Red Ball Jets and Gideon (The Man Who Went Against the Crowd)

On our first mission trip, we went to Haiti for 10 days with a pastor friend, another couple, and another good friend. It was an incredible trip, and God used it to touch our hearts for the people of this world, and encouraged us toward world missions.

One Sunday night we went into part of Port au Prince called City Soleil to show the Jesus film.

This was the first time we had seen such squalor and poverty like this up close and personal, and it was unbelievable; raw sewage running through the streets, and children running around with only one article of clothing.

The missionary told us that about 200,000 people lived in one square mile that made up City Soleil. We set up a large sheet for a screen, cranked up the generator, and started the movie, and soon we had hundreds of people watching the film.

 
The missionary, the pastor and I had just started to walk around the area to get an idea of how many people had shown up.
 
Suddenly we heard people screaming and saw them running (more like stampeding) toward us with fear on their faces!

What Lizzie Velasques can teach us...

“For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart”      1 Sam 16:7

This morning, I came across this story of this woman, Lizzie Velasquez, whom someone once posted a YouTube video of, as the ugliest person in the world.  How sad and disgusting for someone to do that to another human being.

But she did not let that define her.  She turned the bad things in her life around to positive things.

It reminds me of the story about a farmer’s one and only mule.  This mule worked hard on the farm and the farmer treasured the mule, but one day it fell into a deep well.  The farmer did not have the means to get the mule out, so he figured the best thing he could do was to bury it in the well. 

As he began to shovel dirt into the well, the mule began to shake the dirt off, and as the dirt began to pile around him, he began to step onto the dirt.  He did not let the dirt bury him, but continued to step on it. As it piled up, he began to climb.  What was meant to bury him, he used to climb up and out of the well.

Please watch this brief video of Lizzie Velasquez in front of Ted^x in Austin, Texas

http://cnsnews.com/mrctv-blog/eric-scheiner/woman-treated-monster-teaches-beautiful-lesson

Let this be a reminder that no matter what we go through in life, we cannot let it define us.

Each Wednesday and Friday morning, I get together with a couple of friends for coffee, and to talk about the Lord, to pray, and to hear what the Lord is speaking to each other. 

One of the things that we talked about this week was that people may try to put us in a box so they can define us. But God’s view of us is different. 

In fact, no matter how people try to box you in or define you, always remember that God’s opinion of you makes their opinion irrelevant.  God always looks at the heart.

 

Lessons from Proverbs 4

Proverbs 4:23-27 (Amplified Bible)

"Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life. Put away from you false and dishonest speech, and willful and contrary talk put far from you. Let your eyes look right on [with fixed purpose], and let your gaze be straight before you. Consider well the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established and ordered aright. Turn not aside to the right hand or to the left; remove your foot from evil."

 

Guard your heart more than anything else, because the source of your life flows from it.

The heart refers to the mind, will, and emotions (i.e. the “soulish” realm).

We are made up of three parts:

Body- physical being-what we can sense with touch, sight, etc.;

Soul- that part of us that deals with the mind, will and emotions-how we feel; and

Spirit- that part of us that is God-breathed and yearns to know God.)

Protect your mind, will, and emotions.

 What we feed our mind affects every part of our life. Garbage in = garbage out.

 Your attitude affects every part of your life. Attitude affects Altitude.

Matthew 12:34-“…Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks…”

Luke 6:45-“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things."

Life can be tough and unless we can keep ourselves encouraged, we can allow ourselves to get down and discouraged. (Work hard – Play hard; Work harder – Pray harder)

Remember, even David had to encourage himself in the Lord. (1 Samuel 30:6b)

We have to stay positive by surrounding ourselves with family, friends and colleagues that can be our “Amen corner.”

Do you have a prayer partner?

 Are you praying for your family, business, and church?

If not, why not.  You don't have because you haven’t asked (Matthew 7:7-8; James 4:2b)

 
Remove dishonesty from your mouth. Put perverse [crooked] speech far away from your lips.

Always speak the WHOLE truth.

 Speak positive things.

Always maintain your integrity and honesty in your dealings.

 

Let your eyes look straight ahead and your sight be focused in front of you.

Focus on the goal

 

Don’t be distracted from it

 

 

Carefully walk a straight path, and all your ways will be established.

Watch what you are doing

 

Discipline and pattern your life.

 

Do not turn to the right or to the left. Walk away from evil.

Stay focused

 

Beware of danger

 

 

 

All Things Become New

Happy New Year!  Today is a day that the world celebrates new beginnings.  The old year is past and a new year has begun.  Whatever happened in 2013 is in the history books and today 2014 begins. 

Maybe last year was great or not so great for you, but it doesn’t matter because it is over, and you get to start a New Year fresh.

Fresh.

Sort of like the new life we have in Christ Jesus. The old things are passed away and all things have become new.  Whatever your old life was like, your new life is fresh as the morning dew.

Paul the apostle was a man that knew what it meant to be new in Christ.  His old life ended on the road to Damascus in Acts chapter nine when he fell to the ground, blinded by a great light from heaven.  The Lord spoke to him, and his life was instantly changed. Three days later his eyes are healed and he is baptized.

This man, who had been the church’s worst enemy, now became the church’s best missionary!  He ended up writing about half of the New Testament, and is the one who taught the message of grace apart from works stronger than any of the other apostles of the Lord.

One of the things that Paul wrote is found in Philippians;

“I don’t mean to say I am perfect. I haven’t learned all I should even yet, but I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ saved me for and wants me to be. No, dear brothers, I am still not all I should be, but I am bringing all my energies to bear on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God is calling us up to heaven because of what Christ Jesus did for us.” Philippians 3:12-14 The Living Bible [emphasis mine]

It is a great lesson for us as we start this New Year. 

Forget the past!

Look forward to what lies ahead!

Focus your energy on finishing the race strongly!

Why? Because of what Christ Jesus has done for us!

 

First Christmas in Heaven... author unknown

First Christmas in Heaven

 

I’ve had my first Christmas in Heaven,

A glorious, wonderful day!

I stood with saints of the ages

Who found Christ, the Truth, and the Way.

 

I sang with the heavenly choir -

Just think!  I, who so longed to sing!

And oh!  What celestial music

We brought to our Savior and King!

 

We sang the glad songs of redemption,

How Jesus of Bethlehem came,

And how they had called His name Jesus,

That all might be saved through His name.

 

We sang once again with the angels,

The song they sang that blessed morn,

When shepherds first heard the glad story

That Jesus, the Savior, was born.

 

O, dear one, I wish you had been here.

No Christmas on earth could compare

With all the rapture and glory

We witnessed in Heaven so fair.

 

You know how I always loved Christmas;

It seemed such a wonderful day,

With all my loved ones around me,

The children so happy and gay.

 

Yes, now I can see why I loved it,

And, oh, what a joy it will be

When all of my loved ones are with me,

To share in the glories I see.

 

So dear ones on earth here’s my greeting –

Look up ‘til the day’s dawn appears,

And, oh, what a Christmas awaits us

Beyond all our partings and tears.