Thursday, December 25, 2008

JOY AND SORROW

Tonight we sat in church and celebrated with hundreds a Christmas Eve service. There was good music and message and the proverbial ending replete with candles lit and singing Silent Night. Then we went home. I thought about how easy it is to be joyful when no one is shooting at you and the most treacherous aspect of the holidays is negotiating icy-snowy roads. How different it is for my friends in India, Kenya and Nigeria who have experienced the sudden upheaval of violence, barely escaping the hate of those who despise Christians.

Is it important to understand that in celebrating the birth of Jesus we must remember the cost it entailed and the warning that preceded it by the prophet Jeremiah? "A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; and she refused to be consoled, because they were no more" (Mat. 2:18).

Meditation
Matthew 2:16-Then Herod, when he saw that he had been outwitted by the wise men, flew into a rage. He gave orders to massacre all the male children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, in keeping with the time he had learned from the wise men.

Bible scholars estimate at least twenty babies were slaughtered in and around Bethlehem by the edict of a cruel ruler bent on ensuring no king would grow up and challenge his throne. Why did God allow this carnage to happen? How do you think the mothers and fathers of those murdered children felt? Suppose any of those parents were still alive when Jesus came south from Galilee to minister. If they figured out the timing and disputed His messiahship how could they look at Him and not feel anger that His life meant their innocent son's death! Do you suppose they might have yelled "crucify," with heartfelt anger?

Is it possible that we have an incomplete picture of Jesus' arrival on earth? We readily make mangers but who constructs a memorial? Who sings songs of lament for babies unfairly eliminated and their inconsolable mothers? Who gets the context of divine birth?

Okay, I'm probably making you uncomfortable because this is not what you want to read on Christmas day. But bear with me, okay? God won't create Gardens of Eden within a planet of evil. The gift of Jesus came with a price tag. Babies had to die because an evil ruler lived. God saw it coming and sent Joseph, Mary and Jesus to Egypt so His Son would live. Does that mean God didn't love those families that lost their babies? You don't think He heard the severe wailing in Bethlehem? You don't think it grieved Him deeply-as does all sin that wreaks garbage and pain?

Whenever holiness confronts contamination there is a cost and pain. Noble Abel died at the hands of Cain. Lying Ananias fell dead before an offended Holy Spirit. Angels gave a joyful tribute. Mothers sang a Ramah dirge. Sorrow is fleeing Bethlehem in the middle of the night knowing that many of your new acquaintances will suffer unbearably. Sorrow is the growing specter of a cross foreshadowed by a feeding trough. Sorrow is inside the love that propels the Almighty to cover the sins of His children with the blood of His Son. And sorrow is an important part of the Nativity painting. It is the cost, not the scenery that makes Christmas special. It is the price of following Christ that many around the world understand while suffering, that should fuel our joy that the Lord Jesus bought our escape from a hopeless fate to a redeemed future. When we sing Joy to the World, let's remember what powerful good news had to overcome. Something to think about . . . in reveration.

Inspiration
The hardness of God is kinder than the softness of men, and His compulsion is our liberation.-C.S. Lewis in Surprised By Joy

Monday, December 15, 2008

HUMANISM

If ever there was a need for prayer, it will be for a man named Obama. He inherits a nation at war with a stressed out economy. He will pilot a land divided in opinion in the midst of a world looking for a messiah. He will render senior leadership in a most complicated government with junior experience and little room for failure. He will face a press that is woeful in gathering all the facts and enemies that would love to see this nation destroyed. He will need wisdom from above in a culture that increasingly follows an ethical theory and practice "that emphasizes reason, scientific inquiry, and human fulfillment in the natural world and often rejects the importance of belief in God."*

Meditation
Ephesians 6:7-Render service with a good attitude, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that whatever good each one does, slave or free, he will receive this back from the Lord.
Revelation 4:11-Our Lord and God, You are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, because You have created all things, and because of Your will they exist and were created.

Scripture brings immense truth to ponder. Whenever we champion (stake our lives on) humanism we plummet down Folly Hill. Eventually, every king of a manmade mountain tumbles. If we render service to people as our highest value, look what happens:
· We serve for our own betterment (self-centeredness).
· We serve to avoid unfavorable treatment (self-preservation).
· We serve for attention (pride).
Each of these at best buys us better life that eventually ends in death. There is no exception.

The boat of humanism always breaks apart on the reef of sin. We find ourselves in competition because our hierarchy of humanistic causes differs from one human, group, tribe, or race to the next. The only solution to this mess is to serve God. When we put Him first it results in our betterment, our preservation and our satisfaction, for He blesses us and His blessing and favor is eternal. He is supposed to always be first because He is our Creator! By His will we exist and He is worthy of all kudos.

We must be careful about championing causes or political parties. Slowly, the cause displaces the Causer. Subtly, we find ourselves wrapped around platforms and our need to be right replaces obedience to the Holy Spirit. We judge others and lose our perspective because we are serving the wrong master. Likewise, we must avoid putting all our hope in people. No man can save the world except God's Man. The temptation to find a messiah to free us from all our woes is as misguided as asking a television to raise our children.

If God is not first, we are worse for the wear and the glory we gain is not worth the blessing we lose. Should we be passionate? Should we work hard for those in whom we believe? Yes-but in balance! Our track record as people is terminally weak-consider the first bad choice-when God took second place to a piece of fruit. These are great days to pray to God for Obama. Keep the order straight and the results will bear divine signature.

*(http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/humanism)

Inspiration
If I am only devoted to the cause of humanity, I will soon be exhausted and come to the point where my love will falter, but if I love Jesus Christ I will serve humanity, though men and women treat me like a doormat.-Oswald Chambers in The Place of Help

Saturday, November 29, 2008

THE THREE S'S

Genesis 12:1, 4-The Lord had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. . ." So Abram left, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. (NIV)

I recently learned that I was going to be required to move from Oregon to Texas for work. My job was being eliminated in the Pacific Northwest, and so I got a call from the Army Reserve offering me a simple choice-take this new job in Texas or be on your own. While I don't pretend to be anywhere near the level of Abram at the time God called him, I think I understand something of how he felt. Here he was, a well-respected member of the local populace, probably pretty well connected with a number of friends, and God called him away, and to a very specific place-"...the land I will show you." This is not unlike the situation in which I find myself. I've lived in Oregon for very nearly 9 years, having moved up from California. This is my home now. It's where most of my closest friends this side of Heaven live and work, and where I always thought I'd be forever, but it seems that God has other plans for me.

How do you suppose Abram dealt with God's requirement to get up and go, and right now? I think that Abram's reaction was something like mine. I bet he was dealing with the "3 Ss" of relocation. First, I think he was Surprised. How often in our lives does God's call to something new come right out of the blue (or so it seems)? As I reflect on my walk with God, as I've matured and been more open to being used by Him, I am constantly surprised by the directions God takes me. When I moved to Oregon, I'd come out of a long experience in youth ministry in California, and I told God as much as myself that youth ministry was the LAST place I was going to end up in my new home. How surprised do you think I was when, less than 12 months later I found myself deeply involved in youth ministry here in Hillsboro? I think Abram was Surprised.

Second, I think Abram was Scared. After all, here God was telling him to set off with not much of a clue where he was going. He was called to leave everyone and everything he knew and follow wherever it was that God would lead. No matter how strong a man Abram was, the idea of leaving behind everything he knew had to cause him some serious fear. Yet, God knew that having Abram undergo that trial was essential to the development of the man he would become, and the same is true with us. Captain Eddie Rickenbacker, the famous World War I flying ace said, "Courage is doing that which you are otherwise afraid to do. There can be no courage without fear." I think as well, that there can be no trust in God without fear. Unless we allow ourselves to be challenged beyond our capacity to endure, or we are forced to face those things we fear, there is little hope of victory. John addresses this in his gospel when he opines that a life filled with fear is a life not fully formed in love, and God wants to form us in love.

Finally, I think Abram was Strengthened. He was strengthened by God's promise to make him into a great nation, to bless him, make his name great and make him a blessing to all peoples. Abram certainly knew that God was (and is!) a God of His word and so was able to take Him at His word and draw strength from the clear promise and purpose God had for his life. We need to remind ourselves sometimes that God has a purpose for us as well. He may not choose to speak directly to us as He did with Abram, but He has a purpose for us nonetheless. Our part is to trust God and surrender to His purpose. How does God speak to us directly today? Through His word in the Holy Scripture! We are able to take a small peek into the mind of God and if we pay attention, we begin to see the promise God has for us and for our lives. A promise MUCH greater than anything we could ever purpose or imagine. He CHOSE us from among all the peoples on the earth to be with Him forever in His kingdom, not because of anything we'd done to deserve it, but rather as a result of His passionate love for us. THAT is the message of the Scripture-it's the story of God's relentless pursuit of us, and we should be greatly strengthened by that pursuit.

So then, when God stretches us we too will be surprised by the direction He leads us, scared as we move into the unknown or stretched beyond our comfort zone and strengthened as we reflect on God's sure promise to pursue us to our salvation. This is why James was able to confidently declare that we should "consider it "PURE JOY" (emphasis mine) when we face trials of many kinds. We can be joyful in uncertainty and change as we remember that God is in charge. Praise God!

Monday, November 24, 2008

HOW CAN I KNOW FOR SURE?

Perhaps one of our most unstated worries is that we might not get into heaven. Does this thought trouble you? I suspect the reason many Christians hesitate to talk about this is for fear of being thought less spiritual or identified as a doubting Thomas. Yet, before Christ came to earth, during His life in Israel and following His resurrection, people's apprehension towards the afterlife has always been a real and meaningful dread. Read what Paul wrote to the Galatians in the verses of meditation below:

Meditation
Galatians 5:4,5-You who are trying to be justified by the law are alienated from Christ; you have fallen from grace! For by the Spirit we eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness from faith.

Notice that any hope we have of gaining entrance into heaven through law-keeping is spurious and actually alienates us from Christ! Why? Because we cannot keep the law. Eternal assurance is not gained by law abiding. Jesus said to His law-conscious countrymen in John 7:19, "Didn't Moses give you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law!" In Galatians 2:16 Paul taught:
yet we know that no one is justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no human being will be justified."

If we think we can earn God's favor and enter heaven through our effort to be morally good or through our good works, again we are mistaken. Observe what happens in Mat. 19:16,17-"Just then someone came up and asked Him, 'Teacher, what good must I do to have eternal life?'' 'Why do you ask Me about what is good?' He said to him. 'There is only One who is good. If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.'" If the man could not be good enough,why did Jesus tell him to keep the commandments knowing that also was impossible? Could it be He was trying to point the ruler to Himself?

Paul reinforced Jesus' teaching on goodness when he penned in Rom. 3:12, "All have turned away, together they have become useless; there is no one who does good, there is not even one." Paul wrote the Ephesians in 2:8,9, "For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from your- selves; it is God's gift-not from works, so that no one can boast."

So how in the world do we ever gain confidence that we will live forever with God? First, we have to believe Jesus' declaration. "No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6b) and place our faith in Him. "Everyone who believes in Him [Jesus] will not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16b). Paul testifies in Rom. 1:16-"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God's power for salvation to everyone who believes . . ." God's grace is poured upon us as a direct response to our faith in Jesus.

Second, we glean from the meditation passage above, that our hope for salvation cannot come from ourselves-it must come "by the Spirit." The reason we can know with certainty that we have eternal life is the presence of the Holy Spirit in us! Ephesians 1:13,14 (NIV) says,
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him [Jesus] with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession-to the praise of his glory.

Third, "Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom. 5:1). Our faith in Christ allows God to declare us "good." His declaration is not fickle! It is backed by His promise and God never breaks His word! So our faith should result in our having peace! If we don't have peace in our salvation then our problem is a lack of faith-quite simply, we don't really trust God.

Fourth, Peter wrote in 1 Peter 1:3-5:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to His great mercy, He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, uncorrupted, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who are being protected by God's power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
Peter declares our inheritance of eternal life to be imperishable, uncorrupted and unfading-kept in heaven for us! Our faith is secured by the protection of God's power!

In summary, the way we know our salvation is secure is: Through our faith in Jesus Christ who affords us grace; By the deposit of the Holy Spirit in our lives; Through the peace we gain as a result of our faith and through the power of God to fulfill His promise and to protect our standing.

If I offered you a one dollar coin there is only one way you can have it and that is to believe my offer is sincere and take it. Once you take that coin it belongs to you. So remember that God offered you salvation. The only way you could take it was by faith. Now it is yours. So believe it. Don't let sin make you doubt. Until we are with God in heaven we are still infected with a sin nature. If you sin, confess it, turn from evil and move on with Jesus, who is faithful to forgive (1 John 1:9). Do you need to obey God's law? Yes-His law is meant for our betterment. Do you need to perform good works? Absolutely. Faith is proved true by our conduct and character. We would make a mockery of the cross if we claimed to believe in Jesus and then lived like the Devil's minions. So, love God. Believe in His Son and rest assured you will live with Him forever. Something to think about . . . in reveration!

Inspiration
I. Although hypocrites, and other unregenerate men, may vainly deceive themselves with false hopes and carnal presumptions: of being in the favor of God and estate of salvation; which hope of theirs shall perish: yet such as truly believe in the Lord Jesus, and love him in sincerity, endeavoring to walk in all good conscience before him, may in this life be certainly assured that they are in a state of grace, and may rejoice in the hope of the glory of God: which hope shall never make them ashamed.-Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter XVIII, "Of the Assurance of Grace and Salvation"

Thursday, November 20, 2008

GOD'S SOVEREIGNTY

By: Chris Govekar

Isaiah 49:6-He says, "It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth." (NIV)

When we (Christians) talk about the Great Commission, we all generally understand that we mean Matthew 28:19,20, but how many of us know that God had this commission in mind much earlier? When we go back into the Old Testament, His design for carrying His salvation throughout the world is made more than clear. Look, for instance, at God's promise to Abram in Genesis 15, to bless the entire world through his descendants.

The Bible is lucid about many topics, but one topic that I think is sometimes missed is the one on which Scripture is most clear-the absolute sovereignty of God. The book of Isaiah is full of God's declaration of His sovereignty, and we would do well to take note. Specifically, God says repeatedly that He will do what He promises. The things God promises will happen. I think back to one of Dan's newest songs out of Job 38. There God asks Job, "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?" (Job 38:4) and then follows up with two full chapters describing His power over all creation. We've lost something of the idea of what it means for God to be sovereign in modern times. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, sovereignty means, among other things, "freedom from external control." That's God. He answers to no one but Himself. It is not possible for God to say He will accomplish something and then not accomplish it. If He says it will happen, then it will happen.

When we think about world missions in the context of God's sovereignty, then, we get a much different idea of what it is God expects from us. When Jesus spoke to His friends in Luke 10 lamenting (it seemed) that "the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into the harvest field." (Luke 10:2), He was not exhorting them to some great effort to turn souls to God. Rather, he was simply stating that there are so many who've turned already through the sovereign power of God by His spirit that there were not enough workers to bring them all into the family! God does not need us to change anyone's mind, and if we think we're the cause of a single soul coming into the kingdom, then we have a sadly inflated notion of our own importance. After all, the One who formed the universe can probably convince a human being to come to Him.

What God needs (wants, expects) from us is obedience. When we go into all the world (and that means the world right around us) to work in His fields, He already knows the result. Our obedience then, while not needed to accomplish God's plan, brings greater glory to Him through what those not yet in the kingdom see in us. If we proclaim Jesus with our mouths and our actions, then God is all the more glorified in this fallen world, and we bring Him joy.

Please remember, God's plan will come to pass. He does not need you or me to make it happen, but He is pleased when we "get on the bus" and do our part working for His plan. Ask yourself, "What have I done to bring in the harvest?" God planted, God tended, God ensured good growth, and now we just have to go out and gather what He has ensured. Praise be to God almighty!

Thursday, November 13, 2008

WORRIED ABOUT...

Jeremiah 38:17-20-Jeremiah therefore said to Zedekiah, "This is what the LORD, the God of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: 'If indeed you surrender to the officials of the king of Babylon, then you will live, this city will not be burned down, and you and your household will survive. But if you do not surrender to the officials of the king of Babylon, then this city will be handed over to the Chaldeans. They will burn it down, and you yourself will not escape from them.'"
But King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, "I am worried about the Judeans who have deserted to the Chaldeans. They may hand me over to them to abuse me."
They will not hand you over," Jeremiah replied. "Obey the voice of the LORD in what I am telling you, so it may go well for you and you can live.

What happened? King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah, the prophet and man of God to get specific instruction from God. He was facing imminent destruction from King Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian army. Jeremiah gave him the Lord's firm instruction. All he had to do was listen. But he didn't. When the invading army breached the walls, he tried to flee and was promptly captured.

What should have happened? If Zedekiah followed God's plan and simply surrendered, the Chaldeans would not have burned down Jerusalem and His temple. They would not have killed his sons and his commanders right before his eyes. They would not have put his eyes out leaving him blind and chained for the rest of what would be a miserable life. Had he obeyed it would have gone well for him.

How does this happen? Well, for starters, Zedekiah's priorities were cockeyed. He was more worried about his own countrymen, the Judeans, who deserted to the Chaldeans and what they might do to him than he was willing to believe God. Ironically, if he was going to worry, the man he should have feared most was King Nebuchadnezzar! Zedekiah had a poor relationship with God-so faith and obedience were not on his list of attributes. He relied on his own brain cells. Worry is man's postcard to heaven-"I can't trust You!"

Indigestion is to uncontrolled acid what worry is to uncontrolled thinking. If God speaks, we have a choice. We can either listen to Him or we can ignore Him and suffer the consequences. What we are worried about reveals our condition. Worry is never the child of trust-it is the illegitimate offspring of Satan who long ago planted the first seeds of doubt in the minds of a man and a woman about what God really said. If you are anxious about . . . it's time again to listen to Jesus, who calmly stated, "Don't worry about your life . . . Can any of you add a single cubit to his height by worrying?" (Mat. 6:25,27)

Inspiration
Hot water does not burn a house. -Kenyan Proverb

Fretfulness springs from a determination to get my own way. Our Lord never worried nor was He ever anxious, because He was not out to realize His own ideas, He was out to realize God's ideas.-Oswald Chambers in God's Workmanship

Monday, November 10, 2008

PRAYER WALK REPORT

Ephesians 6:18—With every prayer and request, pray at all times in the Spirit, and stay alert in this, with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.

Dear Readers,
This Reveration I want to share something special—instead of a devotional, below is a first hand report written by David Joel, our Nigerian brother and recently appointed international leader for our Prayer Walks. I believe you will be blessed by his sharing just as our team is blessed.

Nigerian Prayer Walk Report—October 2008
Last September was a SEPTEMBER TO REMEMBER. Dan York, Chris Govekar, T.K. Moffett and Bill Delaney visited Jos, Nigeria. Their visit has left an indelible mark in our lives. They taught, trained and stirred up the passion for prayer.
Before they left for the states, their concern was: WILL THE church in Nigeria continue the prayer walk? We (leaders) took up the challenge to continue this good work; knowing that it is not about us but all about Him … for faithful is He who called thee who also will do it!
I want to testify that God, who saw their hearts’ desire and heard their prayer, is already at work in us to both will and do of His good pleasure! Prayer walk groups are springing up everywhere in the city and across the nation. We are glad to be part of this move of God. It is spreading like wild fire! Perhaps, God will use you to further spread it as you read our testimonies.
Dr. Charles Lekin came in from Canada about six days after the team from the USA departed. He met the prayer walks and participated also during His 15 day visit to Nigeria. He taught on unity in the body of Christ and how communities can be transformed through unity of the church especially being united in spirit and prayers. Chuck will begin prayer walk groups in Canada. Throughout his stay in Nigeria, He saw the change in the spiritual atmosphere in Jos.
Most of the prayer walk groups wake up as early as 5am and will pray for an hour or more. More than fifteen groups are consistently prayer walking every morning and about 3 groups every night at different locations. The result of the prayer walk is amazing! Let every believer wake up and prayer walk.
The groups are increasing! I inaugurated one 4 –days ago, 20 persons attended. On day 2 about 25 adults turned up and on the 3rd day 19 children (Below age 12) and 30 adults were present! Just a group! This morning-Day 4, 23children and 29 adults came out for the prayer walk. Testimonies have spread to other States….Gombe and Nassarawa states have caught the fire!
This night, a number of us will visit a community, hold an ALL-NIGHT prayer & praise/worship after which we will prayer walk and inaugurate a new group of about 15 persons. Nigerian brethren who traveled to Zambia will train prayer warriors this morning and the prayer walks will take off in two Zambian cities: Lusaka and Ndola. Praise the Lord!
PRAISE REPORT
During our prayer walk in one of the communities, the Lord put in our hearts to pray against evil powers and controlling powers in the community .We also prayed for God to expose evil in that community. The following morning:
1. God convicted an Elder in a local assembly and he stood before the congregation, confessed and repent of his sins. He revealed that he had buried some charms in the church, so he could continue to weaken the church members and manipulate their lives through witchcraft. He also revealed that he was responsible for the mysterious deaths of some church members. He killed a number of them through automobile accidents and sickness. He did those things through diabolical means.
2. Another fetish man in the community was exposed through the power of God a day after we prayed. He sent a snake, which had two heads to a family to kill a girl. A woman spotted the snake on the girl’s foot and neighbors killed it. It was observed that after the snake was killed and burnt, the man became furious. When he was questioned, he revealed another thing - A fetish box, hidden in a hole, the size and shape of money – saved, was discovered in his room. He used that to “Lock up” people’s success and to swallow up their wealth (Job: 20:15.He had done this for several years
(The above reports may be unbelievable to some of our readers but they are TRUE! God is exposing evil, bringing some to repentance!)
We prayed for conversions among Muslims and idol worshippers. A man named Danladi, got born again from Islam and is being discipled. He is up every Morning, Prayer walking. He began to pray for the wife’s conversion too! This morning he testified that she has yielded! Praise the Lord! Danladi is reaching out to his friends – one of them is Sani (Muslim). The word has been planted in Sani’s heart, may the Holy Spirit convict him Amen. Praise the Lord
God has restored marriages; God is healing many of different sicknesses and diseases. God is at work! God is breaking denominational walls! The members of the prayer walk teams come from different denominations – charismatic/Pentecostal, Baptists, Catholics, Anglicans, etc.

PRAISE 3

Genesis 29:35—She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” So she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children.

Leah was not the favored wife of Jacob. He was in love with Rachel and only married Leah through her father’s deception. Imagine how it must have felt for this woman to compete with her sister for her spouse’s affection. Yet, when God saw the plight of this unloved woman, He opened her womb. She bore Jacob six sons! The fourth son she named Judah, which is derived from the Hebrew word yadah, meaning praise.

From Judah Israel’s mighty king David was born. From David comes the greatest book of praise in Scripture, Psalms. And into the singer’s lineage God sent heaven’s triumphant Song, Jesus, born to Joseph and Mary.

It is not by happenstance or cosmic coincidence that God selected the tribe of Judah to birth the world’s Savior. Nor should we be surprised that God loves praise. David wrote in Psalm 145:3, “Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom.” Later in 147:11,12 he shares, “the Lord delights in those who fear Him, who put their hope in His unfailing love. Extol the Lord, O Jerusalem; praise your God, O Zion . . . ”

Do you want to gain victory over your worst afflictions? Praise God. Do you want to experience heaven’s blessings? Pay tribute to the Lord Almighty. The mark of God-pleasing belief is when we can look beyond the mess, past odious trials and suffering to hope in God’s unfailing love and acclaim Him. In this world we will suffer but suffering holds no power over us if we pump praise from our heart through every vein and corpuscle.

This Christmas, celebrate the birth of Jesus and remember that the Lion of Judah, is all about praise. No matter what your circumstance, sing by the grace of God with fervor these words found in Adolphe Adam’s song, O Holy Night:

Let all within us praise His holy name;
Christ is the Lord, Oh, praise His name forever!
His power and glory evermore proclaim!
His power and glory evermore proclaim!

Something to think about this Christmas . . . in reveration!

Inspiration
I have come to believe that the prayer of praise is the highest form of communion with God, and one that always releases a great deal of power into our lives. Praising Him is not something we do because we feel good; rather it is an act of obedience.—Merlin Carothers in Prison to Praise


Kenya 2007—Our team consists of 5 Americans, 1 Nigerian, 1 Benin and 1 Zambian. We leave January 16th but still require $9,200 to cover the expenses of our travel and lodging. We will be training 51 pastors gathered in the Kenyan city of Eldoret for the first week and then moving into different cities for training. Our training will involve leadership training, evangelism, and discipleship. Our goal is to equip the Kenyan leaders so they are more capable of training their countrymen and building the body of Christ. We will also be visiting orphanages and looking to form partnerships in providing money to needy orphans. Anyone interested in helping with our trip costs should send a check or money order to: First Cause/P.O. Box 626, Newberg, OR 97132. Please write “Kenya” in the memo portion. All gifts are tax deductible. More importantly, all gifts are eternal investments! Laus Deo! Also, any purchases of our Evidence or Of Seen and Unseen CDs go to help defray our costs. CDs cost $12.00.

PLOWING

Supervisor’s 1st Week Work Evaluation of Prospective Employees:
· Spends an inordinate amount of time talking but gets almost nothing done.
· He is adept at doing anything but work.
· Has great advice on how to improve the organization and loves to share past accomplishments but her work is sloppy and requires much fixing.
· Worked aggressively for a period but then burn out and quit.
· Requires little supervision and gets the job done superbly.

Meditation
Luke 9:61,62—Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord, but first let me go and say good-bye to those at my house. But Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Holman CSB)

Does it seem like Jesus was critical and insensitive with the people who verbally committed to following Him in Luke 9:57-62? Why did He put off people expressing interest in following Him? For starters, He had the ability to see inside the heart. Jesus knew that verbal commitment was no guarantee of follow-through. Earlier He clarified to all who were listening, “If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me will save it” (9:23,24). Self-denial and excuses cannot lie in the same bed together. When Jesus heard the word “but,” He knew “no” was not far behind.

How’s your plowing? Are you committed to Jesus? To plow for Him means to cut dirt moving forward in Kingdom formation according to the will of the Father. Jesus knows fully well that our soil at times is harder than clay. Follow means when He gives instructions we do exactly what He says. It’s easy to plow when the sun is pleasant, the birds are singing and the earth moves with ease. But what about those times when Susie is sick and needs my attention; Billy might miss his soccer game; Herb has a new project and needs help; or Alice feels neglected? Are we ministering because Jesus leads us or because we cannot say no to the incessant bells of insistent people? Are we plowing in grace or stuck in furrows by the tyranny of the urgent? I suspect sometimes we stop plowing because we think we know better than Jesus does what we ought to be doing. If His words seem overbearing, it’s probably because we’ve lost our bearing!

For three years, Jesus perfectly trained 12 plowmen. On the night before His crucifixion, they all fled! They left the field when hell seemed more real than heaven. And let’s not criticize them and dare to pretend we would never have done such a disloyal thing. In truth, we leave the field all the time. So, again, I ask, how’s your plowing? I’m not just asking you, I’m asking myself. Better to reach the end of the day knowing I did my best investing for eternal rewards then to spend each day rationalizing why I didn’t hook up the oxen so I could play in the sand.

Inspiration
No Christian has a special work to do. A Christian is called to be Jesus Christ’s own, one who is not above his Master, one who does not dictate to Jesus Christ what he intends to do. Our Lord calls to no special work: He calls to Himself.—Oswald Chambers in My Utmost For His Highest

NAME 2

When I read through my Bible, I have a code for marking it that helps make it easier to find things and to notice trends. This year, I am underlining every reference to God’s name. Not long ago while playing my guitar I discovered a melody that seemed to cry out for words. Almost immediately, I believe the Holy Spirit prodded me to write a song about His name.

I opened up the Psalms and begin examining the underlined phrases and from that search a song emerged. I was unprepared and abundantly blessed by the wonder of the richness, power, majesty and provision (just in Psalms) of the name of our God. I hope you will meditate on the lines below and be as blessed. The references I pulled from are listed at the bottom. Now have a time of soaking in the glory of the Name!

There’s a Name, a Name above all names, a Name of glory we call Him Yahweh!
A Name of power, a Name for living in; a Name that’s sung to; a Name for lifting hands.
Magnificent, a Name that’s trusted; a Name for pride in and lifting banners;
A Name proclaimed before the brothers; that brings forgiveness we’ll praise forever!

We adore, we bow before, Your Name for Who You are.
We extol with hearts of praise Your mighty Name, O Lord!

There’s a Name that leads and guides us, a Name that’s holy, through Whom we conquer
A Name that stretches beyond the heavens; for placing hope in and never failing!
There’s a name that’s meant for fearing, a Name that’s near and forever honored;
A Name that’s called on, we shout for joy in; and awe-inspired, forever saving!

There’s a Name that acts in kindness, that leads to blessing that’s long remembered;
Endures forever and brings deliverance; His Name exalted and full of justice
There’s a Name that all creation proudly sings of across the nations
Fully loved and fully loving, high in splendor, never changing!

Meditation
Psalm 7:17—I will thank the Lord for His righteousness; I will sing about the name of the Lord, the Most High.

Psalms 8:1; 9:10; 20:5,7; 22:22; 25:11; 30:4; 31:3; 33:21; 44:5; 48:10; 52:9; 61:5,8; 63:11; 66:2; 68:4; 69:36;75:1; 79:9; 80:18; 83:18; 86:9; 89:12; 99:3; 105:3; 106:8; 109:21; 111:9; 113:1-3; 115:1; 118:26; 119:55; 129:8; 135:13; 138:2; 145:1,2; 148:1-5,13

Inspiration
In Jewish thought, a name is not merely an arbitrary designation, a random combination of sounds. The name conveys the nature and essence of the thing named. It represents the history and reputation of the being named . . . Because a name represents the reputation of the thing named, a name should be treated with the same respect as the thing's reputation. For this reason, God's Names, in all of their forms, are treated with enormous respect and reverence in Judaism.—Tracey R Rich in “Judaism 101” http://www.jewfaq.org/name.htm
Guatemala 2007—July 8th, Lord-willing, we will send a First Cause team of ten to minister for two weeks in Guatemala and southern Mexico. Over fifty Guatemalan pastors await discipleship training. Additionally, our goal is to purchase land for building an orphanage and school in partnership with Solace International. We need to raise $10,500. If you would like to help sponsor this trip please send your check or money order to: First Cause/P.O. Box 626/Newberg, OR 97132. Please write “Guatemala” in the memo portion. All gifts are tax deductible and you can give online by visiting http://www.firstcause.org/support.html

MOVING

I’ve moved so many times in my life that I’ve never had to reorder business cards. But moves are trickier these days. First, I wonder if my knee is going to give out while I’m carrying the desk down the stairs. Second, it seems like furniture keeps getting heavier. Third, I thought I was doing a good job downsizing, so how in the world did we get so much stuff? Ah, but it’s all good. Moving is an opportunity to start afresh, to trust God around new bends and to meet new people. Fortunately, this office move was less than a mile away.

Meditation
Genesis 46:3,4—God said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you back. Joseph will put his hands on your eyes.” (Holman CSB)

If anyone ever had reason to protest moving, it was Jacob. After all, he was living in the land the Lord promised to give his grandfather, Abraham. But God had other plans. First, He sovereignly used jealous brothers to relocate Joseph to Egypt. Second, with His hand of favor securely on Joseph’s life, He made him second only to Pharaoh in authority. Third, He caused a massive famine which forced Jacob and his entire family to move to Egypt for food. Why were these machinations necessary?

Do you believe it is God’s intent for the world to know Him? By uprooting Jacob, He wove an amazing story. Instead of calmly building the nation of Israel in the promised land of Canaan, He jerked them around through rising stress. The family of 70 morphed from favored status in Egypt to a nation of slaves. Yet, God fantastically worked over 400 years later to free them through Moses. “Then God spoke to Moses, telling him, ‘I am Yahweh. I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, but I did not make My name Yahweh known to them’” (Exodus 6:3). The Israelites experienced God in a way unknown to their forefathers. The world heard about God’s mighty acts—which was His all along purpose. The move became a movement.

So, if it seems like God is uprooting you, or sending you down windy roads when you can see a much easier way, take heart! He knows what is best for us. He sees the world and forms the future. His plan is flawless. We don’t have to understand, we have to trust Him. And though the move may be a pain, so long as we keep Him at the center of our vision, the end will be better than we deserve.

Inspiration
God changes our circumstances; sometimes they are bright, sometimes they are the opposite; but God makes them work together for our good, so that in each particular set of circumstances, the Spirit of God has a better chance to pray the particular prayers that suit His designs, and the reason is only known to God, not to us.—Oswald Chambers in The Discipline of Prayer

LOVE 2

Song of Songs 8:7—Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame. Mighty waters cannot extinguish love; rivers cannot sweep it away. If a man were to give all his wealth for love, it would be utterly scorned.

Solomon composed 3000 proverbs and 1005 songs (1 Kings 4:32). Perhaps his finest piece is the musical production Song of Songs, a work of Hebrew poetry utilizing parallelism and wonderfully descriptive language. Jewish religious leaders held this wee book of Scripture in high regard. Note the words of Rabbi Akiba (50-135 AD), who wrote in the Mishnah (Yadaim 3.5): "... the whole of the world is not worth the day on which the Song of Songs was given to Israel; all the Writings are holy, and the Song of Songs is the holy of holies ..."[1] Many commentators teach that this writing allegorically describes the love of Christ for His bride the Church. But let’s simply focus on the central theme of this writing—love. Andy Bannister wrote, “The primary message of the book is this: that human love, marriage, and, dare I say it, sexual love, are a gift from God.”

A beautiful Shulamite maiden, from the northern hill country of Lebanon, gains the attention of the world’s most powerful king. From her mountainous home, she travels to Jerusalem wooed by a lovesick Solomon transfixed by her physical beauty. He flatters her. He tries masterfully to seduce her favor. If only she will marry him. But she will have none of it. Her thoughts remain with her true love, a shepherd boy from her own village.

The Shulamite teaches us that love is not about sexual conquest or the gaining of all the wealth and attention one could achieve from a handsome lord. She resists Solomon’s advances because her heart belongs to another. Three times she reminds the young women of Jerusalem, “do not stir up or awaken love until the appropriate time.” True love is not to be manipulated or fondled by the fleeting passion of admirers! Her loyal and faithful adoration exquisitely ties memory and emotion to her shepherd friend. The thought of him consumes her dreams and sends tingles through her body. She will not compromise her convictions and feelings for the pleasure of Israel’s potentate.

Love is a sacred gift of incalculable value. To unwrap it merely for physical thrill or temporary pleasure is to cheapen its deep meaning and damage the spiritual wick from which its oil burns strongly through the darkest nights. With relentless chatter, the world depicts love through beauty, costly adornment, power, fame, and attaining our desires. Beware, too often, this is love’s sensual cousin lust. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 and not Glamour magazine defines God’s treasure:
Love is patient; love is kind. Love does not envy; is not boastful; is not conceited; does not act improperly; is not selfish; is not provoked; does not keep a record of wrongs; finds no joy in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.

Shunamite woman
Palace dreams for her shepherd
Heaven’s love story

Inspiration
You don't love a woman because she is beautiful, she is beautiful because you love her. –Author Unknown

Let your love be like the misty rains, coming softly, but flooding the river.—Malagasy Proverb
[1] http://www.answering-islam.de/Main/Andy/Songs/commentary.html

LENGKAT

Riding from Abuja to Jos, Nigeria, David Joel, pastor of Agape Communion Church, shared with me an amazing story. There was a military coup in Nigeria in February 1976. Jurbe, a Captain in the Nigerian Army, was implicated in the coup. Despite his innocence, the authorities tried and executed him. Paul Wakkies, his younger brother, took his death hard. But on November 5, 1976, his wife, Kurnyang, bore him a daughter. They named her Lengkat, which means, “Don’t Worry!” Paul took solace in the fact that although God allowed the death of his brother, He provided new life.
While speaking to youth at Evangelical Church West Africa (ECWA) David spotted Lengkat and was immediately attracted to her. After worship, he gave her his business card and asked her to call him. She called and they continued to communicate until David (sensing God’s confirmation), proposed. On April 5, 2003, David married her. Today, they have two children and a wonderful ministry in Jos. David is a mighty man of prayer that God is using to impact key people around his nation.
We enjoyed prayer walking early in the morning with close to 300 people around a field near where we conducted our meetings. We asked David to become the worldwide coordinator of our prayer walks, an incredibly important task. With the blessing and anointing of our Nigerian leaders, he has agreed. Please keep him in your prayers as he serves with First Cause in this critical ministry.
Meditation
Philippians 4:5-7—Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
No matter how difficult things get, we don’t have to worry—God is in control. David illustrated this principle in profound ways. You see, all week while he blessed us with his presence and heart for people, he was also mourning the loss of his mother, who recently went to be with Jesus. Lengkat is a concept we can all apply. We rejoice! We offer graciousness! We have a thankful heart at peace because we believe that God truly guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

IRONMAN

On the plane from Atlanta to Portland, I sat next to a salesman and a lawyer. We had a great time sharing stories, food and funny video clips during our five hour flight. Matt shared with us that he was headed to Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho to compete in the Ironman competition. On Sunday, his goal is to swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles and run 26.2 miles in 12 hours! We pumped him with questions and he shared his training regimen, thrills and spills in past competitions. And then he told us the secret to his perseverance.

Years ago, Matt’s best friend since elementary school, was diagnosed with cancer. Matt explained that when he competed for himself, his ability to endure languished, but when he ran for his suffering buddy, it was much easier. Once, near the end of one run, his friend joined him and they crossed the finish line together. For this next race, Matt’s 70 year-old dad with Parkinson’s disease will be waiting to finish with him. He showed us a picture of a heart and on the protruding valves the written names of friends and family who either have died of cancer or are battling the disease. They fuel his training drive. He runs for them. Andrew and I were inspired by the commitment of this amazing 43 year-old athlete.

Meditation
Matthew 26:67-68—Then they spit in His face and beat Him; others slapped Him and said, “Prophesy to us, Messiah! Who hit You?”
27:26— . . . But after having Jesus flogged, he handed Him over to be crucified.
27:29-30—They twisted together a crown of thorns, put it on His head and placed a reed in His right hand. And they knelt down before Him and mocked Him: “Hail, King of Jews!” Then they spit at Him, took the reed, and kept hitting Him on the head.
27:35—After crucifying Him they divided His clothes by casting lots.

As I think of the incredible perseverance it takes to complete an Ironman contest, my thoughts turn to the greatest Ironman of all. His name is Jesus. Remember He endured the physical beating and torture that eventually claimed His life. He withstood the mental mocking and harassment of His countrymen who despised Him. He weathered betrayal and abandonment by the men He personally trained for three years. At the most brutal moment, His own Coach turned His back on Him.

Jesus didn’t get a medal, a picture, or a shirt. He didn’t summon the power He possessed to fix a rigged competition. He simply bled for you and me. He carried our cross until He collapsed unable to drag the wood of shame to the top of that hill of hate. He did this without complaining, without replenishing fluids along that brutal course, before jeering crowds and most incredibly, full of love for the very people killing Him. It’s one thing to swim, bike and run great distances. Imagine this Hero, who overcame a defeated team, sin and death to become the Savior of the world. Something to think about . . . in reveration!

Inspiration
I pledge allegiance to the Christian flag, and to the Savior, for whose Kingdom it stands, one Savior, crucified, risen, and coming again, with life and liberty for all who believe.—Dan Quayle

DRIFTING

When we navigate with a compass if we don’t keep on line with the precise azimuth, we get off course. Just walking across uneven land, over hills and through brush will change our direction and can easily cause us to get lost. I remember as a child in Japan, descending from the top of Mt. Fuji with two other boys. We left the sure circular path to take a short cut. But coming down the steep slope, we walked at an angle and ended up far away from our intended destination, lost and separated from the rest of our group.

Meditation
Hebrews 2:1—We must therefore pay even more attention to what we have heard, so that we will not drift away.

Recently, I received a letter from Barb, with an update on her children. She shared about her little grandson. He has such a fierce temper that he will hold his breath and pass out! She observed that even little children demonstrate the sin nature so prevalent in all of us. Morality is not something we easily attain and maintain on perfect course. And this is what the author of Hebrews communicates to his readers. We have a responsibility to pay attention to the truth God reveals to us otherwise we will drift away.

Drifting objects in water are easy to spot. A piece of wood is caught in whatever is the strongest current and floats with it. In some ways, this illustrates what happens with followers of Jesus. There are at least five currents (often subtle) which pull us away from God’s course. Many of us float with distractions. Instead of making time to be with the Lord, we fill our lives with other activities. We set aside what is best or right for what is alluring or convenient.

Some of us are misled by deception. We put greater stock in science, education, tradition or what is popularly deemed correct at the expense of faith, steadfastness and the willingness to listen intently to the leading of the Holy Spirit. The voice of the world holds more weight than the whispers of heaven or the words of Scripture.

Others of us drift because of demands. Jobs and relationships can suck the spiritual life out us if we let them. We become so busy needing to meet expectations or please people that we neglect to make time for spiritual nourishment. We stop looking to God and live by our calendars and the never-ending parade of events and projects. We forget how to rest with minds racing to the next . . .

Difficulties cause drifting. Sickness or sadness weighs us down. We become so absorbed in our pain that we doubt our Healer. Persecution and adversity cause us to fear standing with Jesus. We run confused like Elijah, far into the desert only to be burned in the process.

Certainly disobedience creates drift. Whenever we tell God “No!” and go our way should we be surprised when we can no longer feel His presence or experience His blessing?

So, let’s reset our azimuths. Let’s keep “our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith” (Heb. 12:2). Let’s paddle out of those foolish, twirling eddies and get back on track with our Lord. There is no fulfillment in deviating from truth on the road home!

Inspiration
I find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving: To reach the port of heaven, we must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it, but we must sail, and not drift, nor lie at anchor.—Marjorie Holmes

DISPOSITION

Guatemala is a beautiful land, vibrantly green, abundant with fruit trees with types of fruit I had never heard of, let alone eaten. The people in Independencia (the village where we ministered) are gracious and loving. Even the February climate was balmy, punctuated by occasional rain showers that cleared the humidity. Each day, we sensed the Lord’s blessing in specific, clear ways. For example, day one: we need a translator! On the way to the village, we met a Cuban pastor from North Carolina who graciously volunteered to help us all day! Incredible! Day two: we purchased land from Arturo, a 79 year-old patriarch who loves the Lord. As we got to know him, he showed us his Bible. Inside was a picture of him standing next to my father. Then he told us his son lived in Japan. It turned out that Fernando and his wife, Makiko, were part of a Japanese church that heard about our ministry and months earlier, gave money to help us purchase property. Incredible!

My disposition was joyful as I headed home. Pastor Eber, Arturo and Edgar accompanied me to Tapachula, Mexico to catch my plane. From there I flew to Guadalajara. I expected to be home before midnight. But a fire not far from the airport shut it down. By the time we lined up to board the plane at 1:00 a.m., the officials learned that customs at the Portland airport would close before we arrived so they cancelled the flight. Can you imagine the range of emotions displayed amongst disappointed, tired passengers? Because I had no checked baggage, I was able to catch a flight bound to Sacramento. At 4:00 a.m. I cleared customs and worked to get a 6:00 a.m. flight to Portland. The Mexicana Airways official failed to enter into the computer my diverted schedule so I had to purchase a ticket with Horizon Airlines (hopefully this will be reimbursed). I got on the plane hoping to be home soon. But the plane had a mechanical problem. We all had to disembark. An hour later, we flew on an Alaskan flight to Seattle. From there I caught another plane and after 26 hours of travel, arrived home.

Meditation
Romans 8:11,12—And if the Spirit of Him Who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He Who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, Who lives in you. Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it.

Extended travel compounded by unforeseen disruption superbly tests one’s disposition. I am happy to report that the Holy Spirit lives in me and lifted me beyond my natural nature. Rather than complain or find fault with my circumstances, I found cause to pray and rejoice. When my restless leg syndrome about drove me beyond sanity, I found grace in the journey. Twice God put me next to people I was able to serve. I knew beyond doubt that loving friends in prayer covered me. I am reminded again that when I fall it is because my attention is on pleasing my old nature. When I succeed, it is because my attention is on pleasing my Savior. O Lord, help me get it right! Something to think about . . . in reveration!

Inspiration
There is only one way in which as a disciple you will know that Jesus has altered your disposition, and that is by trying circumstances. When circumstances put you to the test, instead of feeling resentment you experience a most amazing change within, and you say, ‘Praise God, this is an amazing alteration!’ . . . The proof that God has altered our disposition is not that we persuade ourselves He has, but that we prove He has when circumstances put us to the test.—Oswald Chambers in Studies in the Sermon on the Mount

DISCIPLE MAKERS

Our main objective in Kenya is to establish a team of 40* people committed to becoming disciple makers. In the process of leading prayer walks and speaking to large gatherings of pastors and laymen, eager men and women emerged ready to be trained. The church in Kenya is not lacking for disciples, what it lacks is disciple makers (leaders committed to reproducing disciples).
Jesus' command in Matthew 28:19,20 to go into all the world and make disciples implies the need for evangelism and the training of leaders who are faithful in raising up disciples who reproduce disciples! Without reproduction of faithful, Jesus-followers, the church will die! Through God's faithful leading, our team of nine is focusing on reaching Kenyans in the cities of Eldoret, Kitale and Cheptiret. In order for this mission to succeed we need God to raise up a Kenyan leader; a man who understands the absolute necessity of disciple making; a man with success in training young men to be disciples; a man respected by those aspiring to become disciple makers; and, a man full of the Holy Spirit and of sound reputation. So we pray for God's help and He has magnificently answered our prayer.
Meditation2 Timothy 4:1,2—Before God and Christ Jesus, Who is going to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom, I solemnly charge you: proclaim the message; persist in it whether convenient or not; rebuke, correct, and encourage with great patience and teaching. (Holman CSB)
Joseph is a handsome man with a distinctive white tuft of hair on his forehead that belies his deep wisdom. Joseph served as my interpreter each time I spoke. I was blessed by his humility and impressed by his skill in moving from English to Swahili. It was evident by testimony and crowd reaction that he is greatly respected.
Before Joseph met Jesus, he impregnated a woman he was in love with and she bore a child. He was still completing high school and the father and brothers of the girl were furious with him. As soon as the child was born, the brothers brought him to Joseph and ordered him to raise his son. Meanwhile, the father whisked his daughter to East Kenya and enrolled her in school, hiding her from Joseph.
Less than two years later, Joseph put his trust in Jesus and in answer to his prayers, the Lord provided him a wife to help him raise his son. Together they had five more children. Believing God called him to ministry, he started a church called Trinity Baptist Church. Tragically, Joseph's wife became ill and passed away leaving him with six children to raise. Several women in the church helped him with the children, but six years as a single parent took their toll on the lonely shepherd. Joseph shared with his elders the desire to remarry and asked God to bless him with a wife to help him parent his children.
Somehow the woman who bore his first son found him. Rose wanted to see the child she never knew. Joseph agreed, but on the condition that she come to his church and not reveal her identity as the mother. So Rose came to Eldoret and met her son, now over 20 years of age. After the church service, Joseph confided to her that he still loved her. She shared similar feelings to his surprise and joy. So they determined to gain her father's blessing, and with his consent get married.
Her brothers were skeptical that Joseph truly loved their sister. They sent another sister to check her story. The sister realized this kind man was serious. So the brothers arranged for Joseph to call their father. Over the phone, after hearing Joseph's request, the father agreed to him marrying his daughter and apologized for the ill manner in which he treated Joseph so long ago. Joseph, wanting to be sure everything was right before God, then followed up the phone call by visiting his future father-in-law.
Joseph's story is much longer and involved. Space does not permit me to share how God miraculously provided the funds for their wedding; how he and his first-love had another child; how seven of them live in a small, two-bedroom, mud hut; how much he is loved by his church, the students he teaches in Bible School and the surrounding community. After prayer and deliberation, all nine of our First Cause team unanimously came to the conclusion that Joseph is the man to raise up forty disciple makers. On the twelfth anniversary of Trinity Baptist, I had the privilege of preaching to his congregation. I shared with them our desire to commission their pastor as a First Cause Disciple-Making Leader and they applauded with joy. I asked the elders to come and lay hands on him and then stated that we would only commission him with their blessing. After prayer and much rejoicing, they agreed that their leader should be released to minister wherever God should call him. At the conclusion of our time in Eldoret, Joseph’s mentor and many friends and fellow-pastors came out for a special commissioning service. It was a night I will long remember in gratefulness to God for His blessing.
Our first cause is to love God. In the process, we give ourselves wholly to His Son to obey His Great Commission. The seeds are sown in Kenya for a mighty work in East Africa. Our team is blessed to have a mighty brother-in-the-faith who in many ways mirrors the Joseph of ancient times. We praise God for what he is going to do in Kenya and beyond . . .

InspirationSalvation and sanctification are the work of God’s sovereign grace; our work as His disciples is to disciple lives until they are wholly yielded to God. One life wholly devoted to God is of more value to God than one hundred lives simply awakened by His Spirit. As workers for God we must reproduce our own kind spiritually, and that will be God’s witness to us as workers. God brings us to a standard of life by His grace, and we are responsible for reproducing that standard in others.—Oswald Chambers in My Utmost For His Highest

*Inspired by the tract, “Forty Intrepid Wrestlers” by Bob Boardman

DEPRESSED

Psalm 42 and 43 belong together as one work and could aptly be titled “Depressed.” Verses 1-3 indicate the writer’s distance from God:
As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for You, God. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I come and appear before God, the living God. When can I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night, while all day long people say to me, “Where is your God?” (Holman CSB)
This starkly contrasts with previous times of close worship with God. “I remember this as I pour out my heart: how I walked with many, leading the festive procession to the house of God, with joyful and thankful shouts.”

Next, the writer seems unable to understand why he is depressed and in so much turmoil. Thrice he mentions, “Why am I so depressed? Why this turmoil within me? He even states, “I am deeply depressed.” God allowed him to be tossed and overwhelmed like one helpless beneath roaring water. Twice he agonizes, “I will say to God my Rock, ‘Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about in sorrow, because of the enemy’s oppression?’ My adversaries taunt me, as if crushing my bones, while all day long they say to me, ‘Where is your God?’”

If you are prone to depression or periods of melancholy don’t feel like you are somehow unspiritual or unworthy in God’s eyes. The Bible shares numerous accounts of depressed saints. Don’t devalue your image because your feelings hurt. Rather, recognize the normalcy of sadness and despair in life. Solomon, the disheartened sage, penned:
For with much wisdom is much sorrow; as knowledge increases, grief increases . . . For what does a man get with all his work and all his efforts that he labors with under the sun? For all his days are filled with grief, and his occupation is sorrowful; even at night, his mind does not rest. This too is futile. (Ecclesiastes 1:18, 2:22,23)

So what are we to do when we feel as cheery as a lost goose in a foggy cloud? I believe God gives us the remedy to depression from these same sons of Korah. In the midst of battling hopelessness, note the shared solutions. “Put your hope in God [key antidote], for I will still praise him, my Savior and my God [praise applied 3x]. . .The LORD will send His faithful love by day; His song will be with me in the night—a prayer to the God of my life [application of faith] . . . Vindicate me, God, and defend my cause against an ungodly nation; rescue me from the deceitful and unjust man [focus on God as the Deliverer]. Send Your light and Your truth; let them lead me. Let them bring me to Your holy mountain, to Your dwelling place [submission to God’s way]. Then I will come to the altar of God, to God, my greatest joy. I will praise You with the lyre, God, my God [application of worship].

When the psalmists couldn’t sleep; lost appetite or interest in what they once enjoyed; felt restless, cranky, tired, guilty even despairing of life, there were no pills with venlafaxine, paroxetine, mirtazapine, bupropion or sertraline. They don’t mention St. John’s Wort, God’s natural herb. No, when depressed, they reached for hope and faith, submitted to God’s authority and practiced praise and worship. Somehow, I think they felt better. When our eyes are on God, there is RELIEF! Something to think about . . . in reveration!

Inspiration
Hope is grief’s best music.—Anonymous

DELIVERED

Psalm 34:4—I sought the LORD, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears.

At the age of one month he was dedicated to be a witch doctor and to one day replace his grandfather. But as a ten year-old he ran away mad because the ancestral spirits wanted him to start practicing divination. Consequently, this young boy grew up rejected by both his paternal and maternal family.

In 1987 while living in Nairobi city, he used to eat from a garbage pit. A year later, while staying with the wife of his mother’s brother, he was mistreated and his clothes were filled with lice. For an entire year, he had only one pair of shorts and a T-shirt to wear. At the age of 12, he suffered from whooping cough and runny nose. Because he was staying with his stepmother, his dad gave no thought to take him to the hospital. Then he developed wounds on his lungs which caused him to cough heavily for twelve more years suffering severe chest pain.

In 1992, attracted by his favorite sport, soccer, he came to watch a scheduled match. At 6:00 p.m. when the contest ended, a crusade commenced and he listened intently to the visiting preacher. The only words he remembers were, “Those who would like to accept Jesus . . .” and then he moved forward. He recalls John 1:12, “But to all who did receive Him, He gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in His name.” That night, May 14, Daniel Mugeni gave his heart to Jesus at the age of 13.

Eleven years later, Daniel slept on a dusty mat in a church. In the course of praying, God miraculously healed him from his cough and chest pains and relieved his severe stammering. Increasingly he received joy, peace and the unmistakable reality of God’s love for him. Now his stammering is completely gone. Delivered from the pit of rejection and abuse he now ministers the gospel sharing his story to any who will listen in his land of Uganda.

If you would like to be encouraged in your Christian pilgrimage, write Daniel. You can easily reach him at glhrevmin@yahoo.com. One of the beautiful aspects of the internet is that it helps shrink our world so that we who love Jesus can meet new brothers and sisters and communicate with one another. Through our journey and ministry in Kenya we met Joseph. Later, he and Brian traveled into Uganda. Providentially, God connected our First Cause family to Daniel and Joy and others with whom they serve. Though physically they have never met, today my Dad has the privilege of helping Daniel grow spiritually by sending him instruction via email. This is what it means to know Christ. He delivers us from Satan and his insidious attacks and links us together to thrive under grace. Jesus sets us free! Are you living delivered?

Inspiration
It is not enough to be delivered from sin; it is enough to be delivered to righteousness.—Edwin Louis Cole, author, (1922-2002)

CONNECTION

If the weather is good, I love driving Bell Road! This five-mile curvy route affords a clear view of Mount Hood, the town of Newberg, forestland and beautiful farm country. But along Bell are two spots where I lose cell phone reception. If I’m engaged in conversation with someone, I have to keep driving until I can regain the signal before redialing.

About 400 prophets prophesied before King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah that if they went to battle against the Aramean army they would be successful. But something about them caused King Jehoshaphat to doubt their authenticity. So he asked Ahab (22:7), “Isn’t there a prophet of Yahweh here any more?” Reluctantly, Ahab told him about Micaiah, who was prone to give unfavorable pronouncements to the king, and then he dispatched a messenger to get this unpopular exhorter.

Meditation
1 Kings 22:13—The messenger who went to call Micaiah instructed him, “Look the words of the prophets are unanimously favorable for the king. So let your words be like theirs, and speak favorably.

Micaiah was a prophet with a clear connection with God. But what the people wanted was a recording. They wanted this man of God to parrot the religious establishment—“Go and you will succeed.” But he knew that disaster awaited Ahab and he told him so. Scripture tells us Ahab died in battle exactly as Micaiah predicted.

People, who rely on their own wisdom, or whose relationship with God is a sham, speak forth words that may sound good spiritually but in truth are as disconnected from reality as a signal-less phone call. The best result of garble is confusion! Ahab’s 400 prophets had a bad, or at best, weak connection with the Lord, and were easily deceived into broadcasting a false message. Just because they were religious didn’t make them right.

So, how do we get a clear connection with the God we cannot see, so we can know His will? Certainly, we must leave any place or thing that causes sin and breaks our connection with Him. He will not abide where there is evil. Second, we must listen and obey His Spirit. Third, don’t assume the religious crowd speaks for God. Finally, if we still cannot discern His voice, it may be that He is silent for His own purposes. If this is the case, we must patiently wait on Him and not take hasty action we may later regret.

How’s your connection to your heavenly Father? Are you hearing from Him or do you feel like you are in some dead cell zone? Ask for His help in reconnecting, trusting that He has a word for you!

Inspiration
The entrance of sin means that the connection with God has gone and the disposition of self-realization, my right to myself, has come in its place.—Oswald Chambers in The Psychology of Redemption

ACCOUNTABILITY

My college class motto is “Strength As One.” I believe it is more profound than we realized when we selected it. What makes our class special is a collective sense that our ability exponentially increases through our unity. Implied in our unity is an understanding that we are accountable to one another.

Meditation
Romans 14:11,12—For it is written: As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to Me, and every tongue will give praise to God. So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. (Holman CSB)

From the onset of the creation of mankind, God established accountability:
The LORD God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it. And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree of the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die." (Genesis 2:15-17)
Throughout the Bible God holds people accountable to obey Him (John 14:15); in their speech (Matthew 12:36) and for what they produce (John 15:2,5).

Jesus modeled for us what accountability looks like. In John 6:38,39 He said, “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of Him who sent Me . . . that I should lose none of those He has given Me but should raise them up on the last day.” God held Jesus responsible to do His will and He in turn accounted for the people God gave Him. After Jesus departed, God sent the Holy Spirit to maintain that accountability. “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit—the Father will send Him in My name—will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you” (John 14:26).

Just as God holds us accountable, so we are answerable to each other as His family members. Perhaps the greatest Biblical example of this is Paul’s analogy in his letter to the Corinthians.
So the body is not one part but many. If the foot should say, "Because I'm not a hand, I don't belong to the body," in spite of this it still belongs to the body. And if the ear should say, "Because I'm not an eye, I don't belong to the body," in spite of this it still belongs to the body . . . So the eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" nor again the head to the feet, "I don't need you!" . . . so that there would be no division in the body, but that the members would have the same concern for each other. So if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. (1 Co. 12:14-16,21,25,26)
The best way we can relate and care for one another is through accountability.

When we are not accountable three things happen:
1. We set ourselves up for sin. I remember as a teenager, an American soldier who was part of the team my Dad led in Seoul, Korea. Johnny, got involved with another woman in an illicit relationship. Instead of being responsible to the team, he went his own way and quit walking with God.
2. The body suffers. Without encouragement and love, people shrivel up like plants without water. Likewise, when one member of the body falls into sin, becomes discouraged or physically ill, it affects us all.
3. We lose the Lord’s blessing. God never intended for us to go through life alone, apart from each other. To go solo or to disdain being answerable is to veer from His plan and inevitably we suffer.

So how can we keep each other accountable? First, I remember that I am accountable to God so in my life I work hard to maintain a close friendship with Him by spending quality time daily studying the Bible and communicating with Him. Second, I find and keep true friends I call my ranger buddies. Mutually we agree to ask each other the hard questions (“How was your thought life this week?”) and communicate regularly. Third, I choose to be a friend that is vulnerable, available and honest. Without these qualities, accountability is like a car without gas.

I can’t overly emphasize how important accountability is! Don’t try to paddle across the ocean by yourself! Ask God to reveal any sin in your life that is the result of walking independent of Him. Confess and make things right—1 John 1:9. If you don’t have an accountability partner, ask God for a real friend. Seek someone you know to be faithful. Now go be blessed—strength as one!

Inspiration
The essence of sin is the refusal to recognize that we are accountable to God at all.—Oswald Chambers in The Moral Foundations of Life MFL

ACCEPTABLE

What thoughts crisscrossed King David’s mind when he penned Psalm 19? His language is deeply reflective. “The heavens declare the glory of God” (Psa.19:1). Creation testifies to the whole world God’s greatness (vs. 2-6). Moving on, he notes, “The instruction of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul” (vs. 7). David lauds God’s word for its marvelous qualities (vs. 8-11), and concludes, “In addition, Your servant is warned by them; there is great reward in keeping them” (vs. 11).

Meditation
Psalm 19:12-14—Who perceives his unintentional sins? Cleanse me from my hidden faults. Moreover, keep Your servant from willful sins; do not let them rule over me. Then I will be innocent, and cleansed from blatant rebellion. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to You, LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.

As David meditated on the majesty of His Heavenly Father and the weight of His truth, he seems convicted by his own shortcomings. Did he feel like some soiled cloak that needed washing? Surely, the fact that he mentions sins ruling over him implies some wrong pattern of behavior or thinking. Or did he just know the proclivity of his heart and seek God’s protection? I’m not sure, but I love his conclusion.

This year, as I daily spend time in Scripture I write down the key verses I’ve highlighted in my prayer journal. The passage of meditation above works over my soul like a tractor plowing soil. For the rest of the year I’m going to start each day praying what David prayed. I’d rather be proactive in seeking God’s protective help than try and live a holy life and avoid sin on my own effort.

I already know there are times I unintentionally break God’s will. For those times, God forgive me. But what concerns me more is when I willfully do what I know to be wrong, feeding the flesh. David called it “blatant rebellion.” Hmmm, that’s pretty accurate isn’t it! Unkind words, impure thoughts, time wasted doing things of questionable or even objectionable value, tending a selfish attitude, the list goes on . . .

Lord of the heavens, Giver of precious, perfect words, let my life be acceptable in Your sight. Let what I say, do and think inside be up to Your standards. I’m totally counting on You! I can’t be what You want me to be without Your help! Yet, with You, I can do all things for Your glory! Amen.

Inspiration
We have to get at what Jesus Christ taught was the highest good, then we can understand why He did not accept the standard of life that we accept, and why He plays havoc with all our lesser “goods” until we get to the supreme good He had in mind.—Oswald Chambers in The Highest Good

TUNDRA

John 18:1—When He had finished praying, Jesus left with His disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was an olive grove, and He and His disciples went into it.
Five men camped along the Tulik River in the remote tundra of the Artic Circle near the Brooks Range. Our intent was to hunt caribou and ptarmigan and fish for grayling. For many men, few things exceed the thrill of hunting. It is a great test of wit, skill, perseverance, and careful planning which, if executed properly, results in the successful acquisition of food. It was a time of camaraderie and challenge.
The tundra of Alaska is very difficult to walk. The ground in August is uneven, wet and full of plant life which when stepped on often gives way causing the foot and ankle to slide either left or right. Most of our time was spent either looking for game or packing out meat across this difficult terrain.
Life can be like walking through tundra. We long for the splendid roar of the gun at that climactic moment when the target is in sight. But in reality, most of our life is spent in the valley where each step can be challenging and tedious. We prefer chills down the spine to sweat down our backs. But if we make exhilaration our goal we are destined to despise what is ordinary and necessary. In fact, the valley is important. While there God teaches us much about our character and purpose. It is on the tundra where each step matters that the Lord of the heavens wants to mold us to be like Him.
Perhaps you have grown tired of your environment, occupation, or place in life. Are you fatigued beneath the weight of a boring pack? Are you frustrated by an endless plain where God’s voice seems absent? Well, take heart! Give the extraordinary Heavenly Father your ordinary trials! Imagine the blessing you can be to those around you, if daily you exude peace and joy through what most would consider mundane or discouraging! Our Savior is not merely interested in us when we reach the ridge. He is with us through the valley! He will guide you to the beauty in the tundra!
Inspiration
Your valley may be a darkness where you have nothing but your duty to guide you, no voice, no thrill, but just steady, plodding duty; or it may be a deep agonizing dejection at the realization of your unfitness and uncleanness and insufficiency. Let God put you on His wheel and whirl you as He likes, and as sure as God is God and you are you, you will turn out exactly in accordance with the vision He gave you. Don’t lose heart in the process.—Oswald Chambers in So Send I You

TRUTH

John 1:14—The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, Who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Ten top reasons why people tell me they resist following Jesus.
¨ Religion is a personal thing, mind your own business.
¨ They have never been given a clear presentation as to who Jesus is so they wouldn’t know how to follow him.
¨ They would have to change how they live in order to obey him.
¨ Their family would be upset.
¨ Jesus was just a prophet like Mohammed, Buddha, Moses etc.
¨ They don’t believe Jesus is God or the only way to him. They advocate there are many paths to God one must just be sincere. (In other words what is important is not path-selection but path-sincerity.—See Matthew 7:13,14)
¨ At a critical point or points in life, Jesus/God did not meet their needs or wasn’t there for them.
¨ What they have seen of Christians has not been impressive and they have no desire to be affiliated.
¨ Christianity didn’t work for them.
¨ They like Jesus as Savior but don’t want him as Lord.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of responding to those who resist following Christ with unwise zeal. Before you fire your spiritual shotgun with blasts of Scripture pellets, or perform amazing pen and ink drawings of a bridge, or whip out a yellow booklet of four spiritual laws listen to what Peter said. “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” (I Peter 3:15)

Somebody hold my mule! This is good advice! Who’s the Savior—Christ or us? What does God ask us to set apart—our illustrations and debate skills or Jesus as Lord? The truth that we are responsible for is the h o p e that we have in Christ. We are not responsible for providing the hope someone else doesn’t have. Beware of reducing Christianity to mental assent to a formula when Scripture clearly teaches the evidence of faith is a changed life! If Jesus is the truth, He will prove Himself as true to anyone who is honestly searching. Very few people reject Jesus because they conclude He is not the truth. Just the opposite, they stumble over His exclusive claims. They reject Him on the basis of pride.

Jesus never said, “You will know the truth now go set others free.” He said, “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” My testimony concerns what the Truth has done in my life. Yes, I’m more than excited to share anytime about that awesome, knee-bending, heart-mending, peace-sending, sin-ending, Truth! And you should be too! Praise God, that’s effulgence!

Inspiration
Truth is not a system, not a constitution, nor even a creed; the truth is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and He is the truth about the Father just as He is the way of the Father. Our tendency is to make truth a logical statement, to make it a principle instead of a person.—Oswald Chambers in Christian Disciplines

TRUST 3

Psalm 112:1,7—Praise the Lord. Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in His commands . . . He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.

It started when my good friends Rob and Glenn realized they had to install a handicapped accessible restroom in their San Diego church. The molehill they faced turned into a mountain. At a cost of $50,000 a ramp had to be built, doors had to be widened, and handicap accessible doors with electronic openers installed. During the construction the carpet was ruined. Beneath the tiles underneath the carpet they found asbestos requiring them to call in a removal team. Finally, after much time and expense, the renovations were complete.

Two weeks later a plugged urinal flooded such that water streamed out the front and side doors. Pews were damaged and brand new carpet was ruined. At the same time, many people within the body were suffering. People’s jobs didn’t pay enough to meet their expenses, relationships were tearing apart. It seemed the more they pressed to serve God the more opposition they faced.

Rob began to paint his back room at home but the wall paper came off in sheets. He discovered subterranean termites feasting on his home. All of the sheet rock had to come out. This led to the discovery that the electrical wiring was not up to code and was a fire hazard. His VCR and television stopped working. Repair costs climbed higher and higher. When the stress became too great, Rob experienced a massive pity party. While bemoaning his circumstances, he turned on his old TV and happened to catch a preacher by the name of Jesse Duplantis. God used his message on trust to cheer up his servant. Rob thought about all that went on in the church and his home and concluded:
We don’t love God enough to trust Him to meet all of our needs. Our job is to believe that God can do His job. (With the church) We could have responded in many different ways but when something this big happens—what can you do? We chose to believe God. We prayed over the Sanctuary and claimed God’s provision for us His people and put the whole thing in His hands. God met our needs through the insurance company . . . The resources are His, the time is His, and we are His . . . The question for me became, ‘Can I trust God or not?’ I believe the answer is yes, that all He requires of me He has resourced me for. Can I let go of the hurts of my past and believe that He can bring something good out of the ashes? Yes!! I certainly can. All I need has been, is, and will be provided. Wherever you are in your life circumstances, He can do the same thing for you.

Inspiration
To trust in the Lord is to be foolish enough to know that if we fulfil God’s commands, He will look after everything.—Oswald Chambers in Run Today’s Race

TRUST 2

Psalm 9:10—Those who know Your name will trust in You, for You, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek You.

There comes a time in life when we must decide if we believe in God or not. The two words “never forsaken” ought to be sealed permanently on the hearts of all who know God’s name and seek Him. They are not the casual words of a poetic king. They are the bedrock conviction of a lover of God. They are syllables that form absolute conviction not relative “gee I hope so.” So the next time you hear two letters and a number you ought to be ready to reply with a two-word response—NEVER FORSAKEN! That’s right, YK2 is no threat to King Jesus.

Are you going to stock your pantry and withdraw money from the bank? Excellent! What will you do if unprepared ungodly neighbors come seeking food? Fear turns away. Love gives away. Trust is what makes God’s child a minister.

Are you preparing to flee to Montana? Do the hills of New Mexico beckon? Who will stay for those in the middle of chaos to model trust in the Never Forsaker? Who will be the answer to a world of questions?

Trust is not established by lack of preparation indeed, that is the stuff of folly—“observe the ant,” Solomon said. The danger comes when our trust is in our preparation and not in God. The best-stocked house can be instantly destroyed by a tornado—then what? Can God be trusted still? If the economy collapses does God lose His chair in heaven? If our rights to worship should be taken away is the Holy Spirit paralyzed? If society turns its apathetic back on morality is Jesus no longer sovereign?

Trust is our firm reliance on the integrity, ability, and character of God. He is able! Maybe that’s why the letter ‘t’ is the shape of the cross. Take away the ‘t’ and all that’s left is rust. Therefore, no matter what comes tomorrow, no matter how bad today seems, we can joyfully look upward and know with confidence that Jesus loves us and is perfectly in control. He will never leave or forsake us! We need not fear our earthly future if we trust our forever Savior. NEVER FORSAKEN! Whoa, that’s the cry the world needs to hear from the lips of God’s children!

Inspiration
It is not our trust that keeps us, but the God in whom we trust who keeps us. We are always in danger of trusting in our trust, believing our belief, having faith in our faith. All these things can be shaken; we have to base our faith on those things which cannot be shaken.—Oswald Chambers in The Pilgrim’s Song Book

Have we come to the place where God can withdraw His blessings and it does not affect our trust in Him?—Oswald Chambers in My Utmost For His Highest