Dear Friends,
The lesson for the month of Feb has been one of POWER AND PASSION. This past Feb 10 was the one year anniversary of our son Levi’s homegoing. If we didn’t live with calendars here in America I guess it wouldn’t have been so noticeable, but we do so it was. It was also a very good time to evaluate our growth. We should always see these events as opportunities for growth, Jesus waters we grow. There seems to be such a mixed Gospel out there sometimes. If you preach faith, some people believe there is no suffering. If you preach suffering some people believe you have no faith. I heard a real good quote by Bob Gladstone on an old video last night, he was talking about all that the Apostle Paul had been through and he said, “Don’t tell me Paul didn’t understand about victory in warfare, he’s the one who taught about the armor!!!” You know there is no such thing as scars on a defeated loser. You get scars from the battle, from being in it. But if you don’t fight you never get scars, and if you lose your not around to show the scars anymore! I ask you a question, was Jesus victorious? Does He have scars? Isn’t your name engraved in them? Didn’t He tell Thomas to touch them? So was He faithless? Unvictorious? And if He suffered all forevermore, then what about Paul? Yet at the same time didn’t He redeem all mankind so that there is a way? If we accept Him as the Way can’t we again live in the garden? So yes, there is faith and suffering. And if we remain teachable, suffering will eventually lead us to more faith. I know that if I remain in His shelter, under His wings, in obedience then no demonic force in Hell or on Earth can touch me. I have all power and authority given to me in His Name. What brings it all home is how I use it. That’s where the passion comes in, do I have enough of Him and little enough of me to use it for His Glory? Ever hear the testimony of Smith Wigglsworth about his wife’s death? She died and he prayed her back. Simple enough. Except that when she came back she said, “Let me go!” It was her time, and she wanted to remain with the Lord that she loved so much. So Smith who also loved the Lord (more than his own life) let her go. You know I’m sure he got a little persecution for that. A few snickers here and there, you know, “Where is your faith brother, why did you let the enemy steal from you?” I know because I have heard them. I could send you some of the e-mails we got last year that would make you cry for days. Some were sent as honest questions, and we never mind that, come with an open heart please. Some were sent out of ignorance, may the Lord bless you anyway. Some were sent out of pure pride and arrogance, and those I really pray for. Not because they hurt our feelings, (I would certainly hope we are past that by now). I really pray for them because they have a hard lesson coming if the Lord intends to use them in His Kingdom. So the passion comes in when we use the Power to further His Kingdom. When we lay the power down and give over to something simply because He says MY WILL not yours. Our answer today is the same as it was last year, but has been confirmed by another years persistence. Jesus has a plan, a very BIG plan. We can either fight against Him and get no where, or join HIS side and get everywhere. As strange as it seemed little Levi touched lives by going home. May look defeated to some, but who can argue with the fruit? We recently received a compliment that really touched me. A brother commented on our family picture we sent out this past winter, his comment was that if a family who had been through what we had still had that much peace then we must know Jesus. People are always watching for a glimmer of Hope. A soldier who has never been to war is not a soldier, and a hero is one who has been through many wars and has lots of scars and is still standing. Are you a hero for Jesus? Are you even a soldier? Are you even enlisted? Do you even know who the commanding officer is, do you hear His voice? Do you know how to obey orders? He has the Big picture, the Whole plan, we must learn to listen. It is not faith to have the biggest loudest weapon, faith is knowing how to use it. Passion is where you lay aside your own agenda and pick up His, He knows what will move hearts. Sometimes it makes no sense to us, but makes perfect sense to him. We all need His mercy and grace but sometimes we don’t realize that we need it. Then a trial comes, and not only does it expose what we are made of, but it exposes His greatness and how much we need HIM! His love is so overwhelming if you allow Him close enough to touch you. That is where it all really hits home, do you trust Him with your life? Who is in control? You or Him?
DREAMS AND VISIONS- We, the whole family, gets them! It has gotten so good lately that the Lord even sometimes shows us who we will run into that day. We receive direction and sometimes warnings. The most interesting thing He has shown us recently is about opportunities, more to come, and about life (spiritual) coming to the young people of our community.
OPEN DOORS- After much diligence the Lord has opened the door for us to have our own time slot at the Clifton Prison. The chaplain received so many requests from the inmates that he told them, “you want Jumpin Jim in here to preach Jesus, then show me how much you want it”. Well they overwhelmed him with a 3 page petition full of signatures! So even though he had a list of waiting ministers he gave it to us. Are we anybody special? NO! But we share the truth of one who is!! When you are behind bars for life you need life changing hope not just another service. The last service was overwhelming FREEDOM. Of course the enemy got wind of it, and is trying his best to shut it down, But I proclaim now the WORD OF
THE LORD, IT IS FROM GOD AND NO ONE CAN STOP THE REVIVAL THAT IS COMING TO
THOSE WHO SEEK HIM!!!!
MIRACLES OF LOVE- Recently had a dear sister call and say that she had a family member in jail for a horrendous violent crime, and though she didn’t know him well she knew Jesus loved him anyway and she had been earnestly praying for him. She wondered had Jim been able to see him, and did he have any interest in the Lord? I won’t tell you who the man is but many of you have probably seen him on the news. Most people would have given up on him, but this sister has the love of Jesus in her. Well, I mentioned it to Jim but he doesn’t really pay much attention to names or what their offenses are. Then a few days later he was sharing what had happened at the jail. About this man who had just been given a life sentence, yet he had peace. He was extremely repentful, but at the same time was weeping in Jim’s arms over the awesome forgiving love of Jesus. In man’s eyes his life is over, but in Jesus’ eyes he has just been born, a new creation, just starting! You know sometimes we get tired and worn down, but we keep going anyway, this is the reason why. After it was all said and done, Jim said, “what was that guy’s name I was supposed to check on?” Yes, you guessed it, it was that sisters family member. Turns out he has been to every one of Jim’s services. We all have a part to play, Jesus give us perseverance!!!
RADIO, COWBOYS FOR CHRIST, HOME MEETINGS,- WE continue to share the good news everywhere he calls us, and to see fruit. The harvest is truly ripe! A man Jim shared with when he was a chaplain at the truck stop called recently to tell us of his trip to Mexico and how he got to ride with brother David Hogan! Brother Bill had come to visit when we hosted Beau and Rachel Barton. All this time he probably thought Jim was encouraging and ministering to him, and Jim was. But Bill probably never realized how much he has blessed us, we were truly rejoicing with him about his trip to Mexico! Some think that when you share Jesus with people you are doing them a favor, but that’s only half of the picture, you end up getting twice what they do! The Gospel is like a giant snowball, gets bigger everywhere it goes!! Get Heavenly minded and watch things around you change, the first thing it will affect is your conversations, they will all be centered around HIM!
IN CLOSING- We have been real blessed to minister as a family quite a bit lately, with the children leading worship in quite a few different places. We get new prophetic songs all the time. Our latest tract, “I Have A Hope”, will soon be published in a magazine that ministers to families. We continue to grow in HIM! He continues to provide. We just found out that our costs for this newsletter will go up a bit as INJESUS will not be free but must now charge for it’s services. Even in charging they still provide a tremendous blessing to the body for their service, please pray for the Lord to bless them further. Everything we distribute is still free and we encourage you to share with others, thank you so much for the gifts and support, it keeps us in ministry full-time!!!
THANK YOU, IN HIS LOVE,
PENNY & JIM RAINE
& FAMILY