(Karen speaking)
As you have followed our footsteps up to this point in this awesome journey with the Lord, you have heard us speak and believe that the motor home was to be here September 1, so that we would leave on the ministry trip in the motor home. There is one thing we have learned through many years seeking the Lord and desiring to hear His voice, when the visible evidence of His provision that He has told us is coming does not arrive, it is not the Lord that has forgotten us or lied to us. Oh, no, our God does not lie. He is truth and He will always tell the truth. What has happened is that we have not heard Him correctly or we have imposed our own desires upon His word to us. I read a devotional the other day that pointed this out so clearly. “Real Bible hope is not ‘wishing’. It is earnest, intense expectation that what God has said will come to pass.” We have seen our motor home arrive in front of our house in our dreams and we have seen it in our thoughts arrive and we can almost see the color and the way it is arranged. We have that expectation and hope that what the Lord has told us will happen is going to happen in His timing and in His way. We must always expect God to move on our situation and always believe what He says in His Word is true. We must continue to seek Him through prayer and to listen for His voice. Sometimes we hear His voice and it is so clear. We see the manifestation of His promises daily. When our motor home did not arrive on September 1 like we thought, we said, what happened Father? He told us that what He has promised will come, will come. He has assured us that we are walking the path He has laid out for us so we need not try to confine Him to a set time and place but to just trust Him to provide. We traveled on our first ministry trip in the car He had provided for us several years before He called us into the ministry to pastors. This car, a Crown Victoria, gets over 25 miles to the gallon, is so comfortable that we can travel 5-600 miles a day without a problem, and we have seen His hand of protection as we travel. We have met so many people in motels, restaurants and stores that we would never have met if we had not spent this time in the car. Father had a plan. We thought we knew what He was doing but we had no clue. He has revealed to us one day at a time His purposes for us traveling in the car for a season. When the Lord gave me this title for the book, Seasons of a Servant, I had no idea the truth that would be revealed through that title. He has told us that the time we spent in the car has blessed so many lives and that the time we will spend in the motor home will also bless many lives. He said the impact will even be greater and we are saying, Oh, Lord, how could it be greater and He tells us to just wait and see. We did not wait until we had the motor home and all the finances needed to begin. We began on faith trusting Father to provide our every need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus and He has done that. We continue to look towards the time we will have the motor home but right now, we will obey Him when He says to go and we will trust Him to provide our every need and we will walk in obedience when He tells us to leave and where we are to go. Lord, we love You and we will serve You.
PURE HEART
October 1, 1999
(Charley speaking)
As I was praying this morning, I cried out to Father about Bob, Walter and Todd. Father told me that Bob was in rebellion and was making wrong choices and therefore was reaping the benefit of that rebellion and poor choices. Father said that my responsibility towards Bob is to pray for him as He brings Bob to my mind and to trust Him to take care of Bob. Walter is an example of Father’s word that states that the sin of man will be visited to the third and fourth generation. Walter is seeking and searching but like Bob he is choosing not to hear and obey. My responsibility with Walter like Bob is to continue to pray for him. When I was talking to Father about Todd, about whether his situation was an illness or a demon, Father told me that I was discerning correctly and to proceed slowly and carefully while seeking His wisdom and understanding. Father asked me about the motor home we saw at Wal-Mart last night, if I liked it. I told Him it was big and beautiful. He said, Is that the one you want? I said, Lord, I want the motor home that You want me to have, not necessarily the biggest and the best. I just want You to receive the praise, honor and glory for the motor home. Because whatever motor home You bring me will draw men to You in the telling of the story at home as well as while we travel. And the money that You bring in the way You bring it and its presence will be a witness about You and how awesome You are. I just want You to receive honor and glory.
As you have followed our footsteps up to this point in this awesome journey with the Lord, you have heard us speak and believe that the motor home was to be here September 1, so that we would leave on the ministry trip in the motor home. There is one thing we have learned through many years seeking the Lord and desiring to hear His voice, when the visible evidence of His provision that He has told us is coming does not arrive, it is not the Lord that has forgotten us or lied to us. Oh, no, our God does not lie. He is truth and He will always tell the truth. What has happened is that we have not heard Him correctly or we have imposed our own desires upon His word to us. I read a devotional the other day that pointed this out so clearly. “Real Bible hope is not ‘wishing’. It is earnest, intense expectation that what God has said will come to pass.” We have seen our motor home arrive in front of our house in our dreams and we have seen it in our thoughts arrive and we can almost see the color and the way it is arranged. We have that expectation and hope that what the Lord has told us will happen is going to happen in His timing and in His way. We must always expect God to move on our situation and always believe what He says in His Word is true. We must continue to seek Him through prayer and to listen for His voice. Sometimes we hear His voice and it is so clear. We see the manifestation of His promises daily. When our motor home did not arrive on September 1 like we thought, we said, what happened Father? He told us that what He has promised will come, will come. He has assured us that we are walking the path He has laid out for us so we need not try to confine Him to a set time and place but to just trust Him to provide. We traveled on our first ministry trip in the car He had provided for us several years before He called us into the ministry to pastors. This car, a Crown Victoria, gets over 25 miles to the gallon, is so comfortable that we can travel 5-600 miles a day without a problem, and we have seen His hand of protection as we travel. We have met so many people in motels, restaurants and stores that we would never have met if we had not spent this time in the car. Father had a plan. We thought we knew what He was doing but we had no clue. He has revealed to us one day at a time His purposes for us traveling in the car for a season. When the Lord gave me this title for the book, Seasons of a Servant, I had no idea the truth that would be revealed through that title. He has told us that the time we spent in the car has blessed so many lives and that the time we will spend in the motor home will also bless many lives. He said the impact will even be greater and we are saying, Oh, Lord, how could it be greater and He tells us to just wait and see. We did not wait until we had the motor home and all the finances needed to begin. We began on faith trusting Father to provide our every need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus and He has done that. We continue to look towards the time we will have the motor home but right now, we will obey Him when He says to go and we will trust Him to provide our every need and we will walk in obedience when He tells us to leave and where we are to go. Lord, we love You and we will serve You.
PURE HEART
October 1, 1999
(Charley speaking)
As I was praying this morning, I cried out to Father about Bob, Walter and Todd. Father told me that Bob was in rebellion and was making wrong choices and therefore was reaping the benefit of that rebellion and poor choices. Father said that my responsibility towards Bob is to pray for him as He brings Bob to my mind and to trust Him to take care of Bob. Walter is an example of Father’s word that states that the sin of man will be visited to the third and fourth generation. Walter is seeking and searching but like Bob he is choosing not to hear and obey. My responsibility with Walter like Bob is to continue to pray for him. When I was talking to Father about Todd, about whether his situation was an illness or a demon, Father told me that I was discerning correctly and to proceed slowly and carefully while seeking His wisdom and understanding. Father asked me about the motor home we saw at Wal-Mart last night, if I liked it. I told Him it was big and beautiful. He said, Is that the one you want? I said, Lord, I want the motor home that You want me to have, not necessarily the biggest and the best. I just want You to receive the praise, honor and glory for the motor home. Because whatever motor home You bring me will draw men to You in the telling of the story at home as well as while we travel. And the money that You bring in the way You bring it and its presence will be a witness about You and how awesome You are. I just want You to receive honor and glory.
Father said, you have answered well My son. The motor home and the money are on the way. Just keep thanking Me, praising Me and worshipping Me. I have sent you encouragement each day that you are on the right path. Stay in My Word, stay before Me in prayer and I will continue to direct your path.
