Leadership Ministries Worldwide

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Bethea Retires from Board Chairmanship

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LMW Thanks Bethea for his leadership

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At the Fall Board Meeting, the board and staff had the opportunity to thank Richard Bethea for his dedication to LMW. A long-time board member, Mr. Bethea chaired the board for six years before his retirement this year. Chuck Zeiser presented a commemorative clock and thanked Richard for his leadership and service. Mr. Zeiser fondly recalled the Bethea’s frequent and warm hospitality and especially praised Mildred’s cooking. Mr. Bethea led the board through several pivotal moments including the completion of the KJV and NIV Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible® and the creation of the LMW App which allows hundreds of users to access the Bible, outlines, and commentary wherever they are.

(Pictured left to right: Joanne & Zeiser with Mildred & Richard Bethea)

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Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you.
Psalm 139:13-18 NIV

Psalm 8, another Davidic Psalm, tells us that God created humans to have a unique place in the created order. Unlike animals or angels, we are made in the image of God. We are made for a special relationship with God, a relationship no other living being enjoys, and we are made to experience that relationship eternally. Beyond the common purpose of glorifying God; humans are made individually, with individual stories and ways of giving glory to God.

Consider how unique every individual is! Even in conception, God's hand directs the forming and development of our individual parts. All of us have things about ourselves that we would like to change. Nearly every person wants to change some physical feature. For example, some would like to be taller, while others wish they were shorter. Some would like smaller ears or a smaller nose. Some wish their eyes were a different color. Others wish they could change their natural abilities; they would like to be better at any number of things. The corruption brought about by the fall that began to rot our world means that we sometimes feel uncomfortable in our own bodies. Our outward flesh is wasting away and groans to be renewed. When you add our post-fall tendency to covet and be envious of what others have, it is easy to be discontent. Or, even if we are not discontent on our own account, we may wonder why some are born with severe genetic disorders or suffer life-threatening illnesses at a tender age, such as cancer.

And yet, as we consider things beyond our control, we need to remember that God carefully crafts us and makes us according to His plan for us. He makes each of us special in some way. This means that the very physical feature you despise actually endears you as an individual to God’s heart. The very ability you desire but cannot develop has not been given to you by God because it is not a part of His plan for your life.

As David says, we are fearfully and wonderfully made—each one of us. We should praise God unceasingly for the fact that He loves us so much, that He has designed us so intricately, intimately, and individually. When we truly grasp how much God loves us, we will love ourselves more. We will learn to delight in the things about ourselves that we formerly despised. In addition, when we truly believe that God has a wonderful plan for our lives, pursuing that plan will be our first priority. We will then seek God's will diligently, submitting ourselves fully to Him so that He might bring it to pass.

https://lmw.org/4732-2/

Bible Training for Women in Nigeria

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We recently heard from our partners Timothy and Hannah Olonade. The Olonades minister in Jos, Nigeria.

Mrs. Hannah Olonade led a leaders’ program. This is part of the Community Life Enrichment Program where over 1000 women, vulnerable children, and needy women are reached in the various communities on a monthly basis.

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Longing Desperately For God

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Psalm 42

While we do not know the exact reason this was written, we do know the purpose for Psalm 42: it is a maschil psalm, a song of instruction, and teaching. Whatever his circumstances, the author has been suffering through a period of intense trials, trials so severe that they have plunged him into a deep depression. God’s Spirit inspired Psalm 42 to teach us what to do when we find ourselves in the same pit of despair.

The psalmist uses a vivid image to express his need for God: Like a deer searching desperately for water in the wilderness, his soul craves the energizing strength, hope, and joy found only in the Lord. Emotionally and spiritually dehydrated, he cries out to God from the bottom of his heart. The psalmist desperately longs for the Lord to rejuvenate his spirit. But he was far from Jerusalem and the temple where God’s presence dwelt. Because of this, he felt unable to connect with God.

Under the old covenant, God’s presence dwelt in one specific place: the Most Holy Place in the tabernacle (and, later, the temple). The psalmist feels alienated from God because he is away from this sacred place. Therefore, he asks God how much longer it would be before he is able to return to Jerusalem to stand before Him. Under the new covenant, God does not abide in a specific place but in His people. Through His Holy Spirit, the Lord lives within every true believer. Although God’s presence is always within us, we may feel distant.

The psalmist’s spiritual suffering is compounded because he can do nothing to change his distressing situation. He cannot return to Jerusalem to worship with God’s people. Memories of “better days” – past celebrations in God’s house – only intensify his craving for the Lord’s presence. There had been a time when he was the most excited of worshipers, leading the joyous procession to God’s house. Now, lonely and depressed, he yearns to be among the congregation again as they march to the temple on the holy days, the days of celebrating the feasts ordained by God under the law. How he aches to be with the people of God, dancing and singing in praise and worship to Him!

  • During the lockdown for COVID-19, have you felt emotionally and spiritually dehydrated?
  • What are some ways you can remind yourself of God’s nearness?
  • What does this Psalm teach us about the communal aspects of worship?

Download the free PDF of this section of Psalms in the The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible to continue your study:

Download the PDF

    In memory of Renee Bottoms

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    Yesterday, many LMW folks, past and present, gathered at the graveside of a beloved colleague, J. Renee Bottoms. We at Leadership Ministries Worldwide mourn her passing yet rejoice that she is in the presence of her Lord. Renee worked at LMW for seventeen years on the editorial staff until her retirement in January. Her keen eye for detail was a great asset to the ministry. Originally from Texas, Renee worked as a family practice attorney for many years. When she moved to Chattanooga with her husband Rick, she began working for LMW. Her legal background and meticulous nature served her well at LMW; her skills were invaluable during the creation of the NIV collection of The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Renee’s sweet spirit of encouragement along with her devotion and love for Jesus were hallmarks of her personality.

    Please pray for Renee’s husband, Rick, and other loved ones she is leaving behind. Pray also for her colleagues at LMW who carry on, encouraged by her faithful example.