Pilgrim Footsteps

We ducked our heads and hurried along the village road, red-dirt water running in rivulets as the raindrops fell. I had my sweatshirt on so the hood could keep my head dry, even if it was technically too warm and humid for it. So far not one family had invited us inside their home as our small group walked around the village handing out goody-bags to the children and inviting everyone to our outreach planned for that evening. Then the rain had started and gotten heavier; there also weren't as many houses along this particular road. Suddenly, a house, with a young mother inviting us in. We left our shoes outside on the tiny porch and entered the small home. To the American eye, the possessions seemed a strange array haphazardly organized, but the Thai woman's smile was genuine and her manner sweet. We all sat together on the floor, and before she joined us she turned on a fan and faced it towards us to make a small breeze in the still, humid air. Too shy to say more tha...

God and I have this kind of ongoing dialogue about promises, which is a long story on its own but suffice it to say that Bible stories, songs, etc. that have to do with promises always catch my eye and my heart and we chat about it. So, it was no different when I got a book at a yard sale that was all about the covenants and promises in the Bible, and I started reading. Of course, it began with Abraham. Then during my prayer times, God kept directing me to somewhere in Genesis that always happened to be about Abraham. So I read through the story of Abram-turned-Abraham in the context of his promise from God and what he did in the midst of it. Most of it was pretty much what I had already seen and known about that, but then I came to a familiar passage and saw it in a new light. "And he said, take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell th...

So…not long after I got Hezekiah out of my head, God said to read Joshua. Ok. At least I know who this guy was! So I looked up where Joshua was mentioned and read it all, taking notes on passages in Exodus, Numbers and Deuteronomy before getting to Joshua’s actual book. It was definitely more notes that Hezekiah! Some things that crossed my mind as I read/later reviewed my notes (and I could probably still add more: Joshua was an amazing guy!) are as follows: 1) Joshua is a story of inheritance and fulfilled promises (experienced by an obedient and courageous servant of God) 2) He led the people into every battle while following all of God’s battle instructions to the tee even though some of them sounded pretty crazy 3) He didn’t mind “living in Moses’ shadow” so to speak but continued in his stead with great faith, fulfilling and carrying out the instructions God had given Moses 4) He was often in God’s presence and he knew and obeyed God’s word; he kept it 5) H...

Yeah, if you’re saying “who?” I won’t hold it against you, since when God first put his name into my head, all I knew was that he was one of the many kings in the Old Testament, and that’s about it. But so you know, Hezekiah’s story is told in 2 Kings 18-21, 2 Chronicles 29-32, and Isaiah 36-39. He was a king in Judah for 29 years, beginning at the age of 25. The Bible says that no other kings of Judah were like him. He’s the guy that destroyed all shrines including the brazen serpent that had become an idol to the people. However, his end wasn’t as great as his beginning, as he became proud and selfish and his son Manasseh was a wicked king. So clearly, when God put that name into my head (day after day after day, might I add!) I read all about him and took notes and everything. I thought that would be enough. Nope. Hezekiah was still floating around in my brain. So as I prayed about what God wanted me to learn from this king, I finally got some answers and I’d like to shar...

I decided to write about the topic that I recently spoke on at my old high school's Wednesday morning bible study.  But I'll start out with a little background. When I received an email asking me if I would like to speak, I said yes and wrote the date in my planner.   However, I had no idea what to talk about. Whenever I speak somewhere, I always wait for God to give me the idea, so I know it's what He wants me to say, and it is important to me because He laid it on my heart.  But this time, it certainly was taking a while!  Finally, I heard a little urge on not planning. Not planning?! How was I going to get away with that topic when there would be teachers listening?   But God wasn't finished explaining yet.  So finally, my lesson was ready - Planning with a disclaimer - allowing for God's spontaneity.  And here is the lesson that grew and was presented. From grade 2, I had a lot of plans.  They have changed over time, a...

Finally, Part 4 of what I learned about the early church while reading through Acts. This will highlight a few stories and sum up all of my posts. They had some incredible things happen When God is involved, incredible and truly awesome things happen. And truly, it is always unexpected. After all, God does what he wants (Psalm 115:3)! Some of these instances have been previously mentioned in more general terms, but they were some I really enjoyed and wanted to use to point out once again their way of life. The church prayed without ceasing for Peter when he was imprisoned, and he was visited by an angel and freed. When he returned, they thought at first that he was a ghost. (Acts 12:1-17) Some Jewish leaders who got mad at them "laid their hands on the apostles" and put them in prison. And angel came at night and opened the doors and freed them and told them to "tell the words of this life" to the people. (Acts 5:1820) They stoned Paul...and he...

Now for Part 3 of what I learned about the early church while reading Acts. They knew they had the truth and made sure it got out They were bold about the truth. They knew it had to be told, and that it was truth! They let no one quiet them. Because of this, people accused them of being crazy. Because of this, they were expelled from places...and made a lot of people angry. But, they obeyed the Lord and His word, even when it was something that seemed dangerous, they didn't get why, or they didn't want to. They went through trials because of their commitment to God They were put in prison countless times. They were beaten. They were stoned. They were thought to be gods and had to dissuade the people that no, their only "power" was that of God working through them (Acts 14:11+)! Some might not see that as a trial, but...I'm sure that also tested them! They were set before council, to which they replied "We ought to obey God rathe...

Here is Part 2 of what I learned about the early church through reading Acts.  They used the power of Christ in them In the second chapter of Acts, those in the upper room, waiting together for the Comforter as Jesus told them to, were filled with the Holy Spirit. They used that Holy Spirit power of God working through them, as was intended! They prophesied, saw visions, dreamed dreams, did signs and wonders. They healed and delivered people from demons. This was how God was showing them to live and work, through the power of the Holy Spirit, of Christ in them, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27).   They exhibited the power of Christ in them, and many knew it. For example, people waited for Peter's shadow to fall on them as he passed (Acts 5:15)! Everyone brought with sickness of unclean spirits were healed. When Paul sen out pieces of cloth he had toughed, people were healed and delivered (Acts 19:12). They rose the dead through the name of Jesus (Acts 9:3...

Acts has been on my mind a lot lately, and in my prayers.  When I read Acts, I do not see the churches today that exist in America, or many first world countries.  I see something different, something that we are missing today in the contemporary Christendom.  And it makes me sad at all that we are missing out on.  So I began a study as I read Acts, recording how the early Church functioned.  So here is part one of what I found. They were in one accord (and I don't mean the Honda joke) In the very beginning of Acts, the followers of Jesus, doing as He commanded them, were waiting in one accord to receive the Holy Spirit. Because I love words and knowing exactly what was trying to be said, and since Acts says more than once about them being "in one accord," I decided to look up the definition of "accord," as a noun, since that is how it is used. Dictionary.com says that it means "proper relationship or proportion; harmony" [ok, so the early church ...