It has now been three months going that we have been back in the USA. It has been among the most difficult of transitions for us as the stark shock of cultural differences set in. Within two weeks of our return, I was blessed with a job that has provided ample work and a career to me in the trade of plumbing and gasfitting. 6 weeks of being back, we were able to procure a lease for a beautiful place to call home. And just a week after that, we were blessed with the ability to call a vehicle our own as we drove a car home from Kansas! All the while I have had to put on 15 pounds of functional weight to be able to keep up with the work and my wife has had to adjust from me being at her side every hour of every day to me being away for 8-10+ hours a day with a mostly empty home. 

All in all, these past months have been months that I have hardly been able to process, as my wife has had the privilege or burden depending on the day, to process it all the time. It has been as if we have returned from death itself to be violently thrust into a life that is so lively you can hardly bear it. The LORD has been faithful and it has been such a privilege to live out the words that David and the mighty men experienced in their return to Ziklag:

“So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives. Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.

And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God. 

And David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.

And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives. 

And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any thing that they had taken to them: David recovered all. “

1 Samuel 30:3-4,6,8,18-19

KJV Bible

It is daunting to be called away to strangers and to be a testimony of Christ among them, but I would say it is even more daunting to be called back and rebuild what was so you may do the very same thing among your own people, kindred and tongue.

God said PURSUE!

---

It is quite something to return in your weakness as so many often return in strength and glory of victories, churches, and conversion testimonies. We all have those to share, but to be coming back to a moment where there was truly little to show has been such a gift. It has been a gift because it has been an opportunity to share God’s faithfulness above all else. God gave us a decisive moment to follow him with our lives to Serbia, it cost us everything many times over and many times more Christ has shown Himself to be a redeemer of all things!

Before we returned to Serbia in Late October of last year, I was given the opportunity to share a message on this very passage in 1 Samuel, little did I know that I would be given the opportunity to live it out as a testimony of God’s great grace and faithfulness. I would like to thank all those who have faithfully prayed, given, and supported us abroad and in our return. It is such a blessing now to get to know many of you personally and be an active part of your lives. We do ask for you to continue praying for Serbia as we left very dear friends there still. Pray for the works of Pastors there, that the churches would reach those searching, and that our very dear friends would be protected, provided for, and kept by God’s grace in the days to come.

The Value of Immediate Worship

“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.”

Hebrews 11:13-19

KJV Bible

The last couple of years have been such a gift to us. Having not received the promises of what we hoped to receive and experience. however, we did walk into being fully persuaded and embracing them. There is no telling the height, depth, and breadth of that city prepared ahead. All we know now more than ever is that it is indeed ahead, and we are not ashamed to call Jesus our LORD and Savior. One of the greatest lessons I have learned is that time is something so precious in God’s hands and there is nothing greater that we can give Him apart from our time here on this earth. God’s work although eternal is often immediate and with this decisive work comes very specific moments that you and I are employed to partake of it. The moment that you believe in Christ for salvation, the moment to pursue a relationship with intent to marriage, the moment to partake in God’s heart for the lost, the moment to feed and help the poor and the widows…moments make men and women testimonies of God’s glory.  Abraham in a moment became the father of our faith as he obeyed God in taking His only son up to be sacrificed. David in a moment became a man after God’s own heart when he defied the giant defying God’s name. Christ in a moment became the Savior of us all as he surrendered His own life to us so we may live with Him forever. Do not neglect the moment that God calls you to listen to His words and act in harmony with them, do not miss the decisive moments that God has graciously given each one of us to become children and heirs of His kingdom to come! Dear friends, please recognize the immediacy of this truth and what it calls us to do today!

“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”

James 1:2-8

KJV Bible

“The most contented of souls are those filled with the contents of God’s patience.”

Transformed to His Way

Not too long ago I had the privilege to share a message on the above passage regarding the perfect Patience of God! It really spoke to me as this passage has been one on my mind since returning from Serbia. One aspect of the passage that is worth sharing again with you all now is that patience is one of God’s greater attributes. Often this passage is used in exhorting others to possess better patience and allow the good consequence of well-sown faith yield its peaceable fruit, but it is God’s patience that needs permissive rights in our lives. God is oh so patient with us! In light of decisive moments, I see that allowing God’s patience work in our lives is what brings about that complete, entire, and lacking nothing life. The most contented of souls are those filled with the contents of God’s patience. God gives things in time and on time and His gifts come in a time where they do not bear a burden of sorrow although it may have been a journey of sorrow to arrive. (Prov 10:22) Ecclesiastes chapter 3 sheds light on this as it opens with the times and seasons we all encounter in life. It all comes to its head and climax at verse 11 of the third chapter stating:

Everything is made beautiful in God’s hands, not a detail or facet of life we know will be left undone, unredeemed, unrestored, or unfinished. There comes a day where all is made beautiful in HIS time. (Philippians 1:6) Please allow God to do that in your life as He is doing just that in ours. I am not what I look like and not what I am going through, I am simply a man partaking of God’s great patience with this crazy world that we live in. His heart is not willing to leave one soul unattended, sought after, nor neglected by His gift of Jesus Christ. Keep courage within your hearts as you continue down the time and season your life is in, God WILL have His day!

Grateful for You All

Thank you all again for joining us in our journey of faith, God has one for you also and only you can discover what that may be with Him. Take part in the decisive moments God gives you and allow God’s patience to work out that complete masterpiece of your life in His purpose!

Gifts and donations will continue to be thankfully and graciously accepted but at the end of this calendar year we will have it cut off so giving and support may go to those in greater need.

---

God has given us a place, provision, and purpose here in the USA. Thank you for your prayers as we still could use them and I Thank all of you who faithfully chose to give monetarily. You all took part in decisive moments for others’ eternity and our own lives!