“Little Rajah,
Little King”
The lofty looks of man shall
be humbled, the haughtiness of men shall be bowed
down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that
day. Isaiah 2:11
In an editorial printed in Reaper magazine,
David G. Stewart wrote, “In India we used to chuckle
about baby pujah, or baby worship. All the
women would gather around the baby in arms, and
cluck like broody hens with their approval, and note
the supposed likeness to mom or dad, and hold the
fingers, touch the cheek, kiss the feet. A favorite
term to describe the young baby boy was ‘Little
Rajah, Little King.’ Though they do not actually bow
down and worship a new baby, those Indians give so
much attention to a new infant that it’s no wonder
they call it ‘baby worship.’”
When Jesus was an infant, He too received adoration
and honor. He was adored by shepherds who left their
flocks in the fields to worship a baby in a manger.
Why? Because He was the King of kings.
I wonder, as this Christmas season progresses, are
you able to focus your attention, even briefly, on
the One whose birth we celebrate? Even more, are you
willing to bow down in humility and give Him the
adoration He rightly deserves? Isaiah prophesied
long ago that His name would be called Wonderful
Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of
Peace (9:6). Jesus was no ordinary baby. He truly
was the King of all kings! David
C. Egner
As you bring your gifts to His cradle
And worship Him now as King,
Do you bow your knees to His power?
Is your life the offering you bring? —Brill
When we recognize Jesus’ kingship,
we will give Him our worship.
We hav
e
been working in a nation where your small
group could immediately implement
some aspect of
the
P.E.A.C.E.
PLAN:
That nation is
Liberia.
Liberia was the
first republic on
the continent of Africa
founded in 1822 by 12,000 freed slaves from America.
Currently, Saddleback's
'small groups' are being encouraged to follow these
steps. Its workable:
1. Get Moving
2. Pray
Together
Stop and pray
right now that God would guide your small group as
you go through this pathway.
3. Select a
Country
(that's easy:
Liberia)
satellite shot of the property where the
sanctuary
was being built in 2003 and 2004 (Liberia)
4.
Travelers and Supporters
Small
groups usually have two teams that participate in
Global P.E.A.C.E. The Traveling Team consists
of those from the small group who get on the plane
and do P.E.A.C.E. overseas. The Home Team
consists of those who drop the Traveling Team off at
the airport, wave goodbye, and play supporting
roles. Both teams are vital to the overall
success of the small group P.E.A.C.E. trip.
Discuss who from the group could be part of the team
that travels in the next 12 months. The remaining
small group members will be the support or “home”
team for the first trip.
5. Timing
Consider the
best time of year for the traveling team to go. Past
experience shows the small groups who commit to a
specific time on the calendar are the ones with a
higher success rate. You could specify a season,
like spring, summer, fall, or winter, or a specific
month, or the actual dates of travel. The more
specific the dates, the better!
6.
Leadership
Determine who
in your small group could be the P.E.A.C.E. team
leader or the Co-Leader.
7. Tell
pastorob
pastorob@gmail.com
How might your small group be able to work the
P.E.A.C.E.
Plan
in
Liberia?
(see below)
P.
= Planting Churches
E.
= Equipping Servant Leaders
A.
= Assisting the Poor
C.
= Caring for the Sick
E.
= Educating the next Generation
P.
= Planting Churches
Pastor Richard Wesley planted this
church, the Greater Love Bible Baptist Church. It
first met in his home. Our
small church in Galt, California helped this pastor
build this sanctuary during wartime. Currently, the
United Nations has peace-keeping troops there as
elections will take place on October 11, 2005. If
your desire is to 'partner' with a local pastor,
your small group's trip to Monrovia, Liberia could
result in a wonderful, ongoing relationship with
this pastor (or another to whom he could introduce
you).
E.
= Equipping Servant Leaders
Pastor Richard Wesley and family
Pastor Richard Wesley,
President of the National Pastors' Fellowship
Conference, has had a burning passion for equipping
this war-torn nation's pastors for years. We have
sought help for him to realize his vision but need
some small group to come alongside him in this
endeavor.
CLICK HERE to
learn more
Another aspect of this point is to fight Corrupt
Leadership by encouraging conscientious involvement
in the upcoming elections:
watch and pray
A.
= Assisting the Poor
The ability to provide clean water for those
living at the Greater Love Children's Home has been
delayed by two failed attempts to dig wells. In both
cases, solid rock stopped the digging. A mechanical
drill seems necessary but costs much more than
hand-digging.
C.
= Caring for the Sick
It is hoped that this building will someday serve as a
neighborhood medical clinic. It is being built in
the Sinkor district of Monrovia, Liberia (as funds
are made available). Recently it has been used to provide a
form of housing for 12-15 individuals who were
living together until a fire burned down their
structure. This building still needs to be finished
and those with interests in 'caring for the sick' are being asked to get involved.
Life expectancy at birth
male: 40
female: 43
Healthy life
expectancy at birth
m/f 33.6/37.0
Child mortality m/f (per 1000): 246/224
Adult mortality m/f (per 1000): 590/484
Figures are for 2003 unless indicated.
Source: The world health report 2005
E.
= Educating the Next Generation
In Liberia the only children who receive an
education are those who can afford to pay tuition
for private schools. Mike and Robin McCall (a truck driver and a
secretary)
went to Liberia in February, 2005 and stayed for one
month. Their only previous experience with teaching
had been for
Sunday School.
They lived at the Greater Love
Children's Home where Mike taught a Bible Story
nearly everyday. He also provided recreation
opportunities for the children. Since their return
to California, they have rallied others to provide enough
food and limited schooling for the
children who live at the home.
Liberia would be a great place for your small group
to make a major difference. Your short-term mission
would be helpful to build momentum to educate
children here.
Unemployment and
Illiteracy are both
at
80% levels in Liberia.
click here
for a recent report
CLICK HERE for
Saddleback's method
Liberia Slide Show
