Written on August 22nd, 2010
I’m learning to walk by faith in new ways. Two big things have happened in the last month and if it weren’t for the graciousness of Rita and Lydia to trust that I am following the Lord, I undoubtedly would look like a loose cannon within Hidden With Christ. No TOA missionary has ever left for two weeks to go on another missions trip and certainly no one else has gotten engaged to a short term missionary in a matter of weeks. While, all this is going on around me, I find myself forced to walk in it by faith that this is what God is doing and I do indeed see His hand on these things.
We met Sunday night as a team for worship, prayer and impartation. A means to build each other up for the task at hand. We would begin our formal ministry the next day through a morning prayer walk followed by prayer and prophetic ministry to local pastors and their wives. As we prayed, it came to Ryan that we are to pray for our eyes to be able to see those things that go on in the spiritual realm. It was already on my heart as well and my Bible was open to share on 2 Corinthians 4:18 which I shared in my post a few days ago. We need the eyes to be able to see into that spiritual realm and engage that which is eternal. It takes faith to do so.
Remember my previous post? What was that all about? I think about what I saw in the spiritual realm where I was fixing my eyes and I saw what the people in the plane were enslaved to. It took faith for me to believe that and to pray into that. It took faith for me to post about what I saw. Undoubtedly anyone could have read that post and figure I’ve gone off the deep end. Biblically, to be able to receive words of knowledge or words of prophecy are totally normal. And yet we often find ourselves too timid to embrace those gifts which the Holy Spirit gives to advance the Kingdom of Heaven. It is a false humility and a limitation on the vastness of God to say that prophecy couldn’t come from our lips and that a word of knowledge couldn’t come to our minds. We are so afraid of what others might think that we resort to not engaging those supernatural things that take a higher faith, thus settling for a more domicile version of the Gospel and relationship with Christ.
I am also learning to walk by His voice. An increase in faith and more sanctified life opens up the voice of the Lord in new ways. The faith remains and is now accompanied with clear direction from the Father. I came here for those three reason that I mentioned in the blog “Kingdom” and I am holding on to those in faith trusting that it was His voice that brought me here. Certain things would discourage me and say that He hasn’t sent me here for these two weeks or that He hasn’t been orchestrating any other big thing in my life. Ryan gave me an update on how much money I raised for this trip while we were in Dubai. I’ve received less than $300 and now I’ll be paying for it out of my own pocket. I don’t say this because I want you to send in money to Global-EFFECT. I’ve already sent out those support emails over a month ago and wrote a whole blog beforehand telling people of our need. Rather, I say that because it is causing me to put my money where my faith is. Its another way that the Lord is making me put my life where my faith is.
Our faith isn’t supposed to be simply a list of beliefs that are kept in our mind. Rather, we are to live by faith. My finances, my physical dwelling, the people that I minister to and minister with, my whole being is to be lived by faith. I will continue to walk in that faith for my time in India/our other country, as well as beyond as I continue my role at TOA and step into my role as the husband to Melissa. I may be liquidating my saved up funds to follow the Lord in faith to India, but you can all just watch as I buy a ring for Melissa, pay off my taxes come January, and we pull off a wedding this summer. Just watch.
Its not daunting to me that my life requires faith. Nor is it surprising to me to see my faith move the reality that is around me. The Lord designed it that way and His plan is good, for this we give praise.
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The Rundown: All has gone well, we know the Lord’s favor rests on us. Our drive to Nairobi, our flight to Dubai, our flight to Calcutta, our flight to Bagdrogra and our drive to Darjeeling all went off without any real hitches. We see His hand over us. The place that we are staying is nice. I say nice and maybe you think of the Hilton, but this is nice and quaint and is a nice change from my same old house. The man that runs it is a Christian friend of Ryan’s named Sulai and he is very amiable. He is a Nepali as our many of the people that we’ll be working with. We also met Pastor Amar and his wife and daughter. He is our main contact here and Ryan has a previous relationship with both of them. Our time as a team has been good. The food has been really good so far and we are blessed by our accommodations. We me up in Bagdroga with Noah and Katie Jenks, who are two fellow Vanguardians and graduated just a year after me. Noah was on my floor when I first transferred to Vanguard in 2005, so its been cool to catch up with him and see how he and Katie are doing. It’ll be a blessing to minister with them and Noah is my prayer partner for the trip. Please be praying for us. So that you can do it by name here are the names of the people: Ryan, Vickie, Lauren, Deborah, Ann, Judith, Rylee, Noah, Katie and me. Thank you all and I look forward to updating further.
I’m learning to walk by faith in new ways. Two big things have happened in the last month and if it weren’t for the graciousness of Rita and Lydia to trust that I am following the Lord, I undoubtedly would look like a loose cannon within Hidden With Christ. No TOA missionary has ever left for two weeks to go on another missions trip and certainly no one else has gotten engaged to a short term missionary in a matter of weeks. While, all this is going on around me, I find myself forced to walk in it by faith that this is what God is doing and I do indeed see His hand on these things.
We met Sunday night as a team for worship, prayer and impartation. A means to build each other up for the task at hand. We would begin our formal ministry the next day through a morning prayer walk followed by prayer and prophetic ministry to local pastors and their wives. As we prayed, it came to Ryan that we are to pray for our eyes to be able to see those things that go on in the spiritual realm. It was already on my heart as well and my Bible was open to share on 2 Corinthians 4:18 which I shared in my post a few days ago. We need the eyes to be able to see into that spiritual realm and engage that which is eternal. It takes faith to do so.
Remember my previous post? What was that all about? I think about what I saw in the spiritual realm where I was fixing my eyes and I saw what the people in the plane were enslaved to. It took faith for me to believe that and to pray into that. It took faith for me to post about what I saw. Undoubtedly anyone could have read that post and figure I’ve gone off the deep end. Biblically, to be able to receive words of knowledge or words of prophecy are totally normal. And yet we often find ourselves too timid to embrace those gifts which the Holy Spirit gives to advance the Kingdom of Heaven. It is a false humility and a limitation on the vastness of God to say that prophecy couldn’t come from our lips and that a word of knowledge couldn’t come to our minds. We are so afraid of what others might think that we resort to not engaging those supernatural things that take a higher faith, thus settling for a more domicile version of the Gospel and relationship with Christ.
I am also learning to walk by His voice. An increase in faith and more sanctified life opens up the voice of the Lord in new ways. The faith remains and is now accompanied with clear direction from the Father. I came here for those three reason that I mentioned in the blog “Kingdom” and I am holding on to those in faith trusting that it was His voice that brought me here. Certain things would discourage me and say that He hasn’t sent me here for these two weeks or that He hasn’t been orchestrating any other big thing in my life. Ryan gave me an update on how much money I raised for this trip while we were in Dubai. I’ve received less than $300 and now I’ll be paying for it out of my own pocket. I don’t say this because I want you to send in money to Global-EFFECT. I’ve already sent out those support emails over a month ago and wrote a whole blog beforehand telling people of our need. Rather, I say that because it is causing me to put my money where my faith is. Its another way that the Lord is making me put my life where my faith is.
Our faith isn’t supposed to be simply a list of beliefs that are kept in our mind. Rather, we are to live by faith. My finances, my physical dwelling, the people that I minister to and minister with, my whole being is to be lived by faith. I will continue to walk in that faith for my time in India/our other country, as well as beyond as I continue my role at TOA and step into my role as the husband to Melissa. I may be liquidating my saved up funds to follow the Lord in faith to India, but you can all just watch as I buy a ring for Melissa, pay off my taxes come January, and we pull off a wedding this summer. Just watch.
Its not daunting to me that my life requires faith. Nor is it surprising to me to see my faith move the reality that is around me. The Lord designed it that way and His plan is good, for this we give praise.
-----------------------------------
The Rundown: All has gone well, we know the Lord’s favor rests on us. Our drive to Nairobi, our flight to Dubai, our flight to Calcutta, our flight to Bagdrogra and our drive to Darjeeling all went off without any real hitches. We see His hand over us. The place that we are staying is nice. I say nice and maybe you think of the Hilton, but this is nice and quaint and is a nice change from my same old house. The man that runs it is a Christian friend of Ryan’s named Sulai and he is very amiable. He is a Nepali as our many of the people that we’ll be working with. We also met Pastor Amar and his wife and daughter. He is our main contact here and Ryan has a previous relationship with both of them. Our time as a team has been good. The food has been really good so far and we are blessed by our accommodations. We me up in Bagdroga with Noah and Katie Jenks, who are two fellow Vanguardians and graduated just a year after me. Noah was on my floor when I first transferred to Vanguard in 2005, so its been cool to catch up with him and see how he and Katie are doing. It’ll be a blessing to minister with them and Noah is my prayer partner for the trip. Please be praying for us. So that you can do it by name here are the names of the people: Ryan, Vickie, Lauren, Deborah, Ann, Judith, Rylee, Noah, Katie and me. Thank you all and I look forward to updating further.
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