Rejoice in the Lord Always

"And the people complained in the hearing of the LORD about their misfortunes, and when the LORD heard it, his anger was kindled, and fire of the LORD bunted among them and consumed some outlying parts of the camp." (Numbers 11:1)

Israel in the wilderness complained particularly about their "misfortunes" when they could have rejoiced in the blessings of freedom of no longer living under the tyranny of the Egyptian rulers! They did not rejoice in the faithfulness of God to deliver for them, nor for the grace and mercy of God to miraculously feed them manna all the while providing for them water for their survival. Their current state of journey up to this point was only temporary, for they were destined for a place of milk and honey, a land of promise God had given them. There were so many things for Israel to rejoice in, but their eyes were not set on these things, rather their focus was upon their "misfortunes." No doubt they were in a "dry season," for the land they wandered was a desert without vegetation or fruit. But from God's perspective and even their own point of view, it was not their ultimate destination, it was not their permanent home! Therefore when the LORD heard it, He became angry and rightly so!

As I read this I had to consider myself, how often do I find myself in a state of complaint rather than in a place of rejoicing? The truth is that we have so much to be thankful for, but more often then not, we find ourselves more focused on our "misfortunes!" May we repent when we find ourselves complaining out our own misfortunes, and be still, knowing that the LORD, He is God. May we consider His faithfulness above all being focused in the prize of the upward call. As Paul so wisely put it, "rejoice in the Lord and again I say rejoice" for God has given us the promise of life above all the promise of His Son.

Behold, He is There!

"The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters." (Genesis 1:2)

Even in a place of desolation, voidness and darkness, behold the Spirit of the Living God was there! If the Spirit of the Living God hovers over such a place, how much more does He hover over the places where people dwell in darkness, searching for an opportunity to show Himself strong?! How much more then does the Spirit of God dwell even within His own people in their despair?! Take courage beloved brethren for behold, the LORD, He is there!

Your Life Tapestry

"...In all things, showing yourself to be a pattern of good works..." (Titus 2:7)

Patterns have consistency. Like a striped shirt or like a floral pattern on a rug, there is a shape or object which is repetitive, however in light of the entire tapestry a beautiful design. Our lives should be marked by consistency, being a tapestry of good works. A pattern of beauty made up of actions which ultimately reflect the beauty and love of the Almighty God! O great and mighty God, who revealed yourself through your Son, who had a pattern of good works, a tapestry that was so great not even all the books of the world could even portray it, grant to your bride the anointing to be the tapestry of your love to a lost and dying world. Amen.

Pray for Our Trip Home!

Preparing to Depart

"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." (Philippians 1:6)

As I sit to write this I realize it will most likely be our last blog update before departing for LAX tomorrow. It seems like so long ago that we began this journey, yet it went by so quick. Our final day in Tel Aviv was a great last day. We helped transport equipment and supplies to and from the Hotel where the Church is currently meeting until they find a more permanent location. The students were once again able to leads worship, and I believe the theme song for this trip has been "How Great is Our God! We are currently concluding our trip in Jerusalem where the students are getting to have a first hand experience at Calvary Chapel Bible College, Jerusalem campus. It had been awesome to fellowship with the students here, and I already suspect that a couple of the students on our team are entertaining the thought of studying abroad, perhaps at this campus... we shall see! The one thing I have been in awe of most on this trip is God's grace and blessing has been so evident every day we have been here. We are so thankful for all you prayers, we really sense them! The work God begins, God completes. We have had a very busy trip, much work has been accomplished, but above all God has been faithful to His promises. Thanks again for your love, prayers and support, we look forward to being united with you again to share all the wonderful things the Lord has indeed done!

Working to God's Glory

"Even so let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 5:16)

Today we went to the men's home that Calvary Tel Aviv rents for men who are homeless who actively participate in weekly studies. The focus of our work to day was to reorganize. Due to the fact that the church is in the process of securing a new location, much of the equipment had to be stored at the apartment. As a result, our friend Solomon had very limited space to move around which made his already difficult health problems that much more difficult. Once we completed the task, Solomon stated, "My own people! Israel, will not help me, will not do what you have done for me. You followers of Jesus do what Jesus did, you help." Solomon was so grateful for our work, and though he does not profess to be a believer in Yeshua (Jesus), he was so thankful to God and welcomed our prayers for him.

We finished our day with a walk to Joffa (Joppa in the Bible), and visited the site of Simon the Tanner which is where Peter received his vision from the Lord to take the gospel to the Gentiles, and the nearby port where lumber for Solomon's Temple was delivered and where Jonah departed when he fled for Tarshish in his attempt to avoid God's calling to Nineveh. Thanks for your prayers, we will finish our time in Tel Aviv after serving at tomorrow's Shabbat service before departing for Jerusalem. This trip has gone by so quickly!

Pre-Shabbat Shuke Shindig!