First, I just came home from spending the day at the hospital with my little wife, Barbara. She has a serious urinary infection that led to sepsis, a life threatening condition. Last night when I dragged her to the emergency room (she does NOT like to go there!) her temperature was 91, which really concerned the doctor. she was also very dehydrated.

Those conditions led to weakness, unsteadiness and confusion. So they immediately began hydration and after blood tests, intravenous antibiotics.

Today was her first full day in the hospital and there hasn’t been much improvement. I would like to ask you to pray for a full and speedy recovery, back to at least her pre-infection state.

Second, continue to prayer for the first stage relief work for the Turks who suffered in the earthquakes earlier this month.

Two pieces of news struck me. Since the first quake occurred about 4 am, many people lept out of bed and ran from their homes into freezing weather without socks or shoes!

The city of Antioch had a population of 1.6 million, half the population of Connecticut. 95 percent of the buildings were destroyed. The loss of life in that one city must be huge, although many will never be found.

Pray for food, shelter, heat and medical care for these poor, destitute people. Also pray for help in processing their sorrow and grief at these tragic losses

Third, continue to pray for a just and positive end to the war in Ukraine. And for many to find spiritual awakening in their suffering and trauma.

The most we can do is pray, the Word says in James, “You have not because you ask not.” Thank you for praying

Picture: Barbara in better days.

Another person who joined us in the fellowship start was Robert, who had a sister and brother-in-law who came to Christ in another city through the correspondence course. Robert’s sister had talked with him at length about spiritual things, andh e went to the small meeting his sister attended and was impressed with the message.

When he returned to our city, his sister gave him the address of one of our collogues.  Robert got in touch with him and after some weeks of Bible study, Robert made his commitment to Christ.

A fourth fellow, Chris, actually was led to the Lord by some-one in Salvation Fellowship, but he wanted a smaller fellowship. He met us through the bookstore and joined.

The last new believer, Sam, came to us through a chance contact with another one of our colleagues, an aggressive evangelist. He dragged Sam to one of the early gatherings and it was obvious that Sam was not happy to be there. However, as time went on he began to attend on his own, and became the fifth member.

These five were joined by two sisters who had gone to the Anglicans looking for potential husbands, but instead had met one of our lady teammates. She invited them to a bookstore event where they heard the gospel and shortly thereafter made commitments of faith.  So “Light Fellowship” was launched.

As with other such beginnings, we met in homes. One major goal was to develop leadership and out of these five male believers, four were potential elders and one possibly a deacon.

This was an unusual situation to start with. In the previous plant, the early believers had been very much fringe people. I earlier described them as starting their spiritual life at minus 22.  Our five new believers were starting at about minus five and some moved forward rapidly.

The enemy was not slow in seeking to torpedo this new work, however. A worker from another group brought a young fellow who claimed to be a believer. He attended regularly but since his earliest contacts had been with the Catholics, he began to draw the others in that direction.  Over time, Falcon and Chris left us for the Catholics.  Falcon said he was more comfortable there because he never had to take any responsibility, and if he didn’t come one Sunday, no one asked him why.    Chris had other reasons: he wanted to get to Europe, and the priest promised to help him with that, while we did not.

In the founding of Light Fellowship we did a lot of things right, but we also made one big mistake. In focusing on leadership development, we failed to keep up the momentum of outreach. It is a fact that for a fellowship to “take off” there needs to be a “critical mass” of fifteen to twenty committed believers. We never did reach that number and eventually after we left, “Light” fizzled and was closed down. That was a sad event for me; it was the “death of a vision.” On the positive side, however, most of the believers from Light have joined other fellowships and continue to grow in their spiritual life, which is a great encouragement.

I am praying for a “resurrection” of Light Fellowship, clinging to the promise in Psalm 1:3, given to the one who delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on it day and night:  “He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.”   That phrase, “Whatever he does prospers,” is what stands out to me.  May Light Fellowship prosper in whatever way the Lord chooses!

Picture: picnic event of Light Fellowship

Further thoughts on Psalm 15:1-5

Jesus is the perfect Paragon of excellence, the sinless Savior and supreme Shepherd, the marvelous and majestic Maker and Founder of our faith. As we read through Psalm 15, every quality the LORD requires for dwelling in His sanctuary is found in Jesus.

Psalm 15:1-2 “LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? He whose walk is blameless”

[I praise you, Lord Jesus, that you are blameless. In you there is no sin, no evil, no slipping into error, no darkness, no injustice or rebellion; you are without blame, without accusation, without sin. Praise you for your perfection, your purity, your pristineness, that you are the summation of all virtues.]

“and who does what is righteous,”

[All you have done and always will do is right, Lord Jesus, there is no error in your ways, no wrong, no fault, no unrighteousness. Therefore, you are absolutely trustable and believable in your faithfulness and goodness.]

“who speaks the truth from his heart”

[You are Truth itself and therefore speak only Truth from the center of your being. All you say is true, right, correct, positive and good.]

Psalm 15:3 He “has no slander on his tongue,”

[When you judge, Lord Jesus, it is correct, it is spoken to the right person with the right motive at the right time in the right way. There is no malice, selfishness, evil motive or wrong desire in your speech. Instead, you speak correctly to convict, to bring repentance, to restore and lead, giving light, love and life.]

“who does his neighbor no wrong”

[You only do what is positive and pure, helpful and good. To live with you is to experience the light of your goodness, the power of your purity and the provision of your positiveness.]

“and casts no slur on his fellowman,”

[You never speak unjustly, you never maliciously cut people down, or try to put them in a bad light. In fact, as the good Shepherd, you will work to protect people rather than expose them to ridicule. You always first nudge us towards repentance before having someone come and confront us.]

to be continued

Psalm 14:6 “You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, but the LORD is their refuge.”

[Ungodly people prey on the poor instead of praying to God. But when the poor turn to you, Lord, you are their help and protection. You are faithful, you are good and you are powerful. As it says in Psalm 68:6, “God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.”]

Psalm 14:7 “Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!”

[And it did come from Israel, from Judah, brought by Jesus, who was a Jew!]

“When the LORD restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!”

[Yes, the first believers, who were all Jewish, as well as we gentiles who are your children, have rejoiced and will rejoice in our salvation!

And we can continue to rejoice in your daily ongoing practical protection and provision, Lord Jesus. You lead us out of our personal prisons, further up and further into your glorious Kingdom. Truly, you are our Good Shepherd and we will not lack anything we need, as we follow you in the ups and downs of life.]

Psalm 14:2 “The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.”

[This means, Lord, that you look into the heart of every single person, you weigh their thoughts, you are concerned for them. Only an infinite God could be in such close contact with 6 billion people all at the same time! And in doing so, you love all of them, wanting each to come to you, giving each multiple chances to enter your Family, your Kingdom, your Eternity with you. You are a wonder!]

Psalm 14:3 “All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.”

[This is the sad truth: not one single person in the whole world, in the whole of history since the Fall, has ever sought you out on their own. Not one naturally followed you in the right way. We all turned away from you, we were all corrupt. And as sinners, any good that we did was tainted with selfishness, pride and deceit, but we futilely tried to convince ourselves we are good.

What a hopeless situation! In ourselves we are unable to alter it. But praise you, Lord Jesus, that you have entered history, paid the great price, making it possible for us to be released from the trap of the enemy and our own wickedness. Then we could come into your Kingdom of Light and Life and Love! Like in this picture below, you bring life and beauty out of what is dead and decaying.

May we be ever thankful for your unwarranted grace, undeserved goodness and unending love. May my life, being focused on you, reflect your love and light to all around me today.]