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Brenda Lancaster

WRAP AND STRAP ON TRUTH!

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EVERYDAY
REMEMBER THIS AND DO THIS
  1. GOD IS WHO HE SAYS HE IS
  2. HE CAN DO WHAT HE SAYS HE CAN DO
  3. I AM WHO HE SAYS I AM
  4. I CAN DO WHAT HE SAYS I CAN DO
  5. HIS WORD IS ACTIVE AND ALIVE IN ME
  6. I BELIEVE GOD
  1. PRAY IN THE SPIRIT AND PUT ON
  2. PUT ON GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS
  3. PUT ON PEACE BECAUSE OF THE GOOD NEWS
  4. FAITH
  5. SALVATION
  6. SWORD OF THE SPIRIT – THE WORD OF GOD

“Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth… ”
Eph. 6:14a  (NLT)

“Mr. Parker, may I go to the bathroom?” my friend asked. Walking towards the door of our 10th grade homeroom class, NJ looked sideways and grinned at me. But suddenly the grin on her face turned to a big round 0, as a loud gasp escaped from her lips. As she looked down at her feet, so did the whole class. And there, right before everybody, laid her bright red pettipants hanging around her ankles.   And in our day people just didn’t show their underwear. The class erupted in shouts of laughter as Mr. Parker stood shaking his head at another of NJ’s crazy antics. The elastic band on said underwear had snapped and down they went, and my friend whose face was as red as her peti-pants, scooted out the door looking like Tim Conway’s impression of an old man walking, pettipants sliding across the ground as she went.

That reminds me of our verse today. God tells us to put on the belt of truth. Now, I know today’s story is funny, but without the belt of Truth around our lives, we lose much more than a little bit of dignity.

I believe the analogy of a belt is used to get our attention. A belt is strapped around us to keep things in place, to keep from losing something valuable, like our pants, or our dignity in NJ’s situation. In real life, He teaches us to hold the belt of His Truth tightly around us in order to protect us from the lies that lead to broken lives. It holds us together, and allows us to maneuver the pitfalls of deceit.

As we look at our world today, we see many lives, and whole families falling apart. And it’s not funny, although some love to point fingers as they watch. God’s Belt of Truth is one weapon we have in our arsenal to help hold our life, and our family, together.

We need to learn what His truth is and then wrap it around us every single day. Because we have an enemy whose purpose is to steal, kill and destroy. He wants to steal our family, kill our purpose, and destroy our lives. His first attack always comes through deceit – by feeding us The Lie that says God isn’t real, or doesn’t care. That’s what he did to Adam & Eve in the Garden of Eden, and Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Adam and Eve fell for the lie; Jesus didn’t. Satan used the lie to bring defeat to the human race, but Jesus brought Truth and victory instead. That is what He offers to us in John 10:10 when He said, Top of Form

Bottom of Form

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10 (NKJV)

So, now we have a choice. Who will you listen to today?

Until Tomorrow,

Your Traveling Companion,
Brenda

GOD IS ONE THE MOVE IN THE HARVEST FIELDS!

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“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. 35 Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.
John 4:34-35 (NIV)

20160319_103959Well, if you are reading this on August 15, we should be in flight back to the U.S. Thinking back on the many trips we’ve taken during the past 7 years, I couldn’t help but to ponder the scripture above that I shared with you last Thursday. Especially in light of my cowardice concerning the ‘jungle”, I saw something I had not noticed before:

Jesus said, “I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest”. I’ve always focused on the harvest when reading this verse, but because of my personal struggle with, I focused this time on the word “field”. Then I remembered that the field can be a dangerous place sometimes. Rodents, spiders, and snakes are famous for lurking around trying to steal a meal.

I remember one day when our boys were little. While in the back yard, working in our vegetable garden, I noticed a monster snake looking for a snack. We planted those beans to help feed our family during the winter season, so in my mind, that enemy was in my back yard, near my playing children, trying to steal the food right out of their mouths – with me watching! Lurking where my children played meant that devil didn’t have a chance of survival! Grabbing the garden hoe, I beat that snake to death… and then chopped him into little bitty pieces. He looked like a pile Vienna sausages when I got through with him.

As scared as I was of that monster, I didn’t give in to him. The passion of a mama to protect her children overrides temporary danger.

In John 10:9-10, Jesus said the enemy comes only to steal, kill and destroy. He wants to steal our children, kill our marriage, and destroy our family. Many of us have not recognized the enemy’s existence on our home field and have become apathetic because of it. But look around! Families are breaking apart like never before because the enemy has entered unnoticed. We can’t afford the price of apathy any longer. And we sure can’t afford the price of fear in battling that enemy.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV

Whether you’re in another country on mission, or sitting behind your desk at work, the fields around you are ripe– ready for harvest. Yes, it may feel somewhat scary or dangerous to step in to territory the enemy now occupies, but we must because time is short.

Besides, far too often we see the enemy threat much greater than it really is. Because that  ‘monster’ snake I just told you about – turned out to be a whopping 12” long. J

God has given us everything we need to share Jesus with those in our ‘field’ – our sphere of influence. Don’t let the threat of any enemy, real or imagined, keep you from entering the harvest field!

He is able you know!

Until Next Time,

Your Traveling Partner,

Brenda

For updates on this latest mission to Nicaragua check our FaceBook page – ZMI Family Ministries International.

 

Until Next time,

Your Traveling Partner,

Brenda

GOD IS ON THE MOVE IN NICARAGUA!

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“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. 35 Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.
John 4:34-35 (NIV)
20160319_123222Well, here we go again…

If all has gone according to plan, I am in Nicaragua today with three other members of our ministry team, my husband Tom, along with Nick and Jessica Wright. Tom heads up the Men’s Ministry, and Sports Ministry part of our ministry, and Jessica and Nick head up the School of Hope Child Sponsorship Project that you’ll be hearing lots more about in the days to come. As you read this, we should be in the middle of the rural community of Solidaridad.

Who says God doesn’t have a sense of humor? Do you remember a story I shared with you years ago, in 2009, after I’d had a scare in El Salvador? It involved snakes and floods.  I confessed publically my fear of encountering snakes, especially during flooding, while on mission. While there, we experienced a volcanic eruption, an earthquake, and a tropical storm…and massive flooding was predicted.

Fear like I’ve never felt before flooded my soul. And I didn’t handle it well. Afterwards, I asked you to help keep me accountable for getting over it, and conquering that fear.

Well, I have, just a little bit. But I’m still working on it. Fact is, I don’t think about it much anymore, but there are times when it still comes to mind. Such as when I’m getting ready to head back to a country known for snakes and floods during the rainy season. And this time, it’s the rainy season in Nicaragua. And snakes there can be as big as a 12-year-old boy’s leg.

One thing I remember most of all about that story, was how I’d been a coward and wouldn’t walk down a fierce looking, overgrown path, in flip-flops, to minister in a church perched in the jungle. Or rather – common woods – as the locals would call them.  I begged to go to a city church instead, and Bob, our fearless leader, had mercy on me.  Others boldly got off the bus and courageously followed the footpath to victory. Not one of them got snake bit or washed away in a flood that day.

Defeat is what it was to me. And here we go again – to Nicaragua – in the rainy season.20160319_093643

However, sitting here in my quiet, dry office today, I choose to focus on all the Lord has done over the last seven years since that story happened. I choose to remember the grace and mercy He showered on me as I confessed such a lack of faith, asking Him for another chance…which He has given, many times over. I choose to remember how, in the Old Testament, the Israelis struggled and failed over and again with failing faith, and the price they paid for it.

Today, sitting here, I choose to focus on the fact that He has proven, time and again, that He really is able to do exceedingly, abundantly; above all we can ask or think.  He really will be with us wherever we go. He really is our strong tower and our help in times of trouble. Because He has proven it repeatedly over the last seven years!

But, that is today, sitting here in safety. And like most of us, my faith often falters and fails. So dear friends, please pray with us, that we will remember what He has done in times past, that we will remain faithful, and that He will do what He does best…bring much fruit that remains!

We’ll be there August 10-15 to break ground on the School of Hope Building Project, child sponsorship program, and to work with the Nicaragua Team in preparation for the 2017 mission trip. You can follow our trip on our FB page – ZMI Family Ministries International.

Next March, God willing, our mission will be for two weeks, involve 2 separate teams of people coming and going, who will help with:

  • Three crusades, in three different cities.
  • At least 10 Men’s, Women’s and Family Teaching conferences.
  • 10 baseball clinics.
  • Children’s Bible clubs
  • Sewing for Success project.
  • Human trafficking victims.
  • Medical and Hygiene ministry projects.
  • Shoes for Solidaridad
  • School of Hope Project

Wew! I get tired just telling about it! So, please, we need you! Please pray now about joining us on mission in 2017! Because He calls us all to the Great Commission.

Because He is on the move in great and mighty ways!

And the Fear Factor? Though there are times in our lives when we are afraid to go where God wants to send us, let’s ask Him to change us – one baby step at the time – that His mercy will see us through, and we will grow towards becoming what He created us to be.

Come with us…we’ll keep the light on for ya…

Until tomorrow,

Your Traveling Partner,

Brenda