Just a glance....

When I first saw this sign on my way to work, I got real excited for a second because I thought they were opening a "Better Health" store. I guess I was fooled by the colors. Funny how that first glance can give you the impression of something that is not even close to actuality! A glance is only a quick or brief glimpse, yet we sumise in our minds what we think is reality - for a moment. I think sometimes we look at God that way. We glance at Him once in a while and we think we know what He is all about. There is a song that goes: "Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face; and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace!" Until we surrender our lives to Him and allow Him to come live in us, we don't even have a clue what He looks like! Just sayin'!

The Samaritan Road

My experience over the last couple years working with Samaritan's Purse has taught me many things and has helped me to find the direction God is leading me for future ministry.

I learned some new skills:

 

Made some new friends, and even led a team:

 

But this last trip to Greeley, CO did not turn out like I expected.  In fact, it was FAR from it! So, why not?  Did I miss God? I went there expecting everything to go as planned.  I would go out into the field and work with the other volunteers doing mud-outs and cleanups for the people whose homes were damaged in the floods - period - end of story! But that is not what happened!  Instead I ended up with an eye condition that totally incapacitated me and I spent half my time there seeing Doctors and laying in a dark room with excruciating pain.  It was a very humbling experience as I had to allow others to take care of me instead of me helping others.

When things don't go as we expect them to, we are tempted to second-guess ourselves and God.  I certainly had opportunity to feel sorry for myself, or feel that I wasted my time and money doing something that maybe God hadn't really called me to do.  But, as I kept looking to God for His purpose in this, I began to see His hand at every turn.  I found myself getting direction from God for future ministry and assurance from Him that He will take care of me no matter where or what situation I find myself in!  I was still able to be part of the team in yet another facet of the ministry by helping in the kitchen to cook the meals for the other volunteers, and I received the love and prayers from many of them along the way.

" The mind of man plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps." (Prov. 16:9 - NASB)

In Acts 13 the Holy Spirit called Barnabas and Paul apart to "do the work for which He called them..." They were commissioned and sent on their way to Seleucia, Cyprus and Salamas and began to spread God's word, but not everything went smoothly.  They came up against opposition, were deserted by John Mark, and were persecuted.  Yet, God still called them and equipped them, and was with them throughout their journeys.

Paul was blinded on his way to Damascus, but his time in darkness allowed his mind to be restored to light (truth).

Therefore, as I find myself in good company, I am grateful for every moment of my experience, and look forward to greater things to come!

Materialism

More, More, More


July 22, 2013 — by Dennis Fisher

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Our Daily Bread Radio is hosted by Les Lamborn
Read: Luke 12:13-21

Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses. —Luke 12:15

Psalms 31-32; Acts 23:16-35Some people love to shop. They have a perpetual desire to buy, buy, buy. The craze to find the latest deal is worldwide. There are huge shopping malls in China, Saudi Arabia, Canada, the Philippines, the United States, and around the world. A rise in store purchases and online buying show that buying is a global phenomenon.

Shopping can be fun. Certainly, there is nothing wrong with trying to find a real deal and to enjoy the things God has given to us. But when we become preoccupied with obtaining material goods, we lose focus.

Jesus challenged His listeners with these words: “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses” (Luke 12:15). He went on to tell a parable about a man “who lays up treasure for himself,” but is not concerned about his relationship with God (v.21).

How can we learn to be content with what we have and not be consumed with amassing more? Here are some ways: View material goods as given by God to be used wisely (Matt. 25:14-30). Work hard to earn and save money (Prov. 6:6-11). Give to the Lord’s work and those in need (2 Cor. 9:7; Prov. 19:17). And always remember to be thankful and to enjoy what God gives (1 Tim. 6:17).

Lord, our hearts often run after “stuff.”Teach us not to be obsessed with collectingmore and more material goods. May we insteadlearn what it means to be “rich” toward You.To be rich in God is far better than to be rich in goods.

(.....And, if our economy crashes and you are no longer able to buy more stuff or lose what you already have, will you curse God, or run to Him?  Just a thought........)

A morning walk, a booklet and a 3-Way Conversation

I was just minding my own business.  I wanted to go for my walk before it got too hot.  I was barely 5 minutes into my walk when I noticed the pages of a familiar booklet strewn all over the ground.  At the same time I noticed a young man sitting on a bench in front of the Senior Living Center a couple hundred feet away.  Here is where it all started.




My thoughts: ("That looks like the pages from an "Our Daily Bread' booklet.  I should pick them up.  Wait, who is this young guy, and why is he sitting all alone on the bench in front of this place?  He looks sad. Is he sad?")
Holy Spirit: "You should pick them up.  Why don't you talk to him?"
Me: "What? I already passed them up. Wait, .....what? Talk to him? Yeah, what would I say?"  (besides I'm already a block away now)
Me: "♫♪Everyone needs a little rest, everyone needs a little joy, and a song to sing in the darkest night.....♪♫" (lyrics by Kari Jobe)
Holy Spirit: "Go pick them up, and talk to him"
Me: "Seriously, You want me to turn around, walk back in front of him, pick up pieces of paper all over the grass, then go strike up a conversation with him?"
Holy Spirit: "Yes"
Me: "I'm going, but I'm counting on You to tell me what to say!"
Holy Spirit: "O.K."

Well the rest was simple and just between the 3 of us, but a precious lesson on always being ready, willing and enabled by the Holy Spirit.

"Lord, take the words spoken and the love shown today, and let them find lodging in this young man's heart.  Affirm Your love to Him again before the day is out; and bring these moments back to his remembrance when he is facing hard times.  Amen!"

"CFL Africa"

Dear friends and family,

Can you envision a place that is home to the highest AIDS population of any country on the planet, where one in five is HIV+ and more than 35 people die of AIDS every hour? It’s hard to fathom, but this horrific AIDS epidemic in South Africa has left behind 3-6 million orphans, most of whom now live in Squatter Camps, with millions already suffering the effects of parents who are sick and dying of AIDS.

I want to share with you a challenging ministry opportunity God has presented to me. During September 27, 2012 – October 9, 2012, I will be going to Durban, South Africa with a team from Mantle Ministries

Our 13-day trip will focus mainly on partnering with Key of Hope Ministries (http://www.keyofhope.org/) and holding a Champions For Life Kids’ Camp for some of these kids who have been abandoned or orphaned, who have little hope for life and a future, by taking them away from their Squatter Villages to a Christian Camp in the mountains where we will be sharing the love of God with them in a family-style atmosphere with self-esteem building activities. Many of you are already aware of the wonderful testimonies from the CFL Camps we do here through Vision Hope (http://visionhope.org/), and now we have the opportunity to extend this ministry to Durban South Africa.

I'm excited about the opportunity and experiences that lie ahead. I hope you see the value in what we will accomplish. As you can imagine, a trip like this requires a huge commitment along with financial support from a number of people. I will need to raise between $3,500 and $4,000 for this trip. If you can support me in a financial way, I would be very grateful. 


And, most importantly, I need your prayer support. 
Prayer is the fuel that will allow us to be 
successful as we follow God's leading in 
ministry in this country.

Without prayer, nothing will happen.

If you would like to be part of this mission through your financial support, you can send a check to: Mantle Ministries, 31700 Couchez, St. Clair Shores, MI 48082.

Please make your check payable to Mantle Ministries and write "CFL Africa" on the memo line. Also, please attach a small note with my name on it to indicate that the support will go to my expenses specifically. All contributions are tax deductible and you will receive a receipt at the end of the tax year.

While money is important, it comes in a distant second to my need for your prayer support. Since prayer support is so important to the success of this mission, I would like to know if I can count on you in that area. Please pray daily for “CFL Africa”.

Because they need God’s love,

Liz Campbell

Joplin Continues to Tug at my Heart

The tears stream as I write this post. I can't get Joplin, MO and it's people off my mind, and I am currently working on the details to make another trip there this weekend.

I can't tell you how incredible it is to have been a part of what God is doing in the aftermath of the tornado there.  I feel such a bond with the people that live there, and with those that don't, but still come out to help the ones that do.

The needs are changing daily, but the needs are great as you can imagine. The Forest Park Baptist Church has converted what was their "Bus Barn" into what they have now dubbed "Mission Joplin". They are still asking that people hold off on giving clothing at this time as they don't have the warehouse space. 

The items that are currently at the top of the list are:

Diapers
Toiletries
Ladies Feminine Products

Denture Cleanser

Denture Adhesive

Laundry Soap

Queen and King size sheets

Tents, cots & air mattresses

Dishes, pots and pans

Bug Spray

Towels

Cleaning Supplies

I will be dedicating my Check-In piece of luggage to bringing donated supplies.  I know that the notice is short, but if you have an interest in giving and/or purchasing some of the above items, and can get them to me by Thursday afternoon, I will be glad to bring them down for you.  Of course, limiting it to the smaller, lighter weight items will allow me to bring more and not exceed the luggage weight limits.

You can also order items online and have them shipped directly to the church if you so desire.

They are at:

	725 S Highview Ave, Joplin, MO 64801

Here is a taste of 'heart and soul' of the people who were affected as written by Steve Mertens from Forest Park:

My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest…How blessed you will be. -Isaiah 32:18, 20

"Besides Heaven that God has prepared for His children, Isaiah is speaking here of a spiritual place that lies in the Christian’s heart, mind, and soul which comes from a confident strength in the relationship we have with Him.

These past two weeks I have noticed many people who have lost everything in the tornado, including their homes, have such a resolve and peace about them in spite of their surroundings. They meet needs of their neighbors, help clean debris, and are the first to volunteer to help people they have never met. That’s because they live in a “peaceful dwelling place” and an “undisturbed place of rest” that does not rely on a physical structure, but on a life that is constructed by a foundation of walking with Jesus every day; relying on Him to bring security in their lives. To these people, a home is not a physical place. It is an attitude of the heart and soul that accompanies them wherever they are and encourages all those with whom they come into contact."



Joplin, MO Disaster Relief - Day 3

The Newspapers and Television reports can't begin to describe the devastation in Joplin.  You have to walk it, see it, smell it and try to imagine what life in this community looked like before the storm.  You have to wonder where these people will live, what they will drive and where they will work.  Where will next year's graduating class from Joplin High go to school?  You quickly begin to measure the disaster in so many other ways.

But, my purpose in blogging about this experience is not to give the sensational heart-breaker stories, but the "God stories" and the stories of hope and a future.

We arrived just in time to be teamed up with "Team 12" who was going out to take care of tree and debris removal.  There were 1/2 dozen work orders that we set out to take care of, yet found that most of them were already taken care of by random volunteers.  This was becoming commonplace around Joplin, as people continued to pour in from other states and communities to help.  Volunteers came out of nowhere. Others drove the streets handing out water and food. You'd see T-shirts and license plates from all over, from all kinds of organizations.

Our first 'real' job this morning was to help a lady, whose house was not totally destroyed (although severely damaged), to pack up while the guys tarped the roof and shed. 

Her front window blew into the living room and the only power source came from a generator on the front porch, but the mood was good and the blessings recognized. 

 

 It was soon decided that things were under control at this home and 1/2 of the team was then taken to the next stop which was at the home of a middle-aged couple who survived the tornado with their Grandson and dog huddled in the crawl space under the kitchen. Amazingly, this was the only part of the house that was left!  We got to work hauling debris to the street because FEMA would haul everything from the curbs away for free, but anything left on the properties after that, would be hauled at the cost to the homeowner.

The crawl space of this home was just to the left of the steps

 The couple here was fortunate enough not only to survive, but to also have insurance.  They haven't decided if they will rebuild, or what they will do yet.  They are taking one day at a time.  The team will come back after lunch to finish the job and pray with them.

Story after story of survival and hope were emerging from the rubble on a daily, maybe even hourly, basis.  The volunteers seemed tireless and eager to get back out after their meal breaks back at the church.  We were quickly becoming a family, and bonds were formed quickly with almost everyone you talked to.

This was the church in action.  The church was "being the church", and it was wonderful!  I didn't even want to think about having to go home, but our time was up and we said our 'good-byes'.

This is what I am called to do!  This is what life is really about - people, sharing the love of God, the gospel, and eternity.