God at Work
During the height of the Cold War, Communist countries were keeping a tight control on their borders, but God had called Brother Andrew to help the Christians behind that Iron Curtain.

"When I pulled up to the checkpoint on the other side of the Danube, I said to myself, "Well, I'm in luck. Only half a dozen cars. This Romanian border crossing should go swiftly."

"But when it took forty minutes to inspect the first car, I began to worry...literally everything that family was carrying had to be taken out and spread on the ground.

"Every car in line was put through the same routine. The fourth inspection lasted well over an hour. The guards took the driver inside and kept him there while they removed hub caps, took his engine apart, removed seats.

"Dear Lord," I said, as at last there was just one car ahead of me, "what am I going to do? Any serious inspection will show up these Romanian Bibles right away.

"Lord," I went on, "I know that no amount of cleverness on my part can get me through this border search. Dare I ask for a miracle? Let me take some of the Bibles out and leave them in the open where they will be seen. Then, Lord I cannot possibly be depending on my own stratagems, can I? I will be depending utterly upon You."

"While the last car was going through its chilling inspection, I managed to take several Bibles from their hiding places and pile them on the seat beside me.

"It was my turn. I put the little VW in low gear, inched up to the officer standing at the left side of the road, handed him my papers, and started to get out. But his knee was against the door, holding it closed. He looked at my photograph in the passport, scribbled something down, shoved the papers back under my nose, and abruptly waved me on.

"Surely thirty seconds had not passed. I started the engine and inched forward. Was I supposed to pull over, out of the way where the car could be taken apart? Was I ... surely I wasn’t...I coasted forward, my foot poised above the brake. Nothing happened. I looked out the rear mirror. The guard was waving the next car to a stop, indicating to the driver that he had to get out. On I drove a few more yards. The guard was having the driver behind me open the hood of his car. And then I was too far away to doubt that indeed I had made it through that incredible checkpoint in the space of thirty seconds.

"My heart was racing. Not with the excitement of the crossing, but with the excitement of having caught such a spectacular glimpse of God at work!"


This is a true story from Brother Andrew's book God's Smuggler. God has used Brother Andrew to take Bibles behind the Iron Curtain for many years, and is still using Him to take the Gospel into all parts of the world. Please be in prayer for Him and the Open Doors Ministry.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who might like to read it. :-)

* He is called "Brother" Andrew to preserve his anonymity and because he is a brother to all who follow Christ.

He is our help in time of need

I have decided to share a little testimony of God's great love for his little children in their smallest needs.

I was feeling very down and completely rejected a few weeks ago, so as I turned to the book of Job (which was the book I had been reading through at the time) my Bible opened to Psalm 40 (Now I am not one to just open their Bible anywhere and say this is a message from God but on this occasion I think it must have been Him.) so I decided to just see what this Psalm said so I began to read, and as I read this verse "But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer" I was completely overtaken with the most joy and encouragement I think I have ever experienced. God is indeed our Helper and our Delivered, a constant friend in time of trial. All that I am and all that you are God has made perfect according to His will.

This is one of the many instances God has brought me up from a low place back into His powerful fortress of protection and peaceful rest.

"And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD."


Your brother in Christ

Joel M. Gaffney

Psalm 24

This passage of scripture was very encouraging to me today. When we look around at all the chaos in the world today keep in mind this Psalm.

Your brother in Christ
Joel



Psalm 24 (KJV)
1. The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

2. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.

3. Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?

4. He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

5. He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

6. This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.

7. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.

8. Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.

9. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.

10. Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.

Paintball!!!!!

This past Saturday I went to Full Throttle paintball field with 3 good friends and we had a super awesome time playing paintball. We had hoped to get about 20 people to go but that did not work out, I will not mention names (you know who you are) "cough" anyway the Lord gave us a beautiful day to play the sport we love so we thank Him for that. I hope you enjoy these few pictures I took, sorry I did not take more :-( but since it was Jeff's camera I did not want to chance ruining it. Enjoy and God bless

What a beautiful day!

Joseph on a recon mission

Oh look! a man with a gun

Taking a well deserved break

I want a decal on my truck now!!

So much gear!! and that is only my gear and half of Evan's stuff

This kid was pretty cool, He brought four radios so we could communicate
with our team across the field :-)

Evan looking for the enemy

Gabe, Here he comes to save the day!! :-P

Take the fort!!!!!!

Dear Readers

Dear Readers, as some of you know I have not been feeling very well for the past couple weeks, that is why I have not posted anything new but starting next week I will be posting some exciting things, so please check back next week :-)

I also want to thank you all for your prayers, I really appreciate all of them. :-)


Your Brother in Jesus Christ
Joel



Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matthew 5:16

A prayer for our times

I was driving to work today when this song came on the radio, as I sat listening to the lovely words I thought what a powerful prayer this is and how the church today truly does need to be revived again.

We praise Thee, O God!
For the Son of Thy love,
For Jesus Who died,
And is now gone above.

Chorus.
Hallelujah! Thine the glory.
Hallelujah! Amen.
Hallelujah! Thine the glory.
Revive us again.

We praise Thee, O God!
For Thy Spirit of light,
Who hath shown us our Savior,
And scattered our night.

All glory and praise
To the Lamb that was slain,
Who hath borne all our sins,
And hath cleansed every stain.

All glory and praise
To the God of all grace,
Who hast brought us, and sought us,
And guided our ways.

Revive us again;
Fill each heart with Thy love;
May each soul be rekindled
With fire from above.

William P. Mackay 1863



I especially love the last verse "may each soul be rekindled"

May God Bless you and fill you with his bountiful love this week as you go about your daily tasks.

Your Brother in Christ
Joel

The Potter's Masterpiece Part 1

In the vast Liverpool Station thousands of Londoners hurried to their respected trains and carriages, the smoke and steam filled the air, but for one arriving passenger that June morning in 1886 the sights and sounds meant nothing for he was too exhausted to think about these things. This man however was quite strangely clothed, on his head he wore a large peaked cap under which hung a thick heavy veil which covered his entire face all the way to his neck, His Body was completely covered in a long cloak which hung down to his feet which were clad in huge slipper like shoes, which were more like big canvas bags. As he limped slowly through the station supported only by a cane held in his left hand which was the only part of his body exposed to view. He did not know where he was going nor did he know anyone who would take him in. As he walked pondering these two questions a crowd of curious spectators began to form around him, the man stopped and stood still hoping that they would go away and leave him alone, but they did not, the crowd grew larger, the people would call “What do you have hidden under that cloak?” another would say “whatever it is it sure does smell” and many other rude comments. The man knew if he said anything they would not be able to understand him so he tried to walk away, but realized he was blocked in by the ever growing mob that surrounded him, panic was setting in and he did not know what to do, when through the crowd pushed a policeman who told the man to come with him, as the policeman was leading the man away other policemen arrived and set about breaking up the mob. The policeman half dragged the man into an empty waiting room where after the man had collapsed the officer questioned him but could not understand over the squeals and other sounds that the man made. This man is Joseph Merrick also known as The Elephant Man.










You may be wondering why I have decided to post about such a strange man. Well you have to know who this “strange” man is in order to understand and I hope appreciate who he was and what message God has presented to us through this remarkable man.





Joseph Carey Merrick was born in Leicester England. He was the firstborn child to the Merrick family. His mother adored him while his father treated with indifference; this could be contributed to his being conceived before his parents were wed. Joseph seemed to be a healthy boy until his 2ND year, when his mother noticed a slight swelling under his upper lip, which then grew hard and spread to his cheek turning his lip inside out. As he grew older and his condition worsened, his mother turned to the scriptures to understand and also cope with her son’s condition. In answer to his questions why he looked this way, she loving taught him about God’s absolute sovereignty and unfailing love, her own conviction and belief lead him to understand God had a purpose in giving him his deformity. As Joseph grew older and read for himself about God’s detailed planning of each individual (physical appearance and personality) before he or she is born. “My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them” (Psalm 139:15-16)


As Joseph grew his condition worsened, by the age of five his right arm and leg had swollen, large lumps or bone began to form all over his head, his feet were becoming enlarged. The lump on his head eventually became so enlarged he could not see out of his right eye. His skin in various places became bumpy and discolored. One bony mass on his right side became so large and doubled over so that he could not hear out of that ear. All this was hard on Joseph but he knew he could always count on his mother's tender love and care. When Joseph's leg became injured in a fall he could not run as fast as he could before (which was not very fast) and the boys on the street would not let him play in any of the games so they chased him away. Joseph never wanted to force himself on anyone or go where he was not wanted, so he began to spend more time by himself.


When we as Christians begin to look on what God has put on the inside of a person rather than the outward appearance of an individual, that is when we can begin to see how best to help that person and work with them to meet God's goals for their lives as well as for yourself.



But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, Why have you made me like this? Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? Romans 9:20-21

And He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

Your hands have made me and fashioned me; Give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments. Psalms 119:73

But the Lord said to Samuel, Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him, for the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7

Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18




Part 2 coming soon



Please let me know what you think.
Your Brother in Christ
Joel


Resources from the Joseph Merrick Story published by The Institute in Basic Life Principles, you can purchase a copy of this book by going to their website http://store.iblp.org/products/HOF2/