Pocket Full of Seeds

We can hardly believe our time is almost done. One month from now we will be in Portugal!!! The time has seemed so far away, but now it is almost here. As we reflect back on our orientation time, we realize that God has taught us so much.

I am reminded of 2 verses that have greatly impacted me during this time.

Isaiah 42:6 - I, the Lord, have called you for a righteous purpose, and will hold your hand. I will keep you and give you as a covenant to the people, as a light to the Gentiles.

Wow, what a promise! God has called each of us for a purpose and He promises to hold our hand all the way. What a verse to cling to!

Ezekiel 37:3-5 - And He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live again?" So I answered, "O Lord God you know." Again He said to me, "Prophesy to these bones and say to them, 'O dry bones hear the word of the Lord!' Thus says the Lord God to these bones: "Surely I shall cause breath to enter into you and you shall live."

As we learn about the people of Portugal and Western Europe we see "dry bones". So much of our Christian heritage and culture comes from this area of the world and now we are going back to share Jesus with them. Our prayer is that they will "hear the word of the Lord" and the breath of the Holy Spirit will bring them to life again in Christ.

The decline of the church in Western Europe today is giving way to Postmodernism and the belief that whatever you believe is fine and good for you, but maybe not so much for me. There are more people in church each week in China than in all of Western Europe. That fact alone is staggering. However, the good news is that people are searching for truth for themselves. This opens doors to share the truth of Christ, not just religion.

I will leave you with one thought. There is a song that has really impacted me in the last few weeks. It talks about how we sit in our pews and pray for God's word to be spread while all around "there's a famine in the land, and we've got a pocket full of seeds." We pray as we goo that we will share our seeds with the lost souls of Portugal.

What will you do with your pocketful of seeds?