Reflections on Cape Town 2010

Ben and I arrived home from Cape Town on Tuesday afternoon. It was a wind-blown entrance (later in the afternoon all but one of the MSP airport runways were closed due to the wind). We were thankful to be home.

The past few days have been a bit foggy. We've been back at work and trying to fit into a normal sleep pattern again. I know my body will acclimate soon.

More than that, I want my heart to sift through all the senses and sounds and lessons of Cape Town 2010 to fully absorb what the Lord may do in my own heart through the time. I may log some of those reflections here in the days ahead.

Thanks to you who prayed during our trip; so many requests were heard and answered. I hope to share some of those stories as well.

Writing from Cape Town

I am writing from Cape Town, South Africa, where we are preparing for Cape Town 2010: The Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization. It is a privilege to be a part of what God will do here.

My role here is to be a session summarizer, and the first session I am assigned to is "People at Work: Preparing to Be the Whole Church."

You can read an advance paper for this session here.

For the Fame of God's Name

Since all things are from Him, through Him, and to Him, God deserves and will be honored for all the evidences of grace in our lives.

At last weekend's Desiring God National Conference, Pastor John was surprised with a presentation of a book of essays in honor of his ministry. (One of the perks of being a ministry assistant is that I got to proofread David Livingston's article a couple years ago when this was being compiled!)

You can read more and watch the presentation of the book here.

HT: Justin Taylor

Redeeming Singleness

I just read John Piper's foreword to a new book Redeeming Singleness.

Not only does it make me want to read the book, but the foreword itself was a very good word.

HT: Desiring God blog

Wave Upon Wave of Grace

This is a beautiful prayer from Valley of Vision.

HT: Justin Taylor

When Capsizing

From last night's "evening" portion of Spurgeon's Morning & Evening:

“And for My arm they wait.” Isaiah 51:5

“In seasons of severe trial the Christian has nothing on earth that he can trust, and so he is compelled to cast himself on God alone. When his vessel is capsizing, and no human deliverance is at hand, he must simply and entirely trust himself to the providence and care of God. Happy storm that wrecks a man on such a rock as this! … Now that you have only God to trust, make sure that you put your complete confidence in Him. Do not dishonor your Lord and Master by unworthy doubts and fears; but be strong in faith, giving glory to God. Show the world that your God is worth ten thousand worlds to you … Now is the time for feats of faith and valiant exploits. Be strong and very courageous, and the Lord your God will certainly, as surely as He built the heavens and the earth, glorify Himself in your weakness and magnify His might to the face of your distress … your faith would lose its glory if it rested on anything discernible by the physical eye. May the Holy Spirit enable you to rest in Jesus on this closing day of the month.”

Such an encouraging call for confidence in the One who has given us every reason for confidence.

Waiting

I've been praying lately for close friends going through a bone marrow transplant. The wife recently quoted Charles Spurgeon on their Caringbridge site, and it is a word worth remembering:

Wait in quiet patience, not rebelling because things are difficult, but blessing your God for the privilege of affliction. Never grumble … but accept the circumstance as it is, and put it as it stands, simply and with your whole heart, without any selfish agenda, into the hand of your covenant God, saying,

Now, Lord, not my will, but Yours be done. I do not know what to do. I am at an end of myself, but I will wait until You part the floods … I will wait, even if You test me for a while, for my heart is fixed upon You alone, O God, and my spirit waits for You in the deep conviction that You will still be my joy and my salvation, my refuge and my strong tower (Spurgeon).