Panama Journal Entry #6

Juan 15: 1-11

The Vine and the Branches

15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. ² He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes^[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. ³ You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.⁴ Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. ⁵ “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. ⁷ If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

⁹ “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. ¹⁰ If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. ¹¹ I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.


I could barely leave anything un bolded. John 15 is just THAT good. Oh man, So good.

God is faithful in all he does. 
He spoke and it came to be. 
The promises of the Lord standFIRM .

Use the talents that God has given you to connect with others. Not everyone can connect with anyone. Be firm in what you believe and follow God into the abyse, into the darkness, into the unknown, changes in life, new adventures, and new talents/hobbies, possibly ones you've never been interested in before or even given the time of day. 
All for the glory of God. 
All to the glory of God. 

You're scared of these new surroundings. This darkness that has overtaken your life. You don't know what to do next. Dont worry, 'THAT' that you're in right now, Ya, GOD created that. God's got your back, take a deep breath and go to sleep. Leave the worrying up to God. 
Live in his light.
Live in his glory. 

Jesus came and lived with us, walked with us, died with us, so he could relate to us.
Similar to how we will be viewed from the Panamanians

Be Fruitful. 
Proverbs 11:30 "The fruit of righteousness is a tree of life..."

If we live in the spirit, let us also walk in the spirit. Galatians 5:26
Be still and know that I am God - Calm your heart.

John 6:68: If God wants me somewhere then I should go there. Where else would I go?

The Gospel  requires a response.
&& how one plants the seeds, one waters and GOd provides the Increase. 
Even if it seems like people are not responding, they are hearing the message, possibly and probably, for the first time. 
Todd & Steve are just seeing the fruit of their labor form '08

2 Peter 1:5-8 'If you are all these things, you will be effective.'

God will use this. These little conversations. 

I heard someone say that they don;t eat to be full, they eat to stay alive.
Isn't that so much like our faith in Jesus? We eat the word to stay alive, to stay strong in our faith and not give in to simple temptations from the enemy. Where we are just full for a small time and then what? The enemy will continue to fill us up with superficial food? fake? deceiving? Dont eat to be full, Eat to stay alive. 

Panama Journal Entry #5

Look at the land and what God has done for you. Can you trust a God who put this much work into the land? Imagine how many/what plans he has for your life.
STOP & LISTEN

Build your life upon a firm foundation.

The Wise and Foolish Builders

"Why do you call me, Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete." Luke 6:46-49 NIV

God is the spirit & the vine. All those who come from him are good and will be blessed. There will comes of pruning and times of harvest. You must have faith through the pruning and stay strong in the harvest. All who are not attached will break and fall away. 

There is a fence in-between you and Jesus. Is it holding something in, or keeping something out? 

- When we were walking up the hill there was a house with the door open & when we were walking back down the door was closed.- What are you hiding from?

To the ends of the earth. 

We must all make sure to remain connected; attached to the vine. If not we will wither away to nothingness. Our faith will be stretched during this mission, but with the right authority.

Cielo - Sky/Heaven

Lord, you know their needs before we do, before our prayers are spoken, they are already in the process of being answered. you are the one and only, Lord Almighty, the Alpha and the Omega. Lord, we are all empty vessels, waiting to be filled by your grace and sent out in to the world to proclaim your glory. Pray we would be wise in times of trouble and willing in times of need. Grant us the peace and knowledge we need to speak your glory. 
Lord you know our unspoken prayers,
Our hearts,
&& minds.
Amen. 

May everything I do be in your will God. Push me, strengthen me, hold me close, tell me your deepest, darkest secrets. To the ends of the earth, the depths of the sea, to the heavens and back is how far my love stretches for you. I miss you. Please open my heart again. Change my ways. Hold my heart and hold it tight. Allow my heartbeat to be in line with yours. Break my heart if need be Lord. I fall at your feet begging for mercy and grace to cover me. At your feet I lay.
Pick me up.
Amen. 

Psalm 33

New International Version (NIV)

¹ Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous;
    it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
² Praise the Lord with the harp;
    make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
³ Sing to him a new song;
    play skillfully, and shout for joy.

⁴ For the word of the Lord is right and true;
    he is faithful in all he does.
⁵ The Lord loves righteousness and justice;
    the earth is full of his unfailing love.

⁶ By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
    their starry host by the breath of his mouth.
⁷ He gathers the waters of the sea into jars^[a];
    he puts the deep into storehouses.
⁸ Let all the earth fear the Lord;
    let all the people of the world revere him.
⁹ For he spoke, and it came to be;
    he commanded, and it stood firm.

¹⁰ The Lord foils the plans of the nations;
    he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
¹¹ But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever,
    the purposes of his heart through all generations.

¹² Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
    the people he chose for his inheritance.
¹³ From heaven the Lord looks down
    and sees all mankind;
¹⁴ from his dwelling place he watches
    all who live on earth—
¹⁵ he who forms the hearts of all,
    who considers everything they do.

¹⁶ No king is saved by the size of his army;
    no warrior escapes by his great strength.
¹⁷ A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
    despite all its great strength it cannot save.
¹⁸ But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,
    on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
¹⁹ to deliver them from death
    and keep them alive in famine.

²⁰ We wait in hope for the Lord;
    he is our help and our shield.
²¹ In him our hearts rejoice,
    for we trust in his holy name.
²² May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,
    even as we put our hope in you.

God is faithful in all he does.

The promises of the Lord stand FIRM.

Use the talents that God has given to us, to connect with others. 

Keep in mind that even though it may be repetitive or dawning, but the Lord if working in whatever you are doing to reach the gospels understanding. 

Continue to view yourself as a Learner.

Be the Word. Live the Message.

Panama - Journal Entry #4

Isaiah 41:13 "For I am the Lord your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, "Do not be afraid, I will help you." 

There are many different names people use to describe God; 
Jehova, Saviour, Love, Guidance, Father, Hope, Strength, etc.

Who is God to you? Healer. 

"I saw myself in a completely different light. I began to love myself, I allowed myself to heal both physically and emotionally. I was able to get through situations that would've seemed impossible without Christ in my life."

He is my strength
He is my sweet sweet song
&& he is my saviour. 

Dios - God

Time to recenter and refocus yourselves out of the camping trip. 

Acts 17:16-34

New International Version (NIV)

In Athens

¹⁶ While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. ¹⁷ So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there.¹⁸ A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. ¹⁹ Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus,where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?²⁰ You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.” ²¹ (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)

²² Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. ²³ For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.

²⁴ “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. ²⁵ And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. ²⁶ From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.²⁷ God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ²⁸ ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’^[a] As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’^[b]

²⁹ “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. ³⁰ In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. ³¹ For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed.He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”

³² When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” ³³ At that, Paul left the Council. ³⁴ Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.

We do not serve a God that lives on this earth, we do not serve a God who will one day break away and disintegrate to this earth we live on. We serve a God who lives and breathes. A God who speaks, answers prayers and stays strong & close in times of darkness and doubt. 

In times of slowness and uncertain circumstances and futures, stay on the thin and narrow path. Do not fall weak to those who suppress you.
Keep Focus.
who you are 
what you're doing
why you're here

Preacher of foreign Divinities

Divinity// The state of things that come from a supernatural power or deity, such as God, and are therefore regarded as sacred and holy. 

What will others look to us as? Foreigner, New Friend, Old Friend, Enemy, Brother/Sister in Christ.

Acts 17: 20/21

²⁰ You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.” ²¹ (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)

I pray that those we meet along the way would have the same mindset. That they would have a yearning, a passion to see God's kingdom come, for his will to be done, and all those hearts that are dead are risen to beat once more, eternally. That would we not just be a people of today, that we would be a people that remember the past, what God has done, what he is doing in the hearts of found and lost, who and how he has saved and what he will continue to do until the day of judgement comes. Alpha and the Omega.

May the ears of those who come across our mission not grow weary but have a yearning to hear Gods glory time and time again until they know his story and reach out to those around them. 

Paul evangelized to the town of Athens. 
he pointed out that they already had an alter to an unknown God, yet they continued to worship it. 

"what is this babbler trying to say?" this will be who we are for the next 10 days. Be clear, be kind and be loving. you are anointed. 
Remember God holds and changes hearts. Not you. 

Look Around.How did you get here? God moves us & moves in us. 
(God wanted you in Panama, so he provided a way for you to GET there. It was his divine intervention in your life that you be here at this moment in time. That you be sharing that cup of tea with that person. That you be riding in the back of that 4x4 through that river. God is Purpose.)

Pay Attention. Look Around
Do not be discouraged. You did your job. You spoke the truth. This is reality. 
Perceive.Look at what relates to others. 
Commonalities. Families. Goals. Triumphs. Fathers. 
Fruit of the Spirit. His kingdom come. His will be done. 
The Vine. if we are attached to Jesus we will not wilt and fall away.

 

Panama - Journal Entry #3

Jesus, I pray that you would equip us with the power of your saving grace to mend these broken hearts, bring warmth to those living in darkened souls and strength to the weary of faith. 

Amen.

Was this short-term mission a success? 

Why?

We're all capable &STRENGTHENED by Christ to do

ANYTHING. in his will.

Deuteronomy 31:6 

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.

We are here to get people off on the right foot with their relationship with Christ.

________________________________________Introduce them.

_____________________________Pray for them.

__________________Love them.

______________________________________________________________Show them.

Joshua 1:3-9 

I promise you what I promised Moses: ‘Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you ... No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you.

Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. 

If I could connect&help ONE person, my job here is done.

What are YOU going to remember?

How high the temperature was? How long the plane ride was? How little food you had?

CHALLENGE YOURSELF

GET

OUT

OF

YOUR

COMFORT

ZONE.

Set

---your

/FOCUS.

You probably have certain expectations.

Certain assumptions of what these 'people' can offer you.

Are you going to teach them, or are they going to teach you.

God has moments picked out for us and crafted ever so delicately that we have NO idea about. intertwined so carefully in what WE think our lives should be.

What WE think we should be leaning.

We have all come to Panama with some sort of expectation of what we will take back.

THROW IT OUT

BLANK CANVAS.

LETS GO.

unless you change your perspective, thats all you'll get out of it.

-->Some people treat missions trips as 'Survivor'

is God glorified in the fact that you "SURVIVED" or that you helped SAVE a life. Share his truth.

2 Corinthians 4:7-11 

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body.

What are your goals going in? 

___________do EVERYTHING in Gods love.

KNOW what you're telling/teaching everyone. 

What you get out of this depends on your willingness to be 

U____S____E___D

2 Timothy 1:7 

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

PREPARE YOUR HEART TO BE

MINISTERED

AND 

PUSHED OUT OF YOUR CHEST.

Process the times. Take your journal EVERYWHERE you go. 

Spend time on your testimony.

Pray for the words of the Lord to fill up your heart 

mind&soul/

That the way you write/describe your life to others glorifies him in ALL aspects.

Testimony: A story of before God, Process, Present. 

Triumphs/Heartbreak/Betrayal/Ridicule/Harassed/Scorn/Love/Joy/Peace.

_________Lord, break my heart, mend it to your own. Amen.

Take ownership of this experience by writting it down, talking about it. Explore it.

Matthew 9:35-38

The Workers Are Few

 35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

LOOK

Most of life we live with blinders on.

Be Observant

____pay attention,

watch how people interact with each other

PRAY

Several opportunities everyday to BATHE this trip in prayer. It needs to be BATHED.

Open hearts/Open Minds/Open homes.

GO

Have a heart of compassion.

#1 Give someone a fish, they'll eat for a day. Teach someone how to fish, they'll eat for a lifetime. 

TEACH THEM

#2 Do not do things for people that they can do themselves. 

Can they feed themselves? yes

Do they have alot of food? No.

You need to give people the gospel!!

Matthew 5:3

   3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, 

   for theirs is the kingdom of heaven"

Dont just see people as problems or another mouth to feed.

How do you know if this missions trip was a success?

If we give an accurate display of Gods love with no strings attached.

Philippians 3:7-10

 7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in[a] Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,

Compared to knowing Christ, Everything else is worthless.

___To KNOW the power of his resurrection.

John 13:12-15

 12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place.“Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you

SERVE PEOPLE

Hebrews 11:6

6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Philippians 4:13 - Shannons Testimony

Love - John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Plan - John 10:10 "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

The wages of sin are death

Has Christ entered your life or not?

Dont be fooled.

God knows your heart.