First Day: Well, I made it through the first day of class at Columbia Seminary. It’s been a great time here so far. Funny how you preach on something and then God makes you live it. I have so many more examples now about being a stranger somewhere than I did last Sunday when I preached about that. Sometimes, it’s frustrating being a stranger, and sometimes, it’s okay. I’m taking Early Church History, and it’s been pretty good. I’m beginning to understand the 600 pages I had to read before I got here. Well…keep praying for me while I’m here and Janell while she’s home. Oh…by the way, some questions I’m pondering as a result of this day.
- Which is more difficult, to die for your faith in the face of persecution or to live out your faith daily?
- Is it better to have a state run church or state persecution of Christianity?
It’s Been a Long Time: Wow! It’s been forever since we last posted anything here. We’ve been pretty busy, though. Yesterday, I preached at our church. The topic was on Peter’s advice to the aliens in 1 Peter 1:17-20. It was great to get a chance to share God’s Word.
We’re also in the process of applying for our visas to move to Mexico. This is a long process with multiple steps, including having multiple documents certified by the state. We’ve learned a lot in the process. Please keep praying that it all goes smoothly.
I did have a great find today in my email box. An old friend of mine emailed me an article about him that is posted on a website called DeeperDevotion.com. It turns out that one of the guys that runs the website is also an old friend of mine that I have been trying to get back into touch with! What a great way that God used the internet to help me re-enter Christian fellowship with these guys.
Oh, by the way, I’m also reading some things for pre-campus work on a class that I’ll be taking at Columbia International University next week. I’ve got a lot of reading to do, so please pray that I will be diligent enough to get it finished. Also pray for safety as I’ll be driving to South Carolina next week. Thanks!
We took a little retreat down to Siesta Key this weekend. It was a great time for us to spend seeking the Lord together during this time of our lives. We have also sent out a new email newsletter. If you didn’t get it, be sure to click the link at the top of this page to sign up for our bi-weekly newsletters. They will keep you informed with how to pray for us. We’re also working on a new prayer card, so watch out for it! Our friend Ken Morgan did the photography. Check out Morgan’s Photography online. Thanks for your prayers and interest in the ministry.
This past week, we got our immunizations for our move to Mexico. We are pretty blessed to be moving to one of the largest (if not the largest) metropolitan areas in the world. Every medical need that we will have should be met in Mexico. It is still best to go prepared, so we went and got some shots. I have to go back again in a month, but Janell gets to wait at least 6 months for her next one. She’s so lucky!
What about a ton of bricks? I was this morning as I was sitting at the Atlanta Bread Company, where I spend my morning with God. I was reading in Oswald Chambers’ book My Utmost for His Highest. Here’s an excerpt from today’s reading. “Is there something in your life for which you need perseverance right now? Maintain your intimate relationship with Christ through perseverance of faith. Proclaim as Job did, ‘Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him’.” That spoke to me in such a way because of how we are currently waiting on God to say, “Go.” Chambers goes on to say that we ought to throw ourselves into wild faith in God. “The real meaning of eternal life is a life that can face anything it has to face without wavering. If we take this view, life will become one great romance – a glorious opportunity of seeing wonderful things all the time. God is disciplining us to get us to this central place of power.” God was reassuring for me that He wants more than ever an intimate relationship. He is more concerned about that than anything else. I am so glad that He hit me today with that. You can get this devotional here at Amazon, or you can read it online.
