Persecution, as I said, took on many fronts. The new believers were constantly bombarded with lies and hatred and confusion. Paul was concerned for them and wanted to make sure that they did not lose heart and return to their pagan ways. Paul addresses some of the things he has heard about in the Thessalonian church. He also address his responsibility to those believers.

Paul was not a stranger to hard work. In fact, he was sometimes criticized for working to support himself instead of having the church support him. He makes reference to this 2:6 and 2:9. Paul knew the authority as an apostle that he had, but he also knew the humility he must demonstrate in this case to the church. Because of this, he worked for all that he needed. He did not wish to be a burden to them. The Scripture is not real clear why he did this, we could speculate and maybe we would be right. But, instead I think it best to know that Paul loved this church and it appears that he is doing what needed to be done to reach them.

Paul offers four examples of his love and responsibility to the Thessalonian church. (I would like to thank Dr. Woo for helping to explain these better.)Paul describes the relationship to the believers in these terms- steward, nursing mother, father, and herald.

Steward- Paul expresses throughout this chapter that as a leader and apostle and disciple, that the new believers are his responsibility.  He has been entrusted with their care. He takes this very seriously and he should. (2:4-6)

Nursing mother- Paul expresses his love for them in a very intimate way. Not only does a nursing mother provide nourishment but protection for her child. Paul is responsible for spiritually feeding the believers and teaching them to grow in Christ until they can learn to feed themselves. He also paints a picture of tenderness for those in his care. He does not provide for them because he has to but because he wants to.(2:7-8)

Father- Paul’s life was an example for the believers. Like a father, he lived and acted in a manner to demonstrate to them how they too should live. He was there to provide the example and correct them along the way. A father disciplines his child because he loves him and wants him to be successful. In like manner, Paul was there to encourage them and build them up. He was the father cheering on his child. Most importantly, Paul raised his children in a “manner worthy of God(2:12).” This was his goal for himself and his desire for the believers. (2:9-12)

Herald- Paul reminded them of how they heard the message of Christ. As a spokesman for Jesus, he declared the Gospel to the Gentiles like a herald would announce a king. This was contrary to the false teachers who sought glory for themselves and not for the king. Paul was pleased that they accepted his master that he announced before them. This was his joy and his responsibility.

If Paul was an example for us who follow Christ, then what responsibility do we have to the believers in our care?

Using examples from the book of Acts, we can come to some conclusion about the timing of the letter. Paul wrote it during his second missionary journey. Acts 17:1-9 gives some insight into the time frame, based upon the ruler that was in Corinth, the place Paul is writing from, at the time. Also, we can note that Paul has chosen Silas over Mark in Acts 15 and in Acts 16 Timothy joins them in the work.

In one voice Paul gives thanks for the church and offers encouragement that he and the others are “constantly praying for them” (1:2).  Likewise, Paul clearly brings to light the fact that God had chosen them(Gentiles). This point alone is important because Paul’s mission was to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles. To support him in that mission, God saw fit to send the Holy Spirit to dwell with them as affirmation, confirmation, and conviction to those who came to believe in Christ (1:4-5).

In verse 6, we read the main point of the opening chapter. Paul is beginning a discussion that he will pick up again in chapter 3. He is doing several things in this verse, which reads;

And you became (1)imitators of us and of (2) the Lord, for you received the word in much (3) affliction, with (4) joy of the Holy Spirit,(ESV)

1) Imitators of us- Paul is saying that not only did he and his companions do a good job, but that the Thessalonians were doing the same in regards to living out their faith in Christ;

2) Imitators of the Lord- Christ had given a great example of how believers should live their life. This message was clearly communicated to the hurch and they were again living as Christ had commanded and demonstrated

3) in much affliction- Paul knew persecution better than most. He was one of the best at persecuting Christians at one time. Now he was on the receiving end of persecution because of his faith in Jesus. As imitators of Paul and of Christ, the Thessalonians also knew persecution. This is one of the promises that all believers must know and accept. In Christ, all of us will suffer affliction. This is a mark of believing in Jesus.

4) joy of the Holy Spirit- Paul, in some of his other writings describes a joy that can only come from the Holy Spirit. The one thing to take note of here is the Spirit is with the Gentiles. Because the evidence of this was manifested through joy it confirms the promise of the Spirit that Jesus spoke of and the prophesy of the Spirit from Amos for the Gentiles. Paul quoted Amos 9 in his defense for the Gentiles at the Jerusalem Council as described in Acts 15.

More than anything else in this chapter, I think that Paul is acknowledging the work that the Gentile believers have been doing. He especially notes that in verse 7. Paul describes the work that was done in Macedonia and Achaia. If we know nothing else about these places, we could conclude that these new believers were active in sharing the faith they have in Jesus. Paul was pleased with this and wanted to encourage them to keep doing the good work.

Finally, Paul closes his letter with a hint of the matter that he wishes to discuss- Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come (v.10). Paul knows that there are some issues that are causing trouble in Thessalonica. Because he loves the church, he is eager to address these and other issues that they are facing in the chapters to come.

I think it is essential to establish a mainline belief that Jesus has already been to earth as both man and deity-in one. Through this action He took on the sin and shame of His creation so that we can be reconciled to our Creator-God. So, in order for us to believe that he will return, we must believe that he has already come and gone and promises to return again.

However, the next time He comes to earth, it will be much different than when he came the first time. The Old Testament describes this as the “Day of the Lord.” The prophet Amos describes this day much differently than many of the Jewish scholars of his day. Amos discusses the judgment of God upon His people not deliverance from their oppressors as many had hoped.

It is not my intent to get into a deep discussion of eschatology and the many views of what and when and how the Lord will return. There are several views, not all of which agree with one another. Instead, I want to impart my study of    1 Thessalonians and the questions that church had regarding the Second Coming of Jesus.

The Apostle Paul wrote 1 Thessalonians around 50AD. He was in Corinth at the time and he is responding to some issues that had arisen in the Church at Thessalonica. For the most part there are false teachers that are distorting the truth about the coming of Christ. There was also some internal issues with the believers, they thought that you had to be alive when Jesus returned. Because of this fear they began to question what happens to those who have already died? Naturally, this created numerous other questions, especially in regards to the timing of Christ’s return- will it be soon?

Paul was addressing Gentiles who had heard the message of salvation and came to  faith in Jesus Christ. One indication of this is that they had “turned to God from idols (1 Thes 1:9).” The Jews had put all of their idols away the last time they were exiled. (However, the Law became their idol, which is what made it so difficult for them to accept Jesus.) These Gentiles probably had a good knowledge of Old Testament teachings. Likewise, there were probably some Jews that had accepted Jesus and were there to teach them as well. In addition, there were some Gentiles who had previously accepted Judaism, they were often known as “God- fearers” ( Acts 13:16). They were circumcised according to the law and baptized or “put into” the Jewish faith publicly through ceremonial washing. (This is who John the Baptist was likely baptizing, because Jews did not need to be “put into” Judaism- they were already Jewish.”

The prevailing fear in 1 Thessalonianswas that if you were dead when Jesus came back, then you would miss out on the blessing of His return. Paul addressed this concern and warned the church to make sure their hearts were ready and to not worry about the physical condition. Paul gave pretty clear instructions throughout this letter that remain applicable today.

In the coming days, I hope to explore the book of 1 Thessalonians in depth by chapter. As a student, much of this writing is for my own education. However, I hope that the Lord will use it to instruct others, especially those who do not have the resources to the Word that I have been blessed with in America.

Please return daily and feel free to comment.

Have you ever done something like that? Let me tell you it is NOT a good idea. The girl missed the bus and could not go to school. My mom had to leave work and come and get me out of the truck. I was in big trouble!

Usually, when I got into big trouble my dad would take off his belt and spank me. That really hurt and I did not like it. That’s why I tried not to get into big trouble very often, but it was too late.

My mom and dad were really angry. And instead of spanking me immediately, they had other plans.

My dad was a contractor, he built things. So he decided that if I was not going to go to school, then I was going to go to work. I was in the third grade! This had to be against the law, but dad did not care.

At first, I was pretty happy because dad did not spank me. But that did not last long. Instead, Dad said that today I was going to be a carpenter. He also said that every nail that I bent, I was going to one spanking each! Suddenly, I wanted to go back to school. I had bent lots of nails before and I knew I was going to bend more today- and that meant lots of spankings!

That day I bent 3 nails. That was 25 years ago and I still remember getting 3 spankings from my dad.

I broke the rules didn’t I? I deserved to be punished for skipping school, making the babysitter late, and disobeying my parents.

I would like to tell you that I never did anything wrong again. But I have. In fact, I still do things wrong today. When I break God’s laws it is called sin. God is my heavenly father, and he created everything, including you and me. But when we sin, we are separated from God.

But do you know what? God wants us to be close to him. So he sent us his son Jesus to take the punishment for our sins. You know why I remember how many nails I bet that day? I remember because Jesus died and was hung on a cross with 3 nails. He took my punishment for me.

The Bible says that “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8”

Jesus died for your sins. Before you were ever born, he died for your sins. God does not want us to be away from him and he loves us so much that he would let his only son die for you and me.

Some of you have already asked God to forgive you. Some of you have not. Listen very carefully. I want to sit right where you are and be quiet for just a few more minutes. Listen with your heart, not your ears.

Do you long for something to fill the gaps in your life? Is something missing? Have you tried to fill the emptiness and pain with everything else?

Salvation only comes through Jesus. The only thing that can fill the empty and heal the hurt is accepting that Jesus is the Son of God, believing that he can save you from an eternity without your creator, and confessing that you need Jesus to rescue you from your separation from God.

If you have this and you have more questions then contact me and we can discuss it. If you have already made this decision, then I encourage you to tell your story to others. This is my story, everything in it is true.

Tell your story, someone needs to hear it. (I told this story at vacation Bible School in June 2009.)

After Jesus had been dead for three days an angel went to his tomb. The earth shook and a giant stone that covered the tomb was rolled away. The guards that were watching over the tomb were frightened and looked like dead men.

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to the tomb, not knowing what had happened. When they arrived they saw an angel with clothes as white as snow. They were afraid. But the angel said, “Why are you looking for Jesus here. He is not dead. He is alive and has risen from death, just like he said he would. Look for yourselves, he is not here. So go and tell his disciples that Jesus is going to Galilee, he will be there waiting for them so they can see for themselves. “

So the women ran off quickly. They were filled with joy. But before they could get to the disciples, they saw Jesus. He told them, “Do not be afraid, but go and tell my brothers to meet me in Galilee.”

Once they found the eleven disciples, because Judas had hung himself, they told them everything that had happened. The disciples did not believe them, except for Peter.  Peter went to the tomb to see for himself. There he found it empty and wonder for himself what had happened.

So the disciples traveled to Galilee where they met Jesus. He rebuked them for their lack of faith in him and in his resurrection. While they were together, Jesus gave the disciples some final instructions. He told them, “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, even to very end of the age.”

After he had said these things and led them out of the area of Bethany, he blessed them and then was taken up into Heaven.

After Jesus was arrested he was put into prison. The guards began to mock him and beat him. They even blindfolded him and as they hit him said, “Tell us who hit you.” They said and did many mean things to Jesus.

When morning came, Jesus was taken before the chief priests and the leaders of the Jews. They could not find any evidence against Jesus but many people came and made false accusations. They were looking to find something so that they could have Jesus killed.

Finally, the high priest challenged Jesus and said, “Tell us under oath of God, are you the Christ, the Son of God?”

Jesus replied, “Yes, it is as you say.”

Then the high priest accused Jesus of blasphemy, which means to say something that is untrue against or about God.  The priest wanted the people to agree that Jesus had done this because they all heard him say that he was indeed the Christ. And all the people agreed and declared that Jesus was worthy of death.

Deciding that they did not need more testimony, they took Jesus to Pilate. Pilate was the governor of the Romans. At this time, the Romans were in power through most of the land. They had many soldiers and they were fierce warriors. This is why they took him to Pilate, because he must make the decision to carry out the death sentence.

When Jesus and Pilate met, Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

Jesus replied, “Yes, it is as you say.”

But Pilate did not think that this was enough to kill Jesus. But the Jews were very angry and they said that Jesus was stirring up the people and causing all kinds of trouble. They wanted to make sure that Jesus was put to death.

But because Jesus was not from Jerusalem, but from Galilee, he had to appear before a man named Herod. Herod happened to be in Jerusalem at the time.  Herod was pleased to see Jesus, because he had heard of the many things that he had done. He wanted to see him for himself. Although Herod asked him many questions, Jesus did not answer. So they mocked Jesus and dressed him like a king. He did not resist them. Then Herod, who before this time had been Pilate’s enemy, befriended Pilate and sent Jesus back to him.

When Jesus returned, Pilate could not find any sign that Jesus was the leader of any rebellion.  So he met with the Jewish leaders and decided that he would whip Jesus, to make them happy, and then set him free. But this was not enough for them. They wanted him put to death.

Since this was the time of the Passover, it was customary for the governor, Pilate, to release one prisoner at the request of the people. The people knew this and they began to ask for the release of a murder named Barabbas not Jesus. So Pilate agreed and asked what he should with Jesus? The crowd began to chant, “Crucify him!” and Satan moved among them.

Pilate agreed to do this and ordered for Jesus to be beaten and crucified. The soldiers took him away. They made a crown of thorns and shoved it onto his head. They beat him almost to death and then they took him to be crucified.

Crucifixion was a horrible way to die. Jesus had to carry a large wooden cross to the place where he would be nailed to it. Because Jesus had been beaten so badly, another man was forced by the soldiers to carry it for him. Once they arrived to the place, large nails were driven through Jesus’ hands and feet. Then the cross was dropped into a hole and Jesus hung there in great pain until he died.

While Jesus was on the cross, the soldiers continued to mock him. They made a sign and placed it over his head that said, “King of the Jews.”  Because many had gathered for the Feast of the Passover, the city was filled; many people witnessed all of these events. Many of the soldiers told Jesus, “save yourself if you really are the Son of God!” But Jesus new that he must stay on the cross. He knew that the sins of everyman would only be paid by his blood and through his death.

Jesus knew that he was the sacrificial lamb for the Passover. And as he drew his last breath and died, the sky grew dark, the earth shook and a large curtain in the temple was torn completely in half. This was the curtain that all the people had to stay behind, except for the high priest, because God was on the other side. Because of their sins, they were separated from God. Now Jesus had provided the final sacrifice for sin. They were no longer separated from God.

The body of Jesus was taken off the cross and placed in a borrowed tomb. An official seal was placed on it, a large rock covered the entrance, and guards were posted to stop anyone from stealing the body.

After Jesus had lived for about 30 years and performed many miracles the time came when men would plot to kill him. This is the story of Jesus preparing his disciples for the time of his death.

The time came when the people celebrated the Feast of the Passover. You might remember that the Passover was the day that God killed all of the first born children in Egypt. But, the Israelites were spared if they sacrificed the lamb and covered the doorways of their homes with its blood. Moses taught the people to remember the time when God delivered the people from their slavery. Each year they had a feast to do just that.

So Jesus gathered his 12 disciples for this feast. Many other people had gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate this feast as well. One of the 12 disciples, whose name was Judas Iscariot, had agreed to betray Jesus so that he could be killed. Satan entered Judas and he went to the chief priest and they devised a plan. They agreed to pay Judas for doing this.

Meanwhile, Peter and John were preparing for the Passover feast, Jesus gave them instructions. He said, “Go into the city and find a man carrying a jar of water. Say to him ‘the Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover at your house.’”

Peter and John left and met the man just as Jesus had said. They went to the house that the man provided and prepared everything for the feast.

While they were eating, Jesus told the disciples that one of them would betray him. He continued to share with them that this would be the last Passover that he would celebrate with them.

During the meal Jesus took bread, gave thanks for it, and broke it into pieces. He gave them each some of the bread. He said, “This is my body that is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

After the meal, he took a cup of wine and he said, “This cup is the promise I make to you; a promise in my blood, which is shed for you to pay for your sins.”

During the meal the disciples were troubled that one of them was going to betray Jesus. They began to talk among themselves about this. Some of them asked Jesus if they were the one that he was speaking about. When Judas asked, Jesus replied, “It is you.”  Jesus sent Judas away acknowledging that he knew what would soon happen.

When they had completed the meal, Jesus took Peter, James, and John to a garden called Gethsemane.  There Jesus instructed the three men to stay and keep watch while he went alone to pray. There were no crowds around Jesus and it was night time. So Jesus went off to pray because his soul was overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.

Peter, James, and John stayed a little farther behind Jesus. But the men went to sleep, twice. Twice Jesus had to wake them up.  While Jesus was praying, he asked God if there was another way to save men from their sins. However, Jesus knew that the only way was for him to die. Then, as Jesus rebuked the three men for sleeping the second time, a crowd of men with swords and sticks came upon them. Judas was leading them.

When Judas saw Jesus, he ran to him and kissed him on the cheek. This was the sign that would identify Jesus to those who came to arrest him. The men seized Jesus and arrested him. Jesus said to them, “You had many chances to arrest me in the courts of the temple, but instead you came to get me in secret. This fulfills the teachings of the prophets.”  Jesus said this because he knew that the laws of the time did not allow for a man to be arrested at night.  So they took him away and the three disciples ran away.

One day an expert in the law challenged Jesus. He asked him, “Teacher, what must I do to have eternal life?”

“What is written in the law?” Jesus replied. “How do you read it?”

The man answered: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and ‘Love you neighbor as yourself.’”

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

But the man wanted to make himself look good so he asked Jesus, “Who then is my neighbor?”

So Jesus told the man a story, which was how he often taught. This was the story that Jesus told:

One day a man was walking from Jerusalem to Jericho. He was stopped by robbers along the road. They beat him and took his clothing. They left him half dead and ran away.

A priest came along and saw the man. But instead of stopping, he crossed to the other side and kept walking.

A Levite also came along and saw the man. He too crossed the road and kept walking.

Both the priest and the Levite did not stop and help the man.

But along came a Samaritan and he saw the man. He took pity on him and stopped to help.  He put ointment on his wounds and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his donkey and carried him to an inn and took care of him. The next day the Samaritan paid the innkeeper two silver coins. He told the innkeeper to “Look after the man and when I return I will pay you anything that you spent to care for him.”

Then Jesus asked, “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by the robbers?”

The expert replied, “The man who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

There once was a man named Jairus. He was a ruler in the local synagogue, which is like a church. He had a daughter who was very sick. He was afraid that she was going to die. Jairus pleaded with Jesus to come and touch his daughter and heal her. This was his only daughter and she was only about twelve years old.

Jesus decided to go to Jairus’ house. A large crowd had gathered around Jesus. This happened often because people wanted to see the miracles that Jesus performed.

One of the people in the crowd was a woman had been very sick for twelve years. She had a condition that caused her to bleed all the time. No one had been able to heal her for all of these years. She came up behind Jesus, reached out her hand and touched the very edge of his cloak. Immediately she was healed.

esus stopped. He asked, “Who touched me?”

At first no one would admit who had touched Jesus. Then Peter said, “Lord, there are a lot of people around you, it could have been any one of them.”

esus replied, “Yes, but someone touched me because I know that power has gone from me.”

Finally the woman came and fell at Jesus’ feet. She admitted that she had touched his cloak and that she had been healed. She was very afraid and she was trembling.

Jesus said to her, “Your faith has healed you, go in peace.”

So the woman left and Jesus and the crowd continued to Jairus’ house. But someone came and told Jairus that his daughter had died. Jesus heard this and said to Jairus, “Do not be afraid, just believe and she will be healed.”

When Jesus arrived at the home, the people had already begun to mourn the girl’s death. Jesus told everyone that the girl was not dead but only asleep. The people laughed at Jesus. Then they were all told to go outside. Jesus took Jairus and his wife, along with Peter, James and John, inside the house. No one else was aloud to go in. Then Jesus took the dead girls hand and told her, “Get up!”

Immediately, the girl got up. Jesus told her parents to bring her something to eat. They were astonished by what had just happened. And news about this miracle spread all over the region.

One of my favorite stories in the Bible is found in Matthew 5. Jesus is walking through the crowd and woman who has been suffering from a bleeding disorder for 12 years reaches out and touches his garment. Jesus stopped because he felt power leave him and looked for who touched him. Once she knew that everyone would notice that she had been healed, she confessed. Jesus knew who touched her, but he wanted her to confess so that all might see that her faith in Him healed her.

As Jesus continued his journey to see a girl who was sick and dying, the crowd informed him of her death. Yet, he claimed that she was still alive and continued to her home. Everyone was gathered around Jesus because they wanted to see him perform miracles. In fact, just moments earlier they saw the woman healed by merely believing and touching the edge of his garment. But still, they laughed at him when he said the girl was not dead.

Jesus entered the home and said the words ” Talitha koum!”  This means “little girl, get up!” And she did. Jesus was right, yet again.

In both Numbers and Deuteronomy, the Hebrews are told to tie tassels on the four corners of their garments. There is a lot of conjecture regarding the meaning of the knots and the number of windings, if there should be a blue string or a black one, etc, etc, etc… Without getting into too much of that I think it best just to say that the Bible commands it at specific times to a specific people.

It is widely accepted that this garment was and is called today a tallit. Simple translation of this word is ” little covering or little tent”  The garment itself is still seen today.It has likely changed from a poncho like garment to more of prayer shawl that you see Jewish men wearing in current times. It had four corners and the command was to tie tassels on these corners as a reminder of the law given by Moses on Mt. Horeb. Likewise, it was designed to help the people remember those laws and to keep them.

Jesus was a Jewish man. Therefor, I think that we can safely conclude that he wore the traditional clothing of Jewish men of his time. This would include a tallit. The lady suffering from the bleeding disorder most likely would have seen the tassel and that is what she reached for and touched. ( Personally, I think she saw the blue chord especially and it reminded her of the promise of Messiah.) In doing such, she likely touched the knots that are tied on the tassel, which according to some Jewish customs represent the name of God.

She remembered. She had tried everything else for 12 years and when Jesus came through her town she reached out for him. She wanted healing and finally the healer had come to her.I also think that she had heard Scripture before and was looking for the one who came with “healing in his wings (Malachi 4: 2.) The word used for wings in this passage is the same word used for hem or edge of a garment. Also, when the tallit is worn properly, one looks like he has wings, because of the way the tassels hang over the shoulders.

If you read Numbers 15 again you will see the four corners that are again mentioned in Zechariah when the nations will grab hold of the “hem ” of his robe and ask to go with him [Jesus].

Finally, I want to take you back to the meaning of the word tallit. Before the temple was constructed God would meet the Israelites in the “tent of meeting.” This was the place where God dwelt and would speak to the leaders of the people. When Jewish men pray, they begin by placing the tallit over their head and enter into a “time alone with God (TAWG).” There is a fervancy and frequency by which they do this. Everyday, these men pray and commune with God. EVERY DAY! (For more explaination on this and other topics, I invite you to explore http://www.hebrew4christians.com/index.html)

This final devotional for our students was specifically designed to encourage them to spend TAWG everyday. I asked for some feedback on Thursday night and several of them said that they enjoyed TAWG more than anything else. Some asked for more direction, maybe even a written format to help them spend time with God. Others even said that they look forward to camp and to mission trips because their school year is so busy that they often do not spend TAWG. Our student ministry has done a great job teaching our students to hunger and thirst for God’s word and fellowship with him. So many of them long for  this time because they see and experience the benefit first hand. I think that they likewise notice the difference in their lives when they are not spending TAWG.

Parents, I beg you to invest in this time with and for your students. Encourage and participate in seeking God through prayer and in his word. I believe with all of my heart that the students on this trip know that God’s word is essential and that they long for it.  Teach them to budget and manage time daily just for God. None of us will discount the dependence upon our risen Christ, yet all of us are guilty of not giving him our undivided attention daily.

Thank you for allowing me to spend time with your students. I will likely post a few more blogs regarding this trip. I invite and encourage you to keep reading along.

On Friday we talked about all that we do each and every day, not just on mission trips. I wanted to share witour students the importance of of character and living a life that people will notice. I wanted them to understand that someone is always watching us, especially when we are representing Chris at a church event or trip. This was not designed as a discipline lesson but as an object lesson for how people thirst for living water.

I began by explaining wha a cistern was and how it would gather rain water and everything else along the ground on its way. I shared the simple passage from Jeremiah about how cisterns always break and that they are unreliable. In some ways, I painted the picture of mans efforts to sustain himself without God. I find this very interesting regarding cisterns because doesn’t the rain come from God. Nonetheless, rain is not living water. It is not constant, it is not pure, and it is not reliable. Several instances throughout the Bible support this.

After we all agreed that water was required for life, I continued to discuss the need always have it, no matter where we are in life or location. The “impressive” heat this week really helped drive this point home.

After we read John 7:37-39, I briefly explained the Feast of Taberacles. The simplest explaination is to say that it was a feast to ask God for rain for the crops. In the Scripture, Jesus stands up in the middle of the crowd and says that he alone is the source for living water. This did not make him very many new friends. In fact, many of the teachers of the law were angry, and I think a little embarrassed. However, they would soon take this anger out on Jesus and have him cruxified.

I wanted to make a clearer example for us all to see, understand and smell. So, I placed two paper cups on te tables and some index cards. I asked the kids to write down all the stuff that represents sin in their lives, all the things that God knows about them, all the words that they speak to each other every day, even on mission trip, that hurt and are not Christlike. I asked them to write them down, tear them up and place them in a cup. Thn I asked thm to label that cup, “All that ‘we’ have.”

Then I asked them to do just the opposite and list all the things that God wants for us and has given us. I wanted them to list their gifts and their talents. I wanted them to write down all the ways that God loves them. It was interesting how the mood changed from noisy laughter to more somber and serious. On that cup I asked them to write ” All that we NEED.”

I had two cups of my own that were labeld just like this. I also had two clear glasses to pour my cups into. The cup labelded “have” was filled with garlic salt, coffe grinds and water. The other was clean, pure water. At this point I wanted to simulate thirst in the desert. So, I had a volunteer come up and eat a salt packet.

As soon as she ate it, I offerred her all that I “have.” I poured the browning liquid into the glass so everyone could see. She gagged a little when she smelled the garlic. She was thirsty. I gave her all that I have, but it wasn;t good enough. Finally, I poured “all that we NEED” into another glass. She gladly drank it.

"Have" and "Need"

On our own, we offer nasty cisterns to those who thirst. Even in our best efforts, we cannot measure up to the living water that Jesus offers. When people see our lives, especially if they know that we are Christians, what do the see?

Because water is refreshing and cool, I thought that the kids deserved a reward. 7 days away from home, especially at this age, is difficult. It presented its challenges, but I must confess, they all did very well. So, I took them to a small water park just for fun.

Thank you all for allowing me the opportunity to serve with your students. I think that I will leave here more blessed than they will. Please check back tomorrow, I will have one more lesson from our devotion on Saturday morning. Likewise, I invite you to continue reading my blog, especially one that I have already posted entitled, “Where do you get your water?” It might help you better understand this lesson as well.

The heat has officially been reassigned the distinction of “impressive” from oppressive. But I must confess that the kids are all doing very well. They have tackled their task and the heat like champions.

Today we embarked upon one of the coolest projects I thinlk that I have ever been involved in. Sure, I have done some really cool things, but this has to be one of my all time favorites.

While planning for this trip, I was concerned that the heat and the physical labor would really get take its toll on the kids. I was especially concerned about Thursday. I really felt that day would be one that would really test all of us. So I made some adjustments and after a little persuasion adversity itself, I bought 10,000 pounds of beans.

That’s right- 10,000 pounds!

200 qty 50# Bags of beans- 10,000 lbs!

Before I purchased them I contacted te Southeast Texas Food Bank and asked if they wanted them. Their answer came slowly because of the magnitude of the gift. Eventually they called me and asked if I could sort them into 2 pound bags because they already had labels for that quantity. That would mean that we would now have 5,000 bags of beans…….

Hmmm, I guess that would mean that we would have food for 5,000. So, we ordered the beans with the hope of feeding 5000 homes in this community.

The kids loved it! It was so impressive. At one point 27 boys had found a rythm and all of the adults just stepped back out of the way and watched for about 20 minutes. WEach one of them had a task and they owned it. When we asked if we they wanted to alternate so everyone could do something different, they all declined. The boys sorted 5200 pounds in just under 2 hours. They got to eat lunch first that day. The girls gave them a run for their money, but finished a little slower. However, they all did great!

On Friday, the food panty came and picked up all of the beans. There were two men there to load the beans. Tey did their best, but they were having a hard time keeping up with our boys. I was and am very proud of them all.

Thursday was one of our better days. They were all very good, but Thursday will be with me for a long time.

The day finished with a short time of thanksgiving and reflection. I asked the kids to write thank you cards to the many people that helped us this week. I even had them write cards to the homes we painted. Pastor Joe from the church is going to take them by and visit with these families. I am elated that he will have two very open, freshly painted,doors. Also, we spent some time taking about the week and some of the hings that they really liked. I am greatly encouraged how so many enjoyed their TAWG (time alone with God). This is something that we do every morning after our devotions. I have asked them all to spend time praying about the day and the Scripture that we discussed. This not only provides the recaps for the parents, but it is designed to put God’s word into their hearts and their hands.

It was a great day! If you were not already proud of your students, then today would be a day that you should be. All of the sponsors and I are certainly proud of them. After all, they fed 5000!

When Jesus decided to travel across the Sea of Galilee, he and his disciples took a boat. Jesus went to sleep in the back of the boat and suddenly a storm came upon the disciples. Jesus slept through the chaos. One of them finally asked him, if he was going to let them all die. Jesus rose and spoke to the winds and the waves and everything stopped. Indeed, the disciples knew that Jesus was really special.

The best part about this story is that the disciples had no idea what was coming. They had an objective to get across the lake and hear more of Jesus’ teaching. But I am convinced that they learned more in the journey than they ever would have imagined.

Today we shared with the kids the value of learning between destinations. I am certain that all of you have heard those words from the back seat, “are we there yet?” Our encouragement was to pay attention to the bumps in road and not focus so hard on the destination. The journey has its own tale to tell, so listen and soak it in.

Most of the groups spent time in the neighborhoods inviting people to church for a family fun night. The kids decided the games and planned the activities. They were true servants and they did a great job. In fact, the pastor said this morning that he met two families that were unchurched and planned to come here on Sunday. Overall we had about 200 people for the event, not including our 90+. The event was a success.

Now let me tell you about some of the journeys throughout the day. Some of our girls built hurricane relief kits  and we will take them on Friday to the apartment complexes near the church. They all gathereed around 200 plastic totes and prayed for those who would have to use this kit in the days to come.

Hurricane Kits

Another group went out with a cooler of water bottles. They were instructed to find people and just bless them with a cold bottle of water. First Baptist Church of Groves printed some water bottles with their logo on it with the plan of salvation printed on the side. The girls who did this met some resistance at first, but then something happened.

As they pulled into the local library 100 moms and kids came poring out. They invited everyone of them and many came to the event that night. So, instead of asking, ” are we there yet,”, these girls actually enjoyed the scenery.

But it gets better. about 100 people were camped outside of a brand new Chick-fil-a that is scheduled to open on Thursday. They were a captive audience. Apparently the first 100 people would receive a free meal a week for the next year. One group of ladies as made this a profession. This was their 17th Grand Opening! Talk about eating more chicken! Still, it gets better. The local Fox station put some of our kids on television and mentioned that they were there from Kingsland serving others. Our event for the evening was a few hours later, but look at the journey that these groups enjoyed. ( You can watch this at http://setxhomepage.com/content/video/?cid=59292)

Chick-fil-a

I am confident that our kids understood the need to pay attention, let God handle the results, and stay on course. The week was a little more than half over and they are getting tired. But, this was a very encouraging day. I wanted the kids to know the story of their lives, especially the parts that are not yet revealed to them. I encouraged them to soak it all in and be able tell their stories, not just the happy endings, but every bump in the road. My hope and prayer for all of them is that they never stop asking, “are we there yet,” especially when it comes to loving God and loving people.

I pray they keep striving to get there everyday and enjoy the journey.

p.s.By the way, Kingsland won the dum-dum contest. 21 to tie, 22 to win and 23 to finish off the competition.

Chief Dum Dum

On Sunday I shared with the team that when Satan is not challenging you, then you are most likely not challenging him. This was the case with Job. Well, let me tell you that we are getting challenged.

Our objective for Tuesday was to complete painting and then go around the neighborhood and invite students to come to the park and have free hot dogs and play games. Last week, I was greatly encouraged when I was told that 1400 mail outs were sent to the middle school students in the community. Enter the challenge- the mail outs did not go out! But in God’s wisdom he was teaching us a very valuable lesson- he is responsible for the results!

Our Scripture for the day was Luke 5: 1-11. Peter had been fishing all night and he didn’t catch anything. When Jesus told him to go out a little farther, Peter did and he caught more fish than his nets could hold. Now, every good fisherman knows where the fish are, that’s what makes him a good fisherman. So Peter, having fished all night, did everything that he knew how to, yet he was completely unsuccessful. But through his faith and obedience in Christ, he again did what he was told and Jesus was glorified by being the master fishing guide.

So we did everything that we could to bring in kids from the community and just spend some time with them and maybe gather some information. Despite the circumstances, we still did our job and left the results up to God. I would love to tell you that we caught more fish than our nets could hold. But that is just not the case. However, we went fishing and every fisherman knows that a bad day fishing is still better than most other days doing something else. Even a hard day serving God is better than any day without him!

There were maybe 20 or so kids from around the community and we still had fun. The park was really nice. But the most interesting thing about it was the large white cross that was near the water. It stood more than 10 feet tall and it was all alone in nice grassy area. This was a great photo opportunity so I gathered all of the kids around and took a group photo. As we finished the photo an Indian man from New Delhi walked up to me. He was an engineer on a ship. The park is right next to a large oil shipping channel. His name was Prim. His first words were, “well spoken brother, I am Christ follower too.”  He often walks that park when his ship docks and he comes to that cross. Maybe our fishing was not so bad after all. Literally, we pulled him out of the water. And maybe, we caught the same fish twice? Whatever the case, it was really encouraging to me and I think to the kids as well.

The real lesson is staying the course and trusting in God for the results. This is a great lesson for all of us, especially those who measure success by the numbers. I am one of those and so are you (sound familiar?)

We will begin one of our 2 really big projects today. They are mostly inside and I have a hope that they will be really exciting. Keep praying for us all. the heat has taken its toll on a few of our students. We have had a broken toe, and twisted ankle (2 out of 80 is not bad you have to admit). The kids are punching holes in the darkness so please keep praying! This fishing thing is hard work, but there is something about catching a bigger fish that makes you want to keep doing it. I think that is why Peter did as he was told. He was a fisherman and he needed a good fish story. He got it!

Our new Friend Prim

But before we started off for the day, we stopped and had a devotional. I try to find a devotion to help us frame each day in Scripture. As I explained to one of the counselors, this week is what happens when you open a can of paint. By itself that can is full of material that will alter the appearance and perception of all who come in contact with it. But, a can of paint does not apply itself. Just like all of us, we must open the lid, take out the brush, and apply what is inside to change what is outside.

Because this application requires work, then it is important to understand that work requires submission and sacrifice. I pointed to the text in Colossians 3:22-24. I wanted our team to focus on what it means to work.

The sun was relentless. It was so stinkin’ hot! We knew this going into the trip. We had plenty of water on each site and the kids did a good job staying hydrated. But they also needed to stay on task to complete our projects. So we talked about working for the Lord and finding favor in Him and not our earthly masters (bosses, etc.) Read the text, this will probably make more sense.

I used several of the boys as an example by making them sing, “If you’re happy and know it..” ( I have another posting about that on this blog, you should read it and go sing the song in your work places-trust me, it works!) The boys hated every minute of it. It was awesome! But, they still got up and did , although with some reluctance, what was asked of them.

As they butchered the song, we all had an opportunity to see that sometimes we do what we have to do so that later we do what we want. I explained that the project for the day was very intensive and it would require all of us  working hard all day long.  I have not read the book Do Hard Things but it comes highly recommended. This book was written by two teenage boys who decided that their generation needed to start focusing on serving others and stop waiting for others to serve them. They challenged their peers to do things that kids their age wouldn’t or did not want to do. I recommend that you get this book for your students, it is a great resource, especially for those who have servant’s hearts and want to be involved more in missions.

As the day progressed and the sun burned hotter, the work continued. The teams did pretty good. They took breaks in late afternoon and on Tuesday they will finish the homes. But because they did what they had to all day, we were all rewarded Monday evening. The pool that we painted was closed on Monday, but not for us. In fact they provided lifegaurds and opened the pool for our kids only. Then they gave us all icecream. Sorry moms, but they earned!

Monday the team did what they had to so they could do what they wanted to.

Keep praying for us. Everyone is healthy and safe, just a little tired.

Job was the greatest man in all the East. He had 10 children, more livestock than you count in a day, and untold wealth. He was a loving husband, and he was a great father that often prayed and sacrificed animals for the sins that his children” might” have committed.

He was blameless. This describes his horizontal relationship with his fellow man. Everybody liked him. That must have really liked him to buy and sell and trade with him. All and all- Job was the man!

Life was good for Job. He had everything, and lots of it. But Job was tested. In one day he lost almost everything. It is important to understand that Job was NOT tested because of sin. He was tested and refined by God to help him discover his sin. Job was perfect or upright in some translations, even God said so, but he was not sinless.

Job was living in the land of Uz. Remember, he was blameless and everyone liked him. That was the problem. Uz was inhabited by the Chaldeans. They were pagan worshipers, prostitutes, murders. They practiced child sacrifice and other horrible rituals. And Job, being God’s servant lived amongst them.

Job’s sin was complacency.

He lived among a people who needed God. He was well liked, but Job was not pushing against the culture. In Job 16:12, Job finally realizes this as well. When everything was going bad for Job he says, “All was well with me, but he shattered me; he seized me by the neck and crushed me. He has made me his target; his archers surround me.”(NIV)

As long as Job wasn’t messing with the Devil, the Devil wasn’t messing with him. In fact, Satan over looked him because he wasn’t doing anything that threatened the kingdom of darkness. It was God who revealed Job to Satan. God did this for his glory.

As the story ends in chapter 42, Job is not fully restored until he prays for his friends. Then the Lord blessed him.

I challenged the students this morning to not be complacent. I challenged them to leave the comfort of their kingdom and advance the Kingdom of God. Our students this week are punching holes in the darkness. If ever the enemy were to see them, it would be now. When we are complacent, we fall off of his radar.

Pray for all of students this week. Pray that the Lord would be glorified and the enemy would be kept at bay. Pray that we would all be uncomfortable as we advance the kingdom next door, down town, in other cites, states, and countries and Beyond!

We had a great day Sunday. We did a lot of planning for the week. Today we will be SUPER BUSY! We have 2 homes and a park to paint.

Everyone is doing well, but I admit we have our hands full with all 80 of them!

A crowd had been following Jesus as he taught. He came to a lake and Jesus and the disciples got into a boat. Jesus said, “Let’s us go to the other side lake.” So the disciples and Jesus headed across the lake.

Meanwhile, Jesus went to the back of the boat and fell asleep. While he was asleep a great storm appeared. The winds were very strong and the waves were crashing onto the boat. But Jesus was still asleep.

The disciples began to get very afraid. Many of them were experienced sailors and fishermen, but they were still very afraid. The boat was in danger of sinking. But Jesus was still asleep.

Then the disciples woke Jesus. They said to him, “Don’t you care if we drown? Save us, Lord!” By this time all of them were in fear for their lives.

Jesus got up and said, “Quiet. Be still.” And the winds and the waves stopped. Everything was calm and Jesus asked them, “Where is your faith?”

The disciples stood in fear and amazement at what had just happened. They began ask one another, “Who is this man that even the winds and the waves obey his commands?”

Jesus performed many miracles as he ministered to the people. This is the story of one of the many miracles performed by Jesus.

There was soldier who lived in Capernaum. He had a servant who was very sick. The soldier was afraid that his servant was going to die. The servant was paralyzed and was suffering terribly.

The soldier heard about Jesus and went to him. But when Jesus told the soldier that he was coming to his house, the soldier humbly refused Jesus’ offer. He explained that he was not worthy enough to have Jesus in his home. Instead, he asked if Jesus would just say the word so his servant would be healed.

The soldier was a leader in his army. When he told people to do something, they did it. He was a man with great authority. He recognized that Jesus was also had great authority, greater than his own.

When Jesus heard this, he was astonished. Jesus said to those around him, “I tell you the truth, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” The soldier was not a Jew, but a Roman soldier, so this statement was very bold for Jesus to say.

Because of the soldier’s faith in Jesus, his servant was healed. Jesus told him to return to his house where the servant would be found to be healed.

One Day Jesus was standing on the shore of Lake Gennersaret. A crowd began to gather around him. They were listening to him speak the words of God.

Now there were two boats on the shore. The fishermen that owned the boats were washing their nets. Jesus got into one of the boats and asked the fisherman to push him out into the water a short distance from the shore. Simon Peter was that fisherman.  He did as he was asked and Jesus sat down in the boat and began to teach the people.

When Jesus was finished teaching, he told Peter to take the boat into deeper water. Then he told him to cast his nets and catch some fish.

But Peter said to Jesus, ‘We have fished all night and haven’t caught anything, but because you said to do this, I will.”

So Peter cast his nets and they quickly filled with fish.  There were so many fish that the nets started to break. Peter called to the other fishermen on the shore to come and help him bring in his catch.  They caught so many fish that both of the boats started to sink.

When Peter saw this he begged Jesus to go away from him because Peter knew that he was sinful and not worthy to be in the presence of Jesus. Peter and his friends James and John were all astonished at what they had seen.

Then Jesus said to them all, “Put down your nets and follow me for now on you will be fishers of men.”

At once they dropped their nets and followed Jesus.  Together they would travel with Jesus. Peter, James, and John became three of his disciples.

John the Baptist was the cousin of Jesus. He was born shortly before Jesus. God sent John to announce the arrival of Jesus, the Savior of the world.

John told people about Jesus and began to baptize them with water. Many people thought that he was Jesus but he was not. John told the people, “That one day another man will come after me, his name is Jesus. He will baptize with the Spirit and with fire.”

Later, Jesus came to John to be baptized. At first John did not want to do this. He wanted Jesus to baptize him instead. John did not think that he was worthy to baptize Jesus. But, Jesus told him to do this because it was the will of God.

As soon as Jesus came out of the water, the Spirit of God came upon Jesus like a dove and like lightening from heaven.  And a voice from heaven was heard saying, “This is my son, whom I love, with him I am well pleased.”

Days later, John saw Jesus coming toward him. John announced, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.” Then John told of the day that Jesus was baptized. John testified to all who could hear, that Jesus was the Son of God.

Many years after David, God honored his promise of a Messiah that would come from the line of David.

This is the story about the birth of Jesus. The birth of Jesus was unlike any other birth in history. The birth of this baby was foretold many years before by the prophet Isaiah. This is how the story came to pass.

Mary and Joseph lived in a town called Nazareth in the region of Galilee. Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph. Mary was favored by God.  Some time before the wedding Mary was visited by the Holy Spirit and became pregnant. This was amazing because Mary was still a virgin.  This surprised everyone, especially Joseph because he had never lain with Mary. How could she become pregnant? Joseph was ashamed. He thought that he would leave Mary because of this, but an angel appeared to him in dream.

The angel told Joseph not to leave Mary. The angel told Joseph that Mary became pregnant by the Holy Spirit. The angel said, “That Mary would give birth to a son that will be named Jesus, which means the Lord saves, because one day Jesus would save his people from their sins.”

Joseph woke up from his dream and agreed to do what the angel said. But before they were married and before the baby was born, a decree was given by the ruler of the Roman world. The ruler was named Caesar Augusts. Caesar said that every man should return to the city of his ancestors to register his family and be counted. This meant that Joseph and Mary, who was expecting a baby, would have to travel to Bethlehem in Judea. This was a great distance and it would be more difficult because Mary was pregnant.

Bethlehem was also called the City of David. David was a great king from long ago who was also favored by God. God promised David that the Savior of his people would come from his family. Mary and Joseph were both from the line of David. This is why they were to travel to Bethlehem to be counted.

Because this was the first time that a census had been taken, there were a great many people who traveled to the cities of their ancestors. All of the cities were very busy and full of travelers. Once Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem, they could not find a place to stay. The time came for Mary to give birth so they had to stay with the animals. When the baby was born, Mary wrapped him in cloth and laid him in a manger.

At the same time, there were shepherds who lived outside of the city. They were watching their flocks when suddenly an angel appeared before them. The angel was covered with a glorious shine. The shepherds were afraid, but the angel spoke to them. The angel said, “Do not be afraid for I bring you good news of great joy for the people. Today, in the city of David a Savior has been born; he is Christ the Lord. Go and see for yourself a baby wrapped in cloth and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great number of heavenly creatures appeared with the angel. They were singing and praising God saying, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rest.”

When the angels left, the shepherds began to talk. They said to one another, “let us go and see for ourselves the things that we have been told.” So they hurried off.

When they arrived in Bethlehem, they found Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus wrapped in cloth and lying in a manger.

When they had seen the baby they told everyone they saw in the crowded city everything that had been told them about the baby. Everyone who heard the story was amazed. But Mary treasured all of these things in heart to think about them deeply.

The shepherds returned to their fields praising God for everything that they had heard and seen, just like they had been told.

This fulfilled the words of the prophet Isaiah from hundreds of years before when he said, “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” which means “God with us.”

Many years after Moses delivered the people out of Egypt and God gave them the Promised Land of Canaan, the Israelites wanted a king. God heard their cry but warned them that a king would change the lifestyle of the people.  But, God agreed and called a man named Saul to be the king of Israel. And the prophet Samuel anointed him according to God’s plan.

Saul was a good king at first, but he sinned against God. Because of this God chose a new king for the people.

The new king was named David. He was the youngest son of a man named Jesse. Samuel, the prophet anointed David to be the next king after Saul. But Saul did not know this had happened, because it was done in secret.

One day, while Saul was still king, the Philistine champion named Goliath stood before the Israelite army. Goliath was bigger than all of the soldiers on both sides. Everyday he would tease the Israelites and dare someone to come and fight him.

David came to see some of his brothers who were in the army. When he heard Goliath speak, he wanted to fight him. David believed that God was with him and that with God’s help he could defeat Goliath.

David convinced Saul to let him fight. Saul tried to give David his armor, but David was not used to wearing it. David was a shepherd, so he used the weapons that he knew best. He used a sling, which he had used to kill a lion and a bear. David gathered five smooth stones and went out to fight. Goliath laughed but David was not afraid. He reached into his bag, and put one stone into his sling. Then he hit Goliath right in the head. Goliath fell dead and with God’s help, the Israelites were victorious.

From that day on David became very popular. And Saul became jealous of David. He even tried to kill David several times. But David was favored by God and went on to do great things.

While David was King, he united all 12 tribes of Israel. He found favor with God and was promised that the Messiah would one day come from his family.

David was a great king, but he too was a man and he also committed many sins.

Shortly after Moses lead the people out of Egypt, the Israelites fought and won their first of many battles. Then Moses led them to the base of Mt. Sinai. Once there, God called Moses up on the mountain to talk about the future of the Israelites. All of the Israelites saw God in the form of smoke covering the mountain. They also heard his voice when he called Moses.

So Moses went to the top of Mt. Sinai to meet with God. Here God gave the Israelites 10 Commandments to follow.

These are the very words of God,

“First, you should have no other gods beside me.

Second, you should only worship God and not make any idols or statues to worship instead.

Third, you should not misuse the name of God.

Fourth, you should observe the Sabbath and keep it holy. That means you should set aside one day per week and rest, just like God did when he created the world.

Fifth, honor your father and mother.

Sixth, you should not murder.

Seventh, you should not commit adultery. This means that a man or woman should not have intimate physical relations with someone who is not their own husband or wife.

Eighth, you should not steal.

Ninth, you should not tell lies against other people.

Tenth, you should not want what your neighbor has, especially his wife or his possessions.”

These are the commands that all the people heard from God. Then he wrote them on two stone tablets and gave them to the people.

Because God hardened Pharaohs heart so that he would be glorified, God brought many plagues upon the Egyptians. God wanted all of Egypt to know that he is the God of all things. This is how God showed his power and brought the Israelites out of captivity in Egypt.

Moses warned Pharaoh that God was against him. He again told him to let the people go 3 days into the desert and make sacrifices and worship their God. But Pharaohs heart was hard and he would not let the people go.

The first plague that God brought upon Egypt was the plague of blood.  God turned all of the water in Egypt to blood. All of the fish in the Nile died and there was a great stench in the air. But Pharaohs heart was hardened and he would not let the people go.

The second plague was the plague of frogs. The Nile River was filled with frogs. Frogs were in the Pharaohs home and even in the beds of the officials of Egypt. Some of the dead frogs were piled up and the land reeked of them. But Pharaohs heart was hardened and he would not let the people go.

The third plague was the plague gnats. God caused all the dust of the ground to become a great swarm of gnats. Pharaoh’s magicians were able to duplicate the first two plagues, but not this one. They declared that this was “the finger of God.” But Pharaohs heart was hardened and he would not let the people go.

The fourth plague was a swarm of flies all over Egypt except in the place where the Israelites lived. But Pharaohs heart was hardened and he would not let the people go.

The fifth plague God put upon the livestock of Egypt. He caused all of the livestock like camels and sheep and donkeys to die. However, God spared the livestock that belonged to the Israelites.  But Pharaohs heart was hardened and he would not let the people go.

The sixth plague was one of festering boils. God caused oozing sores to come upon the remaining animals and all the men of Egypt. But Pharaohs heart was hardened and he would not let the people go.

The seventh plague that God put upon Egypt was the plague of hail. God caused large pieces of ice to fall from the sky and kill every person that was outside. The hail also destroyed the plants and stripped the trees of their branches. Any animals that were left outside also died. Again, God spared the Israelites. But Pharaohs heart was hardened and he would not let the people go.

The eighth plague that God put upon Israel was a swarm of locust. Almost every living thing in Egypt had already been destroyed, except that which belonged to the Israelites. God brought a swarm of locusts to consume every living plant that had survived to this point. They even ate the trees. There were so many locusts that you could not see the ground below them. But Pharaohs heart was hardened and he would not let the people go.

Then, God made the land of Egypt dark for three days. It was so dark that the Bible describes this as “darkness that could be felt.” Only the Israelites had light to see in the places where they lived. But Pharaohs heart was hardened and he would not let the people go.

Finally, the worst plague of all was placed upon the land. God told Moses and Aaron to prepare the Israelites.  They were to kill a perfect lamb and to paint its blood on the top and the sides of the doorways of their homes. When God passes through the land, he will “Passover” these doorways. But, any doorway that is not covered in blood, then the Lord will stop and kill the first born male of that household, including the animals. That night, the Lord killed the firstborn of Pharaoh and all that did not spread the blood on their doorways. God honored his promise and passed over the Israelite homes that were marked with blood.

So, Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and told him to take the people and leave. So Moses lead the people out of Egypt and the Egyptians gave them silver and gold, just as God had said, as they left the land.

More than 600,000 men alone left Egypt. This does not include the women, children, and livestock. But Pharaohs heart was still hardened and he chased them toward the Red Sea. The Israelites were trapped between the Red Sea and the Egyptian Army, but God used Moses again to deliver the people to safety.

Moses stretched out his arms and parted the waters of the sea. The Israelites crossed on dry land to the other side. When Pharaoh tried to follow, the sea came upon them and consumed them all.

The people of Israel witnessed all of these things and put their trust in God and in Moses, his servant.

God revealed himself to Moses one day while he was tending sheep. Moses saw a bush that was on fire but was not burning up. He went closer to see why the bush was not being consumed by the fire.

When the Lord saw that Moses went closer, he called to him and told Moses to remove his sandals because he was standing on holy ground.  God introduced himself to Moses and Moses was afraid.

God told Moses that he had heard the cries of the Israelites. He knew of their suffering and that he wanted Moses to deliver them from the hands of the Egyptians. But Moses doubted himself. God assured Moses that he would be with him and that Moses could do what God asked.

God wanted Moses to assemble the elders, who were the leaders of the Israelites, and go see Pharaoh. Moses was to tell Pharaoh that all of the Israelites were to take a three day journey into the desert and make sacrifices to God. But God told Moses that Pharaoh would not agree to this until he saw the many wonders that God could do. God also told Moses that the Israelites would not leave Egypt empty handed, but that the Egyptians would provide great wealth to them before they left.

So God began to prepare Moses by showing him his power. God turned Moses’ staff into a snake and caused his hand to have sores all over it. Then as quickly as that happened, God healed Moses’ hand.  God showed him other signs as well, but Moses still had doubt. God was angry with Moses, so he provided a helper for Moses. Aaron was Moses’ brother and he was a better speaker than Moses. So God prepared them both to meet the Pharaoh.

Moses and Aaron were to perform all of the miraculous signs that God had shown them. They were to tell Pharaoh to let the people go three days into the desert and worship their God. The Pharaoh did not agree and instead made the work harder for all of the Israelite slaves. He gave them more work to do with fewer materials. Because of this, the Israelites grew angry with Moses and Aaron.

But God heard their cries and promised the Israelites that they would be delivered. He claimed them as his people and remembered promises that he had made to their fathers many generations before. Again, God prepared Moses and Aaron to meet Pharaoh.  But God told Moses that he would harden Pharaoh’s heart so that God would be glorified. He warned him that Pharaoh will not let the people go immediately, regardless of the miracles and signs that he sees.

Moses and Aaron performed many miraculous signs and Pharaoh did not let the people go. His heart was hardened just as God had said.

God promised Abraham that he would be the father of many nations. Many years after that promise, the descendant’s of Abraham came to live in a land called Egypt.  These people were called Israelites after a man called “Israel”. Israel had 12 sons, one of which, through various circumstances, became the ruler of the land of Egypt. His name was Joseph. With Gods help, Joseph saved his family and the Egyptians from a seven year famine. Many years after his death, the Israelites remained in Egypt. So much time had passed that the new ruler of Egypt, Pharaoh, did not know about Joseph. There were now a great number of Israelites in Egypt. So many, that the Pharaoh was concerned they would soon overthrow his power and take over Egypt.

So Pharaoh decided to make the Israelites slaves and he began to treat them badly. The Egyptians became dependent upon the slave workers for their every day life.  As they continued to increase in numbers, Pharaoh decided that every male Israelite child should be killed at birth. He commanded that every boy be thrown into the Nile River.

But the people resisted. One woman hid her son from the Pharaoh until he was three months old. Then when she could not hide him any longer, she had her older daughter make a basket and float him down the river. The girl waited until Pharaoh’s own daughter was bathing and let the boy float toward her.

When Pharaoh’s daughter discovered the boy, she decided to raise him as her own. She named him Moses, which means, “drawn from the water.”

Moses was raised in Pharaoh’s house. He was educated and given many privileges. Moses knew that he was not an Egyptian, but that he was an Israelite. One day, Moses saw an Egyptian slave driver beating one of his people. Moses killed the Egyptian and buried him in the sand.

When the Pharaoh found out about this, he tried to kill Moses. Soon, everyone knew what had happened. So, Moses ran away to the land of Midian.

In Midian, Moses met a woman and married her. He helped raise her father’s sheep. But, while he was away, the Israelites began to cry out to God because of their suffering and slavery.

But you do have to go. But before you start packing for a foreign land, you might want to consider a few other things first.  I want to tell you the story of the Tenth Legion of Roman soldiers that were stationed in the city of Hippos, which was also known as Susita.

The Romans soldiers were stationed in this town to help control the Jews, put down any uprisings, and further the sovereignty of Rome. This town, Susita, was very advanced. It had running water and streets lined with fountains. The view from the mountain was beautiful and strategic. It was settled on the East side of the Sea of Galilee, almost directly across from Mt. Arbel.  This was the place that Jesus went too after he calmed the storm in Mark 4:35-41.

When he arrived on the shore a man who was demon possessed ran up to him. This man was often bound in chains, but none could hold him. Upon meeting Jesus, he praised him and asked Jesus not to torture him. When Jesus asked him his name, he replied, “My name is Legion, because we are many.”  They asked to not be cast away into the Abyss, which was another name for the Sea of Galilee. Instead, Jesus cast them into a herd of pigs, more than 2000 in fact. The pigs immediately ran down the mountain and drowned themselves in the Sea.

Everyone who saw this was amazed, especially the man that was held and released from the demons. The people were amazed but they asked Jesus to leave their town because of what they had seen. So Jesus left the city. The man begged to go with him,  but Jesus told him to stay and tell everyone what he God had done for him.

That’s a great story about the power of Jesus. Here’s some really interesting information that will really add to the story. The symbol for the 10th Legion Division of the Roman Army is the Boar’s Head. Did you make that connection- pig and boar’s head? While we are making connections, the Roman name for a great big army was a Legion- what was the demon’s name in the man? That’s right, his name was Legion.

Think about this story. Has God done some great things in your life right where you are? Why would you want to leave that place? I am the first to support spreading the good news but what an impact this man could have on the people that knew him. They watched him break chains, literally, and act like a crazy man. They all knew him, and they watched him transition right before their eyes.

Most Americans probably work too much. Because of this, we are around people at work more than our own families. What kind of an impact could you make by “staying” where you are and impacting lives for Christ? These people know almost every flaw that you have. So why not show them what grace and forgiveness can do in the life of a flawed man or woman?

Jesus healed a man with many demons inside of him, and then told the man to stay right where he was. Can you imagine how badly the man wanted to “go” with Jesus?  I am sure that Jesus loved this man, but he needed him to stay and do his job- tell others about Jesus.

So, are you in a place where God wants you to stay? Has he changed you for the specific purpose of telling those that you see everyday how great your God is?  Do you look for ways to tell others about Jesus? Why not today and everyday after that?

I believe that today in the United States, the single greatest mission field (outside of our own homes) is the work place. This is the place where world views collide. This is the Shephelah for each of us. Relationships are already built and established at work. Now it’s time to tell your story.  I pray that every one of you get’s the opportunity to tell your story this next week.

So “go” to work!

By the way, you can read this story in Mark 5:1-20 in the Bible.

Many times when we talk about the feet of Jesus, we often refer to his crucifixion. We also use this term to refer to us, as Christ-followers, taking the message of Jesus throughout the world. But in the past two days, my feet have walked, literally, where Jesus walked. Can you get your mind around that statement? I stood in the places that Jesus stood!

From the Bible we find numerous stories about the Sea of Galilee. It was here that Jesus called some of his disciples to “come, follow me.” I stood on the shores of the Galilee and looked out into the waters that he calmed with his voice as the ship was going down. Just a few hundred yards away, I stood on the mountain where it is thought that Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount.

Speaking of mounts, I climbed to the top of Mt.Arbel. It is thought that Jesus got up early in the morning and went off to pray here. I can see why. From here you can look at the entire Sea of Galilee. You can see where the Jordan River flows in from the north. Across the sea, to the west, is present day Jordan. Capernaum, on the north side of the sea and the place where Jesus did a lot of teaching, could also be seen from here. And yes, I stood in the synagogue where Jesus preached. I saw the house where Peter’s mother-in-law lived. Jesus stayed there and I stood at the threshold of this place. Many other places were also visible from here, and we did get to see some of them. But, for the sake of time, I will skip some of the details.

Gamla can also be seen from Mt. Arbel. This is a fascinating place that sits at the “y” where two valleys meet. This is where the Zealots held out in a rebellion against the Romans. Most of them jumped to their death from the top of the mountain to avoid being captured, brutalized and enslaved or killed. There is a ceremonial cleansing place called a mikveh that is still in tact. It was located just outside of the synagogue and used as a place to cleanse and turn back toward God. This cleansing took place before anyone read or preached in the synagogue. At Gamla, Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah 61: 1-2.

The account of Jesus was recorded in Luke 4:14-21. It reads, “Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:[in Isaiah 61]
‘The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.’
Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened to him, and he began by saying to them,’ Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.’”

Here is the really cool part. Not just anyone could walk in off the street and start reading the Scriptures in the synagogue. In fact, the specific text and the family that was to read it were, and still are today, assigned way in advanced. Because no one had a Bible of their own, there was no way to know the content of what you were to read until you got there. It just so happened that on this day, the house of Joseph was scheduled to read from Isaiah 61 and had been for some time.  Today you can go to a website and see what is scheduled to be read and by who at  http://bible.ort.org/books/cald5.asp.  Today, I stood in the place where Jesus declared his ministry and then put the world on notice that he his ministry was spoken of hundreds of years before. This was no accident!

I have walked where Jesus walked today. In the past 4 days we have hiked more than 15 miles, most of it uphill- both ways! It has been a wonderful experience to be where Jesus has been. It has been difficult I will not even attempt to say that it has not. But it has been so very rewarding. I now have a better understanding of what it must have been like to travel in this region. I can now visualize the Scripture in a setting that is real to me. I no longer have to imagine how far or what the roads were like. My feet have been there.

We have 4 more days until we return. Please keep us in your prayers. Especially pray for our feet. Pray that they will take us where the Lord would lead. Pray that our feet would remain injury free. Pray that when we return from Israel, we will again take the Gospel to where is has not been.  Pray that we will Go Beyond!

Where do you get your water? Ever really thought about that much? You wake up turn on the faucet, make some coffee, take a really long shower, leaver it running when you brush your teeth, etc, etc, etc… Water is never really valuable until you do not have any. Every time I return from an international trip, I am always asked about the water.
        “Can you drink it? Did it make you sick? Did they have bottled water?”
Now suddenly water is important. The real question people are asking is “where do you get your water?”

Biblically there are two types of water. One is cistern water. This is water that is gathered from run off from rains and streams when it floods, which is stored in a man made chamber. It is usually a stone walled quarry that is plastered and covered. The water sits in this large pool and often becomes stagnant, which often caused the spread of disease. The bible is clear on several occasions about man made cisterns often break. This is a clear picture that man cannot try to survive on his own. This water is unreliable. What happens if it doesn’t rain? Where do you get your water?

However, the other type mentioned is “living water.” This is water from God. It is usually found in springs and flows from a source within the earth. This was the only place that water could be taken from for ceremonial purposes like cleansing. Also, this water was reliable if you knew where to find it. This is water from God. Throughout the Bible, many references were made to living water. Jeremiah 2:13 discusses man’s decision to reject the living water that God provides. But the best example was Jesus at the synagogue at the Feast of Tabernacles in John 7. This Feast commemorates the 40 years of wondering in the wilderness. This is definitely a place that the Israelites needed to find water. As the people cried out for living water and the crowds were chanting and screaming, Jesus stood up and boldly said- “I am living water!”

Jesus stepped out of the crowd and said, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”(John 7:37 NIV)  As you might imagine, this made a lot of people unhappy. They knew what it was to have fresh water. Living water was no laughing matter. They were celebrating having survived the desert for 40 years! They knew where to find water! They knew what living water was as well-both spiritually and physically. But because of their anger they chose to drink from the broken cisterns instead of choosing Jesus.

But Jesus was starting his ministry to explain that he was more important than physical water. He provided life for all of eternity. He is not a man made cistern and he will never stagnate. He is God. He is the creator of all things.  So again I ask, where do you get your water? Once you find it, do you want just a little bit, or do you want to swim in it and take everyone you know to the source of living water?

This place is called the Negev in Israel. It is a place covered with rock and sand. Very little grows here. Few people live here but they know it very well. It is not a place that frightens them. It is home. They know everything about it, especially how to survive in it. One of the primary principles of survival is community.

People in the desert need one another. In fact, the Bedouin law says that if anyone comes to you (in the desert) and says I need help and a place to stay, then you must provide for them for three days- NO QUESTIONS ASKED! Can you imagine a perfect stranger coming to your door and saying, I need a place to stay for a couple of days? Then can you imagine that you are not allowed to say no! I know we would all struggle with this in the West.

But instead of talking too much about the Western lack of hospitality, I would rather explore how to get to the desert. Physically, we drove about 30 minutes from the lush vineyards in the valleys of the Shephelah. We went on purpose, but we planned to not stay  long. But spiritually, I believe that it works a little differently. I think that most of the time we look up and the desert has consumed us. We might have started out in the green valleys, but some where along the way we made some choices that took us off course. We didn’t stand still and wait for the desert to come to us. Instead, we either slowly  killed off the goodness around us or left for a place to glorify our own sorrows. And regardless of what you might think, the desert is never really that far away.

Now I need to you to really explore that idea of the desert never really that far away. You can be there physically in less than and hour, but spiritually is usually a gradual, unknowing process. So, how does this process get started? I have a few ideas.

1) We stop praying. We cut off the communication from our side to our Creator. We allow time and busy schedules to creep in and kill the vines that tether us to God.
2) We stop studying God’s word. We have been provided the answers to the test, with real life examples of success and failure. And yet, we set the book down and wonder into the sand.
3) We stop fellowshipping (assuming we ever had fellowship to begin with.) More alarming to me is what would happen if the Bedouins stopped fellowshipping? How long would it take for their laws to be void? How many generations until such hospitable ways were gone forever?
4) We stop seeing things as God sees them and start doing things as we see fit. This issue alone has plagued many fallen leaders and cultures. Hundreds of thousands of lives were lost because of the selfishness of both kings and commoners.
Have you noticed that we stopped doing a lot of things? Yet, God remains the same. Even in the desert, God is still the same.

When the pressures mount and Satan is whispering what a failure you are in both ears, remember this- God is still the same.

Now consider the responsibilities you have as a spouse or a parent. Especially if you are a father, are you leading your family into the desert? Or, more to the point are you leading them away from or out of the desert? To survive the desert you need a community of experts, not someone just like you, consumed in the sand.

I received that scar because of something foolish that I was doing- throwing rocks.  It will forever serve as a reminder of what not to do. I am sure that many of you are like me and have some of those reminders, some physical, just like I do.

Today was our first day in Israel. About an hour after getting off of the plane, we hit the trail. We landed in a place called Gezer. Gezer is like the gateway into the Shephalah. This is a valley region between the coastal plains bordering eastern Israel at the Mediterranean Sea and the Judean Mountains to the west. Many events, especially battles, took place in this region throughout biblical times.

The significance of this region was its strategic position geographically along trade routes, natural resource deposits, etc. It was the gateway to the sea or the “Via Maris.” This area, the Shephelah, was and is where worldviews would collide. Most of the pagan worshippers from the southwest would attempt, and sometimes succeed, in attacking the Israelites here and moving into the northern part of Israel.

Because of this, there are numerous “scars” left behind. Some of which shouldn’t be there, but they are. Let me give you an example. In Deuteronomy 12:2-3, God gives very clear instructions to the Israelites to destroy all the high places of worship of the other gods of those people who opposed them. However, numerous accounts show us that this did not happen. The Israelites were disobedient and the scars of these places litter the hillside where we were today.

We stopped at place today that was a Canaanite worship place. No one knows the story of this place, but it is widely suspected that it was built for sacrifices. There it stood just yards away from where Solomon built cities and fortified the gateway to the sea. But, he did not destroy them as he was instructed. Because of actions like this, the kingdom of Israel began to slip away from God. (You can read more about this is Joshua16, 1 Kings 16 and numerous other places in the Old Testament).

There stood these massive stones almost mocking God. Dead and worthless, without value or story to tell, they pollute the holy land as a reminder of what disobedience looks like- it leaves scars.

Do you have scars in your life caused by your disobedience? Is there evidence of you not doing something you were supposed too, with the scars to prove it? Are there stones standing in the places that God gave you to conquer, yet you refused to do so?

Why do you let “dead stones” scar your life as constant reminders of a blessing that you missed? At Kingsland we want to set up markers and milestones to remind us of certain moments in our lives, but we must examine how many dead stones we leave behind and must knock down to rebuild what God has for us.

Last Saturday, before I left for Israel, I went to the local gas station to buy some ice. Normally, I would have gone to the church and took some ice from the ice machine. After all, I was on my way to a church event. So it wouldn’t be stealing, merely good stewardship of resources available for ministry. (Don’t think too hard on that, I really am serious.) Anyway, I decided against it, mainly because I didn’t want to drive that far and  I knew that there were flavored creamers and donuts sticks at the gas station…. I know I am busted, I admit it and now we can all just move forward.

As I prepared my coffee, the store suddenly got very busy. There were two employees, one at the register and one stocking the Red Bull section in the cooler. This would prove important because most of the customers that had simultaneously arrived were heading her way. There were five or six guys that all were worked for a landscaping company. They appeared to be Mexican, not for sure, but they did all speak Spanish. In Houston, this is usually a safe assumption.  And this assumption is part of the problem that was brewing.

Speaking of brewing, I was making my cup of coffee with the Irish Cream liquid creamers (which are hard to find these days) when suddenly a man beside said something horrible.
 
“Those blankity blank Mexicans!”

He didn’t really say blankity blank, but he used a few expletives that I will not type. Then he looked at me for some sort of validation for his statement. It was like he assumed we were a united brotherhood of morons that unite for weekly idiot gatherings in the hopes of finding small groups of people to mock and complain about. These are the guys that run around the village with pitchforks and burn people at the stake- or at least their distant relatives. Now, I had a choice to make. I could silently approve of this comment, or toss hot coffee on the man, or I could just walk out, and maybe I could join in the moronic chorus, or I could confront his actions.

What would you have done?

Well, those of you who know me well probably have figured out that I wasn’t just going to ignore this statement. It’s this pound of flesh that covers me like a dirty, sinful blanket. It’s like I have a thin layer of stupid just slathered all over me sometimes. But today, I had a really good plan. And oh yes, I executed!

The five men were in front of me at the counter and the village idiot was behind me. So, I very loudly said, “Ma’am, I am going to buy all of these guys breakfast today.” Then I turned to the man behind me and said, “I’d like to buy yours too.”

I tried to communicate to the landscape guys, in very poor Spanish I might add, that I was buying this for them in “el nombre de Jesus Cristo.” This means “in the name of Jesus Christ.” They understood and thanked me. My new friend understood too. And when I introduced my self as the Missions Associate at Kingsland and told him that God loved him and all of those men equally-………. you should have seen his face!

My coffee buddy refused my offer for breakfast. Admittedly, I might not have made the best decision, but a few positive things happened today. First, I was able to bless five men who are working hard to put food on the table. That felt good. Second, I was able to show kindness and love to those men, the two cashiers, and especially to the man that really needed it the most. Finally, I found a way to correct an inappropriate action by showing him what love really looked like. And, I didn’t even have to raise voice or beat him over the head with the King James Bible.

Still, I wonder what that guy must be thinking. I am certain he never saw that coming. I also want to hope that he will never do something like that again. Who knows, he might just decide that he’ll buy breakfast next time. Wouldn’t that be something to see? What if that one action inspired him to do something like this? I know it would change his life.

What about you? Would something like this at least change your attitude? I challenge you to buy someone a meal this week- just because!  I know that you will feel good about doing this and maybe you will have a chance to change a life.

I’d like to hear about your experience. Send me quick note I will try to check it as I can.

This e-mail is from a family at Kingsland that had a neighbor with a sick little boy. So, they built him and his siblings a swingset so they could play and still be near home.

Jon,

My wife just called me and I wanted to pass along our conversation.

She was in the backyard and she could hear this joyful giggling next door.  She could see the little girl on the swing just having a great time.  We also found out that the little boy is going to need another blood transfusion most likely today or tomorrow.

My wife said it was awesome to hear laughter coming from the backyard!!!

Again thank you,

Michael

This next note came from another member that wanted to pass aong a thnk you she received from one of the places we served on March 1st!

This is the mission statement of Kingsland Baptist Church. All that we do as a church is designed to fulfill these objectives. On Sunday, March 1, 2009, we intentionally closed the doors of our church and lived out this mission in Katy, Texas. More than 2000 people didn’t go to church on Sunday. Instead, they were the church. Throughout the city of Katy, 51 groups gathered at various places and fulfilled this mission.

Love God

How do we demonstrate that we love God? I am certain that there are lots of ways to say that we love God, but how do we actually show him that we love him? Several of the members of Kingsland, I believe, found ways to do it on Marc h 1st. In Matthew 25, Jesus tells a story about serving others. We often refer to this as the story about the “least of these.”  In the story, Jesus describes people who are hungry, naked, and imprisoned. He reminds the righteous that when they cared for these people, then they were caring for him. Matthew 25:40 reads: (NIV) “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”

On group removed a tree for a widow, who had been given multiple notices from her home owners association to remove it since hurricane Ike. She did not have the money. You can imagine the burden lifted when the tree was removed on March 1st.

Another group took pancakes to a group of day laborers congregated at a street corner  looking for work. It might not sound like much, but you should have seen their faces. I am certain that if I had to jockey for work on a street corner, in 35 degree weather I might add, then a warm pancake and loving hand would really make my day.

A group of single adults spent time at the local coin-op laundromat. They paid for every ones laundry and provide soap and dryer sheets. They even helped fold clothes and carry the baskets back to their cars. I have tried to think what people might think when someone showed up to do this. Seriously, what could anyone want from you, but to just pay for your laundry. In America, I think too many of us take the luxury of a washing machine in our homes for granted. It’s not like you can put a load in and switch it over before you go to bed.Especially if you have load everything into the car and drive to the local laundry mat.

These people showed God that they loved him by loving his people.

Love People

Do you love your neighbor? Do you even like your neighbor? Okay, do you even know your neighbor? It’s hard to love someone if you won’t go near them. But on March 1st, several members of Kingsland crossed the street and loved people. In the story of the Good Samaritan, found in Luke 10:25-37, Jesus tells us a story about 2 men that kept walking and one that stopped. The story reads that  a man was attacked and left alone, two men crossed the street to avoid stopping and helping him. But, one man stopped and cared for him.

One group from Kingsland crossed the street and helped their neighbor. They put a swing set in the back yard and spruced up the yard a little. The little boy that lives here has been very ill and spends a lot of time at the hospital. He has other brothers and sisters and because of his illness is difficult to go to the park and play. So, they brought the park to them. Today, I got an e-mail from that neighbor. He described the laughter and the joy that he could hear from the other side of the fence on the new swing set. Way to go!

Ever had to work on Sunday? I have. I spent 10 years in retail and I know what it is to be at work when I would rather be at church. So, one class took lunch to Lowe’s. Today, I went to Lowe’s and every employee I met thanked me for the food. (They knew that I worked for the church.) It meant so much to them! It sounds simple, and maybe it is, but it was a great gesture that someone was thinking about them and that some one loved them.

There are so many stories that I could tell you, but I will wait until more come in and post some of them in the days to come. I want you to read them from some of our members.

Equip the Generations

We are a young church in terms of the median age of our members. It’s 34 the last time I heard. Young families, with lots of children. (You should stop by the pre-school department sometime and see if they need help. The answer will almost always be “yes”. Children’s Bible Study teachers are always welcomed. This is a great way to keep serving.) Nonetheless, we have accepted the responsibility that as parents, we are the primary faith trainers for our children. As a church, our role is to equip moms and dads to raise children to love God and love people. In order to accomplish this, we must be intentional. Caring for Katy is a great opportunity for us to show our children how to serve others.

Biblically, we often refer to the Shema in Deuteronomy 6:4-9 at Kingsland. In this passage of scripture we are told to teach our children the ways of God at every opportunity that we can. On March 1st, many of our parents did just that.

The day started out at 36 degrees.  This is cold for Katy. But 3 groups of students still held a car wash- for FREE! I drove by and I must confess, I just couldn’t ask those kids to wash my truck in that cold, but I am sure that they would have. It warmed a little throughout the morning and they kept on washing cars.

At one location, the children made hot dog lunches and delivered them to more than a hundred homes. They stuffed the bags with chips and water bottles. I think I heard that there were more than 400 hundred meals prepared and the kids were right in the middle of it.

Another group of children prepared bags stuffed with a variety of needs for homeless people. They plan to keep the bags in the car and give them to homeless people when they see them. This is a great idea and a great way to teach children to love God and love people.

Finally, our children ages 3 and under made “Colorful Soup” at the church. They placed a variety of beans and rice and seasoning in hundreds of little bags to take to the food pantry. Even at a young age they are being equiped through intentional opportunites like this.

Thank you!

I would like to personally thank everyone who took part in this great day. please send me your stories. I would like to share them with others. You can send them to me via e-mail at jon@kingsland.org.

Abraham was 100 years old when his son Isaac was born. Sarah, Isaac’s mother was 90. This was the promise from God to Abraham that his descendents would outnumber the stars in the sky.

One day when Isaac was young, God told his father Abraham to take him to a mountain in Moriah and sacrifice Isaac to God. This meant that Abraham was to kill Isaac and burn him on an altar as an offering to God.

Because Abraham feared God and loved him, he did as he was told. He cut wood for the fire and loaded the donkey. Then Abraham, Isaac and two servants began the journey to a mountain in Moriah. After 3 days, they came to the place that God had showed Abraham.

Abraham told the servants to wait at the bottom of the mountain until he returned. So, Isaac carried the wood and Abraham carried the fire and the knife for the sacrifice. As they went up the mountain Isaac asked, “Where is the lamb for the sacrifice?” He asked this because he knew that a lamb was always offered when sacrifices were made.

Abraham answered,” God will provide,“ and they continued to walk.

When they reached the place that God wanted them to go to, Abraham built an altar and tied up Isaac. Then he put Isaac on the wood on top of the altar. As he reached for the knife to kill Isaac an angel of the Lord cried out, “Abraham! Abraham!”

“Here I am,” said Abraham.

“Do not harm Isaac; I know that you fear God, because you have not tried to save your only son,” said the angel.

Then Abraham saw that there was a ram stuck in the bushes by its horns. He took it and killed it and offered it as a sacrifice to God. So Abraham named the place “The Lord Will Provide” because God provided him a ram in place of Isaac.

So the angel said, “Because you were willing to give your sons life for God and you showed your obedience, then the Lord will bless you. Your descendants will be as many as the stars in the sky and the sand on the shore.”

Then Abraham and Isaac went back down the mountain to the place where the two servants stayed. Together they travelled to Beersheba.

Many years after the great flood and man multiplied and reclaimed the earth, there lived a man named Abraham.

Abraham was and a righteous man. The Lord promised him that he would be the father of many nations. One day 3 visitors came to see Abraham. They visited with him and when they got up to leave they walked toward the city of Sodom.

As they walked along the road the Lord said, “I have heard that Sodom is a very bad place. I have decided that I will go and see for myself.” Then two of the visitors left and Abraham was alone with the Lord.

The Lord told him that he planned to destroy the entire city and everyone who lived in it because of their sin. Abraham asked the Lord if he will destroy the wicked and the righteous. He asked if there are 50 righteous people in Sodom would he spare the entire city. The Lord said if he found 50 righteous people in Sodom then he would spare the entire town because of them.

Then Abraham said that he had been bold to speak to the lord although he was not worthy. He asked the Lord, “If you find on 45 righteous people, instead of 50, will you still destroy the city?”

The Lord said, “No, I will not.”

Again Abraham asked, “If you only find 40 righteous people will you still destroy the city?”

Again the Lord answered,

Abraham asked in fear that the Lord would be angry, “What about 30 righteous people?”

Again the Lord answered, “No, I will not.”

“What about 20 people?” asked Abraham?

Again the Lord said, “No, I will not.”

Finally Abraham asked, “what about 10 people?”

And the Lord said, “If there are 10, I will not destroy Sodom.”

Then the Lord left and Abraham went home.

Now there was a man named Lot who was Abraham’s nephew who also lived in Sodom. He was visited by two angels.  They wanted to stay the night in the square, but Lot begged them to stay in his house and they did so.

That night all of the men of the town came to Lot’s house and demanded that he give the men to them so they could have sex with them.

Lot went outside and told the men not to touch these men. He even offered the mob his own daughters instead. They did not want his daughters and began to pressure Lot and moved forward to break down his door.

The angels reached outside and pulled Lot back into the house. Then they made all of the men blind so they could not find the door.

The angels told Lot to take his family out of Sodom because the Lord was about to destroy it. So Lot went to his future sons-in-law and told them they must come with him. They thought he was joking and stayed behind.

As morning approached the angels told Lot, his wife, and his two daughters to hurry before the Lord came and destroyed them all. Lot’s family hesitated and the angels took them all by the hands and led them to safety.

The angel told them not to stop running away until they reached the mountains. But Lot asked if they could stop at a small town because he could not make it to the mountains. The angels agreed but told him to hurry because they could not do the Lord’s work until Lot and his family made it to the little town.

By the time Lot had made it to the town, that is now called Zoar, the sun had risen. Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah. Every thing and every one was destroyed. And Lot’s wife, who was told not to look back, did so and she was turned into a pillar of salt.

But Lot was saved because the Lord had remembered Abraham, his uncle. And this is the story of the Lord’s judgment on the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Adam and Eve had many children, including Cain and Abel. Cain killed his brother Abel and was cursed by God for the rest of days.  From that time on, for hundreds of years later, men continued to think and act in ways that were completely evil all the time. God’s heart was very heavy because of the actions of man. So God decided to wipe mankind from the face of the earth.  He planned to destroy all men, all the animals on the ground, and all the birds in the sky.  But there was one man that found favor in the eyes of God.

Noah was a righteous man. He had 3 sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth.

God told Noah that he was going to destroy his creation. But he promised Noah that he would spare his three sons, their wives, and their children.

So, God told Noah to build a very large boat. He called it an ark. This ark needed to be large enough to hold two of every animal, one male and one female of each kind.

After he had built the ark, God told Noah to put his family and all the food that he told him to gather into the ark. Then Noah put all of the animals inside and God closed the door to the ark.

Then God told Noah that in seven days the rains would begin to fall on the earth. Until now, the earth had never seen rain before. But, seven days later, water fell from the sky and the springs of the earth flowed and the flood gates of heaven were opened.

The rains fell for forty days and water covered the entire earth, including the highest mountains. The waters flooded the earth for 150 days. Every living thing outside of the ark had been wiped from the earth in this flood. The ark floated on the surface of the water for a very long time.

God remembered Noah and his family and the waters slowly began to dry up. Noah sent out a raven and two doves to see if there was dry land. After the second dove was sent out, it returned with an olive leaf. Noah knew that the land had dried and the floods had gone away.

God called Noah and his family out of the Ark. Then God made an agreement or covenant with Noah and with all mankind.  God promised to never again flood the entire earth and destroy it. Then he blessed Noah and his sons and told them to be fruitful and multiply. As a sign of God’s covenant with all men from the time of Noah and for all generations to follow, a rainbow will appear every time that it rains to remind us of God’s promise.

Because God is Terrible!

 After my shower, I got dressed and I made my way down stairs, past an even larger tv, and other gadgets of convenience, through my kitchen and into my pantry. There I stood staring into an abyss of plenty, yet totally bewildered by making a choice for breakfast. Why did God curse me with so many choices?

Because God is terrible!

I eventually opted to stop by the convenience store, buy some coffee and and some donuts and head for the airport. Today, Paul, Patrick, Brian, Mike and I are headed to Mexico to survey the possibility of short term mission projects. We have a ministry partner who has been doing some work there for 6 years and we are going to see what it will take to get teams there this summer.

There is a little fishing village a few hours in, that sounds promising and like I said, we are surveying. We flew to Harlingen, rented a car and crossed into a large border town. Yesterday, there was a gun fight here, a fact I was not aware of until later that day.(By the way 2 people were also shot in Houston the same night.) Nonetheless, there were more soldiers patrolling the border than people along our route. The highway took us right along the very edge of town, maybe about 2 miles of 6 lane highway. I saw maybe 50 people in 2 miles. My concerns for safety were immediately put to rest. Before, this I can honestly say that I considered not taking a team here. After all, why would God ask me to take that kind of risk?

Because God is terrible! That’s why.

As we travelled down a well paved, lightly travelled highway, we eventually made it to one of the little towns we were considering. There was a medical team that had been here for a day already. They were lead by an eye surgeon who had been performing cataract removals all day. Have you ever seen that surgery first hand? I did today. Why would God have me travel this far, watch an eye surgery that was restoring the sight off about 200 people a year in this town?

Because God is terrible, That’s why!

After this we went to speak to a local pastors wife. She had 3 daughters, 15,14 and 3. The pastor had died a few months ago from an illness. His widow and family were left without any income. They could only afford to send one of the older girls to school. We debated this with her and by the time we left, it was decided that a chicken coop would be built so she could begin to have some income. Plus, both of the girls were to be enrolled in school and it would be paid for. Why?

Because God is terrible!

It was getting dark and I thought we would soon be heading to our base camp that was still 45 miles away. Instead, we went to one of the most beautiful little town squares I have ever seen. It was simple and well lit. There was a raised gazebo in the middle of large oaks. Street lamps illuminated the benches where a few hand-fulls of people sat and visited. The faint sound of a Catholic mass could be heard from across the street. the doors were open, and all were welcomed. There were no guns or police here. Why?

Because God is terrible!

Eventually we made the drive to our base camp. We headed straight to a little house littered with 4, maybe 5 generations of family members. It was after 9pm, but they welcomed us and fed us a feast of fresh trout and fresh shrimp. These people are poor by our standards, but they welcomed 5 white guys in off the street, in the dark, and gave us their finest. Four generations of women went way out of their way to prepare this meal for us. Why?

Because God is terrible!

By now, I hope that you realize that God is not really terrible, unless you mean terribly awesome. He has opened doors here in 12 hours that have just blown me away. There is not a sense of expectation here, but one of gratitude. Community is welcomed and invited. Great things have been done here and I am convinced that God will do even greater things in the future.

God, being terribly awesome, has used an amazing man named Kim to be a tremendous blessing to so many people. It was his words that inspired me to recount our journey in this way. He was telling his story and how great God has been and how all of us so very often fail to realize this fact. Pray for Kim, he is doing a good work and God is blessing him and those that he serves.

We returned on Friday, terribly well fed- spiritually and physically.

God is terribly awesome!

Genesis 3

This is the story of how man became separated from God.

God gave Adam and Eve all that they needed in the Garden of Eden. There he planted 2 trees. The first was the Tree of Life. The other was the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. God told them never to eat from the second tree.

One day when Eve was is the garden; the crafty serpent tempted her to eat the fruit of this tree. When she told him that she would die if she ate from it, the serpent said that she would not die, but she would be like God and will know the difference between good and evil.

Eve ate the fruit and then gave some to Adam. He ate it too. As soon as he did the two realized that they were naked. They hid from God when he came into the garden.

God called to them. Adam answered, “We are hiding because we are naked and ashamed.”

God wanted to know how Adam knew that he was naked. God asked, “Did you eat from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”

Then Adam blamed Eve for everything. Eve blamed the serpent.

God cursed the serpent and made him crawl on his belly for the rest of time. He warned him that one day man will crush his head as he strikes at his heel.

Then God told Eve that because of her choice, she would have great pain when she had children. He also warned her that she would desire to rule over her husband, but that this would not happen.

Because Adam had sinned, God told Adam that he would have to work very hard for his food. Now that Adam had knowledge of both good and evil, he could never eat from the Tree of Life. Therefore, he would not live forever and when he died he would return to the dust from which he was made.

God shed the blood of animals and used the skins to cover Adam and Eve. Then he made them leave the Garden of Eden forever. He left an angel to guard the way to the Tree of Life.

This is the story of the first sin and how man became separated from God.

Genesis 1-2

This is the story of how everything came into existence.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was empty and did not look like it does today. Everything was dark and the Spirit of God hovered over the waters.

On the first day God spoke and said, “Let there be light.” And there was. God saw that the light was good. So, he separated the light from the darkness and called it ‘day’. He called the darkness ‘night’. This was the first day.

On the second day God spoke and said, “Let there be space between the waters so that they are separate.” So the waters separated and there was distance between the waters that we know and the space outside of the earth. God named this area of distance, “sky.” This was the second day.

On the third day God spoke and said, “Let the water below the sky gather in one place and let dry ground appear.” And it happened just as he said. The dry ground he named “land” and the water below the skies he named “seas. And God saw that it was good. Then he said “let the land produce growing things, called plants or vegetation, that have their own seeds that will reproduce other plants just like themselves.” And God saw that this was good. This was the third day.

On the fourth day God said, “Let there be lights in the sky to separate day from night. Let these lights serve as markers of the days, years, and seasons. Let these markers shine light over the earth.” Then God made two lights larger than the rest. The larger of the two is the sun. He made the sun to rule over the day and the moon, the smaller light, to rule over the night. God also made stars and he sent them throughout the sky. God saw that this was good. This was the fourth day.

On the fifth day, God said, “Let the waters be filled with living creatures and let birds fly in the sky above.” God made each of these unique according to their kind. He saw that this was good so he blessed the sea creatures and the birds and told them to “multiply and fill the earth.” This was the fifth day.

On the sixth day God said, “let the land produce living creatures according to their own kind: livestock, creatures that move on the ground, and wild animals.” It was so and God saw that it was good.

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish, the birds, the livestock over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

So God made man in his own image. He created them both male and female. He created the male from the dust of the ground and breathed air into his nostrils. We know this man as Adam. God brought all of the animals to Adam to name each of them both male and female. After Adam had finished, God recognized that Adam was alone and did not have a suitable helper for him. So God caused Adam to sleep and he removed one of Adam’s ribs and made woman from it. And Adam called her woman because she was taken out of man.

God blessed Adam and the woman, we now know as Eve, and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number, take hold of the earth. Rule over the fish, the birds, and every living creature on the land.”

God saw what he had made and it was very good. This was the sixth day.

So in six days God made everything. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because he rested from all work on that day.

Questions to consider:

1) Based upon this story, how many days did God take to create everything?

2) Based upon the story, what did God do on the seventh day?

3) Based upon the story, who did God create first- man or woman?

4) Based upon the story, who named all of the animals?

This is the story of how angels were created and where Satan came from.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. God created special beings called angels. They were created to serve him on earth and in heaven. These creatures were given special powers but were not created equal to God.

Lucifer was the most beautiful of all the angels.  God created a great multitude of angels and Lucifer was given power of them. But his power was not equal to God’s.

Lucifer became prideful and thought that he should be more important than God. He led a rebellion. Not all of the angels joined him, but some of them did. There was war in heaven. God was angry so he cast Lucifer and all that followed him out of heaven like a bolt of lightening.

God did this because he is holy and hates rebellion. He is all powerful and will not be challenged.

Lucifer now has many names including Satan, the dragon, and the father of lies. The other angels that followed him are now called demons. They have stopped serving God. Now Satan prowls around like a lion seeking to devour those that he can.

Satan and his demons still have power. They use deception and lies to try to destroy Gods creation. They can even disguise themselves as angels of light. They hate God and all that he created, especially man.

One day God will punish Satan and the demons and cast them into a lake of fire that he created especially for them.

Questions to consider:

1) Based upon this story, what were the angels created to do?

2) Based upon the story, what are the fallen angels called today? Do they have power?

3) Based upon the story, how do the fallen angels feel about God and his creation?

4) Based upon the story, what will happen to the fallen angels and their leader one day?

Genesis 1:1; Genesis 17:1; Exodus 34:6; Exodus 34:14;Leviticus 19:2; Leviticus 26:12;Deuteronomy 4:35; Deuteronomy 32:4; 2 Samuel 22:31; Psalm 46:1; Psalm 90:2; Isaiah 37:16; Luke 1:37; John 4:24; 1 John 4:16

4)Based upon the story what are the limits of God?

The Bible

Deuteronomy 31:24-26; Deuteronomy 11: 18-19; Psalm 119:89; Psalm 119:105; Isaiah 40:8; Jeremiah 30:2; John 20: 31; Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:11; 2 Timothy 3:15-16; Hebrews 4:12; 2 Peter 1:20-21

This is the story of the Bible.

The Bible is a book that was inspired by God. All the words in the Bible came from God and were written down by his command. These words are for us, because God wants us to know him and love him. The Bible is a guide to help us know the ways of God and his plan for our lives. The Bible is the very words of God.

In the Beginning, God told Moses to write down everything that had happened, including how the earth and man came into existence. Through Moses, God began to demonstrate the authority and importance of his word. He told Moses not only to write His words but to teach them to all the people so that God’s instructions would become a part of their everyday life.

Although Moses did not write the entire Bible, we still can believe that God’s word is eternal and stands firm forever. In fact, more than 40 men wrote parts of the Bible. These writings are divided into 2 parts- the Old and the New Testament. Within these 2 parts are 66 individual letters or books. These men wrote the Bible over a period of 1600 years. During that time none of the Bible has changed. This is by God’s design.

The Bible is full of examples for our life. It is a lamp for our feet and light for our path, in other words it is a guide for us. Some examples were written for us to tell us about Jesus, who is God’s son. There were also many warnings about punishment for breaking God’s rules. God’s Word is useful for training and teaching even today. It is living and active and provides the protection and strength for our daily lives.

More than anything else, the Bible teaches us about God and our need for him. It also tells us how we should love God and love people. God gave us the Bible because he wants us to know him. The Bible is a gift from God to his creation because he loves us.

Questions to consider.

1) Based upon this story, what do we know about the Bible?

2) Based upon this story, who wrote the Bible? Who inspired them to do so?

3) Based upon this story, what is significant about God’s Word?

4) Based upon this story, why did God give us the Bible?

“What does it really take to do something like this?”

Prayer and lots of it. I know that there were many people praying for us while we were gone. I could sense it and was aware of it often. Some people asked if I ever felt any danger. I could honestly answer that I did not. But I could feel the Lord with me on several occasions. I know this is only because I was praying and when when I could not pray for myself, others were praying for us. I can’t tell you thank you enough!

Enthusiasm was also necessary. I have to admit at moments it was tough to muster up the excitement to care for the dying. I remember one morning on our way to Prem Dan as we walked through the garbage piles and down long steps toward an iron gate. There was a little girl, not more than two years old, eating in that trash dump. She was diaper less and was going to the bathroom. It was hard to not take up that child and rush her to a clean her up. But her mother was right there with her. I know that it was only from the strength of the Lord to stay on task and do what he had me to do. My heart was and is still heavy over this, yet I recognize the need to do all things for the joy of the Lord.

Outward Joy. I found myself smiling in the worst of situations. I think it was important to do that both for myself and the men. I have to believe that no one wants to be cared for out of pity. Everyone has a need for love and I have to take my own and advice live out the words of “If you’re happy and you know it.” Honestly, I was happy. I was right where the Lord had placed me and that is always a good place to be.

Perspiration. It takes work to serve others. A little sweat equity goes a very long way. There is something almost therapeutic for me when I am doing things for others. Why is that when there is a reward involved we always seem to work a little harder. I know that my reward is in heaven for these deeds. But on the short term, my reward was a smile and yes, even a touch. Many of the men, especially at Kalighat, would hold you hand to their foreheads as a sign of great thanks. I worked hard for that, because it was important to me that I reached them on that level.

Leadership. I can say that I am blessed to had good leaders with me in Kolkata. Omar, the Missions Pastor and Holloway one of our members demonstrated a passion that was hard not to follow. Holloway was especially inspirational. He’s 78 years old and has been married for 54 years. I have to admit, he’s one of my heroes. Men like him, inspire me to continue to Go Beyond and I hope that others are encouraged as well.

Everyone at home.  My wife  is the greatest. There are so many sacrifices that she makes e to allow me to serve  like this. The support for the ministry that I am involved in is only possible because of the wonderful family that the Lord has blessed me with. My mother and father-in-law, and even my grandmother-in-law all helped  to watch my children and take them to practices and church and all the other events they are involved in. And finally, my neighbors. There were a few early mornings, when my wife needed to work and my neighbor helped get my children  to school. In addition to that, they looked after the house and my family while I was away. I am forever grateful for their sacrifices as well.

All of these things are only capable through PEOPLE. Without people in our lives to help and motivate and even to love, then few things would be possible. With God, nothing would be possible. Through experiences like this, I am reminded that God’s greatest creation was man. Man was is his most precious of all the things he has made. He made for one another and he made us to be relationships with each other.

People need people, no matter where in the world you are.

If the title sounds anything like Atillah the Hun, well its for good reason. Sister Anilla is one of the Missionaries of Charity that serve in Kolkata, India. If there is a perfect person for the job she does, then she is definitely it.

Sister Anilla stands about 5’4″ tall. Her pale face almost blends into the white sari that is so well known for the sisters. Were it not for the blue strips that wrap around the head piece of her habit, you might never see her bright eyes and humble smile. She seems to fit between the 4’6″ to 5’6″ height requirement to be one of these sisters. I looked for a sign, like the one you see at Disney World, that says “Must be this tall to be a nun.” But I never found it.

Please don’t misunderstand my descriptions for disrespect. I want you to know what a character Sister Anilla really is.

She is from Albania, but I do not know when. I would guess that she is maybe in her 40′s at the very oldest. She speaks with a strong European accent. And yes, she has an ability to bark some pretty strong orders at the men in Kalighat.

Sister Anilla works at Kalighat. This is a place that most men are carried in barely alive. Sadly, most will be carried out on their way to grave. It’s not a happy place. The smell of urine and industrial disinfectant permeates the air at the doorway. As you walk in you make two quick turns, not quite long enough to place the sent, then you see the men. 30 to 40 of them lie in their shabby bunks on vinyl sheets.

The first day we saw her, I was a little taken back by her abruptness. She was barking at a fragile little man. She told him repeatedly that he had to stop wetting his bed and that he had to sit up. She sternly disrupted his complaining and pleas for sympathy and mercy. She just would not let up. It was as if she started in and went for the kill. But, I would later discover her reason for being this way.

Like I said, she is perfect for the job. You see, she wants these men to be able to do for themselves as much as they can. She has hope that some of them will leave this place on their own. When they day comes, she needs them to be able to survice, so they will not return to her to die. The man she barked at was giving up. He had bed sores because he would not try. His bed wetting was controlable, but it worsened his bed sores. She knew that, and she loved him enough to try to motivate him.

She also had a very witty sense of humor. She would laugh with some of the men. It was obvious that she had earned their respect and deserved their admiration. I certainly admire her. One day we asked her if she had any needs that we could help with. Naybe some supplies or razors or shaving cream, these are the items we were thinking about. Without hesitation, in her European dialect she exclaimed with a bright smile, “WHISKEY!”

I am not advocating that drinking is a good plan, especially considering the circumstances in which she works. Biblically, the excessive use of alcohol is really the issue because it can lead to drunkeness and then things just go down hill from there. And, I would make the argument that for myself, I think its not the right example to set for others. However, I don’t know that I would fault Sister Anilla for one little sip, especially after having spent a week a Kalighat. I cannot imagine living there, literally upstairs, all of the time.

Nonetheless, we did purchase 10 soft drinks for the sisters of Kalighat. Sister Anilla politely refused and explained that the sisters only drink water. Then she requested that we give them to the men. This only briefly describes the character of Sister Anilla.

For this reason alone, I will ask all of you to pray for her. She might be a little rough at first impressions, but she is doing one of the hardest jobs on the planet in my opinion. He reward, every 10 years she gets to go home and see her family.

Anilla the Nun is one of the most kindhearted, gentle handed, drill sargeants that I have ever met. I am a better person because I have spent time with her.

Let me tell briefly tell you about some of the people we met.

There were the 70 high school students from Australia, all on summer vacation, all without adults. (Parents in the West, let 3 weeks of that soak in for awhile) .

There was a man from France, an actor who was trying to find a less superficial life than he had been leading. I wish him well with that.

The singing Italians were everyone’s favorite, they just knew how to light up a laundry room, and that’s what they did.

Jake was from Maine, a college student and a Christian. He was taught to serve others at an early age.

There was also Anilla the Nun, I’ll write more about her later. She was very interesting!

We met many others, but there is one man that I would like to tell you about. I will not tell you where he was from, but only more about his character. He rarely spoke.  When he did speak it was usually rude and condescending. He seemed to know his way around very well. He was the kind of person that just does it all himself, but doesn’t take time to teach others. Then he struggles, he  gets frustrated and everyone is now  in his way.

He had no smile. It was if it had been taken from his very soul. Yet, he was right in the thick of things every time you saw him. I tried to reach out to this man every chance that I got, but he had too many defenses. I even tried to “kill him with kindness,” but it became apparent that would not work. It was as if he had some sort of Kryptonite against joy. He just couldn’t seem to show any happiness  in what he was doing. I began to really wonder, why would someone do this if they did not have some sense of joy or even accomplishment that they had done something good for someone else? I have many theories about this man, but I do not want to judge him without knowing the truth.

Finally, on our last day, there was tea and cookies for the volunteers. There were 2 glasses that someone had poured and set up for the next person to take. He and I were both there and I offered him the cup that had more in it. He refused smugly as if I had really gone out of my way. When I explained that someone else had done this and there was enough for us both, he jumped from his seat, took the cup from my hand and very rudely said, “I did not come here to make love!” I must confess that my flesh got the better of me as I sharply responded, “good, because I am not available, I just came to have some tea.”

The fact of the matter is, from a Christian worldview, we had come here to do exactly that. I can say that for many of the explanations given from people all over the world, that they were drawn here to love and serve others. In the Old Testament, God gave the commandment to love God above everything else and  with all that you have . Later in the New Testament, Jesus gave a new commandment to love others as much as we love ourselves.

Mother Teresa had that figured out. Something about her love for others is contagious even to those who do not believe as she did. I know that help is not always appreciated, but it makes me very sad to see a man serve so well and not enjoy the blessing that comes with it. We came to make love known by the work of our hands and the smiles on our faces.

The day started about the same as the rest. That was until someone threw a fish at me. It was a head and tail, almost like a cartoon fish, that came splashing down in front of me. I looked back and amongst the gaunt faces and toothless grins there was laughter and pointing fingers. Each  blaming the other and all were laughing

It was worh it.

If all I managed to do was bring a little laughter to the men, and that somehow bettered their last days, then it was worth it. I never did found out where the fish came from. I guess I never will.

We bought more supplies for Prem Dan (“gift of love” in Bengali), the house we worked at in the morning.  As we were preparing to leave a man was brought in. He was maybe 5’8″ and weighed about 90 pounds.  Within minutes he was given water but not food. Quickly, his clothing was removed and his head was shaved. This was a routine that looked all too familiar. It was a routine that was necessary but difficult to witness. It was a quick change in mood for me, but it was common for these men. Most of them did not notice.

As we left Prem Dan we past the green hose pumping raw sewage from under ground toward the street. The obvious smell was the last memory I would have of this place today.

Later in the day we would go to Kalighat. When we arrived there was a tour bus of Korean Catholics. I understand their interest, but I was little taken back by the cameras and crowds. This is not a place for that. however, they did redeen themselves with a very good vocal performance of Amazing Grace My Chains are Gone. And it was in English, so I at least understood it.

They came and they went in a matter of minutes. For most of these men the day they come in is the last day they will see the sky. Many were left here to die. One of the nuns told us that one man was left here by his wife and 3 children. Despite his ailments, she said dispair was the worst of his sickness. He soiled himself so Omar and I carried him to the shower in his bed sheet. We held him and cleaned him up as best we could. We clothed him and put him back to bed. The sister said that he does this so someone will give him some attention. Throughout the week and when we left, he held our hands to his chset and then to his forhead. He was grateful for human touch.

This was likely the last day that we would see him. Somehow I think he knew that.

Today is the last day that I will be 32 years old.  I will remember this last day for the rest of my life.  It will stay with me until my last day on this earth. I will always be a special day in my heart and mind.

The last day reminds me of when Jesus was cruxified. There were two others with him. Cruxifiction always ended in death. There was no escaping it. The two men were thieves. Their last day had come and they knew it.

One shouted at Jesus and taunted him. The other recognized that Jesus was innocent and that he was giving his life for all men. Jesus told that man that today they would be together in paradise.

In some way the thieves were fortunate to know which day was their last. Choices needed to be made. One choose eternal life and the other choice an eternal death without God.

For most of us we will not know when our last day is coming. If we have accepted Jesus as the Son of God and confessed our sins, then he has forgiven us. On our last day we will be with him in paradise.

If you have not done this, then you have a choice to make.

I know that some of you reading this have not made that choice. If you are reading this now, then there is still time to choose. You see choice was one of the best gifts given to all men. God desires us to want him, to choose him. But if he forced us to love him, then what kind of love would that be?

Don’t wait if you have not made that choice. Settle your account with your Creator now.

This is a simple way to do that. These words are just words, there is no magic  power in them. But if you believe them, then salvation is assured. If you are ready to make that choice today then say these words with all your heart:

” God, I am sinner. Nothing that I do can earn my way to eternal life. I belive that you love me and that your son Jesus died and rose again for my sins. I accept him as my Lord and Savior. I want to live a life assured of an eternity with you.”

If you believe these words to be true and this is the first time that you have said them, then we need to talk. Don’t gamble on your last day coming latter than sooner. There is a life in Christ that is waiting for you. It won’t always be easy but there will be a joy in your life that can only come from God.

Let’s talk about your last day. I am always availble to you all.

When I was 5 I locked myself in the car and missed the school bus. My punishment was to go to work with my Dad. My job that day was to drive nails in wood and make forms for concrete. I was promised one swat for every nail I bent. I got 3 that day, and my hands were trained use a hammer.

When I was about 14 I helped dig the foundation for a 30′ X 30′ shop in our backyard. My Dad complimented me on my ability to use a shovel. Then he hit me with a load of dirt right on top of the shoulders. He went on to explain that he wanted more for my life than to be a shovel operator. That day my hands were trained to use a shovel.

When I was 16 I washed cars at a Lanier Chevrolet in my hometown of Linden, Texas. There wash a wash pit in the back that when the drain was cleaned it was 6 feet deep, 6 feet long and 3 feet wide. It collected dirt and stagnated water and whatever else I washed down that drain. I was asked to clean it out one day. I tossed my clothes in trash after I was finished. That day my hands were trained to clean filthy things.

When I was in college I met the most beautiful and amazing woman. We married and on that day my hands were trained to love and to hold and provide for her.

When our children came, my hands were trained to feed and diaper and protect them.

When I worked in retail my hands were trained to clean shelve left right and top to bottom.

When I was a store manager my hands were trained to delegate and lead and give clear directions to others.

When I began in ministry one of my first jobs was to serve Wednesday night meals. On that day my hands were trained to serve food to our members.

Now here I am in India serving at two of Mother Teresa’s homes. Each day I have been here a man has died. As I start another day of washing clothes, serving food, shaving men and changing them when they soil themselves,  helping them up the stairs as they walk, I think back on all the things my hands have been trained to do. I have decided that training is not worth it if all I do is ride the bench. And after just 3 days of this, my hands hurt because they have not been used enough.

My ability to love people cannot just be a thought, it requires action. Action is not only what I am trained for but what I was created for. When Jesus gave a new commandment “to love on another,” I am convinced he meant to do things for them, especially those who cannot do for themselves.

So look at your hands. Decide what you will do with your training. You do not have to travel around the world to love people(although I do encourage it).

Look at your hands, you are more equipped to help people than you know.

Look at your hands, do they tell the stories of loving people?

A man died today.

It was a hard day for me. It was one of the most difficult days of my life. I have never been challenged more to do something so far outside of my comfort zone than I was today.

I am great behind the scenes person. I can organize and lead and direct and motivate people to do a number of things that on their own they might not do. Today I needed to be motivated. I found myself looking for an escape route both physically and mentally. But there was not one. There was only the challenge ahead..

I confess, the tasks that faced me today were pretty easy for me. I washed soiled laundry on a six stop assembly line. I swept a huge patio with and bundle of reeds tied together without a stick. I served food and washed dishes. None of the things were really that difficult. But none of them put me in contact with any human being. I successfully escaped, until there were not any more dishes to wash. Then there were only people left.

Those of you who know me, I think could honestly say that I am pretty good with people. But when the man asked for his back and his feet and his back to be massaged, I froze. My escape route was cut off. It was at this point that my actions needed to reflect my faith. I really struggled, but I did it. But this was only the beginning.

Now do not misunderstand me when I say that the task were easy. Physically they were simple, but if you see these people and their conditions, and start to think about it too much, then it begins to accumulate. With that said, let me be clear that each of us has a role to play. We are gifted differently according to God’s plan. I know that I am a “tasker” and “doer”, as long as it doesn’t involve feet! But as I rubbed the man’s feet and back, I thought about why I had come so far to be here.

India has a billion people –literally. So why aren’t there more Indian people helping their own? I think the answer is in two parts. First, God called me to be here and to do this. Second, the majority of people in India do not know Jesus. So, if by being here and being uncomfortable allows one person in India to see that God is real and that he loves them, then it was all worth it.

Later in the day this proved to be truer than I would ever imagine. After lunch we went to the second home where we were to work today. It was called Kalighat and it is just next door to the Hindu temple to the goddess Kali. A man had been hit in the head by something and someone brought him there to die. His eyes were cloudy and distant as he lay still on a cot in the corner. A woman sat with him most of the day and she and two young Australian girls sang Amazing Grace as they held his hand and touched his face. he died with strangers watching over him. No one knew his name.

Despite this, a man died with dignity today.

Someone touched him and cared for him. They might not have been Christians, but they recognized that a human touch was the least they could give.

Touch someones life today.  Do something uncomfortable that changes someone’s life- it might just change yours. Stop playing games to see how close you can get before you become uncomfortable. It’s not an annoying game, it might be the last touch that someone feels.