Rock and roll in heaven???

A friend of mine recently went to Peru on a mission trip and personally led some 32 people to Christ. He and his group accomplished many additional great things on this mission for the kingdom of God. It was interesting to see him prepare for this trip. When he wrote to me to ask for help, I immediately assumed he would need me to help sponsor him financially as sometimes I contribute money to his mission trips. This time was different and apparently this trip was already fully funded. Instead of asking for financial support, he asked for my prayers. He carefully listed the times they would be traveling to and from Peru and the times they would be working with the native people. I of course agreed and did indeed pray for them.

I got another e-mail from a sister in Christ who was excitedly telling me about an evangelical undertaking in her home church. They have a campaign to lead 100 people to Christ in 100 days, (100 in 100). If memory serves me correctly, eighty people have already accepted the Lord and there are still four weeks to go. Hallelujah! I have added this endeavor to my prayer list and I intend to pray for them daily to help them not only to achieve their goal, but to exceed it mightily.

The Bible has much to say about prayer. Jesus spent enormous amounts of time praying. In the Garden of Gethsemane He prayed so intensely that blood actually came out of His pores. Prayer is a necessary ingredient in our Christian life. Whenever something big is attempted in God’s name we should expect satan to work hard to oppose it. We should expect to encounter him at every turn. Someone has said if you are not meeting the devil head on then you must be going the wrong direction. Satan has a keen interest in destroying any good and great work for the Lord and in destroying each of us personally. Prayer is need to defeat satan as the Bible tells us that we are no match for him alone.

It requires faith to accomplish big things for the Lord and it is exhibited through our prayer and full expectation that the lord will within a time of His choosing grant our requests, (assuming they are within His divine will). Often His accomplishments defy human logic and He utilizes people that we would not ordinarily expect Him to use to accomplish such a large endeavor. That should give us all hope as most of us are not superstars and are rather ordinary people. God does extraordinary things through ordinary people as it exemplifies His power to utilize the weak to accomplish great things.

God is looking for volunteers like my pal from Jacksonville who was willing to offer himself up for God’s service to make the dangerous journey to and through the mountains of Peru. God honored him by bringing thirty two lost souls to glory through his ministry. All of us can serve God and accomplish mighty things for God too.

The Bible tells us that there is a celebration in heaven whenever even one soul is saved. Between my friend’s Peru mission and the local church’s 100 in 100 campaign with eighty lost souls won to Christ, they had all of the angels and inhabitants of heaven rocking and rolling all over heaven. Don’t miss out on the fun. Just being on the prayer team contributes mightily.

2 Thessalonians 4:16
Be joyful always; pray continually;
give thanks in all circumstances, for this is
God’s will for you in Jesus Christ.