JollyRoger
Shared on Tue, 02/27/2007 - 08:48The following is all true and a wonderful story of faith and how prayer is very powerful. Let me set this up a little bit for you. It was going to be my mission trip, to Portugal, and I was a nervous wreck. This all happened back in 2004-2005. The trip ended up happening in September of 2005.
Faith
My cup runneth over today!!!! For those of you who do not know, Jeff and I are going on a mission trip to Portugal. But, the road has been bumpy getting to this point. Let me tell you what happened and why faith is a VERY important part of everyone's daily lives. Our trip has gone through many changes over the last 9 months. Our team had been made up of 6 people and we were supposed to go to Portugal back in September. Well, that was not God's time. After a lot of prayer, the date was moved to where it is now, April 1st. Then as things began to unfold this past winter, there were some uncontrollable circumstances that lead most of the people going, to have to cancel. Nothing wrong with that, I said. I still felt God leading me to go. By this time, January to be specific, Jeff had joined the team and we were starting the countdown. At this point the team was Joe, Jeff and myself. After the horrible sickness Ansley had back in February, and the time Joe had to take off to be with her, he informed us that he was not going to be able to go. But, he said, if we felt lead to go, we should still go. If not, he would postpone the trip and we would go later. Jeff and I talked about it. The money wasn't coming in liked we had hoped, the team was down to 2, we are both EXTREMELY new at this, but we felt God was leading us to go. Last week, Jeff met with Al McMillan and was given the date of 3/16. If we did not have the money, or most of it, by this date we should consider postponing the trip. Well, after talking about it last Wednesday night, we both agreed to pray hard and have faith that if God wants us to go, He will provide. Both of us were OK with the fact that if we were to postpone the trip, we would be OK with it. But, both of us really wanted to go. It was not having a definite YES or NO answer that was driving us nuts. I will freely admit, it was causing me to sin by worrying. Now comes the good stuff. On Sunday morning, during the invitation, Stacy looked at me and said "If you want to go down and pray for your trip, I will go with you." So, Stacy and I went down and prayed at the altar, asking that God either leave the door open, or slam the door shut. When we got up from praying, a tremendous calm came over me. A calm I have not felt in a while. It was glorious!
That was step one. Step 2 came after our leadership break-out session. I went and talked to Shane Russell and informed him of everything that was going on and asked him to pray hard for us, for we were REALLY new at this and were coming to our wits end in regards to what to think. He said he would definitely pray for us and told me everything was going to be OK. Again, I felt a calmness flow over me like warm water. That night, during the invitation, I told myself to look out for Jeff and if he went down to pray, I would join him at the altar. I saw him go forward and rushed out of my seat to meet him down there before he started. Well, when I got there he was with Bro. Johnny and just as I got there, Johnny asked him who all was going on the trip. Just then, I put my hand on Jeff's shoulder and he turned and looked and said "Oh.....this guy. " So, right there, Johnny prayed for us and the trip.
He prayed that God would supply our needs. Yet, another calm flowed over me. After kneeling at the altar one more time, Jeff and I went back to our seats. After the invitation Johnny asked that Jeff and I stand up and to meet each other down front. He then explained to the congregation about our situation and asked for their help, by praying and seeking guidance as to how they could help us. When service let out, a swarm of people overwhelmed us, handing us checks and cash. So much that I could not close my hands and neither could Jeff. It was awesome!!! Ken Lassiter came down and offered to take the money to the missions department and proceeded to tell us "You're going, don't worry about it now." What can you say to such an outpouring of love? Praise, honor and glory to God on Most High!!!!! As I was reading the Bible today, I was drawn to some verses in the Bible and wanted to share them with you.
These verses deal with adversity and what faith can do to that adversity.
Matt. 21:18-21 says:
18 Early in the morning, as he was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. 19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, "May you never bear fruit again!" Immediately the tree withered.
20 When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. "How did the fig tree wither so quickly?" they asked.
21 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done."
Eph 6:16 says:
16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Philippians 4:6 says:
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Matt. 7:7-11 says:
7 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
9 "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
These are just a couple of the verses God gave me to read. If He were to have been standing next to me, he would have said "Oh you of little faith." Just for the simple fact that I was worrying about it and not trusting fully in Him. To make this long story short, God came through in ways only He can. So, my advice to those who are in need. Pray, Pray, Pray and then ask someone to pray with and for you. It will get done. So with that I say "Glory to God in the Highest!!" Thank you all for your thoughts and ,especially, for your prayers. I believe Jeff and I will be blessed by what we experience on this trip. God has a plan for us there and He wasn't going to let the devil stand in the way. To borrow a phrase from Shane, at Sunday's meeting. You never know, you may effect someone's eternity. Man, what a statement! Take care and God bless you all.
END OF LINE
JR
Faith
My cup runneth over today!!!! For those of you who do not know, Jeff and I are going on a mission trip to Portugal. But, the road has been bumpy getting to this point. Let me tell you what happened and why faith is a VERY important part of everyone's daily lives. Our trip has gone through many changes over the last 9 months. Our team had been made up of 6 people and we were supposed to go to Portugal back in September. Well, that was not God's time. After a lot of prayer, the date was moved to where it is now, April 1st. Then as things began to unfold this past winter, there were some uncontrollable circumstances that lead most of the people going, to have to cancel. Nothing wrong with that, I said. I still felt God leading me to go. By this time, January to be specific, Jeff had joined the team and we were starting the countdown. At this point the team was Joe, Jeff and myself. After the horrible sickness Ansley had back in February, and the time Joe had to take off to be with her, he informed us that he was not going to be able to go. But, he said, if we felt lead to go, we should still go. If not, he would postpone the trip and we would go later. Jeff and I talked about it. The money wasn't coming in liked we had hoped, the team was down to 2, we are both EXTREMELY new at this, but we felt God was leading us to go. Last week, Jeff met with Al McMillan and was given the date of 3/16. If we did not have the money, or most of it, by this date we should consider postponing the trip. Well, after talking about it last Wednesday night, we both agreed to pray hard and have faith that if God wants us to go, He will provide. Both of us were OK with the fact that if we were to postpone the trip, we would be OK with it. But, both of us really wanted to go. It was not having a definite YES or NO answer that was driving us nuts. I will freely admit, it was causing me to sin by worrying. Now comes the good stuff. On Sunday morning, during the invitation, Stacy looked at me and said "If you want to go down and pray for your trip, I will go with you." So, Stacy and I went down and prayed at the altar, asking that God either leave the door open, or slam the door shut. When we got up from praying, a tremendous calm came over me. A calm I have not felt in a while. It was glorious!
That was step one. Step 2 came after our leadership break-out session. I went and talked to Shane Russell and informed him of everything that was going on and asked him to pray hard for us, for we were REALLY new at this and were coming to our wits end in regards to what to think. He said he would definitely pray for us and told me everything was going to be OK. Again, I felt a calmness flow over me like warm water. That night, during the invitation, I told myself to look out for Jeff and if he went down to pray, I would join him at the altar. I saw him go forward and rushed out of my seat to meet him down there before he started. Well, when I got there he was with Bro. Johnny and just as I got there, Johnny asked him who all was going on the trip. Just then, I put my hand on Jeff's shoulder and he turned and looked and said "Oh.....this guy. " So, right there, Johnny prayed for us and the trip.
He prayed that God would supply our needs. Yet, another calm flowed over me. After kneeling at the altar one more time, Jeff and I went back to our seats. After the invitation Johnny asked that Jeff and I stand up and to meet each other down front. He then explained to the congregation about our situation and asked for their help, by praying and seeking guidance as to how they could help us. When service let out, a swarm of people overwhelmed us, handing us checks and cash. So much that I could not close my hands and neither could Jeff. It was awesome!!! Ken Lassiter came down and offered to take the money to the missions department and proceeded to tell us "You're going, don't worry about it now." What can you say to such an outpouring of love? Praise, honor and glory to God on Most High!!!!! As I was reading the Bible today, I was drawn to some verses in the Bible and wanted to share them with you.
These verses deal with adversity and what faith can do to that adversity.
Matt. 21:18-21 says:
18 Early in the morning, as he was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. 19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, "May you never bear fruit again!" Immediately the tree withered.
20 When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. "How did the fig tree wither so quickly?" they asked.
21 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done."
Eph 6:16 says:
16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Philippians 4:6 says:
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Matt. 7:7-11 says:
7 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
9 "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
These are just a couple of the verses God gave me to read. If He were to have been standing next to me, he would have said "Oh you of little faith." Just for the simple fact that I was worrying about it and not trusting fully in Him. To make this long story short, God came through in ways only He can. So, my advice to those who are in need. Pray, Pray, Pray and then ask someone to pray with and for you. It will get done. So with that I say "Glory to God in the Highest!!" Thank you all for your thoughts and ,especially, for your prayers. I believe Jeff and I will be blessed by what we experience on this trip. God has a plan for us there and He wasn't going to let the devil stand in the way. To borrow a phrase from Shane, at Sunday's meeting. You never know, you may effect someone's eternity. Man, what a statement! Take care and God bless you all.
END OF LINE
JR
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