When Things Don’t Work… Jesus Has a Plan!

Guest Post by Luis Rey

I had a desire to preach about Jesus, and I always said that if
whatever I wanted to be didn’t work out, then I would be an
evangelist. I never wanted to be a “pastor” in a church, even though
many people thought I would be one.

After pursuing a career in music for a few years and having some
success, I felt the “call” to full-time ministry (more on this below).
Through the years, I constantly struggled with my consistency in my
walk with God, and at times, felt the pressure of “being better” being
in a position of authority in the organized church. What I didn’t
understand was that I was walking in ignorance.

You see, I had asked Jesus to come into my life when I was a child,
but I never understood what it meant to receive the life of Christ in
exchange for my life. I walked in great zealousness for God, trying to
either earn my relationship with Him, or working to prove I was worthy
of His blessings. My friends, I lived a life much like a Pharisee,
trying to please God by following all the rules, because that’s what I
thought a good Christian does. I had a mental assent that Jesus would
forgive me, but to me that included feeling a lot of remorse, tireless
confession, depression and even desperation. There were things in my
life that were destroying me and I found myself without the strength
to conquer them, and instead of trusting in the Spirit, I thought it
best for me to try even harder. My faith wasn’t in Jesus, it was on my
ability to make things right with God.

But God in His great mercy and patience had other plans for me. You
would think after serving in some powerful churches, several
mega-churches in fact, and serving as a pastor and student pastor that
I would walk in understanding, right? I tell you that just because a
man has a position or title does not mean he walks in truth. In the
quietness of my heart and through a desire to overcome my frustration
with my life that had a form of Godliness yet without power, I heard
the true message of Jesus. This message filled my soul as I truly
heard of what Christ has done for us, according to the great grace and
love of God. I began to hear the gospel of God’s work reconciling the
world unto Himself, which included me, without any help of myself. The
power of the Spirit revealed to me that I was no longer a slave to my
sin, that in fact, my old-self HAS been crucified with Christ, and if
I am like Christ in His death, then…get this…I am assuredly like Him
in His resurrection… in THIS life! The New Covenant of the loving
Father began to wash over me, in which He says, “AND THEIR SINS AND
THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE.” Father began to reveal
Jesus in me, as I began to walk as a new creation, not because I had
tried to become one, but because in Jesus, I am one!

The true Good News, the Gospel, of Jesus Christ invaded my life, my
heart, my soul, and my mind. I truly had to come to repentance,
changing my mind about where my righteousness was found, and I now
place my faith in the grace of Christ Jesus alone. I discovered that
in being transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of
the Son, that I am no longer working as a slave to please God, but I
am resting in the truth that I am a son, and if a son, a co-heir! And
though I “serve” God today, I serve Him as a son, prayerfully doing
whatever it is He asks of me.

Out of this great awakening from my slumber, I realized that there is
no such thing as “full-time” ministry, that ALL who are in Christ
Jesus have been given the ministry of reconciliation. Through this,
Father began to open my eyes to His Kingdom beyond the four walls of
the modern-day expression of the church. As part of that awakening, my
wife Ashley and I gave up the assurance of a full-time paying job at a
church and began a journey being led of the Spirit to preach and teach
the Gospel wherever doors open.

There is so much more to our journey with our beautiful children, and
we are hungry to preach this beautiful and powerful Gospel of Jesus to
as many people as possible. We also want to encourage you in your
ministry of reconciliation and we ask that you join us in furthering
the Gospel throughout the United States and the rest of the world.

Miracles Authenticate the Holy Presence of Jesus

Guest Post: by Jim of Mozambique

At the weekly Staff Meeting with Heidi we heard the stories of 5 blind
people that were healed in the last couple weeks! Exciting stuff!
One was a Muslim Cleric … his eyes were totally white. During
prayer his eyes turned a beautiful brown and he began seeing. He is
now following Jesus and the whole village is coming with him!

We also heard the story from Zimbabwe of a young christian who set out
to do what Jesus did. Someone told him that the things Jesus did, he
could do. So he took his Zimbabwe BMW (a bicycle) and started going
door to door, asking if anyone was dead in that house. After knocking
on several doors and receiving a negative answer he knocked on a door
only to find that the young daughter there had just died.

He went and began to pray for her and in his words “She got more dead.”

So he read the Scripture about Jairus’s daughter and saw that everyone
was put out of the room so he ordered everyone out. Then he read that
Jesus spoke to the young girl and told her to get up. So he did that.
Several times. And she got up! Then, like Jesus, he told her family
to give her something to eat.

He said it was not because of great faith and that mostly it was a
mistake. He didn’t know what to do and was just trying whatever came
to mind.

The victories here are great. Great victories come from great
battles. We do not speak of the battles very much, but they do
happen! We choose not to focus on the battles but on our King Who IS
Victor!

Please continue to keep us in your prayers.

Much Love

Jim & Twyla

“I said hey, is this my problem? Is this my fault?”~Paul Simon

For the most part… life in America is pretty grand. Our needs are
met and most of the time in excess. We have multiple cars and eat in
nice restaurants. Mostly, we are blessed with far more than we ask.
It is in this comfortable state, we can easily lose track of who the
provider really is.

Then something happens totally unplanned or maybe even a long series
of things. The car breaks down. We develop a pain and the doc says
it is incurable. Our spouse declares their love for another. Our
children are busted for drugs and skipping school. The list goes on.
I wonder why the list even exists. I didn’t do anything to cause any
of these catastrophes.

It’s true… you and i may not have done anything to cause these
catastrophes, but the struggles of life are predictable. It is from
these struggles, Jesus fulfills His promise “all things work together
for the good of those that love the Lord.” The good comes about from
the truth spoken by Jesus… “,,,from your side, you must give your
confirming evidence”.

When we are wounded in our side by life’s struggles, we are to give
evidence to the world of God’s power and sovereignty. Will the
evidence for the world come from living a defeated life or living a
victorious life in love with Jesus? What evidence will the world see
in your life today?

“When the Friend I plan to send you from the Father comes—the Spirit
of Truth issuing from the Father—he will confirm everything about me.
You, too, from your side must give your confirming evidence, since you
are in this with me from the start.”~Jesus

Paul Simon sums it up nicely, this way…

was having this discussion
In a taxi heading downtown
Rearranging my position
On this friend of mine who had
A little bit of a breakdown
I said breakdowns come
And breakdowns go
So what are you going to do about it
That’s what I’d like to know
You don’t feel you could love me
But I feel you could

It was in the early morning hours
When I fell into a phone call
Believing I had supernatural powers
I slammed into a brick wall
I said hey, is this my problem?
Is this my fault?
If that’s the way it’s going to be
I’m going to call the whole thing to a halt

You don’t feel you could love me
But I feel you could
You don’t feel you could love me
But I feel you could

I was walking down the street
When I thought I heard this voice say
Say, ain’t we walking down the same street together
On the very same day
I said hey Senorita that’s astute
I said why don’t we get together
And call ourselves an institute

You don’t feel you could love me
But I feel you could
You don’t feel you could love me
But I feel you could

“We are to love the people of the world. They may respond with hate. How’s that work for you?”~archi

“…sometimes it seems darkness is all that is left.” ~archie

Friend.

Imagine if you will, a place of total darkness… Now strike a match!
The light of the world is revealed.  How long will you carry the match
and never strike it?

In the beginning there was darkness. The earth was void. God brought
light to dispel the darkness. God created man and placed him in a
world that is naturally dark. Light was created to dispel this
darkness.

Sometimes…. darkness seems to overtake the light… it is again in
this darkness that God created the light of the world in a man name
Jesus. Today… Jesus is the light that dispels the darkness, but we
have a responsibility to call on the light of Jesus. Too often we in
arrogant boldness try to create the light…

It is in this darkness we become trapped….

There is but one creator.  He has created light, but we must choose
the light.  Without the light, there is only darkness.  Nothing good
will come of the darkness.  Ultimately, the darkness will bring death.

For some the death will come early.

The truth is that God created light to dispel darkness.  There is but
one way out of the darkness.  His name is Jesus.

Choose to strike the match!

archi

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IN TRIBUTE TO A FACEBOOK FRIEND WHOSE LIFE ENDED EARLY IN DARKNESS

Black water traces its way on the ground, pools and swirls until
darkness surrounds but cry out.  Come save me now….

Lonely sorrow in the dusty mind, the traveler on the road, pick up
those 6 strings and play.  Come find the weary heart today… Carry
the sorrow,  Make a stand, Lend a shoulder, to understand, there is a
way….there is a way

Pick up your feet on this dusty road of lifes troubled
consequences…rule the dusk and dawn of all things in life. You will
make ammends.  Lay down the gun,  needles, suicide, depression and the
like.  It’s going to be a long journey through the black water
tonight.

Carry me!  Through the dark water of life..  Carry me!  No more
dragging in the strife.. Carry me home tonight…I’m tired of this
pain… Fuck it all or forget it well, I’m living through this tonight

Shadows come through misty gray mornings so dark, down to the old pool
I start but damn that water….Its so cold inside my heart.  Lend me a
boat alright, let me rule that water and sing.  Carry me over the dark
water moat.  Don’t let that poison touch me again.  I don’t give a
damn what you say I can’t do.  I’m crossing this today.

You don’t have to  carry me!  No, I’m walking now.  Don’t carry me!  I
am learning how.  Don’t carry me!  I have found the way to walk on
that black water and leave it all today!  Blessid soul, dark no more,
not weary or afraid.  Blessid heart and mind of God is where I am to
stay.  Holy one am I my friends and no one can hold me down. I’ll rise
up on that black water and soar above the clouds.

BY Jacob Heynen
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