Things Do Not Always Go As Planned

One of our favorite Bible verses is found in Proverbs 16:9
A man's heart plans his ways,
But the LORD directs his steps.

A year ago, things seemed to be rolling along as we were adjusting to life in the Springs. November hit and we found out that there was trouble brewing in the congregation. Long story short, we experienced our first true church split. After 31 years of walking with the Lord, we had dodged the bullet.

Was it hard? Yes!
Were hurtful things said about us? Yes!
Have we been & are we being stretched? YES!
Are giving up? NO!

I think of Peter when Jesus asks them in John chapter 6 if they were going to leave and Peter said, "Where can we go? You hold the words of life!" We are adjusting. God is in control. Psalm 139 says every day was fashioned for us at the foundation of the world.

So we make our plans, God directs our steps, & we learn of grace, love, peace, joy, goodness, kindness, gentleness, etc. etc. etc! All for the glory & by the grace of GOD!

Still serving & worshiping the Master!
Wayne & Brooke

Loving the Fellowship of Believers

We are now going into our 5th month at Calvary Chapel True North. The Lord is at work and we are being poured at for His glory! Things are not perfect because God has chosen imperfect vessels to minister to imperfect vessels.

I was reminded the other day that I have been called to be an under-shepherd of Jesus Christ but I am also a sheep. As an under-shepherd I am not better, more righteous, nor perfect but I am more responsible and accountable to the Chief Shepherd, Jesus Christ. James says, "Let not many of you be called teachers because you fall under a stricter judgement."

We are really enjoying the fellowship of the believers. We have missed the consistent preparation of study for teaching & the fellowship of the believers. Brooke is leading the Women's Bible Study with a series this Summer called a walk through the Psalms. The women are enjoying it very much! She is also heading up the Worship Ministry and I am REALLY enjoying her worship sets!

We are chronologically going through the Gospels on Sunday morning so we are jumping between Matthew, Mark, Luke & John. I have had the opportunity to teach this series a couple of times and enjoy it very much! I learn something new or am reminded of things I have not thought of in a while every time I teach. I felt like the Lord was telling me to take the church through the Gospels so we can see what Jesus did & imitate Him in our daily lives.

I am also doing the one thing that I enjoy most; discipleship! I meet with several men during the week & attend the Friday morning Men's Study as a participant. We just started Tuesday Night Discipleship Training & currently going through a Foundations series. After this series I will teach A Survey of the New Testament & then A Survey of the Old Testament. My prayer is that a couple of others will also teach classes so that at some point we will have 3 or 4 classes running concurrently every Tuesday evening. Thus the body of Christ @ CCTN will grow in the grace & knowledge of Jesus Christ!

This Sunday we are looking at three of Jesus' first parables; 1. The friends of the bridegroom 2. New cloth on old garment 3. New wine and old wineskins. Jesus was being questioned by the religious folks why His disciples did not fast & pray like the disciples of John the Baptist & the Pharisees. His parables show us that the old religious system was not compatible with the new dispensation of grace in the coming church age.

I think we have to look at our relationship with the Lord & our acts of worship & ask ourselves if we have become old wineskins that cannot take in the new wine. Now I admit there is nothing new under the sun. And if someone says they have new revelation that it is more than likely just an old lie of the enemy wrapped in a new package.

What I am talking about is how we can get stuck in traditions of man rather than being agents of the transforming Gospel. Jesus was accused several times in Luke of being a winebibber (wino), glutton & friend of sinners. My feeling is this, "Lord help us to get out of our comfort zone that others in the body of Christ might accuse us of such things because we are not concerned or worried about being with sinners." That we are willing to sully our reputation because we have a heart & love for the least, the last, & the lost.

Lord, help us to hear & obey Your Spirit! Help us to get over ourselves & love the lost; to REALLY love the lost! We need You to lead us & guide us to those You have chosen, to those who are seeking You, to those who are in search of the truth! Give us Your heart & Your mind that we might know Your will! Get us out of our comfort zone & give us the strength to pick up our cross & to follow You daily! We love You, we need You! Thank you for Your grace, mercy, judgement & truth. Lead us on!
In the name of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ!
AMEN!

Please continue to pray for us! The Beard Family (our daughter Marillyn, son-in-law Jon & 5 Grands!) just moved in with us, so they need prayer as they transition from the past 10 years of life in the Honduran Mission Field to the USA!