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.

Common Misused and Misinterpreted Bible Passages.

There is a growing problem within the Christian community today. Many "Christians" do not read their bible, pray to their Lord or obey God's commands. Often times scripture, the words of God, are thrown around carelessly and without knowledge of their meaning. They are taken out of context and used as pick-me-ups. They are not used as they are meant to be, as the words "breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for corrections, and for training in righteousness." (2 Timothy 3:16)

For teaching; meaning to teach believers and non-believers the words of God, the history of man and the only way to salvation and eternity in heaven.

For reproof; this word means an expression of blame or disapproval. The Greek source of this word is also translated in Hebrews as "evidence." Evidence of our failure to be perfect, of our sins and our need for Jesus. We are to read the bible, realize time and time again the commands of God that we do not follow and repent of our actions. This means to stop doing the things God hates.

For corrections; meaning to correct ourselves and others so that we are always following sound scripture, the words and commands of God.

For training in righteousness. The word righteousness means a condition acceptable to God. We are to use the words of God to make ourselves acceptable to God, we will not attain that righteousness from our actions but we are called to continue to seek it. How can we do this? By using scripture to point out our own worthlessness (reproof) and correcting are sinful actions. That is what scripture is for. It is not to make one feel better.

With that said here is my opinion of a few of the most misused passages from the bible.

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"Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock." (Matthew 7:24)

Also in Luke:

"Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock." (Luke 6: 46-48)

This scripture is referenced often to implore others to make their foundation Jesus Christ. This sounds great and is a good practice, but it's not the whole message that is mentioned here. There are three words overlooked that bring fourth the true meaning here, "and does them." When Jesus speaks these words it is at the end of His Sermon on the Mount, a very long sermon outlining the reason He is there, the new covenant and His specific commands. This last passage is the final command Jesus is giving to the people as He is summing up His teachings.

"Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock." Jesus is urging us to obey His commands. You must DO His words, DO His commands. Jesus is not your foundation unless you are hearing and doing His commands. Yes, make Jesus your foundation, and do this by hearing His words and doing them. Believing in Jesus does not make Him our "solid rock." James states that "Even the demons believe..." Hearing His commands and obeying them makes Jesus our foundation. This is basic scripture. The fall of man was caused by Adam and Eve disobeying one single command of God.

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"Judge not that you be not judged." (Matthew 7:1)

This scripture is used by "Christians" and non-Christians alike to defend some action, that God does not condone, that has been brought to their attention by a loving brother or sister in Christ who is moved by the Holy Spirit to save a loved one. This scripture by no means tells us not to judge. It states "Judge not that you be not judged."

Jesus goes on from there, "Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not remove the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye." We are not told to leave the speck in our brother's eye but to first judge ourselves, then we are able to judge others. This message is enforced by Paul when writing to the Corinthians. He is speaking to them about a fellow believer who has committed sexual immorality with his father's wife. He tells the church to "let him who has done this be removed from among you." And later he tells the church, "Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge?" Again in Paul's letter to Timothy he begs, "preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke and exhort, with complete patience and teaching." And yet again in his letter to Titus, "Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with authority."

We are commanded to build each other up and protect our righteousness. This involves judging one another against God's commands with patience and teaching.

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"With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26)

A common theme when scripture is misinterpreted is changing the meaning to benefit ourselves and not to glorify God. This scripture is no different. It is frequently quoted to explain that if you had faith in God you could do anything. Have faith in God and He will help you land that big promotion. Have faith in God and He will "bless" you with that vacation you always wanted. (You deserve it right?) Pray to God so He can make all of your dreams come true because all things are possible with God. You get my drift here.

Unfortunately this one sentence is taken out of the context of a 14 verse story of a rich young man. This man went to Jesus Himself and asked Him a question we all would like to know, "What good deed must I do to have eternal life?" Jesus goes on to tell him to keep the commandments, in which he replies that he has since he was a boy. Jesus then replies, "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, and come, follow me."Jesus gives the man what he understands to be an impossibility as he "had great possessions." The man walks away from Jesus sorrowful. "When His disciples heard this they were astonished, saying, 'Who then can be saved?' But Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.'"

Jesus is answering the disciples question of salvation. He told this rich young man to sell everything he owned, give it to the poor and put his complete faith in Jesus. An impossible endeavor by man's standards but a complete possibility by God's.

Think about it. If you stood before God the son, Jesus Christ, and asked him what you need to do to enter the kingdom of God, and he told you to sell your home, sell your cars, sell your stocks, sell your 401k, sell your TVs, sell your clothes, sell every single thing that you worked so hard to acquire and give the money to the poor. Then, quite your job, quite your worldly life that is acceptable to the eyes of sinful men and follow Jesus, His commands and teachings. Would you believe it was possible to survive? Would you believe that faith in Jesus was enough? Would you believe that the reward of a lifetime in God's presence was even worth the sacrifice on earth? I tell you today, with man this endeavor is impossible, but with God it is possible. And I pray that you believe so, because it is the command that Jesus our Lord gives us.

Hitchhiking

To be an official dirtbag you must hitchhike at least once in your lifetime. Despite modern myths and folklore, hitchhiking is a safe and free method of travel and a way to encounter new people. People hitchhike for many different reasons which include saving money, lack of a vehicle to travel, to meet new people, to experience something new or to get home after a one way backpacking trip. The reason I hitchhiked was to spread the Gospel.

Hitchhiking isn't always easy and it isn't always hard. I've heard a lot of hitchhiking stories myself and it is safe to say that over time you will encounter something out of the ordinary. For me this was Alexa, the male born hermaphrodite transgender who made many not so subtle passes that he/she would like to "be" with me as soon as possible.

Alexa picked me up on route 10 East outside of Sand Bernardino. This was a difficult road to hitchhike on because it was a freeway with many exit only lanes. What this means is when the right hand lane opens up as exit only for the next mile I will not be picked up for the next mile. This is because I am trying to get a ride with the non-exit traffic which is now driving in the left lanes. I was grateful for any ride I got but most of them were for no more than five miles at a time.

Immediately upon entering Alexa's car he (to avoid confusion let's just call Alexa his born gender which is male) asked the usual hitchhiking questions about me and I picked up a little flamboyancy and assumed he may be homosexual. I mentioned that I was a missionary to rock climbers and one of the reasons I was hitchhiking was to tell people about Jesus. Seemingly ignoring anything I had just said Alexa quickly mentioned that he was born a hermaphrodite, dresses as a female routinely and would begin hormone therapy soon to convert himself into herself. Following this he showed me pictures on his phone of what he looks like as a female.

Since I mentioned God and Jesus he asked me why God made him both male and female. I mentioned that whether we are born with or without defect we are made to glorify God and God alone. Everything we are is a resource to boast in the Lord. My answer went right over his head because he immediately went into a story about how a Christian pastor or preacher had some sort of sexual relation with him. I soon realized that nothing I said was getting through. He was merely using my words to transition into something sex related. He began asking over and over if I would ever "do anything" with someone I just met. Or, "If I thought someone was really sexy wouldn't I just want to be with them?"

I had mentioned previously that I was married with four kids but that didn't stop him. His lust and desire was controlling everything about him. He would try and try to convince me that "being" with strangers was a common thing to do. Every time he posed the question, "If I thought someone was really sexy wouldn't I just want to be with them?" I would say no with a straight face. He would rephrase it in some way or form and resubmit his query to me, but I would simply say no and point him to God's law. He asked me why and I would tell him that I follow God's moral code and we should all do the same.

In the end he could only drive me a few miles before he had to get off of the highway. When he stopped to let me out he pitched one last effort to indulge in his sinful desires. He decided to lay it on the line, "Do you know why I picked you up? It's because I think you're super sexy and I want to be with you. Do you know what I'm saying?" This was followed by his hand gently falling on my arm. With a straight face I picked up his hand and moved it back on his side of the car. He pulled the upset card next, "Aww no, I can't believe you did that. That hurts my feelings. Are you serious? I find you very sexy." Followed again with another hand strategically placed on my arm, and again I politely picked it up and moved it away. I continued with great speed to say goodbye, get my bag and get out of there. My next ride came a few minutes later and it took me all the way to Idyllwild.

So, I now have a crazy hitchhiking story to tell for generations. Though, regardless of said company, doing the work of the Lord was successful. I encountered five fresh souls to pour out the words of God into.

Next stop? Possibly hitchhiking to Lander, Wy for the International Climbers festival. We'll see what God has planned.

April to June 2014

Horsepens 40, Alabama

April 11
These past couple of months God has been very gracious to our family, therefore we have lacked nothing. We have food, clothing, shelter and free time, none of which we deserve. To me this is proof that we are seeking first the Kingdom of Heaven and the Lord is providing for us to do so.

There are a few climbers here that we have built a great relationship with and we are very fond of them. It pains me that they do not know the Lord. As often as opportunities arise I discuss the truth of the bible, and I pray for them daily and plead with the Lord to open their eyes to see and open their ears to hear. I have given a bible to a young man and challenged him to read it and find the truth. I prayed that he would read that bible and the Lord answered as always. Only a few days later he mentioned he had started reading the book of Genesis. I will not cease to pray for the lost and plead with the Lord for their salvation. I will strive to be an imitator of Christ and walk in the love that Christ showed us, Him sacrificing His life for our salvation.

April 14
Two days ago the alternator on our only vehicle stopped working. It will cost around $200 to replace. As of right now we have almost exactly that amount of money so we will be left with nothing after fixing the van. The only reason we even have such a large amount is because the Lord provides us with the support only a few days before the alternator stopped working. Proof that God's timing is perfect and He knows our needs before we even ask.

On top of that, while waiting in the van for the tow truck I received an email from our old church in Marietta, PA. They made contact to continue the process of supporting us as missionaries. I've been continually praying for more support to confirm that this is where the Lord wants us and to start setting money aside for the start of the hostel. This same week a local brother in Christ has offered to support our ministry on a monthly basis. I feel that the harder and further I fall the higher the Lord picks me up.

April 21
One week ago the alternator died on our van and the Lord provided us with nearly the exact amount of money to fix the problem. Upon fixing the alternator the mechanic mentioned that the battery was dead. Unfortunately, I didn't have the money to cover the extra cost of a new battery so I asked that he put the old one back in and get the van started. I prayed that the Lord would take care of this van as it was a blessing to us for His service. The battery is still working perfectly and we've had no other problems.

Word seems to be spreading about the hostel. We have met many brothers and sisters in Christ who have had a long-term interest in the same idea. I believe God is stirring things up for us. We have been telling people about the hostel when questioned but still have asked no one but God for support. If it is of the Lord than He will orchestrate it.

May 23
Praise God! I was able to speak to two climbers about God and Jesus Christ. They are older and wiser than I which makes it very intimidating to speak to them, but God gave me the boldness.

May 30
We have many reasons to be confident in the flesh, confident in our life without Jesus. Paul gives us his reasons in Philippians 3:4-7, "If anyone else thinks he has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness, under the law blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ." I too have reason to be confident in the flesh: circumcised on the first day, of the people of America, of the family of Herman; as to the law, a follower; as to zeal, an overweight boy with no future who lost over fifty pounds, went back to college, obtained a degree in nutrition, secured a stable career helping others, began a family and purchased my first house; as to righteousness, according to the world blameless, a good person because I do good. But whatever gain I had, I count as a loss for the sake of Christ. Whatever life I lived before giving my life up as a 'living sacrifice" for our Lord is worth nothing compared to my life now. I have less money, less things, less stability but I was once dead and am now alive.

June 2
In my country I am free to proclaim Jesus as my Lord and savior, but maybe not for long. We need to stand up and take advantage of this opportunity. Men, women and children are persecuted and killed every day in the name of Jesus, but we Americans are free to worship everyone and anyone without persecution. I fail at proclaiming Jesus as much as I should, as do the majority of Christians. I pray that the Lord continues to strengthen me to glorify Him.

June 14
I just hitchhiked for the first time, over 350 miles. I prayed about this decision and felt that it was the right decision. Why? Because it gave me free opportunities to tell people about Jesus and glorify His name. We are ALL called to glorify God and spread the good news of Jesus Christ. I sacrificed my time and safety to do so. Jesus sacrificed His life for me, it is the least I could do. I am so thankful that I made it to my destination, thank you God.

I've picked up many hitchhikers while driving, none of which were Christians, yet, to travel in this way takes much faith. How can people of no faith have more faith than most Christians? If man does not believe in God than where does his faith lie? At times we get accustomed to our church family, our close friends we see routinely and our town. We crawl into the safety of these things and don't see the depravity of man and the need of spreading the words of God. We are very near to the times of Sodom, Gomorrah and Noah and many are blind to this. I was picked up by four people and in those four I saw homosexuality, sexual immorality, ignorance to the words of God, lovers of self, lawlessness and justification for sins.

June 21
After much thought and prayer I have decided to acquire a part-time job. I have some financial debt in my life from when I followed the world's standard and not God's. We are told in Romans 13 to, "Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. Owe no one anything..." A Christian should not be in any kind of debt. It is not the Lord's will that we don't wait on Him for our provision. It is not the Lord's will that we are impatient and unfaithful and in unbelief that God will provide what He sees that we need when He sees that we need it.

As a missionary I live on constant prayer and the financial support that God provides through others. I will not ask the Lord to provide for my past mistakes. The support given to us is to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ, not to pay off my careless debt. This was not my conscious intent, but an inevitable outcome of my mistakes before the Lord seized my life. For those supporting me please forgive me.

June 27
This month has been a difficult month financially. We have had many extra surprise expenses for our van. On a drive up to Rock Creek with the family, a 20 mile drive at about 6-8% grade, one of the auxiliary water pumps split in half. The coolant completely leaked out while driving, the engine got so hot that the cylinder head warped, the timing belt wore down to about half of it's width and the timing slipped slightly. We had to call AAA and pay $160 to renew our service so we could get towed. I see in many ways how satan attempts to thwart our ministry, but he is never successful. If it wasn't for Bethany's parents always giving us AAA as a gift we would not have been able to renew it and use it that day. A brother in Christ has offered his extra van for us to use in the mean time. Another brother who is a mechanical engineer has offered to work on the van for free. The engine is completely disassmebled and we are praying that the Lord provides to us the means to fix the van soon.

We have only nine dollars left until further support comes in. We have just enough food for the next three days and I have faith God will provide for us beyond that day.

I suffer from the same sinful flesh as others and by no means proclaim to have any special gift of faith. At times I think how easy it would be if we had an RV where everything worked normally and well, a reliable vehicle for our family, extra income to use to serve others and a church that backed us financially and with prayer. But I quickly move away from these sinful thoughts and remember other brothers and sisters in Christ who have not been blessed even as much as I have. I remember those who recently refused to denounce Christ as their savoir and Lord, therefore being murdered publicly. I remember those in prison for their belief in our Lord. I remember the disciple Stephen who was stoned to death for proclaiming Jesus Christ.