Things in life seldom go exactly as planned, but there are occasions when our plans are completely sidelined by circumstances that are out of our control. It’s in these moments that we must decide how we will respond. We must cultivate a mindset for finding the best in bad situations.

Will we get angry and frustrated, allowing something to completely ruin the rest of the day? Or will we remember Paul’s words in Philippians 4:8? “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”

Here’s Jon recalling a story from a time when his dad chose to think about what was good and pure when his plans were ruined by something that was completely out of his power to change.

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Sometimes it’s easy to get our priorities mixed up when it comes to ministry. It becomes unclear to us where and to whom we should be ministering. There are times when God puts opportunities directly in front of us, and although we might see them for what they are, they don't seem important enough for our attention.

A great example of this is found in Matthew 19:13-14 as Jesus was ministering, it reads “Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven."

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In this episode, Jon recalls a quote from pro football player J. J. Watt:

“Success isn't owned. It's leased and rent is due every day.”

As Christians, we must always remember that prayer is not something that is one-and-done. It is to be an everyday part of our walk with Christ. If we are not constantly in prayer before Him, we are missing out on the fullness that God has for us.

In John 15:4-5 Jesus said, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”

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Oftentimes in our lives, especially when we are in ministry, it’s easy to start taking ourselves too seriously. We forget to laugh at our mistakes or at times when things just don’t go as planned. How often do we meticulously plan something like ministry time and then beat ourselves up when it doesn’t go exactly the way we had arranged for it to happen?

In this episode, Jon recalls a very funny story from the early days of Dr. Jay Swallow’s tent meeting ministry. During one of these meetings, he was unexpectedly interrupted by the most unlikely of guests and he wasn’t quite sure what to do about it.

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In this episode, Jon recalls a story from his dear friend Dr. Jay Swallow. As Jay was ministering across the nation, the Lord placed him in a unique position of authority among the Native tribes as chief of chiefs in the United States. As such, he was given many opportunities to minister not just to the tribes, but with other men of God as well.

When Jay was invited to lay hands on Billy Graham to pray for him, he was faced with the lesson Paul addresses in 2 Timothy 1:6-7:

“Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

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How often in our lives do we attempt to hide the scars of our past failures and defeats? We find shame in these perceived “imperfections” which makes us want to hide them from others.

In Isaiah 61:3, we see an image of Christ who came “To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”

Instead of running from the scars of our past, we need to learn to see them as beauty marks; To embrace them, and tell the stories of God’s faithfulness in our times of defeat.

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As Jon’s ministry in Guatemala continued to grow, word began to spread about the amazing things God was doing. One person who drew particular interest was Brigadier General James “Robbie” Risner who had been a fighter pilot in the United States Air Force and a senior leader among U.S. prisoners of war during the Vietnam War.

In Vietnam, Risner was a double recipient of the Air Force Cross, the second highest military decoration for valor that can be awarded to a member of the United States Air Force. The first was awarded to him for valor in aerial combat and the second for gallantry as a prisoner of war of the North Vietnamese for more than seven years. He was the first living recipient of the medal.

Risner had become an ace in the Korean War where he commanded a squadron of F-105 Thunderchiefs in the first missions of Operation Rolling Thunder in 1965. He flew a combined 163 combat missions, was shot down twice, and was credited with destroying eight MiG-15s. He retired as a brigadier general in 1976.

Listen in as Jon tells about how Robbie Risner got involved with the ministry that was happening in Guatemala and beyond and how God used all of it to help Robbie discover that he needed God's "New Wine" in new wineskins to revive him in his heart and passion for Christ.

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In the early 2000s, Jon’s church Christ’s Center was experiencing a time of great growth and blessing in all of its ministries. It was at this time that the Lord began speaking to Jon about laying everything down and transitioning out as pastor of the church. The question remained to be asked: who would replace Jon as the pastor?

The man the Lord chose for the job was the least likely candidate anyone could have ever imagined.

This reminds us of another time in Scripture when God led Samuel to the least likely candidate for the new King of Israel. He said, “For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

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As Jon moved forward in seeking God about new ministry opportunities, he received a clear word from the Lord out of Psalm 2:8 –

“Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession.”

It took him over a year to finally ask the Lord for a nation, and when he did, God not only answered his prayer but did amazing things far and beyond what any of them could have ever imagined.

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In Mark 16:15, Jesus gives the command “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” More often than not, it’s incredibly easy for us, as believers, to grow complacent in our walk with Christ. We know we should be sharing our faith with others, but we don’t know where to start. In the 1990s, members from Jon’s church started to notice a new kind of mission field along the road between Junction City (where they lived) and Portland, Oregon. 

In this episode, Jon talks about this exciting period of time when they were able to share the Gospel with countless hitchhikers on the road to Portland.

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