Do I Believe God Will?

If asked, most Christians would probably say, yes, God can do miracles. Jesus performed many miracles while He walked on the earth, and the early Christians saw many miraculous things happen. But, I think there is a difference in believing that God can do miracles, and knowing that God WILL do a miracle.

I recently watched a video produced by a guy who went around learning about miracles all over the world. Some of the miracles he discovered were pretty weird- people suddenly getting gold teeth, gold dust appearing in their Bibles and on their clothes- but others were what we might consider "typical" healing miracles to extraordinary miracles like people being raised from the dead.

Jesus said that we as Christians have the authority to do even greater miracles than He did. We have the power of the Holy Spirit, so why don't we claim that power? Is is because we don't have enough faith that God will do something incredible, unexplainable?

Miracles are happening in amazing numbers in China, Africa, and other areas. People in the Middle East are having dreams and visions of someone in white, and then they are meeting Christians who explain to them that this is Jesus and through this many are coming to know Jesus as their Savior.

Miracles are happening in the US too, but not in the numbers they are seeing in other places (at least we aren't talking about it). Someone explained to me that Jesus did miracles so that the people would see who He was and know His power. In places today where Jesus is not known, miracles are a way to open the door for people to see His power and know His great love for them. In most places in the US people know about Jesus, or at least have an opportunity to hear about Him.

But when is the last time you heard a sermon about having the power to pray for someone's healing? In the movie, the guy showed a church in California that sends out young people. First they pray, and ask God to show them where they should go and who to approach. God might give them a detail like Starbucks or a man with blue shirt. Then they go, and when they find that person, they ask them how they might pray for them. A friend of mine has also done this with her church in Seattle, and seen God do some pretty awesome things.

I know that God does miracles. But I tend to think He uses secondary things- if someone has a broken bone, God uses the doctors and a cast and medication to do the healing. But do I believe that God could put on someone's heart to pray for that broken bone and it be healed? Is my God big enough to do something like that? Am I not allowing my faith to be stretched in this way?

These are just some of my thoughts on this. I certainly don't have anything figured out, but I am asking God to show me how I can stretch my faith. I am trying to believe that the God I serve WILL do the miraculous.

Official!

Today I went to Dallas Baptist University to register for my fall classes. My first stop was at the office of my advisor to pick up the registration form he had filled out for me. The work-study student there gave me instructions for where to go next. The Registrar's office, Financial aid, and Cashier's office are all located in the student center, which is a really neat building. Everything went smoothly and I even got my ID card and got things figured out for paying for school for this semester. My last official stop was at the Security office to get my parking permit. After that I walked around in the library to get a feel for where I might do some of my studying on the day I have class. It's really exciting to think that it's not just the plan or my dream anymore, but that I will actually be starting grad school! Each time I have been on campus I've just felt this amazing peace, knowing that DBU is where I'm supposed to be. I'm thankful, since I followed God's leading and applied before I had a chance to visit! I'm excited for what I'm going to learn in the next couple of years, and where God will take me from here.

People Group Highlight: Saudi Arabia

One of the places that has been on my heart ever since going to the mosque is Saudi Arabia. Here is some information about this country.

• There are 44 people groups in the country of Saudi Arabia. 27 of them are considered unreached peoples.
  

• Of the total population of 25,635,000, 86.5% are unreached, meaning there are less than 2% of the population that are Evangelical Christians, and less than 5% that are Christian Adherents.

• 2.2% of the population is considered to be in the Nominal Church category, meaning there are very few if any known believers, but more than 5% Christian Adherents.

• 7.5% of the population are in an area where there are more than 2% Evangelicals, and 3.7% are where there are more than 10% believers. However, most of these people groups are expats, from the US, Europe and some African countries.

• Saudi Arabia borders Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Yemen

• The Arab people groups within Saudi Arabia are considered to be 100% Muslim. There is a small presence of Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity (mostly Roman Catholicism) among the expatriates living in Saudi Arabia.

• On a persecution of Christians scale ranging from 1 being extreme persecution to 50 being very low persecution, Saudi Arabia ranks as a 2

• Saudi Arabia once had a large Christian population. They were expelled when Islam gained control 1,300 years ago. It is now one of the least evangelized nations on earth. No Christian workers are permitted and all Christian "propaganda" banned. No Christian is permitted to set foot in Islam's holiest city, Mecca.

• Billions of dollars are spent every year to propagate Islam around the world – aid to countries considered sympathetic, building mosques, sending missionaries, literature, radio, etc. The Saudi government denies Christians the liberty to share their faith, yet demands this liberty for Muslims living elsewhere. Some of the world's largest printing presses are in Saudi and churn out 28 million Qur'ans annually for worldwide distribution.

• Christian expatriates live under strict surveillance. Secret gatherings are hunted down with diligence and leaders are sometimes subjected to humiliating beatings, imprisonment, expulsion, and even execution. This is particularly so for Asian Christians who have often been the most effective witnesses and whose governments have the least international clout. There are perhaps only 50,000 practicing believers, although many more would join them were the risks not so great. Pray for encouragement and strength for the believing community. There are few opportunities to meaningfully interact with Saudis, and very few expatriates speak Arabic.

Please pray with me for the peoples of Saudi Arabia.

1. Pray that God would open doors for the love and Truth of Jesus to be shared with the Muslim people of Saudi Arabia.


2. Pray for the believers who are there to be bold and strong in their faith


3. Pray for creative ways for Christian expats to enter the country and share their faith

Information from:

http://www.joshuaproject.net/

http://www.operationworld.org/

www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/SA.html

Seattle pics

Here are a few more pictures from Seattle! Almost to the top!

Me, Aimee and Stacie at Rattlesnake Ledge

Our whole group at the top

l-r: Aiden, Sarah, Stacie, Shiloh, Aimee, Talea, Esther, Pete (and Snickers the dog)

The End of an Era

Last week I officially completed my Luke 10 internship by heading to Seattle for 4 days for debrief. This was a time to share what God has done in the last 9 months, tell stories, show pictures and answer lots of questions. ;)

Luke 10:17 The seventy-two [that Jesus had sent out] returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name".

The disciples that Jesus sent out to look for persons and households of peace and to share the love of Jesus had many stories to tell when they returned. I'm sure they had struggles and hardships along the way as well, when they weren't accepted or had to depend on others for their provisions. But they came back and celebrated all that Jesus did and what they experienced.

As we reflected and celebrated in Seattle, we used the outline of Philippians 4:8: "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things". We reflected on what God had taught us about Himself and His character, ministry, relationships, what we had learned about ourselves, and what we had learned from those with whom we worked. Here are a few of the things that I wrote down:

What is true: I saw God's faithfulness and provision in many different ways in this last year, in the door closing to Cambodia and the many, many doors opening up in Texas, in guidance in decisions along the way, in the opportunity to go to Asia, and to stay on with Kent and Erika this fall. This was one aspect of God's character that I particularly saw a lot this last year.

What is noble: I learned a lot from the people I worked with/lived with this last year. From Kent and Erika, I learned more about unreached peoples and was challenged and inspired by their heart to reach these peoples all over the world. From Erika, I saw her put others first and offer hospitality. From Lena, I have seen modeled a heart of love, humility, service, and bold witness for Christ. From Andres, one of the janitors at the church, I have learned to take time for conversation even in the midst of busyness. From Stacey, one of the ladies who stayed in our home during the May meetings, I learned to give generously and be obedient, even if it doesn't make sense from a worldly standpoint.

What is pure: God tested and purified my obedience several times during this last year, and I learned a lot about giving something to Him and letting Him replace it with something even better in my life. Sometimes I didn't understand (and maybe still don't) the reasons He called me to be obedient in a certain situation, but when I took that step forward and said "yes", God honored that in my life.

It was such a blessing to share and reflect with my fellow Luke 10er Stacie and our coordinators. We got to spend time in God's beautiful creation as well, going canoeing, hiking and enjoying some quiet time on the beach. It has been a wonderful 9 months full of blessings and challenges, and I'm so excited for what God has next for me!

A Learning Experience

This last Saturday I went with Lena to an open house at the East Plano Islamic Center. They provided a tour of the mosque, and then had a light lunch of yummy Mediterranean food. There were 2 speakers who provided an overview of Islam, some of the beliefs, and the ethics of Islam. Then they had a question and answer time.

I knew a few things about the Muslim faith but several things were cleared up for me. One of the major differences between Christianity and Islam is that Muslims do not believe in the deification of Jesus- they don't think that He is God. They believe that He was a prophet, and even the Messiah, but not God's Son, a part of the Trinity. We have a lot of misconceptions though about the Muslim faith, such as the role of women, and why they wear the long head scarves, etc., and even some people who believe that all Muslims are terrorists. That is most definitely not true. On the role of women, in most countries women have rights like men do and they are celebrated for their roles as wives and mothers. In all but three countries (Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Sudan or Nigeria), according to our tour guide, women have a choice to cover themselves as an act of modesty and protection. It is a choice they make between themselves and God. Also, according to the speakers, most Muslims are taught to be peaceful and not hateful. I suppose just like in anything, there are extremists that bring a bad name to the Muslim faith.

I think that it's important to learn about other religions. For me, it's not because I am "seeking" or trying to find a different faith, but instead, I think that the more we know about different faiths, the better we are able to witness to people in those religions. Many of the unreached people groups in the world today are in predominately Muslim areas. I am sad to admit I used to not care if Muslims heard the truth about Jesus, and may have even said they didn't deserve to hear about Him, or perhaps they were a "lost cause". But God's heart breaks for the Muslim people to know the truth of who He is and who Jesus is, and for them to come to believe in the Truth of the Gospel. He loves the people of Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia, and Iraq, and the other predominately Muslim countries. Perhaps, one day God will call me to go to one of these countries, but in the mean time, there are many people here in Dallas who need to hear the Truth as well.

God opened my heart this weekend to be intentional about praying for Muslim people, for their eyes to be opened to the Truth, and for opportunities for more interaction and dialogue.

Pictures!

My Sunday school teacher, Lydia, and I at a Frisco Rough Riders baseball game

The Frisco Rough Riders baseball game

Lena and I with LeAnn (far left) and Stacey (on my left), who stayed with us during the MUP meetings, and Donna, our neighbor

Erika sharing during the MUP SC overview training

MUP SC Overview training in Plano, Texas

Cool Verses

Sunday morning before we left for church I was reading in Isaiah. There were a few verses that stuck out to me.

Isaiah 55:4-6 See, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander of the peoples. Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations that do not know you will hasten to you, because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor. Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.

Isaiah 56:7 These I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be acceptable on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for the nations.

Last week I got to hear some pretty amazing stories of what God is doing around the world, drawing the nations to Himself. There were moments where I was moved to tears thinking about the peoples around the world who have never heard about Jesus and the home that is found only in Him. I am thankful that God loves all the peoples, and His house is for everyone! I am praying that I will be a part of taking His salvation to the people who still need to hear.

Prayer Requests

This next week we will be hosting 3 different meetings at our offices here in Plano. We have about 17 coming in for the first meeting beginning on Wednesday, 15 for the second meeting, and close to 50 for a training next week. We have been busy getting ready, and it will be an intense time, so I would ask you to please pray for us.

- Pray for calm in the midst of all of the logistics
- Please pray against any attacks Satan might attempt to cause troubles.
- Pray for any hiccups in the logistics to be worked out easily
- Pray for unity among the taskforce and the board as they continue to work through big issues
- Pray for the Holy Spirit to work and inspire through the planning that will be taking place
- Pray for patience for me and for Erika as we handle the behind-the-scenes work
- Pray for rest for Kent and Erika as they came from a meeting last week that was very draining

Thank you so much for your prayers through the next 2 weeks! I know that I will not be able to make it without them! :) Blessings, Sarah

The Heavenly Man

I am reading a book right now called The Heavenly Man about a Chinese Christian and evangelist named Brother Yun. He came to know Christ in his teens after his father was miraculously healed after being near death. This was during a time when missionaries had been killed or sent out of China. Brother Yun desperately wanted a Bible to be able to learn more about God and he began to pray and fast for a Bible, even though there weren't any to be found in the whole country. When God provided a Bible for him, he used every spare moment to soak up the teachings found there, and the Bible was so precious to him, he carried it everywhere even sleeping with it. God did some amazing things in his life and through him. Whole villages came to know Christ through his witness. He suffered intense persecution, beatings, and imprisonment, and was wanted all over China. On several occasions God did an Acts miracle, opening prison doors and allowing Brother Yun to walk out of the prison without being detected.

Reading this book, I have been really challenged. Do I hunger for God's Word with the intensity that Brother Yun did? Do I have a burning desire to share Christ no matter what the consequences? Do I believe God can do miracles like opening prison doors? It's a pretty amazing book, and I would encourage you to read it for yourself (or borrow it from me).