Only God Can Teach an Old Dog New Tricks!

What you are looking at is amazing all by itself. How often, if ever, have you seen a dog
walk on top of a six feet high block wall, with a rounded top? A cat yes; but a dog? I
know what you must be asking, “How did you train your dog to do that?”
We moved into our new home in Indio, California three weeks ago. This home was a
model and we had been waiting for the developer to finally turn it over to us. One thing
we had noticed from our frequent visits to our future home was that we would
occasionally see dog droppings in the backyard. It seemed obvious to us that someone
was allowing their dog entrance to our yard for its potty breaks. With six feet high walls,
and no signs of digging underneath, how else could a dog get in to do it’s business?
Upon moving in, I was startled one day to find the dog pictured above in my backyard. I
recognized it as my neighbor ‘s dog. Have you ever asked a dog a question? Without
realizing what I was doing, I asked, “How did you get in here?” Well, he didn’t exactly
answer me, but rather demonstrated for me by running into our back corner, leaping, and
scaling the wall back into his yard.
Great! Now I move into a house with a six feet high walled fence and still can’t keep out
the neighbor’s dog. Our friends from across the court mentioned that this dog was
notorious for visits to yards, and leaving presents behind, if you know what I mean. As a
brand new neighbor, the last way I wanted to introduce myself to a new neighbor was in a
conversation asking him to keep his dog out of my yard. Is anything too hard for God?
Is any problem too unimportant to bring to the throne of God?
I did what any Christian should do. I took my problem to the Lord in prayer. In my
prayer, I asked God to figure out how to keep that dog out of my yard so I would not
have to confront my neighbor.
A few days later, we had friends over after church. After a great time of fellowship, our
girls ran off to play with our friend’s daughter, and we all went to relax on the couch. I
had my back to the yard, but my friend had the view shown in the picture above.
Suddenly he said, “That is something you don’t see every day”. To all our surprise we
turned and saw the neighbors dog, walking along the wall. The dog walked slowly along
the entire length of the yard, and then jumped into our other neighbor’s yard. Amazingly,
this dog bypassed my yard by walking atop the six feet high wall, only to get to the next
yard.
God had miraculously answered my prayer. Coincidence, you ask? 10 minutes later he
walked back across to his yard. In fact, the dog walked back and forth several more
times that evening. In fact, it seems to be pattern for the dog around 7 PM. Several days
later, I met my other new neighbor, the one who had the dog enter her yard after walking
along my fence. She had just moved into her new model, as well. She informed us that
her Priest (she is Catholic) was coming over to bless her home, and asked us if we wanted
him to bless our house as well. We told her that we had asked God to bless our house
already and then told her about the answer to prayer. Her response was “Can you pray
for our yard too”?
Do I have any other witnesses? Glad you asked. I know that pictures can be changed in
this age of technology. Last night my Christian Business Men’s Forum meeting was at
our home. During dinner, we had a great laugh when I told them about how God
answered my prayer. This answer to prayer has already allowed me many chances to
glorify God. As we all sat down on the couch after dinner for our meeting, I said that I
really needed to get my camera just in case the dog walked on the wall again. I knew the
picture of the dog would certainly be unique and allow me to write a letter like this and
share how awesome our God is. Sure enough as we sat down, I looked at my watch, it
was 7 PM , and here he came, right on time. You think God wanted me to get that
picture? Absolutely!
God proves again that He answers prayers that are asked in the name of His Son, Jesus
Christ. He also proves that only God can teach an old dog, new tricks.

Jack Jackson - Minister Where You Are

(The Dog has also stopped going into the Catholic lady's yard, since the artical was written.-Cassie Jackson)

Surprise, Surprise: God is in Control!

Ever met someone and thought, "Even God couldn't save this one". Come on; admit it. We all look around in our comings and goings and see people that we feel are lost causes. Here is a story that reminds us who is really in control.

At the Grubstake days, a women and man walked up to take the two question test (Are you going to heaven?). When they handed their tests to Alex, and he read her answer, he tapped me and said "you may want to join us". She was wearing black, with dark makeup, and had nail earrings. If that wasn't cause enough to doubt if the Lord would reach her, her answers did. When asked if she was going to heaven, her answer was "No". Her answer to why was what got Alex's attention; "I love Satan", was her reason.

Alex response was obviously from the Lord. He asked "Since you believe in Satan, you must also believe in God and the Bible that tells us about Satan?" She answered "yes". Alex then said he didn't understand then why she loved Satan. Her answer was that Satan allowed her to have fun, and she wasn't to have fun while she could. Alex then questioned her about why she was willing to trade eternity in hell for a few years of fun. Little did we know it, but she had been prepared at that point to really consider her fate.

We then shared the Ten Commandments, and they both admitted to breaking them, and that they would have to plead guilty, if God judged them by His Commandments. The Law had now plowed through their thawing heart. The Gospel was then truly God's Good News about His love and forgiveness. To our surprise, both prayed and accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

One minute she came up loving Satan; 15 minutes later she left as a "born again" believer. God is certainly in control, and His ways are not our ways. I know that I learned to never discount anyone coming to know the Lord, because it is He that calls them. Our job is to trust His Word (Holy Bible) and its power unto salvation. This was just another example that "The Law of the Lord, is perfect in converting the soul" Psalm 19:7 It awakens the soul to it's fate, and prepares the way of the Gospel to not sound foolish, nor as a stumbling block, but the power of God unto salvation.

Jack Jackson

Destiny and Fate Meet at a Carnival

Does it really matter if we preach the Gospel at small carnivals? What if some are
offended? Could God’s plan even include a little carnival in 29 Palms? Should we give
up an afternoon, or evening, just to introduce a few people to Jesus? Could God really
use us in His eternal plan? As if we shouldn’t have already known the answer, God
answered these questions recently.

Many of you may have read the Desert Sun over Memorial Day weekend. There was a
whole display of our fallen Marines from 29 Palms that had died since the Iraq War
started. As I skimmed over the names and faces, I remembered one of them, and so did
my Brother in Christ, Chris.

Last summer I accepted an invitation to come and “witness” at a small carnival in 29
Palms. Yes, I was nervous! Of those people that God allowed me to witness too, I
remembered a short Marine from Massachusetts named David; and marveled that God
had two east coast guys together at a carnival, on the west coast. I had moved here a few
months earlier in June. The conversation with that Marine was memorable because he
had come up, and then left twice before I could finish presenting the Gospel. I remember
him coming back a third time and saying he thought he should hear the whole message.
As he listened, he finally understood that Jesus had died for him, and accepted Jesus
Christ as his Lord and Savior.

God’s love, and prompting of the Holy Spirit, was critical for David. As the newspaper
story tells of his death only a few months later in Iraq. David knows the truth now, and
undoubtedly is thankful for God’s messengers that came to that little carnival, and that
the carnival had allowed us to be there. I brought that newspaper layout to the Grub
Steak Days, to show other Marines how important that it was to not sit on the fence, but
to make a decision for Jesus Christ. I also used the story of the Marine that recently fell
on a grenade to save his fellow troops. I contrasted that Marine’s actions, to Jesus’
willingness to take the blows and death, meant for all of us; for our transgression. I
explained that Jesus had already absorbed their punishment and death, but that they
needed to claim what He did, by asking Jesus to be their Lord as well as Savior. It was
pointed out that their refusal to accept what Jesus did, was a kin to turning the Marine
who fell on the grenade over, and throwing down another grenade to render the sacrifice
of the Marine worthless to them. They then understood what a waste of a life that would
be, and how dishonoring to the one willing to die in their place. The Lord used these
stories and His Word to bring many Marines to Jesus at the Grub Stake Days, as we hope
they will again this year at 29 Palms.

In reality, none of us know when our time is up and we shall stand before God to give an
account for our life; therefore, we must live everyday for the Lord. Can you make a
difference for God? Ask David! Will he use you? Only if you are willing to be used!
Please consider making yourself available to bring the Gospel into this world. As I was
encouraged and invited, I now invite you, and pray that this story will encourage you to
come out with us. Finally, pray that those who run the carnival in 29 Palms will
understand how important this is for those willing to loose their lives to protect all of us.
Pray that we will have favor with them, for this very important outreach. May God bless
you!

Jack Jackson

Islam Blown Away by the Gospel

April 2, 2005 will not be a day I'll never forget, nor will two Islamic men who attended the Salsa Festival in Indio, CA soon forget it. Both they and I had come to contend for our faith. They had setup a table with Islamic Literature for sale and to tell people of Allah; and we of Wayside Harvesters/Minister Where You Are were there to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord, and give away God's word. When I heard from one of our laborers for Christ that they were there, my heart quickened and I knew God wanted me to talk with them. I have to admit, my flesh was reluctant and tried to convince me I was not prepared enough and too young in the Lord.

Then said I Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord. Jeremiah 1:6-8

That verse came to mind and I knew I had to go, in His strength. I was surprised to discover that they studied the Old Testament; yet quickly found out that they took many historical facts as "stories" like the parables of Jesus. They believed Jesus was a prophet and that Mary was a virgin; but denied Jesus as God and denied He actually died on the cross (somehow taken off before He died). The fact that they took historical record as "stories" made discussing the Old Testament harder. One of the men, "Raymond" as he said I could call him, was in fact constantly chastising my belief in the historical facts and miracles as fact rather than "stories". This point came to an amazing conclusion an hour into our conversation as we discussed Moses parting of the Red Sea.

They knew from our discussion that I was a scientist as well as a "person of the word". Knowing this Raymond asked, "Please tell me you don't really believe that Moses parted the Red Sea?" I immediately said that I believed that Moses stretched out the staff and God parted the Red Sea, to his amusement as he actually laughed at me. He said that Allah had placed them there at the time of a really low tide, and again laughed at me.

It was then that I looked him right in the eyes and asked "Is your god so weak that he can't part the sea? I told him, my God is the Creator God of all things, and all of creation is subject to Him!" With that a gust of wind lifted their 10' x 10' pop-up off the ground about 10' in the air; flipped it over backwards; and cast it behind them on the sidewalk. No one else's pop-up even moved.

I looked at them and said, "I rest my case!"

I told them that I would help them put it back, and if they agreed to be nice to me, I would even ask my God to not turn their pop-up over again. Needless to say, these two Islamic men where blown away by the gospel! Raymond was silent for the first time in an hour. As for my fellow laborers in Christ and myself, we were greatly encouraged in the Lord, as I hope you are as well upon hearing about the greatness and faithfulness of the Lord towards those He sends. God was truly with me to deliver me, and He will do the same for you. Therefore, go where He sends you and preach the gospel as He has commanded you, even when Satan tries to tell you shouldn't or that you are too young in the Lord. If you need evangelism training to put some shoes on your feet (Ep. 6:15) please contact us. ministerwya@aol.com

Jack Jackson - Bondservant of Jesus Christ