July Newsletter

Hey friends,

Vanguard Street Ministry is doing really amazing!!! We have been expanding in many new directions, and seeing God use us to really impact people for the kingdom, and for this we rejoice. But...lately I've been personally meditating on something that I have to try to express.

There are a lot of patterns in scripture that are supposed to teach us things concerning our Lord and our relationship with Him and each other. In 1 Corinthians 10:11-12 Paul starts talking about Israel's history and the necessity of us learning from it and the written witness of what happened to them. He writes, "These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall.” Along with this scripture I’ve been thinking about Paul’s desire in Acts 20:24 to finish the task God gave him, and that led me to this: Throughout the witness of scripture there have only been a handful of people who have finished well.

Moses ended up dying in the wilderness before he made it to the promised land along with Aaron. Gideon ended up leading Israel into idol worship. Samson died blind and ineffective. David ended ineffective on his bed having seen a coup attempt, a daughter raped by her brother, and several sons murdered. Solomon died not even serving God with more wives than he could possibly be with. Josiah died running into a battle he wasn’t supposed to get involved with. John the Baptist died disillusioned and in prison, not even sure if Jesus was the Christ. This has continued through into our era as well. I have been in close contact with SEVERAL ministries who talk about the things their ministry USED to do and now they are in a “restructuring phase,” trying to decide what they should do to avoid becoming increasingly irrelevant and obsolete.

The pattern seems to be: many people start strong with God and, even if they are used mightily by Him to see His kingdom and will happen in the earth, they have an extremely difficult time finishing the race well, and often end disillusioned or in shame. So I’ve been asking God to reveal to me why this happens so often and how to avoid it in my own life and ministry. I think He has begun to give me answers but maybe that’s for another time. (If you’re further interested just call me or drop me an email and we can talk.) I do believe that God was serious when He said through Jesus that we can ask for anything in his name and He would do it for us. Consider joining me in prayer for your own lives and the lives of others you know that we would finish well, because it seems that finishing well doesn’t happen easily.

Love you guys!


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