Newsletter | December 2020

DearFriend,

Our God is a compassionate God. And compassion for the needy has always been a mark of those who belong to Him.

This became apparent in the third century, in the midst of one of the deadliest pandemics in history. At its peak, it is estimated that in the city of Rome alone, this plague claimed some 5,000 lives per day.

Eyewitnesses and historians—many of them secular, some even critics of Christianity—have observed the difference between the response of nonbelievers to this crisis and the response of followers of Jesus. In many cases, non-Christians did their best to avoid those who were sick and dying, in an attempt to save their own lives. Christians, by contrast, were known for doing all they could to care for the sick, for their families, and for the bodies of those who died. Some of those Christians became infected with the disease and died. At the same time, those who survived the disease were now immune and became an army that provided care for others. This proved to be a powerful witness to the nonbelieving world.

I was struck by these words from one pastor:

Notice how non-Christians in the Roman
Empire emphasized self-preservation while the early church emphasized fearless, sacrificial service. Whereas non-Christians fled from epidemics and abandoned their sick loved ones as they feared the unknown, Christians marched into epidemics and served both Christians and also non-Christians, seeing their own suffering as an opportunity to spread the gospel and model Christlike love.

The costly love demonstrated by these believers made the gospel believable and had a remarkable impact on those who witnessed God’s love in action, resulting in many conversions and rapid growth of the Church.

Throughout the history of the Church, Christians have been at the vanguard of establishing hospitals, schools, orphanages, and promoting social reform—demonstrating the compassionate heart of God to those who need it most.

As our world is reeling from the impact of the coronavirus— physically, economically, socially, and psychologically—many Christians are compassionately caring for the sick and bereaved, extending a message of hope through digital platforms, and actively loving neighbors faced with prolonged isolation. Such efforts have been a means of advancing the gospel in these difficult days.

In the face of fallout from the global coronavirus crisis on so many fronts, it can be hard to know exactly how to respond. Constant news reports can leave us feeling overwhelmed. Where do we even start?

Let me suggest that you start where God has put you. Look for those around you who have needs you could help to meet and begin there. As you and I walk in the Spirit, God will impress specific people, burdens, and needs on our hearts. Our responsibility is not to solve all the problems in the world but to follow Christ and to love others as we have been loved by Him.

God showed us mercy and compassion when He sent His Son, Jesus, to pay the penalty for our sins. May our lives put the love and grace of God on display for our world during this season, as we reach out to the needy around us in Jesus’ name.

Blessings,

Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth

On March 13 and 14, Over 6,000 women from twenty-six countries poured into Monterrey, Mexico for the third Mujer Verdadera (True Woman) Conference.

Had the conference been scheduled a day or two later, it likely would not have happened due to the COVID-19 situation that was just unfolding. Thankfully, Mexico and the rest of Latin America had not been affected in any significant way by the coronavirus at that point and we were able to proceed.

When we decided on the theme (“Rooted”), we had no idea that in God’s providence the world would be in such upheaval. We would need to be rooted for so many reasons: not just because of philosophies contrary to the truth, but also because COVID-19 was about to disrupt life as we knew it.

The messages were delivered by:

• Pastor Sugel Michelen, a respected pastor in Latin America. He preached on being rooted in the gospel and in Jesus Christ.

• Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, who taught on being rooted in trials and encouraged the women to rest and trust in God’s providence.

• Dannah Gresh, who taught on being rooted in love and in community.design. The latter was especially powerful in the midst of violent marches in Mexico along with a general strike (“A Day without Women”) calling all women to stay home

• Mary Kassian, who taught on being rooted in truth and in our design. The latter was especially powerful in the midst of violent marches in Mexico along with a general strike (“A Day without Women”) calling all women to stay home.

The attendees’ excitement was contagious. Some of the women had saved up for a year to be able to attend and started weeping as the video countdown for the conference began. They were so attentive and engaged throughout the event, and the Lord’s presence was almost tangible.

In addition to the women on-site, there were 247,000 unique livestream views (many of these were groups) from 139 countries. The hunger and response were unforgettable. An evangelistic concert was open to the entire family Friday night, and over 3,600 men, women, and children attended.

Saturday when the conference concluded, women were already asking, “When is the next one?” We continue to hear from women, like this one, who were so blessed. Thank you for your prayers and support from afar!

Consider . . .

1. What if Jesus is delighted that His prayer for His followers’ unity is being answered?
2. What if His Church is finally becoming a “house of prayer”?
3. What if false gods are being stripped away from us?
4. What if God is teaching the Church how to give by selling our possessions and giving to the believers in need, as in the book of Acts?
5. What if God is making us God-dependent instead of self-sufficient?
6. What if God wants us to ask Him for our daily bread and learn the value of His faithful, last-minute provision?
7. What if God wants us to learn to “be still” and get to know Him?
8. What if God wants us to get to know and reach out to our next-door neighbors?
9. What if God wants us to learn to use technology more effectively and efficiently to advance the kingdom?
10. What if God wants us to learn to be content with what we have or less?
11. What if God wants us to live in light of eternity?
12. What if God wants us to model Christlikeness through sacrificial giving?
13. What if God wants to use this to purify and make us holy so He can demonstrate His power?
14. What if God wants us to be able to identify with the way most of the world lives all the time?
15. What if this is a precursor to a sweeping revival and spiritual awakening?

This past December, longtime Revive Our Hearts Ministry friend Cindy Rast went to be with the One her soul most loved after a four-year battle with brain cancer.

Cindy spent the last twenty-two years of her life serving as a missionary in São Paulo, Brazil. While God used her mightily there, He had another job for Cindy to do in the later years of her life.

In 2012, the Holy Spirit moved profoundly in Cindy’s heart as she studied True Woman 101. After completing the first week of home- work and watching the accompanying video, Cindy and her friends dropped to their knees in confession. Over the next few weeks, the Lord continued a sweet work of repentance in them.

Cindy’s Question

For months after leading that study, Cindy pondered how she could spread this message to Brazilian women everywhere. But she always came back to asking, Who am I? My Portuguese isn’t even that good. What can I do?

Still, she led group after group through True Woman 101 and saw the same astonishing results. Women were starving for this truth, and the Holy Spirit was transforming lives right and left.

Cindy’s Answer

Cindy’s answer came in December 2013 as she listened to Revive Our Hearts. Laura González de Chávez was sharing how God made her dream of starting Revive Our Hearts in Spanish a reality.

At that moment, Cindy realized, This message is in all of Latin America except for Brazil! She fell to her knees, weeping, “God, what do You want? I don’t have anything to offer.”

God began to bring to mind a few connections she had. So, with trembling fingers, Cindy picked up her phone and began making calls. As the publishing wheels began to turn, Cindy formed a small group of women who pleaded with God to spread the gospel message everywhere Portuguese is spoken.

Cindy’s Legacy

In 2015, the True Woman 101 workbook and video messages were released in Portuguese. To this day, Cindy’s friends continue to hear of Bible studies springing up in every region of Brazil, in remote areas along the Amazon River, and even in Portugal. Cindy’s legacy continues, as lives all across Brazil—a country where the evangelical church numbers more than 40 million people— are being transformed.

Will you pray that God will continue to multiply the kingdom work He began through Cindy? Please also keep Cindy’s sweet family in prayer as they ache over her loss. She is survived by her beloved husband, Joel; their three children, Grace (and husband Jason), Alex, and Christian; and a grandson, Lucas.

A mother is a gospel-gardener who mirrors the compassion of Jesus in each small, yet significant act of love in tending for her family.

Her nurturing instinct is cultivated at home and then spreads beyond like a perennial vine, reaching limitless spiritual sons and daughters.

As Mother’s Day approaches, let’s join our hearts to pray for moms of biological, adopted, and spiritual children everywhere . . .

Father, we praise You for perfectly parenting us. You never fail. Your mercy overflows for the far-too-numerous times we neglect to extend Your compassion to our precious children.

Thank You, Jesus, for achieving perfection through Your blameless life. Now we can revel in freedom from incessant striving to accom- plish what we were never intended to grasp. Break the crippling chains of performance, perfect kids, and perfect homes.

Teach us to set aside our crazy schedules to splash in the springs of Your living waters. We may foolishly try to navigate motherhood on our own, but Your love always pursues—never letting go.

For the overwhelmed mom, woo her to Yourself to provide relief from the weight of her heavy burdens. Help her slow down to hear and follow Your voice (Matt. 11:28–30; John 10:27; Rev. 3:20).

For the new mom, lavish her with spiritual rest in sleep-de- prived days. Let her grasp with both hands a confident faith that gospel grace will enable her to parent through Your power and love (Isa. 40:29–31; Eph. 3:14–21).

For the yet-to-be mom, lift her head to You as her ultimate satisfaction in the journey of waiting. Meet the longings of her heart through Jesus. Give her insight into her vital role in king- dom building (Ps. 9:10; Ps. 113:9).

For the single mom, sustain this sister with daily stamina, wisdom, and abiding peace for the present and the future. Show her You can be trusted to carry her anxieties because of Your constant care (Phil. 4:6–7, 12–13; 1 Peter 5:7).

For the empty-nest mom, invigorate her with vision for a new season of life-giving. Divinely assign spiritual daughters for her to cherish and encourage (Gen. 3:20; Titus 2:3–5).

For the broken mom who’s lost a child or quietly suffers in a fractured relationship, heal the unspeakable hurt and open her tear-filled eyes of faith to trust You with what she cannot understand (Ps. 33:20–22; 147:3).