Umm....I'm Sorry?

I know...it's been a long time. My deepest apologies ten times over. I have either been too busy to update, or I just didn't feel like it, so I haven't posted anything in over two weeks. I am not going to try to post something for every day, but I will try to do a little back posting to help you know what is going on. For those of you who check this blog often, I'm sorry to have disappointed you.

The FULL California Experience!

Today was, shall I say, more than eventful! We started out the morning meeting at the church at about 6:45. We worked till about noon on tearing of the roof and laying tar paper. (For all of you roofers out there, they used staples to put on the shingles...a big no-no for tear-off. It took us at least twice as long to tear off because we had to go back and pull all of the staples because they do not pull up with shingles like roofing nails do. Please...always use nails.) We, of course, took a breakfast break and ended the job for the day with lunch...after all...we are Baptists; we've gotta have food!

Mr. MacDonell in DESTRUCTO mode

Sorry, I just thought that this was a cool angle!

Marcus (as I like to call him) pulls up a stubborn staple.

Luke Estrido diligently at work.

Josh, Me, and Jake, as we near the end of the tear-off job.

The roof at the end of today's work. We ran out of tar paper. :(

After we finished, the MacDonells took Mark and I out on the boat again for a little refreshment. Since we were planning to finish the roof tomorrow morning, Mark was just going to spend the night at the MacDonell's with me so that we wouldn't have to make the trek back to their house after we did the boat trip. We had a great time again, and this time, I remembered my camera! I will try to get some of the video footage I took posted soon.

Jake was showing off some of his wake boarding skills.

When we went to return to the MacDonell's house, the road was blocked by the sheriff...indefinitely. They were trying to get their next-door neighbor to come out of the house; we think there was some domestic violence problem or something. There has been quite a bit of this kind of trouble in this area lately. Anyway, we were unable to get to the house, and we were all in our boating gear, so we took a late trip to the Golden Arches for dinner, and then headed off to the Labin's house. They just couldn't get rid of me! We had a good time of games and fellowship, and actually ended up spending the night here at the Labins. I don't think that we are planning to do the roof job tomorrow anymore, since it is midnight and all the clothes that we have are our boating clothes...not exactly roofing gear!

I guess since this is a backpost I can tell you that the man didn't end up coming out of his house until 2:30 in the morning! Good thing we decided to stay at the Labins!

Now I feel like I can say that I have had the full CA experience, policemen and all!

Preaching Opportunity!!!

We had another good day in the Lord's house today. Pastor Labins preached on "Our God is Able" in the morning service - a good challenge from Ephesians 3. I had the opportunity to preach in the evening service - praise the Lord for His enabling! He blessed the preaching of His Word in direct answer to prayer, and I was thrilled to know His presence as I preached from I Cor. 6:20. The whole thrust of the message was "Christ was willing to pay the price for you. Are you willing to pay the price for Him?" After the service and much fellowship, I headed off to spend the night with the MacDonell family. By the way, we decided during our extensive fellowship time (till about 10:30 P.M.) that we would meet at the church at 6:45 the tomorrow morning to start the roof job on the modulars. The MacDonell's live about 30 minutes away, so there is just enough time for a short nap before it will be time to be up-and-at-em again!

Camp & Carpet Laying

Spent Monday to Saturday morning of this week at CastlePoint (in Lucerne, CA) for teen camp. I spent most of my day laying carpet in some of the rooms that they are remodelling...they definately needed it! God enabled in laying the carpet, especially as there were some rooms where I had to piece together several smaller pieces of carpet to get enough for one room. I was able to lay carpet in five rooms.

There were 70-80 campers this week, with 9 of them being from BBC. Mike Shrock was preaching two times a day, and God did a work among many of the young people. One of the highlights of my week occured on Tuesday night, when I was able to lead a young man by the name of Anthony to Lord. Wednesday night I got to play for Mike Shrock again, which was, of course, quite fun!

The week was very tiring, but also very rewarding, and I am praying that the work that the Lord did in the hearts of several of our young people will be a lasting work which will result in more fruit for eternity in their lives.

Today Brother Shrock preached in all of the services, and I had the opportunity to accompany him as he played his trumpet. That was really fun! A large group of us from the church went out to lunch together with the Shrocks. Then I went to Eskaton, an assisted living facility, to help with service, where I played piano and preached. I preached on Psalm 23, giving the gospel to the unsaved and encouragement to believers. The Lord gave utterance. One man, by the name of Jim, who we went to visit in his room afterwards, was weeping as we sang a hymn with him. I don't know if he is saved, but the old hymns were so precious to him. This experience was a definite rebuke to me. How much I take for granted!


At 5:00 I got to practice baptizing, which was quite the experience! It was a very helpful time. I also got a group of men in the church together to sing a special in the evening service. It was not the most beautiful thing I have ever heard, but it was a great encouragment to see a group of men willing to serve, even in an area that they knew they were weak in.

Saturday

Today we started out with a men's prayer breakfast, which ended up going quite long. (Praise the Lord!) After this we went to pick up Mike Shrock and his wife, Lori, from the airport. Brother Shock will be preaching at church tomorrow, and all week at teen camp at Castlepoint. On our way back from the airport we stopped by the train museum in Sac. It was a good museum, and it was funny to see Brother Shrock climb around on the trains.

I got a few nice shots as we drove through Sac.

Work...then Fun!

Spent all morning and part of the afternoon moving a woodpile from one section of the yard to another - it is definitely in a better location now. Mr. MacDonell, Jake, and Josh came over to help us, as we were also turning the lawn (or what was supposed to be lawn) over.

We even found a little tarantula while we were working.

Mark did some of his bike tricks after we did our work. I got some of them on video.




After we finished the jobs, the MacDonells took Mark and I out to go wakeboarding on their boat. That was A LOT of fun! Unfortunately, I left my camera in the truck so I didn't get any pictures of the event, but I got a few of the lake afterwards. It was quite refreshing!

A Good History Lesson

We did several miscellanious things today, with the most memorable being the visit we made with the Campbells, an elderly couple in the church. We were probably there for about 2 hours. Mr. Campbell loves to talk about history, so we spent most of the time talking about history, as well as helping them with a couple of things around the house. I hope that we were able to be some encouragment to them. Most of the afternoon and evening was spent helping Mark study for his history exam - it was good to review some things a had forgotten about. Some of the times we would transisiton from history into spiritual conversation, which was good as well. Mark and I ended the night by staying up talking for an hour about how God is working in our hearts, and spending time in prayer. It was a sweet time together. Please remember to pray for Mark as God is beginning to show him revival truths.

It's Hot Out Here!

Today the temperature was higher than most people out here can remember it ever being. At one point the thermometer registered 113 degrees, in the shade! Praise the Lord it is a dry heat, with the humidity level at only about 20%. Due to the intense heat, and atmosphere still filled with smoke, the majority of the day today was spent around the house. Later in the afternoon, we went over to the church to try to get the AC up and running so that it would be at least bearable for church tonight. They need to replace their AC units this summer, and are planning to do so. Please pray that the Lord will provide a good deal for the church, as they also need to replace the roof and sealcoat the parking lot. Prepared a few things for the service, had dinner, and then it was off to church. I led the singing again tonight...we sang songs of refreshing and revival. Pastor Labins preached an impacting message about resting in the Lord. After service I spent a good bit of time getting to know some of the people better...it really was a sweet time of fellowship. Then had a chance to sit in on an interview with a couple of boys desiring to be baptized...it was a blessing to see their earnest desire to follow the Lord. I am looking forward to getting to know the deacon interviewing them, Mr. White, even more; he has already impressed me as a man who has a real walk with the Lord. When most people had left, Mark and I went over to one of the church families homes to take a dip in their swimming pool. It was quite refreshing after all of the heat! The Lord has given me several burdens, along with several promises to pray through. I have enjoyed getting to spend a good bit of time with Mark; please pray that Christ, through me, will make a lasting, eternal impact on his life. He is on the right track, and has a heart to serve the Lord; I just would like to see him take some of the next steps of surrender and faith. I remembered to take a couple of pictures tonight after the service, but it was dark outside, so I will try to remember to get some outdoor pictures later.

Quite the Experience!

Started out the morning with a stirring, challenging time in the Word...Ephesians 3 & 4 are absolutely incredible! Then went over to the church with Mark and gave him a piano lesson while Mrs. Labins was doing a ladies Bible study. I am looking forward to being able to teach Mark more throughout my time here. Spent some time running around doing errands with Mark before we met up with the Labins family, including quite a bit of their extended family, for lunch. That was quite the experience! It is always interesting to see how different families interact, and the Labins can get quite crazy! (But then so can the Muellers!) They kept on telling me they felt sorry for me - they don't realize that I'm used to it in many ways! Then we went back to the house, talked with Pastor Labins for a while, and was able to do some good reading. A little bit different day, but I definitely learned quite a bit about people, to say the least!

Today

Today was a little more relaxing day. Started out the morning running some errands with Pastor Labins. We had time to have some good conversation. At lunch time, we spent two hours visiting a sweet lady in the church, who is unable to attend church due to her age and poor health. Though she was tired and not feeling well, there was still a sweet glow of the presence of the Lord and she was still praising the Lord. What a tremendous example of a sweet trust in the Lord. After this time we came back to the Labins house (where I will be staying the next couple of days) and had a relaxing afternoon...took a nap, did some reading, worked on the string camp video. We played a game of Phase 10 in the evening...amazingly I was actually winning! (Phase 10 is usually NOT my game!) It was a good day to help get over the time change!

First Sunday

This morning the air is clouded with smoke from the many fires throughout CA; I have been told there are at least 800 fires right now. I was introduced to the church building, and played piano for the singing at the beginning of Sunday School (my hymnplaying was absolutely terrible! Sorry Mr. Mayer!). I then went up to the Teen Guys Sunday School class, which is taught by Bill Johnson, one of the deacons in the church. In the service I played "More Love to Thee" for the offeretory (violin), and then gave about a 10 minute testimony. After a lunch and a few errands with the Sears, I was able to call home and take a short nap...then...back to the church. In the evening service I lead the congregational singing and played a piano offeretory. Both messages preached by Pastor Labins today were excellent. There is a real sweet spirit among the church people. After talking with several more of the church families, I went out with the Sears once again, where we went to "In-N-Out Burger," a CA specialty, were they had me order a burger and fries "Animal Style." This just means that they put some special sauce on, grilled the chopped onions, and I'm not sure what elses. It wasn't bad, not the most incredible combo for me, but I survived it without a lot of pain. I finally remembered to pull out the camera, and took a few pictures there.

Dylan & DJ

Dana

Then it was back to the Sears house, where I welcomed bedtime with joy. I will try to post a few pictures of the church when I remember to pull out the camera for pictures while I am there. Special thanks to my sister, Heidi, for letting me borrow her camera for the 5 weeks that I am out here!

A Lengthly Update for An Eventful Day

Where do I start? Today has been an eventful day. Slept in till about 7:30…had a blessed time in the Word and prayer...had breakfast. At about 10:30, we headed out to Lake Tahoe, which is about an hour and a half (I think) to the east of Placerville. Saw some beautiful mountain scenery on the way there.







After a few stops, we arrived on the shores of Lake Tahoe, which is (I’m told) the deepest lake in the Americas. I snapped a couple of pictures, and we left within 10 minutes of arriving, because the lakefront was so crowded, due to the holiday weekend, producing a less than desirable environment. However, I can now say that I have been to Lake Tahoe.

From there we went up the road a little ways to Echo Lake, which is by far my favorite place in California thus far. It is a smaller lake, nestled between the mountains, producing a glorious landscape.





Matt and Mark Labins and I went on a hike up the side of one of the mountains; it was so much fun to do some REAL hiking! Clambering over rocks, under trees, through crevices, I thoroughly enjoyed the hike. We didn’t quite make it to the top, due to time constraints (and I guess I’ll admit it…we were starting to get tired) but we made it plenty far to gain an even more spectacular view. This picture of me was taken at the highest point we reached.

This is looking back up at where the picture of me was taken.

From there it was a hike back down, and then I sit on the dock for a while. I got some neat pictures from that angle.






Soon we hopped back in the car, and began the trip back the Placerville. In Placerville we met up with the family that I am staying with tonight and tomorrow night, the Sears family. They live about 45 minutes away from the church, up the side of a mountain in an area called “Mosquito.” In order to get to there house you have to drive down into the valley, cross a one-lane suspension bridge that has been there since the horse-and-wagon gold rush days, and drive up the mountain on the other side, switchbacks and all! The house is on the ridge of the mountain at about 3,000 feet. Here I met Mrs. Sears (Shelly), DJ (13), Dylan (10), Dana (5), and Derrick (2), plus the three dogs, one cat, two turtles, multiple fish, and gecko. Did a variety of things with the family, but the climax was going out frog gigging. It was quite the experience, though we only managed to stab one frog. Then we came back to the house, I practiced a little, took some time to seek the Lord for tomorrow, and it is off to bed for me.


Tomorrow...real life starts.

Though I have only been here one day, I have already grown to love the mountains, the Ponderosa Pines, and, as I have already mentioned, Echo Lake.

I Have Arrived...in California

Well, I have made it to California. The four hour flight was uneventful, with no problems in security or anything else. I left Chicago (Midway) at 6:50 P.M., and arrived here in Sacramento at 9:00, CA time, which is 11:00 back home. On the plane ride, I started reading Mountain Rain, a biography about James O Fraser, a missionary to China in the early twentieth century. It was stirring! I could not put it down! I read about 130 pages, which is half of the book. He was truly a man with a selfless passion to win souls for Christ. The following are some quotes from the book that God drove home in my heart.

If our Master returned today to find millions of people unevangelized, and looked, as of course He would look, to us for an explanation, I cannot imagine what explanation we should have to give. Of one thing I am certain – that most of the excuses we are accustomed to make with such good conscience now, we shall be wholly ashamed of them.

About James: Certainly there weren’t any half measures. Only one thing mattered any more. There is no record that he felt he had renounced anything. He had quite simply found earlier loves eclipsed by a new passion.

“A little thing is a little thing,” Hudson Taylor said. “But faithfulness in a little thing is a great thing.”

It has come home to me very forcibly of late that it matters little what the work is in which we are engaged so long as God has put it into our hands.

It is all if and when. I believe the devil is fond of those conjunctions…The Lord bids us work, watch and pray; but Satan suggest, wait until a good opportunity for working, watching, and praying presents itself – and needless to say, this opportunity is always in the future…

There is no such thing as a spiritual victory if it is not in the present tense.

He was feeling more and more that the prayers of God’s people were what called down blessing on the work.

The Lord, I believe, permitted the trail just to show me how He could deliver me out of it.

It seemed as if God was saying, “You are crying to me to do a big work among the Lisu. I am wanting to do a big work in you yourself.”

He was impressed with the though that people failed in praying the prayer of faith because they did not believe God had answered, but only that he would answer their petitions. “They rise from their knees feeling that God will answer some time or other, but not that He has answered already.”

True faith glories in the present tense, and does not trouble itself about the future. God’s promises are in the present tense…

Give me Lisu converts…and I can truly say I will be happy in a pigsty.

Over-strained faith is not pure faith, there is a mixture of the carnal element in it. There is no strain in the “rest of faith.” It asks for definite blessing as God may lead; it does not hold back through carnal timidity, nor press ahead too far through carnal eagerness.

Unanswered prayers have taught me to seek the Lord’s will instead of my own.

Many “good desires” proceed from our uncrucified selves.

Much Christian work seemed to have the stamp of the carnal upon it. It might be “good,” might be outwardly successful, but the “Shekinah Glory” was not there.

God gives us the ground in answer to the prayer of faith, but not the harvest.

The constant prefixing of “if it be thy will” to our prayers is often a mere subterfuge of unbelief. True submission to God is not inconsistent with…boldness.

I have no confidence in anything but the gospel of Calvary to uplift these needy people.

I do not intend to be one of those who bemoan little results, while “resting in the faithfulness of God.” My cue is to take hold of the faithfulness of God and use the means necessary to secure big results.

Every time you take the earth standpoint – think as men think, talk as men talk, look as men look – you take a place below the powers of darkness.

Truly, these quotes are stirring my heart once again, and I have not even included any of the tremendous narrative in the biography! God gave James Fraser great insight in the area of prayer and spiritual warfare. I highly recommend this book as a “must read” for anyone who desires to draw nearer to God. He is already using it mightily in my heart. I will try to get a few pictures up as soon as I can. Please pray for God’s working, for the battle must be won on our knees!

Happy 4th of July!

How Long, O People of God?

Acts 17:6 - ...These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;

Acts 19:10 - ...And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heared the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.

In the days of the early church, God moved among and through His people in such a way that all of the known world at the time was impacted - everyone heard the Gospel preached. And this all happened in a few short years. Yet today, we as churches struggle to make an impact in one small community, over a period of many years. What is the difference? Why are we not seeing the same power in ministry? Is it perhaps that our lives are not consumed with the Gospel? Could it be possible that the declaration of the Gospel does not have the number one priority in our lives? Have we become distracted by other things? It is time for us to seek the Lord for the power that was seen on the day of Pentecost! This power, however, does not come at a low price - it demands an absolute abandoment to the cause of Christ. Are we willing to give up all of our dreams, ambitions, loves, possessions...absolutely everything to see this world...turned...upside down for Jesus Christ?

At the beginning of the summer the Lord gave me the following poem.


HOW LONG, O PEOPLE OF GOD?

“Dead to sin” means death in Christ
To every worldly pleasure;
“Alive in Christ” means life through Christ
Of fruit beyond all measure.

Unclean hands in God’s pure light
So stands His Church in shame,
His presence showing each man’s sin
Each man as blind and lame.

The foe, through crafty, sly deceit
Has quenched the Church’s fervor
But Christ has said, The gates of hell
Shall not prevail against her.

Yielded souls now Christ requires
To do the work He’s promised.
The “greater works” will be displayed
As He is sought through conquest.

How long, O people of God
Will you labor in your sins?
Will you rob Christ of the glory
Of the vict’ry He did win?

Now repent and turn to Jesus.
Trust His work at Calvary.
Plunge into the blessed, cleansing stream
Of the blood of victory!

Getting in on God's Plan

Acts 15:28 - For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us...

The Lord used this phrase as I was reading this morning to revive a vital truth in my heart. How often do we as believers make our own plans, and then seek God's blessing upon them? Should it not be, as it was in the early church, that we seek God's plan, and jump on board? Jesus Christ told us to pray that God's will would be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matt. 6:10, Luke 11:2). How will God's will be accomplished here on earth if we are doing our will, rather than seeking what He desires to do? God has promised great blessings, but we will only see them manifested if we claim those promises His way. At each turn in life, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem, we must seek the leading of the Holy Spirit, that we may say as the apostles did at the Jerusalem Council, for it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us....