Want FAITH that can MOVE Mountains… Ask God for a NEW SKIN!

I don't know about you…but I have some mountains I'd like to see God move in my life. Mountains that revolve around spiritual battles, around victories needed for those I love, around financial struggles that need to be overcome, and around territory that needs to be claimed for God's Kingdom.

Maybe we've become luke-warm in our walk with God, maybe we aren't feeling the close connection we once knew…maybe there's a huge Goliath that stands before us. I'm sure we all have a few mountains we could name that we need God to move…

In Matthew 17:20 it says:

"And Jesus said unto them…IF ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and NOTHING shall be impossible unto you."

This verse has always intrigued and inspired me…and awhile back, I studied the significance of the mustard seed and wrote about it. (You can read that HERE! After all, there must be SOME reason God used the "mustard seed" as an illustration. He could have used an "apple seed" or a "tomato seed" or any other small tiny seed. But for some reason, He used the mustard seed.)

However, last time I was studying this verse in Matthew, I was fixated on "if only we can have just a little faith…."

Well...now I've moved on…the next verse is equally challenging and inspiring and gives a secret that I think we all might have missed before…at least I missed it.

"Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting." Matt 17:21

The context of the passage is that Jesus disciples tried to cast a demon out of a man, but they could NOT! So they brought the demon possessed man to Jesus. Jesus simply rebuked the demon and he was gone. The boy was healed. But the disciples were perplexed…after all, they'd been given power to heal and perform miracles and had already been doing so with success. So WHY couldn't they cast out this demon.

Jesus told them… they were unsuccessful because of their unbelief. This belief, this faith, that they were lacking, didn't have to be very big for there to be success…but it had to be at least as big as a grain of mustard seed. And if so, they could move mountains. NOTHING would be impossible to them. But - Jesus reminded them... This kind of faith they would ONLY acquire through prayer AND fasting!! Only then would they have the faith needed to rebuke demons...

So recently I have begun to study the topic of Biblical fasting more in depth.

To be honest, I've fasted off and on over the years…seeking to get God to cooperate with my wishes or desires! (Looking back, while I wanted His blessing, I can see that often my motives were selfish and self-centered. As if I could co-herce God to do anything by my pious activity.) Yet, God has been gracious to me…and despite my short-sightedness, He has worked in a lot of ways, and He has answered a lot of prayers. But… I've still often felt that I was coming up a bit short…something was missing! I think I know what was missing now… I was fasting for MYSELF and not for HIM!

In Isaiah 58: 6, God tells us specifically what we should be fasting for…

• To loose the bands of wickedness (There's a lot of wickedness seeking to bind up our lives…we need to be delivered from this…and we need to pray for others to be delivered as well!)
• To undue heavy burdens (How many of us carry heavy burdens… burdens that we should be giving to Christ? How many of us know people that are burdened and can't seem to keep walking the Christian walk?)
• To let the oppressed go free (How many of us are often oppressed? How many are struggling with oppression in some form… maybe depression, doubt, discouragement, despair, apathy, spiritual indifference, financial slavery and debt…If you aren't oppressed, I'm sure you know people who are! Unfortunately I know quite a few...)
• To break every yoke (God tells us, "Don't be unequally yoked!" We should be slave to no one except our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, our King! Unfortunately Satan has been quite successful at putting many yokes upon us… yokes that God did not call us to wear!)
• To deal thy bread to the hungry (Think about it, if you fasted for a bit - even from your favorite foods, you'd have more money that you could spare to feed the hungry! And believe me, there are a lot of hungry people around the world! But more then physical hunger, we need to be fasting to know how to feed the spiritual hunger in the world….is your neighbor saved, how about your family? Why aren't we fasting and praying that God will help us feed the spiritually starving in our lives????)
• To bring the poor that are cast out to thy house (It's not easy to share your space with others, but fasting can bring us into the mind of Christ so that we will WANT to share our space with others…the less fortunate we will want to serve! That's what He came to do…and we need strength to follow His example!)
• When thou seest the naked that thou cover him. (Many people are living in shame and apostasy…we aren't to gaze or make fun of their ignorance (like Ham did to his father Noah!), we are to seek to cover them (like Shem and Japheth did), to clothe them with truth. Only a converted person will seek to cloth the naked though…the unconverted only gaze and look! We need converted hearts…we need to be doers of the Word and not hearers only!)
• That thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh. (I know that sin in our lives and hearts makes us want to hide. Adam and Eve, after they ate the fruit in the garden of Eden had to hide from their own flesh and from God…they were ashamed! But we shouldn't have to do this! God wants to deliver us from this. I believe fasting will help purify - not only our bodies - but our minds to such a degree that we will not desire to hide from ourselves or others! We will have no need to…There will be NO SHAME!! Our confidence will be in Christ….) 

As I've been studying the Bible and reading some powerful books on the topic of Biblical fasting, I've already gleaned a lot of very inspirational thoughts.  Here are a few more:

In Romans 12:1 we are instructed to present our bodies to God as a living sacrifice. We are not to be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our mind, that we may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Fasting helps us be sensitive to God's Spirit, enabling us to more closely follow God's plan of "holy living" in our lives. Interestingly, Paul was fasting when God called him and gave the assignment for his life! (Acts 9:7-9) Jehoshaphat called a fast when a great army came against Israel, and God delivered. God promised a REVIVAL in Joel’s time (Joel 2)… but it would only come as a result of fasting, and of turning in repentance back to God! In God's Word it doesn't say, "if you fast," but "when you fast." It's assumed…as God's people…we WILL FAST!
In Spirit of Prophecy we are instructed: "The object of the fast which God calls upon us to keep is not to afflict the body for the sin of the soul, but to aid us in perceiving the grievous character of sin, in humbling the heart before God and receiving His pardoning grace. His command to Israel was, “Rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God.” Joel 2:13. It will avail nothing for us to do penance or to flatter ourselves that by our own works we shall merit or purchase an inheritance among the saints. When the question was asked Christ, “What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?” He answered, “This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent.” John 6:28, 29. Repentance is turning from self to Christ; and when we receive Christ so that through faith He can live His life in us, good works will be manifest.” Thoughts from the Mount of Blessings, p. 87

God wants to give us an anointing. As II Chron 7:14 says, He wants to heal our land. But if He is going to pour out new wine (a new anointing in our lives), our old wine skins need to be done away with. The Bible tells us that no one puts new wine into old wine skins. (Mark 2:22) Again, I never realized this before, but this illustration of the NEED for new wine skins follows Jesus talking about the need for His disciples to fast after He leaves them…. If we want new wine, new anointing, new life, new closeness, new intimacy with Him, then it’s time to call a fast and shed the old wine skins!

Like I said in the beginning…I have some serious MOUNTAINS in my life that I'd like to see God move…but if this is going to happen, He has shown me that I need a new wine skin so that I can be filled with a new spirit. 

"We need to be constantly filling the mind with Christ, and emptying it of selfishness and sin. When Christ came into the world, the leaders of the Jews were so permeated with Phariseeism that they could not receive his teachings. Jesus compared them to the shriveled wine skins which were not fit to receive the new wine from the vintage. He had to find new bottles into which to put thenew wine of his kingdom. This was why he turned away from the Pharisees, and chose the lowly fishermen of Galilee. Jesus was the greatest teacher the world ever knew, and he chose men whom he could educate, and who would take the words from his lips, and send them down along the line to our time. So, by his Spirit and his word, he would educate you for his work. Just as surely as you empty your mind of vanity and frivolity, the vacuum will be supplied with that which God is waiting to give you,—his Holy Spirit. Then out of the good treasure of the heart you will bring forth good things, rich gems of thought, and others will catch the words and will begin to glorify God. Then you will not have the mind centered upon self. You will not be making a show of self; you will not be acting self; but your thoughts and affections will dwell upon Christ, and you will reflect upon others that which has shone upon you from the sun of righteousness." RH March 15, 1892, par. 4

Do you feel this need… to adequately reflect the sun of righteousness?

As we face this New Year … I want to challenge all of us to seek the Lord like never before…not just on our knees… but with our whole hearts…sacrificing whatever holds us captive…whether our appetite, our media diet, our mediocrity, our spiritual laziness, or anything else… That He may remove the old skins and give us new so that His Spirit can be poured out upon us! 

Then… we will have the faith to take on mountains….and NOTHING will be impossible!!!! Then our God will be glorified in and thru our lives!!!

The Angel's brought me safely home...

Well… it's official!! I've moved back to the Ozarks… the place of my upbringing! Haven't lived in this part of the country since I was 15yrs old, so it's been awhile. But I'm excited to be back near my family for awhile. 

I have to share a personal testimony about my trip home:

When I left Portland OR, my car was the most HEAVILY LOADED I think I have ever packed it. (You have to keep in mind that I've lived on the West Coast for almost 5 years now… and haven't had my car back here since 2006!) So Kim and I prayed for the Angels to go with me and bring me back safely and help me NOT have any mechanical problems. My car has been struggling lately…so this was a real prayer of faith!! In fact, I prayed that God would send EXTRA angels…

It was snowing when I went through the Columbia River Gorge getting out of Portland, and there were already several accidents on the road. The next day with the freezing rain and temperatures, it would have been much MUCH more difficult to get through. So I praise God that I was able to leave on the day that I did. (I left two days early as I got called off work that final week!) I got to Oklahoma, no problems after driving for 32 straight hours. Yep - I didn't stop to sleep or anything, but I kept driving until I got to Oklahoma! It was insane, I know, but God blessed. Then I traveled on to my parents ….. no problems…. five hours more. I stopped and started multiple times the entire trip with no problems!!! (In the picture below, you can see how packed in the car I was when I arrived at my folks place! My mom asked me to stop and get groceries before driving up the mountain, but I had NO WHERE to put groceries except in my lap and under my legs. Again not the smartest move probably, but anyway….)

After being at my parent's place for one night, I went to move my car over closer to the house to unload my stuff. Well, my car would barely start, but it did….finally. We moved all my stuff out… got the last stuff out a day or so later!!! And we went to move the car again, but this time, it would NOT MOVE and would NOT start. My dad charged the battery, and it still wouldn't start. He then did a test on the battery and he said it was completely depleted. Like 10% still there. He opened it up and it was all dry!!! He said, "Melody - I have no idea how you have been driving or got home with this battery…. it's no good. And this isn't something that goes bad over night. This battery has been bad for awhile. It's a miracle you got home with it!" 

He had to put a new battery in the car to move it… even charging it up wouldn't work. Isn't that amazing… God brought me safely home!!! I told him that the car knows it is home and it can die now! ;-) But in reality I know that God performed a miracle….just as I asked for, and that He sent His angels, EXTRA angels to get me to my parent's place safely!!! ;-)

Now - I've been back here in the Ozark country almost three weeks. I've finally gotten moved into my very own private ARME office, complete with electricity and Internet (I'll post pictures soon), and I'm starting to get caught up on the stack of letters and e-mails and ARME business that I need to attend to. Since I've been back, I've been sick with the worst stomach flu I've had in years, I've barely salvaged my younger brother from dying from Pneumonia (no joke - he got pretty sick!). I watched my older brother bury his beloved dog, a faithful part of our family for over 7 years, that was sick with heart failure. Even my dad cried! (Had to put my own dog to sleep 2 weeks earlier!) I've already gone to a ARME speaking appointment in Tulsa, OK and had a powerful time of prayer with new friends. I've witnessed our first snow for the season. I've talked with loved ones in Africa and Romania, and now am getting ready to leave for GYC where we will be holding another prayer meeting room for 4,000+ attendees coming to Houston's conference.  Although my life still feels completely upside down…and I still don't know where everything is that I packed, I sense an order beginning to arise from the chaos. And one thing I know for sure…God is with me. His angels are by my side, protecting me and keeping me safe! Although the icy winds may come, although the storms may blow…He is with me…and I am so very grateful and so very blessed!! And I'm thankful to be back home…home in the Ozark mountains!

ARME Bible Camp Commanders make a landing on the North Shore of Oahu...

…The Result was Revival and Reformation for the local Soldiers!

“Every man and woman who has enlisted in Christ’s army is a soldier…” Christian Service, p. 35

“How many of you came for a spiritual retreat?” Calvin Kim, ARME’s Vice President of Operations, asked on ARME’s opening night at Camp Mokule’ia. Many raised their hands. “Well you might be at the wrong place then! We are in God’s army and we are at war. We can’t take time for a retreat, but we are here to advance.” Many chuckled as they nodded their heads in agreement. And that’s just what ARME sought to do during the following Nov 2-6 camp that ministered to all age groups.

ARME, which stands for “Adventist Revival Movement for the Endtime,” was founded to give God’s people a renewed passion and love for the Word and for Prayer. Each morning at Camp Mokule’ia, the program began with about 45 minutes of united prayer as people joined together in praising God, humbling their hearts, and pleading for the Holy Spirit. Then, after a powerful devotional on the power of prayer, attendees headed for a scrumptious breakfast in the dining hall. After breakfast, the main Bible study Workshop began, hosted by Pastor Myers, the founder and president of ARME. During this time Myers led the group step by step in basic principles of Bible study, and showed them how to see Christ throughout the stories of scripture. At different points during the morning, they divided up for small group study, and then the attendees came back together to share what they had learned. There was much excitement and enthusiasm, by both the adults and youth, as they began to see the greater depth that is possible in Bible study, and many were competing for the microphone to share what they had learned.

 At the same time, ARME’s Heir Force Children’s program was underway, arming the younger soldiers with similar weapons for war – a love for the Word, for prayer, and principles in godly discipleship.

 While the adults continued on with Bible Study training in the afternoon, the youth and teens had their own special program. Then everyone joined together for the evening service of inspiration and worship. This was the general pattern followed throughout the four-day camp.

A unique part of ARME Hawaii was the all-encompassing spirit of prayer. Not only did they start the day with prayer, but they had a prayer meeting going all day long. During this prayer meeting, people joined together throughout the 4 days praying for the Bible study trainers which included: Myers, Taj Pacleb & Kaela Thompson (both native evangelist to the islands) as well as for speakers Martin Kim and Doug Batchelor. They also prayed unitedly for the salvation of struggling loved ones, and for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and for revival.

 Friday night, over 200 people took part in a all-night prayer meeting. Over the night, there was group prayer as well as time for individual prayer. The men and woman also divided several times, and there was time for specific intercession for individuals that were heavily burdened. Around 1am, Myers led a powerful Bible study, and then prayers of worship and praise continued. Many answered prayers were experienced during this time of united prayer; answers that included deliverance from addictions, from bitterness, from estrangement with loved ones, and most importantly, answers that included a renewed passion and love for God and for His Word. While many got no sleep that night, they reported the next day feeling a renewed energy and physical strength – something that was obviously a miracle from God.

One attendee, a backslidden SDA, who came just because one of his friends was a volunteer, told the ARME staff, “I have never experienced something like ARME in my whole life! This camp has renewed my faith in the Adventist church and my love for the Adventist message!”

Another young mother, Teri Salvador, who’d been looking forward to ARME being in Hawaii for months wrote, “It’s a huge commute for us as we’ll be driving from the south side of the Island, but we would swim there if we had to, just to get to be there.” Later, very impacted, she talked to the ARME staff: “How can I volunteer and be part of this ministry? I’ll do anything…”

Conference President Ralph Watts, who attended with his wife on Sabbath, later stated, “ARME is probably the closest thing Hawaii islander’s have seen to a real old-fashion camp meeting for many years! The tent was full on Sabbath, and many have shared with me how much they learned and experienced.” The ARME staff had prepared for about 300 attendees, but by the weekend there were between 500-600 present. Many churches on the island closed their services so that their congregations could attend ARME. The place was packed, and everyone was praising God for His blessing!   

One of the highlights of the packed weekend, which contained many powerful messages, was ARME’s authentic mock trial, where the soldiers-in-training had opportunity to practice defending their faith from the Bible. In the Great Controversy, God’s people are told that in the future they will have to stand on the Bible alone, so ARME focused throughout the camp on making this practical and real. The mock trial hit home to many as they realized how unprepared they really were.

Sabbath ended with good old “ARME Family Time,” as they called it; a time for testimonies and sharing. The Heir Force shared what they’d learned during the week, and many people came forward with tears in their eyes, sharing how ARME had changed their lives.

Sunday morning, after more prayer and a powerful consecration service, Pastor Eric Alindogan, from the sponsoring Waianae church, closed the service by asking the Elders to circle the ARME team and pray over them. Then, with gusto, everyone sang, “Jesus is Coming Soon,” ARME’s theme song, one more time.  There was hardly a dry eye.

It was time for the ARME soldiers to separate and head for their various posts of duty. However, equipped with new tools for Bible study and empowered by the Holy Spirit through much prayer, everyone said goodbye knowing that they will be together again soon – if not in Hawaii, in the Heavenly General’s paradise above.

The parting command: “Forward soldiers, march forward on your knees!”

[Author's endnotes: And so ended ARME Bible Camp 7! For pictures visit this link: ARME HAWAII PICS. Portions of this "news style article" will be featured in the upcoming Pacific Union Recorder, so if you read this again, don't be surprised! ;-) ARME Bible Camp number 8 is coming up in January 2012, so get registered if you want to come, or visit: www.armebiblecamp.com for more details!]

God's Miracle Dolphins…a fortaste of more miracles to come!

Our first morning on the island of Oahu Hawaii dawned bright and beautiful… the birds were singing sweetly in the trees, and I could smell the scent of the flowers outside our window. It was truly like waking up in paradise! It was the end of October (just a few weeks ago), and autumn's rainy season had already started to hit our own Portland Oregon. But in Hawaii, where we now were, of course, it was vibrant summer. 

Kim and I had gone over a day earlier than our ARME teammates so we could enjoy a little sunshine and quietness to ourselves before the crew arrived and we had to start setting up our ARME Bible Camp. I had no specific agenda items for the day, but had just gotten out of the shower and was dreaming about resting in the sunshine when Kim got off a phone call and excitedly asked me… "So, do you want to go swimming with Dolphins today????" This question wasn't a complete surprise, for we had talked about the possibility at one point long before we arrived in Hawaii. But I, naive of how the ocean world works and petrified of accidentally meeting a shark in the shallow paradise waters, had told Kim previously I wasn't really that interested in going swimming or snorkeling. So she'd not mentioned the idea again, and thus we'd made no reservations. Now the idea surfaced again, as she'd done some last minute calling and discovered a tour that only had 10 people booked and since it was last minute, we would get a BIG discount if we decided to go. I could tell she was very excited, and I didn't want to disappoint her, so I agreed. "Ok…I'll go! But we better not see any sharks!" (Looking back I have to laugh, but you have to understand this Ozark girl has NEVER done more then stick her toes in the Ocean before this trip, so this was really outside my comfort zone!) 

So, since we were booking for the Dolphin Excursion tour at the last minute, we had to hurry. It started in about an hour and a half. (So much for a day of laid back relaxation in the sun!) Off we rushed, trying to get to the harbor (which happened to be on the opposite side of the island) where we'd launch out into the deep looking for dolphins.



We got there in time…although we got lost a few times along the way as the signs weren't very good. I wasn't impressed and only wondered what the trip would have in store. Once we got with the team and got on our boat we headed off. The tour guide gave us our snorkels and fins and began to talk to us about dolphins. But he told us, as if trying to prepare us for dissappointment… "The only group of dolphins we know about are headed South right now and we aren't sure if we can catch up with them. But we'll do our best. If we don't see any dolphins though, remember you can come again on another excursion for FREE!" I laughed to myself… "Once is enough…just the fact that I'm out here is a miracle. If we don't see dolphins, maybe that will be good because I wont have to get in the water. And I'm not coming back. I'll have to wait for Heaven before I try again!"

However, my dear friend Kim was not to be discouraged. "Melody…" she whispered. "Let's pray! God knows where those dolphins are, and He created them for us to enjoy! Let's pray that we can find them." And so Kim prayed.

Not long after, out of the blue, we came upon an unexpected pod of dolphins, swimming gracefully along the coast line. The tour guide was ecstatic! "I don't know where these dolphins came from, but this is great! Get your gear on guys. Now is the time to get in!"

Excitedly and nervously I put on my fins and snorkel. "How do you use this thing?" I asked someone.  They looked at me in surprise. "You never snorkeled before?" "Nope!" I replied. With some simple instructions, I and my companions jumped into the clear blue waters. The dolphins were right below us, beside us, and all around us. I couldn't believe it…. it was amazing! Back and forth they swam, sometimes so close to us that you could have reached out and touched them if you tried. We must have been in the water with them for 45 minutes or more. The time seemed to go in slow motion as we swam alongside the pod. Our tour guide also happened to be a professional underwater photographer, so he took amazing photos for us. (As seen here!)

In the picture above, you can see Kim and I at the bottom corner. While she gazes in wonder, I'm frantically trying to take pictures with my underwater camera! ;-)

See how CLOSE they were at times to us! I could have reached out and touched them...

I love this picture of one of our comrades. It looks like he's almost going to pet the dolphins!

Here we all are again below… and this time, I think it is Kim that is trying to take the pictures. As you can see… they were sooo beautiful!

Finally when we pulled ourselves from the water… breathless and happy, Kim and I looked at each other with big smiles on our faces. The tour guide was shaking his head. As the boat turned around and headed up the coast to see the turtles, our guide told us, "This is probably the 5th best Dolphin sighting we've ever had. And we do tours every day with people!"

Kim was radiant! "God brought us those Dolphins Mel! They were His gift to us! He made them for us to enjoy!" I could only nod my head in agreement and wonder… God had worked a miracle for us. But why wouldn't He? He tells us in His Word that when we delight ourselves in Him, He will give us the desires of our heart.

The joy of the excursion wasn't over, however. Not long and the boat stopped along another beautiful shore line, and we were told to get back in the water to see the turtles. And turtles we did see! Once again I was amazed and awestruck at the beauty and grandeur of the underwater world.

Once again, here is Kim and me (in picture above). While she tries to avoid crashing into Mr. Tortoise, I'm trying to take pictures!

"Truly…HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD!!!!"

And this was only a foretaste of what was to come during our time in Hawaii… not just in the enjoyment of the beauty of God's creation, but in the "fishes of men" that He would bring us at our 7th ARME Bible Camp where many more hearts were revived and many more decisions were made for God's Kingdom…decisions that mean we, along with many more, will get to spend all eternity in paradise!

So stay tuned… the best is yet to come! 

England's ARME!!

Need I say any more?? :-)

Press Together, Press Together...

I've been reading through the book of Acts and reflecting on the life of Paul. His life, his wisdom, the miracles God worked through him, and the way he dealt with the believers is profound on so many levels. It's amazing how God could take a man that once hated and persecuted Christians (even put them to death), and turn him into someone that was so loving and such a powerful soul-winner, and that when threatened with death, was able to remain calm and steadfast for God's truth! Truly Paul's life exemplifies II Cor 5:17

"If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are past away. Behold all things are become new."

Can you imagine the opportunity to work along side such a man of God? What a privilege! Many disciples must have coveted this position. Yet Barnabas is the one that had this privilege, at least for awhile.

But then something sad happened. Barnabas, his traveling companion, wanted to do something that Paul didn't feel was wise. (You can read about it in Acts 15:36-41.) Barnabus wanted to bring with them John Mark, but John Mark evidently had not been walking in the way or doing the work. Thus, Paul in his wisdom did not think this was best. In fact, judging on his reaction, he must have felt that it would actually be a hindrance to their work. There was such contention between them over this matter that they separated. At first we might think, "Well, maybe Paul was a little too harsh with Barnabas over the matter. Maybe he didn't make the wise choice there to say no, because he lost Barnabas as a traveling companion after that." However, as you read on through the Bible, it's obvious that God continued to walk with Paul and work through him in a mighty way. In fact, after their separation, the experiences, miracles, and testimony of Paul and his traveling companions go on and on. Paul is mentioned over 100 times in the Bible after they separated. Obviously, God was with Him and in a very big way. But what happened to Barnabas? Well, he's mentioned only 5 times in the entire Bible after this separation, and a couple of those times are not even in a positive reference…it sounds like he got caught up in the "dissimulation" (or hypocrisy) of the Jews and was carried away. What a sad way to end his work for God.

As we prepare for Christ's soon coming, I'm reminded of how important it is that we PRESS TOGETHER, and STAY TOGETHER! Working with the ARME Bible Camp ministries team has become one of my greatest joys, and I have come to love my teammates dearly. However, sometimes, as we are in such close quarters, and we work and travel so much together, there can be small misunderstandings or rifts that can develop. By God's grace, we've always worked these things out. So I am so thankful for that, and that although I have faults, and we all have areas of weakness, because of our unity with Christ, we can continue to work through the details of life and ministry together. I pray that we never loose this ability.

My dearest friend Kim, just sent me a reminder of what our attitude should and should NOT be towards our brother's in Christ as we work for Him, and I wanted to share that here, especially as we are preparing for another big camp. This passage of inspiration comes from the book, Testimonies for the Church, Volume 6, page 42. 

"The success of the meeting depends on the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. For the outpouring of the Spirit every lover of the cause of truth should pray. And as far as lies in our power, we are to remove every hindrance to His working. The Spirit can never be poured out while variance and bitterness toward one another are cherished by the members of the church. Envy, jealousy, evil surmising, and evilspeaking are of Satan, and they effectually bar the way against the Holy Spirit’s working. Nothing else in this world is so dear to God as His church. Nothing is guarded by Him with such jealous care. Nothing so offends God as an act that injures the influence of those who are doing His service. He will call to account all who aid Satan in his work of criticizing and discouraging.

Those who are destitute of sympathy, tenderness, and love cannot do Christ’s work. Before the prophecy can be fulfilled, The weak shall be 'as David,' and the house of David 'as the angel of the Lord' (Zechariah 12:8), the children of God must put away every thought of suspicion in regard to their brethren. Heart must beat in unison with heart. Christian benevolence and brotherly love must be far more abundantly shown. The words are ringing in my ears: 'Draw together, draw together.' The solemn, sacred truth for this time is to unify the people of God. The desire for pre-eminence must die. One subject of emulation must swallow up all others—who will most nearly resemble Christ in character? who will most entirely hide self in Jesus?

“Herein is My Father glorified,” Christ says, “that ye bear much fruit.” John 15:8. If there was ever a place where the believers should bear much fruit, it is at our camp meetings. At these meetings our acts, our words, our spirit, are marked, and our influence is as far-reaching as eternity."

Isn't that powerful?

So my prayer for all of us, whether working in ministry, attending an ARME Bible Camp, or working to support and spread the gospel on any scale, let us not allow misunderstanding or dispute to come up between us. Let us, at all cost to self, press together and seek to be unified in Christ, that we, as Paul, can carry on with many more amazing testimonies of God's glory and God's work in our lives!