The Upside of Downturns:

God’s Kingdom Advances Even When Man’s Powers Decline

Reflections on June 2008

by Larry Gadbaugh, CEO, Pregnancy Resource Centers of Greater Portland

• Priority One: Seek God Himself first and we will find that God’s provision, guidance, and grace is sufficient for us.

• Focus on nurturing our faith in Christ, trusting He is present with us, and we will receive discernment we need to follow and fulfill His purposes, regardless of the circumstances.

• Hungering for God through fasting and prayer together invites God to replace our fear and anxiety with faith and confidence in His presence and provision.

• Christ’s Kingdom comes because He, as High Priest, prays for it to do so. We join the joy of Christ’s transforming work as we join Him in praying for Kingdom come.

• The Lord of the Harvest raises up laborers, supporters, encouragers to supply what we need for Kingdom advance.

• While we measure what we can see and count, God measures our faith and faithfulness.

• God uses the distress of the faithful who call upon Him, to arouse the rest of His people to pursue His eternal impact upon people through prayer, giving, and stirring others to join in His work sacrificially.

• God provides by mobilizing the whole continuum of His faithful stewards—from the humble rich, to the 13-year-old girl who knows friends at school who will be needing the Lord’s compassion.

• God uses the threats to our current vision, strategies and goals, and timelines, to fine tune our direction.

• It’s not the economy. It’s the stewardship of our faith, hope in Christ to magnify and expand our love for those who need Christ.