GOD HAS NOTHING MORE TO GIVE THE WORLD

He gave it all on the cross.
That's why He said, "It is finished."

A REAL-TIME MIRACLE IN ZIMBABWE

Ben Rodgers, Children's Cup African Director, and I were driving into Harare, Zimbabwe. After we stopped at red light we got a flat tire. We didn't know a gang of robbers had stabbed the tire to stop us.

We got out of the truck. Ben was crawling under it to drop the spare tire, I was directing traffic to keep them from running over Ben.

Suddenly three thugs stole our brief cases out of the cab and took off in their car.

A Zimbabwe businessman was in the car behind us and saw it all. He chased the thieves's car. Three blocks away it crashed into another car at an intersection. The police were right there at the scene and they recovered our bags which contained about $10,000 cash (banks don't work in Zimbabwe), passports and vehicle documents.

Two of the robbers were in the back of a police truck. They were rather banged up, but they were lucid enough to let me tell thim I forgave them and God would, too, if they asked Him. One of them responded that he was doing that already.

The Good Samaritan businessman urged me to get the bags from the police or they might keep them.

After a verbal and physical tug-of-war I got the bags out of the policemen's hands and returned to our car.

Ben and I got into our truck and for just a moment sat there in goosebumps--aware that we had just experienced a miracle--a real-time miracle!

KNOWLEDGE IS RESPONSIBILITY

Our embarrassment to witness can cost the untold one his soul.

CONFIDENCE

A heart surrendered to God will know a confidence deeper than the intellect can define.

THE CARPENTER'S TOOLS

"I wil build my church..." said the Carpenter.

Notice, please, His tools. His yet-to-be-pierced hands had known the heft and shape of many kinds of tools with which he crafted the structures of His time.

Which tools do His nail-pierced hands now choose to build the structue of His Church?

Today, you and I are His tools.

Hands that had once crafted felled timber into beauty now choose to build His Church out of the rough hewn, living timbers of fallen men.

THE POWER OF PAIN

Pain has the inexorable power to make even its observers recoil in what is almost a mirror image of that pain.

It’s not rare for one who has seen another’s pain to experience nausea and even get physically sick.

Perhaps this phenomenon of pain-begotten-by-pain caused the Irian Jayan Dek tribe to explain to us, “The devil is attracted to pain.”

But--and this is wonderful--it is true that Jesus meets us at the point of our needs. He’s there where the pain is.

And what a wonderful reversal of this phenomenon happens when we look upon His pain on the Cross. The lashes, the contusions, the thorn gouges, and the nails all release a pain-canceling artesian Blood-flow of healing and redemption.

A CHILD IN PAIN

MARCH 6, 1985 Wad Kowli, Sudan. 100,000 peole. No water. Death wherever I looked.

This child is in pain beyond description.

ETHIOPIA

MARCH 6, 1985 Wad Kowli, Sudan. Mother and child in pain beyond description.

CAMBODIA

JANUARY 28, 1984 Later this day we entered Nang Chan where 26,000 refugees had gathered. Within hours enemies shot and stabbed and grenaded thousands of the beautiful Cambodian people. Something in me has never stopped weeping.

"BEAR ONE ANOTHER'S BURDENS."

The Biblical admonition to bear one another's burdens implies a truth generally missed.

If I am to carry your burden, it makes sense that I would do all I can to alleviate your burden--to lessen my own load.

Certainly I would not want to add to your burden.

INTO THE CRUCIBLE

In a matter of hours a brave young couple and their two children will be landing in one of the most hostile countries in Africa. They are our Children's Cup directors for that country.

We have just spent several days together here in meetings in America. Every audience sensed God's destiny on them.

They know the risks they are returning to. I asked the father how he dealt with the danger. "I know there is peril, but I must do this for God. We are in His hands."

Although it is not prudent to name the family or country right now, will you lead your own heart to care and pray for these heroes of the faith?

A FRIEND HAS BEEN MURDERED

Ben Rodgers just called from Swaziland. A few hours ago "Tiny," one of our Swazi friends, was shot to death at his home. He owned a business next door to the Children's Cup office.

'Cup missionary Daran Rehmeyer lives four houses away from our friend's house. Daran heard the shot that took our friend's life.

We don't know details yet but we'd ask you to pray for Tiny's widow Denice and their children.

Violence is escalating--please pray for the Children's Cup Team to be safe and effective in ministry.

MY JEAN

A CHALLENGE

God's Word, the Holy Bible, has the power to shape and change lives.

Try this--read the twelfth chapter of Romans several times utill its words and admonitions enter deep into your heart.

Let the words become a living part of your thought life--they will change you.

"BLACK HEART?"

Recently I was being introduced to an African congregation by a pastor I had known for a long time. We are close friends.

He wanted to honor me as he told the congregation, "Brother Dave may have white skin, but he has a black heart."

"WHY SHOULDN'T I BE A PROSTITUTE?"

Missionary Ben Rodgers was talking with an African girl in her early teens.

Her words haunt us and compell us to reach as many African children as we can with the Gospel.

"Why shouldn't I be a prostitute? At least I'm getting paid for what has happened to me all my life."

What has her life been like today?

As often as you remember her words would you pray for her and her generation?

"I'M GOING TO JOIN THIS CHURCH!"

This I believe.

The most important factor in choosing where to live is not a great job or good schools. Both are important but a great church is the best reason to choose where you live.

Even if it means moving.

I've always believed this about Healing Place Church in Baton Rouge. Add Celebration Church of Jacksonville, Florida pastored by Stovall Weems.

In fact, there is a long list of Association of Related Churches (ARC) that qualify (five of them in the 100 fastest growing churches in America)--contact us for the addresses.

Fifteen hundred women just gathered at Celebration Church for their annual Shine! ladies conference. Speakers like Karri Weems, Lisa Bevere, and Deborah Cobrae impacted these ladies' lives--forever.

We met a young lady at the Sunday AM service after the conference. She was frightened and hurting. It was her first time to come to the church. Pastor Weems' message embedded a new hope in her spirit.

We heard her say on her way out, "I'm going to join this church!"

Think about it, find the right church--even if you have to move to be near it.