Little by Little, by Don Cartledge, LAC Cuba Network

Don and Jacquie Cartledge, LAC Cuba Network

     

      In the devotional book, "Faith's Checkbook" by Charles Spurgeon, the November 23rd entry is titled, "Acquiring Perseverance" and he uses this text from Deuteronomy 7:22 (KJV):

"The Lord thy God will put out those nations before thee little by little."

  Spurgeon begins by saying that "we are not expected to win victories for the Lord Jesus by a single blow."  We are inclined to want to land a "knockout punch" and to win the battle in a single stroke, but the body blows we land over the duration of a 10, 12 or 15 round fight will take their toll and "little by little" win the victory.

     Sometimes we are called to simply carry on the war through years of labor, fighting with all our might, and little evidence of success.

    He continues by saying that our business in this world is "to conquer it for Jesus."   We are to be involved in pushing back evil by waging an "unceasing war with iniquity" and this is what we are to "put out."    But only God can make this happen through us: "Jehovah...will put out those nations before thee."

     And so we come to the key principle of "little by little."    God works by degrees, always from lesser to greater so that we can "learn patience, increase in faith, earnestly watch and avoid carnal security [leaning on the arm of the flesh]."

    This takes place as we "thank God for a little success and pray for more."  Spurgeon urges us to:

 "never sheathe the sword till the whole land is won for Jesus."

    We must take heart then, going on little by little, for "many littles will make a great whole."

    Let us echo and live in the light of the "law of cumulation" as expressed by basketball legend Bobby Knight, "The result of many little things is not little."

Here we stand, a veritable rock of salvation in this drifting world.

Reflection for 2018 by Dale Coad (written December 31, 2017)

Greetings from bitterly cold Pittsboro (Raleigh area) in North Carolina where the Coad-Comellas clan of 19 people celebrated Christmas and are waiting to welcome in the New Year of 2018.   As so many are doing in these closing hours of 2017, I am reflecting on where we've come from and where we are going.

In my office, I have a phrase from a speech that Winston Churchill gave that capture my attention several years ago.  I reminds me that life is in fact a series of events infused with victories, disappointments and future glory.

Addressing the House of Commons during Great Britain's bitter war with Nazi Germany after a series of defeats from Dunkirk to Singapore and one significant victory where Alexander and Montegomery turned back Rommel's force at El Alemin, Church exhorted those in attendance, 

"This is not the end, it is not even the beginning of the end, but it perhaps the end of the beginning."

Churchill's speech

As one historian observed, in all of Great Britain's wars, they always managed to win their last battle, which of course is the most significant one to win.   With Britain's victory over Rommel, everything changed in terms of the nation's sense of their past failures, present courage and their capacity to believe in their future.

They did not allow the defeats of their past rob them of their courage in the present to obscure their vision for the future.   Churchill went on to say, 

"We mean to hold our own.  I have not become the King's First Minister in order to preside over the liquidation of the British Empire....Here we are, and here we stand, a veritable rock of salvation in this drifting world..."

As you reflect on this past year 2017, I image that you've had your shared of victories, challenges and perhaps some defeats.  I encourage you to not allow the failure of the past to deprive you of your faith in the present to dim your vision for God's victories in your future.

Let's seize this moment in time to give God all the Glory in 2018.   As Paul wrote:

Philippians 3:12-14 J.B. Phillips New Testament

"I keep going on, grasping ever more firmly that purpose for which Christ grasped me.  My brothers, I do not consider myself to have fully grasped it even now.   But I do concentrate on this; I leave the past behind and with hands outstretched to whatever lies ahead I go straight for the goal--my reward the honor of being called by God in Christ."

Patti and I are indeed blessed serving Christ in the diversity of countries in the warm Caribbean.   We are honored to served with a godly and dedicated team of compassionate and passionate missionaries who give their all for the God of their calling.   Let's make 2018 a year for God's glory!

Are you radical or just impulsive?

Are you radical or just impulsive?

by Dale Coad

   We just celebrated a fantastic retreat with the theme, "Thriving in Change."   Our colleague and retreat speaker Don Exley focused on God's passionate love for us facilitating powerful encounters with Jesus.   Our extended communion service in the historic Wesleyan Chapel at Epworth was as intimate experience as I have ever had with Jesus.   Where do we go from here?

   With 20128 looming on the horizon, can we take those power encounters and incorporate radical new ideas that are pregnant with possibilities with any surety that we've heard from God?  Something may be crying out for change but is it God's mandate or our own discontentment?   How does a believer distinguish between a Divine mandate versus an impulsive need for self-validation masked by a false sense of Spiritually?

   At the retreat we establish clearly that Jesus must be at the very core of all of our changes for us to thrive.   As Colossians 1:15-17 MSG declares, 

"We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen.   We look at this Son and see God's original purpose in everything created.   For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels--everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him."

   How often do we pursue a radical change in the culture of our field only to find out the change must first take place with us?   Some of our radical ideas will be become self-validating with time while others will serve only to reveal deep needs in our walk with Jesus.   The difference between being radical for Christ versus being impulsive to meet our own needs is revealed in our walk with Jesus.

   Are we authentic in our love for Jesus?

   Does his character shine through us in our relationships with others?

   Are we moved with compassion seeing the needs for others around us as Jesus was moved?  (Matthew 9:39)

   May we be radical for Jesus in 2018 for His sake and fully discover everything that He has purposed for us this year!

Caribbean Retreat on St. Simmons Island, Epworth Retreat Center (Click on link)
https://www.dropbox.com/s/pgwkc8uwglvwxiv/Caribbean%20Retreat%202017_11%20Worship%20in%20Historic%20Chapel.mov?dl=0

Caribbean Retreat Rope Course (Click on the four links below)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/nahgxxmyadjvnue/Caribbean%20Retreat%202017_11%20Ropes%20course%20Video%201.mov?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/2qwllcfvdv87l7a/Caribbean%20Retreat%202017_11%20Ropes%20course%20video%203.mov?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/am9bjgly6ar25ds/%21%20Caribbean%20Retreat%20ROPES%20Video%204.mov?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/g87gdxrcu69c39x/%21%20Caribbean%20Retreat%20ROPES%20Video%202.mov?dl=0

God's Favorite Kid

God's Favorite Kid by David Speer

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children (Ephesians 5:1 ESV)

I grew up in a very loving home with parents who were pastors and grandparents on both sides that were church planters.   But somehow growing up, I only received that message of the first part of the verse above.   Be imitators of God.  It didn't take long to realize that I was not up to the task when I tried to live that out from the mud-puddle depth of my own efforts.   I was acting like I didn't have a Heavenly Father, essentially trying to "DIY" it (Do It Yourself).

Christians who live as spiritual orphans (those who "DIY" it) can only live out this verse in their own religious, legalistic effort.   Some of the symptoms that will be experienced by "DIY'ers" include fear, worry, doubt, burnout and feelings of insignificance, among others.   Thankfully God did not design us to live that way.

Recently I looked a little deeper into the word "beloved" or "dearly beloved," as some version say.  I discovered that in the Greek this word could also mean "favorite" (See Strong's g0027).   Have you ever thought of yourself as God's favorite kid?    Me neither!   But what would change in our outlook and daily walk with our Father if we did?

If we were to think of ourselves as God's favorite kid, it wouldn't take long to come to the realization that He is crazy about us and loves to care for us.  King David must have had a similar realization when he penned the words of Psalms 139:17 NLT 'How precious are your thoughts   about me, O God.   They cannot be numbered.' 

However, I think it's difficult for us to think along the same lines as David when we come face to face with the reality of our fallen nature, especially when combined with our American cultural tendency to "DIY" in everything.   But if we look a little earlier in Ephesians 2:8-10, God underscores the fact that we are not a "DIY" project!

What if we were to live from the wellspring of the revelation that we are God's favorite kid?   Fear would be replaced with faith.   Loneliness could be exchanged for His Presence.   Weariness would be traded for rest.   "Just another face in the crowd" would find itself "in Him."

Mourning could be turned into dancing.  Pain would be given purpose.   Doubt could be transformed into obedience.   You get the picture.   Every "promise in the book" takes on new meaning when you read it with a thorough understanding of what it means to be a "beloved" child of God!

Whatever the circumstances may be that you are facing, our prayer is that you would be encouraged and remember that as God's favorite kid, you never face it alone!