Praying without Presumption

I spoke to one of the brothers after our service last night about presumption and answered prayer. Some people have the idea that we can just ask for anything we want, and, because God promises to answer prayer, we can get whatever we desire. While that could be true in a technical sense, it is very unwise. And this kind of attitude reeks with spiritual immaturity.

God has promised to answer our requests. I could cite here numerous scriptures to the affirmative. But we are called, not to do as we please, and just selfishly spout out requests to the Lord off the cuff, but to be branches of the vine. We are called to allow Him to live His life in us. We are extensions of Jesus and His ministry. Jesus came not to do His own will, but the will of the Father who sent Him.

Here’s a case in point. God wanted Israel to be a nation of kings and priests. But Israel wanted a king like other nations. God told Israel that a king would make life very hard for them and that He had a better way for them. But Israel persisted in their request, and God granted them a king even though it wasn’t His highest and best for them.

I’ve learned to be very careful as to what I ask for in prayer. It takes me longer to wait on God in prayer and find out how He wants me to pray and exercise my faith about a matter than it does to actually pray. The prayer of faith doesn’t take a lot of time to pray.

Don’t just run into personal prayer and ask for something off the top of your head. The major key to effective personal prayer is to spend the time necessary to feel the Father’s heart before you pray. Jesus said it best: If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done for you (John 15:7). Abiding, living, fellowshipping, and being intimate with Jesus is the key to prayer without being presumptuous.

David said it this way: Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4). When you put God first place in your life, He will place in you a desire to do what He wants you to do. You see, we’re not calling the shots, He is! And He knows what’s best for us.

I’m discussing here the “gray” areas of life that the Bible doesn’t have a specific answer to give. I know how to pray for healing or finances, or for some thing that is clearly revealed in scripture. But it’s the in between areas, like where you should work, or who you should marry, or whether or not to buy that house, or some other thing that is really up to you to make a decision. These things must be prayerfully pondered or you could end up with a result you weren’t looking for! That’s what happened to Israel.

Pray before you exercise your faith, and make sure that what you’re asking for in these gray areas of life are God’s highest and best for you!

Physical and Spiritual Fitness

Last night I went for a three mile jog that was exhilarating! I’ve been jogging for 24 years now and I can personally attest to its benefits. The enormous physical benefits affect the cardio vascular system, the digestive system, the skeletal system, the immune system, as well as the psychological and emotional dimensions of life. The benefits so far exceed the personal discipline that has been necessary to keep this habit going all these years.

As wonderful as exercise is, it is not nearly as beneficial as spiritual exercise. Notice 1Timothy 4:8 (Amplified): For physical training is of some value (useful for a little), but godliness (spiritual training) is useful and of value in everything and in every way, for it holds promise for the present life and also for the life which is to come.

23 years ago I began a journey of discipling myself to spend time daily in the word and in prayer. As much as I've benefited from the physical exercise, it doesn't hold a candle to the benefits I've gained from tithing my time to the Father each day in time spent with Him alone. It's affected every area of my life, and has made me what I am today.

Spending daily time in the word and in prayer keeps the flesh under, magnified spiritual values, helps you keep the proper perspective in tests, elevates the fruit of the spirit to the forefront of personality, keeps you attuned to the heartbeat of God for your life, warns you of impending danger and prepares for storms that may be ahead, minimizes stress, keeps faith and hope burning brightly, enables the love of God, manifests the peace of God, and keeps the world, the flesh, and the devil at bay.

And the godliness produced by spending time in the word and prayer has benefits not only in this life, but will bring eternal rewards. The spiritual exercise of godliness makes deposits for you in the eternal realm where you are going to spend the majority of your time. As much as I benefit physically from jogging, it doesn’t hold water to what happens when I daily spend time with the Father.

I’d encourage you to practice both physical exercise and godliness. That way, you gain the maximum benefit in this life and the next!

Reaping Benefits from Tests and Challenges

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way (James 1:2-4 –The Message)

Tests and difficulties are part of life on this planet. None of us are immune from hardship. Walking by faith doesn’t promise freedom from life challenges. But it does promise that the Father will help your through every circumstance to victory!

Determine to get the most out of the hard places life brings you by keeping a good attitude and expecting the Father to give you wisdom and to bring you through the ordeal.

And you can really milk all you can get out of a test or trial by counting it all joy. Decide to walk in praise and thanksgiving when you feel like griping and complaining. Active praise and worship in the midst of a test will open your life to the power of God. He will begin to put in motion the answer as you stand in faith by praising God and giving thanks.

And then what Satan meant for evil, God will actually work out for your good. As the outward pressure reveals areas of personal weakness in you, acknowledge those weaknesses to the Father and ask Him to work them out of your life.

Some of the greatest workings of the Father in my personal life have been during seasons of great hardship where I really wanted to quit. I just set my jaw and praised God and gave thanks for Him working the situation out.

My personal freedom from perfectionism, workaholic tendencies, and deep seated feeling of rejection came out of one of the greatest trials of my life many years ago. Believe me; I don’t want to go through that time in my life again. But on the other hand, no amount of money could purchase the life change that going through that tough time produced in me!

If you’ve been whining and complaining about what’s happening in your life right now, I urge you to read the above verse again. Make a decision right now to adjust your attitude and being to stand in praise, worship, and thanksgiving for the victory the Father is providing you in this test! When you come out on the other side of this challenge, you’ll be strong, wiser, and more patient and Christ like. But only if you choose to count it all joy!

Christians and the Military

Today is Memorial Day and we as a nation are honoring those who have served our country in the military and have given the ultimate sacrifice. As we take a day to relax from work and spend time with family and friends, let’s also take some time today to pray for the families of those who have had family members killed while serving in the armed services. Let’s also take some time to pray for our President and national and local leaders. Their decisions largely determine our continued freedom as a nation.

Many Christians do not understand how to balance what the Ten Commandments say about murder with serving in the military and facing the need to kill an enemy endangering national security. As a result, many are pacifists and believe that national peace can be secured by diplomacy alone.

Let’s first of all look at some fundamental facts. Thou shalt not kill should actually be translated Thou shalt do no murder. The prohibition is against premeditated murder. Understand that the same God that said Thou shalt not murder also told the Israelites to go to battle and kill their enemy during the conquests of Canaan their promised land. And God told them that He would empower them in battle and help them defeat their enemy. This is the killing of an enemy to spare a nation from annihilation by an enemy set on their destruction and this kind of killing for the defense of a nation is allowed by God.

A strong national defense is a deterrent to an enemy that is set on a nation’s downfall. A strong national defense actually encourages peace because it sends a strong message to those seeking to undermine a nation’s security. Because of the wicked fallen human condition, a nation must defend itself against attack. As Paul said in Romans 12, we should seek, as much as lies within us, to live peaceably with all men. That’s not always the easiest thing to do in the light of the depravity and wickedness of man.

As you enjoy your peaceful holiday today, please pray for our nation. Our international enemies would love for our nation to fall into ruin. Many are seeking to steal the liberties that we as a people enjoy. We are hated by extremist that are actively seeking ways to destroy America. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Pray that our nation would continue to be a friend of Israel. Our national survival hinges on how we as a nation deal with Israel.

And remember the sacrifices made for your freedom. Peace through military strength will be necessary until the millennial reign of Christ when the nations will beat their swords into plowshares!

Rooted in Him

As you have therefore received Christ, [even] Jesus the Lord, [so] walk (regulate your lives and conduct yourselves) in union with and conformity to Him. Have the roots [of your being] firmly and deeply planted [in Him, fixed and founded in Him], being continually built up in Him, becoming increasingly more confirmed and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and abounding and overflowing in it with thanksgiving (Colossians 2:6-7 Amplified) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new (2 Corinthians 5:17)

The Father wants us to live and be empowered by our relationship with Jesus. As new creatures in Christ, our past has been removed. We are a new species, a person that never existed before. The person dominated by fear, weakness, poverty, lack, sickness, depression, inferiority, addictions, co-dependency, and pride has been buried with Christ. Old things have passed away. You’re no longer the defeated, sick, weak, poor, miserable, angry, fear ruled person! All things have become new. All things.

Just as a tree is nourished by water absorbed by its roots, we are empowered by the roots of our being drawing nourishment from Jesus through His Word and through spiritual fellowship with Him in prayer!

We have within us as Christians the very power of God! His nature has been deposited within us. It’s making changes in us from the inside out. The nature of the Father within is wrapping itself into the very fabric of who we are.

That Divine nature is urging our minds, emotions, wills, and bodies to conform to the image of His dear Son! His nature is pulling us away from worldliness, pride, and self-centeredness, and is drawing us into a lifestyle of love and faith.

Take time every day to give His Nature within you right of way by spending time in the Word and in prayer. If you’ll commit to it every day, then this time next year, you won’t even recognize the person you were before. You’ll be living from the vantage point of the New Creation that you really are. And you’ll be secure in Christ!

Watch Yourself!

We know absolutely that anyone born of God does not deliberately and knowingly practice committing sin, but the One Who was begotten of God carefully watches over and protects himself; Christ's divine presence within him preserves him against the evil, and the wicked one does not lay hold, get a grip on him or touch him (1 John 5:18- Amplified). But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed (James 1:14).

We are responsible to keep ourselves from the pollutions of the world, and to maintain our spiritual life. In the New Birth there is deposited within us the very life of the Father. It’s a precious deposit that is designed to navigate us through the treacherous waters of life on this fallen planet and keep us on the straight and narrow path that ends in heaven!

We often think that our biggest enemy is Satan and that may be true. But next in line to him is you. You can be your most formidable enemy. Let me explain.

Before Christ the indwelling presence of sin produced sinful acts and desires in our minds, emotions, will, and in our bodies. When we are born again, the old man called sin is kicked out of our spirit, but his reside is left in our minds, emotions, will, and bodies.

This verse in James mentions that every believer is tempted to sin when he is drawn away by his own desires. Your own desires are the things that you allowed to be deposited in your mind, emotions, will, and body before you came to Jesus. The old man may leave your spirit, but his residue remains embedded in your soul (mind, emotions, and will) and body.

Satan knows what has been deposited in you in your past. His familiar spirits are sent to play on those embedded items. Remember, we don’t wrestle against flesh and blood. That’s the reason mind renewal is essential in living the abundant, overcoming, resurrection life that God has called you to live. Without mind renewal and daily putting the body under, the enemy will play on the residue of your past that lies latent in your soul and body.

Three things must be practiced daily to keep you strong spiritually. First, there must be daily communion with God in the Word and in prayer. The Word is to your spirit what food is to your body, nourishment. Without it you will just waste away spiritually. Prayer is just like breathing. You can only survive physically a few minutes without breathing. You cannot survive spiritually without constant communion with the Father in prayer. It’s an attitude of constant fellowship and dependence that puts us over.

Secondly, we must choose our close friendships wisely. We become like those we associate with and unconsciously assume some of their habits and mannerisms. If you compromise in this area, you will lose ground spiritually and open the door for the residue from the past to rise up in your soul and body.

Thirdly, you must draw the line of demarcation in your life. There may be things that you could participate in that are not sinful in themselves, but you choose not to do it because of the residue in your soul and body that you must keep in submission to the life of God in your spirit. An example would be an alcoholic hat will never again touch a drink, or the formerly immoral person who refuse to be entertained by impurity on T.V. in any form.

The overcoming, victorious life in Christ is one of watchfulness and constant dependency on the Father. Watch yourself today!

Signs of the Times

And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken (Luke 21:25-26) But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man (Luke 21:34-36).

We’re no doubt living in the time just prior to the rapture and the second coming of Christ. In view of current events, we are encouraged by Jesus to stay alert, watchful, and ready for the coming of the Lord.

World events have been slowly lining up with the scenario that the Bible indicates will come to pass prior to the return of Christ. The Bible clearly reveals that God will begin to deal with the Jewish race again prior to the return of Christ, after they have been set aside because of unbelief for almost 2 millennia. The Bible indicates that prior to the return of Christ Israel would return to the land promised to them by God after having been dispersed from the land for 2000 years. The Israelites began returning to Palestine from all over the world at the beginning of the 20^th century, and became a nation again in May of 1948, the first time since A.D.70!

Israel regained control of Jerusalem for the first time since the 1^st century A.D. in 1967. Since Israel has been back in their land, the desert has indeed blossomed as a rose, and has become one of the most powerful nations in the Middle East.

With the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, communism released its hold on nations previously closed to the gospel, and the former Soviet Union and Europe opened up to gospel evangelism. As the Bible foretold, the nations of Europe have begun to enter into a financial, political, and military union together under the auspices of the European Union, and are close to ratifying a European constitution that has been in the works for years. The prophet Daniel revealed that there would be a revival of the power of the fallen Roman empire. No doubt that this European Union is a fulfillment of Daniel’s words.

Daniel also revealed that a world ruler we call the Anti-Christ will arise from this revived Roman Empire and will find a way to solve the Israeli –Palestinian conflict. He will enter into an agreement of peace with Israel and her neighbors, and will seemingly set the world stage for an era of peace. No doubt that the Roadmap to Peace that is being encouraged by our government is part of the puzzle being put in place for this peace agreement to come into play. It’s just a matter of time.

At the same time, Russia and Iran, along with other nations are beginning to work together in a military, political, and financial alliance that will culminate in the war of Ezekiel 38 and 39, where nations headed by Russia attack Israel and seek to wipe her off of the face of the earth. The attack backfires as God supernaturally defeats these nations and fights on Israel’s behalf.

Added to all this are natural disasters, increased seismic activity, unparalleled weather phenomenon, and an increase in deadly and infectious diseases worldwide that have been predicted by Jesus during the time just prior to the return of Christ.

We are living in a generation that is facing world conditions that are rapidly deteriorating, and will culminate in a world-wide time of suffering the Bible calls the “tribulation” that will be the most devastating time period the world has ever know. According the Bible, during this time period wars, famine, and natural disasters will reign supreme as God judges the unbelief of humanity. Over 1/3 of mankind will die (that’s over 2 billion people), 1/3 of the green vegetation will perish, and 1/3 of the oceans of the world will become polluted. Jesus said that unless this time period was shortened, no person would be able to survive.

In the light of all of this, we have the promise of God to protect and care for us as believers. Just as God provided an ark for Noah and His family, a basket for Moses as a baby, protection from the lions jaw for Daniel, deliverance from the flame for the three Hebrew men in a furnace, and food for the hungry prophet Elijah by the beak of a bird, so the Lord will care for and provide for His people as we enter this dangerous time period.

Jesus told us to lift up our heads, and to be joyful, because our redemption was drawing near. We have a mandate to boldly take the gospel to the world before Jesus returns. We have not been appointed to experience God’s wrath as believers, but we have been appointed to obtain mercy through our Lord Jesus Christ!

We are to live in the expectation of the rapture of the church, and of the providential care of God regardless of what occurs. Let’s prepare ourselves and be ready every day to meet our King!

Caught Up!

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18).

We should live with the expectation of the catching away of the saints, the rapture. Notice that the word rapture is not found in scripture. It’s from the Latin word rapere, from the Latin translation of the Bible. Though not found in the Bible, it correctly summarizes the event of being caught away, and is used frequently today to reference this grand event.

Living in the light of Jesus coming will change the perspective on all we do, and is meant to bring comfort to us. Enoch walked with God and was not, for God took him. He was caught up! Phillip was preaching Jesus from Isaiah 53 to the Ethiopian Eunuch and was suddenly caught up! He was found in a city 20 miles away. Paul was caught up into the third heaven and received some direct revelation that he didn’t have words to share. And when Jesus returns we believers will be caught up!

The words caught up are full of meaning. Caught up is from the Greek word harpazo. According to Kenneth Wuest in his Word Studies in the Greek New Testament, this word has five shades of meaning in the Greek language.

First, harpazo means to carry off by force. When Jesus returns for the church in the rapture, Satan, the prince of the power of the air, will seek to oppose our leaving, and Jesus will overpower Him and take us away!

Secondly, harpazo means to rescue from the danger of destruction. When the tribulation (a seven year period of judgment preceding Jesus’ second coming) begins, we have the promise that we’ll be taken away! God has not appointed the believer to experience His wrath, but to obtain mercy through our Lord Jesus Christ! We’ll be rescued from it!

Thirdly, harpazo means a Divine power transferring a person marvelously and swiftly from one place to another. Enoch, Phillip, Paul, and Jesus experienced this amazing phenomenon. And we could be the generation that experiences it too.

Fourthly, harpazo means to claim for one’s self eagerly. Jesus is eagerly anticipating His coming back for us. In John 14, He told the disciples that He was going to prepare a place for us, and t hat He would come back to receive us to Himself so that we would be with Him. Preparations are being made in heaven right now for our coming!

Fifthly, harpazo means to snatch out and away suddenly. There will be no time for last minute preparation. We won’t be able to say our goodbyes. We’ll be gone in time it takes to blink! One day soon, our daily challenges will be gone. Our personal weaknesses will melt away in the light of His appearing!

We are to comfort one another with these words. Many of us have friends and family members that have preceded us to heaven. This will be a great reunion day full of excitement and joy.

Let’s be ever watchful and ready for Jesus’ return for us in the rapture. Before the end of this very day, we could be caught up!

Get Ready to Go!

Behold, I tell you a mystery: we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed - in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality (1 Corinthians 15:51-53).

The rapture of the church is imminent. That means that it could happen at any time. The early church lived in the expectation of the rapture and it produced holiness of lifestyle. You know that the rapture and the second coming are two separate events and are separated by at least seven years. There are scripture yet to be fulfilled for the second coming to occur, but there are none to be fulfilled for the rapture to take place.

Here’s the scenario. One day, a trumpet will sound, perhaps in the spirit realm and we’ll be pulled from within to leave this planet. The above verse says it will happen in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. The word moment is the Greek word where we get the word atom and refers to the smallest increment of time. The twinkling of an eye is a single blink of the eye. That’s pretty fast. One moment we’re here, the next moment, we’re gone!

Those believers who have already preceded us to heaven will come from heaven and be united with a glorified body that will be resurrected from their grave at that time. Then we will be caught up to meet Jesus in the air. In the second coming, Jesus comes back and His feet touch the Mount of Olives. But in the rapture, we meet him in the air. He doesn’t come down and completely touch the ground. See 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.

Philippians 3:21 reveals that the corporeal substance of our bodies will change at the time of the rapture; our bodies will transition from a flesh and blood body to a flesh and bone body just like Jesus had when He was raised from the dead. These glorified bodies will enable us to live in the presence of God for eternity and will give us new powers of locomotion. Jesus appeared in an instant, materializing in a room with the disciples when He resurrected from the dead. The doors and windows were shut tight!

Soon we will here the call to come up! There will be no time for last minute preparations. You won’t have time to mend a relationship or prepare your family. This event will take you by surprise. Are you living the way you want to be living when the rapture occurs? Will you be confident before Jesus when you see Him because of your obedience to Him and to the Word? We are to be alert, watchful, on guard against sin, and ready. If you’re not, take time right now to make the adjustments you need to make.

We’ve heard these things so much, but now the world is changing and you can sense that we’re entering the season of His coming. Jesus said, One day, when you think not, the Son of man comes! Let’s live ready!

Faith and Love

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love (Galatians 5:6).

Love is the foundation of our walk with God. We may have faith to move mountains, but if we fail to walk in the love of God, our faith will not work! A race car with a flat tire is useless. An aircraft with a missing wing will not fly. And so faith must have the ingredient of love if it’s going to work.

Jesus gave us a new commandment, the love commandment that has in it all the other ten combined. Others know of our salvation experience by the demonstrations of love in our life.

Because this love is so vital, the Father has placed it in our spirits in the new birth. Now we must steward this love every day. Patience, kindness, self-less care for others, humility, no selfish ambition, not holding a grudge when wronged, actually paying no attention to an offence committed against us, believing the best of others, these are some of the characteristics of love. Without them, our faith is hindered.

Eagerly pursue and seek to acquire this love make it your aim, your great quest (1 Corinthians 14:1 Amplified). All that God does in my life rests on what I do with the love of God. Love covers a multitude of wrongs. It forgives and disregards the offences of others.

If answered prayer has been a challenge, or over a period of time, the results of faith have not been forthcoming, then check up on your love life. Make the adjustments necessary to bring love to the forefront of all you do. Make it your aim, your great quest!

Faith is the Evidence

NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things we hope for, being the proof of things we do not see and the conviction of their reality; faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses (Hebrews 11:1- Amplified)

Faith is for what I don’t have, and what I can’t see, but that God has promised me in the Word. Faith takes the place of what God promised me until it shows up in my life. It’s the title deed that what God promised belongs to me now even though I can’t see it!

Himself took my infirmities and bare my sicknesses is what my title deed for healing is based on. But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in Glory by Christ Jesus is what my title deed is based on for the need I have to be met.

If I have the title deed, then I own the property. If I believe I receive, then I own the thing I believe for. I may not see it yet, but it’s just as real as though I could see it. I’m to look not at the things that are seen (the symptoms), but at the things unseen (the eternal Word of God). The things seen are temporary, the things unseen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18).

So if I’m walking by faith, and my faith takes the place of what I believe I receive, then I should be just as joyful and happy now as I would be if I could actually see what I’m believing for! Faith has the shout before the answer can be seen, or it’s not real faith.

Abraham could not see the child of promise, but still gave glory to God. He was fully persuaded that what God promised belonged to him. His faith was the title deed. (See Romans 4:17-20).

Standing in praise and thanksgiving is the best way to exercise your faith. Your faith is proof that what you believe for exists. Exercise your faith today by doing all you can to act as though you already had in manifestation what God has promised!

Fellowship and Personal Change

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12).

We had a wonderful time at the picnic yesterday. These events help create an atmosphere of unity in our church family. They help enable an atmosphere in our church body that attracts the manifestations of the Holy Spirit.

There is a strength that comes from fellowship with other members of the body of Christ. We have become a culture of lonely people. And loneliness breeds dysfunction and pain. A hurt animal will isolate himself. And those dealing with emotional struggles shy away from being with the family, and keep themselves from a prime ingredient necessary for change in their lives.

Truth, relationships, and time are the three necessary ingredients for change in human life. We need the truth of God’s Word confronting and challenging us; shedding light on areas of personal darkness. We also need truth with ourselves; being honest and real about things we deal with deep inside.

We also need relationships with others. God create us humans to thrive best in the context of loving relationships. Relationships can bring strength, encouragement, and healing to us. Genuine close relationships sharpen us. They keep us from isolating in our personal pain and difficulty, and help strengthen us when we face the challenges of life. Those who run from relationship are avoiding a path God has created to minister to them personally.

Lastly we need time to change. No change is overnight. Change is a process of confronting ourselves and allowing the Word to do its work in the context of close personal relationships.

Take advantage of the rich diversity found in the body of Christ. God has an ordained strength for your life in the fellowship you allow. If you’ve been hurt by close relationships, it’s going to take time for that to heal. And you’ve going to have to be willing to open yourself us and trust again.

It’s well worth the risk to open up to fellowship. And in some areas of life, the Word is hindered from producing its fruit until we get into close contact with spiritual family.

Freedom from Sin Consciousness

The work of righteousness will be peace, And the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever (Isaiah 32:17).

Guilt is one of the main de-motivators of human personality. A person consumed with guilt feels trapped in their own weakness, and to him or her life seems hopeless. Their weaknesses become like a ball and chain that holds them back from progress. They feel hopelessly bound to repeat failure after failure. And after a period of time, a person consumed with guilt will throw up their hands in frustration and quit trying to improve.

I was a person consumed with a conscious working in overdrive before Jesus rescued me. Bound by my weakness, I saw no escape from the chain of guilt that doomed me to repeat past failures.

The day before my life was radically changed, a friend told me that God was not mad at me because of my past. That He was not holding my sin against me. That was the beginning of my being set free from the bondage of sin.

Being secure in the righteousness of God brings a peace that works from the inside out. Every believer must school himself in this gift of righteousness bequeathed to him or her by the sacrifice of Christ. When the enemy accuses, let your right standing with God be your guard!

Righteousness is the ability to stand before God as though sin, condemnation and inferiority had never been a part of your life. Just like a newborn baby, it is as though you never had a past.

Righteousness has two phases. In phase one, Jesus bears the liability for your sin. He was made to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). All of your past was borne by Jesus, and He completely paid your sin penalty. No sin is judged twice, so you get to go free since your penalty is already paid!

The next phase is exciting. Not only are we released from the liability of sin, but it is also expunged! It is as though we never committed the deed! And God gives you as a free gift the same status before Him that Jesus has. You become the righteousness of God in Him! When God looks at you, He sees you as clean and as pure as His own Son! This is incredible!

Now you have the responsibility to walk in self-judgment. That is, when you sin, you judge it. That’s done by confessing it before the Father (1 John 1:9), and asking for His ability to overcome the weakness of the flesh. As you walk in this self-judgment of personal sins committed, Jesus’ blood continually cleanses you from unrighteousness. As you do this day after day, a righteousness consciousness begins to bring peace to your whole being from the inside out! Jesus becomes your personal lawyer before the Father, and He’s never lost a case!

And their sins and lawless deeds I will remember no more (Heb. 10:17). I, even I am He who blots out your transgression for mine own sake, and will not remember your sins (Isaiah 43:25). As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us (Psalm 103:12). If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Fahter, Jesus Christ the righteous (1 John 2:2).

Faith for Answered Prayer

I was raised to believe that answered prayer was relative. You really couldn’t count on the Father to answer your prayers. Sometimes He may say yes, other times He would say no, and sometimes maybe. This idea sapped all the faith for an answer out of me. The best you could do was to hope if you got enough people praying long enough, maybe you could coerce God into answering.

When I made Jesus the Lord of my life, I was totally delighted and shocked to find that the Father longs to answer our prayers, and He wants to say yes every time! All we need to do is to look into the Word to find His will before we pray. His Word is His will!

All things whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive (Matthew 21:22). Whatever things you desire when you pray, believe you receive them, and you will have them (Mark 11:24). If you abide in Me and My Words abide in you, you shall ask what you will and it shall be done to you (John 15:7). In that day you will ask Me nothing. Whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Up until this time you’ve asked nothing in My name. Ask and you will receive that your joy may be full (John 16:23-24). Whatever we ask we receive from Him because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight (1 John 3:22). This is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know He hears us, whatever we ask, we know we have the petitions that we have asked of Him (1 John 5:14-15).

These are the promises to answered prayer that I meditate on every day. I mean every day they revolve around inside me. I keep my faith built up in the fact that if I pray according to the Word, He hears me, and I’m promised the answer. This eliminates worry and fretting about things that arise in the course of life. This knowledge of His desire to answer prayer solves most problems. I’ve learned to take everything to Him in believing prayer. That keeps my mind free, my emotions calm, and my spirit in charge. And it keeps me dependent on Him to work in every area of life.

When we choose to live a lifestyle of prayer based on the Word, it brings a ray of sunshine into the darkest day, and brings great peace and joy into everyday life. How can we lose? How can we but shout for joy! How can we go under in the light of these awesome promises from the Father to care for and to provide! Our God is more than enough!

No More Obsessing

Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully (1 Peter 5:7 - Amplified).

We’re all changing from glory to glory by the Holy Spirit. That means we never really arrive in full spiritual maturity. We’ll be in process until the day we meet Jesus face to face.

I thought I had a pretty much conquered the worry habit. When I came to Jesus, I had a well developed habit of worrying about everything, and the Lord had helped me redirect my focus to faith and to believing I receive instead of allowing fear, doubt, and unbelief to rule.

Some months ago I was reading Happiness is a Choice by Frank Minirth and was confronted with an uncomfortable idea about myself. He mentioned that those who are leaders generally have a degree of obsessive compulsive tendencies. That’s what makes them good leaders. They push and get things done. I was taken back a bit when I read that, and the Father began to slowly speak to me about my obsessive tendencies. He revealed to me yet another layer of doubt, fear, and unbelief that I did not realize that I allowed in my life.

Since that time I’ve been challenged to another level of faith and obedience. I found that when things are not going as planned, I obsess. That is, I try to figure out what I need to do to work it out. In my mind I will come up with several scenarios that will work out. For instance, if I’m in between flights and my flight is late, I will obsess about all the scenarios of what could happen with my connecting flight.

Or most recently, I was in the Omo valley in Ethiopia, and we were beginning the journey home the next morning. This area is very mountainous and is prone to flooding. I was awakened early with the sound of pouring rain, a real gulley washer! As I obsessed about what could happen if it flooded and we got stuck (we had to cross several river beds on our journey), the Lord began to deal with me to trust Him instead of obsess over the varying possibilities.

Now, I have become constantly aware of the need to depend on the Father through the Word rather than try to figure every problem out alone. He’s turning my obsessing into trusting! I’m more rested and at ease. Sudden changes and challenges are not nearly as threatening. Peace is a constant friend. Life is more of an adventure with the Father taking the lead.

Worry on any level is an exercise in futility. It’s a complete waste of time! Instead of worrying or obsessing, pray the prayer of faith and believe you receive. Then spend time in praise and worship when the worry thoughts of doubt and fear attack. In His presence is fullness of joy, pleasures forevermore. The Father inhabits praise. His joy becomes an hourly strength!

We are in His grasp. Underneath us are His everlasting arms! Our days are arranged by the Father. Let Him rule you through the Word today! Keep yourself in His care!

Grace – God’s Ability

Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God's unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it]. (Hebrews 4:16 – Amplified).

In my early years of ministry I had an experience with the Lord that changed me forever. Always being tough on myself, I usually felt that the Lord was also tough on me, and that I never really measured up to His desire for perfection. So I struggled with being intimate with the Lord. Don’t misunderstand, I knew I was a child of God through the new birth, but I struggled with really giving Him every part of me. Deep down, I believed that the Father just tolerated me. I’ve since learned that He really loves me and wants to help me with everything in my life.

Here’s a phrase that sums up what He showed me. Faith changes things but Grace changes people. The above verse mentions us going to the throne of grace to obtain what we need from the Father.

Let me give you a new definition of grace that was the catalyst to produce a change in my relating to the Lord. I knew that grace is unmerited favor. In Bible school I learned the acronym to sum up what grace is; God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. But here’s another definition that impacted me. Grace is God’s ability working in me to enable me to do what I can’t do myself!

We can’t change ourselves, and we definitely need a higher ability than our natural strength. That ability is called grace. Grace is for the weak places of your life! Paul was wrestling with the thorn in the flesh in 2 Corinthians 12. This was a demonic attack on His life. And Jesus made a statement to Paul that at first he didn’t understand. He said, My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Later Paul was able to say when I’m weak, then I’m strong!

Grace is God doing what you can’t do. It’s His supernatural ability working on the inside of you doing what you just can’t do for yourself. Grace will change you. Faith will change a circumstance, but grace will change you.

Grace comes from the throne of grace. That is, grace is applied through prayer. God’s ability is enabled in you when you call out to Him in your weakness. Jesus, by the grace of God tasted death for every man. Where did He as the God-Man get the strength to bear our spiritual death? It was in the garden of Gethsemane while He prayed!

The Father has grace for your personal weaknesses today. He knows and understands you. Go today to the throne of grace, and receive His ability to do what you just can’t do yourself. His grace will change your weakness into strength!

Giving Reveals the Heart

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:19-21).

I read a great book while in Ethiopia entitled The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn. This book is a great encouragement to be a giver. Let me be real here. In my view, there has been a huge imbalance in the message of prosperity in the body of Christ in recent years. This has bothered me deeply. Truth taken to the extreme becomes error. Kenneth Hagin saw the danger of this extreme before he went to be with the Lord, but few listened to him. He wrote a wonderful book to bring balance to the subject of Biblical prosperity when he wrote The Midas Touch. I encourage you to read it!

Our giving reveals our heart. If you want more of a passion for Jesus and for the lost, invest your time and money in the kingdom of God. It’s that simple. It’s the best investment. You can lose an investment made here on earth, but there is more than just compound interest being gained by deposits we make in heaven! And every deposit is guaranteed, not by FDIC but by His riches in Glory by Christ Jesus!

There are no hearses pulling u-haul trailers is an amusing quote from Randy Alcorn. Only what we invest in the kingdom of God will go ahead of us to heaven. As we age, and as we think about the time for us to depart this life, we began to think more and more of the impact we leave, and of what lies ahead of us as we enter heaven. Now is the time to prepare for the future.

I personally have never missed a dime I’ve given away. In fact, giving produces such joy that it breeds the desire to give more frequently.

I believe it was D.L. Moody who said What I spent, I had. What I kept, I lost. What I gave, I have.

Randy Alcorn mentions a tour given to John Wesley by a very wealthy man with a huge estate encompassing a large piece of land. At the end of part of the tour, the wealthy man asked Wesley, Well, what do you think? Wesley’s reply was I think you’re going to have a hard time leaving all this behind.

God blesses us so we in turn can be a blessing. Don’t allow the spirit of mammon to rule your life. Be a giver. Be a blessing. Live to give, and you’ll find that God will supply you with more than enough!

Shun Hardness

But instead warn (admonish, urge, and encourage) one another every day, as long as it is called Today, that none of you may be hardened [into settled rebellion] by the deceitfulness of sin [by the fraudulence, the stratagem, the trickery which the delusive glamour of his sin may
play on him]. (Heb 3:13-Amplified).

All of us must guard ourselves against the delusions of the three enemies of the Christian life: the world, the flesh, and the devil. Through the years I’ve seen those who were once strong in the Lord fall away into their former sinful lifestyles. It’s a grieving thing to see a precious saint of God become entangled again in bondage.

Backsliding as we call it, it a slow process. It’s the result of the little foxes (Song of Solomon 2:15) that are not dealt with daily. Small compromises eventually produce catastrophic effects. The small crack in the dam will eventually lead to its destruction.

Sin produces hardness. I’ve watched over the years as a seemingly wonderful person suddenly falls into adultery, or alcoholism, or greed, or into a lifestyle of selfishness and lying. But it wasn’t a sudden fall. It took a thousand little compromises to harden the heart to the point that adultery or fornication was no longer a big deal, or to the point that lying becomes a way of life. A callous on the hand is produced by repeated blows.

The key to a strong walk with God is maintaining a sensitive heart to the Father. That means when we’re tempted by whatever, we immediately tell the Lord about what tempts us, and ask for His mercy and grace to help us. And if we yield to any kind of temptation and sin, we immediately repent by confessing the sin and turning away from it. He is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse if we’ll only be real and honest.

Another key to a strong walk with God is maintaining fellowship in a local church and with fellow believers. Isolation breeds spiritual weakness and compromise. A coal by itself will lose its heat. Coals bundled together in your grill will stay hot for hours. Every time I’ve seen a believer stop attending church, I know danger is ahead. We need the strength of mentoring and fellowship brought by the sense of community in a local church. And we need the constant exposure to the strong tangible presence of God available when we gather together and to the anointed preaching and teaching of the Word.

If you fail to see a fellow believer in your regular services in your local church, pray for them and then give them a call of encouragement. We need the Word, we need each other, and we need to be real with ourselves before the Father.

The closer we get to the return of Jesus, the more we will need to keep our hearts sensitive to the Father and to each other!

A Horse, a Mule, a Goat, or a Sheep

Do not be like the horse or like the mule, Which have no understanding, Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, Else they will not come near you (Psalm 32:9).

The Bible uses animals and their dispositions to illustrate the attitudes we should and shouldn’t have as believers.

A horse is high spirited, and will bolt in a moment’s notice. It’s difficult to be lead if you constantly “jump the gun.” God can’t lead us if we’re in front of Him, so slow down!

A mule is lazy , slow, and stubborn, and can easily get left behind. We must be fervent and diligent in spirit as we serve the Lord. A lazy person is a carnal, body and feeling ruled individual. Be quick to obey the word.

A goat is independent and self-reliant. He wants things his way and in his time frame. While I was in Ethiopia, I saw several goats tussling in a tug-of-war with boys or men who were seeking to lead them. They wanted to do it their way, at their speed, and offered great resistance.

A sheep is a really dumb, helpless animal that must depend solely upon the shepherd for its care and provision. It has no self-defense against any enemy and can easily wander off the path and get lost. A sheep sticks close to the shepherd and is trained to listen for the shepherd’s voice.

We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. He is the great shepherd of the sheep. Jesus is the good shepherd.

All of us at some time or the other display some these characteristics mentioned here. We all at times have run ahead of God in our human, fleshly zeal. I’ve learned some hard life lessons that way. Perhaps we’ve let down our guard and not been diligent to obey, and allowed our flesh to rule us. All of us must keep in check the tendency toward self-reliance and independent living.

The best we can do is give up our fleshly right to control our lives and make our own way, and daily yield our will to the will of the Father who all things together for our good and His glory. To be dependent on God and His word, we must be willing to humble ourselves and assume the attitude of a sheep towards its shepherd. It’s the best way, the most cared for way, and the hardest on the flesh!

Jesus became the lamb of God, denoting total yieldedness. What we you allow yourself to be; a horse, a mule, a goat, or a humble sheep. Can you hear His voice calling you?

True Independence

No, I have learned in whatever condition I am, to be independent of circumstances. I am schooled to bear the depths of poverty; I am schooled to bear abundance. In life as a whole, and all its circumstances, I have mastered the secret of living – how to be the same amidst repletion and starvation, amidst abundance and privation. I am equal to every lot through the help of Him who gives me inward strength. (Philippians 4:11- A.S. Way Translation).

The less we are ruled by circumstances, the more spiritually mature we are. Babies whine and cry when they don’t get their way. As we mature, we learn to handle conflict and difficulty, and learn how go with the flow. That’s not easy if we’re mostly motivated by the flesh.

Real spirituality is allowing the Word to rule us from the inside out. Being Word conscious keeps us from being circumstance led. Walking in the spirit keeps us from yielding to the flesh. And walking in the spirit is really allowing the word to gain the ascendancy over our minds, emotions, and will.

The human spirit is amazing. It is capable of being developed just as a body builder develops and hones his muscles. The first step of course is the new birth. Then, we must begin the process of renewing our minds with the word of God.

Then, we must make the decision to act on the word throughout the day instead of acting on circumstances and letting them get the advantage. We learn to refuse to allow emotions to control us.

So a spiritually mature person can be full of joy when needs seem to be unmet, when outward circumstances are cutting and difficult. That’s because he’s not allowing outward things to control him, he’s letting his human spirit through the word govern his responses. This should be the goal of our Christian life.

When you live this way, everyday is an adventure. The above verse has been like a special friend to me over the years. This is one of my goals in life, to get to the point that nothing moves me. Hard places become testimonies to grace and faithfulness of God, places to prove that the Word of God is true. Uncomfortable circumstances become a challenge that must be overcome; much like a mountain climber must conquer that foreboding height. Challenges become an inspiration to succeed.

Life is a school. We’re learning to live as Jesus lived when we refuse to be changed by outward conditions. Let’s be independent of circumstances and dependent on the Word today. Let’s grow up!

Home at Last

There is absolutely no place like home. If you have a family, you are a very wealthy person. The things that really matter in life are 1) my relationship with Jesus, 2) my relationship with my spouse, 3) my relationship with my children, 4) my relationship with my church.

Being away for 15 days really made me see afresh what is really valuable and important in my life. To have a relationship with Jesus that is passionate, close, engaging, and in real time will take you through the most difficult and trying experiences life in a fallen world my bring. He really is a very present help in time of trouble (Psalm 46:1).

To have people that really love you and care about you is more important than any amount of money or any personal possessions. I’d rather live in a cave and be surrounded by relationships of loving concern and care, than to have a lavish lifestyle filled with loneliness. God wants us to prosper as our souls prosper. The blessing of the Lord make rich and adds no sorrow with it! It’s wonderful to be blessed, don’t misunderstand, but just keep all of life in proper perspective, and keep life in proper balance. Sometimes we all get so busy that we miss what is really important, our relationships.

To have children that you are close to is a wealthy thing. Someone said love is spelled TIME. I’m looking forward to making up for the time I lost with my kids in the next few days.

To have a church family that really cares about you and your life is also a wealthy thing. Your church family can be closer than your blood relatives to you. Some people find it hard to open up to others because of past experiences that have brought emotional pain. They erect walls of isolation and self-protection to keep pain away. When that happens, they also isolate themselves from the very kinds of relationships that heal; close loving, unconditional, and real relationships where you can be yourself, and where you experience the joy of closeness. Everyone needs this. And this should be what local church life includes as well as the rich ministry of the Word.

Examine your priorities with the list in the first paragraph above. Where are you living right now? Life is about relationships with God and others. They are eternal, and are the only things that we take with us into the next life!

The Uttermost Parts of the Earth

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).

I’m presently in London in between flights. We just landed after an 11 hour flight from Addis. During the flight, I took the time to edit the video I captured during our 2 weeks in Ethiopia. I can’t even begin to describe how important what we are doing is in Ethiopia. Victory Fellowship is making a great impact there, and it’s all because of the faithfulness of God.

The Lord has given our church the responsibility of helping these brothers and sisters in Ethiopia reach their communities for Jesus. To do this, we provide monthly support to Meberatu, we take 2 trips each year to train pastors and encourage church leaders, and to evangelize, we provide money for church buildings to be built, and we send Beacon Institute of Ministry courses for the equipping of the saints in the work of the ministry.

There are well over 1000 people combined in the 10 churches named Victory Fellowship in Ethiopia. The Lord has commissioned us to help them. If not us, then who will? This is a serious responsibility. Let’s together commit ourselves to God afresh. Let give Him the best that we have. Let’s be diligent to put spiritual things first place in our lives. Let’s be diligent to meditate in the word. Let’s be diligent to pray. God has chosen us for this task because He believes that we will join together in faith and believe Him for great things.

As we reach the ends of the earth through our efforts in Ethiopia, let’s expect the Father to enable us to continually reach our Jerusalem, our Judea, and our Samaria. That means affecting our families and community, our state and our nations with the power of God through His word.

This is not a time to be mediocre. This is a time for us believers to shine. The world is watching. The Father is waiting on our obedience. And the host of hell tremble at the power released when people obey the Word and the Spirit of God.

Larry and I are thrilled to be on the way home! We are due to arrive tonight at 11:00 PM!

We're Back in Addis! Leaving for home tonight!

I can't describe how wonderful it is to be back in the civilized world! We've been traveling since Monday. We've been over 1000 miles on dirty, dusty roads winding through mountains. The roads were mostly gravel in the Omo Valley, gravel and holes that is! We shared the road with pedestrians, cattle, sheep, goats, horses, donkeys, trucks, cars, and anything else you can think of.
I'm posting below an entry from my personal journal that I wrote this morning when I first awakened. I'll post again soon! Here's the entry It's longer than normal.:

It’s 5 am and I’m in a hotel room just a bit over an hour from Addis. I didn’t sleep very well. The mosquito net made it hot in this small room. And then the mosquito that made me the use the net was laughing out loud while I roasted under the net~

Today is my Dad’s 78^th Birthday. I plan to call him from Addis this morning. If I could summarize this trip, it would be long, arduous, and fruitful! We now have 10 churches in Ethiopia, and they are all doing very well. Meberatu is doing a great job in overseeing the churches and helping the pastors. These 10 churches touch a cumulative total of over 1000 people. All of them continue to grow.

The 3 church dedication services were exuberant and Spirit charged! The people sang with abandon. They were so glad to have a place to meet. The BIM graduation was a great too. We need this college here to help train leaders. They love all of the courses. Their favorite teacher is Dr. Cottle. I need to send leadership courses in the next batch of courses there. We have a goal of starting 10 church within the next year, and to do that, we need leaders who are equipped and ready.

Going to the Omo churches was both challenging and inspiring. This is rugged country, hundreds of years back in time. These folk live in thatch roofed huts with stick and dirt walls and dirt floors. They live close to their animals and the land. They rarely bathe due I assume to the scarcity of water. They travel long distances to haul it to their home. You can see people bathing in mud puddles along the road. The women wear no tops to cover themselves. Children often play naked in the yard in front of their huts.

I was challenged staying in Weyto. The bug infested room provided a dry place to sleep, that’s about it. There was no bathroom or shower in the room. There was a crude see-through building with two non-working toilets, and one eastern toilet, the kind you squat to use. I was not thrilled! And taking a bath in a place with large opening in the walls wasn’t fun either. But we endured just fine. I did get sick from the food we ate on Friday night. Thank God for the healing stripes of Jesus.

The Weyto churches are doing well. The pastor is a real sweet young man who looks to be in his early 20’s. He’s from this tribe. He’s been to school and knows the Word. Most of the people are illiterate. They come to church in their tribal outfits along with the traditional tribal paintings on their bodies. Some wear animal skins and come cloth clothing. All are very dirty. None are aware of it. They are kind to visitors, and were very happy to see us. The men sat on one side, and the women on the other side of the church. They worshipped with abandon, thanking God for being their creator and provider, for giving them another day, for His provision of food and life essentials. They had an unusual dance; the men would jump straight up as high as they could. The room quickly filled with dust.

They sat attentively listening when I got up to preach, and frequently clapped and made a sound indicating pleasure when they heard something that blessed them. I spoke about God being just like a shepherd. I had to speak on a level that uneducated people could understand, so a story about how a shepherd takes care of his sheep was both Biblical and understandable to them. Their faith in God was strengthened. Ministry was short to aid their attention span. Prayer was engaging and fervent. I taught them to lift their hands to pray, showing them what the Bible means when it tells us to lift our hands in prayer; the lifting of hands being both an act of submission and trust in the Heavenly Father. We dedicated the building and prayed over the pastor and the people. It was hot and dusty. But life was there.

After a cold beverage break back at the compound where we stayed, we headed towards Jinka and stopped a short distance away at another church that has started in Weyto. We found the people in a large open field in a valley overlooked by mountains all around. It’s a beautiful place. It’s also dusty and hot! About 60 or 70 people were gathered under a clump of small trees. They have no building. They were so glad to see us, and welcomed us warmly. Bruce greeted them, and Larry preached a short message of encouragement to them. This is another place where we need to build a building, so they can meet in a place protected from the elements. I wimped out on this meeting. The effects of my bad food the night before caught up with me, and I headed back to the Land Rover, almost passing out on the way. I recovered by pouring a bottle of water over my head and laying down. The Father healed me on the way to Jinka!

Jinka is a small town in the middle of nowhere, cuddled by mountains all around. We stayed at the only place there available, a tourist hotel just inside this quaint town. The next day we traveled to seethe Mursi tribe. They live about 2 ½ hours away in a real small village dotted with huts made of simple straw. They huts are not much taller than me. The Mursi are the most rustic people I’ve ever seen in my life! The children are naked, and the women are topless. They wear animal skins or cloth clothing that is scant. Their tribal decorations are interesting, covering their head, torso, and arms. They paint their bodies with what looks like ash. And they look as though they haven’t bathed in weeks or more. This is the second contact we’ve made with them. Meberatu stayed in their village with them a couple of months ago. Bruce and Meberatu are planning to go back in a few months and set up a tent and evangelize them. Our contact was simple and was basically just so they could see us again, and hopefully let us into their lives.

We began traveling back to Addis on Monday. It’s a long way back to the civilized world. We’re all road weary, and are ready for some respite from the travel. Tonight we leave for home. We’ll be back in Addis in a few hours, and there we will clean up, repack, and prepare for the 26 hours trip home. I can’t wait to see Susan and my children. And I’m thrilled to be able to be back with Victory Fellowship. My shepherd’s heart aches to see my church family.

Back From the End of Civilization!

We just returned today from the end of civilization! We're glad to be back on the road home. We're now in Arba Minch again, and I'm in the Neanderthal Interent Cafe. Just kidding! It's just real backwoods and slow! It's now 6:40 PM Monday night here in Arba Minch.

We traveled to the town of Weyto on Friday and spent the night. Saturday morning we had a building dedication at our church in Weyto. The pictures will tell it all. Only 5 people in the church of 70 can read.I preached a basic message on the Father's care and then prayed for the people. They wore very little and are decorated in their tribal fare. They danced before the Lord in their own way, thanking Him for loving them and caring for them. It was a real moving time.

Later on Friday morning, we went to another one of our churches in Weyto. They meet under a clump of trees in the middle of a field. They were excited for us to be there. Larry preached to them, and then prayed for them. They were very glad to see us. We need to build a building for them to meet in soon!

Saturday afternoon we drove to Jinka. We stayed there for the night, and got up Sunday and traveled to the Mursi tribe. They live in little huts, and don't wear much at all! I'll have to find a way to doctor up the pictures so you can see them. These are the people who wear plates in their lips. We will start a church there in September. Bruce and Meberatu are going back with a tent and supplies to stay for several days and evangelize. We have permission from the authorities to do this, and Meberatu is excited about it. We will find a pastor for them and that will be church # 11 in Ethiopia.

Sunday afternoon, we drove back to the hotel in Jinka after visiting the Mursi folk, and then Larry, Meberatu, and I went to another church we have in Jinka. They also meet in a field, and had been waiting for us all day. We got there around 4 PM and met them in a field. This church is in the Bano village. The pastor's name is Adamu. He is one excited guy. About 100 men were present. We encouraged them and prayed for. They were so humble. they got on their knees on the ground as we prayed. They want us to come back! This is another place where we need to build a building for them. they meet in an open field near their village.

I could keep going here, but I must close for now. we drive to Adillo tomorrow (Tuesday) and will dedicate yet another building we have built there. then we will drive to Sheshamane for rest. On Wednesday, we arrive back in Addis Ababa to clean up, rest, and get ready for our 26 hour trip home. Thank you for praying for us. We can tell. Your prayers and faith have helped us.

My pastors heart is aching to see all of our church family again. I'm called to pastor, not to be a missionary. I can go, but I miss you all the whole time I'm gone! I'll see you on Sunday, and hope to blog again on Wednesday in Addis!

We're in the Omo Valley!

I'm writing you from the town of Arba-Minch in the Omo Valley in Ethiopia. This is the first contact I've been able to make since Saturday. This is dinosaur internet stuff (real slow) so I must be brief.

Or trip is going very well. The meetings have been wonderful. We met with the southern leaders on Sunday and the meetings were dynamic. We had to meet with the city leaders due to some persecution we faced, but God granted great favor. The city leaders attended the meetings too!

We now have 9 churches in Ethiopia, and all are healthy and growing. The building dedications have been really encouraging for the churches, and the Bible school graduation was exceptional. These people are stirred up in God!

Tomorrow we drive to Weyto, and will meet with our 2 churches there. Then we drive to Jinka, where we will travel to an unreached village. We must first make friendly contact before we can preach to them, and that's the purpose of the trip there. The next trip, we hope to preach and start a church!

The roads are really bad, gravel and potholes - big ones! So please pray with us for saftey as we travel. And pray with us for dry weather; we have several river beds to cross tomorrow.

I miss my wife, my family, and my church folk. I wish I could hug you all right now. We're looking forward to coming home!

Keep checking the blog. I'll post again as soon as I find an internet connection!