Tonight as we crawl into bed again at 1 am, we are reminded anew and afresh why we do the work we do. There have been many nights in the past few months that we have found ourselves awake in the wee hours of the morning holding someone who is hurting and who needs a touch from the Lord. Our Father has given us His love and His precious promises to share with those in need. The times of reflection allow us an opportunity to see who we are and what has the Lord taught us that we can share with others. This night we have held a wife and mother as she cried due to intense emotional pain from a failed marriage, children who have gone astray and a life in limbo. What is her identity? Who is she really? Who are we? Are we who we say we are? Are we children of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Is God our heavenly Father or is He just someone we have learned to talk about and give pat answers to questions facing loved ones. We never want to just give pat answers to the needs in this world. We always want to share truth and know that what we share touches their heart life at its deepest point. We want to be real! We want to experience the joy of being a child of God and also allow ourselves to be identified with Him. We have been criticized for speaking about our heavenly Father as if He is our best friend, someone we talk to on a regular basis and someone we listen to daily. This is truth! When you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, the Holy Spirit of God comes to dwell within you. That Holy Spirit who Jesus said He would send as a comforter is our best friend. He speaks to us and guides us into all truth. We seek Him through the Word of God and through prayer. We see the Word in action every day. We see love manifested. We see peace experienced and joy expressed. We see miracles every day. It may be as simple as the miracle of unconditional love which was expressed tonight as we ministered to the woman who came to our door in need. We have chosen to live our life serving our Lord Jesus. We have chosen to follow Him daily by reading His Word and studying His Word. We have chosen to spend time in prayer seeking the Lord on behalf of thousands who need prayer and healing. This is a choice we have made. There are those who do not understand this choice but this is our life.
Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-7
Not a day goes by that we do not receive a phone call, email or a visit from someone in need either physically, emotionally or spiritually. Our Father has equipped us to help these people through Jesus our Lord, the Holy Spirit who lives within us and the Word of God as our guide. We give them the Word to help them with their problems. That is the only truth there is. We love our family, our friends, our church family and we want them to know of that love but we love our Heavenly Father even more. If that offends them then it will just have to offend them. We will serve the Lord where He wants us and where He leads us. Are we who we say we are? Yes, we are God’s servants on His journey through life and He is our guide. May the glory of the Lord be our strength! May we stand firm on the foundation of the Word of God and not waver. May we always show love and compassion to those in need! May we not compromise though people criticize and try to turn us off course! We will stay the course that Father has given us to walk. This past year has been the deepest faith walk we have ever experienced. Literally we have been totally dependent on the Lord for our daily bread. He has always been faithful to provide for us. He has shown us His love in a very tangible way. We are so thankful for His blessings! Our new car is running wonderfully! We just received a new roof on our house. We are of all people most blessed! Lord, we thank You that You sent your Son Jesus to die for us and that we have chosen to receive so great a salvation. We look forward to each day in service to our Lord. We shall be lights in the darkness and salt in the earth. May each of you experience this salvation and have confidence that no matter what happens in the world, you are safe in the arms of Jesus.
How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:
"How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!" Romans 10:14-15
Love in Christ Jesus,
Charley & Karen
