The mother of James and John is a resourceful lady whose outlandish petitions seems to betray the secret expectations she held for her sons.  She was a lady who was sure that her sons, James and John, would in fact hold highly regarded positions of responsibility and authority within the new kingdom Jesus of Nazareth was establishing.

The first lesson to learn from Mrs. Zebedee is that she prayed earnestly that her sons might be part of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.  Each one of us, as God fearing parents, should pray first and foremost for our children to be a part of the vibrant and dynamic work Jesus is doing in the earth right now.

The second lesson we learn from Mrs. Zebedee is that she prayed that her sons would be involved in the work of His Kingdom.  You see, its not enough just to be saved.  Churches are full of content people.  We need people who are actively involved in the work of God’s Kingdom.

We have been Called - we have been Chosen - to live on the edge and ledge of the most exciting place on planet earth.  We live in the dynamic community of soul-winners.  We live on the corner of Transformation Way & Regeneration Street.  

We are the people who handle the masses one person at a time.  We deal with one soul at a time, in one seat at a time.  Every seat in our house counts!  Every seat on the pews of our church counts!  You know why, because they represent what matters most to God - souls!

Scripture declares a powerful truth about Jesus and His concept of winning lost people - "And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And He said unto them, 'Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.'"  Matt. 4:18-19

My return to Houston brought me a surprise that I did not anticipate nor one I enjoy.  You see, upon my return home I found that the previous week’s storm had damaged my cable provider’s ability to service our home with Internet service.  So, my entire system at home (including all things cable) is completely down. I have approximately 1.7 miles of cable running throughout my home to provide all kinds of technological services, but because a connection is broken I am, metaphorically speaking, sitting in the dark.  I am disconnected from the outside world.

So much of my work is done via the Internet that this disruption causes severe inconvenience and to me, much worse.  It effectively cuts me off from those I communicate with on a constant basis.  This disruption in service interferes with my relationships to ministries around the world.  My ability to receive “real-time” information regarding our church family is limited and my ability to communicate what God is doing is temporarily challenged.

Friends,

It's been a few days since I have taken the opportunity to journal my thoughts.  I have been under "orders" not to work on my laptop while here in Florida where my wife and I, along with Morgan and Cy, are getting some much needed rest and down time.

The weather has been very pleasant and the attractions are as enjoyable as ever. The attitude of the city's people is wonderful and our time among the Floridians here at our "home" away from home is always delightfully hospitable.

As I sit in His presence this morning, watching the sun rise to its zenith while cascading its brilliant smile upon the watching world, I am caught up once again in the splendor of God’s amazing love.

His love has never failed.  It has never failed to accomplish its aim – the redemption of our soiled souls and the life-giving, grace-defined, mercy abounding, love in abundance, with joy unspeakable journey we are now presently on, which we call life!   He fills this day with His amazing grace and love.

In just a few hours, I will share with our team the privilege of serving men and women who have traveled from around the world to interact on this journey of love.  I am unbelievably blessed to stand on the precipice of dynamic, supernatural deliverance and change.  To see pilgrims leave their personal Jerusalem on a mission to retrace the steps of the Nazarene who has walked this road before, the Road to Emmaus. For more than two millennium, this dusty road has been traveled by people who had lost all hope and were returning to all that they wanted to desperately be free from.  To watch them meet revelation anew is truly a joy unspeakable and it is a day full of glory.

Thank you again for allowing our team to walk with you into a new spiritual vista.  Enjoy the view.  The vantage point from Emmaus is liberating and life-changing because it allows you to see the “Beyond”.