The Key Of God's Love

I was recently at a conference in Spartanburg, SC. I heard this story from a couple working in a West African country. They related it to me as heard directly from the lady involved. It sounds incredible but here goes.

The American couple was ministering to a group of women who had recently become followers of Jesus Christ. They were all raised in another belief system and it is not unusual for women who have started following Jesus to be treated very badly by their husbands. These women are denied the opportunity to go to school so they cannot read. One lady asked for advise on what the Bible says she should do because her life had become very difficult since she has started following Jesus and her husband was beating her because she would no longer attend his place of worship with him.

Another woman stood up and gave her testimony. She told the group that she became a follower of Jesus and her husband got very angry with her when she refused to go to his place of worship with him. He told all his relatives and neighbors that he did not know what to do with his wife.

She told her husband that she was going to a week long meeting where she could learn more about Jesus. This only made him more angry. He wanted to know who would clean his house and cook his food if she went away. She reassured him that he would do just fine and it would only be five days.

After she left, he told all his neighbors that she would never set foot back in his house again. He locked up all the doors and windows and left. Just to make his decision sure, he went to a river and crossed half way over the bridge. There he threw the key to his locked home out into the river.

When the woman came home she thought of how her husband must have had a difficult week cooking for himself, so she decided to stop and buy food from the marketplace to cook his favorite meal. When she arrived home she found her house locked up tight and her husband was nowhere to be found. She went to her neighbors, but no one would tell her what had happened. She finally asked one of her neighbors to help her cook the food so it would not spoil. They started to clean the fish and as they cut one open a key fell out onto the floor. They could not believe their eyes. They have never seen a key come out of a fish before.

The neighbor told her that it looked like the key to her house and she encouraged her to go try it. It fit! So she opened her house and finished cooking the meal.

When her husband heard that she was in the house he became angry once again. He rushed home and found, to his surprise, that there was no sign of a break-in. He demanded to know how she got into his house. She showed him the key as she told him the story of the key falling out of the stomach of the fish. Then she served him the meal and he ate in silence and went straight to bed.

The next day he asked if he could go to her church with her on Sunday. As they sat in church together he just sat in silence. After the service he asked if he could talk to the pastor alone. She took her husband to meet and talk with the pastor. He told the pastor that this Jesus was a worker of miracles and he asked what he needed to do to become a follower of Jesus like his wife.

It has been a year and a half and they are still attending church together faithfully.

The reason I have removed wording identifying the belief system and specific country is because this is not about a belief system. This story is about the lengths God will go to as He reveals His love for one individual man.

This is not the first time God used a fish to tell people of the love and forgiveness He offers. Jonah was a reluctant prophet.He knew the Lord was a God who desires that all people come into a relationship with Him. Jonah thought judgement and eternal hell was the best option for the people he despised but the Lord prepared a great fish to help Jonah deliver His message of love and forgiveness.

So although I would normally find such a story a bit dubious if it was just being circulated around the internet, I am conveying the story as I heard it from the one who witnessed the testimony from the woman with the key. They have also talked to her pastor who attests to the fact that the husband had a radical instantaneous change to his belief system due to the story.

Jesus is the Key to God's love and He has gone to great lengths to show you His love. I would love to talk with you if you would like to know more about this love that would do what we would think to be impossible. Just send me a message.

GET OFF THE TRACKS!!!

My heart is broken! This was an avoidable tragedy. Recently in South Asia, a festival was being celebrated where an effigy of a large man was being burned. The effigy represented evil and he was filled with firecrackers. The atmosphere was one electric with the anticipation of the fire being lit and the evil man being vanquished.

As the effigy was being engulfed in the flames the fireworks started igniting and the night sky was filled with bangs, pops, whistling, and the din of general celebratory chaos. A large group of men, women, and children moved to higher ground to have a better view of the festivities.

As their eyes were fixed on the burning evil man before them their ears were filled with the sound of the explosions and their hearts were filled with the joy of the festival. No one heard the sound or saw the light of the speeding train heading right for the poor souls who were distracted by the entertainment that had captured their attention. The higher ground they were standing on was the raised railway track. The train engineer could not see them in the darkness and even if he did see them there was no way he could stop the train in time.

The train mowed people down in an instant. Bodies were flying about like rag-dolls. A festival had turned into a tragedy. Laughter turned into mourning as 60 people entered eternity.

Oh that there would have been someone there to warn them of the coming train. Oh that there were people who were not distracted by the lights and whistles of everything going on around them. And how evil that person would be if they saw disaster coming and failed to warn as many as they could.

There is another train coming. This is the train of the wrath of God. This is the coming judgement where people will have to give an account of what they have done with Jesus. People did not believe they were in danger, but that did not change the fact that the train was headed their way. People may not believe Jesus is the only way to heaven, but that does not change the fact that judgement is coming.

If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you are called to tell people of the coming judgement. You are not responsible for what they do with the information, but you are responsible to tell them.

The Lord spoke to the prophet Ezekiel about the responsibility of the watchman. If the watchman was to stand on the city wall and see an attack coming against the city but said nothing to the people of the city he would be held responsible. But if he warned the people of the coming attack he would be free from responsibility. And so it is with us.



Ezekiel 33:8–9 (ESV) If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.



Our job is not to argue someone into heaven. Our job is not to trick people into signing a pledge, saying a prayer, raising a hand, modifying their behavior, or changing their religion. Our job is to tell them about Jesus. Our job is to exalt Jesus. They are held responsible for what they do with the information. If we truly believe Jesus is the ONLY way to heaven why do we not tell them?

I was talking to a man of another faith the other day. He told me he knew a little about Jesus (most of which was not accurate) but he said people have tried to convert him. He looked a little puzzled as I told him my job was not to convert him. My job is to make much of Jesus. And Jesus would destroy his other gods when He is ready. False gods cannot stand in the presence of the One True Living God.

The Children of Israel would carry the Ark of the Covenant, which represented the presence of God, with them into battle. Once the Ark was captured by the Philistines. They placed the Ark in the temple of their god, Dagon. In the morning Dagon had fallen onto his face before the presence of the True God. The priests propped up their god (Side note: If you have to prop your god up you are worshipping the wrong god) but the next morning Dagon had fallen over and broke his arms and head off (1 Samuel 5:1-5). False gods cannot stand in the presence of the One True Living God.

There is no way we can "convert" anyone. Only Jesus can transform the human heart. But we do have the responsibility of telling people about Jesus. It is our job to tell people to "GET OFF THE TRACKS!!!"

Little Graces, part II

A few weeks ago we received a call at the church office. A woman who attends the church had a three year old nephew who nearly drowned 36 hours before and was in the hospital on life support. Things were not looking good for the little boy I'll call Billy (not his real name). She was wanting a pastor to go to the hospital and pray for little Billy.

I took an intern, Jason, along with me. We prepared ourselves, as much as possible, for what would probably be the most difficult hospital visit we would ever make. We sat in my truck praying for the Lord to have mercy on Billy and his family. We prayed for the Lord to give us His strength. We prayed for the Lord to be glorified through us as we tried to minister to a hurting family who had no relationship with God. Then we drove to the hospital knowing God was going to use us...somehow.

We walked into the room and saw the lifeless body of this precious little boy surrounded by monitors connected to him by tubes and wires. His mother stood by his side while his father was standing apart, trying to strike a deal with God for the life of his son. The mood was somber as the nurse went about her duties with love and compassion.

We introduced ourselves and let them know we were from the church and who it was that had called us. We asked if it would be okay if we anointed Billy with oil and prayed for him. The father said it couldn't hurt and they were willing to try anything. They were desperate.

Jason pulled out his vial of frankincense scented oil. The room filled with the sweet aroma as we anointed little Billy's head with the oil. We laid our hands on his little body as we prayed for the Lord to restore him to health and that there would be no lasting brain damage.

Nothing special happened. No thunder. No shaking of the hospital building. No chills. Nothing!

Billy's 15 year old brother took me over to show me what some of the monitors we measuring. This is the brother who was watching Billy when he slipped away and found his way outside and into the pool. As he was showing me the line that measured Billy's ventilator activity, Jason bent over Billy and whispered a prayer into his ear while he held the little lifeless hand.

All of a sudden the monitor went from a small jagged zigzag line to a couple of high peaks with very low valleys. Billy was breathing against the ventilator!

Jason started shouting! I looked over to see Billy's eyes open and he was focusing on all that was going on around him. He was squeezing Jason's finger. Billy's mother started crying as his father ran out of the room to go tell the rest of the family gathered in the waiting room.

It only lasted for a few seconds but it happened. Hope was renewed. Billy had a chance.

I went to visit Billy the next day to see a marked improvement. Billy had to be sedated to keep from pulling at the tubes and wires. The nurse was preparing him for an MRI to see what kind of brain damage he would have.

Billy's father called me on Sunday morning to tell me they had taken Billy off all life support on Saturday evening. Billy was awake and alert. He recognized everyone and was asking to eat his fathers burrito. There were no visible signs of brain damage from observing him and the MRI was unable to show any areas of his brain that appeared to be damaged in any way.

PRAISE GOD!!!

God is so good! He has chosen to show Himself strong on Billy's behalf and glorifying Himself by raising little Billy up. I praise Him for letting Jason and myself to be a part of His work. In the business of ministry life God chooses to bestow little graces like this on me. It is not that I am a healer; I had one day where I prayed for three men and all three of them died the following day. No, there is no power in my prayer, there is only power in the risen Savior, Jesus Christ.

He just invites me along for the ride.

YHWH, I AM

YHWH, I AM

You called me to yourself, YHWH, I AM

To meet you in the Psalms, YHWH, I AM

When you look you will find me, I’m YHWH, I AM

I sought you and found you, You’re YHWH, I AM

I’m a Rock, a Refuge, I’m YHWH, I AM

A Shield and Defender, I’m YHWH, I AM

I’m righteous and holy, I’m YHWH, I AM

I’m the Creator, Sustainer, I’m YHWH, I AM

My eye is on the needy, I’m YHWH, I AM

The widow and orphan, I’m YHWH, I AM

I’m for the lonely and imprisoned, I’m YHWH, I AM

I resist the proud and wicked, I’m YHWH, I AM

You are My Counselor, My Inheritance, You’re YHWH, I AM

My Healer and Deliverer, You’re YHWH, I AM

You’re My Strength and My Fortress, You’re YHWH, I AM

My Righteousness, My Redeemer, You’re YHWH, I AM

You’re My Confidence, My Father, You’re YHWH, I AM

My Lord and My King, You’re YHWH, I AM

You are My Portion, My Glory, You’re YHWH, I AM

My Helper, My Shepherd, You’re YHWH, I AM

You keep me and revive me, You’re YHWH, I AM

You’re upright and majestic, You’re YHWH, I AM

You are pure and kind, You’re YHWH, I AM

You are just and blameless, You’re YHWH, I AM

You are the lifter of my head, You’re YHWH, I AM

You forgive my sins, You’re YHWH, I AM

You lead me and anoint me, You’re YHWH, I AM

You met me and revealed yourself to me, You’re YHWH, I AM

This is my first attempt at poetry. I was assigned to write a poem using what I learned about God from the Psalmist. I do not consider myself a poet but I hope you enjoy my little poem.

The Heart Of The Human Problem

The Heart Of The Human Problem

This morning I found myself reading the latter chapters of the book of Exodus. This post is the result of meditating on God's desire to dwell with His people. The last few chapters of Exodus is a description of Moses receiving instructions from the Lord for the Tabernacle.

The Tabernacle was a large tent, a portable temple, where the presence of the Lord lived among the Children of Israel while they wondered through the wilderness. The instructions go into great detail for the design and construction of the Tabernacle as well as the furniture to be used in worship to the Lord Almighty.

This morning my mind wondered down a meandering path, not of the design of the Tabernacle, but the fact that the Lord desires not just a relationship with us, He wants to live in us. Here is how my meditation journey took place this morning. As I contemplated how God chose to abide with His people, the Children of Israel, I thought of how they camped around the Tabernacle. The Presence of God was at the heart of the encampment. When the Cloud/Pillar lifted above the Tabernacle the people pulled up stakes and moved.

Just like the the Children of Israel, you and I need to have the Lord at the center of our lives. When the Lord moves, we need to move. Where the Lord stays, we need to stay. Our lives need not be merely aimlessly wondering through life or driven by our own passions and desires for materialistic things, power, or prestige. God said He would give us the desires of our hearts (Psalm 37:4). If God is dwelling in the middle of the camp He will be placing the desires in your heart. Those are the desires He loves to fulfill. The Lord's desires become your desires.

Then I started thinking how the Israelites camped around the Tabernacle. If you add up the numbers of each tribe and where they camped (Numbers 2) you will see that they camped in the shape of a cross with the bottom pointing to the east. I then stood up and held my arms out so that I was in the shape of a cross (Okay, a fat cross) and the Tabernacle would have been right where my here is. Try it.

Again, God was telling me that He needs to be at the center of our lives. Over and over again the Lord tells us of His desire to live life with us.



Isaiah 7:14 (NASB95) “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel." (Immanuel or Emmanuel = God with us)




Matthew 1:22–25 (NASB95) "Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “'Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.'” And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus."


Jesus goes on to tell His disciples John 14:16–18 (NASB95) “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans."


I am writing this post just a few days after the movie theater massacre where a young man with several weapons went into a movie theater and shot 71 people, killing 12 and wounding 59. We ask ourselves how someone can do something like that.


The news is reporting about a football coach from Penn State University was convicted of being a serial rapist of young boys and the university was fined and sanctions were handed down for their part in covering up the crimes so as not to reflect poorly on the university. We ask ourselves how could they do that.


I have heard it said, "The heart of the human problem is the problem of the human heart." I think that sums up the situation pretty well. The problem of evil and wickedness is that Jesus has been excluded from the middle of the camp of people's live. We live in a fallen world where Jesus is not at the center of people's hearts and lives and as a result people have to fill that spot with something. Some fill it with themselves. Some fill it with a false god who commands them to prove their devotion by running planes into buildings, killing as many people as possible.


Enough despair! God has called me and you to show people there is a better way. He has called us to help people put Christ in the center of the camp. Tell them there is a better way than being self-centered, being Christ-centered. It's called Christocentric. Everything was created by Christ, through Christ, and for Christ. Putting Jesus back in the center of the camp realigns everything to the way things were created to be.


To fix the problem of the human heart, one must first put Jesus back in His rightful place.

Is Your Back Against A Wall?

Have you ever been in a place where you found yourself with your back against a wall? I know I have. I was reading in the book of Exodus this morning about the Children of Israel coming out of the land of Egypt. I noticed something very strange about the story that I hadn't paid much attention to heretofore (I have been looking for a place to use the word "heretofore." SCORE!). God led them to the place where they would be trapped with their back against a wall. A wall of water.

Exodus 13:17        Now when Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was near; for God said, “The people might change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.”
   18       Hence God led the people around by the way of the wilderness to the Red Sea; and the sons of Israel went up in martial array from the land of Egypt.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. 1995 (Ex 13:17–18). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

Has the Lord put you in a place where you are at your wits end? Has God lead you to a place where you are trapped with no way out? Watch and see what happens. Just like the Children of Israel with their back against a wall, He will not abandon you either.

Exodus 14:13       But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the LORD which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever.
   14       “The LORD will fight for you while you keep silent.”
New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. 1995 (Ex 14:13–14). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

The Lord is saying the same thing to you today, "Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the LORD which He will accomplish for you today! The LORD will fight for you while you keep silent."

Don't forget about that last part. "Keep silent!" We all too often run around complaining to everyone, who haven't had time to scurry away, about how bad we have it. Just be still, be quiet, and allow God to be God. He has not abandoned you. He will fight on your behalf. Now it may not look like what you are expecting, but what God has in store for you is far better than what you have planned for yourself.

God fought for the Children of Israel and they would have missed out on seeing His great deliverance if He had not lead them to the place where they had no choice but to trust Him. God will make a way for you when it seems like all hope is lost. Just keep silent and watch Him work. You will be amazed and then like the Israelites you too will sing praises to your Deliverer. Read Exodus 15:1-18 if you need some help wording your own song of praise.

Are You Stoned?

The Apostle Peter tells us in his letter we call 1 Peter chapter 2, that we are stones the Lord uses to build a temple for spiritual sacrifices and that Jesus is the Chief Cornerstone. Let's take a look at what it means to be a "stone" and what preparation we need to undergo to be useful in that spiritual temple.

Have you ever thought about how a stone is quarried and made useful for building? First it is rough cut from the side of the quarry. Then the stone mason cuts it into the shape he needs for the building. Not all the stones will look the same or have the same purpose. The mason is the one who decides what the stone will look like and how it will be used.

God has chosen you and me. It is up to Him to decide where and how He will use us. He also is the one who is chiseling away on us to conform us into the shape He wants. We don't always like either of those processes. We tend to want to tell God how to use us and where we will and will not go.

We also despise the shaping process. We look at the trials that come our way as coming from the enemy. We need to change our focus. If you are a Christian, nothing can happen to you unless it has first been approved by the Master Stone Mason. Even if your trouble comes from the enemy God will use it for His purposes in conforming you into the image He has designed for you. Do you really think Satan can destroy God's work? Never!!! As Joseph told his brothers after they had sold him into slavery and God used him to save their family from starvation, "What you meant for evil, God meant for good."

Christian, the Father loves you more than you could ever know and you are not out of His care for even one moment. The chiseling process hurts and is not any fun at all, but it is the Mason molding us into the shape He wants for us. Sometimes He will even rub two stones together. Friction may arise between brethren. Instead of fighting with a fellow Christian we need to see it for what it really is. It is God just using another fellow Christian to knock some of the burrs off each of you.

King Solomon didn't want the sound of a chisel on the temple mount. All the stones were quarried and chiseled into shape offsite then brought to the temple mount and put into place. That's the way God, the Master Stone Mason, has chosen to do it. He will shape us here on earth to fit us into place in that heavenly temple.

Are you stoned? If not, you should be!

Bob's Story

BOB'S STORY

THE STORY OF A FATHER'S GRIEVING OVER

THE DEATH OF A LOVING DAUGHTER

PREFIX AND PURPOSE

I fear that if Karen's life and death is not put in writing, future generations will not know her. I believe that would be a great loss. As I talk with friends it is as her passing is the huge elephant in the room that no one can mention. I love to talk of her and the direct point she had for her life, to bring honor and glory to her Savior.

Another purpose in putting these thoughts on paper is a selfish reason. Maybe there can be some closure in some part to this matter of losing someone so sweet and precious in the prime of her youth, so to speak. I must admit that many times I cried, “God, you got the wrong one….what about that drunk or that self centered person ….you are calling the wrong person from us.”

I trust that this story will be factual and therefore truthful. We had times of joy, precious periods of prayer and comfort in seeing our grandchildren, though in heavy sorrow learning to lean on the Lord. There were times of disappointment as we walked a lonely road that we had not been called upon to tread before. As I reflect this painful journey, I must be real as to my hurts and pains.

I will write this from my prospective. If you see something different, please feel free to write your own story.

Vision India 2012 Prayer Points

The time is drawing near for our departure to India. I appreciate your prayer for Darrell and myself as we make the final preparations. I am listing our itinerary and some strategic prayer points for the trip. God has provided for us in some amazing ways but we are not fully funded as of today. We are resting in the Lord for His provision. His budget for us is not always our budget. As my pastor says, "Where God guides, God provides."

ITINERARY

2/4  Leave Phoenix
2/6  Arrive in Bangalore, India
2/6  Leave Bangalore for Vijayawada in a prop plane
2/7  Visit a ministry in Guntur
2/8 thru 2/9  Visit ministries around Vijayawada
2/10 thru 2/11  Visit ministries around Khammam
2/11  Leave Khammam for Chennai by overnight train
2/12  Visit a ministry in Chennai
2/12  Leave Chennai for Bangalore by overnight train
2/13 thru 2/18  Visit ministries around Bangalore
2/19  Leave Bangalore
2/19  Arrive in Frankfurt, Germany and visit family in Aschaffenberg
2/20  Leave Frankfurt
2/20  Arrive back home in Phoenix


PRAYER POINTS

God's direction
Spiritual insight and discernment
Health
Our spouses while we are away
Travel - Planes, trains, and automobiles
Finances
The ministries we will be visiting - Rural village and city churches, orphanages, leper colonies
The people God will put in our path


Thank you all for your interest in what the Lord is doing in and through us. I covet your prayer and your encouragement has meant more to me than you could ever know. This is a grand adventure Jesus has us on. Thanks again for being a part of it.

Brian

Vision India 2012

I have been asked to explain my interest in India, so I will try to put forth a brief summary of what God has done in my heart for this country I've never had a desire to visit. I know you have your doubts, because brevity has never been one of my strong suits, but I'll give it a shot although I make no promises about the length.

It started in October 2010. My beloved sister, Karen, was just a few weeks from finishing her battle with cancer. I was working at the church for just three months and I was feeling as if I was walking through mud. Karen was doing progressively worse and she could take a turn at any time. It was as if we were on a death watch.

Denice and I went to our great-nephew's high school football game. His uncle on his mother's side, Darrell, was at the game. Darrell had just returned from a business trip to India. We talked for a while about his business and how it was going in India. When we were concluding our conversation and I was about to go sit with Denice, Darrell said, "You and I ought to go on a mission trip to India sometime!"

"Yeah! Sure! Let's pray about that." Those were the words that came out of my mouth because it seemed like the spiritual thing to say. But what was going on inside my head was, "I ain't going to India! It is dirty! I have never had a desire to go to India and I don't plan on ever going. I'll tell him I'll pray about it and he will forget all about it by the next time we talk."

That was Friday and Saturday was a new day. Saturday evening Denice and I were at a banquet for a ministry here in the Phoenix area. While the speaker was giving his message, the Lord told me to ask a friend at the next table if he would be interested in going on the mission trip to India with us. "WHAT! I don't even want to go to India!"

"Just ask him," the Lord replied.

"Lord, he's not going to want to go! He's a contractor and he has laid off everybody but himself!"

"Just ask him," was the gentle encouragement from the Lord.

"Lord, he has young children and India is not the safest place for Christians! He is not going to want to go!"

"Just ask him."

So I asked him. He smiled real big and said, "Yeah, let's pray about it!" He had a ring of authenticity in his voice that I had lacked in mine the evening before.

Sunday afternoon I was in the atrium at the church doing a little straightening up before the evening service. The only thing going on was some guitar lessons so there were very few people around. An Indian woman, named Elizabeth, came up and introduced herself. I asked where she was from and she replied she was from India. I told her I didn't know exactly what the Lord was doing but He may be calling me to go on a mission trip to India. She told me that she and her husband would be praying for me. Her smile was radiant.

That evening, during the worship time following the teaching, I was sitting next to Pastor Randy, the man who has mentored me for the past 15 years. He had his Bible opened. Pastor Mark came and talked to him and the next thing I knew, Pastor Mark was on the platform saying that Pastor Randy had a word from the Lord for us.

Psalm 40:1-3
1 I waited patiently for the Lord;
And He inclined to me and heard my cry.
2 He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay,
And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.
3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;
Many will see and fear
And will trust in the Lord.

As Pastor Randy read these words my soul was stirred. A pit of distruction- Karen is about to die; Out of the miry clay- I felt as I had been walking through mud; Set my feet on a rock,put a new song in my mouth, and many will trust the Lord.

"Lord, are you telling me that if I go to India you will put my feet on a rock, put a new song in my mouth, and many will put their trust in you? That is a stretch! I'm reading a lot into that. I'm going to need more confirmation than that, Lord!" Pastor Randy came back and sat next to me. A couple of songs later he leaned over to me and said, "That was for you."

That was the confirmation I needed. God had used a series of seemingly unrelated events over a 48 hour period to change my heart towards India. I having been seeking His will from that day forward as to what He is wanting to do with me in India. I could use your prayers. I am totally relying on God to supply the financing for Darrell and I to go to India in February. We estimate we will need about $5000 each for our airfare to and from India, traveling while there, meals, lodging, and money to bless the ministries we visit. Thank you for putting up with my lack of brevity and I pray I have given you a peak into my heart and what the Lord is wanting to do with us. Again, I covet your prayer.

Here's Your Sign

One of my coworkers at the church I work at told me of a man who called the other day to register a complaint. We have a large marquee sign right up against a very busy freeway. This man is a commuter and he was upset about a message he saw displayed on our sign that said "Don't text and drive." The message that follows has something to say about how it's a good way to go meet Jesus face to face.

What bothered him was what he perceived as an order from the church not to text while he is driving. He said, "What gives you the right to tell people what to do?"

My coworker said, "Well sir, the sign belongs to us and the constitution gives us the right to put any message up we choose." He went on to explain how texting while driving is as dangerous as driving while intoxicated.

The gentleman was undeterred in his protest. He finished with letting us know that he would NOT be attending our church because we had the audacity to tell people what to do with our "Don't Text And Drive" message on the marquee.

Okay, let me get this straight. This man sees the sign. Feels we are trying to tell him what to do. Calls the church and reams someone out for telling him what to do...Yep, that's what he did. He called us to tell us we shouldn't tell people what to do.

Hmmm! If I'm not mistaken, he called the church to tell us what to do, namely, "You shouldn't tell people what to do!" Do you see the same thing I see? Isn't he breaking his own rule of "It's wrong to tell people what to do?"

I don't think his problem was that he felt put upon by a sign with a message, else he would use all his cell phone minutes calling Coke, Burger King, Ford Motor Company, and every other advertiser that has a billboard on his way to and from work, telling him to buy their product. My suspicion is that he is mad at God and was ready to unload on the first church that he felt had done him wrong. We were just the one he found to vent his penned up anger towards.

My first reaction was one of sarcasm. I know, you probably find that hard to believe! Okay, that was sarcastic. But upon reflecting on it more, I find myself praying for him. He is a man who is wrestling with God, and God is winning. The Lord has his attention and he doesn't like it one bit. So I pray that the Holy Spirit would pin him to the mat, he would give up, and surrender his will to Jesus. Until then, the Lord will continue to say, "Here's your sign!"

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." Ephesians 6:12 ESV

The Desert of Grief

This morning I found myself weeping in the shower, no, not weeping, sobbing. I was overcome by grief. It has been about seven weeks since my dear sister, Karen, passed away. This is the first Christmas without her. She lived in California with her husband and three children, so she was not always here in Phoenix every Christmas, but this is the first Christmas knowing we will never again, this side of heaven, gaze into her eyes that would almost disappear when she smiled.

As I stood in the shower sobbing, the wall was the only thing that kept me from collapsing onto the shower floor. I felt the warm water washing over me and I heard the Lord speak to me. It was not an audible voice, I'm grieving, not psychotic (although the line between the two can be razor thin). Jesus reminded me that He wept for Lazarus as He stood near Lazarus' tomb.

Jesus then asked me why He would have wept for Lazarus. I had to think about that for a while. I don't think it was because Jesus thought He had lost His friend forever. He knew he was going to raise him from the dead. It may have been because of His empathy for Mary and Martha, Lazarus' sisters, and the pain they were going through. But I imagine it was much deeper than that. I think Jesus wept because this was not the way things are supposed to be.

Grieving is a physical reaction to a loss. It can be the loss of a loved one, the loss of dear pet, the loss of a marriage through divorce, or even the loss of one's innocence from being sinned against. Our bodies yearn for the way things are supposed to be. Our soul longs for the time when Jesus will set all things right.

Jesus will come back one day soon, and in that day, He will restore everything back to the way it was meant to be from the very beginning. And in that day He will wipe away every tear from our eyes. Until then we will have death, sorrow, and tears.

Someone once told me, "Grieving is a process, not an event." How true that is. Sometimes it feels like a desert. I am writing this from Canaan In The Desert, a prayer garden in Phoenix. It is a desert garden, not a lush, green, European style garden with green grass, tall hedges, and beautiful aromatic flowers. Right now, there are no flowers. It is cold, dry, and desolate, and that is the way I feel at the moment.

I don't always feel that way. Sometimes I want to be around people and laugh. But sometimes I want to be all alone and weep. I want people to ask me how I am doing and alternately I want people to say nothing at all. I tend to be a logical person, and yet I find myself doing or saying things that are totally illogical.

What I have learned is that people who are living through the grief process need much grace. Grace and prayer. I don't need to be reminded that Karen is in a better place. I know that. I don't need to be reminded that one day we will be reunited. I know that. I do not weep for Karen, I weep for me. I know that sounds selfish, but it is the truth. Karen is with Jesus and I weep for my loss. And that is okay.

Does the grieving process ever end? I don't know, I'll let you know if I ever get there. But I hope it does not. Oh, I don't want to stay forever in this phase, but I am afraid that if the grieving ends totally I will never be able see her face or hear her laugh again.

So if you see me and I am not my normal jovial self, extend to me the grace I need, and say a silent prayer for me as I am in the Desert of Grief.

God Fulfills His Promise.

About seven years ago, I had an argument with God. God was calling me into ministry. I had bought a 18 wheel diesel truck and trailer a couple of years earlier and I was perfectly happy with my life as a cross-country truck driver. I was making more money than I ever had made in my life. And most of all, I was not a public speaker.

It came to a head while I was in Marshalltown, IA. I had dropped my trailer off at a meat packing plant and they told me to get comfortable. It was going to a couple of days before my load was ready. So I settled in for a long stay in my sleeper.

I was set up so I could stay in my truck for several days without having to come out. It had been snowing, so I was quite comfortable in my little hideaway. Little did I know what God had planned for me in those couple of days.

I was able to pick up a Christian radio station, Calvary Satellite Network, which program schedule included a lot of teaching from Calvary Chapel pastors around the country. God started working on me right away. The more He convicted me of His call on my life, the more I argued with Him as to why He had the wrong guy.

I had never been a public speaker. I had barely graduated from high school. I was a slow reader and I HATED to study. I was not the man for the job. I had all the "Moses" arguments. God had made a mistake on this one.

I thought that I could drown out His voice by listening to all these different preachers. Surely they would not all be preaching on surrendering my will to God. But the more I listened, the more the Holy Spirit used their words to drill holes in the wall that I had erected to a teaching ministry. So I thought that I would turn the radio off and start listening to the cd's in my music library. That did not work. It seemed like every singer and every song all had to do with the same thing, bowing my knee to what God was calling me to do.

Finally, out of shear exhaustion, I literally cried out that I couldn't do it. In the silence that followed I felt like God was telling me to open my Bible to 1 Corinthians chapter 1. There I read that God had chosen the foolish to confound the wise, and the weak to overcome the mighty. It says that God uses things that are despised. I then heard the still small voice of God speak to my heart that He didn't want someone who could "do it." He wanted someone who was willing.

I told God that I was willing, but that was all I had going for me. I truly fit the job description: Foolish-Weak-Despised. God told me that He would be with me, give me strength, and put the words in my mouth. I could do my part, but He had to show up and do the lion's share of the work. He said that He would do that for me.

Now, fast forward to October 11, 2009. I had been asked to give the Sunday evening message at our church. I attend a rather large church and Pastor Mark is very particular as to who fills the pulpit. He asked me to deliver a message that I had given to a group at a spiritual retreat a month and a half earlier. The message I gave is the one that goes with an earlier blog post, The Saga Of JoJo.

The message went over well and I became comfortable early on. I was surprised that I was not more nervous. Here I was, a truck driver with no credentials other than God's promise to be with me and a staff of pastors who have poured their life into mine. I have not fully arrived yet. I have a lot of work to do still. I have a lot left to learn. But, I have God on my side!

On Monday, after the message, I was driving around reflecting on what God had done for and through me the night before. I started to weep as God brought back to mind the promise He made to me so many years before. He used a simple truck driver to deliver His message to people. He showed up big! He is a great and glorious God! He uses those who are despised and He keeps His promises!!!

If you are interested in listening to the message I gave, you can find it on iTunes under Calvary Community Church in Phoenix, AZ or go to www.calvaryphx.com.