Well I will have to be quick as I am with a friend and we are going to head back home soon.
I am currently in the city of Lanzhou in Gansu province. Came here to help a friend for a bit who recently moved here from Xining, where my home is. The great thing is he found an apartment that is less than 1000 feet from both the bus station and the train station in central Lanzhou. How cool is that? No more costly taxi rides (if you think of $1.50 as costly).
But anyway things have been going well. The Father has been blessing me greatly the past few days enabling me to pull out of a rut that I had fallen into. He is always faithful even when we run from him. Isn’t it crazy how ridiculous we often act when we have fallen in some way? We, or at least I, have a habit of trying to dodge God when I sin in some way. I run from Him for a while and subconciously think that I need to go for a length of time without falling before I can approach Him again and be accepted. Stupid isn’t it? We forget that the whole deal is one of free grace extended to a sinner and our failures do not affect our ultimate standing in the least. If we are His then he is faithful to keep on conforming us to His image and our fallings are a part of the process (not making excuses for sin at all just looking at the big picture). It is our part to keep on looking to Him and His grace no matter what we may have fallen into. And then to fight sin with this foundation and not one that is based on our own performance.
My Father and brother have left to go back to the states now. Their visit was a great encouragement. I must sing the praises of my Dad (even though he probably would not want me to). He has been a solid example of a man growing in Godliness and is ever challenging me to go upward and onward in my walk with our heavenly Father. I admire my earthly father for his clear example of what a man should be. Even though he slips and falls he has been quick to acknowledge this and always gets up to press on. So when I get big I want to be like my Dad.
An update on the situation with Thory which I mentioned in my last post. Thory made it here to China and thru two towns safely but on his third city, the city that I was supposed to join him but could not make it, he was detained by the authorities and placed under hotel arrest. They took his passport and cancelled his visa. He ended up staying in that town for over a week before getting escrted to Beijing and then flown out and bcak to the states. So though he was not able to reach all the cities we planned it was not a failure and we trust that in the plan of God this had a purpose.
There are only two more measly weeks til i head back to the states. I am viewing that date with mixed emotions. I have grown to love living here but also greatly miss my family and friends and going out on the streets and preaching openly and boldly, something that cannot be done here very easily. I pray that the Father gives wisdom to me to decide where He would like me to go long term.
May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of it’s suffering!!!
All for the King!!!!
Caleb
PS for all of you that are my friends on fb. I am not able to get on there for the time being due to internet issues. But maybe soon….
Dear Caleb
Praise the Lord! Man arrested for the safe return of the same work, so my heart has been comforted, I have been praying for this! You’re right, we all are in the hands of God the Father, for the Christian there is no accident and no coincidence, all preparatory arrangements for the Lord! We are all weak, would often be better than a sin, but the Lord would keep us, we will gradually grow up to become a mature life in Christ and eventually become the body of Christ!
Father loves you!
esther
Thanks Esther,
I wish i could have got the chance to meet you face to face while I was here but I guess we will have to wait on that till we are both before the throne of God.
May the King of kings bless you and keep you!!!
Caleb