Changed Lives

Last week one of the more rebellious boys in our Children's Church got saved. I was preaching the message, he started acting up, and I had one of our teens take him aside and explain the gospel to him. About ten minutes later they returned with the news that the boy had received Christ as his saviour.

This week, after the morning services our new convert got into a fight on the bus. New wine in old skins. He didn't say anything as I told him I still believed he had great potential and could be a hero for God. Last night he was back, got baptized, and had a completely new countenance. Previously a scowl typically adorned the boys face. I praised God as I noticed that hardness was softening up, and his communication was respectful, rather than challenging.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

Actually it wasn't a prayer to the rain, but to God. I had a monthly youth activity scheduled for this last Saturday and the forecast was for scattered thunder storms. No problem if the activity had been an indoor one. It occurred to me that every time I had an outdoor youth event planned, the threat and likelihood of rain loomed over it. It is true, however, that God always answered my prayer to stay the rain until after the event.

God kept the rain off and gave us plenty of sunshine as we played volleyball and several other outdoor events. I grilled some meat and we enjoyed the beautiful weather as we ate outdoors as well. Then another volleyball game. We were having a great time when all of a sudden God opened the heavens and poured out the water.

Only a few of us stayed out and played. The worse the rain got, the more teens (and adults) dropped out. It got down to only four of us playing, but we had a great time. Those who retreated enjoyed watching us getting soaked.

Once the rain stopped it was time for the message. "Blossoming Lives" and the kids were locked in. I wish I had thought about using the rain as an illustration. God truly blessed us throughout the activity, including providing some young adults to drive the teens home after the event so Nancy and I could get things cleaned up and finish in a decent time.

Basking In His Grace

Jesus said He will build His church. I've been blessed to see Him do that. I've always taken that as a promise. He said it simply as a statement of fact. "I will build my church," like, "I will go to the store." There are no conditions, no dependancies, no "if - then" statements. He simply will build His church, no matter what.

He said there will be a location: "On this rock." This rock is the foundation, the Word of God, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He allows His people to be the instruments through which He builds His church. One sows, one waters, another reeps. Is it better to sow or water? Is it more important to water or reap? Without the sowing, there is nothing to water or reap. No watering? The planting is in vain. Without reaping the sowing and watering are a waste of time.

This Sunday, like so many before it, God used a multitude of people in our church in several different capacities to save others. One man in particular I was introduced to over a year ago while I was out on Saturday visitiation. We spoke very briefly, but God kept having us cross paths. He was always very cordial and polite, but never would accept the Gospel. He accepted invitations to come to church, but never would make it. Most of us know what that's like.

Eventually his wife let the kids come. After some time he came for a visit, and we saw him once or twice after that. One Sunday in Children's Church the message got missinterpretted by their kids and their mom was upset, vowing never to let them come back. The next Sunday the kids AND the parents were back. There was yet another misunderstanding. This one was between the parents and another adult in the church. What a mess! Hey, sometimes farming is a dirty job.

That was two weeks ago. Thursday, last week the man got saved. He came forward this Sunday and was baptised. As an added bonus, God saved his wife and she was baptised. Only the power of God can take our messes and make a work of art.

Truck Trouble.

It was cold yesterday morning. I'm tired of the cold. Its May and there was frost on ground. There would have been frost on my truck if it wasn't for the fifty mile an hour winds howling through the night.

I decided I would let my truck warm up before I left for work. Fifteen minutes later (hey, I got into my Bible study) I went out to leave only to notice what looked like fresh oil (reminds me of a great message by Br. Jack Hyles) dripping onto the driveway from the front of my truck. I dipped my finger in it and discovered it was transmission oil. Coming from the front could only mean it was the tranny cooler leaking. Perfect! I have a full week scheduled and this going to really cramp my schedule. Not to mention the expense of repair. Did I mention its cold?

I checked the tranny fluid and it wasn't even registering on the dipstick. No telling how long that leak had been there. After calling my regular car shop and arranging for an emergency repair job, I nursed the truck the five miles to the shop, praying it wouldn't be the last five on that tranny.

I made contingency plans for my schedule and called my boss. Two hours later the truck was repaired and I was back on the road. Slightly behind schedule, but nothing that couldn't be compensated for. There's two ways to look at this. Through the event my thought process was:

"Man, I'm rewady for it to be warm."
"Is that oil? Yup. Thank You God, for the cold. I never would have seen that leak if You hadn't had warm up the truck."
"I wonder what God is going to do."
"I have a little time before I can make calls. Extra Bible study time."

The mechanic came and told me the undercarraige was dry. They could find no leak. I knew God didn't do that, so I went to the truck and found the evidence for them. The next time I saw the mechanic he gave me the diagnosis: Just a hose that is split on one end. Repairing it would mean simply cutting the end, reclamping it, and testing for leaks. That's all it took. While it was there, I had them change the engine oil as well.

For the price of an oil change, I was out of the shop and the leak fixed. Long term I don't know what God will do with that, but short term I sure did enjoy His display of power for the moment.

Isn't God awesome?!

Answers to Prayer

We have been praying for revival for a couple of years now and throughout our spring campaign we have seen God's blessings and answers to our prayers. There have previously been daily mercy drops, and it now appears as though the showers of blessing are upon us.

Attendence is up considerably and so are salvations, baptisms, and folks joining the church. It is exciting to see Jesus building His church! Today we had four more salvations, three baptisms, and three join the church. Praise God!

Timely Reminders

Praise God for His timely reminders. I've slipped into the bad habit of long range planning. By long range, I mean all the way into retirmement and beyond to the approximate time of my death. So, on average I would need sufficient resources to last me another 40 years or so. That's really not much time.

The problem is, it could be, and most likely will be less than that. GodMs time table is advancing and the signs of the times are being revealed more and more. My pastor called me to let me kn ow about a prophecy video he would be showing the high school kids in our Christian school, and since my daughter had expressed concerns about it being scarry, wanted to ensure I was ok with that.

Naturally the conversation drifted to God's timeline and I was reminded, convicted rather, of the probability that I actually have a short time left (as do we all) and should be about my Father's business. The night may be quickly upon us when no man may work.

Praise God for His timely reminders!

God Is Here!

We had a small missions conference this weekend with an evangelist who said he knew God was here when he got out of the car (when the evangelist got out of the car, not God). God proved him right, bringing seven salvations and eight baptisms in the morning services and three more salvations with one baptism in the evening service! Praise God! He's awesome!

The one salvation and baptism tonight was a young lady my daughter and I met as we walked around outside the church looking for people to witness to. God brought her into our path, and after having given her the gospel, she said she would pray, but just did two weeks ago with one of our teenage soul winners.

She took us up on our invitation to come to church, and I sat behind her. As our guest speaker was coming to the close of his message, I began to pray that God would save her for sure, and the proof of that salvation being her baptisme tonight. Of the others who were saved, she was the only one to be baptised. I love my God!! You can't see me right now, but I'm dancing. Unlike David, I am not in public. My wife does think I'm a little strange though. That's okay, God's looking for peculiar people, amen?!