Sold Out!

Hallowed Father

Matthew 6:9

Hi, I’m Howie Campbell, and this is a Wisdom and Truth Minute.

When Jesus was teaching his disciples to pray, he began, “Our father, which art in heaven, hallowed be your name” (Matthew 6:9). Jesus was instructing us to direct our prayer to God as a father. That’s how personal and intimate our conversation with God can be. He also mentioned that the very name of God is holy. ‘Hallowed’ means ‘sanctified, set apart from the average, the mundane, the common.’ Yes, God is the high and lofty one who inhabits eternity, whose name is holy. He is all-powerful and just. Yet Jesus said we can address him as ‘father’! That speaks of a family relationship with God as the supreme head of the household. If you love Jesus, he’s your father, my friend!

First Things First

Psalm 5:3

Hi, I’m Howie Campbell, and this is a Wisdom and Truth Minute.

Some people are early risers. Others are not. Personally, I don’t always get up early enough to see the sunrise, but when I do, its’ splendor always delights my senses. In Psalm 5:3, we find King David writing this: “My voice shall you hear in the morning, O Lord. In the morning will I direct my prayer unto you, and will look up.” Since God’s mercies are new every morning, it makes sense that our first thoughts, yes, even our prayer, would be to Him first thing each day. Let me encourage you, my friend: turn your thoughts to God first, then everything will be in proper perspective.

A Quiet Place

Matthew 6:6

Hi, I’m Howie Campbell, and this is a Wisdom and Truth Minute.

In the 1960’s, the Beach Boys had a song that goes: “There’s a place, where I can go, and tell my secrets to, in my room, in my room.” It expresses the need we all have for a quiet place, and someone to tell our deepest troubles to.

For me, that place of quiet and refuge is the Lord himself. Jesus, as recorded in Matthew 6:6, said “When you pray, enter into your closet, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father, which is in secret.” The closet is a secret chamber – a quiet, set-apart place. It’s good to get alone with our heavenly father.

Pray Without Ceasing

1 Thessalonians 5:17

Hi, I’m Howie Campbell, and this is a Wisdom and Truth Minute.

God answers prayer. Yes, He does! I’m not saying He caters to our every whim, but He does care about us, and wants us to pray to Him. Some have laid out a formula for prayer, in order to get results, but I think it’s more organic than that. We pray fervently, with a sincere heart, according to God’s will, and He chooses when and how to answer. We all have needs. Some of these are beyond our ability to handle. That’s why Paul said, in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, “Pray without ceasing.”

Pray Like This

Matthew 6:9

Hi, I’m Howie Campbell, and this is a Wisdom and Truth Minute.

As Debbie and I do events around America to expose people to Jesus’ love, we find that the Lord moves most powerfully where his people fervently pray. God has chosen prayer as the means for us to move His heart.

Jesus’ disciples asked him to teach them to pray. It’s not recorded in scripture where they asked him to evangelize, build churches, learn to interpret scripture; but rather, to pray. Matthew 6:9 records this: “Jesus said, “After this manner, therefore pray: ‘Our father in Heaven, hallowed be your name.’” What he meant was, “Pray like this.”

While driving down 140 W toward Oklahoma City, Howie was overwhelmed with tiredness and asked me to drive. I immediately thought of the last time that happened to him. We were in Texas when the engine blew on our Sprinter van shortly after I took over the wheel. With this in mind, I began to pray.

Broken down on a lonely Texas road

Traffic was heavy and we entered a construction zone, funneling traffic down to one lane. I was behind a truck with a car in tow. I was following about four car lengths behind the vehicle at 35mph. when the Lord said to me, “Don’t follow so closely”. Immediately I applied the brakes and dropped back, just as the wheel broke off the car in tow, leaving it rolling down the lane and the fender in the center of the lane. Sparks flew as the axle dragged along the highway.

I praise God for his guardianship in giving me a warning, though it didn’t at the time make sense to follow, I did. With a line of vehicles following closely behind me, it could have been a real mess, but because I followed the Lords instruction there was no accident.

Often I am asked how the Lord speaks to me. I describe it as a strong thought that crosses my mind, always something I was not thinking about, and seemingly out of the blue. When I am in doubt, I simply ask “Lord, is that you”? He has always given me an immediate answer if it is “Yes”. If I don’t hear an answer, I assume it was not Him, or check my heart to see if I am harboring sin that obscures His voice.

I am reminded of the scripture that I read the evening I was baptized. It is Jesus speaking and found in the Gospel of John. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27

There is another verse I am reminded of found in 1Kings where God spoke to Elijah. “And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.” 1 Kings 19:12

Listening for the Lords voice requires a quieting of our own. Some people have a very hard time quieting their thoughts, but with practice it can become quite natural.

So Lord, teach us to quiet our mind, still our own voice and show us how to wait on you.

“In the 30 plus years I have lived here I have never seen it rain so hard”, said Marge, talking about the down pour just after we followed her to Howard Amon Park for our concert Friday night. Here in Richland, WA the rain is never torrential, but last night it was.

Howie has a way of praying. Our friend in Redwood, NY said on facebook,“ lol…God and Howie have this ‘Let’s see how we can wow them today’ club…” And yes, it happened again.

The rain stops just before the concert

He prayed the God would allow us to minister there that night and the Lord opened the clouds.

As we arrived the rain stopped and Howie commenced to sweep the puddles out of the bandshell. Rain continued to hammer the entire tri-cities area, but above the Howard Amon Park there were blue skies.

By the second song a group of teens gathered and Howie testified that God hears and answers prayers. As it turned out the teens were Christians and we invited them up to sing some praise songs.

Local teens join us for praise

Even though there were not “huge” crowds, people milled about, we prayed and laid claim to the place for the upcoming weekend events, we met some cool folks and the sun shined for a while at “The Fingernail”

Ps: “The Fingernail” is what folks here call the bandshell!

Dear Partner in “Taking Jesus to the Streets”

I just got back from a meeting with a political candidate. I asked the first question of this Christian woman running for Representative, which was: “How is your prayer support?” You see, I believe our leaders need more of the Spirit of the Lord and less advice on how we think we can fix things. We, as a nation, need God’s direction because we are way off course. “If my people, which are called by my name … then I will hear from heaven and heal their land” says the Lord of Hosts.

In the early days of our founding, the fathers pledged their lives, fortunes and sacred honor for the cause of “liberty and justice for all.” Now is the time for us to do the same. However, rather than forging a new earthly nation, we must prepare folks for the Kingdom of Heaven wherein dwells righteousness instead of greed, pride and iniquity. To see this come to pass, we must ensure as many people hear the Good News as possible. That’s why we’re on the streets for Jesus!

“He that will save his life will lose it. He that will lose his life for my sake, and the Kingdom, shall gain it unto everlasting life”, says the Lord, Jesus Christ.

As Debbie and I prepare to begin this, another year of “Taking Jesus to the streets” and to the highways and byways of America, I am trusting the Lord and counting on your help. You can be a part of our ministry this year through your financial support of course, but also by:

· Bringing and inviting us into your community just like the believers did last year in Orange Mound and dozens of other locations around the USA…

• Praying with us that God will open up miraculous and sometimes spontaneous events like the Rosebud empty lot concert….

• Joining us at events in your community through prayer, evangelism, follow up, relationship building, music, promotion and special offerings….

• Volunteering to help in the mailings, contacting others about our ministry and spreading the word to local pastors and church groups, and

• Commit to “Monthly for Missions” faith partnership with our mission in 2010.

Unless Jesus comes in the clouds of glory for us this year, we will follow the Holy Spirit around the country again. May the God of all be gracious to allow us to see fruit for our labors, as someone has prayed, “Fruit to the glory of Jesus Christ”.

Love you guys,

Howie

P.S. Please send your offering for our missionary support to Howie and Debbie Campbell, PO Box 8334, Charlottesville, VA 22906. Make checks payable CIS, INC. As we prepare for the year ahead, Debbie and I are counting on your faithful support. MAY GOD BLESS YOU IN 2010 just as you are faithfully supporting Christ’s work in us.