CHRISTMAS MIRACLE

Why Is It So Important to Understand Conversion?





The above clip is from a WordPictures series called: How God Converts The Human Soul

It is an incredible teaching on the sovereignty of God's electing, amazing grace.

"EVERY CHRISTIAN IS EITHER A MISSIONARY OR AN IMPOSTOR."

~ Charles Haddon Spurgeon ~

With Christmas coming up, we are in the throws of planning our annual Family Christmas Outreach party. This is a party we've had since our oldest was 2 years old...that's 13 years! WoW!

We started this party in order to include entire families in celebrating the real meaning of Christmas. We were new to Phoenix, and didn't know very many people. We invited anyone who had little kids and who would smile back at us! My parents flew to Arizona to help. We had 24 people that first year - mostly children under 5. My dad was a good sport and dressed up as Santa and when we returned home from neighborhood caroling 'Jesus songs', he bound down the stairway and gathered the children around him and explained Christmas is about Jesus. He read aloud The Legend of the Candy Cane. Beautiful memories....

Through the years, we've refined the party to be evangelistic both towards our guests (specifically invite Christians and non-Christians and give the gospel) and towards the neighbors we carol for. During the party, the children are read several Christmas stories like: The Tale of Three Trees, The Legend of the Candy Cane, and The Pine Tree Parable. They make a Christmas tree ornament comprised of three long nails bound with crimson raffia to place on the tree to remind everyone that Christmas means absolutely nothing without Easter. We have the children make extra tree ornaments so we have one to give each family who allows us to sing carols to them. They assemble 'gift bags' for the homes we sing for - a biblical gospel tract, the tree ornament, and a book (last year, it was Lee Strobel's The Case for Christmas).

Each party guest family was given a copy of Mark Cahill's book One Heartbeat Away last year. I was thrilled to be able to purchase an 18 book box of discounted books from Mark Cahill Ministries and they arrived in record time the day before our party. Christian was encouraged to read the book and promise to pass it on to someone who needed Jesus in the months to come. Non-Christian was encouraged to read it. A wonderful book.

This year, just two days ago actually, I got an e-newsletter from Mark Cahill Ministries. He stated he realized times were financially tight this year and wanted to let everyone know he had discounted his One Heartbeat Away box of 18 at an even greater discount. Also, he was offering a box of 42 books for only $200.00 and free shipping. Christmas is a perfect time to share the gift of Jesus! Oh, how I wanted to purchase that box of 42 books!

Had it been last year, I wouldn't have thought twice about making the purchase; but 2008 is different. Our economy is fragile. Our family portfolio is radically different than it was last year. We have two mortgages and have yet to sell our little house on Tee Time. We lost much with the stock market crash over the past months. As much as I wanted to be able to purchase these great evangelism tools, I knew I could not. Not this year.

I was sad. I really wanted to be able to give One Heartbeat Away to each of the homes on our culdesac this year as we carol. Last year it was The Case for Christmas; this year, I had hoped to give out something that presented answers to skeptics as well as a forthrightly biblical gospel. I was sad it looked like this was not to be... "the Lord gives and the Lord takes away; blessed be the name of the Lord." I asked God to help me think of something significant to give to our guests and to the homes in our neighborhood.

A few short hours later, our doorbell rang. I went to the door to see the delivery truck pull away. I looked down on the porch to see a large box of, what I assumed to be, medical supplies for our youngest son. I bent down to pick up what I expected to be a light box, and to my surprise, it was incredibly heavy. I turned it over to read the shipping label:

To - Jill Grier

From - Mark Cahill Ministries

"OH MY! THERE HAS BEEN A MISTAKE! I'VE NOT ORDERED ANYTHING FROM MARK CAHILL MINISTIRES! Shipping this box back will cost an arm and a leg. We can't keep this - we can't afford to pay for it."

I set the heavy box on our kitchen table and opened it up. Atop the supplies, was a folded piece of paper with 'My gift to you' printed on the top. I picked it up and set it aside to see what was in the box. It was the box of 42 books I had wanted to purchase earlier that morning. The 42 books plus two of his teaching DVD's valued at an additional $40.00. Lukewarm No More and Pride Goes Before Destruction. I didn't know what to think. I had not ordered this. I hadn't even known about it until that very morning....

I called the boys to the kitchen to show them the box of books and the two DVD's and ask them if they knew how it came to us. Nicholas suggested it might have been Dad who ordered it. I assured him Dad doesn't order books. Dakota suggested I read the folded paper I had set on the table. (Good idea!)

I read the note on the outside aloud: My Gift To You

I opened up the invoice and began to cry. It listed the materials included in the box and had a personal note at the bottom. It read:

"Hey Jill, Please take these as a gift from the ministry. Pray over them and get them into the right hands during the Christmas season.

Lost people all around you. Don't let them get away!

Mark"

You see, about 6 months ago, I woke with a pressing urgency to write Mark Cahill a letter of appreciation for his passion and his ministry. I felt led to share with him how we had used his One Heartbeat Away book for our Family Christmas party outreach last December. I felt like God wanted him to learn how a family was using his book and how much we appreciated his truth-filled writing. I told him I believed his book to be one of the best evangelistic tools I've seen because it combines apologetics and answers to the skeptics and uses the Law to prepare the soil of the heart to hear the good news of the gospel. I told him this book was a perfect blend of Ravi Zacharias, Josh McDowell, and Ray Comfort - all in one.

I mailed the letter with the US Postal service and didn't give it another thought. I didn't really expect him to read it. I just felt like it was a letter God wanted me to write and send.

I think Mark read my letter. I can't imagine why else he would have sent me a box of evangelism books free of charge.

I PRAISE GOD FOR PROMPTING ME TO WRITE THAT LETTER. I PRAISE GOD FOR MARK CAHILL AND FOR HIS OBEDIENCE TO GOD'S PROMPTING HIM TO SEND US BOOKS TO GIVE OUT THIS CHRISTMAS. I am humbled to know God had this in motion even before I knew about this special deal on this larger box of books. Humbled to know God cares about our little Family Christmas party outreach. Humbled He would orchestrate such a surprise to encourage me that He cares and He will provide even our wants. I love God's timing. I was so sad yesterday knowing this year we couldn't afford to do our Christmas party outreach like I wanted.

I am writing this down so I don't forget. So my children will know the praiseworthy deeds of my God. So the children yet to be born will know God's providential and faithful hand in my life.

I LOVE YOU JESUS!

I am so thankful You show yourself to Me. Please help me be faithful! Please help me to walk worthy. Please make sure these truth-filled books make it into the hands of those You want to read it - and be transformed by it. Please Lord, if I may ask, let my children see fruit of these books given as gifts this year. They so need to be encouraged. I so need to be encouraged. Even now, please be preparing the hearts and minds of those who get the gift of this book. Protect us from evil. Protect us from fear. Help us reflect your beauty this Christmastime. Help us love in word and in deed. Help me be winsome. Help me be a sweet aroma. Help me glorify you.

Thank You Jesus!

Thank you Mark Cahill!

Professing CHRISTian - Barak Obama?

The below link is to The Christian Anti-Defamation Commission.

There is a lot of confusion today about 'who is a Christian'...someone who says they believe in Jesus...someone who says they are a Christian? Jesus said you will know a tree by it's fruit. We must contend for the faith given once for all. (Jude 4)

https://secure.conservativedonations.com/cadc_woinac/?a=1845

What If Jesus Had Never Been Born? The Truth of the Blessings of Followers of Jesus Christ

"I am an historian, I am not a believer, but I must confess as a historian that this penniless preacher from Nazareth is irrevocably the very center of history. Jesus Christ is easily the most dominant figure in all history."

~ H.G. Wells ~



PART 1 -





PART 2 -





One of my favorite vocal artists - from Kansas even - is Jennifer Knapp. This is a song that comes to mind when I begin to get discouraged about the state of the Church in America. The visible state of the Body of Christ. Oh, His great love for us! Glory!

Listen to the lyrics. Brings tears to my eyes even now....

HOLD ME NOW by Jennifer Knapp




From glass alabaster she poured out the depth of her soul
O foot of Christ would you wait if her harlotries known?
Falls a tear to darken the dirt
Of humblest offerings to forgive the hurt
She is strong enough to stand in your love
I can hear her say....

I'm weak
I'm poor
I'm broken, Lord
But I'm your's
Hold me now, hold me now

Let he without sin cast the first stone if you will
To say that my bride isn't worth half the blood that I've spilled
Point your finger and laugh if you choose
To say my beloved is borrowed and used
She is strong enough to stand in My love
I can hear her say.... (King Jesus)

I'm weak
I'm poor
I'm broken, Lord
But I'm your's
Hold me now, hold me now

*************

Isn't it humbling to be reminded of His great love for His bride? Isn't is encouraging to know that even with a bride who is broken, a bride who fails so often, a bride who is so often faithless - He can cause her to stand and walk in His ways and bring glory to Him - for the good of the world! We see evidence of this all around.

Read Ezekiel 36: 26-27

A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. (God)


THANK YOU JESUS FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE A PART OF YOUR STORY! THANK YOU FOR ORDANINING ME TO BELIEVE, AND FOR APPOINTING ME TO THIS TIME AND TO THIS PARTICULAR PLACE. I LOVE YOU SO!

EXPELLED: No Intelligence Allowed DVD Releast Oct. 21

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed Trailer:




Beloved, Just to let you know - this important film will be released on DVD October 21st.

Right now, you can pre-buy it through either Answers in Genesis (www.answersingenesis.org) or through your local Family Christian Bookstore at a significant discount. I encourage that.

I believe this DVD should be in every Christian family library. It is so important to expose the agenda to squash any dissent that deviates from Darwinian Evolution. Dialogue is not acceptable. This is always a bad sign. Typically, when people don't want to engage in conversation - resorting to name-calling, yelling, firing, or 'shut-up'ing; it is because they are not confident in their preheld suppositions. We need not fear them. We need not retreat from the conversation. They are on shakey ground. Our Armor - which includes the breastplate of righteousness - doesn't indicate protection for our backside! Turning tail and running, isn't in the battleplan. Walking off the field isn't our calling....

After an intense battle to get EXPELLED: No Intelligence Allowed to release here in Wichita on opening day, we had a poor showing of people to demonstrate to the Warren management and to the NorthRock management it was worth it. (Our family attended the opening evening showing at the Warren East. I have no idea how many people attended at the Warren West or the Warren Downtown, or even at NorthRock.)

Now we have an opportunity to gather people to see this again. Let's be creative about this. Perhaps we could approach our local Pastor to see if he would be willing to set aside one Sunday evening for a full-length 'movie night'. Perhaps we could show this within our small groups. Perhaps we could invite families over to our homes to have a movie night complete with discussion and prayer for our nation.

LET'S DO SOMETHING TO ENCOURAGE CHRISTIANS TO SEE THIS FILM!

Let's not put it off. Let's not get discouraged when we meet rejection after rejection. Let's not be quitters. Let's pray and let's invite and let's discuss.

Here is a letter I wrote to our pastor to encourage him go see it on opening day and to encourage our congregation to see EXPELLED: No Intelligence Allowed when it was to be released in local theaters months ago.

(You know we can write letters of personal testimony and encouragement to our Pastors and elders, don't you?)


Here's the letter from this past Winter:


"If people think God is interesting, the onus is on them to show that there is anything to talk about. Otherwise, they should just shut up about it."~ Richard Dawkins ~Rabid Contemporary Atheist - Evolutionary Biologist, Oxford University



Dear Pastor,

I am thrilled, thrilled, thrilled you are teaching on Genesis on Sunday mornings! I believe the very foundations of credibility and integrity within the American church are in Genesis chapters 1-11.

How I could go on and on about my own confusion trying to reconcile what I was taught in Sunday school as a child and what I was taught for 12 years in Wichita Public Schools – not to mention State universities I attended.

Interestingly enough, I believe I represented the vast majority of professing Christians who desperately try to ‘believe both’ in that it wasn’t until a few years ago I came face to face with the need to research and make some conclusions as to the age of the earth and Creation. I was setting out to teach Ancient History and was told I needed to decide from which ‘angle’ I would be teaching – Old Earth or Young Earth. I had never heard of Young Earth…I had grown up believing God used the process of evolution and massive amounts of time to make what we know today. I didn’t agree with Carl Sagan who screamed volumes of ideology when he made his claim: “The Cosmos is all there ever was, all there ever is, and all there ever will be.” I believed God used the Big Bang to create and start the process, but that He ordained evolution to complete the process. Much assumption followed….

Then I was faced with teaching Ancient History. I had to make a decision… a thoughtful and informed decision. We set out to do some research on the subject. We drove from Flower Mound, TX to Glen Rose, TX to tour the Creation Evidence Museum. A road trip that changed my life!

http://www.creationevidence.org/

I remember clearly walking INTO that humble museum a Christian (my particular flavor of Theism) Evolutionist and walking OUT a confident and excited YE Creationist.

Glory!

We are living in an increasingly pagan America where people have no concept of God and why He matters and this drastically effects and limits our evangelism. Peter was talking to people who ‘knew’ and feared God. He told them to repent and be baptized. Paul, however, was talking with people who had no clue about the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. On Mars Hill, he had to start at the BEGINNING! Sadly, that is where we are today, but most Christians don’t know it. We are usually Peter talking to the men of Athens! It is worthy to spend corporate time teaching on the essential doctrines of the Genesis Record.

Surely you are aware, but in case you are not, there is a wonderful movie coming out this Friday and it will be playing at the Warren East and Warren West Movie Theaters.

EXPELLED: No Intelligence Allowed is an important film and – believe me – it was a battle to get it to show here on Opening Day in the Box Offices.

I’ve attached a Leaders Guide and a Press Packet. Perhaps these will give you some added material to use in your sermons. PERHAPS YOU WILL GO SEE THE FILM ON OPENING DAY.



“If you meet somebody who claims not to believe in evolution, that person is ignorant, stupid or insane.”

~ Richard Dawkins ~



"I think religion is a deadly threat to the survival of the species and to the continued evolution of the brain."

~ Christopher Hitchens ~



"The fact that 40% of American scientists believe in God indicates that 60% of scientists aren't doing their jobs."

~ Sam Harris ~




The Warren Theaters East and West will be showing Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed this Friday (Opening Day in the Box Office)! Praise the Lord.

Tickets go on sale Wednesday, April 16th.

West side show times for Opening Day are: 1:45; 4:20; 6:50; and 9:20



"THE FOOL SAYS IN HIS HEART, 'THERE IS NO GOD.'"

~ Psalm 14:1 ~



Serving His Kingdom Here and Now ~

Truth Project Veritology - Lesson One

"What is truth" is the most important question we can ask - and many of us do.

What is the truth?

Last week, I taught our first session of the 13 week biblical world-and-life-view class The Truth Project for the interested women at our church. What a thrill! What a privilege!

So last Thursday, the first topic in the curriculum was the issue of Veritology. Veritas is Latin for 'Truth", and 'ology' indicates the study of something. Biology. Zoology. Embryology. Theology.

VERITOLOGY. What is Truth?

We scoured Old Testament and New Testament and I came away with two key points to ponder:

1.) In Jesus' own words, stating why it is He came to earth: "Jesus answered, 'You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me." (John 18:37 niv)

I'd like to make a couple observations here in this seemingly simple statement.

a.) From Christ's lips Himself, He stated the reason He came to earth was to TESTIFY TO THE TRUTH.

Evidently, truth is critical. Evidently, truth is important. We, as Christians, should care what truth is; and as we, as Christians, are ultimately called to become Christ-like - shouldn't we be duty-bound and obligated to do the same - namely, to testify to the truth.

With so many different 'truth'-claims floating around professing Christian communities, shouldn't we be more concerned to flush them out, research them, and studiously investigate, and then articulate which ones are legitimate? I have come to the conviction that the answer to this question is a hearty YES!

I'm going to list a couple I tend to tangle with on a regular basis.

- "What's right for you may not be right for me."

- "God is sovereign, but man still has to choose to be 'saved'."

- "The Kingdom of God is in the near-but-not-yet future."

- "There is a difference between Israel and the Church."

- "God allows, but does not decree bad things to happen to good people."

- "Jesus died for all the sins of all men."

- "The lordship of Jesus Christ is optional, but not required for the Christian." (Put another way, "You can accept Jesus as your personal savior without bending knee to Him as LORD of all.")

- "God wills all people go to Heaven."

- "Our kids are salt and light in public schools."

- "We live under the New Covenant... Old Covenant law does not apply."

- "There is a difference between secular and sacred."

- "Times have changed, to be successful in this day and age, this (a college degree, a six-figure income, separate bedrooms for each child, etc...) is required."

b.) Further, and what I find to be most profound in this claim, Jesus adds, 'Everyone on the side of truth listens to me." This implies there are SIDES. A right side (Jesus'), and a wrong side (opposed to Jesus). Now that's quite a statement!

So I wonder, if we read the same Bible and come to different conclusions - for example, as in God's sovereignty + Man's 'free will' = heaven or hell destination - isn't at least one of the conclusions wrong? Both obviously can't be 'right'. Both can be wrong, but both cannot be right!
Arminians claim coming to Christ is a free-will choice; that God bids everyone 'come' and Jesus died for all the sins for all men - with the exception of unbelief and gospel rebelion. if one is intellectually honest and logical, they would see this claim as making man ultimately and finally sovereign - hence, negating the notion of 'the sovereignty of God.'

Calvinists claim coming to Christ is a spiritual-state resurrection. A 100% doing of God. As in the word-picture of Lazarus, when Christ bid him 'arise' and he appeared, after being stinky-dead all wrapped up in his burial cloths. Lazarus did not 'choose' to be brought back to life. He did not 'seek' Christ while in his state of corruption, death, and decay. HE WAS DEAD. DEAD MEN DON'T REFUSE OR CHOOSE LIFE. THEY ARE ... D-E-A-D! When the Holy Spirit resurrects our 'dead in transgressions' spirit and breathes life into it and quickens us unto spiritual life, we will come. We are only so thankful to come to life. Satan's truth-claim in the garden to Eve, 'You will not surely die', was a half-truth presented as a whole truth --- which is a lie! She did not die physically or cognitively, but indeed she and Adam partook of the forbidden fruit and did die spiritually. (Hence, regeneration is literally a spiritual resurrection.)

Isn't stake on truth-claims within the professing body of Christ worthy of a wrestle?!

Jesus, in His own words said 'Everyone on the side of truth listen to me.'

Do we second-guess or manipulate the Word of God to fit our presuppositional impressions and beliefs? Do we BELIEVE GOD, or just believe in God? There is a big difference! Do we fall into moral relativism when we come against a professing Sister or Brother who disagrees with biblical truth, and copout by saying 'what's right for you may not be right for me.'? I wonder....

The second key point to ponder after listening to the Truth Project lesson on Veritology is this:

2.) God equates lies with idols!

In the book of Isaiah, chapter 44 it states that work can be an idol (v.12), people can be an idol (v.13), and a lie can be an idol (v. 15-20). Let's focus on Isaiah 44:15-20.

"He cut down cedars,
or perhaps took a cypress or oak.
He let it grow among the trees of the forest, or he planted a pine, and the rain made it grow.

It is man's fuel for burning;
some of it he takes and warms himself,
he kindles a fire and bakes bread.

but he also fashions a god and worships it;
he makes an idol and bows down to it.

Half of the wood he burns in the fire;
over it he prepares his meal,
he roasts his meat and eats his fill.
He also warms himself and says,
'Ah! I am warm; I see the fire."
From the rest he makes a god, his idol;
he bows down to it and worships.

He prays to it and says,
"Save me; you are my god."
They know nothing, they understand nothing; their eyes are plastered over so they cannot see,
and their minds are closed so they cannot understand.

No one stops to think,
no one has the knowledge or understanding to say,
"Half of it I used for fuel;
I even baked bread over its coals,
I roasted meat and I ate.

Shall I make a detestable thing from what is left?
Shall I bow down to a block of wood?"
He feeds on ashes, a deluded heart misleads him;
he cannot save himself, or say,
"It not this thing in my right hand a lie?"

Is this not remarkable! Scripture equates a lie with an idol! If we are living a lie - because we believe a lie, and we indeed live what we truly believe - we are idol worshippers. God has quite a judgement for idol worshippers! Read the book of Galatians!

"So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealously, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God." (Galatians 5:16-21 niv)

So here we can see: God equates idol worship with intentionally and naively living out lies - whether we are cognisant of the lie or not. Evidently, the issue of true Truth and salvation are connected. Truth has eternal consequences!

We ar wise to do the hard work to discover and bend knee to the truth of Scripture. Polar 'opinions' don't jive in the Body of Christ!

Whew! This is just the first week of study in the Truth Project!

Next week - philosophy and ethics. Can't wait!

The Truth Project

"See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according too the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ."

Did you know this caution is addressed to THE CHURCH! To the regenerate believers?! It is! Christians can be captivated by false ideology, empty and deceptive philosophies and practices. Christian!... see to it no one takes you captive.





The Truth Project is all about transformation...transformed living based on THINKING CHRISTIANLY.

We are commanded to be transformed BY the renewing of our mind.

British philosopher Bertrand Russell declared, "Most Christians would rather die than think, in fact they do."

I couldn't agree more. Only 9% of professing born-again Christians think as Christians. There is a huge difference between thinking Christianly and knowing bible stories. Paul's clarion call to believers is to 'demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.' However, our marching orders are full circle - - orders are to advance, not just demolish; Jesus commissions us to 'make disciples...teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.' This is how we are salt and light. The Truth Project is an effort to fortify Christian thinking - which will fortify Christian living - so we can be the blessing we are created to be.

I'm very excited to have the opportunity this Fall to take women through The Truth Project. My husband and I were one of the first in Kansas to travel for Truth Project training in Colorado Springs when this worldview course first came out. That was the summer of 2006. Since that time, we have led two family-integrated groups through this course in the comfort of our home. Last year, we had to step back from family ministry as we were neck-deep in the process of purchasing, demolishing, and restoring another home. We've had a year off of leading others through The Truth Project.

Beginning Thursday August 28th, I will have the privilege of teaching The Truth Project through the Women's Ministry at our church. We will offer a morning class for at-home mom's and an evening class for students and working mom's. I am so thankful for this opportunity. I never thought I'd be able to use my spiritual gifting to edify our local body. I am thankful and everso humbled by how God brought this about. THANK YOU JESUS! May God be glorified and magnified by this course.

PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW!

Out of Africa

I Saw What I Saw
by Sarah Groves
Tell Me What You Know CD


Last week our family attended The Rebelution Conference in Dallas with our best friends from Texas (now living in New York) and my parents and my older brother and his sons. What a grand time of exhortation and learning!

We attended my brother's church in Keller on Sunday and went to his home to change clothes and grab a quick lunch before heading back to Wichita. There, I saw an interesting photograph on his living room table. It was a photo of children in Africa...I'll come back to this in a moment. Many of you probably don't know, but my heart has been drawn to Africa ever since a missionary from the UK serving in Sudan came to admonish our church in Phoenix. Actually, he was admonishing the enitre American Church for her lethargy, apathy, and lukewarm spirit. He told of families in Sudan being butchered because they met in the bush with other Saints to take Holy Communion. They are not ignorant of this risk, yet gathering together for fellowship and communion is worthy. They treasured Christ and His Bride to the point of death! He rebuked us for thinking it was a big deal to get to church on Sundays faithfully. He rebuked us for allowing garbage to enter into God's Holy temple by the music we listen to, the literature we read, and the way we spend our time, the amount of pointless leisure we assume is due us - how we squander the time. I've never been the same. This was before Nicholas was born. I believe it was even before I was pregnant with him. I repented that Sunday. I've not been the same. From that Sunday, I longed to go to Africa and serve in any way I could....

My heart is in Africa.

Not a year goes by that I don't long to go to Africa. Lately, I've been even more encouraged to go because of a man in South Africa named Dr. Peter Hammond of FrontLine Fellowship. His ministry is powerful! I also have friends from our Southern Baptist church in Lewisville, TX who served in Senegal, West Africa. They are home on furlough, but will be going back as soon as possible. Lastly, a dear friend (who used to be a sixth grade Littleton, Colorado student of mine when I was a public school teacher) is headed to Zimbabwe to be a chiropractor. She will be a missionary who happens to serve people by chiropractic medicine. Incarnational ministry - not just drop and run Jesus Film blip. Then there is the picture atop my brother's living room table. A picture of children from Uganda. My brother supports a missionary who serves in Uganda. She used to be the children's ministry director at his church in Keller, TX. He told me she could get me to Uganda....

I don't know how God is going to get me to Africa, but I believe He will. I believe God is working out the details even now. I should not be discouraged but have hopeful expectation for what He is going to do.

Our family makes it a habit to listen to conference CD's when we take a road trip anywhere. Redeem the time! During the trip to Dallas, we were working our way through American Vision's Worldview Training for the 21st Century. While listening to Putting Your Faith into Action by Janet Folger, I was rebuked, humbled, and inspired. (By the way, if you've not 'met' Janet Folger, I encourage you to get acquainted with her!)

In the Putting Your Faith into Action CD, she shared how we Christians think little thoughts and expect little things of God. CHRISTian, this should not be! We hold God in contempt and despise Him because we are fearful and defeated by the 'giants' in the land. So true! Do you know God equates unbelief and retreat and withdrawl with holding Him in contempt? With despising Him? He does! WoW!

I have been guilty lately of little thinking and little belief and little faith. I've been guilty of ungodly fear and unbelief. I've been guilty of retreat! God, forgive me! Beloved, forgive me!

Janet told of the account in Scripture where the spies were sent to Canaan in Numbers 13 and Numbers 14. The first account of spies being set to scope things out. How only Joshua and Caleb believed God and sought to ready the people for victorious battle. How the other spies were fearful of 'the giants' and prompted the people to retreat, to even want to go back to Egypt (bondage) rather than risk dying by the sword. Let me share with you a portion of this text:

14:1 "Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night.
2 And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! 3 Why is the Lord bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?”
4 And they said to one another, “Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt.” 5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the people of Israel. 6 And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes 7 and said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, “The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceedingly good land. 8 If the Lord delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey. 9 Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.” 10 Then all the congregation said to stone them with stones. But the glory of the Lord appeared at the tent of meeting to all the people of Israel. 11 And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them? (ESV)

The NIV puts it this way: The LORD said to Moses, "How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed among them?

The NASB puts it this way: The LORD said to Moses, "How long will this people spurn Me? And how long will they not believe in Me, despite all the signs which I have performed in their midst?

The NKJV puts it this way: Then the LORD said to Moses: “How long will these people reject Me? And how long will they not believe Me, with all the signs which I have performed among them?

The KJV puts it this way: And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them?

What a rebuke! What a charge! I am praying I will not be guilty any longer of holding God in contempt. I have seen, time and time again, His wonderous works and His faithfulness. His mighty hand. He has not kept me from seeing His glory! I should not fear!

GOD IS WHO HE SAYS HE IS!
GOD CAN DO WHAT HE SAYS HE CAN DO.
I AM WHO GOD SAYS I AM.
I CAN DO ALL THINGS - THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME.
GOD'S WORD IS ALIVE AND LIVING IN ME.

I'M BELIEVING GOD!

Thanking God that He is faithful when I am faithless.