Today I read Jeremiah 38 and 39 and saw how even in the Old Testament, God showed his love for an individual in a very special way. I usually think that God was dealing with just the nation of Israel in the Old Testament. And when I think of the nation of Israel, I think about Jews born into one of the twelve tribes. But even while he was planning to allow the Babylonians to destroy the whole city of Jerusalem, he noticed the faith of one Jew who was a foreigner, a Cushite (Ethiopian), Ebedmelech.
In Jeremiah 39, Ebedmelech is commended for trusting God. Actually it seems that this trust/faith was the kind I'm learning about in Believing God by Beth Moore -- "present active participle believing" as she calls it. I say this because when we read about why God protected him, it's because of an action. In Chapter 38 it says he went to the king to speak up for Jeremiah who was in a dungeon. When I looked up Ebedmelech, I saw that he was described as a proselyte (foreign convert) who rose to a high position. In spite of his high position, I think he took a risk in asking the king to rethink the decision to put Jeremiah in prison. I think it took faith.
Later, in chapter 39 we read that God gave a message to Jeremiah, the prophet, about Ebedmelech, just him. And God had told Jeremiah he had to go to Ebedmelech to tell him that God had said He would protect him. And it says God did it because he had trusted in God. The best part is that God did all this for this one individual who acted on his faith.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Sunday, April 13, 2008
#101 - 112 of MY 50,000 (if the Lord wills)
Well, I might as well start recording the great answers to prayer that God provides in my life. (See my previous post about George Mueller's 50,000.) God answers my prayers with "no" and "wait" sometimes, I don't think that's what they meant by Mueller's 50,000 answers to prayer. (could be, though). So I will record the times when I have lifted up a need, request or desire and God has done a great thing....hmmm doesn't He do a "great thing" when He says no and keeps me out of a thing I shouldn't be getting involved in? If they seem like a "praise" I'll share them. Enough getting stuck in the nuances of what kind of answers to prayer to record....
I'm going to label these #101 & up, and use #1-100 for the praises I have recorded in journals for the last few years.
2008
#101 (April 11, 2008) We prayed for God to provide money for our ministry as a result of Richard's trip to the States and a project he presented was fully funded!! (by an Allegrezza!)
#102 (April 11, 2008) Jessica Panfil is free of cancer! (I've been praying regularly for her since about September '07)
#103 (April 11, 2008) Things calmed down enough in Port-au-Prince for me to drive to the airport to pick Richard up. (prayed for this for a few days & asked others to pray for it.)
#104(April 11, 2008) We were able to get diesel gas easily. For a few days we could not get diesel gas for our generator and we were not getting any electricity from the city. I prayed that we would be able to and we left early in the morning to try to catch a station as they were opening. The second one we went to only had a few trucks waiting for gas, we filled up our tank in a few minutes and even had time to go to the grocery store before getting to the airport at the PERFECT time to pick up Richard.
#105 (April 10) I met my main exercise goal - walked/ran 5k! And met another exercise goal - walking while praying about 3x/week. I did that for 10 weeks.
#106 (April 9) God kept us safe through the demonstrations. I prayed for that, but even though I didn't know to pray for protection of the cybercafe, God protected it while many other businesses in the area were vandalized and looted.
#107 (April 8) Contract - I got a full time contract from QCS. I was praying a lot about this, especially in the last few weeks.
#108 (April 8) Time - I was feeling like I didn't have time to do what I need to do and get enough sleep, and God provided 3 days off from school (through protests in Port-au-Prince)
#109 (April 7) I was praying for God to show me what to share for devotions w/ the staff at QCS and He led me to meditate on the movie "Freedom Writers" and share about that. I got a lot out of it and I think others did to. Mainly God was faithful.
#110 (March 31) Joy got her liberty university godtube video finished and uploaded for the contest.
#111 (March 28) Susette Manaserro was healed of cancer!...after only 4 chemo treatments. She still has to have the rest of her planned treatments, but it seems amazing that before she even had half of them, she's healed (I had been praying for her about 5 times a week since Christmas.)
#112 (March 16) got "outside of the box" in helping a student with schoolwork. (long story)
I'm going to label these #101 & up, and use #1-100 for the praises I have recorded in journals for the last few years.
2008
#101 (April 11, 2008) We prayed for God to provide money for our ministry as a result of Richard's trip to the States and a project he presented was fully funded!! (by an Allegrezza!)
#102 (April 11, 2008) Jessica Panfil is free of cancer! (I've been praying regularly for her since about September '07)
#103 (April 11, 2008) Things calmed down enough in Port-au-Prince for me to drive to the airport to pick Richard up. (prayed for this for a few days & asked others to pray for it.)
#104(April 11, 2008) We were able to get diesel gas easily. For a few days we could not get diesel gas for our generator and we were not getting any electricity from the city. I prayed that we would be able to and we left early in the morning to try to catch a station as they were opening. The second one we went to only had a few trucks waiting for gas, we filled up our tank in a few minutes and even had time to go to the grocery store before getting to the airport at the PERFECT time to pick up Richard.
#105 (April 10) I met my main exercise goal - walked/ran 5k! And met another exercise goal - walking while praying about 3x/week. I did that for 10 weeks.
#106 (April 9) God kept us safe through the demonstrations. I prayed for that, but even though I didn't know to pray for protection of the cybercafe, God protected it while many other businesses in the area were vandalized and looted.
#107 (April 8) Contract - I got a full time contract from QCS. I was praying a lot about this, especially in the last few weeks.
#108 (April 8) Time - I was feeling like I didn't have time to do what I need to do and get enough sleep, and God provided 3 days off from school (through protests in Port-au-Prince)
#109 (April 7) I was praying for God to show me what to share for devotions w/ the staff at QCS and He led me to meditate on the movie "Freedom Writers" and share about that. I got a lot out of it and I think others did to. Mainly God was faithful.
#110 (March 31) Joy got her liberty university godtube video finished and uploaded for the contest.
#111 (March 28) Susette Manaserro was healed of cancer!...after only 4 chemo treatments. She still has to have the rest of her planned treatments, but it seems amazing that before she even had half of them, she's healed (I had been praying for her about 5 times a week since Christmas.)
#112 (March 16) got "outside of the box" in helping a student with schoolwork. (long story)
1st of my 50,000 praises (if the Lord wills) 2003-2007
Answers to prayer from 2006-2008
2008
(October) We had a nice QCS staff retreat at le Montcel in the mountains
- (August) Joy, Ricky and I were able to be at the Allegrezza Beach Week
- (July) Joy, Ricky & I were able to drive out to visit Cedarville University and IUP, and we got to visit with the Sherers too.
- (July) Fred & Nancy let us use their fancy SUV!
- (July) I was able to study Spanish in the Dominican Republic for 2 weeks.
- (June) Jessica Panfil is cancer free
- (April) We got to have a really refreshing retreat at Indigo Resort
- (April) Phil & Nikki House had a baby boy after several miscarriages.
2007 - (December) God took care of Grace's problem with finishing one of her classes.
- (December) Grace was able to come to Haiti for Christmas
- (July) I was able to take a course at PBU
- (July) Grace was able to visit us in PA.
- (July) We got to stay in the missinoary apartment at Crossing
- (June) Joy had an excellent experience helping Theresa Murphy, a Physician's Assistant, at Furcy.
- (May)We sold the box truck.
- (April) Kimberly Perry is cancer free
- (April) was able to use FF points & companion ticket & get tickets to go home for the summer
- (March) Theresa Murphy agreed to take Joy as an intern for a week in the summer--she normally takes college kids.
- (February) We got the box truck out of customs! With help from Wilhelm.
- (January) Richard was able to attend the AIS Int'l Conference in England
2006
- (December) Grace was able to come to Haiti for Christmas with a special CrossWorld grant for MK's + frequent flyer miles.
- (November) New tenants for our Holland townhouse were a huge answer to prayer (and we're thankful to Michael Marino for his part in it too.)
- (October) God provided temporary tenants for a few weeks.
- (September) We were able to get a new pick up truck in only a few weeks, when sometimes it takes many more.
- (September) We were able to buy a new pick up truck mainly because God provided through people who contributed to our ministry through the 3 years we were in PA.
- (August) We made it back to Haiti!
June '06
Grace graduated with high grades & we had a fun party with lots of music.
May '06
- Richard graduated from PBU with his Masters in O.L.
- God provided a house for us to rent in Haiti.
April '06
- Grace was accepted to Biola University & got a good scholarship
March '06
- Grace was accepted to 3 colleges
- Grace won a Superior and a Best in Show at the ACSI Fine Arts Festival
- We got the financial aid forms done for college for Grace
- Richard got the taxes done
- We had a good M&M (Missions) Sunday on Haiti with Manis & Ginger
- Several Lemuel children got sponsors
- 2 young people got saved at a Carnaval tournament
- J.V. gave us $100
February '06
- Peace in Port-au-Prince after elections. with a record number of voters voting.
- Haiti finally had their elections, We had an encouraging prayer time for Haiti (Feb. 4th)
- We finally got a piano teacher for Grace at PBU
- Richard got a raise.
- We opened an ebay store (Soul of the Caribbean)
2005
- (July) God provided for us to buy a townhouse to live in for the year and then rent out.
2004
- (August) Richard, Joy and I were able to go back to Haiti for 3 weeks
- (June) God provided for us to live in the parsonnage of the Church of the Good Samaritans in Holland, and they just gutted it and put in all new floors, carpets, kitchen, etc.!
- (March) We were able to buy a nice station wagon from the Livingstons
- (April) My Mom got moved in to Dock Woods, an excellent assisted living community with very caring people.
50,000 answers to prayer
I read a devotional about George Mueller who recorded 50,000 answers to prayer in his lifetime (as a Christian).
"George Muller, founder of the Orphan Homes, Bristol, [England], wherein 16,000 orphans have been received, who received £1,500,000 in answer to prayer and faith alone was a Prussian by birth. When a student at the University of Halle, he was careless and unconcerned about spiritual matters. Although he was studying with the object of becoming a clergyman of the Established Church, he knew nothing whatever of the saving power of the Gospel. His conversion came about as follows: Through attending meetings in a private house in Halle, conducted by a devoted Christian, he became deeply interested and impressed with what he saw and heard. The simple believers that he came in contact with at these services had something which he did not possess. He longed for rest and peace to his troubled spirit, but was ignorant how it was to be obtained. He knew of no one who professed to be saved through faith in Christ's Blood. Things must have been at a low ebb spiritually. "I had no Bible and had not read it for years," he said: "I went to church but seldom; but from custom took the Lord's Supper twice a year. I had never heard the Gospel preached up to the beginning of November, 1825" — the month of his conversion. "I had never met with a person who told me that he meant by the help of God to live according to the Scriptures. In short, I had not the least idea that there were any persons really different from myself except in degree. Mr. Muller returned to the house several times, and not long afterwards saw that Christ by His sacrificial death on Calvary had borne sin's penalty, and died that he might be eternally saved. Through believing on the Lord Jesus he became a new creature. The Word of God became His joy and delight, old companions were given up, and although ridiculed and laughed at by his fellow-students, he boldly witnessed for Christ.
George Muller established 5 large Orphan Homes on Ashley Downs, Bristol; circulated millions of Scriptures and books, visited many countries, and entered into rest in 1896, in his 93rd year, leaving £160 in his will.
Copied by Stephen Ross for WholesomeWords.org from Twice-Born Men: True Conversion Records of 100 Well-Known Men in All Ranks of Life compiled by Hy. Pickering. London: Pickering & Inglis, [193-?]"
" (from http://www.wholesomewords.org/biography/bmuller3.html)
Two things are hitting me:
1. the 50,000 answers to prayer he recorded, and
2. how he met Christ - through a small home meeting.
I want to record thousands of answered prayer too, if the Lord wills, if I live to be somewhere near 93. The amazing thing about all the orphans he helped is that he didn't ask for money for them. He just prayed and God provided.
And I want to start a small group. I remember hearing about someone else getting saved and the group he went to was not necessarily called "Bible study" and they had supper together on Wednesdays. He came and ate and just took it all in at first.
"George Muller, founder of the Orphan Homes, Bristol, [England], wherein 16,000 orphans have been received, who received £1,500,000 in answer to prayer and faith alone was a Prussian by birth. When a student at the University of Halle, he was careless and unconcerned about spiritual matters. Although he was studying with the object of becoming a clergyman of the Established Church, he knew nothing whatever of the saving power of the Gospel. His conversion came about as follows: Through attending meetings in a private house in Halle, conducted by a devoted Christian, he became deeply interested and impressed with what he saw and heard. The simple believers that he came in contact with at these services had something which he did not possess. He longed for rest and peace to his troubled spirit, but was ignorant how it was to be obtained. He knew of no one who professed to be saved through faith in Christ's Blood. Things must have been at a low ebb spiritually. "I had no Bible and had not read it for years," he said: "I went to church but seldom; but from custom took the Lord's Supper twice a year. I had never heard the Gospel preached up to the beginning of November, 1825" — the month of his conversion. "I had never met with a person who told me that he meant by the help of God to live according to the Scriptures. In short, I had not the least idea that there were any persons really different from myself except in degree. Mr. Muller returned to the house several times, and not long afterwards saw that Christ by His sacrificial death on Calvary had borne sin's penalty, and died that he might be eternally saved. Through believing on the Lord Jesus he became a new creature. The Word of God became His joy and delight, old companions were given up, and although ridiculed and laughed at by his fellow-students, he boldly witnessed for Christ.
George Muller established 5 large Orphan Homes on Ashley Downs, Bristol; circulated millions of Scriptures and books, visited many countries, and entered into rest in 1896, in his 93rd year, leaving £160 in his will.
Copied by Stephen Ross for WholesomeWords.org from Twice-Born Men: True Conversion Records of 100 Well-Known Men in All Ranks of Life compiled by Hy. Pickering. London: Pickering & Inglis, [193-?]"
" (from http://www.wholesomewords.org/biography/bmuller3.html)
Two things are hitting me:
1. the 50,000 answers to prayer he recorded, and
2. how he met Christ - through a small home meeting.
I want to record thousands of answered prayer too, if the Lord wills, if I live to be somewhere near 93. The amazing thing about all the orphans he helped is that he didn't ask for money for them. He just prayed and God provided.
And I want to start a small group. I remember hearing about someone else getting saved and the group he went to was not necessarily called "Bible study" and they had supper together on Wednesdays. He came and ate and just took it all in at first.
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