I’ve preached once, twice, or three times every single day for more than four weeks now. Along with this preaching I pray for the heart healing, the restoration, and the refreshment of those in each congregation. It is good work.

The power of our healing lies in the work and name of our Lord Jesus Christ. This work was accomplished more than two-thousand years ago. When Jesus went to the cross, died, descended into Hades, and rose again, He entered into our personal hell with his life.

This means that our troubles and traumas are already touched by the healing power of our Lord. The very thing we may be afraid to look at and to enter into, is where He is and already has been.

This means that we must turn from our denial regarding the difficulties that each one of us has personally faced. Jesus died to free you from the smallest hurt in your life. He also died to free you from the biggest harm in your life.

Last night we had chicken for dinner. And as I was picking the meat off of the bones I was reminded (as I often am when I eat chicken in Africa) of Jesus Christ.

The chicken that we ate had, earlier that day, been strutting around the yard and if I’d had my camera at hand I may have taken it’s picture. Yet here it lay, in my bowl, in pieces, ready for me to partake of it and to receive of it the sustenance of life for which it died.

Jesus has done the same for us. As I worked to get every bit of meat off the bones of my piece of chicken, I was reminded that I am to make good use, to eat up entirely, to absorb completely, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. He died so that I might have life. I had better make good use of every single thing he accomplished on my behalf.

This means, that I do not discount my pain or the troubles I have seen. Rather, I bring every single thing to His cross and to His feet. And I leave it all there. I leave my pain and I take on His life. It is why He died after all.

The gospel of Jesus is easy to preach in Africa. For here people know their brokenness, they know their pain, they know their difficulties, and here the gospel truly is good news. Back home, it is not quite so easy, for we assuage our pain and ease our troubles ourselves, and if that doesn’t work, we just try harder (to our great loss).

There are nearly two more months until we board a plane for home. We have many more churches to visit and minister in, many more opportunities to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ; more days to declare His life on our behalf.

“Now may the God of peace — who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood — may he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him forever and ever! Amen.” Hebrews 13:20-21