Ethan the superhero showing his punching power

keep our eye on it–eventually probably have remove it or fill it.  That meant putting him under.

Needless to say about how safe that is supposed to be, I just wasn’t excited about the idea of putting our 3 years old under anesthesia.  I asked God to keep that from happening.

Jess gave me the news about Ethan’s checkup this morning.  1st, E did a great job sitting in the dentists chair.  2nd, the dentist said that spot isn’t a cavity, don’t worry about it.

…a coincidence.

This summer we had some friends whose son ~3 years old was having a lot of abdominal pains.   Perhaps it was from getting hurt on his tricycle.  They got him checked out and the doc said it was a hernia.  They scheduled a surgery about 5 days later and were told that if he had certain symptoms before from an obstruction in his intestines to get him to an emergency room.

Our friends sent out a mass email asking friends and family to pray that he would be healed.  They weren’t excited about having their little man put under or going through surgery.  Who does, right?

So, the pre-surgery check-up rolls around and the doctor sensitively checks the boy out.  After some time he says he doesn’t have a hernia, that it must have been a bruise from his tricycle that healed up.

…a coincidence.

As a quote I read yesterday said, “When I pray, I have more coincidences.”

Thank You, Father.

Steve

As I think about the role you play in this work, I am reminded of a quote by John R. Mott, one of the founders of the Student Volunteer Movement:  “Prayer alone will overcome the gigantic difficulties which confront the workers in every field.”

Every time I pray, I experience my salvation afresh.  The same doorway of grace I first entered to meet Him, is the same doorway I enter every time I talk to my Father.  Really, my every prayer is a celebration of my life in Christ.

Thank you, Jesus.

Yes, 5 and a half weeks on the road, 4,000 miles, 5 different locations.  The summer adventure.

For some reason the browser or CCC server would not let me send the emails I’d prepared to update you during the summer.  However…

BLESSINGS ON THE WAY

It was a hard trip, but good in so many ways.  For however stressful it was on the boys—and it was—it was good to see how they grew in meeting new people and Ethan overcoming some fear of dogs.  New experiences for them—like camping, and for us—sleeping in the same room with the boys and it going pretty well.

Caleb on our camping trip

We saw all of our immediate families, all the great-grandparents, our alma-maters for the first time in 7+ years, had long planned vacations and got the ball rolling on our new support raising.

We are home and most of us rested.  The boys’ stress is obviously reduced—as is ours.  Anyhow, thanks for praying for us.  It went so much better than it could have.

BUT Now

I am on full-time support in preparation to transfer to the JESUS Film.  One exception, I am working on one last prayer training conference for our high school ministry’s (Student Venture) executive team and prayer leaders from across the U.S.  Once that happens October 7-9^th, I think about nothing but support till we can report.

That’s the big prayer request on the way forward—we need a lot of monthly/annual support to report to the JESUS Film.  It is already a blessing that I feel eager and more focused than usual.  I sense that this can be a battle in Orlando though.  Please pray I make the right decisions to help myself stay FOCUSED on this.

BATTING Order – (the prayer lineup)

Hearing decisions from those I’ve already met:  a couple in Richmond and a church in VA Beach.

Getting to share the new ministry with new people:   We have several folks to tell about Discipleship Strategies with the JESUS Film in

Richmond, VA, a few in Frederick, MD, and hopefully many more in days and weeks to come.

I’m praying for new people to meet in Orlando—this would be awesome.  It could reduce some of my travel expenses and time away from family.

Charleston, SC—this could be pretty great.  I have a specific reason to pray for a breakthrough here.  Would you pray for the way there?

Richmond, VA;  Northern VA;   Central PA.  Others perhaps.

We have a pressing goal to find about 18 new financial monthly/annual ministry partners by Oct 31^st.

Thankfully we had some friends increase their monthly giving by a $100, which brought us down to 18!   This goal is one of the most significant we’ve ever had.  God seeks to grow us, and I believe He’s doing it. 

BLOG

There’s much more I could say, but I should stop here.  And now that we are back, I can write more consistently.

OH! But I wanted to let y’all know about our website (you’re on it now if you’re reading this  and Facebook page.  I set these up to serve as a electronic brochures of sorts, but the website also has a page for prayer.  I have more to add to it, but started with a one month daily prayer guide for us.  I’d love to make a one week guide and some other things.

If you use it to pray for us—THANK YOU!   But also let me know what you think—like or not—I welcome the feedback.  We also have a blog on there for ministry and life stuff in general.

Website:   http://www.steveandjesscole.com

Facebook:  just search Steve Cole with the JESUS Film Project   or click here:  http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Steve-Cole-with-The-Jesus-Film-Project/139556209417861?ref=ts

Enjoying walking with Jesus.

Steve

Steve Cole

Global Prayer Movement / JESUS Film–Discipleship Strategies

Campus Crusade for Christ, Int’l

100 Lake Hart Dr., #2100

Orlando, FL 32832-0100

c# (407) 574-9536

They say 60-70% of the world is functionally illiterate.  Whether they can read or not, they choose not to read to get their information in life.  Consider this–that 42% of college graduates will never read another book after they graduate!  In the U.S. 21-23% of our population may not be able to read well enough to find information in a text.  Giving them a tract or a Bible won’t help them learn about salvation through Christ.  Then consider, how do you reach people like that–college grads to tribal people in the remotest parts of the world?

Stories and film do and will have to be a major part of communicating the gospel of Jesus to a world like that.  I want to be a part of that.  I want to get the gospel and how to walk with Jesus to those who either can’t or won’t read to find out the most important news they’ll ever hear.

Steve

Literacy statistics

We did see all of our immediate families,  from VA to PA and all my grandparents–a couple who had not yet met Caleb who is 1 1/2.   It had been a year since we’d seen any of my family after the Christmas trip was cancelled for my recovery from gall bladder removal.

On top of seeing family Ethan and Caleb grew from meeting new dogs and people, but they were stressed by the end.

Thanks to those who let us stay with them on the trip.  And thanks to our families for the time together.  Love you all.

The 4,000 miles took a toll on me.

Confession of sin.  Confession of  fear.  Confession of what we don’t know.  Confession of our need for the Savior.  Also confession of our need for each other.

And I think confession is an integral ingredient of humility (1Peter 5:6-7), and I need humbling.  And sometimes, confession of a rejection of our cultural norms, because sometimes they need rejecting.

I believe it is also an integral ingredient to our growing with God and with others.  Intimacy doesn’t really happen without it.  It lays a foundation for truth and trust.  And it is actually a key to freedom and growth, freedom from isolation.  Freedom and growth from our bondages and failures.

It’s good.

The passage I cited above in James certainly has in mind the confession of sin in particular.  The context adds to it.  You ever notice that v. 15 is directly connected to the verses before it?    Picking up in v.14 to 16.

Is anyone among you sick?  Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.  And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up.  And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.  THEREFORE (emphasis mine), confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.  The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”  (ESV)

This actually isn’t the only time we read in the New Testament that sickness can be related to sin.  Paul also hits on this in relation to the way the Corinthians were taking the Lord’s Supper.  In 1 Cor. 11:17-34 Paul takes the Corinthians to task over the way they come “together” with divisions, factions, and not waiting for one another in order to eat together.  Verses 27-30 address specifically the fact that because some of them eating the Lord’s supper in an unworthy manner, without “discerning the body,” that “many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.”  And from v.32 it would seem to be in our holy God’s mercy and love that He would discipline them in this way.  But, Paul also says in v.31 that if “we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged.”

The sparing of our health is good, but I believe there’s an even better motivation for confessing our sins.  I think it glorifies God that we in humility agree with Him that we are sinful, inadequate to wash ourselves clean, and in need of His saving.  Good news is if we are in Christ, we are washed clean and have a Savior already (Colossians 2:11-15;    1John 1:9).  We can hope in him.  And when we confess our sins, we are able to celebrate His washing blood over us (Psalm 32;   103:1-5).

God, may I never stray far from the posture of a confessor!  Pray I do not.

If may add my testimony about confessing my sin–It is so good!  I pray you experience it daily, too.

Does God want us to be happy?

I don’t think he blinked the whole movie.  And near the end he turned to the two of us on either side of him, smiled, and put his arms around us.  Nice family moment.

And, yes, I cried watching the movie.  But I cranked my hat down low, so no one could tell.