Prayers of Faith and Piloting Wide Loads

I was visiting with my mom this afternoon. We were chatting about times God has chosen to intervene in such a way as we knew beyond doubt God had stepped in. One such time was while growing up in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. My dad was on medical rehabilitation leave and preached at a small mission.

Living in Gold Run was under the most meager of means. There may have been gold there at one time, but I can guarantee it “ran” sometime prior to us getting there. One perfectly normal day, there was no food in the house and no money to buy it. We had an out-of-town guest living with us. So my folks wondered a bit how she would deal with a lack of necessities.

As was my mom and dad's norm, they bowed to pray and asked God to provide a “wide load” piloting job to make the money required for food. Back then, the mountain pass was only a two lane road and state law required a vehicle with flags go in front of the wide load to warn on-coming traffic. As was also the norm in answer to my dad's prayer, the telephone rang and a trucker needed my dad to pilot him over the pass. Our guest was quite surprised at God's direct intervention in our lives.

Today, things have not changed much. My family still has needs. We still depend on God. He continues to provide. It is not so surprising anymore, but is just as every bit encouraging.

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EPIC Family…

Blessings come in many shapes and sizes.  There are few blessings more grand than a family that lives and experiences life together in a healthy and mutually beneficial manner.  The EPIC Family is one of those families that may have existed at the turn of century and stars pulled from Leave it to Beaver or Little House on the Prairie.  There is nothing outwardly spectacular about any of them, but collectively it is a stellar group of people with hearts that are as pure as gold.

Last night we went downtown to Travis park and handed out small ziplock bags of items needed by the homeless.  We had some energy bars, toothpaste, free food coupons, water and other stuff.  We took opportunity to pray with those that cared to.  We all had fun making friends and chatting it up with the people of the park.

Today, I was sitting outside my Starbucks office and writing this blog about the homeless when I was approached by a young hispanic male.  He was clean cut and very polite.  He even seemed a bit apologetic to ask to speak to me.  His pitch started like most, but much more polite.  He identified himself as Daniel and had a wife and children who were in Chick-fil-e asking for money just like he.

I am getting a bit calloused or maybe doubtful is a better word.  But I was trying to see what this guy’s skam was.  I half way believed his story and gave him more that i could afford.  He said, “Thank you, but what I would really prefer is if you would buy me and my family groceries.”  Specifically, he asked if I would buy him baby formula as it was expensive.  I thought, well he can return the baby formula and net some cash real quick.  I hate being a skeptic.

We chatted some more and I was beginning to believe him.  He was just trying to make it at time in his life when it was tough.  I asked him, “If there was one thing I could pray for and specifically for him, what would it be?”  He said he didn’t understand and I explained that I believed God loved him and His family and wanted to help.  He said, “If you will pray that God will guide us to make good decisions on the directions we go.”

Daniel was the young man’s name.  I think he is for real.  I think he just wants to provide for his family and make good choices, so I will pray.  I was blessed with this chat with Daniel.  I hope to see him again.

Poor in Spirit – Rich in Faith

Jim Taylor

My wife and I are learning what it means to “poor in spirit”. We have read that “Blessed are the poor in sprit for theirs is the Kingdom of God”. Note: “..theirs IS..” not “theirs shall be”. Our questions was, “what does it look like to be poor in spirit”?

The poor have no backup plan. Most of the time they have no options. They do not have insurance and credit and savings for a rainy day. (especially in the Majority World) The poor do not have resources. They are totally dependant. They do not have the means to help themselves.

To be ‘poor in spirit’ is to live totally dependant, without a backup plan, without resources, without a Plan B if Plan A fails. It is to live in the place where .. if Papa God does not help you, everything stops .. you die.

We found that if we live poor in spirit, the Kingdom of God is ours! We can experience it now! We are learning that if we live poor in spirit .. no backup .. no Plan B .. and if we seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, EVERYTHING WE NEED is ADDED to our lives!

It is risky, it is uncomfortable at times, it is challenging, it is scary. But it is also a blessed place where we see the provision of God .. miraculously.

Do we have times of doubt and struggle? Of course. It wouldn’t be real if we didn’t. Do we see God’s hand move? Yes we do. Have we missed Him? Yes! More than once. Yet He remains faithful.

We are still learning. There is much more to this .. but if you find yourself in that uncomfortable place with no options, no help, no supply, no way out .. you are in the place where you can learn about the blessedness of being poor in spirit. Dont give up!

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When all hell breaks lose, what next?

When things go bad, what are the immediate thoughts that comes to mind? Likely at the top of list is, "Why me?" I don't deserve this.  Shortly after, there is the honest thought of, "God.  Where are you?  Don't you care?  Don't you see me? Are you blind?  Hello?!" …. and then silence.

During that moment of silence… comes that nagging thought, "God. Are you real?" It is a dark place to be when left in this desolate place.  I've been there more than once.  It is in this dark place we desperately search for answers, hoping with revelation we can exit the darkness.

When you find yourself alone and in the midst of darkness, remember: where there is light, there is no darkness.  Light dispells or breaks up the darkness.  Jesus is our source of light.  That is easy to say, but in practical terms what does it mean?  It means if you can but find Jesus you will find the way out of the darkness.  Sadly… some do, some don't.

The darkness I refer to is a spiritual lack of light.  It is a spiritual void, but it is felt physically.  One can find ones' self propelled there because of external physical circumstance.  It might be the death of someone or possibly long term illness contributes to your journey.  Sometimes the shattering of a dream or the let down felt from abandonment will lead one to a dark place in your life. 

As real as the darkness is, we must remember the reality of the light is even more brilliant.  So the trick is… how do you once again, turn on the light?

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The Great Goat Hunt by my friend in Africa – Jim Taylor

Twyla and I have been looking for a larger goat than what we have at Mieze.  We want one with a larger udder that would be easier to milk.  Our idea is to keep it here at the house and experiement with various feeds, seeing what affects the changes in feed have on milk production and quality.

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So we have been looking … which I mentioned to young minister who comes by here and who we know fairly well.  He said in Mieze Church there was a man who knew where large goats were and that he would be glad to show us.  We made an appointment to meet them Saturday morning for the “Great Goat Hunt’.

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Saturday at 9;30 AM we meet and make plans.  The man says it is quite a ways to where the goats are … 100 kilometers.  At this news I get a little hesitant.  I know that distance often does not mean the same to Mozambicans as to us.  As I was sorta backing away from the trip the others were saying “it’s not that far” .. “we have time” etc.- all of which was true.

So we head out.

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Two hours and 120k later we are getting low on fuel and talk begins about how far it is yet.  Oh .. it’s a long way they tell me.  I knew it!  At Chure we find a 24 hour station and fill up. Fuel was cheap there, it only cost us about 1400 metacais to fill the tank. ($38 TO $40 U.S.)

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We continue to drive until we come to a place where we are told to turn onto a dirt road.  The dirt road is like all dirt roads in Mozambique… rough.  Now we cannot go more than 30 kph and often slower.  Time drags by.  The road gets smaller and rougher.  About 1PM I ask, “How far is it yet?” and the man says, “Oh .. 5 kilometers.”  At 1:30 PM we are still not there. I said, “I am sorry but we are going no further.  We must get home before dark and we have come a very long way.”  The man said he understood and then volunteered the information that it was still a long ways to his village.  Great.

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We turn around and head home.  By the time we get back to Pemba it is dark.  We had not taken any food with us and had not eaten all day.  We stopped at a restaurant about a half mile from home and had a great meal!

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We did find a couple nice-sized goats much closer to home .. and within 20k of home I found a huge herd of goats that we are going to check out. And we saw some really neat country… parts of which most Westerners don’t see.  It was well off the ‘beaten path’ … I think we beat our own path in places.

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I shared the story with several missionaries here and they just laughed and said, “Oh yeah!  I have done that a lot of times.”

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Personally I think the guy was just looking for a free ride to his old village.  LOL!!!

Love to all

Jim & Twyla

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FOCUS

I stole this picture from my friend David Martin’s blog… He has done a great job of expressing himself and thought you might enjoy his expressions, also.

I am taken in by his picture.. “FOCUS”.  It is easy to lose focus when life blocks ones view.

You know the times… something so pressing, something so meaningful occurs it glares full in your face and you can not avoid looking at it.  You want to avoid it.  You want to go around.  You want to move on, but there it is.  No matter what you do, it continues to block your vision.

It is at these times of limited or no focus life gets difficult.  I had one of those times today.  Life kept staring me in the face.  The harshness of living was ever present.  I wanted to move on, but I became sad and then mad.  Life was not fair or even understandable for another.

It was during the day of limited focus, I realized that life on earth can be hell.  Not the fire and brimstone kind of hell, but a hell that is seemingly every bit as painful for some.  It is this life of hell on earth that many work hard to escape, but few find peace.

It is my desire, you be one of the few in this world that find peace from the hell of living.

I will pray.  Will you join me?

archie

 

So you accepted the Word, when will you reject it?

I was reading in Luke about the seeds falling on different types of soil.  Jesus says the Word is the seed.  The seed is planted in the hearts of many.  For some, there is immediate rejection of the Word.  For others, the Word is accepted but short lived.  The ones my heart go out to are the people who accept the Word and run with it for an extended period of time, only to hit difficult struggles in life.  In the midst of struggle, beyond their ability to cope, they reject the Word they had previously accepted.

I don’t know for sure, but I suspect all believers will experience this type of life and death struggle.  Some will accept the struggle along with the Word and be driven deeper into their faith.  God will choose to reveal Himself in the midst of the struggle and one’s relationship with the Father will be deeper and sweeter than anyone can imagine.  The trick is getting through the struggle, being faithful and receiving what the Father has waiting….

For me, the key to embracing the struggle and experiencing all God had waiting was in acknowledging I was in the same place David had been when he penned…”yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death….”.  Ignoring the place that you are is self defeating.  It is the acknowledgement that you are in a dark place and the only way out is by the Grace of God and good favor of Jesus Christ that will bring light.  With light the darkness is dispelled…

So today if you are the one in the darkness, embrace the suffering.  Cry out to Jesus.  Keep your eyes focused on Jesus and look forward to Christ’s illumination of the darkness.  As David said, “…. I will fear no evil, for though are with me.”

Read Psalm 23… Pray on it.  Meditate on it.  Read it again.  Read it again.  Pray it.  Then keep on reading and praying… The light will come… You will never be the same… I guarantee it!

Enjoy the day!

archie

Peter’s Shadow

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A shadow that heals.  Why can’t we do that?

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Act 5:12 ¶ And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch.

Act 5:15 ….. they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid [them] on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.

Act 5:16 There came also a multitude [out] of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.

While most of us believers feel that we are giving God our best, there is something still missing.

We are satisfied with being less than we should be.

We are powerless.

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This powerlessness can come from:

1. faking the power, so that true power is blocked

Many think demonstrating the “power of God” consists of yelling very loudly during sermons, or acting aggressively while “on stage.”

Others fake prophecies, claiming they are hearing from God, when they are either

a.      making it up,

b.     repeating gossip, or something you have already told them, or

c.     just entertaining their imaginations.

d.     “reading” you while you sit there, using psychology techniques.

Such displays of false authority only cripple the body of Christ.  These are displays of egotism.

We need to recall the ministry of Jesus, that he went around quietly, and just with a word, people were healed and delivered from unclean spirits.

2.     denying the power

Many are afraid of the power of God, and do not want anything to do with a supernatural experience.

3.     lack of interest in the power

Many are satisfied with what they have, and not interested in putting in the necessary time with God to be a proper channel.

4.     Ignorance

Some are very sincere and faithful, yet they do not know what is available to them.  They would use the power properly to help others.

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So, how do we come to minister as Peter did?

I wish there was a way for Peter to come back and talk to us.
Since I do not consider myself on the same level as Peter, and cannot speak for him, I can only offer observations from the Word.

1.  Peter had received a lifetime of learning the Word before he ever met Jesus.

2.     Peter was with Jesus constantly during his ministry, and witnessed how Jesus did everything.

3.      He left his old life behind.

4.     When he denied Jesus 3 times, his ego and world were completely shattered.  He was no longer confident in his own spirituality.

5.     He asked for forgiveness when he committed the worst sin of his life.

6.     He was the one apostle who was willing to step out of the boat on a stormy sea to walk on water, to reach the Jesus he loved.

7.     He preached the gospel, knowing that he would eventually die because of it.

How many of us can say that this describes us?

Many newly saved try to go into leadership and ministry after being saved.  This is inappropriate.  They need to learn the Word first.  There is discipline and preparation involved.

How many of us spend all, or most, of their time with the Lord?   How many pray daily?   How many actually pay attention to God’s actions in the world.  Do they recognize them, or think the event is explained by natural means?

Do we cling to our old life, habits, and priorities, while trying to have a relationship with God?

How many of us have been crushed spiritually and emotionally beyond repair?  How many of us have had to realize how totally deficient and weak we are, no matter how much we have learned or have done for God?  Are we still too impressed with how smart or righteous we are?

Are we humble enough to admit that in our moment of feeling the most righteous, that we have still failed God, and betrayed him with our lives?  We still have our fleshly bodies and nature, and we still fail God daily.

Can we ask for forgiveness daily, as there are always things we do wrong?

Are we willing to do the impossible, risk our lives, and give God all the glory, while we fade away in the shadows?

Are we ready to die?  Or is life still too precious to us, that we protect ourselves by inaction, and avoiding what we must do for the Lord?

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Thoughts

I have read Acts many times.

But this last time around, when I read about Peter’s shadow, all I could think was

“Wow,”  this is not what we see today.  We have all fallen short.”

It really humbled me to read about Peter.

It made me look into the mirror, and see myself as deficient.

There is so much more we could all do for the Lord, if we would just do what Peter did.

While I am a product of the grace of God, someday I will be judged for my works.

And right now, I have not done enough.

I must do more, and be more.

I must be what God had planned for me.

Pray for me, and I will pray for you.

We cannot rest until our shadows also heal.