I’m Leaving Town

As we approach Good Friday and Easter, there are many reminders of Jesus and His sacrifice for each and every one of us. There are extra faith-based messages via email. This is a high Holy Week for the followers of Jesus. There isn’t time enough in a day to read everything that appears interesting but two emails had promise. One was from an excellent teacher from out of Western Europe and another about Israel. Open both emails required payment if I wanted to view the resource. I don’t know why it bothered me but I suppose ministries need to stay afloat, but then I recall the very animated tossing out of the money changers in the most recent “Chosen” production. I also remember that I would like people to purchase my two self-published devotional books.

I’m also carefully packing for a short-term missions trip. I read a travel tip today that one should lay out all of the clothes and money for a trip. Leave out half the clothes and take twice as much money. My experience is the same. I run out of money and pack the unnecessary. God is in this plan. I hope to serve well but I know I will learn something new. That is exciting. I’ve recently written about Mary and Martha. I want to learn some Mary practices. I will continue to page through the Psalms to check my notes on those that are the most evangelistic. All Psalms remind us of the goodness or God and our need for Him in a series of poetic prose. The other passages that ‘boots-on-the-ground’ people recommend we study are; Isaiah 61, 64:1-5, Joel 2:28-32, and 2 Cor 5:11-15. For me, being in this new part of the world, God’s world with more of His people, feels scary but familiar at the same time. We are all the same, lost and found or lost and in need of being found.

So why do we go? I Cor 15:58 reads, “My dear brothers and sisters, stay firmly planted – be unshakable – do many good works in the name of God, and know that all your labor is not for nothing when it is for God”. I know the new covenant is all grace because of the above – Jesus. There are too many messages about going which is another verb so we can do some things. Finally, Deut 31:6 says, “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes WITH you. He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed”.