Vlog

Here's a trial run. I may try this once in a while instead of writing. 

Neat quotes to think about this week by one of my favorite people.

James "Hudson" Taylor 


It is the consciousness of the threefold joy of the Lord, His joy in ransoming us, His joy in dwelling within us as our Saviour and Power for fruitbearing and His joy in possessing us, as His Bride and His delight; it is the consciousness of this joy which is our real strength. Our joy in Him may be a fluctuating thing: His joy in us knows no change.
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Our heavenly Father is a very experienced One. He knows very well that His children wake up with a good appetite every morning...He sustained 3 million Israelites in the wilderness for 40 years. We do not expect He will send 3 million missionaries to China; but if He did, He would have ample means to sustain them all...Depend on it, God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supply. 
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In Shansi I found Chinese Christians who were accustomed to spend time in fasting and prayer. They recognized that this fasting, which so many dislike, which requires faith in God, since it makes one feel weak and poorly, is really a Divinely appointed means of grace. Perhaps the greatest hindrance to our work is our own imagined strength; and in fasting we learn what poor, weak creatures we are - dependent on a meal of meat for the little strength which we are so apt to lean upon. 


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We are supernatural people, born again by a supernatural birth, kept by a supernatural power, sustained on supernatural food, taught by asupernatural Teacher from a supernatural Book. We are led by a supernatural Captain in right paths to assured victories. The risen Saviour, ere He ascended on high, said: 'All power is given unto Me. Go ye therefore." 
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The branch of the vine does not worry, and toil, and rush here to seek for sunshine, and there to find rain. No; it rests in union and communion with the vine; and at the right time, and in the right way, is the right fruit found on it. Let us so abide in the Lord Jesus. 










(I wish I would have read that last quote a while ago! I could have used it. But, that is God's timing.)

Whatever you ask..do you really believe this?

And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. John 14:13 (KJV)


Have you ever really thought about this verse? Not just a fleeting thought but had your mind truly fixed on it? This verse means different things for each person, so here is an example of it that happened to me this week.


Well, let me start a little back in time. A few years ago, I read Hudson Taylor's autobiography. Within his life he had many examples of this verse. Whenever he asked Christ to put him in situations that would cause him to have to draw closer to the Creator, it happened. Most of the time, it really tested his faith. Hudson became so close to Christ that he eventually went to China. In his time in China, the lessons he learned before arriving caused him to trust that Christ was in control. 


Just last week, I had a similar situation. Wednesday I asked God to cause a deeper relationship with himself,no matter what it took. I've had a few times like this before.


Well, He gave me an opportunity. 


I have been wanting to go help a friend in Mexico for a few months now. I started saving money this past week and had a budget plan. Everything seemed to fall into place. 


Now  comes the fun  part. 


Friday I got a text from a brother who I live with that I was behind on my ministry dues. For those few non-RCV'ers who follow, we have been supporting "Mercy Homes" in India see http://mercyhomes.org/),  a couple orphanages in Myanmar (formerly Burma) through Heaven's Family (see http://www.heavensfamily.org/), and helping a church in Africa by micro-loans to start their businesses.


I wasn't just a little behind, I was $215 behind! That really hit me. It wasn't a convicted reaction either. I threw a fit. A 25 year old disciple of Jesus Christ, someone who is supposed to have given up everything to follow him...threw a fit. I said I didn't understand. My good friend and brother in Christ,  John Bob, told me that it was my responsibility. He told me (not perfectly quoted) " you want to be a missionary, but miss God right in front of you." He was right. I found out later after I made a payment plan to get caught up, I had overdrawn my bank account recently. All my "savings" for Mexico had disappeared. 


It was then I heard, "No matter what?"


Yep. As you can guess, I got a first hand example of Him answering my prayer for His glory. 
I believe even more.


May He always get the glory in my life. 


No matter what.

Called to live

If today were your last day, what would you say that you did with the life you were given? Did you truly live like God intended you to or did you just follow the crowd? A Francis Chan quote I have really come to like is : "God  is a creator, not a duplicator." Too many times I try to be this incredible person, I believe that I need to act a certain way, be just like so-and-so, and have to live just like the person I admire(Which happens to be Hudson Taylor). I'm not saying that having heroes is a bad thing at all. We all need to feel encouraged when we hear about people  who lived their lives for Christ alone.But lest we forget, the only way they were able to do what they did was though Christ. Hudson Taylor almost died early on in his life. The only way he survived was by a miracle of God. Can any of us say that we have that much faith? That we give up the security of being healthy to serve him? I can say I want to live a radical life, but will I live radically for Christ where I am? Sometimes we can forget that we were made for God's purpose, not our own. We get caught up in what we want to do for Christ with our life and end up missing the mission field in our own lives. God calls us not to live in the mountains but to bring joy down to the Valley of Despair. I saw a movie about a lady named Dorothy Day this past weekend. She started out wanting to further her and others agendas through political marches.She got introduced to the work of Christ through a Catholic nun. The nun ran a food kitchen for the poor. Dorothy saw that this lady was not getting anything out of the deal,so she got curious. To make a long story short, Dorothy made a place for the poor in her own  house. She eventually got so stressed with everything, so she went to her church and cried out to God. She wanted to see Christ in the people she served, just like Christ said "Whatever you do to the least of these, you do to me." She eventually did. Her love for those people is a shining light for all. Her ministry was called The Catholic workers. How often do we see Christ at our doorstep? In our homes? Inside our brothers and sisters? Let us live each day as our calling. We don't have to wait for God to "call us" to missions, he set us in one. It's called daily life.

Hudson Taylor, one of my favorite people

I just finished a re-read of a Hudson Taylor autobiography entitled "Hudson Taylor, God's adventurer" It was an amazing story! His faith was amazing,throughout his life going through almost dying very young of malignant fever to almost being killed at sea,and more! God definately looked after him. He is one of my best inspirations of a person who really had a relationship with Jesus. I hope one day that the faith he had, God would allow in me. I have been reading and praying more this week for Chinese Christians and for God's work in his people.  Everyday been another step towards a closer relationship with Christ. This week God has been targeting the way I say things to people without thinking of the conscequences. So far it has been like climbing a mountain by trying to change the way I've been for years. I believe that God can change anyone, even me! So excited to see what the future holds.