Bighorn Surprise
Matt Miles • April 23, 2021
On a recent trip to the great state of Montana, we experienced the Lord working in people’s lives. In the midst of being blessed by great hospitality and open arms from our brothers and sisters in Christ, Bob and I were far from home to accomplish a task. The Lord used us to reinforce faith in Him and His Word in mighty ways. We saw strongholds, from big to small, of evolutionary worldviews broken down and filled with the Truth instead. The freeing was visible on many faces, with a renewed excitement for the Lord’s Word and study.
While in Montana we also had the opportunity to observe wildlife we don’t experience often here in Oklahoma. For Bob, a bighorn sheep was on the list. So, one afternoon we were shown a herd of these majestic sheep - not on the side of a mountain, not on a mighty cliff face, not at high altitude after a strenuous hike… but in the chain-link fenced backyard of a subdivision house. Not exactly where we expected to see them, to say the least. Evidently, this is a common occurrence during this time of year as they forage the greening grass and flowering plants in yards. This was not the most impactful site for me that afternoon, though.
As the herd peacefully grazed in this nice suburban backyard, they didn’t seem to notice or care about us on the street. Traffic came and went, slowing to observe this seemingly odd site. The sheep didn’t even seem to be concerned by the home owner working around the front yard and vehicles. Then, in a flash, the herd’s posture changed to alarm. We observed all their bighorn-adorned heads pop up and clearly observe an impending threat. In almost one fluid motion they began to move away from the house and flew over the fence. To my shock, a small white dog came running around the house, obviously upset by the sheep in its yard. (Take another look at the picture) This dog was barely taller than their ankles and could be silenced by a couple of swift kicks of a hoof, or better yet, a nice thump of a head and horn from these mighty animals. Yet, this small, high-stung vocal attacker fooled the sheep into fear and intimidation. I could only watch in total shock as the sheep didn’t stand their ground and fight but instead gave up their “green pasture” to this unworthy adversary.
O, what a truth was expressed that afternoon for each of us. During these days our adversary, Satan, is putting up a lot of bluster and intimidation. Like those sheep, many times we let that cause fear and we run from what the Lord has blessed us with. We are fooled into thinking that he (Satan) actually has more power than he does, maybe even mightier than the One who lives within us. I was reminded of 1 Peter 5:8-11 where we are reminded that in the face of suffering we are to stand firm knowing we are not alone. In the face of increasing persecution from the evil one and his minions, I urge you to stand firm. Continue LOOKING UP to the One who gives us strength and freedom from all adversaries!
One of the most important ministry focuses CTF has is the Sharp Institute for Biblical Worldview Studies (SIBWS). Dr. Sharp began this division of our ministry in 2005 because of a specific call from the Lord. As Doc would share often, the Lord challenged him. He saw that even with all of the programming and books sold in the church programs that we did year after year, and as impactful and Kingdom-building as that was, when we left there was most often no one in the local body to continue our message and teaching on Genesis 1-12 and its importance to the Gospel. The Lord directed Doc to multiply the teaching and mission of CTF in the local body. So Doc heard the call and accepted the challenge, as he always did from the Lord, and IBWS was born. Doc called a few people to join him for study that first meeting of the IBWS at a dude ranch in north Texas. I was one of those first invited to come and study, as many of you know from my personal testimony shared over the years. It was Providence that directed me to this Cadre study group and laid the foundation for me to be in the position I am today. As the four of us in that first group studied, the Lord connected, emphasized, and exhorted the importance of Genesis in our worldviews. When I left that first meeting, I was full and ready to teach and preach what the Lord had just challenged and changed in my worldview. Now, 21 years later, Doc’s original calling and direction for the IBWS continues. Over the course of these years, 146 members have completed the training. Each one has been challenged to use what they have learned wherever the Lord places them in ministry. For some it is from the pulpit, others are in vocational student ministry, and some have been called to primarily impact their own families with worldview training. We send them off with all of our outlines and presentation slides to help accomplish this task. It is quite exciting to look back and see what the Lord has done through this endeavor. Ryan and I literally might not be where we are today if we hadn’t first studied in our Cadre program. When Doc retired and passed the mantle of the presidency to me in 2018, it seemed fitting to honor his enduring call to Biblical worldview training by renaming the Institute to bear his name. So now it will forever be called the Sharp Institute for Biblical Worldview Studies. Over the course of its history we have had consistent numbers of invited members desiring to learn more of the Word of God. However, we have never had a consistent location to provide the training. It’s through the generous offerings of borrowed church facilities that we have been able to continue SIBWS without a home of its own. It is time to change that. We are in need of our own facility to house the SIBWS presently and for future expansion of this CTF ministry division. We have been pursuing different options, from renovating our present office building to the purchasing of additional space. Providence would have it that 2 doors north of our offices there is a property for sale. It is a great fit for the SIBWS Cadre program needs, and it would also provide room for our books and resources department to expand out of its present cramped space. It has a room for a training facility, a kitchen (needing renovation), dining room options, possible sleeping quarters for a Cadre member in need, 3 bathrooms and a shower, parking out back (which we have been blessed to utilize for years by permission), and the afore mentioned room for our books and resources department. We have no idea how we could ever afford such a property without the Lord’s help, as we are devoted to being as debt free as possible moving forward in this ministry. In the midst of seeking the Lord for this need to be met, He has already sent us a generous offer of a $100,000 matching gift toward the purchase of a property , even if the building up the block is not the one. Truly, our financial position has never been more blessed at any other time in our history than at present, being completely debt free. So, I share all of this to ask for your prayers as we move forward to find a solution to our need of a home for the SIBWS and it’s continued effectiveness for the Kingdom. Also lift up the matching gift offer: I must exhort you to seek the Lord if you are one to help us do what, at this moment seems impossible, to purchase property without incurring debt . The mission of CTF is accomplished month in and month out with the exceeding blessings of churches, family members, and individuals that support us. The Lord’s faithfulness through all these years is unmistakable and we look forward to seeing Him do more of the impossible. May the Lord bless, keep, and challenge you for His Kingdom!
The First Prayer In Congress by T.H. Matteson, 1848