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)