WHOEVER

Rom 10:12

For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abiding in riches for all who call upon Him for WHOEVER will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.

Ok , time for me , once again to come to a place where I see one of my own shortcomings-(It seems God does this)

That being- " what a Christian looks like".
Are you Male or female- can each be saved? yep
Jew or Gentile? can you be saved? yep
Are you " middle class, lower class or upper class" can each of these be saved? yep
Are you educated, acceptable intelligence, simple- can each of these be saved? yep
In Jail or out- innocent or guilty? yep
Clean or dirty? yep
From a "Christian country or other? yep
Wear western clothes, a uniform, or logal garb? yep
How about if I don't like them for some reason or they have been mean to me...can they be saved? ABSOLUTELY

It is time to lay aside what we think a Christian looks like or even feels like and get the smallest glimpse of what God sees.........WHOEVER needs Him and asks HIM into their heart WILL BE SAVED. He not only loves them ( and me too) But He is wonderfly excited about ALL of his children- WHOEVER calls upon His name..

Prayer: Lord may I function with that vision not just in Nepal but always

God

" Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden."
Romans 9:18

This verse and others like it has always shocked me. shouldn't a loving God show mercy to those who deserve it? but how human is that thinking!! God is beyond all moral grounds, his glory is beyond all our comprehension! We try and fit God in this small bubble of our lives when we just have to realize, God is soo vast. bigger than lives, bigger than the earth, bigger than this galaxy, Bigger than this universe. When i stop and think, why should he even care about something so small as me. We need to give up entitlement! we do not deserve one anything God gives us, it is all through mercy. God can do what he wants!

God help us to see you are in control, you have the power to bend and break us how ever you like. But in this their is also something very exciting. This power that can break down so far, can also empower us beyond measure. Lord I pray that we trust you, that we put all our hope in you, and while we serve you in Nepal you might turn our small works into something greater.
in Jesus name we pray, Amen

Man's effort or God's mercy?

"It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy." Romans 9:16

Romans 9 has always been a challenging chapter for me. But as I prepare for Nepal, I am struck by the parallels between the Jews Paul was writing to and the Hindus we will be ministering to.

Both of them are locked into a system of works - full of sacrifices, laws, and man's own efforts to please God. And both of them fail, because they have both missed the central thing: God's mercy & grace poured out on us through Jesus.

So this is what we have to offer our beloved Nepali friends: freedom from a life of striving to please God by our own efforts - efforts that will always fall short. Jesus is the gift we extend - God's grace & mercy being offered as a gift we could never earn.

Lord, I pray that we would keep Jesus the main focus of everything we say & do in Nepal, & that in Your love & power You would use us to set people free from lives of failed self-effort. Amen

Who will rescue me?

"What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?" Romans 7:24

Yep, that's the question of the ages. As Christians, we honestly grieve over our own shortcomings: "What I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do." (verse 15). I know I wrestle with my own failures regularly - but clearly, so did the apostle Paul.

And the good news is, that instead of allowing himself to be trapped in Satan's web of despair, he keeps his focus on the limitless, freeing grace of God. Were it not for grace, we would be doomed to live in spiritual desolation. But because of grace, the question of "who will rescue me?" is clearly answered:

"Thanks be to God" - the answer is found: "through Jesus Christ our Lord." (verse 25).

Lord, thank You that are my Rescuer. I am not condemned to despair, because there is no condemnation for those of us who are Yours. Those are words I need to be reminded of regularly.

Hold fast(Get EXCITED)

Isaiah 42:6

“ I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness,
And will hold Your hand;
I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people,
As a light to the Gentiles,
To open blind eyes,
To bring out prisoners from the prison,
Those who sit in darkness."

In preparation for the mission that God has brought to each of us, there is guaranteed hardship, stress, and plans to stop us from doing what God has set us out to do. If you have not already noticed things getting rocky or difficult during our preparation, chances are we will all face these hardships sooner or later. Often times we must face the hardships at home before we face them in the mission field. As our handouts and meetings have said many times, we will face brokenness, stress, and many difficulties, and as Tami has mentioned before, the enemy is not going to lay down and submit, meaning neither can we. I encourage everyone to hold fast to Gods promises to uphold us, to protect us, prepare us, help us, and carry us through what he has called us to do. Gods word says He does not call us to anything we cannot handle, (though it also says we can do ALL THINGS through him... do i see a subliminal message??). When i picture how God must be feeling for us, i see him with a smile, exited as ever for the things that we have said yes to. We not only are getting an opportunity to serve, and go before, but in our obedience we are allowing God to be God, and carry out His will. We may not always succeed, but we will try, and we will give it our best shot, and that is what i believe puts a smile on the face of God. God bless you all, get into gear, and get excited for what we are about to do, because i know God is =)

Hope does not disappoint us

"...we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." Romans 5:3-5

I don't know about you, but some days it's really hard for me to hang onto hope. The sufferings seem to get in the way. And asking me to rejoice in my sufferings is like asking me to enjoy a root canal without novocaine.

But somehow there's a beautiful, wonderful, powerful truth there that I must grasp. It's part of the upside-down - no, the right-side-up - reality of life in Christ. It doesn't make sense, but somehow it's true, & rich, & freeing, & right. Somehow in the midst of the pain we find that our hope in God has not disappointed us.

Lord, I need help learning to rejoice in my sufferings. Help me to hang onto hope when there doesn't seem to be much to go around. I'll do it, for Your sake. Amen

Abraham"s righteousness

Romans 4;2 But IF Abraham was justified by works, he has somethig to boast about; but not before God, for what does the scripture say? And Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.

Genesis 12 Abram is called to leave his family and all he holds dear and sent to a far off land. i am reminded that he responded to the call and that was reconed as righteousness. His works are not even mentioned. i (we) are called to a foreign land and that is what we are responding to . How God uses it and the works we do are barely considered.....What God does with those works well that will be something.

Justified freely

"...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."

Romans 3:23-24

Just like Lana pointed out, God has been revealed to us all through creation. And we were created with a hunger for God. But we deny it & live for ourselves - all sinning & falling short. The intimate relationship God wants us to have with Himself is broken & we are lost.

But then comes the good news - in the midst of this huge problem that we can't fix on our own, Jesus comes with grace offered freely through His blood - what an incredible gift!

We can't earn it, but we can receive it. Our alienation from God can be mended & we can come home to Him. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound...

Lord, make us always ready to speak freely of the hope that is within us!

All men are without exuse

Romans 1:20 "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities- His eternal power and divine nature- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."
You know that infamous question, "What if there is that one guy all alone on an island and no one has told him about God, will God have mercy on him?" Well,what Paul is saying here is that God's creation alone is enough for men to know that God exists because nature glorifies God's divinity. We are without excuse in the face of nature's testimony. So since all men know of God, when they choose to worship idols or anything other than the one true God, they trade God's glory for condemnation. What we need to do as Christians is to introduce them to the One True God in replacement of their false gods they have been deceived into worshiping. When we convince people that he exist, we can use nature as an example of His power, His divine nature, His love, His creativity, and help them to see it as His special gift to us.

Lord, thank for your creation. It truly is wonderful. I want to sing your praises, because I know that if i don't, the rocks will cry out instead. I'm not going to let them beat me to it. Thank you for your love for me, Jesus.

6 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”Romans 1:16-17

We as Christians should not be ashamed by the gospel of Jesus Christ, but should boast of it, for its power is for everyone who believes. Its not only certain people, but for EVERYONE. Oh that we will get to share this message as we remember our call. We the righteous in Christ have been called to live by faith, and the just shall live by faith.

God I want to live passionate in sharing Your message with the lost that they may come to faith in You! I want to live with only faith in you to guide me. God please help me to see everyone as the same, and to keep in mind, even with those hard people, to remember that your love is not just for one or two people, but for everyone!!I love you Lord! Please grow me and get me ready for this mission to Nepal.I want to see people through Your eyes, with Your passion for them. Help me to love more like You!
-Amen

Brokenness = Correction

" Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done."
Romans 1:23

God help us to realize and remember that you are the great teacher. That all scripture is inspired by you and useful. Help us to see that no matter how hard we try and think out a problem, no matter how ingenious we think it to be that without your word in our minds and in our hearts that we can be fooled, that our good intentions can be tainted. God never let us grow tired of your word, never let pride interfere in your shaping of us.

God never let us become lazy, never let pride engorge our hearts that we might lose sight of your purpose. Break us Lord! do not let us continue down a path that is wicked, don't let us be turned over to a depraved and lost mind. If their is something in ours Lives that needs to be changed to serve you better show us, break us down, purify our hearts until we can see you and the plan you have for us.

Mutually encouraged

I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith.

Roman 1:11-12

I think this sums up what we will be doing in Nepal - both giving & receiving. We go to give ourselves away, and share the hope that is in us with those who don't know Christ. We also go to encourage the Christians there, & serve them.

But we also go with humility, ready to learn. This is essential.

It will be a wonderful time of strengthening & being strengthened - giving & being poured into - loving & being loved in return.

Mutual encouragement - a sweet gift to look forward to. Thank you, Father.

What's Right

2 Thess. 3:13 "As for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right."

It seems like such a simple statement, but it's so difficult to actually do. Doing the right thing day after day gets difficult and tiring, and often times I find myself cutting corners or not even trying anymore. Reading God's Word, however, gives me a new passion to do what Jesus commands becuase it is right and we are never to tire of doing what is right. When we are faced with challenges here at home and especially in Nepal, we need to always be thinking on what is right, and focus on being a good example in our tireless efforts.

Lord, I pray that I will not grow tired in doing what you've commanded me.

spalms 101

Psalms 101 - 1 I will sing of your love and fairness; Lord, I will sing praises to you. 2 I will be careful to live an innocent life. When will you come to me? I will live an innocent life in my house. 3 I will not look at anything wicked. I hate those who turn against you; they will not be found near me. 4 Let those who want to do wrong stay away from me; I will have nothing to do with evil. 5 If anyone secretly says things against his neighbor, I will stop him. I will not allow people to be proud and look down on others. 6 I will look for trustworthy people so I can live with them in the land. Only those who live innocent lives will be my servants. 7 No one who is dishonest will live in my house; no liars will stay around me. 8 Every morning I will destroy the wicked in the land. I will rid the Lord's city of people who do evil. A prayer of a person who is suffering when he is discouraged and tells the Lord his complaints.

What diligence and perseverance it must cost to live such a life of constantly claiming yourself for God. To have nothing to do with evil, and to be so far away from sin and impurity, can you imagine the rejection and prosecution one would face?- But can you also imagine the joy and reward of being that close and intimate with Jesus?

My prayer is that that would be my desire above all others things...To be far from sin, and near Jesus all times.

Pray for Us

"Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored..." 2 Thess 3:1

I'm reminded again by Paul about the importance of prayer. Paul understood that prayer was a powerful tool that would make a difference in his life, so he asked people to pray for him.

As we travel to Nepal, we are believing that the message of the Lord will "spread rapidly and be honored," so I need to commit to regular prayer for the team, & ask others to pray as well.

When we pray, God moves. We may think that because God knows everything anyway, our prayers don't matter. But God CHOOSES to partner with us, so that things happen when we pray that wouldn't otherwise. Wow - what a privilege & what a responsibility.

Lord, help me to pray more. Amen

Prayer for fellow brothers

(S) "To this end we always pray for you, that our Lord may make you worthy of His calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by His power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ." Thessalonians 1:11-12

(O) We are to pray for our fellow brother and sisters constantly. Their well being should always be on our minds. We are to pray that they may fulfill their calling in Christ, and that one day they are fully glorified through Jesus Christ, according to the grace of God.

(A) I need to work on being more aware of the needs of my brothers and sisters in Christ, praying for them...making my prayers less self focused and more Christ exalting.

(P) Lord, help me to care more deeply for Your family, purposefully being aware and bringing their needs to You. I know I need to be less self focused... will You help me with that?! Thank you Lord for giving me these other brothers and sisters to walk with. Thank You that we get to walk together, helping and encouraging one another for Your glory.

-Amen

"With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of His calling, and that by His power He may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith." 2 Thess 1:11

I am thanking God this morning that I don't have to live this life of faith on my own strength - because I would fail miserably!

Instead, I'm reminded again that it is God working IN me and THROUGH me by His power that allows me to walk this road of faith.

So as we prepare for Nepal, let us all lean into His power so that He can fulfill every good purpose He has for us there! He is the one who will fulfill it - we just need to be faithful, surrendered, obedient, humble vessels! He WILL do it - that is His promise!

Lord, let me fulfill Your calling as I let Your power work in me. I am Yours. Amen!

Honor one another

1The 5: 12

but we request of you, bretheren that you appreciate(honor) those who diligently labor among you and have charge over youin the Lord and give you instruction.

Let us all take joy in each others efforts as we anticipate the work of the Holy Spirit about us each and every day.

Grace covering for imperfect blamelessness

1 Th 5:23 & 28

23- May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
28- The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

As I read through vs. 23 I kind of tossed my hands in the air as I read the part about keeping blameless. If this was the end of the letter I would have been very discouraged because no matter how good my intentions are and how pure I (me) try to keep my heart I always stumble, trip, get dirty, wander, sleep, loose control... Instead, Paul finished his letter with the foundation of our path to the cross and beyond. Grace.

Grace Grace Grace Grace Grace....

Without it I would be doomed. Grace is the uel that drives my heart to be clean. Grace is what fuels my faith, my hope, my love. I am eternally thankful for the kindness/gentleness (for lack of more powerful words) of our Lord and savior.

God I pray that I can extend this same grace to others. That I may be a reflection of your power and love to those in this world who have not tasted the sweetness of your grace.

Amen.

Rejoice, Pray, Give Thanks...Always!

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17

Rejoice ALWAYS! Pray ALWAYS! Give thanks ALWAYS! This is my prayer!!

May I learn to give thanks in all circumstances, for everything that happens is for the good of Christ's eternal plan. If I remember to give thanks in all circumstances, knowing that He is sovereign and in control, then I will be led to pray and rejoice. Even in the hard times, may my heart be set on fully seeking God in what to do.

Lord, help me always come to You with everything in my path.

In Christ name Amen!

Don't quench it!

" Do not put out the Spirit's fire. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject whatever is harmful. May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your Whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.
1 Thessalonians 5:19-24

"Do not put out the Spirit's fire". This has been something i have struggled with, my mind struggles to rationalize everything that i become so skeptical of the spirit, that i end up quenching the gifts of the Spirit. But God has been teaching me that sometimes you just have to let go, you have to give up your understanding, and have the faith to trust. You just have to fall completely into him and he does the rest. Because the one who calls you is faithful and he will not fail you if you go out in him.

Lord i pray that each day we learn to trust you more and more. That each day our daily bread may be given and our faith will grow in you. Turn us away from doubt and skepticism and show us that you are beyond all comprehension, that your glory surpasses everything. Help us just to let go of ourselves and fall into you.
- In Jesus name, Amen

Encouragement

"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." 1 Thess. 5:11

When I spent time in God's Word, I am encouraged, fed, strengthened. I get filled up to pour out.

Then I can encourage & build up other people in my life.

And I will be ready when given the opportunity to encourage & build up the people of Nepal.

Father, help me to hunger for Your Word so I may be ready to do Your work. Amen

More & more

"Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. And in fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers, to do so more and more. I Thess 4:9-10

Love - this is what we are called to do in Nepal:

...the people on the airplane

...at the ticket counter

...the taxi drivers

...the unlovely & unnoticed

...the sick & the well

...the hurting & the arrogant

...the pastors & the peons (yep, that's what the janitor-types are called

...oh yes - and each other!

More & more - meaning a continual, proactive, disciplined choice & effort. Not waiting 'til I feel like it, not waiting for some wishy-washy emotion that may come & go capriciously - but a fierce, determined, practiced action.

Fill us, Lord, with the determination to love more & more, as we choose to become more like You & seek to be filled by You - for we can never accomplish this on our own.

Increasing in love

11 Now may our God and Father Himself and Jesus, our Lord direct our way to you; and may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all men, just as we also do for you.

Great job, Tami, getting the tickets and setting up connections and ministry opportunities in Nepal. I must tell you I feel very blessed that you are working so hard for this trip in ways I do not even see. However, I am reminded, ,here, that God is directing our paths, before( preparing us for this time), now ,as we begin to make preparations, while we are there in the folks we will encounter to enrich our lives ,and theirs as well as witness His kingdom advanced . It is no mistake that this team has been built by His hand. I am humbled by that. I am reminded by Him that "I am building up my church declares the Lord".

I must confess, I do not know anyone in Nepal. I have met Dan only briefly. But there are many others I have not, yet met. I desire to love them. I am encouraged by Paul's words that the people of the church are to increase in love for one another but he also paints the picture that his heart is also increasing in love for them- and that the Lord is the source of that love.
It is not manufactured by us but is a gift from Him.

I pray that our love-no, my love- for you, my team members and for the people God has appointed for us to meet in our travel be compelled, by God, to increase to its fullest.

I love you all---but am believing I will love you more fully as God causes.

People of the Word

"... not as the word of men, but as it actually is - the Word of God - which is at work in you." 1Thess. 2:13

That's what makes life fruitful - what will make this trip fruitful: the Word of God at work in us.

That's the beauty of this blog: being in His Word together, sharing the things God speaks, sharing what He's doing in us.

Let's be people of the Word, together.

Which comes first?

"...your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Thessalonians 1:3

Isaac - you stole my verses!!!

jk

Here's what they made me think of: Which comes first: work/labor/endurance - or faith/love/hope?

It's such a common thing to see Christians working to prove their faith, laboring to earn love, and enduring to produce hope.

Such messed-up thinking - the enemy loves to ensnare us with it.

Work, labor & endurance don't PRODUCE or EARN faith, love & hope (that's works) - they are the RESULT. They FLOW FROM IT. They are it's FRUIT. (that's grace)

Lord, help me to think like You think.

The Heart

"...your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ."
1 Thessalonians 1:3

One thing God has been showing me is the importance of the heart, the work we do is produced by faith in God. Meaning the initial step in faith in Gods plan for us. The second step is Love, the labor we do to be meaningful and worthwhile must be prompted by a love for others. The third step is hope, hope gives us the endurance to keep love and faith. We must have hope to inspire us to continue to work out of our hearts. The hope that God will take our love and labor and work and turn into something far beyond our capabilities, far beyond our power.

" All Behaviors are linked to a particular attitude of the heart." for us to serve effectively we need to have a right heart, a good heart creates a good attitude. A good attitude allows us to be willing and open to make the most of every experience we are given.

God help us to put our heart in the right place serving you with vigor absent of fear, rejection. empower us to resist the Devil and his ways of discouragement, Empower us to we might accomplish more than ever thought possible, for your glory not ours.
-in Jesus name, Amen

Doubt in the Presence of our Lord

(S) The 11 disciples went to Gailee, to the Mt where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him, but some doubted. ~Matthew 28:16-17

(O) Even in the presence of our resurrected Lord, even during worship, we (I) can still doubt.

(A) Our daily lives run so much on feeling and emotions. How often is it that I myself doubt and wonder if I am simply going through religious acts, using religious words (lingo), or preforming religious actions, etc.? I find that the more complicated I expect (or make) Jesus to be or the more I try to "build" understanding... or systems of understanding.... that the easier it is for me to doubt. I just need to remember something very simple. The love that God has for me.

(P) I pray Lord that your love is ever present, seeping into my daily doubts and eliminating the 'dryness' of my everyday tasks. I pray that I can "be with you" each and every time that you are present.... which is always. Amen.

Following Him in Obedience Is Worship

Mary and Mary had just gone out to see the tomb and saw the angle, then..."8 So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.9 And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, 'Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.'”

The ladies saw Jesus and bowed at His feet, and then, also as an act of worship, followed as Jesus commanded. Now the ladies have brought the message to the other disciples and all of them are on their way to Galilee.

"16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted."

I believe that as Christ followers we are called to listen and obey as Christ leads. This is another way that we are called to worship Him.

Christ is teaching me to, even though sometimes it might not make a whole lot of sense, follow Him and His almighty plan for my life. I hope and pray that as I read and study His Word, His plan will start to unfold more and more in my life. I ask for His grace to see where He is leading and to follow.

Christ, In you I find my strength to walk through life's struggles. Only in you Lord to I know which path to take. Lord, guide my words and guide my feet. Lord 'Let everything I say and do be founded by my faith in You, I'll lift holy hands and and sing, let the praises ring'. You are my everything!!
-Amen

Make disciples

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20

I recently heard a pastor speak about these verses. There are 4 instructions/commands found there. Of them, in the original Greek, make disciples is the primary verb, with the other 3 being supporting/describing verbs. In other words, make disciples as you are going, baptizing & teaching.

I love this. As we prepare for Nepal, we can keep in front of us our primary goal - that of making disciples. We'll do that by going, (baptizing), & making disciples.

Actually, we probably won't baptize anyone, for cultural reasons. But the precept is still there:

To make disciples, first we must GO: reach out, love, serve, build relationship, tell the good news of Jesus, offer opportunities for people to believe in Him.

Second, we must move them toward BAPTISM: this is a process of repentance, surrender, obedience, death to self.

Third, we must teach people to OBEY: This is making the most of every opportunity to be a witness for Him, praying for people, sharing the Word, speaking His truth.

Thank you, Father, that in Your strength we get to partner with you in moving people toward clearer knowledge of You, deeper relationship to You, fuller surrender to You, more complete obedience to You. Help me to, in humility, lead by example in all these areas.

Great hope

But Peter declared, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." And all the other disciples said the same. Matt 26:35

After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, "Surely you are one of them, for your accent gives you away."

Then he began to call down curses on himself and he swore to them, "I don't know the man!"

Immediately a rooster crowed. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: "Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times." And he went outside and wept bitterly. Matt 26:73-75

Peter loved Jesus fiercely, but denied Him - failed Him. Yet that's not the end of the story - with Jesus, it never is. Jesus forgave him, restored him, transformed him, & set him off on a life of service that would change the world.

Thank you, Father, that Jesus makes that possible for all of us. What a great hope we have in Him.

We have been Given

The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. ~ Matthew 25:16-18

No matter how big or small the good news of Christ is that I understand, I have this amount in my possetion and I pray that I can share this good news with productive, wreak less abandon. When I feel fear I pray that I let go of control and trust.

My small talents

"The man who received the 5 talents went at once and put his money to work and gained 5 more." Matthew 25:16

Sometimes I don't think I have alot to offer... and perhaps that will be true for all of us at some point in Nepal.

But the man simply took the talents he had, no matter whether he thought them enough or not, and put them to work.

Lord, I pray that I'd be like that man - simply trusting what You've given & stepping out in faith - using whatever you've given me to serve you. When I feel inadequate, let me remember that's simply a lie of the enemy. I can do all things in Christ, who gives me strength.

Preparation Clues & Unsolvable Riddles

~ Matthew chapter 24 ~
These verses are usually strange to me and I have not given them any in depth attention... yet.
I don't have a comfortable understanding of why we are given clues for the end times yet the phrase "day and hour unknown" is there...
It's wonderful that our Lord has provided signs for end times so that we can be watchful but at the same time I personally don't want to fall into a state of only watching. I bet soem peopel end up spending their whole lives in study of end times, trying to extract more information than will ever be available. I found it interesting the mention of Noah in v. 37-39 about how there where people who where just going about their lives when the flood came and how this is how it will be at the end of the age.

At first I also stumbled with v. 34-35 where it talks about "this generation will not pass away before these things happen" and then I realized that this may simply mean "this life" as we know it.

Irregardless of all these details and thoughts (many of which I have not shared because of redundancy) I simply pray for the simplicity of Gods heart. God, give me your eyes (heart) for just one second... so that I may taste what it is like to love the way you love and know that this love is more fulfilling than anything in this life from now till eternity. Let me be a Knight for you Lord that I may fight to save the hurting people of this world. Let me not be a stumbling block to your love for your children. Break my selfish nature, break my pride, break my self indulgence, keep your hand on me so that I can withstand this fire and be refined for your purpose. I love you Lord! I pray that every step I take today is towards you ad pleasing to you.
Amen

misery to Joy

" it may be that the LORD will look upon my misery and restore to me his covenant blessing instead of his curse today"
2 Samuel 16:4

Lord i pray that in our misery in our times of doubt in fear that we would look to you in hope of a brighter days. also that we do so with a grateful and loving heart, and not a heart self- pity and bitterness. Turn our times of weakness into strength and mold us into who you want us to be.

Am I ready?

"So you must also be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him." Matt 24: 44

I've been pretty discouraged - even depressed - the last couple of days. As I read the above verse, I wondered what it would feel like to have Him return right now. Would I hang my head in shame, unable to meet His eyes, because my discouragement left me less than ready? What about other times - would I be ashamed to have Him arrive & hear what I'm saying, or see what I'm watching, or observe what I'm doing?

Father, help me to have a clearer sense of readiness, and to live daily in ways that show me to be ready for Your arrival. In Jesus, who alone makes this possible, Amen

With great position comes great responsibility

The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. - Matthew 23:2-4

Lord help me keep my focus on the contents of my heart that I will be completely submitted to your will and not for the approval of men (including myself). Please continue to mature my heart to reflect your heart. Amen.

Test Post

Well...looks like this works. I'll delete this soon.
-CHA

Called to serve

" The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself with be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." Matt 23:11-12

Father, help me to be Your servant in every situation. Help me to think of others as more important than myself. Help me to lay down all my rights so I can be fully used by You. Help me to look for opportunities to serve. Amen

An invitation to the banquet

" 'Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.' So the servants went out..." Matthew 22:9-10

God has given us a job - go & invite people to His banquet - our job is to simply do what He asks.

God, give me a willing heart, a bold heart that is not afraid to talk about You, a wise heart that knows when to talk and what to say & when to be quiet, and a compassionate heart that loves all of Your children like You do. Amen

Setting out...

The grand adventure is beginning for those of us called to Nepal in June. We'll travel a narrow path, a road less traveled, choosing a long obedience in the same direction. And we'll do it together.

God's word is the guide to our path, so being immersed in it as a team & sharing the truths found within is a wonderful way to walk together.

A verse for us as we begin the race:

"I run in the paths of Your commands, for You have set my heart free." Ps 119:32

Thank you, Father, that You have set me free. Help me to run in the path of Your commands.

Amen

Looking forward to your entries!