I was driving home and listening to the radio, a song was playing, it was a song by the group U-2 called "In the Name of Love". A Christian group had re-recorded it and it was playing on my Christian station. The song contains lyrics about Christ and they were singing the line "one man betrayed with a kiss".
And it got me thinking of the irony of the night that Judas led the Romans to come and arrest Christ in the garden. To identify Christ, Judas walked up to him and kissed him on the cheek.
The irony of the fact that God is Love. In Love God gave us the free will to choose Him or reject Him, that in Love God sent His son, Jesus Christ, to give the salvation message. That in Love Christ told us to love our neighbors, to love our spouses, to love ourselves and in love take this message to everyone in the world. And in Love, Christ sacrificed himself to pay the ransom to free mankind on the cross!
And yet, the very act of betrayal came from a kiss to identify the God of Love.
How is our Love life?
Are we honoring God in action? To love one another, to lift up and love our families, our neighbors and our world? Or are we betraying the God of Love with a kiss?
I would like to recite one of the most famous verses from the Bible in regards to Love it comes from the New Testament book of Corinthians 13:4-8:
Love is patient; love is kind.
Love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude.
It does not insist on its own way: it is not irritable or resentful;
it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in truth.
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
And now faith, hope, and love abide,
and the greatest of these is love.
It will be my prayer for you, that this is the Love you will reflect to each other and share with each other and bring as much joy and happiness as possible into your lives under the guidance of the Lord.
The Lord of Salvation, lover of your soul, friend of sinners and the God of Love!
Have a blessed and wonderful day and spend it in Love.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Riding the White Horse in the Ultimate Race of Life
We know that the White Horse is one of the symbols of the RTCA. It is taken directly from Revelation 19:11. We believe that Christ is seated upon the White Horse and he is called Faithful and True! (Amen) And all who love horses should rejoice because the horse is obviously a creature that exists in Heaven and is the chosen vessel that Christ will return to judge the Earth. Verse 16 tells us Christ wears a robe and on his thigh or jockey pants are written the words- "King of Kings and Lord of Lords".
While the prophecy written in the book of Revelation can occur at any minute, hour, day, week, year or decade- we need to be involved in the Harvest fields right now.
We do not know how long we have on this planet, we are not guaranteed another sunset or sunrise, so let us be found going about the work of our Father in Heaven.
The RTCA has endeavored to take on a great and awesome task. Presenting the gospel on the racetracks, training centers, farms and ranches of the horse racing community. With a goal of leading at least 25,000 people or more to Christ by the year 2010.
As I reported at our March conference in Seattle, we have already crossed the 16,500 person mark!
In addition to the tremendous ministry work of our local chaplains, the RTCA in partnership with the Foursquare Charity Foundation and some key individual partners have launched the White Horse Evangelism Festivals and follow up ALPHA discipleship programs.
Since August of 2007 the Festivals have come to the tracks at Del Mar, Bay Meadows, Churchill Downs, Sam Houston, Fairgrounds, Evangeline Downs, Delta Downs and just held one May 19 at Belmont Park with its sister track of Aqueduct. The next festival is scheduled for June 8 at Arlington Park. Alpha programs have been launched or are underway or will be coming to- Hollywood Park, Bay Meadows, Golden Gate Field, Santa Anita, Los Alamitos, Sam Houston, Churchill, Lone Star Park, Fairgrounds, Belmont, Evangeline Downs and Evangeline Training Center, Delta Downs and Arlington Park.
For a program that was targeted to carry out 8 Festivals and 8 ALPHA programs we have stretched out to 24 places, tracks and training centers!
We will be celebrating not only ALPHA graduations in the next few months but will also be holding baptisims as well!
Over 1,000 people have come directly to the Lord from these events and hundreds have enrolled in the ALPHA classes- with more to come.
But, it is extremely important to remember this, it is not about numbers. It is not keeping up with stats like a baseball game. The numbers are important only for what they represent- that each one of them encountered the Lord, that each one of them was transformed the moment they called upon and accepted Christ to be their savior. The numbers are important to know that the Lord of the Harvest is calling His people home through the race track chaplains and ministries!
We must continue to pray, we must continue to remember that a lot of these people are being delivered from the personal struggles with drugs, alcohol and sexual addiction.
The ALPHA program helps them in their growth as Christians as they are ministered to by our Chaplains. But, the devil will come at them from all angles. So lift them up in prayer, pray for our Chaplains on the front lines of the backstretch and pray for their families and the councils that support the ministry.
We are not about the numbers. We are part of helping people hear and see the gospel in action as we want them to accept Christ and win the ultimate race of life!
While the prophecy written in the book of Revelation can occur at any minute, hour, day, week, year or decade- we need to be involved in the Harvest fields right now.
We do not know how long we have on this planet, we are not guaranteed another sunset or sunrise, so let us be found going about the work of our Father in Heaven.
The RTCA has endeavored to take on a great and awesome task. Presenting the gospel on the racetracks, training centers, farms and ranches of the horse racing community. With a goal of leading at least 25,000 people or more to Christ by the year 2010.
As I reported at our March conference in Seattle, we have already crossed the 16,500 person mark!
In addition to the tremendous ministry work of our local chaplains, the RTCA in partnership with the Foursquare Charity Foundation and some key individual partners have launched the White Horse Evangelism Festivals and follow up ALPHA discipleship programs.
Since August of 2007 the Festivals have come to the tracks at Del Mar, Bay Meadows, Churchill Downs, Sam Houston, Fairgrounds, Evangeline Downs, Delta Downs and just held one May 19 at Belmont Park with its sister track of Aqueduct. The next festival is scheduled for June 8 at Arlington Park. Alpha programs have been launched or are underway or will be coming to- Hollywood Park, Bay Meadows, Golden Gate Field, Santa Anita, Los Alamitos, Sam Houston, Churchill, Lone Star Park, Fairgrounds, Belmont, Evangeline Downs and Evangeline Training Center, Delta Downs and Arlington Park.
For a program that was targeted to carry out 8 Festivals and 8 ALPHA programs we have stretched out to 24 places, tracks and training centers!
We will be celebrating not only ALPHA graduations in the next few months but will also be holding baptisims as well!
Over 1,000 people have come directly to the Lord from these events and hundreds have enrolled in the ALPHA classes- with more to come.
But, it is extremely important to remember this, it is not about numbers. It is not keeping up with stats like a baseball game. The numbers are important only for what they represent- that each one of them encountered the Lord, that each one of them was transformed the moment they called upon and accepted Christ to be their savior. The numbers are important to know that the Lord of the Harvest is calling His people home through the race track chaplains and ministries!
We must continue to pray, we must continue to remember that a lot of these people are being delivered from the personal struggles with drugs, alcohol and sexual addiction.
The ALPHA program helps them in their growth as Christians as they are ministered to by our Chaplains. But, the devil will come at them from all angles. So lift them up in prayer, pray for our Chaplains on the front lines of the backstretch and pray for their families and the councils that support the ministry.
We are not about the numbers. We are part of helping people hear and see the gospel in action as we want them to accept Christ and win the ultimate race of life!
Monday, April 21, 2008
The Race is being Waged in Heaven!
(May 6, 2008 is the RTCA Global Day of Prayer. For full information on Global Day of Prayer click on the Evangelism 2010 section on the RTCA homepage. On the Evangelism 2010 section you will see the title- “Global Day of Prayer”. Click on that section and you can see the hours available for prayer. Send your prayer times to Chaplain Daniel Corte at:
He will sign you up. You can also send your prayer requests to him as well to post on the site.)
The Race for Souls is being waged in the Heavens!
Ephesians 6:12 tells us that we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, and against spiritual wickedness in high places.
The Whitehorse Festivals and ALPHA outreaches have reminded me of the truth of this verse. We have seen the powers of the darkness come against the team on a personal basis and a group basis.
We have experienced technical difficulties that are numerous to list. But one of the most frequent one involves the sound system. It does not matter how perfect the sound check goes, how great the equipment is or how professional the sound technician is- at a key moment when Kevin is singing or Pat is giving the word, the sound will suddenly break down or have problems.
We have had delivery problems, late arriving flights, slow cooking and long food lines, indifferent attitudes at first from people arriving at the outreaches, and of course tiredness or illness that strikes the team.
All we do is STOP! We go silent. We realize that we have done all the “earthly” things possible in planning or operating the outreaches and events. We also realize that the battle is not in the flesh. We wait on the Lord! We give it over to our God!
He has never failed us and Satan has lost every time!
We just had two more events occur at the racetracks at Santa Anita and at Los Alamitos and between the two nearly 100 more people have come to accept the Lord as their Savior. Over 700 people have accepted Christ at our White Horse Festivals and ALPHA discipleship programs! Do you think the prince of darkness is pleased with these results?
Do you think he will again come against us at the planned May events at Evangeline Downs, Delta Downs, Belmont and Arlington Park?
Do you think we need prayer?
Of course the answer is YES for both questions.
As we continue to prepare for the May 6th Global Day of Prayer. Let’s meditate on the following word of God-
“With all prayer and requests, praying at all times in the Spirit, and being watchful to this end in perseverance and requests for all the Saints.”
Ephesians 6:18
So please be a prayer warrior for the RTCA on May 6th. Do not grow sleepy or lazy during the prayer time you are selecting for the Global Day of Prayer and if possible fast on the day of prayer.
Pray for the spiritual warfare being waged above us. Pray for the great harvest that is underway at racetracks in the United States and pray for a global revival that will sweep through the horse world!
Please send in your prayer times and prayer requests to Chaplain Daniel. And be watchful of the results from your prayers and the prayers of all those with the RTCA!
Blessings-
Edward Smith
Thursday, February 14, 2008
The Prayer of a Righteous Man
(May 6, 2008 is the RTCA Global Day of Prayer. For full information on Global Day of Prayer see previous article. A series of devotions on prayers will be presented throughout 2008)
So, go boldly to the throne of God, cloaked in the grace of His son Jesus Christ. Lift up the RTCA and the RTCA chaplains and councils. Pray for the continued evangelism and discipleship programs underway in racetracks all over the world.
Blessings to all reading this- Edward
James 5:16- “Therefore confess your sins to each other
and pray for each other so that you may be healed.
The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and
effective.”
There is so much written into this very short and simple verse. And it will be a joy to look at God’s word and see how this verse applies to us.
Question- how many of us here today really feel righteous? Let’s be honest, when we sometimes approach the Lord in prayer- do we carry guilt and shame and a feeling of unworthiness when we talk directly to God?
Let’s contrast James 5:16 with the following verse. Please turn in your bibles to:
Romans 3:10-11
As it is written- “There is none righteous, not even one, there is none who understands. There is none who understands. There is none who seeks God.”
Wow- does this not directly contradict James 5:16? No one is righteous, yet God tells us in James that- “the prayers of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”
Is this a spiritual….hum?
Let’s take a look at another verse.
2 Timothy 2:22
“Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”
So this is telling of the character of righteousness which is- Faith, charity, peace. and a pure heart.
So, in Romans, which is used many times in evangelism as the “Roman Road to Salvation” is the book that illuminates the sin of man. It shows us that man- in our natural and unforgiven state- are not righteous and are not the ways of a pure and Holy God.
James and Timothy are talking to the believers and followers of Christ.
Lets take a look at some facts here.
Prayer is mentioned in the New Testament- 100 times
Righteousness is mentioned 600 times in the bible.
In the original English language the word righteous or righteousness contained the meaning of Righteous, Justification and Justice all in the same word. The word was linked to Christian thought, that when Justice is rooted in a person and the ways of God, then God’s ways of love are esteemed and carried out on the earth.
Like 2 Timothy- there is the word Love.
In its original meaning it meant conformity to God’s standard of right and wrong. The three words were not broken out as they were now- they were one all encompassing and powerful word.
Do not confuse good behavior with righteousness. Not if the original meaning of the word is applied from God’s point of view.
So from the book of Romans- we clearly see whom the unrighteous are.
So how do we approach God in prayer as a righteous person and know as the word of God states- that the prayer is powerful and effective.
Answer- when we come humbly bowed before the Lord, and realizing that righteous is not based on good behavior or good works- that the righteous is not earned and does not make us better than anyone else. It means as believers that our filthy rags are covered by the righteousness of Christ. That righteousness only comes from Christ- that we/you/me are in Christ and Christ is our righteousness. We are forever His even in our failures and made righteous by His grace.
As Romans 6:13 says to the believers-
“do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.”
So now that righteousness of the believer is established- what are the values of prayer that make it powerful and effective.
Prayer has PRAISE and PRIVILEGE
Christ modeled the prayer that thousands of Christians pray daily- The Lord’s Prayer.
Matthew 6:9-13
Our Father which art in heaven- hallowed be thy name
That opening statement gives praise to our Lord as God, the Creator, who resides in lofty heaven- it gives honor to the one who is holy. And at the same time it allows us the privilege to address him personally as Father- we are His sons and daughters.
Let’s look at other values and elements of prayer.
Prayer has Power- Because God answers prayer and things begin to happen and sometimes the answered prayer is no- because of things yet unseen or understood, that would be harmful or destructive. Be patient in prayer and accept the answer God provides!
Prayer has Promise- it is not to be looked upon as a lotto request. But it does go out with promise- and it is always answered. We can have joy and anticipation in looking to the promise of something happening.
Prayer has Purpose- William Wilberforce had the visions God gave him through prayer and the answers to create the purpose of abolishing slavery in Britain and in the world. He clung to those visions provided through prayer through all the adversity and trials he faced in helping to abolish slavery in the British Empire!
Prayer is Personal- Lift up your family, friends and yourself. Reveal all your inner fears, sins, weaknesses as well as your praise and thankfulness. Thank God for all He has done for you. Remember those things.
James 5:16- “Therefore confess your sins to each other
and pray for each other so that you may be healed.
The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and
effective.”
Let’s look at James 5:16 again, through the eyes of God. From the correct application of the word righteousness and see the value of praying as a righteous man or person-
Enter the prayer in the spirit of purity of heart- confessing your sin, making right with people that you may have wronged, use prayer do be healed, to be made healthy- to be made pure and clean under the awesome righteousness of the Lord. And in the cloak of the righteousness of Christ, loose the baggage, pray for others first, confess to God, praise God, thank God, adore the greatness of the love of God. Tap into that power and know that God will answer your prayer- in one form or another- in His will and time- that is what makes the prayers of the righteous so powerful and effective!
So, go boldly to the throne of God, cloaked in the grace of His son Jesus Christ. Lift up the RTCA and the RTCA chaplains and councils. Pray for the continued evangelism and discipleship programs underway in racetracks all over the world.
Blessings to all reading this- Edward
Thursday, January 31, 2008
The Global Day of Prayer & The Continuing Race for 2010!
Greetings to the family and friends of the Race Track Chaplaincy of America.
Last year on May 8th we had an incredible time of unity as we prayed together and fasted together for a 24 hour period. We came together as one body of those who serve the horse racing community and shared in times of prayer walks in the backstretches and front sides of the race tracks, in the training centers and in farms and barns across the globe. We read devotions and brought the prayer needs and requests up to our councils circulated them on emails and posted them on our web site. We signed up for prayer times on a 24 hour clock. And beginning at Midnight we began to pray together as the home office called chaplains and councils beginning in New Zealand and working around the world to Australia and Kenya and Puerto Rico and Canada, the USA, Argentina and Chile.
It was incredible, and awesome and inspiring!
This year we are declaring May 6, 2008 as our RTCA Global Day of Prayer.
It is our prayer and hope and anticipation for another Global Day of unity and fasting and reflecting and praying as a corporate body of believers. Bringing the prayer needs and requests from our family for all of us to pray over them.
Since last year we have seen tremendous growth in the RTCA ministry both in the USA and Canada and around the world.
But we see Kenya has plunged into a violent civil war and we need to lift up our Chaplain John Kaoto who lives in Nairobi.
There is strife and economic pressures everywhere and we need to pray for peace in the world.
Dr. Torres will be giving us a devotion on prayer inspired from the places in the Holy Land he just finished visiting.
We will have global devotions on prayer that will be posted on our web site throughout the year. Written by our chaplains and councils in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Ireland, England and hopefully- Kenya.
Keep praying for the continuing Race for 2010. The original RTCA Evangelism Vision 2010 plan is already out of the starting gate and hundreds came to the Lord and hundreds completed discipleship courses under the ALPHA program in 2007. Adding their numbers to the thousands that accept the Lord each year due to the work of our Chaplains and councils on the front lines of the tracks and farms.
Over 10,000 have accepted the Lord as their Savior over the last 4 years!
Pray for the upcoming Festivals and ALPHA programs that are scheduled for Feb 19 at the Sam Houston Track under Chaplain Daniel Corte, Jr. and on the 20th of Feb at the Fairgrounds Race Track in New Orleans under Chaplain Waverly Parsons.
Pray also for Pat Day and Kevin Thornton who will be bringing messages in word and song and sharing the word and their testimonies, pray for Chaplain Ted Carreras from Hollywood Park who will translate the message. Pray for the council members and volunteers who will be setting up all these events and pray for the Christian musicians who will add their songs to the festivals.
Pray that our denominational partners will join in as we grow these festivals and discipleship programs and take them to all parts of the USA and to the ends of the earth!
So, join the RTCA at our national conference in March in Seattle as we report on the ministry and come together to fellowship and pray together. Join us on May 6 as we will come together to pray in unity globally. Join us everyday and throughout 2008 as we have declared it the year of Prayer!
May you be blessed by God-
Edward Smith
Last year on May 8th we had an incredible time of unity as we prayed together and fasted together for a 24 hour period. We came together as one body of those who serve the horse racing community and shared in times of prayer walks in the backstretches and front sides of the race tracks, in the training centers and in farms and barns across the globe. We read devotions and brought the prayer needs and requests up to our councils circulated them on emails and posted them on our web site. We signed up for prayer times on a 24 hour clock. And beginning at Midnight we began to pray together as the home office called chaplains and councils beginning in New Zealand and working around the world to Australia and Kenya and Puerto Rico and Canada, the USA, Argentina and Chile.
It was incredible, and awesome and inspiring!
This year we are declaring May 6, 2008 as our RTCA Global Day of Prayer.
It is our prayer and hope and anticipation for another Global Day of unity and fasting and reflecting and praying as a corporate body of believers. Bringing the prayer needs and requests from our family for all of us to pray over them.
Since last year we have seen tremendous growth in the RTCA ministry both in the USA and Canada and around the world.
But we see Kenya has plunged into a violent civil war and we need to lift up our Chaplain John Kaoto who lives in Nairobi.
There is strife and economic pressures everywhere and we need to pray for peace in the world.
Dr. Torres will be giving us a devotion on prayer inspired from the places in the Holy Land he just finished visiting.
We will have global devotions on prayer that will be posted on our web site throughout the year. Written by our chaplains and councils in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Ireland, England and hopefully- Kenya.
Keep praying for the continuing Race for 2010. The original RTCA Evangelism Vision 2010 plan is already out of the starting gate and hundreds came to the Lord and hundreds completed discipleship courses under the ALPHA program in 2007. Adding their numbers to the thousands that accept the Lord each year due to the work of our Chaplains and councils on the front lines of the tracks and farms.
Over 10,000 have accepted the Lord as their Savior over the last 4 years!
Pray for the upcoming Festivals and ALPHA programs that are scheduled for Feb 19 at the Sam Houston Track under Chaplain Daniel Corte, Jr. and on the 20th of Feb at the Fairgrounds Race Track in New Orleans under Chaplain Waverly Parsons.
Pray also for Pat Day and Kevin Thornton who will be bringing messages in word and song and sharing the word and their testimonies, pray for Chaplain Ted Carreras from Hollywood Park who will translate the message. Pray for the council members and volunteers who will be setting up all these events and pray for the Christian musicians who will add their songs to the festivals.
Pray that our denominational partners will join in as we grow these festivals and discipleship programs and take them to all parts of the USA and to the ends of the earth!
So, join the RTCA at our national conference in March in Seattle as we report on the ministry and come together to fellowship and pray together. Join us on May 6 as we will come together to pray in unity globally. Join us everyday and throughout 2008 as we have declared it the year of Prayer!
May you be blessed by God-
Edward Smith
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Christ can calm the storm- a hurricane perspective!
Chaplain Waverly often ends his emails with the expression- "Jesus can calm the storm IF we keep him in our boat"
It inspired me to share a true story of the miracles that God did when the horror of Katrina was unfolding on the gulf coast and specifically in the 9th ward of New Orleans.
I got to know many people in the shelters of Baton Rouge shortly after they were evacuated and residents who were returning to churches a year later. We hear the sad stories of how people perished beneath the waters of the storm as they raced through broken levees to sweep houses, cars, trees and people away.
What we rarely hear is how God put his actual hand of mercy and grace upon people throughout the entire city and gulf coast. We do know that the goverment was forcasting upwards of 20-35,000 people to die as a result of the destruction- and like the attacks of 9/11- the numbers were drastically below- tens of thousands of people below! Thank you Lord!
Well, let's get back to Jesus calming the storm and being in a boat and what that has to do with New Orleans. Several survivors I talked to shared a common theme- a man appeared to them and saved them from drowning.
I have so many stories where the people ran up into their attics and began to hack away at the ceiling with a axe or machete to try and escape the water that was rapidly filling up their homes. They would tell me how they reached a point of exhaustion and realized they were not going to make it and asked the Lord to save them.
One told me how he was resigned to his immending death and cried out to the Lord to just take him home. Suddenly he felt a rush of fresh air and looked up and saw a hole in the roof that was just big enough for him to scurry up on the roof.
He was dismayed to find the water quickly overtaking his roof and realized in minutes he would be underwater. In an almost mocking tone he cried out again to the Lord- "God, did you save me from drowing in my attic only to bring me up to drown on my rooftop- you know I don't know how to swim!"
It inspired me to share a true story of the miracles that God did when the horror of Katrina was unfolding on the gulf coast and specifically in the 9th ward of New Orleans.
I got to know many people in the shelters of Baton Rouge shortly after they were evacuated and residents who were returning to churches a year later. We hear the sad stories of how people perished beneath the waters of the storm as they raced through broken levees to sweep houses, cars, trees and people away.
What we rarely hear is how God put his actual hand of mercy and grace upon people throughout the entire city and gulf coast. We do know that the goverment was forcasting upwards of 20-35,000 people to die as a result of the destruction- and like the attacks of 9/11- the numbers were drastically below- tens of thousands of people below! Thank you Lord!
Well, let's get back to Jesus calming the storm and being in a boat and what that has to do with New Orleans. Several survivors I talked to shared a common theme- a man appeared to them and saved them from drowning.
I have so many stories where the people ran up into their attics and began to hack away at the ceiling with a axe or machete to try and escape the water that was rapidly filling up their homes. They would tell me how they reached a point of exhaustion and realized they were not going to make it and asked the Lord to save them.
One told me how he was resigned to his immending death and cried out to the Lord to just take him home. Suddenly he felt a rush of fresh air and looked up and saw a hole in the roof that was just big enough for him to scurry up on the roof.
He was dismayed to find the water quickly overtaking his roof and realized in minutes he would be underwater. In an almost mocking tone he cried out again to the Lord- "God, did you save me from drowing in my attic only to bring me up to drown on my rooftop- you know I don't know how to swim!"
A second later a brand new boat with an engine bumped him on his ankle- he jumped in- thanking the Lord- and rescued not only himself but many other rooftop neighbors.
Another couple were washed off their roof into a torrent of water. They were drowing and called out to God for help. They were hit in the head by two life vests that they were able to slip on and then were washed up to a place of safety!
The most startling is a couple who were fleeing the onrushing waters. They ran up against a wall that was to high to climb. They held hands and prepared to meet the Lord, they prayed for rescue but felt their deaths were immenent.
Suddenly a Afro-American male in his early 30's stepped out from behind a trash bin. He was well dressed and was bone dry- despite the rain and water all around him. He pulled out a canoe and calmy said- "Hurry children you need to get into the boat!"
They ran to him and got into the boat. They turned to help him get into the boat- but he was gone. They believe Christ himself delivered them that day!
It is too bad that many times we look at our Lord as a "Break Glass when in Emergency" type of God. Coming to Him only when we are in need or want things or see no other way out. Thank God that He does respond and takes us in our hour of need.
But it would also be great if we had Him in our boat of life all the time. Keeping Him as our constant boat captain as we journeyed on the cruise of Life in good and bad times, thanking Him for all things at all times not just when were are about to be washed up on the rocks.
We are not promised a smooth or perfect life when we follow the Lord, but I believe that the storms of life can be calmed by the presence of our Lord who does allow us to handle and perservere through all calamities- even should we perish- we know we awake in His eternal arms!
So let's keep God in our boat! Continue to pray for our upcoming Race Track Revival Festivals on Oct 2 in Bay Meadows with Chaplain David and Oct 16 in Churchill Downs with Chaplain Ken. Let us pray for the harvest that many, many race track workers will come to accept the Lord as their Savior, Redeemer
Friday, August 24, 2007
Unified in a Circle of Prayer
My two weeks of serving as a Chaplain for Chaplain David Corrales has drawn to an end. Today, August 24 I have called a National RTCA Day of Prayer to pray for the RTCA Race Track Evangelism Festival that will take place on August 28 in Del Mar, California.
It is fitting that I talk about prayer in my dispatches fromNorthern California today.
I have only been here for two weeks. And only the Holy Spirit can cause people who did not know each other to bond so quickly. I loved leading worship services and small group bible studies at the different tracks while I was here.
We talked about our common citizenship in the United Kingdom of God as believers and shared and talked about verses that teach us about our citizenship and how we must strive to not only bring others the gospel and the truth, but to lift up and encourage other brothers and sisters as we journey on this earth.
I talked about the power of prayer and shared my personal testimony of answered prayer when, as a 13 year old boy, I asked God to make the world my office. Well 50 countries later and global ministry work later- God is continuing to answer that never ending prayer.
I shared the story of how God used the prayers of two men and a white pony to spread Christianity throughout southeast asia and beyond, that resonates and continues today.
And over the last few nights, at the different tracks, we would gather in a circle and just talk and pray and lift each other and our requests up to the Lord in English and in Spanish- united as citizens of Heaven.
It was a powerful and moving time and one I will never forget. They were also so excited that they knew RTCA brethern will be praying throughout Friday and that they would be able to pray with them in unity.
Please lift up the evangelism festivals and lift up these precious believers in the Lord on the racetracks as they work hard labor and strive to be the light of Christ in the backstretch. Pray also for Chaplain David Corrales, his family, is council and for his ministry,
I am so thankful that the Lord sent me to work with Chaplain David out here in the bay area.
Blessings to all of you!
It is fitting that I talk about prayer in my dispatches fromNorthern California today.
I have only been here for two weeks. And only the Holy Spirit can cause people who did not know each other to bond so quickly. I loved leading worship services and small group bible studies at the different tracks while I was here.
We talked about our common citizenship in the United Kingdom of God as believers and shared and talked about verses that teach us about our citizenship and how we must strive to not only bring others the gospel and the truth, but to lift up and encourage other brothers and sisters as we journey on this earth.
I talked about the power of prayer and shared my personal testimony of answered prayer when, as a 13 year old boy, I asked God to make the world my office. Well 50 countries later and global ministry work later- God is continuing to answer that never ending prayer.
I shared the story of how God used the prayers of two men and a white pony to spread Christianity throughout southeast asia and beyond, that resonates and continues today.
And over the last few nights, at the different tracks, we would gather in a circle and just talk and pray and lift each other and our requests up to the Lord in English and in Spanish- united as citizens of Heaven.
It was a powerful and moving time and one I will never forget. They were also so excited that they knew RTCA brethern will be praying throughout Friday and that they would be able to pray with them in unity.
Please lift up the evangelism festivals and lift up these precious believers in the Lord on the racetracks as they work hard labor and strive to be the light of Christ in the backstretch. Pray also for Chaplain David Corrales, his family, is council and for his ministry,
I am so thankful that the Lord sent me to work with Chaplain David out here in the bay area.
Blessings to all of you!
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