"In those days..."

Be prepared. When Christ comes, we need to be ready. Here is what the prophet Joel says in regards to that Day...

"And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.
Even on your servants, both mena nd women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke.
The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved; for on the Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the Lord has said, among the survivors whom the Lord calls." -Joel 2:28-32

Going along with this passage, it is crucial that we as Christians are strong in the faith, especially as the day that Jesus talks about grows closer. He says in Mark 13...

"Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name claiming, 'I am he," and will deceive many. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.

"You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.

"Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved." -Mark 13:5-13

While we are still in a time of peace and freedom of religion in this country, it is essential that we study the Scriptures to the max and seek God with our entire being. Things will get alot harder according to these passages. I don't know when, but I know that the Word is true, and these warnings are written with a sense of urgancy.

Some Christians claim that God will pull us out of here before things get tough. I don't claim that to be true or untrue. I just know what the Scripture says. It says, "...he who stands firm to the end will be saved" (Mark 13:13b). I don't know when the end is, but I want to stand firm. Standing firm means putting on Christ's full armour (Eph. 6:10-18) to protect us.

Be prepared. Don't waste your life.

water guys

Prayer in Smith 140 tonight. Awesome!
The Lord really uses Iyez to gather the saints together to pray. May the Lord strengthen him to keep doing that for years to come.
Isaac is heading up the "ud water guys" again this semester, starting this friday. You know I'll be there!
Iyez started handing out water to students... I don't know how long ago. He stands in front of Kirkbride on campus and hands out water to students passing by. When they ask, "Yo, why ya doing this?" He says, "Just sharing God's love. God loves you, you know."
I've helped him out a couple times and I'm excited to help him out again.
The website is up...check it out at www.udwaterguys.com
God is awesome. What an awesome God we have, guys!

T-7 days and counting...

For all the maybe 2 of you who read this blog, your prayers for my mission trip will be appreciated. For those of you who may not know, April 18-May 1, I am going on a medical mission to Gualaquiza and Cuenca, Ecuador with a medical team. We will be specializing in OB-GYN surgeries and treatments. Because I joined the team late (near the end of last month), I will not have a set "role." I am an RN, so I can do some stuff, but most of the tasks were already assigned to the other team members. I'm thinking I will be doing a lot of observing, some assisting, and perhaps some recovery. I don't really know. However, I do know that we will be witnessing Christ to our patients. I am really excited and scared about this. I have limited knowledge in Spanish, but I am praying that God will work around the language barrier.

My testimony of the Ecuador trip is such: My brother's mother in law told me about the trip (she is going on it) last month when we got together in CO for my bro's wedding. Afterword, I prayed and asked the Lord to lead. I didn't think about the trip for a week.
I had sent an email to the team leader of the trip expressing tentative interest, but asking about health insurance. (Since I'm unemployed, I don't have insurance). The team leader emailed me back and said that the organization (Christian Medical and Dental Association/ Global Health Outreach), offers insurance. At the same time, my dad called me saying that he had gotten my passport (which I had gotten as a senior in high school) and that it was still valid. Praise the Lord!
I then called the team leader and talked about the details. In three days, I had most of the trip organized except for purchasing plane tickets!
I did not ask anyone for a penny for the trip. I resolved to pay for the entire thing (over $2500) myself. My pastor found out I was going on a medical mission, and announced it from the pulpit. In just two weeks, people from my congregation gave me over $700! And I go to a small church with a lot of working-class people! God is so good!!!
I prayed that God would give me a peace about travelling. I am somewhat nervous about flying to Quito (from Philly, through Atlanta) by myself. I have never done this before. However, I am a 23 year old woman with God on my side. What could possibly happen to me??
Please pray for me. Please pray for the mission team, and for the hearts of the people who will be receiving our care. And please pray that God will be glorified in all that I say and do.
Praise the Name of Yeshua, my King.

100 percent (BJ's story)

I'm reading a book called "I would die for you" by the parents of BJ Higgins, a kid who had an incredable passion for Christ. The book both encouraged me and convicted me. The Lord used his story to point out my lack of passion in sharing Christ and growing in my relationship with God.
I found the book a couple days ago at a local Christian book store hidden among some big-name authors and well-known reading materal (at least among the Christian community). I had never heard of BJ Higgins. When I read the book, which included excerpts from his journals and blog postings, I was amazed that a kid so young could have such a deep grasp on God. He was sold out to Christ. He had a fiery desire to serve God wholeheartedly...to the point of death. On a mission trip to Peru, he contracted an infection that destroyed his body, but not his soul. The Lord called him home in 2005 at age 15. Had I known about BJ when he was alive on earth, I would have liked to meet him. Now, I'll have to wait until heaven. It's ok, though. There is plenty of work to do down here.
Finding BJ's book at the store was very timely because I am going on my first mission trip in just one week--a medical mission to Ecuador with the CMDA. Being a very new nurse, I am a little apprehensive about serving with a medical team in Ecuador. And after reading about the conditions BJ encountered in Peru (which is right next to Ecuador), I am a little nervous. BUT, God is good. There is nothing that I will encounter that will be out of the Lord's control. Nothing.
I am praying that the Lord will continue to Spiritually prepare me for this upcoming trip. I am praying that I will be surrendered to whatever He wants for me, and that I will be 100% sold out for Him. Throwing off everything that hinders, and the sin that so easily entangles. Lord, help me run with perseverence....the race that was marked out for me.
Praise God.