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2008 The year of Excellence ..
Determination to do what's right.
November, 2008
Dear ministry partner:
Thank you for being a partner with First Love Ministries.
I walk along the streets of downtown Burlington, Iowa. I look across the river into Illinois to see the devastation that flooding has brought to this area. I feel compelled to tell people about the love of Jesus. A man tells me he has no time to talk. A woman stops and it seems within five minutes I know her life story. I share with her how much Jesus loves her and that he died for her. She replies there has to be more to life than what I have. Friends, so many are waiting to hear, there is more. They long to hear someone loves them. We are called to not only preach in churches but to present Jesus to the world. Being excellent is more than stepping behind the pulpit to preach but to live it in every area of our lives.
One night in Burlington a young lady responded to the altar call because she had hurt her knee and was facing surgery. Her knee was very swollen and she was in pain. She had a brace on her knee. As we prayed for her knee, the swelling went down and her brace fell to the floor. She was healed in Jesus name. I have been humbled and so thankful to God for all the miracles we are seeing in our meetings. I praise God for the ones that have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. I do ask for you to join me in prayer for more salvations. I know people are being blessed but I long and cry out in prayer for more to receive Jesus as their savior.
Excellence is not only behavior when I am behind the pulpit. Excellence is also behavior when I am all alone. If I strive for excellence only when in front of others then it is only a façade. True excellence in public is what has been birthed and accomplished in private. I was burdened to see more souls saved so I as Hannah poured out my soul to the Lord. I then went to the streets to tell people about Jesus. Then that night in the public service, FIVE PEOPLE came forward to give their lives to Jesus. I remember several years ago a young man from a church I was holding a revival in came up to me on the street corner. He asked “what are you doing?” I replied that I was passing out flyers and telling people about Jesus. He said “but you don’t even live in this community, shouldn’t we be doing that instead of you?” Excellence is doing what God has laid on your heart regardless of how many others are there to stand beside you. The other day as I got into my truck I noticed an empty bottle of water. It wasn’t my brand so I did not pick it up knowing I had not dropped it. Excellence would have been picking it up regardless if I had dropped it. How many times have we not witnessed to someone thinking that someone else would do it?
We now have 7 men teachers and 4 women teachers signed up to go with me to Peru next February. We also have a Spanish speaking children’s leader as well as 2 workers to handle 500 kids. We also have 3 construction workers to help build a church. We still are looking for more women teachers, more children crusade workers, more construction workers. If you are feeling led of God to go or help FLM ministry with the cost of this trip please contact me. I have services lined up in Buenos Aries, Argentina and Lima, Peru before I join you in our mission trip to Tarapoto, Peru. We will help build a church while there, we will hold a children’s crusade of 500 kids or more, we will teach and pour into over 400 to 600 Pastors and church leaders, we will have evening crusade services that will be life changing for all who attend.
Those of you that have heard me preach lately know I carry two tablets. The big tablet represents the big things that God wants to do in my life and through First Love Ministries. The little tablet represents what I must do on a daily basis. If I do the things written down in little tablet which are things I can do, then God will do the things written down in the big tablet, which are things that only He can do. If I do not do what’s written down in the little tablet, I cannot expect him to do what He has shown me He wants to do through my life. My little tablet includes praying, studying, walking and swimming and many other things He shows me I need to do. I encourage you to seek God for vision on what He wants to do through your life. But even more importantly, I encourage you to seek God for His guidance on what you need to do with daily discipline in order to see it come to pass. Most people feel God has told them they are to have what I term a red sea moment in their lives. I ask them, how many steps did the children of Israel have to take to get to the shores of the Red Sea? How many steps do you need to take and what are those steps? The Red Sea never would have parted if they hadn’t “stepped” up to it. Yes friends, when we do what God has asked us to do He will always do what He has promised us He will do.
Is God leading you to be involved with First Love Ministries?
Remember to add your prayer or praise report and sign our guest book.
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If you do not know Jesus as your personal savior then please email me so I can pray with you. It is so simple. First you must believe then ask him to forgive you of your sins and he does.. Then you will know the true reason and Joy of living. Feel free to email me at FirstLoveCares@aol.com
a servant in training
paul