Spinning Plates

Hi friends!

Here is an update on what has been going on since I arrived.  Horizonte Global is officially up and running.  There have been a lot of long hours of administrative work, but now we are getting to the fun and HARDEST part: praying, planning of missionary trips, and developing leaders.

Horizonte Global is the missions' ministry of Horizonte Ensenada, and our vision is to mobilise Mexicans to plant and support churches in Mexico and around the world.  We have a mission to plant 100 churches in the next ten years, fully convinced that God wants to move and do a work around the world.  Beyond this, being the missions' ministry of the church, there are short-term trips throughout the year with the purpose of equipping people and broadening their understanding of making disciples of all the nations.  There are meetings that happen every month in which we also talk about the heart of God for the nations and pray for different ministries.  Horizonte Global is a resource for individuals and local churches who want to know: how to do missions, how to plan a mission's trip, and how to better support missionaries that are already in the field.  

As you can see, Horizonte Global encompasses A LOT of moving pieces.  So here are a few prayer requests:

• For God to send workers to His field.
• For wisdom, above all else, that He would be the One guiding and directing me to make the right decisions about the ministry.
• For continual provision of resources to accomplish everything He has put in our hands to do.

If you would like to know more about Horizonte Global, visit horizonteglobal.org

#777

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” Mt. 7:7-8.

Welcome!!!

Thank you to all of you that prayed for me!! Less than a week after my last post I found a place to stay, and it is perfect.  It is two blocks from the church and less than a ten minute walk!! Praise the LORD!! He is good.  Want to hear something funny? When I talked to the landlady on the phone, even before seeing the place, I had a feeling I had found the place.  She explained to me how to get there and when to meet her, but she forgot to give me the number of the house… right before hanging up I said: “Wait, what is the number of the house?” “777”, she replied.  I smiled and thought, “Oh God, You are so funny.”

Now I pray that the LORD would use this place for His glory, that it would be a place where fellowship happens, where people feel comfortable, and His Spirit dwells; a place where His peace and power are felt.

May God be glorified!!

Arriba, Arriba!

I have made it to my destination... I arrived two nights ago safe and sound.  Thank you so much for your prayers!   God is good.
I am not settled yet, as I need to find a house to rent.  Please pray I can find one soon.  I can't wait to unpack everything and be truly settled.  I am currently staying with the pastor and his lovely family.  We've had a good time catching up.  I haven't had time to explore the city yet. In the next couple of days I'm going to check out a couple of places that are available for rent.  I hope to write another post soon to tell you about God's faithfulness in providing a place.

Bellow is a picture of Ensenada taken from the roof of the house I'm staying at (ocean to the left and mountains to the right).

PS- Don't be fooled by the nice blue skies... I'm freezing over here!

ETA

Hello friends,

Remember how I said that I'll be going to Mexico February/March time?  Well, there's been a slight change of plans.... I'm leaving for the West Coast in two days, and should be arriving in Mexico early this coming week.  Prayers for safe travels greatly appreciated.

William Booth

'Not called!' did you say?

'Not heard the call,' I think you should say.

Put your ear down to the Bible, and hear Him bid you go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin. Put your ear down to the burdened, agonized heart of humanity, and listen to its pitiful wail for help. Go stand by the gates of hell, and hear the damned entreat you to go to their father's house and bid their brothers and sisters and servants and masters not to come there. Then look Christ in the face — whose mercy you have professed to obey — and tell Him whether you will join heart and soul and body and circumstances in the march to publish His mercy to the world.

William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army

Papayas and Ministry

" I sent you to reap for that which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors" John 4:38

This papaya tree sprouted in our backyard without anyone planting it.... One day I walked out the back door and there it was, growing.  It was the funniest and strangest thing.  As soon as I saw it, two years ago, I knew it would be featured on this blog at some point, because I knew it would eventually teach me a lesson.  This is the first year the tree gives fruit and boy, oh boy, are we excited.  It boggles my mind how this tree has grown and is now bearing fruit.  I didn't plant it, I didn't water it, and yet I am about to enjoy some yummy papaya shakes as soon as the fruit ripens.  

In the same way, God has opened a door.  I have been invited to move to Mexico and partake of the beginning of a new and wonderful ministry.  Come February/March, God willing, I will be moving to Baja California and become part of "Horizonte Global".  A ministry dedicated to train and equip local churches to fulfill the great commission of making disciples worldwide :)  We will train individuals that feel called to do missionary work, lead them in short-term mission trips, as well as train their local churches on what it means to send and support missionaries (both short-term and long-term).  The goal is to plant and establish churches worldwide in order to reach unreached people groups. 

The "crazy" part about this story, is that I did not go looking for this opportunity.  I had been praying about what to do after December.  A few options had come up and I was considering them; then, out of nowhere, a pastor friend of mine calls me up and offers me to become a part of Horizonte Global... "say what?!" I am very humbled and honored to go.  I know the church there has been laboring incessantly to bring this ministry about, and as I go join them I am very aware that God is sending me to reap that which I have not labored for, but He wants me to enjoy, that I may rejoice with those that have labored as well.

"Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'?  Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!  And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together." (John 4:35-36)

Let's do it right

I originally intended for this to be a longer post, but in the end I decided it would deter from the simplicity of the truth I want to share.

I was talking to a friend a couple of months ago about ministry, discipleship, God's purpose for His children, etc. and he said something I thought it was worth sharing with the world. The context of this particular quote is discipleship, but honestly it is true across the board, for ministry, friendship, and life in general. When I asked him what God had been speaking to him he said:

"stop using people to serve your vision, SERVE THEM."  

Wow!

Can I get an amen?

Let's be shepherds and not hirelings.

Love sacrificially and unconditionally.

Zealous

The only thing the Bible asks us to be temperate about is our flesh; our love for Jesus and our life are supposed to be a blazing fire.

Just some thoughts from my morning devo today...

Answers

So in my last post I spoke about the fact that God speaks.  Hopefully some of you also understood the implication that He wants to be involved in every aspect of our lives, His children's lives.  Well, only a few days later He gave me a story to share.  I went away for the weekend to the wilderness, and on my way back to the house, while in the car, I sensed something biting my neck and my arms so started to "slap" myself (yeah, you know what I mean. And yeah it was as funny and weird as you are imagine it to be).  I looked in the mirror and at my clothes but I couldn't see what had bit me.  A few hours later I had over 15 bumps on my face and chin (not counting my arms).  It looked crazy!  At first they didn't itch, but later in the night and the next day I thought I was going to loose my mind I itch so bad (and you know how you are not allowed to scratch).  I tried different ointments but nothing worked.  I was driving on my way to work with all the a/c vents on me, totally desperate.  I realized I hadn't prayed, in this desperation I cried out: "God!! You know all things, You know what these bites are and what could make them stop itching.  Please tell me what kind of thing I need to put on!!" Immediately the response came: "baking soda paste." I'm not kidding, that's all He said.  I got home that day, got some baking soda in a bowl, mixed it with a little bit of water, put it on, and immediately the itching ceased.  HOW AWESOME IS GOD??!!

I know.  This is just a little story.  It might seem insignificant to some of you, but to me it is marvelous.  The God that keeps the cosmos in order cares enough about insignificant ol'me to take time and fix my boo-boos.  He really is close at hand.  What could be more Fatherly than this?  And now, how could I not trust Him with my whole life??

Will you?

"Then she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees..." (Gen 16:13a)

PS- I should also mention that, a few weeks later, He sent me to England for a little while ;)  More on that trip soon too come

Jesus Speaks

"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." (Jn 10:27)

I am often asked how do I know when God speaks.  It is a very good questions.
I know God's voice like I know my parents'.  Firstly, I am born of Him and as such we share a personal and intimate relationship.  I know His voice from all the time we've spent together. I know His voice because I know His character (clearly stated in the Scriptures).  I know Him because He lives in me.  It is not a magic trick, He is not an eight ball, He is God- the more time you spend with Him, the quicker you will learn to recognize His voice.

Go, be alone with Him, learn to listen and commune with Him....ask Him to fill you with His Holy Spirit (to baptize you, if you prefer the term), and you too will know Him, His voice.  But know this: once He speaks you must obey.

“To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” (John 10:3-5)

Long Time Coming...

Hello World!!

That's right, I'm back! So I'll skip the ceremoniousness and get to it :)

I started reading Judges today.  I came across a thought provoking passage:

"When all that generation, had been gathered to their fathers, another generation 

arose after them who did not know the LORD nor the work which He had done 

for Israel.  Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and 

served Baals..." (Jdg 2)

All the people that had come out of Egypt by the hand of the LORD were dead.  All the people that had gone through the wilderness, seen God's mighty works, and been brought into the promise land were dead.  And it says that the next generation did not know the LORD nor the work which He had done....

I found that amazing in a very sad way.  How could they possibly not know?! There is only one answer: People weren't talking about it.  Not only that, it must also mean that they had stopped doing some of the rituals and ceremonies God had commanded them.  How do I know that? Because in the book of Joshua it says several times: "do this and that, so that when your children ask about such and such, they may know that I [God] worked in such and such a way..."

It dawn on me, the children of Israel grew apathetic to the wonders of God, His deliverance, His care for them.  I wondered how could this come about.  Then I remember the verses before it, it is God talking to the generation that went through the wilderness and into the Promise Land: "But you have not obeyed My voice..." (vs 2)  They had become disobedient.  When God confronts them, it says that they lifted up their voices and wept, but it speaks nothing of repentance, it mentions nothing of turning back and doing what they were supposed to.  Their weeping did not go beyond the sting of being reprimanded.  Disobedience will do that to you.  It will make your heart grow cold and distant from God.

Is there compromise in our lives today? Are we doing things that do not please the LORD? Have we forgotten the marvelous works and great mercy that He has shown towards us?  Then make it a point to remember.  Talk about it! Call to mind the sweetness of your Savior.  If there is something to repent about, repent.  

Do it for yourself, to drink from the living water; do it for the next generation, that they may know the living God and walk in His ways.  In a world that is growing darker by the second don't let your light be dimmed out by compromise but sing forth His praise.

Until next time ;)

Yours truly

Right now

Its been so long I wonder if I still know how to do this... LOL. Mostly I want to let you know right here and right now, that I am alive and well, His spirit is within me :)

As I mentioned before I went on a mission trip to NY, and since then I also went on another mission trip in March to Utila, Honduras.  The trip to Utila was to come alongside a new church plant, to love, encourage and help the pastor there in different ways.

It amazes me how much God knows my heart.  He knows how much we can bare, He know what we need so we are well nourished and thrive.  Going on these mission trips was a blessing because it was awesome to see, in a practical way, that His calling and election are irrevocable.  It was such a great comfort that what I do in these mission trips can be done wherever I'm at.  What I mean is, it is not about going places, it is about ministering to people; it is about listening to God's heart and obeying His command.  If God says go somewhere, then you better go.  If He says speak to so and so on such and such, then you better do it.  Why should we do it? Because otherwise we would be denying ourselves the joy of having a relationship with Him.  If we ignore Him and harden our hearts towards Him... If we train ourselves to make our ears deaf to Him and get use to drowning His voice out, then how come we later complain that we feel like we have no life in us? We have cut ourselves off from the Vine and are then grieved or surprised at our lack of fruit.  What can possibly be the antidote for this?  "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (1 Thess 5:16-18)

And so that is where I'm at, trusting in hope, patient in tribulation, rejoicing in the majesty of Him who is called Faithful and True.

New York

Please forgive me, I have gone on a mission trip and forgot to tell you all about it.  In my defense it all came about in less than two weeks so between preparations to get ready and setting things in order I didn't have a chance to let y'all know.

I went to Rockaway, NY, on a disaster relief trip to help the victims of super-storm Sandy.  We left January 28th and came back a week later.  It was amazing!!  God willing, I'll soon have more time to tell you all about it.  For now, know that God is good, awesome, He answers prayer and moves in mysterious ways.... He is all knowing and worthy of all our praises!

Thank you so much for your prayers and support.  God is using you big time :)

God bless you!!!!!!

Holy Musing

In the car, on my way home from church, musing on God's love, His goodness & holiness, I thought: "LORD, that my heart could somehow reach out to the heaven of heavens and touch You... that I could somehow hold all of who You are... or at least part..."  Immediately He responded (bringing conviction & a little humor): "Too late (beat you to it) :) Don't be deceived, I already came down, reached out and touched yours."

With these words, the conviction and realization anew of how He "dirtied" Himself as He came down to this earth, settled in my heart again.  What a Saviour!  He didn't wait for me to get my stuff together and make me come up to Him. He did the dirty work and came down to me.  His name be magnified!!

Two sizes too small

oh little heart of mine

little

shriveled up 

heart of mine

do not be bugged down by the cares of this world.

come to Jesus

soak in His grace

lay at His feet

let Him refresh you

let Him comfort you

do not agree with the lies of the evil one

do not pay attention to him

he only seeks to kill, to steal and to destroy

do not trust him,

do not give your ear to him

come to Jesus

Psalm 42:1

I was a parched, thirsty, dry land
A torrent of grace You poured out and
quenched my want

Your banner over me is love.

Perfection

Laying here, looking up at the sky through the tree branches...
I let Your grace wash over me.
The wind plays with my hair.
Everything is so quiet.

I can't speak.
I don't want to speak.
I just want to lay here and be still;
swinging from side to side on this rusted metal swing for two,
being cradled in Your arms.

Perfection.

The sun has gone down
but I can still feel its glow on my skin.
The moon has come out to join us.
The coolness of the air reminds me that You are with me;
You have never left me.

"Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad
and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.
The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, He hath
cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee:
thou shall not see evil any more.
In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou
not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack.
The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty;
He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy;
He will rest in His love [He will quiet you with His love]
[With His love, He will calm all your fears]
[He will renew you with His love],
He will joy over thee with singing.
Zeph 3:14-17

BIG

How BIG is your God?

A couple of months ago I received a letter, the content of it has impacted me so much I've decided to blog about it.

The letter was from AIM, and it described all the wonderful work the Lord has been doing through this ministry.  All the women and children that have been helped and restored and successfully reintegrated.  It was a joy to read but that is not what impacted me the most.  You see, it's been 9 months since I wrote the post: "Leave a Message at the BEEP..."  Since then I've been praying, "God, do something amongst the bad guys."

It hasn't been a very bold prayer, it has been more of a whining... and it hasn't always been at the forefront of my mind either but whenever I would think about it, from somewhere deep inside my heart a cry/whimper/groan would go out to Him. "Father, bring Your light".  I would ask this weakly, not really knowing what to expect.  I was a little bit more bold than before (I mean, after all, how can I be unfazed after what He did in January) but still weak, doubt remained.  Yet in our doubt God is faithful. Again I have been humbled in His sight.  I got this letter and when I read that a particular area of their ministry had been reaching pimps, traffickers, and drug dealers; my heart started to race. "Last quarter 81 young men were reached"... and on went the letter with the praise reports of this men... I was floored.

Why is it again that we think there are certain prayers that can't be prayed? Is God not big enough to handle them? Do we think that He not cares? Do we think He wants to put up with certain evils in the world?  Or is He expectantly waiting to bring His children into His work through prayer?

This letter has so convicted me that there really isn't anything too big/broad for my God to handle.  Has God made you aware of a BIG need? Ask Him to fulfill it, He wants to!!! Ask! Ask so that you might know Him better.  Ask so that you get a taste of Him and His majesty as He come and tangibly intervenes.  Ask Him so that you partake with Him (that's what we call communion guys!).  Ask Him so that your joy may be full (John16:24).

He wants to bring you closer.  He wants to speak to you.  He wants to show you His secret counsel (Prov 3:32).  So ask! Don't be afraid.  Draw near to Him today.

Let's go boldly before the throne of our High Priest and ask boldly for big, miraculous, substantial interventions.  He wants to do it.

Wash over me

I see big drops of water rain down outside the kitchen window.
I sit here at the table having breakfast and my heart is glad.
These big drops of water remind me that I have been forgiven.
You have washed over me.
You have given me a new & upright spirit.
You have called me Your child.

Be Free

Are you feeling tired today?

Does the world around you seem a tad more confusing today than yesterday?  Do you feel like you can't possibly go on or give another step?

Then come to Jesus.  He will give you rest.  He will comfort your soul (Psalm 23:2,3).  He will quench your thirsty soul with His cold, refreshing, living water (Jn 4:14; Jn7:37, 38) .  He will calm you anxious heart and bring peace to your troubled mind (Is 26:3; Zeph 3:17).

Do you trust Him?  Believe Him {that's right folks, don't just believe IN Him, believe HIM}  Believe Him 'cause your life depends on it (John 6:63).  Believe Him because He is worthy (2 Tim 2:13).  Believe Him because He loves  you (Jeremiah 31:3)... He L.O.V.E.S. you.  He gave Himself for you. Can you not see?  He gave all for you.  ALL! His life, His blood, His flesh, His reputation, His status... (Mk 10:33-34; Mt 26:28; Lk 22:19; Phil 2:5-8) You shall never find a more perfect, dedicated, committed companion, lover, friend.  In Him we find strength (Is 26:4).  He is the giver of all good and perfect things (James 1:17).  He is life Himself.  Nothing exists apart from Him (Col 1:16-17).  In Him we can do all things (Phil 4:13).

Are you feeling tired today?  Then come cast your cares at the foot of the cross today (1 Pet 5:6-7).  Trade your concerns, burdens, shortcomings and whatever else brings you down, for His yoke and follow Him (Mt 11:28-30).

"A highway shall be there, and a road,  and it shall be called the Highway of Holiness... Whoever walks the road, although a fool, shall not go astray... And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads.  They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away." (Isaiah 35:8,10)