Anytime you don’t know the value of a thing, you cheapen it. (Watch "Ladies, what are you worth?")
A few years ago, Sandy and I attended a missions conference in Fresno, CA. After dinner one night, a handful of us visited a local mall. While the ladies went shopping, Elaine (fellow missionary) and I sat on a bench, just outside the stores, and watched people go by. Soon afterwards, a thirty-eight-year-old woman named Natalie sat next to us and we struck a conversation.
Natalie shared that about eighteen months ago, she had just attempted suicide by drug overdose. The EMT’s found her and began to transport her to the hospital. While in the back of the ambulance, heading down the mountain, Natalie said God showed up and she encountered Christ is a deep, personal way. God spoke plainly to Natalie and revealed to her the identity He gave her, not the one she’d settled for. This revelation immediately and completely replaced the substandard identity that she had formed without God.
Natalie went on to describe her life before Christ — physically and sxxually abused as a child, heavy into drugs and alcohol as a teen, explored lssbianism, she lost her 4 ½ month-old baby due to acid reflux, the unexpected death of her younger brother, etc. I prayed for her on the spot. In front of passers-by, I prayed against ungodly beliefs and ungodly covenants, and I declared continued healing, peace, and truth into her life.
Just as I finished praying, Natalie’s fifteen-year-old daughter (Serena?) walked up with her high school bestie (Kathy). My first words to them were, “Are you guys Christians?” Serena said, “I think so,” and Kathy said, “I’m an atheist.” I immediately told Kathy, “Stop that! Don’t ever say that again! You’re too young to be an atheist!”
I took 3-4 minutes and shared the gospel with the. Afterwards, I asked, "Do you believe what I’ve just shared with you?" They both wholeheartedly said yes. I paused and told them, "This is very serious. Do you understand that God created you and He loves you, but we’ve all sinned and our sins have separated us from Him? Every sin must be paid for, so in His love God sent His Son to die for our sins, so we could spend eternity with Him?" They both said yes. I then asked them, "Would you like to give your lives to Christ right now?" They eagerly said yes, so we prayed right there in the mall, and through tears they surrendered their lives to Christ. (Glory to God! Haha! Mom was balling her eyes out too!")
As the two girls set off to finish shopping, Natalie (Mom) went on and to tell us that she has three daughters. The youngest we just met, Serena. Natalie said that she and her first two daughters had dropped out of high school as a result of teen pregnancies. Mom shared her fear that Serena would follow suit because she was presently dating a senior in the school.
Just as Mom finished, Serena and Kathy came back. As they approached, I saw that Serena was holding a cell phone, the old flip-type, so I quickly asked, “How much was your phone?” Serena said, “About fifty dollars.” I said, “I’ll give you one dollar for it.” She laughed and said no way. “Two dollars?" No. "Three?" No. "Four?" No. "Five dollars! That’s my final offer!” Serena said no way. I asked, “Why won’t you sell me your phone for five dollars?” She said, “Because it’s worth more than five dollars.” (Checkmate! I gotcha!)
I then asked Serena, "What is your sxxuality worth?" Confusion all over her face, she said, "Huh?" I asked again, "What’s your sxxuality worth?" She didn’t know how to answer, so I asked her friend, Kathy. No clue. I asked Serena, "How is it that you know the value of that stupid cell phone, but you don’t know the value of your sxxuality?” I continued, “Isn’t it possible that if you don’t know the value of your sxxuality that you’ll give it away very cheaply?” Both teens were somewhat amazed at this revelation. Kathy even let out an audible, “Woah! That’s good!”
I told them that their sxxualtiy is priceless. I explained that it’s worth two things from any man that pursues them: 1) A ring, and 2) His life. (I saw mom out of the corner of my eye. She was wiping her tears again. Lol!) The girls were beaming with a newfound confidence and beauty.
Saints, I don’t make these stories up. The best I can give the world is the gospel, the word of God, and my ever-growing faith in Christ. I’ve found that as I step out in faith and confront people with the love of Christ, amazing things always happen. Ephesians 2:10 reads, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." The Greek word for "workmanship" is poiema – poem. So basically, God as the Creator can be described as the Master-Poet. Since we are His children, we are to replicate His poetry and accomplish beauty through good works. (Hint: God creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join Him in the work He does, the good work He has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing. — The Message).
So, what are you waiting for? Get out there and make some poetry!
Studying His Word! (Read "We’ve forgotten God!")
“Can I trust the Bible?”
– Ac 17:11 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
– You can trust the Bible. It is your foundation! – If the Bible isn’t your foundation, what is?
– Your source for the "1-2 Punch!"
1. Ask them their reference.
2. Quote your reference (the Bible)
Every time we get together, our minds are being renewed and transformed by the Word of God. (Watch "What percentage of all your thoughts came from God?")
The Five Great Proofs of the Bible: LAPUP
1. LONGEVITY: Banned, Burned, First Book ever printed, Still global #1 Best-Seller
2. ACCURACY: Scientific, Cosmological, Biological, Archeological, Historical, etc.
3. PROPHECY: Over 300 prophecies about Jesus (His birthplace, Virgin-born, He would be rejected, His hands/feet would be pierced)
4. UNITY: 66 Books (39 OT 27 NT), Written Over 1600 Year Span, Over 40 Authors, 3 Different Languages, 13 Different Countries, 3 Different Continents, Different Occupations, Different Times, Divinely Inspired, etc.
5. POWER: Heb 4:12; Rom 1:16; Jer 23:29; Jn 6:63
*6. PERSONAL REASONS: His Word has changed my life; It’s Alive, Sword, Seed, Wisdom, Bread, Hammer, Saving, Sanctifying, etc.
*I added this one myself.
Every Christ should know the gospel and be prepared to share it at any time (Watch "The Four Points of the Gospel!")
Engaging, Confronting, & Praying with Souls!
Don’t get much thicker than this! Gate 2 Street on Fridays and Saturdays can be akin to Sodom and Gomorrah, but these guys have been equipped and empowered by the Holy Spirit. The love of Christ compels them to fight for these souls. With the gospel and a keen understanding of apologetics (1Pe 3:15), they go into these fields and bring in the harvest!
(Mt 9:37-38)
Whether through an alcohol haze or just plain ignorance, most people cannot see very well. The Forge Team goes out and present the Word of God to bring these people out of darkness. (Read "Goggles, much?")
Going Out in Pairs to Share the Gospel!
There’s safety in numbers. As one evangelist is chatting with the candidate, the other evangelists are supporting through praying and listening.
Indeed, every soul needs Jesus! Not sure what to do? Come on out and join the good fight! (Read "Leaving it for someone else?")
Taking New Guys Out to Get Their Feet Wet!
I hear, I forget.
I see, I remember.
I do, I understand.
This is a "hands on" ministry. Reaching out to souls and honing disciples at the same time.
Agree with Us in Prayer:
The Church is full of closet Christians. Whether through ignorance or fear Christians are sinfully silent. (Watch "The Spiral of Silence")
One of my burdens is to activate Christians into faith-works. (Watch "Get in the wheelbarrow!")
a. For the prisoners in the Camp Hansen Brig, that Christ is being preached, souls are being saved and baptized, deliverance and restoration is happening, and disciples are being made.
b. For 66 Books! our Monday night Book Club @1900 at the Camp Schwab Food Court. These men and women are eager "fishers of men." Pray that the Holy Spirit would protect us and guides us. Continue to bind up and cast out religious spirits of fear, pride, control, manipulation, competition, inferiority, and jealousy.
c. For anointed and gifted people to come and assist with my social media challenges. I’m drowning as I try to keep up.
d. For more Mature, Qualified Families and Permanent Personnel to co-labor with us in this northernmost area of Okinawa. Because of the remote nature of Camp Schwab, ministry here is like "leaving the ninety-nine for the one." The high turnover rate and demanding operational tempo of the military requires constant rebuilding and gathering about every four months. Not many ministries are willing or anointed to labor here. To a large degree, we rebuild our congregation every four months. Pray for the discipling and releasing of more laborers into the harvest here. Pray for our strength, wisdom, and resources as weekly we gather sheep and convert goats.
e. For our current schedule, i.e. finances, resources, wisdom, strategies, and strength:
– Sun: Share/Report Timothy International
– Mon: "66 Books!" @1900 at the Schwab Food Court
– Wed: Publish YouTube Videos at BowDownFoo!
– Thu: Publish "Think On These Things" newsletters
– Sat: Zebulun Christian Discipleship Center (ZCDC) @1800
Partner with Us!
If you’ve benefitted from anything we’ve said or done, or if any of these ministries have blessed you, please consider sowing into these works.
– EFT Church Acct: NFCU #105-8822-709 (Email: guerradominic@yahoo.com)
– Timothy International – BowDownFoo
– PAYMENT APPS:
In closing…
We could not have asked for better daughters! Honestly, raising them was our greatest ministry and our greatest accomplishment. It’s a privilege to be their daddy. (Watch "It was a good death!" )
Sandy and I cannot thank you enough for your continued prayers. Your prayers are precious to us, and they yield much Kingdom fruit!
Over the last two months, it seems the Spirit of the Lord is taking us into different season. It seems that the bulk of our folks are now Permanent Personnel instead of UDP (6-month deployment folks). We’ve been praying for mature and qualified married folks to co-labor with us and little by little they are showing up. Again, our burden is to make disciples quickly and release them into their faith-works for the Lord.
We steadily strive to transform Believers from being opinion-based Christians into Word-based Christians. The Word, and the Word applied, distinguishes the quality of these Christians. And the harvest is apparent!
It’s a privilege to serve the Lord in this manner. It’s also a privilege to sow into legitimate Kingdom works! (See 2Cor 9:6-8 and Php 4:17) I humbly invite you partner with us in these Kingdom works. Your support free us up from financial strains and concerns, and allows us to focus on making disciples. Donations and financial gifts can be sent to Timothy International. Or contributions can also be mailed to the address listed below.
I pray that you are one with the Father, just as the Father and Christ are one! (Jn 17:21)
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In His love,
Nick & Sandy, Bond-servants of Christ
Contributions can be mailed to:
Timothy International
P. O. Box 5024
Abilene, Texas 79608-5024
– Make Checks payable to Timothy International
– Write BowDownFoo on the memo line to ensure the funds are allocated correctly
— Our Mission & Vision —
"Gather Sheep & Convert Goats"
"Catch, Clean, & Release!"