Purify and Elevate: Waiting on the Lord

Purify and Elevate: Waiting on the Lord: "If the Lord Jehovah makes us wait, let us do so with our whole hearts; for blessed are all they that wait for Him. He is worth ...

Waiting on the Lord

"If the Lord Jehovah makes us wait, let us do so with our whole hearts; for blessed are all they that wait for Him. He is worth waiting for. The waiting itself is beneficial to us: it tries faith, exercises patience, trains submission, and endears the blessing when it comes. The Lord's people have always been a waiting people." - Charles Spurgeon

What is happening with your family right now?

We have had a blessed month. The Lord is good all the time and we truly are relying on Him. At present we are still in “fundraising” mode. Already God’s graciousness has been seen in the start of the church planting account. However, we are waiting to see in whose heart(s) God will impress this partnership upon. Who will be the churches, groups, and individuals to share this Kingdom initiative with? I don’t know, but it has been exciting to see what He has done so far and I can’t wait to see what He will do in the near future. Although we can’t wait to get moved to Myrtle Beach and start the work, we know it is His timing that we have to trust. In the meantime, I took a teaching position for the Fall semesters and will continue to fill pulpits when asked. I also am scheduled to speak at two mission conferences this fall: Faith, PCA – Myrtle Beach (September 18) and Greenwood, PCA’s (Sept. 23-25). Lisa, Jonathan and Katherine started homeschool several weeks ago. Finally, Tanner began his first year of college last week. We are staying busy until God’s time comes for us to go to the field…that is for sure.

"To know the will of God, we need an open Bible and an open map." — William Carey, pioneer missionary to India

A Recent Success

God has truly been faithful to us in the initial months of raising support. However, we have a long way to go. Please be in prayer for the Lord to send churches, prayer/bible/small groups, and individuals who have a heart for church planting and the lost souls in Myrtle Beach to financially partner with us in this ministry.

Q: Why haven’t you moved yet?

A: This question is a good one and asked a lot. In our denomination (PCA), our home missions board called Missions to North America won’t allow its missionaries to move to the field until they have their first year of support raised. So that is the reason. Other than that we are ready.

"This generation of Christians is responsible for this generation of souls on the earth!" — Keith Green

Q: What Scripture are you relying on as you wait?

A: The Lord has impressed upon me 1 Timothy 1:12-17: “I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” (ESV)

These verses have blessed me because of the calling God has placed in my life to be a minister, but

also for the new calling to plant churches (or at least this one!). I know that there could have been many other paths that God could have chosen for me, for us as a family. However, with Paul, I give God abundant thankfulness for the strength He has given and the mercy He has displayed to allow me to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with others. I know that I could have been left spiritually and eternally dead in my sins, but He gave me new life in Christ.  Therefore, just as “Jesus Christ display[s] His perfect patience with me, I (we as a family) are displaying patience until He makes the way possible for us; until that appointed time for us to load the moving trucks is revealed. Yes, we are ready. However, He is not ready for us to go just yet. So we are doing only what any one of us can do and that is to trust Him.

"We talk of the Second Coming; half the world has never heard of the first." — Oswald J. Smith