Faith Giving

This one is to the point: we set a missions offering goal in our church of 13 thousand dollars. We surpassed that goal by more than 3 thousand today.

Do you think God will not bless this group for their generous spirit? I tell you that he will give back so much more that they won't know what to do with the blessings!

How Great Is Our God!

I challenge you to give, as well. Give of those blessings so that others may hear. We are not yet where we need to be in sharing the gospel. God is calling out men and women to go; but many cannot because we have not given to our potential.

Be generous today.

Making the Most of It

We just returned from watching The Bucket List. Language aside, it was one of the finest movies Hollywood has produced in a very long time. The pathos alone runs too deep for words.

The premise of the movie is how to spend your remaining time on earth. Two older men, as different as night and day, discover they are dying. One begins to make a list, called "the bucket list;" what to do before you kick the bucket. So these two men set out to do what they wrote on their list. We laughed and cried as we watched this great movie. It's such a good movie I think most movie critics will give it low marks (which is part of how I choose my movies; if they like them, I usually don't; and if they dislike them, I usually like them).

The movie is very thought-provoking. So let me ask you: what would YOU do if you only had a year left to live? How would you spend that year? I faced that question tonight. I have faced it before--not because of anything that has happened to me, but because of others I loved and respected who were given the news that they had a short time left.

Will you end those last months with peace in your heart, a peace that only comes from knowing the Lord? Or will you be like the fool who says, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die?"

The bottom line of my list is this: I want to be pleasing to the Lord Jesus Christ. Whatever I do, I want to do it for his honor and glory.

In fact, I try to live every day as though it were my last one...

Starting Over

There are pros and cons to a new year. One thing against it is that inevitable sense of aging that some of us feel. I don't feel older when I look in the mirror, though I should; I feel older when I look at my friends who are my age! When did they turn grey!? When did their hair fall out!? I feel older when I see something physical I really want to do, know how to do, and then discover that now that I am not 20-something, my muscles won't do it.

One thing in favor is the chance to begin some things again. So there is one thing I am doing; I am beginning to count visitors on this site again. It begins from zero. I installed a new counter. I have cleaned the slate. I have forgotten that which is behind, so to speak. [Oh, there are other things I am beginning again; but those are between me and the Lord.]

Some of those reading this had a lousy year. You messed up. You have been at the bottom of the pile, looking up and wondering if there is a way out. There is.

Some feel like a flock of pigeons flew over you and, before you could get out of range, they bombarded you with a vengeance. Before you knew it, you were unpleasant to be around. Like fighting with a skunk, you may win; but the stink stays around. And you are wondering if there is a way to get out from under that. There is.

It's the beginning of January. Begin again. God's mercies are new every single morning. He is ready to throw a big party for you, if you will "come home." Even if your "problems" are the result of someone else's wrath, vengeance, stupidity, hatred, carelessness--whatever, you can open the cage that binds you with the key of faith in the Lord Jesus. Jesus is ready to help you begin again.

It's time to start over.

Ordered Steps

A man’s heart plans his way,

But the LORD directs his steps. - Prov. 16:9

Those are words we need to remember. Make your plans. Prepare your week, your month, your year. Plan out your life. But remember this: it's the Lord who orders your steps. And his ways won't necessarily be yours.

Have you ever floated down a river? I have never known a river that is perfectly straight, or without it's sandbars, fallen logs, or sudden twists and turns. Life is like that. But when you let God direct--order--your steps, the ride is much easier to enjoy.

So when 2 weeks ago a wise man told us we needed to change our plans, we had to listen. We had to pray. And finally, this past Saturday morning, we had to decide to trust the Lord to direct our steps.

We are returning to the states 9 months earlier than we planned. We will also stay a little longer than we planned. It's a personal thing. But God is in control. We have had more than one confirmation that our decision is a good one. It's sudden. But it is necessary.

We are sad, even heart-broken, over leaving our ministries so suddenly. But we are confident that the Lord has ordered our steps. It's a faith thing. It's the only way to live.

I will continue to write from our place of residence in Mississippi. I will continue to keep a pulse on things here in our place of ministry.

Why? Because our steps have been ordered. Our Lord has called us to it.

Out of the Comfort Zone

On Sunday, we rubbed shoulders with people of considerable means. On Monday, our choir of 49 walked dirt streets, weaving between houses made of mat or thin plywood, and rubbed shoulders with men and women whose clothes were tattered and whose children could have taken two baths and still left a ring in the tub--if there was a tub to be found, that is.

These good men were definitely out of their comfort zone. But they handled it well, believe me. Their hearts swelled with joy and thankfulness. One man strained to read his notes under the dim lights that characterize most indoor lighting in that community (it was dark by then); I told him, "I bet you never complain about the lighting in your church again." He laughed and assured me that his complaining days were over. Walking down those streets has a way of doing it.

One big man gave me a bruising hug, thanking me repeatedly. He kept speaking of how needy those people were. I told him that he had to look past their physical poverty and recognize that their spiritual poverty was a far greater problem.

In all, The Mississippi Singing Churchmen have now sung to more than 2,500 people. They have seen more than 50 professions of faith. Their ministry is impacting Lima; but the Churchmen are being impacted, too.

They left their comfort zone when they stepped off Delta Flight 335. They fell into a wonderland of strange sights and sounds when they drove out of the airport gates. Now some wonder why they did not do this sooner.

It's a good thing to leave your comfort zone. It does wonders for your faith level. Don't get stuck on a lower level; don't be content when God can take you farther.

Just purpose to step out of the comfort zone. But do it God's way. Heed the voice of Jesus and go where and when he says to go.

War of the Worlds

We live in a place of constant warfare. All of us do, as a matter of fact. Physical wars aside, there are wars that take place in and around us that we need to remember. There is a war--a conflict with culture. If you are a committed follower of the Lord Jesus, and are not in conflict with the culture in which you live, there could be something seriously wrong about your concept of true Christianity.

We are at war with our own desires, too. They constantly pull us in different directions. As Paul said in Romans 7, the good I want to do is not what I end up doing. The evil I do not want to do is what do. I bet you can relate! I can!

We have a war with the forces of evil--with the devil. His forces are working against us.

So why was I surprised today when things began heating up related to my next volunteer group? Why was I surprised when certain entities in this country began seeking to shut us down and keep us from proclaiming Jesus all around the city? I don't know! But I was. I guess I took my eyes off the Master; off our Lord Jesus Christ.

I can't wait to see what God is up to. He must have something really big planned. The forces of the world and of darkness are working hard to stop us. Stay tuned. I will update you as I can next week.

Jesus is Lord. He wins the war of the worlds.

When God Speaks

Divine Grace Baptist Church is in the metro Lima area. It's over 30 years old. They have never started another church.

In recent months God has been at work in Divine Grace Baptist. The pastor has been stretched. God is challenging him. Recently, they took a group down to Ica to help in the recovery efforts there. All reports about their team were glowing; they did everything possible to make a difference. Someone working there challenged them to consider adopting one community and making it their field. The pastor, a good man, but young, was reluctant. The missionary reminded him to see if God was speaking to Divine Grace. She told him to find out where God was working and recognize that as God's invitation to join him (thanks, Dr. Blackaby, for that lesson on faith).

So, timidly, almost reluctantly, the pastor asked the church what they thought about taking on three (not one; THREE) communities: two in the Lima area, one in Ica. He was not prepared for the response. Men and women, young and old alike, stood to their feet to pledge their support and volunteer to serve on the three teams.

My friend Gamaliel (according to one of his church members) was surprised by the response. It overwhelmed him. He discovered that God was speaking to His church even while He was speaking to Gamaliel.

And when God speaks we have a choice: we either obey or we run.

What will you do?

Routing the Enemy

As I said in my last post, we are in the process of upsetting the opposition. The workers are finding such an openness to the good news of Jesus Christ. We have a number of areas where our workers are sharing the gospel, where we have been asked specifically by the people to start some kind of work. God is truly at work.

We are feeding over 18 thousand people, more than 4 thousand families. Each person our teams encounter have a moving story to share. Some of those stories are miraculous. Some are heart-wrenching.

I have been here in Lima for most of that. My presence here enables others to minister there. I want badly to be there; but things just are not working out to be there.

Still, I have a story to share. One of our newest works is Torre Fuerte (Strong Tower) Baptist Church. It's been in existence since April. Now listen: there are 30 - 40 adults attending each week. Most of them have made a profession of faith in Christ, but have not yet been baptized. Yet, they are there.

Strong Tower is in the community where we helped to build a retaining wall. That project earned its money the day of the earthquake. The residents there earn just about $100 a month. That's $1,200 a year.

They asked me last Sunday if they could participate in our disaster relief in Ica. This church of very poor people have collected food, clothing, and other goods. Next weekend six of them will travel to Ica to deliver these goods to our team; they will help distribute the food and minister in those ravaged communities.

It is going to be an exciting moment in the life of a brand new church. They are starting out right. They are thinking upward and outward, not inward and downward.

The enemy is being routed. What happened in Peru has resulted in spiritual and numerical growth in the Family of God.

To God be all the glory....

A Lesson in Faith

This story will be told in full at a later point. For now, get ready to be rocked. Our relief team in Ica found yet another community that needed help. They are already helping over 18,000 people. But it seemed that this community was one that the relief team needed to be in. So they went in to check it out. They found a group of very hungry people. There was no food to be had.

The missionaries told the people to get ready, that they would be back. When they came back, the pots in the common kitchen were washed; the people were lined up in an orderly line; there was firewood under the pot; and the lady in charge was holding a match in her hand. They were ready. Everyone present was moved to tears. It was a divine appointment.

How many times are we ready when we have asked God to meet our needs? How many times do we have the pot ready for the food and the match in hand?

Oh, to have such a faith every single day!

Faith

My last words were based on the need for hope. Hope is such an important thing. Hope often becomes our legs in dark times. Hope becomes a soft pillow instead of stone for our head. Hope lifts our head, our heart. But hope is misplaced when unaccompanied by faith. It becomes wishful thinking.


But faith gives hope its strength. Faith is the thing that can produce hope within us.


In his great work My Utmost for His Highest Oswald Chambers wrote:

Faith is not some weak and pitiful emotion, but is strong and vigorous confidence built on the fact that God is holy love. And even though you cannot see Him right now and cannot understand what He is doing, you know Him. Disaster occurs in your life when you lack the mental composure that comes from establishing yourself on the eternal truth that God is holy love. Faith is the supreme effort of your life—throwing yourself with abandon and total confidence upon God.

I work with a lot of hopeless people. It's not an economic thing; some of them are wealthy beyond my dreams. A tithe of their money would facilitate a lot of ministry here! They are hopeless because they have a misplaced faith.

Sometimes they have faith in faith itself. That is almost always the case among those who follow prosperity theology. They don't see God as the object of their faith; instead, God is the servant of their faith. Their faith is in their praying, not in the God who answers. And when He does not come through, well hope wanes and often dies.

Others have placed their faith in an image, or an icon, or in a religion. I know a few Baptists like that. I know a few Methodists like that, too. I know too many people like that. They trust something other than God. And without faith, said the author of Hebrews, you cannot please God. That is not carte blanche for us. We cannot claim that verse and then believe whatever. God must be the object of our faith. Abraham believed God and God wrote it up as righteousness for him.

I spoke with a woman this week who has a misplaced faith. So her hope is also weak. Her faith is in me. Yes, in me. She said that she wished I would return to their community and do the teaching, because then she could return to the paths of the Lord. A friend of mine once warned that our people group almost worships the missionary as a god. May we reject such a notion when it appears! I told the woman she was not on the Lord's path because she made a choice not to be there. If I allowed her to place her faith in me, what kind of man would I then be? If she could place her faith in me, when I left--and one day I will--then her hope would likely leave, because the object of her faith left.

Consider the megachurches in the world, especially the United States, where great, eloquent, appealing men of God have fallen. Soon thereafter many walk away from their faith because the object of their faith let them down. That will always happen with a misplaced faith. It's a false faith. It's an empty faith. It's a hopeless faith.

When Elisha left the place where Elijah was taken up from him, he came to the Jordan River with the mantle that Elijah had dropped. Elisha struck the water and cried out, "Where is the LORD God of Elijah?" (2 Kgs. 2:14) His faith was properly placed. It was not in his former teacher/mentor; it was in the only one who deserves to be the object of our faith.

Is your hope weak today? Consider examining your faith, too. If you shift your "faith-gaze" to the Lord, I think you will find your hope, right were you left it.