Tag Archives: middle

Counting the cost and adding up the value

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Bill Johnson said, “You get what you need for free and you pay for what you want!” It costs to follow what you believe God is calling you to, but it turns out what costs you, you didn’t need. My wife and I left our full-time career and followed what we believed the Lord calling us to. We left our comforts and security for a life of risk and faith. We went out on the ledge of Christian faith and jumped off. We have never lacked what we need, ever. When we needed it, the Lord has always been faithful at the right time with the right amount.

Once, while in Nicaragua, we needed $150, we had nothing and a man who was visiting from the US, stopped dead in the middle of his conversation with us and said: “You need money! The Holy Spirit just said I need to give you money! I need to give you $150!” – just when we needed it, we got it. I remember another time we had no food left, all but one thing of oats was left for our family of five and we planned on having that for breakfast and, as if by chance, a pastor called us from another town and offered to pay for our whole family to come stay there while we ministered in his church. The timing was perfect. In amongst the hungriest of people we found the most supernatural generosity. Time and time again we have seen God perform miraculous provision as we have followed Him. Even today I marvel as someone donated tires for our van just before we have to head to Edmonton, (a 3o hour drive in winter with bald tires) and another generous person from Yukon Bible Fellowship donated enough money for all the gas and another donated money for repairs. And before we left for the Yukon, someone felt lead to pay off our $20k debt!  We are not getting rich following Jesus, but we are living rich following Jesus and lacking nothing. :)

Today as my hope was dropping, I am purposely remembering all that He has done, all He has provided. And today I can truly say, what we needed we got for free, but what we wanted we had to pay for. And what we paid with we didn’t need anyway, so there was no loss only gain. We wanted to go where He said go, we wanted to say what He said and it cost us all the false security and comforts we thought we needed. Although, in the moment, I miss the simplicity of a steady pay cheque and I am constantly challenged to remember His faithfulness, when I think about the big picture, I would trade it all again for the knowledge of His love demonstrated in His provision for us. I would gladly exchange my false comfort and security for the security and comfort of knowing that my God is able to do what He said He would do.

Even as I was writing this, another generous person from Yukon Bible Fellowship, donated more money to us for our trip. God is sooooo generous and knows what we need even before we ask for it. It felt like it cost a lot, but all it has really done has removed the dependency on things that we’ve realized we never really needed.

Blessing and Increase!

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Well it is time to tell of all that God has done in the last few months and to declare a renewed vision for the future. Remember when you hear this testimony that the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy! This means the very testimony you hear of Jesus touching some else’s life has the power in it to do it again. So take this testimony as a prophesy for your situation.

Several years ago, while attending a Bethel Church service, Pastor Bill was moved by the Spirit to have us all pray for those who were having financial struggles. Well we had moved there to attend BSSM and were completely strapped financially having used up whatever cash we had and all of our credit. So we were in desperate need of some prayer and money. As my friend layed hands on me to pray for our situation I had a vision of people putting money into my hands, then the vision changed and I saw people pinning  money on my back, then the vision changed again and I was standing in front of the mail box collecting a check that would pay off our debt. This was exactly what I needed to encourage me. Well right after he was done praying people started putting money in my hands while I was standing there. Then later that month I got a job working for Loving On Purpose, right at the point where had no money left, it was amazing.

Now I knew that the first two parts of the vision had come true, money donations were coming in and I was getting money for my labor. I longed to see the third part come true, but nothing. My wife started seeing the numbers 555 frequently. The number 5 means grace and Bill had an encounter where the Lord showed him that the cancellation of debt was upon us and the number was 555. So every time we saw that number we claimed it as the cancellation of debt for us. It was crazy how often we saw it. I mean ridiculous. I would see the number, reach out my hand and claim the promise as ours. Well Kris Vallotton says the word you hear the most often can be a sign of the resistance you will face before you see that promise come to pass. This was a real test for our faith, especially when we felt financially strapped after going to Nicaragua and reducing our salary to only 6% of what I was making when I was working as a video game project manager. God was faithful and provided all the way. There were times in Nicaragua in the middle of the month, when all we had was a bag of oatmeal on the shelf and people came, without knowing and paid to feed us for 3 days, etc. It was truly amazing! Always there, always at the last moment, God came through. However the debt was always there as a nagging temptation not to believe God as the creditors kept calling.

The external pressure to not believe the faithfulness of God to fulfill the promise was intense and just last month it came to a head with a creditor when they threatened legal action. All sorts of questions come to mind like, did we hear God right, were we foolish in giving it all up to follow what we felt God was telling us to do, am I being an irresponsible father, etc etc. It was rough, but no matter what we felt, experienced or perceived we kept reminding each other that the God who answered our prayers in the past is the same God who will answer our promises in the future and that He is more than capable to do what He said He would do. Then in the middle of last month, a couple we know sold their house and gave us check of $20K to pay off our debt. PRAISE GOD! He is faithful to fulfill all that He promises.