The Wilderness we face- Introduction.

As I write this entry it has been 7 months and 7 days since I resigned as Sr. Pastor of Pease Chapel Assembly of God in Haughton, LA. Our resignation was because the people of the church wanted to complain about my son but no one wanted to help us or invest into his life. Because of Renee's work schedule, she had to work some Sundays, no one would help with the nursery or teach Children's church, or even let him sit with them, so he would sit on the platform with me while I lead church service, and he acted his age, 4 years old. So we left wanting to make him a priority in our lives and ministry. It's been amazing watching him grow, start school and be a witness to his friends in the neighborhood, he is learning to show honor to whom honor is due, by seeing people in uniform (Air Force, Police, Firemen) running to them and saying thank you for being my hero. 

Renee discovered Black Mold, in the parsonage the church provided for us to live in, in August of 2012. We had the air tested and the Black Mold was all over our living quarters, and the worse part was  located in Malachi's room. We took him to the Dr to have him checked out. Our pediatrician told us he would have to be treated for Black Mold in his lungs until he is 15 years old. 

The Church had flooding several times for years and they knew there was mold there, but never did anything about it. I was never taught to specifically asked about BM in the interview process. All they did was paint over it, which we discovered as we washed the walls with bleach and the paint peeled off the wall revealing the BM. I have had to learn to forgive, to not allow anger to take root in my heart. I have done well at times and at times I have failed at this. But God always comes through to show himself faithful. 

We have been in a wilderness experience these 7 months as I write this blog, primarily for Malachi to read when he grows older, I have been learning things about the wilderness. God told the Israelites his purpose for their wandering through the wilderness. From Egypt to Canaan Land should have only taken weeks but God led them through the wilderness 40 years. The purpose he reveals for their time in the wilderness is found in Deuteronomy 8:²And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all theway these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. ³So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord. ⁴Your garments did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years. ⁵You should know in your heart that as a man chastens his son, so the Lord your God chastens you.

God uses wilderness times in our lives to humble us, and test us to know what is in our heart whether we will obey him or not. Test where our real trust lies. 

The two things I want you to know about the wilderness is learn your lessons quickly, don't fail the test. Some mountains you don't want to have to circle again and again. As you begin school this year your going to do wonderful but if you don't, if you fail your test or even the whole grade of kindergarten your teacher is faithful to you so much so that if you fail, you will repeat. In the testing time of the wilderness learn the things God wants you to quickly if you fail God, like your teacher, will be faithful to make you repeat. Because you will be better for it and he wants to produce you on the other side of the test. Secondly, never forget that the wilderness is a place where we can meet God be sure to follow him through. God gave the children of Israel a cloud by day and a fire by night. They were to follow the cloud or the fire wherever and whenever it moved. Follow God through your wilderness. Moses met God in the wilderness, when he saw a burning bush but it did not burn, God spoke to Moses through the bush and said Moses take your shoes off the place you are standing is Holy. The wilderness can be a holy place for you to find God. 

After the Dr's report about treating Malachi till he is 15, I began praying for his healing claiming the promises of God. One day the Lord spoke to me and said, "take Malachi running." So we began every day running about a quarter to half a mile when he got tired we stopped and started again. When we took him for his annual wellness check up the Dr. said his lungs are perfectly fine there is absolutely nothing wrong with him. To God Be The Glory. How humbling, how amazing. how faithful. 

I will place more entries about the Wilderness in days and weeks ahead I want to write this for my son I reluctantly share it because its so personal. It's about what I have learned about God, about me and about the wilderness.  

Chrstian Atheist, former parishoners. Malachi

Reading a book Christian Atheist. Believing in God but living as if he doesn't exist. I repent before the Lord there are times i live this way. i live this way sometimes in the way i treat others, my finances, the way i handle problems. I am so thankful the Lord has used this book to rattle my cage. I choose to walk in the spirit with the conscious that he is there at all times.

came out to Salt Lake to visit friends. a church we were youth pastors at. found the church rejoicing and doing good for most part. they have added a once a month Sunday Night Service called the river and have had powerful moving of the Spirit. I praise the Lord when I left 2 and a half years ago they were conflicted about allowing messages in tongues but they have had many Spirit baptism, and describe these as very Pentecostal services. During the time we were there they only had a Sunday morning service. they still only have Sunday am. i still find this disappointing. during the time we were pastoring here they had major renovations the building is beautiful I find it disheartening they spent all that money to renovate and only use the building once a week.

I find it also sad that i saw very little fruit of our ministry there. we saw fruitful ministry everywhere we went even the churches that turned on us. I still pray for these and love the teens we pastored as if they were my own children.

Malachi is growing so big. How I wish my mom and dad would have been able to see him. he sings praise ye the Lord came in church the other week and said out loud it's time to Praise the Lord. I couldn't be more proud of my little boy.

Mary Joyce Howard Jordan

January 27 my mom would have been 63 years old. It has been a long 9 years with out her and she is very missed. How I regret that she didn't get to see my son Malachi. We named him with her initials MJJ, we changed the 'O' in Joyce to an 'A' in his middle name so he is Malachi Jayce Jordan. I am glad that for 3 short years she got to know my sisters girls her three granddaughters. She was so proud of them. She would often tell of how Jaelyn would meet her at the door after getting off from work and ask 'grand maw did you bring me something.' That seemed to be something she lived everyday for, cause she would save a piece of Chicken or fries or something so that she would always have something she could 'bring' Jaelyn.
I am glad she was able to meet my wonderful wife Renee. She treated her truly like a daughter those 5 months mom never said one harsh word to Renee in fact when I was kinda mean to Renee, I was picking in my own dry way, as soon as she me Renee and she hinted around at what I had said mom got on to me for such foolishness.

Mom taught me about faith. I remember many times being down she would ask have you prayed about it. One time I was home for a short visit, thought I had lost a honorarium that I was going to use to get back to northern Arkansas @ the time an i was fretting pretty bad about not having the money to get back, mom stoped me held out both her hands and said lets pray. we did find the check bout 5 minutes later.

Mom taught me about dealing with people who are unfair to you. One conversation I'll always remember. She said You know when your dad died there were many who actually came to me and would say if y'all had had faith or gotten rid of the sin Gene would have been healed. That always bothered her. She said I never said a word in response to those people, But I thought to myself you know your times coming. She said now some of those peoples spouses and loved ones are beginning to die and I feel nothing but compassion for them she would often cry with these people. She concluded, "I'm pretty sure they understand now."

Mom showed us that a relationship with Christ was the most important thing in our lives that it was really the only thing in life that will last. I remember when I was a kid and watching a TV movie about a kid whose mom died and that night I had a bad dream about her. She said Edward You know I'm OK and if anything did happen to me I would be in Heaven and you would see me there and we would be together with dad, Jesus and Grand maw Howard.

She also taught me to work for the Lord and do what you can for his glory. She was not involved in a whole lot of things but for 3-4 years she taught Missionettes and enjoyed every moment of investing her life into those girls. She only quit when my dad got sick and she had to care for him, me and my sister. She also cleaned the church at Glad Tiding a/g in Sport when we were on Virginia ave. She attended Southwestern Assemblies of God University in Waxathatchie, TX in the 60's. This was the only time in her life she ever lived somewhere besides Shreveport.

Mom is enjoying the wonders of Heaven worshiping the Savior around the throne of God, the angels get to listen to her sing her song of victory. (I miss her songs too) She gets to be with my dad, Grand maw Howard, granny great, Paul Jr. Pastor Cason some of her aunts and uncles. Just recently her brother and two of her cousins have joined her. One day I will be with her. We miss those who have gone before but the time we get to be with them on that glad reunion day will be so much longer that the time we will spend with out them here on earth. In fact The Bible says a day with the Lord is as a thousand years. I knew someone who did the math on all that with that being true, because it is God's word, then those loved ones we miss are really expecting us within the hour. Ill work to bring as many with me.
So Mom I'll see you in a little bit.

Primal review

I am participating in a virtual book tour for Marks Battersons latest book Primal. I will write a little as I go because i am not sure I'll will finish the book or the blog in the time they have asked us to.

Mark challenges his readers to strip away the old layers of Christian stuff, a getting back to our first love. It is an emergant study of the great commandment, to love the Lord with all your heart with all your soul mind and strength, and what that looks like without the traditions we have attached, even those of us in the pentecostal movement, though we have been people who prided ourselves of breaking away from traditionalism we really have made our own traditions. Though in an emergant style it is not a compromising book as some of the "seeker friendly Bill Hybels" following. This is a book that calls for revolution in christians lives. Marks says one problem we have is we can forget about being great at the great commandment we are not even good at it.

There will be more to come

Random thoughts on Sport, Youth Culture, Church

Well Saints are 7-0 as of this week, second best start in team history. they either need to go ll the way or they need to hurry up and lose a game and not do like the patriots did in '08. this week biggest game of the year for LSU,a must win vs. Alabama. We need to win out have Florida win out and beat Florida in SEC Championship. The BCS will not allow 2 teams from the same conference face each other in BCS Championship game, especially the SEC.

The past 2 weeks two things have stood out to me about students, They are 1. Dream Driven, 2. thy are learning amorality. This presents a huge conflicting problem. as they pursue their dreams you have to wonder what drives them being,amoral meaning there is no moral right or wrong, how do they go bout realizing their dreams. not much of a chance, this brings more desperation and misguided passion and boredom. As I have always said when a kid is "Bad" it's because he is bored. More than ever the church needs to show today's youth culture the way to Christ quit trying to build their services by having a crowd and spend more time discipling students in the ways of the Lord. Building them to b disciplined followers of Christ. When they discover the life God has for them and the Holy Spirit leads them then they will be free to discover and realize the dreams that the Spirit can give them, God's Destiny for their lives.

Things have been slow the last couple of months as far as ministry, and Thanksgiving and Christmas is coming up. But Renee and I determine more than ever to seek first The Kingdom of God. This is our desire to live for him and to instill in Malachi the Truth that God will never leave us nor forsake us but will go with us all the way even to the end of the world.

Sport, Teens, Church

I am excited about the Evangel v. Calvary game tonight. should be an awesome game. So good to see that christains are taking back areas that we have laid back and let the enemy conrol for so long. If only more churches would understand the potential of a chritain school and christain kids participating things could realy change. Evangel for example has a foreign exchange program these kids are coming here to Shreveport La to be a part of a high school and a church that teaches the bible some may have never heard the gospel before they are being exposed to who Jesus is and th power of the Holy Spirit, wow the potential of what can happen when they go home. Last week was homecoming week, every Sr. Boy was Homecoming King. Every Sr. Girl Homecoming Queen.
Bobby Bowden must stay @ Florida State as long as that other coach stays @ Penn St. Hate that World series will Prob be Phillies v, Yankees. still looking for the day we get to see Astros v. Rangers or Braves v. Rangers in World Series. Geaux Tigers, Geaux Saints.
Saw a report that in a Chicago School 1/7 girls are expecting or have had kids. dads need to really be a part of their girls lives. had a great time teaching the last few weeks kids are the same everywhere. its ben fun working the Gospel into differnt patd of class time and wesome when they ask me about God or the bible.
The Cross is finally up @ Central Assembly of God. 199 Feet to be seen all over the area. the part I love is that the stands of Louisiana Downs look directly at the cross. Some backslidden person will look at that cross and the Holy Spirit will convict them. I think Central could use a multi-activity complex. So proud of my friend and Pastor Andy Harris.