Bold Humility

Mark 1:40 - A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, "If you are willing, you can make me clean." 

Talk about boldness! When you are in a crowd, how bold do you feel? Here a man with leprosy, who is not even supposed to be around other humans, runs up to Jesus! You can imagine the crowd drawing back and the insults flying at this man. He is so determined. He wants his life back!

The man fell to his knees. When was the last time I fell to my knees? That is usually the sign that I have figured out that God is God, I am a helpless man, and I need Him! Strange this doesn't happen every day. I really pray that God will fill my heart with humility, and that the task of bringing salvation to 5 billion people would be enough to bring me to my knees. 

This is the perfect, bold but humble prayer. Look at this:

"If you are willing . . ." 

This phrase shows who is in charge, who's the boss, who knows best. This phrase puts everyone in their proper place. The outcome is not up to us, it is entirely up to God. Only if it's Your will, in other words, if You will it, is it truly best. Sometimes I don't want God's will, I want my own will. It takes humility to admit that I don't know what is best, and that I only want His will. 

"You can make me clean."

There was not a doubt in his mind that Jesus could do it. He had complete confidence in Jesus' power, complete confidence in his ability to do a miracle. Leprosy was not a curable disease. In fact, only twice in the entire Old Testament was someone actually cured! And yet, this leper was absolutely convinced that Jesus could do it. Wow! He had great faith.

Great boldness and great humility make a great combination.

Pray for Duesseldorf, Germany 

Duesseldorf is located in the "midwest" of Germany, close to the Dutch and Belgian borders. Although the city has only about 550,000 inhabitants, it plays an important role in the German landscape. It is located centrally in the Rhein-Ruhr Valley, which has a high density of cities between half a million and a million people, summing up to one of the largest metropolitan regions in Europe with about 10 million inhabitants.

The Duesseldorf trade fairs are known throughout the world. The fashion, printing and medical fairs fill the city with visitors, so much so that hotel beds have to reserved one year in advance. It is also a cultural center with many theatres, museums and galleries.

The church in Duesseldorf has been led by God through some very challenging years. In the beginning of 2007, only 12 disciples remained of what had once been a church of 70. The brothers and sisters felt a lot of grief losing so many of their spiritual family members. Like a fragmented corpse, the healing process has been painful.

But we are excited about the work of the Holy Spirit, he is the true comforter who has brought the now 21 disciples closer together and is shaping us into a more loving and joyful family. It is great to see how everyone has found a way to serve in the body of Christ, which makes us complete again.

Please pray for:

• The continual growth of faith and joy
• The return of some dearly missed brothers and sisters
• Our 4 preteens to deeply fall in love with Christ
• The conversion of younger disciples between 20 and 30
• Some mature disciples moving to the city