Fearing God

"Always Be Zealous For The Fear Of The LORD" Proverbs 23:17 NIV

We have living back in Oregon 4 years now. A recent mission trip for me to Mexico worked a renewal of something. Zeal. Jesus had zeal. Today he is eager to find lost sheep. He serves his brothers and sisters by "washing feet". How can he do this if he is in heaven? Through us! Am I fervent to do this?

From 2002 to 2008 the occupation of "missionary" meant for me 6 months of service in Mexico and 6 months of tent making (work) . It took a lot of intensity to "make it happen". Some people who have known me for the last 4 yrs have said that I have enthusiasm and passion for seeing souls saved, and for all kinds of other good things. God knows my heart and I know what struggles there have been for me. Feeling lukewarm in my own personal walk, and a coldness of heart is what has been on the inside. The need for renewal in me has been to overcome apathy. Yes, there has been some good fruit come of some efforts to serve in the kingdom, but on the inside there has been rebellion to obey what Holy Spirit has been wanting to lead me in. Things like sanctification. Intercession. Fervent prayer. There is a prophesy of Jesus in Psalm 69 "zeal for your house consumes me," NIV When he made a whip of cords and drove out the animals and he turned over the tables of the merchants in the temple. Jesus put to action what was in his heart. He cleansed the temple of fraud and scandal, saying, "Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father's house into a market!" John 2:16 NIV

So, for Jesus to be telling me to be zealous is no problem. Zealous for what though? I have been zealous for things like football, hunting, romance, even serving other Christians. The "Fear of the LORD" is more than a term. It is an experience. Fearing God can be an emotion, a way of thinking, and a good perspective to have. Fear has to be in my relationship with Almighty God. What is this "fear of the LORD" that I am to be so passionate about? The scriptures explain that when we fear God we are going to learn wisdom. Passages speak of how we can be choosing to have a healthy respect for his discipline, even his wrath and punishment. I have been asking God for knowledge and wisdom. Isaiah 33 says that a reverence for God is like having an arsenal or a treasure room that I can draw from in life's circumstances.

There is a saying "no fear" and " fear no evil". I am not sure what it means to different young people. Fearing God is to turn away from evil. To hate evil and pride. I hate saying bad things. Gossip, swearing, all of it. I do it and don't want to any more.

Father, show me what it means to " number my days" Your promises for me if I fear you are a long life. I want to fear you more. I want to live a fulfilled life. Make me like you Jesus. Its your joy to obey Father. Please give me that kind of joy.

May we all be choosing to fear Jesus more than ever. May we be learning what it means to always fear God, to continually live in fear of him. Sounds unhealthy doesn't it? Listen, there was a king in Judah who told the Judges of the land: "Always think carefully before pronouncing judgment. Remember that you do not judge to please people but to please the LORD. He will be with you when you render the verdict in each case. Fear the LORD and judge with integrity, for the LORD our God does not tolerate perverted justice, partiality, or the taking of bribes."" - 2 Chronicles 19:6-7 NLT

I have prayed many times " Jesus, I want to fear you more than men. To seek your approval way above the favor and honor that I receive from other people." May the justice of our land come from leaders who are not partial but want to please God. Jesus promises to be with his disciples to the very end.Proverbs 28:14 says we have his blessing over our lives because we fear him. G.W.

 

The Providence of God Romans 8:31

The Providence of God  Romans 8:31

In the fall of 1621 the Pilgrims and the Indians held a feast together. What we celebrate as Thanks giving day, was founded after a year  of great tribulation.  Out of the 102  Mayflower passengers  50 died that first winter.  By spring only 4 of the original 14 adult women remained alive. This celebration with the Indians was a thanks to God for the first harvest in Plymouth Colony.  Less than one month after the 3 day long celebration of their harvest a ship arrived from England. The colony had not been notified of its voyage, and it took them by surprise. The name of the ship was "The Fortune".  Merchants who sent this ship, with out provisions for the return trip, expected not only stock for the crew, but payment  that had be agreed upon by the Pilgrims.  They loaded down the ship with furs and pelts. I imagine that this was a sacrificial payment. Immediately the ship set sail to return to England.  Their meager rations that had been stored for the coming winter now needed to be shared with the 37 new settlers.  Was this just “luck” or providence?

Fortune is defined in English as;
A – Luck  =   a chance happening, or that which happens beyond a person's controls or
B – Wealth  = an abundance of items of economic value

The Puritans along with many other groups of Christian faith would often view circumstances as 2 distinct things;

A -"general providence"which refers to God's continuous upholding the existence and natural order of the universe.   B -"special providence" refers to God's extraordinary intervention in the life of people.

As I read this history I thought of how "God cannot stop loving us". He cannot lie. I believe in his his promise for his providential care for us: "For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39 NKJV

Back in the 1900’s a teenage youth group was returning from a trip to Alaska. I heard that the group stopped to eat their lunch under a big spruce tree. Lightning struck the tree and  just one young girl died. Why her? I have asked Jesus so many times about this and other things that bring about the death of children and youth that are so innocent.  In a small town on the west coast a 19 yr old young lady, one who was a disciple of Jesus is murdered in broad daylight. Why God?  Did you see what was going on and did not intervene? Where were you when this happened? His word says: "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account." Hebrews 4:13 NIV

 "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?  Romans 8:31 KJV My understanding of this truth has been that IF God was on my side I would be victorious in the circumstance or a relationship. Who could be against me and win? It was just a matter of knowing if I was on Gods’ side or not. Victory could come in some way, temporal or spiritual.  Here on earth or in heaven.  Recently I have seen Romans 8:31 in a different light. I am not always going to be the winner in a temporal way. There are individual people or a government as a whole that are obviously enemies of God. They are antichrist’s and persecutors. Leaders like Pharaoh or Herod could not be in the position over Jesus unless Our Father allowed them to be there. What about Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, Mao Tse-Tung, and even the succession of leaders in North Korea  for 65 yrs. They have imprisoned   and tortured over 200,000  political prisoners! "Jesus answered, "You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin." - John 19:11a NKJV
 Because God is for me, I can know that he is not going to allow something out of his permissive will to come to pass. My perspective is that Sovereignty allows "evil" people or other negative things to come to pass in our lives. Would he allow evil to be something that is for us?  Is this “providence”?  Would he allow evil to be something that is for us and not against us?  

As missionaries in Mexico  for 6 yrs we prayed for the teams or the young singles that wanted to come and serve with us for a week or two. Some committed for 3-6 months. We cried out for wisdom and love to come out of us to care for them. We prayed that if it was his will for them to be able come, then we would be able to lay down our lives for them, care for them if they got sick or injured.  We had faith that they would able to see what they were to learn from Jesus.  Often Marianne and I would be praying "Lord do not let them come unless it is your will. Slam the door shut if it is not”. We  trusted  for  “ divine providence”  to intervene in this circumstance.The reason why we often prayed this was not for our comfort or fear of sharing from our provisions.  There is also Gods promise for "general providence" which refers to God's continuous upholding the existence and natural order of the universe.  "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28 NLT 

When Marianne and I met we were married in 1980.   We became ”one flesh”  and some would say it as just “luck” and some good fortune that we met. I believe we have been joined together by divine Providence, to be joint heirs in the gift of Life. Author Thomas Vaillancourt's writing on the subject has considered a wide scope of quotes on the subject.

http://www.postersfromtheheart.com/essay_pages/divine_providence.htm


In 1735  John Wesley crossed the Atlantic to  the Georgia colony by ship. When a storm rose up he became quite frightened.  He noticed the 25 Moravian Christians making the same journey. They were calm despite the rough seas.  They spoke to him an explanation of the peace he could see them expressing. This caused him to think about his own inner peace. The storm was not bad luck. He made passage with others who had a spiritual faith that he had yet found.  The Providence of God brought his peril and their peace together. It exposed his lack and also provided him with a paradigm shift in his faith.

Back in the 90's we were in fellowship with an elder and his wife that we really looked up to.  Their son who was in a wheel chair all his life kept them home bound. They had great vision for missions and ministry.  This child who had come into their life held them down in the same  house and membership in the same little church for nearly 30 yrs.  They were questioned, " is this illness because of some sin, or lack of faith of you  parents?”  The mother, who had become  a grandma, thanked God for this "handicap" that she and her husband had. She knew that better things were given to them through their commitment to stay home and care for a special needs son.  Their other sons went on to become missionaries and pastors. All the things that they were prevented from doing out there “somewhere” actually worked for their good. They had an incredible solid home life. They were examples of love and faith for other believers in their small community.  This couple received a little one who grew up with great joy and love. He came to them by the providence of God.

On their way to their first mission to live in Africa a middle age couple were waiting quite a while at the airport.  Close by there was a Menonite couple. As they took up conversation the younger couple shared that they had tried to live as missionaries in  another country and had to return. They were now embarking  to another location to live and try to serve again. They stated  “God has a purpose in all this." Even though they had failed on previous attempts, they believed that God knew it and his provident hand was with them all the way.

In our mission work we held our meetings on Saturday nights. This freed up our Sundays. At first we visited churches in the area and also traveled often to the city an hour away to attend a Calvary Chapel.  As time went on we grew accustomed to being home alone on Sundays. Our family really enjoyed a day without activities. Being home with together and not working or traveling was a good practice. But, we had become well in the region. Folks did not call ahead there in the villagers. It was like the USA culture and economy was like in the USA in the 40's or 50's  So, they would just drop in on any day of the week, but a lot more on Sundays  for they would not be working. Well, a visit in the villages was not just business for them and then, "we need to be on our way". They would sit and talk and the  family would all be conversing. Then if there was something of business or an item to be borrowed it was mentioned last. We found out that the longer the visit  the larger the a favor or and item with would be.  So I prayed that no one could pass through our gates with out the hand of God allowing it. We needed rest  and really needed quiet for the  family to be together.  So if some one came through our gate, we saw it  as opportunity to share Gods love and the gospel. Like the good ship fortune, we were able to see the visits as what Divine Providence allowed.
May we see Gods hand and his sovereignty over our lives and what happens on the earth.  May we not shrink back in our faith when things happen that we do not understand. May we trust that Jesus is with us always, even to the end of the world. G.W.

Free Worms 2 Corinthians 1:20

Free Worms 2 Corinthians 1:20

A few weeks ago it rained and rained and rained in Eastern Oregon, where we live.

One day I noticed that there were worms all over the street in front of our house.

Another rainy day came and even though I was in my normal rush to get to work, I took a “flower smelling” time out. Dozens of worms were all over the street again, so I grabbed some gloves, a kitchen spatula, and bucket to cash in on a great deal; for a fisherman.

Only one other time in my life do I remember this same phenomena occurring. When I was about 14 some really rainy days came where my family lived in Nebraska. My Dad and my little brother walked for what seemed like hours scooping up the worms that had surfaced in the standing water around the barn yard.

Our life in Christ is like the free worms that surface only under special conditions.

If Christ be not risen then our faith is in vain. 1 Cor 15:14 The effective condition to our faith is that Christ has risen. Witness's on several sides have confirmed the fact of his resurrection. You can read the Jewish historian, Josephus's account if you only believe the papers and magazines. When researching what is going on in various countries I have read congressional reports that confirm what VOM or other biographies have stated.

In Hebrews 11 the scriptures declare that the heroes of faith did NOT receive the promise that has come to us.

We have the once for all atonement.¹ A final sacrifice has been made for our sins. We have a hope of a resurrection from the dead. Because Jesus has risen, we are assured of the same resurrection on the final day.

For many years have been paying high prices for worms at the convenience store. This last year the prices and a few other things grieved me more than ever. I would check the Styrofoam cups and find that many of the containers were 1/2 empty from thieves, or the essential contents was very poor quality.

My experience in turning over boards or digging somewhere out in the garden has not been very good either.

Here are a few secrets - mystery = truth unveiled about getting worms when its not raining cats and dogs. These are truths that I have known, but have not put into practice. In like manner we are so quick to forget all the good things that come from above.²

Water the yard really good in the late afternoon or evening.

As soon as its dark, walk around the yard with a flash light or a lantern. The worms should be there in the grass waiting for you.

If its day time and your needing to get going...here is what my father in law did;
Get out the battery charger or be brave enough to hook up some 110 wired to a metal stake.

Head out to the yard and give them worms a reason to come fishing with you!

( not recommended- only shared as science )

Are we plugged into the wall of 110 or 220; but not shining our light, not running a fan that can cool off a weary person?

The abundant life is peace, faith, joy and if I don’t don't have it, may be its because the worms are still laying there on the street or just going stale in the bucket that I now have them stored in.

Feeding them coffee grounds compost, newspaper, leaves will make 2 buckets by the time fishing gets going. We can, in the same way, cultivate the promises and provision from our heavenly Father.

Here are a few ways this can happen; Reading the word every day. Memorizing it. Together. Putting into practice one thing at a time, in my own life. Reviewing prophecies and seeing the fulfillments as the revelation of faithfulness and love of our God. Making prayer lists and seeing them answered.

There is fishing = missions some where in the world all the time. If its not perfect conditions now where you are, then tie flies, dig worms, and get ready.

What are the promises of God that he has spoken to you personally? If your not hearing any, or only remember a very few that were from a long time ago, then its time to pour 2 cups of tea and drink yours while the Lord has your time and attention. He has much more to say to us, and a lot more to share with us, if we will just listen.

There are fish to be caught. If your willing to be Jesus disciple it does NOT mean that you have to go on foreign missions, or fulfill the office of an evangelist. BUT he will make you a fisher of men.³ As you follow him, "there will always be people in your life that have room in their heart for more of Christ."⁴

Gathering worms is like getting a job offer. Until you fill out the application, get through the interview, get hired and show up for work; there is no paycheck. The worms are free, in God's economy. In order for us to enjoy the fish, the worm has to get on the hook and in the water.

For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. 1 Corinthians 1:20 NKV

May you find the worms in your yard and the fish that you enjoy catching and eating. G.W.

1By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once [for all]. Hebrews 10:10

2Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James 1:17

3 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. Matthew 4:19

4William Hawkins 2006

Thoughts On Missions

Thoughts On Missions Matthew 28:19-20

It's been almost a week since I just returned from a 10 day mission trip. Lots of Folks are asking how it went. The short answer is, " it went really, really well." Team members grew in faith, and I even matured some more. People that we served were uplifted, emotionally, spiritually, and with practical physical help. No radical conversions were seen, but I believe that God was glorified in most everything that happened. A few of the highlights will have to settle into me before I can write them in detail. The rest of this blog entry was written just before the trip.

In 2002 one of my sons presented me with a bi-lingual bible. a couple weeks ago I was cleaning out the office and finally threw the tattered torn book away. I usually try to transfer any notes I can from one bible to the new one, and review what God has spoken to me during the seasons that I have had that last copy. Not this time. For three days I had been cleaning my office and getting rid of any thing that could possibly go. This time there was not time to even take a look at the "best highlights." The words are holy, not the pages or the book. One of the quotes written in the pages did get saved. I tore it out just before I tossed the book along with a huge pile of papers in my cluttered office.

" Preaching the gospel is like attending a birth. With most of our 9 children, I have been just as exhausted as Marianne by the time the birthing process is over. Only the Holy Spirit can give birth to some one. Only the convicted person experiences the birth. We, as attendants, labor also, and experience the energy and exhilaration and exhaustion after."

In obedience to go, make disciples,baptize, and teaching others to obey Jesus, we find a promise. Jesus knew we would need his comfort and assurance when times of adverse circumstances tempt us to be doubting him. When we are facing persecution and suffering for doing the right things, Jesus proclaimed that he is with us.

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. - Mat 28:19-20 NKJV

Learning to have the right priorities first is so important in our daily walk, and as we seek to serve others in the kingdom. Here is another note that I kept back from the "burn pile". John Piper once wrote,

"Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn't. When this age is over, countless millions of the redeemed will fall on their faces before the throne of God, and missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever. Worship, therefore is the fuel and the goal of missions. Worship is the goal in missions. Because in missions we simply aim to bring the nations into the white hot enjoyment of Gods glory. The goal of missions is the gladness of the peoples in the greatness of God."

Thirdly, I would like to quote from a devotional that had been a real help to me in learning how to serve. "My Utmost For His Highest" March 11th, Oswald Chambers, Acts 26:19

"If we lose the vision, we alone are responsible, and the way we lose the vision is by spiritual leakage. If we do not run our belief about God into practical issues, it is all up with the vision God has given. The only way to be obedient to the heavenly vision is to give our utmost for God's highest, and this can be done by continually and resolutely recalling the vision. The test is 60 seconds of every minute, and the sixty minutes of every hour, not our times of prayer and devotional meetings."

What is the vision that you have received? If you have not received a vision of what God has called you to, or you've struggled keeping the most vision your main priority, like I have been struggling with the last couple years, you are in grave danger. Where there is no vision, the people perish: prov 29:18

My vision is to run the race of following Jesus as his disciple. To continue in the right direction to obtain the completeness that I have been called to; Philippians 3:12.13 If new births occur and disciples are made along the way, then all glory be to Our Father. He is the only one that can open the eyes of our heart and draw us to Jesus. See Matthew 16:17 and John 6:44 May Holy Spirit be using us more than ever in this rescuing and caring for His sheep. G.W.

Going Forward

Going Forward


When I read this letter from Levi, I thought of the many times that I have been feeling growth in my own life, or had steps of faith to take in service and missions. G.W.

PS: By clicking on the top or bottom half of his letter. It will enlarge to make the reading easier.

Thank you. God bless,

Levi.

Mexico Mission Trip Fall 2009

This is a video of slides from our trip Nov. and Dec. 2009.

There is an inspirational song that is included, called "Set da world on fiar."

In order of the slides Credits and descriptions are here in listed:

Destination of the teams trip: City of Los Mochis

Team member photo in Casa Grande AZ where we were hosted by one of supporting families.

Rich Newman, director of IDT missions, gave us counsel along the way.

The students, were the real objective, not our trip or the construction work, they were great inclusions also.

The Pizzaria being up and running out in one of the small villages was a fulfillment of a mutual vision with our Mexican brethren.

The Tortillaria was also a cottage industry that our poor brethren were able to get up and running in an outer area.

Most of the construction was a warehouse made into dorm rooms and a 3 bedroom apartment for the directors family.

Home Depo taught me, on a daily basis, a lot of patience and a little wisdom as I negotiated most of the building material from them.

5 months later, other teams accomplished the finishing of what we framed, plumbed, and wired in.

The school now has a very large useful place to train and teach 45+ students, 20 of which live on site during the week.

Special thanks to Mr Osborne and Mr Booth. Without their help the trip would not have been the same.

Special thanks to Pendleton Foursquare church, and Unreached Villages supporters who made it possible to go.

Thanks to my wife and family that stayed behind to work while sending us.