Keith Burnett Ministries

Equipping for Evangelism

Winning the War That Matters

By

Life Lessons – Identify the Enemy

Are you tired of hearing about wars? How many have you heard about lately? Maybe you have spent time and energy on these wars:

  • Terror
  • ISIS
  • Poverty
  • The media’s supposed “war on women”

We should be aware of terrorist activity. We should pray for those persecuted by terrorist groups and evil ideologies. The “war” on poverty is a money pit. The poverty statistics in our country haven’t changed significantly since this “war” began in the 60’s – despite the millions of dollars spent.  Far more important than real or imagined wars is the one YOU are already in. The good news from this Life Lessons post is, you are equipped to win. How?

Life Lessons – Know Your Weapons

Do you want academic answers or would a picture better serve you? For most, the picture is better and we have one in 2 Chronicles 20.  Jehoshaphat was king of Judah. The nation was surrounded by hostile armies. Destruction was imminent. What happened? The king called the people to fasting and prayer.

Prayer is one of our better known weapons. Paul speaks of it alongside other weapons in Ephesians 6. I want you to see another lesser known weapon. The nation of Judah was delivered by this weapon! And it’s just as available and powerful for you as it was for Jehoshaphat.

Life Lessons – Know Who is in Charge

Jehoshaphat led his people in prayer. Part of his prayer was:

O LORD, the God of our fathers, are You not God in the heavens? And are You not ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand so that no one can stand against You.

The king’s prayer continued, but even in this opening verse we can see a truth. Jehoshaphat knew the battle could be won. And He also knew God would have to win it. But God left no doubt for those who may have seen it. His Spirit moved a man named Jahaziel to testify:

Listen, all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: thus says the LORD to you, ‘Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s.’

God is in charge. If we try to fight the battles on our own we are very likely to lose! But God seldom fights His battles in ways that make sense to us. Why? Without faith (Hebrews 11:6) it is impossible to please Him! How did He fight for the people of Judah?

Life Lessons – Employ the Weapon(s) God Chooses

battle is the LordsThe nation of Judah went out to battle. If you were leading, what would you do? Where would you place the most powerful, experienced warriors? Where would you place the most effective weapons? Surely you would take thought for those things. Well, God did that. But He didn’t do what you and I would do. And what He did tells us a great deal! Notice:

Jehoshaphat stood and said, ‘Listen to me, O Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, put your trust in the LORD your God and you will be established. Put your trust in His prophets and succeed.’  When he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who sang to the LORD and those who praised Him in holy attire, as they went out before the army and said, ‘Give thanks to the LORD, for His lovingkindness is everlasting.’ When they began singing and praising, the LORD set ambushes against the sons of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; so they were routed.

What was the weapon? Who was leading the army? Let me say it in terms you would recognize from your own church services:

The choir led the battle. Worship was the weapon God chose!

You still want to be in the church choir? Paul tells us a great deal in Ephesians 6. Many, but not all, of our weapons are listed there. But he opens that discussion by defining our enemy (see point 1).  But our enemy is subtle. So Paul declares:

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

You are a mission volunteer. You freely gave your life to Christ and now you are on mission for Him. How will you succeed? By knowing:

  • Your mission, the enemy, and the goal
  • The battle is God’s, to be won in the power of His might
  • The weapons you have been given for victory

And I already know some of you doubt the application. You really wonder if something God did for the nation of Judah really applies to us today. Can worship really be a weapon of our warfare? Would it help if I told you Jesus said so? See the next post!

Soli Deo Gloria! 

 

Imitation Challenge

By

Keith Burnett portraitImitation is the sincerest form of flattery! That’s how the old saying goes. Maybe we should say:

  • Imitation is the sincerest form of worship

Does that cause questions? We should note a couple of things before we start asking too many questions.

First, Jesus was perfect. He stated His own agenda on earth as imitating His Father:

  • John 8:28
  • John 8:38
  • John 12:49
  • John 12:50
  • John 14:10

We are to have the same agenda. Now, if there is any quality of adoration in imitation, then we can safely say that imitating God is worshiping Him. Even if someone made a case against imitation as part of worship, we cannot take away the fact that our perfect Lord perfectly met His goals:

Doing what He saw the Father do, and saying what He heard the Father say

Therefore, we must be imitators as well (see Ephesians 5:1).

I loveThere is a specific point of imitation I want to mention. A word search on ‘compassion’ turns up the times Scripture says Jesus was moved with compassion. He had a compassionate love for people. Many did not respond favorably. His compassion for them was not meant to get a specific response. He was loving and compassionate because they were there. If you did the word search, check the references.

Jesus loved others because it was His nature to do so. So should we. Christians are often guilty of “loving” the lost as a means to win them. If it’s real, that’s great. Here is the test:

Do we keep loving them when they have rejected the Gospel?

Jesus loved them even as they placed thorns on His head! Now, apply compassionate love to those who have already accepted Him:

  • Do we actively love the family of God (all the family)?
  • Is it easier to love selected ones of my brothers and sisters?

If so, the Word says we have not surpassed the love of pagans for even they love those that love them. Our love for one another is supposed to be a noticeable, marking trait of our faith.

Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart,” I Peter 1:22. This version says fervently love one another. The KJV calls for unfeigned love. Whichever way we say it, the more we practice it the more effective we will be!

The Imitation Challenge

Here’s the challenge: Pick out just one of those brothers or sisters that it may be challenging to actively, genuinely love. Ask the Father to help you imitate His love for them. Keep asking Him. Commit yourself to the task. Pray for them and pray for yourself.

We can pray for this and know it is the Lord’s will. We also know He already wants to accomplish it. How different would modern churches and ministries would look if we pursued loving one another like this? It can change. It can start with me, or you, or us.

Soli Deo Gloria!

[originally published March, 2015]

15 Helps for Powerful Living

By

prayerLet Us Run the Race

The writer of Hebrews penned those words we know so well:

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us – 12:1

Keith Burnett portraitToday is my day, and your day, to run the race of faith. This verse reminds us we are not alone in our faith struggles. It reminds me of high school and college athletics. One thing our coaches did to train us for success was observation. Before we could compete, we had to watch those who already knew how. Seems a basic concept, but it was important for athletics and it’s even more important for our faith journey.

Of all our difficulties and questions, we should move this question to the top of our lists:

How did those who have run before us succeed in the race?

Necessity for Success

From the quotes below, I think it will be easy to see the necessity of prayer. Some of the quotes are encouraging, and many are challenging. But each will help you run the race and equip you for powerful living!

Soli Deo Gloria! 

  1. You can do more than pray after you have prayed; but you can never do more than pray until you have prayed. A. J. Gordon
  2. God does nothing except in response to believing prayer. John Wesley
  3. Prayer strikes the winning blow; service is simply picking up the pieces. S.D. Gordon
  4. The greatest thing anyone can do for God or man is pray. S.D. Gordon
  5. The most important thing a born again Christian can do is to pray. Chuck Smith
  6. Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons, but they are helpless against our prayers. Sidlow Baxter
  7. God shapes the world by prayer. The more prayer there is in the world the better the world will be, the mightier the forces of against evil … E.M. Bounds
  8. Satan does not care how many people read about prayer if only he can keep them from praying. Paul E. Billheimer
  9. Prayer will make a man cease from sin, or sin will entice a man to cease from prayer. John Bunyon
  10. Don’t pray when you feel like it. Have an appointment with the Lord and keep it. A man is powerful on his knees. Corrie ten Boom
  11. Talking to men for God is a great thing, but talking to God for men is greater still. E.M. Bounds
  12. The men who have done the most for God in this world have been early on their knees. He who fritters away the early morning, its opportunity and freshness, in other pursuits than seeking God will make poor headway seeking Him the rest of the day. If God is not first in our thoughts and efforts in the morning, He will be in the last place the remainder of the day. E.M. Bounds
  13. There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful than that of a continual conversation with God. Brother Lawrence
  14. The prayer power has never been tried to its full capacity. If we want to see mighty wonders of divine power and grace wrought in the place of weakness, failure and disappointment, let us answer God’s standing challenge, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not!” – J. Hudson Taylor 
  15. No learning can make up for the failure to pray. No earnestness, no diligence, no study, no gifts will supply its lack. E.M. Bounds

I couldn’t leave these prayer quotes out!

In case there was any doubt about the essential element of prayer…

  1. He who has learned to pray has learned the greatest secret of a holy and happy life. William Law
  2. The little estimate we put on prayer is evidence from the little time we give to it. E.M. Bounds
  3. Satan trembles when he sees the weakest Christian on his knees. William Cowper
  4. Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance, but laying hold of His willingness. Martin Luther

 

Prayer For Nicaragua

By

Nicaragua

Prayer For Nicaragua

Please join us in praying for Nicaragua. Earlier today I received an email from our Mission: Hope office in Atlanta. Some of you got that same email. Others are not on the Mission: Hope mailing list. So, that email is posted below.

As you pray for Nicaragua, please include all our work in your prayers. I have been traveling this week. This time it has been in the U.S. The summer months are filled with speaking engagements, conferences I lead and/or attend, and meeting with many people to staff upcoming mission teams. That kind of work will continue next week, I just won’t be so far from home getting it done!

Soli Deo Gloria!

From Mission: Hope

Please join us in praying for the unrest that continues to spread in Nicaragua!

At least 127 people have been killed and over 1,000 injured in protests that began in April. These protests started as a reaction to cuts in pensions, which President Ortega imposed. He later reversed the cuts, but other grievances, including corruption, presidential power grabs and the elevation of Mr. Ortega’s wife, Rosario Murillo, to the vice-presidency, continue to inspire protests.

Currently, our work up-river is not directly affected by the protests. However, with the call for government reform, inflation has started to spread across the country which does affect the villages we serve. Our staff in Nicaragua are safe but are surrounded by the violence and have friends that were killed in the protests.

Please continue to pray for everyone in Nicaragua. Pray that those who would use this time for evil purposes would be thwarted and would turn their hearts to Jesus. Pray for peaceful protests and understanding from the government. Pray that conversations take place about how to move forward to listen to the people of Nicaragua.

Pictures In A Picture: What Do You See?

By

 

Picture

Pictures In A Picture

The cover picture had many points of encouragement for me. And another picture was already in my mind as I snapped it. What things do you see in this image of a mission team having breakfast together on their first morning in-country?

Picture Of Encouragement: Today

pictureAn obvious point of encouragement is a mission team on site and ready to work. When we see fellow believers acting in obedience to the call and commands of Christ it should encourage us. There are team members I have worked with on prior missions. And it is good to see familiar faces and renew our relationships. But there are team members I have just met. They are not new to missions but they are new to me. It’s encouraging to meet more people who are willing to invest themselves in the Lord’s call to missions.

pictureThe setting for all these pictures is also encouraging. We are in Samana, Dominican Republic. I was here just a month ago with a group from another church. There are friends here. They are working hard for the Kingdom. It is a blessing to work alongside them. We all share the joy of iron sharpening iron. And we get to see what God is doing in all our labors, wherever they may be. So I see the joy and encouragement in the purposes and calling we all have in common.

Picture Of Encouragement: Tomorrow

pictureAll the above is true and good. But there is a better picture. And it’s the one this meal scene brought to my mind. Believers are moving to just such a scene. But it will be far greater and grander than we can possibly imagine. Based on Revelation 19:7, we know we will gather around God’s table. Scripture calls it the Marriage Feast of the Lamb. And there are similarities between that table we have not seen and the one in my picture.

We will gather with friends we have known. Our relationships will be remembered and renewed. But we will also sit down with new friends; people with whom we have shared the love and call of Christ. And according to the John’s vision, we will continue to have and share a common purpose. What purpose? We will worship, honor, and glorify Jesus Christ for ages without end. You see, at that feast He is the Groom and we are His bride. And it’s all about Him!

Picture Of Mission

pictureSo the picture of a mission team returns to its origin. The mission of Jesus is draw men unto Himself from every nation, tribe, and tongue. His agenda is to include all who will come in that heavenly celebration feast. And the good news for today is this: You can be a part of what He is doing! If you can’t think of another way, just spend a little time this week praying the mission team in Samana. Pray for the work of Mission: Hope in all its locations. And while you’re praying, lift up your pastors and the ministry of your local congregation. All will be thankful that you prayed. And your prayers will make you part of the picture of missions!

Soli Deo Gloria!

PS – It took a little longer than I predicted to get this out. My apologies. When I posted on Facebook Saturday my intention was for this to be up on Saturday evening. Physical limitations prevented that and I apologize.

Sunday was a great day with our friends in Samana. Thanks to all who prayed for our time and ministry. The Sunday worship was rich and the Lord blessed the preaching of His Word. Thanks again for your prayers. We have several days left, so please keep praying!

Old Tool Shows Great Need

By

The Plumb Line Standard

plumb lineAre standards necessary? Many people don’t think so. How do we know that? Look at:

  • Declining or ‘fuzzy’ education standards
  • Moral decline (lack of standards)
  • Relative Truth (‘truth’ is no longer deemed to be objective)
  • Character/Integrity (the biggest liars are admired and applauded)

Did your mom teach you not to follow the crowd? Did she ever say something like, If all your friends jumped off a cliff would you jump off too? Just because the majority seems to have cast off standards doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. Scripture says,

There is a way that seems right to men, but the end thereof is destruction. Proverbs 14:12 & 16:25

God’s Plumb Line Applies to All

plumb lineHis standards obviously apply to all people. None of us is perfect. But more particularly, His standards apply to every facet of the lives of His children. His standards are not applied randomly or haphazardly.

Jesus’ own words are a great place to see one of His plumb line standards. Why? They are the words of Jesus’ prayer. Would Jesus pray for something that is in agreement with the will of the Father? Yes. So what did Jesus pray for?

Prayer Identifies God’s Plumb Line

John 17 is referred to as the high priestly prayer of Jesus. What we call the Lord’s prayer was a model of prayer for His disciples. His own great prayer is recorded in John and was prayed in Gethsemane just before He went to the cross. Among other things, Jesus prayed for unity among His followers.

What’s astounding is the degree to which He desires His followers (that’s us!) to be united. He wants us to be as unified as He and His Father are unified. Look it up!  Then, read through the teaching outline below and let the Lord speak to you His thoughts on unity in His body.

 Unity is God’s Will  plumb line

And I am no more in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one, even as We are. John 17:11

I do not ask in behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; (That us!) That they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be in Us; that the world may believe that You did send Me. John 17:20-21, (emphasis mine)

If the world is not believing, it probably has something to do with lack of unity among His children.

Unity Signifies a Worthy Walk With Christ

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4:1-6, (emphasis mine)

 Unity Brings Life

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, coming down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard, coming down upon the edge of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon, coming down upon the mountains of Zion; for there the Lord commanded the blessing-life forever. Psalm 133

 Unity Dispels Unbelief

That the world may believe that You sent Me. John 17:21b

That last one bears repeating, so I did! Think about it. Unity is God’s standard; His plumb line. Are you in line, or out of line? Belize

Soli Deo Gloria! 

P.S. – Updated from April 2015 post.

 

Buckets, Boulders, & Bunches: A Lesson

By

Keith Burnett portraitI love an object lesson! They are all around us. Jesus used them frequently. I can imagine Him walking beside a field when He said, The field is white unto harvest… He used fig trees to teach about seasons and bearing fruit. In a garden He told His disciples, I am the Vine and you are the branches. An object lesson allows our minds to get a picture of a concept. That picture helps embed a lesson in our memory.

Friends know I think in object lessons. Last week in Barahona an object lesson happened as our team worked on the church in Via Progresso. I shoveled, then I passed buckets. Then it hit me – There’s a lesson here! The pictures I took illustrate how missions should work. They also show how the Church should work.

Object Lesson: The Sermon We Can See!

The picture series below will show you we had to move rocks and boulders. You will see we moved the boulders with buckets. It was a bucket brigade made necessary by the lack of a Bobcat we would have rented if we had done this work in our home town. You will also see there were a bunch of us working.

The captions will help you see the object lesson I saw in buckets, boulders, and bunches. I hope it stays in your memory!

Soli Deo Gloria! 

This rock pile had to be moved. Our strongest members worked here. That's a diverse group: youner/older, black/white, U.S./Dominican.

This rock pile had to be moved. Our strongest members worked here. That’s a diverse group: younger/older, black/white, U.S./Dominican.

The buckets were passed through the window next to the rock pile. Team members passed the buckets down the line.

The buckets were passed through the window next to the rock pile. Team members passed the buckets down the line.

No team member carried a bucket all the way across. Each did what they could do.

No team member carried a bucket all the way across. Each did what they could do. Helping each other made everything possible.

Each bucket reached the other side of the church and Leo passed them out the window.

Each bucket reached the other side of the church and Leo passed them out the window.

The buckets had to be handed down to Caleb (the lot slopes toward this side of the building). He was younger than the other men, but gravity did some of his work. He then emptied the buckets.

The buckets had to be handed down to Caleb (the lot slopes toward this side of the building). He was younger than the other men, but gravity did some of his work. He then emptied the buckets.

What did our youngest team member do? How did the empty buckets get back to the rock pile?

What did our youngest team member do? How did the empty buckets get back to the rock pile?

Our youngest member and youngest helper were not left on the sidelines. Sara and Hosli had a vital role - one they were capable of doing.

Our youngest member and youngest helper were not left on the sidelines. Sara and Hosli had a vital role – one they were capable of doing.

The buckets were our tools. Our mission was to move the boulders. How did that happen? Bunches of us worked together. Everyone had a part – no one was watching the others work. Everyone did what they were capable of doing, not what someone else was capable of doing. And we didn’t care who was male or female, who was young or old, or who was black or white.

On mission or in the local church, we  have tools. Start with spiritual gifts and continue to list our tools. Our mission is to love God and love people. No one can do every part, but everyone has a part. Our mission is more important than the things we use to divide ourselves.

What is your part in church planting this year? What is your part of your church’s ministry this year? Think about it!

Object Lesson: They are timeless!

A PS: This post was published in January 2015. But the object lesson remains. The church at Via Progresso had some challenges. Their membership is strong and growing. Their pastor is in our Pastor Training School. We will be working this year to help them finish the upper floors of the building pictured above. Please pray for this church and for the Lord of the Harvest to send us workers!

And please keep praying about the makeover of our website. Work is still going on. Thanks for your patience!

Prayer for Dummies (like me!)

By

Prayer ‘Prayer is simply a two-way conversation between you and God.’ That’s a simple but profound quote left to us by Billy Graham. But prayer seems to be the subject of a great many questions. How come? If you have questions, don’t feel bad. You’re in good company! The disciples had questions, too. They said to Jesus, Lord, teach us to pray. Jesus’ response is what we call the Lord’s Prayer or Model Prayer. But that’s not the only place we can learn about prayer.

Model Prayer: OLD TESTAMENT

Exodus 32 is a great primer on prayer. Moses went to Mt. Sinai to receive God’s law. He came down to find God’s people worshiping a golden calf.  Something very important happened between those two events.

God told Moses to go down to the people. Then He told Moses to: Leave Me alone so My anger may burn against this sinful people – Exodus 32:10). If that happened, the people would be destroyed. While God could have remade the nation out of Moses and his descendants, Moses offered a prayer that can still teach us a great deal.Prayer - Conversation

“O LORD, why does Your anger burn against Your people whom You have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians speak, saying, ‘With evil intent He brought them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your burning anger and change Your mind about doing harm to Your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants to whom You swore by Yourself, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heavens, and all this land of which I have spoken I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.'”

Prayer: What IS & ISN’T Said

prayerAbsent in this prayer: 1) Personal requests, 2) Anything focused on Moses.

Present in this prayer: 1) Desire for God’s glory, 2) Desire for God’s fame among the nations, 3) Desire that God not be mocked in the eyes of men.

Wanting another person to receive glory, fame, and not be mocked is easy to define as love. Love seeks the good of its object. To pray like Moses is more than a repetition of his words. It requires in us a passion for God and His glory. It requires a passion to see Him lifted up, even if that means I (the one praying) am not seen or noticed. He is the object of our affection and our prayers should be for His good, His glory, and His honor.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Pastor Alberto: Update

By

Pastor Alberto

Pastor Alberto: Update

pastor alberto

Shopping for family

Pastor Alberto and his family still need our prayers. I promised to keep everyone updated on his situation. It turned out to be nearly impossible to post updates last week from the Dominican Republic. The challenges we faced included:

  • A recently cut/spliced internet cable
  • Torrential daily rains (that interferes when the cable is normal!)
  • Limited bandwidth when Internet was available

So those usual, normal, on-site updates are coming late. BUT, they are coming!

Pastor Alberto: Situation

First, let me thank you again for responding to the needs of Pastor Alberto and his family. You have let me know you are praying for them. That is something we shared with them during our visit. Some of you also responded with donations for the family. And that enabled us to minister to them in some very practical ways.

One big item for me was to get first-hand information on the diagnosis and what treatment possibilities (if any) might be. We were able to get a first-hand confirmation of the diagnosis. Doctors estimate life expectancy in terms of a few months. Alberto is hospitalized in Santo Domingo. And that puts him about a three hour drive (for a family with a car) from his family. So the situation is difficult at best and made worse by physical separation.

Ministering To The Family

pastor alberto

Helping hands & smiling faces

We went shopping in Barahona. We wanted to supply the family with basic necessities. The donations we received allowed us to do that. As you can see in the pictures, we ran across some smiling, helpful faces as we shopped!

The rain was a constant factor this past week. That’s easy to see in the pictures we took. We drove to Pastor Alberto’s home to deliver everything we had. That took place in the rain and mud. But we were glad to be there. The items delivered included:

  • Food staples for the kitchen
  • Expressions of concern from us and you
  • Prayers
  • Financial resources

pastor albertoHortencia, Alberto’s wife, was not home when we arrived. And it was not a surprise to learn she was ministering to another family that lived nearby. Some of the children went to get her.

So we started unloading the van. And that van was very full. We had invited other pastors to accompany us. When she arrived we had a short conversation on the front porch. Then we moved inside for a brief visit. The local pastors, friends of Alberto’s, expressed their concerns. They let Hortencia know we had been praying for her family during the pastors’ school.

pastor alberto

Background: Alberto’s father & Hortencia

I got to let her know that people ‘back home’ were also praying. She was so grateful. And it seemed to me that the knowledge strengthened her just a bit. I took her by the hand to voice a prayer for Alberto, her, and their family. As I did I put the remainder of the donations in her hand.

When we finished praying I encouraged her to make the trip to Santo Domingo and minister to her husband. Finding a way to pay for the trip would not be a problem. And that was because of people like you.

Pastor Alberto: Ongoing Need

pastor alberto

Speaking with Hortencia

Most of us have had family members with a terminal illness. It is a difficult road to walk. We can and should pray for Pastor Alberto. Pray for the congregation that looks to him for leadership. And we obviously need to pray for Hortencia and the family.

Prayer is the first thing but it should not be the only thing. The needs of the family will continue. And there are folks on hand we can trust to get resources to them. So if you sense a prompting to help in that way, please do so. I will have additional posts to update all of us. Those posts will have donation links.

pastor alberto

Local pastors with Hortencia and daughter

God is good, even in circumstances we find very difficult.

Soli Deo Gloria! 

PS – These posts about Pastor Alberto and his family have been tagged as part of this year’s Giving Matters series in order for people to include this family in your Christmas giving. Make checks payable to Mission: Hope. Mail to:

Keith Burnett Ministries, P.O. 803, Scottsboro, AL – 35768

 

 

 

Unclaimed Blessings

By

unclaimed

Unclaimed Blessings

What does Unclaimed Baggage Center in Scottsboro have to do with unclaimed blessings? This is a big Thank You to all the folks at UBC. And it provides a great object lesson worth remembering. In fact, when I see the UBC signs, or members of their great staff, these thoughts go through my mind. So it’s share time!

Unclaimed: Thank You

The sky outside was overcast as you can see from this picture. But it wasn’t gray indoors! God was answering prayers. Mission: Hope provides support for an orphanage in Barahona, Dominican Republic. Some you provide monthly support for those orphans. You also know that Jodie is our orphanage director. And Jodie sent me a note several weeks ago about a need in the orphanage. To see more about Jodie and the boys, just type orphans in the search box for this site!

Hearing about a need in the orphanage isn’t unusual. But this particular request from Jodie caught my attention for several reasons. First, it was a big request. The need was something far beyond his ability to provide. It was also beyond my ability. There’s nothing really unusual so far! But that’s one part of unclaimed blessings! We often look at the size of our need and just give up. But Scripture teaches us:

You have not because you ask not – James 4:2

and…

Our Father can do exceedingly more than we can ask or imagine –  (see Ephesians 3:20)

What a pity we tend to focus on our own inability rather than the limitless ability and provisions of our Father!

So I got in touch with my friend Brenda at Unclaimed Baggage. My first statement to her was:

We’ve got a really big need. Would you guys consider helping?

And the result is in these pictures. UBC donated laptops so we can make a computer lab for the boys in the orphanage. It was my blessing to be used as a connector! But there’s more…

Unclaimed And More…

unclaimedComputers need some set up. Again, that’s outside my expertise! But a friend and Mission: Hope mission volunteer has a computer business. So I called John. He said he’d be glad to help – another answer to prayers that started in the Dominican Republic.

I met Brenda and Matt at UBC. Matt ran the camera and interviewed me for some of their publications. Then I took the computers to John. He loaded the necessary networking software. It was a bit of a time crunch due to mission travels. But we got it done. And there’s more…

Our Mission: Hope team is preparing to leave for the DR. We will take the computers and get things set up for the boys in the orphanage. So please look for picture posts of that process so we can all see and celebrate. And that will complete the circle of prayers and God’s answers.

Motivation For More

friend

In their home. ‘Holding’ our friend Carol.

God-sized prayers have to be met with God-sized answers. And when He answers like that it is a great source of encouragement and motivation. It shouldn’t motivate us to pray selfishly. It should move us to change the size of our prayers! And those prayers should always be for our Father’s Kingdom and His glory.

With that thought, let me remind you to offer God-sized prayers for Pastor Alberto. You can read about his need HERE. And you can also continue to use the links to donate so we can minister to him and his family.

Soli Deo Gloria!

 

 

Recent Posts

Contact Info

Keith Burnett Ministries
P.O. Box 803
Scottsboro, AL 35768
(256) 244-5453
Email Us