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From:
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Don Lee
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Email Address:
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don.lee.family@gmail.com
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Subject:
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Retiring the website...
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Message:
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When the website was built, many years back, it was never planned but as Rand, Dave and myself were visiting Archer and Jane and heard the testimonies of what Jesus Abbey had been doing and had become, we were flooded with God?s peace from all worldly external forces and realized God was being glorified through the lives of His servants, Jane and Archer. The message was so clear in Jane and Archer?s commitment to a life of poverty and to love of the Lord so much that they could give up anything the Lord asked them to give up. It is a profound message and perhaps our greatest fear, complete obedience. In turn, God made their lives more exciting and more fulfilled than they could ever have imagined in all their youthful longings.
Today?s technology allows anyone to build a website instantaneously but not our case. We did not have the know how or the experience but we prayed that night for the Lord to come and build a beautiful website. God brought my friend Brian into the picture, he had never heard of the Torreys but as the testimonies and Abbey lessons were shared God lead him to be very faithful.
Recently the subject of retiring the website surfaced and it forced me to respond. Granted there are new technologies and websites for gathering like Facebook, Flickr and Link-in, etc ( I actually do not know which or others because I do not use them) and could serve a purpose to stay in touch.
The website has been viewed as frozen in a moment in time since Archer?s passing but I do not see it from that perspective. The website was not built as a local strip mall to be knocked down for a mega Christian highway for commerce or advertisement. It was clearly for the purpose to post the testimony of God?s work through His servants and how God is glorified.
I explain it as a Greek Pantheon, frozen in time, timeless, historic, beautiful to view and stories to affect each viewer whom God has lead to the website. It is the hope that all viewers will take with them a personal message for that special time or time of need and praise God.
I rejoice in God?s plans for the website from the photos of building the Abbey, Jane?s artwork, the stories of when Archer and Jane had only one onion and a bag of tea left in the cupboard and shared that with strangers, or the time Yancey and Archer sat in a train starving while a family ravenously ate their lunch in front of them. And to see how the Jesus Abbey, a house of prayer, has grown to 100 members and today eat better than the old days, all provisions from God, a miracle. There are many, many other stories to praise God for the faithful. My personal favorite is the THI recording of Archer?s lecture, sure THI botched up the recording but it was not the purpose to record or the message but the simple pleasure I get listening to Archer?s God-present, peaceful, soothing voice (anytime, anywhere I want).
Many visit the website to revisit that memory of the peace in the Lord Jane and Archer had and tried to teach us. As God has given many new important responsibilities to Jesus Abbey and its members, this website was built by Jane, Archer and us to share their story. As projects move forward and advance the work of God and glorify his name, the JesusAbbey.tv website, Archer and Jane?s ideas and stories will remain archived and historic. I encourage those that come to view the website to click around and read some of the Torrey?s writings and witness how giving God complete control of their lives and experiencing an intimate relationship with God can make you life more exciting and fulfilled than you could ever have imagined.
As for the Message Board, I hope when you come to the website you click around to view the things I have been talking about. But for those that do visit but do not share a posting, maybe because of the shame in their present walk with God or just plain lazy, I encourage you to share and let God and his community of believers reach out and serve each other. No matter what, you are precious to God and it is important.
I do not post much and far be it I am chatty today but let me finally mention an comment about an experience I had making the film about the R A Torreys; Complete Obedience, you really should watch it, visit a friend who has copy and view it.
?It only takes a spark to get a fire going and soon all those around will warm up to its glowing. ? (I always liked that song, do you remember it? Let me know if you do.)
May the website, as is, bless you and may we as a community, not of this earth, serve others and glorify God. Please post your thoughts and prayers, be courageous, your faith will glorify God and watch Him work!
I look forward to hearing from all of you. Love in the Lord, don (hugo)
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