Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. Genesis 22:13

It has been said that we are born to win but conditioned to lose. We are a results-oriented society. This same attitude is brought into the church. We want to see results! In God's Kingdom, however, the reality is that all results are up to Him. For example, our responsibility is to pray. It is His responsibility to make things happen. God does not call us to be successful; He calls us to be faithful in what He has purposed for us to fulfill. As children of God, we are called to live by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). In Genesis 22, God told Abraham to sacrifice his only son. Abraham was willing, obedient, and faithful to God's word. This act of obedience led to Abraham being referred to as the "Father of many nations."

Beloved in Christ,

Let me share with you a story that happened a couple of weeks ago. We were dealing with some serious marriage situations in the ministry. While in the middle of a session working with one couple, I received a call from another couple who reported to me that they, too, were in a crisis. During the whole time I was ministering to others, our ministry was facing a major financial need.

God used us to minister to both couples, and they experienced a major breakthrough in their lives, marriages, children, and home. The following week, the couple that called with the emergency attended our marriage class on Thursday night. We have been teaching on the subject, "The Difference Between Living in Egypt, the Wilderness, and the Promised Land." After class, the couple asked if they could speak with me. The wanted to tell me how much they appreciated the ministry they received. As we were talking, the husband handed me a check. I did not look at the amount; I simply placed it in my shirt pocket. I shared with them that they needed to thank the Lord because of His faithfulness. The husband said, "Man, I don't know how you do it." I replied, "Only through Him."

On Friday, the administrator informed me that we were short of meeting the expenses for the month and that we needed to pray. On Saturday, while last minute shopping for my niece's wedding that was scheduled for later that day, I was thinking about the conversation I had with the administrator. I was concerned that we would not be able to meet or monthly expenses. While at the mall, I was changing shirts, and I noticed that something was in the shirt I had on. (This was the same shirt I had on the night the husband handed me the check.) To my surprise, the paper in my pocket was the check that the husband had given to me. When I looked at the amount, I saw that it was more than enough to cover the ministry's financial need. To God be the glory for His faithfulness. Where there is vision from God, there will always be provision from Him as well.

In Genesis 22 we see that God provided a ram in the thicket. He had already made provision for what He was asking Abraham to do. I want to encourage you to continue to be faithful in what God has asked you to do. One of God's names is Jehovah-Jireh; He is our provider, and He is faithful even unto death. Remember, there is always a ram in the thicket.

Soldier of Souls
In His name,

J. J. Ramirez

Prayer Requests/Needs Men's Home - for the men in the home to come to a full understanding of who they are in the Lord and for them to be set free Bible studies - volunteers with a commercial driver's licence are needed to drive buses Office - a copy machine is needed Basketball Outreach - those who made decisions would become involved in a local church Thank you for your prayers!

Men's Home Update As spring approaches, the S.O.S. lawn service is gearing up for another busy season. The lawn service is a work program that we have for the guys at the home so that a good work ethic can be developed. Plus, it helps to put a little money in their pockets. Many of the guys have mandatory monthly payments such as probation fees, child support, etc., so for some of them, an income is essential. Our goal is to provide temporary work on the lawn service so that after having established a level of trust, an outside job can be considered. I place a high priority on some sort of work for the guys because I believe that a great deal of a man's satisfaction comes from the work of his hands. The men's home went camping on Lake Somerville for spring break, and everyone had a good time even though the weather was erratic. We did some fishing and caught several white bass, which J. J. fried up and we all enjoyed. Andy caught the largest fish that week, and he definitely let everyone know about it. We all got some much appreciated rest and relaxation. In addition to Andy and George, we have one new resident now living at the home. His name is José, and he is 22 years old. We will be praying and ask you to pray that José will desire to become a courageous man of God, able to stand up against the pressures of this world. Please pray for all the men at the home, that they would seek to make Jesus Christ not only their Savior but also the Lord of their lives. Pray for the staff that we would make wise decisions for the home and that God would direct people to help out with such a needed ministry. Travis Sawin On February 16th, 23rd, and March 2nd, S.O.S. Ministries held its annual Basketball outreach at the Neal Recreation Center in Bryan. Guys from the community get their team together, but before they compete, each player must listen to the gospel presentation. This year, J.J. presented the gospel to about 120 ball players, and 30 guys gave their lives to Jesus!

Answers to Prayer The 100 NIV hardback Bibles that were needed have been donated, and someone is paying for the commercial refrigerator to be repaired. Thank you for praying; God answers! Upcoming Events April 20 Car wash fundraiser at the Firestone-Kroger parking lot in Bryan April 28 Fundraiser bar-b-que at Aldersgate United Methodist Church in College Station

Praising God Even in the Hard Times I got a call from two different moms who were very concerned about their daughters who come to our Bible studies. They separately asked me if I would help them and talk to their daughters because they and a third girl had gotten into mischief in school and as a result had gotten expelled among other consequences. I was alarmed because these three girls are some of my many favorites, and normally they each pursue a relationship with God. So I met with these girls separately only to find out that their stories did not agree with their moms'. I questioned them further until one girl swore to God! I was then seriously concerned, but I told her that because she had sworn to God, I couldn't question her further because that was serious language. 2 Timothy 2:24-25 says, "And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth." This instructs me that I must not quarrel but trust that it is God who had to bring these girls to repentance and a knowledge of the truth. So I made a commitment with the girls who live in my home that each morning at 6 a.m., we would pray for God to grant them repentance and bring them to telling the truth. Five days later I could wait no longer. I met with the first girl, and she immediately said, "I am going to tell you the whole truth." And she did. I then went to the second girl's home. As she answered the door, she said, "What are you doing here?" I smiled and said, "I came to visit you just like I always do. Can I come in?" She said "sure" with a startled look on her face. As she sat down, she immediately covered her face and said, "Carmen, I lied to you. And I'm sorry. I told you the truth, but I left a lot out, so I'm going to tell you the whole story." As she built a wall on her face with her hands and turned sideways, she told me every detail of what happened that day and then some! She said, "You know, Carmen, I felt so bad that I had decided to quit going to church, quit school, and I even thought about running away from home because I couldn't face you. I didn't know if you would see me as a bad person." I smiled at her and explained to her why all those things were wrong choices. I reconfirmed my love for her and then explained to her that what had impressed me was her ability to hear God. I explained how we had prayed for her. Encouraged, she explained how she needed to talk to God. Then she said, "Hey, Carmen. When are we having our next Bible study? Come pick me up." Carmen Sifuentez The basketball team Big Show took first place at the outreach.

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Save Our Streets Ministries P.O. Box 2866 Bryan, TX 77805 (979) 775-5357 E-mail: sosministries

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