Out of NICU!

Just a quick update and praise. About 8:30 pm they brought Emma out of NICU. Tests will continue on an outpatient basis to monitor blood counts etc. She is now with mom in her recovery room and Lord willing she will be going home with mom as early as tomorrow or Friday. Thanks again for all the prayer.

Just a few of the answered prayers
How about the hundreds of prayers offered during the pregnancy that were answered - safety in the c-section, healthy baby, precision, clarity of thought and availability of her doctor to attend to the surgery - 10 fingers, 10 toes, etc.
Our kids at home handing well the time being away from us
Mom and Dad being available to watch them
Specifically the past couple days
Steph being given permission to transfer to Strong to be with the baby
Respiratory concern - baby was off the oxygen within 18 hours
Blood pressure concern - declared fully stable within 15 hours
Results of blood work back after 48 hours - negative (which is the good result)
Reticular good after one day (meaning she is working on making up red blood cells which she is short on)
No answers about why she is anemic but will be monitored as an outpatient - she has not yet needed to receive a blood transfusion
taken off IV's and out of NICU after just 60 hours - We were told best case scenario was 5 days in NICU
Taking well to feeding

We have been blessed beyond measure.

Continued prayer requests
- she has lost 10% of birth weight which is significant - for good feeding and weight gain
- she is Jaundice, that this will not get worse or hinder her departure time
- Steph's recovery (she is doing well, for it to continue)

We trust and hope that all our friends have joined us in being encouraged, amazed and increased in their faith by God's goodness and answered prayer on behalf of our little Emma Joy

Emma Joy - update

What a beautiful sight! Emma and mom had continued improvement yesterday. Autumn, Anna and Sarah came up for the first time (Sarah is too young for NICU) and had a good time meeting sister. They miss having us home although Grandma and Grandpa are taking great care of them.Then of course there was the beak/blanket - Dad's first little gift to Emma. I'm expecting goos, gaahs and smiles right?... not quite
...but she grew to like it!
Emma started eating yesterday and is doing well with it. Once they have confidence that she is eating enough and is responding well is when they will likely release her to mom's room. The other stipulation is tat some other tests come back negative today - 48hr turnaround.
Have a great day.

God is good, prayers continue to be answered. Let God be magnified!

Emma Joy - many prayers answered

Just getting a second to post this as an introduction to my sweet new Baby Daughter Emma Joy Putney.

The Stats:
11/26/07
18.5 inches
6lb 8oz
8:49am



The Story (in pictures)

No, I'm not robbing a bank, just taking the most flattering picture of myself that I could!


Mom is not liking pics being taken while in the midst of a c-section (take note fathers!)
This isn't the first pic but it tells the story of the level of care and monitoring they gave her at frst. Her respiratory rate was super fast (it seemed like her heart was going to beat out of her chest). Her blood pressure was very erratic and her skin was very pale. Park Ridge is a great hospital but not well equipped for babies that need extra care. Within a few hours they were setting up the transfer. Certainly an emotional moment as Emma was in transport and mom had to say goodbye for a few hours.O.K. - no story line but pics of baby feet sure are cuteMore than 24 hours after she was born, mom was finally holding emma!!!!

From the NICU (where she still is) to this pic - you can see how God has been so gracious to us - and so many thanks to all that have been praying. I will take time to list all the answers later...
but for now - my 3 older girls are coming to see Emma for the first time.

Mom: Stephanie is a blessing and a trooper. I have been blessed to see her faith and patience in the Lord as the baby was quickly taken to the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) at Park Ridge and then hours later transfered over to Strong for a higher level of care and testing. She is getting around pretty well already and was transfered over to Strong herself last night to be with Emma. Finally this morning had the privilege of holding Emma for the first time. The outlook at first was at least a week in ICU - talk of blood transfusion, infection, disease etc...

Within 24 hours they are talking about having her come out in just a few days and all prognosis is excellent.

The many prayers of our dear friends and the Faithful God who answered them are to be thanked!

Happy Thanksgiving - Have a Psalm with that Turkey Leg

Take a minute to read and reflect on all God has done for us. This is a beautiful passage to spark our memories of His goodness and mercy. HINT: Might not be a bad passage to read before cutting into the bird at the table!

Psa 103:1 - Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Psa 103:2 - Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Psa 103:3 - Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
Psa 103:4 - Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
Psa 103:5 - Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
Psa 103:6 - The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
Psa 103:7 - He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
Psa 103:8 - The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
Psa 103:9 - He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.
Psa 103:10 - He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
Psa 103:11 - For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
Psa 103:12 - As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
Psa 103:13 - Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.
Psa 103:14 - For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.
Psa 103:15 - As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.
Psa 103:16 - For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
Psa 103:17 - But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;
Psa 103:18 - To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.
Psa 103:19 - The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.
Psa 103:20 - Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.
Psa 103:21 - Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.
Psa 103:22 - Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.


This Psalm speaks wondrously of the eternal blessings and mercy God has poured out on us. If you then read Psalm 104 you see another theme of thanks and praise - the psalmist reflecting on the beauty of creation, God's care for man and beast and his glory in this temporal world He has allowed us to behold and be part of. It is a beautiful compliment to Ps 103. Then if you read Psalm 105 you get another psalm of praise, this time reflecting on God's merciful and miraculous dealings with man - recounting the deliverance of his people out of Egypt and into the promised land. And then.... you get the point - He is worthy of our praise!

BLESS THE LORD!

Mouth of the Lord

I was reading Joshua 9 this morning about the Gibeonites deception in making a league with Israel and the root cause of the success of this deception was that Israel did not ask counsel at the mouth of the Lord.

That phrase - like so many in scripture just stands out. So, using my trusty e-Sword I ran a phrase search and it turns out this phrase is found 11 times in Scripture.

In those 11 verses I think we learn 11 different truths regarding the mouth of the Lord - i'm sure there are many more and perhaps other phrases (like mouth of God - 2x MT 4:4 and 2 Chron. 35:22 etc) that would correspond.

Here they are at a quick glance - commenst, additional insight etc always welcome - just a quick wednesday morning topic study. I am thankful for the word of God this morning, and the ability to search it in so many efficient ways because of technology.

MOUTH OF THE LORD

1. A Christians necessary food – the Bible = the mouth of the Lord
Deuteronomy 8:3 - And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.

2. Trouble comes when you don’t seek wisdom, discretion and guidance at the mouth of the Lord
Joshua 9:14 - And the men took of their victuals, and asked notcounsel at the mouth of the LORD.

3. Judgment comes from disobedience to the mouth of the Lord
1 Kings 13:21 - And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the LORD, and hast not kept the commandment which the LORD thy God commanded thee... (look it up)

4. A true preacher/prophet speaks directly from the mouth of the Lord (source and authority)
2 Chronicles 36:12 - And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God, and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the mouth of the LORD.

5. If it comes from the mouth of the Lord, it will come to pass - TRUTH (this applies to all the points of course)
Isaiah 1:20 - But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. (goes with #2)

6. The Mouth of the Lord has promised His Return and Rule
Isaiah 40:5 - And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

7. Blessings are available to us at the mouth of the Lord
Isaiah 58:14 - Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

8. The mouth of the Lord has promised us a New Name in Glory
Isaiah 62:2 - And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name.

9. The mouth of the Lord is looking for those to whom He can speak
Jeremiah 9:12 - Who is the wise man, that may understand this? and who is he to whom the mouth of the LORD hath spoken, that he may declare it, for what the land perisheth and is burned up like a wilderness, that none passeth through?

10. The mouth of the Lord will clarify who is a true or false prophet
Jeremiah 23:16 - Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD.

11. Safety and blessing are assured by the Mouth of the Lord
Micah 4:4 - But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it.

Have a thankful day and seek wisdom from the mouth of the Lord - the KJV

Subtlety Sunday

(2Co 2:11) Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

God gave a friend of mine a powerful message to preach a couple years ago in Zambia. That message demonstrated powerfully that Satan is no match at all for our Saviour Jesus Christ. He doesnt compete, he cant win, he cant even be pitted fairly against my Jesus.

Let me ask though, if today there was a broadcast on TV, radio and the papers that advertised the fight to end all fights - a bout that has the entire universe on the line - supreme authority for all of eternity over all of creation -
Yes, Jesus vs. Satan for control of the universe

What do you suppose would be the response?

We know Christ could look at Him, wave His hand, speak or just breathe toward him and it would be the end of this wicked enemy. It is only his longsuffering for the souls yet to be saved that He has stayed His wrath on this enemy and all that will reject Him. Yet I would venture to guess that there would be throngs and throngs of people that would rise up in support of Satan - millions if not billions that would somehow think that this will at least be a difficult fight - endless souls that would analyze the tale of the tape out of concern for who will win and what impact it would have on them...

Can I suggest that this was not the case from creation. Surely when God created Adam and Eve there was no consideration of someone that could challenge the Creator and yet somehow Satan began to sway people.

And as I'm certain we all know - he did it through subtlety.

If today, there are many that would at least think he'd be in the fight (perhaps even many professing Christians) then Satan has been making strides in accomplishing his goals.

Isa 14:13-14 For thou (Satan) hast said in thine heart,

1. I will ascend into heaven,
2. I will exalt my throne above the stars of God:
3. I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
4. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
5. I will be like the most High.

Satan has used his subtle attacks throughout the generations to build for himself an army of followers to him, lulled others completely to sleep through false gods - money, cult beliefs, humanism, idolatry of celebrities and sports figures and rendered many of the third party - the saved, less effective through fear, through distractions, through allurements, through worldliness, through shedding doubt on the word of God etc etc.

He has much of the world sold on evolution and a worldview of everyone doing what is right in his own eyes. Past that, he has influenced a watered down Christianity where the souls of men, the thirst for the word and a literal belief of what it says is of little importance. God's word has not changed. Yet even though the words on the pages stays consistent with the KJV (which is always under attack) - the reverence for it and adherence to it have been thwarted. I fear a good part of Christianity would rather find ways to explain things away then study it out and recognize how we need to change.

Satan's will
(2Ti 2:26) And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

His will is to snare people, to take them captive and to bring them under his bondage and control through sin, addictions, worldly pleasures and worship of anything but the One True God

Eph 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
Eph 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Eph 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

Satan desires to keep the lost walking according to the course of the world and to convince the saved that the course of this world is not too bad and that it is ok to still take pleasure in most of it. His most effective strategy for this generation has been just taking the same old worldiness and attitudes, repackaging it and adding some religious verbage and trinkets to it.

God doesnt need snares, He doesnt need allurements - where Satan uses subtlety - God uses the most recognized event (The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ) in all of history to draw people in a clear manner away from the sin that was damning and turning them to that event.

It is that gospel and the living, cutting, sharp, fiery, hammerlike, unbound, true, perfect, preserved, holy, wonderful love letter that will accomplish what God pleases - The King James Bible in the hands of Christians who have the privilege to share it that does the work.

Almost done (purely for my journaling at this point - anyone else checked out 4 paragraphs ago)

Today I was reading in Numbers again and came across a word that I immediately recognized from a commonly quoted verse but I didnt remember having seen it anywhere else.

WILES -

(Num 25:18) For they vex you with their wiles, wherewith they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a prince of Midian, their sister, which was slain in the day of the plague for Peor's sake.

WILE, n. A trick or stratagem practiced for ensnaring or deception; a sly, insidious artifice.
That ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Eph 6.
WILE, v.t. To deceive; to beguile.

You know the pattern for Numbers and here it is again - no matter how blatent God's power and deliverance was - the disciplines needed to avoid trouble drops, the standards for protecting the eyes, mind, heart and family are forsaken, the flesh starts getting its desires met and left unchecked - sin lieth at the door.

They didnt see it coming, they didnt intend for it to happen...but it did and not just the 2 involved paid the price but 24,000 others...

Why?

because the subtlety of the enemy gradually swayed people from God's will...

Lest Satan should get advantage of us - we must never be ignorant of his devices

Soul Winning Saturday

Pro 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.

I would suggest that you can't spend a day of Bible reading, even a few chapters without passing verses that state God's purpose and desire - to be glorified in the restoration of people back to Himself through the shed blood of our risen Saviour Jesus Christ.

For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
Luke 19:10 -

God's primary interest is not in our hobbies, our bank accounts, our activities, our careers or even our families outside of how those things can be used to glorify His name so that others may see our good works and glorify our Father which is in heaven (Mt 5:13-16).

Today I continued in Numbers and again read multiple accounts of the way that man rebelled against God and His leadership He established through Moses
how God then responded in judgment on the people
how Moses and Aaron pleaded with God for a rescue
and how then God offered that rescue through various atonements like the serpent on the pole (all of which are a picture of THE Atonement of Jesus Christ)
this atonement allowed for a restored relationship with God.

In Psalms, you often cant go a few verses without seeing the desire that the sweet psalmist of Israel had for God to be magnified and individuals to turn to God

Psa 82:4 Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.
Although this is context of physical help and deliverance -

• Who is more poor than the lost?
• Who is more needy than the lost?
• Who is more in the hand of the wicked one than the lost?
• Who is to deliver them?
• By WHOSE Power?

The gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God to deliver those who are right now how you once were - Condemned for their sin. They are taken captive by Satan at his will (2 Tim. 2:26)

Now is the only life we have and the only chance they have. That chapter ends with the wonderful promise of victory and rule that Christ will have

Psa 82:8 Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.

We have the privilege to influence some to worship Him for all of eternity.

Then in Psalm 83 is one of those chapters where the psalmist (Asaph) is praying for judgment and wrath to be poured out on the enemies of God.

This poses a problem for many because clearly we are told to love our enemies, bless them that curse us, do good to them that hate us and pray for them which despitefully use us and persecute us.

How to reconcile - we do love them, bless them, do good to them... but we pray that God will do to them WHATEVER is necessary to humble them and bring them to seek him - see what I mean below

Psa 83:13 O my God, make them like a wheel; as the stubble before the wind.
Psa 83:14 As the fire burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire;
Psa 83:15 So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm.
Psa 83:16 Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O LORD.
Psa 83:17 Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish:
Psa 83:18 That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.

The prayer is that judgment will come upon them - this results in people seeing the judgment of God and having it impact them to consider their standing with him. (corporal punishment was ordained by God for that individual to change their ways). The prayer is that they are so leveled from thinking that everything is ok, that they are in control, that they dont need God, that they will never have to give account - to the point where they are broken and trembling before the holy God and that they may seek thy name, O LORD.

If that person doesnt break, convert and as a result impact others by his testimony of God's goodness to him... then the prayer continues that they even perish if necessary That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth. (capital punishment was ordained by God to influence others to change their ways).

Our responsibility in interaction with people and witnessing is to love, bless, minister and overcome evil with good (Mt. 5:44-45; Rom 12:14). Remember, we dont love them by not giving them the truth with the grace - it is the law, and sincere warning of judgment by that law that is the schoolmaster that brings people to Christ.

Our hope and desire is that people will be saved by the wonderful goodness of God leading them to repentance (Rom 2:4)

Our prayer, though, should be that God will do whatever is necessary for that individual to be broken over their sin and put their faith in Christ.

I would rather a soul reach heaven because God brought tremendous and even painful circumstances in their life to break them instead of that soul going to hell having lived a prosperous and successful life by this worlds standards, amen?

Tell someone about Christ's mercy today!

Family Friday

My three girls - Autumn, Anna, Sarah. Treasures of the Lord to an unworthy father. Two weeks from Monday, with the Lord's mercy and protection we will have a fourth girl to add to the family picture - Emma Joy. We have great anticipation for our new addition and stand in awe of how God has taken us from wondering if we would ever have kids to four little girls.



I wrote on Wednesday of revival. Families are perhaps the most beautiful of God's institutions because they are so real, so personal and they touch every aspect of our emotions and senses in powerful, heartwrenching ways. They present an individual with a sense of comfort, love, ownership (or responsibility), accountability, devotion, investment, warmth and so much more.
The love we have for them, the concern when they are sick, the burden for their souls, the gravity of the task of raising them in a Christ like way, the joy when they are glad, the walking in the door to three kids running toward you with smiles and hugs, the cleaning up after them, the teaching them something new, the amazement in their eyes over the beauty of God's creation in the simplest of creatures that we unfortunately lost our wonder of a long time ago, the melting of our hearts when we have to discipline them and so much more.

The greatest foundations that God establishes of course are the most attacked foundations by the enemy. Genesis 1 gives us creation, which as we all know - Satan has attacked through the foolishness of evolution, the big bang or just outright leading people to worship the creation rather than the Creator. In Genesis 2 we have the first mention of families as we have the first mention of father, mother and wife in verse 24. Satan attacks the family in hundreds of ways - many of which I am certain we are not even aware of since his subtle tactics (those attacks we'll save for another day) likely have changed God's intended behaviors and desires for families generations before we even came into this world. Of course the next would be Genesis 3 where we see God's word come under attack right away. We could go on and see every major institution God set up (like government) and how it has come under attack.

God's design for all of these things are to be pictures of things in the spiritual realm - His family relationship with us, His justice and holiness in government, His truth and immutability in His word, His power and beauty in Creation and so much more. The enemy wants to destroy those foundations and If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? - Ps. 11:3

Every generation Satan seems to gain more headway - further tainting the perfection of God's creation through sin, confusion, wrong priorities etc. Yet we have wonderful hope, we have access to God and the preservation of His word which Satan can't do a thing about!

A powerful revival for all of our families is God's desire that the hearts of fathers will turn back to their children and their children to their fathers. I will save the study on fathers for another day but here is a verse to reiterate how God promised to bring revival at the end of the OT.

Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.
Malachi 4:5-6

The more a father reflects the Father/Child relationship that God desires to have with all of us - the more our hearts turn toward our kids in desire for them to walk with God and not just be pleased with us by spoiling them - the stronger of an impact we will have on this world for Jesus Christ.

God has charged me as a father with many things - and He has also set the expectations of what He wants my precious little girls to become (Prov 31, Titus 2). The way of getting there is through communion with Him by worship, prayer and loving His word.
I am far from it and can't do it on my own, but by the grace of God we can all be confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in us will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:6).

Have a great day and love on your kids if ya got 'em!

Thanksgiving Thursday

OK, so today is not THE thanksgiving Thursday (although it is coming soon - along with my fourth little girl - 11/26 - c-section - appreciate your prayers).

Of course we know that every day is a day in which we should offer thanks to God for all of His mercies, gifts, blessings and graces on our lives.
Yesterday I wrote of revival, something I believe that we all need - quite frankly we all need revival every day - 2 Cor. 4 tells us that that we must not faint because although the outer man perishes - yet the inward man is RENEWED DAY BY DAY

The lone comment from yesterdays post was from Missionary Kevin Pestke who said this: "How do you wake up people when they are spiritually sleeping? Is the solution prayer/fasting? If so, most people that are sleeping will have little desire for such spiritual activities. In part, 1 Cor 15 that you refer to speaks mostly of the resurrection of our Lord - I don't think the statement "awake to righteousness" just happened to find itself in that context by accident. In my simple opinion, we need to get back to realizing that our GOD is not among the dead, but HE has RISEN from the grave! Paul ends that chapter with an encouragement to continue to labour... why?, because Christ has risen!"
Couldn't have said it better myself, hence the reason I quoted Kevin! Were it not for the resurrection of Christ it says in that chapter...
1Co 15:19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

Our hope, encouragement and ability for renewal and revival is because of our RISEN SAVIOUR - our purpose, our motivation, our inspiration, our dedication, our anything that means anything is due solely to our Risen Saviour Jesus Christ This goes back to thanksgiving of course. When we as Christians spend more time contemplating challenges ahead, pitfalls, obstacles, temptations etc then we do reflecting on the God that Rose from the grave (giving us eternal victory, access to His throne, the Holy Spirit to guide, the deliverance from this present evil world and more), we quickly become like the children of Israel in the wilderness - worriers, complainers, wanderers and discouragers.

I received a blessing and reminder this morning as my daily reading is about the wilderness wanderings in Numbers and my daily Psalms happened to be 77-78 which refer to the very accounts I read in Numbers 7-13.
The key lesson was this: The children of Israel were too focused on the day to day issues of their flesh and as a result spent their time groaning and complaining... "we should have stayed in Egypt, I should be the leader - not Moses, why did Moses marry an Egyptian anyway, why do I have to eat the same food every day, I could really use some cucumbers..." you get the point THEY COMPLAINED, THEY SINNED, THEY BROUGHT WRATH UPON THEMSELVES BECAUSE THEY FORGOT ALL THAT GOD HAD DONE FOR THEM - they stopped reflecting, they stopped thanking, they stopped bragging on all his wonderful works.

Psalm 77 taught me how easy we can get ourselves down and wondering where God is in our trials and day to day goings on - then it gives the resolution - REMEMBER, MEDITATE, TALK.. of our wondrous God - you know - LOOK UNTO JESUS!
Psa 77:7 Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more?
Psa 77:8 Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore?
Psa 77:9 Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah. Psa 77:10 And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High.
Psa 77:11 I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old. Psa
77:12 I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.
Psa 77:13 Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?

Psalm 78 again
Psa 78:40 How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!
Psa 78:41 Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.
Psa 78:42 They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy.

Christ Rose from the dead giving us victory and expectation of eternal glory! When we do not remember, reflect, thank and speak of this our hope - we open ourselves up to allowing current situations to control our attitudes, emotions and spiritual walk - thereby quenching the Spirit and Limiting what the Holy One of Israel wants to do in and through us for His glory.
Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. 2 Corinthians 9:15 -

More to come on thanksgiving...study it for yourself - more importantly - lets practice it - brag on God today. Not sure how? See the video below for Praising God 101!

Wake-Up Wednesday

1 Corinthians 15:34 - Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.

This verse is one of the most convicting in all of scripture.

It is a wake up call in every sense
1) It is a rebuke by God through Paul to Corinth to wake up, (thereby making it clear that they were spiritually asleep) -and it is a rebuke that passes through time to all who are sleeping in every generation

Consider the state of sleep:

• it accomplishes something beneficial for self but not for others
• the sleeping individual is not aware of what is going on around him/her - vulnerable
• large periods of time go by in this state without the individual really noticing it - it seems like only a moment to them
• often an individual does not wake up on their own but it require some type of outside disturbance or wake up call

We all understand that this command of God echoes through time from its original intended audience to God's children of today - "Those of you who are sleeping - WAKE UP!"

There is little doubt that there is a significant need for revival across churches in America today - many of us in the body of Christ have gone through these times of sleeping where the emphasis was turned to self and not others, times where we have become vulnerable and fallen victim to many of the subtle attacks of the enemy because we were not sober and vigilant to see the impact of these subtle wiles, a lot of time has past with little spiritual growth and little fruit abounding to our account and quite frankly - we like our sleep - it is comfortable and we are not likely to wake up on our own...

Hence God cries out again and again - AWAKE

2) It is a call to Righteousness, a call to perfection (sin not)

I know arguments come in here but consider that if we are to take the Bible as being perfect, then to say that perfect doesn't really mean perfect as in flawless is a problem...

Websters - Perfect
1. Finished; complete; consummate; not defective; having all that is requisite to its nature and kind; as a perfect statue; a perfect likeness; a perfect work; a perfect system.
2. Fully informed; completely skilled; as men perfect in the use of arms; perfect in discipline.
3. Complete in moral excellencies.
Mat 5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Complete is what we use to define it, mature, developed, rooted, disciplined, consistent biblical adherence with the right motives behind our right practices.

That the man of God may be perfect...

1 John 4:17-18 speaks of being perfect in love - producing boldness

Christ teaches throughout the sermon on the mount to be perfect in motives and methods

We are shown by Paul in Romans 6 that we have victory over sin through Christ's victory over sin, death and hell

Can we be perfect? Reconciling these passges with what we know about ourselves and Romans 7 - in me that is, in my flesh dwelleth no good thing, for to will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I find not...

The inward man delights in the law of God but it is at war with the law of sin which is in our flesh

Never should we have an attitude of "I just need to try to sin less" We are called to be sinless. We are commanded to turn from it, to hate it, to revile it, to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God.

Will we fall short? A million times over - yes but we must never be content with that. We must never set a lower expectation for ourselves than what God sets and His expectation and command according to 1 Cor. 15:34 is to sin not.

Praise God that when we do sin - we have an ADVOCATE who is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

When we accept that some sin is to be expected and that it is common to all - then what happens is that it does not grieve us how it should - we do not hate it how we should, we grow cold to our sin and we even find ourselves joking and foolish talking about our "little sins."

Pro 8:13 The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.

Psalms 97:10 - Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.

Remember Job

Job 1:8 - And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that [there is] none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?

Yet when he saw who he was compared to God

Then Job answered the LORD, and said, Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.
Job 40:3-4 -

I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.
Job 42:5-6 -

This was a man that already beseeched God daily on behalf of his children lest peradventure they had sinned...

Isaiah has a similar reaction when he saw God (Isa. 6)

Seeing God for His absolute holiness and seeing us for our absolute wickedness through His word is what will help us see just the extent of revival that we need.

One preacher put it this way - If you have ever been closer to God then you are right now, it is obvious you need revival. To take that one step further, at our closest to God, is it likely that we were as close to God as Job when God bragged on him...

Revival is desperately needed - to be able to weep for souls, to see thier fate without Christ as I approach them, to be so enamored with the cause and mission of God that the things of earth grow strangely dim and incredibly unimportant.

3) FOR SOME HAVE NOT THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD - SPOKEN TO OUR SHAME

it is this generation of Christians reponsibility to reach this generation of the world with the gospel of Christ

When we are asleep, when we are desensitized away from the need, when we become selfserving, when we are accepting of sin rather than hating it vehemently, when we do not hunger and thirst after righteousness by hungering and thirsting after God through His word - - the burden is weak, the passion is small, the love is not all consuming, the concern is not great, the mission is not ever on our hearts, in our prayers, the talk of our lips, the topic of our studies and the goal of our lives

The neighbors, coworkers and friends do not get reached by sleeping Christians

God does not get worshipped in spirit and in truth by sleeping Christians

The uttermost does not get reached by sleeping churches, God's heartbeat for souls all through the world is not in the forefront of the priorities of sleeping churches.

And when Christians are asleep, often we dont realize it - we are in a dreamworld where we are such a success for God that He is pleased with all we do and although we need a little brushing up and maybe to read an extra chapter a day etc - we certainly dont need to weep or be broken or consider that we may actually not have arrived.

Now that I have discouraged myself (since i'm my only reader) lets remember that after Romans 6 where we learn we are to have victory over sin and then Romans 7 where we learn that it will be a continuous battle with our flesh for life we have Romans 8.

There we are encouraged with promises of being conquerors, being adopted by God, being on the winning team and that nothing can separated us from that love of Christ - GLORY!

Lets allow God to drive us to His word and to our knees right now - Revival is typically associated with fasting, weeping and mourning in scripture. Those things are responses to conviction about our sins, the lost world around us and a brokenness for wanting to be closer to God and more like Him.

God takes pleasure in showing mercy and in His mercy He would desire to bring revival if we are ready to be broken...

Testify Tuesday

This is my first venture into uploading video on the blog - it's about time since this is now my 50th post!

I thought that Testify Tuesday had a ring to it and I have some various videos, pics and more importantly testimonies of God's grace and mercy in my life and others that He had blessed me by allowing to meet and fellowship with over the years.

Psalms 89:1 - I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.

God is faithfully working around the world in the lives of people - saving, transforming, forgiving, healing, cleansing, restoring, equipping, calling, guiding, loving, answering, comforting, empowering, strengthening, using, encouraging and so much more.

These things that God is doing are well worthy of our Boasting on Him all the day long (Ps 44:8).

I am sure if you can watch the video below that it will be an absolute blessing to you - it was shot in Zambia in March of 2005.



Joseph Mubanga is a young man who graduated from North Star Bible Institute in Zambia. He is a spirit filled man who loves Christ with a zeal and sincerity that is humbling to those who are in his presence. God had equipped him with spiritual giftedness in preaching, singing (as seen above), translating and prayer. Brother Joseph quickly became a friend to Andy Hinds and myself as he translated for us during the conference. The truth is that he should have been doing his own preaching and translating. We were blessed and honored to be a part of his ordination and commissioning ceremony at Kafulafuta and then brought him with us to his field of ministry in Livingston at the end of our trip. Pray for brother Joseph. He is now married and has a son, his ministry is going well and the vision that the Lord has given him for Livingston is truly an encouragement and challenge.

A couple memories that I have of Joseph were when he opened up his notepad with his vision for Livingston - it was two pages of some of the loftiest ministry goals you could imagine - Praise God that Joseph knows that he has a big God that could do all that and more. Would that we were all that expectant, amen?!

I also remember his response when I gave him a Bible. His was worn out and falling apart and here he was going to his mission field. Like all of us spoiled Americans, I had multiple Bibles with me. Upon giving it to him - he did not look at me, shake my hand or acknowledge me at all. I was nothing but the vessel that God used to bless him. His response imediately was to praise God, he started thanking his Father God the moment He took that Bible in his hands. What a powerful lesson that was also in my life.

Last one - as we were walking one day down a dirt road between services - Joseph shared with Andy and I about how God would wake him up to pray, sometimes for hours at a time. He shared how he really wanted to be married but he believed that God would give him a wife that would wake up with him and pray by his side. He also shared how he prays that God will someday allow him to stay in fervent prayer for a full 24hrs. You may say that could sound like hypocritical or boasting type statements - if you spend 5 minutes with Joseph you'd know that he is for real and that his desire is to just commune with and intercede to God as much as he can - yep, another humbling moment. I cant say if his prayer was answered about his wife or not but I expect that a man with a heart like that for God and a prayer of that type is likely to have been answered by our great God.

As we prepare for the Philippines, it is a blessing to be able to praise God for allowing me to meet this man and know that these experiences are something God allowed in my life so I can learn from them. As I rejoiced in these thoughts today, these accounts and challenges became more of a motivational factor for our calling in the mountain regions of Luzon Island.

Have a testimony? I'd love to have some comments of what God is/has done in your lives or who God has used to influence you. Take some time to brag on God, I'd love to hear about what God is doing!

boast on God today - after all - it is Testify Tuesday...

Testimony of God's mercy

Psa 71:17 O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works.
Psa 71:18 Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.

The Lord opened the door for me to go to a dear friends church in Mississippi at the end of October. I have many testimonies I could share of what God has done and is doing there.

One of the highlights of this trip was a man names Bro. Linwood. This man is about 70 or maybe older and yet he was right alongside the young men and women of the church on Satruday morning as a good portion of the membership of the church came out for prayer, soul winning and bus visitation.

Do I have to tell you that God knows what He is doing?

God brought brother Linwood to another man - named Jim who was working on his car. Jim is 78 years old and was lost as could be. God used brother Linwood to show this man the brevity of both of their lives at thier age and that thier was one important difference between them - the eternal destination of their soul. The Holy Spirit convicted that man and he he repented and trusted Christ right there in that parking lot.

Psa 136:1 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psa 136:2 O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psa 136:3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.

I was encouraged in many ways by this event
1) God's sovereignty in bringing Bro. Linwood to Jim that morning
2) Bro. Linwoods desire to be used of God and continue to spread the gospel in his advanced age (hence the text above)
3) That an invitation to church showing up in the mailbox wasnt going to get that man to church - he was old, resistant... and had a broken car, amen?!
4) God's longsuffering and mercy on this man who probably had heard the gospel many times in his life but had resisted to that point

Praise the Lord for another brother in Christ, pray for Brother Jim to get in church, grow spiritually and get out there witnessing with Brother Linwood.