Refined by fire
A Simbari Bible teacher is recovering in the aftermath of a fire that spread through a Papua New Guinea village and destroyed his home and others a few weeks ago.
Clayborn and his wife were so distraught and discouraged that they started talking about running off to town to stay until their sorrow diminished, the cultural way to deal with trials.
But other believers reached out to his family, encouraging them to keep their eyes on the Lord and not run from their problems.
"Clayborn has been helping to teach the Bible lessons and literacy classes at the new church in his village, so it would not have been a good example for him to just quit and leave his responsibilities," wrote missionaries David and Shari Ogg.
David recently met with Clayborn and other Bible teachers for his weekly discipleship time and went over the Romans lesson they were to teach the following Sunday at two village churches.
The lesson from chapter eight was on the topic of present sufferings not being comparable to the glory that will be revealed. The lesson also pointed out that God’s Spirit who lives in believers prays to the Father for us when we don’t even know what to say.
David used Clayborn’s recent trial as an example and emphasized that Clayborn no doubt was so distraught he hardly knew what to pray about, but God’s Spirit who knows his heart prayed for him.
By the end of the meeting, Clayborn and the other teachers were so encouraged by the truths they had heard that they left with big, ear-to-ear smiles.
Clayborn said he was going to choose to not dwell on his loss but on God’s promises.
Pray that Clayborn and the other teachers can be an example and encouragement to others who face trials.
Clayborn and his wife were so distraught and discouraged that they started talking about running off to town to stay until their sorrow diminished, the cultural way to deal with trials.
But other believers reached out to his family, encouraging them to keep their eyes on the Lord and not run from their problems.
"Clayborn has been helping to teach the Bible lessons and literacy classes at the new church in his village, so it would not have been a good example for him to just quit and leave his responsibilities," wrote missionaries David and Shari Ogg.
David recently met with Clayborn and other Bible teachers for his weekly discipleship time and went over the Romans lesson they were to teach the following Sunday at two village churches.
The lesson from chapter eight was on the topic of present sufferings not being comparable to the glory that will be revealed. The lesson also pointed out that God’s Spirit who lives in believers prays to the Father for us when we don’t even know what to say.
David used Clayborn’s recent trial as an example and emphasized that Clayborn no doubt was so distraught he hardly knew what to pray about, but God’s Spirit who knows his heart prayed for him.
By the end of the meeting, Clayborn and the other teachers were so encouraged by the truths they had heard that they left with big, ear-to-ear smiles.
Clayborn said he was going to choose to not dwell on his loss but on God’s promises.
Pray that Clayborn and the other teachers can be an example and encouragement to others who face trials.