Travis & Gina

Property Alert!!!

2012-02-22T17:34:00.001-08:00

Hello,
Check out this properties, CLICK HERE. and log in with your email.

Cusuna Honduras March 2012 with Connect Global

2012-01-12T13:03:00.001-08:00

Missions Poster.pdf Download this file

Please join us as we Celebrate Open Arms Church of Tampa Anniversary

2012-01-09T12:20:00.001-08:00

I'd like to personally invite you to join me as we help Open Arms Church celebrate their 14th Anniversary serving the Tampa Bay Area.

Pastor Joel Vicente is a friend of ours as well as one of our supporters and Advisory Board Member to Connect Global. I am honored to have been asked to speak on such a joyous occasion and would love to have you there as well!

Lets get together and celebrate what God is doing through this powerful ministry and church!

thank you

Travis Moffitt

Food in the House

2011-12-14T14:40:00.001-08:00

Occasionally people will ask, "Why travel to Honduras to help people when there are people in need right here at home, in the USA?"

It's a good question.

International efforts come with greater expenses related to travel costs, time costs, and the impact that cross-cultural work has on your own soul. Let's just say that there is a price to be paid.

So why go? Why take the time and pay the price to travel to Honduras or any place else for that matter when the hungry, the poor, the needy live right next door?

Jesus Himself gave us a global mandate. He said GO to, "Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the outermost parts of the world," He was literally saying for us to go to our town, our country, neighboring countries and the furthest away places on the planet.

At CONNECT GLOBAL we take this mandate very serious. We were formed as a Global organization knowing that the USA is part of the globe. Because of this, we will continue to travel to Honduras AND care for people here at home.

Currently our primary efforts are based around building Aquaponic Feeding Systems. These sustainable, organic systems produce both Tilapia and fresh vegetables. They are environmentally friendly and easy to manage. Most importantly, they are virtually free to maintain and they feed people.

We completed 5 Aquaponic Feeding Systems this past September in Cusuna, Honduras.

ON SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17TH WE WILL BUILD OUR FIRST DOMESTIC AQUAPONIC FEEDING SYSTEM IN TAMPA, FL, USA!

Did I mention that we are super excited about this project?

This system will be built on site at New Life Baptist Church in the Sulphur Springs neighborhood of Tampa. This is a very impoverished part of Tampa, often referred to as a "Produce Desert." We are so honored to partner with this excellent church to make sure there will be Food in the House for hundreds of families.

Here's where you come in. Join us this Saturday. You can cut wood, drive a nail, or take picture. We will need help with all three. Share this story with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, or anywhere else you're connected. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @iConnectGlobal. Watch this story unfold at iConnectGlobal.org. Make a donation to help us continue this work and build more systems that will feed more people. In what ever way you can, get CONNECTED.

New Life Baptist Church is located at 912 E. Fairbanks St., Tampa, FL 33604. We will begin at 10am. Stay all day or for just an hour.

You can mail donations to Connect Global, PO Box 740273, Dallas, TX 75374 or online at www.iConnectGlobal.org.

Connect Global
GO | SERVE | CHANGE

Happy Thanksgiving from Connect Global

2011-11-24T09:09:00.001-08:00

Travis Moffitt sermon: Are you Ready?

2011-11-21T11:16:00.001-08:00

Here below is a sermon entitled are you ready!

This was originally spoken at Elim Church in Houston Texas on November 20 th 2011.

Please listen and be encouraged.

We woukd love to have you join us for our next trip to Honduras in early 2012, to Cusuna and help us install 10 more Family Sized aquaponic Feeding Systems!

01_Are_You_Ready_.m4a Listen on Posterous

New Speaking Dates

2011-07-20T14:20:00.001-07:00

See the full gallery on Posterous

Please make plans to join me at these two services. I really have appreciated your support and would love to see you. If you can make it please let me know via Facebook. Http://Facebook.com/connectglobal

Thank you
Travis Moffitt

Follow Connect Global on Twitter

2011-07-10T18:44:00.001-07:00

Please Follow us on twitter @iConnectGlobal

We Would love to hear from you and we appreciate all the RT's

Updates are posted often from @javi_Mendoza and @travismoffitt

Thanks

Join me in Odessa, TX

2011-06-21T13:08:00.001-07:00

Please join me as I travel west to Odessa on July 10. We are very excited to be visiting Jesus House ministries and being a part of their services.

Thank you

Travis

WVIW Newsletter June

2011-06-04T16:36:00.001-07:00

Thank you for your continued Support of WVIW Ministries. Trouble viewing this email? Click here to view it online.

WEBSITE | PROJECTS | SIGN UP | CALENDAR | FORWARD TO A FRIEND

Worldwide Voice In the Wilderness.
Special Announcement
Our big announcement this Month is the Launching of a NEW Division of Worldwide Voice In the Wilderness called CONNECT GLOBAL. We are very excited to be telling YOU first how this new department of WVIW will allow us to reach farther than ever before into World Missions, and Local Outreach. This means more international trip and project opportunities, more focused, local outreach, and and overall wider and farther reach than ever before. You have made this possible through your continued support and prayer and we are glad to share this news with you. Along with this big announcement we are busy with a Prison Crusade the next three days at Jester in Richmond, the Prison Wives Club meeting next weekend, and a crucial TDCJ Volunteer Training Event on June 18th. June is already a very busy and blessed month. I hope you Jump in and be a part of this ever growing ministry by volunteering or donating financially to our projects.
Thank you
Johnny Moffitt

WVIW Marriage Seminar UPDATE from TDCJ Coffield Unit
WVIW Staff and 24 volunteers visited the Coffield Unit in Tennessee Colony just twelve days ago and had an amazing time. We really were blessed to see many of our friends from the Coffield Unit Last year and meet new friends for the first time last month. Here below are just two of the dozens of comments made last month at our WVIW Marriage Seminar in Coffield.

"Since the last seminar God is with me every day and I am in Awe of His grace."

"To be able to sit next to each other and read the bible together and worship together really touched my heart."
Our Next Marriage Seminar is scheduled for August 19-21 at the Central Unit. If you would like more info please email Betty Moffitt

Connect Global - Connect to Your Mission. Change the World.
Now is the time to share with you what has been on our hearts for the past month and has been a part of our dna as a ministry and family for several years. We feel the need to expand our international reach and become a more viable asset to missionary's and pastors both here in the United States and around the world. This is why we are Launching CONNECT GLOBAL.
This department of WVIW will be intentionally connected to missions and outreach with an emphasis on working together with other organizations, churches & Individuals to find the best way to meet the needs of those in our community as well as those in other states, and in other countries across the Globe. Our plan is to provide people a way to Connect with what they are passionate about in order to change the world for the better. For more info please visit our Connect Global Website at iconnectglobal.org

Upcoming Events

Sunday June 3rd -4th
* Prison Crusade Jester Unit
Sunday June 5th
* Johnny will be preaching at Quality Life Ministries in Fresno, TX
Saturday June 11th
* Prison Wives Club in Carrollton Texas for more info please email Betty Moffitt
Saturday June 18th
TDCJ Training for Prison Volunteers at Freedom Life Church
Sunday June 19th
Johnny Moffitt will be preaching at Heritage Church Dallas
Saturday & Sunday July 1st & 2nd
Manhood Seminar at Coffield Unit

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Dallas, Texas 75374

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Pray for Jorge

2011-05-30T17:25:00.001-07:00

In Honduras I have a close friend and ministry partner named Jorge Amador. For years Jorge has hosted dozens of missionaries into Cusuna and other parts of Honduras. He has worked tirelessly to build The Kingdom of God in his country.
Recently Jorge has suffered several personal setbacks that would challenge the best of any of us. Having lost so much, he has persevered to provide for his family and continue to bring missionaries to Honduras. Just two months ago he graciously ministered alongside Javier Mendoza and I.
Recently Jorge has opened a small restaurant with the desire to continue his missions work and give into the work of the ministry. As in the US, starting a business is difficult. Especially when you financial resources are VERY LIMITED, everything must be done in faith.
Today I am writing at Jorge's request. "Travis, please email everyone and ask them to pray for me."
He has asked for prayer for several specific things:
1) Pray for encouragement. Pray the God will comfort him and lift his spirit.
2) Pray for customers. Jorge needs 15 customers or more each day.
3) Pray for additional funding. Jorge is making several improvements on his restaurant to make it more comfortable and appealing to customers. Improvements like a glass front door, tables, and an A/C.
Today I am praying for Jorge. Won't you join me? Won't you agree with me and lift up my friend?
Travis Moffitt
Worldwide Voice In the Wilderness
wviw.com

Mobilizing Teams to Reach Neglected & Forgotten Communities Around the World

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The Beauty after the storm

2011-05-26T10:56:00.001-07:00

Monday evening in Dallas proved to be quite a stormy night. Many of our neighbors spent the evening in their closets or sitting in their bathtub. The storm outside sent us all into a heightened state of awareness and wonderment.

"Would a tornado touch down near my home? Would these magnificent clouds turn on us? How would we weather the storm?"

I have been equally overwhelmed by the beauty of the three following days. The weather here has been absolutely wonderful. It's as if the storms of Monday evening never even happened.

And so it is in life. We all face storms. There are those dark stormy nights of the soul that seem to have no ending and threaten to tear us apart. They challenge our sense of safety and leave us cowering in the bathroom.

"He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed." Psalms 107:29

Days like today remind me that the storms of life will also pass. Eventually the clouds will clear and the sun will shine again. The winds will blow away the rain and in the wake we will have days of clear sky's and sunshine.

Our illness will pass. Our poverty will clear away. Our worries will subside. Our God will still the storm to a whisper. The beauty of the days to come will be greater than the storms of the past.

Travis Moffitt
Worldwide Voice In the Wilderness
wviw.com

Mobilizing Teams to Reach Neglected & Forgotten Communities Around the World

A Post from our Friends at Antioch Church

2011-05-24T22:47:00.001-07:00

As everyone is probably already aware, a tornado ripped through Joplin, MO a couple of days ago leaving so many people in need of help. Antioch Church is stepping up to the plate and we want to give you all an amazing opportunity to help us. There is a Disaster Relief Team heading down to Joplin, MO on Thursday to help as many families as they can. They are working through a church there as well to provide help and assistance.

Here is items that is being requested:

bottled water
non-perishable food
blankets
diapers
formula
toiletries
basic 1st aid supplies

If you are interested and can help us out by providing these requested items, families in the Joplin area will be much appreciative. We as a church have already donated and sent our skid loader with the city of Greenwood Public Works Department. Here's the thing, we need to ACT FAST! This team will leave Thursday evening for Joplin to distribute the items.

Antioch Church is a drop-off location for you to bring your items. The church will be open from 9:00-5:00 today, Wednesday, Thursday to receive what you can bring. You can also bring by things tomorrow (Wednesday) night during service, please take it to the Welcome Center.

Let's all jump in and help families affected so close to us all!

Please pass this information along...better yet, "share" this note on your facebook page. If you want to give cash donations, you may do that as well. Make checks out to "Antioch Church." Or, if you want to give online, go to www.antiochchurch.com/give - and in the comments section on that site please type in "Joplin Disaster Relief."

Let's all do something! Thanks so much

-Pastor Ryan Slavens

p.s. if you can't turn in your items before Thursday, bring them in as soon as you can, this team will be making more trips down there to help

Please Join Me in Tampa

2011-05-24T21:51:00.001-07:00

See the full gallery on Posterous

This week Gina and I are Traveling to Tampa for a Couple of Meetings.

Our first is at Bridgeway Church to visit our Friends and Family over Memorial Day Weekend.

The second big meeting is at Organic Life Cafe and Bakery for our Connect Tampa Bay Event For Pastors.

Please Join us and be a part of what God is doing in our lives and in our Ministry!!

Thanks

Travis Moffitt

Know Jesus, Serve Others

2011-05-20T21:46:00.001-07:00

Jesus told Peter three times, "If you love me then feed my sheep." The implication is clear: to express our love for Jesus we must serve others. Or, put a different way, as we serve others we will show our love and come to know Jesus better and more intimately.

This weekend the WVIW.com team is at the Coffield Prison in Tennessee Colony, TX serving 26 inmate couples. As we serve them, we ourselves come to see Jesus' face more clearly. We express our love for Him more deeply. We enjoy His love for us more fully.

Find out more at WVIW. com.

"We love you Lord. We receive your love. We are feeding your sheep."

Travis Moffitt
Worldwide Voice In the Wilderness
wviw.com

Mobilizing Teams to Reach Neglected & Forgotten Communities Around the World

CONNECT Tampa Bay | A Gathering for Pastors

2011-05-16T08:19:00.001-07:00

This is a FREE event for ALL Pastors in the Tampa Bay Area.

You will not want to miss this afternoon luncheon with other like minded pastors.

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CONNECT
Getting Started: This event is open to you and any Pastor you feel would benefit from a relaxed atmosphere and engaging conversation. We want this to be open and available to as many Tampa Bay Pastors as possible and look forward to seeing you here! Please feel free to forward this email to as many Pastors as you know or just fill out a registration for them. We need each Pastor to fill out their OWN form or at least have their OWN Ticket.
When you have filled out your registration form you will recieve a confirmation email as well as a PDF copy of your Ticket. Please try to remember to bring this ticket to the lunch as we will need to check you and your guests in at that time.
You wont need to bring anything else other than your appetite for good food and good friends.
We look forward to seeing you soon.
Travis Moffitt & Javier Mendoza

Upcoming Events:

Travis You are invited to attend...

CONNECT Tampa Bay | A Gathering for Pastors

Thursday, June 2, 2011 from 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM

This is a FREE event for ALL Pastors in the Tampa Bay Area.

You will not want to miss this afternoon luncheon with other like minded pastors.

Our aim is to CONNECT with others who share a similar mission.

To be refreshed and encouraged by each other.

To be an encouragement to those who need a boost.

For more information on CONNECT Tampa Bay please visit TravisMoffitt.com

Event location:

Organic Life Coffee Shop
1900 Oak Grove Blvd
Lutz, FL

ATTEND THIS EVENT

Event password:

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Copyright © 2011 WVIW Ministries, All rights reserved.
Thank you for your time if you would like more info on who WVIW Ministries is please visit WVIW.com
Our mailing address is:

WVIW Ministries
PO Box 70273
Dallas, Texas 75374

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Mission Trip to Honduras July 16-23 2011

2011-05-14T09:29:00.001-07:00

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Travis You are invited to attend ...
Mission Trip to Honduras July 16-23 2011

Please make plans to join us as we head to Honduras in July!

We are planning a very exciting Youth Conference, dynamic Leadership Training, and impactful Community Outreach.

There is a place for you to connect with a community and change the world! This trip is designed with maximum impact in mind.

Your life will be changed and you will be a part of life change!

You will never forget the faces we encounter and You will come home with stories that will change the way you look at the REST of your life FOREVER!

Follow the link For more information about this life changing Mission Trip to Cusuna Honduras

Date

Saturday, July 16, 2011 1:00 PM until Saturday, July 23, 2011 4:00 PM

Location

Cusuna, Honduras

*|EBMAP|*

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This is our monthly newsletter letting you know what's going on at WVIW

WVIW Ministries
PO Box 70273
Dallas, Texas 75374

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Copyright (C) 2011 WVIW Ministries All rights reserved.

Noah stopped a train today

2011-04-16T13:37:00.001-07:00

Let's go!

2011-04-16T12:02:00.001-07:00

Please signup for my mailing list

2011-04-07T04:48:00.001-07:00

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Prayer for Casa de Cielo

2011-04-04T09:34:00.001-07:00

Friends please pray for the Jones family and all at Casa de Cielo as you read through this incredible report. Javier and I were at this beautiful place only a few days before this incident.

Thank you for your prayers.

Subject: thank you for your prayers
Reply-To: papajones@casaderoc.org

Dear Friends in CHRIST JESUS,
  Thank you so very much for your prayers, today we witnessed HIS divine mercy and grace and your prayers in action.
Psalms 91: 7 – 11 reads, “A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou has made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High thy habitation;  There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For HE shall give HIS angles charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.”
Today we saw HIS divine protection in my families life. This morning I went into the city to run a few  errands and get some of the boys a haircut no sooner had I paid for the haircuts when mama called crying, all I could understand was “they shot the boy”. She was crying so much I could not understand any more than that. As fast as I could we got home, when I arrived people were gathering the police had just arrived and there in front of our school was a young man dead. I entered the school where mom and Joy were waiting for me. After hugging my wife and being insured she and Joy were fine I begin to get pieces of a story.  When she told me that our oldest was in the hospital my heart sank, she quickly informed me that Jeannie was ok, Praise GOD!
After listening to her and Joy tell their story and then going back outside to see the crime scene I knew I was witnessing a miracle.
We live in a small village named El Cacao, this is part of the municipality of Jutiapa, the mayor of Jutiapa’s daughter goes to our school. This morning his wife, daughter, and Jeannie  and security guard were using the mayors truck to go and pick up material, fans and an air conditioner  for the school. When Jesse (the mayors wife) pulled up in front of the school and Jeannie went out and climbed into he passenger side, just as she shut the door some men in another vehicle pulled up and began firing. I counted 16 spent cartridges from a M16 assault rifle and 6 from a 44 caliper hand gun. The young man that sitting on the back of the truck was killed, the mayors 5 year old daughter was wounded in the buttocks, the mayors wife was cut up pretty bad from flying glass, and my daughter which was in a direct line of fire walked away without a scratch! Praise GOD for HIS divine protection and grace in our lives. I am soooooo grateful to HIM and thank each of you that pray daily for my family and this ministry, thank you, thank you, and again thank you. Prayer works! AMEN!!
After Jeannie had walked out to get in the truck and when mama and Joy heard the gun fire they went to the window to see what was going on, their they stood as these men had just killed this young man and were fleeing, not knowing initially how Jeannie was they began to pray with great travail. When they saw Jeannie and knowing she was alright this cause temporary relief. Mama began to pray and to speak life into this young man that his life was quickly fading from his body. She was devastated that his life was ended so callously.  Within minutes after the shooting occurred the mayor came and took his wife, daughter, and Jeannie to the hospital.
Tonight mama, Jeannie, Joy,  Del, and Rochel the volunteer from Brazil are all over at Jeannie and Del’s house about 6 miles from here.
Please keep them in your prayers along with Sophie the mayors 5 year old daughter that was shot.
Again prayer works and your prayers for us has once again moved the throne of GOD to perform HIS word miraculously in our lives.
Praise GOD and thank you for your prayers!
papajones
P.S.
Please continue to send all donations to,
EOE Ministries
6801 Old Randol Mill Rd
Fort Worth, TX 76120-1209
Earmark your donations for: ROC Ministry Honduras

GOD Bless you. Rev. Leonard K. Jones www.casaderoc.org

Home Away from Home

2011-04-04T08:51:00.001-07:00

We've been a week here in my home away from home. Today we'll board the plane and return to the US. It's always a bitter sweet morning. I'm eager to see Noah and Gina, and I know I will miss Jorge, Nahun, Edeña & my friends here.

This week we were able to visit two orphanages as well as visit the homes of several families in need. We met a pastor named Jorge Duran in Morazón. While in need of finishing the work on his church building, he asked us for financial help to minister to the poor people in his community. We taught several church leaders in Cusuna and ministered to the teenagers. We believe these are the future of Cusuna.

It was over three years since my last trip. I won't wait that long again. The work here is great. The friends are for life. And the joy is immeasurable. Join us. There is a place for you here. Your presence will make a difference in many lives, including your own. You can find more information and sign up for our next trip at WVIW.com.

Travis Moffitt
Worldwide Voice In the Wilderness
wviw.com

Mobilizing Teams to Reach Neglected & Forgotten Communities Around the World

Zoila Martinez in Morazan Yoro, Honduras, C.A

2011-03-29T12:16:00.001-07:00

> Here is a family we met on our way to Cusuna Honduras.

> Zoila and her family live here in one of the absolutely poorest villages in Honduras.

> She just got released from the hospital after a month long stay. Her children live here with her and she is supported in part by our friend Jorge. Jorge brought us here and we were able to pray with her and her children.
> > Please pray for Zoila and her Children. They have many needs and prayer requests. > > Thank you > > .
> >

> > > >

> > >

Chinese food in Honduras

2011-03-29T12:04:00.001-07:00

Jorge y Javier

It seems once again that all worlds collide in Honduras. We've spent the last few days touring north central Honduras guided by our fearless driver and host Jorge Amador. It's been a treat to enter the homes of the people, see their smiling faces and enjoy their hospitality. We started Zoila's house. She has one leg and five children. She also had the warmest smile and most incredible faith. From their we visited a church needing walls. It's been under construction for five years. When complete it will be about 2000 square feet and serve as a church home or it's 50 or so members. When we asked the pastor (also named Jorge) what was his greatest need, he stated he need funds to help the poor in his area. We finished yesterday at Casa de Cielo, an orphanage founded and run by Papa (Leonard) and Mama Jones. Today they house 24 children ages 6 months to 6 years. They have a teen aged girl coming in a few days. They are already at capacity with more children on the way. They request your prayers. You can learn more at www.casaderoc.org. Today we'll make one more stop in Trujillo and finish our day in Cusuna. I can't wait to see Nahun and Edeña again. Now we're have Chinese food for lunch. Great food. Great friends. Man, this is the life. Stay tuned for more at travismoffitt.com and wviw.com. Thank you for your prayers and support. Travis

Casa de Cielo in Honduras

2011-03-29T11:54:00.001-07:00

Here are just a few pictures from the children's home we visited. This is not an orphanedge but a long term discipleship program in which the children here are considered family and will grow and learn together forever. Papa Jones pictured here, is the visionary and founder of this wonderful home. Together with his family and directed by God he is making a difference in the lives of 24 children which will in turn change the entire nation of Honduras for the better. Please pray for their ministry and visit their website to find out more. Http://www.casaderoc.org

Thanks

See the full gallery on Posterous

Javier Mendoza
Worldwide Voice In the Wilderness
WVIW.com
2147254352

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One Final Step

2011-03-26T09:01:00.001-07:00

It's been said that "The longest journey starts with a single step." I would ad that it ends the same way, one single step to the finish.

Today we make those final steps on our journey of preparation for Honduras. I'm off to the store to buy peanut butter and children's cold medicine for an orphanage we'll visit. Then I'll spend some quality time with the family. Javier, I'm sure is sending out some last minute media files and WVIW.com publications then time with Danielle and Saige.

There is still one final step. Part of our preparations include funding for this trip. So many friends have partnered with us financially. We have made many steps together. The final step is that we need to raise $600 by Monday. A gift of any amount today will help us all make this final step. You can give online at WVIW.com.

Will you walk with us today? Will you help us take this last step of preparation so we can begin a new journey on Monday, in Honduras?

Thank you.

Travis Moffitt
Worldwide Voice In the Wilderness
wviw.com

Mobilizing Teams to Reach Neglected & Forgotten Communities Around the World

WVIW Feeding Five Thousand Cusuna Honduras

2011-03-23T13:08:00.001-07:00

We leave for Cusuna, Honduras in less than a week and are asking for you to keep Javier Mendoza and myself in your prayers. Please watch the video and leave us your comments and prayers. We just received a new request for food and medications totaling about $150 and would like to request your help in making a donation that will specifically go towards this special request. Please visit WVIW.com to make your donation today. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gwf2lRXGLbE&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Travis Moffitt Worldwide Voice In the Wilderness WVIW.com

My Birthday Wish

2011-03-20T13:22:00.001-07:00

Today is my birthday. YIPPEE! Already so many friends and family have expressed their well wishes. I am blessed to have such great people in my life.

As a child, the question always came, "What would you like for your birthday?" Even now as a grown kid I still make a mental list. Hmm, let's see: iPad, iPhone 4, new laptop, new travel backpack, pecan pie.

These would all be nice. But this year I have a different gift idea making the top of my list. My wish is for you to sow seed into those in the most need and by doing so, position yourself to be blessed.

The Bible says when you give to the poor, you lend to the Lord; and He always repays. Right now there are two areas of the world heavy on my heart: Honduras and Japan.

In just a few days Javier Mendoza and I will be traveling to Honduras to bless the poor and train leaders. Today, thousands in Japan face the threats of homelessness, hunger, and radiation poison.

You can help.

You can make my birthday wish come true by giving to one or both of these efforts today at WVIW.com. Your gift is personal to me; it's personal to God; and it will be personal to those in need.

Thank you for a wonderful birthday.

God bless you.

Travis Moffitt
Worldwide Voice In the Wilderness
wviw.com

Mobilizing Teams to Reach Neglected & Forgotten Communities Around the World

Hero of the Faith

2011-03-19T12:38:00.001-07:00

I just got off the phone with one of my dearest friends, Jorge Amador of El Progresso, Honduras. I like to say he's my twin. Sort of.

Jorge hosts teams of missionaries from the US into Honduras and takes them to Cusuna. He leaves his family for up to two weeks at a time to make the seven hour drive by bus. He does this up to a dozen times a year. This type of work makes it very difficult for him to find a regular job for income between these trips.

Today he is traveling again with another team. On march 28th he'll host Javier and I. He has recently suffered several terrible life tragedies and yet he continues to serve. He himself is in need of several basic items yet on every call he speaks to me of a disabled lady who needs food. He wants us to buy food for her. I want to buy food for him.

I've known Jorge since 2004 and I've never seen him put himself before others. I've yet to hear him request aid for himself at the expense of others. He truly has the heart of a servant.

Part of our trip next week will include blessing Jorge. I'm sure we will visit the lady he has spoken to us about. I'm sure we will bless him by buying her some food. I also know we will financially, emotionally, and spiritually bless Jorge. After all, he is my friend and a true Hero of the Faith.

If you would like to be a part of this blessing please pray for our trip. We travel from March 28th through April 4th. Please also consider supporting this effort. We need to raise $2000 to complete our funding. This will allow us to give to these and others in Honduras.

Thank you and may God bless you.

Travis Moffitt
Worldwide Voice In the Wilderness
wviw.com

Mobilizing Teams to Reach Neglected & Forgotten Communities Around the World

Hero of the Faith

2011-03-19T07:35:00.001-07:00

I just got off the phone with one of my dearest friends, Jorge Amador of El Progresso, Honduras. I like to say he's my twin. Sort of.

I've known Jorge since 2004 and I've never seen him put himself before others. I've yet to hear him request aid for himself at the expense of others. He truly has the heart of a servant.

Thank you and may God bless you.

Travis Moffitt
Worldwide Voice In the Wilderness
wviw.com

Mobilizing Teams to Reach Neglected & Forgotten Communities Around the World

Japan Relief Fund UPDATE via Dale Yerton of WME

2011-03-18T07:27:00.001-07:00

Please read below the email update we have received from Dale Yerton, of WME. We are pleased to be partnering along side this world changing ministry and all money raised for Japan through our websites will be forwarded to WME for immediate distribution along with several dozen other churches. Together we will make a difference in the lives of those affected by this tragedy. Dear Fellow Minister,
Many of you are asking what WME is doing to help with the major disaster in Japan. We are requesting on either March 20 or 27, that you receive a special offering toward the Japanese Relief Effort and send it to the WME office. Please designate the offering for Japan. Julie, our office administrator, will be sending special instructions for those of you who want to make electronic donations.
We have two WME ministers who have valuable contacts in Japan, Rev. Eric Kurfman and Rev. Hin Hiong Khoo. In addition, last January, I was introduced to Pastor Masaharu Misaka, who oversees the network of Japanese churches called Next Town Mission. He is a beloved and greatly respected leader among his people and has excellent connections with pastors from Honshu Island, which is the northern area most affected from the earthquake and tsunami.
I have been in communication with Pastor David Bell of Destiny Church in San Antonio who introduced me to Pastor Misaka, and he has assured me that 100% of our offerings will go directly to the victims of the earthquake. Pastor Bell also suggested it would be a great encouragement to the Japanese people, if you would send a short encouraging statement to the Japanese pastors along with your offering. We will forward your message to the Japanese churches.This is a great opportunity to show the Japanese people that God cares about them. By working through the Japanese churches and pastors, we can give a clear witness of the love of Christ toward hurting people. Again, simply receive a special offering for Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami Relief and send it to the WME office.We promise you that 100% will be sent to the people in Japan and that the local pastors will oversee the distribution to those with the greatest needs.I thank you in advance for your help.
Yours for HIS Kingdom,
Dale Yerton
Executive Director of World Missions
Worldwide Missionary Evangelism

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Japan Relief Fund UPDATE via Dale Yerton of WME

2011-03-17T13:17:00.001-07:00

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WVIW Help for Japan

2011-03-16T13:55:00.001-07:00

At WVIW we have established the Japan Relief Fund to allow you to make a difference right now. Be assured that 100% of your funds will be connected directly to Christian workers on the ground in Japan and distributed to those in greatest need.

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WVIW.com

Japan Relief Fund

Japan needs our help

We are all becoming very familiar with the names of towns and communities in Northern Japan. As the evening news rolls footage of crashing waves, floating buildings, and exploding power plants, our hearts are grieved. For some of us, these events may seem so far away and so overwhelming that personal impact appears impossible.
At Worldwide Voice In The Wilderness we are taking this tragic event personal. We are committed to making a difference in Japan. Through my roll as the Missions Director of the Ministerial Association of Jesus Christ (MAJC) and in partnership with World Missions and Evangelism (WME) we are making contact with a local pastor in one of the hardest hit areas. We plan to leverage these relationships to maximize impact in this area of the world.

Will You Join Us.

Here is how You Can help Japan: Plans are being made now and will continue to evolve as the needs are clarified. The first obvious step is funding for immediate relief. At WVIW we have established the Japan Relief Fund to allow you to make a difference right now. Be assured that 100% of your funds will be connected directly to Christian workers on the ground in Japan and distributed to those in greatest need.

To give go to WVIW.com click the donate button and fill in your gift amount for the Japan Relief Fund. Or you can mail a gift to WVIW, P.O. Box 740273, Dallas, TX 75374.

Help us make a difference in Japan today.

Thank You
Travis Moffitt
Worldwide Voice in the Wilderness
WVIW.com
(214) 762-0054

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Honduras, With or Without You

2011-03-16T09:12:00.001-07:00

I have had few greater joys than being a part of winning an entire people group for Jesus.

When we first visited Cusuna, Honduras, the Garifuna people there were less than 1% Christian. At last count around 2.5% of their populous count themselves for Christ. While still a long way from saturation, this is incredibly encouraging growth.

A multi-layered plan is being executed among the Garifuna right now. This plan includes the building of a fish farm, planting new churches, training leaders, and impacting the next generation. At WVIW our primary roles include assistance with church planting and training leaders.

In 12 days Javier Mendoza and I will travel to Cusuna to train leaders and share several new church planting strategies. We believe the impact and reward will be eternal.

We want you to join us.

The Bible says the one goes and the one who sends share the same reward. So we invite you to be our sender.

We need $2000 to complete the funding of this trip. Several partners have already given and our tickets have already been purchased. We are going! You partnership connects you to this effort. It connects you to saving lives and winning a nation for Jesus.

We also need your prayers. Cusuna is a spiritually dark place engaged in an intense battle. You prayers make it possible for these lost souls to come to salvation.

We travel from March 28th through April 4th. Please give today at WVIW.com. Please begin praying today.

Thank you for going with us.

God bless you.

Suggested gift amounts:

$1000 - World Changer

$500 - Church Planter

$250 - Leadership Builder

$100 - Soul Winner

Prayer needs:

Complete funding

Clarity and Encouragement

Safe travel

Anointing to break generational curses

Multiplication of churches

Saturation of the Garifuna with the Gospel of Jesus Christ

Travis Moffitt
Worldwide Voice In the Wilderness
wviw.com

Mobilizing Teams to Reach Neglected & Forgotten Communities Around the World

Honduras, With or Without You

2011-03-16T09:06:00.001-07:00

I have had few greater joys than being a part of winning an entire people group for Jesus.

In 12 days Javier Mendoza and I will travel to Cusuna to train leaders and share several new church planting strategies. We believe the impact and reward will be eternal.

We want you to join us.

The Bible says the one goes and the one who sends share the same reward. So we invite you to be our sender.

We also need your prayers. Cusuna is a spiritually dark place engaged in an intense battle. You prayers make it possible for these lost souls to come to salvation.

We travel from March 28th through April 4th. Please give today at WVIW.com. Please begin praying today.

Thank you for going with us.

God bless you.

Suggested gift amounts:

$1000 - World Changer

$500 - Church Planter

$250 - Leadership Builder

$100 - Soul Winner

Prayer needs:

Complete funding

Clarity and Encouragement

Safe travel

Anointing to break generational curses

Multiplication of churches

Saturation of the Garifuna with the Gospel of Jesus Christ

Travis Moffitt
Worldwide Voice In the Wilderness
wviw.com

Mobilizing Teams to Reach Neglected & Forgotten Communities Around the World

Once Again …

2011-03-15T06:43:00.001-07:00

It always amazes me to see how God marry's just the right team with those in need of care. Once again He did exactly this last weekend at the Worldwide Voice In The Wilderness Marriage Retreat for TDCJ Staff.

The WVIW Team had the privilege of hosting 15 married couples at an East Texas retreat center. We spent three days pouring out our hearts and lives to care for these couples living and working in such a stressful environment.

The studies have clearly stated that prison employees carry one of the greatest stress levels of all professions. They typically experience higher levels of suicide, drug use and divorce. Our team shared testimonies of overcoming each of these issues and more through the power of Jesus Christ.

One man stated it this way, "I know how to be a man. I don't know how to be a husband."

Ephesians 5 gives us a model of wives honoring their husbands and husbands laying down their lives for their wives. This truth hit home with each spouse. On Saturday evening, every couple committed to follow this pattern. We were all blessed and encouraged.

Once again God showed up. Once again he brought the right team together. Once again lives were changed and marriages were saved.

Travis Moffitt
Worldwide Voice In the Wilderness
wviw.com

Mobilizing Teams to Reach Neglected & Forgotten Communities Around the World

Once Again …

2011-03-15T06:40:00.001-07:00

One man stated it this way, "I know how to be a man. I don't know how to be a husband."

Once again God showed up. Once again he brought the right team together. Once again lives were changed and marriages were saved.

Travis Moffitt
Worldwide Voice In the Wilderness
wviw.com

Mobilizing Teams to Reach Neglected & Forgotten Communities Around the World

Somewhere in the Middle of Nowhere

2011-03-11T10:49:00.001-08:00

We arrived last night to what feels like the middle of nowhere. We must be at least 50 miles from the nearest interstate. The closest town consists of a bar-b-que restaurant, a craft store and a Brookshire's. I haven't seen a Starbucks or a gas station for a while.

We're here in East Texas with seven other WVIW Team Member couples for a Marriage Retreat. Today 15 or so staff members from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) and their spouses will arrive at this nowhere place to spend the weekend with us.

We'll share testimonies of how God has healed us from drug abuse, alcoholism, suicide and criminal activities of all kinds. We'll tell stories of God's grace in times of joy and sadness. We'll recount how He stepped into our lives at just the right moment to rescue us from ourselves and those who have harmed us.

Our prayer is that through our presence and the offering of our lives, an atmosphere will be created where the Holy Spirit can heal others.

And turn this nowhere into somewhere that God shows up.

Thank you for your prayers.

Stay connected at http://WVIW.com.

Travis Moffitt
Worldwide Voice In the Wilderness
wviw.com

Mobilizing Teams to Reach Neglected & Forgotten Communities Around the World

Somewhere in the Middle of Nowhere

2011-03-11T10:48:00.001-08:00

Our prayer is that through our presence and the offering of our lives, an atmosphere will be created where the Holy Spirit can heal others.

And turn this nowhere into somewhere that God shows up.

Thank you for your prayers.

Stay connected at http://WVIW.com.

Travis Moffitt
Worldwide Voice In the Wilderness
wviw.com

Mobilizing Teams to Reach Neglected & Forgotten Communities Around the World

TDCJ Staff Marriage Retreat

2011-03-10T15:09:00.001-08:00

Podcast.m4a Listen on Posterous

Get the updates live for the WVIW Marriage Retreat for TDCJ Staff at http://WVIW.com.

TDCJ Staff Marriage Retreat

2011-03-10T15:06:00.001-08:00

Podcast.m4a Listen on Posterous

Get the updates live for the WVIW Marriage Retreat for TDCJ Staff at http://WVIW.com.

Final preparations for Honduras

2011-03-08T16:20:00.001-08:00

Friends,

Many of you know that in just a few weeks, Javier Mendoza and I will be flying to Cusuna, Honduras. There, we will spend three days with the leaders (both Christian and non-Christian) of this remote village. We will share Godly leadership principles and the love of Jesus Christ.
We will also work side by side with Nahun Flores, our local pastor partner, reviewing several new church planting concepts to help in his efforts to plant new churches among the Garifuna people.
Our team will include a Honduran Agricultural Engineer who will review and advice on the condition and progress of the fish farm in Cusuna. This fish farm is desperately needed to positively impact the food conditions among the Garifuna children.
And we will share the Gospel. Unashamedly and boldly, we will bring the Kingdom of God to Cusuna.
We need your help!
So many have given towards this effort already and we are grateful and encouraged. Today, we need to raise $2000 to complete the funding for this effort. I believe you can help us. A gift of any amount moves us one needed step closer to Cusuna. If you can give $1000 please do so today. If you can give $500 or $250 please do so today. If you can give $100 or $50.
You will be sowing a seed into a community and a people who need the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Thank you.
You can give online at http://WVIW.com or by check made out to WVIW, PO Box 740273, Dallas, TX 75374
Travis Moffitt
Worldwide Voice In the Wilderness
wviw.com

Mobilizing Teams to Reach Neglected & Forgotten Communities Around the World

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Feeding 5000 in Honduras

2011-02-21T22:36:00.000-08:00

Along the north coast of Honduras lie a string of remote villages. The Garifuna people living there are both welcoming and isolated. Inhabiting one of the most beautiful areas of the world in a condition of extreme poverty is paradoxical and tragic.

In the middle of this chain of communities is the village of Cusuna. A place I have visited numerous times. The 5000 or so residents of Cusuna have a problem: they are starving. The are starving physically and spiritually. Due to several factors, there is a harsh shortage of protein-rich foods in Cusuna. Due to their history and decades of distorted teaching, there is a harsh shortage of truth in Cusuna. Many Garifuna children will go several days in a row with no protein in their diet all the while they will learn of ancestral spiritualism and worship of the dead. They are starving.

At Worldwide Voice In the Wilderness, we are committed to making a difference in this largely unreached people group. We are working as part of an ongoing fish farm project that will provide food for the children of Cusuna. Our part also includes training current and future community leaders to honor God and church leaders to plant more churches that will impact Cusuna and the neighboring communities.

We need you help.

Alive in God

2011-02-20T23:00:00.000-08:00

I was buried with Christ in baptism and now I am walking in newness of life, knowing that my old nature was crucified with Him so that I should no longer be a slave to sin. I reckon myself to be dead indeed to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus my Lord.
[based on Romans 6:4-6, 11]

From the Rhema app for iPhone.

Lessons from my son Noah

2010-05-05T09:27:00.000-07:00

A few days ago Gina and I were eating at a local restaurant with our 8 month old son Noah. Towards the end of the meal Noah picked up a paper napkin and started pulling it with both hands. ("Paper napkin?" OK, so it was not a finer establishment.) Anyway, he pulled a few times and then suddenly ... RIP!

I hooped and hollered! I made a big to-do about him tearing that napkin. He laughed. He's got such a big laugh for such a little guy. I laughed and the meal went on.

A moment later I looked and noticed Noah pulling on the napkin again. He would pull and then look up to see my response. Well of course I would just go crazy with each pull. It became clear that he was looking for his father's praise.

I wonder, "What things to I do for my Father's praise?" Do I expect Him to go crazy for me over the simplest things or do I feel the need to do something extraordinary? Is He pleased with me only if I'm preaching or leading a mission trip or leading someone to Christ? Or is He delighted in me simply by my living each simple ordinary day for Him?

Zephaniah 3:17 says:
"The Lord your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing.”

Today remember that He delights in you. He loves you. He is pleased with you. He even rejoices over you with singing. You are His and He is very happy about that.

Please pray for Wade

2010-03-27T19:30:00.001-07:00

Please send out a prayer request to everyone for my 3 year old nephew Wade Sharp. He has 3 broken bones in as many years. He was diagnosed Friday with juvenile osteoporosis. We are praying and believing God for a total healing confirmed with a new diagnosis and no more broken bones. He is seeing a specialist on May 31st. Please join us by agreeing for his complete healing. Please also pray for his parents Michael and Emily Sharp.
Thank you.

Travis Moffitt
Worldwide Voice In the Wilderness
Associate Director
P.O. Box 740273
Dallas, TX 75374
(214) 234-6009
www.wviw.com

A Child-like Love

2010-02-24T08:47:00.001-08:00

Noah, my one and only son, will turn six months old next week. He is amazing. He is healthy and becomes more alert and aware of his ever growing world with each passing day.

Gina and I have a little wake up routine we practice with him each morning. When we hear him begin to move around in his crib, we make our way quietly into his room. We begin by softly saying his name, "Noah. Noah. It's time to wake up."

Just a few steps and suddenly his handsome face appears just over the wall of his bed. Bright-eyed and gazing up at us with such expectation, such hope, such excitement. I will lean over and he will reach up with his little hands to my face as if to say "Good morning daddy. I knew you were coming for me."

That's when I saw it: A Child-like Love. His eyes are full of pure love every morning. A love I'm sure I do not deserve. A love I'm sure I need. He gazes at me, pearcing through to the core of my being with such a simple understanding and expectation of goodness from me. It's like he already knows he can count on me. I don't have to even do anything for it. He just gives love with such faith.

Jesus said, "Unless you accept God's Kingdom with the simplicity of a child, you will never get." (Mark 10:15 The Message)

I began to wonder, do I look at God the way that Noah looks at me? Do I gaze up every morning with a child-like love at my Heavenly Father's face the way Noah gazes into his earthly father's face? Do I trust the love of my God to care for me with simple faith or have I become to clouded with worry and want?

I heard it said recently that God wants us to seek His face not just His hands. That He will bless and provide for us because He promised that He would but what He longs for is intimacy. My son knows that I am going to feed him and clothe him and nurture him because that is what I do After all, I am his father. Have I allowed myself to also believe these truths of my Father?

So today I am learning from my son. I am learning that A Child-like Love is simple: Love God for who He is. Take Him at His word. Seek His face daily with the bright-eyed excitement of a child.

Travis Moffitt

The Path to Peace

2010-01-14T21:47:00.000-08:00

Phillipians 4:6 & 7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

In todays day and time it is easy to wake up anxious, go through the day anxious, and go to sleep anxious. Today the news states that some 3 million people in Haiti are need of relief after a devestating earthquake. Several days ago a would be airplane bomber failed to properly detinate his weapon of destruction. Unemployment in the United States as well as in many other countries is the highest its been in decades. The circumstances around us continue to give us a single command: be anxious.

Be anxious about your life. Be anxious about your job. Be anxious about your future. Who knows what calamity may befall you so you might as well be anxious.

Websters Dictionary states that the word "anxious" comes from the Latin "anxius" which is akin to the Latin word "angere" which means "to strangle."

Anxiety in our lives has 1 purpose. To strangle us. To choke us so that we can not breathe. We can not speak. We can not move. When we are anxious about any area we become focused on that thing to exclusion of all else. It chokes us and strangles us pulling us from the rest of our lives.

God has a plan for anxiety. In Phillipians we are given a clear path to guard our lives from the damage of anxiety.

First of all we are directed to pray. I've heard it said that "prayer changes things." How true this is, especially when I am the thing that is changed.

Secondly the Bible says to petition God. God our Father invites us to ask Him to meet our needs. In fact it shows our faith when we ask Him instead of attempting to meet our needs on our own.

Third, we are to take these steps with thanksgiving. We can gratefully approach God for all He has done and all that He is about to do for us.

Finally, present your needs to Him. All to often we are aware of our needs yet we hold them as a "silent prayer." God is avalable to us. We must then approach Him and voice our needs.

The amazing result of this path of peace is its destination. These steps come with a promise. Verse 7 assures us that the peace of God will guard us Even if this peace seems to make no sense in accordance with our circumstances. God promises us that His peace will guard our hearts and minds. He will keep us from being strangled by our anxiety.

So pray and petition God today. With thanksgiving present your needs to Him. He wants to guard you.

Moses pt 4 - Equipped

2009-12-21T21:49:00.001-08:00

Exodus 4:2
Then the LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?"

"Who am I that I should go..." This was Moses' question. God had personally called Moses out to fullfill his life's destiny and all Moses could do was express his own personal feelings of inadequacy.

In his banter back and forth with God, Moses continually gave God reasons why he was not equipped for the job.

"If they question me, how will I answer them?"(Ex. 3:13)

"What if they don't believe me?"(Ex. 4:1)

"I am slow of speech."(Ex. 4:10)

Three times Moses tried to explain to God why he was not the man for the job. Three times he described why he did not have what it took to deliver the Hebrew nation from the hand of the Egyptians. And three times God answered him.

The theme of God's answers can be summed up in one question from God. "What is that in your hand?" God pointed out what Moses already possessed.

To Moses' worry of how the Hebrew leaders might question him, God gave Moses His name. The name of God in this story was reiterated over and over again to express God's personal and present hand of deliverance. God Himself was a companion that Moses already had. God had appeared to Moses' fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacod and promised Himself to their decendants forever. God was already present in Moses' life.

To Moses' doubt that the Hebrews wouldn't believe him, God pointed out Moses' staff as a medium to express God's power. Moses was now working as a shephard. His staff is the one thing that Moses would have always had with him. God knew this. God knew what Moses had in his hand.

To Moses fear that his speech would not be appropriate for Pharoah, God reminded Moses of who had created his mouth in the first place. At Moses' persistence, God even appointed his brother Aaron to speak for him. A family member of Moses in place before the burning bush

God equipped Moses with tools and gifts that Moses already possessed. By birth Moses was already in covenant relationship with God. By trade Moses already had a staff. By creation Moses already had a mouth. And by heritage Moses already had a brother.

God knew these things. God did not casually use what was in Moses' life out of convience. God had a plan to use those things that had been planted in Moses' life from years before.

How often do we explain to God the reasons that we are ill-equipped for the task He gives us. How often do we overlook our own equipping, all the while God is busy making us ready for every good work.

The reality is this: You and I already have everything we need to do what God has called us to do. You and I are already equipped for every good work. You and I have already been given gifts from God to carry out His mission for our lives.

He has given us Himself and His name. In so doing He has ordained us and declared us as ambassadors of His Kingdom.

He has given us a staff. A means to express His great power. This may be some ability you have through which God can magnify Himself.

He has given us our own created bodies. However imperfect they may seem to us, they are perfect for His work.

He has even given us our family and friends to help carry the message.

As you look to the task ahead, rest assured that in Christ you truly have what it takes. You are equipped so step out in obedience and faith and trust in the One who has equipped you.

Moses pt 3 - From fear to FAITH

2009-12-14T15:37:00.000-08:00

Hebrews 11:27
By faith he (Moses) left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.

Have you ever walked in fear? Have you ever wished you had more faith? Have you ever wondered how you can move from fear to faith? Moses' life can show us the path.

When Moses was forty years old he killed an Egyptian in an effort to relieve the burden being put on the Hebrew people. Once Pharaoh knew of his actions, he set out to kill Moses. Moses fled to the wilderness as a fugitive in fear for his life.

Moses made a grave mistake. Now he sought refuge in the anonymity of the wilderness. He ran to where he was not known.

But God. (What a wonderful phrase.) But God was very aware of where Moses was and who Moses was. God watched over Moses very carefully and when the time was right, God brought him back. Back to Egypt Back to the place of his transgression.

Hebrews speaks of when Moses lead the people out with no fear of king. How is this possible? How could Moses have left in fear for his life and then leave again with the entire Hebrew nation and have no fear of the king?

The answer lies at the end of Hebrews 11:27: "...because he saw HIM who was invisible." Moses had a burning bush encounter with God. God had shown up in Moses' life and Moses did not turn away. In fact the Bible says that when Moses saw the burning bush he turned towards it to investigate. God revieled himself to Moses and that made all the difference.

A man on the run. Aren't we all? It seems like so many people are moving forward in an effort to distance themselves from something in their past.

But God. But God is calling us out. He is exposing us. Not to the world in shame but to himself. God is offering His face to us. This is our burning bush opportunity. We are to look into His face. We are to investigate Him more. We are to press into Him.

He is calling each one of us into a work that may seem to like much. He is asking of us more than we can give. He may even be calling us back to our place of transgression to lead out those still trapped. How can we do this? How can we move from fear to FAITH? Because we have seen the one who is invisible.

Look into His face today and be filled with Faith.

Moses pt 2 - Destiny, Now or Never?

2009-12-08T21:45:00.000-08:00

Acts 7:23-25 He (Moses) saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to his defense and avenged him by killing the Egyptian. Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not.

On the stage of life, just as on the stage of theater, timing is everything. The right line; the punch line at the wrong time can ruin the entire performance. The right words, wrongly placed can cause harm and confusion. Such is the case of Moses' first attempt to fulfill his destiny.

From before his birth, Moses had been set aside for this exact purpose: to deliver the Hebrews from Egypt in a way that would display God's mighty power. At his birth his mother recognized that he was special. Timing. At three months of age Pharaoh's daughter had compassion on him. Timing. And at forty he murdered a man to fulfill the call of God on his life. Again, timing.

How is it that Moses' destiny, while true and sure, would lead him down such a path so contrary to the God who had destined him? TIMING.

Moses had a God-given purpose; a calling; a destiny. There are many elements that make up a destiny.
Passion. Moses was obviously passionate about his destiny. So much so that he would take the life of another man to live in that passion.
Value of others. Moses risked his own life to rescue his Hebrew brother.
Connection. After all Moses was a Hebrew.
And Timing. God's Timing.

What Moses possessed in these first three elements, he lacked in Timing. In lacking Timing he showed that he lacked trust in God. God is the one who had placed this calling on Moses' life in the first place. God is the one who had spared Moses' life. God is the one who had given him the passion, and value for others, and his connection.

Somewhere along the way Moses chose to follow the Calling instead of the Caller. Moses chose to be controlled by his destiny instead of entrusting his future into the hands of the one who created that future. He literally took matters into his own hands. In so doing, he rushed ahead of God's Timing and set out to free the Hebrew nation in his own Timing. His rhythm was off. His feet were out of step. He rushed the punch line. It cost a man his life and Moses' own people were confused by his actions.

Thank God for Timing. Thank God for Grace. Through Grace, God gave Moses another opportunity to live in his calling. When Moses learned to lay down his own life, God reached into his heart and pulled up all those things that had been planted so deep. Things Moses was sure were gone forever. Things Moses was sure he had buried in the sand with the dead Egyptian. But with God Calling remains, Grace restores and Timing is set right again.

Moses pt 1 - Who am I?

2009-11-30T18:54:00.001-08:00

Exodus 2:11
But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?"

This is an amazing question to God from Moses. Moses, an Isrealite man who had grown up in the house of Pharoah. A man of great learning and power. A man of a chosen people. A man called by God.

From an outside perspective Moses should have been experiencing the best of all that could have been available to him at that time in history. His people by birth had been given a unique covenant relationship with the Creator of the universe. Then, at the time of their bondage, Moses was litterally plucked out into the home of their captors. He was brought into the house of power as a son of the ruling family. He could now share in the Heavenly relationship and the worldly power. Not a common place for a man to find himself.

Moses lived in this unique role as a man broken and on the run. He lived behind the protections of distance and anonymity guarding his life from danger and his heart from fear. Until this day.

This day that God would call him out of his safe place; his comfort zone. God called Moses to a task that I believe had lived in Moses' heart for some 80. As a young age (or at least younger than this day), Moses felt a sense of destiny to liberate his own people. He felt their pain and anguish. He felt their cry to God. He must have felt it, and felt it very passionately. After all, something drove him to murder.

But here Moses gives the answer of a defeated man: "Who am I that I should go...?" Why me? What do I have to offer? How can I be of any good to God's cause? What a lowly question. What a question, or rather a statement of low self value. God had hand picked Moses and clearly Moses questioned God's choice.

I think Moses' true problem was a crisis of identity. At the core was his real question: Who am I? Moses had lived his first 40 years between two worlds. He had lived these last 40 years in a third. Once a prince, now a rancher; not even a rancher; a ranch hand for his father-in-law. Where was his dignity? Where was his adventure? Where was his drive? I believe it was buried in the sand with the Egyptian he murdered 40 years earlier. I believe it was still swimming in the river where his mother left him in the reeds. Now before the burning bush was the shell of the man they used to call Moses, Prince of Egypt.

Bus blog 11/04/09

2009-11-04T08:20:00.001-08:00

In my new role as the Associate Director of Worldwide Voice In the Wilderness, (http://www.wviw.com) I am taking public transportation 3+ times a week. Dallas has a pretty good network of busses and trains that can get me to just about anywhere in the city. The Dallas Area Rapid Transit or DART (http://www.dart.org) has become my new driver.
I've only ever taking a bus or train when I was a child in school or while traveling overseas. We did take the subway a few time a couple years ago in New York City, but that's still like being in another country.
The rest of the world lives on the public transit system. In Honduras there is some loudly decorated people mover coming by almost every highway and biway at a seemingly unending pace of regularity. In Barcelona you can catch an underground train to any part of the city, or take the regional train south to beach front towns like Sitges or north into France. Heck, you can ride a train all over Europe moving from country to country in just a few hours.
For some reason in the US we are still a little bit behind. Some cities like New York currently have a great system in place, but natioanl travel by train is still pretty far behind the rest of the world. Granted, you can fly anywhere in America that you want to, but some how traveling with others by plain is a little different. Especially when you're taking the train or bus in an urban setting.
If you've ever taken a public transport mode of commute then you are quickly made aware that you are traveling with the masses. And masses means everyone. There are as many different kinds of people on the bus as there are passengers. Everyone is there own unique individual. You get the business commuters with their smart business attire and tennis shoes. I love that. You get the truest techies. You know the ones with dockers, short sleeve button down shirts and calculator watches. You have the gang bangers (or at least the wanna be's) decked out with the side ways cap with the perfectly flat brim and a little bling to boot. And you get the homeless man who's probably riding to just be somewhere safe.
The intersting thing I'm noticing is that really, we're all the same. Same wants. Same desires. We all watch the schedule to make sure we're not late. We all bring something to read to pass the time. We all keep to ourselves. Except in those rare occasions when we've made a friend with the driver.
I observed just such a friend situation earlier today. A few stops after I got on the bus this morning, a lady came running to the bus. The driver waited for her and she jumped on, out of breath but with great appreciation for the driver waiting. "I'm late and I have to give a speech today in class."
Apparently the driver knew her from her regularity on this bus. After some small talk and a few questions the passenger and driver established that she was giving a persuasive speech on why people should loose weight. And so it began.
The passenger had studied her topic and had personal experience at loosing weight. The driver: an expert in all things health related. Each back and forth giving point after point as to what food items will make you fat. How America is making money off of people being fat and therefore does not truly want people to loose weight. How your body can't actually loose fat, only make your current fat cells smaller. On and on they went, not really having a conversation, just joisting back and forth in a seemingly unannounced competition as to who had the most and most correct fat buring info. A lot of talking and no listening. Or should I say, no hearing. Neither person felt or was actually heard. How tragic.
Steven Covey says that being heard is the emotional equivalent to oxygen. We all want to be heard. We all need to be heard. Here was a moment of human interaction where you could clearly see two starving people. Starving to be heard. So hungry that they could not hear another person, giving them what they each so desperately needed. They could only glutten themselves on the feast of their own words hoping someone on the other end would pick up the sound and satisfy their appetite.
I wondered after leaving that bus, how often I do the same thing. How often do I approach another human with my unheard appetite to feast on their ears? How often do I take and take and take time to tell my story without listening to theirs? How often do I put myself ahead of them to satisfy my own needs?
The Bible says, "give and it shall be given unto you." as a minister I teach the principles of reaping and sowing. Maybe I should learn to give "listening" so that it may be given back. Maybe then and only then will I be heard.
Think about it.

See you on the bus,

Travis & Gina Moffitt

The Power of Free

2009-04-29T11:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I noticed a wonderful sight on the evening news: Free Chicken at KFC! You have to understand that one of my first jobs ever was at a KFC. It was awesome. I could have all the free biscuits I could eat AND they paid me! Who could ask for anything more?
Yesterday was special though. KFC has a new grilled chicken item and they were giving away one piece per person. With a KFC right across the street from my work, I had to make a dinner run.
I expected a line but this was a little much. When I turned into the parking lot, sort-of, the tail of my car was still hanging out in the road. The drive through line was long and motionless. I spotted an open parking spot and quickly made my move. Already I could feel the excitement and challenge of getting to that chicken.
Inside the store was no different. There must have been twenty people in line waiting to order. Along the side filling every possible seat was another twenty or so people holding little pieces of paper. Each with a facial expression somewhere between aggrivation and anticipation.
I immediately began to worry. "Would I get my chicken? Would there be enough to go around? What were those pieces of paper? Did I need a ticket or some coupon from the newspaper?" I didn't really get the whole news story and so now the worry had set in.
I made my way to the end of the line and began to notice my fellow patrons of free. Everyone was there. Couples, singles, families, a lot of moms with there kids. I would do the same. As a new father to-be I thought about the power of a free meal for my child. Especially here, in this neighborhood. It is not what you would call an affluent neighborhood. I don't believe that this KFC was any more flooded than any other KFC any where else in Dallas, but I did wonder if this was an especially good blessing here.
I could feel my nervous excitement building as I got closer and closer to the counter. Finally it was my turn. I had so many questions. "Is this for real? Are you guys really giving away free chicken? Do I have to buy anything in order to get the free chicken?"
"May I help you?" the cashier asked with a weary voice.
"What do I get for free?" I asked.
"One piece of grilled chicken" she answered.
"It's not the meal? What about the sides and the biscuits?" I shot back at her. I just got here and I'm already working the system.
"Just one piece per person" she answered.
"I work just across the street. Can I get some for my co-workers?"
"They have to be here."
"Alright. One piece of chicken, side of mash potatos and two biscuits please."
Sixty seconds later I was sitting in a booth with the rest of my new friends, ticket in hand, waiting. Waiting for my mana from KFC Heaven. I was so excited. There was a new found since of pride as I watched the countless masses stream in and go hrough the same roller coast of excitement. A few folks asked what was going on. I was now in know and could easy reassure them that the rumors were indeed true. Free chicken abounds here. One piece per person, but you can order extra stuff if you want to.
I sat. I sat and I waited ... nine minutes. That's how long it takes to cook a tray of grilled chicken. Finally the next round of distrubution began. "Would I make the cut? Would they get to my number in this round or would I have to wait another nine minutes?" My mind was spinning. And who waits nine minutes for one piece of chicken anyway. Was this whole thing ridiculous or what. Surely my co-workers were going think I was crazy. Nine minutes for chicken?!?
Oh, that's my number they just called. I'm in! The lady packing my order then asked, "do you want some cole slaw?"
"How 'bout some more mash potatoes?" I said.
She disappeared for a second and return with my completed order: 1 piece of grilled chicken, 2 orders of mash potatos (I only paid for one), and 2 biscuits (I paid for both). She thrust a drink cup into my hand (free) and handed me my order. "Sorry for the wait."
I was almost in shock. Free chicken extra mash and a drink to boot. Whoa!!! Must be my lucky day.
I walked out of that KFC with a new found pride and excitement for life. Oh I had seen others leaving with a grin holding their little box protecting their free chicken treasure but this was now my chicken. I had taken the risk and won the prize.
I GOT MY FREE CHICKEN!!!
Once back at work all my co-workers came in to see and ask and get the story. I could see their desire to make a dinner run themselves but they all hesitated. No faith I guess.
Except one. He left and was back in 5 minutes. It took me more than 25 minutes. He returned empty handed. "That's crazy. I'm not waiting in THAT line just for a piece of chicken. I couldn't even get into the parking lot."
There was a quiet moment and then this co-worker made an interesting observation. "What if people came to Christ like that?"
What if?
What if the lines were so long you couldn't even get in the parking lot? What if the excitement was so great that you could hardly believe it to be real? What if you would wait an extrordinarily long time just get the meal you came for? Would you bring your kids? Would you tell others about the free offer of grace? Would you turn around and go home if the line was to long? Would I?
The power of free attracts people. Something for nothing. I got more free stuff than was even promised to me. I didn't have to buy anything. How much more do we have in the free gift of grace? And isn't it so much more than we ever even hoped it could be?
It was only a piece of chicken ... but it was free.

Confirmation

2009-04-20T18:57:00.001-07:00

Sermon preparation for me has always been a wonderful mix of hardwork, diligent study, and expectancy all rolled up in a big blanket of faith. Faith that what I feel in my heart as the timely word is indeed the word for the time.
There have been occassions when I had aboslute certainty that I had heard from Heaven. More often though there is a gentle sense that this word is correct and an exercising of faith that God has made Himself heard and that I'm hearing correctly. The challenge of this faith is that most times the confirmation of the impact of God's word through you is not made known until after the delivery. By then, if you missed the mark it's to late. You can't unpreach a sermon. I thank God that He has always been clear in His preparing me.
I experienced just such a time this past weekend. My father, my wife, and I had just spent three days at a wonderful missions conference and were on our way back to Dallas. First we had a scheduled stop at the Trustee Camp at the Michael's Unit Texas State Prison. I was the scheduled speaker for the evening service and found myself in prayer for the right words to speak. I seemed to only have a glimmer of the light of the message; just enough to keep me looking in the right direction but not enough to totally illuminate the way. I could just make out the next step but not much more than that.
I was directed to Acts 17:26 & 27. Paul was preaching in Athens and explaining that the God who created the universe also planned when and where each man and woman would live. This passage of scripture has been especially comforting to me as a means of providing more meaning to my life than just modern theories of universal chance.
In preparation my mind wondered to a hot Honduran afternoon where I found my self taking a swim on the Cusuna, Honduras beach with a few ministry friends and a small handfull of Cusuna children. My friend, an orthodontist from America, asked me, "Why do you think we were born in the USA with all the opportunities and privileges available to us, instead of being born here in Cusuna?" The answer lies in Acts: "so that men would seek Him."
A trustee camp is a little different than most other prison environments. There was no barded-wire, no guard towers, no heavy doors. There was a brown picket fence around the small yard more like one you would use restrain a puppy than one to restrain an inmate. There was one guard who checked us in and then we walked ourselves to the classroom where church was held. If the men were not all wearing the familiar white jump suite, you could easily forget that some previous action had caused them to be incarcerated.
We were immediately greated by a friendly man named Benett. He was cordual and handsom. He knew my father and seemed genuinely glad to see him. Next we met a man I'm sure I won't soon forget, Pastor Ray. Ray was a short young man full of joy. His personality was contageous without being overboard. One of those people who you just instantly like.
Ray was the pastor of this small flock, caring for his cobgregation as any loving pastor would. He was friendly, sincere, and volunerable. Not what you might expect from an prison inmate.
Several more men filed in. Each seemed friendly. Most greated us, some didn't. I'm not sure exactly when Rody came in. I don't remember seeing him until after the worship had started. He was a tall fit man who seemed very comfortable in his own skin.
I realy began to keep an eye on him once I began to preach. Of the 30 or so men in the room, Rody stood out to me. He maintained eye contact with me through the entire message but there was something else. He seemed to be very in tune with the message. I always believe that each message is crafted for someone in the audience, even if only for one someone. I wondered if maybe Rody, or Ray, or Benton was that someone.
After the message three men prayed to receive Jesus for the first time. What a great privilege it is to introduce someone to Jesus. Afterwards we gave a challenge for each man to seek God more than before, lest we become complacent. Almost every man in the room stood to their feet to answer the challenge. It was an amazing time to watch these men praise God with their whole hearts.
Finally we took some time to pray for Pastor Ray. These men gathered around us, joined hands, and sought God on behalf of their shephard.
I was already on cloud nine, but I had no idea what was still in store for this encounter. As we were greating the men and saying our goodbye's, Rody came up to shake my hand. We exchanged names and I said to him, "I believe God was speaking to you today." He stopped in his tracks and then invited me to follow him to his desk where his Bible lay.
Although choked up, he recounted to me this story:
"this morning I woke up at 4:00am asking myself, 'why am I here?' God lead me this passage of scripture." He pulled out a piece of paper where he had written out Acts 17:26 & 27, the very text of my message. His ability to speak became even more diminshed as he said, "It may seem selfish but I believe God sent you here to confirm His word just to me. He gave me this scripture but I really needed some confirmation."
I was floored. To be the answer to a prayer; and at the same time God was confirming His word to Rody He was confirming His word to me.
"Fear not for I am with you always."

Travis Moffitt
Associate Director
Worldwide Voice In The Wilderness
P.O. Box 740273
Dallas, TX 75374
www.wviw.com

Lane Murray Prison

2009-03-08T22:35:00.001-07:00

Gina & I spent part of the day in the Lane Murray Unit Woman's State Prison in Gatesville, TX today. We were there for a Sunday afternoon service. This was our second service (both in a woman's prison) since moving here to Texas. Each time has been pretty sobering.
Our team of 13 volunteers took about 20 minutes to pass through security. We each entered a small room outside the gate were we removed our shoes & pocket contents and then proceeded with a metal detector wand and pat-down search.
Once cleared we made our way, 6 at a time, through the first of several steel gates. This first gate was a heavy chain link door with razor wire at the top. It lead us into a small area about 4' by 4'. Another door, a short walk, 2 more steel doors and another security check point and all of a sudden we were inside.
As we walked down the quarter mile side walk called the "bowling ally" it became clear, that we were in another world. We had passed from the "free-world" into this other world of steel & concrete; order & rules; isolation & confinement.
We made our way into the large chapel at the end of the long walk. It was full of chairs and had a large mural of the sun rising painted on the wall behind the platform. Much like any you'd expect to see in just about any other church in America on a late Sunday afteroon. Empty, but ready. Ready for that life changing encounter brought on by the preaching of the Word of God.
It was my "time on the stump" as some might call it. I had been asked to bring the Word today. I was excited and quite humbled. I've learned through great teachers and my own errors that any opportunity to preached the gospel is a sacred treasure not to be taken lightly.
Our team prayed, discussed our program for the day and then waited. We waited for the C.O.'s (Correctional Officers) to decide it was time to begin. We were clearly on their schedule. Then through the back door came the first line of women. Moms, sisters, daughters, and grandmothers. Like any woman you may stand in line with at the grocery store. Like any soccer mom or PTA leader. Like any woman who may come to visit any church; your church. Gina leaned over and made this same observation. "There are all kinds of women here."
The women filed in, line after line, filling row after row. Most with big smiles; some with stone hard faces; all with hope. Even if not evident on the surface, you could feel the hope grow as each woman entered the room. Hope that somehow today could be different. Hope that this day could end better than it began. Even if they did not realize it themselves, they had hope that Jesus would be there.
Tammy Schafer lead us in 2 worship songs. Then my mother, Betty Moffitt, came and sang. Finally it was time. Time to bring the word. Time to delver the message I felt building in my heart since the day (only 4 days before) when I had been asked to speak. I felt I had one simple message: Forgiveness is Freedom.
I preached from the life of Joseph. How he had been betrayed by his brother, imprissoned by his employer, and forgotten by his friend. Later when given power over all of Egypt Joseph forgave his brothers in the tme of their greatest need. God has forgiven us, how can we not also offer forgiveness. The Lord's message today was, forgive each other so that you can receive His forgiveness and your heart can be set free.
A little different message than what I would expect for a prison, but I believe, God inspired. This was confirmed by the response. About 20 woman responded to give their lives to Christ for the first time. Afterwards, almost every hand of the approximately 200 women, was raised to God in response to an invitation to forgive someone in their life. Truly these incarcerated women found freedom today through the power of God working out forgiveness in their hearts.

Travis Moffitt

New Dad's Club

2009-03-04T18:47:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago my wife greeted me at the door with a small stuffed bunny. Not just any bunny but one that Gina purchased years ago as a gift for our child. At the time we were not even pregnant or trying to be; but even then there was a since that one day ...
Today my life is totally different. Not the circumstances as much as the mindset. It's amazing how much all the same things are now so different. For years people have told me that this would be the case, but the full understanding of this change did not occur until that wonderful day in January.
The way I eat is different. The way I drive is different. The way I look at other parents is different. The way I look at my parents is different.
In a starnge sort of way, I also feel some how inducted into a new fraternal order of men: fathers. As we have begun to make the BIG ANNOUNCEMENT so many people have offered kind congratulatory words. This has been wonderful and uniquely confirming of my new club status. There has been a new and wonderfully strange pride come over me as I tell my co-workers, "my wife and I are expecting." Many of these co-workers are already fathers, and I can immediately see the same shared pride in their eyes. As if to say, "welcome to the club."
I never knew such an organization of great paternal depth exsisted. Sure I've heard of the "proud pappa." I've seen my father-in-law walk proudly and stand tall with his children. I've watched my own father gush over me and my siblings, but never did I realize...
Even now I find it hard to truly describe the fullness of feeling, the width of warmth, the depth of devotion created in me by the simple knowledge that a new life is being formed and created and actually already exsists even now.
It's as though by just being here; by being a man, having a wife, and living life, God in His divine wisdom has seen fit to allow me to be a part of the miracle of the creation of life. A participation that I'm sure I am unworthy (and fear that I am unqualified) to enjoy.
A whole depth of manhood has now become mine. I have joined a new fraternity of men. I have graduated into a new Band of Brothers. I can feel it. I am already leaning heavily into it's embrace. Like a new strength, a new shield, a new banner, a new name.
This child is yet unborn and still, I am FATHER.

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!

2009-03-02T09:03:00.000-08:00

Make a Smilebox greeting

Why do we go to church?

2009-01-12T08:55:00.000-08:00

Why do people go to church?

Why do people get up early, put on our Sunday best, drive across town to come to a common building to ... what?

Why are we here?

Bustling in I watch people from all walks, with all walks and strides flow in to one stream like creeks brought together into one river.

Here at a postmodern down town church I see different faces but all somehow the same. Same type of "hip" dress code; same side cheek kiss; same polite over excided greeting; same coffee in hand. Heck, they serve the coffee here.

Across town I know there's a more traditional church where everyone is uniquely dress in the same suit for men and dress for women; hugs and hellos abound. Handshakes and surface updates about the weeks work, the kids, the nice things. All this as we continue to walk towards those big open double doors guarded by two smiling individuals dressed appropriately, armed with a name tag and a "good morning"; maybe a program in hand. The music has started. The lights are low, or not depending on the neighborhood. There's a man up ahead waiving us forward to two seats in the middle of a row of strangers, and I wonder "why are they here?"

Why do these people have to be on this row with these two empty seats? Who are these people any way and what strange serious of unfortunate events has lead them to this building, to this row, on this Sunday? Why are they here? For that matter, why am I here? Why do we go to church?

I know the theological answer. The Bible says not to forsake the gathering of ourselves together. In other words, don't isolate yourself from the rest of the community of those who believe in Jesus. I also know the worship based answer. There is truly something amazing about a group of people together in one room, joined by the harmony of the music joined in song to sing praises to God. As well, I understand the teaching aspect (it is healthy to hear the Bible taught) and the social aspect (it is good to fellowship with friends) but why am I here?

I wonder what is the real reason this middle-aged man in the red shirt is here; or the young man in the gray sweater, or the pregnant lady, or the older couple? What got them up this morning, got them dressed, got them in their car, and into this room to sit here by me?

Was it his mama? As a child, did his mama roust him from bed every Sunday morning with more varicosity than a school day? Did she throw him in the shower, wrestle his clothes on and fight his boyish hair into place with unrelenting determination? Did she literally drag him out of the car and into the nursery with such consistency that the experience is now burned into the core of his being? Would he feel distant from God or in some violation of his mother's memory if he just skipped today?

Why is she here? Is it her friends? is this an opportunity to show off a new coat, a new hat, a new dress, or just way another chance to engage face to face with others equally trying to impress her as she is trying to impress her as she is trying to impress... Is her heart won by her savior her lover or her friend? Is Jesus any of those to her?

Did that couple come today to meet Jesus or to meet a client? Would they be here if the Jone's were not? Is this church or a social club? Does their presence here nourish their soul or their emotions? Does this attendance add to or take away from their attendance to the clubroom or the board room or the locker room or the mom's room?

And what about me? I'm going to see my friends today and I like that. I want to see them and I want them to want to see me. My hair is how I want it to be. My clothes are just so, and on purpose. I'm also going to see a co-worker today. We'll exchange some small talk. He'll side hug my wife. But will we enjoy a meal; a story; a moment; a heart? Not today. And yes, I'll honor my mother's wishes as well. I bathed myself, wrestled on my own clothes. I gave up on the hair years ago. But if she asks me later this week, "how was church" I'll actually have an answer.

So I must ask myself, did I come here today to appease my conscious or appease my God-hunger? Am I here to see a friend’s face or Jesus' face? Would I rather impress my co-worker or my co-laborer in the salvation of the world? Is it me or Jesus that brought us here today?

One last question, does it matter? At the end of the message I was both convicted and encouraged, so does it matter how or why I got there? If I start for the wrong reasons but end in the right place then is it ok that my mother haunting me is what got me out of bed? I think if my heart stopped turning to God then the reason may have won out over the results. I think the same must be true for the rest of those on the row with me. Maybe God is using that persistent mother, that flighty-friend, that quiet co-worker to get us here so that He can meet with us. Maybe, just maybe, God is creative enough or man-hungry enough for us that He rousts us from bed, throws us in the shower, wrestles our clothes on us, fights our hair into place just so that we'll come and focus on Him for a while.