Pray for Sarah Palin

This evening, Sarah Palin will debate Joe Biden on national television. And, I would ask that you pray for Sarah Palin.

A dear friend of mine called me this afternoon regarding a revelation God had given him about how to pray for Sarah Palin prior to and during tonight's debate.

I'm going to share it with you as succinctly as possible and you still be able to understand it.

My friend said that God likened her situation to the story of David and Goliath.

Everyone told David that he could not defeat Goliath, but David knew that with God's help he not only could, but would defeat Goliath and the whole Philistine army.

1. Pray that Sarah Palin will be firm in her faith, go out with confidence, trusting in the Lord knowing that He will give her the victory.

Saul tried to get David to wear his armour and carry his sword, but they were too big and heavy for David.

2. Pray that Sarah Palin will not try to answer with the answers other's have given her, but to trust that God will provide the right answers and the right words for her to speak.

David went to a fresh water stream and found five smooth stones.

3. Pray that Sarah Palin will go the the Living Water which is the Holy Spirit of God and find the five points which God has for her to use tonight.

David went out against Goliath, loaded up the first stone in his sling and let it fly with all his might and it found the one spot on Goliath which was not covered - his forehead - and it knocked Goliath down and out.

4. Pray that Sarah Palin will deliver the first point with confidence and force so that it will knock Joe Biden off his feet and disarm him.

David then took the giant's own sword and cut off Goliath's head.

5. Pray that Sarah Palin will take the second point and attach with such force that it will destroy any ability for the opposition to fight back.

David then lead the charge to destroy the whole Philistine army.

6. Pray that Sarah Palin will use the other three points God will give her to open the eyes of this nation to the fact that John McCain will do the right things and lead this nation to where God desires it to be.

The last part of the revelation revealed to my friend was to:

7. Pray that Sarah Palin, as she walks off the platform tonight, will raise her hands, praise God and give Him all the glory!

I've already been praying about these 7 areas and will continue to pray until and through the debate tonight - and I hope you'll join me.

I really believe that Sarah Palin has been lifted up to be the Esther of our time - that she has been brought forward for just such a time as this!

Just as Esther lived in a foreign country where God's people were persecuted and looked down on, as Christians, we live in a country where more and more we are scoffed at, mocked and are even beginning to feel the first waves of persecution. There is no doubt we are under attach and that many in this country would like to see us destroyed, or at the very least, to see our influence destroyed.

I believe we have an opportunity to have, in Sarah Palin, an Esther in the inner court of government, to open the eyes of our leaders as to what is right and to make a way by which God's people will not be trampled on and destroyed, but lifted up and restored.

I was thrilled to see the video of her speaking before her home church. While many in the media and many in this country laughed and tried to portray her as a religious fanatic or nut, I saw a woman who is strong and unashamed in her beliefs and in her faith - and that is just the kind of person God can use in a place and time such as this.

Pray for Sarah Palin!

Love in Christ Jesus,

Jim

Why God Allows Bad Things To Happen

When I was a Pastor, and now as as Evangelist, I have often had people express their doubts about the effectiveness of prayer and, ultimately, their doubts about God, when bad things happen and God does not seem to answer their prayers.

Most often this happens when someone becomes stricken with a disease such as cancer, but it might be a financial situation or a child or other loved one who has become involved in drugs or alcohol or some other destructive and sinful lifestyle.

When we, as Christians, are faced with these kinds of tragic or crisis situations, we begin to pray in tears and with great passion and in faith and with belief that God will answer our prayers and we ask other Christians to pray with us. We pray for God to miraculously intervene in the situation and provide a resolution to the financial problem or a complete healing from the disease or that our child or loved one would change their life.

There are times when God does miraculously intervene, but there are many more times that it seems that God does not intervene - that He has not heard our prayers - or that He does not care. It is then a very short step to begin to question if God ever answers prayer or even if there is a God. We begin to ask "Why didn't God answer my prayers?" And, then we begin to even question if God has ever answered any prayer we've prayed or was it just happenstance or coincidence that seemed like an answer to prayer and the outcome would have been the same whether we prayed or not. We begin to ask, "What's the point?" And, it is not long before we become discouraged and disappointed and far too often our faith begins to fail.

Maybe you're in that kind of place right now. Maybe you've been praying and praying and it seems God is doing nothing and you are beginning to question if He hears your prayers, if He cares about you and your crisis, or even if God is even real. The fact is that all of us will be tested in this manner at one time or another. If you're not there now, you've been there or you'll be there sometime soon.

I wish I had a word for you that would remove all your doubts and restore your faith, but I don't. It is something each of us has to work through on our own. Each of us has to make the personal decision that even in those times when I can't see God working, even in those times God does not seem to hear, even in those times when it seems that God doesn't care - I'm going to keep praying and keep believing.

You see, there comes a point in faith, when the only way you can continue on is by faith. Does that make sense? We can try to figure it out logically, but, in the end, we have to continue on in faith, by faith. We can read our Bibles, we can review the miracles in answer to pray which God has previously done in our lives, but when faced with a crisis which only God can solve and He does not bring the solution we've prayed for, it is only human to question it all.

And, in that, I think we find the key. We have to stop looking at things through human eyes and stop trying to understand with human understanding and, instead, begin to see things through God's eyes.

I heard my Pastor, Dixie Pebworth, tell a mother who had for many years prayed that her son would be turn from the lifestyle he was living and, yet, he seemed only to get deeper and deeper in that lifestyle, "God is has not finished writing your son's testimony."

Another friend of mine, Jim Murphey, who was a preacher before the effects of a brain tumor caused him to have to step from the pulpit was once confronted by a man who was crying that he had prayed and prayed in belief and with great fervor that his wife would be healed from cancer and asked "Why did God let her die? Why didn't He answer my prayers? Why didn't He heal her?" And, Jim said, "Brother, God did heal your wife. She doesn't have cancer anymore. She is completely healthy and more alive then she has ever been." Jim passed away less than a year later, but we didn't have a funeral, we had a "home-going" celebration!

When we can move beyond seeing with our human eyes and begin to see with God's eyes, then we begin to see that God always answers our prayers, even when He doesn't answer with our preconceived and sometimes even selfish idea of how He should answer. When we can move beyond seeing with our human eyes and begin to see with God's eyes, we begin to realize how much He loves us and how He pours blessing into our life - even in the most tragic circumstance.

I have never seen such a great illustration of what I'm talking about then this video. Have some tissue ready, because I guarantee you will cry, but you will also see God's hand and God's blessing and God's love and God's eternal promise in what would be with human eyes the most tragic of situations.



Love in Christ Jesus,

Jim

Shall We Pray?

Stuart Shepherd, of Focus On The Family, does a weekly video commentary called Stoplight, which during this Presidential Campaign season is often political. If you are a conservative Christian, I think that you'll like his commentaries as much as I do.

His latest edition of Stoplight is titled, Pray for Rain.

Watch it and see what you think.




I don't know about you, but I think it is a pretty good idea and I'm going to join today with Stuart Shepherd and, hopefully, hundreds of thousands of other conservative Christians in praying that God will open the heavens and pour down a drenching, soaking, torrential, big time rain in Denver on August 28 just as Barrack Obama begins his acceptance speech.

Will it rain?

I don't know, but I'm going to pray, in faith, that it does, because as Caleb said when he, as a very old man, began the conquest of the promised land which had been given to him personally, a land which was mountainous and occupied by giants, "Who knows, God may be gracious!"

After all, we are not asking for God to send down fire and brimstone (although that might be appropriate), just a little rain on BO's parade!

Shall we pray?

Love in Christ Jesus,

Jim

Happy Father's Day, Dad!

The handsome gentleman above is my Dad - James King Rutherford!

On June 6th, we celebrated his 78th birthday with a dinner prepared by his wife, Eva Jo, in their home. It was wonderful to see Dad, as it always is. Even though I only live about 45 miles from Dad, I don't see him nearly enough. Each time I see Dad, I always make a mental note that I need to see him more often, but, I am, as most of us seem to be, far too busy with life, to always make the time for the things I intend to do - even when if involves someone as special as my Dad.

Last spring, Dad retired from 50+ years as an evangelist, preacher and pastor. My Dad was a great preacher - one of the very best! I had the great privilege of preaching at the service to honor him, even though both his brothers, each great preachers in their own right, were present at the service. It was truly one of the greatest honors of my life.

I am so thankful that Dad has been able to witness the changes God has brought about in my life over the years. For many years I was a prodigal son, not so much from my earthly Dad as I was from my Heavenly Father, but still there were too many years when our relationship was not as close as it should have been and I wish now it had of been.

I am so thankful to my Dad for being the kind of Dad he was. Dad was busy as a minister, but he did lots of things with me. He taught me to hunt and fish and to play golf and lots of other stuff. While Dad was sometimes not very outwardly expressive in his love for me, I never doubted that he loved me or that he was proud of me. And, Dad never gave up on me or quit praying for me all those years I was away from God and the church. Most of all, Dad was an example of a preacher who had a passion for lost souls. Dad was not only a great preacher, but he was a great soul winner! I wish I was half the one on one soul winner as my Dad!

I know that it is in large part because of the foundation of faith and knowledge of Jesus Christ, that was build in my life as a boy and young man by my Dad (and my Mom) and the example of a Christian man I saw in my Dad, that has made me the man I am today.

So - Happy Father's Day, Dad! It is my great hope that we celebrate many more!!!

Jimmie

Cardboard Testimonies

I just saw this video this morning and was struck by how much it really said.

This is actually a video on tithing and giving by making the point that church changes people's lives and so it worth supporting with your tithes and offerings.

While there is no question that people's lives can be dramatically changed by the grace, love and power of God, this video, to me, raises the question which all of us should be asking ourselves - "Are people's lives being dramatically changed though MY church?"

I believe with all my heart that the Church of Jesus Christ was intended to be a dramatic and powerful agent of change -that people lives should be dramatically different because of what they experience in and through the Church.

I also believe that many, many churches in America today are NOT the powerful agent of change which our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ intended the church to be. Far too many churches are not much more than social clubs using ritual and religion to make themselves feel like they are doing something good for themselves and society. That is why polls show over and over again that the lives (the words and actions) of people who consider themselves to be good church-going Christians are not much different than the lives of people who never go to church and have little use for spiritual things.

So - I'd ask you today to take an objective look at YOUR church and to come up with an honest answer to the question - "Is MY church really being The Church?" Is the church you attend and support making a dramatic and powerful difference in people's lives. Are souls being saved? Are people living changed lives?

If the answer is "NO." - then you either need to change your church or change churches!

If you are in Tulsa, you need to check out God's Shining Light Church at 9897 E. 11th Street, if you are looking for a church that is being The Church of Jesus Christ - a church where souls are being saved and lives dramatically changed. I can promise you this - you may not be comfortable there, but you will marvel at all that is being accomplished for the cause of Christ.

Love in Christ Jesus,

Jim

Pastor George Nowlin

I had the great privilege of meeting George Nowlin, a pastor from Duncan, Oklahoma, several weeks ago when he was a part of a "Setting Captives Free" Revival at our home church, God's Shining Light in Tulsa.

I have always loved the singing of Al Green (who is now a pastor in Memphis, TN) and George reminds me a lot of Al Green - except, as I told George, there is a very special anointing on his singing that you find in very few people.

I'm not sure this is George at his very best, and you most certainly will not be able to sense the incredible anointing and power that you would experience hearing George live, but you will be very blessed by his music.

Check it out!

George Nowlin


Love in Christ Jesus,

Jim

The Cross Within Us

This is an amazing video, which will give you a new perspective on how much, not only God cares about your life, but of how and why you were created - how special your are to God - and what a wonderful plan He must have for your life.

Love in Christ Jesus,

Jim

Katie Is Home

Well - long time no write! But - I'm going to do much better, because I have so many wonderful things to share!

First - Katie is home from China. She is safe and sound and had a wonderful time. The last full day she was with Iris and her family in Chengdu was Easter - Resurrection Sunday! It was just a God thing I am sure, but we had bought a decorative cross to hang on a wall for Iris's family and sent it as a gift, but Katie had overlooked it when she gave out gifts, so she was able to pull it out on Easter Sunday and explain that this day was not special because of Easter Bunnies, dyed eggs and candy, but because Jesus Christ rose from the dead to give to us the promise of eternal life after dying on the cross three days before to pay the price for our sin so that we might have forgiveness. I'm not sure how it all came out in translation, but please pray that the real meaning of Easter would resonate and grow in the hearts of Iris and her parents.

As you know, the area around Chengdu was hit last week by a monumental earthquake. Iris and her family and friends are all fine, but please keep the people if that area in your prayers.

Katie had just been invited to go on a Mission Trip back to Chengdu this summer. She would have gone as an Assistant Teacher for a two week intensive English course at one of the universities, but the program had to be canceled due to the earthquake. They are hoping to be able to re-schedule it over Christmas, but will plan to go next summer, in either case.

As Katie was in China, God placed a love in her heart for the Chinese people and a calling upon her life to return to China to share the Gospel. Please pray for Katie and that opportunity.

Love in Christ Jesus,

Jim

Katie & the Squatty Potty

Unless you've been to China, you've probably never experienced a public toilet like the "Squatty Potty."

The idea, which my seem obvious to you, is to place you feet along the grooved edges, squat down and holding your pants, skirt, underwear and whatever out of the way and off the ground as you take care of your business with whatever comes out going down the hole in the bottom and plopping onto the ground below. There is no water to flush, so whatever falls outside to hole just kind of stays where it falls.

While you are thinking that might not be that bad, the reality is that this must be a brand new Squatty Potty which has never been used! From what I have heard, most of the time the area you place you feet, any where you might put a hand to steady yourself and most every where else, is very, shall we say, "soiled." Also, unless you bring your own, there is most likely no toilet paper and if there is, it is a little like using a newspaper.

There are a few American style sit-down toilets in public restrooms, but these are usually only for the handicapped.

Katie has only had to use a Squatty Potty a few times. But, I think that has been a few times to many!

I was reading just a couple of days ago, that thanks to the Olympics, China has decided that they will put many more American style toilets in Beijing. I'm sure for those planning on going to China at a future date, that is great news.

To update you on the latest culinary delights Katie has tried in China.

At the wedding she attended, they served either fried or baked grub worms covered in sugar (I guess if I was eating a grub worm, covered in sugar would be best), baked bugs of various sorts (eyes, legs, wings and everything). Katie ate one worm and several bugs. She said that Iris' parents were laughing at her, because they won't even eat those. They were also served a bowl of seafood, only instead of chunks of filleted fish and maybe a peeled shrimp and a scallop or two, this was a bowl full of small fish, shrimp and numerous other sea creatures that we're cooked, but still just like they were when they were caught.

Katie went to an out-of-the-way BBQ place the other night. Now, I've been to a lot of out-of-the-way BBQ joints, because those are usually the best BBQ, but this one was, as you might imagine, a little different. It was out under a tarp and it was raining, so they had to keep poking the tarp with a long stick to keep it from filling with water. There was a large refrigerated (we assume) box that was filled with various types of meat on sticks and you would pick out what kind of meat you wanted and they'd grill it for you. Katie tried a number of different kinds of meat on a stick, including duck intestines!

Katie has eaten duck stomach, the Achilles tendon of a cow, cow tongue, calves throat (the esophagus), various animal intestines, duck (and other bird) eggs, a chicken kidney, cow lung, soft shelled turtle and much more which I've blocked from my mind. She did have Tex-Mex one night at Peter's Tex-Mex and said it was just like American Mexican food. She has had Pizza Hut and McDonalds, which she said were just like you'd find in America - except that the most popular item at McDonalds in China is fried chicken.

The grossest thing she has eaten was a little brown soft cube, which she thought was maybe some kind of tofu, but was actually coagulated duck blood - a real delicacy in China. Katie said it just about made her sick when she found out what it was and was glad she'd only eaten one instead of the whole bowl full. Me, too!

Katie said that most of the food has tasted good, but that the texture of some of of it was really unusual and sometimes pretty gross to an American.

Katie picked up her hand made, custom fitted, traditional Chinese dress - a "Qipao" (pronounced "Chee-Pow") and says it is beautiful. She will wear it to church the Sunday after Easter - the first Sunday she'll be back - and I'll get some pictures up for everyone to see. And, Katie has requested a special Sunday dinner - Dad's BBQ Brisket, Garlic Smashed Potatoes and Glazed Bacon-wrapped Green Beans. That sounds good even to me!

Katie has bought lots of gifts and souvenirs to bring home. Much of the shopping is from street vendors and haggling over the price is expected - at least to a point. Katie and Iris were shopping along a street filled with vendors and Katie saw something she wanted to buy for her sister. Iris asked Katie what she was willing to pay and apparently the merchant thought the offer was insulting and began to yell names at Iris and Katie that Iris would not interpret. That didn't deter Iris who yelled right back and Katie ended up having to pull her away! Way to go, Iris!

As I write this blog on Saturday afternoon about 4:15 p.m., Katie just has one full day (Sunday) and then Monday morning with Iris and her family and then Katie and her group will fly to Shanghai for a couple of days before arriving back home in Tulsa on Thursday night. Please pray for Katie, especially over this next 30 hours. I know that she will want this last bit of time to be special and for her to have an opportunity to somehow make her stay with Iris and her family not just a lasting impression, but an eternal impression.

More on Katie in the next few days - and many pictures upon her return!

Love in Christ Jesus,

Jim

Pictures from China

I've heard from Katie several times since the last update, but only briefly. She is, of course, still in China. It seems like she has been gone a very long time, but her trip is only half over. Katie said that she is a little homesick, but I know that will quickly pass in the next few days as the time in China draws shorter and she'll be wishing she had more time there. Katie did say the other day that it was pretty difficult not knowing the language and only being able to understand the few people there who do speak English well. How did she put it? "It's like being in a 24 hour nail salon."

Each student on the trip had to give a presentation to the student body of the High School they are visiting in Chengdu. It is supposed to be something that represents a part of American life and is of special interest to the student giving it. Katie gave her presentation on the Girl Scouts. She has been involved in scouting since she was in 1st grade and this summer, I think, will receive her Gold Award which is about a good as it gets.

I don't know how her presentation went, because I haven't really talked with her at length since then. She also helped judge an English Contest, attended a wedding and the Opera, but I'll have to update you on those when I get an update.

The good news is that we finally got some pictures! And, that is better than me writing anyway!




Iris meets Katie at the airport in Chengdu! What beautiful flowers and what two beautiful young ladies!




Iris's Mom with western jacket we sent as a gift, Katie, and Iris's Dad with the western shirt we sent for him!




Iris holding a book which Savannah picked out for her, because it is about the moon and Iris's Chinese Name "Yue" means "Moon." At the last minute before Katie left, we were trying to find some Moon Pies to send, but apparently they are not a plentiful as I imagined!




I bet you thought blue cotton candy was all American!
(Katie and three fellow students from Jenks High School)




Katie must have eaten more than her fair share based on the color of her tongue!
(Isn't she pretty even with a blue tongue!)

Katie was measured for a traditional Chinese dress (don't remember what it is called) which will be hand made and ready just before they leave Chengdu. Even in China, it was very expensive. Katie said it is red and black with gold trim. Some of the kids on the trip adopted Chinese names as did the Chinese students when they came to America, but since Katie did not have a Chinese name, the just put "Pretty Girl" on her dress order to identify her. AWWWW!




Katie in front of a temple (I think). Katie said that the temples are beautiful there, but it also breaks her heart to realize that so many millions do not know Jesus and their Savior and Lord.






I think this is the area which Katie said reminds her of the River Walk in Jenks. Shops, restaurants and entertainment built along the river. It must be a little bit of a tourist area, because it has the street name in English.




The Katie we all know and love! It says on her MySpace - "I'm a really big dork, but you'll probably love me anyway!" I'm not to sure about the dork part, but to know Katie is to love her.




We were hoping that Katie would have an influence on Iris, but I'm not sure this is quite what we had in mind!




Katie must feel right at home in Iris's home. With three beautiful women and a Dad lucky enough get to hang out with them, it is just like our house!



Is that a design on those chopsticks, or is she eating ants? Katie must be enjoying the food and adapted to using chopsticks, because she said she thought she'd gained a little weight.

Stay tuned for more updates! Keep Katie in your prayers!

Love in Christ Jesus,

Jim

Katie in China (Update)

After having not heard from Katie for several days, she finally called Saturday morning, Sunday morning and again this morning.

On their second day in Beijing, they had gone to see the Great Wall (stay tuned for the video of Katie "galloping" along the Great Wall of China!) and then on a tour of the 13 Tombs of the Ming Dynasty. On the first day, they had seen Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City Palace and Museum, the Temple of Heaven and the Lama Temple and had seen a Kung Fu performance that evening.

Katie said she was so tired after the trip to the Great Wall, that she decided she'd wait till the next day to call and she had also needed to purchase another Calling Card, which she did before leaving Beijing the next day. After lunch on Friday, the group of exchange students, flew to one of China's ancient capital cities, Xi'an and that evening saw a dinner theater performance of Tang Dynasty Song & Dance. Back at the hotel room, Katie discovered that the Calling Card she had purchased was only good in Beijing, so could not call home.

Saturday morning, she toured the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, the Museum of Terri Cotta Soldiers and the HuaQing Hot Springs and then caught an afternoon flight to Chengdu, the home of their Chinese exchange students.

The picture above is of Iris (our exchange student) and the rest of the Gao family. From the left are Mom, Grandmother, Iris and Dad.

Katie was telling me how beautiful their home was. I thought that I remembered Iris telling us that they lived in an apartment, but Katie told me that it was a very spacious (by China standards, at least) townhouse and that she even had her own room. She would find out later that they had rented the townhouse just for Katie's visit, so that she would have her own room! What gracious hosts!

We had purchased gifts for Katie to take to Iris and her family. We went mostly with a Cowboy theme, since, after all, this is Oklahoma. We sent Iris's mother a beautifully detailed tan suede jacket in a western cut with western designs. It fit her perfectly and she loved it! We sent Iris's dad very fancy, retro western shirt - black and red with black diamond shaped pearl snaps. And, we sent Iris a black cowhide messenger bag that still had the cow hair on one side and a pink "Genuine American" Levi tee shirt. We sent a crystal cowboy hat to decorate their home, as well as a cross to go on the wall. Next time you go shopping notice how difficult it is to buy anything that is not "Made in China."

Katie has, of course, eaten from interesting food! So far, she eaten a pig's ear, beef lung, frog (not legs, but a skinned body), whole shrimp (eyes and all), a whole fried fish (head, eyes and teeth) on a stick, hot soup made of wine and tofu, a cold drink of wine with watermelon and other fruit and opium balls.


Yes - Opium Balls! I don't know the details, but they had something called opium balls and when you eat them, it makes your mouth tingle and then go numb. The Chinese call them "Sustenance from the gods." Katie says she ate 5 at once - a feat matched only by one other person.

Chengdu, a city of 11.5 million people, is in Sichuan Province which is known for spicy food. It is a different kind of spicy than we think about and Katie is finding most of it to her liking. She said they had Bamboo stuffed with meat and rice and another dish which was rice and corn wrapped in leaves and that both were spicy, but not "hot" in the way we think of spicy, and they were very good. Some of the other kids were served fish eyes and I'm betting those were not so good.

In Chengdu, Katie and the other exchange students will be spending some time at the school with Iris and the other host teens attend. It is Chengdu's top high school and a great honor to be able to attend there. Katie and the others were presented with official school uniforms upon their arrival and also picture ID badges. Katie says the school grounds are beautiful. They had "American Hamburgers" prepared for their lunch. Apparently these were prepackaged and heated and Katie says they were the worst thing she has every eaten! Remember, that includes frog back and fried fish heads! When she met Iris for lunch, Iris told her that they are allowed to go off campus to eat lunch and that is what all the kids do. Apparently school cafeteria food is the same throughout the world!

Katie was one of five American students selected to judge an English Competition at the school on Friday - a great honor! (They must not have seen her current grade in English!)

Yesterday, they toured the Panda Research Center and were able to have their picture taken with a baby panda. They couldn't touch it for fear of making it sick, but, hopefully, we will have a picture of Katie with the panda to post sometime soon.

Wednesday night, they go to the Chinese Opera.

Do keep Katie in your prayers. Yesterday, she was walking across the street in a crosswalk - turned around talking - and would have been hit by a speeding cab, except one of the boys pulled her back out of the way and it missed her by inches. After experiencing traffic and driving in China, Katie has decided that her dad is not such a bad driver after all, so I'm thinking about sending Sheila on a trip to China!

The group has visited many temples, shines and other places of worship while in China and Katie says she has almost cried several times at the thought of so many millions of people who do not know the one true God and His son and our Savior and Lord, Jesus, but instead worship these gods who are not really gods at all. She was also deeply touched when their bus was detoured off the highway by a wreck and had to go through a very poverty stricken area. In fact, Katie said she had a dream that night that she was out in the country side in China delivering food and medicine to the people and preaching the Gospel. I told her it might be God beginning to reveal to her that He will someday call her back to China.

That is a thought that, on one hand, makes me very proud, but, on the other hand, makes me pretty sad, because I really do believe deep in my heart that one day way too soon God will call Katie to a far off country to use in an incredible way for His magnificent purpose! That will be so cool! But, I can't imagine how much I'll miss her!

I love you, Katie! And, am more proud of you than you could ever know!

Love in Christ Jesus,

Jim

Katie In China

I received a call this morning at 6:10 a.m. from my Daughter, Katie, to tell me that she'd arrived safely in Beijing, China!

Katie is 17 years old and a Junior at Jenks High School. In September a group of 16 High School students from Chengdu, China, came to spend about 3.5 weeks and yesterday morning at 6:08 a.m., the 16 Jenks High School hosts left Tulsa for 3.5 weeks in China, including about 10 days in the homes and school of what are now their host students.

In September, Katie was host to a beautiful, personable and very bright young lady who took the American name of Iris while she was here. Her name is actually Gao Yue. Gao is her family name and her given name is Yue, which means Moon.

This is a picture of Katie and Iris (Katie won't like that picture, because she still has her braces on) and one of our family, including Iris who we feel is a part of our family now. (That is Savannah down front, Iris on the left, then Katie, my incredible wife Sheila and yours truly on the right!)





This a quite an adventure for Katie, but Katie is quite an adventurer, so it should work out well. The group will be in Beijing for a few days seeing all the sites there (and shopping!). They will visit the Great Wall tomorrow! Then they will take a plane to Chengdu - China's 5th largest city at 11.5 million! Katie will spend the 9 or 10 days there with the Gao family and go to school with Iris. She will also see the Panda Research Center, which is in Chengdu. They will spend the last few days shopping in Shanghai and fly home from there.

Katie has felt God's call on her life to be a missionary, maybe working with the deaf and/or orphaned children and that is a part of the reason she wanted to go to China. One of Katie's High School teachers asked her to please not get arrested while she was in China for trying to smuggle in Bibles or telling people about Jesus. We have been praying, since Iris was here, that through her visit with us, the Fire Bible we sent home with her and Katie's visit there, that Iris would come to know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and I hope you'll be praying with us in that regard.

Katie said that last night they had a meal with lots of vegetables and rice, as well as some beef and pork, fish with their heads still on (eyes open and teeth showing) and some kind of intestines!!! But, she said that she really liked what she ate.

Today, they are seeing Tienanmen Square, the Forbidden City and, I believe, the Temple of Heaven and tomorrow Katie has promised to shoot some video of her skipping along the Great Wall.

Katie is a most amazing young lady - and I am so very, very proud of her - and love her very, very much! She is beautiful, very personable and has a tender heart for the Lord and for others, especially those less fortunate. I am certain that God is going to use Katie in an incredible way.

Here are a couple of recent pictures of Katie that will not only show you what a beautiful young lady she has become, but also give you a glimpse of her personality.













Please pray for me over these next few weeks, because I'm already really missing Katie. With her being 17, there are lots of days I don't see her, but it is somehow different knowing she is clear on the other side of the earth!

And, please keep Katie in your prayers over these next few weeks while she is in China, not just for her safety and that she has a good time, but that God will use her in some way to impact someone for Jesus Christ (I know that is what she wants) - and that she won't get arrested!!!!

Love in Christ Jesus,

Jim

Larry Norman

Larry Norman passed from this world and into heaven early this Sunday morning.

If you are not nearly as old as I am, that might not mean much to you - or might not mean much to you as you realize, but were it not for Larry Norman and others like him, we might have all been singing hymns in church today, instead the wonderful praise and worship music most of us were singing.

Larry Norman was a pioneer in contemporary Christian music. Larry, along with others like Phil Keaggy, Randy Stonehill, Randy Matthews, in the midst of the Jesus Movement of the early 1970s began to put Christian lyrics to rock/pop music. They endured a lot of criticism from many mainstream Christian leaders for the songs they wrote and preformed, but through that music, they reached a generation of young people with the saving message of Jesus Christ - and in the process changed Christian music forever.

Larry asked the question in one of his songs "Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music?" and he and his contemporaries set out to change that - and did they ever!



I had met Randy Matthews at Ozark Bible (now Christian) College in Joplin, Missouri in the late 1960's. Randy was in a gospel quartet, but it would not be long before he began writing Christian lyrics to rock music. I lost track of Randy for a couple of years, but heard that he was doing a concert in maybe 1971 or 1972 in Tulsa, Oklahoma with a guy named Larry Norman. What an experience that was! Randy had let his hair grow pretty long, but Larry Norman had long blond hair well past his shoulders. Both of them were doing their own songs and they were like nothing I or any one else had ever heard before. One of the songs Larry did that night was "I Wish We'd All Been Ready." Now, if you are more my daughter's age, then you may think that is a DC Talk song, but the truth is that if I had not been for the courage of Larry Norman and Randy Matthews and others like them, there might not be a DC Talk or a Steven Curtis Chapman or any of the other great Christian contemporary artists of today and we might still be singing hymns to organ accompaniment.



So on this day, even if you have never heard of Larry Norman, you ought to say a little prayer of thanks to God for Larry Norman and for the amazing way God used him in his short time here on this planet. And, when you're in church singing the wonderful contemporary songs that have taken us from just singing songs to truly praising and worshiping God with our music, every once in a while, think about Larry Norman and Randy Matthews and the other brave servants who had the vision and the courage that would launch a new era in Christian music.



See you in heaven, Larry!

(He'll be the guy with the long blond hair!)

Love in Christ Jesus,

Jim

2008 - Your Best Year Ever!

Are you hoping that 2008 is a better year for you than was 2007?

It can be, if you'll just to a few things differently.

1. Spend at least 15 minutes talking and listening to God each day.
I read that the average Christian in America spends less than 10 minutes in prayer each day, so if you spend 15 minutes, you'll be well above average. Divide the time 5 - 5 - 5. Spend the first 5 minutes praising God and thanking Him for the many ways He continually blesses your life. Spend the next 5 minutes confessing sins, seeking God's wisdom, grace and mercy. Spend the last 5 minutes being quiet, just listening for God to speak to you.

2 Spend at least 15 minutes reading God's Word each day.
If you'll spend just 15 minutes reading your Bible each day, you'll read about 3 to 4 chapters a day and you'll read through the whole Bible, the entirety of God's written word, in less than a year.

3. Get involved in a ministry.
Each one of us has been not just called to ministry, but gifted for ministry. If you're not sure what your ministry area is, then try a few different things till you find it - or take one of the "gift evaluations". For the Church to function properly, each person needs to be contributing by using their gift - their calling. You'll also find yourself being more focused on spiritual matters as you beginning laying up treasure in heaven.

4. Tithe
If you don't consistently tithe (giving 10% of your gross income to the church or in support of ministry), then you need to start. God promises that if you will bring the first 10% and the full 10% to Him (the work of the Kingdom), then He will open the windows of heaven and pour out more blessing into your life than you can imagine. But, as with all of God's promises, if you refuse to do your part (the first and full 10% of everything you make) then God cannot bless your life.

5. Live a Holy Life.
You need to decide today that in 2008, you are going to live as holy a life as it is possible for a sinner to live. If you've let some little sin creep into your life, confess it, repent of it and get rid of it today! The Bible says you cannot serve two masters. You cannot cling to those little "pet" sins that we so easily justify as not hurting anyone and expect God to bless you and use you. If you want to live up to your potential, live fully and completely for God. If you want to be the person God created you to be, then honor God in all you say and all you do, all you watch, what you wear, what you listen to, the effort you give to your job, etc. Do all as if doing it for Jesus!

Want to make 2008 your very best year ever?
So does God!

All you need to do is these few small things and God will pour blessings into your life beyond anything you can imagine!

Happy New Year!

Love in Christ Jesus,

Jim