by MIMADMIN | May 8, 2015 | Testimonies
“Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who has promised is faithful. ” Hebrews 10:23 I was fifteen years old when I went to spend two cold weeks in Lubbock, Texas with my dad. I had three weeks off for Christmas vacation and decided to make the trip from south Texas to help my dad at work. He drove a tandem truck over the winter months hauling cotton seed from the gin in Springlake to an enormous seed mill in Lubbock. Because most of the cotton had been picked by the end of December, the gin would continue to run 24 hours a day in an attempt to separate the cotton from the seed before the temperatures began to warm up. This meant my dad had to drive that truck around the clock in order to keep up with the gin. It did not take long for me to notice all of the hard work that went into loading, hauling and unloading that seed. The first day was still full of excitement, but that quickly wore off when we worked into the night, the temperatures dropped, and that freezing wind from the west picked up speed and pierced through every layer I had on at the time. That first night my dad asked me to hold onto a lever that latched the back chute of the truck. He had loaded the bulk cotton seed onto the truck (approximately 35K pounds), and that chute needed to be secured prior to unfolding the long, heavy tarp that would cover the seed. I clearly remember...
by MIMADMIN | May 8, 2015 | Testimonies
In my late teens and early twenties I remember praying often for God to help me with issues I was struggling with. I prayed year after year with no answer that I could see. I did not understand why God would not help me when I was constantly calling out for help. Much of the book of Judges is a story of Israel crying out to God for help after going astray. Each time God decides to help Israel the answer is the same….. He sends a person. Judges 3:9 “And when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them….” Then it became clear to me, God works through people. God can send angels, or spirits, animals, or just wave His magic wand and make it happen but all throughout the Bible God’s primary chosen means for helping mankind is through a person. For many miserable years I cried out to God for help but would not let anyone help me. I now see that is like tying God’s hands behind His back. The more I allow people to help me, the more I allow God to help me, because that is primarily the way He works. The more I cling to self sufficiency, self reliance, and isolation by not allowing people to be involved in my life, the less help I will receive from God. On the flip side, I must also realize that part of God’s plan is to work through me to help others. Just as I must be proactive in allowing...
by MIMADMIN | May 8, 2015 | Testimonies
I learned at a very young age there is something special about sitting around a fire with other men. I’ve always enjoyed the camaraderie that it brings. Not long after we bought our house, I quickly purchased a disposable fire pit. After a year or two, my wife and I decided to build a permanent stone addition to our patio for a fire pit. No matter the weather or season of the year, we host a fire for all of our friends and neighbors every Friday night without fail. It has grown to such an event that we can reliably count on 10 – 20 people stopping by every week. A few of our neighbors and friends come weekly, some stop by every few weeks, some just once or twice a year; but it is rarely the same crowd every week. They all know that when they walk around the corner to my back yard, a warm “HEY – YO” yell will welcome them. Once somebody has attended they almost always will find their way back again. I feel blessed to host such a welcoming event every week. It didn’t take long to notice the trend of the fire, from 7-9pm the kids play games and roast marshmallows while the women catch up on each other’s lives. The men enjoy a beer and talk about the week, cars, music, or any other type of small talk you might imagine. However, around 9PM most of the children disappear inside to watch a movie, or head home to bed. The women, tired of the outdoors, tend to head in with them....
by MIMADMIN | May 8, 2015 | Testimonies
In preparation to again depart for India to be with our brothers and sisters across the ocean, the above statement resonates within me. As I write this article for YLN, there is a fire of discipleship raging across India. It is a move of God and we can’t print enough Operation Timothy (OT) books to keep up with the Indian Pastor’s demands. How I grieve that the church across America doesn’t have the same fire to the Biblical command to “make” disciples.¹ Yet the good news is we don’t have to wait for any institution to give us a “green light.” Earlier in the year I read an article by Steve Faber in this same column titled “Sharing Ministry in the Marketplace.” I was challenged and convicted to ask God to put one man in my life so I could take him through the Ministry in the Marketplace (MIM) series; thus discipling him. God put a man in my path named Dave.² I have no adequate words to express the blessing and joy of seeing God transform a man right before my eyes as Dave began to see his Universal Purpose: “To glorify God as we participate with Him in the process of becoming prepared for an eternity in heaven.” Amazingly, his desire to drink and smoke excessively began to wane and today it has been lifted; not by Dave’s willpower or strength, but in his weakness. Just last week he asked me how to share the Good News that resides within him to a dying friend. He said, “Dan, I have to now speak out.” Dave can’t hold...
by MIMADMIN | May 8, 2015 | Testimonies
In 1 Peter 2:17 we are commanded to “Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God and honor the king”. How do these commands look as they are applied in our lives? As I consider how this verse relates to E squared, two of these commands resonate with me. Love and Honor. How do I love the brotherhood? One way is to “stimulate one another to love and good deeds” and to “encourage one another and all the more as you see the day drawing near” as stated in Hebrews 10:24-25. I find that getting together on a regular basis with a brother allows me to show my love for the brotherhood through the edification process, loving the Body of Christ. Encouraging one another to study and reflect upon Scripture and how it can be applied to our daily lives is one way to “love the brotherhood”. Another way I have been counseled to love the brotherhood is to connect with men in other cities. Stay in touch with them and find out what they are doing in their marketplace to minister to men. I have heard of many times when a man in another city was looking for help or fellowship and a brother was able to connect that man to another brother that can meet with the troubled or seeking man. That was my personal experience when I was troubled; a friend was able to connect me to a faithful man in my city. What other ways can you think of to love the brotherhood? The other command, “honor all people” and “honor the king”, how can...
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