Dear Partner,

Have you ever experienced a time where it seems you are waiting and waiting, seeking the Lord's leadership for your life yet it seems He is not answering you? We know that Jesus said He would not leave us as orphans to have to find our own way through life. He promised to send the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to teach us and to lead us. There have been many times in my life when His leadership was so very clear to me. But there have also been many times in my life when it "seems like" I have been abandoned and it makes me "feel" like an orphan.

It is at times like that when we must be especially on guard not to become impatient and begin making decisions on our own. We must not “assume” what the Lord intends for us to do. It was that very attitude that caused Abraham and Sarah to bring about the birth of Ishmael when they should have patiently waited for Isaac to be born. Isaac was the son “of promise.” He could not be birthed without the direct participation of God in their lives. Ishmael was the son of “human effort,” and his descendents have been a source of much conflict throughout history … even to this modern era.

Not only did their "assumption" of God's plan produce a result that was never part of His plan for their lives, but even after Ishmael was born … they STILL had to "wait upon the Lord" in faith and patience until God Himself caused their bodies to be supernaturally revitalized to produce the promised son … Isaac. One of the hardest lessons for us to learn is that it is through "faith and patience" we possess the promises. Faith and patience are two qualities that do not come naturally to human beings. We often get tired of waiting and we make the same mistake as Abraham and Sarah. We wind up making decisions on our own that did not originate in the mind of our Lord. Don't get me wrong, the Lord will do His best to bless anything we do for Him. He will bless a thirty-fold or sixty-fold walk all that He can. But there is no doubt that the best thing to do is "wait upon the Lord" until you have fully received instructions for His 100-fold walk for your life.

Since completing the assignment to make all of the teachings available "free like water" at the website, I have been going through one of those dreaded times of "seeming" silence. On the one hand, my times of fellowship with the Lord have been precious and sweet and He has continued to teach me by revelation more and more truth from His Word. But the "instructions" that I am accustomed to receiving from Him have been virtually non-existent.

I have been tempted very strongly to begin “this” project or “that” project … all kinds of “good things” that have come into my thinking that I could do for the Kingdom of God. Thoughts like these come all the time:

1. Perhaps I should begin traveling again to teach the Word of God.
2. Perhaps we should start a training center for Gospel Entrepreneurs.
3. Perhaps we should start an online business that would help finance the gospel.
4. On and on and on and on … the "thoughts" keep coming.

Notice in the following verse the phrase "it may be" in Sarah's words to Abraham when she told him of "her" plan based on "human reasoning" in order to produce the promise of God:

Gen 16:2   And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.

This plan did not originate with God. It originated in the mind of Sarah. "It may be" is not good enough for those who desire to walk God's perfect plan for their lives. Jesus himself refused to make plans on His own without first receiving instruction from His heavenly Father:

John 5:19   Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

It has been hard to just "wait upon the Lord" these many months without taking any kind of direct action on my own. But I am so glad I waited. Only recently, in just the last few days, has He begun letting me see a glimpse of what is coming. I dare not say too much about it yet, but let me give you a little glimpse also. The Lord is about to open a door that will allow us to teach more people about the gospel of Jesus Christ in a single day than I could reach on my own in a lifetime of traveling ministry. When this door opens it will allow the teachings to be heard in all of Africa, India, and most of Europe in a way that has not been available to us in the past. It will make the teachings available to people who do not own computers or iPods. And … it will be free! Stay tuned … "THE BEST IS YET TO COME!"

Sue and I love you and appreciate you. We thank God for your generous and giving heart. God bless you!

Your friend and co-laborer,

Gary Carpenter

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