Adversaries

Early this morning while convincing myself to get up and head to a meeting, I grabbed the always nearby iPhone and checked email. There was an email from the chairman of the board at Mount Carmel Christian Church, asking me if I had seen a story on the news and if so, was it the church he thought it was. We had WSB morning news on, and almost as soon as I read his email, I saw the story. It was the church he was thinking it might be.

Kingdom City Church in Stone Mountain, not too far from Mount Carmel, had been vandalized – even beyond the norm for that sort of disgusting behavior. They didn’t just take copper tubing from air conditioning units. They took refrigerators, food, cooking equipment, and apparently whatever else they could get their hands on. Part of the vandalism included something that caused flooding in the building that ruined books, clothes collected for needy people, and whatever else was in the path of about six inches of water on the floor.

Kingdom City Church is not a huge congregation, but it is a church with a huge heart. Led by James and Mona Harper, they are always seeking ways to minister to others. James and Mona, by the way, are parents of Point University graduate Morgan Harper Nichols, and Point University student Jamie-Grace Harper. They are great friends to Point and great leaders of this church.

I responded to the email and sent a text message to Mona. Soon there was a flurry of emails between the elders at Mount Carmel and others with me, the board chair, and the Mount Carmel staff. Mona called me and we had a long conversation where she told me more details of the vandalism and what all had been ruined. I asked her how we could help and we prayed together on the phone.

I couldn’t be prouder (in a healthy, Christian sense of what being proud is all about) of the leadership at Mount Carmel. They are fully engaged in finding out what our congregation can do to help Kingdom City Church. It makes me think of Paul’s comment in 1 Corinthians 12 when he says “when one part of the body hurts, the whole body hurts.” Seeing the comments made by various elders and members of Mount Carmel in response to Rick Moore’s first email is nothing short of gratifying to me.

All day long I’ve been thinking and praying for James, Mona, their congregation, and Mount Carmel. I can’t quit thinking about how depraved a person must be to not only rob a church, but to viciously vandalize it. I go from wishing I could catch them to thinking about how sad their lives must be.

The Scripture that has made its way into my thinking today is one that I memorized as a freshman in college in Denver Sizemore’s class. It is from 1 Peter 5:8 and says, “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” We really shouldn’t be surprised when the presence of evil seeks to prevent good from being done. But Peter goes on and reminds us that we must “resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.” (5:9)

Ours is a difficult world. Just today I read of real challenges a couple who are Point alumni and serving in a very difficult country are facing. His message to his friends was something like “don’t pray for our safety, pray that the gospel is shared.” Another Point alumus frequently emails me about some of the challenges his mission faces in another part of the world. A team from Mount Carmel has had an unbelievably difficult time just getting Christmas gifts for children into another country.

The adversary is prowling. It’s time for us to “resist him and stand firm.”
Please join me in praying for James and Mona and Kingdom City Church. Pray for servants of the child of Bethlehem named “Mighty God” all over the world who face danger in this very moment.