As many of you know, my dear husband Kevin woke up on Monday Nov. 22, at 3:00 am on our second wedding anniversary with chest pain. The doctor at the hospital told me at around 7am that my husband had a heart attack. This was the most shocking news and it almost felt like something so surreal that it could not possibly be true.
He was rushed to a cardiac hospital two hours away in Louisville, KY where they tested his heart with another EKG which was showing a second reading positive for an Acute MI (heart attack). The cardiac doctor and surgeon rushed him for a cardiac catheterization where they found an abnormal congenital heart defect which possibly was the cause of his heart trouble because no blockages were found. There were several doctors trying to explain their theory of what actually happened to Kevin, but none of them agreed completely.
Kevin is alive and well and I can truly say that this was the best anniversary yet because I have never been happier to be able to look into my husband's eyes as I was on Monday evening.
We spent the past 4 days in the hospital, running various tests and going through several exams to make sure that he is going to be ok. Kevin was sharing the gospel in the operating room as soon as he heard about the bridge (cross) which the doctor's found in his heart called a Myocardial Bridge.
He was able to witness to many people during his hospital stay as he shared about how we need to have the cross in our hearts, (our only bridge to God through Jesus Christ), and not just around our necks.
As I looked outside the window of the cardiac hospital room to see a cemetery, I was soberly reminded of just how important it is to have the cross in our heart before we enter eternity.
My husband certainly has the cross inside of his heart both spiritually and physically. He used this opportunity as a new mission field to share the love and the light of Jesus to all who would hear him. One nurse in the rehab hospital, named Sarah, was truly touched by the Lord's plead for her through my husband as he shared the gospel with her this morning.
We were able to come home today after our four day stay in the hospital. I have never been more thankful on any Thanksgiving than I am today. Life has taken on a whole new meaning for us. We now want to live even more for eternity than ever.
We never know how many days we have here on this earth. There is one thing we can never do again in heaven and that is we will never again share the gospel with a lost person. This is an opportunity we have now that we will not always have. One day this opportunity will be gone. Tomorrow you may enter eternity. What will you do with today?
We are so thankful to God for all of you, our customers and friends of Cheap Missions Trips. We are honored to serve you and to pray for each one of you.
Hallelujah!!! Praise the Lord Jesus Christ for HE is worthy to be praised no matter what we face or where we are!!!! Give Him the thanks and praise He is so due!
We still will need prayer as Kevin goes back for some testing and treatment of two masses of tissue that the doctor's found on some unrelated tests. We pray for complete healing in Jesus Name. Please keep us in your prayers. We are planning to use each opportunity we have to glorify Him in these trials.
We must through many tribulations enter the Kingdom of God. Acts 14:22.
God bless you this Thanksgiving,
Your Prayer Agent
Tabitha
www.cheapmissionstrips.com
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Fresh Oil
Today on my way home from running some errands, the Lord tenderly interrupted my heart in such a sweet way, reminding me of how much I need Him once again. I turned on the radio and a pastor was preaching about being filled with the Oil of the Holy Spirit. I was in need of this fresh Oil myself.
You see, there is a resource available to us that is supernatural. Do you remember the woman in the Old Testament who was down to her last drop of oil, but she used it in faith to bless the man of God (Elisha)? There was no possible way to produce more oil in that amount of time that the oil was being required of her. She needed a supernatural Oil that was from a Source greater than herself.
Have you been serving the Lord on the mission field or in your daily life and feel that you are at a place of burn-out? Do you feel like this woman must have felt with no oil to give to anyone else, and not even enough to give her own family?
The Oil of the Holy Spirit is what we need. We need a supernatural Oil of Strength. We need the Oil of JOY for the spirit of heaviness. We need the healing Oil of the Holy Spirit to bring healing to our deepest wounds and pain. We need fresh Oil from a Source greater than ourselves. We need to recognize how much we really NEED the Lord Jesus.
His Oil will not run out. He is not like us. His resources do not depend upon our frail and feeble resources or lack of them. In fact, when we give Him ownership of our broken vessels, He can mend them and make them vessels of honor that He can use mightily.
What do we need to do in times when we have no more Oil to keep our lights shining and lamps burning? We need to surrender ourselves once again to the Lord and humbly call upon Him to annoint us with the fresh Oil of His Holy Spirit to help us be the fire that does not stop burning, the light that does not stop shining, and the Oil that can be poured out overflowing and given to others who are dying spiritually all around us.
Lord, please annoint us afresh as we humble ourselves before you and recognize our neediness before You. Please Lord, would you fill us once again with Your Oil? We long for Your fresh annointing in this dry and thirsty land. We need You so much. Please fill us anew today. In Jesus Name, Amen.
You see, there is a resource available to us that is supernatural. Do you remember the woman in the Old Testament who was down to her last drop of oil, but she used it in faith to bless the man of God (Elisha)? There was no possible way to produce more oil in that amount of time that the oil was being required of her. She needed a supernatural Oil that was from a Source greater than herself.
Have you been serving the Lord on the mission field or in your daily life and feel that you are at a place of burn-out? Do you feel like this woman must have felt with no oil to give to anyone else, and not even enough to give her own family?
The Oil of the Holy Spirit is what we need. We need a supernatural Oil of Strength. We need the Oil of JOY for the spirit of heaviness. We need the healing Oil of the Holy Spirit to bring healing to our deepest wounds and pain. We need fresh Oil from a Source greater than ourselves. We need to recognize how much we really NEED the Lord Jesus.
His Oil will not run out. He is not like us. His resources do not depend upon our frail and feeble resources or lack of them. In fact, when we give Him ownership of our broken vessels, He can mend them and make them vessels of honor that He can use mightily.
What do we need to do in times when we have no more Oil to keep our lights shining and lamps burning? We need to surrender ourselves once again to the Lord and humbly call upon Him to annoint us with the fresh Oil of His Holy Spirit to help us be the fire that does not stop burning, the light that does not stop shining, and the Oil that can be poured out overflowing and given to others who are dying spiritually all around us.
Lord, please annoint us afresh as we humble ourselves before you and recognize our neediness before You. Please Lord, would you fill us once again with Your Oil? We long for Your fresh annointing in this dry and thirsty land. We need You so much. Please fill us anew today. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Preparing Your Heart
There are many people taking missions trips and humanitarian trips all the time. We need to constantly be aware of missions opportunities all around us as Christians. The mission field is all around us if we keep the perspective that the Lord wants us to have. Some are called to take the gospel across the ocean to far away countries, while others are called to stay closer to their home for various reasons. We are all called to preach the gospel to every creature, according to Mark 16.
The most important part of our travel is to prepare our hearts before the Lord. Keith Green wrote a song several years ago, saying "Jesus commands us to GO! It should be the exception if we stay." This is a continual encouragement to my heart.
Lately, I have been thinking about some things. I believe strongly that the Lord can use a soft heart much more than a hard book of knowledge. It is not how much we know about the Word of God, but rather, how much we obey it. Truly, there are those with more knowledge of the scriptures, but without softening our hearts in obedience to it, all the knowledge in the world is in vain.
We need to not only open up our hearts to the Word of God, but soften our hearts to it as well. Some of the things I read can seem like an offense to me if I harden my heart. When I hear a rebuke in the Word of God contrary to my lifestyle, it should be me that turns in repentance to change my path if it is going astray from the Word of God in any area.
Why do I write these things to you, dear friends? I write these things to challenge your heart towards missions in a way that is contrary to some popular theologians, college professors teaching a hard book of knowledge, and pastors who may encourage a full seminary degree before taking a step in the direction of misisons.
My challenge is this. Take the Word of God to heart. Let it rebuke you, correct you, transform you from the inside out as you soften your heart to obey it, not just to know it for the sake of an intellectual argument. A soft heart is a useful tool in the Master's hand. I encourage you to deprogram yourself from the teachings of man and seek the Lord in His Word for His sake and His glory. Just see where He will lead you as you open and soften your heart to His Word!
And Remember this: The cheapest missions trip you can ever take is right outside of your front door. It doesn't have to cost you a dime, but it will cost you your life. So, count the cost, take up your cross, and follow Jesus into the mission field today! God bless you as you obey His Word.
Your Prayer Agent,
Tabitha
http://www.cheapmissionstrips.com/
The most important part of our travel is to prepare our hearts before the Lord. Keith Green wrote a song several years ago, saying "Jesus commands us to GO! It should be the exception if we stay." This is a continual encouragement to my heart.
Lately, I have been thinking about some things. I believe strongly that the Lord can use a soft heart much more than a hard book of knowledge. It is not how much we know about the Word of God, but rather, how much we obey it. Truly, there are those with more knowledge of the scriptures, but without softening our hearts in obedience to it, all the knowledge in the world is in vain.
We need to not only open up our hearts to the Word of God, but soften our hearts to it as well. Some of the things I read can seem like an offense to me if I harden my heart. When I hear a rebuke in the Word of God contrary to my lifestyle, it should be me that turns in repentance to change my path if it is going astray from the Word of God in any area.
Why do I write these things to you, dear friends? I write these things to challenge your heart towards missions in a way that is contrary to some popular theologians, college professors teaching a hard book of knowledge, and pastors who may encourage a full seminary degree before taking a step in the direction of misisons.
My challenge is this. Take the Word of God to heart. Let it rebuke you, correct you, transform you from the inside out as you soften your heart to obey it, not just to know it for the sake of an intellectual argument. A soft heart is a useful tool in the Master's hand. I encourage you to deprogram yourself from the teachings of man and seek the Lord in His Word for His sake and His glory. Just see where He will lead you as you open and soften your heart to His Word!
And Remember this: The cheapest missions trip you can ever take is right outside of your front door. It doesn't have to cost you a dime, but it will cost you your life. So, count the cost, take up your cross, and follow Jesus into the mission field today! God bless you as you obey His Word.
Your Prayer Agent,
Tabitha
http://www.cheapmissionstrips.com/
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