Divine Appointments

I really wanted to share a couple of stories with you from our seminar here in Northern California. It is so exciting to see God working in people's lives.

We have one lovely Alaskan Native woman coming to our seminar. She has come faithfully and is so kind. It has been a blessing getting to know her. She was praying for something - anything - for God to intervene in her life and show Himself to her in a real way. As she was praying and walking she stepped on a piece of paper. It was the mailing postcard that was sent out - the words across the top jumped out to her - Hope For Today. When she continued to read she realized it was starting that night! As she has been attending, she realized this was exactly what she needed to reconnect with her Savior. Praise God. She is graduating from the Amazing Facts Bible School on Friday and joining the local church on Saturday.

Another man, a retired welder, received our invitation postcard in the mail. He told me that a struggle was going on inside of him. He wanted to go but didn't feel ready to turn to God yet. Being raised in a Christian home, he had wandered from the Lord. But he could feel God pulling on his heart strings. He came out with his wife and as they listened to the Bible being preached each night, and the themes of Jesus, they realized this was exactly what they needed. Now, he has connected with a retired dentist who needs help with welding. He feels whole now. He has found God again, his wife has found God, and he is doing welding, which he loves. God is so good. He will never stop chasing you when you turn from Him.

These are just two stories from our seminar. God is constantly working in the lives of our visitors. It always amazes me that He chooses us to work with Him. Who are we compared to the God of the universe? Thank you Lord for your love and for using me.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise! Give thanks to Him; bless His name! Psalm 100: 4 (ESV)

This post has been linked to the meme, Thankful Thursday. This meme is hosted by Spiritually Unequal Marriage for the month of April.

The Winning Team

This is what the devil often does: Just when a person is making great decisions to follow Jesus, to make Him Lord of their life - he throws in the obstacles. It is though he realizes that you are making a stand; you are standing strong on the winning team. And he is mad. Of course, since you are a threat to him and his purposes. (This reminds me of the song, "Victory in Jesus..." I love that old hymn.)

Here are just two examples from our seminar here in Northern California this week:

One older lady who has been faithfully coming out, completing her lessons (we run a Bible School with 27 lessons and have a graduation at the end of the seminar), and making great decision for Jesus, is now sick. Luckily my wonderful husband is able to drop off the lessons and CDs of the seminars she missed.

Another lady who has not missed a single night of the seminar, also doing the lessons, also making great decisions to follow Jesus, just learned that her mother died. She must leave until Monday. (Please pray for her as she now must bury her mother.) She also is having financial difficulties. (Like so many people we meet. This really is such a difficult financial time for many.)

I know that God is in control. Of course, I know that, but I still hate that these things happen. And actually both ladies are coming back. So I am pleased that ultimately Satan will not win. I just hate seeing people suffer. I am tired of sickness, death, and sin in general. Does it ever just feel so tiring for you?

I learned today that one of our friend's son is having a huge medical crisis. He began having seizures at the beginning of this month, one even lasted 45 minutes! He is just a young boy. They took him in and found multiple masses through out his body, including his brain - thus causing seizures. We are now waiting for results from the brain biopsy. A. SMALL. INNOCENT. BOY.
What is his mother going through right now? I can't imagine. Please won't you pray for Samuel as well?

So I am brought back to the same conclusion as Tuesday's conclusion: Trust God! This world is not our final home. Praise God we are just pilgrims passing through to a much better place. A place without sickness, death, or disease. Choose the Winning Team today, don't put it off!

Restoration

So a very crazy thing happened to my husband this weekend. As he was out on visitation, a woman flashed him. That is a first in his ministry. She wanted to assure him that yes, she was a woman. And her husband was standing next to her. It was my husband who was embarrassed but he continued with his visit, encouraged them to keep following God, and prayed with them.

When he told me, my first reaction was to laugh. But then as I thought about it, I just felt sad. Tears formed in the corner of my eyes. This couple was raised in the church, left God, got into drugs, and now they NEED Him more than ever. (I mean, how far have you gone when you flash your breasts to a minister?)

The husband has been coming to our seminar here in Northern California faithfully. As he is making decisions to recommit his life to God, I just ask that you keep him in your prayers. Not just him, but his wife as well. God is truly in the business of healing people and restoring all the years that have been wasted on drugs. I'd love to see this couple one day working for Him, and bringing light to others.

I will repay for the years the locusts have eaten... you will have plenty to eat, until you are full. And you will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has worked wonders for you. Never again will my people be shamed. Joel 2: 25, 26

A New Creation

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.
2 Corinthians 5: 17

God is so good! As we pack to leave our first seminar of the year, it is amazing to look back and see how God has worked. We celebrated baptisms this weekend at church and it was such a blessed day. We rejoiced with all of Heaven today. Truly.

I wanted to share one more story of how God works in such awesome ways. One young man coming to the seminar had a planned move halfway through the seminar. He loved coming out and hearing God's word, and he was making great decisions to follow Christ. Then, it was time to leave which we are sad about. As he drove away from Central California though a "funny" thing happened - his car broke down. Not able to fix a large problem, he had to turn around and postpone his trip. As a result, he continued coming out to our seminar, and decided to baptized with his parents this weekend. Isn't God amazing?

Though we were sad that he is out of a car for awhile, we were so pleased to know that he'd be coming back. We know that many times God allows things to happen for a reason and no matter the issue, we should always trust in Him. We may not know why He allows trials, but as long as we cling to Him, He will always get us through.

Lives Changed

The reason we do this - this traveling - is not because we especially love being away from our home, family, church family and friends. It is because of the lives that are changed when they come face to face with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Everlasting Gospel. Every night, for 19 nights total, my husband faithfully preaches Jesus Christ and the Gospel message. Many people come out and learn more than they have about the Bible and Jesus and their lives are changed.

One lady coming to the seminar was raised in a Catholic home. When she was a child in Mexico, the local Catholic school was full so her mother sent her to a protestant Seventh-day Adventist school. As she attended that boarding school she learned about the Bible and Jesus. As a young teenage girl she made the decision to be baptized into that protestant Adventist faith. When her mother found out, she was angry and removed her from the school. Fast forward almost 20 years later - she started coming out to my husband's seminar and has once again fallen in love with Jesus. For years she had left Him, and lived a life of sin. Now she is ready to return. And praise God, He will take her back with open arms. What an awesome God we serve!

This is why we do this. We are not content to go to heaven alone.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
Matthew 28: 19, 20