Yesterday we switched gears and made our
way up to Kampala and we have been spending time with Jeslor Ssozi, the head of
our Manor ministries mission partner, Trust Future Uganda. TFU is a school to over 200 students of which
40 live in the orphanage there. I have
already had the opportunity to teach here, play sports, hug so many children
and just lavish the Father’s love on them.
I’m adjusting to showers from a bucket and squatting over a pit latrine!
Ok, on now to a devotional reflecting on
what I’m discovering here…
Revelation
21:6 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning
and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of
the water of life.
It has often been said that when you go on
missions trip that you are changed more by going than the people you minister
to and I certainly agree. I am humbled
and in awe of the people that we serve with here and the way that they go after
the LORD. We even feel like what
possibly could we say to people with such great faith, but as was shared with
us, some believe that making it to our part of the world is the biggest
miracle. We were there to say that even
in our world there is incredible brokenness and dissatisfaction and how we even
more need to desperately seek His presence in our life amidst all of
distractions.
The real water, the rivers of living water
are the power of the Holy Spirit and it is undeniable here. I have just finished reading Revelation and
some of the inspiration at the end of the book is what I have shared here.
Jesus is the beginning, the “arche” where
we get our word architecture. Jesus is
the pattern for everything in our lives and the lives of others. Creativity, design, initiation all has their
source in the Alpha, our Jesus!
He is also our end, the “telos” meaning He
is the inherent destiny of every human being.
May we fully rest our plans, purposes in the hands of the one who holds
the keys to us fulfilling our destiny!
Revelation
22:16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the
churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning
Star.”17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say,
“Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the
free gift of the water of life.
The Morning Star as I have been reading
appears when the night has reached it greatest degree of darkness. The Morning Star appears between 2-3am, some
say closer to 3am and when you see it, you know that the night has been
defeated!! The Morning Star pulls the
morning behind it and likewise Jesus pulls the kingdom in behind HIM!
It is that very reason that we don’t have
to fear the night. There were times in
the prayer ministry following the services that the demonic oppression that
people were experiencing was really intense.
They were flailing about and slithering around and it took incredible
effort to hold them down and then to pray for their deliverance in the name of
Jesus and by His blood shed on the cross!
However the deliverance came, eyes were opened and freedom came flooding
in! I was so blessed to be a part of it.
As followers of Jesus, we are called to:
1.
Embrace the agenda of the day
2.
Resist the agenda of the night
Here’s a prayer to keep our focus.
Jesus, you are my very beginning and
end. Cleanse me and make me clean in
your righteousness alone. Thank you for
your living presence and keep me from straying from this place of intimacy
where my joy, purpose and passion is found. Draw me closer, deeper. I want to know your heart for the people that
you will place in my path today.
