England Journal: Day 1

This entry at The Good Portion is a bit different this month. I want to share with you all some of my musings from my own personal journal. Its vulnerable but also, I’m sharing for a reason. My son and I have been blessed to travel to England on a mission trip for the last two years. My husband joined us last year and this year the tree of us are planning to head across the pond again at the beginning of October. In the past, we have attempted to share where we go, what we do and who we work with while in Middlesbrough, but I wasn’t sure if I could fully paint the picture even with actual pictures. While in another country, and culture, a believer can see things through spiritual eyes. The Holy Spirit reveals things in unique ways, and I wanted to find a way to share what I learned with you all.

I'll post one a day for a week and pray they speak to you as much as they have to me. There are Scripture passage with each journal entry, and of course some TGP (The Good Portion) questions to ponder. So bust out your Bible and Journal and whatever pen makes your heart happy. What I have written is relatively short but I still believe each entry can foster some quality time sitting at Jesus’ feet.

Before you start, please do this one thing for me, spend some time in prayer for our brothers and sisters in England as well as the community in which they are ministering. Pray for our group, pray for the students, the parents and leaders who are attending the trip. Pray for our support raising, travel, and health. Pray that the Lord would be glorified and lives would be changed.  

Train ride:

The train car carried me north. Rocking me gently as I sleepily looked out the window. My eyes drank it in, with each glance a magical land beyond my time. But before my mind could capture it, it was gone in a blur.

Old brick houses with gray slated rooftops. Lombardy poplar trees stand at attention, keeping watch over the countryside, boxed hedges guarding perfect rows of green. The occacional cluster of brick chimneys popped up through the trees as a telltale sign of a thiving community. And the centerpeice of each hamlet, a gothic spire extends past the bell tower that beckons to the sheep who speckle the pasture white.

In every town a church, big or small with grandeur to cause the praises to the Lord. Cathedrals built by men who knew another world. Their life was physical and death was no stranger. They used their hands to worship with what they made. Here it stands centuries later calling me to worship with them.

The train pulled to a stop in a station made at the turn of the 20th century. White metal arches, steel scaffolding with rivets mixed with modern advertising and schedules. Suddenly, movement filled the train. The aisle exchanged people, the whistle blew and I was whisked away again through time. I wished I had a guide to tell me about each town. To relive its history and introduce me to the locals, who would share their foods and customs with smiles.

Reading the scripture isn’t much different is it? A cursory reading is like a train ride through its beauty, passing each book with admiration but more questions to be answered. Choose a town, get off the train and explore. Meet the writer and his friends. Experience where they lived, what they ate, feel what they felt. Understand the problems they faced, notice the similarities to your life, even separated by thousands of years. We are not so different.

'Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.” And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. ' Acts 8:26-36,38-39

TGP Questions:

What is your relationship with God's word? Do you read it? Study it? Understand it?

What do you learn about God from reading this passage about Philip?

Do you know someone you can lead through the Scriptures? Or someone to whom you could explain the good news of Jesus?

If you’re a follower of Jesus, to whom can you explain the Scriptures? Who can you disciple and walk with through God’s word?

Note:

If you would like to know more about the ministry that leads our trips check out the Ministry Friends tab and click on the GEM icon.

If you would like to financially support my upcoming mission trip to Middlebrough, England, check out this link https://immanuelbaptist.managedmissions.com/Donations/Donate/83878