PREPARATION

We have automated systems, seamless software solutions, "Easy" buttons, quick-fix formulas, and soon we will have drive thru surgical centers. But, it doesn't take long to realize that some of our favorite puzzle pieces just don't fit. There is no "God pill" to pop and get HIM to do what we want.  

Remember these words from Paul, who used to be a guy named Saul? "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ."  Colossians 2:6-8 NIV

There are still too many captives, trapped in limited forms and rituals. Their faith is hollow and empty, settling on self-focused expressions of legalistic traditions and devotion. These believers are held captive by habit, by personal comfort, and the always present pursuit of happiness. They settle for the status quo, for the ordinary, for the dead-end sameness we see all around us. Do you know them?

Many live with a self-focused philosophy; "I want God to be part of my story." I don't want to be on that team, do you? God is still writing chapters in HIS reality story and is calling us to be a part of it. Are you with me, I'm not going to settle on a God who is past tense. He has called me to experience HIS presence and the power of HIS Spirit in present tense, right now.

Join me in a search for miracles. Be part of the team that looks for huge "over the top" miracles. Go to church expecting to be surprised. Get ready to hear God calling? 

INSPIRATION

We graduated from high school the same year, less than 60 miles apart, but we never crossed paths till Saturday night. Her name is Kathy and for the last 17 years she has blessed the lives of hundreds of Mongolian children.

You could see Jesus in her eyes and you could feel the Spirit in her story. I only had to ask one question and time stopped. "Kathy, tell me what led you to Mongolia."

"Three miracles!" she quipped.

In 1992 Kathy was living in LA, marking time till God was ready to call her into action. She was a Christian, but a little bored with it all. Secretly she was searching for something bigger than church attendance to characterize her path of faith.

The first thought of Mongolia came from a mission card she picked up at a church ministry meeting. The card said, "No churches in Mongolia." Her fleeting thought, "Is God calling me to go?" A few days later, she was in a gathering of believers and  a friend said, Kathy, let me introduce you to this man. He is an American missionary to Mongolia. "Poof! There it was the first miracle," Kathy said.

Kathy heard the call: she was going to Mongolia. But, she had no money, no backing, and no language. A friend suggested she contact the English Language Institute (ELI). They accepted her, but she would have to raise $11,000 in just a few months. They suggested Kathy write letters to friends asking for donations. So, she wrote personal letters to everyone she could think of, young and old, rich and poor. And, miracle two: In her words, "Poof, in just a few weeks I had exactly $11,000."

Her departure for Mongolia was now less than two months away, and Kathy didn't have her passport or work visa and other travel documents needed for the eleven-month commitment. The whole trip was on the bubble.

Finally Kathy had what she needed for the final approval. She mailed the original documents and waited. Two weeks later she was told the papers were lost in the mail. She was frantic. For weeks she followed every lead she could to get this glitch cleared, but nothing was working. God was!

"I was talking to a congressman on the phone, telling him what had happened when the postman dropped a big envelope in my mail box. Poof! I knew what it was…I had my papers!" Miracle three!

All alone, Kathy worked with ELI for two years then she stayed in Mongolia, in the town of Ulaanbaater. She feeds the hungry, rescues the sick, teaches the children, and is a shinning light for Jesus in a dark, drab, and destitute corner of an unknown, frigid and forgotten world. For the kids she helps, she is God's miracle.

MOTIVATION

Meditation Questions:
1. Is your God present tense? Have you seen his hand in your life?
2. What still holds you captive? What keeps you focused on you?
3. God has your number, are you screening or picking up?
4. Are you expecting the unexpected, a "poof" from God?