REMEMBERANCE

Philippines trip update: About 4 weeks to go. This morning we had a team meeting online to discuss how to prepare and teach our lessons. Please continue to pray for lesson preparation and for the Pastor's who will be in the class. One thing that was stressed was to communicate the lessons using none technical terminology and words that might be familiar to us but not familiar to the Pastors who have English as a second language. Ongoing prayer is vital to this trip. Here is a list for prayer:  
-finances for the trip
-preparation of lesson plans and reading I need to get done
-good health, strength and daily stamina in the heat 
-flight connections, travel safety, stamina for long flight 
-physical safety in Philippines and safe in country travel 
-perseverance, clear thinking, and wisdom in classes 
-Pastors to be receptive, encouraged, built up in faith 
-that I can be a rich blessing to these Pastors 
-that I can grow spiritually, in humility and love 
-unity and fellowship for our team 
Thank you for praying.

 God our Father knows all of our needs. He knows that we easily forget who He is, what He has done, who we are in Christ, and what His purposes are for us. So God in his loving wisdom continues to remind us of these great truths lest we forget and walk in our old ways.
Have you ever noticed how God often tells His people that He is God and how often God reminds His people of their history with Him, creation, Abraham the father of faith, Israel and their redemption from Egypt, Babylon and their restoration, and of His promises for the future? (1 Samuel 12.6f, Psalm 78, Acts 7, Hebrews 11)
God surrounded Israel with reminders of Himself and of His works and they were to remind themselves of these things by placing His Word all around them (Deuteronomy 6.4-9), having tassels on their robes (Numbers 15.37-39), and attending the yearly feasts and so on.
The New Testament writers were conscious of the need to remind the believers of the truth of God and of their position in Christ (2 Peter 1.12-15, Jude 5, 2 Timothy 2.8).
Knowing our proneness to forget God helps us to remember by calling us to regular gatherings together, his ordinances of baptism and communion (do this in remembrance of me), and the songs we sing to one another (Colossians 3.16). But we also must remind ourselves of our past history, of our God and Father and His works and promises, of His great salvation in Jesus Christ, and of our future destiny, by daily reading God's Word, daily prayer alone with God, memorizing scripture and meditating on it, fellowship with other believers (talking about the great things of God), and by what we read and watch and imagine.
Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. (Revelation 3.3)