The natural world reflects the spiritual world. In nature we see all things working on the seed principle. What is that? Everything makes progress.

Every time we conduct a crusade meeting people will come with their tumors and heart disease. They come on crutches and in wheel chairs wanting an instant miracle and making the preacher out to be a magician, but we are not magicians. We are farmers with good seed and the heart of people is our soil.

Don’t blame the farmer if the seed doesn’t give an instant crop, and don’t blame the seed if it is good seed just taking time to produce. The problem is usually in the type of soil the seed is in. If you just keep the seed in the soil it will grow. Seeds always want to progress.

God has given us “Word seed” for every need if we will just let the seed do its work in our heart, and expect that it is working whether we see results today or not.

In 1837, George Mueller, known for his care for thousands of orphans, found himself in an interesting quandary. The growth of the ministry required more retirement to prayer for spiritual oversight, and more provision for the approximate 400 members.

George Mueller learned an important lesson about hard work which we can apply to every aspect of life. He discovered that 1 hour of prayer for every 4 hours of work would produce much more than 5 hours of work. He held to this rule throughout his life. He discovered that when he had no way of gaining provision from natural sources, he could go to the Lord who would grant it! Are you facing difficulties in life today?

High-octane gasoline is equated with high performance. The Christian finds their high octane fuel in the word and in prayer. Remember to go the high-octane way! Yes, it may be more expensive but in the long run—IT’S MUCH CHEAPER!

[Yes] I will grant [I Myself will do for you] whatever you shall ask in My Name [as presenting all that I AM] (John 14:14 AMP).

No matter what the nation’s or your own personal economy may look like, The “Good News” is that we live according to God’s economy, employing age old principles of stewardship, giving, faith, prayer and obedience.

“And besides, what’s the use of worrying? What good does it do? Will it add a single day to your life? Of course not! 26 And if worry can’t even do such little things as that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things?” (Luke 12:25-26 TLB)

Recently I heard of a single mom who was prompted by the Lord to pledge a $1,000 offering. After she got home she told the Lord that she didn’t have the money but trusted He would provide. He reminded her of the hair barrettes she had created for family and friends, so she made up some barrettes and found a friend’s boutique to sell them in. A few days later a woman admiring the barrettes asked if she had created them and if she could place an order. The woman was a representative from a major department store chain, and placed an order for 50,000 barrettes on the spot!

REMEMBER – God has specific direction for you that will open the windows of heaven!

Partners, we encourage you to rejoice in the seed you have sown into this ministry and the ministries of others!

GOD IS FAITHFUL!

How many have had a moment of inspiration for an invention that would bless the world, but talked themselves out of it because of age, education, or fear and never took the step to make it a reality? How many saw an illness ravage a loved one, friend, or even themselves but resigned themselves to the limits of medicine and lived with their pain? How many have wanted to study abroad and envisioned a life of service to another culture but allowed the ceiling of financial shortage to kill that vision?

The potential of a new Creation in Christ is as far superior to human potential as human potential is superior to animal potential. Jesus said “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19).  He is saying that following His success will make you someone that others want to follow. Men will be caught by your posture, words, peace, and authority in the midst of challenges. That is true leadership!

We want His type of success and level of success. We want a success that goes beyond a dollar amount into a human value amount. It needs to go beyond a benefit to one generation to an eternal benefit. That is the lifestyle and leadership only He can offer.

Nothing is impossible to the new creation!

“I Can!” is a statement every believer needs to declare.  The “I Can!” in life will open a thousand doors you’ll never see until you say it.  Take yourself out of pondering and wondering and take an action step in a direction.  Choose a goal and declare, “I can do all things through Christ” (Philippians 4:13).

Make a decision to believe that you have received the power Jesus gave in the book of Acts when He said, “you shall receive power” (Acts 1:8). Take it out of the future and put it into today’s words. He is saying, “I will work through you.”

When the revelation hits you that Jesus in you is the same as the Jesus in the Bible, then you will seek to discover how Jesus can work through you!

Every child knows about show and tell in school, but God wants us to demonstrate it in real life.  We have thought in the past that the witness of God was a good sermon, but that’s only half the story. Paul said what needs to be done is to tell the whole story “through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Ilyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ” (Romans 15:19).

Think about this, have you preached the Gospel until you see mighty signs and wonders?  We have settled for a word when God wants us to be a wonder! The Word of God says that we will receive power to be a witness (Acts 1:8). The witness of God is not a tongue or a good lifestyle. The witness of God is something only God’s power can produce…miracles!

Many have said that the day of the big show is over and now God does everything in the local church, but that’s not Jesus’ ministry. God likes to show off!  He showed the soldiers of Jerusalem that He could not be held in a grave.  He showed Peter’s jailer that He could not be held in a jail.  He showed the religious world of Israel that He could not be held in a temple.  He wants you and me to tell and show that Jesus is alive.  If you are going to be effective, there should be a demonstration of what you speak!

Today as international travel plans unfold, our team is remembering the goodness of God in covering all of our personal, travel and outreach costs.

Several years ago Kevin and I were involved in a grueling yet very rewarding Tent Outreach schedule in Eurasia. At the end of these events most of our extra capital had been expended. We were tired, not realizing that we needed a rest and that God had a great surprise in store for us.

To fully develop this story I have to digress to a prayer meeting conducted in our US office in early spring of that same year. Often during staff prayer meetings the Lord will unfold strategies for reaching into new territories with the Gospel. On this particular morning as we prayed a name kept rolling up out of my heart, Cabos San Lucas. I remember thinking, that’s in Mexico somewhere. I’m not going to Mexico. We’re busy in Eurasia launching this 100 Tent Project! So we continued about our schedule and logged this thought in our memory for some day in the future.

After finishing our Eurasian summer tent schedule Kevin headed to the US to meet with partners, while I stayed in Moscow to review outreach results and prepare plans for the coming months. Late one evening a call came in from our office in the USA. It was one of the women who had been in the staff prayer meeting that day. She said, “Leslie, one of our partners called and would like to know if you could catch a plane to Cabos San Lucas. They aren’t able to use their vacation property and would like to give you the week for free.”

WOW! What could I say but yes? But how would I get there? Tickets must be expensive at the last minute, and I’m in Russia and would only touchdown before needing to change planes and head on to Cabos San Lucas. Well, as you guessed, God did another miracle and provided free airline tickets through the diligent efforts of an agent that had been born again through missionaries at an outreach in Belarus!

I share this story as a reminder to myself of the goodness of God, our partners, and friends just like you. Who could have guessed that after a very busy ministry schedule where we had been living in appalling conditions, working in radiation zones, etc. that God would open up such a magnificent door of blessing, and that He would partially reveal this months before it happened.

Folks, this is encouragement to all of us to stay strong in the face of adversity, and know that the goodness of God rests upon us! In the coming year, make it a priority to grow in intimacy with Him and experience His reassuring hand sweeping life’s obstacles from your pathway!

One of the great truths of our era that has caused an explosion of growth in literature and given understanding to the spiritual workings of the word of God, is the revelation of seeds.

The power in life is found in the seeds of life, in every aspect of our natural life.  A farmer doesn’t need great faith to see a crop or harvest, he just needs enough good sense to plant seeds.  He doesn’t need any power or anointing to farm, all he needs is to put the seed in the ground. A farmer doesn’t check the soil to see if the soil is doing its job, he just plants the seeds.

It would be strange indeed to applaud the farmer for all his creativity in a crop, and marvel at his ability to produce. He would humbly say, I just put the seed in the ground.

Every seed in the earth will grow. God’s Word is a spiritual seed full of potential, and when put in the ground of man’s spirit, it will always grow!  This truth has revolutionized the church.  A preacher who belittles the power of words is like a surgeon who belittles what knife he uses.  Would you agree to be operated on if your surgeon was happy to use a kitchen knife?

It’s an exciting time of year – a time of decorations, baking, lights, and of course, Christmas gifts!

There is another very special aspect of this season – it’s what the angels said, Behold, unto you a Savior is born. Good will towards all of mankind. Christmas is indeed a miracle.

When Kevin was a young boy, his father passed away, leaving eight children. For the grieving family, it looked as if there would be no gifts for Christmas that year.

On Christmas morning however, as the family awoke not expecting any gifts at all, they found on the front porch a giant box of presents for all eight children. It was truly a miracle Christmas for all.

Today, the greatest miracle gift of all is Jesus. May He be at the very center of your Christmas. May He be the focus of all and may you realize how meaningful your gift to the nations has been.

…And so from our hearts to yours, we say, Merry Christmas!

Leslie, Kevin and the Christian Adventures staff

When you have an encounter with Jesus Christ and surrender your life to receive Him as your Savior and Lord, it is not just an emotional experience. It is not just a rational, intelligent moment of decision. It is not just a cleansing of your past and passport to your future.

The seed of God has been planted in you in the same miraculous way that the seed of God was planted in Mary to produce the Lord Jesus!

You had to say yes to His will the same way Mary did. She did not understand but said, “Be it done unto me according to your will.”

Peter describes this phenomenon by declaring:

Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.  1 Peter 1:23

You have a miracle in you! All the potential of Jesus as a Son of God was placed in seed form in you as a child of God, except for the redemptive nature of Jesus. All His purpose and power is now able to grow and develop in you. This gives special meaning when we celebrate His birth at Christmas!