179- Have Faith in God

January 2, 1986

Papa and Tutu brought Dan’s and Aug’s childhood electric train over. Dan mounted it on a large piece of plywood and we put it in the basement. Great fun for all.

Nancy (my childhood friend) and husband and son came today to visit. Although I’d prayed lots and had some others pray, I had that awful self-centered demeanor; I was boastful, arrogant. I want out of my heart’s abundance to have Christ-centered conversation, no matter who I talk to.

January 3

Dan and I are reading The Willow in the Wind, about Ivan Spencer, who was led by God to begin Elim Bible Institute. Karen met a woman who had been to the school and liked it very much.

Still reading in Mark!

10:27 With men it is impossible, but not with God, for with God all things are possible!

10:29 Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

I don’t thoroughly know what this means. But we are leaving family and land believing we are being led by You and I expect it will all be worth it. 

January 6

Mark 11:24 When you pray, believe…

Someone said: you will never need faith in comfortable surroundings.

Father, we don’t have the faith for all that is ahead—having people support us, moving across the US, setting up, getting Dan through two years of school, pastoring in the US two years, going to Japan and living there. But we do have faith for today.

What do we KNOW?

*the focus of the Bible is Missions.

*We have the desire to take our family and see the Lord save people through us.

*We know it is impossible with us.

*We know that nothing is impossible with God.

*We do believe that God has an opinion, a call, about this for us.

*I believe GOD CAN GIVE US A WORD, CLEAR AND PLAIN TO BOTH OF US, TO GO AHEAD TO ELIM.

I can believe God for that.