Wildfires in California

Before you go to bed tonight, and when you wake up in the morning, pray for the wildfires in California --

(1) That they would be contained and stopped. Pray that the Lord opens up enough resources for the fire fighters to use.
(2) That people would be safe and lives would be spared.
(3) That property would be spared as much as possible.
(4) That there would be enough help and crisis workers to comfort those dealing with loss.
(5) That people would run to the Lord as opposed to away from the Lord in this natural disaster.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/10/23/wildfire.ca/index.html

I'll update the Pulse recap within the next day or two, but this deserved its own post. God bless!

Psalm 46:1-3 [ESV]
1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

Pulse Outreach - Day Zero

Today, I took off from Chicago-O'Hare and landed in Fargo, North Dakota for a full week of ministry with Pulse Outreach.

I checked my bags in, and the lady realized that one of my suitcases was really light. It was full, but all it had in it were my arcade shoes, a DDR pad, and the hard foam inserts (hahahaha). She told me, "Wow, this is light, you must be going shopping!" I told her that it was a DDR pad for an evangelistic tour, and I think she was skeptical as mess. haha, but my suitcase was indeed very light.

Our landing was very interesting -- we went down to land on the North runway, but there was a massive flock of birds that started to fly up as we came down. In order that we wouldn't crash and burn, the pilot jammed the plane up drastically, and we made another approach. After a few nauseating tight turns of the plane, we realized that the birds won.

We had to land on the East runway, which I thought was hilarious since we just got owned by a flock of birds. Thankfully we had no crisis or complications from the birds, and praise the Lord, we landed safely.

Tomorrow's brief homily will focus on the temporal vs. eternal -- what matters in life. See the video for a brief outline of what I'm thinking.

I also rocked out at an Assembly of God church up here in Fargo. It was bangin'. I generally love Assembly Churches, especially ones with order, Spirit-led worship, and especially solid Scriptural teaching. This one definitely had the first two, but it was a ministry show-and-tell night, so I actually went out with Jordan (a full-time Pulse Outreach worker) to another college service and listened to that message.

Know something cool?

All or Nothing

Philippians 4:13 - I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
John 15:5 - I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

So are we being strengthened to completion, or are we trying on our own strength and doing nothing significant? What really will last? Are we trying to earn our way into Heaven?

The price has been paid for us -- Jesus has already paid the price for our sins. As Paul and Silas told the Jailer: "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31a).

Christianity is so basic. How much do we complicate things?

Jesus gave His life for us, so let's devote all our being to Him. Just as Romans 12:1 states, Offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God!

Prayer

While we do that, please pray for the Pulse Outreach tour, that many would be encouraged and blessed, but mostly that lives will be changed through this event.