Whirlwind!!

Yesterday was a whirlwind! But I'm just glad some of us got into this whirlwind experience. Kinda feel like Elijah taken up in a whirlwind... of fire!! His servant, Elisha, got to see the whirlwind experience! Jericho got way too dizzy because Israel marched around their mighty fortress one time, each day, for six days then on the seventh day, seven times. How insane is that!? Israel did a great job driving them to insanity! Then the trumpet blasted the fortress in a whirlwind crash! Israel got to see the coveted parting of the Red Sea. God caused a whirlwind stir before their very eyes and their jaws dropped all the way to the ground seeing how marvelous, how powerful, how indescribeable the miracle was!

We started off to spend the day with God at 7:50 a.m. and didn't get home until close to 6 p.m.. There's no other place to be than with God among His worship-hungry children. Yesterday in class, we had a couple of visitors. Abebe, his fiancee' and Asrat came to be with us yesterday. Also, Joan, our loving sister in Christ from Louisiana came to be with us as well. We talked about "Reaching Out In Crisis" during worship. A few of us scattered away for a quick lunch then returned for "The Block Party". Kids had a whirlwind of fun on the moonbounce, face paintings, fishing, cotton candies, lemonades and the coveted cakewalk! Everyone enjoyed the fun day!

I had to zoom to room 206/208 for the Cancer Outreach Education presentation given by Patricia Branz from California. 10 of us, including two visitors, attended the presentation. Man! I was B-L-O-W-N away by such precious information regarding cancer that strickens our loves ones! We watched a 50 minute video (ASL, Open-captioned & voice translated) about Colon cancer. There are four more videos about Breast Cancer, Testicular Cancer, Colorectal Cancer, Prostate Cancer, and many more! I have these videotapes in my office now if some of you are interested in borrowing them to learn more about these cancers.

I just cannot thank God enough for those who continue to be around us yesterday!! Indeed, God knows who are "true worshippers". The more I see my brothers and sisters who come before God hungry to worship, the more I praise God for them. I have always kept these Scriptures in my heart:

"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;.." Matthew 10:37 (niv)

"He said to another man, "Follow me." But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God." Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family." Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."" Luke 9:59-62 (niv)

(1.) We are tempted to rest in a undisclosed area as seemingly "a disciple" (quote), in which we may be at a "loose end", and not to come close to God and the fellowship of His body, the church, and give up ourselves to be "strict and consistent".

(2.) We are tempted to avoid doing what we know we ought to be "doing" and to put if off to some other time. How often is this true to many Christians out there. When we have got clear of such a "care and difficulty", when we have gotten ourselves into compartmentalized living (gotten caught up with other businesses (personal), then we will begin to think of being religious.

(3.) We are tempted to think that our duty to our job, friends, families, priorities will excuse us from our duty to Christ. It is a lame excuse indeed: "Let me go and bury my father,-- is the same as let me take care of my family first, get my kids in college, build up a retirement account, and provide for my children, and then I will think of serving Christ;" however the kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof must be sought in mind, heart, soul and strength in the first place, always!

Rather, I get myself and my family in a whirlwind of God's favor and plans than the whirlwind of the world's ways and priorities. There, I set an example to my wife, my children, my friends, and my families. Rather, I say no to my parents, my children, my wife that God comes first and that He seeks our hearts, the hearts that's whirlwind crazy for God!