Final batch of new pictures are on the India web site, under photos. http://india.christiantrainingonline.org/photos/
Wednesday, February 1, 2012, I will be back at Main Street Baptist Church for the 7 PM Bible Study. I will show slides and talk about my trip to India. Please come join us for a special time!
It seems we as human beings have a natural propensity to take credit for what God does. Take away His power and work in your life and what would be left? That’s what you can take credit for, the rest is His doing! Yet remembering that isn’t easy. So God in His wisdom used pain to get and keep our attention. The more He blesses and uses us the more pain is necessary because the more we will steal His glory and give ourselves acclaim for what He does. Paul is a prime example of that. He recognizes that God gave him a thorn in the flesh to keep him humble and to better experience God’s grace (2 Corinthians 12:7-10).
It is strange that we feel pride for those things over which we have the least control and to which we have the least right. There is no greater humiliator than constant pain. Paul’s pain was caused by a demon which God did not remove. The greater Paul was used by God the more tempting it was for him to become proud of it, so the more necessary it was for God to show Paul his total dependence on God. God’s tool was a ‘thorn.’
When I was growing up we had rose bushes in our yard. One time a thorn broke off in my finger, under the skin. It quickly got infected and caused me great constant pain. That’s what a thorn does. A thorn is a small, sometimes almost invisible cause of suffering. It causes incessant pain which can’t be forgotten or ignored. There is no ‘one size fits all.’ God personally tailors each of ours for our particular personality and needs. The common denominator is that the pain cuts through our feelings of self-centeredness and self-sufficiency and causes us to depend on God instead of ourselves.
God uses my time in India to remind me of my total dependency on Him. What painful situations has God used in your life to get you to depend on Him more? Is anything now happening that is drawing you closer to God and making you more dependent on Him? Not all things are good, but God uses them for good (Romans 8:28). Especially pain.
We had a slow, restful day. We organized, packed, visited some friends and did some shopping. In checking back it seems we have driven over 3,000 while here – all in New York City type traffic and on very, very bumpy roads!
We’ve been doing a lot of thinking and planning about NEXT VISIT and I’d like to bring a small group of people along. It would be 10 days to 2 weeks in January, 2013. It would not be doing what Moses and I do but would be at a much slower pace, lots of rest and time to enjoy India. We do want more people to experience India so they can pray and help support this ministry. Cost, including flying here and back, would be less than $3000 (rough estimate). If interested let me know! We have exciting new things planned for the time Pastor Moses and I travel here as well.
I’d like to bring some pastors to help teach pastor’s conferences and for me to train to possibly do this on their own in the future. This could be done in August or January. If interested let me know!!!!!
As expected, costs are more than anticipated so I need to send $2,500 to Pastor Moses to cover our bills. This means the whole trip averaged out to $25 per pastor – wives, evening and Sunday services, etc. are all included in that cost. I think that’s a phenomenally GREAT investment! If you’d be hearing the praise and appreciation, the encouragement and great help these pastors talk about you’d know it is a small amount to pay. Still, we must pay our bills, so please pray God would provide. If you are let to give I want to thank you in advance. Thanks!!!
Especially on my heart is being able to provide support for more pastors. If you can commit to $25 a month for this very significant ministry please let me know.
We leave in 7 hours, 4 AM. Pray for our trip home!