Well, all the presents have been unwrapped, and we’ve picked the mess up. Now it’s onward to the new year, but can I ask you something? … Did you take time to wish Jesus a Happy Birthday, even though it may not be His true chronological birthday, it’s still the one celebrated. He is the reason for the season, even if the non-believers try to erase His name from the minds of our children not allowing prayer in schools, and going against God’s holy word in the name of political correctness, It’s still our responsibility to tell them about the meaning of Christmas and to tell others of the saving grace of our Lord. I pray the real Christmas story was told at your house this Christmas.     Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke 2:1-20. Don’t let the political left raise your children and the news media guide your life with their fake news fear tactics. 

Jesus is our saving grace, and it’s time ALL believers if they truly have Christ in their heart and are sold out Christians to start acting like it. (Romans 8:31) What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? Keep in mind fear is the opposite of faith.

Where’s your heart today? Are you hiding in fear or are living like Jesus is Lord of your life?

Now is the time to start a new year and truly stand for what you believe … Praise the Lord Jesus and pray for our country.   Have a blessed new year and know that On The Road For Christ Ministries are praying for you …

My prayer for You:

Praise you Lord and thank you for coming to save sinners like me. I pray that this new year is a year of great revival not only in our country, which desperately needs it, but the entire world would come to the saving grace of you, Lord Jesus.

Lord, thank you for your love and mercy and I pray you will heal our land, our sick, and bring our people back to you. I pray you will reveal the evil ones trying to destroy our country and bring them to justice. 

We give you all the praise and glory and pray in your precious name,

Amen!

Even though Pastor Bruce left us way too soon, his love and inspiration remain for all he touched when in those quiet times you would reflect and remember him.

I thought for those of you who wanted to come to Bruce’s Celebration of Life on December 5th, 2020, but because of extenuating circumstances you couldn’t make it, I thought you might like to hear some of what was said. The following is an excerpt from his celebration: 

On this day in December, we gather together as friends and family to Celebrate The Life of Bruce Swart, a pastor too many and a friend to all. On behalf of his brother, Dean Swart, and his sister-in-law Linda as well as all his extended family; we want to welcome you and thank you for coming. We are here to remember a life dedicated to serving the Lord and helping others. Bruce was consumed with his desire to lead as many people as he could to Jesus; he was really concerned about where people would spend eternity. He didn’t just talk the talk; he walked the walk. So let me paraphrase how Bruce would do a memorial service, and I know without a doubt he would expect me to do similarly.

We are here to hear what God would say to us through His Word about the realities of life, death, and eternal life through His Son, Jesus Christ.

The sudden passing of Pastor Bruce has again confirmed the uncertainty of life.

James, the Apostle, issued this warning: James 4:13-14 (NAS)

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such-and-such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.”  Yet you do not know ^]what your life will be like tomorrow. For you are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.”

We don’t think as much about it when a person passes away from a prolonged illness, but it gets our attention when life unexpectedly comes to an end for someone in good health.

So many people try to avoid thinking about death.

It is almost like they can think they can deny its existence if they don’t talk about it.

But unless the Lord returns first, all of us will pass the way of the grave.

“But the Bible tells us that in Hebrews 9:27  “And just as it is destined for people to die once, and after this comes judgment,…” 

It is in moments like this that all of us are reminded that we still have time to examine the direction of our lives, and we can still make preparation for that day when we will stand before a holy God.

 John 14:1-6 Jesus said; “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.”

Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”

Jesus said to him in John 14:6; “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Do you want to make sure your life is going in the right direction?

Do want to make sure that at the end of your life it has been a life with meaning and purpose?

Then Jesus is the Way! He is not just a Way; He is the Way!

He’s The Way To Peace, He’s The Way To Joy, He’s The Way To Contentment, He’s The Way To Eternal Life!

There are people who have an addiction and they are looking for a way out of that lifestyle…Jesus Is The Way!

There are going to be some difficult days in your life (Like Today) and if you want help thru them… again, Jesus Is The Way!

THE TRUTH- have you ever believed someone and found out later they lied to you? Have you ever believed in something and you found out later it was a lie?

Well, when you put your trust in Jesus and place your life in His hands, you’ll find out…

That He Is The Truth Yesterday, He Is The Truth Today, And He Is The Truth For Tomorrow!!!

THE LIFE-Have you ever heard someone say, “Get A Life!”

If you want a life that matters, a life that means something, a life that can change the world around you, a life that will impact other people’s life… Jesus Is The Life!

It also means that God is concerned about every aspect of your life.

It means that you don’t have to go through this or any trial alone. He wants you to find comfort in His word, to find comfort in the people He has placed around you.

How do you get all this… Let me show you, we’ll do it Bruce’s way. He always liked to tell people there’s no such thing as a sinner’s prayer for salvation in the bible, however, there is direction. Let’s back this up with scripture, let’s look at Romans 10: 9-10;  that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; ¹⁰ for with the heart a person believes,  resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses,  resulting in salvation.

John 10:9-10;  I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.  ¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life and have it abundantly.

Now to put this in a nutshell you must confess in prayer; Jesus is Lord, and you believe He died on the cross for your sins and on the third day rose from the dead and then ask Him to come into your heart… That’s it! It’s that simple. This is also a good time to ask forgiveness for your sins and to start your ongoing prayer life. Then you should find a good bible teaching, bible-believing church, and start the adventure of your life. Philippians 4:13; I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. So get started, this could be the day!

Take this message home in your heart from Pastor Bruce and remember this poem in his honor…

I’m Free

Don’t grieve for me, for now, I’m free

I’m following the path God has laid; you see

I took His hand when I heard him call;

I turned my back and left it all.

I could not stay another day, to laugh, to love, to work, to play.

Task left undone must stay that way;

I found that peace at the close of the day.

If my parting has left a void, then fill it with remembered joy.

A friendship shared, a laugh, a moment of bliss,

oh yes, and these things I too will miss.

Be not burdened with times of sorrow.

 I wish you the sunshine of tomorrow.

My life’s been full; I savored much,

good friends, good times, a loved one’s touch.

Perhaps my time seemed all too brief;

don’t lengthen it now with undue grief.

Lift up your hearts and peace to thee.

God wanted me now; He set me free.

    VOTE      VOTE                    VOTE                                       VOTE            VOTE

Here are just three scriptures to help you figure it out if you don’t already know. Vote for what they stand for … not their personality!

Jeremiah 1:5,  Leviticus 18:22, 2 Chronicles 7:14

I DID NOT WRITE THIS but I agree with everything in it wholeheartedly and support everything in it I felt the need to repost because people need to read this and re-share it as much as possible in the hope that they see for themselves EVERYTHING THE DEMOCRATS WANT IS EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE AND IF ELECTED THE WILL DELIVER ON IT. I am not voting for a man. I am voting for the principles for which this country has stood since its founding. I am voting for Constitutional government. I am voting for a strong and viable military. I am voting for a vibrant economy. I am voting for the right to keep and bear arms. I am voting for the freedom to worship. I am voting for a national recognition of the founding of our nation on Biblical principles. I am voting for the ability for anyone to rise above their circumstances and become successful. I am voting for my children and grandchildren to be able to choose their own path in life, including how and where their children are educated. I am voting for our borders to be open to everyone who enters under our law and closed to everyone who would circumvent or ignore the law. I am voting for the Electoral College to remain in place so that a few heavily populated liberal centers do not control the elections. I am voting for a Supreme Court that interprets the Constitution rather than rewrites it. I am voting to teach history, with all its warts, not erase it or revise it. I am voting for the sanctity of life from conception to birth and after.

My Prayer for You:

Lord open the hearts, ears, and eyes to hear and see where our country is headed. As always, you are giving us a choice. I believe this election is the most important choice our country will ever make and I pray Christians will look at what’s at stake, not whether they like a person, we’re not voting for a man, we’re voting for our country and a way of life. Lord, none of us are perfect. We all fall short, but we know we are supposed to try to be as Christlike as possible. Lord, I vote one nation under God as our founding fathers meant it to be. I pray the ones claiming your name vote the way you would and start bring this great nation back in line with you. 

We thank you, Lord, for your love and it’s in Jesus’ name we pray,   Amen

As the days slip by, each one begins to look like the day before and they all seem to run together. With our activities limited by covid restrictions, we try to find ways to carry on our ministries. Then when we get very little response to what we feel lead to do, we start second guessing if we’re doing what we’re supposed to be doing.

Wow! that’s a mouth full, I hope it makes sense. I guess what I’m trying to say is; don’t let the devil play with your mind. His job is to compromise your effectiveness in this torn and troubled world. When we’re pretty much alone with only our immediate family around us for support and we’re left to our own devices, we can sure second ourselves. That’s when the feeling of loss comes in and the devil starts his rhetoric.

Here’s your answer, if you get anything from my lessons, get this, it’s simple … GO TO THE ROCK!  Get on your face and pray, satan must flee at the name of Jesus, he has no power over a child of God (YOU). Satan has only one mission, John 10: 10-29. Whatever life brings, remember God is still in control. It takes courage to be a christian and be politically incorrect. An unquestionable patriot put courage this way; John Wayne said, “Courage is being scared to death, and saddling up anyway.” Jesus phrased it this way: Luke 9:23 “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” Some of the passion, the suffering, the hardship of the cross is lost on us due to time and to the glory that is now associated with the cross. But, Jesus was not here pointing to the glory of the cross. He was pointing to the suffering, the pain, and the hardship that is brought upon the one who desires the Christian life. Luke 9:24 “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.”

Being a Christian is not easy. Jesus pointed to this principle in Luke 14:26-33 where He commands that the one who wants to follow Him must first consider what it will cost.

Let me encourage you to step up, stand up for God and country in this time of need. You are empowered by the holy spirit and filled with living water and the gates of hell can not prevail, Matthew 16: 17-19. You are not alone! He said He would never leave you Hebrews 13:5. 

If you want to talk or pray together, email me (prospectorsforgod@gmail.com) and we’ll hook up by phone or text.  I pray this latest message I felt the Lord wanted me to write touched the hearts of those in doubt … Keep up the good fight … KEEP LOOKING UP! Until we get together again, many blessings.     Dusty

My prayer for you:

Father, how heartbreaking to see all the violence and unrest going on in our country. Our police officers who serve to protect us are under attack. I pray the truth come out and the true instigators are exposed and  all the deceivers held accountable.  I pray the ones wanting to change our country by throwing you out and forcing a way of life on us unconscionable to a Christian belief be brought to justice.

Lord, I pray for courage, for all believers to stand in the face of those who would allow paranoia to take over their lives. Give them the discernment to see through all the hype and lies we are being feed every day.

Bless and protect all our leaders doing your will!

In Jesus’ name we pray,

Amen

In this time of self-imposed house arrest, we find ourselves with extra time on our hands and maybe even having a hard time filling our days. Here’s a thought … How about spending some time with the Lord? I don’t mean asking Him for this or that; I mean getting to know Him. He is your heavenly Father, don’t you think it’s about you got to know Him. He wants us to come to with our needs but He also wants a relationship with you, one on one. The more time you spend in the word and having a heart-felt conversation with the Father, the more you’ll want to learn.  

All our hope is in Jesus Christ, He is the answer to what’s going on today. You ask then why hasn’t He done something about our country’s crisis.? Simple … He’s waiting on us.

Let me give you an analogy using a problem we have today; You know how president Trump wants to go in and clean up Portland, but he has to wait on the mayor to ask for help? The mayor needs to change his heart and admit he has a problem. It’s kind of like that with the Lord, He gave us a free will and until we change our ways and come to Him, His hands are tied.

We can stop being selfish with the me, me, me attitude or stay on this road to destruction.

Let’s get into the word and see how to get on track …

John 6:22-27

²² The next day the crowd that stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other small boat there, except one, and that Jesus had not entered with His disciples into the boat, but that His disciples had gone away alone. ²³ There came other small boats from Tiberias near to the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks. ²⁴ So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they themselves got into the small boats, and came to Capernaum seeking Jesus. ²⁵ When they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You get here?”

Words to the People

²⁶ Jesus answered them and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. ²⁷ Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.”

Which interests you more—who Jesus is or what He can do for you? I’m afraid that too many of us are more concerned about what He can give us than we are about getting to know who He is.

But this is nothing new—Jesus had this problem when He walked on earth. The crowds often sought Him out for what He could do for them. Even though their needs were often legitimate, Christ knew their motives.

There is a fine line between selfishly trying to use the Lord to get what we want and humbly coming to Him with our needs and struggles. Some issues we bring to Him are so pressing and urgent in our minds that our desire for Him to take action in the way we want becomes greater than our willingness to submit to His will. At times, what we call “faith” is really a demanding spirit.

We must remember that our needs will come to an end, but Jesus Christ will remain forever. If our prayers have dealt only with presenting our requests to the Lord, we’ve missed a great opportunity to get to know the One with whom we’ll spend eternity. Let’s invest time in pursuing intimacy with Christ. Then we can enjoy the benefits of that relationship forever.

How much of your communion with God is devoted to your needs—even legitimate ones? Are you spending any time getting to know the Lord? Although God delights in our prayers and tells us to pray about everything, He also wants us to come to Him just because we enjoy being with Him.

Well, did this help you? Don’t put your bible down, wonder around in it for a while longer, letting the Holy Spirit lead you. If you don’t have a bible, no problem, we’ll send you one totally free, including shipping … no strings attached! Just go to our contact page and let us know we’ll get it in the mail. Send us your comments or request a subject for us to address. We sure like hearing from yah all.

Until next time, Many Blessings, stay safe, and KEEP LOOKING UP!     Dusty

My Prayer for you: 

Heavenly Father,

You are so patience with your children; you love us so much. I pray for my brother and sisters in need of a touch from you this day. I ask you to bless all and forgive our sins. We need You, and I pray for grace and mercy for our land. I pray you will reveal the evil for what it is and change the hearts of the evildoers.

We thank you, Lord, and we praise your Holy Name!

In Jesus Christ, we pray,

Amen

Do you remember when there wasn’t enough hours in the day to get everything done? Now after this shelter in place (house arrest) while the economy of our country collapse we sit on our thumbs and believe everything the media and the liberal left feed us.

I believe the scriptures and try to follow what they tell us to do, one commandment, Romans 13:1-2, says to obey the laws of the land, so I do. I wear a mask in public (breathing my own carbon dioxide) and we’ve canceled all our concerts and speaking engagements, actually for this whole summer season. Truly, doing God’s work usually isn’t a way to get rich in worldly gain, but of course some are in it for the money and are constantly begging for it under the cover of serving God while living the life of a superstar, and I’m sure they’ll reap their true rewards someday. I know many God-called ministries that barley cover everyday living expenses, some don’t even do that, but they keep on going. (Philippians 4:9)  Somehow, when you wonder if God is real He shows us something that removes all doubt. 

Recently I lost my best friend to COVID 19 and just before that I lost my four legged sidekick that had been a part of my life for 13 years. My wife and I are hunkered down in a little town in Oregon wondering what’s next, while all income (we’re a faith-based ministry) has come to a stop we have to have faith someone will feel led to come along side and help. Our ministry operates through love offerings and donations. Without doing concerts and speaking engagements nonthing comes in. So just like the small businesses around our country, small ministries are strugling too.

Is there any hope? Yes of course there is … now more than ever we have to keep our hope, trust and faith in Jesus Christ … He is the answer!

Recently a good friend of mine and a very well known gospel singer called and told me he had COVID 19. My heart jumped into my throat. His next words brought Joy, he said the key word was “had”. He had went online and found a cure and used it and now he is virus-free. In doing this he started a long and arduous search for more answers and wondered why other people weren’t doing so themselves. He found America’s frontline Doctors, a group of doctors in practice around the country that are fighting COVID on the frontlines and winning, of course, we don’t here about them because there not part of the libral agenda. He told me to look up “America’s frontline doctors 3-hour summit video“. This is the the one youtube pulled down they didn’t want the world to see. Wow! If you watch this you might brighten your day, especially if you realize how we are being lied to.

Remember the scriptures said we’d be deceived? And like sheep being led to slaughter the world has bought into the lie.

How can that be? How can bad things happen to good people … remember the world is controlled by satan (Ephesians 6:12). Let’s see if I can help you understand more, get your bibles out and turn to Romans 8:28-39.

Romans 8:28-39 … 28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

“I wonder why bad things happen to good people. I wonder why my prayers go unanswered. I wonder about God’s will for my life.” Have you ever wondered about these things? I know I have! I don’t believe we are Christians very long before these wonders begin to creep into our minds.

However, many of us are often reluctant to admit that we wonder about such things-that we have doubts and questions about our faith. We are afraid we will be accused of not trusting God enough or that we’ll be looked upon as some heretic. And this is tragic, for sometimes there is more faith in wondering, doubting, and questioning than there is in blind acceptance. In fact, every strong Christian I know reached a deeper place of faith after going through a “dark night of the soul.”

So, I am going to examine some common wonders of faith, and I want to see where these wonders take us. So hear this message with an honest heart and attitude of prayer, and I believe you will find your faith enriched and strengthened.

Now as COVID 19 runs rampant in our land and some of our friends and loved ones are struck, that question, why does bad things happen to good people, certainly comes to the forefront. When a bible believing Christian is infected with it and hospitalized we wonder why … one partial answer is free will, even Christians make bad choices sometimes. We need to keep beliving and praying for one another.

I know a lot of churches are closed and that’s a tragedy, but we can still come together in prayer and by spending time on sites like this and joining in with appropriate comments.

As we look back on the tragedy of 9/11, and this virus sweeping across this land and of course, all the rioting in our nation, I believe it is very appropriate to ask: “I wonder why bad things happen to good people?” Certainly, this was a burning question in the hearts and minds of all of us as we experienced the horror of that day starting with 9/11. Churches were flooded with people asking this question. Counselors were overbooked with clients asking this question. People all over the world were praying this question: Why do bad things happen to good people? 9/11 shattered many people’s naïve illusions about how the world is supposed to operate.

We don’t live life very long before many of our illusions are shattered. “Why do the innocent suffer and the wicked prosper?” “Why does God allow evil and suffering?” “If God is great and good, why is there suffering?” Another way it is put is: “If God can’t stop suffering, then he is not great. If he can, then he is not good.” In the study of theology, this wonder is called “the theodicy question.” And it’s been asked since the very beginning.

In fact, it is a frequent question in the Bible. The Psalms ask it. Job asks it. Lamentations is full of it. The prophet Jeremiah questions God about it: Why do the wicked prosper and the innocent suffer? Why do bad things happen to good people?

So we ought to take a lesson from the biblical writers who cry out with this same burning question. And that lesson is that if we are going to be intimate and personal with God, we need to give him all that we have inside of us, even our deepest complaints and questions. Don’t worry! God is big enough to handle them.

Now at this point, you may be asking, “It may be some consolation that the Bible asks the theodicy question, but do you have an answer for it?” No, I don’t. I don’t know why bad things happen to good people. I am just as mystified by it as everyone else.

The simple fact is that the Bible asks the question, but it never answers it. Deuteronomy 29:29 says, “The secret things belong to the Lord our God.” This side of heaven we will never know why bad things happen to good people.

Now there is an incomplete response to this question. It is free will. Because God wants us to love him because we choose to love him, we have free will. It is a great gift. But there is a negative side to it. People can use their free will to do evil things and cause much pain and suffering. Several years ago, certain people chose to take their free will, get into an airplane, and crash into a building.

But free will is an incomplete response to our question today because it does not address things like natural disasters and diseases, those things that human beings do not cause to happen. The truth is that we live in a sinful world that runs amuck, and bad things happen to both the innocent and the guilty.

However, as Christians, we have the hope that one day Christ will come in glory and all of our questions will be answered and all of the great mysteries will be solved and all of our confusion will turn into clarity. So get your list of questions ready for that day. I know I’ve got mine. And the question at the top of my list will be, “Why did bad things happen to good people?”

You know what Mother Teresa said? She said, “When I die, God will have a lot of answering to do.” And Billy Graham once said, “When I die and go to heaven, I will spend the first 100 years just asking God questions.” We can look forward to doing the same thing.

But, until that great day comes, we still have to cope with life in all of its suffering and tragedy. We still have to deal with the bad and unfair circumstances of life. So I want to offer some things that have helped me as I have struggled with the question of why bad things happen to good people. My prayer is that they will help you, too.

The first bit of help I offer is simply this: Do not allow the question of bad things happening to good people to make you cynical. It’s fair and healthy to ask this question and struggle with it, but I have seen too many people hang on to it way too long, like a protest, and remain stuck in their faith, or stop believing in God altogether. I have also seen people use it as an excuse. Some people feel that as long as they wear a badge of prideful agnosticism, they will not have to deal with the truth of God in their lives.

Don’t allow unfair pain and suffering to harden your heart. A good way to protect yourself from cynicism is to reflect on the insightful words of Harry Emerson Fosdick. He said this: “Goodness is a far greater problem for the atheist than evil is for the believer.” Instead of focusing on the evil and suffering in the world, look at all the goodness that abounds in our world. Where does that goodness come from? It can only come from a loving God who cares for us. Allow the goodness in the world to lead you back to the goodness of God.

The goodness of God can help us overcome anything, which leads me to offer another bit of help as we grapple with the question of why bad things happen to good people. And this bit of help comes in the form of a question: What happens to good people when bad things happen to them? This is a question that the Bible does answer. This is what our scripture lesson for today is all about. Did you hear all of the words Paul used to describe the assumed pain and suffering of life: hardship, persecution, distress, nakedness, peril, the sword? The apostle Paul and the early Christians were very much in touch with unfair suffering. But what did Paul say happens to Christians when bad things happen to them? Not only did he say that we will never be separated from God’s love, but in Romans 8:28 Paul says something truly remarkable: “All things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”

This means that evil and pain is never the will of God, but God can take evil and pain and use it for good. Over and over again in life we see this. When evil attacks with pain, God uses it to build character. When evil shows resistance, God uses it to build strength. When evil cripples with tragedy, God finds a way to victory. When evil destroys with death, God restores life. God is in the transforming business. God can turn our trouble into triumph!

One of the greatest examples of God turning rough times into glory is the story of Joseph in Genesis. Joseph was the favored son, and his brothers were jealous. So in a jealous rage, they beat him and sold him into slavery as a youth. Through an amazing turn of events, as Joseph grew older, his abilities impressed the authorities of Egypt and the Pharaoh made him second in command in Egypt.

Now he had the power to get revenge on his brothers. But he didn’t. Instead, he forgave them. His brothers approached him, scared to death, and Joseph said, “Don’t be afraid. Am I God? I can’t judge you. What you did was meant to hurt me, but God used it for good. I have strength and character, and now I have the power to save and provide for the people of Israel.” At that moment, Joseph knew that God had taken something very ugly and made it beautiful.

H.G. Spafford had the same experience. In 1873, his wife and four children sailed from New York to France on an ocean liner. Mr. Spafford was unable to make the voyage with his family because of business commitments in Chicago. He told them goodbye, promising to meet them in France in a few weeks.

At two o’clock on the morning of November 22, 1873, when the luxury liner was several days out, it was hit by another liner. Within two hours, the ship sank. Nine days later when the survivors landed at Wales, Mrs. Spafford cabled her husband these two words, “Saved alone.” They had lost all 4 of their daughters. When he received her message, he quickly booked passage on a ship to Europe to join his wife. On the way over, the captain called him into his cabin and said, “I believe we are now passing over the place where your family’s liner went down.”

Well, that night in the mid-Atlantic, filled with much pain and sorrow, Mr. Spafford wrote five stanzas, the first of which contained these lines: “When peace like a river attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll, Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul!” And these words have been a part of one of the most popular hymns in the church today. Little did Mr. Spafford know that his words would give comfort to so many people. God turned his scar into a star.

We can’t control the fact that bad things will happen to us. They just do, and one day we will find out why. But the one thing we can control is how we respond to the bad things that happen to us. We can get bitter or better! We can stay angry at life and at God and never move on, or we can give our pain to God and allow him to do something beautiful with it. Then we’ll be able to say with confidence:

I will be untouched in the midst of fire
I will stand firm in the midst of a storm
I will not crack in the midst of chaos
I will not lose heart when the world is torn

I will not fear when the heat blazes
I will not fret when drought comes
I will bear fruit in the midst of all of it
I will march to a different drum

I will discover victory in tragedy
I will trust in El Shaddai
I will laugh in the face of death
I will wave evil and pain goodbye.

Always keep looking up and keep praying, God does care about each one of us and His word says; He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).

Be blessed, my precious friends until the next time we talk … Dusty

My prayer for you: 

Dear Lord,

How fragile we are without you, I pray for strength and healing for my brothers and sisters.

I ask forgiveness for our sins and for mercy. We don’t know how or when you will touch and heal our land but your word says to pray and believe and our prayers will be answered, so I choose to trust in you Lord. I let Psalm 23 run through my mind when I need a boost to lift my spirit.

I thank you Lord for always being there and leading us through the valleys.

I would like to close my prayer with a quote from Mr.Spafford;
“When peace like a river attendeth my way. When sorrows like sea billows roll. Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, It is well; It is well with my soul.”

Amen.

The Land Flowing with Milk and Honey… or The Land of the Giants

On July 25th a few minutes past 11:00 AM our brother(Pastor) and friend left on the greatest adventure of all … he went home to be with Jesus. After a month-long courageous battle, his heart gave out.

I thought it would be appropriate to bring forward his last message he wanted all believers and non-believers a like to read and take to heart. I know he loved all of you.

In November, when the visitors return, we will be having a celebration of life in his honor, the exact time and place will be announced later.

Peace to all … Keep Looking Up!

This is my first post, but I believe it is one that needs to be written for these uncertain times.

In the book of Numbers, chapters 13 and 14 we read about the children of Israel being given the land of Canaan, as promised by God. Moses was to choose one man from each tribe to spy out the land and bring back a report. (Numbers 13:17-21).

After 40 days, the men returned and gave a report on what they had found. They brought back fruit to show the congregation of Israel the bounty of the land. (Numbers 13:23). They even reported that the land flowed with milk and honey (Numbers 13:27), just as God had promised. Ten of the spies reported that the land also was inhabited by very strong people, with large fortified cities. There were also descendants of Anak. The Anakim/Anakites were a formidable race of giant, warlike people (Deuteronomy 2:10, 21; 9:2), who occupied the lands of southern Israel, near Hebron, before the arrival of the Israelites (Joshua 15:13). The Anakim’s ancestry has been traced back to Anak, who at that time was regarded as the “greatest man among the Anakim” (Joshua 14:15).

The two remaining spies, Joshua and Caleb confirmed what the others had seen. However, they were confident that God would deliver the land into the Israelites hands (Numbers 14:6-9).

The Israelites were encouraged by Moses not to fear the Anakim (Deuteronomy 1:29-30), but they refused to trust God’s promises (Deuteronomy 1:32-33). As a result, God became angry (Deuteronomy 1:34-35) and prohibited the “evil generation” from entering the Promised Land; Joshua and Caleb were the only exceptions, plus those who had no knowledge of good and evil (Deuteronomy 1:36-39). Because of their fear of the Anakim, and their rebellion against God, the children of Israel were forced to wander for another 38 years in the wilderness.

During the conquest of Canaan, Joshua expelled the Anakim from the hill country, and Caleb finally drove them out of Hebron completely. However, a small remnant found refuge in the cities of Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod (Joshua 11:22). Many Bible scholars speculate that the Anakim’s descendants were the Philistine giants David encountered (2 Samuel 21:15-22), including Goliath of Gath (1 Samuel 17:4-7).

God has given us another future “promised land” – Heaven. Jesus declared that no one comes to the Father, but through Him. (John 14:6). Through obedience and not rebellion, we can have that promise fulfilled in our lives. Just like many of the Israelites of old, everyone has a choice to make. You can live your life your way, and suffer the consequences, or enter into the Promised Land. How can you make the choice to enter the “Promised Land”? Follow what it says in Romans 10:9-10.

If you have questions or need further help, please contact Bruce, Dusty, or Sandy. Our contact information is under the “CONTACT” page.

Further Bible translations, Study Helps and Answers can be found using the resources to the right, or by going to the Resources Page. If you need a Bible, we would love to send you a FREE copy. Just email us at prospectorsforgod@gmail.com with your name and address, and we will mail one to you, postage free.

Blessings,

Bruce

Good mornings my friends, I came across this list a while back and thought it was very concise and to the point, no bark, just meat.

If only everyone could read it and then apply it to their lives.

* The most destructive habit: Worry
* The greatest Joy: Giving
* The greatest loss: Loss of self-respect
* The most satisfying work: Helping others
* The ugliest personality trait: Selfishness
* The most endangered species: Dedicated leaders
* Our greatest natural resource: Our youth
* The greatest “shot in the arm”: Encouragement
* The greatest problem to overcome: Fear
* The most effective sleeping pill: Peace of mind
* The most crippling failure disease: Excuses
* The most powerful force in life: Love
* The most dangerous pariah: A gossiper
* The world’s most incredible computer: The brain
* The worst thing to be without: Hope
* The deadliest weapon: The tongue
* The two most power-filled words: “I Can”
* The greatest asset: FAITH
* The most worthless emotion: Self-pity
* The most beautiful attire: SMILE!
* The most prized possession: Integrity
* The most powerful channel of communication:  prayer                                    * The most contagious spirit: Enthusiasm
* The most important thing in life: GOD

My prayer for you : 

Heavenly Father, this day starts another work week and I pray people everywhere are getting back to work so they can take care of their families.

Lord protect them from ALL sicknesses and Lord we ask healing for those in need.

We pray for our nation healing, for the violence to stop and for us to become one.

Father, I pray your people will read this list and take it to heart, “all lives matter, and all souls count …

Thank you, Jesus, for dying on the cross and taking our sins, without you we would be truly lost. Let us be more like you every day …

In your precious name, we pray

Amen

What’s next? Am I the only one realizing we are under siege?

Last week, the media said the President was hiding in the White House, calling him “bunker boy”. Unbelievable disrespect.

When he leaves the White House, they call it phony and criticize the methods used to secure his safety… He’s the President! These people aren’t peaceful; they’re throwing bricks, killing police and innocent people are being brutely beaten.

His critics say he isn’t even a Christian. He says he is, that he confessed Jesus as his Lord. That puts that confession between him and Jesus, not anyone else. Only God knows for sure, just as yours, mine,or anybody else’s confession of belief is ultimately only between God and the confessor.

Some so-called believers are as far from God as the confessing atheist. They confess with their mouth; play the part when someone is watching and then do the opposite when no one is around.  They show fear and paranoia, not faith… faith is the opposite of fear.

God loves His children and wants all to come to Him (2 Peter 3:9). Being born again is a must (John 14:6). By receiving Jesus into your heart, you become an heir of God and all the promises in the Bible. You are under His protection… Have faith in Jesus Christ.

This doesn’t mean things won’t happen to you. Remember we are in the world (Ephesians 6:12).

The violence going on today isn’t to honor Mr. Floyd. It’s just an excuse for misbehavior… sin. What happened to him was definitely wrong. That doesn’t mean he wasn’t a criminal. Has anyone looked at his background? … Thug, thief, and involved in counterfeiting? He was being arrested legally, however, the way he was being restrained was what was illegal. Now, he’s being eulogized as a good community-serving man and using his name as an excuse for “insurrection”. Yes, insurrection.

We are a country of law… to be equally applied to “all”. There is no race discrimination in our constitution… it doesn’t exist. We are all created in God’s image.

President Lincoln said, and I paraphrase, “Our country’s destruction will come from within…”  Hmmm… insight or divine inspiration?

Look around my brothers and sisters… Random rioting or insurrection?

Pray, my friends, without ceasing (1 Thessalonian 5:17). Pray.

Without God, I feel our country is lost. When we have people running for office that would change the fabric of our country, driving us further from God and His covering, we are in trouble. Listen carefully to what is being said by the people running for office. Do they follow God’s laws or the one they want to make; the ones that will allow sin against Him?

I implore you to search your heart. What is your belief? Follow God or follow a liberal way of life?… It’s impossible to do both! (Matthew 6:24)

My Prayer:

Oh, Father, what a mess our land is in. Why You allow it, only You know.

I do believe in Your Word, that all things work together for good (Romans 8:28)… Have mercy on our land; on the innocent.

Protect those following You, Lord. Protect the dedicated first responders, the people called to duty even though they put themselves in harm’s way.

Lord comfort those that have already lost loved ones, property, and their way of life.

Father touch the lost; show Yourself to them; change their hearts.

I pray in Your precious name, Jesus Christ,

AMEN!

I love you all in Christ. Stay safe…

Dusty

I don’t know how many times in front of audiences I’ve quoted Martin Luther, the founder of the modern day church of saying “Music is the second form of prayer.”

I can remember being a little boy and walking through a dark woods on the way home and thought I was going to be ate  by a bear or some other creature waiting for me to pass. I would usually break out singing to myself or whistling, trying to show I wasn’t afraid. I guess you could say those were the days I started my singing career as a matter of fact, I believe there has been times when I had audiences just as small as then…..

It has always humbles me when people come to listen to my music and share the love we have for the beauty God has given us in music. A song can set your heart to fluttering or your blood to racing. It can cause you to experience the full range of emotions, from the highest peaks to the lowest valleys… all brought on by a song.

It never fails to amaze me when the Lord changes a song in the middle of a concert that I hadn’t rehearsed and most generally hadn’t sung in a while. I teach obeying is a very important part of a Christians walk with the Lord so I always complied. You ask … how has that worked for me? Well I’ll use that word again … amazing… The Lord knows exactly what someone in the audience needs to hear and I feel very blessed when He uses me to give that certain someone His message in a song. Inevitably that very person always comes up after the program to tell me the song really touched their heart and they were sure it was meant just for them.

Being in the gospel music ministry the bible verse (2 Timothy 4:2)about being ready in season and out brought out a whole new meaning to that passage.

I hope during these stressful times you will allow God to minister to you in song. Take the time to sit and listen, sing along if you like, get into the words, it might be just the message He has for you, and you will know that He is GOD.

My latest CD is on this site free for the listening, if  you like it … enjoy,  if you don’t … no offence taken. Just look around until you find something you can enjoy. Relax and sooth your spirit …

Let me know if there is anything we can do for you and of course after things get back to normal we’d love to come to your venue and do a program for you and your friends. … it’s free! just contact us at my email; prospectorsforgod2@gmail.com or go to our main page; On The Road for Christ.com and follow the steps there.

My prayer for you:       

Precious Lord, give my brothers and sister a real peace and still their hearts of fear, let them know you are God and are always with them.

Put a song in their heart and a new hope in their spirit that this to shall pass.

Protect your children from this virus and all the after effects as time goes by. In this hour of need may we draw closer to you and feel the mighty comfort of your loving arms.

In Jesus name, the name above all names we pray

AMEN