I can only give God praise for a great Lord's Day! Our choir did an excellent job with our annual Christmas cantata this past Sunday. The church was completely full with an almost record attendance and then afterwards we had a great time fellowshipping around the table. We had plenty food but not quite enough seating in the fellowship hall for everyone. (But that's one of those good problems I suppose.) The ladies did a great job preparing the food. I am looking forward to our next fellowship January 25. It will be the men's turn as we celebrate our first ever Beast Feast on high attendance Sunday. The men will be preparing various types of wild game all killed by our members (venison, dove, quail, hog, etc.) I will be preaching on spiritual warfare probably dressed in camo. I have invited my dad back to do some cowboy poetry as well. It is my hope to continue to place a greater emphasis on male leadership in our church. This will coincide with our men's accountability groups that will start in January (small groups of 3-4 each men asking each other the tough questions.) I fully believe God will be raising up leaders in the coming year.

Once again while I am reflecting on the topic of leadership I want to give another thought from the Book of Joshua. From Joshua 1:3 we find that leaders have a part in fulfilling the promises of God. God promised this Land first back in Genesis 12 to Abraham. Then Moses spent the last 40 years of his life preparing God's people to enter the Promised Land. But finally God commissioned Joshua to lead the people over the Jordan into the Land. Every God-called leader should know he is working out the Lord's perfect plan. As Paul told the Corinthians some ministers are called to plant while others are called to water (1 Cor. 3). David desired to build God a House but instead he prepared the way for his son Solomon to build the Temple. We must always remember that God's perspective is long term. It may appear to us that He is taking a ridiculously long time to fulfill His Word but it is nothing to Him. His reasons for the perceived delay could be numerous. He delayed coming to the tomb of Lazarus 4 days so that He could show His power over the grave and even decay. In Israel's case we can be sure that He wanted to multiply His people before they entered the Land of Canaan. The Lord also was keeping a promise He made in Genesis to Abraham that 'iniquity of the Amorites' had to be full before He would send them. I am sure there were other reason as well. His plans are from eternity past to eternity future and we usually cannot see that far. We have to remember the Lord works in His time and not ours and that we should not be angry because He chooses to use us for a certain task and then uses somebody else for its completion. In fact we should remember, that unless the Lord Jesus should return first, someone else will take up where we leave off in our ministry. This chapter represents that special time in Israel's history when someone new picked up the leadership mantle and as God finally kept the Word He had promised to Abraham centuries before. Let us never forget that God always keeps His Word!

One final thought of personal application. I cannot end without saying I am so blessed. Since I was in my early teens I have had a fascination with the Land of Israel and the Jewish people. I read all the books about the Holocaust in our local library and anything else I could get my hands on. I had no idea at that time God was instilling in me a love for His people. As I began to walk with the Lord my fascination only became stronger as I began to read my Bible. I have dreamed for years about going to that special place that God choose to dwell and place His Name. I wanted to see the Old City and pray at the Western Wall. I wanted to walk the cobblestone streets of the Via Dolarosa up to Golgotha. I have wished to wade into the waters of the Sea of Galilee. I want to go to Gilgal and see the memorial stones that Joshua had laid before they crossed the Jordan. I wanted to haggle in the ancient market place and purchase my own prayer shawl. I want to see Masada and the Mount of Olives. I have desired to see the tomb where they say the Lord Himself arose! In other words, I have really wanted to go to Israel for years. It is essentially my life long dream and I have been praying for the opportunity. I completely expected that one future day when I am old and financially secure God would make that a reality. But back in October it became a reality much sooner than I expected. God has provided, through a great organization called Father's House Educational Ministries and Bono Baptist Church-a nearby church, to send 10 pastors to Israel at no cost. A local pastor friend of mine shared with me the information about the trip and I called them and they called me back after someone else decided not to go. Praise the Lord I am going to Israel! It is a 10 day trip and I leave at the end of next month (so you can be pretty sure you will be hearing much more as the date approaches). Please start praying for my family and I and for the other pastors as well. I know God is going to do great things through this trip and He is going to teach me so much as I enter the very same Land of Promise that Joshua entered years ago.