Thirty Years!

Dear Friends in Jesus,

Thirty years ago on April 3, 1996, I had no idea what the LORD had in store for me when Paul Lee and I launched Heartlight.org on the world wide web. At the time the internet was barely three years old and in its version of the Model T era – dial up access on 300 baud modems that went beep-beep-squawk-screech-beep-beep. None of us knew what the internet would become and how God had planned to use us to bless others through it.

The journey began during the Lord's Supper at our early service on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, November 26, 1995. I had just canceled my two-minute radio devotionals on Austin radio because this key primetime station had increased the cost by a factor of five. We couldn't afford it. As I was talking with the LORD in my heart, I shared with Him this thought: "Jesus, I know You gave Your body and blood to save the world, but what am I am supposed to do to reach that world when we have such limited funds and so great a need?"

The answer came almost immediately: "The internet, dummy!" No, the words were not audible. No one else heard them. But I heard them so clearly in my heart that I unconsciously said out loud, "What?" People startled around me. I was embarrassed. I hadn't experienced anything like this before. So, I asked the question in my heart again, and received the same response: "The internet, dummy."

Now I know that doesn't sound anything like the majestic call of Isaiah (Isaiah 6:1-7). For me, "Cornbread English Phil," however, it felt appropriate. This wasn't about my qualifications or knowledge of the web; it was about the LORD's desire to provide a place on this emerging communication tool that pointed people to Jesus, didn't charge for it, and longed to see lost people saved. So in my own way like Isaiah, I humbly said (Isaiah 6:8): "Here am I, LORD, send me!"

Through what I call a "god-incidence," God introduced to Paul Lee later that same week. Paul had produced a mission video to show on the following Sunday. I asked to see it first. As the Holy Spirit does if we allow Him, the conversation lingered long enough for Paul to volunteer, "Let me know if you are interested in more videos. Oh, and if you are interested in anything on the internet, I am starting to experiment with that as well."

Hmm… hmm!!! I shared what had happened the day before during Communion. We brainstormed. I contacted Paul Faulkner, a hero and mentor acquainted with media ministry, and also Randy Becton, who was a key contributor to Herald of Truth, another media ministry. Both of these brothers had articles with audio that they and their organizations freely shared with me. By God's grace and the desire of these brothers in Christ, we had content and launched on the web less than six months later. God blessed it and we rapidly went from three posts per month to three per week.

Another rocket booster to the ministry happened when someone at Zondervan Publishing contacted me. He had been reading my articles and asked if I would do a daily devotional from the NIV1984 using their collection of daily verses. I shared the idea with Paul. We both agreed that this was not only doable, but needed. However, we both felt a Scripture graphic image with each devotional was incredibly important.

Paul helped with most of the Scripture graphics and I added the devotional thought and prayer to each verse. We launched this as part of our Heartlight.org offerings and called it "Today's Verse" which would eventually grow into VerseoftheDay.com! As email rapidly caught on with non-techies, people began to request "Today's Verse" by email. Once again, God bailed us out and led us to John Kirkland, a young and brilliant super-techie person who has helped us with bulk email, server software, and all sorts of intricate behind the scenes programming and tech issues for over twenty-five years.

We tried other things over the years. For awhile we had a music station, a Bible search engine, and greeting cards. Those pieces came and went by God's timing, refining our focus. Along the way, and over several decades, God provided first a young, engaged, university student who had the domain, verseoftheday.com, who contacted me and we began a partnership. Over time, God led Ben back to us and he has become a rock of stability, good judgment, and great skill – now a man of experience and expertise. Verse of the Day, "The Stream" of growing Bible resources, came from Ben's dreams and will now move into his safe-keeping. He and his family are precious to us and Ben's gifts to this ministry are endless. Thank you, dear brother, thank you!

Meanwhile, through it all, God grew our "audience." I dislike the term audience. You are our precious brothers and sisters in Christ, along with seekers from around the world, and I consider you our partners. Your number grew from a few hundred per week, to several thousand, to over 300,000 per day in 190+ countries and 15 languages. Along the way, it I often felt like I was a young boy with 5 loaves and two fish, who then got to see what the LORD could with the little I offered Him.

I want to be clear: this didn't happen because of anything special about me. I just said, "Yes!" to what many saw at the time as another crazy diversion I was chasing as an ADD young preacher. However, I truly believed Ephesians 3:20-21:

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

You see, Heartlight is about Him! Our theme verse, 2 Corinthians 4:6, says it well:

For God, who said, "Let there be light in the darkness," has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.

Heartlight is about what only God can do, what He has done through us, and the people He has brought around us to do His great work in the world. Thank you, God!

From the beginning, our mission has been clear and remained the same:

Provide free resources to help people live for Jesus in today's world.

Because of your prayers, encouragement, and financial support, empowered by Him Who is at work within us, God has made these last thirty years an incredible drink after drink from the well of God's grace. Thank you! Praise God!

And before I finish this note to you about Heartlight.org, "The Well" as we will refer to going forward, another special round of thanks are in order.

To Donna, my partner in life and in this ministry, and to my incredible and faithful children now influential adults, Zach and Megan, I say:

Thank you for your love, partnership, and understanding. I know there were times when I could have been more present with you and wasn't because of juggling too many ministry responsibilities at once. Thank you for sharing mission trips, prayers for people far away, and a passion to see those who do not know Jesus come to Him. Thank you for overlooking my faults and enduring my failures, all while still loving me.

And now for us all from 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 (NLT):

So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

By God's grace and for God's glory,

Phil Ware