(Discipleship) The God Who Repays Evil With Good (Amos 5:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:15) (Hope)

SEEK is our word for today. On the first Easter Sunday, the angel asked the women, “why do you seek the living among the dead?” (Luke 24:5). All of us know how to seek the right thing in the wrong places. Yesterday morning, 8 of us on our tour witnessed an early morning airlift of hot air balloons in Cappadocia, Turkey. What were we seeking? Between 6 and 7 AM, about 50 balloons lifted off the ground and floated over 1000 people over Turkey for about 90 minutes. It was impressive but did that experience give life? No. Today we will meet Pastor Fikret Bocek in Izmir, Turkey. What are we seeking? He is a pastor who converted from Islam over 40 years ago and just last month celebrated 25 years as a pastor in Izmir. You have heard me share his testimony on our podcast and on Saturday you will hear him share his mission and vision for his ministry in Izmir. He is a man whose life is a testimony to a God who loves to work bad things for good. Yesterday morning a lot of hot air lifted us for a few hours. Today, the hot air of a Jesus follower named Fikret will lift us for eternity. Remember, our God has given you the Holy Spirit as well, so your hot air can lift someone you know into eternity as well. (THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS FOR DAN. HE AND LOUISE ARRIVED SAFELY IN PHOENIX LATE MONDAY NIGHT. NOW HE IS SEEKING HELP FROM DOCTORS THERE TO DISCOVER WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM IN ISTANBUL.)