I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ…
Philippians 1:3–6

Brethren,

Stacy and I want to wish you the happiest of Thanksgiving celebrations this year.

I am sure many of your homes are just like ours. A bustle of activity. Wives are busy preparing scrumptious meals for tomorrow’s feast. Husbands are finalizing details at workplaces in anticipation of a day focused on family and friends. Others are helping prepare hearth and home before the arrival of loved ones and dear acquaintances. Some may be packing for a trip to visit family.

As I looked upon the beginnings of what will prove to be a busy yet exciting day, I was reminded of each of you being about similar works.

Friends, these are good works that are upon us today. The works for which we labor today are in preparation of blessed fellowship and community. We will gather for feasting around tables of peace and provision, acknowledging the One who has made it all possible.

As we celebrate tomorrow, let us remember His work, begun in us, begun in our families, begun in our church, and rejoice in His Covenant love.

I do thank the Lord for each of you. And I do so with joy, knowing that we are a Body with unique gifts given by our gracious Creator – gifts that work together for the work of the Gospel.

Brethren, since my first day here at Providence three years ago, I have prayed for a core that would be able to strive together to see Jesus lifted high here in Illinois. I believe we are just beginning to see the blessings that the Lord will give us as His people.

And so, I am thankful for you. I am thankful for your unique giftings that work together for His glory. I am thankful for our fellowship in the Gospel. And I am thankful for Jesus.

May He be praised as you celebrate His goodness tomorrow.

I remain your faithful servant in Jesus,

James M McDonald
Pastor
Providence Church

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Phone: 309.387.2600

Address
401 S Carol Ave
Morton, IL 61550

A powerful testimony from Pastor John Piper…

Father God, by Whom the meek are guided in judgment, and through Whom the light overcomes the darkness for the godly; grant us, in all our doubts and uncertainties, the grace to ask what You would have us to do, that the Spirit of Wisdom may save us from all false choices, and that in Your light we may see light, and in Your straight path may not stumble; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

based on an historical Christian prayer

Life has been a blur of late. So much has happened. And the next few months are likewise full of activity and events. But I wanted to give you a snapshot of our 2009 Reformation Day. And I also want to encourage you to consider joining us for 2010! Our keynote speaker will be Pastor Kevin Swanson. And Charlie Zahm will again be our musical guest. The theme next year will be William Tyndale and the Battle for the English Bible. Dates will be October 22-24, 2010.

This year, over 450 people gathered from around the nation to share in the event!

Now, for some scenes from the 2009 Reformation Day Faire!

Here is a collage of photos Stacy put together…

And this is a video of one of the many performances by Providence Church folks. They did a great job!

Lastly, Doug Bond, this year’s keynote, took a number of videos of the event. Here are a couple, showing some of the activities that occurred Saturday afternoon.

Oh, and I would be remiss if I left out one of the Historical Ball!

If you are interested, you can secure recordings of the event, either mp3’s or a CD, from our friends at Resounding Voice!

I will let you know when registration is open for the 2010 event!

This evening, I went up to tuck two of our daughters in. This is my beloved chore every night. We have a little liturgy that includes some responsive prayers, a blessing, and a benediction. I then pull up their covers and tuck them in.

As I was doing this tonight, something caught my eye. It was a note on the window sill. The handwriting was well known to me. I picked it up and read it. This is what it said.

I am alone. I hate being alone. I want someone to talk to. I want someone to play with.

I NEED someone to talk to. I NEED someone to play with.

I have no one to play with or talk to.

I am looking out the window waiting for them to come home.

You see, today, several of my older daughters went to town and took some of the younger children. Only a couple of children stayed home to do school work.

I felt a weight come over me. I went to my daughter, the one I was sure was the forlorn author. I showed her the note and said in my most loving fatherly voice, “Dear one, you can always come see me if you need someone to play with or talk to.”

She looked at me and replied, “But Daddy, I did come to you. But you said you were too busy.”

Yes. I was busy. I have been busy. We have had company all week, and fellowship meals several days of this week. Today, I was very busy writing a sermon. Busy, busy, busy.

When she said this, I remembered her coming to me. I remember telling her I was busy. And I felt the weight of my failings as a father. I asked her to forgive me.

How thankful I am our Father knows our frame. How thankful I am that He is always there—that He is never too busy. Help me, Lord, to be more like You.

Galatians 4:6–7 (NKJV) And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

From Abby Johnson, former Planned Parenthood director who now protests against the horrific procedure of abortion. Her testimony is an answer to prayer. I pray daily for the Lord to open the eyes of those involved in the abortion “industry.”

Who said work was not fun?

“The prayer power has never been tried to its full capacity. If we want to see Divine power wrought in the place of weakness, failure, and disappointment, let us answer God’s standing challenge, ‘Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things of which thou knowest not of.’”

How often do you pray? How reverently do you pray? How fervently do you pray? Do you know you can pray God’s Word back to Him – and that this pleases Him? Do you pray because you trust in His love for you?

Let us pray.

Reformation Day 2009 was very encouraging! I will post more on the event as I have time. But I did want to share this photo with you of our son William. It was taken at the event, and then modified “slightly.” To me, this picture represents the spirit of confidence and victory that we should have in the advancing Kingdom of God. Let us teach our little ones to raise the Sword of the Spirit in service to King Jesus!

Consider the life and ministry of Brownlow North…

Brownlow North was born in 1810 into a distinguished family, being the grandson of the Hon. Dr Brownlow North, Bishop of Winchester, Lichfield and Worcester and was also the grandnephew of Lord North, the celebrated Prime Minister of George III. His early life as a member of the upper classes was one of notoriety instead of fame, living a dissolute and frivolous life, his life being one long round of self-indulgence. In his forties he was described as a middle-class roué.

At the age of forty five in 1854 he was sitting in a billiard room after dinner, playing cards and smoking his cigar, when he was seized with violent pains which caused him to think that he was going to die. Thinking that he was going to go to hell, he gave his life to Christ. This was the turning point for him and thereafter the whole direction of his life changed dramatically. For two months after this he spent his time in prayer and study and then began to minister quietly. After this time he was increasingly sought as a preacher.

During the Revival of 1859 he was greatly in demand as a preacher of the Gospel. He was described as the John the Baptist of the great awakening, because of his intense seriousness and terrible earnestness. He was also compared to Whitfield because of his great eloquence as a preacher. He was greatly used of God throughout England, Scotland, and Ulster to the salvation of thousands of people and continued preaching powerfully long after the crest of the Revival had passed. Even in the last year of his life, during the period 1874-75, whilst in Canada, he saw many people come to Christ.

The following is his “Six short rules for Christians”-

1. Never neglect daily private prayer; and when you pray, remember that God is present, and the He hears your prayers. (Heb.11:6).
2. Never neglect daily private Bible reading; and when you read remember that God is speaking to you and that you are to believe and act upon what He says. I believe all backsliding begins with the neglect of these two rules. (John 5:39).
3. Never let a day pass without trying to do something for Jesus. Every night reflect on what Jesus has done for you, and then ask yourself, “What am I doing for Him”? (Matt. 5:13-16).
4. If you are in doubt as to a thing being right or wrong, go to your room and kneel down and ask God’s blessing on it. (Col.3:17). If you cannot do this, it is wrong. (Rom.16:23).
5. Never take your Christianity from Christians, or argue that because such and such people do so and so, therefore, you may. (2 Cor. 10: 12). You are to ask yourself, “How would Christ act in my place”? And strive to follow Him (John 10:27).
6. Never believe what you feel, if it contradicts God’s Word. Ask yourself, “Can what I feel be true if God’s Word is true”? And if both cannot be true, believe God and make your own heart the liar. (Rom. 3:4, 1 John 5:10-11).

A powerful conversion. A life dedicated to the Lord. And some good advice to follow.