What He wants, when and where He wants (part 3) 

When God opens a big, powerful door (1 Corinthians 16:9), it is always an opportunity to do what He wants, when and where He wants. What He wants is always connected to sharing the good news of Jesus Christ (Matthew 10:27-31, Matthew 28:16-20, et. al.). That’s how we give Him Glory. It sometimes involves struggle, trials, and sacrifices. But that’s OK because He is always with us. What He wants, always leads to a kind of peace that is almost impossible to explain (John 14:27)

The door He opened to us in 2015 required sacrifices to be sure, of our home and possessions, my job and livelihood, friends, FAMILY. Practically everything we knew and were comfortable with about life had to go, and there were many adversaries. But in saying “YES”, the result was peace and other blessings I can’t count.

No matter how much you prepare for it, Ministry in any context, especially a foreign context, is hard and scary because there are so many adversaries. But in saying “YES” the result has been peace and still more blessings. Each time we were led to a new place or a new kind of ministry, it involved giving something up to move deeper into the big and powerful opportunity God had opened up. But every time we said “YES” to giving something up, there was something better waiting. Peace and blessings are always the result because He is always with us according to His Word.

And now we’re being led still further into the opportunity to give Him what He wants, when and where He wants. It’s time to say “YES” again.

The ministries that we have started as well as the ones we have partnered into in the Philippines not only remain, but are increasing (1 Corinthians 3:7). The adversary now has become one of finance. To sustain what already exists and provide for continued growth requires more than the mission can handle from our support as missionaries on the ground there. So I and our mission board have decided that I need to remain here in the US to conduct fundraising indefinitely. All funds raised will go toward sustaining and growing the mission in the Philippines.

Additionally, I am seeking job and business opportunities here so I can be a significant contributor to this cause as well. My being here in the US will help in 2 ways. First, 100% of the funds normally used for my support can be used to meet the ministry need. Second, I can add to fundraising efforts from a regular household income the way our supporters are doing now with one-time and monthly recurring financial gifts each year. The hope is that one day, in God’s time, I will be able to return to full time ministry in the Philippines. But for the foreseeable future the priority is the needs of the ministries God has used us to help build and possibly being able to  make annual or semi annual short term mission trips there.

For the upcoming year, the (known) one-time and monthly recurring financial need totals significantly more than the $33,000.00 goal we’ve had in each of the previous years that included my personal support. I can’t share the itemized details of those expenses here on social media, but I will be sharing those details with the churches and individual donors who currently support the mission as I give my testimony during normal fundraising efforts. As much as possible, everyone will have an opportunity to adopt a particular item on the list and determine how they want their gifts to be used. Please be watching my personal and mission facebook pages to see when and where those testimonies will happen and plan to attend. Im also available via email and my personal fb messenger to discuss those details with potential supporters who want to become involved.

One-time and monthly recurring gifts can be given via check or money order to

Rooftop Covenant Mission, PO BOX 587 Prairie Grove, AR 72753

Or via gofundme links on the Rooftop Covenant Mission FB Page and on the website:

http://www.rooftopcovenantmission.com

Everyone is also invited to pray for the continued fruitful success of this mission. Your prayers are highly valued and coveted because prayer works (1 John 5:14-15) Please remember that your prayers and financial support are not in vain (1 Corinthians 3:8).

Whatever God calls you to do in your life, my advice is to Say “YES”. Make the sacrifice. Suffer the trials. Walk through the open door. Peace and blessing are waiting somewhere on the other side, and He is with you.

-Tracy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What He wants, when and where He wants (part 2)

God opened a very big and very powerful door (opportunity) to us with this mission to the Philippines in the summer of 2015. Since that time, with all praise and Glory to God, this mission has seen more than 1,300 souls saved and lives changed by Jesus Christ. His means of accomplishing this was primarily through these activities through May of 2018:

1. house-to-house, face-to-face evangelism and bible study
2. church partnership ministries
3. addiction recovery ministries
4. police and jail ministries
5. military ministries
6. young professional, youth, and children’s ministries
7. food, clothing, and medical ministries

Those who follow the mission regularly on social media and those who hear our testimonies each time we return to the US rejoice with us as all of the blessings of this big and powerful opportunity unfold almost daily.

The thing this mission rarely shares on social media or by personal testimony is the work of the adversaries, which also stand against us almost daily. I won’t speak about those now either. It’s enough to say that they were, and still are, big, powerful and innumerable in in form.

Revelation 3:8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.

God is sovereign over all of life including this mission. I believe God’s sovereignty reigns to the extent that He is able to use even the work of our adversaries to accomplish His purpose and plan through us. He does that in big and mighty ways, and through events and circumstances that year, He began leading and guiding us deeper and deeper through the open door, and into the opportunity. 

From May 2018 until July 2019, although the 7 ministries above continued, we focused more and more on discipleship and mentoring, being involved with 2 particular churches. One more modern and westernized church in a populated city, and one more rural, cultural church out in the province. Spiritual growth results look like this:

1. FELLOWSHIP – These 2 churches are now connected through their Pastors, young professionals, and youth.
2. MULTIPLICATION – Bible study participants used to accompany me to various places for outreach, soul winning, and bible study ministries to act as interpreters and translators. Now they go out in groups to do these things independently.

God gets what He wants, when and where He wants.

Those things and more are happening now as this update is being posted while Im back in the US again to testify and begin fundraising for the coming year. The results can be seen and measured not only in salvations and baptisms, but also in growing church service and fellowship attendance, bible knowledge, and life application of scriptures.

God is good!

So, to my friends and church families in the Philippines who continue in the work of “going” as well as to those here in the US who support the ministry with prayer and financial gifts, I want to say THANK YOU, and DON’T STOP. All of you are eternally connected in the great commission of Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the LORD, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the LORD.

Please be watching for the 3rd and final part of this mission update for August in the next few days. I promise it will be worth reading.

 

What He wants, when and where He wants (part 1)

1 Corinthians 16:9 For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.

In a spiritual sense, open doors represent opportunities. A big door leads to a big opportunity. A powerful door leads to a powerful opportunity. I think we can all understand the idea behind that thought.

We face all kinds of adversaries in approaching and walking through those open doors, and especially in living within the opportunities on the other side of those open doors. Adversaries come in all forms. People oppose us for different reasons, circumstances like finances stand against us. The cycle of temptation, sin, and addiction distract us. The burdens of fear, guilt and shame hold us back. The list goes on and on because our adversaries are innumerable and they manifest themselves in innumerable ways. We can also be sure that the bigger and more powerful the opportunity is, the bigger and more powerful the adversaries will be.

But we must be obedient to God’s will if we truly belong to Him, and if we truly belong to Him we must believe that He is with us.

In 1 Corinthians chapter 16, it seems that Paul really wanted to go and be with his friends and church family in Corinth, and abide there for a while. But God had a different idea. It seems that God had “opened a big and powerful door” for Paul to live and share the gospel in another place where there would be many adversaries. Can you imagine passing up the chance to go to the place you really want to be, doing what you really want to do, with people you really want to be with? Can you imagine passing all that up for the “opportunity” specifically to serve God His way,in His perfect will, in another place of His choosing, where at least some of the people and many of the circumstances are against you?

Obedience puts us physically, emotionally, and spiritually in the place God wants us to be so He can use us for His Glory. That should be our goal.

I believe one of the lessons in the context of this tiny little verse is that every open door and every opportunity set before us by God must be connected to HIS purpose, not our own. It must be connected to HIS glory, not our own. We’re supposed to focus our lives on Him and walk in His glory and serve His will (not our own) not only by living and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ, but by doing what has to be done, where and when it has to be done in order to accomplish the His purpose.

We can be confident that our faithfulness to Him is well placed because He is faithful to us. Once we belong to Him, He is with us. Period. He never leaves us. He is always with us even in circumstances we don’t understand or agree with. His faith remains even in the face of the biggest and most powerful adversaries.

(special thanks to Pastor Richard Koonz for an uplifting phone call today)