From a Friend's Email

Dear Guys,

For those of you I haven't talked to recently I miss you and continue to have fond memories of our mission, battles, and successes in setting men free together. I know of none of us who have not been financially adversely affected by the current economy, there really has been no safe place to hide in terms of this worlds safe havens. We need to remember that America's (and most of the western world's) incredible prosperity over the last 100 years is a statistical anomaly when compared to what the world has looked like for the past 6,000 years.

I have been reading a great book called Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster (who graduated from George Fox University) and it has really helped me put some things in perspective during my own desert journey with Jesus. First, as I read Mark 4:35 where Christ take the disciples across the lake at night and the furious storm comes up. Were the disciples in sin? No, clearly they were following Christ very closely. Was prudence recommended given it was night, these fisherman knew how quickly storms could come up, should they have said no? Clearly not. Was Christ surprised by the storm? No he was able to sleep soundly right through the middle of it due to his power and peace of the father in Him.

Why did Jesus allow the disciples to be scared out of their wits, just to prove a point? To be a mean God? No, he was "loving" them by having a chance to very personally show them His power in a way that would blow them away. Of all of his miracles this one probably impacted them the most because they were well versed in boating and "knew" no one could calm the storm instantly. Even if the wind dies down suddenly the waves usually continue to rock the shore for hours afterwards due to the built up kinetic energy in the water.

And what was the key thing Jesus wanted them to take away from this? Trust, trust that He has the power to walk through anything with us no matter how "knowledgeable" we are about the subject, or how many times we have tried and failed etc. He wants peace in our inner world regardless of the external world going on around us.

2 Cor 4:8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned, struck down but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.

So I find myself meditating on the thoughts of being in a small boat with waves crashing all around and Jesus is sleeping soundly next to me with a small blanket over Him. All I need to do is reach out to His hand and hold it and He gently wakes up and says "it is going to be all right, I am with you, just trust in me".

I truly love you guys and pray for the freedom that comes from Trusting God in your lives. If there is anything I can do for anyone of you please do not hesitate to call or e-mail me we will always be the church together to this world as long as we live on this earth.


In Christ's Love,