Upcoming Trip In April

This is a video from gospel workers in Papua with a ministry called World Team. I have grown to really appreciate this ministry and particularly love how they seek to truly come beside the local church in helping her recapture and require her great responsibility and pleasure in make much of Christ's name to the ends of the globe. You can view them further here word team.

This April I will be taking a trip into these neck of the woods to visit areas of potential service for the future. During this two week trip I will be meeting with local church leadership in some of the city centers, view urban ministry opportunities,  hiking into the jungles making contact with villages and villagers, meeting up with brother Yuli (read about him here) and visiting land that has been offered to me and my family to come out and live on among a group of people located there.

I am completely excited to have with me during this trip both Ronnie Batchelor, elder at Basswood Church and Reagan Kelley, elder at Graham Bible Church along with me during this most important trip. They will be along to assist, experience, watch, listen and pray with me concerning this next chapter of our (both my family and these churches) ministry here.

Please, continue to pray for God's wisdom to be granted to us during this time and that He would only make more clearly know to us what He is calling us all to during this time.

Looking forward to posting pictures and giving a full report soon. Blessings to you all and know you are all thought about often.

A Hard and Freeing Truth...

There are truths in scripture that we all must come to understand and deal with. These at times can be difficult truths to accept however, they are truths none the less. These truths often show us the desperate plight of our souls and the complete desperation we all have in our need of Christ as Savior. The Bible often paints a very disturbing image of the human condition. It says that we are fallen, lost, blind, dead, enslaved, worthless, wicked, and even enemies of God. (Jere. 17:9, Eph. 2:1, Romans. 3:10-12, Col. 1:21, Col.2:13, 2 Peter 2:19, John 8:34, Rev 3:17).

And while these truths concerning us all are difficult. The truth's that I find even more difficult to understand and accept are those in which the Scriptures call those in Christ who have been redeemed by His death on a cross righteous, holy, chosen, beloved, and even children of God. (Rom. 5:19, 1 Pet. 2:9, John 1:12-13, Rom. 8:15-17, Eph. 1:5 ). Yet truths these are and in these truths I find strength, hope and humility.

I am thankful that the Lord has started the process of making more and more into the image and likeness of Christ (sanctification). And I can honestly see where in my life I am changing and growing little by little often into that image. However, Christ calls (declares) me accepted, righteous and holy even now. Even in all my imperfections and all my failings. The truth is that He is not only making me more into the new man however, I am a new man! And by God's saving grace alone have I received such truths in my own life.

It is important for us all to know and understand are falleness, our lostness, our inability and our indwelling sin (depravity). However, it is just as important to understand and know that we (those saved by His grace, through faith, for His ultimate glory and good pleasure) are chosen, redeemed, adopted children of God in whom He loves and declares righteous. I pray that this truth only lifts up our chins in this battle for His glory here on earth and only causes us to go deeper in our humility into salvation and our ultimate adoration and love of the Father.

Praise be to God that HE saved me! That He has and is turning this heart of stone, sin and death into a heart of flesh, holiness and life. Can you also find yourself rejoicing in this most difficult yet, amazing truth with me.

Remember: "I am not who I want to be, I am not even who I yet hope to be, but one thing I know, I

am not what/who I used to be and by God's grace, I am what I am!"