God's Miracles

This morning I woke up at 5am from a crazy dream and my heart was beating irregularly. It felt like my heart was hiccuping.
I asked Tara to check and she noticed it too.
It kept going like this and was really scary. I prayed that it would go away but it continued. So we prayed about it and decided to go to the ER.
They got me in right away and checked my heart with an EKG.
Then they ran blood tests and those came back okay. The doctor came in and said that the upper chamber of my heart wasn't functioning properly and they were thinking that they would shock the heart back into rhythm.
I was pretty scared about it because they said the effect of the shock could cause a stroke if a blood clot formed.

Tara was and is amazing, she sat near me and prayed with me. She quoted Philippians 4:6-7 to me

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

I felt a peace about what was happening. It says that the peace of God will guard your hearts, man what amazing truth to hold on to. I realized there was no need to be anxious or afraid because God was there every minute.

We called our parents to let them know what was going on. After we had just finished with our parents on the phone, the doctor walked in said he talked with another doctor in Madison. He said that they would give me some medicine and hopefully the heart would eventually return back to normal. Wow, great news!

The doctor didn't know exactly what caused this to happen to me, but said that caffeine, stress, dehydration, heart disease, hyperthyroid, and some others are factors for people that have this.

So Tara and I got up and headed out of the hospital. As we were on our way back home, the irregular beats stopped! I'm taking it easy today...doctors orders.

I don't doubt for a second that the prayers for me and for the doctors helped reset my heart. I'm not fully out of the clear though. I need to see the doctor again tomorrow and hopefully it doesn't come back.

Just wanted to share how awesome God is!

Tim and Tara Chamberlain
-For the sake of the Gospel

A New Adventure

As Tara and I have come back to get ready for the semester to begin, the new adventure of being the campus director is starting to set in. With large group meetings to plan, leadership training to think about, Bible studies to plan, and many other details to coordinate; the feeling can be a bit overwhelming.

I was reading in Isaiah and thinking about this new adventure and responsibility that we are stepping into and felt peace that our Lord would not leave us. God will be right there, in fact, He has already gone before us and behind us to make the way for us.
Isaiah 52:12 says,

"But you will not leave in haste or go in flight; for the Lord will go before you, the God of Israel will be your rear guard."

How awesome is that?!
Tara was telling me that she similarly was reading in Isaiah 41 and felt a peace about this new challenge and adventure.
Isaiah 41:10 says,

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Tara and I are excited to step into this new role and adventure. We ask that you would continue to pray for us, for strength and continual renewal by the Holy Spirit.

Tim and Tara Chamberlain
-For the sake of the Gospel

I am fool according to the world

Recently Tara and I have experienced spiritual attacks about what we do.
It's frustrating when people that say they are Christians don't understand why we are working with The Navigators. They question why we fundraise and our work schedule; because it's not like the rest of the world.

Tara and I are confident that we have been called by God to work with college students in Whitewater. Though it still can be discouraging when people close to us don't understand and they may never understand. God never promised that following Him would not be easy.

This morning God answered in a big way. Tara was spending time in 1 Corinthians and read chapter 4. Below are verses 8-13.

"Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have become kings—and that without us! How I wish that you really had become kings so that we might be kings with you! 9For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like men condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to men. 10We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! 11To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. 12We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; 13when we are slandered, we answer kindly. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world."

In 1 Corinthians 1:26-27 Paul says:

"For consider your calling brothers: not many of you were wise according to wordly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise"

Thinking about how God has used us this past semester blows my mind. Peter coming to Christ was by far the greatest memory of the semester and there is no price tag that you can put on that. So it is hard to have people question what we are doing. But I would rather do what God has called me to do and look like a fool in the worlds eyes than going with the crowd and missing these amazing opportunities of bringing someone into God's Kingdom!

Tim and Tara Chamberlain
-For the sake of the Gospel

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone!

We hope you all have a great time with family during this holiday season and have a great start to the new year. In Psalm we are reminded to number our days so that we may be careful to spend each day wisely. We pray that God will meet all of your needs and give you good health.

"Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom."
-Psalm 90:12

"Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ."

Tim and Tara Chamberlain
-For the sake of the Gospel

Merry Christmas!

Tara and I wish you all a Merry Christmas and hope you get some great time with family.
We'll be traveling quite a bit over the winter break and would appreciate your prayers.
Thank you for partnering with us in this ministry through prayers and financial support.
We couldn't be here without you.
Merry Christmas!

Tim and Tara Chamberlain
-For the sake of the Gospel

The Greatest Inheritance of All Time

In light of the economic hard times, it's refreshing to know that those who have put their hope and trust in Christ have an amazing inheritance that can never depreciate or lose value. (Unlike the stock market)

"So also, when we were children, we were in slavery under the basic principles of the world. But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba Father." So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir."

Can you believe that God, the one and only God of the universe who created all things, would do this for you and me? That we could be heirs to God?! You can't get much higher up than that.

David said in Psalm 8:4-5

"what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?
You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor"

The sad thing is that are many people around you and me that believe the lie that can get their way into Heaven. As long as they are good enough or give enough money or whatever the good work is.

Ephesians 2:8-9 says "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast."

2 Corinthians 10:7 says "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord"

Tim and Tara Chamberlain
-For the sake of the Gospel

Giving Thanks In All Things

Why do we give thanks? I know that sounds like a crazy question.
Americans spent approximately $28.5 billion dollars on Thanksgiving this year.
The day after Thanksgiving, Americans spent approximately $460 billion dollars.
WOW! I have to admit that I was a part of that group that shopped after Thanksgiving for presents. Tara and I had our list of who to buy for this Christmas and it was a great day to get good deals. But do we really need these things?

I heard a quote on the radio as Tara and I were driving back from South Dakota which this pastor said:
"I use to complain that I had no shoes, until I met a man that had no feet."
It's easy to look around and see what we don't have. Commercials and advertising is there to tell us that we aren't good enough unless we have their product.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 says "give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." It's seems easy to give thanks to God when things are going well. When the family is healthy, the job is going well, the cars are working well, the bills are paid, and the to do list is finished (atleast for now). But that's not what God intended for us. God wants us to give him thanks in all situations. As I was thinking about this verse this came to mind; when I complain and don't give thanks to God in all things, what I am showing God is that I don't believe that He knows what is best for my life.

We don't have a God that likes to make us unhappy. We have a God that loves us so much that He sent His son to die on the cross, a bloody death, for our sins. That in our repentance and faith in Christ we will have peace with God! How awesome is that!

Thank you Lord for dying on the cross for us and taking the penalty of sin on your shoulders. Thank you God for sending your Son to come and live a perfect life as an example for us and then die a criminals death for so that we might be free. Lord I pray that everyday would be a day of thanksgiving and that in all things we would thank You.

Tim and Tara Chamberlain
-For the sake of the Gospel