2 Chronicles 13–16: Have you ever had a time when you were clearly out numbered and the outcome of your struggle would be sure defeat if God did not show up? You may be there right now. If so take a few minutes to read 2 Chronicles 14 and 15. God showed up big for Asa, a king who chose to seek God and follow Him. When the enemy out numbered him by 3 times the number of troops he had here was his prayer. 14:11 Then Asa cried out to the Lord his God: “Lord, there is no one besides You to help the mighty and those without strength. Help us, Lord our God, for we depend on You, and in Your name we have come against this large army. Yahweh, You are our God. Do not let a mere mortal hinder You.”
God saw fit to bless Asa and his army that day and God routed their enemies. Oh how we must trust God. We leave today to go to Swaziland Africa on mission. I ask you to join us as we pray for those we will minister to. Pray for God to be made known greatly through us and that we would be wholly devoted to Him in everything we say and do this next 2 weeks. Please ask the Father on our behalf to take satan down in every form and route the enemy even before we step foot out the door. Pray for a total victory in His name in the lives of those we go to minister to. Please pray we have the right words to say at the time for those who have lost so much. Pray we will find ourselves deeper in love with Jesus and His people when we return. To Him be the glory and honor and power for ever and ever! Amen and amen.

Luke 11:1-13: Do you ever get frustrated with asking God over and over for things He just isn’t delivering? Do you ever wonder if it is just a lost cause? Luke 11 gives you the answer. 9“So I say to you, keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 10For everyone who asks receives, and the one who searches finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” Sometimes He uses our persistence to make us ready and willing for when the doors do open. Sometimes He changes our hearts and we realize that what we are asking for isn’t His will. Sometimes we get so hungry for what we are asking that when it comes we weep with joy because that long awaited desire is finally fulfilled. His timing is not our timing. His thoughts and plans are not ours. He knows what is best and we can trust Him. Easier said that done but that is why it is called faith.

Luke 10:25-37 In our busy world it is so easy to by pass people around us in need. We may see them but think, “I am running behind, I don’t have time to stop.” Maybe we think, “If I help it will cost time and money neither of which I have in excess.” Or maybe we just don’t want to get pulled into other people’s junk. Whatever our reasons or justifications, I am not sure Jesus would agree. He told the story of the Good Samaritan indicating that the religious people passed by not even acknowledging the person in need around them. They just acted as though they did not see. The Samaritan, a person from a half Jewish and half not people group was the one who stopped to help. The Jewish people hearing this story would have recoiled at it because they thought the Samaritans were beneath them and yet he was the one who looked, saw and did something about it.
I wonder how people in our world would see us? Would they consider us one of the religious elite in this story so busy about church world that we miss the hurting around us? Do they see us as servant leaders who are not above but right there with them? Do I use the gifts and the finances I have to help others? Am I willing to see who is in need around me?
I can’t help but think of the many workers who worked on our house. They had such great need and because I was with them daily I saw that and many of you joined me in meeting those needs, but who around us right now has needs. Don’t wait to encourage them and help them. Look at them, see them, and do something about it.

Psalm 139: There is never a place we can go that God does not see us. We can’t hide ourselves or our actions from Him. That may seem scary for some and comforting for others. Psalm 139 is a psalm of comfort for me. He knows me inside and out. Literally! He made me, He knows my coming and my going. He has known the days of my life before one was lived. He knows my faults and still declares me fearfully and wonderfully made. Now that is amazing!!!!
He knows you too my friend and put you together in your mother’s womb. He has loved you with an everlasting love and He is for our good. These may be hard concepts to accept or believe, but you can bank on it my friend. He is trustworthy because He does know the beginning from the end. Fall into His arms of mercy today. Relish in the love He has for you. Know that His guidelines and perimeters are for your good and His glory. Yes, bad times and hard times come, but He is with you. He doesn’t forget you are leave you alone. Treasure His presence know His peace.

Psalm 138 is a song of Praise. I woke this morning thanking the Father for allowing us to worship Him today.
Psalm 138:1 “I will give You thanks with all my heart;
I will sing Your praise before the heavenly beings.
2I will bow down toward Your holy temple
and give thanks to Your name
for Your constant love and truth.
You have exalted Your name
and Your promise above everything else.
3On the day I called, You answered me;
You increased strength within me. ”

How grateful I am that we can go to the Father’s house this morning with freedom to worship in our country. I talked to G yesterday and she was telling me that in another part of their country the governmental leaders are trying to prevent the ministry center that is there from preaching the gospel and telling others about Jesus. We need to fervently pray for their pastor that he will have wisdom as he approaches the courts there. Pray that God will give favor and that the message of the Messiah will be made known. Pray for those persecuted around our globe who can’t freely worship today. Most of all don’t take this freedom for granted. God and practice your freedom by worshiping with a whole heart. May He be praised!

Luke 9:28-36; The experience in Luke 9 where Peter, James and John had gone with Jesus while he prayed has lingered with me. The disciples fell asleep and while they slept Jesus had visitors. Moses and Elijah came to him and were talking to him about the things that were about to come in Jerusalem. I wonder what that conversation must have been like. Moses must have said, I knew they could never follow the law even with 10 commands. Elijah the prophet must have been speaking words of wisdom and encouragement. I wonder if both saw the sleeping disciples and had pity for Jesus having to leave the gospel message in their hands. I wonder if God just knew that Jesus needed extra support that no human could possibly give. God was the unseen One but very present during this odd visit. He wanted the disciples to know Jesus was who He said He was and that He would do what He said He would do. I can’t imagine the atmosphere at that moment when the disciples became “fully awake” and realized who and what they had seen and heard.
The question now is how does that impact my life? It makes me grateful for what Jesus did for me on the cross. It reminds me it wasn’t an easy task and it took much preparation on His part to take on the sin of the world. It was painful when the perfect Lamb of God took on sin and death for good and defeated both. Because He was victorious, I can be too through the blood of Jesus. Praise the Lamb!

1 Chronicles 20–22: I wonder if we are not seeing David at a time in his life when he is just bored. In chapter 20 we see that he did not go to war when the army did. Instead he chose to stay in Jerusalem. We know later on this will get him into even more trouble with Bathsheba, but here his idle mind gets him into trouble by taking a census. Now there is nothing ungodly about counting people, so the problem must have had to do with his motive for counting them. Even Joab knew that this was not the right thing to do and in doing so half way did his job leaving out entire tribes of people on purpose. In the end David was called on it as well and the decision was very costly for the people of Israel as 70,000 lost their lives.
As I pondered this story and its life lessons for me and us I wonder if the Lord was not saying, keep your eyes on the course set for you. Don’t allow yourself to get burned out or even “retire” from doing what God has called you to do. Rest yes, but stay in the game. One of America’s founding fathers put it this way, “An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.” Staying engaged in life and ministry keeps us from allowing our heart and mind go to places they should not be. Discontentment is a huge enemy when the mind has too much idle time. So what is the answer? Pray, ask the Father His plans for your day. Then engage. Again rest is good, but too much time with no plan can lead one astray, so keep your eyes on the course and run with endurance the course the Father has for you! Running With You!!!

We talked to G today and she was so excited about how God had showed Himself so big as she and her team visited a home today. This family had not heard of Jesus until 8 months ago when they moved to her city from the war torn area they had called home. G said the man they were visiting with said that his god and their God were the same. G & Z and their friends explained to the man that there are many differences. She used her friend as an example. She described her friend L with dark hair & brown eyes. What if someone said they knew L and she had blonde hair and blue eyes. Would you think they knew L? As G told us about how the conversation went and how the man responded we smiled and nodded. She was bubbling over with excitement as she explain how the Holy Spirit led the conversation and the man finally said then tell me about your God.
She told us how the rest of the conversation went and how the team members sensed the Holy Spirit doing a work. There will need to be other conversations, but it is so amazing seeing how God is at work!!!
She kept on saying “we get to share the gospel with people who have Never Heard!” What a great honor and privilege to introduce a people group to our Savior!!!
Please keep G and Z and the other team members in your prayers. The enemy is always stirring to try to discourage, but today we celebrate a big win and hopefully one day we will celebrate a new brother and family in the Lord. Keep praying.

Colossians 3:15-25 Today’s post is for moms who seem to always have another dish to wash or another load of laundry to fold. It can be overwhelming and non ending. It can seem as though no one knows or cares how much you put into keeping the home. Hold on my friend. Because even if your children don’t notice or your husband God takes note. Here is how Colossians 3 puts it, 23″Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men, knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord. You serve the Lord Christ.” Today it may only look like house work but God knows there are eternal rewards even for the mundane as we do it as unto Him for His glory and honor. Since today is a day of rest, tomorrow as you go about your daily duties know that you are loved and appreciated. You are doing a task that is important for your family. They may not say thank you, but you are appreciated. Here is one more verse from Colossians 3 to encourage you. 17″And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

Our reading today contains my life verses. Colossians 3:1-4
1 “So if you have been raised with the Messiah, seek what is above, where the Messiah is, seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on what is above, not on what is on the earth. 3For you have died, and your life is hidden with the Messiah in God. 4When the Messiah, who is your is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.”
I love these verses because they give me marching orders for the day. As I set my eyes on things above I know how to respond to the things I encounter here on earth with the right heart attitude. My life is in Christ and I died to self. I choose to live for the eternal knowing that one day I will be with Him. Glory! Putting up treasure in heaven to lay at His feet!!!