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Faith, Trust, and the Impossible

Faith is one of the most written about subjects in the Bible. In fact, there are 667 direct references to Faith in the Bible. That's 193 in the OT and 474 in the NT. Jesus Himself referred to Faith 156 times and Paul talked about Faith 192 times, so as we can see, Faith is a very important subject for us as believers.

Wendell Smith wrote "Faith just doesn't believe in God, even demons do that. Faith does not just believe that the Bible is true, for even the devil recognizes that. FAITH CHANGES THE NATURAL ORDER OF THINGS. Faith generates a force, a power, and an influence, that makes changes in the natural realm through the power of the supernatural. Faith is a confident trust in the Power of the Almighty God through Jesus Christ. We don't just believe in Him, we PUT OUR TRUST IN HIM!"

I like what Pastor Smith said there, We don't just believe in Him, but we put our trust in Him! The truth is, and Jesus said it in Matthew 17:20, that if we put our Trust in Him and have the Faith to believe that He will move on our behalf, then "We can say to this mountain move from here to there and it will.....Nothing will be impossible for you! Con Dios lo imposible no existe. Nothing will be impossible to you!

What are you believing in today? Where do you place your trust? Where is your faith?

Communion Night

For the past two months, our Wed. night attendance has been relatively low. Sure, all churches have their "seasons" where the numbers fluctuate a bit, but the past two months have been a bit unusal for us. There has been a sense of uncertainty with some, and with others, somewhat of an indifferent or "not-caring" attitude had set in. However, it felt like something broke on Sunday, with the launching of our "Miracle Wall" and the 5 o'clock service dedicated to testimonies, prayer, and miracles. People seem to be excited again and there is a great sense of expectancy in the church. And I believe last night is a good indicator of the changes that are taking, because last night we had over 2,300 people in attendance. To God be the Glory!

PREPARING FOR SUCCESS

In Proverbs 6, we find a few interesting facts regarding ants and how it is that these little creatures are able to survive like they do. If we took the time to review this passage of Scripture, we would see that the ants are successful because they are in constant preparation. Constant preparation is something I believe we need to implement in our lives as well. About 13 years ago, I heard Pastor Scott Wilson, the pastor of The Oaks Fellowship in Texas, say "You will be tomorrow what you are planning for today!" Of course that wasn't an original quote that he trademarked or copyrighted, but it is obviously a true statement. And from the moment that I first heard Scott say it, it has become one of my favorite sayings. In fact, I not only believe it, but I try to practice it in my own life, and I also teach about the principle every chance I get. So with that said, allow me to share with you a few thoughts on preparing for success.

1) We Need to Pray (John 16:13)

2) We Need to Observe the Wind (Acts 27:13)
-cycles, trends, culture

3) We Need to be Constantly Evaluating (Proverbs 27:23)
-What are people saying?
-What is the environment around you like?
-How are people responding to you and your leadership?
-How are people reacting to your decisions?

4) We Need to Make Plans (Proverbs 32:8)
-If you aim at nothing you will hit nothing!
-Even if you don't stick to them 100%, atleast you will have direction.

5) We Need to Take Repsonsibility

6) We Need to EXPAND our Perspective and Viewpoint (Acts 1:8)
-We cannot limit God and what He wants to do.
-We Need to Dream Big, Dream Outloud, and Dream in Full Color.
-Get around other dreamers and out-of-the-box thinkers.

Congo Monkies

Yesterday, when we were taking a hike through the woods during our Pastor's Retreat, we came across about 15 Congo Monkies. Unfortunately I couldn't get a clearer shot, or a picture of the whole bunch, but atleast I was able to get these two while they were monkeying around. (Man, I crack myself up.)

Group Dynamics

Check out the dynamics in this picture. I took this photo on my Blackberry yesterday during a pastor's retreat. This is Hosanna's founding pastor, Dr. David Spencer, talking to 5 of our staff pastors. Wow, a person couldn't ask for a better leadership example than this! Look how the staff naturally gravitated around Pastor Spencer and hung on his every word.

Holy Worms Batman!

Yes, what you are seeing is real. The image on the left is of a worm next to my wife's hand, taken this way to show the size of the worm, and the image on the right, is of thousands of worms dying at the base of a tree.

When did you say Fear Factor wanted to film a few episodes in Nicaragua?

Muro de Milagros

For the month of August, we have set-up a Muro de Milagros (Wall of Miracles). All month, as an act of faith, we are having people bring forward their prayer requests and pin them to the wall of miracles. Every service the pastors and leaders will then pray over the various requests and we will watch God begin to touch life after life and perform miracle after miracle. Just wait until I begin to post all the miracles that are taking place!

I proudly present to you Mr. & Mrs. Brent Stevenson

Today I performed a wedding ceremony for Brent Stevenson, who is from Canada, and Tania Garcia, who is Nicaraguan.

For my little "motivational chat" before the vows, I enouraged them to remember the 3 C's.

1) Christ is the head of the home.

2) Commitment is forever.

3) Communication is the key to a healthy & happy marriage.

Bennett Ministries

The Bennett Family was just METANOIANIZED! Tim and Katie were just in Nicaragua with the Two-20 youth group and did a great job delivering the Word of God.

If you are not familiar with Tim and Katie, they are Assemblies of God evangelists from the PennDel District, who can not only usher you into the Presence of God through their singing, but preach the Word with a Powerful anointing as well.

Special Note of Interest: Tim still wears z cavariccis, pegs his pants, and yes, sometimes he still wears IOU sweatshirts.

Two-20 Youth Says Good-Bye to Nicaragua

It was great having Pastors Carl and Andrea Redding and their youth group here with us for the past 9 days. They literally did everything from weeding the bean fields at the orphanage, to casting out demons during evangelistic outreaches. Needless to say, I think this is a trip that they will never forget. Pastor Carl, I think that your youth group was just METANOIANIZED! (Okay, I'm not sure that is actually a word, and if it is a word, I have no idea what it means, but I like it. So, if it is not a word, I will trademark it, copyright it, and begin to market it as our own. So from here on out, every group that comes in and works with us will be METANOIANIZED!)

ARIANA'S B-DAY

At about 6 am this morning I gave Ariana her B-Day gift from me, a cute doll, that, as you can see, is just about as big as she is. And from the moment I gave it to her, she held onto it and wouldn't put it down. Well, that was until 7 am when her grandma and grandpa Spencer came over and gave her their gift, a monkey that grunts, talks, and makes funny noises. Now the precious doll that I gave her is home all alone, because Ariana took her new monkey to school to show her friends. What's up with that? Why are grandparent's gifts always more attractive to kids than their parent's gifts? Ariana asked for a doll for her B-Day, so, like a good dad, I got her a doll. If I would have know she wanted a monkey, I could have bought a monkey suit, dressed-up in it and grunted, talked, and made funny noises all day too!

Conferencia "SIN LIMITES"

We have been trying hard to pull all the pieces together for our 1st, of which will be a yearly, SIN LIMITES conference. Things are coming together and we are expecting a great turn-out for this event. The dates are September 17th to the 21st, just in case you may be passing through the area during that time:)

The Dogs Must Go

Saturday afternoon, one of our boxers, Joybean, and my father-in-law's Rottweiler, Chica, got into a nasty fight. It was literally something you would see on You Tube or in a movie. It took five of us to seperate them, plus keep our other 3 boxers from getting in on the action.


After we finally got them seperated, we were able to tend to their wounds and get them the appropriate medication that they needed. We then put Joybean in our laundry room for the night, and Chica slept at our in-laws. On Sunday, we chained the dogs up on opposite sides of the property, just to make sure their tempers had died down and there were no hard feelings between them. However, last night, Chica broke free and ran straight to where Joybean was tied-up and the battle began again. Thank God it was much easier to get them apart this time. (I think the battle wounds hindered them from really getting into it again.)

Unfortunately though, we decided it would be better to find good homes for these two than to take any more chances. Even though I don't think anything would ever happen, with 3 small children, we just can't take the chance. What if one of my kids were caught in the middle of the next fight? I couldn't live with that! As much as we love our dogs and as much as they have been a part of our family, it's time to say Good-Bye to Chica and Joybean!

Discipleship Dinner

Tonight we had a leadership dinner with both of our discipleship groups, Varones de Exito y Matrimonios Jovenes. Pastor Spencer hosted it at his house and we were privileged to have him lead us in worship to close out the night.

Cool Pictures

I didn't feel like writing right now, but wanted to post something. So here are a few pictures to enjoy. Hasta mas tarde!

Under the Shadow of the Almighty

Psalm 17:8 Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings.

What would it have been like to be Adam and Eve, walking and talking with God in the Garden?

Sure, I talk to God just about every morning. I spend time daily seeking His face. And yes, believe it or not, He does talk back to me. It is not always a one-sided conversation. But what would it have been like to walk with God in the Garden of Eden and literally have His shadow cast upon us. I mean if Peter's shadow could bring a physical healing to people, can you imagine what kind of experiences we could have being under the Shadow of the Almighty?

Lord, I ask that each person reading this blog experiences your presence in a fresh, exciting way throughout the day today and that each one of us can literally sense Your shadow being cast upon us. Amen.

The Other Wall in the Kitchen

Oops! My wife just chatted me and told me that I didn't post a picture of the other side of the kitchen. I guess that's what happens when you are in a rush!

Our Newly Painted Kitchen

Horacio finished painting our kithen a little while back, but I kept forgetting to upload the pictures. However, I saw the camera on the shelf when I was walking out the door this morning and remembered that I needed to upload pictures onto my laptop. No not onto the MAC, but onto my Acer. For all you MAC fans out there, as you may recall, I did purchase a MAC the last time I was in the States and my wife did use it for about 3 weeks, however, for the last 2 weeks it has been in the shop. And it looks like we will be waiting another week or two until we get it back. Hmmm, I purchase a MAC and can't even use it for more than 3 weeks before it has to go to the shop, but I've owned Acers (3 of them to be exact) for the last 4 years and not once had a problem with them! And you guys want me to give up my Blackberry and go with the IPhone, now I know that you are all smoking some of that funny stuff that they grow up der n dem der heels n Kentucky.

Happy Birthday Dad

A Big Birthday Shout goes out to my dad, Dennis Ferguson, who is turning (?) years of age today. I could actually do the math and tell you what he is turning today, but I will leave that up to him to tell you. I wouldn't want this blog to be used against me in the court of law. :)

Dad, I want you to know how much I love and respect you. You are a great father and have been a good, solid example in my life. I appreciate the sacrifices you have made for us as a family and I pray that God blesses you in return 100-fold.

Enjoy your special day today and know that we are thinking about you and wishing that we were there to help you celebrate. But since we are not, maybe you should go out to the Club House for dinner and have them send me the bill. They do accept Nicaraguan Cordobas, don't they?

We love you! Have a Blessed B-Day!