BOOKS FROM GOD

I learn from reading books!  God speaks to me through the books I read.  Over the years, I have realized that God seems to have a divine booklist for me.  Repeatedly, I find that I'm reading just the right book for the time that I'm going through!  This has amazed me over and over again. 

Many times a book I read kicks loose a preaching series. 

Sometimes, I buy these books.  Other times, someone may share a book with me.  I have even picked them up at a yard sale.  Catalyst may send me "just the right book."  Or, I might buy it on Christian Book Distributor's 'Friday Specials'.  But, one-way-or-another, God gets them into my hands.

In sorting through my books recently, I came across a small booklet on prayer by J. O. Fraser.  I had never read it and knew nothing about him.  I almost pitched it, then started flipping through it - this was a God-moment.

J. O. was a wise and successful church planter in the early 1900's among the Lisu people of southwest China.  The title of his booklet is The Prayer of Faith.

An excerpt from a letter he wrote to his friends at home:

I cannot insist too strongly on my own helplessness among these people apart from the grace of God.  Although I have been now ten years in China and have had considerable experience with both Chinese and Lisu, I find myself able to do little or nothing apart from God's going before me and working among men.  Without this I feel like a man who has his boat grounded in shallow water.  Pull or push as he may, he will not be able to make his boat move more than a few inches.  But let the tide come in and lift his boat off the bottom - then he will be able to move it as far as he pleases, quite easily and without friction.  It is indeed necessary for me to go around among our Lisu, preaching, teaching, exhorting, rebuking, but the amount of progress made thereby depends almost entirely on the state of the Spiritual Tide in the village - a condition which you (his friends back home) can control upon your knees as well as I can.

Debbie and I are hoping to go to China at the end of this summer to teach English in a university in Guiyang.  This is not a trip to enjoy the beautiful country.  It will have adversity.  We need prayer now - that we might be accepted and granted a 'Work Visa' by the Chinese government. 

We would also love to have a committed core of friends who will pray for our influence when we go.  Would you conisder being a part of that core?

Our request is simple:

1. Set some kind of trigger that will remind you to pray for us daily (once we go).
2. Be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit to pray upon His prompting!

If you're willing, send us a note or text us or Facebook us.  We'll start a list and try to keep you informed when we go!  Thanks so much!