“How long, O Lord?” ....

 is a familiar cry to those who experience suffering and despair. In my own experience this question can be asked in both steadfast faith-filled hope and in faithless unbelief. I’ve asked it in both ways in the same hour....even same minute.

Trials teach hard lessons, as Charles Spurgeon said: “I have learned to kiss the wave that throws me against the Rock of Ages.”

And sometimes you get seasick when you’re learning to “kiss the wave.”

Kissing the Wave?

But what can Spurgeon mean, "to learn to kiss the wave?"

One thing he cannot mean is to call evil good. God’s word forbids us to do such a thing: “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil” (Isaiah 5:20). After he revealed his true identity to his brothers who had sold him into slavery, Joseph said, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today” (Genesis 50:20).

 Despite all of his hardship, Joseph was encouraged because he knew God was sovereign over his past, and he saw some of the good work God had already done through his trials.  Does not the very word "trial"....begin with.... "try"?  Then what would cause one to think otherwise?

Hindsight is 20/20, though, right? Where do we find comfort when we’re in the thick of trials in which we can’t see any good (at least not yet)? I think the answer to this question is also in Joseph’s story.

Joseph’s Story

There’s a common thread that runs through each account of Joseph’s ordeals from his being sold into Egypt as a slave to being wrongly incarcerated.

“And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him” (Acts 7:9).

“The Lᴏʀᴅ was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master” (Genesis 39:2).

“His master saw that the Lᴏʀᴅ was with him and that the Lᴏʀᴅ caused all that he did to succeed in his hands” (Genesis 39:3).

“But the Lᴏʀᴅ was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison” (Genesis 39:21).

“The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph’s charge, because the Lᴏʀᴅ was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed” (Genesis 39:23).

There’s no doubt about it — the Lᴏʀᴅ was with Joseph. He was with Joseph in the pit. He was with Joseph in the house where he worked as a slave. He was with Joseph in jail. He was with Joseph in the court of Pharaoh. He was with Joseph in the most dramatic confrontation of his entire life. The waves kept throwing Joseph against the Rock of Ages.

God’s Nearness

I don’t think Spurgeon’s comment came from a sarcastic “Pucker up, Waves, gimme a kiss!” perspective, but one of humble sobriety and childlike faith in KNOWING, God, who works all things for our good. Whenever we encourage one another in our home with “kiss the wave,” the words are often spoken into a tearful conversation as a lump rises in our throats and our hearts feels like they are being squeezed in a vice.

The mere nearness of God.... is our good.  And the trials we endure in this fallen world, perhaps more than most other things, have a tendency to awaken us to this truth. We remember Jesus, who is called Immanuel, “God with us”, and the cross he bore for My sake..... for our sake. Can the waves of trials then drown us if we have a Substitute who endured the greatest trial in our place?

We can “learn to kiss the wave” because Christ is near to us and supreme over all things. He died and rose again to vanquish evil forever. Christ is to us, wisdom from God, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30). You can’t get much nearer than that!

When there’s nothing in heaven or on earth or under the earth that can separate you from Christ’s love, waves of trials can only throw you onto the Rock of Ages. Resting on that Rock is where I’d like to be and stay forever, and may the Lord bless the means he uses to remind me of that....KNOWING.....He WILL GIVE me....the GRACE to GO THROUGH!

      ♪♫♩ ♪ Rock of Ages cleft for me....let me hide myself in Thee! ♩ ♪ ♫ ♬

Our Ben-Jammin' ~ Jammin' On The Drums

He had no idea I was "secretly" videoing him. The 3 of us had been setting up the church, for the last night of Kids Crusade. After praying.... his dad put in some worship music....& Benjamin got on the drums, behind the puppet stage. You wouldn't know it...UNLESS....you had been around him for the past 2 weeks..... but he's been in & out of doctor's offices....the hospital.....& labs....because he has been SO VERY ILL! This sickness....STILL DIDN'T STOP..... the DESIRE....that the Lord has placed in his heart: to PLAY THE DRUMS FOR HIM! I LOVE this drummer boy of ours!!

We realize, it's the enemy that was trying to hinder what the Lord wanted to do in the hearts of lives of these boys & girls....& even parents..... who were coming out to crusade.  The enemy desires to keep hearts BOUND in a life of sin.....& he begins when they are very young.
BUT THE LORD HELPED US PURPOSE & PRESS THROUGH!!He IS .....FAITHFUL!

"Life Is But A Vapor"

My mind has reflected lately, perhaps due to the physical life-struggles my father-in-law has been having, concerning just HOW FRAGILE and PRECIOUS our life is! LIFE. Here one moment, gone the next. We may 'hold' many things in our hands: the way we cook, clean our homes, take care of our vehicles & belongings, how we care for our animals, when or how we choose to deposit our money into the bank. BUT, just as we cannot control whether the sun shines bright, or the sky cries tears of rain....another MOST IMPORTANT & CRITICAL 'thing' we can't....nor will ever control, change or "hold" in OUR hands....is ....OUR LIFE. We have NO GUARANTEE on our life.....we CANNOT CONTROL on breath. Only Jesus can & does! Not a "life support" machine, medications, doctors......no one....but Christ! So knowing we have no control over the 'passing moments' of our life....WHY WOULD WE WASTE IT? Why not serve Christ....WHOLE-HEARTEDLY? Knowing I may be "gone from THIS life"....at any given moment....& "WAKING UP IN ETERNITY".... is a mind-provoking thought! There is but ONE ETERNITY! But eternity has "2 lands".... ETERNAL LIFE....or.....ETERNAL DEATH. Eternal life will be for those who have committed all to Christ....follows Him NOW, WITHOUT RESERVATION.... who lives, not unto ones-self....but unto Him...."who has called us unto His glorious light". Eternal death however...is quite the contrary! This will be for those who HAVE CHOSEN IN THEMSELVES - FREELY CHOSEN - to live THIS LIFE....with & by....their OWN SELFISH PLEASURES & DESIRES. I'm thankful, He beckoned for me....to "come follow after me"....for as I do - daily - ....in that moment, when my 'time' comes....I will, by the faith & grace of Christ, hear those words...."well done, thou good & faithful servant, ENTER IN to the joys of the Lord". SO WHAT ABOUT YOU?! He is beckoning NOW.... "surrender all"! Allow Him to BE...the LORD OF YOUR LIFE! So that when it is YOUR TIME....you too will hear those words....so many WANT to hear....but may never! DON'T WAIT....you're not promised tomorrow....the next step....not even....THE NEXT BREATH! DON'T WAIT...& hear those dreaded words...."DEPART FROM ME ye worker of iniquity"! So in closing, To My Pops ~ we are unsure just how much more "time" you have.....but I'm thankful to know.....that when you're breath is finished.....you will hear those words - "WELL DONE"! We love you NOW.....& FOREVER!

Transformed Lives!

After having been adivsed by the embassy in Jamaica, to "return to the US until things settle down" - violence had broken out over the island due to the US trying to extradite a Jamaican, "Dudus", aka: the world's most dangerous drug kingpin - & so it was very dangerous for Americans living on the island. We were out of the country for nearly 1 year to day, before we were able to return.
We felt 'all was well' & returned to Jamaica on June 2, 2011. Though a tropical depression hovered over the island the entire 2 weeks....we were still able to preach a crusade! The did great things! And we are very thankful for that!

Then, during Dec. 2-15, 2011, we returned again with a "Team USA Missions Group" - there were 12 of us in all: Evangelist Ron Jarman, Pastor Glen Mead, Evangelist Justin Sullivan, T.J. McLain, Derek Conway, Sissy Arnold, Rachel Craig, Rebekah Craig, Haylee Nance & The Torbert Trio. Words cannot convey all of the miracles that the Lord performed during that time!
We were able to hold a tent Crusade in Treasure Beach, Jamaica. 19 persons were truly Born Again! Miracle after miracle took place under that tent!
We were also able to go into school each day & hold a 'devotion crusade' with puppets. We then went to New Hope Children's orphanage & had a puppet show there & brought 4 luggages filled with food items. As soon as we opened one of the luggage, the director gasped....."BEANS!" She reached in right then, grabbed 2 bags of beans & carried them to the workers, to prepare for the children! The Lord DOES KNOW of our needs!
We also ran our Operation Give-A-Way, in Salmon Town. We fed that entire village-community, did a puppet crusade & then passed out gifts to children & adults!
Over all, we were able to give out some 500 gifts to chilren & adults! We give the Lord praise for this!! And A HUGE THANKS to all of those in the US who continues to help us....make our Operation Give-A-Way each year.....HAPPEN! We could not do it without you!!
We look forward, should the Lord tarry His coming, to going back in May 2012 & holding our School of Christ & also placing up a tent in Mandeville, holding another Crusade.....reaching souls for the Kingdom.....while there's still time!

Caught, In the "Heat of the Battle" - May 2010

The month of May was both trying & rewarding. Rewarding, because of the many souls we were privileged to see come to Christ. May is Children’s Month on the island & many doors were opened unto us. We took 2 diffrent 'Team USA' Mission Groups & went into these open doors, sharing the Gospel through means of puppets, skits & preaching. Children & adults in schools, orphanages, children's homes, village-communities, churches & those on the streets will 'never be the same again'! We trust the Lord for His saving, working power, to continue this great work HE has begun!
May was also very trying, in the event, that due to the extradition of “the world’s most dangerous drug & weapons kingpin” (by the US DEA & DOJ), Americans were highly advised by the US Embassy in Jamaica, to return to the US for safety reasons, as the Prime Minister called for a State of Emergency. He noted that it seemed Jamaica was facing its own ”Urban Guerilla Warfare”. We were praying & knew that many from the US were praying for our safety as well.
The Jamaican Gleaner headlines read: “Dudus - The Man Who Holds A Nation Hostage” & as things ‘heated up’ it quickly became ever clear to us, how we were very much in danger, for our lives. As murders & shooting came ‘close to home’ & then with gang members trying to ram our own vehicle, we took the Embassy’s advise & returned to the US on May 29th. Our missions in "Reaching Jamaica 4 Jesus" will continue, only, from the US borders.
Please continue to pray for our native pastor’s & friends who are still facing this violent crisis! Please remember all of our missionaries & their children who are continually in harms way!