T Minus 1 Week...

Well I just sent out emails to missionaries in Israel about final details, set up our communications, am figuring out our budget, got the High School Website updated, Church Website updated... Rental cars, lodging, air, baggage details in order and um.... Lord willing we will be landing in Tel Aviv at this time next week!

Please keep in the team in prayers as we prepare for this journey and stay posted on this blog and on Facebook as this journey unfolds! I want to give a big Thank you to everyone for all their prayers, thoughts and support! God is good!

The Power of Prayer

"So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one" (Ezekiel 22:30)

God here reveals His desire, a person who is willing to set themselves apart to communicate to Him on behalf of others. God longs to communicate and fellowship with people, and even with one person is enough! So often we can lose heart at the state of the world, nation or our community and feel overwhelmed by it. But the reality is, that this is an opportunity to do what God desires the most, to communicate with Him! As my good friend recently reminded me in light of his mission journey, "Pray for us! And don't underestimate the power of prayer!" God is looking for someone willing to build up a wall to guard away all the distractions. God is looking for someone willing to "stand in the gap," to pray on behalf of others!

Be Real

"Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know" (Jeremiah 33:3)

God is not looking for a facade of religion. When people mask themselves it is impossible to know who they are at the core of their being. Abram was willing to ask God genuine questions, like "what?" or "how?" (Genesis 15). Don't be afraid to ask God real questions for He has promised to give us real answers. There are some amazingly awesome things God wants to reveal to us in His Word and concerning this life, but it is going to require one thing from you... Be Real!

Be Careful What You Wish For...

"This is a nation that does not obey the voice of the LORD their God nor receive correction. Truth has perished and has been cut off from their mouth" (Jeremiah 7:28)

As I have been reading through the book of Jeremiah, I cannot help but note the similarities between the nation of Israel then and our very own nation today. As the people of Israel then were so enamored with Babylon, our own nation today is enamored with becoming more integrated into a world system. The scary thing is that God gave Israel then over to their desires saying, "Moreover I will deliver all the wealth of this city, all its produce, and all its precious things; all the treasure of the kings of Judah I will give into the hand of their enemies, who will plunder them, seize them, and carry them to Babylon"(Jeremiah 20:5). As the saying goes, "Be careful for what you wish for, because you might just get it!"

The Image and the Painting

The painting on top was inspired by the photograph below taken by my brother on a surf trip down to Mex last year...

Recieve it... Read it... Spread it.

"Get out from your country, from your family and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you, I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." (Genesis 12:1-2)

God called Abram to be a pilgrim. A life of pilgrimage is a life of Faith. Faith is not blind, but is grounded in promises. God gave Abram 5 promises to go out on; (1) A Land, (2) A Great Nation (3) A Great Name, (4) A Blessed Life, (5) A Family. Abram did not have a blind faith, he had promises, he believed them, and went on them and "did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief" (Romans 4:20). Abram simply 'obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance" (Hebrews 11:6). The scriptures say that Abram was "fully convinced that what (God) had promised He was also able to perform." (Romans 4:21). The crazy thing is that we have so much more!!! We have the entirety of the Word and understand that Jesus of Nazareth is the fulfillment of prophesy of the Old Testament, that He indeed is the Messiah, the Christ. God has given us promise upon promise upon promise to lay hold of. So what are we to do? (1) Receive the Bible for what it is, God's Word. (2) Read it and search it for it's promises. When you have received promises, (3) Spread them out before God in prayer, taking possession of them by walking in faith accordingly (Isaiah 37:14). Simply put, "lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of you!" (Philippians 3:12).

Watch, Stand, Be Brave, Be Strong

"Though He slay me, yet I will trust Him" (Job 13:15)

In the thick of his trial, in the depths of his suffering, in the midst of his questions, Job made a decision to trust God to the point of death. Job was determined to trust in the Lord with all his heart, soul, mind and strength. Jesus said His followers would suffer. Hebrews 11 records the lives of those who suffered for their faith being mocked, scourged, imprisoned, slain, destitute, afflicted, tormented, "of whom the world was not worthy" (Hebrews 11:36-38). The simple point is this: Trust requires our determination, Resolve and Purpose of Heart! As Paul ended in his letter to the Corinthians, "Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong" (1 Corinthians 16:13).