Friday, November 21, 2003
NEW DEVELOPMENTS
11-21-03
Sorry to bother you with all these messages recently.
God is answering your prayers.
Each day there are new developments.
This is a very critical season, until New Years.
I told you that OSU is huge and complex.
You are seeing chunks being added weekly.
Years from now OSU will be like AOL, Yahoo or Amazon.
It will be like the Sunday newspaper.
Most people will only use a tiny fraction.
You will have been with it as each section was added.
It will be the fruit of your prayers.
We will rejoice and thank God together.
FAITH
On Wednesday I was very discouraged.
When friends asked me how I was, I did not have my usual cheerful answer.
I prayed earnestly to the Lord Jesus.
He put me into wonderful fellowship with key believers.
God used them to speak to my heart and build up my faith.
Let me pass on simple summary of what God used in my life to bless you.
I will make FAITH LESSONS a regular part of the Tuesday Briefing.
As God uses me to build up your faith, then we all win.
A friend that has witnessed amazing answered prayers gave me the following.
Faith honors God and God honors faith.
There is an ocean of wisdom in the sentence above.
The following two sentences have rebuilt his faith repeatedly.
Nothing is impossible with God.
Nothing is impossible with those who believe God.
He also said the following.
Expect doors to be opened to do God’s will.
Do not accept discouragement,
instead turn feelings to Jesus by faith and move to the joy.
If you have brief lessons or insights about faith then let me know by email or in person.
NEW ON THE WEB SITE
Recently I added to the site links to my personal testimony, mission and sample essays.
See the bottom of the About OSU page.
I will begin to add audio to the web site during the next few days.
At first they will be just messages about OSU and my sample teachings.
Then next week I will add testimonies, interviews and Bible teachings.
I am getting to the place where I will soon feel good about promoting the web site.
I will send links to key people who can introduce me to advisors and donors.
May God prepare their hearts, minds and cash flow.
There is already more than enough text on the site to answer most questions.
The audio will help to round out the presentation and inspire where we are going.
BRIEF AND COMPLETE
My continual challenge is to BOTH write in ways that are brief and complete.
During the coming months there will be all kinds for people visiting the web site.
They will have all kinds of needs, wants and questions.
The beauty of a web site is that ALL this can be addressed day and night.
Next week I will be inviting mission pastors and business leaders to see the site.
They will see the same elephant differently.
There will be AUDIO MESSAGES STARTING NEXT WEEK.
There will be testimonies and interviews well before Christmas.
Later there will be Bible lessons and short sermons soon.
There will always be an appeal for intercessors.
Each audience sees the elephant differently.
God has given me two images that are helpful.
The OSU web site will be like a Sunday newspaper and a food court.
Hardly anyone reads every page of the Sunday newspaper.
They have favorite parts and sometimes try other attractive features.
Likewise with a food court a person gets what they want and checks out quickly.
They notice the other options but do not need to wait in line like a cafeteria.
Besides the web site that has the blueprint background I will use blogs.
I will go back and revise the blogs I began a few months ago.
I will send you a link on them and link them to the main web site.
These blogs deal with the Wish list for prayer and designated donations.
There is one that presents the vision for the next milestones plus a progress report.
There is a blog that is autobiographical.
There is a blog that has endorsements.
There is a blog with brief prayer requests.
I am thankful for ALL your prayers.
I know that sometimes I take many words to make a request.
I am continually working to use fewer words.
This is the challenge of most writers and journalists.
In the process I came up with a list of prayer requests that are super short.
They could apply to anyone.
So feel free to choose one or more for me.
Use the others for those that God puts on your heart.
Likewise if you have suggestions for this list then email me or tell me in person.
These items will be presented on this new blog http://briefrequests.blogspot.com/
John 2:49 PM
Wednesday, November 19, 2003
TUESDAY BRIEFING
11-18-03
ALL glory to God in Jesus Name!
May God reveal more about what happened on the Cross for you.
May you trust Jesus completely when you do not even trust yourself.
May you run to Jesus when feeling the least bit afraid.
Amen?
COMPLETED
1. THANKS for your prayers the Power Point slide show. There was much progress. At 11 this morning I recognized that there was not enough time to complete the 15 minute show, video tape it, copy it and get to the lunch. So I skipped the lunch and continued until 3 when I had an appointment with the professional Christian counselor. I hope to have the short video ready next Tuesday at noon.
2. There will be several videos by this time next year, God willing. One will be the short promotional one to gain interest for an appointment. Another will give the details after the appointment. And I can mail it to out of town. There will be pastors, donors and intercessors that will want to view this. Later there will be videos made for each part of OSU as it rolls out. At some point there will be DVDs so that a person can go right to a section of interest. At the end of this briefing is a like to the Power Point slides that are on line. There is no audio there YET.
3. Things are unfolding well with the professional counselor. This relationship is key to long term healing and maturity.
4. This evening I went for Theophostic prayer counseling with two wonderful men. God is using this to untangle and heal the lies associated with the painful memories from early childhood. As Jesus speaks the truth to those lies I am set free. This removes the roots of my fears around fund raising.
5. Wonderful brother gave a set of jumper cables to replace the ones that were stolen. These are greatly appreciated. Hopefully I will not need to use them on my vehicle. And maybe God will use them to jump-start someone else as part of a divine appointment.
6. This weekend my feelings were rumbling around inside, so I started to journal again. That was very useful. I need to do that more often.
7. By the grace of God I have been sending Weekly Money Report on Mondays before 2 pm. The report goes to a few trusted friends. This discipline keeps me focused.
8. Posted an essay for teachers and preachers that I have been working on for years. See the link to Sermon and Seminar Sparks below.
CURRENT
A. Work on the promotional videos both long and short.
B. Set appointments for face to face presentations.
C. Get ready to ask for funds.
UPCOMING
i. A friend has offered to replace the timing belt on the Ford Escort this weekend. Pray for that to go smoothly. Thanks again for your prayers for my transportation.
ii. Pray for the better use of time and money. May God grant wisdom about priorities. From now until the first of the year may God guide my path.
iii. Very soon I must enroll two members of the Board of Directors. I will be the third member. We will file with the state so that we can give tax deductible receipts during this end of the year fund raising drive.
iv. Knock for God to open doors with major donors and may I be ready.
v. Thankfully my health has been good. May that continue.
IMAGES
There is a famous picture of a young man sailing a large boat through a storm and Jesus is leaning over his shoulder pointing the way. THAT is an image of these days.
Here is an insight on how God has wired me. If I knew as a teen what I know now about myself and I was not called of God to ministry -- then I would set a course on becoming a naval architect. I would especially love to design submarines. The challenges of designing such interlocking systems thrills me. Many people leave land for long periods of time. Everything the need must be present. They go underwater, so it needs to be even more carefully designed than an aircraft carrier. It is like a self-contained town.
It may now surprise you that the way that I see and appreciate God the most is as the Great Designer. When I consider the ecosystems where the plants and animals interact in harmony and synergy -- I am amazed. Examples are: coral reefs, alpine meadows swamps, ocean floor, and the canopy of the rainforest. In many ways I am seeking to imitate my Heavenly Father in the ways that I design OSU. What you will witness and enjoy are many systems that interact.
RESOURCES
Here is first draft of the OSU Power Point Slide show online. This is my first time to post a Power Point show online. Kindly report troubles. http://www.osuonline.org/files/Mktg_ppt_shows/Our_Stewardship_University__OSU_.ppt
Here is a project that I have been working on for years Sermon and Seminar Sparks http://www.osuonline.org/files/Prod_Ears2Hear/OSU_Sermon_and_Seminar_Sparks.htm
Tuesday Briefing archives that go back to my 50th birthday in April of this year are here on this blog http://tuesdaybriefings.blogspot.com/
Brand new CD with the profiles of 233 nations and 16,000 people groups
http://www.ywam.org/books/countries_and_peoples.htm
Training overseas leaders free downloads like a Bible school online English, Spanish, French, Portuguese
http://www.er-coursesonline.org/courses.htm
Links to books on missions
http://www.ywam.org/books/default.htm
http://www.missionbooks.net/OrderList.asp
http://www.gospelcom.net/wclbooks/
John 12:03 AM
Monday, November 17, 2003
I need your special prayers
11-17-03
I indicated in the last Tuesday Briefing that I needed to watch the cash flow carefully.
Then last week I was low on food at home.
I went to the grocery store while I was hungry and tired.
At the checkout I put the groceries on the wrong card.
It was my mistake, another card could have worked.
This was a debit card for my checking account.
There have been service charges and there will be more.
It will be caught up when I get my paycheck on Friday 11-21.
But I did not plan for these additional NSF charges.
This serves to remind me how close I am to the edge.
I need God's grace and mercy everyday.
When I learned about the red ink, I went for a long walk to pray.
When I returned from the walk I found an unsolicited donation check in the mail.
That was a blessing and an encouragement during my dark hour.
What made it extra special is that this friend has had financial challenges.
Here I am at the threshold of the beginning of an innovative ministry.
God has been preparing me for more than 20 years for what is ahead.
Again I ask for your earnest prayers.
I need to get moving with the face-to-face fund raising.
Like the web site, it does not need to be perfect from the start.
It can improve with practice.
The internal obstacles have been getting in the way.
My fears of rejection, failure and success tried to block my movements.
The short version of the promotional video needs to get done on Tuesday.
That has been delayed for too long.
I aim to have the first one done by noon on Tuesday 11-18.
I know that God has people in the Dallas area who can give very large donations.
They know that giving is part of their ministry in the greater Body of Christ.
Before meeting with major donors I need a few things in place.
Preparations include a decent web site, an okay video and practice presentations.
I can practice presenting to friends and minor donors.
I grew up in an affluent neighborhood.
Some of my family friends were wealthy.
Often I have found that I have a quick and easy raptor with rich people.
But I need to have confidence in my presentation and that can come from practice.
Also I actually enjoy public speaking, especially when I am familiar with my material.
By this time next year I expect that I will be addressing various groups.
These will be groups like church members, intercessors and business owners.
I need your special prayers during this very difficult time.
Right now the promotional video is just an outline.
Tomorrow morning I will make a simple Power Point slide show.
I will make a video of this and copy it before the lunch.
Here is great practice to Keep It Simple.
Instead of rambling I need to make it 15 crisp minutes.
This first video will get me moving in the right direction.
The first video will lead to other videos.
These will open the doors to present to individuals and groups.
Thanksgiving is around the corner and people’s patterns change for the holiday.
May God guide me and the other people in setting the appointments.
There are some very big bills are due early in December.
May God make a way for those to be paid in full and on time.
The good news is that December is the best month for charities.
May God prepare the hearts of the givers and bring us into contact.
If you wish to give me an early Christmas gift then may I make a suggestion.
The grocery stores sell gift cards.
The stores that I normally use are Minyards, Albertson’s and Whole Foods.
Also a check would be greatly appreciated during these very lean times.
As usual, what will help the most are faith filled prayers.
God delivered me from the darkness of drug addiction and cult bondage.
Jesus has brought me a long ways since my rebirth in 1977
What you find on the web site now, God sowed into my heart back then.
The boxes on notes in my closets have a common educational theme.
Surely Jesus will not abandon me as I make this difficult transition.
I seek to bring glory to God by trusting and obeying the Lord Jesus daily.
As I abide in the True Vine I will bear good fruits.
I cannot win these spiritual battles without your prayer support.
THANKS again and again.
Jesus will generously reward you or all your service to Him.
And He will bountifully bless your walk on this pilgrim’s path.
Let us call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Let us believe when we pray.
Let us expect great things from His loving heart and mighty hand.
ALL glory to God in Jesus name.
Amen?
John 11:55 PM
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