Striving Side by Side for the Faith

Philippians 1:21–27 (ESV) 27  Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.

Scripture is full of admonitions that remind us we need each other. For instance:

 Hebrews 10:25 (NLT2)  And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NLT2)   So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.

 Genesis 2:18 (CEV)  The LORD God said, “It isn’t good for the man to live alone. I need to make a suitable partner for him.”

 Galatians 6:2 (ESV)  Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

I (Rev. Brook) led 2 Missions/conferences in the same Diocese of West Lango in Aduku, Uganda

• One to the Clergy and their Spouses (about 325 in attendance)
• The other to the Lay leaders for Youth and Young Adult ministries in the Diocese (~180)

Clergy/Spouse Conference

• As I told you before I left, each had specific areas Bishop Julius knew needed ministry. For the Clergy:
  • Hard hearts
  • Many not only sin, but cover it up
    • And help other clergy to cover their sin up
  • Many are stealing out of the offering plate
  • They are unfaithful to their spouses
  • And domestic violence is common

Conference Theme (for both conferences): Psalm 51:10 (ESV) Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

Youth Leaders’ Conference

Survey on Adverse Childhood Experiences that is used internationally to assess how much childhood trauma affects people

• • We led ministry for the sins that had been committed against them as children, for instance
    • Adults in the house often swearing or cursing at you, humiliating you
    • Physical abuse
      • 65% of women there are beaten by their husbands
        • 30+% believe they should be beaten
      • For instance, for burning the dinner Sexual abuse
      • No one thought you were important of special
      • Didn’t have enough to eat or clean clothes or protection
      • Parents were too drunk or high to take care of you
      • They got separated or divorced
      • Someone in the house depressed, mentally ill, or tried suicide
      • Or went to prison
• Higher scores indicate greater troubles as an adult

• Results: 1/3 of those attending the conference 7 or higher
  • But if you have a sense that you truly are a child of the king, that can have a dynamic effect on you
  • Inner healing is SO POWERFUL

1 John 1:7 (ESV) But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

• God brought healing from those sins committed against them

• This trauma was not primarily because of the trauma of Civil War – as bad as that was
  • This was occurring in their own homes

Malachi 4:6 (NLT) His (the prophet Elijah’s) preaching will turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers. Otherwise I will come and strike the land with a curse.

And it applies to us here in the US. Statistics regarding the role of fathers in the homes

• 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes – 5 times the average.
• 85% of children with behavior disorders are from fatherless homes – 20 times the average (data from Center for Disease Control)
• 71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes – 9 times the average. (Data from the National Principals Association Report).
• 71% of pregnant teenagers lack a father (Data from US department of Health and Human Services 1999)
• 85% of all youths in prison in Texas come from fatherless homes – 20 times the average (data from Texas department of corrections)

There are 4 times in Malachi the Lord talks of curses coming because of what is happening in our homes:

• In how we prioritize God in our lives
• In our marriages
• In our finances
• And in our parenting

Men are key to seeing a change come in our church, our community, and our nation.

Men’s Ministry starting October 14

• For breakfast (maybe we can have a cook team who will also give a rest to HBH)
• & Bible Study on Malachi
  • To learn to break the curses over our homes and communities by living with the Lord in obedience