some of ask what am I doing here what am I getting accomplished. One person even answered rhetorically, nothing you're not getting anything accomplished there in Malaysia, i.e., so come home to America says will hear some of the present.

Here are some of our present activities when I don't suffer occasional relapses.

Number one on finishing my doctoral dissertation and also book that is major.

I was making good progress and only had two more chapters and I got sick again in January for the professor told me just to stay here through 2020 and finish. I can meet them weekly for guidance. I cannot do that in the US. I'm very late to finish this and get a doctorate.

I need to do this in 2020. But right now, however, I see double because of exhaustion. He says I have access to cheaper medical treatments which are closer, I do treatments like and he gives a reason what things he is doing. He says what about the pain.

Can it be treated better in the US, he says, several of mention. My high level of pain and have used that as a reason for me to return to America, he says. So yes I am in constant severe pain, but I would also experience that same severe pain in the US as well and America is the land of opiate addiction I could return to the US and get up Percocet and hydrocodone as a way to cope. I feel the temptation of finding something, anything to lessen the pain, but frankly I'm scared to return to the US conclusion.

He says thank you for listening above are some of the reasons were staying in Malaysia right now where long-term legal residence. The healthcare is good. My money stretches four times as far I can speak to the unreached and despite pain I was recovering every month until January when I dipped pretty low again. I'm still pretty low right now. This is my home now my sending Pastor my wife both agree. He says let us remember Jesus in all of our suffering Jesus Christ is beautiful and tender and kind, and I love you more than life and I'm willing to die for him. And while I despair over my pain.

Sometimes I am moved to tears every time. This points me to the sufferings of Christ our Lord endured so much more than we ever will. He did not have to feel any of the common pains of this world, he certainly did not have to feel the pains of the cross and yet he endured it all. May the Lamb receive the full reward of his suffering. Pray for me as I learn how to suffer better. Thank you Jesus for suffering for us. In my pain I have, sadly cursed others in my weakness, and yet even at the cross, Jesus prayed for those who tormented him, how can we not love him and fall at his feet and asked forgiveness for many feelings and how can we hesitate to do so, for he is so ready to receive centers and will not turn us back or reject us. I always thought I understood the gospel but my pains and sufferings are teaching it to me truly, not merely in my head, but deep within my heart.

I feel crushed by my feelings, and yet I am glad that Jesus picks up and rescues the crushed in spirit.

He is kind and will not turn us away. Go to him now. If you have not, and pray that I may grow closer to him as well. Even though I approach them with downcast eyes and was Shane at how poorly I have suffered for the gospel when he is given us so much on my behalf.

What what are our long-term plans. He says our priorities are to recover my health. During 2020.

Here in Penang finished my doctorate in book get back into Indonesia. If I can find a plan B ministry location and move on.

We are considering the Highlands and East timber they call refugee camps in several other locations right now but I am too sick to make trips out there to scout but I hope in August or September to travel and do some scouting and nieces. Finally, I will ask prayer and write about a painful subject for me.

Teresa will need to return to the United States briefly to put Noah into a boarding school. Quite frankly no is not prospering here in Asia. It sadly it sadly seems that homeschooling is coming to an end for our two oldest children, Noah 15 and Alessia Alicea 12 or girl. Both kids seem to be impacted by their dad getting sick and us moving looking for medical help. The plan is for our dear for a dear farming family in Kansas to take Noah for a while they have boys in a rural environment. Noah needs this peer interaction, and then he can go to boarding school.

After that, he is accepted into the Missouri military Academy and it has wrestling and shooting in a discipline atmosphere.

He says I could pretend and suddenly live you in this letter I could claim that this is all the normal progression of Noah's education but I must confess it is not.

And then he's just talking about the challenges that is facing the 15-year-old son.

He says I hope I can accompany the family back to the US to settle no into this new life, summer, but Teresa believes I cannot tolerate the trip that my health would collapse. Further, if I flew back with them. I can just imagine dry heaving or passing out on an airplane full of paranoid people afraid of coronavirus. I'd be detained in quarantine for weeks, so right now the plan is for Teresa to send Noah home to America first to Kansas to work and live on a farm and then off the military boarding school.

So pray for this brother and his family. That's a brother who doesn't have unrealistic expectation. He knew that it would be a great cost to pay carry the gospel to the unreached people of Kawai and that he is broken in body we were part of his sending family need to stand with him and pray with him and do it we can well want you to join me again around the throne of grace as we remember some of these requests, and bring our service to a close. Father, we thank you tonight that you are indeed a very present help in time of trouble, and there is trouble all around us. There is sickness there is confusion and there is discouragement and there is anxiety and there is financial crises. Lord we are mindful tonight of this dear brother and his family. We pray father for your intervention in that situation we prayed for his health to recover. We thank you for the progress of these made.

We pray that you would continue to sustain this brother.

We pray for his full recovery. We know that you have reasons and purposes for what you're doing and we thank you for the evidence of his spiritual growth and dependence upon Christ burden for his children. No one particular and how heart-wrenching it will be for him to be separated from his family. There Kansas and then military school and you know the financial responsibility that's needed for him to be able to do that would commit that need to you. The need for $30,000 is a it's it's a lot but you own the cattle on a thousand hills and you know you own everything in the hills so we ask you to provide for this need is this brothers making request sustain his dear wife, we thank you for the report that the gospel is flourishing and growing in that land despite the fact that the two church planters are not there on the scene, Paul Snyder and for Trevor Johnson to be removed from that place, and yet the gates of hell are not prevailing against the advance of the gospel from that, we rejoice, pray for the memorial service tomorrow. It's conducted on this Memorial Park. Pray for your spirit to rest upon that place minister, Lord, to the needs represented in that family and those who will gather we thank you for Mary Barkman in her life for her influence for the legacy that she leaves. We pray that you'll allow Pastor Barkman to Noah. A special enabling that would allow him to control his own emotions and Mr. the word of God to the needs of the family and to honor the memory of his mother and to honor the Lord Jesus Christ. We pray our father for those who are in need of healing and recovery. Thank you to Marty's improving.

We pray for Drew Guthrie that her strength would be renewed is she's at home, Shirley Watkins, thank you for returning her to her home for Linda Bruner thank you that she's had this successful surgery to repair a broken hip commit Scott and Evelyn and Daniel to you and ask you reunited family your own time for Amanda Dubois. The need for a kidney transplant or for John Duncan. Please Lord intervene in the situation and opened the door provide for the needs that are here for this three-year-old grandson of Annie Nick, who's been bitten by the dog.

We pray for wisdom for the doctors and healing for this nephew of Larry Libby Nourse as Brandon hours would commit this young man to you and pray that his faith would be in the Lord Jesus Christ as he is in a crisis and may not live through it.

Help them to have his heart and life anchored to Christ Jesus. We pray for the staff. The residence said White Oak Manor have been infected with the coronavirus. We pray for healing and pray for protection for other residents that you would contain the spread of this virus in that place and not only that placement all the rest home in this area were Manor ministering we are mindful of others who of lost love ones for the Ray Culberson family for the Carol Mearns family for the Durwood Owens family we commit each of these families to you and ask that you would comfort and hope to them.

These days of Lawson pain and disappointment and separation. Pray for Amy Freeman's mother, Naomi Williams, whose battled cancer four years. Thank you for your grace that has sustained her. Please cause these treatments to be effective. Lord we are mindful of how weak we are and how inadequate we are to face life and its challenges, but how thankful we are for this instruction tonight.

We can wait on the Lord in his we wait on the Lord have our strength renewed father please do that for all of us as we trust you in these days. Help us to honor you and our response not only to the coronavirus with the life and its challenges uses our God for the good and the eternal good in the eternal well-being of souls save our lost loved ones save our children save our grandchildren save our neighbors save our coworkers save those who are on this prayer list under salvation. Lord engage our hearts in this great work of evangelism renew our confidence in the power of the gospel they would be able to say with the apostle Paul, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is indeed the power of God under salvation to everyone who believe, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. Thank you for gathering us in this way, this and this lifestream service tonight. Thank you that we don't have to worry about a connection and electronic connection with heaven that we have audience with the God of heaven through the merits of your son, the Lord Jesus hearest for his sake receive our prayers through his merit grant us believing faith and expecting faith as we wait for the answers to our record less. Help us to glorify you in these days we pray in Jesus name, amen