I was watching a video clip of Jeff Singfiel, one of our CMA missionaries in Bosnia.  He was watching the garbageman pick up his trash and the thought occurred to him that no one has ever prayed for that man.  Then his mind began to think through the generations preceding this man and he wondered if anyone ever, in time immemorial, had ever prayed for this man and his generations of family.  Then he prayed.  Jeff said that he felt so privileged to possibly be the first believer ever to pray for this family.

It is men and women like Jeff that I feel privileged to support.  I can’t be there but I can support them through my giving and praying.

So I can’t help myself.  I have to put out one more reminder that this weekend we will be celebrating the mission funding that God is going to raise up through PAC in 2009.  In these last two days I trust you are confirming what God has spoken to you regarding your part in this.  Come prepared to hand in the tear-off section of the Faith Promise at the service you attend.  

Rick and Tammie Romano will be with us this weekend.  They are our missionaries in Ensanada, Mexico.  Wait until you hear his heart for the people he has chosen to live among.  You might add an extra “0″ to your Faith Promise after listening.

See you this weekend.

It didn’t take long at all.

A few hours after Tom and Barbara Barbour left our church on Sunday, I received an email from one of our members making himself available to lead a team to Waveland from January 11-17.  I love how God works.

I can’t believe we only have a couple of weekends left for our Passionate Hope series…and to Christmas.  This weekend, Barry Jordan, a personal friend and missionary to Indonesia, will be with us.

For upcoming events, there are a couple of things you could help me with.

1. Anyone having international attire that would be willing to be part of a processional in our services next week (Dec. 20-21) can respond to this blog, we’d love to have you join us.
2. Don’t forget our mission prayer meeting on Friday at 7 p.m. in the sanctuary.  This is a no-nonsense-let’s-use-every-minute-for-prayer time for Trenton, Tampa, Waveland, Mexico, Brazil, and Thailand.

Our attention is certainly being drawn internationally, isn’t it?  With turmoil in India, Greece, Thailand and continued violence in Iraq and Afghanistan, this series on hope and missions makes so much sense as we experience Advent.  Jesus’ came as the Prince of Peace.  We exist so others can experience the hope He can bring.  The world cannot be changed without Him.  But with Him everything is possible.  Let’s not shy away from our responsibility.

See you this weekend.

I was at a dinner the other night with several other pastors.  One of the pastors gave a benediction at the end of our time together.  He talked about the advent season and how it is actually a time of waiting.  We count the weeks down to Christmas day in anticipation of the birth of Christ.  We wait for the Savior.  We wait for the hope He brings.  We wait for God’s gift to us in anticipation of what that Gift brings to our lives.  So my rendition of the benediction that night went something like this:

I like that.  As we wait together in these weeks before Christmas day, I wait in anticipation of what God will do among us in 2009.  I wait with expectation of what churches will be planted in Mexico.  I wait with the hope of kids in Brazil who will be saved because we made a commitment this Christmas.  I wait to see how prisoners in body and soul in Thailand are set free because we cared.  I wait to hear reports of transformation from the Guzmans in Trenton as well as from Waveland and Tampa.

I trust that you have been spending time with God concerning your Faith Promise for 2009.  Those resources will change lives.  Please pray.  Please listen.  And may God bless you in your time of waiting.  May He speak directly into your heart.  And may your waiting bring you closer to Him and to His plan for you in 2009.

See you this weekend.