Come, Holy Spirit
There is opposition at every turn. Pride, fear, and ignorance abound. I am speaking of myself, yes, but also of you. We are a people pretending to be fine, but we are not. We are a people acting as if we have all the answers, but we do not. The enemy is tearing us apart and picking us off. But, we are “fine.” We need to change, to repent, to put on the armor, to fight back. Who can save us? Who can help us? Who can lead us to freedom and victory? The Father is in Heaven. Jesus is at his right hand. We are to join them in Glory, soon. But, what about now? There is a Comforter, sent from Heaven, who is with us in our struggles. Come now, Holy Spirit. Embrace us in our time of need. Fill us, lift us up, give us the words to glorify the Father and the Son. Teach us the Gospel, the Good News, that we may share it with others.
He is of Great Mercy!
God is good, there’s no way around it. He is longsuffering, compassionate, and desires the very best for us all. I am constantly amazed at how little I do and how much I get. I am a long ways from being a “prayer warrior”; I try to stay in the Word, but there are constant distractions; I need to get up earlier, to work later, to listen more and talk less. I need a kinder, gentler heart. I need to love the unlovable and minister to the unpardonable. I want to be a man of God, yet I must confess that fear, lack of faith, and selfishness hold me back constantly. I don’t deserve to be a Christian; yet I am. Thank you, Lord. You are “gracious, slow to anger, and of great mercy” (Psalm 145:8).
Hosanna kids reaching out to orphans
Hosanna kids have decided that they wish to develop a ministry to orphans. Right now, they are researching orphanages and needs. If you know of a ministry to orphans that could use some support, please let us know.
Paying the Preacher…
We have received numerous inquiries from evangelists, concerning our call for revival. Please note, however, that the vision here is that there are people in place who are being called by God for the work here. For that reason–and not because we are cheap or discount the value of the job–we are not offering any guarantee of pay nor expenses. All we offer is lodging and a meal or so a day. It is likely that there will be gifts given, but that is not certain.
This is a purely lay-driven project that will succeed only if it is God-ordained. If so, whoever should be here, will be here. If not, we don’t want to see it happen, anyway. Please pray with us for guidance and clarity. Anyone interested in speaking at the event should provide a written or audio sample of recent sermons preached. Appalachia is a difficult place to minister, at best. It is critical that we get the right people for the job. Our proposed venue is three nights with a topic movement of: What is Revival?, How does Revival occur?, and What are the results of Revival?
Hosanna! Revival is on the way!
We put out a call for revival, here on Troublesome Creek, and have been encouraged by the confirmation and encouragement thus far received. This began as a conversation between myself and a local man of God. We agreed to pray for revival. Not long ago, though, this thought came to me: “Okay, you’ve prayed for it, now do something about it.” I took the first little step, and that led to the next. I believe that we are going to see a movement of the Holy Spirit in Appalachia this spring. Do you? Please continue to join us in prayer and praise.
Revival preacher needed.
What we really need, here on Troublesome Creek, is a good old-fashioned revival. Pray with us that a preacher be called and sent this direction. We have the space, the people, and the need. Our only lack is a Holy Spirit filled, God-annointed preacher with a heart for revival. Springtime is coming. Get ready to bloom.
Music time…
Hosanna kids recently acquired a dulcimer as an addition to their musical instruments collection. Violet is busy learning to play and is doing well. The dulcimer was made by a local craftsman, from the Kentucky Coffeetree. It joins the drums, guitar, ukeleles, keyboard, and a host of handheld music-makers in the Hosanna Kids music room. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord!
Plenty of drugs, but no recovery…
Addiction problems are more of a factor, here in Appalachia, than I expected. Even though we are in a “dry” county (no alcohol sales allowed), many of our families still suffer the effects of alcoholism. Amphetamine use is epidemic. The gaunt faces of young people who have fallen for the allure of “feeling good” stare back at me on every trip to town. What can we do to combat these horrors? I checked to see if there are groups of Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous in the area. These have been the most successful programs for getting people sobered up and showing them how to live successfully sober. I can find neither group active here. So it is that I and another teacher are meeting soon to see about getting our own group started. We have contacted Overcomer’s Outreach, a Christian ministry, for materials. Please pray for us in this regard.
