Missions Week...

Hello!
This week, Chris and Susanne Donaldson, from Christchurch New Zealand, came to speak on the Missions heart of God.
One fact that they shared is that only 2% of all missionaries are reaching to the people who have not been reached. Only 2%.
God is a God of Missions. In the Old Testament, God sets up the Israelites to be missionaries. In Deut. 4:5-8 Moses says that if you follow the Law, the Nations will see how we are at peace, how we are not sick, and how we are in tune with our God.
And in Joshua, the cities that are to be conquered by the Israelites are trembling with fear because God has delivered them from Pharaohs hand by parting the Red Sea.
Every one around them were seeing, and recognizing that their God is a God that was real.
Chris also talked about the different roles that missionaries are to take on, according to their gifts.
Paul was the Pioneer. Romans 12:20, 2nd Cor. 11:22-24, Acts 20:3,4
Phillip was the Evangelist. Acts 8:4-8, Acts 8:26-36, Acts 11:19-20
Barnabus was the Encourager and Supporter. Acts 4:36-37, Acts 9:26-27, Acts 13:1,2
Gaius was for Hospitality. 3rd John 5-9
And there are many more to add to the list...
We then talked about how even when there is former existence of God in Nations, he will still make himself known.
In Athens when Paul was visiting, he went to debate with the scholars of the day. He then brought up the alter to the "Unknown God." Who that Unknown God was, was the Lord Almighty.

In the 6th Century BC, there was a very bad plague that was going around Athens. Once they had all offered sacrifices to the major gods (Zeus, Athena, Poseidon, ect...) they then went to the Oracles of the day. God gave a vision to the Oracle of Delfi to go see the Poet Epimenides regarding the matter. Epemenides said that you should get sheep to fast for several days, and when the days are up, send them out. Where they lay down, you will build an alter, and sacrifice to this God. Epimenides did not give the name of the Lord, because he did not know it. One thing about sheep is that they will not lay down until they have been feed, and their stomach is full. For the Greeks to see starving sheep laying down was a sign to them that this "unknown god" was the true God. Once they made the sacrifice, the plague stopped, and they want back to their ways.
God will make himself known to nations, but needs us to be his hands and feet to reach to the nations that are waiting, and hungry for the truth. When God calls you to a certain area, he will also call others to support you.
God is a God of Missions. Amen?
Thank you for your continual prayers and support!
God Bless you all!
David.

The Nature and Characteristics of God...

Hello!
Week 4 has come to and end. This week, Judy Smith (the speaker) talked about the Nature and Characteristic of God. She opened up the week by looking at the first three chapters in Genesis, and breaking down the original intended relationship that God wanted with us. One thing that she stressed is that God wants community with us. She looked at how important the concept of the Trinity was. It tells us that God has been living in Community with Jesus and the Holy Spirit for an eternity before the earth was created. She also looked at how Isahia 53 is the exact prophecy of Jesus, and how every verse fits the life of Jesus perfectly.
She then looked at the Servent Characteristic of God. Jesus came to serve us, not to rule us. if you look at the world, and its view on things, you come up with words and phrases such as: Dictator, Power, Personal Gain, Controling, The American Dream, Selfish, Fear, Abusive.
If you look at what Jesus was trying to do, you get words like: Humble, Self Sacrificing, Love, Last, Caring, Good Heart, Selfless, Thoughtful, Generous and Respectful. It is good to look at things with the Jesus point of view. It makes things much more enjoyable in the World.

The last thing that Judy said was the God raises the Dead. This was important because if he did not raise the dead, then how are we to get to Heaven when we die?

Thank you for support and prayers!
David

Hearing Gods Voice...

Hello!
This week, our topic was Hearing Gods Voice. The speakers name was Jason Solari, from Sarasota, Florida. He intentional left out ways of hearing Gods Voice until the last day so that we would not be just expecting to hear Gods voice in every little thing that we did.

He started off the lectures with an exercise that was rather interesting, but very practical. He made us pair up, then stare into each others eyes for 3 mins. The rules were that we could not talk, laugh, and we have to learn something new about the person that we are paired up with. I learned that Jared Brown does not give up to easily.
The next day, Mr. Solari then talked about communication. 93% of communication is non-verbal. The basics in communication is that there is a Sender, a Message, and a Receiver. What prevents that Message from coming to us is something called Noise. The noise that is in our lives that separates us from receiving Gods message varies. It could be anything from stronghold that Satan has in our lives. It could be a bad relationship that we are not letting go of, and not forgiving. It could be something that is not a sin, but effecting our time spent with God.
In the end, God can communicate with us through many things. Through other people, through reading his word, through animals (refer to the story of Balem), and many more ways.
Mr. Solari is really practical with his teachings, and making every day situations on how to communicate with God, and how to communicate with others. We can not have a one sided relationship with God, just asking, and asking, and asking for things. We have to talk, and listen. God will always answer us, even if it is in a way that we are not expecting (ie. in animals) ;)
In Genesis, when Adam and Eve were hiding from God, the bible says that God was walking in the cool of the day, and searching for Adam and Eve. He longs to talk to us, and longs to have a relationship with us, despite us not being worthy, and constantly taking his grace for granted.

Thank you for your continual support, and prayers!
God Bless you!

David

Fear of the Lord...

Hello!
This week, we had a speaker who came in to speak on the topic, "Fear of the Lord". His name is Glen Vine, and he was a missionary in Tibet for 12 years.
A lot of the things he said was on marriage, more then Fearing God, but when he did talk about the subject at hand, he said a lot of things that really hit home why we are to Fear the Lord, and how to do so. He talked about how a lot of Christians place following God into Law, or Grace. Those who live by the Law are those who are like the Pharisees. They draw lines that must be followed so that they do not break the covenant that God has made with them. The ones who live by Grace are those who will sin, and just say, "God will forgive me of it later." and they do not repent and change their ways. Mr. Vine says that we are to have a plumb line hanging between Law and Grace, and that we are to not sway one way or another. We are supposed to have not laws, but the values that Christ has given us are to govern our lives. If we do fall away from those values, we are to repent of or sins, and seek a change in our lives so that we do not fall that way again.

Glen talked a lot about spiritual warfare. He talked about the different spirits (fear, guilt, depression...etc.) and that even when we are deep with our walk with God, they can still have an influence on us. He also talked about how to stop them from accomplishing their mission. He said that when we have fear of the Lord, the spirits would fear us.
Summed up in one sentence, the Fear of the Lord is to respect and honor the values of God, and to fear the consequences of not following the values.
What I really liked about Glen was that at the beginning of the week, he made the statement, "Some of the things I will say might not be of the bible, but of my own opinion. If you disagree, or have different feelings about a certain issue, talk to me about it, pray about it, and check in the Bible about the subject." There was one or two things that I did not agree with him, and I still don't, a lot of the things he said this week were really truthful, and biblically correct.
Again, thank you for your Prayers and Support!
God Bless
David

Week One, Orientation

Hello!

Week one was orientation/getting to know every one that we will be working with for the next 3 months. We had a few days of every one telling their story of faith. It was extremely moving to see where some of the people have come from. Seeing how God has moved in these peoples lives to bring them to where they are now, is truly amazing.
Worship. We have only had 3 worship sessions, but they have been spirit filled and God provided. Every time, God has brought me to tears because of his grace and beauty. But they were not tears of sorrow, or of guilt, but tears of great Joy! Joy because of the gift of Jesus Christ.
"And I tell you this, that there is no greater love that a man lays down his life for his friends..."
Already, this has been a trip where God has revealed himself, and his will to me. Thank you all for praying for me, and encouraging me.
God Bless
David