How Haiti made me fall in love with Twitter OR How Twitter made me fall in love with Haiti *repost*

*This is a repost from Oct. 10, 2010.  As I reflect upon the 2 year anniversary of the Haiti earthquake I thought I would just throw this thought out there again.*

Twitter, obviously, is ridiculously popular among the social networking ‘scene’ (is it even a scene now, more like an era).

When the Haiti earthquake hit earlier this year, the world was praising Twitter for it’s instant news updates, opinions on the situation, and even cries out from survivors for rescue!  I was hooked.  I began to follow some of the major players getting news out from the ground level and I was checking every day, multiple times for what they were saying.

I had visited Haiti in 2007 for a mission trip and absolutely fell in love with Port au Prince, so my draw to finding out exactly what was going on, brought me to Twitter.  Today, I am still following some of the people I started following that week that are still there at ground zero.  (inc. a missionary, a radio personality, and a ‘regular’ citizen of Haiti).  Their tweets remind me to pray for the situation in Haiti.

So what am I supposed to tweet about?  I tweet in spurts, about 2-3 within 30 minutes, then nothing for a few days.  Usually about how I am feeling about Jr.High ministry.  My hope is not simply that this is a healthy release of my thoughts, some sort of therapy, but that somehow, somewhere, someone is reading my thoughts and is encouraged, is led to think, and hopefully led to pray for us.

Apparently 70% of tweets get no response from anyone.  Simply read, and forgotten about.  My question, is what I’m writing leading my readers to another thought…to fall in love with [Haiti] ?

Please follow @troylivesay (missionary, in Haiti), and @realhope4haiti (mission organization restoring hope in this broken country).

John 15 – Christmas Break Study

Yesterday (John 14) was all about Jesus’ relationship with the Father and the Spirit.  Today, it’s all about you.  Your relationship with Jesus, with each other, with everyone else.  It’s one of the best, most ‘full of life’ chapters in all Scripture.  

January 5th – John 15

15:5

“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit for apart from Me you can do nothing.”

The first thing I notice about this chapter – as we remember that he’s no longer in a ‘challenging’ dialogue with the Religious leaders but is now in an intimate setting with his closest friends and students – is how Jesus really IS a Rabbi, a teacher.  His style here demonstrates a clear way to get to a goal.  ”Step 1, then 2, then 3.  Remember, if you’re not doing 2, you can’t expect 3.  Still confused about 3?  If I were to explain it another way, its more like…this.  Then when you are really living that much you will just see step 4, 5, and 6, come into your life.”

Often when I read this it sounds and reads like a bunch of jumbled up statements that go back on His thoughts and is really trying to hit one thing that keeps getting lost in the confusion of His message.  But I’m seeing now, it’s quite linear.  Jesus builds on His previous thoughts with the new ones.  I imagine the disciples sitting around the table, and Jesus seeing on their faces that they may not be understanding a certain part, so He hits it again.  But in reality, chapter 14 told us all about the God that loves us and His omni-presence.  And now we’re hearing about what to do about that love, that guidance, that Spirit being in us.  

Love Jesus, Love others.  

Follow the progression of this chapter, it’s chilling to think of what exactly Jesus is preparing us for.  

Obey my commands – then you will abide in my love – then you will bear much fruit – then you will be glorifying the Father.  Now, go, love one another – then you will be prepared for when the rest of the world hates you – then, “You will testify also, because you have been with Me from the beginning” (v.27).

take it one step at a time.  

John 14 – Christmas Break Study

Buckle up, there may be no more important chapter in the Bible when it comes to understanding the relationship between the Father, Son, and Spirit.  Want to know who your God is…study this chapter, research it, learn. 

January 4th – John 14

14:16-21

“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.  I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.  After a little while the world will not longer see Me, but you will see Me;because I live, you will live also.  In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.  He who has my commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.”

Here’s the truth, if you feel distant from the Lord lately, it’s your fault not His.  

Here’s another truth, you have the very same Spirit that is in our mighty God IN YOU.  

The other day we read John 11 and that has stuck with me, that was a life-altering reading for me, because I think for the first time I truly understand what it means to have life.  We look at the life of Jesus and are amazed at his words and believe the things he did and are amazed that he did them (like most of the crowds that followed Him around), yet we mosey on through this ‘life’ wondering what our purpose is, and sometimes struggling to get out of bed in the morning because we are so in need of rest and energy.  Maybe you’re not there now, but sometime this past year you probably were.  

Today, if you can take a little bit of extra time and just read over Jesus’ words here as he speaks to his very best friends about what is going to happen when He is gone, I believe you will begin to feel and understand the life He is speaking of.  Maybe today all you need is an encouragement that someone loves you.  He does.  And He has not left you as an orphan in this world.  And He ABIDES in you.  

And you live, because he lives.  

*Pray that you can understand the relationship of the Father, Son, and Spirit deeper today*

*Pray that you can know and experience the life Jesus offers.*

*Ask for anything in His name, and He will do it, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.*

It only gets better, tomorrow is John 15!

John 13 – Christmas Break Study

January 3rd – John 13

13:14-15

“Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.  I have set you and example that you should do as I have done for you.”

Right before saying this Jesus got down on his knees and washed his friends’ feet.  We are told Peter is the only one who spoke out and said he would not let it happen, but even to that Jesus refuted his protest, and washed even Peter’s feet.  I think we know what this is a picture of.  But the amazing thing is that this book is full of stuff that Jesus actually did.  And here in this verse he states clearly that we should do as he has done.  I’m hoping you can see this in its simplest form. 

If I want my children to say thank you, I need to say thank you.  I set the example.  

If I want my children to sit at the table during dinner and talk, I need to be doing that.  I set the example.  

If I want my Jr.High small group to pray, and pray honestly…I need to do that, in front of them.  I set the example. 

If I want these Jr.High guys and girls to respect their bodies, I need to dress like I respect mine, I need to talk like I respect mine.  I set the example.  

Jesus wants us to serve each other, to “Love one another.” (v.34).  He did that.  He set the example. 

Jesus wants us to spend time alone in prayer and meditation.  He did that.  He set the example. 

Jesus wants us to believe not only the words he says, but BELIEVE the miracles he performed.  He did them.  He set the example of what faith in an all powerful Father really looks like.  

Simple.  Right? 

*Pray that your relationship with Jesus would be so intimate that you begin to speak and act like him, as per his example…ask God what needs to change for that to happen.*

*Pray that our entire ministry would reflect the example Jesus gave us.*  Real Love.  Rooted in Truth.  Reshaping Culture.