Late yesterday afternoon, I learned that the trip to Israel is a 'GO' and I was beginning to feel that the trip wouldn't happen because of the low number of people that had signed up. Whether we're going as a smaller group or with the exact number that was needed to carry on with the trip, I don't care. I'm just ecstatic that we are going to be visiting Israel soon and I thank God for what He has done through our fundraising and for what He has done to help others make this trip possible for them too. In just 6 weeks we'll be leaving.
To those who have made a donation for this trip and I am incredibly thankful for what you have given. Regardless of the size of your donation, I cannot begin to express how grateful and appreciative my wife and I are to each of you for your generosity. There were those that just couldn't help and they informed me of that as well, which is completely understandable. It is my hope and prayer for those that are in difficult financial situations right now, to see this experience of God's faithfulness and provision toward us, that He may do the same for you, as you place Him first in your life. (Matthew 6:33)
The very first donation we received included a note saying, "I want to help your wife to go too", which was very encouraging for my wife as well as myself. Then, for the other donations that continued to come in, even after the deadline date it was truly a blessing from God.
This experience has reminded me of something that reinforces my faith in God as I remember how much I can trust Him in the future and that is that He is never late, never too early, but always right on time and in His timing too. If this was going to be His will for us to attend, He would move upon the hearts of those whom He would use, to help us get to go to Israel and learn from this wonderful experience. I thank God for His amazing provision for us to go to Israel.
Our trip will be from 11-22 March and the full itinerary will be the following:
So, yesterday marked a great milestone I'd say, with regard to keeping up with a reading plan for the new year and it has been great. Yesterday was the 20th of the month and I had completed reading the scheduled 10 chapters for that day, which I have done everyday since the 1st of January and this results in my completion of reading 200 chapters in the Bible over the past 20 days!
Each day I know that I need to spend about an hour quietly sitting somewhere so I can read each chapter and I normally like to read all 10 chapters at one sitting. There was one day however, that I read 8 chapters in the morning and completed the remaining 2 when I returned home from work.
For me, there is something about reading a physical copy of the Bible vs. an electronic version like the one that is available on YouVersion. I'm not dismissing the online version as ineffective or inefficient because they are. I guess for myself, I just like seeing where the accounts of people, places and things are taking place in the hardcopy, which I think helps with memory recall. As I discussed this with my wife, I think may utilize the online version and make notes on certain highlighted verses or passages and then transcribe them to my physical Bible.
As I read yesterday, catching up on my reading of days 19 & 20, when I read the parable of the rich young man in Matthew 19, I noticed something that I had not seen in the past.
Last night, my wife and I traveled to Brooklyn Tabernacle with some members of our church for their mid-week prayer meeting. Our church, along with other Assemblies of God churches around the country, began the New Year with a week of prayer, to seek God for many things - personally and corporately. Brooklyn Tabernacle also had a week of prayer during the first week of January, so this was a great experience knowing there was another church that had engaged in a committed week of intimate and fervent prayer to God.
I have been to Brooklyn Tabernacle twice before and my wife had never been to the church, but she loved being in the presence of 5,000 people that were committed to seek God in prayer and what a night it was.
As the service began, a few singers were on the platform leading the first song, Amazing Love, which I had never heard before, but it was such a joy to sing this song about the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing love. I could have sung this song all night long too.
I have embedded a video of the song, but it is just a still shot from the CD cover, A Brooklyn Tabernacle Christmas. It's an absolutely beautiful song and I hope you will be blessed by it too. Share it with others too and spread the news of God's amazing love in His Son, Jesus Christ.
Faithfully in Christ,
Pastor Kurt
Jesus, Jesus You're the One who came to save us Jesus, Jesus You're the One we love Jesus, Jesus Holy One You live to free us Jesus, Jesus You're the One we love You're the One we love
(CHORUS) Your love is Amazing Your love is unchanging Amazing Love, Unchanging Love To You all our praises The One who has saved us Amazing Love, Unchanging Amazing love
Jesus, Jesus You're the One who came to save us Jesus, Jesus You're the One we love Jesus, Jesus Holy One You live to free us Jesus, Jesus You're the One we love You're the One we love
(CHORUS)
You came from heaven God's only Son To be the Lamb the Holy One Amazing love, unchanging love You gave Your life a sacrifice For all of us You paid the price Amazing love, unchanging love
You came from heaven God's only Son To be the Lamb the Holy One Amazing love, unchanging love You gave Your life a sacrifice For all of us You paid the price Amazingo love, unchanging love
Your love is Amazing Your love is unchanging Amazing Love, Unchanging Love To You all our praises The One who has saved us Amazing Love, Unchanging Amazing love
I know it has only been just 2 days of reading the Bible as part of my commitment to reading the whole Bible this year, but just like yesterday, I found a few verses of Scripture to be very interesting to read.
First, let me just share real quick something from yesterday's reading.
While reading the first 10 chapters of Professor Grant Horner's Bible Reading System, I found Isaiah 1:4 to resemble the state of society today - morally and spiritually.
Isaiah 1:4 (ESV) - Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged.
When you stop to look at our society today and I think the same observation could be made anywhere in the world and not just in the United States, but this is what is visibly apparent right before our eyes.
The moral and spiritual corruption that exists is observed as a whole nation and it has been passed on to succeeding generations. If anyone should wonder how such a transference of sin, from one generation to another began all we have to do is look back to the Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3) and then to see Can kill his brother Abel (Genesis 4).
There is a terrible moral and spiritual corruption that exists and we need a great awakening, but it is not going to happen just because we ask God for it to happen. No, we must want a great awakening to take place in our own lives first and then to plead in prayer that it takes place in the lives of every brother and sister in Christ, creating an awakening of God that is so powerful and visible that the most busiest place on Sundays is the church and not Costco or the malls. I pray that this would happen soon too.
So for Day 2 of the reading plan there were a few verses that stood out today as well. They are:
Just a few days ago, I mentioned to my wife that I've noticed a lot of people talking about reading through the entire bible in the new year. More than usual too.
What is most encouraging about this is that there is a hunger for people to know the Word of God, more than just to say they have read the entire bible from Genesis to Revelation, which is a great accomplishment for anyone, even if it is just once! I, on the other hand will be one of those people this year that will hopefully be able to say at some point that I have completed reading the entire Bible for the very first time. After all, as a Christian, this is the book we live by and it would behoove us immensely to know what God has said, from within its pages.
Here are just a few verse from Psalm 119 (ESV) concerning what the Word of God will do for a person:
I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:11
I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word. Psalm 119:16
Deal bountifully with your servant, that I may live and keep your word. Psalm 119:17
My soul clings to the dust; give me life according to your word! Psalm 119:25
My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to your word! Psalm 119:28
My soul longs for your salvation; I hope in your word. Psalm 119:81
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Psalm 119:105
I rejoice at your word like one who finds great spoil. Psalm 119:162
And so much, more more too!
But once the Bible has been read once entirely, I doubt anyone could ever be satisfied with just that one complete reading of Scripture.
I have honorably served my country as a United States Marine (1991-1995) and following my discharge from the Corps, I spent a few years in sales leading to an opportunity to perform Risk Management analysis at Mastercard Worldwide until November 2007.
In September 2008 I began to follow the Lord's calling to ministry and I am now attending seminary at Alliance Theological Seminary in Nyack, New York, pursuing a Masters in Divinity degree with a concentration in Bible & Theology and Hebrew.
I am currently a licensed minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the Assemblies of God and look forward to working in full-time pastoral/evangelistic ministry.
I believe that those sermons which are fullest of Christ are the most likely to be blessed to the conversion of the hearers. Let your sermons be full of Christ, from beginning to end crammed full of the Gospel. As for myself, brethren, I cannot preach anything else but Christ and His Cross, for I know nothing else, and long ago, like the Apostle Paul, I determined not to know anything else save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. ~ Charles Haddon Spurgeon
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Give Yourself to Reading
As the apostle says to Timothy, so also he says to everyone, 'Give yourself to reading.' He who will not use the thoughts of other men's brains (inspired by the Holy Spirit) proves that he has no brains of his own. You need to read. Renounce as much as you will all light literature, but study as much as possible sound theological works, especially the Puritanic writers and expositions of the Bible. The best way for you to spend your leisure is to be either reading or praying. ~ Charles Haddon Spurgeon
