Team 43:19
Well I have a new Team!! Meet Team 43:19!! From left to right… Forrest is such a joy to have around. His cooking, guitar playing, sweet smiling and fun jokes are always a good time! Forrest is also on such a great journey this year as we all are but it’s been such an honor and privilege to get to know him and His story and already see the new man begin to take shape. Love you Forrest! Then there’s me 🙂 And then there’s the Doc! Doctor Wade! Haha! Wade has been giving that name for his strong belief in God’s miracle working power. Wade has seen God move in that way and is always ready to pray for healing and any other situations within our group. Wade also studied to be a chemist and such other things so we have lots of names for him. Haha! This guy is a man after God’s own heart. He loves well and carries compassion. He’s a peacemaker and his story is one of 2nd chances. God has a big plan! Love you bro! Then Vanessa! Or as I and some others call Mamma Vanessa! She’s our Squad’s logistics which mean she make sure everybody gets where they need to go. (Traveling) She also is much older than a lot of us and that’s a HUGE blessing. She brings lots of love and passion. She carries the heart of a pastor! She sits with you and encourages you! She’s very fun and likes to dance and throw a party. Her smile is super warming and welcoming and I can’t think of anybody that doesn’t like Vanessa. She gets to the point and gets stuff done but she also carries such empathy and it’s amazing to see her story and see how it’s unfolding. Then there’s Alex!! Yay!!! She was with me on Team Zeal and now has been moved up to a Team Leader position. She’s still great and awesome and is more and more becoming a strong sister in Christ! Her steadfastness in seeing Jesus become more real to her and in others is amazing! She’s everything I’ve already said and more! Or better! Love you Alex! Glad you’re the Team Lead. And last but not least.. Jackie!!!! Well.. I’m getting to know Jackie as we have been put on this team together. She’s very quiet and doesn’t stay in the action from the front but she leads from the back. Jackie is silent but deadly. Her story is one that everybody needs to hear but is one that really is still coming to life. She has deep deep wisdom and to see her grow in confidence and share it with others is so encouraging. She’s full of surprises and is actually very fun and sweet. She loves Coca Cola. Like A LOT. But yeah.. She’s new to me but I’m excited for her to be on my team. So yeah.. that’s a quick story of my new team.
This group is so fun. None of us expected to be in this group but God has his divine plan in place. It’s already been so confirming to be on this team as we all have shared what God is doing and it all connects. We have shared times to dream about what the future holds for us and what we want and feel God wants and it’s be so uplifting to see the unity within this team. A big theme in all of our journeys was this idea about God doing something new. Within these last weeks Isaiah 43:19 has been shared a lot. Also, our new team leader Alex! Wohoo! It’s been a huge verse for her. So as we sat down and prayed and talked about our team it was easy to come up with our name. We all feel that God is in the process of making us new and that there are some special things in store for Peru.
“”Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah? ?43:18-19? ?ESV??
So as a team we began to dream about what Peru could be. We began to ask God, “Father, what’s on your heart? Who is on your heart? What do you have for me and Team 43:19? Here I am send me!” So this was my prayer and this is what I got and wanted to show it with you all!
“That day about three thousand took him at his word, were baptized and were signed up. They committed themselves to the teaching of the apostles, the life together, the common meal, and the prayers. Everyone around was in awe—all those wonders and signs done through the apostles! And all the believers lived in a wonderful harmony, holding everything in common. They sold whatever they owned and pooled their resources so that each person’s need was met. They followed a daily discipline of worship in the Temple followed by meals at home, every meal a celebration, exuberant and joyful, as they praised God. People in general liked what they saw. Every day their number grew as God added those who were saved.” Acts? ?2:41-47? ?MSG??
“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians? ?3:12-17? ?ESV??
What if we Team 43:19 became a people that were so thankful and grateful our salvation in Jesus? What if we were a people that we invited Jesus into EVERYTHING? What if we were a people that prayed daily for one another? What if we worshipped the Lord through song daily? What if we partook in communion often? What if we became hearers and doers of the Word? What if we practiced leading and pushing one another in our weakness? What if we just went out and were so eager to pray for people? What if we fasted every once in awhile? What if we decide to have discipline in our sleep and make time for the Lord in the morning? What if we read the Word daily individually and together? What if we did this next season not from religion but from relationship? What if we daily thank the Lord for His mercy and grace. What if we came to Him just the way we are and feel each minute? What if we acknowledged that without Him we are nothing? What if we acknowledged that the point of life is Him? We were made for Him and we will find ourselves most fully satisfied when we make our Home in Him. What if we became a people like Acts 2? What if we became a people like Colossians 3:16? What if we become true needy, broken, passionate and thankful followers of Jesus Christ? What if we became all these things and more among ourselves? What if 6 people said… ““So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.”
??Romans? ?12:1-2? ?MSG??
What if we did allow God to changes us individually and within this group? What would happen? What if we didn’t worry about tomorrow but sought the first the Kingdom TODAY? What would happen if we truly allow the Gospel of Grace to change our hearts? I believe change from within would happen. I believe we would begin to live in freedom, joy, and peace with the Father. I believe this change will be so revolutionary that it’ll change everything about us that we couldn’t help to actually be Children of the Light. I believe some of Ephesians would come alive in us. “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,”
??Ephesians? ?5:1-2, 8-10, 15-17, 19-20? ?ESV??
I believe if we allowed the Father to give us His heart we would see the 1. I believe we walk down the street and stop and see the 1. I believe we would begin to build faith and boldness to preach His word and pray for those in need. I believe we would accept ALL and find ourselves In funny situations with strangers. I truly believe we would begin to see the wonder of the Lord. How He transforms the hearts of those who are far from Him. I believe we would see how He heals and restores the broken hearts. I believe we would see Him heal the diseases and sicknesses. I believe we would begin to see ourselves do things we never thought possible because with God all things are possible. I believe we simply learn to love God, to love our Abba Father will all of our heart, mind, soul and strength. We learn to love ourselves how He loves us and then from the overflow we would love our neighbor as ourself. I believe we would see these next 9 months to be so heart transforming and we would begin to taste and see how good the Lord is and this life to the fullest that Jesus came to give. Not one of a physical providence though we will see Him move in those ways but more deeply life will be full because we have this Hope deep in our soul. We have a Father who loves us. A Savior who saved us and a Holy Spirit who is with us. I believe if we simply learned to live not out of duty and religion but out of overflow of relationship that life would begin to be Radical. Everything will change. The way we lead, the way we love, the way we see life, the way we see people, the way we see ourself, the way we love God. And it’ll become the best journey we could ever experience. So I’m in… Here Father, show me your love. Show me your plan. Show me your heart. I was made by you and I was made for you. I need you. I can’t do this life without you. I’m broken and a needy man. Thank you for your grace. Thank you for your mercy. May how I live bring you nothing but honor, glory and praise! Thank you Jesus.
So my Team and I arrived in Cusco, Peru! Looking forward to what God is going to do in us and through us for His glory and our good.
