We've all been there...minding our own business...when you begin to feel Him nudging you..."what me?" You look around and then you see him or her and your heart pounds harder...but then your hands start to sweat and your mind starts to race..."Oh, Father...now? Me? But, I'm on my way to work...You don't want me to be late...I work so I can tithe and give to others...what if he/she gets offended? What? You want me to offer them a ride? You know what my Mom would say if I did that...she would so freak out...if I die how can I continue to serve You?????? God? Is this really YOU???"
Okay, so now you're passing by the bus stop and the person you KNOW you're supposed to offer a ride to...looks directly in your eyes...as you drive by....the nudging from God gets so strong that you cannot resist so you drive around the block and when you get back there...the person's gone...
Is hesitation, disobedience? What if today is that person's last day on earth? What if that person is in a domestic violence relationship and they were praying to God for someone, anyone to care, to offer to help...and God nudged you...and you didn't respond?
WHY DO WE HESITATE WHEN GOD SAYS GO??
I call it trying to rationalize an irrational act. Our mind starts making up excuses not to act and they can be rational thoughts. "It isn't safe to pick up strangers in this day and age." "I could get sanctioned for being late to work." "My car is almost out of gas"...to the world this is responsible thinking.
What we need to think when we sense that undeniable nudge from Jesus...
Mark 2:13-14 - "Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to Him, and He began to teach them. As He walked along, He saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me." Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed Him.
Forget about being late to work...Matthew was AT work and he immediately - without hesitation - got up and followed Jesus. Wow!! Jesus had dinner at his house that night. We have the book of Matthew in the Bible and so much more because he didn't hesitate.
Just think what would have happened if Matthew gave into that "rational/irrational" thinking? He could have rationalized his way out of eternity...
Roy Kostner is a Valedictorian and was asked to give a speech at his South Carolina High School graduation. He took the time to write a speech but when he stepped up to the podium...he ripped up his speech...and he said he was so thankful that his parents led him to Christ at a young age...and then he recited the Lord's prayer!! You see prayer had recently been banned at school functions. He jumped out in faith and did what God nudged him to do...God doesn't call us to do easy things...He calls us to do the hard stuff, the take-your-breath-away stuff, the stuff that is crazy to the world but life transforming to the lost...
There are consequences to hesitation...
I was walking to the doctor's office with my Dad and I looked across the sidewalk and heard a senior calling out to someone. His right leg was shaking fiercely, he was using a rollator but there was no one by him. In my head I was running towards him, but in reality I was hesitating, "Surely, whoever is with him will grab him." Then it was like God nudged me with His foot and I ran over to the senior as he was going down. I grabbed him and held him as his leg continued to shake violently. He kept calling out a name...his daughter's...and I continued to hold him and calm him down. Eventually his daughter was there and about 3 other people. I turned him around and sat him down. His daughter finished parking the car and came back. She was very grateful that I held him but terrified of what would have happened if he fell on the concrete.
According to his hat he was a Veteran of World War II and his skin was thin, he was hard of hearing and his face was filled with fear. So, if he had fallen and broken a hip or hit his head...that would have been a life changer for this man. The beginning of the end for many seniors. Inaction has consequences...I'm just thankful he held on until I moved.
So many times we remain inactive because we think, "SURELY, someone else will go..." If I had moved immediately maybe the man would have calmed down faster. He wouldn't have had to call out in fear to his daughter, because he would have been safe sooner, if only I didn't hesitate.
For a little conviction read, The Cost of Following Jesus in Luke 9:57-62...hesitation can cost everything. "Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" `Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and love your neighbor as yourself.' (Luke 10:27) Now read Luke 1-:25-37, the story of the Good Samaritan...so which one are you?
In Matthew 9: 18-26, Jesus was talking and a man comes up to Him and tells Him that his daughter just died. The man asks Jesus to come put a hand on his daughter so she might live again. Jesus did not hesitate, He immediately got up to go with the man. But, wait..."Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for 12 years came up behind Him and touched the edge of His cloak. She said to herself, "If I only touch His cloak, I will be healed." Jesus turned and saw her. `Take heart, daughter,' he said, `your faith has healed you.' And the woman was healed from that moment." Jesus then walked on to the man's house and took the dead girl's hand and she stood up!!
I think of this woman who has been bleeding for 12 years. Can you even imagine? She had no PCP to go to, no tests to be run, no diagnosis, possibly no hope. Until she heard about Jesus. She may have seen Jesus before and watched Him heal people. Maybe she was standing in the crowds listening to Him many times before. She may have been having rational/irrational thoughts, "What will I say to Him? Master? Rabbi? I've got this personal problem...I can't do this in front of so many people...this is humiliating and embarrassing. What if He tells me it's my fault? What if He won't heal me? I am nobody...why would He even care about me? I get all tongue tied when I try to talk about things that matter, I'll sound like a fool and He'll just walk by...I just can't do this." Maybe she embraced this negative thinking because she was terrified of being rejected AGAIN. Maybe her family has disowned her. Maybe she really liked a man but couldn't consider the possibilities because of her horrible, gross, disgusting, ugly condition. There were no tampons back then, no Kotex. How many times had she gone to the marketplace with blood stains on her clothes? How many nights had she cried herself to sleep? How many prayers had she prayed begging God for help?
What if she had been close to talking to Jesus many times, but each time her thoughts got in the way of her taking action...oh how she hesitated so many times before.
But, in her heart she knew Jesus could heal her. "If only I touch the hem of His garment...He is almighty, I don't have to talk to Him...I just have to get close enough to touch..."
She was ready to move...her hands were sweating, she was crying - from fear, from the belief she really could be healed, from hope - she weaved in and out and pushed people aside, "Excuse me, excuse me." He got up to go to the man's house and His disciples flanked Him, "Oh no, I've got to get around them before they tell me to leave Him alone..." Her heart was about to beat out of her chest as she reached out to touch Him, He took a step to the right but it didn't phase her, she was committed, nothing would stop her now, she was about ready to call out His name she was so charged...she saw absolutely nothing but the hope of a transformed life and she reached out...her fingers covered with dirt, broken nails, tears blurred her vision, she was about to scream at Him to stop when she did it!!! She went to touch His sleeve, but she lost her balance and in front of her was the hem of His cloak...wrapped in her hand.
IMMEDIATELY she changed. Jesus felt her. She didn't touch Him...she had only His clothes in her grasp but He knew she was there!!!
He stopped. He knew everything about her. He knew her shame, embarrassment, brokenness, pain. He knew how many times she couldn't bring herself to approach Him. He knew how many times she hesitated. He knew just how hard this was for her to do.
He smiled because she found the courage to act.
He was so proud of her! He looked her in the eyes and He spoke directly to her, "Take heart, daughter." She would never forget the sound of His voice, the words He spoke. He healed her. He made her whole. He gave her hope and a future. He gave her eternal life. She was indeed a changed woman! Hallelujah!!
If you are a Christ follower and are praying for less of you and more of Christ then it's gonna happen again. He's gonna nudge you to action.
Don't hesitate...trust Him.
"Take heart, daughter/son..."
In His service, deni
A ministry. We can do more, we can do better.
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Monday, May 27, 2013
Bus Ticket
Not too long ago, a few of us were sitting
in the café in First Baptist Church Tulsa. We were talking and waiting for a
meeting to start, when a young girl walked up to us. She said she was abandoned
by her boyfriend and didn’t know what to do.
I walked with her to a corner table and we
talked. She said she met the guy and he promised to take her “to see the world,”
and she was hungry to see what was out there so she didn’t hesitate and took
off with him, even though she'd only known him for a couple weeks. During the journey she
learned that he had a drug addiction, was violent and didn’t have any money.
They got to Tulsa and argued, so he crushed
her cell phone and kicked her out of the car. She said she had been sitting in
the bus station crying for quite a while. But, when she got up and looked
outside she saw First Baptist Church. She said, “My Grandma always told me if you get into
trouble, just walk into the nearest church.”
As we talked she realized she made a
terrible mistake by leaving with this guy. She had never been very far from her
home town and she just wanted to see what was out there. She looked at me with tears in her eyes and said, “I just want to go home and start over again.”
I asked her what she wanted to be when she
was a little girl and she said, “A singer.” She said people thought she could
sing and so did she. I asked her if she ever pursued her dream and she said, “I
didn’t think dreams were supposed to come true.”
I shared that God has a plan and a purpose
for her life and that once she has a relationship with Him…He can make dreams
come true! We talked some more and we
prayed and I walked her to the bus station.
I told her when she knows what God’s plan is
if Isaiah 58, In His Service can help, we’d be happy to. She wrapped her arms around my neck and
gave me a hug.
Isaiah 58, In His Service bought her a bus
ticket home. The first bus was sold out
and the next one was scheduled to leave at 3am.
She said she’d be alright in the bus station and I told her after I did
a few things, I would return with some food and sit with her. We tried to call her Grandma to let her know
the young girl was okay and headed home, but no one answered.
I finished what I needed to do, so I went to
Quik Trip and loaded up on some food and then headed back to the bus
station, it was about 8pm. I looked around before I went
inside and she was nowhere to be found. Initially my heart sank for fear that
the boyfriend had shown back up and she conceded to go with him. But, I prayed against that and went
inside. The same clerk I bought the
ticket from was behind the counter. I
asked her about the young girl and she said, “Oh, yeah, honey, she got on the
early bus, she’s on her way.”
Praise God!
I went back to my car and called her Grandma and she answered. I told her who I was and that her
granddaughter was on her way to start over.
Grandma was relieved and thankful.
So, what was I to do with the bag of
food? I drove around looking for some of
my homeless folks and couldn’t find anybody!
I kept driving and finally I saw one.
He was flying a sign and I drove up and said, “There you are, man I’ve
been lookin’ all over for you!” We
talked and I gave him the food and invited him to Luke10 and gave him my card
and said if he needs to talk or is ready to make a change…to give me a call.”
The next day I got a message from the young
girl. She said she was home safe and sound and had learned her lesson and she
was very grateful.
I have no control over outcomes. One of the
coolest things our Father does is give us a free will…it is our decision to
choose to follow Him. We can say, “yes,”
or “no.” But, as Christ followers we are called to be the hands and feet of
Christ. So, that means being obedient to
serve when Jesus calls us into action.
I was at church for a meeting that I wasn’t
thrilled about attending. We were in the
café because we were waiting for the start of that meeting. I could have blown off the meeting and not
been in the café. When she said she was
in trouble, I could have gone looking for a church staff member and passed the
buck.
So here's the lesson...sometimes we do things that we don't really want to do...like attend meetings. But, I wasn't supposed to be at church for the meeting, I was supposed to be there for this girl. I did make the meeting, by the way!
God could have put someone else there, but for
some reason…He asked me to be there. I
am so humbled that He chose me! Look what I was blessed to do! I got to plant seeds and am praying that they
will be watered and the Kingdom will grow.
The first step is to be willing, “Here I am Lord, send me.”
In His service,
deniMonday, May 6, 2013
Are you the same? Have you changed at all?
I went to the store the other day to get
some goodies for a little lady’s birthday.
I had a cake and some decorations the usual birthday fare. I got in line behind someone who receives
correspondence from Isaiah 58, In His Service.
After the pleasantries, he looked at me and said, “I got your letter, so
I suppose you were soliciting funds.”
Then he looked in my basket and wanted to know what I was buying. I told
him I was gonna surprise a little lady who lives alone with some birthday
treats. He nodded and turned around and said, “I guess you need money to buy
stuff like that too.”
I went to
the Mighty Women of God Conference at FBCT a couple weeks ago and listened to the featured
speaker, Peggy Nunnelly talk about a woman by the name of Veronica. Veronica had a family of 5 and she lived in a
country in which it was illegal to be a Christ follower. She and her whole
household were arrested and imprisoned because of their beliefs, trust and faith
in Jesus Christ. The guards brought Veronica’s husband into her cell. They told her that she must renounce Christ
or they would kill her husband. She refused to deny her God and so they cut off
the head of her husband. They brought in
her two sons next and told her to forsake Jesus and again, she refused to deny
her God and they used swords to kill her two sons. She and her daughter were eventually freed.
I read this
on Facebook, “A relationship with God that doesn’t change your life, isn’t really a
relationship with God.”
Another life
story Peggy shared at the conference; a
woman struggling with substance abuse most of her life, decided to kill herself
so she put a gun to her head and pulled the trigger. Miraculously, she didn’t
die and she had no severe brain damage. So, Peggy went to the hospital to talk
with this lady. Peggy said the woman had
prayed “the sinner’s prayer” many times in her life, yet her life didn’t
reflect a relationship with God. So, Peggy boldly told the woman, “You don’t
know the Jesus I know because if you did, you wouldn’t be laying in a hospital
bed from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.” Peggy said the woman was incensed and
told her to get out and not come back.
However, over time God convicted the woman and she knew what Peggy said
was true, she really didn’t know Jesus at all.
So, she talked with Peggy and the next time she talked to Jesus, she
repented wholly and completely and asked God to save her.
And He did.
The woman is now staying with Peggy and her family as she matures as a Christ
follower and is learning and growing to become the woman God intended.
Change. I am NOT the deni I used to be and I pray I
am NOT the deni I’m going to be. The old
things pass away, behold all things are new.
If you drank alcohol until you puked on a regular basis, if you smoked
pot or did ecstasy on the weekends, if you gossiped about people, if you looked
at pornography, if you were a chronic liar, if you cheated regularly on your
spouse, if you watched movies filled with sex and violence or played
videogames where the goal is to kill as many people as you can, if you were living with someone you’re not
married to, if you did your job half-heartedly and stole from the company,
if you flipped the bird at people regularly on the highway, if you cursed
constantly…if these things were a routine part of your life BEFORE you claimed
to be a Christ follower and now it’s years later and you’re STILL doing these
things AFTER you say you accepted God’s salvation, then “A relationship with God that doesn’t change your life, isn’t really a relationship with God.”
If you can
look at your life today and look at your life BC (before Christ) and
essentially see the same person, then why are you claiming to be a Christian?
If you go to church on Sundays, don’t cuss, are faithful to your spouse, limit
your viewing of pornography, mow the widow’s lawn next door, pay the bills on
time, have money left over for a vacation, tithe sometimes 5% and even throw a
$20 in the offering plate once in a while, and allow your mother-in-law to
stay for 2 whole weeks in the summer…and you’ve lived like this for as long as
you can remember,“A relationship with God that doesn’t change your life, isn’t really a relationship with God.”
It’s not
about being “a good” person or a person that’s given up the bottle, or pornography or the affair. It’s about
loving Jesus so much that you have to tell people about Him! It’s about doing
whatever, I mean WHATEVER it is that He asks you to do. It means devouring His
word because you have got to learn more, it’s about believing what you
read in His word and asking Him to work through you like He did through His
disciples in the New Testament. It means thinking, “This has GOT to be God,
cause this is the most uncomfortable, crazy thing to do...and I would never
think of this on my own, so I KNOW it’s Him.” I bought a ring the other day that says, "LIVE THE WORD." I wear it every day as a reminder it's not about me, it's all about Jesus! It's a reminder that as I continue in my relationship with Jesus...I will continue to change and grow...the goal is for people to see Jesus, not deni.
Remember,
Beth Moore’s “faith story” about being in the airport and being nudged to comb
the long, straggly hair of an old man in a wheelchair? Remember the man was hard of hearing and
she’s overwhelmed and trying to convince God not to make her do this, and
trying to be discreet but he can’t hear her so she yells, “CAN I COMB YOUR HAIR?”
Then the God moment happened, the old man told her that he had open heart
surgery and his wife was ill and he hasn’t seen her in months. He was thinking
what a mess he must look like as he is about to see his bride after all this
time. Beth says, “I learned something about God that day. He knows if you’re exhausted
or hungry, you’re serving in the wrong place or it’s time to move on but you’re
too responsible to budge, He knows if you’re hurting or feel rejected. He knows
if you’re sick or drowning under a wave of temptation. Or He knows if you just
need your hair brushed. He sees you as an individual. Tell Him your need! I got on my own flight,
sobs choking my throat, wondering how many opportunities just like this I had
missed along the way…all because I didn’t want people to think I’m strange. God
didn’t send me to that old man. He sent the old man to me.” (From an Internet post by Beth Moore)
I didn’t send out the long letter to ask for
funds...but to ask you to ask God to show you how you can be more like HIm and do more for Him. My prayer is that folks will be convicted and not walk away like the
rich young ruler when God calls us into action. My prayer is that folks will
be convicted and do like Zacchaeus and open the door wide to Jesus and let Him in every area of our lives; no matter how crazy or scary or weird
His calling may be.
There is a
middle aged couple who are applying for disability, they have no income, no
vehicle, no money and they need a place to live…
There are
special needs kids who will most likely go into the foster care system because their
only caregiver can't take care of them anymore…
There are
women who struggle with mental illness or uncontrolled diabetes or other health
issues, estranged from their families and cannot live
alone anymore...
There are
senior adults living in nursing homes without a family and are wasting
away because they have a story to tell and there is no one there to listen…
There are teenagers
who have no male role models and their Moms are working all the time or doing
drugs or absent from their lives and these kids are wasting away in the
projects…
There are
young adults who have been sexually, physically and emotionally abused and desperately
need mentors to help them heal and become self-sufficient…
There are
single Moms who work two jobs to feed their numerous children but they continue
to make bad choices in parenting and the men they date…
There are Dads who are disabled and can't work anymore and can't pay their bills....
There are Dads who are disabled and can't work anymore and can't pay their bills....
There are
homeless men and women who sleep on sidewalks and in abandoned buildings who
are very sick and dying and need a place to die…
There are
folks looking for work but can’t get to the interviews by relying on the city
bus…
There are
families with grandparents, siblings, grandchildren and significant others who live
together and only one or two people work for a variety of reasons…they can’t
pay their bills, their rent and they don’t have enough to eat…
This is just
a drop in the bucket of the many people I see regularly who need Jesus and
support from Christ followers willing to jump off of the pews and dive into the
gutter…
There is
someone in your neighborhood, in your office, on your team, in your child’s
school, or in your church who is suffering and sinking and screaming for help
and you know it and God is tugging at your heart but you are fighting Him, “I
won’t know what to say,” “What if they take advantage of me,” “I don’t want to
make the offer to help because what if helping them takes a long time,” “But,
what if I have to give up my favorite TV shows, or cut back on my shopping, or
go without something that I want, or be inconvenienced, or feel weird,” "What if it changes the way I like to live..."
If
we’re bargaining with Jesus about being His hands and feet only, “when we have
the time,” then we don’t believe that the Gospel “costs” something…and we don’t
believe it’s worth very much and we are denying that He is worth any effort, so why are we
claiming to know Him? Are we living the way we’ve always lived? Where is the
New Creation? Because if this is how we've always felt and this is how we've always lived...then we
don’t know Him at all.
I can tell you that God has never called me to do something
– no matter how far out of my comfort zone it is – that He hasn't given me
every single thing I need to do His will. We sometimes find it very easy to
tell God that we love Him…but do we trust Him? Veronica trusted Him with the
lives of her family…
what will you trust Him with?
“A
relationship with God that doesn’t change your life, isn’t really a
relationship with God.” - Facebook
In His
service,
deni A.
fholer
Isaiah 58,
In His Service, Inc.PO Box 521063
Tulsa OK 74152
918-260-1933
I58ihs@gmail.com
www.i58ihs.blogspot.com
501©3 nonprofit ministry
We HAVE to do more. We HAVE to do better.
“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within
me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore
to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will turn back to you.”
Psalms 51: 10-13
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Our life
group, LUKE 10 is based on the chapter in the Bible. Jesus says in verse 2,
“The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest,
therefore, to send out workers into His harvest.” In verse 27 we find God’s
greatest commandment, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all
your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, `Love your
neighbor as yourself.”
We believe
if we live out these two verses in the Bible we will have a relationship with
Christ that will forever be growing, changing, getting harder and be the most
meaningful relationship in our lives.
Dr. Shea Bowling is our teacher, “a recovering Pharisee” and Deni Fholer
is our Director. Shea is a pediatrician and Deni is a licensed social
worker. The life experiences that God
takes them into reflect in Shea’s teaching and Deni’s direction for missions.
We begin gathering at 9:30am on Sunday mornings in room 316 south in First Baptist Church Tulsa, 403 S. Cincinnati - enter through the east door (Detroit Ave) and ask the greeter to get you to Luke 10.
Luke 10 is
an incredible mix of people! Our prayer is that anyone in any station in life
can come into Luke 10 and be welcomed with open arms. If they don’t know Jesus,
we will introduce them. If they know Jesus and want to know Him better,
great! If they realize that there is too
much “me” in their lives and they crave more of Him…we try to provide
opportunities for everyone to get into the gutter (be it a mansion or an office
or the streets) and truly “love our neighbor as yourself.”
Shea doesn’t
use a quarterly. Her teaching is scripturally based and prayerfully considered.
Her examples are from daily life which makes the Bible come alive and be
relevant to the challenges we face each day. We have Faith Story Sundays. After
we practice Priority Prayer we turn the teaching time over to individuals in
our community who are willing to come and tell their stories of being lost and
then being found by Christ. They could be a Mom who had an abortion and was
addicted to drugs or a Dad who has been stabbed and spent time in prison or
they could be missionaries who have returned from around the world telling what
God has done. On Faith Story Sundays we bring food and share a meal and listen
to the activity of our Father in the lives of those we invite.
Deni is the
Executive Director of Isaiah 58, In His Service, a nonprofit ministry that
provides the tangible in order to build relationships and introduce people to
Jesus. I58IHS does a Holiday Helping Hands Project in which we adopt families
in the community and provide gifts for Christmas, meals for Thanksgiving and
support during the two week hiatus when most ministries and agencies are closed
for the holidays. Luke 10 responded with an incredible outpouring of love and
support. We bought, wrapped, sorted and delivered gifts all in the name of
Jesus. Last year we took a Mission Trip
to Tulsa and we gathered in a member’s home for a meal and fellowship.
In 2013 so
far, we had an Extreme Clean on January 19th. We emptied and cleaned
a lady’s home who is in mourning over the loss of a close friend. Luke 10,
FBCT, First Baptist Jenks and I58IHS did this as a collaborative effort. Now
that the house has been emptied, the woman can make the house her home. We are
continuing to support this woman in however God leads us. Our heart’s desire is
to be flexible and willing to say, “Here I am Lord, send me.”
We will be
taking a group of kidlets to Winter Jam 2013 at the BOK Center on March 9th
and a “Blessing Bag” day is in the works.
Our service projects are not something we plan, they are opportunities
that God reveals to us in His timing. We don’t want to be restrictive and routine
in our service to Christ. When serving Christ means that He calls us to follow
Him in traffic, on the way to the karate class, in the office, as we walk past
a homeless person, as we sit at a ballgame; those times when we least expect
Him to call…but He does…we want to be like Matthew. When Jesus said to Matthew, “Follow me,”
Matthew immediately got up and followed.
Join us! When you leave you'll say, "Awesome...that's NOT what I expected in a Baptist church!!"
We can do more. We can do better.
Friday, November 23, 2012
Dear __________________________________!
There are hundreds of Mr. Smiths and Ms.
Smiths in and around Tulsa. Senior adults living alone, grandparents raising
grandkids, single Moms and kidlets, homeless families living in their cars,
sons and daughters who are caregivers for chronically ill parent(s), working
parents who can’t catch up. Every year the Holiday
Helping Hands Project continues because of people like these. We don’t
have a budget, we don’t put a cap on what we give, we don’t ask for ID’s, or check
stubs; we don’t determine worthiness. We give in the name of Jesus and to the
glory of God. Everyone needs Jesus! People are hurting and need to know God
cares about them and hurting comes in all forms. We give to all members in the
household.
If God brings a Mom, or a Dad, or a Grandma,
or a widower or a family to Isaiah 58, In His Service, Inc., I know that He brought them to us
because He loves them. He wants us to love on them and tell them we care because
He first loved us. We start building relationships and trust.
My pastor, Deron Spoo defined evangelism
this morning: ”Getting close to God,
getting close to people and getting people close to God.” It makes sense
and it doesn’t feel as daunting as “witnessing.”
You have an opportunity to shine for Jesus
this Christmas and in doing so, you’ll be evangelizing. How cool is that? As
every year in the past God has given me “His gift.” A gift for our families,
individuals and homeless folks that the Holiday Helping
Hands Project adopts. This year we are giving the Jesus Film and a bookmark with the plan of salvation. We also will
include a brochure about Isaiah 58, In His Service and a card
of invitation to First Baptist Church Tulsa!
If God leads you to dive in and join us…we
need toys, clothes, gift cards, food and funds, etc. or you can adopt a family
or senior or if God nudges you to make some deliveries, great! Everything will
be covered in prayer and given to the glory of God. We don’t say “no” to those
who ask for help even if it’s the day before Christmas. So, we will need you up
to and including Christmas day.
Most importantly, please PRAY with us and
for us. Pray in agreement that God will use the Jesus Film and the bookmark to soften hearts and change lives. Pray
for salvation. Pray for God to bring every single person to us that needs Him
and will listen to the song of Hope, Repentance, Forgiveness, and Salvation and
say “YES” to Jesus. YOU ARE NEEDED! You are appreciated. You are loved. You are
blessed. Help us bless others.
Are
you in?
If you know someone who needs to be loved on
this Christmas, please give them my cell phone number 918-260-1933.
In His service,
deni A. fholer
Isaiah 58, In His Service, Inc.PO Box 521063
Tulsa OK 74152
918-260-1933
I58ihs@gmail.com
www.i58ihs.blogspot.org
501©3 nonprofit ministry
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore,
go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Holy
Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.
And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20
Pray
and take action:
Poverty in
Oklahoma reached a six-year high in 2011, according to data released last month
by the U.S. Census Bureau. The data
revealed that more than one in six Oklahomans – and almost one in four children
– now live in poverty. (OKPolicy.org)
About 29%
(11.3 million) of non-institutionalized older persons live alone (8.1 million
women, 3.2 million men) (AOA)
Almost half
of older women (47%) age 75+ live alone. (AOA)
About
485,000 grandparents aged 65 or more had the primary responsibility for their grandchildren
who lived with them. (AOA)
The
national rate of homelessness was 21 homeless people per 10,000 people in the
general population. The rate for
veterans was 31 homeless veterans per 10,000 veterans in the general population
in 2009. (MSNMedia.MSN.com)
In the
United States, 1 in 3 people 65 years and older falls each year. (CDC)
Of those
who fall, 20-30% suffer moderate to severe injuries that reduce mobility and
independence, and increase the risk of premature death. (CDC)
An
estimated 800,000 individuals with Alzheimer’s (more than one in seven) live
alone. (Alz. Assoc.)
Of those
who live alone, up to half of them do not have an identifiable caregiver. (Alz.
Assoc.)
In 2011,
15.2 million family and friends provided 17.4 billion hours of unpaid care to
those with Alzheimer’s and other dementias – care valued at $210.5 billion.
(Alzheimer’s Assoc.)
Oklahoma
ranks first in the nation, tied with Arkansas, in the number of people who are
“very low food insecure,” or hungry, at 7.5%.
Of households experiencing hunger, less than 20% are classified as
unemployed. More than 1/3 are disabled
and/or retired, while the remaining 46% have at least one working member. (CFBEO)
48% of
households served at food pantries in Eastern Oklahoma report having to choose
between paying for food and paying for utilities. (CFBEO)
45% of
seniors report having to choose between paying for food and paying for medical
care or medicine. (CFBEO)
36% had to
choose between paying for food and paying rent or mortgage. (CFBEO)
34% had to
choose between paying for food and paying for transportation. (CFBEO)
WE HAVE TO DO
MORE. WE HAVE TO DO BETTER.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
August 19, 2012
Maslow's Musts
MIssion Trip to Tulsa!!
We will be backpacking up and heading to Tulsa on September 07, 08 and 09, 2012 - that's a Friday, Saturday and Sunday. PLUS - we've added a bonus - Thursday evening from 5:30pm until 8pm we're going to the Indian Health Care Resource Center. Our tentative agenda is posted below. Please be in prayer for those of us on this journey that we hear and obey as God leads...
AND
If God has been nudging you to go and you're ready to take the dive...IT'S NOT TOO LATE! Just call me at 918-260-1933 and I'll fill you in. A backpack, a Bible, and $200 to cover the cost of food and supplies as we minister to those in our community is all that you need!!!
Mission Trip to Tulsa
Tentative Agenda
Bonus!
Thursday, September 06,
2012 – Indian Health Care Resource CenterTour
Dr. Shea Bowling – Native American Kidlets
Authentic Indian Tacos for dinner
(Go home and we'll meet at headquarters in AM)
Day 1
Friday, September 07, 2012 – Welcome!Meet at Headquarters
Breakfast
Prayer, Housekeeping, Answer Questions
Glory House –
Tour
Real Life Story of young woman I58IHS
is sponsoring
Lunch
Service Project – Repairs and donations
Dinner – Search and Rescue Mission
Prayer Driving
Headquarters – Recap of day/Sharing solutions
Day 2
Saturday, September 08, 2012 - Rise and shine – BreakfastIsaiah 58, In His Service, Inc.
Ministering / Service Projects –
2 or 3 home visits
Headquarters – Lunch
3 Real Life Stories
Preparation for Community Outreach tomorrow
The System – What’s right/What’s wrong/What
is it? What we can do!
Dinner
Headquarters – Recap of day/Sharing solutions
Day 3
Sunday, September 09, 2012 - Morning! BreakfastFull Gospel Family Outreach Ministries-Church!
Finalizing Community Outreach Preparation
Outreach to Community!!
Father, what do we do now?
Closing / Prayer / Commission
We will seek God's guidance for how each one of us can do more to bring this scripture to life, "YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND; AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." Luke 10:27.
The only other thing we ask is that you come with an open mind, a willing heart and the courage to say, "Here I am Father, send me."
Call or email me 918-260-1933, i58ihs@gmail.com with questions or comments.
Priority Prayer...The way to change the world is to pray for those in the world!
We are meeting at First Baptist Church Tulsa on Wednesday evenings beginning at 6:00pm to pray. FBCT is located at 403 S. Cincinnati Avenue. Park in the east parking lot on the Detroit street side. Enter the church through the Detroit entrance. Walk as far as you can and turn left, walk behind the sanctuary and go down the stairs. Keep going and you'll turn to the left. Across from the library you'll see the Caring Connections classroom and a sign that reads "Priority Prayer - Father meet me here." Once inside there is a chalkboard with prayer requests and praises...add what is on your heart and pray. The door (should) always be unlocked so come on Wednesdays and pray with us...or go in on a Sunday afternoon...whenever the church is open. We truly believe time with God in repentance, praise, worship, reverance and silence is esssential in our growth and service to Jesus.
Join us!!!
Special Musts...We are still praying and we know God is faithful!
We continue to believe God will provide us with a warehouse to hold donations before we provide them to those in need. We also want to use the warehouse as a drop off location to care for our neighbors in times of disasters...tornadoes, fires, etc. As well as a meeting place for Bible studies and prayer meetings.
A Mom needs a lift chair. This Mom has been in the hospital and is trying to get healthier and we want to help. We are still in need of this lift chair.
A Dad needs a 10 x 6 trailer. He mows lawns for a living and needs the trailer to carry his equipment. This is still a need.
Special Praise!! We have become a partner with Cornerstone Ministries so we can help meet furniture needs of those in our community more readily!!! Thanks to Perry for guiding us and encouraging us!
MIssion Trip to Tulsa Musts...
Groceries - perishable and shelf stable foods
$5 Fast Food Gift Cards
Bottles of water
Everyday Musts...
Tulsa Transit - $60 for 50 bus tokens
1 Day Bus Passes are $3.25/each
10 Day Bus Passes are $12.00/each
Quik Trip Gas Cards - $15 or $20
$5 Sonic and $5 McDonald's Gift Cards
$25 Wal-Mart Gift Cards
$10 Wal-Mart Gift Cards for milk and eggs, so many Moms need milk. Many ministries and agencies give only shelf stable foods but fresh milk, eggs, produce and meats are essential!
Unique Musts
Straight Talk Phone Minutes ($30.00 or $45.00)
Gift cards to Amazon or Mardels - We give Bibles, grief books, devotionals, What on Earth am I Here For by Rick Warren, etc.
Prayer Musts
* Please pray for a 23 year old female. She was in a car crash last night and was life-flighted to a hospital. There is minimal swelling on the brain so there is no need for surgery currently. However, there will need to be cosmetic surgery down the road. Please pray for healing and God's will to be done. She is doing remarkably well! The sight in one eye is impaired and we are believing for God to transform her life!
*Please pray for Andrew. He is a young man going to Ethiopia and Uganda with Visiting Orphans on a mission trip. He will be leaving on June 20th and returning on July 4th. Please be in prayer that God will use each and every one on this trip to bring people to Him. They will be ministering in a children's prison and in orphanages so please ask God to be an ever present comfort as they see children hurting. Pray that God will do amazing things and lives will be transformed!! Andrew came to share about his mission trip with our LUKE 10 class!!! He brought lots of photos and it was so humbling to see how Andrew was impacted...needless to say, he wants to go back and prayerfully LUKE 10 will be there for him in the future!
* Please pray for Dana. She is one of those people that the more you pray for her, the worse her life gets. She has been to the ER 4 times recently, she is drinking even more, she is getting into fights and has been arrested. I believe God is going to save her. Please pray in agreement with me...I know He is and I can't wait to see her sharing her testimony as God will work through her to bring others to Him! She was rushed into surgery due to pressure caused by a subdural hematoma. She told me, "they drained my brain." She has lots of staples and her face is swollen. Please pray in agreement that this is her bottom and she will give her life to Jesus. We're going to give her someone's testimony on CD that she will be able to relate to...believing great things!
* Please continue to pray for Matt and his salvation. He fell a week ago and broke his leg. We need a wheelchair for him. - We're reaching out to another ministry to ask for help for Matt. Didn't need the wheelchair...leg is much better. However, we need help with his car payments...he has 9 left and the car is his. This is the only possession he has left; it represents something he's worked for and allows him to get out and not remain isolated. Matt is receiving disability and has moved into a safer apartment. He is close to crossing the threshold of the church door...but hasn't made it yet...keep believing for him! He is making the last few payments on his car!!
Please pray for Jack. A couple graciously opened their home to this man who was living in his vehicle. He is working but is extremely depressed. Please pray for him to trust Jesus and allow Him to change his negative thought processes. His future is bright but he is so depressed he can't see that far ahead. He is seeking medical help and we pray he will be in compliance with his diabetes and meds will help.
* Please pray for Rachel. Rachel will be sharing some of her life story with us during the Mssion Trip to Tulsa...she's a little nervous...please pray for her peace.
* Luke 10 is a life group for anyone and everyone. We pray to be a welcoming class to whoever God sends our way. YOU are invited. Shea Bowling, MD is our teacher and she teaches out of the Word of God whatever Jesus places on her heart. We are learning, growing and praying to be obedient servants of Jesus Christ.
We meet at 9:45am in room 316 South, in First Baptist Church Tulsa at 4th and Cincinnati downtown. YOU are invited. If you need transportation please call me at 918-260-1933 and we'll get you there and home again. Please join us in an amazing journey with Jesus!
Must Musts
Your prayer support!! Pray for us to be obedient to the Father, that we won't miss anyone, and to be consistent in our radical faith to serve God by serving others. It's not our ministry, it's HIS!
If you have something you would like to give...we'll take it! If we don't need it now, I know God has a plan for it down the road...918-260-1933.
In His service,
deni A. fholer
PO Box 521063
Tulsa OK 74152
918-260-1933i58ihs@gmail.com
Sunday, April 8, 2012
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