A Week in the DR

This week I am with 25 people from my church in the Dominican Republic. We are working with an organization called Project Child that runs an orphanage in Santo Domingo called Casa de Luz. The main focus of Casa de Luz's outreach are the handicapped children often discarded by society here. We are working at the orphanage on a variety of projects. We are also working through out the area in hospital burn wards, maternity wards and in variety of the poorer communities in and around Santo Domingo.

As I sit here and reflect on all God is doing this week I am reminded of the opportunities given me 30+ years ago as I went on mission trips as a teen. I can only hope that God sparks in those here with me this week the same revelation He gave to me on those trips and that is that He could use me. Me, with all my past mistakes and flaws. That revelation was life changing. I am who and where I am because of that discovery.

I don't know about you, but I am constantly amazed at the fact that God takes ordinary people and does extra-ordinary things with their lives. It blows my mind that God wants to partner with me to reveal Himself to the world. 

I hope that same mind blowing truth happens to some of my friends here in the Dominican with me this week. I hope that they have the same type of life-changing experience that I had. I also hope that you all discover the extra-ordinary life God wants to provide for you. All it takes is you saying those two simple words, I Will...!

Whatever It Takes!

Tim

I Will...Go!

I am beginning a new series this week at BridgePoint Church. It is entitled I Will... Go! We are going to be taking a look at Jesus' assignment to the disciples and us found in Acts 1:8.

8But 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."

As I was preparing this week I was struck by two things I had never seen in this simple verse. 1st, Jesus promises the power to accomplish the task before he even tells them what the task is. How many times have I asked what he wanted me to do so I can see if I am equipped to do it.

I end most of my communications with "Whatever It Takes!" That is so easy to say, and even easier to write, but so difficult to live out. What makes it difficult is when the "It" is defined. I want to live that statement out but often times find myself asking for the task first so that I can rely on my on power to do it.

Jesus said "you will receive power." Not you may or it could happen, but it will happen and therefore the task is secondary cause I will be able to do it. What a great promise!

The 2nd thing I noticed was His statement "and you will be my witnesses." That word "will" is written in the imperative. In other words I must be a witness. Jesus is not saying will you. He is saying "you will." If you have my Spirit (power) in you, you will bear witness to me in this world.

By the way He promises us in that famous Matthew passage (Matthew 28:20) that He will be with us, "always." That makes saying "I Will", regardless of the task so much easier.

I Will...Whatever It Takes!
Tim