February 2004 Volume 7 Number 2
Dear Friends,
Have you ever heard the phrase, "Lord willing and the creek don’t rise"? That is a common statement here in the south, it basically means, "I’m not in control, God is". Isn’t that how we should live our life, plan what you can but know it is all subject to change at any given moment, according to HIS plans? As I sit here writing Jim is moving our vehicles to high ground, and planning what to do with the livestock if we flood. We live in a beautiful place with creeks around us and about once a year they get real high, we are under flood warnings today. But you know Jesus knows the weather, He is in control of it, He even uses it to His benefit. And while things around us are subject to change at any given moment, He never changes. He is secure, He is real, He is love. We have recently been in some new places, and you know while the Lord works in new ways it is yet all the same. There are some ageless truths that remain the same. Jesus saves, Jesus delivers, Jesus changes lives. We all have a part in furthering His kingdom, we all have a job, we all have a calling. And while my calling is not your calling and vise versa, we are called to work together. Too much of the body doesn’t even recognize they have a calling, and then again some of the body thinks their calling puts them above others. Last month I shared that the Lord had really been speaking to me about honor. Do we honor one another’s callings? Do we honor the Lord? It is the Lord who creates positions of authority, and we dishonor Him when we disrespect that position. A citizen dishonors the Lord when he disobeys the laws of his country. An employee dishonors the Lord when he disobeys his employer. A wife dishonors the Lord when she is rebellious to her husband not respecting the calling God has put on him, yes even if he is a total heathen! A child dishonors the Lord when he does not obey the parents, and likewise a parent dishonors the Lord when they don’t teach the child to behave. A slave dishonors the Lord when he does not obey his master. A member of the church dishonors the Lord when he slanders or gossips about a pastor. We all dishonor the Lord when we don’t live as Jesus would have us live. When we think we can do a better job, we are prideful and rebellious. I absolutely love to study the life of Moses. I think it is probably the best example there is of Godly teaching on church government and authority. The Lord called Moses into a place that Moses didn’t feel equipped to go into, then equipped him for the job, and while the Lord loved Moses and poured out His Glory upon him, Moses never got his complete reward! Why? Because Moses failed to honor the Lord. He didn’t quite believe God to be big enough to do what He said He was going to do. " But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the site of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I will give them." (numbers 20:12) How have we dishonored God? We do it everytime we don’t believe Him and His word. We do it everytime we fail to respect a position the Lord put somebody in. Your parent is your parent, that is not a man made position, Jesus personally chose your parents to be your parents, and their behavior whether saved or not does not in the slightest affect how you should treat them, you may not be commanded to agree with them, but you are commanded to honor them. And while doing so you honor the Lord and show that you believe He is able to do a work in them. The same goes for marriage, how many Christians get divorced believing even God cannot
change their spouse? How many quit a job or a church God called them to because things were not going as they thought they should? And all the while the Lord was using the circumstances to do a work in YOU! Do I think sometimes He puts us under unGodly leaders on purpose? I surely do! I believe He is bigger than the enemy and that even the enemy is subject to HIM! And further more He uses the enemy to bring himself Glory!!!! If that is too big of a stretch for you read the book of Job. So how do we honor God? By believing His word and obeying it, showing His love through respect, even to the point of loving our enemies. Honor is faith in action.NEW THINGS
- Some things we are actually starting on, April will be recording a second CD in the next couple weeks. And some things we are praying about starting, a live-in restoration center for men. This has been Jim’s dream for some time, to have a place to disciple some of the many we see saved every year. A brother said to us many years ago that you can’t go from being a 7 day a week addicted heathen to being a once a week delivered follower of Jesus. How true that is, and the reason we see so many of them back in jail again. We believe that if they can be surrounded 24 hours a day with Jesus until they gain strength then they can stand, and that is our heart and vision. Please pray that the Lord’s will is manifested in both of these situations. We believe Jesus is big enough to put this together. If the Lord is leading you to be a part of this, get with us and we’ll pray!JAILS AND PRISONS
-There have been many times that the guards have told Jim that they like when he comes in, they say it changes the atmosphere. Lots of times there are men who can’t come to the service because certain offenders are let out with others for security reasons, so they sit by the door listening, and many times they have their own altar call in their cells and Jesus meets them right there. Jail is a wonderful place to meet Jesus, he lives there with them, any place there are hungry hearts He is there.LOVE SONGS TO A SAVIOR
- is still available free for the asking, we are hoping to have the next one available soon.WMRB 910 AM-Tuesday nights AT 6 PM
-new guests , new words, new testimonies, LIVE EACH WEEK!! Tune in and join us!IN CLOSING-
As I sit here finishing writing I look out the window to see the creek rising higher, water rushing by so fast it is taking trees that are in it’s path, and I hear my son upstairs worshipping, he is singing "your grace like rain, washing all my sins away", Jesus is so good, I pray that you see His goodness today!We thank you for your gifts and prayers that are led by Him, it keeps us going. Always know that this is not something we do by our selves, but that y’all are truly a part of every salvation, every healing, everything we do with Him! Love to all,
Penny & Jim Raine