Last Post Before South Africa...

In preparation for my upcoming trip to South Africa, I'm going to be taking the next few days off from blogging. I do ask that you pray for our team members, the people with whom we will be sharing, our family members back home, and that we will be joining God in what He is doing in country.

We have had several mission teams work in South Africa over the last few years. The stories they have shared have been remarkable: healing, deliverance, salvation, etc. This will be my first trip to the country. What excitements me the most is that I'm not taking Jesus to South Africa. He's already there!!!

Here are some of the things that I'm doing in preparation. I'm telling you because I'd like for you to join me.

Reading Scripture - But I'm not reading it the way you may think. I'm reading God's Word in such a way that I encounter Him in the process. I want to hear the heart of the Father. I want to understand the way Jesus operated in the Earth. What did He feel? How did He perceive? I'm not reading the Word to become more knowledgeable. I'm reading to become more sensitive to the Spirit of His Word.

Prayer/Soaking - I'm sure this sounds simple but if you have never soaked in the presence of God then it will be hard to grasp the idea. It's a simple process of putting on worship music, allowing the music to worship for me, and me listening for the voice of the Father. Yes...I will pray in the normal practice but, just as I'm reading Scripture to encounter the person of Christ, I'm going after the heart of God in prayer to encounter Him. Part of this process means that I am constantly saturating myself in the love of God so that I will carry His love in a greater way.

Spending Time With Family - Too often, before I leave for a trip, I get so consumed with preparation that it becomes easy to neglect time with the kids. Not this week. I'm going to enjoy every moment with them. I want them to enjoy their time with me so that while I'm away they can reflect on those moments.

Remaining Sensitive to the Spirit While I'm Home - While I'm looking forward to encountering God overseas in a way that causes me to come back with those expectations, I will be "practicing" my sensitivity to the Spirit of God here. I'm going to be asking for direction, words of knowledge, prophetic words, etc. Here's what I've discovered in the past. Being on a mission trip causes you to live with a great awareness of God's Spirit. However, not practicing His presence at home will hinder me there. I'm sharpening the tools that He has given me. I'm looking forward to what He does here before I go there. WHOA...I'm getting excited!!!

Staying Active & Resting - I've got to do both. I cannot allow myself to be confined to a desk this week. The schedule I have before me it going to be pretty intense. I'm preparing myself physically. At the same time, I'm taking time to rest. I don't want to leave tired. I want to be sharp. I'm realizing that during this process that it should be the norm for life. Looking forward to incorporating this into my schedule more after the trip.

These are just a few of the things that I'm doing before we leave. They aren't new to me but I am trying to be very intentional in the practice of them. In other words, I'm taking what is a normal course for a week and focusing in on the heart of God. I look forward to sharing with you the encounters that we have, the testimonies of His goodness, and bringing you face to face with the reality of His Kingdom. I appreciate your prayers and I appreciate you walking through this with me.

May this be a week where you encounter the Lord in amazing ways. Blessings to you all. I hope to be blogging again the week of November 12th. Talk to you soon.