Well, we are starting out our third day here at the Mardi Gras.
1. Today is Valentine's Day. I want to wish all the wives a wonderful Valentine's day!
2. This has the potential of being an important day for the men here as we use our group time before the Lord about our wives.
a. Pray for the marriages of the men and for the Lord to reveal areas that need to be repented of and for forgiveness and restoration in marriages and for all of us men to go home more appreciative of our wives and families. It was several years ago when Valentine's day happened during Mardi Gras and the Lord really showed up and changed a lot of men's hearts. One revelation was "Your wife is My daughter and in a sense that makes Me your father in law and I don't like the way you have treated my little girl." That changed Dave Munson's life years ago and saved his marriage. Dave's testimony touched all of our lives that year. I don't know how the Lord will show up today, but I don't believe it is a coincidence that Valentine's day is happening this year during Mardi Gras!!!!!
3. Today is the first day that I go around to a camp and share my vision for NGL and invite men to decide to "buy in" and support the ministry. This is the only time of the year I talk to them about finances. I will go to one camp today, two camps tomorrow and then the last two camps on Tuesday. The outcome of these meetings will help determine how the ministry operates for the rest of the year. Pray the Lord will do in the lives of the men what His will and desire is for the ministry.
4. Pray for me as I go to the different camps and share the vision I have for the future of the ministry. I hear the Lord saying that it is time for NGL to be working more in support of those men who are going forth in ministry to other countries and for NGL to be a place where they can get the word out on what they are doing and for those who want to start out in missions to find a ministry to go out with for the Lord.
5. At our opening meeting last Friday, we ask how many men have gone on mission trips to other countries. I would say there were at least 100. There were many countries names. That is the desire of my heart to help men learn how to lift up the Lord here at Mardi Gras and then for the Lord to lead these men out to carry out the Great Commission Adventure to the ends of the earth!!!!!!!!!!!!
6. Mardi Gras has been and continues to be the place where God touches, cleanses, heals and restores men and them steadies, empowers and leads them out to the fields of the world to bring in the harvest! As you can see, this is my heart's desire before the Lord. Each year the load gets heavier and yet each year the Lord raises up men to take on the responsibilities of carrying on the work much better than I have done in the past.
My verse is :John 3:30 (American Standard Version) 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
I see this verse so much differently now as time goes on. Each year the load seems heavier. More men are stepping up and taking up the load for the events and I am thankful for the way the ministry is growing in numbers and commitment, but it still seems like a heavy load. I love these men like they are my own flesh and blood. It has been my goal in life to "weep when they weep and rejoice when they rejoice." I want to judge no man, but instead to see each fallen man as a "wounded soldier" that needs forgiveness, healing and encouragement to rise back up and get back in the fight for his Lord.
Well, it is almost daylight. I like to be devoting each day and then see the sun come up and then I feel like Jacob wrestling with the angel and tell the Lord each morning that I will not let Him go except He bless me as He did Jacob. Ok, so I am not in the best of health today and yet that even makes it more meaningful as Jacob left that meeting with the Angel "limping."
My wonderful prayer partners that I just couldn't do without and I am in tears as I write, thanks for letting me share my morning with you. Thanks for taking part of my load.
Love ya,
Fred
Sent from Blackberry® wireless device.
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