Humbled & Desperate As We Trust In The Lord

June 3rd, 2008

What you are about to read will come as a surprise to you.  It sure caught us off guard.  We are entrusting this matter to the Lord, and going before Him in prayer and fasting with bowed hearts, and surrendered wills.  This next week we are in NEED of your fervent prayers!!!  We have dozens of prayer requests, but one major specific change that is our focus.  If you would please reply to this email to let us know you are praying for us, and with us, it would be a great encouragement to hear from you.

"A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps."

(Proverbs 16:9)

We believe God has called another family (seven people!!!!!!!) to join Take No Glory and come with us on this trip around the world.  During our time serving here on Oahu, a local Hawaiian named Boy, has been playing bass guitar with us at all our concerts.  Little did we know that the Lord was doing amazing things behind the scenes in his and his family's hearts.

Throughout the past couple of weeks the Lord has been showing Boy, and other people removed from Take No Glory, that the God is calling him and his family to leave everything behind and to step out in faith to join us.  The Lord has been confirming this specific calling through scripture, prayer and Godly counsel.  Even more than that, the Holy Spirit has directly spoken to all of us through supernatural happenings such as dreams, visions, prophesy and words of knowledge.  We can't deny they are "called".

"There are many plans in a man's heart, nevertheless the Lord's counsel-that will stand."

(Proverbs 19:21)

On Saturday night during Boy's family devotion with his wife and five kids they studied Isaiah 6:1-8 together. The verses speak of the Lord asking: "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" & the reply is: "Here am I! Send me." After the dozens of other confirmations Boy had already received from the Lord during the last week, he felt that the Lord solidified his calling to Take No Glory through these verses.

The next morning after church, Boy shared with the tnG team how the Holy Spirit spoke directly to him through that scripture in Isaiah.  After A LOT of prayer we all agreed they were part of the team and we became a family of nineteen!

Later that evening, during communion at the 6 PM church service, the pastor got up and spontaneously felt led to read Isaiah 6:1-8.  As the pastor read, all of us were in shock and awe.  Jesus, in His goodness, once again established and assured the calling when this happened.

Please, please, please pray for us!!!  We are asking God for supernatural wisdom & faith in how to proceed.  We now have 19 people that will be traveling the world together. Before this happened, we have been completely desperate for the Lord to provide for every need. Of course He has done more than provide for our needs.  Jesus has lavished His grace, favor and abundance upon us.

"For with God nothing is impossible."

(Luke 1:37)

We have NEVER asked for financial support from anyone and have not felt led to do any fundraising.  We don't have a sponsor.  We don't have extra money in the bank.  In fact, we don't currently have the provision required to take care of the expected needs of the twelve that started the trip.  Regardless, we have no doubt that Jesus can and will provide for 12, 19, or more people.  Where God guides, He will provide. 

You can only imagine how we feel.  We have gone from desperation and dependence, to a speechless surrendering of our will that can be summed up as, "Really Lord, are You sure?  OK.  Your will be done.  Please don't let us get in the way of Your perfect plan."

Please pray for the Lord's miraculous provision, just as He has been so faithful to do so far.  Our God does not change.  He has been faithful, and we trust that He will be faithful in our present and future as well.  Pray for an increase of our faith.  For we know that if the Jesus has called, then He will equip.

"The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."

(Luke 10:2)

If the Lord is raising up more and more laborers to serve with the tnG ministry, then the harvest must truly be ripe! Let's be encouraged church, and let us say "Yes!" to His calling - no matter how illogical, improbable, or impossible it may seem.

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways", says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts."

(Isaiah 55:8-9)

As far as an update on what has been happening, we are truly humbled by what the Lord is doing here in Hawaii.  There are so many praise reports!  The Lord has provided us with food, shelter, transportation, and unlimited opportunities to serve His people.  After doing well over a dozen events here on the island we have so many new friends to be praying for.  We are truly blessed by what Jesus is doing in and through these times of ministry!

A couple days ago, on Sunday, we were given the tremendous blessing to play worship for 3 services at Calvary Chapel Pearl Harbor.  Sunday reminded us of the verse that speaks of the Lord inhabiting the praises of His people.  We can testify to that verse because the Holy Spirit played through us and His presence filled the building.  God was glorified and lives were changed as His people responded.

We were humbled and encouraged by the staff at CCPH.  One woman said: "We are here to serve you, so that you will be able to effectively minister to others." We were so humbled by that statement, since it was our hearts desire to come and serve them!

So we thank you for your prayers for that event; the Lord is constantly going above and beyond all we could ever think or imagine to pray for.  We praise Jesus that others are praying for us with this verse in mind.

"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever.  Amen."

(Ephesians 3:20-21)

We love you, and are so excited about all that the Lord is doing. Thank you so much for joining with us in prayer today as we fast as a team.  Below is a few events we have planned this week here in Hawaii.  Less than two weeks and we will be in the Philippines serving in Dumaguete City!!  We have a couple dozen events already planned during the 2 weeks we will be there.  Pray the Lord will prepare us to do these one to three events each day while we are there loving the Filipino people and telling them about Jesus.

It would mean so much to hear from you.  Please reply to this email and let us know you are praying for us and with us.  It would be a great encouragement to hear from you.  Also please let us know how we can be praying for you?

Joyfully serving Jesus,

The Take No Glory Team