Just a Mustard Seed

Jesus never said we must have perfect faith before we're major league members of the body. He said with faith the size of the tiny, little mustard seed we can move mountains.

Please pray for my prayer life. I've got faith in God's promises but need to be praying more for: spiritual discipline, something closer to pure motives for all things related to support raising, that through this amazing personal relationship with Jesus, God continues to teach me how to love and be loved, and to be useful as an instrument of His to glorify Him through word and deed. thanks

Prayer Chain of 375

Last time I wrote about the facebook page "Pray for Ray Franks in France" and how pleased I was to have 270 members after just one week. Now we've added more than a hundred more folks in the last several days and not to stress sheer numbers but wow, this really is a potentially powerful prayer chain; all glory to God! I'm so very blessed to have a million amazing friends, really, and now the Lord's graciously allowing me to more deeply understand and feel His love and to make at least baby steps towards a more Christlike love for both God Almighty and my neighbor, striving for that.

Let love be be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Romans 12.9

270 Person Prayer Chain!

My brother in Christ named Schaeffer put together a facebook page dedicated to "Pray for Ray Franks in France". It was posted just last week and 270 folks have already joined the group! Wow, what a platform for mobilizing prayer warriors and may it all glorify the Lord!!!

Maybe I need to a add some more content; pictures, music, video, SCRIPTURES, and I will. But, how wonderful even a simple facebook page can be; wonderful, potentially powerful digital communication (dare I say digital fellowship?) that can hopefully muster prayer warriors who will ask God to do great things. That is of course IF it is motivated by pure hearts (regenerated souls striving for Christ-like humility and love) who are truly united in Christ.

God's got me in full-time support raising mode and it's a big stretch; humbling, encouraging, exciting, sometimes a little bit frustrating, but always filled with strong reminders of who's in control and it definitely ain't me. And I pray: "may it all glorify Jesus Christ our Lord."

Persistence vs Pestering

Please pray with me that the Lord would be pleased to give clear discernment marking the line between persistence in contacting folks and pestering them with multiple phone calls and emails as I attempt to get in touch virtually everyone I've ever known. Support raising is going really well but it's hard to know where that line is between persistence and pestering. What a sanctifying process this is and it's becoming crystal clear that prayer not simply a good option but compulsory!

All the Time, God is Good!

Even the mess many of us made of our own lives and in the lives of those we manipulated and hurt in our previous (before Christ) years, don't you know God can use even all of that former rebelliousness and turn it around (in Christ) to be a key to compassion. Just as Jesus picked blue collar guys to be his disciples 2,000 years ago, today He can use regular guys to reach out to broken, hurting guys. Lost guys need a friend they can relate to. After all let's not forget that we're all in the same boat; sinners desperately in need of a savior. We who have been redeemed by the blood of the lamb and sealed by the Holy Spirit must not neglect our hurting neighbors. They need a man who can understand their inner misery and share the truth. The Lord is teaching us how to love and be loved (through Christ) so let's go out there and apply the lessons of this sanctification process! Striving to really serve Jesus with closer to a pure motivation is so very much about the relationships and The personal relationship (with Christ).

Do you believe God causes all things to work together for good, to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose?

God is good all the time!

Do you believe that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose? Even the mess we can make of our lives (especially our pre- redemption lives) is turned around for good by our sovereign God. I know that it's true!

Jesus said:

"Pray that you may not enter into temptation." And again, "Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation." Luke 22

He was speaking to the apostles the night of His betrayal but His question and admonition should resonate with all His followers here and now, shouldn't they?