The same yesterday, today, and forever...

There is no way to describe my excitement and the fullness of joy that I am experiencing here in South Africa. In an attempt to put this experience into words I will BOLDLY declare Hebrews 13:8, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." We have been seeing God's love radically encounter people from every walk of life in South Africa. I am going to share some of my experiences and include some the experiences from some of the other students here. So here we go... Teresa writes, "We bumped into three sisters: Irene, Sylvia, and Veronica. We walked into their home and Irene began preaching to us about God! It appeared that she was a passionate lover of Jesus. As we got into deeper conversations about God, Veronica stood up said, "I am a sangoma and I believe in Jesus!" and then left the house. I had no idea what a sangoma was, but Kath told us after we left the house that a sangoma was a witch doctor. The next day we went back to their house to find just Veronica sitting on the couch as Irene was cooking lunch. We began talking about God and this time Veronica didn't leave, but began to passionately ask questions. She asked questions that wouldn't likely be asked in the western world, questions that took me off guard. She wanted to know if all creatures under the ocean were evil because sharks attacked people and the sea was dark and mysterious. We responded by saying only God can create things and so all water creatures were good. Then she said that a strange man said that he was Jesus and would prove it by calling all the whales out to a certain area of the ocean the next day. She said that what he said would happen actually came true. She was clearly very confused because she didn't know what to believe in anymore. She claimed that she believed in Jesus, but obeyed her ancestors and believed they had power. She said that she knew a man who had died after being hit by a car, but saw him walking into a store a couple days later. She asked us, "Did the man really die?" She said that babies would die, but their moms would be haunted by their cries at night. She wanted to know if the babies hadn't really died, but were being kept by the devil, only taken out to haunt their moms. Now she was pretty worked up, and she told us about how her ancestors came to her in her dreams and told her she had to do certain things if she didn't want to die. She said that they sometimes also gave her answers and directions, ones that turned out to be true. She said that sometimes they would haunt her in her dreams telling her they were going to kill her that night. At those moments she would cry out to Jesus and wake up to find herself alive. She was so confused because deep down she knew that Jesus was the one who saved her, but she believed her ancestors had power and was afraid to anger them. She burst out crying in frustration and confusion. So we ran to her side and immediately asked her if we could pray for her. She said that she was done with being confused and wanted to choose Jesus. She accepted Jesus into her heart and even allowed us to cut off the beaded bracelets and anklets on her baby. She said that if he didn't wear the sangoma bracelets he cried when they went to sangoma ceremonies because their ancestors would haunt him, but she believed us when we told her that only Jesus could protect her baby and protect her in her dreams. I closed off this epic moment with a prayer breaking off all generational curses and ties with her ancestors and just overall protection over her household. We returned on Monday to find that she and her baby had slept soundly friday night and all weekend! Her face was full of peace and joy and she lit up when we handed her a Bible dedicated just to her and told us that she saw the words from Genesis 27 in a dream months ago when she was pregnant. God had been preparing her for us even before we had ever met her. This passage about Esau's blessing given to Jacob was connected to the blessings God meant for Veronica and how it would not be stolen from her. She understood what we were saying and what the Bible was saying on such a deep level that I was surprised she had never owned a Bible before. We prayed for her and the blessings that were meant for her." As you read that story, doesn't faith in God just rise up inside you? There is not one of you, that is reading this, that doesn't desire to see God do amazing things in your life and in the life of others. That story sounds like it could be placed right in the pages of the Bible and it sounds like a couple of rag-tag disciples were the ones doing the ministering in it. There was no eloquent speech, no lights or fireworks just plain love. God is still up to amazing things in this earth and His "vision statement" hasn't changed. Its simple : love Him and love others. These students here come from many different backgrounds, and none of them have an "education" in ministry, they are just simply learning to love. Moving on...Brycen writes, "We Have only been here for a little over a week and i’ve already fallen in love with the place. God is obviously at work here in Cape Town and on the streets of Masi’. It’s such a blessing to fly half way around the world to a place you’ve never even heard of and feel right at home. Our mission is simple. To love the people of the Township of Masi’. We believe In one core strategy on our trip. The heart beat of our lives. ” Intimacy Unto Fruitfulness” We like to use the analogy that Jesus is our very best friend and that the closer we are to him, then the easier it is to introduce him to people! In the short time that we have been here we have been almost robbed 2x, Seen some minor healings (healing’s have quickly become one of my favorite things to pray for :) its super fun when people get healed ) seen some people tied up with voodoo lead to christ, help build a shack in the middle of a garbage dump, Hung out with some Rasta’s (legit Rastas’ not like the white kids back home who just smoke a lot of weed ) poured our hearts out and prayed over numerous people, and had our heart stolen by every little black rascal that runs by. The kids are so amazing. All the people are amazing and a priviledge to meet, seriously. You can meet them one second then the next they are inviting you into their homes! And the people here are hungry for the Gospel! God is so at work here its awesome. And its awesome because i feel like we don’t have to do any work, We just fall more in love with him, and trust him for everything else. He leads us to where he wants us to go. God has continued to just pour out blessing’s on us over here in Masi’ as we work among the poor. He has not ceased to be good in fact it almost seems like he’s been more good then ever! As he pours out revelation after revelation of what it looks like follow him. Every day I die I care a little less about me and fall more in love with him. Ephesians 3:14-19 For this reason I kneel before the father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may stregthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. (this is where it gets good) And I pray that you being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how and long and high and deep is the love of christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge that you may be filled to the measure of all the fulness of God. Wam-Bam-Thank You ma’am. My God is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords...Highest of the most High, and he loves YOU." Whoa! This is a man that has been following the Lord for a little over 3 months. Before he came to YWAM he was addicted to heroin, and I have seen his transformation. From reading his blog, it clearly sounds like he has been following Jesus for years, but its only been 3 months. Thats what life transformation looks like. When you meet Jesus, your life should be radically changed. These kind of stories shouldn't just come from the "elite" Christians. God is in the business of transforming and using every believer's life in this way. This is how Habakkuk 2:14 will be fulfilled. God is serious about getting His glory, so we just need to be serious about Him getting it. EVERYTHING flows from a place of intimacy. Therefore, commit to making Mark 12:30-31 your life's goal. When Jesus was asked what was the most important commandment, He answered by saying, "THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel (God's chosen people): The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” I can confidently tell you that this still works today, just as it did then. When you commit to living a life of love, you realize that it truly brings you life. This sets you free to be who you were made to be. Possessed by the Holy Spirit you will blaze a trail of love that will impact EVERY life that you encounter. Who wouldn't sign up for that? I know that I have been ruined for life, I can't go back to the way I used to live. It would be pointless and lifeless. With all that being said, If this Christian life ever gets dull, remember: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and FOREVER. Crack open the Word (Jesus Christ), have a look at what is inside, and apply it (love) to your life. Its sure to keep things purposeful, fulfilling, and exciting.