Countdown

As some of you may know..I’ve been counting down the days till ANDY returns home from the four month discipleship school called PATMOS. It’s crazy to think that in just 22 days, Andy will be a PATMOS graduate. 

I am so so so so excited (and I am mean..SUPER DUPER ecstatic!) I have had ZERO communication with Andy for almost 3 1/2 months. I can hardly contain the excitement of being able to see him. 

HOWEVER, this past week, the Lord gave me 

    

                        Psalm 90:12 

          “So teach us to number our days, 

     that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” 

I’ve been counting down the days until Andy comes home, but the real question is…

HOW MANY MORE DAYS LEFT UNTIL I RETURN HOME? 

While spending time with the Lord on my way back from school, Jesus gently reminded me that HE alone knows when I will take my last breath on earth, and my first breath in Heaven. 

                     “But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. 

             Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He 

                     has prepared a city for them.” - Hebrews 11:16 

I am a citizen of heaven just passing through this earthly country. I am waiting for my Beloved Jesus to call me home. 

So with that exciting thought in mind, my question to you fellow reader is…

What are we doing with our time? 

We have been entrusted with something so precious friends. YOU and I have been given the shoes of peace, the GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST. As the book of 2 Corinthians states, we are His ambassadors, His earthen vessels, and His fragrance. We must spend everyday “persuading men” of the free gift of JESUS that can set them free from the sin and shame they are so desperately trying to find an escape from. 

***WE HAVE THE ANSWERS FRIENDS.***

I challenge YOU. Share Jesus with someone TODAY. You don’t have to go on a mission trip, or wait until the next outreach at church. DO IT NOW. There are people perishing right before your eyes. 

Tell THEM. 

CHRIST IS ALIVE. HE is the hope they’re searching for. HE IS COMING…

coming soon. 

Countdown till our return HOME begins…

NOW. 

The Ultimate Desire

de·sire

dəˈzī(ə)r/

noun

noun: desire; plural noun: desires

a strong feeling of wanting to have something or wishing for something to happen.

Desires are good. They’re actually great. The Bible tells us in Psalm 20:4, “May He grant you according to your heart’s desire, and fulfill all your purpose.” 

God gives us desires and wants to fulfill them. How beautiful is that? 

However, if our desires surpass The Ultimate Desire, we have a problem. 

The Ultimate Desire: 

“One thing I have desired of the LORD, 

That will I seek: 

That I may dwell in the house of the LORD

All the days of my life, 

To behold the beauty of the LORD, 

And to inquire in His temple.” 

-Psalm 27:4 

It’s easy my friends, real easy, to get caught up in the desires that have been placed in our hearts. However, are we laying our treasures on earthly desires, or in Heaven? 

Heaven 

“..they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” - Revelation 7:17-17 

Heaven must be our supreme desire that trumps everything else. As we wait for The Day, we must wait patiently, with expectancy and hope of greatness being in the presence of our Savior. 

Lately I’ve been finding how easy it is to stay focused on the desires that I have here on Earth. I must consistently check my heart to ensure that those desires do not become idols. It’s a daily check, where the Lord quietly reminds me of His presence. His presence is more than enough to remind me that HE is what I’m living for. 

Lord Jesus, 

Help me to desire only You and Your dwelling place. Forgive me Lord when I get caught up in my earthly desires and forget The Ultimate Desire. May The Ultimate Desire take supreme control in my heart and mind. Help me to mediate on my future: dwelling in Your courts for eternity. 

In Jesus Name. 

“For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.” - Psalm 84:10 

New King James Version 

Please comment below and share your thoughts on desires and eternity! :) 

How much of your love are you giving to Jesus?

It's so easy to fall in love with God’s creation, however, how much more should our love for the Creator be? 

In Mark Chapter 14 vs. 3-9 Mary shows her love for Jesus by anointing His head with costly oil. Though the disciples criticized her for wasting expensive oil that could have been sold and given to the poor, Mary was busy showing her devotion and adoration for her one true love, Jesus. 

My favorite part out of this passage is verse 8. 

“She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial.”     

This was not a spur of the moment decision to anoint Jesus with oil. Mary had PLANNED this beautiful way to express her love to her precious Jesus.

This reminds me of some ways I choose to show my love to others. In middle school, I bought and decorated a notebook to have everyone write thoughtful words to my brother for his birthday. I planned out everything with an excited heart for weeks to make the perfect surprise to bless my brother. 

I have recently been wondering, How much more thoughtful things must I be doing to express love unto my Lord Jesus? How much more excited should I be to honor my King? 

I believe the way to show my love and heart for the Lord is by serving, worshipping, sharing Him with others, and spending quality time with Him. The Lord desires that deep, intimate, one on one relationship with each of us. His painful death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead is enough. Every breathing moment should be an act of praise unto my Savior because of my deep love for Him. 

My new prayer has been, Jesus, I’m serving in the preschool today because I love You. Jesus, I’m standing here in church with my hands lifted up because I adore You. Jesus, I’m on my knees before the throne of grace because I am hopelessly devoted to You. There is no other reason to live but to be deeply in love with You; You deserve all Glory and Praise.  

My dear brother Andy recently shared a message on Luke Ch. 14:26,  

“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.” 

Andy shared in his message that Jesus was not literally saying to hate our family and life, but was simply saying to love others less and love Jesus more. 

It’s easy to give our time and devotion to the ones we love, but how much more of your time are you giving to Jesus? How are you showing Him your love today? 

Brother from another mother

I've had a younger brother since I was 15 months old and a younger sister since I was seven. I've always been the older sister and never imagined what it was like to have an older sibling. 

Through this season of India, however, God has placed an older brother in my life to encourage and help me. 

My brother's name is Andrew, whom I like to call Andy. A couple months ago we were put in a group together to lead the performance team for India. From the moment we were partnered up, God revealed what UNITY really means. I got a clear understanding of 1 Peter 3:8. 

“Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous.” - 1 Peter 3:8  

Be of one mind. 

Andy and I make a good team not because of anything we do, but because Christ reigns in our hearts and has given us the spirit of Unity. l saw a clear picture of this when we were working on a project called "Unity for India." We came up with some team building activities for the team to grow closer. As we prepped so much with all the ideas, God changed up many of our plans. We both learned to be flexible. By the Holy Spirit, we worked in one accord and used the different gifts God has given us to put together those activities. It was such a fruitful experience. 

Have compassion for one another. 

The Lord has been working on me with this for a while now. Compassion is seriously something I lack for others. Andy always thinks of others before himself. He has such a huge heart for the lost and shares Jesus with such boldness. I think of Matthew 9:36, “But when he saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.” Jesus was moved with compassion for those that were weary and scattered. Andy depicts this well because he is moved with compassion for those who are perishing and wants to love them into the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. I witness compassion every time I see this dude. It is a blessing. 

Love as brothers. 

God really had to put me in check on this one. I can sometimes be very rude to Andy. Through accountability, God revealed what LOVING your brother really means. I'm learning what it is to apply, "love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39). God is love. Because Christ first loved me, I am to love others, even my brother Andy. 

Be tender hearted, be courteous. 

If you know Andy, he can be an uncontrollable jokester. At times, it's hard to "be tender hearted and courteous" when your brother cracks jokes every moment. God is faithful though, and we have found a BALANCE in being serious and funny. God has shown us both how to be careful with the words we use and to think of one another before ourselves. 

It's crazy to think that just over a year ago, this dude and I met at the Missions training camp. We were acquaintances; I saw him as another dude from church. I love how God is always at work. I love how He knows the friends we need. Now, I can't ever see Andy just being an acquaintance. 

I give all Glory, Honor and Praise to Jesus for His omniscient power. He ordained every part of this friendship. I am thankful for a brother whom God has placed in my life for not only this season of India, but eternity. I've gained a "friend that sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24). 

You the homie Andy. Keep running the race to the finish line. I'm running with you cheering you on!