Who will go?

Let me introduce you to three very special ladies from Redeeming Love Fellowship.


Belinda, Courtney, and Mavis.  
(In order from left to right)


They just returned from a 10 day journey of compassion with Impact Nations to Haiti.  
(http://www.impactnations.com) 




Tonight we held a dinner to honor them and to hear about their journey.  They shared stories of ministry at medical clinics where they dispensed medicine those in need.  In addition Jesus healed blind eyes and opened deaf ears as they prayed.  At the crusade meetings others embraced the truth of Jesus as Savior and Lord.  They shared of the great need of the people. In particular the need for hope as they rebuild from the devastation from the earthquake.  All of the records of property rights were destroyed and therefore anyone who traveled to a tent city has lost their property rights.  Furthermore, many parents will not let their children enter a building for fear of another earthquake.  They shared of working with the children and dancing with them as they worshipped Jesus.  As you pray for Haiti pray that God's love would fill their hearts that they would respond to His love.  If you are interested in further opportunities to help restore hope I would encourage you to visit Impact Nations website. (http://www.impactnations.com) 


Mark 16:15 says, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation."  I love to hear the stories of those who have gone to other places and in particular the events that moved them to go.  


The back story to this night began in 2010 when my friend Adam Livecchi (www.weseejesusministries.com) came to minister at RLF.  Adam had been in Haiti with Impact Nations during the earthquake and as he shared the Lord spoke to Belinda to go to Haiti.  


Previously Belinda was terrified of flying and refused to travel anywhere by airplane.  However, the Lord told her to go to Haiti and so she trusted Him with the details.  Soon after Belinda went to Haiti and has never been the same since.  Her heart was so moved in Haiti that this was her third trip.  To help she recruited Courtney and Mavis to join her on the trip and they too now have a heart for the people of Haiti.


In addition Belinda's obedience is inspiring our entire church to prepare to go.  We've launched a new campaign to get your passport and are planning to put up a board with a picture of each person holding their passport.   In Isaiah 6:8 we read, "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I, Send me!"


Belinda heard the voice of the Lord and she said "Here am I, Send me."  Her obedience is moving an entire church body.  Perhaps there is an area of your life that the Lord has called you to?  Who knows you may start a new movement.  It begins with obedience... and maybe a passport application.

Hidden Treasures

"Talk is cheap!"  That is the message conveyed in the above video.  If you didn't watch the video  go back and watch it... it's only 3 minutes.  

It seems the findings are limited to a specific case and it may be true that at another phase of pursuing a goal it is beneficial to talk about it,  however I can attest to the results of the video.  Often I have shared ideas and new ventures to find that the action ends there. 

Psalm 119:11 says, "I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you."  It's interesting that David uses the word hidden in this verse.  He doesn't say I have declared your word (although I believe in declaration), but that it is hidden away.  

There are some things that God shares with you that are not meant to be shared with the world, but are to be treasured in your heart.  At the birth of Jesus and the visitation of the shepherds Mary "treasured [them] pondering them in her heart."  It was 30 years before she would begin to see the unfolding of what was spoken at his birth.  Often when God births something our life He would have us hide it away.  It's the word of the Lord meant to keep us in the season between the birth of a vision and the fulfillment of that vision.  We need the word and the vision to remind us of our calling but we also need more than talk. 

Maybe you are being challenged like I am to keep my mouth shut.

Open Doors

Image: nattavut / FreeDigitalPhotos.net




Many people make all of their decisions based on open or closed doors, but when God opens a door He doesn't always say enter.  A sign of maturity is to be lead by something greater than circumstances.

Jesus demonstrates this concept to His disciples right after the last supper.  We pick the story up just after Jesus told Peter that he will disown him three times...

Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?” “Nothing,” they answered. He said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one... The disciples said, “See, Lord, here are two swords.”

“That’s enough!” he replied. 

- Luke 22: 35,36,38

Do you see the instruction given for them to get swords?  The story continues later in the garden as Judas leads the chief priests and crowds to Jesus.

When Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?” And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.  
- Luke 22:49-52

Peter assumes that because he was told to get a sword that he was to use it.  He did not give place for an answer contrary to his assumption and desire.  It's pretty clear throughout Jesus life that the disciples misunderstood the type of Kingdom that Jesus was ushering in.   From their perspective Kingdom meant position and swords an end to the oppressive rulership of the day.  It took Jesus death and resurrection for them to understand that Jesus came to change lives from the inside out and not to be served but to serve.  

If we fail to see our circumstances from heaven's perspective we too can fall in the same trap.  There's a temptation to interpret what the Lord has spoken through our own lens.  If we let the Lord build that lens in our life then we have healthy growth, but if we have another lens it leads to destructive patterns.  These patterns of thinking often attach themselves to a desire that is not born from the Spirit.  The subsequent action born of such thinking only leads to pain and loss.  

Thankfully Jesus is able to provide healing for the man's ear.  In the same way the Lord offers healing and valuable teaching moments to us when we move out ahead of His voice.  It's His kindness that leads us to repentance and His grace that gives us the patience to wait not only for the open door but the right time to walk through that door.  

Remember, when God opens a door, He doesn't always say enter.