Because of the Times

OH MY!!!  I am BURSTING with EXCITEMENT!!!  As part of the Associates in Missions (AIM) program, I get to attend Because of the Times Conference in January 2012!!  It is absolutely one of the best conferences around, held annually in Alexandria, Louisiana.  However, due to space limitations, registration is limited to ministers and missionaries.  I remember praying last year, "Lord, I wish there was some way I could attend this conference someday."  I figured my only chance was to marry a minister...a VERY slim chance indeed! LOL. Now, a year later, God has answered my prayer in His own unique way. I am so amazed and EXCITED!!

Registering for this conference sparked a sobering reality inside of me.  You see, I viewed myself and my role as an AIMER with a "low man on the totem pole" mentality.  I kept saying, "I'm not a missionary.  I'm just an assistant to missionaries."  Howbeit, my role is a powerful one as I assist missionaries and together we reach souls for the Kingdom of God.  It is a God-ordained responsibility that must be taken seriously.

"Lord, help me to walk worthy of Your calling. Let me not minimize the role You have designed me to fulfill. May my spirit and attitude be one of humility, submission and obedience to Your perfect will so that You may receive all the glory and honor. Amen."

I am thankful for the opportunity to attend this conference, where assistants are recognized as a vital part of the global mission experience.  Thank you, Jesus!

Arunachal Pradesh

Sanga Ralte was a renown sports man in Indian cricket and football (soccer) before God called him into the ministry. Although he no longer plays sports, the sports organizations still call him to speak at ceremony openings.

Currently, Sanga pastors a church of about 54 members in the Diyun village in the state of Arunachal Pradesh in northeast India, an area that shares international borders with China, Bhutan and Burma. The growing congregation meet in a small room because their church building was damaged in a storm in 2009. They plan to start construction on a building in 2012. Various religions are practiced throughout the state. Diyun village is dominated by Buddhist religion.

One of Sanga's dreams is to open an orphanage home. He is looking for land and he is conferring with a lady in another area who has four small schools and an orphanage. Lack of a building does not hinder Sanga from ministering to youth as he is often involved in various youth events.

He says he has a burden for children, youth and orphans. Actually, I believe Sanga has a burden for ALL people. He tells me about the Chakma Tribe, refugees who migrated from Bangladesh, in Diyun village. The state government is bias and discriminatory towards these people. They are often denied basic rights such as education, employment and the right to live peacefully. Sanga cares about them and their plight, and seeks ways to minister the love of God to them.

Sanga travels to other districts throughout his state, taking the gospel of Jesus Christ to various peoples in small tribal villages. Most of the journeys take 2-3 days of travel, the majority of it by foot in mountainous terrain, to reach their destination. There are very few Christians, mainly indigenous people, in the hilly areas and there are no churches. On one such journey to Sissen Village, Sanga and other ministers were able to obtain a plot of land to build a church. Now they are looking for a sponsor for the church building.

It's been 13 years since Sanga Ralte left the sports world to become involved in the ministry. He loves God, he loves people, and he loves the ministry. In his own words, Sanga says, "I hope that until my last breath I will be in the ministry."

The Ultimate Debt Eraser

One of my goals for the next 10 months until I leave for India is to pay off all of my personal debt.  It is a Biblical goal, one that God desires each of us to experience, in our finances as well as our spiritual lives.  I want to be available to the kingdom of God without being tied down by finances.  I want my finances to be spent on reaching the lost souls of the world, not on material things. 

I bought an inexpensive used car yesterday.  I didn't mind riding the bus but now that my trip to India has been postponed until Fall 2012, I need a car to get around.  I bought this 1996 Lexus ES300 from a sweet lady who has truly babied this car.  I love it.  It's the perfect car for me right now.  (Well, the CD player's location in the trunk does takes some getting used to.) 

Next week, I will start working a part-time job in addition to my full-time job.  When my apartment lease is up, I plan to move in with a friend which will save even more money.  As I put forth the effort to reach the goal of being debt-free, God will help me.  How do I know?  He's done it before.  In 2006, I had numerous, very high medical expenses.  It would have taken me a lifetime to pay them all off.  One day, as I called about some hospital bills, the lady in the accounting department told me, "Don't send us any more payments.  We will write off all of your bills.  As of today, you do not owe us any more money."  After the initial shock wore off, I realized what God had just done.  He had just totally erased five medical bills totaling over $23,000!!

God erases debt in more ways than one.  He erased the debt of humanity's sin at Calvary.  We could never pay the debt of sin we owed, not even after an entire lifetime.  I am so glad God erased my debt of sin as well as my debt of medical expenses.  He is the Ultimate Debt Eraser!

Decision Made

Thanks everyone for the prayers. I was unable to get out of my apartment lease which ends February 2012.  I cannot justify paying the exorbiant fees while in the process of becoming debt-free.  Therefore, my trip to India is postponed until Fall 2012.

I choose to be content with His Will and Timing. Please pray for me as my heart is torn.  My burden is for India but I am in the United States.  Pray that I will be focused and useful in the field I am currently living while I prepare and wait for the field I am called to.

For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it, because it will surely come, it will not tarry.  Habakkuk 2:3

Spiritual Birthday

Today is my spiritual birthday…28 years.  Let me tell you about it.  It was a Monday afternoon in 1983 in Montgomery, Alabama.  I was 21 years old and a backslider.  I had recently started attending a Pentecostal church and on this particular day, I was helping out in their daycare.  The night before, the pastor had preached about the second coming of Jesus.  Afterwards, I stayed awake all night long from fear and conviction, knowing I would not be saved if the Lord Jesus indeed did return.  All day on Monday, I was feeling out of sorts and finally at 3:00 pm in the afternoon I began to shake and cry under the continual conviction.  My pastor’s wife inquired what was wrong.  I told her about my fears of not being saved.  She and I went into the sanctuary area and there on the front pew, I began to repent and ask God to forgive me.  He then filled me with the Holy Ghost with evidence of speaking in other tongues just like they did in the book of Acts.

I had been filled with the Holy Ghost once before when I was 15 years old.  When I received the Holy Ghost the first time, it was during a church service where the music was playing loudly and the people were worshipping God exuberantly.  I doubted my experience, contributing it to the emotional hype of the service.  This second experience solidified me.  There was no music; no one was present but my pastor’s wife, me and God.  This time I knew it was God and not an emotional hype.

A few weeks later, I was baptized in water in Jesus’ Name.  I was one of the last people to be baptized in the horse trough the church used temporarily until they built their own baptistry.  Water baptism completed my salvation experience according to Acts 2:38, Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.  My salvation was not obtained by anything that I had done.  I was merely obedient to the work Jesus Christ performed through His death, burial and resurrection (I Corinthians 15:3-4).

After my initial salvation experience, I continued to grow spiritually through faith and obedience to His Word.  Looking back over the last 28 years, I am so AMAZED at God’s mercy and grace in my life.  Early in my walk with Him, God gave me many dreams and visions, yet there were times when I doubted they could ever be reality because I was such a mess.  Today, I am actually living many of those dreams and visions.  And yes, in some ways, I am still a mess.  I am so thankful for His mercy and grace as I look expectantly ahead to living out the remaining dreams and visions. God is so good!

Radical

Every once in a while we read a book that causes us to radically change our perspectives on a particular subject.  The book, “Radical” by David Platt did exactly that for me.  The author compares the American Dream to the Great Commission as found in Mark 16:15, “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”  So many Americans hide behind their comfortable lifestyles and say, “Well, I’m not called to missions.”  It’s true, we are not called.  We are commanded.  It is clearly the will of God for us to take the gospel to the nations.

No, we cannot all physically go to another nation to take the gospel to the lost billions of people.  But, can we go to our neighborhoods?  The sad reality is that most of us are not going, not to another nation nor to another neighborhood, but rather we are sitting idle in our American churches enjoying our salvation.

The book challenges its readers to review their lifestyles, finances, talents and resources to see how these can be used to take the gospel to the untold billions of unsaved people.  The author gives us practical examples to help guide us in fulfilling the challenge.  He gives us inspiring stories of others who have radically changed their American lifestyles to ensure the gospel is preached into the entire world.  He gives us courageous stories of people in other countries who live radical lives by simply being a Christian.

I was deeply moved as I read stories of men and women who risked everything, including their lives, for the gospel in other countries.  I read stories of people who gathered together secretly in a small, dimly lit room for over eight hours of praying, studying the Word and worshipping God in a country where it is illegal to do so.  It burdened my heart to read about entire nations and/or people groups where there are no churches.  No Christians.  No missionaries.  No gospel.  No Jesus.  NO JESUS?!  Is this not a cause worth living for?  Is this not a cause worth dying for?  Lord, here am I.  Send me.

Rest

Absolutely nothing is happening on the home front.  I’ve raised very little money of the necessary budget.   The car has not sold and I’m still stuck in an apartment lease, among other things.  You know, I’m not stressed at all about it.  It will all happen according to God’s timing and plan.  Last time, I had several emotional meltdowns as I stressed over the preparations and finances.  I laugh now because the last time it was a 3 week trip and cost $3,000.  I am now facing a 6-8 month trip that costs $13,000.  Is it the impossibility of the task that gives me peace?  Is it my knowing only God and God alone can do this?

Three weeks ago, I wrote down on a piece of paper everything that needed to happen prior to my leaving for India.  I then placed the paper on the altar at church and left it there, literally.  I vowed not to pray another prayer over those needs.  I promised God I would praise Him and trust Him to supply the needs…all of them.  It was not resignation, not an attitude of “Well, there’s nothing I can do about it anyway.”  It was a deliberate and complete act of placing my trust in Him and His timing.

There is a powerful principle in the Bible that few of His people practice.  It is the principle of Rest.  Rest is not the same as relaxation.  Resting in Him involves prayer and the Word.  It involves praise, worship and adoration of Him.  Rest = Lean.

The people rested (leaned) upon Hezekiah’s words that the Lord would fight their battles.  2 Chronicles 32:8

Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness leaning (resting) upon her beloved?  Song of Solomon 8:5

Man feels the need to be doing, but the Battle has already been won by Jesus Christ.  He conquered, overcame all the enemies, including death, hell and the grave.  Do we really believe it?  Hebrews chapter 4 says we must labor to enter into that rest lest we fall into unbelief.  Many times we view scriptures in the Bible as being futuristic only.  Hebrews chapter 4 refers to the Heavenly Rest we will receive once we pass from this earth.  However, it is for us today because this chapter deals with the rest we have in the Holy Ghost.  We must learn to cease from works and rest in Him. 

Satan’s goal according to Daniel 7:25 is to wear out the saints of the most High.  He wants us to exhaust ourselves by constantly doing something.  We easily get caught up in what’s going on around us…we get pressed, oppressed, weary, tired, etc.  Sometimes we are busy with the work of God, exhausting ourselves and justifying our actions because it is for His cause.  Either way, we become restless.  Restlessness (unrest) is an end time spirit to wear us out, so that physically and mentally we won't be able to function to carry out our Lord's plan.

God’s goal is for His people to rest in Him, thereby enabling Him to be glorified and advancing His Kingdom.  The true dying out to self and for the cause is to lay aside our flesh for a time of rest.  Rest is not being lazy or unproductive.  Resting in Him is a deliberate act of placing our trust and confidence in Him.  Let us be diligent to labor to enter that rest. 

As I endeavor to apply the principle of rest to my life, I asked God to show me how powerful this principle really is.  I have not made any other attempts at fundraising since I sent out the letters to my friends.  Those who know me well know this is highly unusual for me.  By now, I would have exhausted every resource known to mankind in fundraising attempts.  Not this time.  This time I choose to rest and watch God work it out, so that He may be glorified.

Recently, God gave me a small glimpse of what He can do when I rest in Him.  I received an invitation to speak at a large missions-minded church in Louisiana.  I was completely shocked because even though my friend goes there, in all of my visits to Louisiana it never worked out for me to attend church with her.  So it was definitely a “God-thing” to receive the invitation.  I am in AWE of my God!