To the faithful brethren in Christ,
Greetings, may His Grace and Peace be upon you. I am humbled this month to write to you. May these words not be mine but the Words of God our Father who has called me.
As I have been contemplating what to say in this letter, I am reminded of 1Peter 5:5-9 which says “…All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ 6Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 8Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9Resist him, standing firm in the faith…”
This last week I was faced with a few tough questions posed by a friend of mine, concerning my call to The World Race. The first question dealt with the certainty of the calling. Why am I going on this crazy trip around the world? Although there could be a variety of doubts in asking people to invest time, money, and energy in this ministry, I still hold firm in knowing God’s calling to the Race. It was an easy question to answer, because I knew everything inside me, within my very core, was calling me to this journey. and I felt God telling me that His calling was more than enough of a reason to ask people for their investment.
The second question was more difficult, and I sought the Lord on it all week. Should I leave in October? With only having around $3,000 dollars raised and needing $8,500 before mid September and another $6,000 six months after being on the mission field, I felt like the odds were against me. I am in a new environment in Greenville where I don’t have many connections. My home state of Indiana is far away, and it is difficult to contrive a solid base for ministry when you have to take a plane to get there. I know God is sovereign over all but wasn’t sure if the lack of finances was a test of faith or simply a sign to slow down a bit and wait a few months before departing.
This is where Hebrews 11:1 comes in and reminds me that “faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” I am convinced without a shadow of a doubt that this is where the Lord is leading me, and I am willing to do whatever it takes to run after God’s calling. When I think about the gifts the Lord so graciously gave me: service, faith, encouragement, and simplicity, my heart tells me that these strengths will be used in great ways to edify the Body of Christ all over the world.
I am continually humbled, because I am not worthy to be called on this journey. However, I know this is where I must go, and I realize I cannot do it on my own. Many of you have already been gracious in supporting my ministry. For that I am so grateful. I ask you continue to seek out the Lord as He prompts you. I pray He shows you how best to support this ministry as well as ministries around the world. Together we must stand and fight for the Kingdom of Heaven and love our neighbors recklessly, near and far away.
As the day of departure gets closer, there are still many items to accomplish before I can go. I ask for prayer this coming week of July 24th – July 31st as we have training camp. We meet our teammates as well as receive buckets of information to prepare for our trip. Pray for unity as we join together, that walls would quickly break down, and genuine communion would happen. Pray for our faith, as the devil is prowling around looking to bring us down and doubt our calling. I know my faith has been tested lately, and I know I am battling some real spiritual warfare. I also know I am not the only one. May we come together before the Lord of Hosts and encourage one another in our faith and fight to love each other well.
My prayer for us is from Hebrews 12:1-3 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.[a] Because of the joy[b] awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. 3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people;[c] then you won’t become weary and give up.” Amen.
Continue in Grace and Peace
