3D Logo of Int'l Mentoring Newsletter

Vol.24 No.1

“Pocketful of Miracles”

by Dr. Waylon B. Moore

With a new year before us, we will need a “Pocketful of Miracles,” as film director, Frank Capra described one of his heart-warming movies. Let’s look at fresh ideas for 2005 — a pocketful of spiritual nuggets that the Holy Spirit can use to make miracles happen. I’m praying that the Lord will fill your heart with more than one of these!

1. Keep 2004 as God’s gift to you.
Use a spiritual inventory to grow stronger in the New Year, by remembering the past! Rick Warren writes: “When you understand that life is a test, you realize that nothing is insignificant in your life. Even the smallest incident has significance for your character development. You will be tested by major changes, delayed promises, impossible problems, unanswered prayers, undeserved criticism, and even senseless tragedies.” 1
Record experiences and lessons, or they will fade. God commands us to “remember his marvelous works which he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth” (1 Chron. 16:10-12). For years my family has individually answered the questions listed below, then shared together around New Year’s the “tests” from the fading year. It has become a great learning time for us all. Here is a list of questions given me by missionary statesman and mentor, Roy Robertson. Copy, and then add some blank lines after each point, so you can fill in.


2004 – Year-End Journal of God’s Work in and through My Life:
The Supernatural, the Struggles, and the Strengths – 1 Chron. 16:12

THE PAST
1) List the greatest blessings from God this past year: in your family, your work, your personal life.
2) What was the greatest trial (national, family, job, health)? What have you learned from it?
3) List in order the best of your answers to prayer.
4) List happenings or circumstances you do not understand.
5) List a specific lesson the Lord taught you last year.


PRESENT
1) What is the Lord trying to teach you now?
2) What are you praying now for your: mate, marriage, children, job, church, the lost?


FUTURE
1) What is a priority this new year regarding: your personal life and walk; your family, your work, and ministry?
2) What prayer goals will you begin? What is God saying to you these days about this New Year?
3) Can you set any goals regarding: your witnessing, your giving, your mentoring, your deepening time with your family, and your Bible study and prayer life?

Other suggestions below may give you a pocketful of miracles to pull out and use in your daily life or to use in mentoring others this new year.


2. Prayerfully read a NT book through 30 times.
You’ll know that book better than any other and experience life changes! Each time you read, look for one thing: a person, a topic or idea, a key word. Example: Philippians or Colossians (takes only 12-16 minutes to read at one sitting). You’re reading for an overview the first week. You’re water skiing, not pearl diving.


The second week, take one day and look for verses that tell you about God. Think through what God says about Himself in this book. You might note these verses. The second day read to see what the Spirit is teaching you about Jesus. The third day, look for verses on the Holy Spirit. The fourth, look for promises to believe. Read again to find sins to forsake. Read it again looking for examples to follow. Look for what it says about joy and peace, then evangelism, unity, pressure and trials, people, and so forth. Read to find the best verse in each chapter, or the main idea of the book. Chew on what you’re discovering. In just 30 days or less this book will become a friend, an experience with the Living God. Share with someone what God is revealing to you.


3. Do a 5-step meditation on at least one verse each week this year.
Meditate on all verses you memorize. God will give you experiences that flow from meditation. Begin with a short verse, such as 1 Peter 5:7 or Philippians 4:13. Here’s how:


1) Understand the Perimeter of the verse – A verse of Scripture is like a hamburger patty. One can eat only the meat patty. However, it’s better as a burger. Surrounding the verse is the context. I read a number of verses before and after the focus verse I’m using for meditation. These verses season the text and give it pizzazz, as buns, mustard, catsup, relish, tomatoes and lettuce. The context is essential for interpreting and applying the verse.


2) Paraphrase the verse – Put it in your own words. Give the verse a “yours truly ” version. You’ll begin meditating when you start saying the verse in your own heart words.


3) Pulverize the verse – Say the verse out loud, emphasizing a different word each time you say it, slowly. Pick out the most important word to you. Bombard that word with questions using Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How. You’ll discover you don’t have answers to all of your questions. You’ll need to meditate, search the Scriptures, and pray.


4) Personalize the verse. Apply the verse specifically. Seek the mind of God to link one truth you’ve discovered to a need in your life, family, or ministry.


5) PRAY the verse back to God and into your life. You may wish to write down a prayer.


4. Study the Godhead’s names and titles.
Every name that He bears is a blessing that He shares with you. Pick your favorite Gospel and read a chapter a day. “Want to know what Jesus said, read Matthew. Want to know what Jesus did, read Mark. Want to know how Jesus felt, read Luke. Want to know who Jesus is, read John,” says J. Sidlow Baxter. Begin looking for Jesus’ names and titles. Record carefully each different name and what Jesus was called or titled, with references. For example, in John chapter 1, Jesus is called “The Word” and the “Lamb of God.” By His actions He is revealed also as “The Creator.” In verse 3 He is “Life;” vs. 4, “The Light.” Some of my favorite names and titles of Jesus in John are: “kernel of wheat” (12:24-25), and “the eternal carpenter” (14:2). Jesus is “preparing a place for us.” He is heaven’s carpenter. What a house that will be!
A. ASK questions about the name. What does it mean? You may want to use a Bible dictionary or concordance.
B. VISUALIZE and imagine the name. See the name in action, or as an object, or emotion you have experienced. For example: Christ, the Rock (1 Corinthians 10:4; Psalm 18:2). Picture a rock. Give it color, shape, size; place it somewhere. Ask: What is its purpose, value, help, use to me? Use to a traveler in danger, etc.?
C. LIVE OUT the name. What does this name mean to me today?

5. Memorize one verse a week this year from a different book of the Bible.
Your goal: to learn a verse from each book, and seek to link that verse with the message of that book. Start with the New Testament. Use two columns: list the book’s name, then a verse you have memorized or plan to memorize. In the Old Testament some books have hidden nuggets of gold, like Zephaniah. I chose 3:17, a verse that says that God joys over us with singing!
a) Choose the verse you feel will link up with your needs and goals.
b) Ask your pastor, Bible teacher, or friend, for their “best verse” of a book.
c) Review the verses daily with their reference.
d) Do a meditation on each verse the week you learn it.
e) Circle that verse number in your Bible.
f) Record each verse reference you memorize, on a blank page at the back of your Bible.

6. Pray for each country in the world.
This year why not pray specifically for the whole globe? As a young student at seminary I borrowed the vision of Dawson Trotman, who told us how he began to pray three things specifically for each state in the USA. Later his prayers reached to each nation in the world. He would put his finger on a map of the world and pray for a different nation each day. He challenged us with, “What’s the biggest thing you’ve asked God to do today? Bless the toast and eggs?” I began to pray daily alone in my room. While praying it seemed the “Enemy” would whisper, “You’re crazy praying to be used by God all over the world. It’s your pride! Ridiculous!” I was at seminary in Ft. Worth and for a year nothing opened for me to teach or preach anywhere, or to pastor a church. I kept praying. Two decades later God had more than answered those prayers! He began to get me invitations to teach missionaries at their Orientation who were going to 100 nations. Also I began to get invitations from overseas by leadership to teach in dozens of nations sharing on nurture, discipleship and mentoring. I’ve now been privileged to travel to 100 nations, and my life has become an amazing channel of answered prayer I’d prayed decades before! Do you want a joyous old age? Then pray big now!


The three things I was taught to pray for each nation was that God would:

a. Raise up laborers for the harvest in that country, who will win others.
b. Send missionaries to win and follow-up the converts; then train those saved, in turn, to multiply the laborers.
c. Use me in this nation, Lord, to give You glory — through praying, giving, even going or training someone who will go.

Get current world maps from the excellent summary book Operation World, by Patrick Johnstone and Jason Mandryk. Johnstone's research gives specific prayer needs, details of all the peoples and cultures of each nation. It includes maps, flags, stats and a spiritual analysis of each nation. Available from www.Amazon.com, for less than $10, some used ones in good condition are available for 1 cent. Johnstone's Operation World web site is here.


7. Link up with www.mentoring-disciples.org.
Under our Bible Study Tools do a new study this month. Dig into a word study, biographical study, STS inductive Bible study. Work through a short book or a Psalm. Select fun learning tools from the Family Mentoring & Studies page to encourage your mate and family! You become one of God’s miracles this new year! And as you mentor, doing and teaching these simple helps, you’ll put in someone’s heart-pocket a miracle that will hatch!

PRAY For Ministry Opportunities This Year

FAMILY NEWS

Bruce is newly engaged to marry Miss Heather King. She is the Director of Women’s Ministry at Southern Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. They will make their home near Tampa where Bruce pastors growing CrossPointe Church in Wesley Chapel, FL. Wedding date is scheduled for April 15 in Tampa. See article about CrossPointe: http://pasco.tbo.com/pasco/MGB8R7T8V2E.html and http://imagineafreshstart.com.
Martha is just back in university evangelism in Jena, Germany after six months of stateside assignment. We loved having her with us. She also traveled, seeing friends and speaking on world missions. For prayer updates email: gomartha@pobox.com. If you missed her English-language web site, it has moved to a new server at http://www.byhisgrace.com/martha/. You will want to update your Favorites/Bookmarks.
Clemmie has the “computer brain” in the family and helps to keep our contacts in place. She walks with a cane when not at home; does water aerobics at Bally’s. She is cutting back on some MU projects, so we’re praying to find an office assistant. We enjoyed taking food for Thanksgiving and Christmas to the Human Development Center for mentally challenged adults.
We are praising the Lord about Waylon’s latest cancer check-up last week showing he seems free from prostate cancer. He’s bouncing back well, but keep praying. We so appreciate serving Christ with you!

1 The Purpose-Driven Life, Rick Warren, Zondervan Publishers, page 43

For more information about this and other Mentoring material, see www.mentoring-disciples.org.

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Believers To Evangelize, Nurture, Disciple and Multiply