Standing Shoulder To Shoulder Together As We Fight the Good Fight of Faith A personal letter of encouragement to You, written solely to "lift up hands that hang down". TO SUBSCRIBE send a blank message to shoulders-subscribe@... . TO UNSUBSCRIBE send a blank message to shoulders-unsubscribe@... . IN EACH CASE you will receive an automated request for confirmation which you must answer. FOR BACK COPIES go to http://associate.com/groups/shoulders . Get "HOPE4KYIV", a praise report and prayer request letter of the Tolliver's ministry as missionaries to Ukraine, TO SUBSCRIBE send a blank message to hope4kyiv-subscribe@.... FOR BACK COPIES or more information go to http://associate.com/groups/hope4kyiv. Get "PrayKYIV", a new informational prayer strategy letter for people wanting to pray for Kiev, Ukraine. TO SUBSCRIBE send a blank message to prayKIEV-subscribe@... FOR BACK COPIES go to http://associate.com/groups/prayKIEV. +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ SHOULDER TO SHOULDER #336 ---- 5/17/04 Title: "When A Good Thing is the Wrong Thing" Dear Friend and Kingdom Partner: Greeting following an unbelievably full week and Sunday service. Attendance was way up, we had special guests from many places, our associate pastor to Spanish ministries preached, the president and handbell choir from Appalachian Bible College in America blessed us with their presence and ministry, and our Spanish ministries folks sang to us in Spanish. We concluded the day with a crucial and important Leadership Council, and with a pair of very weary bodies. But, through it all, God has manifested His blessing and presence. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to sit in a service where 80% of the people were Ukrainian, listening to a sermon in Spanish being translated into English by a Ukrainian woman trained in British style English? Well, that's life at International Church in Ukraine . . . . and it's a wonderful adventure. UPDATE: So many people prayed for the four ladies in our church who were at first denied visas to attend an international women's conference in Germany, that I thought some might like to see the visual outcome of those prayers. Less than 24 hours before they were to leave for the airport to catch their flight, all four visas were granted. We still don't know how or why, other than God responded miraculously to the prayers of hundreds of people around the world. Jo Ann took the ladies to the conference, and what a time they had. I've posted almost 50 pictures in two albums on our photo album website at http://community.webshots.com/user/01lum. If you have time, take a look. THIS 'N THAT: + Do you know anyone who would like to be part of a massive network of intercessors praying for the city of Kiev, Ukraine? If so, there is currently a prayer e-letter, written in English, Russian, and Ukrainian, that gives interesting information about Kiev, shares ideas on how to pray, and lists specific prayer requests. Would you be willing to pass this information on to others? To subscribe to this e-letter, send a blank message to prayKiev-subscribe@.... + Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have 28 university students in your living room that measures only 8'X11'? Well, we can tell you! Jo Ann and I have had the privilege of teaching at St. James Bible College for the past several years, and this year has been no exception. Since we now live near the school (45 minutes by public transportation), we've had the privilege of having students in our apartment from time to time. Saturday we invited the two freshman classes (that in itself was a major risk taking adventure!), and 28 of them were able to come. We took them sight seeing through Kiev since most of them were from small villages in western Ukraine. After seeing parks, universities, churches, and the like, we ended up at McDonalds down on the river for lunch, and then took a boat ride on the Dnipro before heading up to see the Mirianski Palace, Parliament building, and a bunch of other stuff. We ended the day watching them devour five huge pizza's and watching a movie at our apartment. It was one of those incredible little blessings God gives you when you are watching for them. What a great group of young people. At least I will be teaching them again next year when I teach my city-reaching class. We love them to pieces. I told them all Saturday that it was like having a whole bunch of sons and daughters, and Jo Ann corrected me by saying "grandsons" and "granddaughters". + Speaking of granddaughters, two of ours (Anya and Katya) recently attended a "Girls of Grace" conference for teens. Our daughter, Cheri, told us there were about 2100 teen gals there. At any rate, she highly recommended the upcoming conferences and sent this website along. I took a quick look and decided I should pass this on, just in case you or someone you know might be looking for a really God-centered and Christ-honoring event to take some teen gals to. Take a look: www.girlsofgrace.com. A GOOD THING: Years ago my uncle Russell told me that, no matter how hard I tried, I would always put my left shoe on last. Immediately I set out to prove him wrong by putting my left shoe on first, and then he'd say, "See? I told you that you'd put the one that is left on last." Thinking there was some sort of trick, I'd reverse the sequence, and he'd laugh and say the same thing. I sometimes think that ministry choices are like that. The needs and opportunities where you and I live will always exceed the resources; and they may not necessarily constitute the specific call on our lives to respond. And just about the time we think we've got the riddle figured out, we discover that our good answers As Jo Ann and I continue the process of anticipating our future, we have been faced with many valid and genuinely good needs and opportunities. But, we're quick to recognize that we're not remotely capable, even at our very best, to fill those good slots. If you were to walk with us down the streets and through the Metro tunnels of Kiev, you'd see what we see ---- young men so drunk they can hardly stand up, little widow ladies begging for food, gypsy mothers and their babies asking for a donation, "new Ukrainians" driving around with all their hopes placed in their fancy clothes and black Mercedes', orphan children sleeping in dark corners, homeless men trudging from one resting spot to the next, people of all shapes and sizes peddling their wares, evangelical churches labeled as sects and cults, people rushing (always late) to their next appointed responsibility, . . . The list goes on. It doesn't take long for emotional exhaustion and physical weariness to catch up to your spiritual heartache. And you think, "I could spend the rest of my life here . . . . but I don't think I've got the stamina to do it." The need clearly exceeds the supply. Friend, it has always been that way, it is still that way, and it will always be that way. You'll never . . . . I say again, Never . . . . discover the perfect resting place where need and supply are in balance. No matter how long you live, and no matter how experienced you become in serving the Lord, the day will never come for you when you will be able to successfully do everything that needs to be done, even right where you live. Your world, just as mine, as filled with good things . . . . important things . . . . all of which need to be addressed and met. So, you must be careful . . . . extremely careful, . . . . that you don't settle for a "good thing" and miss the "right thing". THE WRONG THING: There are "wrong things" . . . . and then there are "wrong things". Some things for you and me are wrong because they are wrong. Other things are wrong because they are not right. Just because something is right, doesn't make it right. And, just because something is good doesn't make it right. Something good could be wrong. Such are the choices of ministry . . . . such are the choices of life. While it's generally easy to identify the "wrong" wrong things, it's not so easy to identify the "right" wrong things. . . . or the wrong good things. How, then, can I minimize making wrong choices about good things? I certainly don't have all the answers, but maybe these guidelines might help. + Never make choices based on my emotions of the moment. If Jo Ann and I were to do that, we would not be working just 24/7, . . . we'd be working 48/14. Every trip we take outside our apartment puts us face to face with needs beyond comprehension and description. And we are emotionally affected by what we see and hear . . . and smell. + Never make choices based on the voices of others. A general rule of thumb is that if others have a burden or interest in a particular ministry need, maybe they're the ones God is calling. One person's passion may not be another person's calling. While wise counsel from others is highly valuable and to be desired, it cannot be the thing that persuades you to accept or reject a ministry opportunity. Your choice must be based ultimately on the direct leading of the Holy Spirit. + Never make choices quickly. We often feel pressure placed on us by circumstances, conditions, or deadlines. I implore you to not make a wrong decisions because you feel that circumstances, time frames, or something else require you to do so. Frankly, I'd rather take all the time I need and then miss the opportunity than to make a hasty decision that put me in the wrong place doing the wrong thing, imprisoning me with the chains of obligation to something to which God did not call me. + Be alert to the deception of pride's whisper. Even recently I've realized that something inside me wants to rise up in pride when I was asked to consider a particular aspect of ministry. It's the type of thing I've always wanted to do at some point in my life. It's a good thing; it's even a great thing. But, it may not be the right thing; we just don't know yet. But, I do know I've heard the hiss of arrogant self-exaltation in my ear. Friend, never listen to pride's whisper, no matter how soothing or logical it may sound. + Never allow the cry of the need in front of me to drown out the quiet voice of the Father giving wise direction. The clamor of the crowd can mask the Father's voice. Years ago as a small child, I became lost from my Father while attending a county fair. The hawkers and the ride attendants called out to me left and right. Even though Dad was calling my name, I could not hear it. Finally, I screamed his name, and the other voices silenced at my cry of lostness. It was then I heard Dad's voice. Every heed has a hawker and an attendant calling for your attention . . . for you to take the ride or buy their product. It's important to stay close enough to Dad that their clamor doesn't separate you from Him. + Never allow the impressions and counsel of others to be the final word. That must always come only from the Father. It is His voice that always is right. Others may have wise counsel, great ideas, and enthusiasm to share. But the Father is the only one who knows the plan, has the answer, and explains the purpose. All other voices are nothing more than "food for thought" at their very best. So, don't go there for the final answer. THE RIGHT THING: How can I know when my decision is the right thing? + For me, the first thing I look for is the flag of peace. Peace rules in the heart when all is right in the decision. I've seen this to be true in virtually every situation of my ministry. I can lay awake fretting, rationalizing, and evaluating for night after night concerning a decision, but when I have finally come to that conclusion correctly, peace immediately testifies that it's a right decision. + I will become disconnected emotionally from the other needs that have begged for my response. They will not necessarily lose their importance, but they will not be important to me. They lose their urgency, while maintaining the legitimacy of their importance. I just know that I'm not the one God has chosen, but I also know that someone is. + Likewise, I will become wed to the right thing. There will be a "drivenness" of purpose and commitment that will move me toward that need or project when it is the right thing. Like opposite poles of two magnets, the need and my willingness attract each other. If it isn't the right thing, there will always be the presence of residual resistance or hesitancy on my part. Like a pair of shoes, it might look like a good fit, but it doesn't feel that way. One or the other is just a half size off. + Finally, I will find myself able to rest in the presence of the need. By that I don't mean to sit down and become lazy, but I mean that I am able to find myself in the presence of that need, immerse myself in ministering there, and be at rest in my soul, content in knowing that I'm right where I need to be, even if all the other needs still clamor for my attention. Those other needs, legitimate as they may be, no longer distract me or appeal to me. I know that there is someone else for them. FINALLY: Recently some friends in America wrote concerning a possible ministry opportunity. I know that this person is fully qualified for the opportunity; I don't know if it is God's plan. At the moment, he doesn't either. So, I asked a couple of questions: + Do you have the vision for it? + Do you have the stamina for it? Those are important questions, because they help us differentiate between the "good" and the "right". They are questions Jo Ann and I have had to ask concerning our own future ministry. We still ask them. However, we are definitely closer to the answer than we were several months ago. For the first time in a long time we both have a deeper sense of growing peace than we've had in several months. And, based on the record of the process, we feel quite close to receiving the conclusive commentary from the Lord, . . . . "That is good, . . . and This is right." Sometimes I think the Lord lets us go through these processes to teach us a very important truth. . . . choosing between bad and good is relatively easy, and it often produces pride, arrogance, and self-satisfaction. Choosing between good and right, however, is not so easy, and it usually produces humility, gratitude, and total abandonment to the all-sufficient grace of God. Therefore, maybe the ordeal of having to find the right among the good is a necessary hurdle in the pilgrim pathway. Just remember that simply because it is genuine, legitimate, and good doesn't necessarily make it right . . . . for you. A good shoe has to fit in order for it to be the right shoe. And there will always be one that is left. So, my friend, take it from a clay-footed man of experience, . . . . there's a difference between "good" and "right". And the "right" is not only better, . . . but it's right. So, you can leave the left. In His Bond and For His Kingdom, Bob Tolliver -- Psalm 2:8 Copyright May, 2004 Life Unlimited Ministries lifeunlimited@... http://www.hope4kiev.org/team/members.asp?ID=10 (Personal ministry) www.hope4kiev.org (General team ministry) http://community.webshots.com/user/01lum for our pix albums. If this letter has blessed you, feel free to forward it, with proper credits, to any and all you wish. Please do NOT hit reply to this letter. This is an automated unmanned system. If you want to write Bob, send directly to lifeunlimited@.... Replying to "Shoulder To Shoulder" mailer gets you nowhere. REMEMBER ---- "We will not Work where we have not prayed." (Todd Golden) May I Recommend . . . . If you have a heart for God and would like to be encouraged in your life and ministry, and you have a burden for your church, your community, and the world, then you may want to receive . . . www.cnsnews.com for daily world news without a liberal, godless bias. www.worldprayerteam.org ---- A world-wide network for praying together. www.watchword.org ---- excellent resources on revival, prayer, missions. www.waymakers.org ---- resources on prayer, evangelism, etc. www.operationiraqcare.org ---- To adopt and pray for a special historic city in Iraq. http://www.nppn.org ---- "National Pastors' Prayer Network" newsletter. ~ email: phil@.... Register your PPG: http://www.nppn.org/ppg/ . Usprayercenter@... ---- U. S. World Prayer Center. www.cityreaching.com ---- City Reaching/City Impact Roundtable. fridayfax-subscribe@... ---- Wolfgang Simpson's "Friday Fax" from New Zealand. www.LifeAction.org ---- "Life Action Outreach". www.revivalcsa.co.za ---- "Bulletin On Revival" by Francois Carr in South Africa. www.yifa.org ---- "Youth Interceding For America". www.missionamerica.org ---- "Mission America" . www.lighthousemovement.com ---- "The Lighthouse Movement". Click on "Lighthouses". Other Great Resources Are: www.sermonIndex.net for access to thousands of sermons by great preachers. Exceptional site. www.biblemaster.com for great Bible resources and downloads. Exceptional site. www.e-sword.net (one of the best free download Bible study site I've ever seen!) http://associate.com/camsoc/ctt/"Christian Communications Toolkit" (using internet wisely) http://www.associate.com/camsoc/crop/software.html#freewin. Free software or shareware listings, www.associate.com/camsoc/crs/ for church related software from CAMSOC. To subscribe to CAMSOC update newsletter, go to grga@.... www.ccmag.com. "Christian Computing Magazine", ccmag-subscribe@.... CCMag discussion newsletter, http://www.christiangraphicdesign.com/premierinfo.htm Thousands of Free Christian graphics. Online Resources on Ukraine are . . . . www.uazone.net www.relc.com/kiev/index.htm www.travel.kyiv.org/map/e_kyiv.htm www.mindspring.com/~goliath74/kiev.html www.hope4cee.org www.ukraineinfo.us www.peopleteams.org/ukrainians www.reachukraine.org http://www1.excite.com/travel/travelguide/destination/0,20310,europe-550,00.html Secular News on Kiev and Ukraine will give you interesting views at . . . www.kyivweekly.com www.kievpost.com www.kyivpost.com www.ukrainenews.com www.ukraine-observer.com -- To subscribe, send ANY message to: shoulders-subscribe@...> To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: shoulders-unsubscribe@...