Thankful for Salvation

The quote stuff is from the book "Basic Training for Mission Teams" by Jerry Rankin and Phyllis Tadlock. or the Bible. not my own words. so no credit for me.

"God's heart and mission are for all peoples to know Him. He chooses to use individuals to accomplish His mission. Christ did not die only for us."

"Repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations" (Luke 24:47).

"His words still serve as our standard. Our passion should be to see God glorified not only in our own lives but also among all peoples worldwide."

"The unfinished task stands before us, and the clock is ticking. We must see the vast, unreached world of peoples and cities in light of Christ's final charge to the apostles: Acts 1:8" read it!

Revelation 7:9-10 "After this I looked, and there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language, which no one could number, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were robed in white with palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: Salvation belongs to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!"

There are more than 1.6 billion souls who have not heard of God's loving provision for each of them. This breaks my heart. We have been called and we are slacking. We have been priveledged to grow up in a Christian society and in great families. What makes us different? Why are we not in a 3rd world country starving every day? I'll tell you why. Because God has called us to GO. He has saved us, and we must go tell! This lesson had us reflect back on our salvation and "calling" into missions. It had us be thankful for God's grace.

Here is my prayer for today (and all summer really).
Lord, thank you. I cannot express my gratitude in any way that is satisfactory. Your grace is so evident in my life. But because of this I must share. I must go and tell those 1.6 billion people. You have given me an able body, a loving heart, and a mouth, but most importantly, your message of saving grace. I am a wretched sinner. The worst of them all, but you still love me. THank you for your provision in my life and in that of my team. Use us this summer, Lord God. In whatever way you see fit. Break us of ourselves and mold us into workers for your Kingdom. Move our ideas and agendas out of the way and replace it with your will. Give us strength to continue on each day. Help us not rely upon ourselves, but on you alone. We have a great message and a lot of people to tell. Be the center of it all. Everything revolves around you. Amen.

Preparation, preparation, preparation

Here I am, in the preparation stages of my trip to the Philippines this summer. I still need to pack. I still need to read the required books. I still need to buy so many things. I still need to prepare my heart. The list goes on and on and on. But for those of you who are just now joining in on my journey, here are some crucial details.

This summer, May 30-August 5th I will be on a mission trip to Eastern Samar, Philippines. I am going with IMB Nehemiah Teams. Our official name is Riverboat Backpacking Team, which for those of you who know me is right up my alley! I recently found out that I am the team leader, which is a huge responsibility. My team consists of 3 other members: Jared, Sarah, and Dan. These are there names so that you can be praying for them too! We will be travelling by foot and by boat all summer to spread the name of Jesus Christ. Some of these people have heard the Gospel before and need discplship, but others have no idea who God is. We all believe that it is our mission to go and tell these people!

Recently I have been reading in Romans about this great obligation that we have. There is no excuse for those who do not know Christ. We are all sinners. We are all guilty. And we all need a Savior. Because of this I can say that "I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. For it is the power of God at work, saving everyone who belives..." (Romans 1:16). God has a great calling on my life. I MUST go and tell them about Jesus. David Platt says, "Gospel theology necessitates urgent missiology. We have a master who demands radical sacrifice and a mission that demands radical urgency." There are people dying every single day who do not know our Lord and Savior. I had to ask myself, "Am I selfish? If this message of eternal life is so great, why must I keep it to myself?"

2 Corinthians 4:7 "We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves."

I pray that my life will reflect that this summer. It is not about me. It is ONLY about the great power that lives within me. I will glorify His name with every action and deed. (at least I will try my best).

I ask that everyone who reads this will pray for me too. I will not have much internet access this summer, so this is how you can keep up with me! I will pretty much only email like my parents and boyfriend! oh, how much I will miss them! I know that God has a great purpose this summer! I pray that He will begin opening the eyes and hearts of those we will come into contact with! I pray that our travels will be safe and that we will not just live the Gospel in the Philippines, but everyday until then! a soul is a soul. I was just as lost before I knew Christ. It is my mission to tell. This mission is also an urgent one. I must go.

Until next time,
Laura Hahn

"Here I am, send me." -Isaiah 6:8