Journal of a Slave to Christ

In an attempt to consolidate thoughts and the purpose of having a blog I've created a new blog titled, Journal of a Slave to Christ. Please follow me, my family and what the Lord is doing with us on that blog at www.aslavetochrist.com

Thank you,

~Matthew

January 2015 to April 2015

 
January 2015
Oh how I have lost my self-discipline to record the ways God blesses His servant, to read His word and to pray diligently. The support for our ministry continues to grow as the Lord entrusts us with more of His resources. With my requests and needs only going vertical to God and never horizontal to man, our needs were met beyond our expectations. Not to say that I didn't believe they would be met, just not to the extent that they were.

We received a donation or $3,000 from a brother in Christ, $250 from someone I have neither seen nor spoken to in over a year and support from our church in Pennsylvania. I say, do not bring your needs to man, but first go to your Father in Heaven, for He alone can move the hearts of man!

As for previous prayers:
Our van is still being worked on but the Lord blessed us abundantly with two borrowed vehicles. Our biggest boast is not the support that is increasing from every unknown direction that the Lord sees desires, but the opportunities to share the Gospel. Our Buddhist friends have heard the Good News of Jesus Christ! After nearly a year of missed opportunities, due to the fear of man that grips me at times, a fear that can only be of the devil as it prevents the spreading of God's word, we were able to invite then over for dinner and spent four hours discussing the truth of the Bible. This happened one day before they left town. I can happily state that this was God's work and not my own. Praise God!

January 11
"I lay down and slept, I awoke again for the Lord sustained me." (Psalm 3:5)

The Lord has sustained us for nearly two years while in His service. When we moved out of our house in Texas He provided a tenant and an RV to purchase. When our tenant broke lease He provided a new tenant paying a higher rent. When we left Texas He provided extra support to get us on the road. In Arkansas He sustained us as the five of us lived out of a tent for one week and provided open ears to His word. In Alabama He sent us brothers in Christ to raise our spirits and support us. When we were out of money and fuel God provided the precise funds needed to leave Alabama and drive to Pennsylvania. In Pennsylvania the Lord Jesus Christ provided a home to stay in, food to sustain us and a job to work with my hands. When we decided to leave Pennsylvania, a decision we made without having the money to go more than one day's worth of travel, the Lord provided fuel and finances to travel to Texas. When we encountered an ice storm in Louisiana the Lord protected us on the road. Our towed vehicle acquired damage to its tire but God kept it safe to tow on the road. He even guided a man to offer us a fair price at a salvage yard. The money from the sale of that vehicle sustained us for another week. When we ran out of money in Texas the Lord sustained us for two whole weeks until we left on faith alone that He would provide for our further travel needs. And, when we left with only the money to travel one day God provided the money to go farther. While traveling through the Rocky Mountains the Lord our God gave us two days of no snow and clear roads through the mountain pass. When we arrived in Bishop and had no where to park our home He gave us a position as camp host at the most popular climber campground. He has graciously sustained us in Bishop with faithful supporters and brothers and sisters in Christ. Month after month we depleted all of our money and food, and month after month the Lord provided them to us again. When the Pit closed for the summer God gave us another camp host position. When that campground closed for winter God increased our support and gave me a part-time job. When our van broke down the good Lord moved a brother in Christ to fix it at no cost to us. When we set up breakfast events to spread the Gospel God provided other devoted brothers and sisters to aid in the task and He provided open ears to hear His word.

God will provide a building for a hostel to spread His word, and the money to sustain it. God keeps His promises and is not a hard master. He has done nothing but answer prayers and provide for us every step of the way. I have faith and believe that He will continue to do so I have no reason to believe otherwise.

"For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world - our faith" (1 John 5:4)

January 21
It is now two days after hitchhiking to spread the Gospel. I am physically tired. I only slept two hours Monday night and either stood in one spot or walked for six to eight hours each day. I am mentally tired. I spoke with strangers for three to six hours at a time. I did not enjoy myself, being in constant fellowship with the ungodly and out of fellowship with my brothers and sisters in Christ. Speaking to a fellow believer and agreeing on the things of God is much more enjoyable. Alas, I would do it again. I have obeyed God. I have spread the Gospel in an effort to turn the lost towards Him and glorify Him.

February 1
Many ask why God does not answer their prayers. Proverbs 15:29 tells us Yahweh hears the prayers of the righteous. In Jeramiah 11:12 God sttes, the unrighteous will go cry to the gods to whom they make offerings, false gods and idols. Many people cry out to "god" in their distress but not to Yahweh, the one true God. They may call out to a god who they've created and therefore lacks the perfect righteousness, judgment, love and grace that the one true God Yahweh has.

March 17 
In Exodus chapters 35 through 39 Yahweh gives specific commands for all to obey to the finest detail. Some may ask, "Why don't we see this command to fine detail today?" Well, we do. It is just overlooked, ignored or labeled as "legalism" if we do obey. Jesus' spoken commands are specific and simple to understand, many just choose not to obey them. Many choose to justify themselves out of obedience instead of into obedience. Moses and the Israelites obeyed God's precise commands without question. Our good Lord's commands are not burdensome, we must obey them.

Our obedience today is a mockery to the one true God, creator of heaven and earth, the One who gave us life and Who's knowledge and wisdom far surpasses our own. Yahweh knows what is in our best interest, you do not, yet you disobey and profess that you do. Jesus commands us not to lay up treasures on earth, but you show your lack of faith when you build stores of treasure for the future. Jesus commands us not to be anxious, yet you are nothing but anxiety over food, shelter and other provisions. Jesus commands us to take the log out of our own eye so that we can see clearly the speck in our brother's eye, yet you profess to know God but deny Him by your works. Jesus commands us to enter by the narrow gate which is hard, yet you walk the easy path to the wide gate with the masses. Jesus commands us to deny ourselves if we are to come after Him. Have you denied yourself? Is God worth that much to you?

April 1
Oh Lord please grant repentance to those that heard the Gospel. Grant repentance that leads to the knowledge of truth to those who believe that Hell is not eternal, that Heaven is on earth and that you, a perfect and all knowing God, would give us a message that cannot be understood.

April 11
(Galatians 6:12)
"It is those who want ot make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ."

What do I do to avoid persecution for the cross of Christ?

April 14
There is a plot of land in Chalfant that is perfect for a hostel. It would need a well drilled though. There is a young man in a Bible study that works for his dad's drilling company. I prayed today that the Lord would move him to drill our well for free if we acquired the land. Please Lord, guide me.

August 2014 to November 2014

August 4
Eleven days ago when our new child was born, we had less than $10. Now, through provisions by God, we have enough money for the month of August. We are thankful that God has provided us with many Brothers in Christ who offered us meals during the first days of Olivette's life.

Why is obeying and trusting God so difficult for many? There is a command spoken by Jesus one time in all of the Bible and we all obey it. That command is the act of communion. The church reads that command and pushes the obedience of the church to that one command, yet turns a blind eye and screams legalism and "works based salvation" at the myriad of other commands spoken by our God. There are over twenty warnings and commands against things of this world such as money, wealth, possessions, luxury and self-indulgence. It is written, you cannot be a disciple of Jesus Christ unless you renounce all that you have. Flee the things of this world.

August 14
We received the news yesterday that we would not be the camp hosts at the Pit campground this year. This means when November comes we will have no place to park our home, we will lose $500 per month income and we will no longer have the great opportunity to live amongst the climbers to better serve and share the Gospel with them.

This may sound like bad news, but to me this is a toss out of a bird's nest. The Lord knows that we desire to have a hostel here. It is a lofty goal that only God can provide for. I could easily get comfortable camp hosting all year and never move forward to a more fruitful ministry. Not having the camp host position forces me to wholeheartedly seek the hostel with full faith.

The news does not come without a hopeful opportunity either. The church we have begun attending only one month ago has mentioned the possibility of purchasing a building for their needs. The purchase would include a parsonage that is of no use to them. The pastor has mentioned it as a possible use for us and our ministry. I will take this prayer to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

August 29
A substantial tree limb has come down at our property in Texas. it is currently resting over our neighbor's fence and on his shed. We currently do not have the money to remove the tree. I will continue to pray the Lord provides to solve this problem and no more damage is done.

We also have $0.21 left in our account, but praise Jesus He knows our needs before they come! My sister and brother sent a gift of $50 to us and it will carry us through the remainder of the week.

August 31
Yesterday my father was taken to the ER for severe pain. They found a serious infection and administered antibiotics to stop the infection. They also found cysts. They will be doing further tests in the next few days. My father does not know the Lord. I pray that he seeks out answers and the Lord finds him. I pray that God moves him to obey His commands and to love our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I desire this more than his health.

The Lord has answered my prayers about our van! The pistons are in good shape so they are salvageable and able to be rebuilt. The entire engine rebuild will cost us close to $1,000. I pray the Lord provides for us that extra money to repair our van. The brother who is fixing the van has offered to loan us the money but I must refuse. We are told in Romans to, "owe no man anything," and I will strive to obey this command.

Current prayers:

• Father's salvation
• Money for tree removal
• Money for van repairs
• Possible nutrition job
• Looney Bean job
• That I serve my Lord

September 6
Once again the Lord has provided with all of our needs! The expense for the removal of the downed tree in Texas cost almost the exact amount that we received from a brother in Christ. Praise God for His love, generosity and promises.

September 11
Yesterday was full of blessings from the Lord. He answered a direct prayer for a part-time job. I was offered a position at a coffee shop doing work in the early mornings. The hours are perfect as they do not interfere with much family time.

I was also privileged to share the Gospel with an unsaved climber!

September 14
Current prayers:

• House for Hostel
• Van repairs
• Job
• Provisions for September
• A ride to Arkansas for 24HHH
• Two unsaved climbers

September 15
God has once again, as promised throughout the Bible, answered our prayers and provided for our needs. I have been praying daily that the Lord would offer up the means to fix our van. For two months now I have been waiting, with complete faith, for that deliverance. Yesterday, while out for a run, I felt the burning desire to drop to my knees in prayer before our Lord. On my knees before our one true God I thanked Him for all that He has done, and asked that our van be fixed. That very night I talked to a brother who offered to cover all the expenses for the van! How great our Lord is!

September 18
Current prayers:

• Living Waters school
• Where to park RV
• Trip to see family

September 19
The ways in which the Lord provides for us is astounding. By only lifting our needs up to God in prayer a brother was moved to cover all of our expenses on our van, and a dear sister has inquired of our needs.

September 29
How great is our Lord! Explaining the inner workings of His provision is becoming difficult. I am currently returning from a trip to Arkansas for a climbing event, a trip that was flooded with support from the Lord. A brother offered to drive me five hours to the airport and cover my expenses while in Arkansas. A sister in Christ has offered me a place to stay tonight, and a brother has offered to cover my bus fare back to Bishop. When I arrived in Arkansas a fellow climber offered to drive six hours out of his way to pick me up from the airport. These are all answers to direct prayers to Jesus Christ. He is a gracious Lord who desires to meet our needs within the scope of his will. I prayed only to God for these needs and he fulfilled them through others. Bethany was also blessed with plenty of support from our church while alone with the kids.

October 11
I've started a part-time job this month which has been a blessing. It allows for us to set aside money for our personal bills, the hostel and service to others. But, it also takes time away from reading God's word and praying. Lately I've felt no desire to put myself out there and discuss spiritual things with people. I've told no one about Jesus in over two weeks. I must get back into God's word!

November 4
A few days ago as a test of our faith. We had less than three dollars left, the van was almost out of gas and I had to work the next day. The van was so low in gas I did not believe it would make it into town and back to the Pit where we are staying. Our next form of income was not coming in for nearly one week. Regardless of these facts and with no solution I drove to work, knowing I may be stranded with out gas or money. I prayed fervently all morning for God's grace to once again fall on our needs. After work I sat down in prayer and decided to get some work done on the computer. And behold, God again answered my prayers! I checked our account and our camp hosting payment was deposited that morning, a full week early.

Give up your life and the world and serve the God who gave you life! His promises are true.

November 14
The Lord continues to provide! We felt that we had been weak in proclaiming our Lord to others. After much prayer the Lord opened three opportunities to share the Gospel.

The Bible

 

The Bible   

The Bible is inerrant, infallible and sufficient. What this states is it is without error, incapable of being wrong and all that we need as our guide for salvation. It is written over a span of 1,500 years by more than forty authors, contains sixty six books, is written in three languages, and yet completely harmonious regarding our salvation through Jesus Christ. The ability for this to happen by chance is similar to asking every state in the nation to place a stone on a train and send it to the state capital, and upon their arrival each stone fits together perfectly to form the statue of liberty. If this happened you would have to declare that there was some sort of intelligent designer that orchestrated the entire event, sending out specifications to each state. “All Scripture is God-breathed.” (2 Timothy 3:16) This is no “chance” book.

Jesus tells us the importance of the words of the Bible, holding the ungodly accountable to it:

“The same day Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection, and they asked Him a question, saying, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies having no children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up children for his brother.’ Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died, and having no children left his wife to his brother. So too the second and third, down to the seventh. After them all, the woman died. In the resurrection, therefore, of the seven, whose wife will she be? For they all had her.” But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God...” (Matthew 22:23-31)

The question asked here is a trap from the Sadducees, an attempt to force Jesus to fumble His answer, not adhere to the Scriptures and the Law and therefore lessening His character and validity. Jesus rebukes them saying, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.” He declares them wrong because they do not know the power of God, a knowledge attained from knowing the Scriptures. He then goes on to state, “Have you not read what was said to you by God?” Notice the word choices here. Jesus doesn’t ask, “Have you not heard what was said to you by God?” Or, “Have you not read what was written to you by God?” Rather, “Have you not read what was said to you by God?” He is holding them, and therefore us, accountable to God’s words that speak to us when we read them. God will not whisper them in your ear, but has written them for all to see. Jesus is declaring that the words of Scripture, the Bible, are the spoken words of God and shall be treated so. Being the spoken words of a perfect God, and perfection meaning without error, they must be without error and incapable of being wrong.

The Bible commands man that it is not to be added to or taken away from. “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophesy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away the words of the book of this prophesy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.” (Revelation 22: 18-19) “You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you.” (Deuteronomy 4:2) “Every word of God proves true; He is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you and you be found a liar.” (Proverbs 30: 5-6) Therefore, any book that comes after the Bible claiming to be a new revelation is false. For example, the Book of Mormon, The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (NWT) or the Qur’an. The Bible shall not be added to and is unnecessary because it tells us our beginning and our end.

We are also told the many uses of God’s word. “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12) “...man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” (Deuteronomy 8:3) “Is not my word like fire, declares the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?” (Jeremiah 23:29)

In Matthew chapter 4, Jesus uses the spoken word of God to rebuke the devil. Satan twists the words of scripture to tempt Jesus. Three times he does this and three times Jesus rebukes him using only the words of scripture. It is the only weapon that he chooses because it is fully sufficient for such a purpose.

The bible and every word contained thereof is the living and active spoken word of God and fully sufficient. Sufficient to pierce the division of the soul and spirit and to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Sufficient to ignite in flames and to break into pieces like a hammer. Sufficient to provide us with everything we need to live in this life. Sufficient as a shield and as a sword to rebuke satan himself.

The Bible is inerrant, infallible and sufficient. This means Adam and Eve are the first man and woman, our ancestors and were born thousands of years ago not millions. This means every living creature was destroyed in a flood except for Noah and his family, for, “...he found favor in the eyes of the Lord.” (Genesis 6: 8) This means we are wretched sinners before God and will be held accountable to His word and every thought, word and deed of our own, when we stand before Him and are judged. We cannot possibly be found innocent because God tells us, “None is righteous, no, not one.” (Romans 3:10) This means we will be found guilty and deserve nothing more than to be thrown into, “The lake that burns with fire and sulfur.” (Revelation 21: 8)

Alas, there is Good News! With a Bible that has no errors, and is incapable of such, this also means that, “God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) This means that Jesus Christ, being fully God and fully man, lived a perfect sinless life and gave up that life on the cross for our wretched sins. This means we have a free gift of eternal life if we only repent of our sins and put our faith in Jesus by obeying His commands and submitting to Him as our Lord and Savior. This is the inerrant, infallible and sufficient truth in the Bible. I pray that the word of God will pierce to the division of your soul and spirit.

Put Me to the Test, Says the Lord of Hosts.

"But you say, 'How have we robbed you?' In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need." (Malachi 3:8-10)

I would like to once again boast in our Lord. God makes many promises to us and commands us to trust him with our lives, with our every decisions and with our money. After all, He is the one who provides our life, our free will and our worldly resources. Malachi chapter 3 verse 8 through 10 is a profound statement from our Lord to, "Put me to the test." We are not often told by our Lord to test Him.

I did not obey this command until about two years ago when we moved out of our house and into an RV. This was a decision made on the premise that it would allow us to always be ready to serve God. We rid ourselves from the attachment to our home, which was nothing more than an attachment to the world and it's ways and security. We then attached ourselves to God's word, His ways and security.

Even as missionaries we tithe 10% of our income and contribute well beyond that to other followers of Christ and their mission to spread the Gospel and glorify God. When we had no gas in our RV, no money in our pocket and planned to travel to Pennsylvania from Alabama, we gave to the Lord first and trusted His promise. When we had no gas in our RV and no money in our pocket and planned to travel 2,500 miles across the country, we gave to the Lord first and trusted His words. Knowing that we would be left with nothing but loose change to cover expenses we still gave to the Lord first and trusted His never failing promises. We have at times awoke with plans for the day and no money to do them, yet after prayer and faith that God will take care of His faithful servants a deposit would clear in our account and provide exactly what we needed to continue on.

I am not attempting to build myself up for how obedient I am but am attempting to build up the Lord for how faithful He is. His promises are true and His commands are not burdensome. Give to the Lord and trust in Him before you give to your self or your family.

So I say to you, put the Lord to the test and see that His promises are true.

Work Out Your Salvation...

If you are in no way, shape or form making disciples of all nations, teaching them to observe all that Jesus commands, going into the world and proclaiming the Gospel to the whole creation or proclaiming repentance and forgiveness of sins in Jesus name to all nations, are you obeying your Lord? (Matthew 28: 18-20, Mark 16:15, Luke 24: 47, John 20: 21) These are the commands of The Great Commission given by Jesus and recorded in all four Gospels.

I say, if you are not participating in the Great Commission, you are not obeying God. and this is the "right" thing to do, because it is a direct command from God the Son. James tells us in chapter 4:17 that, "whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin." Therefore, you are sinning when not participating in the Great Commission because it is the "right" thing to do and you are not doing it. Furthermore, if avoiding the Great Commission is a common practice then you must heed the words of Paul in Philippians and, "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling," because you may not be of the Lord.

1 John 3:4-10 states, "Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother."

If your common practice is to avoid the Great Commission then you are disobeying a command from the mouth of God the Son, and this is sin. Therefore, you are "making a practice of sinning" and "whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil." "No one born of God makes a practice of sinning."

Question your salvation because the word of God tells us that you are not born of God but of the devil.

"Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling."(Philippians 2:12)

July 2014: "Where Your Treasure Is, There Your Heart Will Be Also."

 July 1
We have been provided for again! God has moved a brother to give his support earlier than usual. His support will cover our needs for the next week.

July 4
There is a Solid Rock event in Lander, WY that I have been praying about attending. We don't have the money to cover the travel expenses so I have been asking only God for the means to get me there. By only asking God He has heard my prayer and blessed me with what I asked. A brother in Christ was moved to cover the entire cost of the trip.

July 7
Today I took it to the Lord the need for the money to fix our van and a new church that is wise in God's word.

Three to four days ago our evaporative coolers stopped working, I prayed for cooler weather and the Lord graciously provided. The weeks before the coolers broke the high temperatures were reaching the low 100s. They next day after they broke the sky was overcast and breazy, bringing the temperature down to the mid 90s. Everyday since then we have been met with cooler weather. The Lord can and always does provide.

July 14
Again the devil is trying to dampen our days and turn us towards him. Our brand new cooler stopped working the day I returned from out of town. We have no way to cool the RV from the 100 degree days. Thankfully the devil's attempts to harden our hearts towards our Lord are easily stopped. The weather for the net week will be cooler. Proof again that God knows our needs before we even ask!

July 18
Yesterday we were down to eight dollars, but he Lord graciously provided us with another week's worth of money exactly when we needed it.

Although the Lord has provided for all of our needs exactly when we need it, I feel that I have been shorting the sovereignty of God. I live on God's provision and prayer alone to Him, and I don't ask for much. I request our simple needs at the time needed, and nothing more. We live on a shoestring budget, but I wonder if this is because it is all I'm given or all I ask for. In Psalm 81:10 the Lord commands us to, "Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it." Our Father gives us good things when we ask it, and it is within His will. He will not give us a stone when we ask for bread, nor a serpent when we ask for a fish. If God provides me with $100 and I cut costs and stretch it as far as possible, am I having faith that He will provide again? Or, do I fear He will not provide more again?

July 21
A brother in Christ and supporter of our ministry stopped by last night. He inquired of our needs and how we are doing financially. Oh how easy it would be to bring my own deliverance! How easy it is to beg for our needs to man! If I did, where would my faith lie but in my own abilities? I have decided to follow Jesus,to believe all of His commands and promises. I beg God alone for my needs. If God so desires to provide to us through this brother than He will do so without me eloquently asking this man. I do not want any glory for any success we have. By asking God alone through prayer to provide for our needs and richly bless this ministry He alone will obtain the glory.

When this brother asked about our need we had less than three dollars in our account and an empty tank of gas. The next day we had to drive 90 miles to pick up Bethany's mother. How easy it could have been to ask this brother for gas money! But, I had faith in or Lord and He came through as always. This morning an online return finalized and arrived in our bank account. This provides us with the money needed for gas and extra to serve Bethany's mother during her time here. Do you have eyes to see the grace of our Lord? The Lord is the only one who provides for us.

Is your faith in God or your job? In God or the government? Is it in God or your abilities? We are told, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth." But instead, "Lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven." Because, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Where is your heart? To find the answer simply seek where your treasure is. Do you give a measly 10% of your income to your church yet pour out 50% to your new home, 20% to your new car and another 10% to secure a comfortable retirement? "Fool! This night your very soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?" (Luke 12: 20) Can you prove to yourself that your treasure is not in fact in your own comfort and well-being? Where is your treasure?

Do you know of missionaries who are struggling to do the will of God and of churches that are barely getting by and people that do not have bibles in their language, yet you sit in your home in your chair in front of your TV every night while your bible, the words of God, collects dust? Where is your treasure? Oh you of little faith! "If God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you?" Where is your treasure? That is where you heart is. If you do not have the works to justify your faith in God our father than you do not have faith in Him. "For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead." (James 2:26)

July 27
Three days ago our fourth child was brought into this world. I love her. She is born, sadly, into a world of evil. I am not pessimistic, in fact I would say I am an overly optimistic man. But, the truth of God's words describe this world. Man, when left without the influence of the Holy Spirit, is doomed for destruction and harnesses only thoughts of self.