IS OUR LOVE ABOUNDING STILL MORE AND MORE?

“And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more
In the knowledge and all discernment” (Philippians 1:9)

Patrick, one of our pupils in 9th form is from a very poor family. We have allowed him to attend school free. We also help him with needed school stationery and a uniform. This year, all the 9th form pupils in Burundi had to go through a national course selection exam. Unfortunately, it had been officially announced that any of them who were involved either in payment or lack of documents litigation would not participate. The school Patrick attended two years ago refused forwarding to us his file because the young boy was into debt with a whole school year fee. Consequently I had an idea as to test at which level the teachings of love our pupils hear so many times have been received. I asked each one of Patrick’s schoolmates to bring one kilogram (1 kg) of the bean grain so that they can together resell the collect at the market and help their friend. In Burundi, May is the bean harvest season, so every one of the pupils should get some to donate since we are located in a rural farming area.

Surprisingly, only four pupils responded to my appeal. My wife and I gave also a contribution. Five days before the national exam was organized, the radio announced that the Minister of Education had just issued an ordinance authorizing ALL 9th FORM PUPILS to participate in the Exam despite any litigation they might have with their schools. So, Patrick’s case was solved miraculously and he has attended. Hallelujah! The next morning I read to the 9th form pupils Paul’s words from Philippians 1:9 and told them that what they refused to do for their poor friend, God had done it perfectly using the Minister of Education. They all fell in tears and repented.

Dear Christ’s followers around the world, the Lord is also allowing problems and sad events to occur around us the Christians as to testing which level of maturity our LOVE has reached in knowledge and discernment of His will. Thus, TODAY, why be astonished seeing refugees from the Middle-East and immigrants from Africa rushing by thousands day by day to the borders of your richest European nations, many of them risking even their life in the Mediterranean Sea? Who really understands what God is doing?

I always tell my congregation in Gitega, that LOVE being the more excellent spiritual gift WILL ALSO AND ALWAYS BE THE MOST SOUGHT in solving various world current issues. Apostle Paul prayed that our LOVE towards the Lord and our neighbor MIGHT ABOUND STILL MORE AND MORE. This to mean that the level it had attained the previous year e.g., should be increased at a certain percentage every new coming year.
Now, could you believe that the Lord is allowing all this sad situation with the immigrants and the refugees BECAUSE YOUR LOVE HAS NOT ABOUND STILL MORE AND MORE for many years? Your bank accounts are filled with SAVINGS FOR YOUR SUMMER HOLIDAYS planed to go to the most beautiful beaches in the world while thousands desperate brothers and sisters are dying at the shores of your borders! Christian ministries in the Third World are lacking sufficient support and no longer making progress BECAUSE YOUR LOVE IS NOT ABOUNDING STILL MORE AND MORE!

If my LOVE donation was $10 a month during the past decade, Paul’s Spirit is still praying that it becomes $15 a month beginning this year of Grace. Have you managed to bring it up that way? Stopping our LOVE gift to growing is also to choke the Spirit of LOVE we have received from the Lord. Refusing our LOVE donation to growing year by year is also a negative prayer asking Jesus to no longer pray that our businesses and our economy or our plantations may prosper. Refusing our LOVE donations to increasing is finally to tell the Lord: “No Lord, I am no longer your follower!” See how plants and animals and yourself grow and grow day by day!

A certain day in the history of Israel, as king Hezekiah was told by Prophet Isaiah to set his house in order for he was to die and not live, he immediately called upon the Lord and said: “Remember now, O Lord, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what’s good in Your sight” (Isaiah 38:3). And the Lord answered:
“I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears, surely
I will add to your days fifteen years” (Isaiah 38:5)

Hezekiah was given fifteen additional years to live in order to INCREASE his walking in truth with a loyal heart and do what was good in God’s sight. Dear brethren, what could be your fifteen added years for if they could be given to you? Could we together let the Lord speak today about our richest nations and families, about you and me personally and say: “I have HEARD your prayer…, I have SEEN your love abounding still more and more, and surely, I will ADD…”?

You are so many rich Christians in the West having monthly SAVINGS (non used money) that can easily support 10 African families’ basic expenditures to survive a month and start setting slowly and maintain a small self-support project. Could you hear this appeal and take action TODAY? This is a Christian worldwide project that honors the Name of the Lord and yourself the donor, and which we could have started NOW e.g. in the ten poorest countries of the world including Burundi my fatherland. Let us call it “THE ONE FAMILY SUPPORTING 10 POOR FAMILIES PROJECT”

PRAYER: O Lord, may your Spirit of LOVE revive my heart and enable my sleeping LOVE abound still more and more for the rest of days you have grated me to live. Amen!

In Christ’s love

Bishop, Dr. Justin Baransananikiye
President,
CHRISTIANS STRENGTHENING CHRISTIANS,
http://iprayforyou.worthyofpraise.org
http://christiansstrengtheningchristian.doodlekit.com/blog
Email: baransajust@gmail.com