Great video of the organization we are working with in Costa Rica this week.
[vimeo http://vimeo.com/13015423]
Check out their web page here
The work in Costa Rica
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Monthly Archives: March 2011
Inspiring Quotes
The Easter devotion does not start until Monday. Each day until then, I will try to post inspirational material and/or prayer requests.
As staff, we often share quotes from books, blogs, and articles that inspire us. Here are a couple of quotes that staff shared this week that really stand out.
“O God, the Triune God, I want to want Thee; I long to be filled with longing; I thirst to be made more thirsty still. Show me Thy glory, I pray Thee, so that I may know Thee indeed. Begin in mercy a new work of love within me. Say to my soul, “Rise up my love, my fair one, and come away.”
Then give me grace to rise up and follow Thee… up from this misty lowland where I have wandered so long.” – A. W. Tozer.
“Why should anyone hear the Gospel twice, before everyone has heard it once?” – Oswald J. Smith
“God uses men who are weak and feeble enough to lean on him.”- Hudson Taylor
These are some great quotes to pray through today.
Costa Rica Team Update
Had a great day in Costa Rica today! We took the orphan children (20) from Project Abraham to the Museo de Nino (childrens museum). I got to host a sweet boy named Roberto (9 yrs old) for the day. He would not let go of my hand the whole time! It was a very special time for both of us. We finished up with lunch at McDonalds, a big treat for Roberto.
We also toured the Abraham site before returning to Franco’s B&B to see the progress made in the past year. Truly amazing…they are up to 150 children at the day care center. The multipurpose buiding is over 50% complete.
The team is very excited to begin our work on the site tomorrow. We have enjoyed some excellent time of prayer, devotion and fellowship together already. We begin tomorrow working on the site security fence, repairing broken equipment and misc. construction projects. Pray for safety and God’s provision.:)
Thank you all for your prayers! We had a great first day of construction with no injuries. We did lots of welding, grinding and paint prep on the new security fence. Several pulled nails and sanded wood. Another group was cleaning floors in the new office building recently completed. Others were prepping to paint an old cement mixer truck. Many enjoyed a vigorous game of soccer at lunch time. We will sleep well tonight. Blessings to all! God is good.
Fasting
This 21 day journey is for you to have meaningful encounters with God. We have so many distractions in life. Fasting is a way to remove some of those distractions and focus on God. When fasting is mentioned, most of us think about removing food from our lives. That is the traditional response. For those who have busy lives and find it hard to focus on God, skipping a meal or two on certain days, for a season, can provide believers with a special time to connect with God.
There are many things in life that distract Americans. Most spend an average of 4 hours a day watching TV. Some fill their free time with hobbies. Think of a hobby (golf, video/computer games, shopping, technology, TV, music, reading, etc) that consumes some of your free time. These are other things to consider to fast from for this 21 day period. Remember, we are seeking to prepare ourselves for the Holy Holiday of Easter. The goal is to come close to Christ. What better way to come closer to Christ than by removing a distraction from our life and spending that time reading His word and praying?
Relationship Evangelism
The Easter season is perhaps the most spiritually sensitive season of the
entire year for both believers and non-believers. For believers in Christ, we
have a natural excitement that builds throughout this season as we
anticipate the death and resurrection of Christ. It is a reminder that He will
come again and that time is short.
For non-believers, they watch the people of God prepare and celebrate.
God uses what they see in each of us to prompt them to reconsider their
own rebellion from Him. Itʼs through that prompting that God softens their
hearts to realize the gift He gives in Christ through the cross.
Unfortunately, it takes more than just seeing Godʼs people prepare and
celebrate Easter for them to know the King we are celebrating.
We have to be intentional.
Everyday, you interact with people at home, at work, in the store, and at ball
fields. Each of these people may or may not know who Christ is and what
He has done for them. God has placed you in your neighborhood, in your
workplace, or on that team for His purpose – that more people might know
Him. He has put you there to introduce them to Him. Everyday you have
conversations with each of these people about a wide range of topics. Why
donʼt you take the opportunity to make one of those conversations about
Easter or what church they attend or what they think about a God who loves
them?
As you were reading above about these “people”, I am sure that God
brought to your mind several specific people. Donʼt think that was a
coincidence! You already know that God has a purpose for you knowing
those people.
During this journey, will you commit to pray each day for each of the people
that God prompted you with? Will you commit to seek out opportunities to
have spiritual conversations with them? Will you commit to asking them to
worship with you and your family on Easter?
How to Use the Prayer Blog for Easter
Each day start out by reading the weekly verse. Ask yourself the following questions: 1) What does this scripture mean to you? 2) How does this text apply to your life today? 3) What does God promise in this text? After you ask yourself those questions, clear your mind, and quietly think through your answers to the text. Be still and listen for what God might have to say.
Next, read the scriptures for the day and think through the questions provided. Take time to meditate and listen to what God would say to you about these verses. Does this scripture bring light to any sin in your life? If so, ask God for forgiveness and for the commitment to do what is right. You may want to journal some of your thoughts to help clarify what God is showing you.
Finally, spend some time praying for friends or family who do not know Christ and for those in your life who do know Him but choose not to worship Him. Pray for God to show you ways you can share the Gospel with them and for the courage to be able to invite them to attend church with you.
A 21 Day Journey
Like any holiday, Easter can be upon you before you know it. With the hectic pace of life, we often allow ourselves little time to prepare our hearts for this Holy holiday. This booklet is a tool to prepare yourself spiritually and help get your focus on Christ.
What often prevents us from true worship is the sin in our lives . We are aware of some, but not all, of our sins. During the first 14 days of this journey, we will be reading through scriptures, meditating on them, and seeking to cleanse ourselves of any sin. This cleansing does not happen through our own personal efforts, but through the cleansing of the Holy Spirit.
The last 7 days of this booklet will examine the week of Christ’s life leading up to His Resurrection. During these days, continue to focus on Christ’s work in you, but be praying for His work to occur through you as you invite unchurched friends to attend worship with you at one of the four Easter services.