When Jack and I first started the Cattle for Christ cattle farm, we started by fencing and cross fencing the six acres in front of my house. As the herd grew, we fenced the 30+ acres around Jack's house. As the herd continued to grow, we fenced the 45 acres of cultivatable land where we plant winter grazing and the 60+ acres of the south pastures. Soon, we had the lease on a couple of other pastures donated and even rented yet another farm miles down the road.
As time went by, we realized that when we were fencing and cross fencing all this land, we had not dreamed big enough! We had built 12' to 16' gates in all our fencing, never dreaming that we would ever have equipment donated that would be too large for those standard openings. Who would have ever thought that in a couple of years we would have almost 300 head of cattle, a 115 horse power dual wheeled tractor, 40' long gooseneck trailers, a 20' disc, and a 16.5' grain drill—all donated to the ministry? God had given us an idea, or a vision of what He wanted to do, but we never dreamed that it would be as large as it turned out to be. We underestimated what God could and would do!
In 2011, we sold most of our cattle to generate funds to support our mission work through the Cattle for Christ Moving-Em Out for Missions Sale. We are now working to rebuild our herd back up to 125 mama cows, but I still do not know if we are dreaming big enough.
As I write this on a Monday morning, I have just returned from Jordan two days ago. This was my second trip to Jordan this year working with Syrian and Iraqi refugees, as well as Jordanians. On this trip, we programmed 150 of the new CFC TRAILBLAZER solar powered players and 200 of the CFC TRAILBLAZER SIDEKICK players that go in the stuffed animals for children.
When I arrived at the Atlanta airport, I received a call from Larry Cochran who serves on our Cattle for Christ Board of Directors. He and two other men I know and have done mission work with were on their way to do work in Nicaragua. I got off the tram at their concourse and had a brief time to visit with them and have prayer together before proceeding to catch my flight.
As we reminisced, I mentioned how amazing it was that Larry had taken me on my first mission trip to Mexico in 1991 and we have done several more trips together since that time. Jack Scobie (one of the men who was with Larry) and I had been on several mission trips together, the latest being this past July when he went with me to Nicaragua with one of our teams. Larry Montgomery (the other guy with Larry) and I had spent a couple of weeks in the jungles of Peru, miles up the Amazon several years before. My wife Lisa had also been on a trip with him and his wife in years past.
Who would have ever thought back in 1991 when Larry took me on my first mission trip that 23 years later, we would be meeting at an airport, each heading out to different parts of the world doing a different work for the same Lord? Between 1991 and this meeting in 2014 the Lord had allowed us to work together to help do His work in over 50 countries! As we talked and prayed, we thanked God that His plans for us were much bigger than we had ever dreamed.
On my flight between Atlanta and Paris, I took this picture. I could not help but think that there is no way the Wright brothers could have ever imagined that this sight would be possible when they were dreaming about flying or even when they successfully completed their first flight that was shorter than the wing span of a current 747 passenger jet!
On my flight, we were traveling over 630mph at an altitude of 39,000 feet crossing the Atlantic Ocean. 300 people on the plane—all walking around as they wished. The plane had six restrooms with running water and flushable toilets. Each passenger had their own color television where they could watch a huge library of movies, listen to world news, or even monitor the path of the plane by watching the GPS system—(all in a variety of languages). The cabin was pressurized, the climate was controlled by each passenger, and we even had hot meals served along with frozen ice cream!
The first motorized plane flown by the Wright brothers on 17 Dec 1903 had a wing span of 40.3 feet, weighed only 605# and had a 12hp gasoline engine. They flew at an altitude of only 10', for a distance of 120', at speed of 6.8mph and for a span of 12 seconds. Yep, I feel confident saying that when Orville and Wilbur made this flight, a flight like mine never crossed their minds. They would have never thought it possible.
Now, as I look forward and think about the new line of CFC TRAILBLAZER solar powered audio devices that Cattle for Christ is using to help evangelize the world, disciple Christians, train pastors, plant churches, and minister to the needs of children both here at home and around the world, I have great expectations. I can visualize how the Lord can use this technology and these tools to transform our culture and raise up a whole generation of new believers in America. I can visualize how millions of American children can learn of God's love for them, know His Word and accept His gift of salvation before they get deep into the sin that plagues our culture.
I can see how these tools can make the Word of God and other evangelistic and discipleship programs available in solar powered audio format to billions of people who either do not have access to the written Word or who cannot read the Bible if they had one. (Over 50% of the world cannot read and over 70% do not read, but learn and communicate through story telling).
The Bible tells us that "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." (Rom 10:14). It also tells us: "For all who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." and then it asks us four questions: "How can they call on the One they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the One of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent." (Rom 10:13-15).
To learn how you can help us get this brand new solar powered technology, audio discipleship material and an audio Bible for yourself and help us send them to the rest of the world, please contact me or visit our website at www.cattleforchrist.com.
As great as my expectations are, I know that God is going to use these tools and the people they reach to accomplish His purposes in ways that are beyond my ability to imagine.
I truly believe that in a few years, we will look back at what the Lord has accomplished through the CFC TRAILBLAZER resources and ask the question; "Who would have ever thought it?"
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