In four weeks, three hikes on a secluded mountain ridge trail, Mom's cooking, several mahi mahi plate lunches, Leonard's malasadas, four Lord's Day services at my home church, visits to three other churches, and just good time with my family catching up and preparing for our next "tour" overseas all went by in a flash. Thank You, Lord, for the wonderful time back home, though for such a short time! Our "Old Four" (fourth child) hanging out with daddy in Kailua, Oahu Family picnic on the beach near Keaena Point Our "Old Big" (firstborn) the edge of the Pacific Ocean.
On March 16, my five-year old son and I, accompanied by a dear brother from my home church in Hawaii, left Florida and embarked on a journey that would take us to twelve states, our country's capitol, several churches, and some beautiful places across the USA.
On the Lord's Day, March 17th, we visited with friends in a church in North Carolina. They provided us a clean and comfortable house to rest and refresh in, along with delicious meals. On Monday-Tuesday, March 18th-19th, we participated in the very first Capitol Connection. What an amazing opportunity and privilege to share the gospel and pray with our national leaders on Capitol Hill, as well as listen to great preaching. (I finally got to meet Attorney David Gibbs.) =) On Wednesday, March 20th, we visited the Air & Space Museum and attended mid-week prayer meeting at Fairfax Baptist Temple in Virginia. A man who had been in my father's youth ministry back in the 1970's met us there, then treated the three of us to a steakhouse. On Thursday, March 21st, I dropped our brother from Hawaii off at the Ronald Reagan National Airport, then took my son back to DC for a walking tour of some special places--the White House, the Memorial to the 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence, the Lincoln Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, and the Smithsonian (where we saw the original Star-Spangled Banner and Washington's uniform and sword). Although it was very cold and windy, my son held up well! On Friday, March 22nd, I drove to the Shenandoah Valley area of Virginia, where we pitched camp. Well, not really--we slept in a cabin. We did, however cook our supper on an open fire, and sleep in sleeping bags! =) On Saturday, March 23rd, my son learned how to strike a match and helped me make our morning fire. In the afternoon, we walked through Luray Caverns, marveling at the beauty God created down there under the earth. After that, I drove us along Skyline Drive, again marveling at the beuna vista to be seen from the many scenic outlooks. We came across several patches of snow, where my son also made a snowman for the first time by himself. On the Lord's Day, March 24th, I preached at a church in western Pennsylvania, where an old friend has served as their pastor for about twenty years. In the afternoon, I drove to West Virginia (part of the way through a blowing snow storm) and preached at a church there. Both churches were very generous, providing us comfortable rooms to stay in. On Monday, March 25th, I drove to Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Our route took us through Maryland, where we again drove through blowing snow. At one rest stop along the way, my son thought it was the greatest thing to eat clean snow and have a snowball fight with his daddy. On Tuesday, March 26th, we visited the Choo Choo Barn, ate ice cream at Uncle Leroy's, and ate supper at Cracker Barrel. =) On Wednesday, March 27th, we visited the Biblical Tabernacle Reproduction, and then I drove us up to northeastern Pennsylvania to preach in a country church there, where I enjoyed catching up with friends from years ago. Brother Jack kindly hosted us in his home, where my son loved the bear rug and mounted elk, whitetail deer, and bear! On Thursday, March 26th, I took my son to a secluded creek and waterfall a friend of mine had discovered about ten years ago. Then I drove us through Pennsylvania toward eastern Ohio, where we spent a night in a motel 6. On Friday, March 27th, we got up early and I drove us across Ohio to northern Indiana, to visit a good friend who lives in the middle of Amish country. We ate at the Blue Gate (my favorite restaurant in the Midwest) and then took a look at the new church building my friend's church recently acquired. How God has blessed them! That afternoon, we went to southeast Michigan, where we spent the night with the friend who loaned us our van since last October. It was so good to see them and spend time with them. On Saturday, March 28th, our friend drove my son and me to Detroit airport, where we boarded our first of three flights for the day. At around 9 pm that night, we arrived back in Florida, where my wife picked us up. I am so thankful the Lord gave my firstborn and me so much one-on-one, father-son time for meeting dear people, visiting special places, talking about important things, and just having good, clean fun together! I hope my son will always hold those two weeks in a special place in his memory just like his daddy does. Thank You, Lord, for such a unique and blessed time with my son! In politics, today, men are thinking in terms of international affairs. In business, all the continents are being combed for markets; and even in daily life, every newspaper reader is becoming world-conscious. And yet, we, the people of God, have not fully realized that we are to be a testimony to the world….Heathen populations are growing in number daily, but we are not reaching them, much less matching their increasing numbers with increased efforts to bring them the Gospel. Not only are heathen populations growing; with the frontiers of civilization moving ahead and education advancing, idolatry and superstition are breaking down. Now is the time to reach men whose minds are swept of old beliefs, before Communistic Atheism, coming in like a flood, raises other barriers far harder to overcome, and before this generation passes into Christless graves.
Our own civilization also challenges us as Christian workers. This country, once so strong in its Christian testimony, is becoming increasingly godless. Our education systems are sweeping us away from faith. Old standards of morality are fast going, and those great and holy truths, once so sacred, are becoming the butt of jokes to furnish humor for our periodicals. Shall we beat a retreat, and turn back from our high calling in Christ Jesus; or dare we advance at God’s command, in face of the impossible? …Let us remind ourselves that the Great Commission was never qualified by clauses calling for advance only if funds were plentiful and no hardship or self-denial involved. On the contrary, we are told to expect tribulation and even persecution , but with it victory in Christ. Friends, the task with all its attendant difficulties is enough to fill our hearts with dismay, if we look only to ourselves and our weakness. But the authority in our Master’s command to go forward should fill us with joy and the expectation of victory. He knows our weakness and our lack of supplies. He knows the roughness of the way. And His command carries with it the assurance of all we need. Of course we want to be assured of our support! Who cares to go forward in any enterprise, secular or religious, unless he can be reasonably sure that it will not be dropped for lack of funds? Incomes are falling, men are losing employment and bank accounts are being wiped out. Do we, as Christian workers, want to be sure of support? Then let us not put our trust in men, or in any God-dishonoring methods of raising funds for the work. These are not certain enough. We have it on the highest authority that the promise is of faith, that it might be sure. The faithfulness of God is the only certain thing in the world today. We need not fear the result of trusting Him…. Our way is plain. We must not retrench in any work which we are sure is in His will and for His glory. We dare not turn back because the way looks dark….We must go forward in the face of the impossible, even if we only know the next step…We may find ourselves at the place where we shall have to drink the bitter waters of Marah, but our Captain’s presence can sweeten the most bitter waters. We may come to the very last of our supplies, but He is still able to give us each day our daily bread. And what if we should, like Allen Gardiner, be permitted even to die of starvation? Like him, we shall find our moments of suffering aglow with the sunshine of Christ’s presence, and shall have nothing but praise for the grace and mercy bestowed upon us. This bewildered age needs to know that only “the foundation of God standeth sure.” Many a man is being torn loose, these days, from the things to which his heart has clung. It is ours to show the incorruptible riches which bank failures and economic conditions cannot touch. It is ours to show, in the salvation of our Lord Jesus Christ, and in personal communion with Him, a joy unspeakable and full of glory that cannot be affected by outside circumstances…. Does it not thrill our hearts to realize that we do not go forward in our own strength. Think of it, God Himself is with us for our Captain! The Lord of Hosts is present in person on every field of conflict, to encourage us and fight with us. With such a Leader, who never lost a battle, or deserted a soldier in distress, or failed to get through the needed supplies, who would not accept the challenge to go forward, “bearing precious seed”? --From John Stam’s Class Address at Moody Bible Institute. His class motto was “Bearing Precious Seed.” On December 8, 1934, soldiers of the the 19th Division murdered missionaries John and Betty Stam, who were serving in Anhui Province. Mr. StamCopied from The Triumph of John and Betty Stam, reprinted by Lifeline Philippines. Praise the Lord, on Thursday night at 9:47, my wife gave birth to a healthy boy. He weighed in at 8 lbs, 10.6 oz, and measured 21 inches--our biggest child yet! I thank God for giving my wife a complication-free delivery, even with a breech presentation. Our heavenly Father is so kind and has blessed us in so many ways, it is beyond my comprehension how He shows us such mercies and grace, but a little part of the "why" I do know: "God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you" (Ephesians 4:32). As David showed kindness to Mephibosheth for Jonathan's sake (2 Samuel 9), so God the Father has shown us poor, unworthy sinners grace for Jesus' sake. Apart from Christ, we have no claim to God's kindness; in Christ, we humbly thank Him for all the kindness He shows us and marvel. Thank You, Lord, for adding another healthy little child to our family. May You receive glory and thanksgiving through his life!
I'm so thankful to have come across Mark Cahill's book One Thing You Can't Do In Heaven again. While I was at the hospital for my son's birth, Mark's exhortation "be bold" kept coming back to me, and the Lord gave me some opportunities to talk with some people and share gospel tracts, including a man from Sierra Leone, a woman from Puerto Rico, a hispanic couple, and several local residents. Praise the Lord for open doors to share His truth with a needy world!
Each day, Joshua Project sends me an e-mail with information and statistics about mostly unreached people groups, encouraging prayer for these nations which have little or no gospel witness in their languages. A few days ago, the people in focus were the Izarguien of Western Sahara. According to the Joshua Project e-mail, "There quite likely isn't a single follower of Christ among the Izarguien tribe." When I read this, my heart broke for these people. What are we doing with the grace God has shown us? How are we spending the lives God has given us? I am so sad to see the majority of professing Christians in our country piddling away their lives with frivolities that will have little if any effect on the souls of men for the glory of God. Yet there exists a people group, 34,000 strong, living and breathing today, and we do not know of one believer in Jesus Christ among them! And this tribe is just one of thousands where there is little Gospel witness. Dear Christian brothers and sisters in America--what are we doing for such people? "The harvest truly is plenteous." Does this fact make your heart weep? "The labourers are few." Does this stir you to action? Faced with the facts, there is one thing we must do to begin answering the problem: "Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest." May God find us faithful in prayer for the unreached peoples of the world! The Galkin Evangelistic Team has produced some wonderful, Christ-exalting music, including the recording Consider Him. They currently have a sale on their own recordings. I hope you will take advantage of this opportunity to acquire some quality music for your home.
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