Why Thanksgiving is Not Optional

Thursday, November 24, 2016 Bryan Hudson 0 Comments




Thanksgiving is one of our greatest national holidays! To set aside a day for giving thanks to the Lord is one of the best things we can do as a nation, family and people.

 More than the Thanksgiving holiday on the Third Thursday in November is the reality of the power of praying according to the Word of God:

 1 Timothy 2:1 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

 Notice the type of prayers that Paul exhorts us to offer for "all men," for "kings," and all people who are "in authority"...

 Supplications - These are specific requests
Prayers - This is worship of God and speaking to Him through Christ Jesus
Intercessions - This is "standing in the gap" for others, bringing persons to God and bring God to persons.
Giving of thanks - This is exactly what it looks like. We should literally say, "Thank you Lord for ________________________" (add the names).

 James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

 Let me also encourage you to pray for all civil authorities and public servants from the president to police officers on the street.  The promise is the

 t prayer can help set conditions so that we can live a "peaceable and quiet life." Also remember persecuted believers in all parts of the world. Remember your families and loved ones who have supported you. 

 One of the most important reasons for giving thanks is to keep your heart clear of darkness. People who do not give thanks refuse God's light, and open themselves to darkness.

 Romans 1:21, "Because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened."

 So give thanks to God today and everyday!

 HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU AND YOURS!

Reflections on the Election of Donald J. Trump - The Ends Justify Any Means

Tuesday, November 22, 2016 Bryan Hudson 1 Comments



I understand and respect our American democracy and the sovereignty of God. However, our American electoral process is not only subject to the will of God, but much more to the will of the people. Also, the will of people is not entirely influenced by God. People are influenced more by truth or untruth. People are also influenced by their fears, their perceptions, their prejudices, by a wish to preserve their "way of life" as they perceive it, as well as many other influences. There are also darker forces at work. For example, a KKK rally was held in North Carolina on November 9 to celebrate the election of Donald Trump. 

A majority of the majority population (63% of white male vote and 53% of white female vote), along with many others, wanted to assert themselves in this election especially after having an African-American president for eight years who, among the many very good things President Obama has done and in providing a great example of personal integrity and marital-family fidelity, promoted a dramatic shift towards making acceptable what many people find objectionable. In my opinion, this was a big mistake by President Barack Obama that many people feared would continue under Hillary Clinton.  

 (Other Trump vote total demographics: 81 percent of white evangelicals, 8 percent of the African American vote, 28 percent of the Hispanic vote and 27 percent of the Asian-American vote)

While most voters recognized that president-elect Trump was not qualified to be president, he was the only candidate in this binary election who represented how they felt, harnessed their anger/fear, and would represent their interests.

This election also revealed a profound double standard and reinforced the power of cultural privilege. Barack Obama, or almost every other person, would never be allowed to "get away" with saying and doing the things said and done by Donald Trump, past and recent. We learned that, for some, the ends justify any means. This is not a new phenomenon and history is replete with examples. Nonetheless, this is something I thought we had moved past in our nation. I had confidence that the electorate would not vote en masse for Donald Trump in light of his public and private behavior. I've rarely been so disappointed to be proven wrong.



It is now our patriotic duty as American citizens to always be respectful, prayerful and supportive of our presidents, even from a position of loyal opposition if necessary. 

It is most unfortunate that this patriotic duty and respect was not afforded to President Obama by many citizens and political leaders who politically and personally undermined him, including the president-elect.

These realities govern my thinking and behavior:

The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all. (Psalm 103:19)

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-13)

Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior. (1 Timothy 2:1-3)

Those who profess to favor freedom and yet depreciate agitation, are people who want crops without plowing the ground. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never has and it never will. (Frederick Douglass)

_________

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Here Am I Lord, Send Me....

Sunday, November 20, 2016 Bryan Hudson 0 Comments



38 years ago, when Jesus called me to "go into all the world and make disciples," I never imagined ministering in a rural African village, at a church hand built of wood and mud with wasps in the rafters (not bothering us!), on the border of Uganda and Kenya in the great continent of Africa. 

It's been my honor to go anywhere I've been sent by the Lord, use whatever I have, and do anything, big or small, in the service of His purpose, and to positively impact people in Christ's name!

 Isaiah 6:8, Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

God's Presence at a Rural African Village Church Made of Mud

Sunday, November 20, 2016 Bryan Hudson 0 Comments







Tuesday, November 15 was the final day of our 2016 Kenya mission. We arrived to Busia Kenya on Monday, but arrived too late to hold an evening meeting.

We traveled to a village 30 miles outside Busia to hold meetings at a church constructed of wood, clay with a dirt floor (be sure the see the photos). Twenty miles of that journey included driving on a bumpy dirt road eroded at some places so badly that we had to get out of the van to allow our driver to navigate trenches with a lighter load.

Kenneth Sullivan and I taught two sessions to pastor's and Christian workers. They responded very positively to our messages.  For the late afternoon Crusade, Dr. Jerry Williams preached at the gospel crusade.  Many people came forward to receive Christ as Savior and Lord!  It was a humbling experience to hear people confess Jesus in their Swahili language. 

I was impressed by the reality that God's presence in that church building made of mud was exactly the same as within our buildings made of concrete, steel and glass! What stands out more than anything else is the dedication of the pastors and believers to empowering their people and reaching the lost. The Kenyans are hard working, joyful and resourceful people. What we sometimes view from a distance as pitiful and destitute  is in reality dignity and determination when you see it up close day after day. The photo below illustrates this determination:


As I have shared in every update, thank you for your prayers and support. Keep the people, pastors and churches of Kenya in your prayers!

Click here to review other Kenya mission posts.

 ~ Pastor Bryan Hudson
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