A Story of Faith Through Compassion

Many of you took a leap of faith when you made the decision to sponsor a Compassion International child. I want to share with you the amazing story of just one family in our church.

I have to tell you that this was a big leap of faith for my family. During the time that my daughter asked me to sponsor another child, somewhere else in the world, I was going through cancer and unemployment (due to cancer treatment) and was not really sure what God was going to do with my own family. But, I was fairly confident in my God. He has brought us to and through so many valleys and He has never left us, nor forsaken us. My daughter reminded me during this past Christmas season that it really is in the giving that we receive the most.

We went to the Compassion website that day and we sponsored a 4-year-old little boy in Bangladesh, an almost completely Muslim country. And, you know the most amazing thing happened. The same day that I sponsored him I was listening to the Z88.3 on the way to the doctor and the scripture they read over the air was Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans for a hope and a future." This is my favorite scripture and I just knew in my heart that I had made the right decision.

As if that wasn't enough confirmation from God that we were in His will and He was in control, I get to the doctor appointment and, on this very SAME day, I was declared CANCER FREE! What an amazing God we serve!

My family has since signed up to be correspondence sponsors through Compassion. There are children who have financial sponsors, but never receive letters of hope and encouragement from their sponsors for whatever reasons. My "Compassion family" has grown from one 4-year-old little boy in Bangladesh to include a 14-year-old boy in Bolivia, a 10-year-old girl in Uganda, and a 15-year-old boy in Tanzania! I thank God so much for the opportunity to share His love with His most precious creation. When you combine the siblings and parents of these children, we are actually reaching out and touching/changing the lives of 21 people through this one act of Compassion!!! And to think, it all started through a Christmas wish!

Click here to find out you too can sponsor a child through Compassion International. Then write to us at tcc@tomokacc.org and tell us your leap of faith story!

Confessions For Overcomers

My body is a temple for the Holy Spirit, (1Cor. 6:19) redeemed, (Eph. 1:7, Ps. 107:2) cleansed, (1 John 1:7) and sanctified by the Blood of Jesus (Heb 13:12). My members, the parts of my body, are instruments of righteousness (Rom. 6:13), yielded to God for His service and for His glory. The devil has no place in me, no power over me, no unsettled claims against me. All has been settled by the Blood of Jesus (Rom 8:33-34). I overcome Satan by the Blood of the Lamb and by the word of my testimony, and I love not my life unto the death. (Rev. 12:11) My body is for the Lord and the Lord is for my body. (1 Cor. 6:13)

I am not just an ordinary man or woman: I am a daughter of the Living God. I am an heir of God and a joint heir with Jesus Christ. I am part of a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. I am one of God’s people. (Gal. 4:6-7, 1 Peter 2:9) My mind is being renewed by the Word of God. I pull down strongholds. I cast down imaginations and I bring every thought captive to the obedience of Jesus Christ. (2 Cor. 10:4, Rom 12:2). I am accepted in the beloved. If God is for me, who can be against me? Nothing can separate me from the love of Christ. (Rom. 8:35-39)

Satan is defeated; the Son of God came in to the world to destroy the works of the devil. No longer will he oppress me. I defeat Satan and all demons by the Blood of Jesus and the word of my testimony not loving my life unto death. I submit to God: I resist the devil and he must flee from me now. (Rev 12:11, James 4:7-8)

No temptation will overtake me that is not common to man, but God is faithful; He will not let me be tempted beyond my strength but with the temptation will also provide a way of escape that I will be able to endure. (1 Cor. 10:13)

I give no place to fear in my life. That which a man fears comes upon him. The fear of man brings a snare, but perfect love casts out fear. I sought the Lord and He heard me and delivered me from all my fears (2 Tim. 1:7, 1 John 4:18, Ps. 34:4) The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? God is my refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore I will not fear. (Ps. 27:1, Ps. 46:1-2)

I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation to those who believe. (Rom. 1:16) I am a believer not a doubter, I have faith towards God. My faith is not in myself or the realm of my feelings, but in a living God who will never fail me nor forsake me. I walk by faith and not by sight. (Heb. 11:1-6) I will be anxious for nothing. He will keep me in perfect peace, for my mind is stayed upon Him. (Phil. 4:6-7, Is. 26:3) I choose this day to love by faith, to walk by faith, and to see with the eyes of faith. I will go from faith to faith, from strength to strength, from glory to glory. (Rom 1:17, 1 Cor. 5:7) I look not to the healing but to the healer; Jesus Christ, my Lord. My body is for the Lord and the Lord is for my body. He took away all my illnesses and carried all my diseases. By His stripes I am healed. The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead is a work in my body giving me life. (1 Pet. 2:24, Mat. 8:16-17)

The Calling

This sounds a little mysterious, yet it is really not that difficult to figure out. Why am I here? What has God gifted me to do? Answer these questions and then go do it. We are not on this earth to collect fancy houses, cars, clothes, or anything else. In fact, use all of those items to fuel your calling. Instead of envying those who have more we should be selling out to leverage resources for the Kingdom of God. These are radical words. He is what Jesus said:

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." Matthew 19:23-24

In place of "movin' on up" we have been called to "move on out." Selling out for the calling that Jesus has on your life is a little scary, but carries with it eternity's rewards. I think this is what the Bible calls faith.

A Frightening Moment

As a parent we have all felt that moment of panic when we have lost sight of one of our children. There is no describing that feeling when your heart falls into your stomach. Try this story on for size from Luke 2:41-52.

Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom. After the Feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you." "Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" But they did not understand what he was saying to them. Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

Mary and Joseph lost Jesus, their son. But think about this — they lost God. Can you imagine their prayers? "Father, we don't know what we did with your only son." They lost God! That is a moment of fright beyond what any of us can imagine.

Tragically, millions of people who once knew God have lost Him somewhere along the way. Perhaps through anger, divorce, grief, sin, or laziness — however it happened God was lost as a result. Jesus teaches in Matthew 6:33 that if we seek Him, He will meet our needs. The key to this statement is that we must seek Him first above all else. In Hebrews 11:6 we read, "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."

Is it time to go looking for Jesus again? Where is the anxiety, the passion? How can you lose the Savior of your soul and not be in a hurry to find Him? Joseph and Mary stopped at nothing to find Jesus. How about us?

God can do it!

Below is a note we received from a member of the Tomoka Christian family that shows how God can make things happen just as we read in Ephesians 3:20

"I just wanted to share with you how incredible our God is. He is able to do more than we can imagine. After listening to Lindsey and Rob talk about going to Egypt with Joe, I knew I wanted to go on that trip.

Well, the reality was that I had to raise $2,000 by the end of March. After talking to Joe, he said we would not have time to do any fund-raising work and asked that each person going send 10 letters out for prayer/donations. So I remember going home worried about whom to send letters to. I have gone on many trips and have exhausted my resources.

All I could do was pray and ask for some kind of miracle if He really wanted me to go on this trip. So after much prayer, I came up with a list of people that I would send my letters out to. I prayed over my letters and sent them.

I went to work the next morning and my boss asked me about my hours at work. With so many budget cuts at school, I thought they were going to cut my hours. But to my amazement, my boss said payroll made a mistake and didn’t pay me all year for some hours I worked in the morning at school. I was skeptical about the whole thing. I told them that if it was wrong, I would not be able to pay them back later. But then I received a letter from payroll showing a breakdown of what I would be getting and also an increase in my paycheck for the remainder of the school year. Again I prayed and asked God that if this money was to be used for my trip, show me by letting it be the exact amount that I would need.

The week after, I was told two more people supported me. A third person I sent a letter to decided to go on the trip, and yet he is supporting me. Later, a lady came up to me and said she’d be praying for me, then told me “I just felt like I needed to give you this” and handed me an envelope with money! I was just amazed how God was working.

After adding it all up, my trip is paid in full, with the exact amount I am getting from my job! God even left me an additional $3.02 — probably to cover the cost for postage and printing my letters! I am learning that truly we are not able to, but He can.”

Increase Your Knowledge

The Almighty tells Daniel that the end times will be characterized by an increase of knowledge.

But you, Daniel, close up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge. Daniel 12:4

While all of this knowledge causes pride that spreads sin at an unprecedented pace, there is a positive side. The church is able to:

• Share Jesus with unreached and closed people groups
• Grow in faith through an avalanche of Biblical material
• Provide private Biblical counsel to those in need

Here are a few websites that may be helpful to you, your family, or a friend:

E-Sword – free Bible program
Christian Classics Ethereal Library – Great Biblical Resources
Focus on the Family – marriage and parenting resources
Family Life – family resources
Exodus International – deliverance from homosexuality
XXXchurch– deliverance from pornography, sex addiction, masturbation addiction
World Prayer Team – submit prayer requests and pray for others
Celebrate Recovery – freedom from your hurts, habits, and hang-ups
Care Net - unplanned pregnancy
Abortion Recovery
Embraced by Grace - adoption agency
Bible Gateway – online Bible search
Resources for Women - South Daytona pregnancy center
St. Louis Cardinals

Paul penned these immortal words: “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” – 1 Corinthians 15:57

Prayers of a Child

I am inspired by the love for our Lord that I see in the youth at Tomoka Christian. Here is a heartfelt prayer from one of our elementary school students, Jenna.

Dear Heavenly Father, I just ask your blessings upon our family. Keep us safe and in Your presence, Lord. Spill out your Word in our hearts so that we will not sin against you, Lord, and that you will give us power to spread the Word of God. In your precious name we pray. Amen.

“And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3

A Walk in the Woods

A hike is big adventure for girls who are age 3 and 9. The two set off with their Dad, not knowing what to expect.

Stopping at a couple of spots, we walked a little and saw the river — yet it was not what we were looking for in this particular adventure. We kept going and found another spot off Highbridge Road as we walked (I carried my youngest daughter) and we laughed and prayed. It was one of those special experiences in life that has to be created — but it is not hard to create them.

In the middle of our walk on the sand, half a mile from civilization was an old, rusting engine. I cannot imagine how it got there, yet I am certain someone put it there.

As I wondered about that engine, I was reminded about creation. As Christ followers, we celebrate the creation that we are certain was put here by the Almighty.

In the end, it seemed to my daughters that the best part was just being on an adventure with Dad. From my perspective, it was a memory and a teaching moment. It reminded me how much I enjoy being with my children — made even more special by their adoption into our family and for all of us to be with our eternal Father.

Praying for increase

If you are a normal human being, you have probably prayed more than once for God to pour out His blessings upon you and your family. You have, no doubt, prayed for increase in money, ability, vehicles, or in some other tangible item.

Why do we not pray for an increase in God's kingdom? Moses said, “May the Lord increase you a thousand times.” Now, that’s a big prayer! So what's wrong with our thinking and our praying?

Why are many Christians afraid of the church growing? How can we get over this fear? How do our prayers need to change?

Deuteronomy 1:11

God means business

When Mom starts counting, “One, two . . .” children know that “three” will bring about some kind of response that is unwanted.

We need to understand that God is counting. He is slow to anger, but unrepented sin will be judged. God's jealous nature reflects His desire to protect us and keep us as His own.

The text in Nahum 1:2-3a is a great reminder for each of us not to play at our faith. Our decisions have eternal implications. Jesus said if you’re not for me, you are against me.

Why do we at times fail to take God's word seriously? What steps can we take to ensure our obedience?"

Prayer Challenge

Chances are, right now if I asked whether or not you have a single, overwhelming prayer need — a deep concern that keeps your mind coming back to it — you'd say yes. Each need is, without a doubt, a serious one.

But that gripping prayer need for most of us likely is focused close to home, and not focused, say, on starving children in Ethiopia. It's probably not about AIDS victims in Kenya or about lost souls in Egypt who will die without hearing of God's love for them.

Here's a challenge. Next time your present need surfaces in your mind, try turning your attention to someone you don't know facing a different, serious need. Pray for them and their situation.

When we begin to do this, we turn our focus away from ourselves and our own problems, something our “me-first” culture doesn’t teach us to do. As we tune into others' needs, lifting them up in prayer, pretty soon we're dealing serious blows to Satan, each time driving a nail into his plans to make us feel frustrated or defeated.

Try it and let me know how it goes.

It's About Action

In Matthew 25, we read the Master's words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” We all want those words to be what we hear from God when our time here on earth is done.

But it's important to notice that the Lord doesn't say, “well thought,” or “well intended” or “well planned.” He says “well done.” It's about action, and the action makes all the difference.

Are you a person of action? What will God say to you?

Our Lord Provides

When the Israelites left Egypt, set free from slavery, they were over a million strong. As a result of their disobedience in not taking the Promised Land, they wandered in the desert for 40 years. They wandered until all the adult generation without faith died — all but Caleb and Joshua. Yet in the midst of God's anger at His people, He provides. Our God blesses our work, watches over our lives and provides for our lives. We are a blessed people!

Have you stopped to thank God lately for His provision?

The Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast desert. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything. Deuteronomy 2:7

Mayan Thoughts

Months ago, I had the opportunity to go to Guatemala. Spending just a few days there reignited my passion for the Mayan people and their ancestors. Give me an old archeology site and I'm as happy as I can be. Yet I know how desperately the modern Mayan people need Jesus. Centuries ago the Mayans were the master of the calendar and according to their calendar the world will end suddenly on December 22, 2012. Obviously, I have no way of knowing if this is true. I am, however, confronted with a few nagging thoughts and questions. If there are only 5 years left until eternity...

...how should I live?
...how should I pray?
...how should I love?
...how should I forgive?
...how should I give?
...how should I serve?
...how should I believe?
...how should I change?
...how should I reach?
...how should I share Jesus?

How many will not make it to 2012? Is there even more of an urgency to think on these things? Time races by for all of us as James reminds us that our lives are but a mist, here for a moment and gone. Jesus did say that no one knows the day or the hour of His return, but we should recognize the time. "Does anybody really know what time it is?" - Chicago

Pray Continually

1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, "Pray continually." We could save a lot of grief, anxiety, counseling, and pain if we would just put these two words into action in our lives.

Being a Missionary

It really is all I have ever wanted to be since I sold out to Jesus. I've finally figured out that our call is to be missionaries where ever we are on the planet. People need Jesus everywhere and in every language. Through our short-term trips, prayer, and giving we literally are serving Jesus all over the world. Right now we are planting churches in Russia, Ethiopia, Brazil, Egypt, United States, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Sudan, Syria, Mexico, and Kenya to name a few. I cannot imagine anything more exciting.

Decades ago Ruth and Bill Graham were standing atop a skyscraper in New York City. As they looked over the city Ruth surely was reflecting on having grown up as a missionary child in China when she said, "Billy this is our jungle." What does your mission field look like?

Matthew 9:35-37

Thinking Through the Tar

The La Brea Tar Pits are a fascinating paleological site located right in the middle of downtown Los Angeles. One might wonder why all those wild animals would be in a place like that, but we'll save that thought for future ramblings.

As they continue to uncover skeletons of some of God's often forgotten master strokes of creation, like the mammoth or the saber-toothed tiger, I have to stop and wonder what they will be digging up thousands of years from now from our generation. What will we be leaving behind? Just thinking through the tar.

An Afterthought About Heaven

In Heaven we will all get our minds back. Just a thought from frustrated parents. Don't give up.

Deuteronomy 6:1-9

Hurricane Felix

Hurricane Felix is destroying Central America as I write this. Many thoughts are going through my mind:

1. Millions of my brothers and sisters in Christ are in Mexico, Nicaragua, Belize, Honduras, Jamaica, Haiti, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Panama.
2. Urgent prayer is needed.
3. Response from God's people must be quick and we must meet real needs.
4. Many of those who did not get out were the poorest of the poor before Felix hit.
5. We've lived through hurricanes and know how hard it was with all of our resources and being a part of America.

Be blessed but ready to help.

Lost Miners

Our hearts break for the families of the lost miners trapped in the Utah mine. Even more disconcerting is if those men didn't know Jesus.

This story illustrates our love for life and the incredible need for hope in all of our lives. Hebrews 6:19 remind us that in Jesus we have hope, which is an anchor for our souls.

It is my desire that I would work as hard to find lost souls as they are in Utah looking for lost bodies.

Jesus said we are to be fishers of men.