Darwin Awards - David Style

Not sure if you have ever heard of the "Darwin Awards" but they are typically awarded to people that do something really stupid during the year. I would recommend you look at them BUT there are some things on there that are not good in the eyes of the Lord so, I wouldn't.

Anyway, here is my submission for myself:

Yesterday I was kind and made some hard boiled eggs for my son, and one extra for me to enjoy. He was kind enough to peel them and then he put them in the Microwave to "warm" them a bit. When I went to take one he warned me and said "Daddy, be careful those are hot". To which I replied in a manly tone, "Don't worry, I won't get burned". Well, he was right, they were hot, even to the touch which I have rather hard fingertips so, that is saying a good bit.

So, in my wisdom I promptly walked over to the sink and proceeded to sprinkle some salt on this hot egg thinking that I would take a small bite and then blow on it so that I could cool it down a bit. So, I opened my mouth and proceeded to bite into this egg only to have it explode in my mouth, and I mean explode. It actually made a "BOOM" sound when it exploded. So, here I am standing at the sink with half an egg, a face that feels like I just got punched and a whole lot of egg yolk sprayed down the wall of the kitchen. In looking around I had egg yolk as far as 10 - 15 feet from where I stood and the pieces that were closer hit so hard that they were mashed into whatever they struck. Fortunately it was all in one direction so that the cleanup was reasonable.

So, lessons learned are as follows;

1. When my son tells me that something is hot, I need to listen.
2. When something is microwaved it needs to be punctured (yes, even when the shell is off)
3. Exploding eggs hurt your face, or in my case my lip (very thankful that it was only my lip)
4. Evolution really can't be true because I wouldn't be that stupid after millions and millions of years of evolving... :)

Hope you enjoy from my lessons learned.

David

The world

...is corrupt, it is deceitful and it is desirous of nothing less than your death. Spiritually. I have been very blessed with some things that the Lord has been teaching me but they are not at a point that I can share them fully as they are not worked through my heart yet however, I can share a little bit about some of the things that He has made clear to me.

In my previous post I commented about my experience in Seattle and I have had some other things that have added to this idea of being blind and not seeing. I am in the middle of reading a book to my family called "Henry and the Great Society". If you have never read it, you should, matter of fact I will send you my copy when I am complete if you are interested. The story is about a man, Henry, who lives a very quiet and peaceable life that in their understanding is that which is mentioned in 1 Timothy 6:6 "But godliness with contentment is great gain". The first part of the story is about this simple life that they lived but it rapidly turns as "progress" comes to their community. The picture that is painted by the changes that come in is very scary and really makes you start to think. The book is something that everyone should read, just to have a mirror held up to the ways and things of this world.

I am by no means promoting the ultra-simple lifestyle but I can say that we need to be very careful about the affects that things and goings to and fro have on our time and more importantly on our relationships. Most importantly we need to be careful about that one relationship with our Saviour which is, after all, most important. It is in that relationship where we are changed, it is in that relationship that we can learn of our Lord Jesus (take His yoke upon you and learn of Him...). Isn't that the desire that we should have, to become more like Him, Jesus? That can come through no other means than time with Him and I will say that all of hell stands against that. Everything in this world is meant to do all that it can to pull you away from Him. Much more on this at a later time but, to provide a quick thought, the very testimony of Jesus Christ, the Church, is what hangs in the balance. It can only be represented in fulness when it is represented by those that are truly being changed into His image. That can't happen unless there is a rich relationship where we are beholding Him.

Take some time today and weigh all things in the balance of that relationship with Jesus Christ and ask whether this thing, event, etc is something that is going to draw you closer to Him, to behold Him more clearly or is it going to pull you away. There really is nothing neutral. Don't believe the lie.

David

Seeing

So, what does "seeing" mean?

Matthew 13:13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

I am in Seattle right now after spending a week at a the SQL Server PASS 2008 conference, away from my family, and I have to admit that I have seen many things over the last few days. Not in the sense of "seeing" things but having things revealed to me in a deeper way. The conference that I attended was for work purposes and it was for the most part very good, especially from the technical perspective. However, it is also very revealing to me just how far those things are away from Christ. You may not understand that, especially if you are not having to do many things with the world, but I can honestly see why there is not even a looking to God in the midst of this world. I had a 1.2 mile walk to and from the conference every day and if you have never been to Seattle, it is a really unique city with a mix of the "earthy" crowd, and the posh crowd, all mixed in with people that are poverty stricken and living on the streets. And here I am going about to this conference, in the midst of people that are only concerned about the stock market and making their server more reliable (if you don't understand that consider yourself blessed). I'm not trying to bring about an attitude of humanism but rather trying to paint a picture of why people don't think they have a need for God. The irony is, without their realizing this, the people that I was "mingling" with, were the ones who are in need, they are the poor, the blind, the lame the halt, the beggars so to speak and yet, they think they are doing great, especially when they compare themselves to those they see on the street. Ultimately my friends, the enemy has done a really good job of blinding people. There was no shortage whatsoever with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life eminating from the midst of this "congregation". Not in rampant open "sin" or I would have left but it was evident in all the fruit of their lives.

If you are reading this you may be saying, brother I know these things, why are you stating them. That may be true but I don't know that we see the stark reality of it or there would be some different fruit in our lives over these things. Just consider Abraham when God was preparing to send destruction to Sodom. The pleading that went on between Abraham and God. Are we pleading like that or are we too blind to the fact that destruction is going to come. I'm not trying to get everyone all "Ra Ra'd" up to go evangelize the world, I know that can be as much a work of the flesh as anything but I am asking what the fruit is in our lives in relation to the FACT that God is going to unleash judgment on the world in the future and most likely the near future.

I guess ultimately, I am really just thinking about what a strong contrast there is between what went on in the New Testament to what is seen today in "Christianity". A verse to consider as follows;

1 John 5:19 And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.


So, having said all this, the reason why I am able to write so freely in this is that I honestly feel like it is for me. These are all the questions that God has been asking me all week. ...and I share it with you to ask yourself.

I apologize, this was not well thought out, just an outpouring of the heart.

David

Prayer Update

Thank you for praying! We have been really blessed with health, in that both I and Emma are feeling much better. Aside from feeling like I just ran a marathon with my muscles aching, I feel fine and Emma appears to be back to her normal energy level. Many blessings there.

In addition to that we also received news this morning that we are going to close on the house on October 9th. So, we are VERY thankful for that news and rejoicing that all this happened without us having to lift a finger toward getting this done. God has just continually showed us how much He desires to act on our behalf if we will only trust Him. Thank you Father!

We will keep you updated as things progress on this site.

Great blessings to you all as you abide in Christ Jesus Our Lord.

David

A Prayer request

Over the course of the past nine months we have used our blog to share many things. We have used it to share with you where we have come from carnally (our testimonies), where we were at in our journeys(our trip out west), we have shared things of a spiritual mind and where we are at physically.

So now I come to explain where we are and ask for your help and prayers... God’s word tells us in the book of JAMES that "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." Hence my plea. We are currently all (all but me) sick with the stomach flu. David and Lee Anna are through with most of it, but now it is Emma and Dave's turn. Emma is young and resilient, Dave on the other hand is not doing well and on top of everything associated with the stomach flu he now has a fever.... So please pray in this regard for healing for everyone and that I will not get it. (Keep in mind that we are still in the camper)

Next... When we came back to NY we asked the LORD to be very clear with us. If HE wanted us here then HE had to give us a house. When we came back we looked at one house (It was a house that had much of what both of us was looking for) and made a non-contingent offer that was accepted. (The house had been on the market since May 2008) The people that are selling the house were attempting to purchase another home in Lockport, NY. Our closing date has now come and gone (should have been Sept. 23) and the sellers are still not ready. We have been told that there is now something that they need to "satisfy" with regards to the mortgage company they are using to purchase the house in Lockport. Here in lies the problem for us, (and again, keep in mind that we are still in the camper) The campground we are staying in as well as most of the campgrounds in the north east U.S. will close for the season on or around October 15, so we are running out of time. Tomorrow Dave will tell our attorney to give a "Time is of the Essence" Order, which means that the sellers will have 10 days to close or we retract our offer. This will put us at October 10th and give us 5 days to make a decision as to what we need to do. If this is the case please pray for us, pray that GOD will endow us with the Wisdom of Solomon.

The Lord has allowed for much improved communications with our oldest child Rachael and with my parents, and strangely I have received communication from Dave's biological Mother... (through no effort on our part) We also have very dear and precious friends and wish to be close to them as well. We want to be here! However if this is not where the LORD would have us then, as I am sure you will understand, we want to be in HIS will.

Please pray that the LORDS will be done. And peace!

Robin

Movie Review

Yes, I went to see a movie. At the theatre even. The movie we went to see as a family was called "Fireproof" (www.fireproofthemovie.com) and was the latest in the releases from the Kendrick brothers. We had seen the previews on the internet and were pretty excited as it deals with marriage which is in a sad state in the world and something that has become a huge problem in Christianity.

The writers and makers of the movie did a wonderful job presenting the problem and even better presenting the resolution. The best thing about all this was they dealt with another large issue directly, as a part of this movie which I won't give away as it is another cornerstone of the plot.

The real blessing to me about this movie was that there was a full theater (and I mean full - hardly a few seats empty) AND they presented the gospel relentlessly throughout the movie. The scene where the main character, Caleb, comes to Christ is such a beautiful portrayal of man that I was in awe. It truly was beautiful.

I would highly recommend people to see this movie, to support their efforts as long as they are glorifying Christ, and to encourage those that don't know the Lord to see this movie. You won't be disappointed.

David

Living water?

I have thought about this a good bit lately as this is a point that Jesus was sure to make on more than one occasion that there is living water available to us as His followers, that this living water will be available in bountiful supply and that it should be a fountain or a flow coming from within.

John 4:14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

John 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

In thinking about this the Lord pointed me to another point in Scripture, 1 John 2:6;

1 John 2:6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

There is a key word in this verse and I believe more and more that this is the foundation of understanding 1 John, and that is the theme of abiding. The same holds true in the area of living water, as it has to come from a source and that source can only be found in the vine.

I think too often we explain away Scripture, say that is for the elite few, or that this is something that was only available for a certain time however, I hope that you would all agree with me that this is false. These are facts that Jesus was stating to all that would call on His name and follow Him.

I was reading this devotional from Oswald Chambers this morning and it really blessed as it touches on some things that the Lord has placed dearly in my heart. Please read as you see fit. http://www.myutmost.org/09/0907.html The important point that he makes is that this flow should be there and if not find out why. He also makes the point however that we may not always see it but "that it has started from the obscure, the unknown, the ignored, but the steadfastly true to Jesus Christ".

Let us covet to find ourselves in that place that when our Lord comes by He doesn't find a tree empty of fruit that should be laden with figs. Remember, He stated that if we are to abide in Him that we would bring forth much fruit and that without Him we could do nothing.

I ask the same question that brother Chambers asked, is there something hindering that today? Let us check the flow and see what that may be. More on this later.....

In the world?

I have been meditating on this for a while and I still believe I have much to learn about this, I do believe that the Lord has given me some thoughts to share on this, mainly in one area.

There are many today, I used to be one of them, who will not go certain places, or will be wary of allowing themselves to be exposed to certain things because they don't want to become defiled, or to be tempted. I don't know if that is the exact terms that they would use or if that is the way they would state things but, I believe I have the gist of it down. Again, I used to be one of them so, I believe I know the heart of it. Ultimately, this really sounds good. We want to be pure, we want to have our thoughts captive on Christ and not on the things of the world and if we can remove ourselves from the temptation then we are ultimately victorious in this area. Right? Wrong! This really is a handy trick of the devil. Consider the following verses;

John 17:15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

John 17:16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

John 17:18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.

John 17:19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

So, based on what Jesus is saying, we can see that first of all He was not praying that we would be taken out of the world (yes, I know that the prayer wasn't directed at US yet but, He does pray that we ALL may be one, even as He and His Father are one...) but that the Father would keep us from the evil. He then boldly states that they (we too) are not of the world, EVEN AS HE IS NOT OF THE WORLD. If we are not of the world then why would it be an attraction to us? It shouldn't be.

He then goes on to pray for our sanctification and then desires that we would be sent out into the world. And it is in this verse 18, that I believe we come into most of the conflict with the philosophy described above (yes, philosophy, not theology: the one is man's reasoning the other is God's reasoning). You see, Jesus wasn't worried about us being in the world, His desire was for us to be sanctified, set apart in all manner of thinking, affection and action, i.e. that our conversation, our life and behavior, would be something that would be glorifying to Him at all times.

So, with all that being said, we shouldn't be worried when we go to the grocery store and there are magazines with half-naked women on them unless we aren't walking in the Spirit. We shouldn't be worried about being in a place where there is bad music on unless we are not walking in the Spirit. We shouldn't be afraid to go to the beach because people are going to be immodest there. My goodness, how in the world do you ever expect to witness to young women today unless you can walk in the Spirit and learn to deny your flesh. Are you going to put on blinders every time you walk out the door, and then put on earmuffs because you realize that isn't enough. How about this then, are you then going to eliminate the smelling from your nose so that you can't smell the food that you so enjoy? Where does it end. Living on a farm in the middle of nowhere so that you don't see anyone, don't hear from anyone, don't talk to anyone because they might affect you adversely.

You may find what I am about to say somewhat hard but since I really don't believe anyone reads this anyway I am going to write it. Can you imagine if Jesus wasn't walking in the Spirit, having a woman sit there and wash his feet with tears and then dry them with her hair. Many would say that to touch a woman is sin according to 1 Corinthians 7:1 and to think that Jesus was sitting there allowing her to wash His feet with her tears and dry His feet with her hair. There was obviously physical contact going on here. Let me ask honestly, would you be as the Pharisee that was sitting there, saying "if Jesus knew who that woman was" or would we say something like this "if Jesus knew that the Scripture says....". Either way, we are in the same boat.

So what is the difference, why is it that we are not like our Saviour Jesus Christ so often? I believe it is because we miss His heart. Jesus saw her as a soul and His love was perfect towards her in that His one and only desire towards her was that of reconciliation. Shouldn't that be our heart as well? If that is our heart, can't it allow us to overcome the temptations of this world and allow us to go out into it and be salt and light to those that are in need?

You see, we can't walk around with the idea of touch not, taste not, handle not...

Colossians 2:20-23 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Touch not; taste not; handle not; Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.

The world will never see Christ in all that. He didn't resurrect a people to go off and hide in the desert, He resurrected a people to be a mighty army, a city that can be set on a hill, a fountain for people to come to and drink.

Am I off in what I am saying? Please let me know if you think so. If not then consider what I am sharing.

May the Lord bless you!

David

Am I a soldier of the cross?

I stumbled across a tract I have from C.T. Studd called "Chocolate Soldiers" - http://www.wholesomewords.org/missions/msctserm.html - and decided to read it again yesterday. This tract is truly a blessing and should be read by all who name the name of Jesus Christ and we should consider whether we truly are laying our lives down and living for Him completely. It is a bit of a lengthy read but well worth it. I am including the last part for those who don't want to take the time and read the whole thing (again, please take the time).

From the tract:

"You sought in time past for Jesus to be king over you. NOW THEN DO IT! (Compare 1 Chronicles 12:8, 33, 38, and 2 Samuel 3:17-18). Shall we not reply, "We are Yours, Jesus, and on Your side. May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if I do not do what the Father promised You on oath, and transfer the kingdom from the house of Satan and establish Your throne over all the world." (Compare 1 Chronicles 12:18, and 2 Samuel 3:9-10).

Come then, let us restore the 'lost chord' of Christianity - HEROISM - to the world, and the crown of the world to Christ. Christ Himself asks you, "Will you be a malingerer or a militant?"
To your knees, man! And to your Bible! Decide at once! Don't hedge! Time flies! Cease your insults to God. Quit consulting flesh and blood. Stop your lame lying and cowardly excuses.
Enlist! Here are your papers and oath of allegiance. Scratch out one side and sign the other in the presence of God and the recording angel. Mark God's endorsements underneath.

HENCEFORTH...
For me

To live is ChristTo die is gain

I'll be a militant or

A man of God

A gambler for Christ

A Hero

For me

Chocolate my name

Tepidity my temperature

A malingerer, I

A child of men

A self-excuser

A humbug

God's promises are sure in either case:

"I am with you always."

- or -
"I will spit you out of my mouth."

In the famous words of Isaac Watts;

Am I a soldier of the cross,

A follower of the Lamb,

And shall I fear to own His cause,

Or blush to speak His Name?

Must I be carried to the skies

On flowery beds of ease,

While others fought to win the prize,

And sailed through bloody seas?

Are there no foes for me to face?

Must I not stem the flood?

Is this vile world a friend to grace,

To help me on to God?

Sure I must fight if I would reign;

Increase my courage, Lord.

I'll bear the toil, endure the pain,

Supported by Thy Word.

Thy saints in all this glorious war

Shall conquer, though they die;

They see the triumph from afar,

By faith's discerning eye

When that illustrious day shall rise,

And all Thy armies shine

In robes of victory through skies,

The glory shall be Thine.

David

New Music from Saints in MO

There is a dear brother, Joe, who has recently been given a couple of new songs from the Lord. I would highly recommend listening to them if you get the chance. The link to the music is http://www.godlychristianmusic.com/group_artist.aspx?id=12&groups=0&name=Joe%20and%20Angela%20Garrity

Check out the songs titled "Desperation", "Feelings are feelings" and "Suffering first, then glory".

All downloads from this site are free. Enjoy and continue to worship the Lord Jesus Christ with all your heart, mind, soul and strength!

David

...but Jesus sent him away

Reading Luke 8:26 - 40 to the children tonight and this passage really jumped out at me.

Here we have this dear man tormented of devils and in bondage and finally healing and deliverance comes. People are amazed and in fear as he sits with Jesus "clothed and in his right mind". Then all the people beseech Jesus to leave the country because they were "taken with great fear". So as Jesus starts to leave, this beloved man who was now delivered beseeches Jesus that he might go with him, but instead of taking him into the number, Jesus sends him away.

In looking at this from our perspective it seems wrong. Really, who would tell someone that just came to Christ today to go away and stay with family that has just rejected Jesus Christ. This man was the only man in the whole country that got it. Everyone else was afraid of Jesus and they sent Jesus away. You would think that Jesus would have told the man, "Hey, come with me, I will get you established in your faith and teach you all the things you need to know so that you can go back and be an effective minister to those people back there". But no, that is not what He said. Notice that Jesus told him to "Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee." Is there any better foundation than that to tell anyone. We are always looking to find something better to tell people intead of just telling them the wonderful things that God has done for us. Sometimes I wonder if this is the case because God really hasn't wrought wonderful things in us. I don't say that to be harsh or critical. God knows. But we should desire reality with Christ and a reality of a changed life, something that people will take note of. This is to me that I ask these things but we should all consider them.

Consider finally, the work that this man does with just a testimony of a changed life. The Bible says that he "published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him". And what was there the next time Jesus came back? "And it came to pass, that, when Jesus was returned, the people gladly received him: for they were ALL WAITING for Him." Amazing!

Jesus knew the pefect plan for this man. He knew that His testimony would change the hearts of those people and He knew that if He removed him from his home, these people would still be afraid of Jesus. There are some many things to consider with this but let us just consider this one for tonight, that we can shine in a place where Jesus is not wanted and by showing forth the true testimony of a changed life we can help people come to the place where they too will be waiting for Jesus when He returns. And, hopefully it will be ALL of them that will be waiting.

David

Walking

Walking seems like the very basic thing for a child to learn to do in order to be able to continue on in growth. As parents we are always so excited to see our child take their first steps. Being a father of a special needs child, I remember clearly the great excitement that came when my child started walking. Doors open for them, a new world is now available. It truly is a wonderful thing.

How much more in the realm of our Spiritual life? I was reading this devotional from Oswald Chambers http://www.myutmost.org/07/0720.html and I really appreciate his consideration on this. The interesting thing that he brings forth is that it is not just in the ability to walk but it is in the contentment of walking where we are strong and where we are found in a place where we can be directed. There is a walking with Christ that we need to learn.

...And, it is in that area, walking, that I see the Lord doing today more than anything, in my own life and in the life of so many others. There is such a work to return to the very foundational things of this life in Christ, of returning to Him and Him alone for life, and as an outflow of this there is a learning to walk. Day by day, minute by minute, hour by hour. To walk with the living head, individually and hopefully at some point corporately. He is alive! He is wanting to walk this life out with us. He does desire to be intimate with us and commune with us. This is real, not just words. I remember when I used to read books by Andrew Murray, Watchman Nee and others and I would read of this reality that they would speak of and think to myself, "is this reality really possible". Hey, just being honest here. Tired of pretending. However, I can say that as the Lord has brought me back to the foundation of what this life of being a Christian is, He has shown me that this is indeed real. I don't claim in this statement to have attained fully but I speak as one who has tasted more and desires to continue to go deeper in this relationship. This is where life is. This is where Jesus will be glorified and this is where Jesus will build his church.

If you are not experiencing these things, then stop where you are and get honest with God. Go back to the foundation. This life should be real with a real Saviour. Remember, as one dear brother wrote in a song about John 14:6, "if You (Jesus) are the truth, then without you I'm lied to". Don't accept anything less than the real Truth, the real Jesus!

May God bless you this day!

David

Friends

Jesus said "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." and he is the friend that "sticketh closer than a brother" (Prov 18:24). How important that intimacy is, not only with Jesus Christ, but also with the brethren.

I woke with the following verse in mind after a sweet night of fellowship with some dear brethren;

Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

As with all the Word of God, it's true! There is great joy and encouragement that we receive one from another as we can also receive this from Jesus. In considering why, I have come to the conclusion that is the life of Christ shining forth from that person which allows for us to be sharpened, comforted, encouraged, challenged and probably many other things. It is a taste of what we will see in fullness when we come face to face.

David

Trust in the Lord

Something has been weighing on my heart for a while now and I just thought I would share some thoughts on this.

Proverbs 3:5-7 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

2 Corinthians 5:6-11 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.

Psalms 118:8-9 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.

Psalms 25:12-14 What man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose. His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth. The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.

Psalms 128:1-2 Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.

Jeremiah 17:5-8 Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

It is really clear that those that trust in men are cursed and those that trust in the Lord are blessed. Additionally, the fear of the Lord, being the beginning of wisdom, is where we start looking to the Lord rather than trusting in men. Consider the implications of trusting in men, or ourselves, God will not lead them. He can't (Prov 3, Psalm 25). So, what does that mean to us. Here we are in a day of such confusion with the church of Jesus Christ and many are running here and there looking to see what the Lord is going to do with this people or with that people. What are we doing? Are we not looking to men? Many will say, including myself, that we are going to see what God is doing with those people. That may be true to a certain extent but aren't we still trying to see with the eyes of our flesh rather than the eyes of faith. The eyes of faith speaketh on this wise, that the Lord is building His church in the lives of all those that love Him and that depart from iniquity. All those that are willing to trust in Him with all their heart and not lean on their own understanding. This is one of the most desperate things about our times. I am very concerned. However, I have hope. Hope for all that are willing to repent of seeking to find refuge in man but instead find their only refuge in the Lord Jesus Christ. He will therein get glory.

May He be blessed in your faith today!

David

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Matthew 7:1-5
1 Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

What ??? Judge not, that ye be not judged

Luke 6:37-39
37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: 38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. 39 And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?

What ??? Judge not

John 7:24-27
24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. 25 Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom they seek to kill?26 But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ? 27 Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is.

What ??? Judge not

John 12:37-50
37 But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him: 38 That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? 39 Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, 40 He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. 41 These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of Him. 42 Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: 43 For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. 44 Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. 45 And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me. 46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. 47 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. 49 For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.


What??? if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.

So often when we read the Bible we see only those things that we like. It's like going to a spiritual smorgasbord. We choose all the things we like, things that perhaps in this case allow us to keep our foot in two Kingdoms. It allows us to be “saved” but not be offensive to the world. Remember Mt 6:24 and Lu 16:13. Proverbs 29:25 The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.

A very wise man once told me that all scriptures have to be read with in the context of their chapter and to know the audience that was being addressed. So I have included these scripture within the context of the chapters.

If we examine the first three verses within their context we can see that all three scriptures are actually addressing our own hearts. We judge everything that others do from the perspective of our own wicked hearts. That is the Beam in our eye. Not necessarily, for example we have committed a sin in secret and cast public judgments about another that has committed the same sin….. These scriptures address something far more every day… For example if we were blessed enough to see money pass between two man and in our wicked judgmental heart we say to ourselves “man #1 must have borrowed money from man #2 and is paying it back” and we begin to make other various assumptions based on our own heart. “man #1 is in debt… doesn’t he know Romans 13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.” Or “ I wonder if man #2 charged him interest… doesn’t he know Leviticus 25:37 Thou shalt not give him thy money upon usury, nor lend him thy victuals for increase.”

Remember Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

In the last verse CHRIST says And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. CHRIST had not come at that point in time to judge, HE had come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.) However, that does not mean that we walk along keeping silent while those around us are knowingly sinning. In knowing their fate, have you no compassion, have you no love for your brother, for your sister, for mankind…. Ephesians 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. It is the fear on man that prevents us from doing what GOD commands us to do. And again, Proverbs 29:25 The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe. Remember their blood will be on our hands. Ezekiel 3:18 – 19 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

On the Judgment Day His word says that He will sift us as wheat…. (HE will judge us.) The sheep on the right and the goats on the left. His sheep will inherit His Kingdom Matthew 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: but the goats… (the sheep being a picture allegory of the children of HIS Kingdom and the goats being a picture allegory of the world and the people in it) He says Matthew 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

Think on these things…. And read HIS WORD!

March 14, 2008

Well, we are on the road again after spending several blessed days with many saints in Missouri.

We were very blessed to be able to partake of the Wednesday evening teachings. Thursday evening David was able to share his heart on the present state of the Church. As a few of the young brothers there have just come out from amongst a group that was teaching and preaching corrupted doctrines, they greatly wanted to know what we had come through (as we have been part of a similar group). What a blessing!!! (if we learn to look to Christ)

We were also very blessed to share meals and fellowship with a few saints that have been believers for many years.... This was an immense joy as they had shared time with a few of the "hero's" of our faith.

We are now heading to VA, and will meditate and pray about what the LORD has in all of this for us. FATHER please give us your direction!

03/07/2008

Well we are regretfully migrating our way back east.... We are certainly looking forward to seeing those that we love in Christ but I have to admit, I love the west. It is still very wild in most parts and the weather, well, it's not snow. : ) We have just spent a couple of days in the northern Phoenix area and then Las Cruces, New Mexico again. We are now in Northern New Mexico and are migrating East on US 40 if you want to follow our progress on the map. As of now our plans are to head to Oklahoma tomorrow then on to Missouri after that where we will spend some time with some folks out there and hopefully catch up with my sister in Northern Missouri.

Please pray for our trip to OK as I will be visiting with some friends from my past and my hope is that there hearts will be open to hear of what the Lord has done in me.

To all reading, we miss you all and look forward to seeing you soon!

David

03/03/2008

Well, I was finally able to make contact with some of the people that I had known when I lived in CA many years ago (see my testimony for further details). We had made a really strong attempt to find some people in Bakersfield on Friday only to find out that they had moved back to Oklahoma where they were from about 6 years earlier. That trip ended up with a really long trip across a mountain range in the dark with bad brakes (the back brakes on the van started giving us trouble - again). Regardless, Friday left us pretty discouraged as I had really hoped to make contact with these people.

However, this morning just before I left to go get the van worked on my wife encouraged me to look for them in the Yahoo white pages and I was able to get a phone number. First try and I had them. I made the call and was able to speak to them for about 20 minutes. They appear to be doing really well from the worlds perspective and I hope that we can continue conversation further and eventually I can share my testimony with them. We may end up stopping in OK on the way so that we could at least spend a little bit of time face to face with them.

I was able to get the van fixed which is really a longer story than I am able to type and explain but it wasn't cheap. Some labor that was supposedly done by another brake repair station in Batavia really wasn't done and so we were still using parts that were quite old, hence the problem (that and our lovely NY rust). At this point our van seems ready to hit the road again and we are planning an early departure for Phoenix, AZ tomorrow and probably leaving there on Thursday for a strong push towards OK and Missouri.

Please keep us in prayer as we travel and please pray that the Lords direction continues to be clear.

David

03/02/2008 - Sunday

We were really blessed this morning with the opportunity to fellowship with some believers in Los Angeles. I had come across these people as a result of a God Tube video that Chris Smith from Old Paths had sent us. The video was titled, "The Spiritual Famine in America". I had actually forwarded this on to a couple of folks so you may remember the group that I am referring to. I had pulled the address and meeting time off of one of their videos and we as a family decided to make our trip into downtown LA to meet with them on Sunday morning.

When we arrived near our destination we soon found that we were being blocked from crossing East toward where they meet by the Los Angeles Marathon. Bad morning to choose to come I guess.... However, we did find parking and we as a family ran through the Boston Marathon which I later found out was a bad thing to do. We tried to avoid the people and I think we did for the most part. Hopefully we didn't break anyone's stride. : (

We made our way to the address where they meet about 2 blocks away and when we got there we found a door with the numbers on it but nothing else, no indication of a church meeting there, no name, nothing. It was right in the middle of garment district in downtown and there were all sorts of merchants selling wares but here was this place, or more appropriately a door with a number, that we were going into. Regardless, we went in and up the stairs. Thankfully as we went up the stairs we started to hear conversation and there was a real feeling of safety there so we continued on. When we reached the top of the stairs there they were gathered together, not in a way that we would have normally experienced but different, still blessed. Many people came and introduced themselves to us and we were welcomed very openly. Again, very blessed. We were able to meet a man named Minister Facey (not sure of the spelling) and Pastor Cox (whom I knew from the video, his first name is Justin). This gets a bit interesting now....

Before we left Virginia, Ben had taken a few brothers out to breakfast and when I told him that I wanted to meet with these brothers in LA, he told me that he met a couple of brothers from LA when they went to help out at some meetings in Michigan. He provided me with the number of a man named Chris. I questioned him then wondering if it might be the same group of people but he was unsure. During our time here I had not felt led to call this man, not sure why. I guess in my heart I was pretty confident that he would be part of this group but also really hadn't had the time as we had some other things we set out to accomplish.

So, here we are in the gathering of these dear saints and the Lord starts poking at my heart saying "Chris is minister Facey". So, during a period of greeting I had the brief opportunity to ask and when I asked his first name, he said "Chris". Glad the Lord is right or I would have felt foolish. So, I quickly explained my reason for asking and told him that I had his cell phone number on a piece of paper in my pocket. We both rejoiced for a moment and he went back to let Pastor Cox know who we were. I don't know if I am explaining this in writing but I am so often in awe at how God works in our lives, especially in the realm of bringing people together.

We ended up having a wonderful time of sharing and getting to know these people. It ended a bit too early for me as I had hoped to spend a good bit more time with them but His ways are better than my ways. I would highly recommend checking out some of their videos, specifically the one I mentioned earlier in this post at www.p4cm.com. I would however recommend that you not watch it with children present as some of the things they present are pretty harsh.

I am very thankful to find others preaching the true gospel of Jesus Christ. It seems there are so few out there today and there is so much deception that to see another group is a breath of fresh air. Some people may consider me a bit too strong on this area and say that there are a whole bunch of people presenting the gospel in truth but quite honestly, if there is any watering down, any slight deception in the area of the true gospel, then the enemy will use it to deceive people. We need to stand opposed to that. Strongly. Otherwise people will be deceived and will be led to Hell. The path is narrow and there will be few. We NEED to stand firm presenting the full truth in this day.

Please keep these brothers in prayer that they will continue on and that God's hand of protection will be strong for them. They are a bright light in a dark land. Glory to God!

We ended the day by going to Venice beach to watch the sunset and let the children play in the ocean for a few minutes. They had a wonderful time and we were able to watch a beautiful sunset and watch the tide come in. A wonderful way to spend the waning hours of daylight. Almost seemed as if the Lord painted the sky for us directly. We were truly thankful for the picture He painted for us and all those there.

2/23/2008

The weather up on the Mesa's on the Hopi reservation is not very nice and everything here is covered with a serious layer of mud. Makes for some really messy times. We have been enjoying more fellowship with the Toews family and have even been blessed with our first traditional Hopi meal, a soup, some bread and some blue corn tortilla's that are very thin. The soup is something that they would typically make for their "bean dance" ceremony (the women that made it would not be participating as she has put these things behind her) and consisted of bean sprouts, hominy and some other vegetables. All of it was very good and it was a real blessing to receive all this provision.

We spent the day in fellowship, learning more about the Hopi people and getting to know some of the people on the reservation. Truly a blessing.

I went bouldering with Nathan (first real attempt in 13 years) and found that the weight and the age really have affected me.... : ) Also made the big mistake of taking my glasses off and leaving them to lay on a rock where we had our gear. Needless to say, they got broken. Really broken. Glad that I can see for the most part without them as there is not a glasses store anywhere near by (about 100 miles to the nearest shopping).

We spent the evening with a family praying through the house and asking God to provide His protection for this family as they had been feeling the attacks of the enemy. The Hopi people are probably the most spiritual of the native americans and the time of the bean festival which is happening right now is a strong time of spiritual activity. I had already prayed through our trailer on the first night that we were there as we were warned that the activity would be high. I'm not sure that I can describe their festivals, beliefs, and spiritism in writing and I'm not sure how much of it I am at liberty to discuss on the internet so, I will have to keep the information pretty vague, however, I can say that the battle is raging here and the souls of men are the prize. Pray that the Lamb that was Slain would truly receive the reward of His suffering from the Hopi people.

2/22/2008

We started the day in Grants, NM with the temperature about 34 degrees and the skies threatening to snow on us. Before we were too far up the road this was fully realized. Much of our travel today was slated to be on Indian reservation land and a good part of it was at high altitude which culminated with us going across a pass which was higher than 7,000 feet above sea level. Not exactly the way you want to travel when you have 7,000 pound of trailer stuck to your bumper but we really felt that we needed to keep going. As we proceeded into the Navajo reservation the weather didn't improve and by the time we reached the Hopi reservation we were experiencing near white out conditions at some points. The really interesting thing about traveling on the Hopi reservation is that they mostly live on Mesa's. If you have never seen a Mesa, they are high flat pieces of land which are almost like islands. They are really beautiful to look at from ground level but the idea of driving up them in blowing snow is not too appealing. To make matters a little worse, the people we were going to see, The Toews family (pronounced Taves), live on the 3rd mesa and yes, in order to get to the 3rd mesa you have to go up the first mesa, down the first mesa, up the second mesa, down the second mesa, up the third mesa.... Again, all in snowy conditions. When we arrived we found the church road to be quite muddy and we ended up getting the van and trailer stuck on the way up the driveway. Russ and his son Nathaniel hooked up their 4 wheel drive Suburban and pulled the Van and Camper far enough up the driveway that we were able to get the camper set up so that we could stay in it. It was quite an eventful day of travel. However, our time there became quite restful right away.

Upon arriving we were warmly greeted by the Toews family. The welcome and the warmth of their home was truly appreciated and we were immediately put at ease. I can't begin to praise God enough for the rest He brings in the home of those that love Him. We spent the rest of the day talking and getting to know one another and later that evening we were introduced to the Hayah family. This family is a real blessing from the Lord Jesus in so many ways. They are from the reservation and became Christians only about 4 years ago but God has been graciously growing them so abundantly! Their testimonies are a real joy to hear and it is even more of a joy to see that they are on a real solid path.

Colossians 1:3-6 We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints, For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:

More on our time here in the next couple of posts.

David

2/21/2008

We started out in Las Cruces, New Mexico and ended our day in Grants, NM. A total of 280 miles. Not exactly a hard days drive but the winds were horrible and we have a 32.5 foot trailer along with a 12 foot long van all stuck together with a very heavy duty hitch. In short we are pushed about like a sail on the sea.

For about 30 miles we actually traveled on the old Route 66. It was quite a desolate drive.

By the end of the day we discovered that the passes we had just driven through had either been closed due to high winds or there was a travel advisory issued against traveling in these passes (gusts of 55 mph). The Lord as been so merciful to us in protecting us.

It was our original intent to drive onto the Hopi Indian Reservation in North eastern Arizona to visit and encourage our friends there, but the winds slowed us down. We thought we should stop in Gallup, NM, for the night but were advised against it by our friends in Arizona as the neighboring Navajo Indian Reservation is a dry reservation (no alcohol / no liquor). The town of Gallop, NM is quit a wild place and can be dangerous to outsiders. (A town that definitely is not dependant on the tourist industry)

Please pray for our protection from the spirits throughout the reservations (there are many of them, spirits and reservations).

Lord, Please illuminate our path that we would have your sure footing. Psalms 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Robin




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I may be over spiritualizing things a bit but I have likened our trailer to being that of our flesh and our van as being that of the Spirit.

Galatians 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

They fight one against another and our driving when it is windy is often like that. So far the flesh has been bucking us the whole trip but the Spirit is overcoming! Glory!

Just a simple man with an eye on Jesus!

David

2/20/2008 Rockhounding!

Today was a trip to Rouckhound State Park in New Mexico. This park is know for its geodes. For those of you who don't know their rocks they are formed by valcanic activity. They look like large mud balls, but inside are crystal formations. We didn't find anything but had a nice day of digging.

Memories...

Robin

2/19/2008 Mexico

Today is a day that will not be forgotten…. Leaving the trailer at the KOA in Las Cruces, New Mexico we kind of back tracked a little and went to El Paso, Texas. Now I’m sure you are asking yourself “now why did they go back?” Well we went to Juarez, Mexico. We were only there for a few hours but what we saw will not soon be forgotten. We parked our van in a small lot just outside the immigration checkpoint and walked into a different world. By the way, the immigration checkpoint is surrounded by 8 foot fences topped with razor wire. David and I had no idea what we were walking into.

Most of the cars are taxis and looked like junk yard reject. There were people everywhere and within just a few minutes David noticed a man that he thought was following us…. This man would walk past us and then cross the street well in front of us and back down the opposite side of the street, cross the street behind us and pass us again…. We went around the corner and down the street towards to the Mercado (market), this man was never to be seen again. Again just down the street there was a space of about 15 to 20 feet between David and I and two men stepped out from a small street shop right behind David, one motioning to the other where David had his wallet. (which was in a pocket on the front of his pant leg) While maintaining the same distance one man turned to look over his shoulder and realized that David was not alone…. Perhaps my cover made them think I was a nun (the Catholic Church is a very ominous presents) helping this poor man with his children….. but both men stopped dead in their tracks and smiled at me while giving me a pleasant nod…. We were grateful for the protection our Lord gave us. While walking along the streets we all noticed a very high number of handicapped people and many of them were begging…. One woman with two small children sat on the sidewalk begging for money…. Lord please forgive my gluttony… we are a very fat country. We also found a street preacher in the square preaching the Lords word…. Bible and megaphone in hand. I am sure our friends at OPBBC would be delighted.

As you walk along the street many people will walk up to you trying to sell their wears… that could be anything from a balloon animal to razors to a blanket… but we encountered a woman selling small bags of assorted candy. Her name was Sylvia and she was a non-using heroin addict. She told us that she had been clean for 8 months and was selling candy to raise monies for the drug house she lives at. They are helped for free and in return are asked to make fund raising their job. The house gives them the bags of candy they just have to pay for the bags at the end of the day or turn in what she doesn’t sell. She also introduced us to her husband Thomas. They both say that God has helped them… but we don’t know to what extent they believe… (language barrier) Before we parted ways we prayed with them for protection and that they would seek everything from Him. Please pray for Sylvia and Thomas, the world is against them…

On our way back we walked back over the Rio Grande River and into the United States. As we walked over the bridge I saw below a man with a large paper cone. The man stood there with that cone yelling to the people crossing over the bridge. His yells were consistently the same “ Hey help, Hey help”. He wanted the people transversing that bridge to throw him money and he would catch it with the large paper cone.

I believe I have left a part of my heart with these people and in this city and would love to go back. God’s will be done. Please pray for this city and its people, they are shockingly poor and the Church here is only getting fatter. God help us!

Robin

2/18/2008

We got up and on the road with little effort. One note…. We have one for the Guiness record books, the smallest Walmart exists in Pacos, Texas. I have seen gas stations along the way that are bigger than the Walmart here.

Anyway, the day was uneventful…. We drove from Pecos, Texas, to Las Cruces, New Mexico. A total of 254 miles…. Not a lot of driving but a relaxing day.

We pulled into a very nice KOA and had dinner at a highly recommended Mexican restaurant. David and I both like Mexican food so this is a real treat. With bellies full we went back to the KOA and enjoyed a restful evening.


Robin

2/17/2008 "West of the Pecos"

Well with the tornado warnings behind us and the sun and a new day before us we were up bright and early to see, so to speak, two of our hero’s of the faith. In the town of Garden Valley, Texas, there is a small and humble cemetery where you will find the graves of both Keith Green and Leonard Ravenhill. Lord please allow us to make a mark for you as they did. On Leonard Ravenhill stone he asks all that visit a question that everyone should ponder. “Are the things you are living for worth Christ dying for?”

There were many very large estates in the area of the cemetery and farms. One of the estates we saw was the estate of David Wilkerson… (ever heard of the book The Cross and The Switchblade) We also got a good look at the local longhorn cattle that Texas is so famous for.

As we got back on the highway we say many things that I am sure the Lord is very grieved over. We came into the highway loop that surrounds the Dallas / Fort Worth area and saw two mega churches right off the bat. One with a large sign facing the highway that said “Your Tithes At Work”. With the starving and homeless people that exist everywhere I am sure Our Lord would have spent those tithes to feed the poor….

Lord, please forgive me / us for our perspective on money. Matthew 19:21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.

Our drive out of the Dallas / Fort Worth area opens into the desert and there you see a new world. It is not the moon scape of sand that I had expected. It is an environment with cactus, small green bushes, oil derricks, oil pumps, and off in the distance are mountains that are unimaginable. This is big oil country. This life blood of this country.

We finally ended our driving that day in a small town called Pecos, Texas, for a total of 617 miles driven and we will call Wal-Mart home for the night. When we first entered the town I really didn’t think too much of it but was soon enlightened. Have you ever heard the old cowboy movies say “there ain’t no law west of the Pecos”? Well this is the town…. We are now “West of the Pecos”.

Robin

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Our trip to see the graves of Keith Green and Leonard Ravenhill has to be one of my highlights from this trip so far. While I know that these spots are nothing, they do remind me of what God can do and wants to do with men. If you have never heard anything from either of these men of God then I would recommend you search them out on www.sermonindex.net and listen to some of their messages. They were truly men that had a message to the church for their day as well as ours. I would also strongly recommend that you watch the Keith Green Story (the link is shown in our favorites) and read the Biography of Keith Green, "No Compromise", written by his wife which is far more indepth into the life of this man. Truly humbling. You may not agree with the music but you can't deny what the Spirit of God was doing.

David

February 16, 2008 TORNADO!

Well, today has been an other adventure. We woke this morning in Pearl, MS to temperatures of about 55. Wasn't exactly Miami but there was no snow (just rain). We drove through Louisiana with little to speak of. It was generally overcast but was increasingly warm.... At one point we actually had the venting on in the van. We had a nice stop along the boarder of Louisiana and Texas to see the "big muddy" Mississippi River. It was quite impressive! Rumor has it that my Great Great..... (many time Great) Uncle is responsible for the discovery of the source of this great and mighty river. His name is Captain Willard Glazier and I have one of his books (he was quite a charactor). The source of the river is named after him, Lake Glazier.

Anyway, getting back on the road the skys continued to darken and after about an hour David asked me to check the National Weather Service for current weather conditions. (We have the ability to connect to internet while on the road and have GPS) After pulling up the weather service we discovered that we were right in the middle of TORNADO WARNINGS. We immediately headed for cover to a small town called Lindale, TX. We were about 25 miles out and came over the rise of a gentle hill and right into the face of a wall of rain and wind. Everyone came to a stop! We sat still for what seemed to be about 10 minutes. I gave the children instructions that if told they were to run from the van and into the ditch just outside the van... The rain began to ease slightly and David decided to start moving out of a fear that we were sitting ducks... As we progressed on the road we saw many police vehicles going in the other direction but nothing in our direction.... (perhaps that gave me a false sense of security) We weren't down the road very far and here on the median was a police car with a car that had apparently flipped over many times.... no driver visible. (we assume the driver was in the police car and ok.)

We are now in the camp ground in Lindale and the tornado warning will be lifted by 9:00pm. By the time we got here I was so scared I could hardly talk straight. The local weather man says the conditions are now wrong for a tornado to occur as it is only 44 degrees... Praise Jesus!!!! (Hey Laura, remember that dream about the tornado... thought I was going to see it come true.)

We drove 323 miles today.

Please pray for me as I have very little faith and much fear...

Matthew 14:28-31 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

Robin

February 15, 2008

Well, we have had a couple of pretty eventful days specifically in the area of the trailer and getting it to perform correctly. First we had a problem with the electric brake system. We finally ran a new power wire to get that working - found the old one was broken about half way back. Then we had some pretty exciting problems with the hitch / sway controller configuration which made the handling really exciting, especially when tractor trailers went by. I think my forearms look like Popeye from trying to keep the van / trailer on the road a couple of times. : ) I believe we have this sorted out finally as well. Very glad about that.

After leaving Stuarts Draft, VA yesterday, we drove 357 miles to Lenoir City, Tennessee. We spent last night in a Walmart parking lot and things got pretty cold without running the furnace but everyone stayed really warm under the many down blankets. I think the temperature in the trailer dropped down to about 40 according to the thermometer.

Today we have driven approxamitely 680 miles and are now in Pearl, MS. (just on the banks of the Mississippi River)

Thinking about the last 2 days we could really find many things to complain about but in reality we are all very blessed. The Lord is showing us some things that we really need to work on as a family and is allowing us to be in a place were we can draw very close together. Additionally, He is showing us how to rejoice in times of trial and to still find joy when things are a bit rough. Due to our problems, specifically with the handling of the trailer, we have seen a great outbreak of spontaneous prayer. : )

I believe that we have our itenerary fairly nailed down as well. We are going to go to Texas first and see a couple of tourist sites there. Then hopefully visit with some bretheren there. Then to Mexico for a brief over-the-boarder visit. After that Arizona to visit Russ Toews and Jim Miller on the Hoppi Indian reservation for a few days. Out to CA for a multi-person visit including Robins Grandmother and hopefully some other brethren in LA. After that we may take a "quick" trip to British Columbia to see the brothers from "Christ Our Life" and hopefully Greg Gordon. Finally we are going to head back East to see Alan Martin and the brethren in Missouri. We decided to make MO our last stop as I am sure that we will need some rest and encouragment at that point. : )

Ok, time to rest....

February 11, 2008

Well, I (David) am now working remotely and things are going well. The work on the trailer is progressing nicely and we are hoping on a departure time for the West sometime around Wednesday or Thursday. Unfortunately Robin fell sick and ended up having to go to the ER on Sunday where she was diagnosed with Strep. My wife hardly ever gets sick and it was hard for me to see her in such pain / discomfort. She is a real blessing to the family and having her "out of commission" for a day was pretty difficult for me. Now that she is on medication she is getting better and should be recovered fully shortly. Please continue to pray for our health as a family as it seems like a period of sickness has been on our heels for some time.


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What started out to be a mild sore throat on Friday morning evolved into something unbelievable. (David arrived home on Saturday morning, Amen and Amen!) The pain in my throat and ears became unbearable by Sunday morning and I had about 2 hours of sleep. I am sure that that played into my teariness, but I was in pain that aside from childbirth I only recall from my childhood. After a trip into the ER the young resident doctor boldly announced that I did indeed have a strep infection and the start of a lovely ear infection in my right ear, but he was very quick to point out that the perscription he was giving me would "kill just about anything". He also told me that the infection in my throat was bad enough that I would probably not feel any relief for about 48 hours. He was just about right, it was 36 hours before I could swallow with the aid of motrin and aleve and not cry. Anyway..... this has started out as some trip...... please keep us in your prayers.

A verse I have been meditating on.

John 9:31 Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will him he heareth.

Think about this paradox and ask yourself "Does HE hear my prayers?" Any thoughts?

Robin

February 8, 2008

Well it started on Wednesday evening..... Emma announced that she didn't feel good sooo the organizing and repacking of the trailer has come to a screeching halt. The "I don't feel good" evolved into "I'm going to get sick" and then she did.... many times. Now yesterday I began to think that perhaps she was on the mend and Lee Anna started, (poor thing doesn't understand what her body is trying to do, she gets very scared) only to discover that Emma wasn't quite done. Yes folks that’s right they were both getting sick at the same time.... By this time Emma was telling me that her throat was hurting so we tried a little Tylenol which didn't set well, but I tried.... Anyway, by last night I began with a sore throat and by bed time last night my throat hurt so bad that if I were a betting woman I would have thought I had strep. That coupled with all over body aches I felt like I had been hit by a train. The children were in bed by 8:30pm and I was in bed by 9:00. None of us woke up until 8:00am this morning. I felt a little better this morning with the help of some Aleve and Motrin. This evening we are all back at it with sore throats and Emma and Lee Anna still have up-set stomachs..... Oh the joy.... We do have a friend that will come from Harrisonburg tomarrow to help me if needed, please pray that we are well and she does not need to come. David is still at Leadership meetings and I pray that the Lord fills him with much love, wisdom, and understanding. Also please pray for his safe travels back to us. Please pray that the Lord strengthens me so that I can be a good servent to the children. Please also pray that he give me patience...

Much Love!
Robin

February 5, 2008

Today is Lee Anna's 7th birthday. She's a child with many challanges and has the strength and determination of a giant. (she is my hero) What a beautiful blessing. The Lord chose to bless her and us with a beautiful day. We enjoyed temps in the 70's today and many friends to play with. She was blessed with a birthday song sung by Grandma and Grandpa G. and a very choppy phone call. She also got a phone call from her big sister Rachael. (what wonderful blessings) In addition to that we were blessed to share dinner and a birthday cake with many many friends including some of the Nesbitt family and Nathan and Marci Lapp and their children.....

On an another note I am still plugging away at trying to organize the trailer. I finally found the coffee at around 1:00pm and saw the floor before we left to go to Nathan and Marci's. The Lord is surely teaching me patience and diligents. Proverbs 6:6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

Robin

February 3, 2008

After arriving at 8:30am, parking the trailer and lighting the furnace, David was kindly informed by the brothers here that they were leaving for the Leadership Meetings at 10:30am. Soooo he prompty began packing his belongings for a journey north.... After the car load of men hit the road it left Ben and Erin, their children and the Hardiski siblings. (Their journey north to the meetings began at 1:00pm). This left Missy Nesbitt along with some of her children and me and my children.... (a season of quiet). I began the daunting job of organizing the trailer, which by the way was a mess.... shoes, school books, pots and pans, groceries, clothes, bedding, two cats, and a dozen fish.... e i e i 00000. The first thing I did was make beds.

Robin

February 2, 2008

Well, Everything is packed into storage or our trailer and we are now on the road. (A day and a half later than planned.) We decided to travel east on the Rt 90 and pick up Rt 81 near Syracuse as that route is far smoother that Rt 15 south. (important given that we were pulling the trailer). It was about 3:30pm by the time we finally got on the road. Thank you to Don and Laura for storing our trailer for us. We would also ask that everyone keep our oldest, Rachael, in your prayers. She has dicided to stay in NY ..... After stopping for something to eat, we finally hit the NY / PA boarder around 8:30 pm. The first thing we noticed was that the price of gas was $2.99 per gallon. Once we got south of Scranton, PA, I realized why the Lord had us driving at night. The Ice storm we had on January 31, 2008 was still very evident (even in the dark). Most of the lovely white birch trees along Rt 81 were still bent to the ground and given that it was dark I am most confident that we didn't get the full picture of what it all looked like..... scarry! After stopping twice to rest, we arrived in Stuarts Draft, VA at about 8:30am. By the way the gas prices here are around $2.75, nice.

Thank you Lord for safe travel.
Robin

January 26, 2008 - Moving Day

Well, the move has begun officially. Today with the help of many brothers we were able to get all our large possessions loaded on the truck in short order. A huge blessing to us from those that we love. We were additionally blessed with the help of Doug and Chad as they continued on to help us unload in storage. I have posted a pictures of storage now that it is full that I took from my phone. So, the quality is not great but I think it will give you an idea of what it is beginning to look like. Now, it is on to moving the rest of the things over in boxes and trying to find the space for them all. : ) David

Robin's Testimony

I met Jesus in May 2005, and as the scales fell from my eyes and I did see…. Acts 9:18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized. In May 2005, I became joint-heirs with Christ Romans 8:16-17 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. I am no longer a child of Adam, through adoption I am now made joint-heirs with Christ. Amen! And Halleluiah!!

I was raised in a family that did not attend church or practice any particular religion. As a young girl of perhaps 8 or 9 I remember attending church with a little girl that lived down the street from us. On one occasion I recall a Sunday School worker say to me “You don’t want to go to hell do you?” And of course being the intelligent person that I am I said “noooooo”. The Sunday School worker promptly had me recite the “sinners prayer” and zap, I was saved. (I had no concept of sin or repentance, how could I possibly be saved.) IF YOU ARE A SUNDAY SCHOOL WORKER PLEASE DO NOT DO THIS TO THE CHILDREN YOU WORK WITH, there are NO scriptural references to children being saved, baptized, or filled with the Holy Spirit. As I stated earlier, my parents didn’t attend church so even if I had really been saved, there was no one to disciple me. Although I will say that I had a great hunger to have a bible and recall quite vividly that I memorized a bible verse to win my first bible. And believe it or not I had that very same bible until I was 34 years old…. By the time I put it to rest it was well read and very will worn (yes I even read my bible).

As I grew up I always had a sense of God and that there were things that people (including myself) did that God didn’t like. (I don’t recall really having the label “sin” to put on those things). When I was a young teen I became involved with a boy that attended church (only because it was what his family did, he was not born again). As a result I began attending with him and was asked at about the age of 17 if I had ever been baptized. (which I had not) Soooo I was baptized. Again, the church that I was now attending never discipled or taught me. (not that I was really saved). Just a side note, my parents had grave reservations about this young man and his family but I was a rebellious young lady and didn’t heed the warnings they offered me. Choices I made in regards to this relationship brought about much misery and woe, not only for me but for my parents, siblings and perhaps even my grandparents…. I pray that some day they can forgive me. Colossians 3:20 Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. Had I obeyed my parents and submitted myself to them, their life experience, and wisdom I would have avoided much hurt and suffering.

In my early 20’s I became involved again in a relationship that I knew was wrong in Gods sight and in the eyes of my parents, a relationship that would result in the birth of my first child, Rachael. Please know that as much as I regret the sin, I do not regret my child. I walked through her early life seeing the world for the first time, through her eyes. Again I do not recall the word sin being thought of in regards to these situations, I do however remember at one point in time being introduced to the phrase “ETERNAL SECURITY”. I stumbled through years of my life feeling as though there was a great lacking in my life. I can only describe it as if it were a great puzzle…. You get a big box puzzle and the first thing you do is put all the pieces face up. The second thing you do is look for all the pieces that have a flat side. (those are generally the sides of the puzzle, or the frame) Well, as far as I was concerned my puzzle frame was complete. I had a good job, a nice car, by the worlds standards I had nice friends….. I had it all. I can even recall praying and crying out to God to take away this emptiness…. John 9:31 Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will him he heareth. Yet the emptiness continued…. Something was missing and I could never quite put my finger on it. Over the years I tried (in my flesh) to fill that void. At times it was with sinful relationships, alcohol, drugs, the list goes on. I was a classic 1 Corinthians 6: 9-11. I never physically murdered anyone but I am confident that I murdered many with my tongue. All the while feeling the utmost confident that through eternal security God loved me because I was saved (after all, I had said the sinners prayer) and I would still go to heaven…..

In June 1996, I began to “date” the brother of my best friend. By October of that same year we were married and now were a family of three. Mt 5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. By July 1997 David and I were expecting our second child. In January 1998 we saw an advertisement in our local town paper that a church was being built in our area, so we thought it a good idea to check them out. Shortly after we began attending David got saved / born again, but I continued to stager through life feeling that void. Our son David was born in April 1998, in September 1999, we had Emma, and in February 2001 we had Lee Anna.

Finally in May of 2005 David had gone out of town to see a very special friend in Vermont become ordained. (what a blessing) For weeks prior to this the Lord had been working on my heart in regards to my salvation (or lack thereof) and chose that weekend to bring it all to a head. I was still so confused about the teachings of eternal security and yet wondered how someone could openly and boldly sin and still go to heaven….. And as I sat at my kitchen table that day I became so overwhelmed with the realization that eternal security was a lie…. I realized that I could not just go through life as I had in the past, knowing that the love of this world makes me God’s enemy; James 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. God also says; 1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. We can go through life telling ourselves that we know Him but unless He know us (unless there is a relationship with Him… a daily walking with Him as He and Enoch did… as He and Abraham did….) If He does not know us then He will tell us Matthew 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. I was overwhelmed with the realty that had I not sinned he would not have had to die for me, that I had killed Christ as surely as if I have hammered the nails. (I now realize what repentance meant)! Thank you God for loving me! John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Now as far as salvation and eternal security are concerned I do believe that we as the scripture says can not be “plucked from his hand”. John 10:28, 29 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I do however believe that we can throw our salvation away as stated in Provers 26:11, 2 Peter 2:22, and Luke 9:62 (that is, if we were truly saved / born again in the first place). Similar in nature to any gift, the gift giver says “I am giving you this gift, It can never be taken from you”. However that does not preclude me from casting that gift away.

I also realized that according to scripture People don’t remain the same after they meet Jesus, Proverbs 26:11 As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly,… 2 Peter 2:22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire,….. Luke 9:62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. People can’t remain the same after they truly meet Jesus. Mary Magdalene didn’t remain a harlot, Zacchaeus repented of being a publican and told Christ he would give half is belongings to the poor and that if he took anything falsely he would return it fourfold, Paul didn’t remain a murder and persecutor of Christians. People do not remain the same after they truly meet Christ. There was only one person that came to Christ and walked away disappointed and unchanged. It was the rich young ruler. He couldn’t bare to part with his worldly possessions. Luke 18:18-23

Gods word tells us that this life is but a vapor James 4:14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. But our souls, your soul is eternal. Ro 6:22. If I say nothing, then before God I will be held accountable. Ezekiel 3:18 – 19 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. 1 Corinthians 9:16 For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!

For those of you who have known me for years, If I have ever done or said anything that has caused you to turn from Christ, I know that God is grieved and I ask for your forgiveness. Luke 17:2 It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. I also know that I can’t pick and choose what is truth and what is not, based on my likes and dislike… based on what I feel comfortable with… based on what the world now views as acceptable. (fornication, adultry, sodomy /homosexuality, effeminate, covetousness, drunkards, ....) 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 One MUST have faith that God Spoke the world into existence in 6 literal days Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.; in order to believe that one will inherit heaven Matthew 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: And if one believes in heaven then one must also believe in hell Matthew 13:50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. If you can’t get past Genesis in faith then how can you in faith believe that HE IS Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that HE IS, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

On the Judgment Day His word says that He will sift us as wheat…. The sheep on the right and the goats on the left. His sheep will inherit His Kingdom Matthew 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: but the goats… (a picture allegory of the world and the people in it) He says Matthew 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:


Please think on these things….


I do pray that you will meet Jesus Christ as I have and as Jesus told Zacchaeus … Luke 19:9 And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.