A Spiritual Flat Tire

Ephesians 5:18 "...but be filled with the Spirit"

I have been learning the importance lately of the need to be Spirit filled. In the past I would have said that I wanted to be Spirit filled. I knew that I needed Him when I was going to do some task like preaching or witnessing. I knew that I needed Him for victory over besetting sins. But the thing that I could not figure out was why at times when I needed the filling most, the times when the pressure was on, I seemed to be flat.

I have been learning that my life is like a tire. It is one whole piece. I cannot divide my life into parts, and say that one part has nothing to do with another. If you have a hole anywhere in a tire, the air will leak out and the part with the pressure on it will always go flat.

God has been showing me the importance of my walk with Him. If I want to be filled when the pressure is on, then I have to be filled and free of holes when the pressure is off. That means I don't get time off.

At times I want to think, "What does it matter what I do with my free time? If I want to watch a movie or read a book, so what! It is my time! Hey, I have extra money in the bank I can spend it on whatever I want, so long as it is not sinful."

I could think that way because at that time I was not feeling any pressure (did not think it was so important be filled with the Spirit). I just would make a decision based on my desires or thinking and not seek the Lord. But, the Lord has shown me there is a problem with that. If I am not living filled all the time, because I allow the Spirit to depart through a slow leak of my own thinking and wants, when the real pressure comes, I will be flat. And all drivers know how hard it is to drive on a flat tire.

So I am learning what Hudson Taylor said is true: "The faith that is ready for emergencies is the the faith that is strengthened by a daily dependence on God."

The only way not to be spiritually flat is to follow this verse: Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

When it Rains it Pours

The work here seems a lot like farming at times. There is a lot of preperation to do. The missionary tends the fields, weeds, and plants. The whole time he is praying for rain. He knows that all the labor of his hands are nothing if God does not send the rain. Sometimes it seems like it will never come; the intervauls between rain start to spread out. Then one day, he is outside working, and the rains come.

God blessed His work this week with some of that rain. Like the old saying says, "When it rains, it pours". This week we were able to see three people saved. It was like an African rain storm. One moment it is bright and sunny, the next minute, the sky is black, the wind is howling, and 2 inch rain drops are casacading down, and if a person does not find shelter in about three minutes, he is drenched from head to foot. (Nothing is done half way here, if it is is hot, it is real hot, if it is raining, it is really raining, etc.) That is how it seemed this week. We were working away, and all of a sudden the rain came pouring down.

Pastor Andrew and I have been having salvation Bible studies with a young community college guy named Fred. He has been attending all the Sunday services for the last few weeks. Saturday we went to his house and had a three hour study. At the end, all the pieces seemed to just fall into place, and we had the wonderful pleasure of hearing him asked God to save him. It was great!

For the last few months we have also been progressing through our salvation Bible studies with our Thursday night group. We have been praying for God to touch hearts. Last week on Thursday, I preached about the resurrection power of Christ over death. The people really seemed to listen. Martha (the young lady that Patty helped out last week) asked how a person can enter into this resurrecion power. I very clearly and plainly told her how a person receives Christ as Savior. I told everyone that if they wanted to speak to someone about trusting Christ, that they needed to speak with one of the leaders after we closed. After the meeting a young man named David that has been attending for about 6 months came up and told me that he wanted to get saved. I had the wonderful opportunity to lead him to Christ.

After the Bible study on Thursday, my wife was on the lookout for any ladies that seemed to want to talk, especially Martha, but none approached her. The good thing is that God knows what is going on, even when we do not. The next day came and went and it was now Saturday. Patty was a little nervous. She had been working so long with Martha, it seemed like the truth was never going to break through. Saturday afternoon, her group headed off for witnessing. At this point I will relate the story the way that it was told to me...

"We came to Martha's house for our final visit," Patty said. "We greeted her and started our Bible study by reviewing our earlier studies. After that I asked Martha a few questions." "I asked Martha, 'Are you sinner?' to which she said "Yes", and then I asked her, 'What is the punishment for sin?', to which she said "Hell", so then I asked her, "Martha, if you died where will you go?" Martha then said, "I will go to hevaen!" I was so shocked and frustrated that she did not understand, I just asked in Twi, "Aden?" which means why???? Even Gifty was frustrated and asked her why she thought that she would go to heaven, if she was a sinner and should be punished. Then Martha gave this answer. She said, "Well, Thursday night Pastor John said that if a person knew that they were a sinner, and should go to hell, but believed that Christ shed his blood for them on the cross, they could be saved. You said that I could pray anytime. I did not have to be with anyone, so Thursday night I asked God to forgive my sins. I asked God to cover me with Christ's righteousness and to place Jesus blood over my heart, and to forgive my sins. So I am saved now, and will not go to hell, I will go to heaven!"

Patty said, "Gifty and I were shocked! After all this time, it had finally clicked." Gifty grilled her a little, but after a few moments Marhta said, 'Look, I understand everything. I am saved. I am a child of God. I understand.' So Gifty and I finished the Bible study and told her that we would be back next week to start to talk to her about growing in Christ."

So finally after all these months the flash flood came. It has been a blessing to see, and we are praying and preparing for some more rain here in the near future.

Being Spent for Them-

2 Corinthians 12:15 And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.

Early on as a missionary a person is called to serve people. This all seems so glamorous as a missionary is preparing for the field and traveling on deputation. The thought of self-sacrifice and surrender is romantic and in the future. Then the missionary arrives, and the spending begins. And like always the flesh begins to rebel as the cost mounts and the mind begins to take tally. The hardest part of serving is the spending, and the hardest part of spending is the spending of self. The missionary finds out early that it is much easier to pay all the bills, pass around the money, then to spend himself. If he is not careful this is just what he does. But, if he is really going to reach them with the gospel and not his money, then the greatest thing that he needs to do is close the wallet and open the heart. Stop spending money and start spending time. I got a great reminder of this, this past week.

My wife has been witnessing to a young lady named Martha for months now. Martha is very close to accepting the gospel and we have been praying for her for sometime. About a month ago Patty found out that Martha was sick and needed to go to the hospital. After visiting a specialist, Martha was told that she would need an operation. Patty really encouraged her to have the operation, but there was a catch that seemed to be holding her back. She had someone to watch here son for the days that she was in the hospital, but had no family to look after her. See here in Ghana, the hospitals do not prepare food for there patients, and the nurses generally have about 100 patients to care for each shift. So the fact of the matter is if a patient does not have family members then he/she will not eat, have bed sheets changed, or clothes washed, for the time that they are in the hospital. Martha is from the north, and has no family to help her. The father of her child has abandoned her and the child. She really needed the operation but had no one to help. So my wife and Gifty (a good Ghanaian friend of Patty’s) offered to help.

When Patty came home and told me, I was excited that she would be able to help, but I had no idea how much she was going to spend herself over the next five days. Here in Ghana, the hospital has two visiting times. The morning visits are 5:00 am to 7:00 and 4:00- 6:00 pm. The hospitals do not have microwaves or any way to heat up food, so each morning at about 4:00, Patty would get up and cook the food. Ghanaian food and needs to be hot and fresh, no cereal and sandwiches here. Each morning at 5:30 when I would get up, Patty would be heading out the door, basket in hand, so that she could meet Gifty and give Martha here morning food. She would take the 30 minute mini-bus trip across town, and visit Martha. Patty said that is was quite interesting to see all the people staring. They have never seen a foreigner serving an African before. They would wash the dishes from the night before, change the sheets, and get the night clothes form the day before, so that they could be washed. After that, another 30 minutes trip home, time to get the kids ready for school. Teach, and back to cooking again for the evening meal. Jump in the mini-bus again about 3:30, and start the process at the hospital all over again. She would get home in time to start cooking dinner and to get ready for the next day.

Overall, it was a very busy five days. I thank the Lord for my wife. I am glad that the Lord has given me a wife that is willing to be spent for the people that God has called her to.

A Missionary Interpretation of 1 Corinthians 13

If I have the language ever so perfectly and speak like a native and have not His love, I am nothing.
If I have diplomas and degrees and know all the up-to-date methods and have not His touch of understanding, I am nothing.
If I am able to argue successfully against their religions and yet have not His wooing note, I am nothing.
If I have all faith and great ideals and magnificent plans and have not His love that sweats and bleeds and prays and pleads, I am nothing.
If I give my clothes and my money to them and have not His love for them, I am nothing.
If I surrender all prospects, leave home and friends, make the sacrifice of the missionary career, and turn sour and selfish because of the daily annoyances and slights of missionary life, and though I give my body to be consumed with heat and fevers and have not love that yields its rights, its leisure, its pet plans, I am nothing.
If I can heal all manner of sickness and disease but wound hearts and hurt feelings for want of His love that is kind, I am nothing.
If I can write articles or publish books that win applause but fail to transcribe the Word of the Cross in the language of His love I am nothing.