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Stories

Bible Training for Women in Nigeria

March 17, 2021 By LMW

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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

December 3, 2020 By LMW

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

    Support LMW with Everyday Shopping!

    October 8, 2020 By LMW

    If you are already an Amazon shopper, support Leadership Ministries Worldwide through AmazonSmile. When you designate LMW as your Charity, 0.5% of eligible purchases will be donated at no additional cost to you! Click here to make LMW your AmazonSmile Charity.

    Even though mundane shopping, your purchases could help the work of Leadership Ministries Worldwide!

    In memory of Renee Bottoms

    October 1, 2020 By LMW

    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.

    EveryWORD Gospels sent to Avenal State Prison

    October 1, 2020 By LMW

    We have just sent 24 copies of the everyWORD gospels of John and Luke to the Avenal State Prison in California. Would you pray with us that these materials would be used for the Kingdom? This prison houses about 4,000 men, many of whom need to be strengthened in their faith. Many more of the inmates need to hear about Jesus! Please pray for Chaplain Enrique Castro and his work as he ministers to the inmates. 
    As Hebrews 13:3 says, Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. New Internation Version

    The Gospel in Zimbabwe

    March 11, 2019 By LMW

    Power struggles, economic disaster, corrupt politicians, unjust imprisonment . . . These are just a few of the issues that the people of Zimbabwe live with every day.

    Alistair Croudace is a native of Zimbabwe, one of the few white landowners remaining in the country. His wife Shelley has served there with him for more than 25 years. They have experienced trials, conflicts; the government has even tried to forcibly remove them. But through it all, God has been faithful. Shelley says, “it is in our darkest hours when God shows up in the most phenomenal ways, and He calls us to step out in faith in the most dramatic ways. And then He gets all the glory. We can’t take the credit, because there’s just no human way possible that we could do it.

    Their home and mission, “Lasting Impressions,” covers 450 gorgeous acres. Students throughout Zimbabwe come there to experience the beauty of the countryside and hear the life-changing gospel message. Their mission is “to make a positive impact on the hearts and minds of the people of Zimbabwe for Christ through educational camps, inspirational retreats and community events in a picturesque setting.”

    School groups representing all faiths and ethnicities come to Lasting Impressions to enjoy the outdoors, have fun, and build community. “We provide a unique opportunity to shine a light in the darkness,” Alistair says. “All the students who come hear the gospel message. We incorporate the gospel into everything we do.”

    The Croudaces also shine a light in the community where they live. They have taught a local man how to farm. Now he grows vegetables that they buy to feed the people who come to Lasting Impressions. They feed hungry children in their community, help orphans, and provide jobs – they set an example of sharing Christ’s love with everyone they touch. They are known throughout the area by their fruits.

    In November, they put a well in their community and dedicated it at a special gathering. Shelley tells us, “We just shared the gospel message at the dedication service, and 11 people dedicated their lives to the Lord at that service. We have a couple of little churches that meet under the trees, or in the bush, and they joined us at the dedication. The Lord is on the move and we are getting more opportunity because we are serving and showing the gospel through our actions. We are praying for true transformation throughout Zimbabwe.”

    In a country where 85% of the citizens claim to be Christian, the name of Christ is often scandalized. Pastors have multiple wives and mistresses; they steal from their church; they practice an entitlement philosophy that enriches them at the expense of the sheep in their flock. “There is a crisis in our country now. The economic crisis, the wholesale theft, the lack of justice – the list is endless. I would say only a handful of people are practicing Christianity and living their faith,” Alistair tells us.

    Shelley adds, “We see just how broken the society is, because if the Word of God was really followed, lives would be different. You wouldn’t have pastors with multiple wives and mistresses and everybody having AIDS if they were following God’s Word.”

    “A friend brought to our attention that the mustard seed is an example of faith not so much because it’s small, but because it is pure. You can’t graft anything onto a mustard tree. That small, pure seed grows and multiplies. It shows how the holiness, the purity of what we share with others is so critical and if we really abide by God’s standards, that is going to shine so much brighter and have so much more impact.”

    The Croudaces are planting pure seeds of faith throughout Zimbabwe, serving God and the people of their country by living Christ’s example. Their deepest desire they tell us is, “to be salt and light to their community.”

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