Prayer Letter - 5 December 2005

To: Prayer Partners
From: Pastor Lucenay

Arguably the best-known verse in the Bible is John 3:16: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. God’s gift of Jesus to us comes from a heart of love. No human being has ever known or will ever know the degree of love God has exerted in His sacrifice for us. During this season, one of the concepts we consider is God’s amazing love for us.

John, the disciple, longed for us to allow God’s love to flow through our lives. He wrote, Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins…We love because he first loved us (1 John 4:7-11, 19).

Sunday morning, our Advent reading spoke of God’s love for us. We thank God for the wonderful way our little children presented the message of God’s love in song Sunday night. Pray for the people who heard that message. Ask God to: help the pre-believers understand more than the joy of children singing; help the pre-believers to begin to search for the love of God we have experienced in Christ Jesus; help the believers to love as God loves; and help you to allow the heart of Christ to love through you.

This past week I have seen wrapped boxes of various sizes in many places. Magazines have come to our home, encouraging us to buy certain gifts for our friends and loved ones. One of the gifts that cannot be purchased is our unconditional love. The only wrapping it needs is created from our understanding of the love language of these people. Every person understands love in the language of his/her own heart. Ask God to help you understand your friends and loved ones so you can express your heart to them in the languages of their hearts. Of course, such an expression will definitely carry the accent of your love language.

One of God’s good gifts each Christmas season is the many pre-believers and unchurched people who attend the various services. Take advantage of the special services to invite your unchurched and pre-believing friends to these gospel-sharing opportunities. Ask God to guide you as you invite them. Ask God to open their hearts to the gospel.

One of the ways we share God’s love is through our missions giving. We are collecting our World Missions Offering at this time. Pray for God’s guidance in giving to share the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ in our world. Some of our people financially support the work of MAF missionaries Lhaki & Achin Appel in Uganda. They have been facing no little difficulty from rebels. Pray for their safety.

Next Sunday we will share in the ordinance of baptism in each of our services. Pray for those who are coming to be baptized and for their friends and family members who do not know Christ.

Continue to pray for the adult choir as they prepare for the Christmas music and for our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services.

We continue to pray for specific people to come to faith in Christ. This week we pray for A, A, Q, C, CS, T, T, and W, Y. Last week H gave her heart to Christ, as did J, and E made the decision to be baptized.

We continue to pray for the following that who are ill: A (he is out of the hospital now), B, JS, J (enlarged heart), N, M, N (tuberculosis), and S’s father and brother. My mother, Helen Lucenay, had some heart problems last week and was treated and released from the hospital. My sister, Dicque O had surgery and is now home.

This week our Kindergarten will have special programs. Pray for the teachers, kids, and the parents. Ask God to open the hearts of the parents and families of the kindergartners. Pray that God will guide us to find an interim principal as we seek a principal and a person to help with the administration in the kindergarten office.

Kenneth and Mary Jo depart from Hong Kong on Tuesday. Pray for them as they prepare to leave, and then make their way home. This is not an easy transition for them as they have come to love Hong Kong. Pray for God’s guidance to the right person to take Kenneth’s place in the education ministry.

Next Sunday we will vote for the new deacons for KIBC. Pray for God’s guidance in this election. And pray for God’s guidance in the lives of our deacons, our Sunday School teachers and helpers, our choir members and those who continue to minister in our church.

Pray for our pastor and staff. December is a busy month. With the departure of Kenneth and the needs in the kindergarten in addition to the regular December activities, our staff needs God’s wisdom and strength to meet the demands.

This past week my mother, Helen Lucenay, was taken to the hospital with heart problems. Now she is adjusting to new medication. My sister, Dicque had major surgery mid-week. They both really enjoyed their visit here a few months back. They are both home recovering now. I appreciate your prayers for them.

I thank God for the love of God I have experienced in the people of KIBC. Thank you for the privilege of serving the Savior with you. Thank you for opening your hearts to your staff and especially to Nancy and me. May God enrich your life in His love this week.