What am I called?

Posted on by Spanky Rouse
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“My heart was an orphan but you gave me a name”
Mark 1:11, Matthew 17:5, & Galatians 3:26
When God looks at me does He say this is my son, Spanky, in whom I love and am well pleased? I am guessing that God doesn’t call me Spanky 🙂
I do believe that when He looks at me He does call me by name, though. What is this name He calls me? I think it is a make up of my personality, deep desires, hardwiring, and His personal finger print on my life. So, is it an actual name or just a deep emotion that moves His heart? I don’t really know but I like imagine that He has given me a specific and divine name.
“Mighty Beloved”
I believe that this summer the Lord actually spoke this name to me only for the purpose of reminding me who I am and whose I am.
Mighty – strong, powerful, immense, enormous, tremendous…
God’s finger print on my life is this mighty passion He has filled my soul with. Let me be clear, I think He calls me mighty not because of any physical strength or power. Mighty because of this enormous passion He has put in my heart. Passion is something I am not lacking in especially when it comes to my wife, my children, serving and loving others, meeting the needs of people, and encouraging others to seek after Jesus. I feel like there are days and moments when I am going to simply explode from all of this that is inside of me that wants to come out. And this mighty passion was created inside of me not remain but to flow freely!
Beloved – cherished, greatly loved, dear to the heart, cared for intently
I am the center of the Father’s heart and affection. He treasures me and says that I am His pleasure and satisfaction. I was made to be loved by God and He desires to cover me in this gigantic love everyday. The reason for God’s love, is me. As the Father’s son I am loved beyond measure now and every single day I wake up!
Therefore, when life gets tough, days aren’t the brightest, mountains are in front of me, task are big, I feel scared and I want to give up, my Dad reminds me that He calls me by name…“Mighty Beloved”.
My question to the one reading this is…How has the Father uniquely created you? And, have you sat and thought of just how much he cherishes you, just because of who you are? Do it! Take the time to sit with this and let Him speak to your heart today.

1 family + years of serving = 1000’s of disciples

Posted on by Spanky Rouse

turkanamummaI have the privilege of working with some amazing hero’s of the mission world…as I am sure you have heard me say many times by now. When I am with them or hear their stories  I am constantly blown away by the impact they have by simply answering the call to “go”. Being present with people, loving the unloveable, caring for the needy, and living a life that reflects Jesus is all it takes to make a great impact among the nations.

One of these couples that are making this kind of impact are Mark and Annemarie Dye. They have lived in Africa for much of their lives and currently reside in Kenya. They know how to love people, teach the bible, and disciple new followers…they do this with a remarkable joy as well! I usually describe them to others as the people I want to be like when I grow up, and I mean that wholeheartedly. They embody so much of what I believe it takes to be hero’s of the faith, servant leaders, and lovers of people – world changers!

They lived with their 3 boys for many years in the northern area of Kenya with the Turkana tribal people before moving to Nairobi where they now live. While being there they simply began sharing the Gospel and discipling new believers. Today there are over 15o0 believers and the church is still growing. You can watch this powerful, short video of Mark telling the story of what God is doing among this people group today by clicking the link below.

The Turkana Story

When I watch this video I am reminded of how blessed I am to serve alongside missionaries like this. Thank you to all of you who financially partner with the RouseHouse and pray for us regularly. God is doing a great work around His world and He has chosen to allow us (all of us) to play a part!

Battle for the Heart

Posted on by Spanky Rouse

Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men of courage, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love. 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 

Above all else, guard your heart,
    for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23

This past weekend I was privileged to attend a retreat with some guys that I work with here at UWM (United World Mission). Honestly, I had too much going on and this felt like just an event that I couldn’t wait to be over. Little did I know the Father was going to meet me there. And He was going to radically transform my heart that will then offer life and growth to every other part of my life.

The Battle for the Heart is a long weekend but it is so much more than an event. I was blessed to go with 4 other men that serve with UWM and spend 4 days outside Birmingham, Al learning about this battle that is going on inside each of us. This time was about each one of us learning who God has created us to be as men, what He has chosen each of us to do, how evil is hunting my heart constantly, and how a community/fellowship can protect and propel me into the Larger story of life…His ultimate story.

After the first night I went to bed thinking that my head was going to explode! It was like drinking water from a fire hose. I was ready to go home. I felt like I had only begun to realize just how messed up I was and felt like I was a big ball of tangled mess.

The second day things began to move to my heart as I processed them with my group and alone with the Lord. The mix of large group times, small group conversations, and time sitting in the woods asking the Father to speak to me were pretty moving!

The third day was all about the Father revealing His amazing love for us and me seeing me the way He truly sees me. I had a face to face moment with God that completly blew me away.

On Sunday, the last day of the retreat, I was able to start putting all of the pieces together. I was also able to share them with a group of men that were now brothers not just co-workers of mine. We spent that morning telling one another what we see God doing in each persons life, affirming the unique glory of the Father coming out of their life, and challenging one another to live out His purpose in their life, family, marriage, work, ministries, etc. This was a powerful moment!

Before this weekend I had heard two friends at work talk about this retreat and how it was the most impactful thing that they have ever been a part of other than receiving Jesus. I honestly thought it was a sales pitch to get us there. I even told one of them that and he said, “well, what do you think now?” After going through this weekend and now knowing that get to walk with these men for the next year, I am sold! It honestly is the best, most important, impactful, life changing, transformational thing that I have been a part of other than Jesus saving me from my sin!!! My life, marriage, children, ministry, and every other relationship in life will never be the same again! My HEART will never be the same again, Praise the Lord!

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I could talk for days about my experience and how the Lord meet with me! It was a sweet, sacred time that I am so thankful for. Instead of talking about everything that I heard, learned, and experienced I thought I would list just 5 of the 1000’s of quotes or truths gained:

  1. I am His Beloved, I am enough just the way I am, and I am an image bearer of God Himself.
  2. Deceitful Desires: Expecting fulfilment of a surface desire – any material, experiential, positional, or relational desire – to satisfy a deeper desire. Only God can satisfy a deep desire.
  3. Our deepest desires aren’t bad. They were put in us by the Father himself because they reflect who He is and who I truly am.
  4. I can have impact not only by what I can do but simply by being – being who God created me to be.
  5. Evil is hunting me today because I am a danger to him. Evil is going to cleverly try to get me off track through fear, anxiousness, and pride so I am not able to live and love as the man God created me to be to my domain (life, marriage, family, work, ministry, friends, etc.)

I would strongly encouarge every person I know to attend and go through the Battle for the Heart! If you are interested click here and if you would like to hear more from me about this time I would love to share. Just let me know!

 

Stories from Senegal

Posted on by Spanky Rouse

ctc_04_img0959I received this story from a missionary that I get to serve with in Senegal, West Africa. I asked them if I could share this story and they were glad for me to do this because of the One who gets the glory from it. It is a story of how God is still at work even when the Evil one has such a strong hold. I pray that this encourages you and opens your eyes to see how God is at work in your day and life.

What we are about to share with you is a story of power, a story of who God is , a story of salvation and deliverance. It’s a story that involves you and I and those who are in Christ’s kingdom here in Senegal.

We are still awed at how God works in different ways around the world and yet He never wavers or changes. He is an absolute constant, a faithful Rock. He is all powerful!!

In this story I am going to use different names for the safety of us all.

A STORY OF SALVATION AND DELIVERANCE

Our story unfolds in one of the villages we minster to along with Mission Inter Senegal “MIS”. It is a story about two wives who came to know Christ in a most unusual terrifying way! The entire family is actually saved now.

These two ladies are now part of the church in this village and their story of salvation is mind-blowing and miraculous! A Sene and F Sene are both married to the same husband. There husband was a very evil man and practiced witchcraft. In fact he was the right hand man of a super powerful man witch called a Laga. They deal deeply in demonic activity. In order for A and F’s husband to maintain his power he has to do what the Laga tells him to do. This involved sacrificing his own children.

A, his first wife, only had two children left so the husband tried to take children from his second wife, F, to sacrifice. F was a very outgoing lady and very talkative, boisterous and loud. According to the Laga and demonic spirits they like to perform rituals secretly, under the radar so to speak. F was so loud and talkative about the situation to the village that the Laga and the demons refused to use her children for sacrifices. A and F’s husband had to quickly come up with a child to sacrifice. The Laga, through the influence of the demonic spirits, grew impatient with A and F’s husband and cast a spell on him and he died quickly.

Now the Laga was looking for someone to replace A and F’s husband to continue the demonic work in the village. He chose A’s eldest son P to replace his father. A and P were terrified and could not stop the events that were about to take place.

The demons attacked P in the form of a bull but only P could see this bull. It was a terrifying situation for all the family and those nearby even. P was under such fierce combat with the demons he appeared crazy!

A and F remembered how a women by the name of E who was the wife of the pastor in this village, was delivered from demons by a group of people at an evangelical center. They did not know where to turn for help and this was the only thing they could think of that could help A’s son P.

So they sent P to the same place that E received deliverance from the demons. At the evangelical center they prayed for P. He was delivered instantly from the demons. P said he could see the demons fleeing. P gave his life to Christ and returned to his family. When A and F saw P for the first time after being delivered they could not believe their eyes and were amazed. They gave there lives to Christ that day and now the whole family are believers!! Wow, Praise the Lord!

It is hard for us Americans to comprehend the magnitude of this story but it is real and God is victorious over the darkness. Rest assured this is happening in many places in Senegal and around the world. Jesus Christ is showing Himself strong! Hallelujah!

I wanted to share this story with you to remind you that GOD IS AT WORK! And at work in some mighty ways all around this world! Thank you for your prayers and financial support. You are helping and enabling us to serve some great men and woman of faith around the world!

Take just a minute now and pray for West Africa. Pray for the believers that are working hard to spread the good news of Jesus. Pray for the harden hearts to be softened to the love of Jesus. Pray that evil will not win. Pray for our workers that are giving their lives to this great work. God bless!

 

Shining Bright

Posted on by Spanky Rouse

I have been in this routine lately of getting up super early during the week. I don’t actually like to geglory1t up early but I do like to get in a work out before the day starts. During the winter months this is extremely difficult to do since I do not enjoy cold weather. Those mornings when it is freezing outside and the sun isn’t up until later are really hard for me. Over the past few weeks however I have enjoyed watching the days get lighter earlier and earlier. Now as I drive home from the gym I can see the sun peaking just behind the tree line shining bright! It reminds me of a child standing ready to tell you all about a big surprise. This morning the sun was high in the sky and exploding with its brightness! So bright that it was blinding me and it was only 6:30am! I love this time of year!

This week I have been finding myself reading some about God’s glory. So, when I saw that radiant sun bursting with light blinding me in the eyes this morning all I could think of was His glory. His glory covers the earth while it also fills my life. He has chosen me to be one that carries and displays His glory! When I am living life fully and abundantly it is His glory shining through. Every morning that I wake up and see the sun coming up is a direct declaration and reminder that my God is alive and pouring out His glory on me! glory3

Let us look for the glory of God in our lives and around us today! If the sun is up His glory is shining!

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.- Psalms 19:1 

Arise, shine, for your light has broken through!
    The Eternal One’s brilliance (glory) has dawned upon you.
2 See truly; look carefully—darkness blankets the earth;
    people all over are cloaked in darkness.
But God will rise and shine on you;
    the Eternal’s bright glory will shine on you, a light for all to see.
3 Nations north and south, peoples east and west, will be drawn to your light,
    will find purpose and direction by your light.
In the radiance of your rising, you will enlighten the leaders of nations. – Isaiah 60:1-3 (The Voice)

“The glory of God is a human being fully alive.” – Emotionally Healthy Spirituality

noun: glory
  • high renown or honor won by notable achievements.
  • praise, worship, and thanksgiving offered to God.
  • magnificence; great beauty.
  • a thing that is beautiful or distinctive; a special cause for pride, respect, or delight.
  • he splendor and bliss of heaven.

verb: glory

  • take great pride or pleasure in.

Everything is going to be alright

Posted on by Spanky Rouse

Tis the season…

This is this Christmas season. It is also the season that most of us get sucked into stress, worry, and feeling overwhelmed because of the extra financial items in the monthly budget. I could talk about how bad this is and how this is nothing more than the enemy distracting us from the real reason for the season, Jesus, but this week I am caught up in the cycle of worrisome and frustration too. Therefore, I am probably not the best to be talking about the reason for the season.

We have been trying to save money for a new car since both of our cars have well over 200,000 miles but it seems like the more we try the harder it gets. Just in the past few weeks we have had expensive plumbing issues, both cars needing extensive repairs, medical bills from Lara’s shingles and my ankle, and all that comes along with Christmas. Needless to say the car fund has been depleted and I have been stressing over my stupid, rich, first world problems! (Embarrassed but honest)

–On the bright side I am SO thankful that we had the money to pay cash for some of these items. That is a blessing and we know it!–

After spending some much needed time of being refreshed by the Holy Spirit, I began looking through some emails and work stuff when I ran across this..It was a video from one of the missionaries I support in Africa that serves local at-risk-children. It was a GREAT reminder that “everything is going to be alright because of Jesus“. Hearing little African voices singing this song broke me, renewed me, and reminded me that life is all good with Jesus. I am blessed. 

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I am thankful for the small reminders my Heavenly Father sends me right when I need it! He is so gracious and merciful to this slow learner he calls, His beloved.

It’s so simple but I forget

Posted on by Spanky Rouse

Driving into work this morning I was having this broken, sloppy, and unrefined conversation with the MAN up stairs about how I just feel like I am not running on all cylinders spiritually. I know most of you know this feeling and what I am talking about. Those times when you just don’t feel like praying or when you do pray it is more like drawing a blank. Now to let you also know, I am tired this morning and rushed out of the house therefore I am aware that some of this is a physical issue not a spiritual one.

When I got to work I decided that I should probably spend a few minutes reading my bible before I get started. After all I am in ministry and am expected to help people figure out God’s call on their life. I might want to be in touch with or awakened to the voice of God myself before I try to help someone else.

Just before I opened the bible I prayed, “God form my heart and life and let me pay attention to the things that really matter so I can be connected with you and love life today fully.” Then I opened up to 1 Peter 2 and the words smacked me right in the face!

1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

I was reminded and awaken to the FACT that I am chosen, I am God’s special possession, I am here to declare His praises, I once was nothing but now I am something. I was reminded that it doesn’t matter how I feel today, He still sees me in these ways and His mercy towards me is overwhelming.

Sometimes I just need to stop trying to pray and make it “work” and listen to what my Father has to say to me and about me! I am special and nothing can separate me from His awesomeness! I am connected to Jesus today because He is connected to me and that is where life becomes full!

This is our home!

Posted on by Spanky Rouse

Almost 8 years ago Lara and I since that they Lord was telling us to sell our new home that we had built just a couple of years ago. We knew that God was leading us into a life of full-time ministry and wanted to make sure we had more financial margin than we currently did. We are so glad we listened and did sell it! We had no idea of the journey that was before us.

We thankfully had a great home to move into but planned to only be there for 6 months – 1 year. Well, we never really had a chance to move out of that home and we never felt like God was saying it was time. Until now.

Also, 4 years ago we were led to start a ministry in a local neighborhood (Piney Grove) after serving in a variety of countries for that past few years. This became a large focus of ours and our church’s (Ridge Church). We have seen God do some really awesome things around the school, with the staff of the school, and with a handful of families in the neighborhoods surrounding the school. There are some pretty amazing stories we can tell and some that are still in the making! Then towards the end of 2014 around the same time I was privilege to take this new role with United World Mission, the RouseHouse felt the Lord might want us to move into the Piney Grove neighborhood. We toyed with the idea and prayed some about it but didn’t know if we were ready just yet. Some of our closest friends began to feel the same stirring to move into the neighborhood which seemed really cool to imagine both of our families living and serving together. Then our pastor, Chris Brown asked us, “Have you thought about moving into the neighborhood?”

We began wondering what it would look like for “us” to become a “them”? How much more could we live intentionally and missionally if we were in the midst of the community? Why wouldn’t we do this? Is God putting all of the pieces together for us to take this step? This could actually be a huge blessing for the RouseHouse in so many ways.

As we began praying through and wrestling with these and other questions we quickly found our hearts becoming more attached to the idea of living in this community. Therefore we started looking for houses with our friends. Every home that was for sale over the last 6 months in this neighborhood we have looked at. Early on in our search we found one house that was in much better shape than most and it seemed to have a lot of community living space; 2 living rooms, patio, large back yard, and a front porch. For the reasons we want to move in this neighborhood we knew that we needed living spaces like this. So, we made an offer! Unfortunately, the night before the seller accepted someone elses offer. We were bummed but had to try to move on. We just couldn’t move on though. At least I couldn’t. I genuinely felt that the Lord had told me that this was the house He had for the RouseHouse but it didn’t make sense because someone else was already buying it, so I prayed that if it was His will He would make a way. And He did, about a month later the contract fell through and we were the first offer on the table!

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The RouseHouse on the front porch of our new home

It isn’t the dream house, it isn’t the biggest house, it isn’t the newest house, it isn’t the area we would normally choose to move too…it is however the place God has called us too! It is our mission field and these are the people He has put on our heart  and in our path to serve/love for this season of our life. This is our home and we love it already!

The RouseHouse is so excited and so nervous all at the same time. We know that there will be days that may not be the easiest or the most comfortable. We are also hopeful for the days when we get to sit on the front porch or in our living room with new friends laughing with them and caring for them. Our goals are simple. We want to be the best neighbors, make good friends, serve those in need, seek ways to bless those around us, and after all of this, we want to show people how to follow Jesus and worship our God.

As we take this next step in life and ministry we would love for you to remember us in your prayers often. Please be praying for His Spirit to be so evident, His blessings to cover us and our new home, that we may be a “city on a hill”, that we will gain favor from our neighbors and have great influence in their lives, that God will provide a smooth transition for us and the kids, that our kids will build some great friendships, and for the Fathers blessings and presence to flood us during this season of life.

The best is yet to come!

I don’t have any money to pay for this healing….

Posted on by Spanky Rouse

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I received this update from a missionary that I get to work with that is living and working in China. It blessed my heart and made me question how big is my faith in my God. He is still able to do the impossible and He is still at work today!!! Prayer is a powerful gift that the Father is just waiting on us to use because He knows that it is an opportunity for His power and glory to be on display. 

The elderly woman’s joy faded into panic as she anxiously told us that she could not pay us for the healing she had just received.  We had met her only moments before as she sold snacks to travelers at a rest stop.  She was walking with difficulty, and we offered to pray for her. As we prayed, the pain in her legs caused by rheumatism disappeared!  While praying for her legs, we noticed she had a hearing aid in her left ear and we asked if we could also pray for her hearing.  She told us she had been completely deaf in her right ear since she was a child and that she had very little hearing in her left ear due to a burst ear drum that hadn’t healed. We prayed for her again, and her right ear Immediately opened up! After more prayer the hearing in her left ear became more and more clear. Because Tibetan monks charge for their spiritual services, she thought we, too, would want her to pay. When she told us she had no money to pay, we told her that it was Jesus, the creator God who loves her, who had healed her and it was completely free. A huge smile crossed her face, and she began to cry as she thanked us and thanked Jesus. We encouraged her to call upon the name of Jesus regularly because he created her and loves her. As we got back in our vehicles to continue our journey she walked away smiling with her hearing aides in her snack basket.

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This is just one of the amazing things God did during my recent trip to a Tibetan area in our province.  Ours was one of seven teams made of up other missionaries and visiting ministry school students that participated in this outreach, and each team had incredible testimonies of salvation and healing.  We are so thankful for the way God is demonstrating His Kingdom among these unreached peoples!

What are you praying for and how certain are you that He is able?

Broken and heavy hearts

Posted on by Spanky Rouse

Just want to let you know that I will not be posting pictures of our missionaries because many of them are in places that are hostile to the Gospel and believers. Thanks for understanding. 

I am sure I will have quit a few stories and blogs come out of my time here in Thailand. It is an amazing place and I have been privilege to be with some amazing people, hero of the faith really.

During the first couple days of being here in Thailand I sat with some of our missionaries that are serving all over Asia. My goal was to get to know them, hear their stories, encourage them, and see how I can best serve and resource them. It didn’t take but a few conversations to know that the life of a missionary is not an easy one. I knew this but still thought that they were always happy and joyful because they are walking with the Lord. Made sense to me until I saw and heard what life really is like as a missionary in some of the darkest places in the world.

Our second morning here we had a time of prayer and worship. These times were so incredible, even though there was no special lights, super talented worship leaders, and sound systems. Don’t get me wrong I love and value all of those things on a Sunday morning when I am at y home church. There is just something special about the simplicity and authenticates of worship when you get to travel to other places in the world.

During this time I couldn’t help but to have a heavy and broken hearts for the people in that room. A people that are living in some extreme areas with little to nothing but their worship was joyful, inspiring, almost overwhelming with excitement for God. As they stood with their hands lifted, knees bowed, and spirits in tune to the Father I stood speechless and tearful in the back of the room. I realized that this group of faithful believers knew what it meant to trust in God and live on mission. It was lie they were begging for the Spirit to come and flood them…and they were expecting for that very thing to happen.

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God I beg that you will allow me to know what it is like to have such a relationship with you. One that I search for in my every moment and experience in whatever circumstance of the day.

Will you PLEASE be praying for those who are serving the Lord and literally sacrificing their life for the name of Jesus to be known! There is a real battle in this world between light and dark…as the body of Christ we can all play a role.