Happy Thanksgiving

Today we will celebrate a special Thanksgiving meal at Higher Grouds Coffee House. We have 40 people coming and we are looking forward to a wonderful time of fellowship and offering thanks to our God who has been so good to us. I am grateful for His provision and protection during this past year. He has opened new doors of ministry and used many teams to reach out to the Guatemalan people. Life is never without its bump along the way but God is always with us to get us through and make us more like His Son Jesus. "In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
Have a blessed day as you reflect on God's goodness to you.

The Road Less Traveled...November 2008

Greetings from Guatemala. It it good to be back after a tremendous time of ministry in India. Thank you for your support and prayers during the 2 weeks I spent there working with Oasis Ministries. It was an incredible time of ministry in which there were thousands of people giving their lives to Christ and hundreds were healed of sicknesses, diseases, pain, blindness, deafness, diabetes, lameness abnormal growths and demonic possession. This was my first experience seeing these type of healings in among so many people at the evening crusades that were attended by 5-13,000 people each night. India is a harvest field and it was a privilege for me to be able to help gather in the harvest of souls and see people set free. I had the privilege of praying for 3 ladies who were possessed by demons. One lady had been possessed for 10 years another 1 year and the third for 10 months. Each case was different but in 2 of the cases the demons manifested themselves by taking control of the ladies bodies and voices. Several of us prayed for what seemed a long time before we were able to see them set free. Two of the ladies returned the next night to give testimony of what Jesus did for them. They were so happy to be free and their faces radiated joy. The evening crusades grew in numbers each night as the people heard what was happening. During the second week people were taking turns coming to the meetings as there was not room in the vehicles provided for everyone to come at once. After the service people came forward for individual prayer for needs. They were so desperate to see God move in their lives that they crowded around me and were grabbing my hands to be able to lay them upon them and pray for them. Many times I felt overwhelmed by the crowd but could only call out to the Lord that He would hear the cries of their hearts and send the response in a way that they would know that He was the one who loved them and wanted to meet their needs.
I was also able to teach at the pastor's conference that was held in the mornings in conjunction with the crusade. We had 200 pastors attending and they were very receptive to the messages given. The crusade and conferences were held in areas that have not been reached in this manner before so the pastors were very grateful that we had come to work with them. Another part of the outreach I participated in was dedication of wells in areas were there was a great need for clean water. In one area the people could only get water on Sundays and then only if the electricity was working to pump the water. The water often caused sickness but the water from the new wells had improved the health of the people a great deal. At one well dedication we were met by some people from a local church and they formed a parade with drums beating to call attention to the rest of the people that something was going to happen and they invited people to come with them to the dedication. Before the dedication we presented the gospel message and invited people to pray for salvation. Several people gave their lives to Christ. I also spoke in 2 churches on Sunday mornings before the evening meeting and I had the opportunity to speak at a Bible school during their chapel service. It was a very busy time for all of us but none of us complained.
The Indian people showed great honor to us and always gave us food, flowers and a shawl. Even though English is the language of the country most people speak their native language which I did not know any words. We always had translators to help us with communication as well as understanding customs. One of my most interesting cultural experiences was getting a haircut. I thought I was all done with the haircut but then the barber started thumping my head, massaging my scalp, then my neck,back and arms and finally he grabbed by head and cracked my neck! All this for 50 cents.

Our ministry in Guatemala with the local children is going well. Our staff have been hosting a Kid's Club on Saturday morning and we have shown a couple of movies on Saturday nights the past 2 months that have been well attended. We are planning a special Christmas party for the children in December. We also hosted an Evangelism seminar at the end of October and did a special outreach on Halloween in which 14 people gave their lives to Christ. We are planning to host a Men's Seminar in January and we will be hosting teams in December and January. We are praying about starting an English program soon as it is a great way to reach out to the Guatemalan young people as well as adults.

I am still planning on doing a construction project the last week of January 2009. We will be helping Pastor Efrain with the construction of the health clinic in San Pablo La Laguna and possibly construct a home if funds are available. If you would like to be a part of this outreach please let me know and I will send you information.

Next week we will be hosting a special Thanksgiving meal at the coffee house for our staff as well as students and tourists who are in Antigua for the holiday. We are all looking forward to the turkey meal and the celebration of God's goodness to us throughout the year.

Thank you for being part of the ministry in Guatemala through your prayers and gifts of support. I am grateful for the opportunities God has given me to be a part of what He is doing here as well as in India. Please continue to pray for our coffee house ministry and the needs we have to keep it operating. Our financial situation is difficult at this time as business has been slow and we have depleted our account. Please pray that God will give us wisdom to make good decisions and provision for our needs for the ministry.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

The Persecuted Church

Persecution of the Church
Persecution and tribulation have always been part of the life of the church and the individual believer Persecution was part of the life of Jesus even when he was a baby. Joseph and Mary had to flee to Egypt to escape from the madness of Herod who feared his reign was threatened (Matt. 2:13) Throughout his ministry Jesus faced threats of entrapment and death from the religious leaders of the day.(Matt. 12:14). They made many accusations against him such as:
Mark 3:22 But the teachers of religious law who had arrived from Jerusalem said, “He’s possessed by Satan, the prince of demons. That’s where he gets the power to cast out demons.”
They attempted to kill him on several occasions.
John 10:31 “The Jews took up stones to stone him.”
They struck him.
John 18:22 Jesus was struck by an officer’s hand
Luke 22:63 Jesus was stuck in the face and spate upon
And finally the crucified him. The most painful death one could suffer.
John 19:16-18
So they took Jesus and led him away. 17 Carrying the cross by himself, Jesus went to the place called Skull Hill (in Hebrew, Golgotha). 18 There they crucified him. There were two others crucified with him, one on either side, with Jesus between them.

Jesus suffered greatly on the cross and was humiliated by the Jews and the Romans. The very things he endured were the same things his disciples were told would happen to them.

Jesus made it very clear that persecution and tribulation were coming and to be expected. In the sermon on the mount , he said in Matthew 5:11-12, 11 “God blesses you when you are mocked and persecuted and lied about because you are my followers. 12 Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted, too.
He also said in John 16:32-33, 32 But the time is coming—in fact, it is already here—when you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. 33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

John 15: 18 if the world hates you you know it hated me before it hated you
John 21: 12 they will lay hands on you and persecute you delivering you up to synagogues and into prisons
Jesus did not paint a pain free picture for his followers. He gave them a reality check as to what they could expect and his life was a demonstration of what they could also expect in their lives.
The persecution continued in the life of the early church. A quick survey of the book of Acts verifies what Jesus had predicted would happen.
Acts 4-Peter and John are arrested and placed in jail. Later told to be silent about Jesus.
Acts 5-Apostle arrested and place in jail but set free by an angel. The next day they were on trial and were almost at the point of being murdered but instead were flogged and told to be silent.
Acts 6 Stephen brought before the council and stoned
Acts 8 Church of Jerusalem persecuted and many flee for safety
Acts 12 King Herod Agrippa persecutes the believers and beheads the apostle James. Peter placed in prison
Acts 13 Jews incite a mob against Paul and Barnabas while in Antioch Pisidia
Acts 14 Jews and Gentiles prepare to stone Paul and Barnabas in Iconium
Acts 15 Paul is stoned and left for dead in Lystra
Acts 16 Paul and Silas thrown in jail while in Phillipi
Acts 17 Paul and Silas escape for their lives while in Thessalonica
Acts 19 Gaius and Aristarchus are dragged into the amphitheater in Ephesus
Acts 21 Paul is arrested and put in jail in Jerusalem,
Acts 23 Paul’s life is threatened
Peter wrote to the church to encourage them during their time of persecution 1 Peter 4:12-14
John told the church to not be astonished if the world hates you 1 John 3:13
In the book or Revelation the churches are greatly persecuted. The church in Smyrna faced great suffering. Revelation 2:9-10
9 “I know about your suffering and your poverty—but you are rich! I know the slander of those opposing you. They say they are Jews, but they really aren’t because theirs is a synagogue of Satan. 10 Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. The Devil will throw some of you into prison and put you to the test. You will be persecuted for ‘ten days.’ Remain faithful even when facing death, and I will give you the crown of life

Much of the persecution of the early church came as a result of the opposition of the Jews but this extended to persecution by the Roman government as well. An article in “Exploring Church History” provides much of the following information.
The Jewish persecution stemmed mainly from their fears that Christianity would take away many of their constituents and that they would lose political favor.
Roman persecution was based on several factors. Politics and power was one of their concerns. The teaching of Christianity about a new King and a kingdom was taken as a threat to their political structure. They feared being overthrown. In addition the fact that the Christians would not worship their gods and goddesses was viewed as an act of treason which had to be dealt with severely.
The Christians were also persecuted because they did not fit into the social structure of the society that found great pleasure in dramas, theater and sporting events. These events usually began with a sacrifice to a pagan deity. The believers condemned the gladiator games in which prisoners were thrown to wild beasts for entertainment. The Christians also promoted equality of people this slavery which fueled the economy of the Romans was not supported by them.
Christians also were persecuted because they did not support the businesses that earned money through the sale of idols or other objects of worship. The economic effect was one of the reasons there was such turmoil in Ephesus when the people stopped buying the wares of idolatry. In addition Christians were often accused of causing calamities such as earthquakes, famine and pestilence which came as a result of their failure to worship the Roman gods.
A final reason for the persecution was the beliefs of the Christians. The believers were not pluralistic but taught that Christianity was the only way to God and eternal life. They aggressively evangelized and refused to worship the emperor or any of the gods. Because they had to meet in secret rumors circulated that perversion was taking place. In addition the communion service in which believers drank the symbolic blood of Jesus and ate his symbolic body generated rumors of cannibalism. The Romans considered the Christians as atheists because they worshipped and invisible God not a god of goddess that was an idol or image.
The persecution that began in Acts 6 continued for the next 300 years by Rome. Most of us are familiar with two of the rulers who were brutal against Christians: Nero and Domitian.
Nero reigned from A.D. 54-68. He was a homosexual and was considered a madman.
In A.D. 64 Nero accused the Christian community of setting the city of Rome on fire, and thereupon instigated a fearful persecution in which Paul and Peter perished. It was reported that Nero played the fiddle while he watched the city burn. The burning lasted for 9 days and destroyed 10 of the 14 districts of the city. Nero was accused of setting the fire so in order to divert attention from himself, he made the Christian community the scapegoat. Those who were accused of setting the city on fire were burned at the stake at night to light the gardens near Nero’s circus. Some were crucified and others were thrown to wild animals. The Christians were not punished for their beliefs but were punished for the arson they did not commit.

Domitian
The second wave of persecution of the church came under the reign of Domitian beginning in A.D. 95. He persecuted the Jews but also included the Christians because they refused to pay a tax that was to be used for the construction of a temple for Jupiter in Rome. The deeds of Domitian are more relevant than those of Nero to the themes of the Apocalypse. Worship of deceased emperors had been practiced for years, but Domitian was the first emperor to demand worship while he was alive. This led to a greater clash between the state and the church, especially in Asia, where the worship of Caesar was widely practiced. The persecution under Domitian presaged the more severe persecutions to follow. Because the Christians refused to participate in this worship, they were charged with treason. Some were martyred, others lost all their property and some like John were banished.

We can observe that the persecution that came to the church during the first century of its existence is in many ways the same today. A church that is on fire for God will be a church that is also under fire. Persecution of believers is on the increase in many nations of the world.
Here are some statistics given by Christians in Crises
Were you aware that ...


Since the death of Jesus Christ 2000 years ago,

43,000,000 Christians have become martyrs. Over 50% of these were in the last century alone.
More than 200 million Christians face persecution each day 60% are children.
Every day over 300 are killed for their faith in Jesus Christ.
Presently there are 40 countries in which persecution is occurring.

I want to take a little time to give an update on what is happening in several parts of the world. We need to be informed so we can pray more effectively and more fervently for our brothers and sisters who are experiencing tremendous persecution. I want to profile a few of the places where the persecution is happening even as we sit here tonight.

China: Prominent House Church Leader’s Sons Assaulted by Chinese Police (VOM)
On October 16, Zhang Jian, the elder son of Pastor "Bike" Zhang Mingxuan, was severely beaten by Public Security Bureau (PSB) officials in Beijing, China Aid Association (CAA) reported.
Zhang Jian was at home with his mother, Xie Fenglan, when PSB officials entered their residence and secured the exits before severely beating him with iron bars for nearly half an hour. As Zhang lay bleeding profusely, his mother called the ambulance, but the receptionist told her that a higher government authority gave a directive not to dispatch an ambulance to rescue Zhang because he is related to Pastor Bike CAA reported. Xie Fenglan called her younger son, who rushed to the house and was also beaten by the same authorities, CAA added.
After some time a family friend took Zhang Jian to a local emergency room, where doctors said he may lose sight in his right eye as a result of the beating. The family has not been able to contact Pastor Bike, who was travelling at the time of the attacks, and they fear authorities have detained him. Pastor Bike is an outspoken evangelist. He traveled more than 10,000 miles across China’s 24 provinces passing out Christian literature and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. He has been arrested several times for his evangelistic activities.
In August, two days before the Olympics, Pastor Bike was arrested along with his wife and co-worker. The Voice of the Martyrs and China Aid Association launched an international petition drive advocating for the release of Pastor Bike, his wife and co-worker. More than 58,000 people signed the petition and it was delivered to the Chinese Ambassador, Zhou Wenzhong, in Washington D.C. Shortly after the petition began and the Olympics ended, all three were released.
Pray for Zhang Jian and his younger brother’s quick recovery from the attack. Ask God to protect Pastor Bike and his entirely family during this challenging time. Praise God for this family’s faithfulness to risk their all for the sake of the gospel.
India-More than 70,000 Christians displaced in Orissa
UPDATE: The Voice of the Martyrs contacts working to assist believers affected by attacks in Orissa state report that more than 70,000 Christians have been displaced and forced to live in refugee camps.
"At the Peyton Sahi relief camp which houses 35 families and 130 distraught tribals, Chabila Naik, a man who ran an orphanage for 50 children in Sarangada spent three days in the forest after their houses and churches were razed [with fire]. He has not been reunited with the children," VOM sources said.
Stories coming from persecuted believers in Orissa are heartbreaking. Christians spent days hiding in the forest following the attacks that erupted on August 24, after the murder of a prominent Hindu leader by Maoist extremists. “One family which did not want to be named said they had to leave their elderly mother in the jungles while the others walked through rain and darkness for 60 hours to get out of Kandhmal,” VOM sources added.
"We had no choice; I could either save my wife and two kids, or stay with her and ask for death for all of us. But, I am sure God has saved her, though I have no idea where she is," the man told VOM sources with tears in his eyes.
VOM is assisting displaced believers in Orissa and other areas in India where persecution has spread. Pray for believers who face these intense hardships and have in some cases lost contact with family members. Ask God to protect them and provide for their needs. Pray their testimonies will draw nonbelievers into fellowship with Him.
Iraq-Seven Christians Killed in Mosul, Iraq
Seven Christians have been killed in Mosul, Iraq, so far this month, The Associated Press (AP) reported. "We are worried about the campaign of killings and deportations against Christian citizens in Mosul. Such violations are damaging the national unity," Chaldean Archbishop Louis Sako told AP. "The Christians want only to live in peace and harmony and to work together with all Iraqis for the benefit of Iraq," he added.
On Oct. 4 an armed group of suspected Islamist extremists assassinated a man named Hazim Thomaso Youssif in front of his clothing shop, and Ivan Nuwya was shot to death in front of his home, located near a mosque in the Christian-majority neighborhood of Tahrir. Meanwhile on Oct. 6, a disabled 25-year-old shopkeeper was shot and killed in the neighborhood of Karama. Four other Christians, a pharmacy employee, a disabled man who owns a spare-parts store, and two day-laborers have also been killed.
The Christian community in Iraq is estimated to be 3 percent of Iraq's 26 million people, or about 800,000. Archbishop Sako is based in the northern city of Kirkuk and has overseen believers in Mosul since the killing of Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho. Archbishop Rahho was kidnapped and killed by gunmen in March following Mass. His body was found dumped on the streets.
Some Christians believe that Muslim extremists are targeting shopkeepers in an effort to wipe out the Christian community's economic activity and drive out believers from the area. Since 2003, Christian leaders, churches and businesses in Iraq have been targeted by Islamic extremists. As a result, many believers have fled.
The Voice of the Martyrs actively supports Christians in Iraq with Action Packs, material resources for Christian leaders and evangelistic literature. VOM distributes the New Testament in Arabic and also supports widows through the Families of Martyrs fund.
VOM encourages you to pray for those who mourn these lost lives. Ask God to continue to embolden the Christian community in Mosul to proclaim the gospel even while suffering. Pray for God's protection for Christians living under difficult circumstances.
The Christian Post reported that 15,000 Christians have been forced to flee Mosul in the past weeks due to persecution.
Indonesia-Christians remain strong and resolute despite Muslims closing church
INDONESIA – Recently, Muslims closed a church in Jatimula, Bekasi, West Java, Indonesia and blocked Christians from entering and holding services.
According to The Voice of the Martyrs contacts in Indonesia, “Muslims blocked the alley leading to the church building. Pastor Anna and Huta Julu had to lead worship outside their church building and believers had to sit in the dirty alley to pray outside their church.”
VOM contacts added, “The sign outside the church building stated, ‘This church building is sealed,’ and it was written on a letterhead belonging to the Tambun Selatan district of Bekasi local government.”
This is the second time Muslims have closed the church in Bekasi. The church was first closed on September 10, 2005 when a mob of 100 Muslims nailed boards over doors and windows and prohibited believers from entering the building.
Despite the church’s closure believers in Indonesia rejoice in suffering for Christ. In 2005, Huta Julu said, “…we peered between the boards to check for damage inside [the church]. Three of us stood outside in the darkness and prayed. We thanked God that He allowed this to happen to us. We were very encouraged because we knew the Apostles experienced the same thing. We are never disappointed for being Christians.”
VOM has supported and encouraged believers in Indonesia and provides Christian books like Extreme Devotion to believers. Praise God for the unwavering faith of believers in Indonesia. Ask God to watch over Pastor Anna and Huta Julu as they continue to lead other believers in Indonesia. Pray for protection for believers as they couragesously live for Christ in the midst of hardships.
Articles from TheNews
NORTH KOREANS ESCAPE FOR ONE LAST MEAL
On our bus ride up to the Border, one of our Translators began to share an unbelievable story... His parents are missionaries in a city just across the North Korean border in China. They often give shelter to Christian Refugees who have escaped from North Korea into China; risking their own lives in the process.
Many of these Refugees know that they will eventually be caught- and they know the punishment that awaits them: When the Secret Police catch a Refugee they take them to the public square and break both their legs with iron bars! Then they drill a hole through their collar bone, insert a chain, and drag the Refugee back to North Korea for execution!
Even though they know the fate that awaits them, many of these Refugees say they have escaped JUST TO HAVE ONE DECENT MEAL BEFORE THEY DIE!! Their idea of a 'Decent Meal' is a simple porridge; and yet they are risking brutal torture and death to escape from North Korea... where conditions are even worse. The chilling level of brutality and the inhumane living conditions are beyond our ability to comprehend.
NORTH KOREAN ARMY BULLDOZES CHILDREN
A few years ago, a group of workers were widening a road outside of Pyongyang, the capital city of North Korea. When they came to the village of GokSan, they began to demolish an old abandoned building that lay in their path. Suddenly they stumbled upon an underground room-- a tiny catacomb, a meeting place for a secret underground Christian congregation!
The Police were notified immediately and the Pastor, Kim Tae Yong, was arrested along with all the members of this secret Church. In front of the entire village of GokSan and its 30,000 inhabitants, the Police told the Christians, 'Deny Christ or lose your lives!'.
The members of the Church refused to deny Jesus, so the Police selected four children from the group-- The Police then told their parents, 'Deny Jesus or your children will be hanged!'. The parents did not move, but merely called out to their children, 'We will see you in Heaven soon'.
To the horror of the villagers, the children were hanged in front of their parents. The Police then turned to the adults and threatened them once again. This time they were told that each member of the Underground Church would be placed in front of a steamroller and crushed to death. Not one member of the Church was willing to deny their Faith if God, and as the entire village watched, the Christians went to their death singing... 'More love to Thee, oh Christ, more love to Thee! Hear Thou the prayer I make on bended knee; This is my earnest plea, more love, oh Christ to Thee, More love to Thee, more love to Thee!'
It is difficult for us to fathom this level of brutality... it sounds like something out of a History book from ancient times-- and yet it is happening today- right now- in Communist North Korea!
VOM reports that there are 100,000 Christians in concentration camps in N. Korea.
KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (BosNewsLife)-- The Islamic militant group Taliban said Monday, October 20, its gunmen killed a Christian aid worker in the capital Kabul because she was spreading Christianity in Afghanstan.

The Christian aid group 'SERVE - Serving Emergency Relief and Vocational Enterprises - Afghanistan' identified the woman as 34-year-old Gayle Williams. Interior Ministry officials and SERVE Afghanistan said the dual South African-British national, who worked with handicapped Afghans, was killed by gunmen on a motor cycle.
In a statement monitored by BosNewsLife, SERVE Afghanistan explained that the young woman was killed while walking to work at around 0800 local time Monday, October 20.
"Gayle was shot and killed shortly before she was due to arrive at the office. Reports say that two men on a motorcycle shot her and then fled the scene," the group added. SERVE Afghanistan said she died "almost immediately" after the attack.
TALIBAN ANGRY
In published remarks, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid defended the decision to kill her. "This woman came to Afghanistan to teach Christianity to the people of Afghanistan," he said. "Our (leaders) issued a decree to kill this woman. This morning our people killed her in Kabul."
SERVE Afghanistan strongly denied she was involved in proselytizing, which is prohibited by law in the country, or forcing people to convert to Christianity. "She was a person who always loved the Afghans and was dedicated to serving those who are disabled. Needless to say we are all in shock," the group said.
Voice of the Martyrs produces a weekly update video on the persecuted church. I want to show a short segment on a church in Afghanistan.
The church is suffering persecution in many other areas of the world. We need to weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice. We can only do this if we keep informed about what is happening and there are several organizations such as VOM and Christians in Crises that have up to date information on their websites. I encourage you to be informed so you can pray effectively for the believers as well as the persecutors.
We must pray frequently and fervently for the persecuted church. On November 9 there will be an international day of prayer for the persecuted church. We can all participate and intercede for our brothers and sisters. Pray for protection from the horrendous violence that is happening to them. Physical, mental, psychological abuse is happening daily. Pray for courage that they will be able to stand in the day of attack and not deny their faith but boldly proclaim it. Pray for those who are persecuting them that they will have an encounter with Christ and that the witness of the believers will bring them to Christ. Pray for provision for the physical needs of food, clothing, housing, jobs and health care for those who have been driven out of their homes or are denied access to services. Pray for the persecuted believers to be able to forgive those who are opposing them. Pray that bitterness and resentment will not take root in their hearts. Pray that those who have denied their faith will repent and be restored to fellowship.
Another way we can help is by supporting organizations that are penetrating the persecuted nations to bring humanitarian aid as well as spiritual instruction. You may not be able to go but you can give to help someone else who is there or is planning to go.
Finally you can be one of the courageous one whom God sends to these nations. The church in these nations needs encouragement and support. Persecution purifies the church and in some cases believers have denied their faith in Christ to preserve their lives or their children’s lives. Many are faced with hard decisions and some have faltered and need to be restored and forgiven. You can be a tremendous blessing to the persecuted church just by going. It will show solidarity between the believers in the free world with those in the persecuted areas. Brother Andrew once stated that there are no closed doors to the gospel if you do not need a return ticket. Perhaps you will be one whom God will send to the nations that are being persecuted.

An audio file of this message can be downloaded at the following link:
http://www.supload.com/sound_confirm.php?get=1234708730.wma

India Bound!

I am on my way to India with Oasis Ministries based in Minnesota. It is my first trip to this nation of a billion people. It will be an exciting time for me as I participate in the ministry which will include dedication of wells and churches, evangelistic services and a pastors conference. There will be thousands of people coming to the services and I am believing God for many souls to be saved. India was the country William Carey, the father of modern day missions, had a burden for and spent many years of his life bringing the gospel to this nation. His life story is an inspiration as he went through tremendous adversity and many setbacks as he fulfilled God's call on his life. His statement: "Expect great things from God, attempt great things for God" has impacted many lives into service for the Lord. Please pray that God will greatly use each member of our team and that he will show up in power as we proclaim His word to a nation that is held in bondage to the many religions that are in this nation. Pray for our safety, health and unity. There is great persecution in India as the enemy does not want people to be set free. Radical Hindus are killing believers, destroying their homes and churches and seem to have little resistance from the government. Pray that the enemy will be defeated and that Christ will be exalted!

Living Life: No Reserve, No Retreat, No Regret

Living Life: No Reserve, No Retreat, No Regrets
The election date in the USA is approaching fast and voters are weighing many policies and past decisions of the candidates as they make their decision on who they will vote for. One of the debates that has been in the forefront of American politics since 1973 and is at issue in the current election centers on the right to life for the unborn. The Roe vs. Wade decision stripped away the rights of the unborn and gave rights to pregnant women to abort a child for any reason. The real issue is not human rights of the unborn or the woman but who is the Author of life and what rights He has over the life he created. Our origin determines who has ownership and rights over our lives. If life is only the product of human reproduction and the value of a human being is determined by mankind then abortion can be legitimized by the consensus of the people who make our laws and interpret our laws. If life is a gift from God then its value changes because of its ownership.
As Christians we believe that life is a gift from God. Psalms 139 beautifully expresses that each person is uniquely created by God to serve his purposes.
13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous—and how well I know it.
15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.16 You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

He is the Creator of all of life and we will only understand our value and purpose when we embrace Him as our Creator and seek Him. As Creator God has rights over his creation and it is He who gives life, gives meaning to life and controls what happens in life. Clarifying who God is, his character and nature as well as man’s purpose and destiny have always been questions asked of people throughout the ages. There are millions of people today who have not met and understood who God is. They have made god in their own image and likeness or have resigned themselves to view him as unknowable.
In Acts 17 we read of Paul’s ministry in Athens a city that was filled with idols and false beliefs.
16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere in the city. 17 He went to the synagogue to debate with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and he spoke daily in the public square to all who happened to be there.
18 He also had a debate with some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. When he told them about Jesus and his resurrection, they said, “This babbler has picked up some strange ideas.” Others said, “He’s pushing some foreign religion.”
19 Then they took him to the Council of Philosophers. “Come and tell us more about this new religion,” they said. 20 “You are saying some rather startling things, and we want to know what it’s all about.” 21 (It should be explained that all the Athenians as well as the foreigners in Athens seemed to spend all their time discussing the latest ideas.)
22 So Paul, standing before the Council,addressed them as follows: “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious, 23 for as I was walking along I saw your many altars. And one of them had this inscription on it—‘To an Unknown God.’ You have been worshiping him without knowing who he is, and now I wish to tell you about him.
24 “He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in man-made temples, 25 and human hands can’t serve his needs—for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need there is. 26 From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand which should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries.
27 “His purpose in all of this was that the nations should seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us. 28 For in him we live and move and exist. As one of your own poets says, ‘We are his offspring.’ 29 And since this is true, we shouldn’t think of God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone. 30 God overlooked people’s former ignorance about these things, but now he commands everyone everywhere to turn away from idols and turn to him. 31 For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.”
32 When they heard Paul speak of the resurrection of a person who had been dead, some laughed, but others said, “We want to hear more about this later.” 33 That ended Paul’s discussion with them, 34 but some joined him and became believers. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the Council, a woman named Damaris, and others.

Paul was disturbed in his spirit at what he was witnessing. He was grieved by the statues and idols that were in abundance in the city. His heart was stirred by the lostness of the people who were literally groping in the darkness of false beliefs. He was irritated and motivated to do something. He could not sit idly by and allow the false beliefs to continue when he knew the truth. Paul knew God, knew his character and nature, knew that He was the Creator of life and that apart from knowing God, life will never be experienced as God designed it. His desire to proclaim the gospel message and the truth about God compelled him to go daily to the synagogue and to the market place to speak to the people. The Epicurean and Stoic philosophers of the day listened to Paul but rejected what he had to say about the resurrection and stated he was a “dreamer” or “he is pushing some foreign religion.” In spite of their rejection he was invited to Mars Hill to address those who gathered there to discuss philosophies of the day. Paul accepted the invitation and saw it as an opportunity to tell the people about a god they worshipped but did not know the true God. Paul in his address to the people in Athens confronted them about the monument they had erected to “The Unknown God.” He immediately establishes God as Creator and Lord of heaven and earth who is beyond the limited confines of the human mind. He cannot be limited to a monument, and idol or a manmade temple. He is so much greater than what the human mind can conceive. God is the author of life, he gives life and breath to everything and satisfies every need there is. Life is a gift from God. This is the foundational stone in our belief system. We are not products of evolution, time plus chance plus matter. We have a Creator who has given us life. He has given us life so that we can know Him as He truly is. Our essence our purpose our reason for living is based solely in Him. Paul went on to state, “In him we live and move and have our being.” Our life is centered on our connection to God. When man disconnects from his Creator, or embraces false ideas about his Creator, chaos occurs. We witness daily what happens when people do not understand who their Creator is, his character and nature; who they are and why He created them. We have been mentioning the past couple of weeks the chaos that is happening in parts of India. The radical Hindus are killing Christians who formerly were Hindus. Many of the new converts are leaving the lowest caste system level, the untouchables, who are viewed as less than human and this is disturbing the Hindus. The new believers have discovered that life is a gift from God who has created them in his image and likeness and has given them great worth and purpose in life. They are breaking out of the false beliefs that have held them captive and slaves of the society. They are discovering what life is all about and they do not want to return to their former false beliefs. When mankind realizes who their Creator is there is great liberation and joy! The radical Hindus as well as the radical Muslims who seek to destroy life have never experienced the joy God desires for them. Their perception of God is warped into believing that by killing the messengers they can stop the message from spreading. Truth will always prevail and the gates of hell will never be able to stop the message of the gospel from spreading.
Life is a gift from God and it must be lived with and for God. Once we realize who God is and that He has given us life then our response must be that we live our life for him. He is the Creator and has rights as our Creator over our lives. We were created for His pleasure not our own. This does not mean that God has some perverted ideas about how he can use us to accomplish what he wants to do. We are not pawns that he moves about in the game of life. As Creator God has designed us for a purpose, His purposes which are only good. God has no evil plans for our lives but in him we can experience life filled with joy, peace and righteousness. This requires complete submission on our part to Him but that can only happen when we come to the realization that we are not in charge of our lives and that God has good plans for us. As we live our lives for Him, he transforms our minds and invites us to be co laborers with him (2 Cor. 6:1). He calls us “friends” not slaves to His purposes. He invites us to be a part of His work on earth to redeem mankind. He trusts us to carry out his plan to preach the good news to every creature in every nation. He honors the desires that we have to fulfill his desires. He delights to give us the desires of our heart (Psalms 37:4). Some of you have desires to do certain things in your life that arise from your love for God and desire to see His Kingdom established in the earth and souls brought into the knowledge of Christ to experience salvation that comes only through him. Bill Johnson in his book, “The Supernatural Power of a Transformed Mind” wrote the following: “We are co laborers, meaning that apart from Christ our work is not complete, and at the same time, amazingly, his work on earth is not complete without us. God looks to you and me as contributors to what he is doing, not just robots carrying out His ideas. He actually is interested in your desires and dreams and has opened up His plan on this planet to your influence.”
King David (1 Kings 8:15-17) had a desire to build a temple to honor God and though he was not the one who built it God allowed him to make all the designs for it. Can you imagine what it was like for David to be able to draw up the plans for something as important as this to the spiritual life of the people? David was a worshipper and he wanted to design a temple that would be a place of worship and inspiration. David was engaged, participating, putting his ideas and desires into motion. God was not upset that David was drafting these plans. He was not saying, “There goes David again, doing his own thing!” I believe God was pleased and that he was giving David inspiration as he put down the plans. When you are working as friends on the same mission, it is a wonderful thing to be able to share ideas and make plans together. Do you see God this way or do you see yourself as a robot only doing what you are told to do?
What are your dreams for God? What plans are in your heart of things you would love to devote your life toward? Follow these dreams and desires that you have for the advance of God’s kingdom. As a father I want to see my child’s desires fulfilled as I know it brings satisfaction, joy and a sense of accomplishment of a worthwhile purpose. If our desires are always dashed or rejected it is easy for us to become complacent and lose motivation for attempting anything. William Carey the father of modern day missions made a statement that has always impacted my life. He said, “Attempt great things for God, expect great things from God.” You can sit around waiting for a special directive, handwriting on the wall etc. and be paralyzed from attempting to do anything for God. Or you can act on the desires that you have, the dreams in your heart and move forward trusting God to partner with you to accomplish them.
A.A. Allen was a preacher who God used in marvelous ways to bring salvation and healing to thousands of people. He had no interest in a healing ministry but was encouraged by his church to visit a healing crusade of Oral Roberts. After seeing what God was doing through Roberts his mindset changed about the healing ministry. He returned to his church with a new attitude which was expressed in his words,
“If Oral Roberts can do it so can I.” Was this desire to start hosting tent meetings to preach the gospel and pray for the sick something that was just his idea and not at all what God wanted him to do? Where did this desire come from and was it just a selfish thing he wanted to do to gain public attention and notoriety?” I believe he was inspired by what he saw happening in the crusades of Roberts and he saw his previous ideas as limitations of what God could do through a human vessel. God blessed his ministry and obviously partnered with him. Unfortunately A.A. Allen’s life ended when he was only 59 years old and his reputation has been tarnished with accusations that he was an alcoholic who secretly drank to relieve pain he had in his knees.
Our life has to be lived for God and with God as friends co laboring and co partnering with him to accomplish his desire to make himself known, to declare his glory among the nations and bring the message of salvation to the ends of the earth.
The final point about our lives is that our times are in his hands. God is in control of what he allows to happen in our lives. He orders our steps in a way that brings delight to us and to him. Psalms 37:23 states “The steps of the godly are directed by the LORD. He delights in every detail of their lives.”

He gives us freedom of will to operate within his sovereign will. We jeopardize our lives and ministry when we walk in disobedience to what we know to be God’s will. We cannot operate with disregard for God’s word and expect nothing evil to happen. God in his mercy often protects us from experiencing the consequences of poor, foolish decisions but there are also times when we make choices that he lets us experience the gravity of our actions. Call it the school of hard knocks or school for hard heads but it is allowed by God to be a teaching moment that will hopefully bring a change in attitude.
I think we all struggle with understanding why things we perceive as bad or evil happen to people who are innocent or are trying to accomplish God’s will, doing great things for him. We are in a battle against an enemy who seeks to destroy the work of God in the earth. We must constantly wage warfare against him and at the same time look to God and trust in his unfailing love, mercy, justice and sovereignty to make sense of what we are not able to understand. We can allow adversity to embitter us toward people and toward God or we can allow it to propel us into the heart of God, to seek him and live each moment of our life for him, trusting Him to be in control. We see things from a human perspective which is limited but God sees all things with eternity in mind and he understands how all these things we don’t understand work toward accomplishing his plan.
The life story of William Borden is one that I would like to close with tonight. It is a story of great inspiration yet tragedy that is hard to understand with our limited human understanding. William was born into a family that had great success in the milk industry. Borden products are still sold today and William was heir to receives millions of dollars. He graduated from high school in 1904 and his parents gave him a trip around the world as a graduation present. Some of you will receive the same gift when you graduate from language school! The trip around the world had a huge impact on his life, one I am sure he did not expect when he left. During this trip he saw the needs of humanity and the lostness man without God. It stirred his heart, much like Paul’s heart was stirred when he was in Athens. William returned from this trip with a new vision and focus for his life. He decided to become a missionary and attend Yale which at that time was a training school for pastors among other things. His friends thought he was crazy. Why would he give up the family business and the financial rewards that came with it to become a missionary? William wrote two words in his Bible, “No reserves.” When we reserve something we hold back. He was not going to look at what he left behind but was going to look to God to direct his life. He refused to reserve the right to with hold anything from God. During his first year of college he began a Bible study with one other student and by the end of the year a 150 students joined him. When he finished his final year of college 1000 of the 1300 students were praying with him and studying the Bible. Clearly God’s hand was on his life and he was influencing many students. After graduation he was offered jobs with several companies that promised a great future with many financial rewards. William turned them all down and wrote two more words in his Bible, “No retreat”. Nothing was going to keep him from his pursuit of God’s call on his life; there was no looking back or returning to a previous life. He enrolled in Princeton Seminary to further prepare for the missionary call. At the conclusion of his seminary training he purposed to go to China to reach a group of Muslims. Before arriving in China he went to Egypt to study Arabic and during the first month contracted spinal meningitis. Sometime after he knew he had the fatal condition he wrote two more words in his Bible, “No regrets.” Four weeks after his arrival he died, never having made it to the mission field in China. Some would look at his life and say what a waste, yet his life has inspired many to pursue the desire of their heart and leave their lives in the hands of God. We do not know our future but we know the God who does and has all things under control. William Borden’s friends perhaps thought they knew better and the proof of his short lived life was only confirmation to them that they were right. Yet they did not see the full picture that only God can see. In our humanness we hang on to life and try to do everything we can to preserve it. We make heroic efforts to save someone who is dying because we value life. The Apostle Paul made a decision to go to Jerusalem to reach out to the Jewish people. When he announced his plan, he was met with great opposition and even prophetic words regarding what was going to happen to him. Paul’s final address to the elders from the church of Ephesus whom he invited to meet with him in Miletus on his way to Jerusalem reflects this same attitude of “No reserve, no retreat, no regrets.”
Acts 20:18-24
18When they arrived he told them, “You men know that from the day I set foot in Turkey until now 19I have done the Lord’s work humbly—yes, and with tears—and have faced grave danger from the plots of the Jews against my life. 20Yet I never shrank from telling you the truth, either publicly or in your homes. 21I have had one message for Jews and Gentiles alike—the necessity of turning from sin to God through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
22“And now I am going to Jerusalem, drawn there irresistibly by the Holy Spirit not knowing what awaits me, 23except that the Holy Spirit has told me in city after city that jail and suffering lie ahead. 24But life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about God’s mighty kindness and love.
My life is worth nothing unless I use it to fulfill God’s purposes of preaching the gospel. No reserves, no retreat, no regrets, is that your life statement? Are these the words that others will remember you by?
Our life is a gift from God and it must be lived for God. This life we enjoy is in the hands of God and we must entrust it completely to him and be willing to do whatever it takes to see his will and purposes accomplished in the earth during this short time we have. The Holy Spirit will lead us as we entrust our lives to the Lord. There will always be people who will not understand but our allegiance must be first and foremost to our Creator who has given us life, gives us purpose and has our life in his hands.
Tonight I want to close by singing a hymn that I hope some of you know. It captures why we do what we do as believers, what motivates us and what will continue to motivate us in our service to the Lord. The hymn is entitled,
 
“More Love to Thee.” By Elizabeth Prentiss
1. More love to Thee O Christ, more love to thee
Hear thou the prayer I make on bended knee;
This is my earnest plea; more love, O Christ to Thee
More love to Thee, more love to Thee
2. Once earthly joy I craved, sought peace and rest;
Now Thee alone I seek, give what is best;
This all my prayer shall be; more love O Christ to Thee.
More love to Thee, more love to Thee
3. Then shall my latest breath, whisper Thy praise
This be the parting cry my heart shall raise;
This still its prayer shall be, more love O Christ to Thee
More love to Thee, more love to Thee

It is our love for Christ and what he has done for us but even more what he deserves that motivates us to live our lives for Him and with Him. I pray tonight that his love for each one of us will be real and that our love for him will increase each day as we serve Him. It is our love for Him that will cause us to live with no reserve, not retreats and no regrets. The Lamb is worthy!

The audio file of this message can be downloaded by clicking on the following link:

http://www.supload.com/sound_confirm.php?get=600696001.wma

Pursue Your Mission

Pursue Your Mission
1. Disillusioned Disciples
After the resurrection of Jesus the disciples were disoriented and perhaps disillusioned regarding what they thought they were going to be doing. Jesus had visited them before after the resurrection but they still seemed to be uncertain of what they were supposed to do. The daily contact they had with Jesus was no longer part of their lives. Jesus came and went and they did not know what to do. Somehow the mission they thought they were a part of did not seem to be coming to pass. Where was Jesus? Why has he left us? Will we see him again? What are we supposed to do with our lives? I am sure these are some of the questions that ran through their minds and they are ones that I know I would be asking as well.
It seems that when we are unsure of what we are to do it is very easy for us to just return to the old life that we once knew. The tried and true, familiar places and people and jobs seemed to call us back and invite us to return to the former life we once knew. I think this is what was happening in the lives of the disciples. They were looking for something to do and the one thing that 7 of them knew to do was return to their fishing business. Peter came up with the idea but 6 others were quick to agree with him. I don't know if they were super excited about returning to their work, maybe they just did not have any other options available to them. The fishing business was hard work, probably paid well when you made a catch but compared to the life they had experienced for the past 3 years I am sure it was sort of a letdown to go back to the past. I wonder if the disciples reflected back on the day when Jesus called them to leave their nets and follow him so he could make them become fishers of men. Whatever happened to this new life and challenge of the Lord to leave everything behind and follow him?

In our walk with the Lord there will be times when it seems God is not around and you are wondering if and when he is going to show up. You may have left something to follow the Lord, perhaps a lucrative job to answer his call to work in the ministry. You may have even seen him do great things in your life but now it seems that you are unsure of what to do as it seems that God is not blessing your life as in the past and you are experiencing things that you wish were not happening. Maybe things are not happening as you thought they would or the money you need is just not showing up or the people you thought were part of the vision have left or have not showed up yet so you begin to wonder and perhaps doubt if you are in the right place. You contemplate going back to the familiar places of the past where things were more stable, predictable and perhaps where you can depend on yourself to take care of your needs.
All of us will face this challenge if you have not already experienced it. At the core of it all is our faith in God being trusted and our commitment to fulfill his calling on our life is being tested. We wonder if our mission is over and God is redirecting us to a new endeavor or if we are to hang on and see God come through. There are times when God will close one door because he has something new for you to do but in this case the disciples had not even begun to fulfill the mission God had for them. They were on hold because the timing of the Lord was not completed and they needed to simply wait and believe that what Jesus had trained them to do was not for nothing.
I think the disciples returned to the fishing business with some degree of reluctance but in their minds it was the only option they had.

Peter came up with the idea to return to the fishing trade. He was a leader and his influence affected the other disciples. John Maxwell said you can tell if you are a leader by looking behind to see if anyone is following you. Peter was a leader and he had a following. None of the 6 others said to him that they did not think it was a good idea or that it was really not what they were supposed to do. They agreed with him and went to the lake to go fishing. Your life and the decisions you make will have an influence on other people. Some people will be looking to you for guidance and encouragement and what you do and say will have an impact on them. Peter's decision affected the other 6 men and they willingly followed him. When you are a leader you have to be careful of what you say and do as you have influence on many people's lives. The decisions you make will affect others positively or negatively. Our lives are interconnected and we do affect others by what we do. I have seen many churches go down the tube when a pastor makes a decision to leave. My church saw 150 leave when the pastor left to start another church. It took 3 years for the church to begin to recover but it is doing well now.

2. Disappointed Disciples

The disciples spent the entire night casting their nets with no results. Fishing at night was one of the best times to fish as it promised the greatest catch of fish. I imagine it was very frustrating for them since they were experienced fisherman who knew the lake. I wonder if they had second thoughts about their decision to return to their old lifestyle. Surely they should have caught something or perhaps God was preparing them for a message they needed to hear. There are times in life when you are in the wrong place pursuing the wrong things and there is no fruit in what you are doing. Deep down you know you need to get out of Dodge and get on with what God has for your life. I have been there a few times and after experiencing lots of setback, difficulties, financial problems and a nagging thought that I need to get out of there as soon as possible I packed up and left. I was glad I made the decision but regret the wasted time and energy. When the brook dries up like it did for Elijah it is time to move on or move out.

3. A Stranger’s Advice and Promise
I love how Jesus ministers to his disciples in this setting. He came at dawn which is the start of a new day. This day was going to be like none other, it was going to be a new day for this group of disciples. It would mark their lives as a turning point when a decision was made to permanently leave behind their past and move forward with Jesus in the mission he had prepared them to do.
Jesus recognized them but they did not immediately recognize him or his voice. Jesus called out to them like he knew them, "Boys, friends, children, young children, have you caught any fish?" It seems a little strange to me that Jesus would address these grown men as children. The Greek word can mean a young child or an immature child. Was Jesus calling them his children or was he perhaps admonishing them for their immature behavior of returning to the fishing trade? It must have seemed a little strange to have someone address them in this manner and then tell these expert fishermen to throw their net on the right side of the boat. Who was this man and what did he know about fishing? Why listen to him?
The disciples possibly thought they had nothing to lose by casting their nets one more time. I am not sure what motivated them to do what this stranger told them to do perhaps it was an act of faith. There are times in our lives when we are asked to do things that require faith on our part. The disciples could not see the fish and it is unlikely that Jesus could either since he was a football field length away. Yet Jesus knew the fish were there. He knows, he sees, he understands and he simply asks us to believe in him and respond to him. Perhaps you are here today in obedience to the Lord and you are doing what he has asked you to do but you do not understand or have the full picture of how this will play into your future. God is asking you to have faith in Him that He knows what He is doing and that if you remain faithful to Him he will reward you and you will see the fruit of your labor.
I can look back on my life and see the fruit of some of the decisions I made that at the time I made them I did not understand completely why nor was I completely sure I was making the right decision. I had been a teacher in Christian schools and the public schools for 10 years. I was offered a job with a private nonprofit company which worked in the area of public health. I initially turned down the job because the money they offered was less than I was making at my 2 part time jobs. They came back with another offer which was still not what I wanted but I decided to take the job. This job was really good training ground for the work I am now involved in with YWAM. I learned a lot about organizations, policies and procedures, conducting training sessions, organizing large meetings, dealing with many different kinds of people and problems and a host of other things that have been very valuable. It was also during this time that I was able to go on my first missions trip to Mexico which became a true turning point in my life. I was able to continue studying at a Seminary as well and began to take Spanish classes. After 7 years working with the company, I felt it was time to more on to full-time missions. I did not see the end from the beginning of my work with this company but the Lord did and he used this time in my life to prepare me for where I am today.
4. Stranger Revealed
Jesus promised they would get a big catch so they cast their nets and found out he was right. Jesus always blesses our obedience to him. The disciples struck out on their own and were not where they were supposed to be, doing what they needed to be doing and the results were zero. Yet when they obeyed Jesus, not even knowing it was him, they were rewarded and they understood that it was Jesus who was speaking to them. Perhaps it was déjà vu all over again, a reminder of their initial calling when Jesus gave them instructions to cast their nets again and they had a miraculous catch of fish. It was John who had such a love for Christ who first recognized him. Perhaps it was Jesus' voice that John now recognized after the miracle catch. Jesus said my sheep know my voice. When you love someone you can recognize their voice in a crowd and when John put two and two together he was elated, "It is the Lord!"
Peter's response is typical Peter. He forgot about the fish and focused his attention on Jesus. He made himself look decent and immediately jumped in the water and raced to shore to be the first to greet Jesus. I wonder if Peter could have beat Michael Phelps at this moment or if he secretly desired to walk on water again. I think Jesus had a huge grin on his face watching Peter's impulsive response. The fish were not important to Peter, it was Jesus who was his priority. Sometimes we get caught up in the work of ministry and forget to focus on Jesus. He must always be our priority. Our desire should always be first and foremost to be with him and not let other things draw us away from spending time with him. How eager are we to meet with Jesus and do we see him in everything we do? Are we willing to set aside our work just to seek him and spend time with him?

5. Fellowship of Co laborers
The next thing Jesus does for them is he serves them breakfast. He already had a fire going and fish frying along with bread to feed them. He knew they were hungry and in his love for them provided a breakfast for them. He invites them to bring some of the fish they caught. He gave them credit for catching the fish even though you have to think that he was the one who really deserved the credit. We are co laborers with the Lord. He provides direction for our lives and we provide the labor in his power to accomplish his will. When we co labor with him, miracles can happen.
The catch of fish was large in quantity and size. To me this symbolizes the blessing of the Lord on our lives. His desire is to show and prove himself strong on our behalf. He delights to give us the desires of our hearts and even goes beyond what we could ask or expect. When we walk in obedience we make ourselves available to be blessed by the Lord. We do not serve a stingy, miserly God. He is always more than enough. We watched "Mama Heidi" last Sunday night. It is the story of Rolland and Heidi Baker and the ministry God called them to in Mozambique, Africa. Heidi was burned out in ministry, her health was failing and the constant demands of the ministry were overwhelming. She returned to the USA to seek medical help but checked out of two hospitals and ended up in Toronto, Canada at meetings for missionaries who needed restoration and refreshment. At these meetings she was healed and she had a vision of Jesus. She saw his eyes and felt his compassion for the people. She saw thousands of people with needs coming to her and she was overwhelmed wondering how she could meet these needs. The revelation she received was that Jesus was more than enough to meet these needs. He can do more than we could ask or think according to his power that works within us. This is the God and the Jesus we serve.
Jesus invited the disciples to eat with him. His desire is to have fellowship with us in every activity we do. He wants to be a part of our life and invites us to enjoy his fellowship each moment. He also wants to take care of our needs. He knows us better than we know ourselves. Nothing is hidden from him.

6. Restoration and Refocus of the Mission

Had Peter known what was going to happen next he may not have been so eager to get to shore to see Jesus. The next part of the story puts Peter in a very uncomfortable but necessary situation. Jesus had to confront Peter for what he had done in the present situation where he lead the 6 disciples to return to fishing and quite possibly Jesus was using this occasion to deal with Peter's denial during his trial.
Jesus wanted Peter to see his own heart and his own motivations. He questioned him three times about his love for him. Peter's love was being questioned because of the actions that Peter had demonstrated. He needed to be reminded of what his real mission in life was. He was not to return to the fishing industry, he was to be a shepherd of the flock of God. His mission was to feed and care for the lambs and sheep of God's flock. If he really loved Jesus as he said he did it would be demonstrated in his life through obedience to the mission Jesus had given him.
Jesus made it very clear that his independent nature when he was young was no longer to rule his life. His instructions were to follow Jesus and not his own plans. The decision he made to return to fish was an example of Peter doing his own thing, loving himself more than loving Christ and Jesus needed to confront Peter and get him back on track. This is the question that we all need to be asked. Are you doing your own thing or are you doing what you are doing as a result of your deep love for the Lord? I have seen people in ministry who seem to have lost their real love for the Lord. They do things because it is a job or because it makes them feel important or look important but deep down there is no real love for the Lord. When we lose our love for God we will quickly lose our love for people. People will become a bother to us and we will want to avoid them rather than seek them out and minister God's love to them.
Jesus repeated this question three times which emphasizes how extremely important it was for Peter. Peter was embarrassed and grieved that Jesus asked him three times but he did not forgot what Jesus told him to do. Peter became a shepherd of the flock of God and in his letter to the believers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bitynia he gave these instructions specifically to those who were overseers or elders of the churches.
"And now, a word to you who are elders in the churches. I, too, am an elder and a witness to the sufferings of Christ. And I, too, will share his glory and his honor when he returns. As a fellow elder, this is my appeal to you: 2 Care for the flock of God entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. 3 Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your good example. 4 And when the head Shepherd comes, your reward will be a never-ending share in his glory and honor." (1 Peter 5:1-4)
Peter's love would eventually lead him to a cross where tradition has it that he was asked to be hung upside down in honor of Christ's death. When we truly love God and love people we will not take issue with laying down our lives for others. Peter's death revealed the fullness of his love for the Lord and for the flock. Love will be tested for its depth of commitment whether we will deny Christ or stay faithful to him and accept the consequences that may be death. Many believers are facing this decision today in India, China, Africa and Indonesia. Your love for Christ may one day lead you to the cross where you will have the honor of proclaiming your faith and carrying out the sufferings of Christ until the day of his return.
Tonight I believe that God is reaching out in love to each one of us. He is here to fellowship with us and encourage us to fulfill the mission He has called each one of us to do. Some of you perhaps find yourself in the position of the disciples who were disillusioned and discouraged. You feel deserted and you have thoughts of returning to the familiar things. God has not abandoned you, he will meet you and reveal himself to you. You are not forgotten, hang on He will meet with you.
Some of you need to be reminded of what your true mission is and what the focus of your life should be. If you have strayed off course and are involved in things that are not part of God’s plan for your life then you need to leave these things behind and press into the things God has called you to do. God cannot bless disobedience. Perhaps your love for God has been challenged since you have come here and you find yourself not being very loving toward others. God is calling you tonight to make him your priority, seek him and allow his love to flow to you and through you. Renew your commitment to him to seek him daily and spend time in fellowship with him.
Some of you are also here tonight and God is challenging you to be willing to lay down your lives for him by serving him in places where there is risk, danger and persecution. The final nations to be reached with the gospel I believe are the ones that will require the most of those who are willing to go. The first missionaries to Africa sent their belongings in a coffin. They were committed and willing to lay down their lives for a people they had never met but were a people whom God loved. Your love for Christ may lead you to a cross.

Holy Bible : New Living Translation. electronic ed. Wheaton : Tyndale House, 1997, c1996, S. 1 Pe 5:1-4

 
Jesus Appears to Seven Disciples
21 Later Jesus appeared again to the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee. This is how it happened. 2 Several of the disciples were there—Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples.
3 Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing.”
“We’ll come, too,” they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night.
4 At dawn the disciples saw Jesus standing on the beach, but they couldn’t see who he was. 5 He called out, “Friends, have you caught any fish?”
“No,” they replied.
6 Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get plenty of fish!” So they did, and they couldn’t draw in the net because there were so many fish in it.
7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and swam ashore. 8 The others stayed with the boat and pulled the loaded net to the shore, for they were only out about three hundred feet. 9 When they got there, they saw that a charcoal fire was burning and fish were frying over it, and there was bread.
10 “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” Jesus said. 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore. There were 153 large fish, and yet the net hadn’t torn.
12 “Now come and have some breakfast!” Jesus said. And no one dared ask him if he really was the Lord because they were sure of it. 13 Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish. 14 This was the third time Jesus had appeared to his disciples since he had been raised from the dead.
Jesus Challenges Peter
15 After breakfast Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.”
“Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him.
16 Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
“Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.”
“Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said.
17 Once more he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was grieved that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know I love you.”
Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep. 18 The truth is, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked and go wherever you wanted to. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will direct you and take you where you don’t want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to let him know what kind of death he would die to glorify God. Then Jesus told him, “Follow me.”
20 Peter turned around and saw the disciple Jesus loved following them—the one who had leaned over to Jesus during supper and asked, “Lord, who among us will betray you?” 21 Peter asked Jesus, “What about him, Lord?”
22 Jesus replied, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You follow me.” 23 So the rumor spread among the community of believers that that disciple wouldn’t die. But that isn’t what Jesus said at all. He only said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?”

The audio recording of this message can be downloaded at the following link:

http://www.supload.com/sound_confirm.php?get=246559265.wma

The Road Less Traveled...October 2008

Greetings from Guatemala. The past month we started the Kid's club at the base and have had 50-60 children coming on Saturday mornings. It is a blessing to be able to invite them in to the base and spend time ministering God's Word to them. It has been wonderful to see the progress of our staff who have been learning Spanish and are now able to communicate with the children without the aid of an interpreter. This Saturday night we will be showing the movie, 'The Cross and the Switchblade' in Spanish to the people in our neighborhood. This is a timeless film that has such a powerful message. We always give the people an opportunity to accept Christ at the end of the movie and I ask for your prayers that God will touch the heart of the children as well as the adults who will be coming.

A couple of weeks ago a brother in Christ, Paul, who is from England had an accident while riding his bicycle and broke his hip. It has been a challenge to get him the help he needs as he has limited financial resources. We are trying to get him back to England as soon as possible to help him get the care he needs. Please pray that God would bring healing.

The ministry at Higher Grounds Coffee House continues to reach out to the many students and missionaries who are in Antigua. We are so grateful to have a place where they can come to study, use the internet and fellowship with other believers. Business has been slow this month and we continue to trust the Lord to supply for all of our needs. This past month during our Sunday night services we have been looking a the lives men and women whom God has used powerfully in the ministry. Roberts Liardon has produced a series of DVD's entitled, 'God's Generals.' He profiles 12 people who God has raised up in the last couple of centuries who have had tremendous ministries. If you have opportunity to view these you will be blessed.

I have been invited to go to India October 26-November 12, with Oasis International Ministries that is based in Minnesota. I am in the process of securing the required visa and am making plans to go with them. The ministry will be digging a well in a community to be able to supply clean water and they will be hosting evangelistic crusades in the evening along with training sessions for pastors. Several thousand people attend the crusades and several hundred pastors attend the training sessions. I will be working with Darrell Dobbelmann conducting the pastor's training and we will be visiting rural villages to preach the gospel to people who have never had the opportunity to receive Christ. Would you please pray for this trip. Currently in India there is great persecution against Christians in a couple of areas. 50 believers have been killed, homes and churches destroyed and there are constant threats by radical Hindus to continue the violence until the Christians stop preaching the gospel and leading people to the Lord. The area where we will be going has not yet suffered the persecution and we are praying that we will have open doors wherever we go. I will need to raise support for this trip so if you would like to be a part of it through your financial gift it would be greatly appreciated. I do ask for all of you to pray for the team who will be going. Perhaps the Lord will open doors for our DTS students in the future to be able to return to India to preach the gospel to a nation that is filled with great darkness.

I am happy to report that Pastor Efrain's wife, Betty, is responding well to the cancer treatment. The growth that returned is shrinking and we will continue to pray that she will be cancer free.

We will have a new staff member, Sue, joining us in November. She is from England and will be with us for 2 years. Please pray for her as well as she gets everything in order to be able to come.

Thank you for your prayers regarding my residency visa. This week I finally received some information from Immigration officials regarding my status. I need to submit 2 more items this week and hopefully that will be the end of the year long process. Please continue praying for this that I will get a favorable response in a timely manner.

I am grateful for your partnership through your prayers and financial support. I am blessed to be able to serve the Lord in Guatemala and for the opportunity to be a part of what He is doing here as well as in India.

For Him,

Bruce

Correspondence address:
Bruce Ahlberg
6ta Avenida Norte #33
Antigua, Guatemala

Contribution address:
YWAM Chico
15850 Richardsons Springs Rd.
Chico, CA 95973