A New Earth? Yes! It is coming.

The environmentalists should like this concept.  Their stated goals usually refer to protecting our earth.  In their efforts to protect our "mother" earth they sometimes go to extremes.  All good causes have a tendency to do that.  Protecting our water supplies from pollutants is good for everyone.  Stopping deforesting is a must.  Keeping our air clean?  Please, let's do it.  However, the efforts are being nullified by the hugeness of the task.  We have an uncontrollable population bomb exploding in our world.  It is happening in some of the most over populated and polluted countries of the world.  Countries that have almost no laws to protect our environment.

I think for real hope,  we are going to need to look for solutions more promising.  Something that is a sure thing.  Although many will not believe it or accept it.  It is true. There is a sure hope.  And it will be the ultimate answer to this perplexing problem.  I am afraid that in spite of man's very best efforts and intentions he is going to fail.  The world is being destroyed faster than technologies can be developed.

I find my ultimate hope in two statements found in the Bible by two writers.  One is Peter and the other is John.  You will find Peter's statement in his second letter he wrote to his friends.  In the 3rd chapter and verse 13 he tells us that we are to look forward to a new earth.  He adds that this has been promised by God our Father.  The second writer is one of Jesus Apostles named John.  He wrote the last book in the bible called Revelation.  John says in chapter 21 and verse1 of that book that he saw a vision from God of a new earth.

Wow!  How could such a thing ever be possible?  This old and polluted earth being made new is mind boggling.  How could our waters ever be made pure again?  How could our forest be restored?  Our air?  Becoming pure as it was at one time?  Is that possible?  These two men of the highest level of respected truth say it is going to happen.  They also add in their prophecies that it will not be through man's efforts but God's.

As Christians we believe that we are where we are today because of a curse that is upon all that God created.  This curse is bringing destruction faster than man can cope with it.  It is a destructive curse that has been set into motion by the arch enemy of God.  The goal of this enemy is to destroy everything God has created.  This goal is stated clearly in John 10:10  The enemy is rightly called a thief because he is attempting to steal all God created.  The goal of this enemy, who is called Satan or the devil,  is to "steal, kill and destroy" all that God has created.  He tries to steal from us everything good God has given us.  He would like to kill the life God has given us.  And he seeks to destroy God's creation completely.

Satan's goal seems to be working very well.  Sickness and death are never very far from any of us.  We are helping by destroying the earth ourselves even though it was made for us.  There are those fighting this battle against Satan's goals.  Our medical people are wonderfully healing and developing cures for our many diseases.  The environmentalists are doing a good job of bringing things to our attention and some of it is helping.  However, the "progress" of our developing world has a way of ignoring these issues and proceed to destroy our beautiful natural world.  It is a battle we are losing.

If you ever wonder just what God plans on doing to stop this destruction and to bring an end to the curse, these two writers give us a hint.  A new earth is being planned.  But we must keep in mind that man will have little to do with bringing this plan into fulfillment.  It will be God, whose powers are what will be needed, who will do this.

We do not know what this new earth will be like.  We do have a few passages in the Bible that give a little insight.  However, I think we will need to go back to the beginning of our earth to see what it was like then to understand what it may be like when God makes a new earth.  In the beginning our earth was a garden.  Everything was pure.  It was in perfect balance.  There was no curse so that meant there was no death and all that led up to it.  It was a perfect world for man to enjoy.

If you can understand the concept of salvation as related in the Bible it will help you in trying to understand what will happen.  The concept of salvation is basically a concept of restoration.  God intends to restore all that has been destroyed over the long period of man's existence here.  God built no buildings.  There were no factories.  There was nothing to pollute the air and water.  Man and animals lived in perfect peace with one another.  There was nothing to fear.  Man was not busy building weapons.  There was no hunger and no war.  It was a paradise.

God's purposes are to restore this world.  Nothing will be left behind.  Everything will be included in this restoration.  Here is what Peter said early in his work in Acts 3:11.  He was speaking of the end of time and Jesus return.  "He (Jesus) must remain in heaven UNTIL the time comes for God to restore everything, as He promised."

This is our hope.  Man will continue to do his best and he should,  but it will take a power stronger than man to do the restoration.  At the proper time God will step into our confused and troubled world and restore what we have lost.  That is the only possible way for our earth to come back to us in its pure form. It will come my friend.  It will come!

Who should I marry?

Over the pass several months the nations of our world have gone horribly astray on the question of who should marry who.   Confusion has taken hold.  Tolerance rules.  Common sense has been lost.  Wrong and right have blended into one.  Governments have lost their will.  Judges have lost their integrity.  Politicians giving in to pressures in order to stay in office.

What is it that has caused all of this?  It is the question of who should I marry.  However, it is not just the question of a young lady deciding which young man she would like to spend her life with.  Or the young man looking for the right girl.  It is much more complicating than that.  The corrupted question has become which sex should I marry.  Men are actually wanting to marry other men and women other women.

It is time to address this very serious question.  Here are some facts to consider:

1.  After God had created A MAN He saw that he needed a suitable life time companion so He
created A WOMAN for him.

2.  Together they brought children into God's world.

3.  A man who marries another man can never have a child.  He can adopt one, buy one, kidnap one and in some way have a child given to him but he can not produce a child with another man.

4.  A man can not be a mother and a woman can not be a dad.  A mother's God given gifts of motherhood can not be duplicated by a man.  A man can not  perform a mother's role.

5.  The physical sexual relationship that a man must have with a women to have a child can not be preformed with another man.  They can have a perversion form of a  sexual act but not one they were created physically to have.

6.  The morality of a same sex relationship can not be set aside as if it has no bearing upon human relationships.  There are psychological and emotional effects that will always effect anyone involved in such a relationship.  They may be suppressed for a period of time but will always surface.

7.  Just because the governments may give the go ahead does not mean it is right.  You can not legislate moral and ethic issues.

8.  Religions who give their approval to same sex marriages have lost their legitimacy.  They have surrendered to pressures that cause them to lose their right to speak for God or their gods.

9.  Physical attractions can not be the bases of entering into serious relationships.  Attractions are common and must always be under a moral standard of what is right and wrong.

10.  The Christian faith is a dominant religion in the world and its authority comes from the Word of God.  If the Bible condemns an act it must be condemned by the Christian faith.  It is a contradiction to practice what the Bible condemns.

Those who promote gay marriages are many.  The liberal media, personal rights groups, politicians looking for votes, the movie makers, certain groups given over to perversions.  However, there is no
rightness to a moral issue simply because it is OK'd by the majority.  The majority can be wrong and
they are on this issue.  It is wrong no matter who or how many say it is right.

A Generator

There is something nice about the low rumbling sounds of a generator.  My relationship with a generator started January 1972 when Sue and I took our two baby daughter's to the Gilbert Islands now called Kiribati.  For you that may have never heard of the islands, they are South Pacific islands located some 1,500 miles from Fiji.  The islands sit right on the equator.  Or the equator sits on top of the islands. I don't know which.

Its location gave to the Gilberts very unique days.  They were exactly 12 hours long. The sun would show up exactly at 6:00 AM and would set at 6:00 PM.  For the 365 days of the year,  it was the same everyday. The sun rode the equator.  The islanders taught us how to tell the time of day very accurately by the location of the sun.  Still today, Sue and I will often point to the sun when ask the time.

We lived on a compound.  In our little compound world we had a church and thatch huts for boarding students of a school we ran. Class rooms for the school were there.  A clinic was there for Sue to practice her nursing.  She never knew what was going to appear at her door.  There was a large clinic/hospital in the main town but the real hospital was 1,500 miles away in Fiji and we only got one plane a week from there.  You had to time serious illnesses with the arrival of the plane if you needed a hospital.

Every evening at six I would head over to my little hut that housed a very old diesel generator and start it up.  The compound would come alive as the darkness had to flee for the next three hours.  At exactly nine I would shut it down and darkness would return and the humming of the old generator would stop.  As long as it hummed we had light.

I came to like the sound.  I liked the light it brought.  Everyone did.  For 21 hours of each day we had no electricity.  But at the setting of the sun we would enjoy the humming and what it gave to us.

On one of our furloughs from there we stopped in Los Angeles and spend the night in a hotel.  Our youngest daughter Linnea ask her mom why they ran their generator all the time.  She had come from a different world.

Those days are long gone and we are in the Philippine Islands now.  But the memory of the old humming generator is still fresh.  Still today, when I hear that certain humming sound,  it is pleasant.  It remains me of the light it provided just at the hour we needed it.  That's the way Light is.  It shows up at just the right time and eases away as we become calm.  As it leaves it always leaves with the promise I will be back.  Call when you need me.  When your world becomes dark.  Just call.  I will come. 

Turning Our Weaknesses in to Power

Is this really possible?  Or is this just one of those Christian things that sounds good but doesn't work.
I'll admit there are those "Christian things" that sound good but definitely do not work.  You hear it all the time from the hyper-faith people or from the prosperity preachers.  But let me assure you from my studies of three chapters in Second Corinthians I am convinced that this is real.  Chapters 10, 11 and 12 bring out this truth.  Here is how the Apostle Paul sums up this concept, "For when I am weak, then I am strong."

How can I turn my weaknesses into a source of God's power?  Here are 10 ways.  If they are carefully understood and put them into practice,  God's power will flow through your weaknesses.  Instead of our weaknesses being a hinderance they can become the way God is able to use us more perfectly.

     1.  Develop a high level of rapport between yourself and the Holy Spirit.

     2.  Recognize and honestly accept your weaknesses.
   
     3.  Develop a disciplined life of complete obedience.

     4.  Develop a life of prayer that creates a sensitive ear to God's voice.

     5.  Stay in a responsive mode to God's guidance.

     6.  Be bold in doing what you know God is asking you to do.

     7.  Understand the concept of being a channel through whom the power of God flows.

     8.  Stay humble by running from every form of praise that belongs to God.

     9.  Let the weakness remain until its purpose has been fulfilled.

    10. Remember that God's power is not dependent on man's strengths.

So there you have it.  Follow these guidelines and your will become strong in the Lord despite your weaknesses.  

Easter or Passover?

Now that we have come through another wonderful Easter celebration I am reflecting on what I saw, heard and experienced.  It was a marvelous Holy Week.  However, I noted time after time references to the Old Testament Passover Feast.  Mixed in with the New Testament Holy Week activities were these Old Testament references that were at times very confusing.  Such statements as "Happy Passover," could be heard from time to time.  Follow by "Happy Easter," by someone else.  Let me just state now as we continue in this thought, Easter has replaced the Passover!  The Passover Feast was an Old Testament event that promised a future fulfillment.  Easter is a New Testament event that fulfilled and replaced the Passover.  Everything that happened the last week of Jesus' life fulfilled every Old Testament promise that a Messiah would come and bring us absolute freedom.  Here is the way Hebrews 10:9 quotes Jesus as saying. "Here I am, I have come to do your will." Paul  then says,  "He sets aside the first to establish the second."

The ceremonies of the Old Testament can be very intriguing.  With their pomp and circumstance.  With their rituals concerning foods and drinks.  The clothing.  The colors.  The dances.  It is all very engaging and all seems to be so very right.

Of course, it was all right in the Old Testament times.  It was all required in the Old Testament times.  And it would still be required of us today if it wasn't for Easter.  However, all the Old Testament ceremonies were intended to bring us with full understanding to the New Testament day of Easter.

When Jesus observed the last Passover Feast with His apostles before going to the cross,  He gave them a drink from the cup and said, "This cup is the new covenant (New Testament) in my blood; do this in remembrance of me."  His blood would establish a new covenant and the old would be fulfilled.  The old was no longer needed.  This was to be the last Passover Feast and the First Communion service was instituted.  Our communion services have taken the place of the Passover Feast.  The Passover Feast has been fully completed and its purposes no longer exists.  Jesus is the Lamb of God that was promised by the Old Testament lambs that were slain.

The joy of Easter can be robbed of its delightfulness by mixing it with requires of an obsolete Old Testament feast. The joy of the freedom we have as a result of Easter can be taken away by those who would purpose to us that there is something necessary about the Old Testament feasts.  Don't accept it.  Don't be robbed of your joy and freedom that the cross and resurrection has given you.  It is precious.  Let us continue to rejoice in the days and weeks ahead.  John 8:36, "If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."

Kathmandu, Nepal

The sound of the name of the city is mysterious.  Most do not know where it is.  Some might like to go.  I would advise you to go.  I just returned after spending a week going about the city.  It is not my first visit.  I have been going for ten years and I keep being drawn back.

Let's be honest, it is a dirty, dry, dusty and hot city.  It is in what is called the Kathmandu Valley with mountains all around.  The city is one of those places you would like to describe as the good, the bad and the ugly.  However, you struggle to put each adventure into one of the three categories.

The good?  Some of the most beautiful mountain ranges in the world.  The Himalayans run throughout the country.  You can trek in the wonderful and fairly easy foothills with their small villages of friendly people.  Or you may want to go high and high you can go.  Everest is there.  Just a little under 30,000 feet. Never been there.  Don't expect to go.  But it is fascinating.  More of the good?  The people!  They are mostly dark skin and smile with all of the welcome that could be in an expression in a smile.  They like to practice their English and will offer you the most wonderful cup of tea while to chat.

The bad?  I really don't like this category but there is always a little bad everywhere.  I do not think I have been to a more dirty city and I have been to hundreds over the last 40 years.  Water is a major daily shortage.  Maybe this is why everything seems dirty.  There does not seem to be an air condition car in town.  They are there, of course, but don't expect one in the dilapidated cabs.  Brownouts or blackouts as some call them are a constant daily occurrences.  Drinking water?  Be very careful.  Food?  Spicy.  If you like good hot curry it is the best.  Garlic Naan is a favorite of mine.

The ugly?  The airport is a nightmare.  When you walk out into the parking zone you will be surrounded with a mass of men pulling at your bags wanting to help you find a taxi and get you to where you want to go even if you don't want to go there.  The government is as many governments are in these countries.  They get rich and live well off of aid from other countries.  But the people see nothing of what the money may have been given for.  When will developing countries ever stop enriching corrupt political leaders?  It is as if they are all from the same place, doing the same thing and enjoying the very best of luxury.  One political leader from another country know each other.  When the rich country gives money it knows where it is going.

Will I go back?  You bet!  I love the dear friends I have made over these last 10 years.  We seem to need each other.  I always wish I had the resources to help them but I don't.  I help in ways I can.  I know very wealthy people in other parts of the world that could help but they have never been to Kahmandu and probably will not go.  I will go and enjoy a hot cup of tea and some wonderful conversation and just be thankful that I can go.  I love those dear people.

Numbers just make sense

Our world has gone over the 7 billion mark in its population bomb.  India is now challenging China for the top spot in the numbers game.  The way we traditionally and very personally identify each of those who make up the mass of people is with a name. We like our names.  We did not choose it but it is ours.

However, more and more the governments of our world want us to become numbers.  Names are to difficult to use when dealing with billions of people.  Names can be the same and are duplicated.  As time marches on and more and more people enter our world names are going to become a problem.  Numbers will be easier for the use of identifications.

Think for a moment.  How many numbers do you have connected with your name?  At birth a birth certificate number is given to you.  In the USA and other countries Social Security numbers are issued to each child born in the country.  As we move through our lives a collection of numbers increases.  Various numbers are used in the school system.  Drivers licenses, credit cards, hospital insurance cards, marriage license, passport numbers and on and on it goes.  We each have a hugh collection of numbers associated with our ID.

ID thieve has become a hugh uncontrollable crime.  People steal other people's ID numbers and are successfully stealing from them.  Banks are moving us very quickly into a numbering system.  Banks are using account numbers.  These include ATM machine numbers.  Each deposit or withdrawal has a number.

It would make sense for the governments of the world to agree to a universal numbering system that could be given to each person.  It would become the one number that the person would use for transactions.  Each person would have a number that no one else would have.  It would be your secure number.

Whether you visit your bank or a government office.  It would be the same number.  When you go to the grocery store you could paid for your food with a number.  Go to the drug store and get your medicine.  No matter what transaction would be required of you during a normal day you would have that one and only number.

It makes sense.  It would simplify things.  For the governments it would be a great problem solver.  When the planes struck the twin towards in the  USA killing thousands, the ID of these people who carried out the act was a hugh problem.  They each had several pass passports and various other kinds of ID numbers.  Who were these terrorists?  More importantly where are they today.

One number for each person.  A great ideal whose time is quickly coming.  You would just have to be careful that you did not lose your number.  If you did or if someone else got control of your number you would be in trouble.

However, the government is ahead of us and is moving in a deliberate direction that will not only bring us into this worldwide numbering system but it will become the law of the land.  Everyone must have this number in order to control the misuse or lost a controlling.

The world of science has come to the rescue.  More specifically the electronic world has come into the picture.  This world of electronics is moving faster than our small minds can keep up with.  Enter the world of computers and the fascinating microchips come into their greatest use.  A vast mysterious world that allows man through its use to number, track, control, signal, identify, and any other problems that has to do with individual IDs.

The Bible some 2,000 years ago talked about this system. Amazing!  It revealed a time would come when everyone would be required to take a number.  It would be a personalized number that would be imbedded into the skin of each person.  It would be so incredibly small that you would not be able to see it with the naked eye.  It could only be seen through an electronic reading device.

No more credit cards to worry about losing.  My ATM machine would be safe.  I could not be suspected of being a terrorist.  The banks would be happy.  Working with the governments a no money society could be created.  That would deal with the stealing of paper money.  Who could buy drugs?  If you stole a car how would you sell it?

The book of Revelation is THE book to turn to if you want to read about some of these.  It is merely introduced and is a mystery but it is there.  Predicted by the Apostle John as he wrote the book.  The number that is symbolicly used is 666.  It is said to be the number of man indicating this whole system would come from man.

Revelation 13 tells us the extend of the use of this required numbering system:

     1.  Everyone will be forced to take the number.  It will be government required.

     2.  There would be no "special" people left out.  Small and great.  Rich and poor.  Free and slave.

     3.  Those who refused will be killed.  After all they could be a terrorist.

     4.  Even the location on the body is told.  The forehead or right hand would be the place.  It would not matter which because it will not be seen.

     5.  No buying or selling could be done without the number.  The money to pay would be in the system.

     6.  It is referred to as the number of man.

     7.  Those who take the number are doomed for eternity.

Scriptures to read?  Revelation 13:16; 14:9;  15:2; 16:2; 20$

False religions will cause mass confusion in the last days

As I study various passages in scripture I am amazed at how often we are warned about religions that will so confuse people that they will not know what to believe.  Each religion claims to be the only true way.  They twist, distort and in a general way use scripture to their advantage.  In the confusion they create, people will move from one religion/church to another.  They will proclaim something they deeply believe one day and after a few days they are proclaiming another doctrine.  Some will become so confused they will simply leave the faith.  They will simply give up on truth and develop their own belief system.

In Matthew 24 Jesus was responding to questions His apostles had ask him about the end of time.  Their questions are much the same questions being ask today.  In trying to answer their questions He warned several times in this one chapter about the religious confusion that would occur in the last days.

In verses 4 & 5 He warns, "Watch out that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My name, claiming, "I am Christ."  In verse 10 He tells us the results of this is, "that many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other."  He continues, "Many false prophets will appear and deceive many people."  Again in verse 24 His warning continues, "For false christs and false prophets will appear and perform great  signs and miracles to deceive even the very elect - if that were possible."

I have no ideal how many religions you may be able to find in our world.  Move from country to country and you will see temples, gods, churches, religious declarations of various kinds.  They can be intriguing.  They can have a certain drawing power to them that is strange.  Watching their devotion to their gods amazes us.  How can they be wrong?

There is only one safe haven for truth in this kind of world.  It is the Bible!  The deeper you go into the Bible the more truth will be revealed to you.  The further you get away from it the more confused you will become.

The message of the Bible?  This is were many go astray.  They pull a few verses from one book of the Bible and then a few more from another book and develop their theology.  Here is a central truth concerning the Bible.  It is about One Person.  From Genesis 3:15 to the book of Revelation the red line of Jesus life can be found.  Every interpretation must be in total agreement with Jesus Christ.  A scripture concept or theology that takes us away from Christ will be false.

If you will keep your eyes on the Jesus of the Bible you will avoid false teachings.  The Jesus of the
Bible is the One born of the virgin Mary.  Born without sin.  Lived a sinless life.  Was resurrected on the their day.  He is the only One the Father accepts as our Savior.  Take away any part of this teaching and you have departed from truth.

There is no need for us to be confused.  We have the Bible in our hands.  Read it!  Meditate on it!  Memorize it!  Know its message!

A World in Trouble Means We are in the Last Days

I have been a student of last day events as they are revealed in the Bible for many, many years.  I am amazed as I see things happening today that were written about hundreds of years ago by the men and women of the Bible. In putting together in my own mind all of the things we are told will be happening in the last days I have noted some of my own insights.  These are not prophecies.  These are just obvious things occurring in our world that are moving us swiftly into what the Bible simply calls the last days.  The last day concept, of course, refers to the last days of our earth before Jesus returns to take over a world that has lost its way and is out of control.

First, we have a worldwide crisis created by the various kinds of governments.  Every form of any man made government can be found in our world today.  We have the autocratic forms which are merely dictatorships.  We oligarchic which is government by the few.  Aristocratic, government by the nobility can be found.  Imperialistic is a government by the military and then there is the democratic forms which is government by the people.  They can all be found.  However, God never intended His world to be governed by any one of these forms.  His world was to be a theocratic from of government.  The Israelites rejected this long ago and we are still rejecting it today and creating our own unworkable forms.

Second,  uncontrollable population explosion.  Masses and the power that they potentially have to create havoc in our world is beginning to be seen worldwide.  In the year of 2011 we saw throughout the Middle East what masses can do.  There are countries such as China who live in fear of the masses.  No matter how large an army a country may have they will not be able to control the masses.  The masses today are unhappy.  They are being abused, used, mistreated and enslaved by their governments.  We are going to see more of this kind of unrest in the last days.

Third, we have a worldwide economic crisis that has thrown the world into financial chaos and their seems to be no end in sight.  The economies that were strong and controlled so much of the enterprise of the world have lost their power.  The Euro is fighting for its life.  The US dollar is no longer king.  The Mark of the Beast that will come in the last days has to do with controlling the economy.  Revelation 13 tells us that no one will be able to buy or sell unless they have this mark.  This is an economy crisis being brought under control by a worldwide power which we know will be controlled by the anti-christ.

Fourth, devastating natural disasters are occurring almost daily.  We are not talking about inconvenient storms and landslides.  We are talking about island moving earthquakes killing thousands.  Tsunamis that silently sweep across the land and destroy everything and everyone.  No man made power can stop them.  We simply try to predict their coming and run from them.  But there is no place to run.  The Bible warns of an increase of these kinds of happenings in the last days.

Fifth, the emergent of false doctrines, religions, prophets and people claiming to be Christ.  When it comes to religion people can be easily blinded.  A false prophet can sound so correct.  Religions can promise so many things.  Doctrines are difficult to verify.  Our emotions take over and we embrace the most foolish of religions no matter how ridiculous the claims.  Even true Christians are often deceived and fall away from the faith.  Many end up believing nothing at all and declare there is no god.

Sixth, we live in an age of narcissistic domination.  The way we look.  The clothes we wear.  The cosmetics we use.  The plastic surgeries we endure.  The millions we spend.  We have developed into a world of people obsessed with the way we look and what we own that makes us look better.  It seems insignificant but it has become a dominating way of life.  The Bible simply refers to this as being self centered.  No one would dare admit that this is true of themselves but you only have to watch their life styles and observe what is important to them and how they spend their money.  This has become a serious misguided way of life.  There is no amount of money that we will not spend in order to make the right fashion statement.  What becomes lost in this approach to life is what is really important and how serious life is.  We easily forget tomorrow and any consequences of todays misguided value system.  We can't seem to think for ourselves.  We let the fashion world, the movie industry, the cosmetic developers form our value systems.  And to add to this tragic lost of our own value system we tend to pass it on to our children.

Seventh, there is a lack of  spiritual hunger.  The vacuum that everyman has for God is being filled with a world of entertainment being offered to us.  Never has there been so many different ways to be entertained.  The amazing world of electronics has brought to us movies that are life like.  Computers that hook us into a hugh world of music, movies and entertainment to your liking.  No one today is without some electronic device that they can have with them 24 hours a day.  People walk down the streets as if they are in a daze with ear pugs bringing into the head music of every kind.  Our children no longer want a doll or toy car.  They want a cell phone or game boy or one of the many items that Apple offers.  Satellites  fly around our world sending down to us from the heavens what ever we would like to entertain us at the moment.  Any spiritual hunger that God may be be trying to create within us is often lost in the world of confusing sounds meant to entertain us.

Where is all of this taking us?  One thing seems to be obvious we do not seem to have any control over where we are going.  We are being swept along with these forces.  I warn you my friend, you will be swept away with it all unless you bring into your life a power that is stronger than you and stronger than what you face.  God is the only source of power strong enough to help us.  On our own we will simply lose the battle and not even be aware that we are losing.  We will wake up one day and it will be too late.  God is always there and always will be.  But it is up to us to invite Him into our situation and allow Him to take charge of our confused and lost way of life.  He knocks everyday at our hearts door, but He will only knock and wait patiently hoping we will come to our senses and open the door for Him to come in.  He is waiting right now.

True Fasting

On February 22nd, which was Ash Wednesday we entered into the Lent season.  I am not sure that very many Christians know much about the season.  It begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday before Easter morning.  It is technically suppose to be 40 days.  The days are intended to remind us of the 40 days of Jesus' wilderness journey that He took before He began His ministry.

There is nothing said in the Bible about Lent.  The whole ideal has come from religion.  It is therefore a religious ritual intended to remind us to observe certain disciplines that are intended to bring us into a closer relationship with Christ.

One of the rituals that is observed by many is fasting....doing without food.  Jesus fasted 40 days and some may even try to follow His example.  Few people really fast that long and I certainly would not recommend it without an intended purpose that has come from God through a definite revelation.

Fasting is found in the Bible. Practiced by Old Testament people as well as New Testament.  Isaiah, one of the major prophets of the Old Testament, talks about fasting in his 58th chapter.  What is found in that chapter is Isaiah being told by God what true fasting is.  Here is what you find:

In verse 6 God speaks to Isaiah and declares "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:

     1.  To loose the chains of injustice.

     2.  Untie the cords of the yoke.

     3.  Set the oppressed free.

     4.  Break every yoke.

     5.  Share your food with the hungry.

     6.  Provide the poor wanderer with shelter.

     7.  When you see the naked, clothe him.

     8.  Do not turn away from your own flesh and blood.

This passage caught me by surprise.  I had never thought of fasting in this kind of context.  It makes you think.  It makes you wonder if fasting is something more than merely not eating or doing without some pleasure.  Fasting is seen here as an action on our part to do something for others that we may have never thought of doing.

We are to loose, to untie, to set free, share food and provide shelter.  It is Christianity in action.  It is obvious that there is more here than merely a ritual or a ceremony or even a period of time.  It is action that must not be limited to a few days of religious activity.  It is so much deeper than that.  This kind of fasting puts our Christianity to the test.  A real test of reaching out to those who have become enslaved by sin.  Who are suffering the consequences of sins.  Who can not free themselves.

True fasting is hearing the cry of the enslaved, the hurting, the hungry, the naked and doing something about it.  True fasting is rushing to them to do everything in our power to relieve them of their suffering.  It is a soothing act of mercy by reaching out with kind hands and comforting them.

True fasting!  I think I'll take a fresh new look at fasting and see if I am fasting at all.

I have been traveling

For the last two weeks Sue and I have traveled.  Nothing special about that.  But as I travel in and out of various countries things happen that you tell yourself, "I am going to remember that."  But, of course, most of the time you don't.  While it is fresh on my fading memory I though I would ramble a little about some things.

1.  The first flight was on Emirates Airline and it is super.  It has come to the top of some of my airlines along with Singapore, Thai Air, ANA and Cathay Pacific.  No American airlines on my list.  To many grandmothers daring you to ask for anything.

2.  We flew most of the trip on the world's largest commercial airline the A380.  It is a flying cruise ship.  Absolutely amazing.

3.  I also flew on Alitalia Air.  I have placed this airline at the bottom of my list of the worst International Airline.  Avoid it if you can.  I have heard strange stories about the mafia.  They may be the owners of this airline.  Customers are obviously a hugh annoyance to them.  Please give us your money and go away is their motto.  Terrible!

4.  We stayed in Reggio, Italy where our fist church in Italy is located  This is a small town where the Apostle Paul came to shore on his way to Rome.  A monument stands on the shore.  A great place for a Word for the World.

5.  The smallest cars possible ply the streets of Reggio.  They park on top of each other.  Streets are too small for cars, parking and people.  Tiny!

6.  From cold, cold Italy we flew to hot, hot Dubai.  Huge, beautiful airport.  Maybe the nicest international airport in the world.

7.  More religious freedom in Dubai than you think.  Not so in most of the other 6 emirates but some freedom.  Still, you must be careful.

8.  I got on an elevator in our hotel in Dubai and a small little old lady got on with me while eyeing me strangely.  "Is that a Bible you have?'  Yes it is.  She wanted to say more but the doors opened for her floor and she slowly got off looking back at me.  I don't know what was going through her little old mind.

9.  Heat and dust storms are the order of most days.

10.  We traveled to Ai Ain to visit Chad and Ginny.  They are from Tennessee and they are teachers.  It is a beautiful city and they were happy.

11.  Food is always different in each place you travel.  Dubai?  Cheeses of every kind.  Dates plentiful.  Wonderful Olives of every size and taste.  For breakfast we had beef bacon and beef sausage.  The pig was spared.

12.  You must know some basic sign language to get around.  This is language you just make up as you go alone.  Sue is very good at this.

13.  Changing time zones pays havoc with your sleeping order, your ability to think clear, and the clothes you should or should not be wearing.

14.  The time of day, the date and the day simply gets lost.  The meal you are eating usually doesn't help much.

15.  Security at airports is a nightmare.  You come close to being required to undress.  Coats off, pockets empty, belt off, shoes off, off, off, off.  I saw one Japanese man trying his best to hold up his pants while trying to do the other things the security people were shouting at him.

16.  After everything marching through the ex-ray machine you find yourself elbow to elbow with a dozen other people trying to redress.  Excuse me.  Pardon me.  Is that your belt or mine?

17.  Airlines have a very unique system of having you arrive at gate 1 and your must  be at gate 100 in five minutes.  Marvelous the way they can do that.

18.  The meals are fascinating if you happen to get one.  Most of the time you do not know what it is your are eating and before you are finished, "We are beginning our descend."  Tray tables up, seats in place, seat belt buckled.  Hurry, hurry.

19.  Turn off all electronics or you will cause total confusion in the tower and the pilot's instructions.

20.  We have just landed and everyone tries to get off at the same time.  Hurry or something terrible is going to happen.  Overheads pop open and what does fall out on someone's head is pulled out quickly as if someone is going to steal your bag.  On to the next wonderful flight.  I know it because they keep telling us what a great airline this is.  Now where can I find gate 100A.

Christian or a great pretender?

Weird, strange teachings are bombing away at our belief systems.  I do not struggle with the obvious non-christian religions who have idols for gods and strange religious beliefs that domninate so much of our world, but my very disturbing struggle is with the growing number of religious groups who claim to be Christian and whose teachings are not Biblical and not Christian at all.

I should not be so surprised because I have been an avid study of last day events as revealed to us in the Bible.  Such scripture passages as Matthew 24 repeatedly warns of an abundance of false teachers, prophets and false christs (1 Timothy 4:1).  But I am.  I am surprised.  I am disturbed.  I am ashamed  because I feel a sense of guilt by association at times with some of these so called Christian organizations that are not Christian at all and yet included in Christian Conferences for unity sake.  They are pretenders.  The truth is there is a very thin line that can exist between true Christianity and the pretenders.  The line is thin but it is there.  The thinness of the line is what gets so many of us in trouble.  Many simply do not know the Bible well enough to see the line and know when someone has crossed to the wrong side in the teachings.

There are many different tests that we can apply to a religious group that can help us.  In so many various ways they give themselves away.  But let me give you a test that can be one of the many you can use.  I have found that most false teachings will fail when this test is applied.  In applying the test you will need to listen carefully to their answers because they are very subtle and will twist and distort their answers.  And they can sound very Christian.

The test?  It centers around just what they believe and teach about Jesus Christ.  Here we go:

     1.  Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God?  Yes or no.  No explanation needed.  Yes or no. (Matthew 3:17; Luke 1:35; John 1:14)

     2.  Do you believe that Jesus was born of the virgin Mary?  Yes or no!  (Matthew 1:23)

     3.  Do you believe that the conception was a miraculous work of the Holy Spirit?  (Matthew 1:18, 20 Luke 1:35)

    4.  Do you believe Jesus was born sinless?  (Matthew 1:23)

    5.  Did He live a sinless life?  (1 Peter 2:22)

     6.  Did He die on the cross for the sins of all mankind?  (1 Peter 2:24; Hebrews 2:14)

     7.  Do you believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus?  (John 20:19-29;  Acts 3:15)

      8.  Do you believe He is right now at the right hand of the Father making intercession for us? (1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 1:3)

      9.  Do you believe that salvation can be found only in Him?  (Acts 4:12)

      10.  Do you believe He is coming again?  (Acts 1:11)

These are the things you must believe to be called a Christian.  If your answer to any of these questions is no, then you can not call yourself Christian.  This is the ultimate test.

False religions and cults will always fail this test.  Ask a Mormon.  They can not say yes to these questions.  Ask a Jehovah Witness.  They can not.  The INC church fails.  Unitarians?  Fail!  Whatever the name be that a religion may call itself, if they can not say yes to the above ten questions they fall into the category of pretenders to the truth.  They are false teachers, proclaiming a false religion and in the end they have NO SAVIOR.   A Savior is needed.  The Father accepts no one without a Savior and the only one who qualifies to be our Savior is Jesus.   The Father will accept no one else because they can not meet His requirements.

A fourteen member rat church.

I needed to return to Nepal to visit an on going construction of a small orphanage we were building in West Nepal.  As my big Thai plane's wheels touched the tarmac my heart jumped.  It always does when I land one more time in a country I have learned to love.

I spent the night in Katmandu and was picked up early the next morning by my Overseer Ram Paudel.  We caught an early morning flight for a trip to the west where I would visit some churches and look over the small orphanage.  We flew on Air Buddha, a small domestic line I had flown many times. A curious name for an airline.  As you fly west the Himalayans are on the right for about half of the trip.  They then slowly give way to the low lands of the west.  During our flight, Brother Ram and I chatted.  I asked him how many people were required by him to declare a group of people a church.  He said about 30 with 15 baptized members.  Nothing else was said about it.

We landed safely just 10 kilometers from the Indian border and began our day trip in an old four wheel jeep.  This part of the country is extremely hot and dusty.  It is farm land with small very interesting villages.  Buildings are crude and basic.  Life is hard here.  Farming is done mostly by hand.  Harvesting done by ladies bent over the heavy laden heads of rice the entire day.

We stopped by to visit Brother Ram's dad and mom.  Pleasant people living a very hard life.  He farmed a small piece of land he owned.  Before he came to the Lord he was a Hindu priest.  Now a servant of the Lord. The visit was not long, but the memories are good.

Our first visit was to one of our churches of about 300.  The pastor was full of life and very enjoyable to be around.  He laughed a lot.  He showed us various lively hood programs he is helping develop.  From there we went a short distance to the orphanage.  It is still under construction.  We have one more building to build.  Since my visit we have received our first children.  Eight girls from the nearby villages who had lost their parents to war and disease.  Death never seems to be far from these hard places where people fight the hard earth and sometimes fight one another.

From there we visited four other churches.  All were made of clay and stick walls with thatch roofs.  The clay is baked by the hot sun and becomes hard like bricks.  Inside there are mats on the earth floor.  There are no chairs.  Women sit on one side and the men the other.  It is their way.  The ladies always cover their head during prayer time.

There was no worship service in the middle of the day when we stopped at one of the churches.  We met with the pastor and three of his men.  We sat in the church drinking tea and talking about future plans.  While talking we were joined by another young man.  He is in training to pastor a church one day.  I was told he had just come from rat hunting.  I wanted to know a little more about this hunt.  There are 6 to 8 people who hunt together in the fields of the farm land.  Three or four will go to one end of the field and three or four to the other.  They walk toward each other driving the rats as they go.  They find it very easy then to catch the rats.  The rats are not caught for the same reason we might catch them.  They eat them.  He had caught 14.  That was a good harvest.

I pondered this for a moment and then I turned to my overseer and said, "If he had caught one more you could have a rat church since 15 is what you require for a church."  He looked at me for a moment and then began to laugh uncontrollably  He then explained to the others our conversation on the plane and they began to laugh.  We laughed and added to the story for some time enjoying wonderful fellowship in a very poor setting.  The tea was good.

It is not often that cross cultural jokes or humorous story are understood but when it happens it is wonderful.  I still get a reference to the "rat church" ever so often.  We went on to enjoy a great afternoon before flying back to Katmandu.  Wonderful.  Wonderful.  I will return.

My first visit to Nepal

When I hear the name Nepal there is a certain feeling that begins deep inside of me.  Explain it?  No way!  No words.  I remember my first visit to this wonderfully strange land more than 10 years ago.  I had flown from Manila to Bangkok for an overnight.  Boarded a Thai flight the next day on to Katmandu, Nepal.  I sat in my seat captured by a strange feeling.  As a child of God I always knew that I was to reflect the light of our Lord and I was to be a part of His light.  As my old Thai plane banked to land in this strange land I felt a sense of light flying into darkness.

I knew from my studies that Nepal was a Hindu country.  That told me that there would be thousands of different gods that had found a place to reside.  Gods that were the gods of darkness.  I felt a certain weakness that was strange.  My emotions were responding to the days ahead.

The arrival was an experience.  Not frightening.  No rudeness.  Just people all confused except for those who were suppose to be directing travel.  I have never experienced so many different voices barking out different orders and contradicting each other with ease.  I am not sure how I got out of the airport but suddenly I found myself confronted with scores of people who wanted to help me.  Carry your bags sir?  My taxi is this way.  My hotel is near.  Bottle of water sir?

With the gracious hand of the Lord upon me I found myself in a taxi. At least it was suppose to be a taxi.  I closed my door three times.  No air conditioning, sir.  Off we went in a car made from tin cans and spare motorcycle parts.  We drove at a speed that was un-nerving.  We swerved around "holy cows" that rambled freely.  Buses, trucks, bicycles, people walking, animals, beggars, WHO, UNESF, UN, diplomaic cars all in range of my vision.  The problem?  They all wanted to be in the same spot at the same time.

I do not know what kind of miracle got me to the right hotel but there it was.  Right in front of me.  Amazing.  I looked at the driver and he just grinned.  I gave him some rupees.  I don't know how many.  I just needed to get out of this danger zone and into this wonderful hotel.

I walked into a beautiful hotel lobby.  Not large but peaceful, orderly, with a young man bowing before me with a wonderful fruit drink.  What fruit?  Who knows.  Everyone was kind, helpful, gracious and there were fresh flowers that scented the air and I thought, "I  have just passed through hell and I am now in heaven."

That is how I got there.  The next few days were going to be my introduction to what I would find to be a wonderful country with gracious people and so much to see.  The next few days are for another time.  Just let it be known that Nepal is worth the visit.  You are never very far from the towering beautiful Himalayan Mountains.  They have a mystifying drawing spirit about them.  You simply want to go invited by the promise of the land of Shangri La. I have been going to that wonderful land for ten years.  I will return next month.

What's in a great cause?

We are a cause oriented society.  It is the "in thing" to be a part of some great cause.  There are scores of them to choose from.  Green is a great one.  The goal is to save the world from ourselves - to encourage our use of all forms of natural products.  If you like things of the sea there are several causes you might consider.  Whales need to be saved.  Seals are adorable and need to be saved.  Birds?  There are always some flying creatures that need our rescuing efforts.

Human rights advocates are big.  These are always good causes.  The list of human rights is endless.  There is always a minority group that is being mistreated.  As I looked at this interesting cause I discovered that almost everyone is in a minority group.  You really need to find out which one you belong to.

People are very serious about their causes.  They give their money.  They march in the streets.  They  chain themselves to some object and wait for someone to cut them free.  There are some really serious people who go on hunger strikes for days.  Occasionally, you hear of someone setting themselves on fire.

There is a driving force behind this cause phenomenon.  It makes a person feel good even if nothing changes.  They wear various symbols on the clothes or attach bumper stickers that read "Blow you horn if..." to their cars.

Here is a thought about the reasons behind the cause movements.  Could it be that there is a spiritual vacuum deep within a person that drives their involvement?  Every one has a spiritual need.  It may be hard to identify it but it is there.  Most people would probably never admit that a spiritual vacuum exists in their souls.

God has created us with needs.  The Bible tells us that we as His creations are a trinity in our very make up.  We are body, soul and spirit.  I like to think in some way our needs can be broken down into these three categories.  We have emotional needs.  Our physical body has needs.  Our spiritual needs  are deeper and maybe harder to identify but nevertheless they are there.

Our emotional needs usually find expression in relationships.  A good relationship can take us into  realms of delight.  Our physical needs can be met in a dozen different activities.  Our spiritual needs?  These maybe a little more difficult to assuage.  They are strong.  They may be be the strongest of needs.  However, identifying or even recognizing we have that need is at times very hard.

It was St. Augustine who said, "Thou hast made us for Thyself.  And our souls are restless until they find rest in Thee."  Of course, the regular cause seeker would not consider this concept because it has to do with religion and the whole God thing.  They need something more tangible.  Something they can do themselves.  Some good that they can find fulfillment in by doing it themselves.

So off man goes in search of his cause.  He ignores any inner plea that might come from deep within himself that his need may be spiritual.  That's too simplistic.  There must be something out there that is bigger and better.

I often imagine our Lord sighing as He watches us madly dash around the world trying to keep a tree alive or a fish from dying.  "This is my cause." we think,  "This is why I live."

The good part of all this madness is, God is patient.  He lets us run our course.  He is never angry when we run out of causes and somehow realize it was really Him that we needed all the time.  He waits and embraces us in love when we come to Him.  That's Who He is.

Ways I travel.

I had gone to the interior parts of the island of Mindoro for ministry.  I had a great time with the people of a very isolated village.  When it came time to leave I was told that someone would come for me at 3:30 AM.  I was waiting as an ox cart with a tired old ox pulled up to the thatch covered hut I had been sleeping in.

Off we went at a walking pace for three hours.  Coming to a small and very quiet fishing village.  I climbed out of the cart and onto a bangka.  A bangka?  That is our hand made fishing canoes.  We sit very low in the water and slowly moved up the coast of the island never very far from land.  Dolphins joined us from time to time for a four hour very pleasant ride.  As I watched the dolphins play I leaned over maybe to far and my watch disappeared into the sea.

We soon came to a dirt runway where I was to take my third form of transportation back to Manila. However, the manager said the plane had not been there for three days and he didn't know when it was coming.  There were five or six of us that decided to travel an hour or so to another village where we might get a boat across the straits to the island of Luzon.

Off we went on my fourth form of transport.  This was a jeepney that had long seen its last days but was defying time and moving on.  We rode through the dusty roads to the village.  Sorry, we were told.  No boat today.  However, not far from here was another village and we might get a boat to take us to Luzon.

By the time we reached the last of the villages it was getting late.  However, there was a boatman who agreed to take us for a price.  Our group had grown to about 15.  We paid and began to board another form of transport.  The 15 of us and a couple of boatmen was way to many for this bangka.  The more people who got in the lower in the water we sank.

It was dark by now.  There was no running lights on our bangka and the engine didn't sound to good.  It was an old diesel engine that threaten to quit every few minute.  No problem, I was told.

Off we went to cross from the island of Mindoro to Luzon.  For you who know,  running in between islands of the Pacific are what are called rivers in the sea.  It  is very swift moving waters that would carry any object out into the open Pacific never to be seen again.

A storm had developed and why not?  Everything was going in that direction.  As we moved out from the safety of the shores of Mindoro the waves begin to pick up and soon every wave would sweep totally over our bangka.  It was as dark as a dark night could get in the midst of a storm.  Not a light on the sea and not a star in the sky.

The engine begin to cough and threaten to give up.  We knew that if it did the current of the river in the sea would carry us out into the Pacific.  I later heard several stories of this happening and people were not heard of again.  This was great.

A man and I sit huddled in the front part of the bangka.  Fighting the waves to no avail.  I am not sure what he was doing but I was praying.  I mean really praying.  I came to a decision in the middle of this darkness that it was all over.  I wondered what Sue would tell the girls.  I wondered about a lot of things.  Strange had your thought are different at times like this.

As I prayed I looked off into the darkness of the storm and saw a pen head of a light.  I wasn't sure if it was real but focused in on it.  I told the Lord.  If He care anything about me at all please take me to that light wherever it may be.  As eternity came and went the light slowly became larger.  After some two hours we broke free of the river currents and entered the calmer waters of the shore of Luzon.  The light was the most precious light I had ever seen.  I wanted that light.

We soon floated into the village of this light and I somehow got off the bangka and staggered to a dilapidated but wonderful old bus.  The driver was a maniac and drove with strange abandonment.  Never mind.  I was getting close to Manila.  He dropped me at an intersection murmuring something about he was not going any further.  I managed to get a taxi.  It was about three in the morning.  He took me to my little home that had become the most precious sight of safety I had ever known.

My beautiful wife opened the gate in that early dark dawn morning and I stood and held her for a long, long time.  Twenty three hours ago I had gotten on the ox cart.  Travel can be so interesting in this part of the world.  Thank God for little lights.

Why do the nations rage?

You will find this question ask by a king.  It is found in some of his writings in Psalm 2.  Though he ask the question several thousand years ago it is a question that many are asking today.  What is wrong with the nations of our world.  Everyone seems to be raging at each other.  Everyone seems to be angry.  One nation fights another.  While near to them other nations are fighting for entirely different reasons.  It seems to be circling the globe.  Why is there so much turmoil?  Why are the nations raging?

I find it amusing and at the same time confusing as I listen to the leaders of our world give their various answers as to what is going on in our world.  The politicians, the educators, the philosophers and various others who are suppose to know give conflicting reasons.   They also have their solutions as to how all of this can be brought to and end.  As you listen to them their solutions seem to have some credibility.  But the rage continues.

Let me take you back into history to a time when God's chosen people, the Israelites, made a decision that displeased God and brought immediate consequences to them.  The decision was so severe and the consequences so great that it is all still with us today.  They made a deliberate, thought out decision to reject a form of government that they had been ruled by since their beginning as a nation.  From their beginning they had a form of government called a theocracy.  That is a form of government that is religious in nature.  God was the head of the government.  He made the rules and the people followed.

For very selfish reasons the Israelites decided to reject this form of government and decided they wanted an earthly, visible king like all other nations had.  And it was so.  They changed their form of government and since that time nations of the world have been changing their forms of government from time to time.

Some  nations became autocratic.  This is an absolute, dictatorial form.  Others went to the oligarchic form which is government by a few.  Still others chose aristocratic which is government by the nobility.  A very forceful type could be found in other nations called imperialistic which is a military, ruthless form of government.  Finally, in our world today we have the democratic form which is said by many to be the best though very confusing.

However, though you find all of these various forms in our world today we are still raging against one another.  No peace can be found in any of these forms of government.  The raging continues.

Is there a solution to all of this fighting?  If anyone of these forms of government were to dominant would we have peace?  I am afraid the answer is obvious.  Not one of these has ever brought any kind of lasting peace.  And we do not expect it to happen.

However, if we could go back and take a look at history and the form of government rejected by Israel could it bring into our world the peace that would end the raging?  The theocratic form of government would bring God back into our world of government.  The form where God makes the laws, man obeys and God supplies every need the man would have.  Peace would rule because it would come from the hearts of every person.  God would not just be found in the halls of some government structure but in the hearts of every man.

One day this form of government will return.  God will return to take back the world He created and He will once again be King.  It is definitely in our future.  Meanwhile, the nations will continue their raging and great turmoil will be found in each one.  But one day every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord.  He will be the Lord of Lords and the King of  Kings.  It is coming.

January the 2nd 1972- 40 years today.

This date holds a cherished meaning for Sue and I.  It was on this date that I took the hand of our five year daughter Beth and Sue took the hand of our three year Linnea and we boarded a very large United
Airline jet in Chattanooga, Tennessee.  It was raining as hard as any monsoon.  Our family and most of our home church were there to see us off. It was like a funeral.  We were headed for one of the smallest atolls in the Pacific Ocean called the Gilbert Islands.

Since this was before the information highway opened we knew almost nothing about where we were going.  There were 16 of the atolls and we were to live on Tarawa with about 16,000 people.  It was 14 miles long and no more than a mile wide.  We were to live in the village of Eita as the only foreign family.  We were funny looking people.

Our home was a small concrete building that had been built by a former missionary one block at a time. I soon learned how to make those blocks as I built class rooms and a hugh cistern. We had no electricity.  We got our water from the rain.  No telephones.  No one to call anyway.  The nearest hospital was 1,500 miles by water.  We got one plane a week and a ship every three months that would bring us fresh food.

We ate fish everyday.  Every few days one of the fishermen would catch a 300 pound turtle and give us a large portion.  Sue did miracles with what she had to cook.  She cooked on a one eye camping stove the first year.  It took us a year to get a new one from Japan.  The refrigerator was a demon possessed kerosene contraption.  We fought every two or three days.

The work was wonderful.  We had a school of 120 students.  Sue had a clinic for the villagers.  They came to her for everything.  She became very innovative.  I pastored the church on the compound, directed a small Bible Institute and supervised 20 churches on the other atolls.

I am not sure what we did for the people there but we learned so much.  We learned much about our Lord.  Because of what we did not have and were so isolated we learned one great lesson that became the rock of our missionary life.  YOU CAN TRUST GOD.  When there is no one, there is God.  When you are isolated He is there.  When deeply in need of a miracle He provides.

After three years we moved on to other places of service but the lessons we learned have stayed with us. You really can trust Him.  He will not fail you.  No matter where you serve He knows you are there.
   

There are things I would like to know about 2012

God has never detailed our future.  He speaks at times about certain things He feels we may need to know. But, on the whole, the future is God's.  Whether tomorrow or for a year, each day comes as God wills it. I hear the would be prophets talk eloquently about what has in some way been revealed to them.  I hear and sometimes I ponder on it.  But usually not for long.  Each day will some with its surprises.  Sometimes joyful things.  At other times sad, hurtful things.

As the year unfolds I pray that I will be able to respond as my Father would want me to.  He knows I have questions.  And if there is a need, He will reveal it.  But the Christian way is and always will be the way of faith.  Faith in a kind, loving Father who will always keep the future under His control.

What would I like to know?  Oh, I would like to know the time of His coming.  But, I know, that's on His calendar not mine.  I would like to know about my health.  There are things I would like to know about those I love.  Will the year be prosperous or will it be hard.  I do not know.

I remember Jesus ever so gently telling His followers, "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by His own authority."  (Acts 1:7)  I can live with that.  I can trust my Lord enough to live one day at a time.  Each day will arrive and God will be the One who has brought it.  I will try my best to enjoy each one He gives me.  I'll try to please Him as best I can.  I will strive for His smile of approval as each day closes.

God bless your tomorrows.  Live with the calm assurance that your Father will always be there for you.