Jordan & Israel Outreach :D

How God lead me to choose the Jordan and Israel outreach :D

(Journal entry from February 3, 2012)

Lord so many questions still roll through my mind. The scripture Isaiah 6:8 is a scripture that has been on my heart for a long time now. “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me!”  For the longest time I have seen this verse just as a way to show how I am willing to go serve anywhere you tell me. I am just waiting to be called on, but this morning I felt you tell me to turn to this scripture again and truly look what it was talking about so I kept reading and this is what it says, “And He said, “GO, and TELL this people: Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.” Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see what their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and return and be healed.”

I also was praying before this and asked the Lord to speak to me. I flipped to Isaiah and the chapter I fell on was Isaiah 42.  At first while reading it said nothing about Israel and I was disappointed I was like God I told you to speak to me. Then I came to the end starting in verse 22 “But this is a people robbed and plundered; all of them are snared in holes, and they are hidden in prison houses; they are prey, and no one delivers; for plunder, and no one says, “RESTORE!” WHO among you will give ear to this? Who will listen and hear for the time to come?

This scripture tugs deeply to my heart. I want to be the one who You use.. to bring the prophecies to light. You have given me a heart for the end times and I  desperately want to see the prophecies come to light. USE ME for Your glory! I want to stand in the gap for Your people… I want to be the one to GO for YOU! USE ME!

The Lord also gave me a picture.. there was a huge dining table filled with food and the places were set with beautiful white china.. the only thing missing were the people.  The Lord said, "Bring my family to my banqueting table!" 

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Wow I can’t believe outreach is already over. It feels like it was just a dream.

Jordan was absolutely amazing! We taught English to young children in a Palestinian refugee site, which opened doors to love on the children, their families and the staff.  I loved this learning experience and I would love to use my teaching degree over seas in the future!  It is such a great way to love on children and others with Christ’s love.  He was and is my strength every day!  I chose to believe that God was using my weak love to reveal His love to each person I came into contact with.  Christ lives within me so therefore where I go the Kingdom of God goes with me!

We also made many friendships with local families while in Jordan. We would go to their houses for dinner and just talk.. many times the conversations would end up leading to religious topics.  The Lord showed me the beauty of friendships and partnership in ministry.. specifically with one of my friends on my team.  It was such a relief truly grasping the freedom of running after the same goal (Christ!) while trusting and knowing the other is being lead by the Spirit! A weight was lifted off my shoulders.  It wasn’t something we had to try or work after.. it was just a flow.  We worked together praying for each other and just living our lives for God. 

Israel was the highlight for me!!! The spiritual warfare is intense, but I learned so much through my weaknesses.  God is so good! Everything just came together perfectly.  My love for the book of Revelation and truly having a passion to see His chosen people (family) fulfill prophecy and call out for Jesus (Yeshua) to return! The Bible became more alive seeing the places where Jesus walked.  Many times I would just sit outside over looking the city of Jerusalem and become overwhelmed of Christ’s love.  He humbled Himself and became a man so I could truly live! Everyday I couldn’t express enough my thankfulness to Jesus and the works He did on the cross for me.  Through His sacrifice I am able to truly live in Freedom!

Being immersed in the Jewish culture was such an awesome learning experience.  Every week on Friday nights and Saturdays the Jews celebrate the Sabbath (or Shabbat, as it is called in Hebrew). 

“For six days you may perform melachah, but the seventh day is a complete Sabbath, holy to the Lord ... it is an eternal sign that in six days, the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.” -Exodus 31:15-17. 

A small group of us went every week to a Rabbi’s house for a traditional Shabbat meal! It was one of the many highlights for me.. seeing their teachable hearts and obedience to the Lord!! Yes, they are missing the most important part.. relationship with Jesus, but I learned so much from the way they live their lives.  I have such a high respect for the Jews and their obedience to God.. who they say they are they walk out.  It encouraged me to have a true fear of God and to be faithful in the small.  Also, as Gentiles we are called to usher in His family by jealousy.

Romans 11:11-16 (NLT)

“Did God’s people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But he wanted his own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves. Now if the Gentiles were enriched because the people of Israel turned down God’s offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it.

I am saying all this especially for you Gentiles. God has appointed me as the apostle to the Gentiles. I stress this, for I want somehow to make the people of Israel jealous of what you Gentiles have, so I might save some of them. For since their rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world, their acceptance will be even more wonderful. It will be life for those who were dead! And since Abraham and the other patriarchs were holy, their descendants will also be holy—just as the entire batch of dough is holy because the portion given as an offering is holy. For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be, too.”

To truly do this we must have relationship with His people.  Yes, our words hold weight, but what truly is going to minister is our living testimony.. how we live our lives!  True ministry is living our lives for Jesus and people seeing that Passion and Deep relationship with Jesus and desiring what we have.  I must live my life for God and Him alone and people lives around me will be changed and impacted.  The most loving thing is for me is to look to God, love Him with all my heart and live only for Him!

God is so good!!! Love & miss you all and can't wait to see guys :D