powerful prayer focus to send us out

African service

Dear Board, staff, prayer team, mission partners, friends of the ministry and supporters,

Just wanted to let everyone know that PFC has two teams going out to the field almost simultaneously. Myself and five others will be heading to India from 11/4-11/19. 

The other team of five will be going to Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi from 11/8-11/20.

Please pray for the following:

1.       That God would be gloriefied

2.       That many souls would get saved in our prison crusades

3.       That we would have great meetings with government officials

4.       That we would be a source of encouragement to our national brothers on the ground

5.       That our conferences would go well

6.       Safety in the air

7.       Safety on the ground

8.       Safety from bandits

9.       Safety from accidents

10.   Safety from food illnesses

11.   For our teams to be unified

12.   For our team members by name that they would have a divine appt. India Team- Jeff McVey, Bob Jordan, Alex Ananenko, Jamie Neault, Nate Bean, Greg Von Tobel.

Greg Von Tobel  and Bob Jordan

Rwandan Team- Don Szolomayer, David Jordan, Mark Young, Mark Richardson, Ron Trask.

AGAIN pray that each team member have a God moment or multiple God moments!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Blessings to all.

Greg Von Tobel

Prisoners for Christ Outreach Ministries

Standing Stones Ministry

Countdown to departure

Congo, Rwanda, Burundi

Our PFC short-term missions team of five leaves for Africa now in one week. The trip is scheduled for November 8-20 and the days are counting down.  We will be in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, and Rwanda. 

I feel the urgency and excitement.  Our team has been meeting five times since August and we have our weigh-in, prayer, and dinner with our wives Sunday evening.  I'll have an interview with Pastor John in church on Sunday, November 7. Everything seems to be moving at "Star Trek warp speed," now. 

Rachel Jacobs serves in Burundi.  So I am praying about being able to connect with her.  I don't know the itinerary details about being in Burundi, yet.

It would be awesome if we could talk together and pray when our team is there.

Bereavement means robbery

I am remembering my Mom and Dad, these days. My Dad passed into the glory of eternal life in Jesus in April of 1985.  My Mom passed into that very same glory in February of 2010.  I have wonderful memories of my parents.  I recently completed a six-week bereavement small group with Grief Counselor Michele Ray and GriefWorks.  On Friday morning, I attended their wonderful annual appreciation breakfast in Auburn.

                                                                           GriefWorks
                                                P.O. Box 912 • Auburn, WA 98071-0912
                                                  253-333-9420 • info@griefworks.org

GriefWorks provides bereavement services for all ages, families, small, groups, churches, schools, and even businesses.  The lasting "take-home" from my sessions with Michele and our support group is a definition of bereavement which is robbery.   

Paul spoke about the Christian responses to death.

When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:      

    “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
    “O death, where is your victory?
     O death, where is your sting?”

     The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  1 Corinthians 15:54-57

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.  For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.  For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.  Therefore encourage one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Christians recognize the sting of death and sin and grieve the loss of loved family members and dearest friends.  Death brings pain into our experience.  Each person responds to death differently as we mourn and grieve our loss. Each of the passages proclaims stunning and glorious HOPE for every Christian.

I've been chewing on the meaning we applied to bereavement--robbery.  Death robbed me of  my parents in this life, here.  The result of my parent's passing--both faithful Christians--is a wonderful assurance of their places together in heaven and so many other eternal things.  Still, the impact of their deaths is painful robbery.  In our case, death caused crippling, numbing family disorder. The bereavement or grief small group is helping me work through my reactions to our disorder.

                                                     An early morning Saturday game

I love every memory of my parents.  I was sharing with a father and son together in our church recently as they are taking huge steps in their relationship when the Lord seemed to bring to mind a memory with my Dad when I was perhaps in elementary or junior high school.

As my lifetime friends well know, my faith in Christ and baseball mark my life.  Other men are marked by lifetime interest railroads, chess, or hunting and fishing.  My thing has always been baseball.  I love to coach basketball and keep statistics for the Kentridge Chargers football team.  

I study, read, umpire, and watch baseball. Friends will tell you I watch and coach my way through a game.  My Mom left the Saturday afternoon television major league baseball game on while she cleaned the house after I left home to attend WSU.  I remember my parents asking each other how baseball with their oldest son came about. Neither took responsibility.

One Saturday morning really early, I couldn't sleep so I went out to our kitchen and living room in Federal Way to play out my own baseball game.  I brought out my glove, ball, and bat and proceeded to play out a game by myself, pitch-by-pitch, inning-by-inning, as real for me as if I was playing for the Mariners, Giants, or Dodgers while announcing the game as a radio broadcaster.  


There were players and a score.  I was playing out the game with times at bat, pitching, and fielding expecting to complete the nine innings. I was thoroughly engaged in a live game.

I was carrying on my game when I became aware my Dad was watching all this in his pajamas, leaning on the kitchen counter, wondering when I might notice him... hopefully sooner than later, obviously.

Ichiro sprints to first

My game was about in the fourth inning and was immediately suspended until normal game hours and I was banished to the clubhouse, my bedroom halfway down the hall.  I was to remain in my bedroom and in bed until normal morning hours.  

I don't remember what he said exactly but I do remember moving faster than Willie Mays running down a fly ball or Ichiro Suzuki beating out an infield hit into my clubhouse.  I don't recall punishment.  There were no more early morning games, but many played out in my mind, all before ESPN.  

.

Spiritual fraud--self absorbed living

My good friend Gordon sends his reply to my interaction with Dan over the deity of Jesus Christ.  He gives a very clear depiction of jail and prison culture.  

I read your story of the encounter with Dan, and for a moment was transported back to those days.  I knew lots of Dans in my time in prison, and I’d like to add my two cents.

First, consider who Dan really is:  He has spent his short life in suspicion, conflict, assault, drugs, hate.  Any move he makes, any person he meets is a threat.  

 If you asked him about doing the Right Thing, he would say “nobody does the Right Thing.  You get what you can take”.  To him, it’s all a fraud.  It doesn’t matter what – it is all a fraud.

In Dan’s world of complete self absorption, what matters is HIM.

•             “I NEED whatever I want”
•             “Everyone does things TO ME”
•             “I WANT whatever I think of”
•             “They ganged up AGAINST ME”

Nowhere will you find in him concern for others, for doing right, for anything external to himself.   He doesn’t care if Jesus is divine or not; to him the whole religion is a fraud and there is no logical way to prove him wrong.  Any argument goes back to a belief in basic scripture, and you either believe its divine origin or you don’t.  There is no objective proof.  Faith, then, lies in the heart.  We believe it because we know in our soul that it’s right.  We take that faith to the Bible and we learn, and live.

The answer for Dan, indeed for all of us, is more personal and emotional than logic.  Ask him this: “You’ve met a wonderful girl.  You’re enchanted with her.  You have two choices.  You can beat her to make her comply and rape her, or you can experience her smiling at you, coming to you, hugging you, telling you she loves you.  Which do you want?”

If he favors rape, the talk is over.  If he favors love, then what does it take to experience this?  He has to care about her, take care of her, put her needs first.  He has to act selflessly – not to gain advantage but to help her.  Only it this way can he win her heart.

Walla Walla State Penitentiary

What is true of the girl is true of the world.  He can either love or hate, and either reach out or crouch within.  He knows the result of the latter.  Jesus came to show him how to live, how to align himself with nature (read: God’s plan), how to become someone who can understand.   

The Bible is the story of this.  Take it or leave it, but first look around you and ask – who is happy, who is content?  By and large, the committed Christian.  He smiles even as he is giving to help others.

I remember well an evening in Cell Block A, Building 1, Washington State Penitentiary.  I listened to an inmate berate his wife over the phone because she “didn’t send his money for smokes”.  His profanity echoed in the room.  Concerned with himself, he was oblivious to a miracle God gave him – a faithful wife.   

That is the real story for Dan, and where his real choice lies.  If he cares about the rest of his life, he needs to give the Bible a chance, see what it says.  Then the question of Jesus’ divinity will not be a debate over quotations.  It will be a conviction in his heart.

Supporting the deity of Christ in D unit

Norm Maleng Regional Justice Center

At the RJC last night, one of the inmates, I'll call him Dan, asserted that Jesus Christ is not God and challenged Ted and me to show us where the Bible calls Him God.  I was starting to walk through a 1 Timothy 4 about, "profitable godliness for every man"  with the group of two.

I've been leading a Bible study group with Dwight and since last year Ted in D unit at the Norm Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent.

He started with, "What makes your religion better than any other?  I have studied many religions.  What someone else believes in another place in the world is just as real for them.  Some groups believe they are one with nature. Jesus did not answer Pilate when he asked Him.  Jesus was silent."

These kinds of questions are common as we meet with the men.  Some have genuine questions.  Others want to stir up difficulty.

I had several options, at that point.  I could have told him we could discuss his questions independently.  I could have asked Ted, my partner, to answer his questions one-on-one outside the room while I shared 1 Timothy with the other participant.  He was generally respectful  so we tried to answer him.  While in these evening sessions, I need to maintain gracious control of the process. 

The inmates are not in control of the activity and they know it.  Sometimes, they don't act like they know it. I could have asked him to leave or requested the support of an officer. Dan remained respectful although not agreeable.

Was Jesus silent when He was asked by Pilate if He was the Son of God?  I started with Matthew  27:11-14. Pilate asked Him, "Are you the King of the Jews?  Jesus said, "You have said so."  His answer was, yes, I am. He let Pilate's statement stand. 

Since we were in Matthew, I guided the group to 26:64-65.  Jesus prophesied they would "see Him, the Son of Man at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven."  I took us to Daniel 7:13-14 where one like the son of man comes in the clouds to the Ancient of Days where the Son of Man was presented before the Ancient of Days."

Jesus clearly called Himself God.  The high priest clearly knew what Jesus was talking about and tore his robes, an act depicting blasphemy.  There was no misunderstanding.  The high priest understood Jesus was calling Himself God.

We next went to Titus 2:13, "...appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ."  2 Corinthians 13:14 says, "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all."

As this was all happening, I took a deep breath and prayed.  It is not our role to convince or persuade the questioner-skeptic.   That is the sovereign ministry of the Holy Spirit.  We might not answer each question exactly right.  We are to gently, clearly, and carefully present the truth and let the Spirit do His work (2 Timothy 2:24-26). Ted stepped in several times to make comments and support what we read.  We worked together smoothly.

The inmate, Dan, wanted to derail the process with other questions about God's goodness in His plan of salvation to judge sinners.  We read Romans 3:21-31 about Jesus demonstrating God's righteousness as the just and justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. 

Thomas exclaimed, "My Lord and my God," after he touched the marks of crucifixion on the Risen Christ.  Jesus let Thomas' statement stand.  Jesus is Lord and God!

We finished with Jesus incredible "I AM" statement from John 8:58 and Exodus 3:13-15 and Isaiah 6:1-3 and verses 9-10 which connects to John 12:40-41, "(Isaiah) saw His glory and spoke of Him (Jesus)."


Our hour was up.  Dan was not necessarily convinced. Phil, the other inmate, mentioned to me on the way out I could have used Hebrews 1.  I really thanked him.  Yes, I could have used that and other verses.

Fasting and praying for missions and men

I find myself reinvigorated for rich ministry in our local church.  These are the greatest days ever for fruitful ministry.  I meet with various men, multiple ages, around our church.  The Prisoners for Christ ministry at the RJC is with men.  

I am anticipating what the Lord is doing around us, right now.  I am awed and astonished at what He is opening up.  What should our focus be as men?  What should I be giving myself to? 

The world is packed with self-esteem and goals for men.  1 Timothy 4 puts it right on the line, especially for men who are serving with other men.  We are to meditate on profitable godliness.  

I am to "give myself entirely" to live out and teach these things.

 Fasting and praying around our missions trip

Rwanda team

Around my short-term missions trip to and around Rwanda, the dates are settled in as November 8-20.  I am still working on the support process.  I am sending out e-mails and asking the Lord for right contacts. 

In all this, other team members have greater needs than I do.  I am moving squarely into fasting and prayer for our awesome PFC missions team and my own needs.

                         Mentoring ministry with men

I met with Pastor Aaron Bauer, our youth pastor at Faith Baptist, about mentoring senior high and college-aged young men.  Going through right steps of accountability is a significant step for myself and hopefully a model for others.  

Young, middle, senior saints are to be examples as we speak, conduct our daily lives, love one another, live with heart enthusiasm spirit, experience faith, and walk in purity in the power and fullness of the Holy Spirit.My life should be full of godly instruction that is real--for myself and others.  These are things I should be regularly teaching at the Regional Justice Center.

Pastor Aaron Bauer

1 Timothy 4 starts out with, "The Spirit expressly says," depicting six things that happen when people depart from the faith.  It's a hot list. The last one is about abstaining from certain foods.  I remember hearing about that one from a group that used to meet near Normandy Park.  One of their attenders even asked me about  their practices.

We are repeatedly exhorted that "godliness is profitable for all things."  We trust in the Living God.  My, our, progress must be clearly witnessed by all. Give careful attention to sanctification.  Exercise the gift God has entrusted to you. These are a faithful sayings and worthy of full acceptance. 

The saints are to receive all our food with thanksgiving as those who believe and know the truth.  Our eating is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. I am to instruct in these things.

Every teacher of the word of God, whatever our vocation, is to be nourished in the words of faith and good doctrine.  We are to carefully follow these things in a spirit of believing heart obedience.  

 I am reminded to concentrate on reading the word, exhortation, and careful understanding and application of doctrine.

Congo and Rwanda

our team in Woodinville

Our tickets are purchased for our upcoming PFC short-term missions trip, November 8-20, for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda.

I  collected just about everything needed for the trip in the last two months.  Our team is meeting Saturday for team-building and training.

I am sending out urgent focus e-mails to various individuals to seek $1500 needed to complete my support. I am amazed and overwhelmingly thankful to the Lord for what He supplies.

                                        PFC-University

I am scheduled to teach three classes at the PFC-University on October 30 at Cedar Park Christian School in Bothell.  This is a building up from teaching one session, the last two times.  This time, I am teaching a session  on dealing with manipulation while visiting individuals and in group services.

                          Men at the Regional Justice Center

The work at the Regional Justice Center in Kent remains very fruitful.  A usual week includes about 30 one-on-one visits with male inmates. 

This week, Jack urgently requested I meet with Michael, an 18 year-old making his third visit to the RJC in one year.  Yesterday, I talked very directly to Michael about making a radical change of friendships.  Same friends--same drugs and drinking.  He's gone to drug treatment and admits he needs to really want to be clean. 

Jack is 34 and has been down Michael's road of experience.  Jack's girfriend or fiance', is in the women's unit.  Jack and I meet weekly for Bible study and encouragement.

My first letter from Bo came in from Shelton, yesterday.  Some weeks ago, Bo was sentenced and will receive drug treatment. He met with one of the men who ministered to him from Victory Outreach.  Bo received a hug.  He recounted it was the first hug he's received from a Christian brother.

I followed up over the phone with a Dad who is making plans to visit his son at the State Penitentiary in Walla Walla, last night.  I was pleased to answer his questions and to invite him to our PFC-U.

Jim Parque living the dream at Faith

Jim Parque at BLE in Auburn

Jim Parque, former major league pitcher, spoke on "living the dream," at the men's breakfast at Faith Baptist Church on Saturday, October 2. 

Jim is the owner of Big League Edge in Auburn, a baseball developmental school that serves about 3,000 athletes and coaches each year. 

Jim is 34 and is married with two girls.  He and his family live in Puyallup and attend a Foursquare church.  His six year major league career included time with Tampa Bay, the Chicago White Sox, and Arizona.  

His most productive years were 1998-2000.  He blew out his left shoulder with Chicago as the starting pitcher in a 2000 American League Division Series playoff game loss against John Olerud and the Mariners. 

In his message, Jim said, "God taught me if I listen to Him, He will provide.  I learned no matter what I do, He loves me."

Jim recounted a brief overview of his career and said, I didn't take care of the gifts God gave me.  "I took HGH steroids.  Part of the path God took me on was to come out and be honest. He said to me, OK, do it your way.  Then, I blew my arm out when my career was at its highest, I was 14-5, and pitching in the playoffs. Through several events, He took everything away from me I thought was most important. I was very confident in sports but I learned I can fail."

"Failure is good," he concluded, "because I learn a different kind of big strength out of relying on Him for everything.  As I am intense about praying every day, I am asking Him to lead me.  I have learned everything is Yours so I give Him everything."

Standing Stones teaching and support for missions trip

                                     Teaching at Standing Stones

Visiting with Dave

I was blessed to teach and spend quality time with the men and staff at Standing Stones Orchards in Wapato, last Tuesday to Friday.  

I returned after visiting with our PFC worship tour team the previous week when I learned Dave Gorton, the director, suffered injuries while working in the orchards. I asked how I might support him in a very practical way so he invited me to come over to teach and spend time with the men and him.  On the way home, the Lord prompted me to get back over there.  

I taught from the PFC Bible correspondence series on Old Testament characters and from the SS discipleship training manual on relational Christianity and salvation. I rejoiced to combine listening and mentoring with the four men in te program while enjoying fellowship with Dave and Gail Gorton, the directors.

                            Support two thirds in for missions trip

I am thoroughly thankful to the Lord as two-thirds of my $3,200 support for our PFC short-term missions trip to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda in early November has come in.  We have our next team meeting this Saturday in Woodinville. 

The dates and itinerary for the trip are still being worked out by PFC staff.  My preparation focus has been to pray, read Acts, and on develop three preaching outlines.

On Tuesday afternoon, Dick Rothlisberger, my PFC teammate chaplain at the Norm Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent, and I trekked to Woodinville for encouragement and re-training in the church liaison leadership program.  I am motivated to invite more of our Faith Baptist Church body to participate with me in active ministries.

His Harmony

Back in the units with the inmates at the NMRJC, I was once again incredibly blessed to hear how our "His Harmony" women's group from Faith Baptist was received during a recent concert. His Harmony has been doing PFC concerts for 16 years.

While meeting with Chris in the S-unit on Monday afternoon, two other men joined us. Chris has encouraged these men as they begin their new walk as followers of Jesus. I love to see men sharing what God has touched them with in the spirit on 2 Timothy 2:2.

Next Monday night, our Chaplaincy Advisory Group hosts our annual  appreciation dinner in Tukwila for our faithful volunteers at the NMRJC. 

Original Forgiven to Walla Walla, Pendleton, and Standing Stones

I was hugely blessed to take Nathan Jacobsen, Jonathan Stanton, Peter Richardson, Peyton Burkhart, and Jim Dixon on a PFC worship concert tour to Walla Walla, Pendleton, and Wapato at Standing Stones.  Each one of the team flourished in their participation.

We started out Friday night at the Juvenile Detention in Walla Walla with seven inmate boys and one girl.  Peyton preached on the characteristics of our Christian lives from Ezekiel 1.  Jim played several songs and Nathan, Jonathan, and Peter played their first phenom set of the weekend.  Our altar call rolled into individual prayer time with each of the inmates and that was a rich experience.

The inmates named our band the "Original Forgiven," which really fit them.  Right away, I could see the group was going to far exceed my expectations to God's praise and glory.

Saturday, we held services at the Walla Walla State Penitentiary-east chapel, the Eastern Oregon Corrections Facility in Pendleton, and back to the penitentiary on the west side for an evening service.  Yes, that was one full day. 


Our first service on the east side was shortened to 75 minutes with prayer and breakdown of instruments as we needed to scramble down to Pendleton by noon.  Jim and the OF each played shortened sets and I preached a shortened message on being a friend of Jesus from John 15.  We had 34 and enjoyed a fruitful time of prayer with 12 in our closing.

We ended up ministering 2 1/2 hours to 83 in Pendleton, pictured to the right, highlighted by Peyton message on defeating giants and Jonathan's really transparent testimony. Again, we enjoyed fruitful prayer after our altar call with 18 men.

On the left here, on Sunday night back at the WW State Penitentiary-West chapel, we provided a shortened musical presentation for 32 as we shared the service with another group, which was very unexpected.  We participated in the entire service with prayer at the end.

Sunday morning we drove to PFC's Standing Stones Orchards and enjoyed fellowship with Dave and Gail Gorton, pictured to the right, with three program residents. Here on the left, Jim, Nathan, and Jonathan were enjoying bringing back peaches and apples from the SS orchards.

They are overseeing the Christian recovery program there.  We were privileged to hear an introduction to the transformation happening there and an overview of their program.

I am heading back over to Standing Stones this Tuesday to Friday afternoon to fellowship with Dave and Gail and support Dave with the teaching after he broke his left shoulder and cracked ribs last Tuesday.

Great team to Eastern Washington and Oregon September 10-12

I will be leading a PFC team to Walla Walla, Pendleton, and Wapato, September 10-12 for a series of worship concerts.  The team is Peyton Burkhart, Jim Dixon, Jonathan Stanton, Nathan Jacobsen, Peter Richardson, and me.

There are usually between 30-60 at most services with 75-100 in Pendleton. We often see 300 in all the sites and many acknowledge receiving Christ for salvation or take very positive steps in following Christ.  We have enjoyed remarkable interaction with the site chaplains and even the officers. For several years, I have been leading these PFC Eastern Washington and Oregon teams two or three times yearly. 

, At the right, Peter rehearsed with Jim and Nahan  in our church library.  On the left, Jonathan is pictured. He rocks with his guitar and singing.  They will be awesome and very much appreciated by the inmates. 

Jim, jamming with Nathan to the right,  comes with me regularly and plays the guitar as he evangelizes, shares his testimony and plays his own music in ballads.  He and Jonathan,  Nathan, and Peter will carry the worship and concert sequences. The young men will be sharing their testimonies, as well.  I'll keep 'em busy.

Peyton, taking his first tour with us, and I will team up to minister in preaching.  Peyton is the respected editor of the PFC Yard Out newspaper which is widely distributed to prisons across the US and international locations.  

Penny Castro, on the left here, is the PFC director of volunteers and many other tasks at the PFC in Woodinville.  She facilitates these prison tours. On this tour, Penny scheduled us to start with a Friday service at the Walla Walla juvenile facility. On Saturday, we have two at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla and the Eastern Oregon Institute of Corrections in Pendleton, Oregon. Sunday afternoon we finish at the PFC Standing Stones rehab and training site in Wapato.

Sitting under awesome preaching

Terry Virgo recently shared reflections sitting under the preaching of Martyn Lloyd Jones in London-- 

The famous Doctor was one of my great heroes. For three years I studied in London and had the privilege of regularly hearing him preach from the historic Westminster Chapel pulpit.

Gathering with the hundreds, I awaited the arrival of his bald dome as he ascended the stairs behind the rather massive pulpit, approached the podium and led us into our opening hymn.

Of course the atmosphere of the meeting was extraordinarily formal. Having said that, his long prayer which was part of the service wedged between two or three hymns was always uplifting and edifying, but what one actually attended the Chapel for and eagerly awaited was to hear the great man preach.

Often he would hold you absolutely spellbound by his exposition. The style differed considerably from most modern preachers. There was very rarely any humor or any personal reference. This was Bible exposition at its very best with very great dependence upon the power of the Holy Spirit.

The fear of God

On another deeply memorable night at the Chapel, he started his sermon in Acts but was drawn into Romans 1 and concentrated on the three times where it is stated ‘God gave them up’. I haven’t heard such preaching before or since. 

I have never felt the sense of awe and fear of God as I felt during that amazing sermon.

As he concluded, we sang the inevitable closing hymn, but, having sung it, everyone sat in silence for long moments and no one rushed to leave the building.

It was perhaps the most awesome moment I have ever known in church and an experience that was not simply personal to me but being felt across the whole hushed congregation."

If you are drawn to read more, I invite you to click over to:
 Terry Virgo’s Blog » Blog Archive » Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaching in Pensacola.

TIBET goals as SEAL missionaries to Africa

On our November PFC missions trip to the Congo and Rwanda, our desire is leave behind Christ-centered, on-fire believers who truly understand the importance of  their continuing decision to follow Christ and who will be involved in a local church.  

We serve the local church as it wins souls for Christ and mentors new followers of Christ within the inmate population.

We focus squarely on five goals when we go to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda on November 2-13.  These goals direct everything we do on a PFC missions trip. Everything we do is aimed at these five TIBET goals.

• TRAIN saints currently doing prison ministry.
• INTRODUCE the PFC umbrella and seek to raise up a missionary partner.
• BLESS saints with resources and prisons with humanitarian aid.
• EVANGELIZE inside the national prisons.
• TEACH the church how to recruit volunteers and to multiply in other churches.

The U. S. Navy has an elite team known as "SEALS."  Their code challenges each of us as we serve the Lord Jesus wherever He places us every single day.

Navy Seals Code

"Loyalty to the King of Kings, His team and teammates,

Serve Him with integrity on and off the battlefield,

Ready to lead, ready to follow, NEVER QUIT,

Take responsibility for your actions and the actions of teammates,

Excel as warriors through discipline and innovation,

Train for war, fight to win, defeat our enemies,

Earn your crown every day."

The Navy Seals actual philosophy begins as follows:
“In times of war or uncertainty there is a special breed of warrior ready to answer our Nation’s call; a common man with uncommon desire to succeed. Forged by adversity, he stands alongside America’s finest special operations forces to serve his country and the American people, and to protect their way of life. I am that man.”

All of this stands firmly with Paul's charge to Timothy:

Good Soldiers of Christ Jesus   

You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.  
2 Timothy 2:1-2

Upcoming missions trip adjustments and update

Ron, Tall Mark, Don, Dave, and I met in Woodinville last Saturday preparing for a PFC short-term missions trip to the Congo and Rwanda.  Now, we are scheduled for November 2 through 13 in order to save $750 for airfare per person and facilitate specific arrangements to enter the Congo. 

Don, in the middle with the blue shirt, is the team leader.  Ron, on the far left, and I are the PFC short-term missions first-timers.  Our team has met together three times to encourage one another.

I continue to serve regularly at the Regional Justice Center in Kent.  On September 10-12, I am leading a PFC concert and worship service trip with five others to Walla Walla, Pendleton, OR, and Wapato at the Standing Stones Ministry site.  I'll write more about that trip in my next post, soon.

For the Congo-Rwanda trip, I am almost at 50% in fund-raising which is a huge answer to prayer.  Many wonderful people are already participating with us as they are very sacrificially and lovingly supplying their earned finances in a very challenging economic season to support this trip.  

Even in our own home church, the status of church finances clearly argued for not taking this trip. There are always reasons "not" to go.  Those arguments are all the more reasons to "make disciples of all nations" by going to all the nations, baptizing and getting saved sinners identified in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and teaching the people groups of the world to obey Jesus, Matthew 28:19-20.

The change in schedule from late September to November shows us the Lord's sovereign hand is actively involved with us in the details of this missionary outreach to the men and women in the prisons and others with hearts to reach them in the Congo and Rwanda.  

We have five very clearly established goals for this short-term missions trip through PFC using a "TIBET" acronym.  We will be:

• Teaching to reach the lost and encourage followers of King Jesus.
• Inspiring the inmates with humanitarian aid.
• Building up the established chaplains and supporting churches.
• Encouraging those already serving to persevere in faithful outreach.
• Training faithful workers in churches to establish and continue serving.

Humble transformation

I "rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory" with Bo's stunning transformation at the Regional Justice Center these past several weeks. 

He invited me to check his story on-line and I was once again amazed at what evil befalls men and women who are controlled by the drug culture, in this case "meth."  You might have read about Bo and his female accomplice in the media.

Bo was hard and proud the first time we met.  He wanted to talk just a little but didn't need any help.  I passed him several times in his unit when he sent me a kite request to visit.  This time, his entire countenance was transformed from the inside out. 

He is not in denial about his crimes.  He said,"When we were on meth I don't even know how many cars we stole and things we robbed.  I stole one computer that may have contained pictures and records of someone that we couldn't even put an amount on.  I sold it for $100 for drugs.  That is just the beginning." 

He is repentant from the inside out and fully expects to be sentenced for his crimes. Still, he is learning a whole new life walking with Jesus.

At Faith Baptist Church, I recently met with our missions committee about being invited by Bob Jordan and Greg Von Tobel to participate in a short-term international missions trip to the Congo and Rwanda beginning in late September.  They were so encouraging. 

I am very excited to have Peter, Jonathan, and Nathan join Jim, Peyton and me for an eastern Washington and Oregon on the weekend of September 10-12.  My goal is to get some of our church family actively participating in the PFC mission with me.

I am stumbling over mail merge with my letter I need to get sent out to faithful supporters as I need to raise $4,000 for this trip.I got most of my shots taken care of last week, as well.  Our Congo-Rwanda team meets every couple of weeks, the next meeting is October 21 in Woodinville.

beloved brothers incarcerated

I came out of an incredible experience with in a message I gave in one of the units this morning at the Regional Justice Center in Kent.  The men were really hungry and receptive. 

They asked me to speak to them from James 1 where they were already engaged so we set up camp in James 1:18-21.  James is about walking in faith, its a textbook on Christian living.  James was a brother of Jesus and shares a great deal in common with what Jesus said in Matthew.  The theme is commonly presented as "working faith" or "faith that works."  Genuine faith is proven by how we really live.

These verses from James 1 teach about living as beloved brothers right in their unit.  It was God's will for them to be created to become firstfruits of His creatures.  We start loving each other by carefully listening to each other.  When anger stirs, all of the momentum toward walking as men of God gets derailed. In contrast, a spirit of godly meekness with one another and toward God's word builds us up as we live together in the body.  We listen, care, and love each other.

What became so awesome was how the men applied what I was speaking to them about.  Then, the Lord touched deep inside my heart about experiencing personal meekness at home and where we are members, Faith Baptist Church in Kent.  I felt the Lord's presence like He was sitting right beside me, with His arm around my shoulder.  "Mark, this is for you."

Robert started this study group when he entered this unit on June 10th.  We prayed about him faciltating a faithful group of church men, a gathered church in that unit.  Now, he meets daily with Gil, Luis, Lepo, Jim, Junior, and Rich.

Tyrone is doing exactly the same thing in another unit.  The groups change as men transfer to other units or are released.  Others join the group and drop off.  Tyrone's group is doing "Don't waste your life," by John Piper.

In another unit,  Eric meets with another group of beloved brethren.  He's not the facilitator there but is experiencing remarkable change.  He memorized Psalm 23 so we talked about Scripture meditation.  You should see the change in his demeanor.  He said, "memorizing Psalm 23 changed my life."

Manute Bol, a fool for Christ

Manute Bol, who died last week at the age of 47, is one player who never achieved redemption in the eyes of sports journalists, according to the Wall Street Journal.

His life embodied an older, Christian conception of redemption that has been badly obscured by its current usage.

Bol, a Christian Sudanese immigrant, believed his life was a gift from God to be used in the service of others. As he put it to Sports Illustrated in 2004: "God guided me to America and gave me a good job. But he also gave me a heart so I would look back."

He was not blessed, however, with great athletic gifts. As a center for the Washington Bullets, Bol was more spectacle than superstar. At 7 feet, 7 inches tall and 225 pounds, he was both the tallest and thinnest player in the league. He averaged a mere 2.6 points per game over the course of his career, though he was a successful shot blocker given that he towered over most NBA players.

Bol reportedly gave most of his fortune, estimated at $6 million, to aid Sudanese refugees. As one twitter feed aptly put it: "Most NBA cats go broke on cars, jewelry & groupies.  

Manute Bol went broke building hospitals.

When his fortune dried up, Bol raised more money for charity by doing what most athletes would find humiliating: He turned himself into a humorous spectacle. Bol was hired, for example, as a horse jockey, hockey player and celebrity boxer. Some Americans simply found amusement in the absurdity of him on a horse or skates. And who could deny the comic potential of Bol boxing William "the Refrigerator" Perry, the 335-pound former defensive linemen of the Chicago Bears?

Bol agreed to be a clown. But he was not willing to be mocked for his own personal gain as so many reality-television stars are. Bol let himself be ridiculed on behalf of suffering strangers in the Sudan; he was a fool for Christ.

During his final years, Bol suffered more than mere mockery in the service of others. While he was doing relief work in the Sudan, he contracted a painful skin disease that ultimately contributed to his death.

Bol reminds us, the Christian understanding of redemption has always involved lowering and humbling oneself. It leads to suffering and even death.

Touch of the Master's hand

 
 The Touch of the Master's Hand
Myra Brooks Welch
It was battered and scarred,
And the auctioneer thought it
hardly worth his while
To waste his time on the old violin,
but he held it up with a smile.
"What am I bid, good people", he cried,
"Who starts the bidding for me?"
"One dollar, one dollar, Do I hear two?"
"Two dollars, who makes it three?"
"Three dollars once, three dollars twice, going for three,"
But, No,
From the room far back a gray bearded man
Came forward and picked up the bow,
Then wiping the dust from the old violin
And tightening up the strings,
He played a melody, pure and sweet
As sweet as the angel sings.
The music ceased and the auctioneer
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said "What now am I bid for this old violin?"
As he held it aloft with its' bow.
"One thousand, one thousand, Do I hear two?"
"Two thousand, Who makes it three?"
"Three thousand once, three thousand twice,
Going and gone", said he.
The audience cheered,
But some of them cried,
"We just don't understand."
"What changed its' worth?"
Swift came the reply.
"The Touch of the Master's Hand."
And many a man with life out of tune
All battered with bourbon and gin
Is auctioned cheap to a thoughtless crowd
Much like that old violin
A mess of pottage, a glass of wine,
A game and he travels on.
He is going once, he is going twice,
He is going and almost gone.
But the Master comes,
And the foolish crowd never can quite understand,
The worth of a soul and the change that is wrought
By the Touch of the Master's Hand.

"Touch Of The Masters Hand" By JD Sumner (FULL)

www.youtube.com

Falling in love with Jesus

Over the past couple of months, the Lord has taken me on an incredible journey, or real experience, in growing deeper with Him.  It started back in April with a really remarkable intercessory prayer time for Greg Von Tobel when I experienced the very real presence of God as we prayed in the hallway at our Prisoners for Christ University for Greg's deliverance.

My Bible reading is rich and rewarding especially as I read through five Psalms daily.

I read "The glory of Christ," by Puritan John Owen, and "Signs of the Spirit," (an interpretative reflection on "Religious Affections," by Jonathan Edwards) by Sam Storms.  During this ongoing experience, I sense His presence in terms of virtually hearing His voice and seeing Him.

I am now in the midst of "Pleasures evermore," by Sam Storms, and George Marsden's biography on Jonathan Edwards.

Falling in love with Jesus

 "I want to be attuned to God's heart, to be of one mind, one spirit, one disposition with Him. If this occurs, it will only occur as the fruit of fascination with all that God is in Himself and all that He is for me in Jesus. The ability to walk with consistency in the things you know please God ultimately will only be overcome when your heart, soul, mind, spirit, and will are captivated by the majesty, mercy, splendor, beauty, and magnificence of who God is and what He has and will do for you in Jesus," Sam Storms writes.

"I must confess that I have ransacked the dictionary for words to describe what I have in mind. Here is what I mean by falling in love with Jesus. I, you, we were made to be enchanted, enamored, and engrossed with God; enthralled, enraptured, and entranced with God; enravished, excited, and enticed by God; astonished, amazed, and awed by God; astounded, absorbed, and agog with God; beguiled and bedazzled; startled and staggered; smitten and stunned; stupefied and spellbound; charmed and consumed; thrilled and thunderstruck; obsessed and preoccupied; intrigued and impassioned; overwhelmed and overwrought; gripped and rapt; enthused and electrified; tantalized, mesmerized, and monopolized; fascinated, captivated, and exhilarated by God; intoxicated and infatuated with God!"

Sam concludes, "Does that sound like your life? Do you want it to? Do you realize how difficult it would be to sin if this were true of you? This is what God made you for. There is an eradicable, inescapable impulse in your spirit to experience the fullness of God in precisely this way and God put it there!"