Future Arsenal Players?

Congratulations to Faith Alive's U-13 soccer team for winning second place in a Plateau State tournament. Can you recognize the boy standing in the front middle of the photo? He looks like a combination of his mommy and daddy.

Spiritual Theme: Wait for the Harvest

Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. (James 5:7 NIV)

Who likes to wait? Nobody that I know, and definitely not me. We’re spoiled by this lightning-paced, technological age. If something doesn’t happen right away, it’s easy to get disappointed, or worse, to despair that it will never happen.

Pastor Ben at Faith Alive in Jos, Nigeria reminds us that God doesn’t follow our calendars. We know from the Bible that there is a time for everything. In HIS time, God made everything beautiful, and in HIS time, He sent his son to die for our salvation. How quickly we forget.

How long should we wait? Until we get what God promises us in the Bible. Abraham and Sarah waited for their promised son and they got him. Simon waited for the promised Messiah in the temple and saw him.

While we’re waiting, it’s good to beware of trials and temptations. Like Ishmael, it’s best not to manipulate things before their time. Sarah pressured Abraham to have Ishmael and the result was sorrow and pain. 

“Many people,” Pastor Ben says, “because of lack of patience to wait have made a shipwreck of their faiths. They decide to take shortcuts and jump through the windows as they lack patience to cue through the main door.”

Instead, he encourages us to look for God’s blessings during the waiting period. We can come to know God better, deepen our maturity, and prepare far greater testimonies when God does provide the harvest.

Pastor Ben ends by saying, “He who made the promise is faithful. It is never too late for God. His delay does not mean denial, so wait a little bit more. Do not give up; hold to your confession and confidence in Christ.”

In other words, live as people who believe in God's faithfulness. .

(I recommend the book pictured above for anyone who's in a prolonged period of waiting.)

Water, Driving and Catering

What do a borehole (for running water at the rec center), a driving school, and a catering school have in common? All three were new at Faith Alive last month; staff offered prayers and raised minerals (soda pop) during the dedications.

Enjoy the photos, courtesy of Pastor Ben!