The Great Seal of the US

Twitter @john316marshall
www.facebook.com/john316marshallToday (June 20) in 1782, Congress adopted the Great Seal of the USA. It is on the back of our $1 bill.

After the Revolutionary war, our founding fathers decided to adopt a national seal that would express thanks to God for his protection. Franklin wanted our seal to be the Bible image of Moses dividing the Red Sea, and our motto to be, "Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God." Jefferson wanted our seal to picture Israel in the wilderness "led by a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night."

Finally, Congress chose a thirteen-layered pyramid, representing the thirteen states, being watched over by the eye of God. Above this emblem is written Annuit Coeptis, Latin for "He has favored our undertaking".

The Difference A "C" Makes

My dad and brother's middle name is Pinkney. My brother was in Kindergarten before he realized his middle name was not Picnic (no kidding). Years ago I would try to comfort him over this name by saying a famous Colonial Era family had the same name. I said he was probably named for the great statesman of that family named Charles.

One day my brother called in a forlorn spirit. "John, the famous family spelled their name with a "c". That's not in dad's and my names." Oops. Found out he was right. So much for my theory.

This raises a question. How did Dad and Charles Jr. get their middle names? I found out Dad was named for Pinkney Puckett, the man who raised my grandmother after her parents died. He in turn was named for his Uncle, who was a twin. Those two boys were named Pink and Ruff. Yes, it's true. You can't make this stuff up.

Now I try to comfort Charles by telling him he should be grateful that our great great grandpa Puckett was named for Pink, not Ruff. I don't think knowing this helps Charles much.

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My Prayer Bowl

Twitter @john316marshall
www.facebook.com/john316marshallLast Sunday at Second my son John preached about Revelation 5:8, where the 24 elders lift up bowls filled with our prayers to the Father. He said he wanted the elder representing him to have plenty of his prayers to offer the Father.

John challenged us to take a bowl to work with us to remind us to pray to help fill up the elders' bowls. I chose to bring one I brought home from Hawaii.

I felt it would be a good reminder since we now have two church-planting couples living there, with a third on the way. Thanks, Son, for a good helpful tool to remind us to pray.

Confronting Darkness Head-on

I received some new prayer requests for our unreached people group that I want to pass on to you. Workers in one of the tightest, least open places in their country are asking us to pray that God will work in wonderful ways soon.

They are hoping to bring the Gospel to a village that has no known believers. It has a lot of temples, shrines, sacred trees, and other spiritual paraphernalia. They want us to pray for them to find a person of peace, for open doors to share the Gospel, and for receptivity to their message.

As always, remember to pray for our missionaries there. Their children are having a little trouble adjusting back to life in their adopted country after an extended furlough in the USA.

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Church Planters Are Too Neglected

I returned last night from a three-day trip to Indianapolis to visit our three church-planting couples laboring there. I was deeply touched by their utter sold-out commitment to doing the Lord's work in their context. I felt honored to be in their presence.

After spending significant time with the couples collectively and individually, I came away with one sad conclusion. I fear our established churches are not doing enough to help newly planted churches.

I'm not sure what is causing this problem. Maybe churches think they have to give thousands of dollars and surrender scores of members to help. If so, we need to undercut this assumption. Church planters we work with ask for little. They want prayers, fellowship, and emotional support most of all. They would be thrilled if a church would merely covenant to pray for them and have someone stay in touch with them.

Also, a church does not have to give a King's ransom to help church planters. The people I meet with would be thrilled to have $100 a month, and maybe have only 3 or 4 people come each year on a mission trip. Surely our churches, whatever their size, can do this. Pray for our church planters. They are on the front lines, in the trenches, fighting spiritual warfare with too little help from behind the lines.

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