Give them no rest

Give them no rest

Tuesday night we went to a displaced family area called Peace Island. It is a rock hill surrounded by swamp. It is worthless so families without anywhere else to go can build a house there. The homes have big holes next to the house where the family dug out dirt and made dirt bricks to build the house. Then they use old tin or tarps for a roof. Peace Island has thousands of people and many children. It also has many ex-soldiers who still have many psychological problems. There is no electricity or water. The schools are simply crude huts. The children must bring their own chairs if they want to sit. The schools have no books and old broken blackboards.

We rented a pickup with speakers and a sound system in the back. We made a circle through the area playing music. We set up in a dirt field they use to play soccer. We strung up lights and began to play music. Soon we had 300-400 people, maybe more, gathered six and seven deep in a big circle around us. We got the children togther to sing and play some games. Then we preached the gospel of repentance, forgiveness, new creations, and hope. Over 100 people responded to the gospel message and many more came to repent of their sin.

We then gathered the 10 pastors from Peace Island and presented them with NIV Study Bibles. You cannot imagine happier pastors. We were an answer to prayer. The gospel was preached in their community, God had let them know others cared about them, and now they had study Bibles to help them better teach their people.

Then “The Prophet” gave a prayer of commission to them. They call this man "The Prophet" because he speaks truth. I have never met anyone who had more of the Bible memorized. I, like many Bible belt Christians, get a little uneasy when I hear a man called a prophet. But at least in Liberia, this really just means that God speaks to this man and this man speaks the truth of what God says.

The Prophet gave one of the most moving and powerful prayers I have ever heard. He prayed that the Bibles would be coals of fire upon the pastor tongues and that they would teach their people everything in them. He prayed that God would bring the truth of His Word to life in the pastors. He prayed that the people would listen and obey what was taught.

Then The Prophet asked something of God that was so simple, but powerful. He asked God to do something I wish the American pastors and their congregations could hear. He asked God to do something that is overlooked and forgotten in the American Church.

He asked God to cause the people to trouble their pastors day and night to teach them the Word of God. He asked that the people give these pastors no rest.

Can you imagine such a thing? Can you imagine pastors getting calls day and night from their people, hungry to know more about God, eager to find out His commands? Can you imagine pastors having to give up watching television at night because their people wanted to find out how to live more righteous and holy lives? Can you imagine pastors giving up trying to have a quiet supper because their people keep knocking on their door wanting to know how to better explain the gospel to their lost friends?

Sadly, this would upset and irritate many American pastors. They feel they are entitled to their rest, they are entitled to their days off, and they are entitled personal time. God, I pray you would give them no rest.

God give those pastors at Peace Island no rest. May the people there hunger so much for Your Word that they seek it day and night. For I know God, that if God’s people seek first Your Kingdom, all these other things will be added unto them.

God give them no rest.

Kris