Costa Rica

I recently had the pleasure to be involved in my first missions trip. Since returning home I've been thinking of the perfect way to describe to those who didn't go, how awesome and life-changing the trip was. But then it hit me, there is no perfect way to describe it. Simple words won't help you understand how great the trip was, because the trip was pure emotion. That's what a missions trip is all about. It's about forgetting the culture, forgetting what the world says and going out and making a difference in someones life.

Now, I could spend the rest of this blog telling you all the awesome and amazing things that happened there, but it wouldn't matter. Most of you reading weren't there. Instead of telling funny and crazy stories that won't affect your lives in any real way, I'm going to stick to telling you the lasting impact we made there.

In just 1 week, we made 2 homes for 2 families, that otherwise would have nothing. It was all possible because of God. God used us to make an impact on these families and that community. Every time people look and see these houses, they'll be reminded of the 20+ Americans who gave up a week of their lives so they could change someone else's. Those houses will stand as a symbol of what God does for his people. Those homes will be the symbol of hope for that community.

If you've ever asked yourself, "why should I go on a missions trip?" here's the answer. At the end, after all the hard-work, after the proverbial "sweat and tears." Your reward is seeing those families, seeing how thankful they are that you did this, seeing their hope restored and their faith renewed and the overwhelming joy you feel in your heart. That, my friend's, is what a missions trip is all about.

Life as Death (Part 3)

We are at war. Not just the war you see on the news everyday, as Christians we are at way with the Devil. I know it sounds cheesy, but there is a Devil and he's trying to cause you pain and make you fall into Sin. The Devil's goal is for you to fall away from God.

Once you become a Christian, you become the Devil's target. Now, those may sound like reasons to not give your life to God, but, like I explained last post, Jesus freed us from Death and Sin, the Devil's main weapons. God has made us triumphant over Sin and Death.

Don't be confused, coming to God isn't freedom from Sin and Death, It's being given the power to defeat them. The Devil will countinue to tempt you and try to cause trouble. But, don't falter, stay strong in the Lord. Put all your strength in the Lord, surrender to him fully, and the Devil will never be able to stop you.

Life After Death (Part 2)

So why do we have death? We have death because of the sin that's in our world and Sin originated from Adam and Eve.

"But you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge and good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die"

Genesis 2:17 (NIV)

God wasn't lying, because when Adam ate from that tree Sin was brought to Earth and death came upon us. Because of this we are separated from God, in fact, that's why Jesus came.

Jesus came to give us access to God. Before Jesus, people could not talk to God without covering they're face because of their sins. Jesus came to take all of our sins and give us power over them.

Before Jesus, the temples of God had a veil over them to signify man's separation from God. When Jesus died that veil was torn from top to bottom. Because of Jesus, Sin and death have no power. Jesus rose from the grave and conquered them. Most importantly, Jesus gave everyone access to heavean, as long as they believe that Jesus died for them. It's that simple. Because of Jesus, we all can have hope for the future.