Global Warming

There is some controversy around the topic of "Global Warming".  It seems that the ice caps have been melting and ocean levels have been rising as levels of Carbon Dioxide are also on the increase.  Much study is in process to determine the role that man is playing in this important environmental change.  But I had an experience this past week that confirmed that man is playing an important role in global warming.  I visited a ministry on Thursday morning that is helping build churches around the world and plant the seed of God's Word within them.  International Cooperating Ministries has built nearly 4,000 churches in about 60 countries...mostly in the emerging or developing countries of the world.  They actually build church buildings that provide a place for local clusters of believers to meet and then they provide the solid Biblical teaching in local languages to equip and empower those people.  You would never realize the scope of this wonderful work from the outside of their headquarters.  It is a compact cinder block building with few windows in Hampton, Virginia.  Next door is a Sherwin-Williams paint distribution warehouse with trucks that tout "Cover the World" and a logo of the globe being covered with a giant can of paint.  But ICM is covering the world with a different kind of coating.  Inside their building the activity is like a beehive.  Twenty or more folks have specialized tasks to process requests from partners overseas and establish new churches and to prepare and distribute the Bible teachings and electronic media to the world.  There is a central meeting room with maps lining the walls and flags or pins that show the location of the individual churches and the work in process.  A map of India has so many pins stuck in the southeastern quadrant of the country that you can't see any paper map beneath the pins (but there is still much room for more churches in the rest of the country!).   This wonderful work is helping cause a global warming of new life as people from around the globe are awakening to new life as their faith awakens and is established in Jesus!  (www.ICM.org)

2 Kings 4:³⁴ Then he lay down on the child's body, placing his mouth on the child's mouth, his eyes on the child's eyes, and his hands on the child's hands. And as he stretched out on him, the child's body began to grow warm again!