Category: Dr. John La Noue

Walking with God in 2019

When I asked Jesus to forgive my sins, as a sixteen-year-old young man, I had no idea, or concept of the kingdom Citizenship I had acquired!

When I prayed, confessed, and repented of my sins, I was aware of the sacrifice which gave me that privilege. I had been so burdened by guilt that it felt like I had dropped a pack off my shoulders when I prayed!

Since then I have been amassing an ever-increasing understanding of my blessings. Sixty-eight years later, as I inventory the massive mountain of blessings, here are a few:

1. That the creator of all is interested in hearing from me in prayer.
2.  He wants to fellowship with me as He did with Adam before the fatal fruit.
3. He had a plan for my life before I was born.
4.  If I am seeking His will, He will orchestrate my life to accomplish His will for me.
5. The Bible is full of God’s promises which cover every need and every phase of life.
6. Jesus actually meant everything He said.
7. God’s word, the Bible is true and it can be used to judge my experiences; not the other way around!
8. God is love and everything He plans for me is a result of His love for me.
9. My love for Him is shown by my obedience to His commands.
10. And the list goes on and on! BUT the greatest blessing of all is His creation of HEAVEN FOR OUR FUTURE…NO…for our ETERNITY!

Heaven, WOW: the place where the GLORY of GOD is fully displayed and experienced! Looking at Him clearly, not through a glass darkened by lack of knowledge or understanding. Because my faith in His son permits me to be wrapped in His robes of righteousness and I can leap into the lap of the Father and be hugged as His son! No more need for work on being transformed into Christlikeness. The transformation will be complete! I will not have lost who I am, but I will be the person I was created to be in the perfect form! We will know perfect unity in our worship and praise, no criticism of how we praise ALMIGHTY GOD, and there will be no offense in the presence of pure love. There will be no competition for titles, positions of power, no “corporate jealousy”, no politicking for favor. We will all be in the presence perfect love, perfect power, THE ALMIGHTY GOD who is the  great “I AM”; the creator of perfection!

Gates of pearl, golden streets, oh, those are fine, but being in the presence of our friends and family praising God together…OH! THAT’S HEAVEN TO ME!!!

It is Valentine Day and do I have “A Love Story”!

It was September 25^th, my 20^th birthday. Due to an injury, I was not traveling with the football team on that Saturday. I was trying to find the game on the radio in the Baptist Student Union, when a friend from my hometown joined me.

Lorella was a strong Christian, so the conversation turned to the Lord, His work, our experiences seeking and following His will for our lives. As we shared testimonies of how we had experienced His leadership, I told her about my off- campus activities. I was pastoring two small half-time churches in a rural area, and preaching as an interim pastor at a Black Baptist Church on Friday nights.

I realized being a single pastor had its dangers and pressures! The matchmakers in the congregations were having a heyday trying to find me a wife from the singles in the church!

I started praying for God’s will in my search for a wife. I had stopped dating for at least three months because I was convinced that God would bring the one I needed to me. My seeking the one had not been fruitful. I told God what kind of mate I wanted, I even gave Him the dimensions!

I told my friend about my dilemma, and that I was wasting my time dating until I found someone who was called to the ministry as a preacher’s wife.

She said she had to run some errands, but for me to stay because she would like to continue our discussion later.

When she returned, she brought her two roommates. One was a curly haired cutie who was miss personality. The other was very quiet, had Vaseline on her face, and her eyelashes and bangs were singed. She was the exhibitionist twirler and had gotten too close to two fire batons.

She sprained her ankle marching in a parade on Monday. I got permission to tape her ankle, carry her down stairs, and help her to class.

WE started dating and every date ended with a Bible study or a prayer meeting. I was a hot blooded Cajun, but God told me to keep my hands off because she was His property! Three weeks later she answered God’s call to be a pastor’s wife in a church service. I asked God if this was the one? He gave me the affirmation!

That night, I asked her to marry me! We found each other through the will of God as an answer to prayer.

She said, “yes!” !!! Then I kissed her for the first time!

We had known each other three weeks and we married two months later! Since we both were from broken homes, we did not have a good example to follow, but since God created the family we used the Bible as our marriage manual.

We have been married 64 years and 6 weeks, so its working extremely well!

Oh, by the way, I still remember those warm lips and that precious first kiss like it just happened!

Walking with God in 2019

I recently conducted a “Graduation” service for a close friend.

The obituary called it a funeral and gave the time and date of his “death”! No, he graduated to eternal life!

Friends, we are eternal beings! We live eternally in Heaven or Hell: our choice.

In 1 Corinthians 15:26, the Bible says, “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”

I hear people say so often that God took them away. But, I believe it is death that takes them, then God receives them.

Let me explain what I believe happens.

Death takes Robert, but Robert is a redeemed child of God.

Satan may call out to death, “Do you have Robert?”

Death may reply, “I had him, but Jesus took him away from me and told me that he was His property, purchased by His sacrifice!”

Satan may cry out, “Well, grave do you have him?”

Grave would have to say, “He and Jesus came through here. They dropped off a fancy box full of clay that Robert called his perishable earth suit (1 Corinthians 15:42-44); put on his imperishable Heaven suit, and left for Heaven!”

Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:55-57, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death sting? The sting of death is the sin, and the power of sin is the law.  But, thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

My word to death is, “You are no longer the feared “Grim Reaper”! God has changed you into the conductor who takes me to Jesus!

Praise our Marvelous GOD!

Walking with God in Dangerous Places

In 2004 there was a terrible earthquake in Bam, Iran. The news reported 22,000 deaths! Most of the city was built with unfired mud blocks which collapsed with the tremor!

It occurred between midnight and daylight, so most of the people were still asleep when their houses collapsed on them!

God used the tragedy to open the door for Baptist Global Response to send help. They are a branch of the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. They are a courageous group of First Responders.

The slogan that I saw in many public places in Iran, was “America is the Great Satan! Death to America! Slay all Americans!” It is not a comfortable place to work!!!

It was a dangerous place for us to be. But, God said, ”GO!”

I have learned to trust god in all things, so my response is, “Yes, Lord. Just tell me how.” I have worked in disaster response and other types of humanitarian aid for over 50 years. I have worked for over 13 years in with projects in North Korea, also in Bosnia, Herzegovina (We had to pretend to be Germans there because  Americans were not permitted to be there), and many other places.

I have learned that God not only protects, and provides for us, but sometimes He does it in humorous ways!

When the call came for a response to the Bam incident, the Alabama Baptist air lift kitchen was available. Texas Baptist Men put me in charge of the relief crew. Having worked in the Iranian mountains during Desert Storm, feeding 14,000 Kurdish refugees twice a day, I knew what to expect. In that response, I had been surrounded by troops with AK47s. I also endured 6.5 hours of intense interrogation!

When our chartered Russian plane landed in Bam, I told my team to stay seated while I deplaned to see what would happen.

As I descended the steps, I was met by an angry official, with a ferocious glare, who yelled at me, “Who are you and what are you doing here!”

Knowing something of the phonics of Arabic and Farsi, I pronounced Alabama with broad A, like Ah.

I said, “I am with the Alabama Kitchen,” he heard, “I am with the Allah Ba Ma Kitchen!”

He broke into a smile, grabbed me in a bear hug, kissed me on both cheeks and shouted, “Welcome to my country!”

What he heard in Farsi was, “I was with the God is with us Kitchen””.

God has a tremendous sense of humor!

If God gives you an assignment, do not try to reason your way out of it. Just say, “Yes Lord! How?” Because He is the Great Enabler, Great Provider, and Great Protector!

We have a Great and Glorious God!

The Mile of Desire… Dr. John La Noue

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus delivers the message called, “the Sermon on the Mount.” Tucked away in this message, in chapter 5:41, there is a powerful statement that takes a leap of faith to understand and practice. “If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.”

Let me tell you a story to illustrate this teaching.

A young Jewish lad was hoeing in his father’s garden when he saw a soldier approaching. He dropped his hoe, laid down under a vine, and tried to hide. Suddenly there was a loud burst of raucous laughter from the soldier as he shouted, “I see you Jew boy! You can’t hide from me! You know the law, come get my pack!”

The boy got up, picked up the heavy pack, and started trudging behind the soldier, muttering hateful things and cursing under his breath!

At his mile marker, the boy threw the pack to the ground and ran, screaming curses in anger!

The soldier laughed and shouted, “I know where you live, Jew boy! And when I come back from this campaign, I will make you carry my pack again!”

Several months later, the Roman soldier was returning, and he saw the young man working in the field. The lad dropped his hoe, leaped to the road and started running toward the soldier! This shocked the man so much that he thought, “Ambush! Something is wrong!” He moved his shield to the front, stopped, and gripped his sword!”

The Jewish lad ran to him smiling and shouting, “You made it! I’m so glad to see you! Wow, your pack is very large now!” The soldier dropped his pack and said, “Pick it up, boy!” He replied, “Yes, sir. I have been waiting to help you.”

The stunned soldier walked cautiously beside him. The lad said, “You must have been very brave and victorious to have so much stuff you won.” He said, “Yes, I was the first to breach the wall and engage the enemy!”

“Please tell me all about it, sir, I am eager to hear your story,” the soldier began to tell about the battle and also began to relax his guard, as he told a story of heroism in battle.

When they reached the boy’s mile marker, the man told him to drop the pack. But, the young boy said, “Please sir, I am enjoying being with you and listening to you so much; may I carry it another mile?”

The stunned man said, “Ok, but let me help you.” As he slipped his arm around the heavy pack.

The boy asked him about his family and home in Italy and the soldier’s eyes moistened as his described his family. He spoke of having a son the Jewish boy’s age. As he walked and talked, he lifted more and more of the load until he was practically carrying the pack and the lad!

When the reached the second mile marker, the soldier said, “Son, you must go home. It will be dark soon and these roads are not safe.”

The lad told him he would, but only if he promised to let him carry his pack if he came back his way. The man was mystified… he asked “Son, what happened to you since I passed this way earlier?”

The boy replied, “Sir, after you came, I walked this road with a man named Jesus. He forgave my sins and taught me to forgive others who have hurt me,

He told me if a man makes me walk a mile as a duty, then I should walk the second mile as a desire. A desire to demonstrate love, a desire to give grace to another, and the desire to demonstrate Christ-likeness to help another find salvation in Him.”

The soldier said that he had heard of the man, Jesus, in Jerusalem.

Then he said, If He can do in my life what He has done in yours, I want to walk with Him also!”

When you get past the mile of duty and begin to walk the mile of desire transformation happens!

Link to purchase book here!

280 Days before Christmas!

It is Christmas!

Have you ever wondered what happened 280 days before Christmas?

The Bible tells us that God chose a Hebrew virgin to be the mother of His son. What kind of lady must she have been to be chosen? The Angel told her, “You are highly favored of God.” Wow! What a privilege!

When she asked how, the answer was overpowering! The Bible says, in Matthew 1:35, “The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will over shadow you.’”

Knowing that being a pregnant, unmarried woman was a death sentence, she replied, “I am the Lord’s servant, may it be to me as you have said.”

Jesus started as a fertilized egg, or zygote. By the 4th week the embryo is the size of a pinhead.

In week 5, the brain, spine, and heart begin to form. By the end of week 5, the heart begins pumping blood, and the embryo has grown to English pea size!

During the rest of the first trimester, the face and limbs begin to form, and all the major organs are formed, but they are too immature for the fetus to survive outside the womb.

This is the early formation of the savior of the world, and he is less than 1.5 inches in size.

We have a miraculous God!

During the second trimester the fingernails, toenails develop on the hands and feet that will one day be nailed to a cross!

His ears stand out, hearing begins, and he responds to sounds. There is facial development, with eye movement, and he responds to sounds outside his mother’s body. He also becomes more physically active.

The body that would become the sacrificial Lamb of God, would be structurally complete and awaiting the full development that occurs in the third trimester.

In the third trimester muscles develop and greater movement is experienced. The hands that would touch and heal, the voice and lungs that would declare God’s love and salvation to the world are fully formed. The feet that would carry the savior through Israel, walk on water, and be nailed to the cross were moving and eager to be free!

When the 280 days are complete the baby rotates, placing his head in the birth canal, and the birth process of the savior Jesus began.

When he was free from Mary’s womb and in Joseph’s hands, he drew his first breath and…ALL HEAVEN BROKE LOOSE!!!

What a miraculous and mighty GOD we have!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Prayer is the Believer’s Primary Practice 

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Prayer is the Believer’s Primary Practice 

In the New Testament, prayer is central to everything that happens. Jesus prayed before each event in His life; from the selection of His disciples to the time of His crucifixion,

All of Paul’s letters speak of his prayers for the recipients before he delivers his message to them.

My prayer life has been a series of developmental steps.

Let me explain: my earliest prayer experience was when I was told at bedtime, “Say your prayers” , as my mother knelt with me beside my bed.

She would coax me to pray by categories: “John, what do you want to thank God for?”, then, “who do you want God to bless?”. My response ran from my parents to the cat with the sore tail!

Shortly after my sixteenth birthday, I trusted Christ as my savior! In my development as a new Christian, prayer became a duty. I developed a prayer list and a scheduled time to pray. I wanted to please God and seek His response.

As my life in Christ transformed my understanding of the All Mighty Father God. Praying as a duty gave way to the realization prayer is a divine privilege!

To realize the Almighty God would care enough about me to desire my communication with Him, was an awesome realization! What a privilege it is to pray!

But the Scriptures tell us to pray without ceasing. How could I do that and still fulfill my obligations to my work and my family?

Then it hit me! Before the fall of Adam in Genesis, God came and walked with him in the Garden of Eden…Fellowship! That God desires our fellowship in addition to our worship and praise!

I realized I needed to practice the realization that He is present, He is with me all the time. He is like the atmosphere around me and in me. I live in, and breathe in him continually!

He is interested in everything that concerns me, the minuscule as well as the mighty; the major and the minor things as well!

There is a time every day when I come into His presence, presenting my praise, worshiping Him, confessing to Him, and experiencing the overwhelming love He expresses to me! But, when I say “Amen,” it is a comma, not a period to my prayer. Because I am in conversation with Him all day long!

My prayer life has moved from being a duty, to being a privilege, to being a PASSION!

OH, What a Mighty GOD we serve!

Walking with God in Broken Places is the title of the book offered by Amigos Internacionales Inc. on their website. I wrote the book with selections from over four decades of disaster relief and humanitarian aid work.

It all started in 1967, when I designed and built a mobile medical and dental clinic for a student summer missions project. I sent the registration papers to the Baptist Student Union office, but they were afraid of the liability it might cause. I formed a tax exempt company, Amigos Internacionales, to be the holding company so the medical and dental students could use it for the summer project.

This eventually led to the designing, and construction of the first Baptist mobile disaster unit in 1970. Now there are over 1500 units in the Southern Baptist Convention, and over 95,000 trained volunteers.

The book tells the story and a lot more! The cover is an introduction.

The top center picture is the debris field and the destruction after Hurricane Katrina. It illustrates much of what I have walked through in the last forty plus years.

The photo on the lower left side is in Sri Lanka after their deadly Tsunami. After investigating the miles of total destruction, we responded with disaster relief work and humanitarian aid. We determined, if they were to rebuild, they would need skilled craftsmen.

In the picture, I am laying out the trade school building site. We eventually taught carpentry, plumbing, and electrical skills. We also taught design and decorating.

The photo on the lower right is of me helping install a soy processing mill in North Korea. It would supply soy milk, soy oil, flour, tofu, and miso for 3800 undernourished school children.

The book unfolds the background stories of heartbreak, loss, and destruction. The only way I could walk through the last four decades of this list of broken places and broken people is to walk through them with God!

I have learned of the importance and power of prayer!

I have learned of God’s provision, His protection, and to walk with Him in unceasing prayer and praise!

To walk with Him seeking His will and to be a glove on God’s hand!

OH, HE Is A MIGHTY GOD!