A new “Google Earth” satellite photo of House Nazareth just became available. Click here to see it as a “PDF” file (with labels of the buildings). [You will need to get Adobe's free "Acrobat Reader" if you do not already have it.] For a description of the buildings and an overview of the entire project, click on the link in the column to the right, “Complete project description”.

We are currently in the Los Angeles area, staying with Seanne and Daniel (our oldest daughter and her husband) while we meet with friends old and new who have a heart for House Nazareth.

There are a little over three weeks left until the deadline for the downpayment!

The amount that has been given and loaned (including firm pledges) stands currently at $602,000. That is an amazing confirmation of God’s blessing!

The remaining amount - approximately $400,000 - is needed by April 25th. Please pray!

Hi, everybody!

This has been a busy week, so I didn’t get to the blog before now - and I’ve just got a moment to update you on a speaking engagement.

I’m in the Chicago area for a couple of days for meetings with our friends at First Baptist Church in Elmhurst. Pastor Phil Miller will be interviewing me in the service on Sunday and we’ll conclude the service with the 12-minute video we’ve developed about the vision of Philosophia and “House Nazareth”, followed by a time of sharing and discussion time.

If you’re in the Chicago area, I’d like to warmly invite you to join us for that time! The church is located on the corner of York and St. Charles Road in Elmhurst. (Church phone = 630-832-9100). The service begins at 10:30am.

It would be really neat if you could come!

I ran across this story on the BBC this morning about an Afghani Muslim who has turned to Christ. While not knowing all the details, it is obvious that there is a struggle between light and darkness swirling around this confessor of Jesus. Pray that Light will come into the situation and God will defend and protect him and other Muslims who have become followers of the Lamb.

Thanks for your continued prayers. It’s official! Philosophia is now publically incorporated in Germany. The court in Berlin (Charlottenburg) presented the articles of incorporation to Matthias yesterday. No cheap manila folder or creased pages stuffed into an envelope, the pages are bound and graced with a wax seal of the court, complete with red cord binding together the entire document. (When things are official, German bureaucrats seem to hit a very special note. Something I’ve come to appreciate.)

Please pray that the official documents of recognition as a non-profit charity by the “Finanzamt” (already verbally agreed to) will now follow quickly without any hitches.

Thanks for your prayers: there was a positive outcome of the discussions in Germany with the court and Finanzamt (German IRS) on the incorporation and tax-deductible status of Philosophia in Germany (something we already have in the U.S.). Please pray that the final documents will be finished this week. God’s timing is perfect. Which reminds me of another thought Ihad a couple of days ago.

In the 1980’s there was a lot of talk in management circles about “just-in-time” production. Instead of having parts and components stocked up in inventory (which costs space and was inefficient), top companies worked toward a “just-in-time” production schedule in which the parts and components arrived right at the moment needed and not before.

We’re getting closer to the deadline for the “3rd miracle” of House Nazareth: on April 25th the funds for the down payment need to be transferred to the German bank. By that date $960,000 in donations or interest-free loans need to be available to see the purchase go through.

As I’ve looked at the calendar (sometimes even stared at it a little), I imagine how Moses must have felt at the Red Sea. The half-thought, half-prayer rises in my heart: “Uh… Lord… You know we’ll only survive if You part the waters. Don’t You think You want to start things moving a little faster? Like, maybe, a little ‘wind’ picking up or something?”

But then I realize, God is a “just-in-time” God. He is never too early and never too late.

The prophet Habakkuk received a clear answer from the Lord when he worried that the prophecies he saw were not coming about:

“The revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.” Habakkuk 2:3 (NIV)

While I’m not a prophet and “House Nazareth” is not a vision of the end times, the principle holds: God’s timing is always perfect. Which isn’t always comfortable for us waiting for His miracles. But it sure strengthens your prayer life.

The application of Philosophia for recognition as a tax-deductible charity in Germany is in the final stages of discussion with the German finance ministry (German IRS). (We already have IRS recognition in the United States.) Please pray specifically that the case worker and her supervisor will approve the latest revisions to the articles of incorporation (they’re really just “fine-tuning”, but bureaucracy is the same around the world!). Pray that the present version will be speedily approved and that Dr. Ploner and our lawyer can pick up the papers from the finance ministry office!

Our good friend, Debby Topliff, wrote some thoughts recently that I’d like to share with you (with her permission). She has been meditating and painting her reflections on the book of Revelation (more on that in a moment).

“Dear Clark and Ann,
We are excited with you - sitting on the edge of our seats so to speak-as we wait and watch to see God’s dramatic move in your lives. (Revelation intrigues me because it shows us the end of the story so we don’t have to be afraid.)

You may know I’ve had a foot problem - a metal joint in my big toe, a broken toe, and a badly sprained ankle after being thrown off a horse. Finally, after 3 years I am able to resume prayer walks with John and explorations in the woods and on the lakeshore. Praise God. But this bruising of the foot has made me think of the seed of Adam and Eve who would be bruised in the foot. I take this as a sign of humiliation… the enemy trying to stop us in our tracks, prevent us from moving forward.

Yet the promised one will smite the enemy in its head - the place of thinking, reasoning, deceiving. That’s why our battle is with the sword of the spirit, the Word of God. We fight against false ideas - we hold up the truth.

There is a marked contrast in the armor of God between the enemy’s flaming arrows shot from afar - and from a hiding place - and the sword of God us in direct, face to face and person to person contact. That’s why the Lord sends us into all nations - to take the truth face to face. And if they see our faces, the glory of God beginning to be revealed, if they see the truth spoken in love… then there is hope.

Blessings!

Debby

PS: After I wrote you I was thinking about the posture of humility - being forced to your knees - as the only way to victory over the enemy. Like Jesus, we must be faithful witnesses to the truth. We don’t have to defend ourselves. We may appear defeated, but we know the secret ending of the story.”

As I mentioned, Debby has been painting the images of the book of Revelation. You can view her talking about some of her work here.

(To view the clip, you’ll need “Windows Media Player”, which can be downloaded for free at Microsoft.)

I had a good phone conversation with Matthias yesterday afternoon
(late at night his time
Good news: the German Finance Ministry (equivalent of the U.S. IRS) has given pre-approval for Philosophia’s application as a tax-deductible charity! This means that another foundation stone is in place for the purchase of “House Nazareth”!

Ancient Israel was always connecting their experiences with God to things and places. God Himself ordered them to set up standing stones at different locations in their land to remind them of what He had done for them. Our modern evangelical connection to things and places is pretty fractured. I think the historical roots for this lie in the abuse of physical objects such as statues and relics in mediaeval society. And one must acknowledge that there are some kinds of objects that God definitely forbid Israel to associate with (graven images for worship, in particular). But objects (and places) can also be good reminders of how God has blessed. Even an object as simple as a button.

Our daughter Seanne gave Ann this button a while back and Ann put it on a picture frame in our bedroom. As I was walking by the other day, it caught my eye. (It’s so true of our lives right now!) But then my eye drifted farther. The frame itself holds a somewhat tattered sheet of typing paper. On it is the promise God gave Ann and me as we left Germany almost 3 years ago and began what we’ve called our “time of troubles”. It is the word from God to the children of Israel just before crossing into the promised land (I’ve shared this before):

“When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests, who are Levites, carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before… Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you.” Joshua 3:3-5 (NIV)

I contemplated the road He has led: starting Philosophia International with committed friends and associates, teaching courses at Boise State University, linking together with German and American brothers and sisters to purchase “House Nazareth”… the list could go on. He certainly has led us on ways we had never been before. And you are such an important part of this adventure! Thank you a thousand times for your continued prayers for us, the Philosophia team in America and Germany, House Nazareth…