Obedience

"Obedience" was a song that we used to sing as kids growing up in church. The first line says, "Obedience is the very best way, to show that you believe." I would challenge that and say that obedience is the only way to show that you believe.

In our Sunday School class we have been going through the life of Moses, using Chuck Swindoll's book as our guide. He brought a point out about obedience as evidenced in the lives of individuals in the Bible. I got to thinking about that. The individuals that God blessed are those who were obedient to Him and His will. Certainly there were people who were disobedient, and seemingly got away with it. But those individuals whom God poured out His blessings were those who simply took Him at His word, and obeyed.

The example this morning was the Jewish nation on the eve of the exodus from Egypt. If you will read in Exodus 11 you will see God giving them some fairly explicit instructions on how it was to take place. Here you have slaves, who had been in bondage for 430 years, and through Moses God tells them to "each man ask from his neighbor and each woman from her neighbor for articles of silver and articles of gold." WOW! Strange request, but all they had to do was obey. And obey they did. The next verse states the they had found favor in the eyes of the Egyptians. They never would have found that out if they had not first obeyed.

In chapter 12 He gives them specific instructions on how they were to prepare and eat their final meal under bondage. Today when we look at the passover, through the cross, we can see pictures of Christ and the cross throughout the entire thing. To the Jewish nation, at this time, it was all foreign to them. Something totally new they had never done or experienced. Yet they obeyed.

Think about this. The Jewish people took Moses at his word, that he in fact was relaying God's instructions. This would be the same Moses who challenged Pharaoh in Chapter 5 which only caused their pain and misery to be increased. This would be the same Moses who killed the Egyptian in chapter 2. A mere man who said he represented Yahweh, and seemed to back it up with a series of plagues. A man who comes onto the scene 430 years into the Jewish opression and announces "it's over, we're leaving!" And yet they obeyed.

Today we have so much more. We have the inspired, infallible Word of God. Literally God's message to us! But many times we simply choose not to obey. For whatever reason. We have more sure information to go on, but we make a conscious decision to be disobedient.

Do you ever wonder why it seems that God isn't blessing His people? Maybe it is as simple as this. We are disobedient. We know what we are supposed to do, but we simply choose not to do it. Maybe I am oversimplifying when I say, if we want God's blessing to be poured out, just obey. Just do it.

Tax Day Update!

Great news on the house we have to sell in Fayetteville...it is now officially under contract! Pray that the house inspection and appraisal would sail through with no problems whatsoever.

Another bit of good news is that we are at 31% for support for the summer!

God is good...All the time!

Update on house

We received a call from our realtor this morning that our original buyer had not returned the paperwork so the contract is not final yet. While that may seem like bad news it is actually good news. She also notifed us that 2 more agents were putting in offers on the house. Read this as bidding war! Not only is God moving to help us sale our house, He is seeing to it that we get top dollar! Isnt God Awesome!

God is good...all the time

We have had some great news this week on several fronts. First, we are now at 25% of support for our summer ministry to Camp of the Woods! We are so thankful for the churches and individuals who are partnering with us for this exciting summer ministry.

Second, we have had an official offer on our home that we own in Fayetteville, NC! After we left the military we maintained our house there as rental property. Early this spring we knew that we would have to sell this house so that we could focus our attention on our summer ministry, and later full time deputation. After being listed for only 45 days we have an official offer and contract with a closing date of April 30. Even in the days of economic downturn and a lackluster real estate market, our God has supplied our needs! This is another confirmation in our hearts and minds that our ministry at COTW is a God thing!

Please continue to pray for the Johnnie and Becky Bates who are on site at COTW. They have a lot of stuff to get accomplished before the summer camping season begins. A lot of planning is going on right now for the summer Bible camps as well as the missions camps. We still have space available during our two missions camps June 13-19 and June 20-26. These are two weeks that Youth groups from the US come up to the camp and assist us with projects around the camp while at the same time they are challenged for world missions. As far as cross cultural missions trips are concerned, you get a lot of bang for your buck. Please pray that more youth groups would schedule trips to COTW during this time.

We would also ask for your prayers on our behalf as we raise our financial support. We are very grateful for reaching 25%. At the same time we still need 75% more so that we can reach our goal of $8,000. Would you consider investing in this ministry opportunity? If interested you can donate online at http://www.northsidebaptistchurch.net. Simply follow the link at the top of the page to "Online Giving" and enter "Hollins Missions Fund" in the notes section of the missions giving. Any amount that you could invest would be awesome and greatly appreciated!

Stay tuned for more updates!

Lynchburg, VA Trip

Thank you everyone for their prayers. This past week I was able to travel to Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA and represent the camp. In addition to talking to many students about coming up and serving on summer staff, I was able to talk about the camp in three seperate youth classes. Thanks to Dr. Steve Vandegriff, the chairman of the Youth Department for the hookup! In the small world category, one of the Youth Professors, Jonathan Geukgeuzian, has actually been to the camp as a teenager during a missions week.

While in Lynchburg I was able to reconnect with Brian Ferrell, a fellow classmate while at seminary at Liberty. Again, in the small world category, he now shepherds the church that we were members of while there in Lynchburg.

Please continue to pray for us as we raise our support for this summer. While we have had some response we still need to raise quite a bit more. Feel free to contact us at thollins001@carolina.rr.com if interested in joining our team as we launch in June for camp of the Woods!

Talents

We have an awesome graphic arts guru at our church who never ceases to amaze me at the talent that God has given him. I have attached 2 posters that he whipped up in a matter of minutes that will be used for recruiting purposes next week at Liberty University. It reminds me that any and all talents and abilities that God gives us can be used for Him. While we may not think of ourselves as "ministry material" because we do not think we can preach, sing, or teach (or anything else that we think are "ministry related"), God can use and wants to use what He has given to us. Who are we to decide what can be used and what cannot be used? We need the youth of this generation to catch a vision of what God can do through us...if we let Him. We need the adults of our generation to set the example. What about you? What talent or ability has God given you that you are not using for Him?

The Beginning

This was created so that we can keep those who are interested in following our ministry up to date. We are currently raising prayer and financial support so that we can spend the summer at Camp of the Woods in Northwest Ontario, Canada. http://www.campofthewoods.on.ca/

Camp of the Woods as a ministry has been around for more than forty years. Our first trip was during the summer of 1996 when Jeannette and I spent the summer working on the summer staff. Since then we have led two separate groups from North Point Baptist to the camp as well as two separate trips during the past twelve months. In the past couple of years the permanent staffing level has decreased and today there is one family working there full time. The need is great for workers and we are answering that call to go. One reality of answering the call is that we need to raise approximately $7,ooo in the next three months. While this may seem like a large amount, we are convinced that God will provide. And the way He provides is through His people as He leads them.

Not only do we need financial support, we also covet your prayers. WE CANNOT GO AT THIS ALONE! We dare not attempt this short term trip without bathing it in prayer. Please pray with us over the next days, weeks, and months.

1. Pray for Johnnie and Becky Bates as they are the only full time staff ministering on site at this time.

2. Pray that we would be able to raise the necessary financial support within the next several months.

3. Pray that God would bring together just the right summer staff for the summer camping season.

4. Pray that God would do something AWESOME this summer at Camp of the Woods!

Stay tuned for more updates!!!