God is good. He continues to reveal His love to His children every day, every moment. As this year is coming to an end I have been reflecting on what the Lord has done this year. Myself and a few others will be sharing testimonies on New Year's Eve at my house before going to a concert featuring a local Christian band. The Lord has done many things this year. A passion for missions has been truly ignited in my heart this year. I went on my first overseas mission trip this summer to El Salvador and was blown away by what the Lord did in and through our team and the lives of the people we were blessed to meet. God healed, saved, restored. He is always at work - even when we cannot see. In the summer of 2005 during a time of great grief the Lord laid on my heart a desire to go to Africa for ministry in some way. He is continuing to grow this passion. I have been and will be reading some books on missions. It's encouraging, motivating and inspiring to hear from others who experience some of the same heartbeats of God for loving the world for Christ.

A passage of Scripture, Matthew 25:31-46, has began to permeate my heart. A portion of this reads: "'Come you who are blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger and you invited me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.'
Then, the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? When did we see you sick, or in prison, and come to You?'
The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly, I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of the least of these brothers of mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.' "25:34-40

Do we, do I and do you, see Jesus in those around us? He is there. How are we serving Him? If you are like me this question is somehow so overwhelming yet incredibly right and satisfying. Perhaps because in this is an amazing amount of our purpose here on earth. Truly, how am I spending my life, my every breath? Is it in a way that brings glory to God and love to people?

The Lord is truly at work all over the world! The team from my church who traveled to Swaziland, Africa shared about their experiences. Let me just say I do not think the Lord is going to leave me alone regarding His heart for these people. They are in need and I am a member of the body of Christ. I must act. Every 14 seconds a child is orphaned by AIDS. Every day 6,000 children are orphaned by AIDS. Over 2700 children in the world die a day from hunger. This is heartbreaking, sickening, and almost difficult to hear. Really, though, shouldn't it be more difficult to hear and not act? I am asking myself along with the body of Christ. AIDS is a huge crisis and killing millions of people every year. The team shared about visiting the best hospital in the country of Swaziland and seeing horrible conditions. 70% of the patients admitted into the hospital are HIV positive and when a person reaches the final stages of AIDS they are released from the hospital and sent home to die without medications. The team also described many, many young children were everywhere. There were pictures of children taking care of children. They are in desperate need of the Lord. If you are 15 years old in Swaziland you have a 1 in 10 chance of living to the age of 35 due to AIDS. People project that Swaziland will be extinct in 20 to 40 years due to the high death rate. It is currently 43% of adults there that have HIV or AIDS. This is the highest infection rate in the world. All this in a little country at "the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8) from myself here in the U.S.

My senior pastor spoke today about this verse and how Jesus does not make it optional to go to the ends of the earth. He did not say "you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem or in all Judea or Samaria or to the ends of the earth." No, actually Jesus our Savior and Lord proclaimed: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."My heart aches to share the love of Christ with those around the world who are suffering and in pain, especially those facing death or dealing with grief. I cannot say I have ever lived in the conditions that these people have or been orphaned by AIDS but I have felt that same feeling of pain. I have experienced loss. I have been lost without a purpose. I have felt empty and hopeless. The Lord has made all the difference. He filled me with hope and joy. He has given me purpose and filled me with His Spirit. He has released healing into my life and throughout everything He has never left me or forsaken me. He continues to give me strength as I trust Him day by day.

He is here today and forever. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. His name is matchless. No one and nothing can compare to Him. Jesus alone deserves all of our lives, our every breath. As the day of Christ's birth approaches may we remember His love for all the world and may we remember those who are lost and without hope. Pastor said it this way- I am thankful that those first Christians did not have the attitude that there was enough need where they were and they did not need to go "to the ends of the earth" because we would not have our salvation today if a Christ follower had not decided to make the trip across the ocean to bring us the only true Hope. Praise God for the obedience of godly men and women all over the world!

Lord, as we celebrate this season of your birth may our hearts receive Your love for Your people all over the world. You came to this earth to save the WORLD- not just me and people who look like me. Lord may our hearts break over what breaks Yours. Show us what You would have us to do to be Your hands and feet to a world in need. May You receive the glory that You are due. I ask in Jesus' name. Amen.

I must share that I am soooo excited about hearing this weekend at church what God did while a small team of people from our church went to Swaziland, Africa for the 1st time on December 3-12, 2007. Swaziland is a small country located in South Africa between Mozambique and South Africa and the country is slightly smaller than the state of New Jersey. The main focus of the trip was seeking God to find how He can use our church in this country which has the highest death rate from AIDS. Swaziland recently surpassed Botswana as the country with the world's highest known rates of HIV/AIDS infection. In 2005 an estimated 33% of Swaziland adults age 15-49 were living with HIV/AIDS infection and in 2007 this has climbed to almost 40% of the population being infected by AIDS. I cannot even imagine this. One thing I know is that the Lord has laid this burden on my heart for people who are going through extreme trials. There is suffering, deep need, and extreme poverty going on in different parts of the "nations" we are to reach as Christians according to the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20.

I am sure the Lord will continue to speak to me about His heart for these people and want part he desires for me to have in serving them. The mission team shares this weekend about their experience and about any leadings from the Holy Spirit about how we as a congregation might minister to the people of Swaziland. I can hardly wait and I am praying for open hearts for all of us. I am reminded of a verse in James "Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has passed the test, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him." (1:12)

Lord, may You be ever so near to those in Swaziland and all over the world who are suffering and may You wrap Your comfort around them in this very day. Lord reveal to them Your perfect peace that is in Christ and give them strength to pass the test. We know You will then meet them with the crown of life in Heaven. Praise You Lord who are most worthy of all of our praise and with every breath may we bring You glory forever. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

I have been attending a class called Healing Stream which is described as "a powerful, interactive series that will help Christians overcome their past and experience healing within to become healthier followers of Christ through the Holy Spirit. You are sure to experience a new dimension of spiritual freedom through biblical teaching and anointed prayer time." As Christians we know that Scripture tells us we will overcome by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony (Rev. 12:11). I will share with you some of what the Lord did in me during the past few weeks. He truly revealed to me in a new way that I am totally accepted and approved of by God in Christ. There is nothing I have to do to earn approval from God - or even myself or man for that matter- because through Christ's sacrifice I am forgiven for my sins (Eph. 1:7) and I am a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). I think I thought I knew this truth. I did, but it was mainly a head knowledge. Now my heart knows that God not only accepted me in Christ initially at the point of my salvation but He is eternally accepting me by an act of His grace! How awesome and freeing this truth is! Ephesians 2:8-9 tells me "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast." You see nowhere else can we find this kind of full acceptance, unconditional love, and deep grace but in our Lord and Savior, Almighty God Himself. No person can offer this to you or me. We are only set free and healed through God's grace and power. Throughout the course of this class, sitting under the biblical teaching of the leader, and participating in anointed prayer times with members of the prayer team God has been able to set me free with His truth. An amazing thing has happened. I have been able to know a little more of the sweet "riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe" that Ephesians 1:18-19 speak about. I am more complete in Him.
Also, as a counselor I have received a more full spiritual understanding of the deception of the enemy Satan. God has given me a passion to speak truth into the lives of those in trials. I am to bring hope to the hopeless and I believe this class has better equipped me to fulfill God's calling for me life. Praise Him forevermore!