I have been so busy in Iraq that I have forgotten to blog. Let me catch you up on the last couple of days.
On Day four we taught at the Kurdsman's Church in the City of Erbil. They are registered with the Government and we had about 1-200 in attendance. Bob Rogers began the day teaching about the Holy Spirts baptism and I taught on the healing anointing. We broke for lunch and then that evening Phil Nordin taught on healing and we prayed for the sick. It was a great day and the Kurdish people responded to our teaching. While praying for the sick I prayed for a lady who had knee issues and she was immediately made whole and began to jump and run. She had not been able to do this for many years. We had other notable healings that took place.
Then next day (five) we were back at it teaching at the church. Did I mention that every day it has been about 110 plus? Well it has. Thank God we are staying in a nice hotel with air condition. I have been off on my sleep so the days are long and the nights are short. Anyway we I opened the next morning teaching on faith is necessary on having confidence to pursue the promises of God and then Bob Rodgers taught on prayer and fasting. That night we came back and Terry Law ministered on vision. We prayed for the leaders of the church and then the conference ended. It was a great day and the ministry was off the charts.
I am honored to be with these men of God. Rachel Rodgers and David the step son of Terry Law also provided some good teaching and testimony for the Kurdsman to hear.
Tomorrow we will be on the road to distribute some shoes and bags to kids. Can't wait to see what God will do.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Day Three in Iraq
We have just completed our third day in Iraq. I am so excited about being here and being able to meet the Kurdish people. We ministered tonight in the Charisma Church with a city offical in the meeting who was not a believer. He was muslem and he enjoyed the service. There is no doubt that God is moving in Iraq. Pastor Phil Nordin from Calgary, Canada of New Jubilee Ministries, ministered to the Pastor's and congregation to believe God to do more than they could ever imagine.
We also visited the Old City today. The Citadel, which are the remains of the ancient city, which is 4000 years old was a great site to see. We shopped for a while and saw how life in Erbil takes place. It was a very interesting day and ended on a great note with a meal with all our new found friends. Our only draw back is that Brother Terry is still not feeling well. Well, be blessed and I will let you know about day four.
We also visited the Old City today. The Citadel, which are the remains of the ancient city, which is 4000 years old was a great site to see. We shopped for a while and saw how life in Erbil takes place. It was a very interesting day and ended on a great note with a meal with all our new found friends. Our only draw back is that Brother Terry is still not feeling well. Well, be blessed and I will let you know about day four.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Day Two In Iraq
Well another day has come and gone. We have completed the first shoe and bag give away in a Kurdish village. It was amazing. While there some of the group met 20 US soliders there for the first time on patrol. It was great to see them and they were elated to see our group. We have met many Kurds who have left their Muslim roots for a relationship with Jesus. This is area is so beautiful. Bob Rodgers, his daughter Racheal and myself went about the city yesterday shopping. It was a lot of fun to find that shopping here is a lot like in the States. This is the first country that I have been to, other than Chile and Costa Rica, that had shelves full of food and other items.
Today we are to meet with church leadership, kick off our conference and enjoy the sites of Erbil. Terry Law is suffering with some type of sickness and we do desire your prayers for him. Bob Rodgers, Phil Nordin and myself have just sat down for breakfast and so we will see you later!
Today we are to meet with church leadership, kick off our conference and enjoy the sites of Erbil. Terry Law is suffering with some type of sickness and we do desire your prayers for him. Bob Rodgers, Phil Nordin and myself have just sat down for breakfast and so we will see you later!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Dreams Come True
Well, I am here in a land I have never been before. After about 16 hours of travel I have landed in Amman, Jordan. It is a beautiful city that is heavily populated. I have traveled about 8000 miles to have the opportunity of a lifetime in ministry. We are moving on tomorrow to Iraq. There we will be ministering to Pastors and villages with shoes and bags. I am excited. Two of my heros in ministry are here. They are Terry Law and Bob Rogers. This is truely a wonderful opportunity for me and my church. Thank you to Trinity for empowering me to go and preach the gospel here in Iraq. My great grand mother Sally Moore told me once I would be able to minister in places around the world and I am living out what she prayed out. This is a dream come true and God is the designer of dreams.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Good Leadership
Wow. What a great week of VBS we had last week, here at Trinity Assembly in Algood, TN. It was nothing short of amazing. What made it that way, was the the atmosphere that was created by a group of diligent servants. These servants simply responded to the vision cast by the leadership of the team and gave all they had for five nights.
It began at the conclusion of last years VBS. A survey taken to ask the hard questions about what needed to change and what worked right. Then the leadership team went to work looking for the right curriculum that would be appealing to the kids. Then the recruiting of the lead team by the VBS director and Assistant. Once these people were put into place it was then time to cast the vision and recruit the rest of the team. Plenty of training and vision casting helped give the proper direction for all who were involved. This is classic leadership 101. Now you who are reading this realize it is easier to write about this than to do it, but this is essentially how it happens.
I have heard it said that everything rises and falls on leadership according to John Maxwell. I believe there is truth to that statement. I watched the two principal ladies who worked tirelessly over the last few months to make this VBS happen. They were committed and believed in what they were doing. It became a passion and this passion was seen and heard by all who became a part of this team process. Their leadership was seen and demonstrated, and because of it the program became a great success. They lead, the servants followed, and the kids benefited by receiving the Word of God and the love of these tireless laborers.
It always amazes me to see the process and to know that God has such talented people in His body. To all of you who labored I say thank you! To you Lacy and Jennifer I say way to go! You truly are leaders who are making a difference in the Kingdom of God.
It began at the conclusion of last years VBS. A survey taken to ask the hard questions about what needed to change and what worked right. Then the leadership team went to work looking for the right curriculum that would be appealing to the kids. Then the recruiting of the lead team by the VBS director and Assistant. Once these people were put into place it was then time to cast the vision and recruit the rest of the team. Plenty of training and vision casting helped give the proper direction for all who were involved. This is classic leadership 101. Now you who are reading this realize it is easier to write about this than to do it, but this is essentially how it happens.
I have heard it said that everything rises and falls on leadership according to John Maxwell. I believe there is truth to that statement. I watched the two principal ladies who worked tirelessly over the last few months to make this VBS happen. They were committed and believed in what they were doing. It became a passion and this passion was seen and heard by all who became a part of this team process. Their leadership was seen and demonstrated, and because of it the program became a great success. They lead, the servants followed, and the kids benefited by receiving the Word of God and the love of these tireless laborers.
It always amazes me to see the process and to know that God has such talented people in His body. To all of you who labored I say thank you! To you Lacy and Jennifer I say way to go! You truly are leaders who are making a difference in the Kingdom of God.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Laying Your Life Down
I have been giving a lot of thought lately to the term laying your life down. I am not sure I fully understand what it is that God wants from me and other Christians. I know that he is not wanting robots but servants who willingly choose to follow Him and His will with no rebellion in them. It seems that the church has not quite caught on to this concept or maybe it is just me.
It is easy to read in scripture about the young rich ruler, who was asked to go and sell all that he had, then give to the poor. He could not obey that command and follow because his will continued to trust in earthly treasures. He was not able to die to self by selling all the goods he had. He was not willing to lay down his life or his will to take on Jesus' life or will because he had not put his trust in
God's provision. As long as man's will is greater in his life than God's will, the man will not have his trust in God. The one thing I have found to be true is that the life of a man is found in his will. So also is the life of God. His life is found in His will. When we say we love God with all our heart, mind, emotions, and strength but do not do His will, we deceive ourselves. Paul said in I Corinthians 15:31 that he died daily to his will that God's will might live in him. In verse 36 of that same chapter he says that unless what is sown dies it cannot live. We think that we have sown our lives in God but the truth is this: When we still allow our wills to live we have not died. Therefore there can be no increase in our potential with God.
John 12:24-26 gives us insight into this truth. Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it cannot produce much grain. The potential lies in the seed and, unless the seed dies, the potential cannot be reached. God honors those who do this very principal of sowing, dying, and then great harvest. I have found out that denying self simply means saying yes to what God wants and no to the temptations that desire me to go my way with my will. Simply put, every time I say no to temptation I am dying to self and the potential of my seed with God is growing.
I am tired of religious junk. We live in the days of harvest and we will never harvest unless we first die to self and then get about the Father's will. What are your thoughts on this subject? What is dying to self and how have you done this monumental task so that your life is maximized?
It is easy to read in scripture about the young rich ruler, who was asked to go and sell all that he had, then give to the poor. He could not obey that command and follow because his will continued to trust in earthly treasures. He was not able to die to self by selling all the goods he had. He was not willing to lay down his life or his will to take on Jesus' life or will because he had not put his trust in
God's provision. As long as man's will is greater in his life than God's will, the man will not have his trust in God. The one thing I have found to be true is that the life of a man is found in his will. So also is the life of God. His life is found in His will. When we say we love God with all our heart, mind, emotions, and strength but do not do His will, we deceive ourselves. Paul said in I Corinthians 15:31 that he died daily to his will that God's will might live in him. In verse 36 of that same chapter he says that unless what is sown dies it cannot live. We think that we have sown our lives in God but the truth is this: When we still allow our wills to live we have not died. Therefore there can be no increase in our potential with God.
John 12:24-26 gives us insight into this truth. Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it cannot produce much grain. The potential lies in the seed and, unless the seed dies, the potential cannot be reached. God honors those who do this very principal of sowing, dying, and then great harvest. I have found out that denying self simply means saying yes to what God wants and no to the temptations that desire me to go my way with my will. Simply put, every time I say no to temptation I am dying to self and the potential of my seed with God is growing.
I am tired of religious junk. We live in the days of harvest and we will never harvest unless we first die to self and then get about the Father's will. What are your thoughts on this subject? What is dying to self and how have you done this monumental task so that your life is maximized?
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Trusting God in an Uncertain World
Now while I was thinking about what is taking place in the world today and writing this article my mind drifted back to a time when I was a kid. At the time we were living in Spokane, Washington while my dad was stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base. It was a great time in life because, as a kid, time is unimportant and you tend to take life without any cares. Now, just about every weekend, I remember us going camping. When the weekend would come, we would pack up the car and head to Lake Ellen. It was our favorite camping spot and usually we had it to ourselves with the Fred Davis family who always went with us. Lake Ellen was not a real big lake. In fact it was more like a pond than a lake and was nestled in the hills of Washington in a remote area. We would fish and swim during the weekend. In fact it had a high rock that we would jump off of into the water. Now when it came to water I was not very excited. In fact I could not swim very well and really had a fear of the water. I would wear a life jacket so that I could swim but was still not real fired up. I usually would stay real close to the land and was not daring at all. Then one day my dad wanted us boys to swim across the lake pulling the boat so we could get it out of the water. I really do not remember why we were doing this but I did not want to participate. I did not swim very well and I was not real sure that my life jacket would hold me that long while we were in the water. I was not trusting and because of this uncertainty with swimming, I was taking on fear. To be very honest I thought I might drown. I cried and told my dad I did not want to do this but he put me in the water and said everything will be alright. He told me to trust him and my life jacket. He said that he would watch me all the way and that he would be waiting for me at the landing we were heading for. He was right! My life jacket held me up, he did watch me, and he was waiting at the landing on the other side of Lake Ellen.
Now, friends, what we have here is a picture of our heavenly Father. God wants us to trust Him with all our hearts. In the Amplified Bible Proverbs 3:5-6 says Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths. This is one of my favorite verses because it tells us how to have our life directed by God. He says we are to trust God which means to have assured reliance upon the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone. We can have that trust in God because our Heavenly Father has these traits in His being.
Our heavenly father is speaking to us today during this economic downturn, and He is saying that we need to trust Him for provision and He will bring us through during this slow economy. So let’s look at four things that God wants us to know in order to trust Him:
1. God is with us. God gives us His word that he is with us in Matthew 28:20 and says He will be with us until the end of the age. That is good news. Now my earthly dad said he would watch me all the way while I was swimming and that brought me comfort. But how much more comfort is there in knowing that your Heavenly Father is with you in every situation and will not abandon you! Now that is someone you can trust till the end! In bad situations He will not run and leave you alone to make it on your own. He is right there with you in the trenches ready to bring you out.
2. God is unfailing. Did you hear that? God is unfailing which means He always comes through for us. Why? According to II Timothy 2:13 God says, If we are faithless [do not believe and are untrue to Him], He remains true (faithful to His Word and His righteous character), for He cannot deny Himself. Wow! What a promise God has made to us. He cannot deny Himself when we are unfaithful because He only has a faithful character. It’s who He is and what we want to be – faithful.
3. God is constant. God is never changing in His character and attributes, no matter what goes on around us or in us. Malachi 3:6 says “For I am the Lord, I do not change (NKJV). The Lord remains consistent throughout time. What He did in the beginning He still does today and you can count on Him tomorrow. Again in Hebrews we see that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. That is true consistency in an ever changing world.
4. God is peace. Philippians 4 says that God is the God of peace, and Isaiah says that He will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on the Lord. No matter what is happening in the world God is peace and His people are people who were made to dwell in peace.
As you can see God wants us to trust Him and He gives us reasons why we should trust Him fully. He is always with us, He is consistent, He never changes, and He is peace. In a volatile changing world this is good news that we can follow. Just like my dad caused me to trust him by making promises to me so God is now desiring that we trust him fully in this lifetime so that His will can be accomplished in our lives.
Now, friends, what we have here is a picture of our heavenly Father. God wants us to trust Him with all our hearts. In the Amplified Bible Proverbs 3:5-6 says Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths. This is one of my favorite verses because it tells us how to have our life directed by God. He says we are to trust God which means to have assured reliance upon the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone. We can have that trust in God because our Heavenly Father has these traits in His being.
Our heavenly father is speaking to us today during this economic downturn, and He is saying that we need to trust Him for provision and He will bring us through during this slow economy. So let’s look at four things that God wants us to know in order to trust Him:
1. God is with us. God gives us His word that he is with us in Matthew 28:20 and says He will be with us until the end of the age. That is good news. Now my earthly dad said he would watch me all the way while I was swimming and that brought me comfort. But how much more comfort is there in knowing that your Heavenly Father is with you in every situation and will not abandon you! Now that is someone you can trust till the end! In bad situations He will not run and leave you alone to make it on your own. He is right there with you in the trenches ready to bring you out.
2. God is unfailing. Did you hear that? God is unfailing which means He always comes through for us. Why? According to II Timothy 2:13 God says, If we are faithless [do not believe and are untrue to Him], He remains true (faithful to His Word and His righteous character), for He cannot deny Himself. Wow! What a promise God has made to us. He cannot deny Himself when we are unfaithful because He only has a faithful character. It’s who He is and what we want to be – faithful.
3. God is constant. God is never changing in His character and attributes, no matter what goes on around us or in us. Malachi 3:6 says “For I am the Lord, I do not change (NKJV). The Lord remains consistent throughout time. What He did in the beginning He still does today and you can count on Him tomorrow. Again in Hebrews we see that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. That is true consistency in an ever changing world.
4. God is peace. Philippians 4 says that God is the God of peace, and Isaiah says that He will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on the Lord. No matter what is happening in the world God is peace and His people are people who were made to dwell in peace.
As you can see God wants us to trust Him and He gives us reasons why we should trust Him fully. He is always with us, He is consistent, He never changes, and He is peace. In a volatile changing world this is good news that we can follow. Just like my dad caused me to trust him by making promises to me so God is now desiring that we trust him fully in this lifetime so that His will can be accomplished in our lives.
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