Humility Personified

What is the Gospel?

2012-01-04T21:42:00.000-05:00

We had a disturbing discussion in class today. Several of the guys in class are serving in vocational ministry (that means they're "professional" ministers). Most of those guys reported that a vast majority of people in their churches do not know what the gospel is. Since it is my assumption that most people willing to read this blog are professed Christians, I am prompted to write this brief summary of the gospel "so that you may know that you have eternal life" (1 John 5:13).

1. God is all knowing, all good, all powerful, perfectly holy, perfectly loving, perfectly just, perfectly perfect.
2. Mankind is totally depraved and sinful. This does not mean that we are as bad as we could be, but that sin has negatively impacted every component of existence (humanity & nature).
3. Because God is perfectly just (see #1 above), He must exercise punishment for sin. Because sins are against God, and God is infinite, the punishment must also be infinite. This situation is why hell is conscience eternal punishment for sin.
4. The God-man, Jesus Christ, Son of God, allowed God to maintain perfect justice and mankind to receive forgiveness by willingly accepting the wrath of God in our place. Jesus was a substitution for mankind on the cross. Jesus Christ was a suitable sacrifice because he was fully God, and therefore perfect, and fully man, therefore a suitable substitution for mankind. This substitution is unconditional grace. There is nothing we can do to earn this substitution, thus the term unconditional. It is all an act of the Godhead. Jesus conquered death by raising himself from the dead and is currently waiting in heaven for the appointed time for his second coming.
5. There are limits on effect of this substitution. Jesus substitution must be received. Not everyone will believe this message. Only those who repent (ask forgiveness and turn away from) of their sins and who believe this gospel message in their mind and internalize it in their hearts will be saved, converted, regenerated, become a Christian, follower of Christ, or whatever other synonymous phrase you prefer here.
6. When this act of God (a.k.a. salvation) occurs, it is irresistible. You can't stop it. If the Holy Spirit offers his grace to you, you will be saved. If you are saved, you will persevere throughout life and all eternity as a follower of Jesus Christ.

If you can read this brief summary and understand it, you still maybe are NOT a Christian. Followers of Christ (a.k.a. Christians) understand AND believe! In the words of John the Baptist, REPENT AND BELIEVE. PRAY TO GOD AND PLEAD FOR THE FAITH TO BELIEVE!

If you don't believe or understand any of the above, please contact me (joshua.flowers@hotmail.com). I would love the opportunity to share in more detail the message of the gospel.

because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. ~Romans 10:9-10

The Mystery of Christmas

2011-12-24T10:10:00.001-05:00

This morning I was reading Acts 17 and again reminded of the amazing mystery of Christmas that has now been revealed. In the "B.C." years, people (mainly the Jews) looked for a coming Messiah that would restore God's rule. The mystery was revealed in Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Read Paul's inspired words:

The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” ~Acts 17:30-31

The Jews experienced a period of "ignorance" or mystery in which they did not fully understand what the the prophets spoke. For example, reading Isaiah 53 prior to the coming of Jesus could have been understood very differently than after Jesus (and these words were inspired 700 years before Christ!). "But now" God commands all people everywhere to repent. There is no exception period any longer because we didn't know. There is a coming day on which all will be judged. The standard of our judgment is Christ. Anyone who meets the standard of Christ will be restored to eternal fellowship with God in Heaven. Anyone falling short of the standard of Christ will be eternally separated in conscience punishment for failing to meet God's standard.

How can we meet the standard of Christ?! He was perfect. He never sinned. I can't go an hour a day without some sinful thought or action. In comes the beauty of the gospel!

because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” ~Romans 10:9-13

Here is a very simple recap of this passage:
1. IF you confess Jesus is Lord
2. AND believe God raised him from the dead
3. You will be saved
4. There is now no distinction between Jews and Gentiles
5. Everyone who calls on Jesus will be saved.

Note the conditional "if" and then the promise of salvation stressed twice! Praise God that the Mystery of Christmas has been revealed in Jesus Christ, my risen Lord and Savior!

Merry Christmas to all! May the Spirit help you understand the words of God so that you too may experience salvation through the revealed mystery of Jesus Christ. I am always willing and eager to help any of you reading this better understand salvation in Jesus Christ. You may contact me via email at joshua.flowers@hotmail.com.

Family Update

2011-12-15T23:36:00.001-05:00

As with most people, we are in the busy Christmas season. Here is a little update on what is going on with our family.

Bryce is progressing very well with his school work. He has read me a few of his short story books and tonight he played me his first piano song (short, but good). Bryce continues to be the "character" in our family. He thrives on getting the laugh and when he gets it, it fuels him all the more. This sometimes leads to his inability to discern where "the line" is. Bryce has developed a perfectionistic mentality meaning there is drama nearly anytime he doesn't get it right or gets in trouble. Of course we have no idea where he is getting this from (ok, maybe we have a guess). The cooler weather in Louisville has kept the boy inside, but the boy has not refrained from running, shouting, and wielding his plastic guns and swords all through the house. I frequently thank God for the study I have in the basement to read and listen to the beautiful quiet.

Trista continues to amaze us with her quick wit and perception of reality. There is very little that escapes her and her ears and mind are always on. Her recent proficiency test indicated she is several grades ahead on her reading level and at least one grade ahead on every other subject. This is no doubt due in large part to the excellent teacher she has who has spent countless hours scouring the potential curriculums for the perfect combination for our children. Those of you who know my wife realize this is probably an understatement, not an overstatement. Trista generally requires less corrective discipline than what I would think normal for a 7-year old, but she likes to experiment to see how autonomous she can be. Trista’s favorite pastimes currently include reading and playing dolls. The natural feminine traits are clearly evident in our first child.

Carmen is constantly outdoing herself. This year almost all of the Christmas presents were bought by the first week in November. Christmas cookies were baked and frozen two weeks later. She completed another undergrad course this fall at Boyce College with a 98% average. I frequently walk through the kitchen in the morning and see her week long to do list and am amazed when I get home at the end of the day and see nearly everything crossed off. Her ability to get it done is incredible. Carmen continues to be an encourager to many through word and deed as well as maintain an incredible level of comfort in our home. Most weeks involve 5-6 made from scratch dinners which I am late for at 5:01pm. I don’t know whether to mandate she rest more or praise God for the strength, motivation, personality, drive, and ability he has given her.

I am currently reading for my last two 3-hour courses at SBTS. The time here has flown by at times and has crawled at others. The nearing end in a master’s degree is only the beginning because great responsibility does in fact come with great privilege. My time at SBTS has been a privilege that many in the world would give everything they own for. My job continues to be a blessing. The flexibility at work has truly been an incredible blessing from the Lord. I’ve worked 40 hours two weeks in a row now which has not happened in over three years. I realize few will sympathize with this situation, but I share it only as a testimony to the Lord’s provision.

Here are a couple things you can pray for us about:

We are seeking out people daily that need the Lord. We know the Holy Spirit works to regenerate and are praying to be allowed to participate in the harvest with the Spirit.
We ask the Lord to make clear his plans for the home we own in Louisville. It is our hope to sell it, but the Lord may want us to rent it or do something else that has not yet been revealed.

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” ~Revelation 4:11

A Thanksgiving Reflection

2011-11-26T12:21:00.000-05:00

A holiday like Thanksgiving may be easy for some to go through without giving much thought as to whom we are actually thankful. Life and possessions are objects of gratitude, but less frequently I think is gratitude directed to the originations of these blessings. Some might rightly be thankful to Squanto and other Indians that helped the first pilgrims hundreds of years ago. Some might rightly be thankful to the military that provides a relatively high level of security as compared to most other countries in the world. Some might be thankful to their parents for raising them and providing a nurturing home in which to grow. While these people and actions are great things to be thankful for, I share a thanksgiving prayer of David that I read this morning.

"Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and said, 'Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?'" ~2 Samuel 7:9

David continues this prayer in amazement at the provision and promises of God. Romans 5:8 speaks of the greatest provision God could have possibly orchestrated. Romans 10:9 speaks of the greatest promise God has made.

Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house that you have died for me!

A Story Highlighting the Need for Gospel Change in the World

2011-11-20T23:03:00.000-05:00

I am generally supportive of capitalism and rewarding those who risk investment money for potential gains. However, my support is always subordinate to my Christian worldview and is superseded by biblical mandates. I was recently made aware of a story in Uganda that literally made me sick to my stomach. Enterprise at the cost of human life is not new to humanity's sinful condition. However, the Internet has allowed us the ability to quickly disseminate information that reminds us all of the vastness of evil. As you read and watch this story, prepare yourself for an extreme manifestation of evil in our world and pray for the incredible need for gospel change in the world.

The Wisdom of Godly Fear

2011-11-20T22:09:00.001-05:00

10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. 11 Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. ~Psalm 2:10-11

I'm finishing up a class on cultural anthropology. Some of you may wonder, "why take a social science course at a theological institution?" Well, I'm glad you asked. In part, it has to do with fear. I'll explain. Over 40% of the world is animistic. Animism is a belief system that spiritual forces inhabit every created thing and efforts must be made to appease these spiritual beings. Does 40% sound high (it did to me)? What about saying, "C'mon baby, take us to work" when trying to start your car in the morning? How about the common phrase about giving "the evil eye" or even "the look" to someone with whom you are angry? Even the phrase "good luck" can bear some animistic influence. I haven't even mentioned Halloween yet. These examples are typical in the US and don't even begin to address widespread animistic practices in majority world countries.

The key paradigm in animistic cultures is fear verses power. Fear dominates people and drives them to exert power over spiritual beings or other people. In Psalm 2, David encourages leaders to serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. In the US, discussions of one's fears rarely indicate fear of God as a primary concern. Many people are fearful about finances, relationships, health and many other tangible human experiences, but they give little thought to God in day to day decisions of life. These indictments apply to Christians, in church three times a week and baptized as a child! If the Church does not fear God, what message does that communicate to the world?

Listen to Luke's inspired message: "4 I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. 5 But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!" (Luke 12:4-5). What fears are driving our lives? Do we recognize the holiness and power of God? Do we understand the eternal consequences at stake when we chose to live sold out for Jesus Christ?

Knowing God's Will

2011-10-31T22:03:00.000-04:00

I am reading a book co-authored by Jerry Rankin and Ed Stetzer titled Spiritual Warfare and Missions: The Battle for God's Glory Among the Nations. Throughout the book the authors have been identifying manifestations of evil that detract from the glorification of God by his people.

I hit an extremely convicting section of the book that demonstrates how self-centered I am. Over the last several years, my wife and I have been desperately praying for God to reveal his will for our lives. We want to serve God in the way that provides most glory to God so it seems logical for us to pray to ask God to tell us what we should do. If you look back through the preceding two sentences, you'll notice how me focused my desire to serve God is. The authors of this book challenge their readers to pray to discern what God's will is...period. My focus needs to be on God, not on me. I don't need my best life now; I need to know God. God will reveal his will for my life (secondary concern) when I am focused on discerning God's will (primary concern). Self-righteousness is such an easy trap to fall into. May I genuinely desire to speak the words of my Lord, "not my will, but thine be done!"

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." ~Romans 12:2

I Wanna Be Rich...

2011-09-26T11:48:00.000-04:00

I just read this profound observation by anthropologist Marshall Sahlins. He says there are two ways to be wealthy: to have more, or to want less.

How does that strike you living in the West? It is so easy to violate the 2nd and 10th commandments (Exodus 20 for those of you needing a reminder) when so many people have so much stuff. So many in our culture in the US have literally "bought in" to the lie that stuff matters. We are such idolatrous creatures! Read what the second wisest man who ever lived said, "The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man" (Ecclesiastes 12:13). How simple is this command in theory; how difficult in practice! How much glory could we reflect on God if we could only obey the simple commands he gives us?!

I have friend and brother living in Lima, Peru that recently witnessed a different perspective on being wealthy that could help many of us living in the affluence of the US. Read here. As this story articulates, I pray that we all desire to be wealthy by avoiding "all this stuff."

Time as Precious Gift

2011-09-10T20:14:00.000-04:00

I was given a birthday card from someone several years ago that had a bookmark included with it. The prayer on the bookmark reads as follows:

"Lord, I have too much to do, but it's all important. Help me to set priorities so that I don't feel lost in the pace and the pressure. Give me the wisdom and energy to accomplish what's necessary without wasting time or effort. And help me make the best use of my day, remembering that time is a precious gift from You."

My friend saw my pace of life, and frankly the pace of many Americans, and knew this would be a poignant reminder of my obligation to steward my time wisely. We all have the same number of hours in a day. When our days are fulfilled, our legacy will be determined by how we used those hours.

I use this bookmark frequently (and for those of you who don't know, seminary students read a LOT) as a reminder to try and steward a precious gift from God.

Let heavier work be laid on the men that they may labor at it and pay no regard to lying words. ~Exodus 5:9

The Target of Spiritual Warfare

2011-09-05T09:44:00.000-04:00

I'm taking a class on spiritual warfare this semester so this is a topic I'll be reflecting on over the next several months. One of the interesting characteristics is understanding Satan's target in spiritual warfare. Here are a few of my most recent thoughts.

Post modern, post Christian society has unfortunately influenced evangelicalism to believe or at least lean toward thinking about how important we as human beings are. In secular thinking, man has accomplished much including cures for disease, space travel, and other incredible results of scientific ingenuity. Those in the church world "christianize" this same thinking. We elevate great preachers, feel warm and cozy in thinking how much God loves us, and try to "evangelize" others by telling them God loves them too. Don't over-estimate my sarcasm. God does love the world (John 3:16), but the emphasis on humanity has gone too far at the expense of an emphasis on almighty God. Why does God love the world? Not because we are anything in and of ourselves, but because we are a source of potential glory for him. Our eternal value lies in our ability to worship almighty God, not in our ability to memorize Bible verses or offer cold water in Jesus' name.

I am reading Spiritual Warfare by Jerry Rankin. Here is an interesting excerpt:

"Why does God predestine us to be conformed to the image of Christ? It is in order to glorify Him. Satan tempts us to sin in order to keep God from being glorified. We have an enemy that is intent on robbing God of His glory in our lives. God is glorified when we are conformed to the image of Christ and live like Him." (8).

Rankin's point here is that we are not the ultimate target. Satan's attacks on our lives through spiritual warfare is a means to an end. Satan's ultimate end is to limit the glory we provide to God. How are your and my responses to Satan's attacks helping him accomplish his goals?

So what does this mean for us as followers of Christ? Our life purpose is "to be conformed to the image of His Son." (Romans 8:29) Satan's desire is to distract us from glorifying God. God is Satan's target in spiritual warfare. Our inclination is to feel sorry for ourselves or get frustrated when we experience Satan's attacks. Instead we must be filled with righteous indignation at Satan's attempts to rob God of glory and be driven all the more to magnify our LORD!

Family Update - Summer Slipping Away

2011-08-02T00:22:00.000-04:00

What happened?! I just finished classes in May and now the fall semester is already here!

In June we drove to central Arkansas via St. Louis for Carmen's first cousin's wedding. It was fun getting to see all the family down there. We even were both able to help out during the wedding a little, which was unplanned and kind of fun.

After the wedding, we flew to San Diego from St. Louis to visit my mom and dad for a week and a half. We hadn't seen them, and probably more importantly they hadn't seen the kids in almost 3 years. It was a really good trip. I think Trista decided she doesn't like the beach. She had a time trying to figure out how to eat her sandwich without getting sand in her mouth. Bryce and Trista both were attached to M&D's dogs. On day 1, I think the dogs were happy to have someone else to play with. On day 11, I think the dogs were hiding under the bed to try and get some rest.

When we got back from CA we had 3 days to re-pack before going to Memphis for a missions expo. The weekend was really helpful for us to examine our call to missions and see what our denomination's sending agency was currently all about. It was extremely encouraging to learn that discipleship and unreached people groups (UPGs) are high on their priority list which resonates well with my calling. I was also challenged to be open to consider other places and peoples in the world that the Lord may be calling us. While the weekend did open my heart to other places and peoples, we still feel that we can be best used in the Amazon attempting to reach UPGs. Just last Friday we received a call permitting us to continue in the application process. Because of all that we learned regarding the organization's direction, we are very excited about being able to continue to pursue service with them.

This week is August birthday week in our home. Bryce turns 5 on Wednesday and Carmen's birthday is Saturday. I guess it's time to start thinking about a present. I never used to procrastinate. As I get older, time goes faster and it's harder and harder to stay one step ahead.

Carmen is taking another undergrad course this fall which begins next week. She's finished her advanced certificate (with straight A's) through the Seminary Wives Institute, but she still needs one more class to meet the educational requirements for our sending agency. My classes start the week after next and then summer will officially be over for us.

We sold our boat last week. It was a sad day filled with great sorrow and weeping and gnashing of teeth. God was very gracious to us to be able to afford it while in seminary and our entire family generated some great memories on the water.

Reality Check

2011-07-20T12:49:00.000-04:00

What is the real you? Who are you really? How infrequently we ask this question! Why? Possibly because we don't like answer. There are many adjectives that we can list that will describe us, but Scripture teaches that there are in reality only two possible answers to this question: we are an enemy or a child of God (Matthew 13:30; Luke 16:13; James 4:4; 1 John 5:12).

The concept of moral neutrality is falsehood. No one is morally neutral. All men are sinners (Romans 3:23) and repress the truth of God (Romans 1:18-2:1). The only escape from this condition is through the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

Some of you may desperately need to examine your heart. Have you crucified your flesh in order to follow Christ? Do you daily (or even continually) recognize the sinfulness of your own heart? Do you understand the cross? God would be perfectly just and worthy of our praise if he cast all of humanity into hell for eternity. That God does not is mercy. Instead, God, in his perfect justice, allowed a substitute to pay for the sins of humanity. That God has done this is grace. Jesus then arose bodily and returned to Heaven conquering death and sin. This is our hope. If you don't understand, believe, or have questions about this, please email, call, or message me. I would love the opportunity to discuss this further with you.

The rest of us need a reality check as well. As children of God, we must be moving in sanctification to look more and more like Christ. We will always be worshiping God or the world. The challenges we face in the worship of God has the same root cause as those who are enemies of God: sin. The gospel is not something we heard and believed in. It is something we live. We are sinful and need to repent of our sin. We need to put our hope in Jesus Christ and the work of the cross. Then, we need to be obedient to actively participate in the process of sanctification. It does not matter if we don't feel like reading our Bible, prayer, evangelism, tithing, or worship. It is commanded of us as a child of God.

There are two ultimate realities for us all. What is yours?

And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. ~Revelation 20:15

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. ~2 Thessalonians 5:17

Rend your heart, not your garments....

2011-06-18T11:30:00.000-04:00

One of the interesting things I realized in a class last semester was how dynamic language is. I've often made the argument to a certain member of my family that if she would have used the words the way they are intended in the English language, then we wouldn't have had a communication problem. My arrogant superiority has subsequently been repented of, but my attitude represents what I think may be a common misunderstanding about language. Words do not have inherent meanings; words have uses. Trendy colloquialisms such as "cool" are easily recognized, but even words such as "ship," "love," "security," "hip," and "ball" have a wide range of uses even in the last couple hundred years of English.

This is an interesting idea, but why does it matter? I read the little prophetic book of Joel this week. There was a striking phrase that hit me in 2:13, "rend your hearts and not your garments." What does this really mean? No one wants to tear his own heart and torn clothes are always an accident, right? From Genesis 3 on, the message of Scripture is "repent and believe." Sin entered the world in Genesis 3 prompting the mandate of repent and believe to all humans. God provides this mandate for his creation because he loves us so much that he wants the absolute best for us, which is himself, which can only be found through repentance. The only way to achieve justification is to repent and believe. Joel picks up on this theme by saying repent and believe with the phrase "rend your hearts and not your garments."

Throughout ancient history, the tearing of one's clothes was a visual representation of great anger or anguish over some event. Job tore his clothes after extreme testing and the high priests tore their clothes at Jesus' claims to be God. When Joel says to "rend your hearts," he is getting at the real issue of repentance. Sadness or "sorryness" can be physically displayed by "tearing your garments." This might mean depression, drinking, anger, guilt, or a variety of other emotions. God is calling us to genuine repentance...to recognize the seriousness of our sin and change our heart, thoughts, and actions. He wants us to enjoy him and experience joy and hope in this life. Tearing your hearts would be a deep and sincere realization at your personal acts of sin that caused God incarnate to die on the cross. The suffering and shame bore by Christ is your and my personal responsibility. Your mean word spoken to your spouse or child is a strike of the nail in Christ's flesh. Your lustful look is spit in Christ eye. Your deceit at work is a lash of the whip tearing Christ's bleeding flesh.

Our sin is serious. The consequences of sin caused the greatest injustice in history to display the greatest act of love in eternity. Don't feel sorry for your sin - repent and believe. Don't try and hide your sin - repent and find forgiveness. Don't ignore your sin - repent and experience eternity with God.

“Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, declares the Lord God. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin." ~Ezekiel 18:30

"The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent" ~Acts 17:30

Family Update

2011-05-05T21:15:00.000-04:00

Our family is currently delayed for our deployment to the mission field. Due to a potential medical concern by the staff docs of our sending agency, we were restricted from being deployed to a remote location. We are currently continuing to work to find a suitable location with this agency, but are also praying to try and discern if God is leading us to explore an alternative way to get to the country he has laid on our hearts. Your prayers are greatly appreciated as we attempt to understand how God is leading us. At this time, we will continue to be in Louisville at least through the end of 2011.

Hermeneutics . . . Herme - what - itcs?

2011-03-26T11:36:00.000-04:00

There are a lot of words that I know now that I don't think I had ever heard of prior to coming to seminary. Hermeneutics is one of those words. In short, the word relates to reading and properly interpreting Scripture. Here are a couple basic principles that I've learned about hermeneutics that are helpful for any student of Scripture.

Context: Try reading Matthew 27:5b, "he [Judas] departed, and he went and hanged himself" and then flip over to Luke 10:37b, "And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.” There would be very few followers of Christ if we all read Scripture like this. Context matters. If the person leading a funeral says something funny, you would be very embarrassed if you laughed. If you don't get a joke someone tells you might laugh anyway to avoid embarrassment. In every area of life context matters, but especially in reading God's Word. You should always seek to understand a passage as a whole or even a book as a whole, before you narrow too focused a look at a particular verses. Otherwise, you might "feel" led by the Holy Spirit to hang yourself (which he won't lead you to do if your not picking up on my sarcasm!).

Genre: Genre is a fancy word for the type of writing. The Bible contains many different genres including narrative, prophecy, epistolary (letters), didactic (teaching), and apocalyptic. Different theologians propose differing categories of genre and there can be further subcategories of each which makes this even a more challenging topic to discern. There are some basic things to keep in mind. Narrative literature is often retelling a historical event. Genesis and much of the gospels fall into this genre. Proverbs 26:4-5 would be a contradiction in Scripture if we didn't read Proverbs as general life truths. Apocalyptic literature is extremely difficult to interpret conclusively because Isaiah, Daniel, and John didn't have words in their vocabulary to fully depict the visions they had (hence the phrase "it was like" several times). Even though we read different genres differently, Scripture is all true, without error, without contradiction, and fully sufficient for daily living.

Cultural Differences: The Bible was written over about a 1500 year period that was completed about 2000 years ago. To try and put that into perspective, ask your grandparents to talk about how their life differed when they were your age as it does from now! There are things that the Bible writes about that we just don't get without some historical background. In 2 Samuel 6:14, David was wearing a linen ephod which seems like a completely insignificant comment until you understand that the ephod was a garment typically reserved for the priesthood. Was David being disrespectful or is there something going on about how David was acting as a priest to the people? In John 2 we don't get the big deal about why Jesus helped at the wedding because we don't know the historical cultural legal obligation that the bride and groom had to provide enough booze for everyone at the party. A study Bible or commentary set is an excellent aid to begin to see some of this background information.

The journey to read through and understand the Bible is a difficult and challenging task. Sometimes we will become completely frustrated at what seems completely irrelevant and nonsense to us. At other times, we will get a glimpse of who God has revealed himself to be and be overcome with desire to worship him for who he is. It is worth it. Take up the challenge read and understand what God has revealed about himself in his Word.

"[14] But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it [15] and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. [16] All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, [17] that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work." ~2 Timothy 3:14-17

Dear God,

2011-03-21T19:29:00.002-04:00

I will ____________________________________________
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Your Servant,

Josh

Why Jesus Ignores Me

2011-03-19T07:35:00.001-04:00

I have the immense blessing to be experiencing theological training in one of (if not the) greatest theological institution in the world. As part of that blessing, I am able to attend chapel where some of the greatest conservative evangelical pastors stand to deliver God's word. This week Dr. Russell Moore delivered a sermon titled "Yes, Jesus Ignores Me: The Irritating Unschedulability of Christ." I encourage you to listen to it. Dr. Moore expounds the event of Lazarus dying and being raised from the death. Verses 5-6 in John 11 indicates that Jesus loved them (Martha, Mary, and Lazarus) SO he did nothing. Yes, because he loved them, he did nothing. In verse 15 of the same chapter, Jesus was glad that he was not there when Lazarus died. Yes, he was happy that he was not able to be by one of his best friends when they died.

What does this mean? Is the Jesus of the Bible cold and uncompassionate? I don't think so. Jesus had a very important purpose in this event. I believe the thrust of this passage is verse 27. "She said to him, 'Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.'” Martha's confession is in a sense the point of Jesus' entire ministry. She wasn't spouting off some memorized theological truth. She wasn't answering a Sunday School question. She wasn't trying to make Jesus feel good. She believed and confessed that Jesus was the Christ! Romans 10:9-10 says, "[9] because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. [10] For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved." Martha was saved! She got it! Her confession was from the heart. In the midst of her grief, she knew in her heart that Jesus was the Christ.

It is hard for me sometimes to always recognize who Jesus is. I pray and get impatient when God hasn't answered by the time I say "amen." I question why various events in my life are happening when they seem so contradictory to other things I believe to be true. In a sense I forget that Jesus is leading me. He is leading me to constantly affirm that he is the Christ, the Son of God, who has come into the world. He ignores me to bring me to a place of recognizing who he is.

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” ~Revelation 4:11

God's Plan, Not Mine

2011-03-12T09:59:00.002-05:00

"God loves us and has a wonderful plan." This quote is in a book that I recently read. It provoking points to the theological failure of another very similar and lengthier quote. But this quote is strikingly true to the teaching of Scripture. The metanarrative of Scripture is Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Consummation. This truly is a wonderful plan, but it is not primarily "for your life," but for God's glory.

I received a phone call this week that has changed the "for your life" part for me. It has challenged my understanding of God's call upon my family's life. It has forced me into his Word and prayer searching for an understanding. My God is sovereign. I've recently read, "The highest and best use of anyone's life is to do exactly what God calls them to do in the places He calls them to do it." The challenge so often becomes clarifying that call. John Piper wrote, "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him." God's glory through satisfaction in him is the purpose of my life, but what practically do I do today, tomorrow, next month, next year, and for the rest of my life.

God, I ask you for wisdom to help me discern, understand, and clarify the call you have placed upon my life. Lead me to glorify you as I live for you and find incredible pleasure in making much of you. Remove the selfishness of my plan. Open my heart to your will. Amen.

[26] Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. [27] And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
[28] And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. [29] For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. [30] And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. ~Romans 8:26-30

What is The Work of Ministry?

2011-02-12T08:43:00.000-05:00

I've been reading through the "pastoral" epistles and have been struck at how often I had focused on that term: pastoral. In the earlier days of my Christian faith, I was confused why pastors ever preached from these three New Testament books. I mean, "Can't they read these letters to themselves in their own quiet time or maybe at staff meetings?" Paul, the "super pastor," was writing to his right-hand man pastor. Surely this doesn't apply to "normal" Christians like me? Or does it...

Sanctification (the process of becoming more like God wants us to be) is a funny process. It's funny when we look back at the things we used to do and think. 1 Peter 2:9 says, "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." Peter is writing to the "elect exiles of the dispersion" (1 Peter 1:1). The United States is definitely "dispersed" from Jerusalem, so I'm going out on a limb here to say that he's talking to you and me (notice the slight sarcastic understatement in my written tone). I'll leave the "chosen" part alone for now, but "royal priesthood" and "holy nation"?! C'mon. Really? David writes, "O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar." (Psalms 139:1-2). If God knows me and my thoughts, why would he use words like "royal" and "holy" to describe you and me? I'm not ready to go into an explanation of the effects of the atonement so for now believe it because God said it.

I'm finally around to my Bible reading from today. Since the "pastoral" epistles apply to all who have put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins, read what I read today. Read slowly. Think about the words being used. Picture Paul writing this to you.

"But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry." ~2 Timothy 3:14-4:5

Chew on that for a moment. Scripture has an incredible design and purpose (Read verse 16-17 again.). Be ready all the time to give testimony to the work God has done in your life. Preach the word (wait, aren't only trained pastors supposed to do this?). Do the work of an evangelist (Side note: The work of an evangelist is to evangelize. Evangelize means share the gospel. Don't get mad at me; I'm just reading what God wrote.). Fulfill your ministry (So what is he saying? Paid church staff are not the only ones that have a ministry?).

I know your excitement is hard to contain at this point, but I've got a really cool picture for you. Picture the awesome glory and praise and honor that would be received by God if you and I would just do what we've already been told! The Creator and Sustain of the Universe, the Founder and Perfecter of our faith, The Omniscient, Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Omnitemporal God of the Bible could be receiving the glory, praise, honor, and worship that he deserves, IF we would repent of our sin and receive the power of the Holy Spirit to do what we have been created to do!

"Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!" ~Psalm 139:23-24

Who do you love?

2011-01-28T10:14:00.000-05:00

42 Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God. ~John 12:42-43

What do I love? What do you love? These men, some even in authority positions, believed in Jesus. They had a right understanding of who Jesus was but they were missing out on the glory that comes from God because of their love of the glory of men! God, let it not be said of us!

In the context of the passage in John, I would argue that the men John is speaking of are not genuine believers. They are so close to the kingdom, but they are not willing to confess Jesus as Lord (Matt. 10:32-33). They lacked the faith necessary to save them from their sin because their eyes were blind and their hearts were hard (John 12:40). Their love of men trumped their love for God - a misappropriation of priorities with eternal consequences. Can it be said of you and me that we love the glory of God more than the glory of men? It is clear to those around us that Jesus is Lord in our life? If not...why not?

"I believe that one reason why the Church of God at this present moment has so little influence over the world is because the world has so much influence over the Church." ~Charles H. Spurgeon, The Soul Winner

Originally this was written over 100 years ago. We can echo the cry of the martyrs in John's Revelation, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” ~Revelation 6:10

Potpourri of Thoughts

2011-01-22T14:48:00.000-05:00

"for that which has not been told them they see,
and that which they have not heard they understand." ~Isaiah 52:15b

God's plan that they may hear will be accomplished. I must reflect on God's work in the past to fuel a confident hope of the future.

"28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified." ~Romans 8:28-30

Carmen and I have both been sick all week. (Sickness stinks.) Sometimes it would be nice to skip straight to the glorified part.

"Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son." ~John 14:13

"If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it." ~John 14:14

"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you." ~John 15:16

"In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you." ~John 16:23

"Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full." ~John 16:24

"In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf;" ~John 16:26

How often do I say "in Jesus' name" as the tag line on my prayers without ever thinking about what that means?! Praise God for the name that is above every other name.

"And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” ~Acts 4:12

"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" ~John 14:6

I am not narrow-minded, bigoted, egocentric, cruel, merciless, judgmental, or hateful. I just believe that when God says something, he means it.

Doing Whatever It Takes That They May Hear

2010-12-18T21:12:00.000-05:00

1 Corinthians 9:20-23 is familiar passage to many.

To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.

We hear sermons and lessons on how Paul contextualized the gospel message so that whoever he was ministering to would hear the truth and be transformed by the gospel. Ok, but what did that really mean practically. For example, what did Paul actually do to become a Jew or to submit to the law?

2 Corinthians 11:25-27 gives us a brief picture of what Paul was willing to endure. Five times Paul received 39 lashes. Paul was a Roman citizen. The lashings he received were from the Jews. Before the first lashing, Paul could have asserted his rites as a Roman citizen and forgone a punishment that would have killed some. Instead, Paul submitted to those under the law so that those under the law might remain in his circle of influence. Then he received this brutal punishment four more times because of their obstinance. In Lystra (Acts 14:8-23), Paul was worshiped one minute and stoned the next. After being left for dead, he re-entered the city to strengthen those in the city who came to believe the gospel from his testimony. Paul received warning from Agabus (Acts 21:10-11) to avoid being bound by the Jews in Jerusalem, but Paul had already set his heart toward Rome and those who needed to hear the gospel there. Paul faced danger, real danger, from every side. He went nights without sleep (Acts 20:11). He experienced hunger and thirst (Acts 27:33). Paul was a Roman citizen. He had training in multiple languages. He held status in the Jewish religious system. Any day Paul could have sunk into mediocrity and few would have blamed him.

I have never been flogged. I have never been stoned. I don't recall ever missing a meal involuntarily. I have never been shipwrecked, forced to sleep outside, or beaten with rods. What is worse is I have rarely been made fun of for the sake of the gospel. I have rarely felt uncomfortable for the sake of the gospel. I have rarely experienced any real threat or danger to anything in my life because of the stand that I have taken. I have little to boast and much more to be ashamed.

Oh God, please forgive my mediocrity. Renew my spirit. Strengthen my resolve. Burden my heart for those hell-bound without you. Use whatever worth you can find within me to glorify your name. May your name be praised! Amen.

Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. ~Acts 5:41

But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. ~Acts 20:24

And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness...and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness. ~Acts 4:29, 31b

Denying Flesh - Defending Holiness

2010-11-23T14:27:00.000-05:00

How many times have you felt flat worn out? For me, it seems to happen much more often than I'd like. It is difficult to balance all of the good things that we should do with the reality of finite limitations of time and energy. It is during these times of complete exhaustion that we are most susceptible to attack. Physically, our bodies get weak when we don't rest. Mentally, we are prone to make mistakes when we are tired. Spiritually, we are more likely to have moral failures when we do not prepare against attack.

"But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires." ~Romans 13:14

The two clauses of this sentence seem to be intertwined in there defensive purpose. Putting on Christ helps defend against fleshly desires. Denying fleshly desires is an aid to putting on Christ.

I have come to realize that when I'm struggling spiritually, it is when I have failed to defend my spirit. I have made provision for the flesh and my flesh is all to happy to accommodate its own desires.

God help me to overcome myself. God lead me to live a life of holy devotion to you.

The Greatest Sin of Our Generation

2010-10-19T09:04:00.000-04:00

God is holy. Man is sinful. This sin separates man from God. Jesus Christ died for the sin of man so that he could be reconciled to God. This gift is free and can be received by grace through faith alone in Jesus Christ.

This is the simple message of the gospel. Many in our nation have heard this simple message. Many in the rest of the world has not. What emotions does this invoke in the hearts of the church? Do you believe God is holy? Do you believe the implication of man's separation from God in eternity? What about those who know and reject this message? What about those who have never heard and stand condemned before God in their own sinfulness?

The mainstream American culture has infected the church at large with sickening responses to many of these questions. There are some who are voicing hope (see The Church at Brook Hills). We desperately need to seek the face of God and beg him for a passion to see the world as he sees it. We need to put away our i-whatevers and beg God for the individual souls of the nations. We need not ask if God should use us, but how he will use us.

O, God forgive your church for the adultery of our generation!

[10] Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why then are we faithless to one another, profaning the covenant of our fathers? [11] Judah has been faithless, and abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the LORD, which he loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god. [12] May the LORD cut off from the tents of Jacob any descendant of the man who does this, who brings an offering to the LORD of hosts! ~Malachi 2:10-12

[13] For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” [14] How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? [15] And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” ~Romans 10:13-15

Update

2010-10-14T09:45:00.000-04:00

It's been a while and I'm in the mood so here goes...

This has been a pretty busy semester for us. It is an on-going challenge to manage our schedules (as opposed to letting our schedules manage us!). I don't like to be too busy. I don't like to rest very much, but too busy somehow seems contrary to God's design for creation. It's hard to say "no" to good things, but it is a necessity that we are slowly learning.

There have been quite a few new develops regarding our plans for next year. It appears that we are close to a job match and will likely be headed were we have continued to sense God leading us from the beginning. I'm pretty excited and Carmen is a little nervous. The two towns (or villages!) that have been proposed for our assignment are a little more remote than I think she was planning on. While I don't think we'll live in a treehouse like Bryce wants, it will be quite different than what we're used to.

Carmen is doing an amazing job with the kids' homeschool. I wish she could do what she's doing a little more relaxed, but I guess that part of her personality is what makes her so good at everything she does. She is continuing to do very well with her Seminary Wives Institute classes and will graduate with her advanced certificate next May. The planner in her is trying to outline to a tee the specifics of the next year which is kind of fun to watch. She really is good at thinking about details that I'm oblivious to.

Trista has sent off her application to law school. Her ability to identify and manipulate semantic loopholes is incredible. I don't think she is trying to be horny, but she has definitely grasped the English language quite well for a 5-year old. She is now using our Rosetta Stone for Portuguese. She'll probably pick that up quicker than Carmen and I so we're in trouble next year! We totally agree with those that comment how advanced Trista is for her age. That is sooo obvious to us since we KNOW she is one of the two smartest children on the planet.

Bryce has been acting like a normal 4-year old for the past two months which has been a relief. I really think there was some anomaly in our schedule that prompted his event. It is so interesting to see the differences between him and Trista. He's the normal rough and tough boy one minute and he's covering Carmen with kisses the next. It definitely takes more tact in disciplining Bryce than it does Trista. She seems almost stoic in her repentance (or regret at getting caught depending on the situation). Bryce is almost always dramatically embarrassed and sad when corrected and he's quick to flee to a private area where no one can further witness his short-coming. Conversely, Trista will smile with a "good job," but Bryce will light up with overflowing joy with the same two words. Bryce is definitely daddy's boy. I have noticed a huge influence on him in everything I say and do. It's pretty cool and pretty humbling.

O LORD, you are my God;
        I will exalt you; I will praise your name,
    for you have done wonderful things,
        plans formed of old, faithful and sure.
~Isaiah 25:1

God is Good

2010-08-17T17:27:00.000-04:00

If your reading this, you probably already knew about our son. About 2 weeks ago while finishing his dinner, he had a seizure. This is probably the scariest experience I have every had. When his little 4-year old body stopped shaking, his eyes rolled back and his body went limp. Fear crippled me as we waited moments for the EMS to arrive. As I pulled out of the driveway to follow the ambulance to the hospital, the thought "will I ever talk to my son again" flashed in my head.

God has been extremely gracious and merciful to our family as I have never experienced anything like this. As I drove to the hospital I remembered the testimony of others brothers and sisters in Christ who had experienced tragic events and I repeated said to myself "God is good." I don't think I could have said those words at that moment had I not heard them before. When your child is speeding down the road in front of you in an ambulance, the last "natural" thing to think about is God's goodness. However, at that moment God's goodness was exactly what I needed to focus on.

Praise be to God Bryce seems to be fine now. All tests both at the ER and since have showed no reason for the initial seizure nor reason to believe another seizure will occur.

I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!
~Psalm 34:1-3

Humility: Let us not forget the model of Christ

2010-07-25T16:19:00.000-04:00

I had the opportunity to teach in our BFG (Bible Fellow Group, a.k.a. Sunday School) at church this week. It was really fun because I was able to apply some of the tools that I have been learning at seminary. It was also kind of an honor because when about 25% of your church attends seminary, teaching opportunities are few and far between.

[6] who [Jesus], though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, [7] but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. [8] And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. [9] Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, [10] so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, [11] and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. ~Philippians 2:6-11 [ESV]

I taught on the following verses (2:12-18) but the above passage was the context. When Paul tells the church at Philippi to "work out their salvation" the context is the humility of Christ. How often do we really think about this context? Jesus was God. The man who died for you and for me was part of the "us" in Genesis 1:26 who was part of the creation of the universe. The man who washed dirt from his own disciples feet was same person who "sat down" (Hebrews 10:12) at the right hand of the Father and "always lives to make intercession" (Hebrews 7:25) for us. The angels' praise reported in Luke 2 do not even begin to express the incredible humility it took for God to take on flesh.

Let us be glad and rejoice! (Philippians 2:18)

Learning and the Energizer Bunny....

2010-07-19T22:40:00.000-04:00

Classes finally ended for me last Friday. I've turned in my last book review and now I get to enjoy a 4-week summer "break". I've noticed myself joking with some of our friends about the brevity of this break attempting to solicit sympathy for my short period of mental rest. Now, the break that I now enter is long from the mindless vegetation of TV and video games that I indulged in as a high school student. I have several maintenance issues around the house to tackle and several long-term projects that need some attention.

However, I'm also trying to keep reading. For those of you that know anything about seminary, you know that reading is kind of the whole point of it...you read, then you write about what you read. Why, when I have such a short period to rest my strained mind, would I choose to read? I'll give you a few reasons:

"And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching..." ~Acts 2:42 -There is an example in the early church to devote ourselves to learning from sound teaching.
"The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death." ~Proverbs 13:14 - The teaching of wise men is a source of life. Submitting to the wisdom of wise men extends life.
"teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you...” ~Matthew 28:20 - Others have been commanded to teach me as a disciple. There is implicit here a command for me to learn from those who offer sound teaching.
"If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing." ~1 Timothy 6:3-4 - If I do not know the difference between sound doctrine and "a different doctrine" how will I recognize truth? Is my own teaching in accord with sound doctrine? The only way I can know sound doctrine is to study.

This list could continue for many more points, but the main point here is that learning is important. Doctrine matters. Truth matters. Theology matters. Learning should keep going and going and going and....

"But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine." ~Titus 2:1

Making Much of Christ

2010-07-08T21:35:00.000-04:00

I see a man cannot be a faithful minister, until he preaches Christ for Christ’s sake—until he gives up striving to attract people to himself, and seeks only to attract them to Christ. Lord, give me this!—Robert Murray McCheyne

I came across this quote which I thought was really powerful. When we share Christ with others (or merely think about doing so which I too frequently fail to move beyond), why do we do it? Do we want a notch on our Jesus belt? Do we want to share the "prayer request" about the person we witnessed to because we are genuinely burdened for the lostness of their soul or because we want people to know we shared Christ with someone? How different my life would look if everything I said and did was intentionally purposed to attract people to Christ!

Lord, give me this! Help me make much of you!

"for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure" ~Philippians 2:13

Family Vacation - finally home

2010-07-05T15:35:00.000-04:00

We were recently blessed with the opportunity to spend a family vacation in Kissimmee, FL with Carmen's dad and his girlfriend. Dean has the points thing through Wyndham vacations so the resort was really nice. I think it was one of the top 2 or 3 nicest places I've ever stayed on vacation. We limited our theme park experiences to Sea World and Busch Gardens. We ended up making three different trips to Sea World and we closed down Busch Gardens so we more than got our money's worth. On the way home we stopped in Fernandina Beach, FL to spend a day at the beach. The kids' expressions and laughs overcame my pessimism that the sand was going to ruin the stop. Even though the red flags were up, Bryce tackled the waves with his best effort and Trista was convinced that she could just come out and get daddy when she wanted. Overall it was a pretty relaxing trip. I finished two books for my summer classes which moves me up to "far behind" (from way far behind). Bryce definitely got a lot more daddy time than he is used to so I think that was beneficial for him, well really for both of us. Today we are struggling to return our lives to reality as laundry, cleaning, and class work take back over.

Father's Day Reflection - Influence

2010-06-22T14:14:00.000-04:00

"And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel. And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals." ~Judges 2:10-11

One day we will all be gathered to our fathers (that means die in Hebrew). The telling story of our lives will be the generation that follows after us. Will they know the Lord or will they serve the Baals? Every man (or child) is accountable for his own sin, but fathers bear a responsibility to the training of their children in the fear and admonition of the Lord.

Our kids' questions are a great indicator of what we are teaching them. I think they always understand more than we realize. I have experience great joy and great conviction at the questioning of my children. Don't just listen to their questions; think about what you are doing that is causing them to ask those questions. Parents have incredible influence of the development of their children.

Am I really ready and willing?

2010-06-19T23:55:00.001-04:00

I just finished taking a final exam at 11pm in my pj's laying in my bed on a wireless connection on my laptop. I took a j-term this week and both the mid-term and final were online. I had to have to have a proctor so Carmen watched intently over my shoulder to make sure I didn't open up my lecture notes (she REALLY took her job of proctoring seriously!). Anyway, I realized how much of a contrast our lifestyle is to many of those we know and may be to us in the next year or so.

I just finished catching up on some reading after my test so I read through the Ingrum's blog. Geoff and Raechel are friends of ours who are missionaries with Word Made Flesh in Lima, Peru. They experience challenges to complete activities that we too often take for granted. I "had" to install a garbage disposal in our house. I'm not sure what I'd do if I HAD to wash dishes without running water!

As we continue to prepare for missions, the expected departure date seems to be getting closer and closer. I guess time works like that. When something is years and years out the reality of it doesn't hit as much as when it is a year or less. I've been hit with the reality of the calling God has placed on our lives which has caused me to think about some hard things. Is my family ready for the stress of struggling to wash dishes? Will Bryce ever play little league baseball? Will Carmen be able to stay sane when she is not able to manage the household duties to the perfection that she now does? Will I make a difference? Will it be worth it?

In his book The Missionary Call, Dr. David Sills discusses the importance of the missionary remembering the call. The "call" is this thing that few missionaries can articulate well, but all know exist. Dr. Sills emphasizes that there will be times when the only thing that keep you on the field is remembering the call. I suppose there may also be times that remembering the call continues to drive us to the field as well.

I do not doubt my call. I do not doubt God's faithfulness. Pray that I do not doubt myself.

"But Moses said to the Lord, 'Oh, my Lord, I am not...'" ~Exodus 3:10a

I Always Think What I Think Is Right

2010-06-16T23:56:00.000-04:00

Before you get too angry at my arrogance, check yourself. You do too. We all do. We always think what we think is right. This is different from thinking we are always right. "Always" in my proposition is modifying the thinking and not the rightness. If you think what you think is wrong, then you change what you think so that what you think is right. Did you follow that? No one (at least know one who thinks logically) thinks that what they think is wrong.

Here's an example. 600 years ago the world was flat. Ok, not really but most everyone thought it was. Today, no one thinks the world is flat. When people realized what they were thinking was wrong, they changed what they were thinking to match the new right so that they continued to think what they were thinking was right even though it was something different.

Ok, so we all always think what we think is right. The kicker is WE DON'T ALWAYS THINK RIGHTLY! There are times for all of us when what we think is wrong...even me. Since there are times when we are wrong, we need to recognize that there is a high probability that there will be more times when we will be wrong. Humility is the attitude that we have to develop to enable us to see the times when what we think is wrong.

The implications for how we live are huge. When we hold too tightly to being right, we can be blinded to our being wrong. We may think for example that something we are involved with is ok when in fact it can be distracting or even destroying our relationship with God or others. In our own minds we are right because we always think what we think is right.

The only way that we can check our thinking for rightness is to use a standard that IS always right.

"For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things." ~Romans 1:21-23 (emphasis added)

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” ~2 Timothy 3:16-17

Summer...."Break"?

2010-06-12T21:17:00.001-04:00

It has been brought to my attention that I'm not the only one reading what I write, which is encouraging and humbling. I'll try to entertain more often and beg for mercy when I can't.

Ok, I know I said I'd get some pics up of the Ecuador trip and well, that didn't happen. If you're really dying to see some pictures, then come visit us some weekend and I'll be glad to show you all 1316 pictures! I'm really serious. We love company and Carmen's a pretty good cook!

Moving on....As you can imagine, a week in Ecuador during Spring "Break" eliminated the time that most seminarians catch up on everything they put off until the end of the semester. SOOOO, my final few weeks of the spring term were a little hectic. I survived the close of the term with 3 B's which is not as well as I would have liked to have done, but considering all that we're involved in I'm ok with B's.

We managed to go on a family camping trip a few weeks back. It was about a day of sunshine and a day of rain so PRAISE GOD we had a day of sunshine. There were two other families with kids that went too so it really was a good time despite getting a little wet.

We had a massive dead oak cut down in our front yard about 2 weeks ago. It measured 50" one way and 60" the other way across the base. It was quite the family adventure as we all were glued to the "monkey" that was climbing out on the ends of the limbs and cutting them off. For a little perspective, Trista is about 46" tall and this was not the base!

Carmen got linked up with a home school group that had a field day last week. There was plenty of competition with running, frisbee toss, bean bag toss, sack races, etc. etc....and the kids had fun too. Any of you have played a game with Carmen know that competition runs thick in her blood, which has clearly been passed on to our offspring! I guess it paid off because Bryce got a 2nd and Trista got two 2nd's and a 1st and this was not one of those days where everybody wins (note the fatherly bragging in my tone). One of the really neat things about watching our kids is that they really are each others' best friend. I don't think either would admit it though.

My summer "break" isn't really this year. I've already completed one J-term (1 class, 1 week, 40 hours, 3 credits) and I'm signed up for 2 more this summer. We've looked at the schedule and it seems feasible that I may be able to be completed with my on-campus hours by the end of next spring so the push is on! I'm starting to read a lot faster and actually grasp the material I'm reading too! Now if I can just sort it all and apply it, God might be able to find a use for me (tongue in check).

End of the Week...

2010-04-11T06:07:00.001-04:00

Here are my reflections over the last two days. We're now sitting at the gate in Quito to begin our trip back to the states. I'll try and get some more pictures when we get back home.

4/9/10

It is progressively getting harder to wake up each morning. After breakfast and our devotion, we headed back out to the work site. I helped three others put this concrete sealant on the ceiling. For some reason, you use a trowel instead of a roller. It took the four of us about 3 hours to cover the whole ceiling. Jessica asked one of the Ecuadorian guys how long it would take four of them to do the whole room including walls and they said about 1 hour. It’s always good to be humbled. Since we were traveling back to Quito today we had to quite working at lunch time. After showering at the hosteria, we got to tour the Nate Saint house. Way cool! The kitchen and radio room look just like they do on the End of the Spear movie. The house is basically falling apart due to termite damage, but there is a team planning on coming down this summer to rebuild it. In the kitchen, the MAF guy was selling some of the trinkets made by the Schwar and the Waodani. I picked up several little things, but was bummed that they were out of the Waodani spears.

The bus ride back to Quito was about 5 hours and went back through the same beautiful terrain that we passed coming in. The mountains shoot almost straight up and are covered with green due to the 20’ (yes, feet) of rain this area receives yearly. It’s probably a good thing Carmen was not along because the bus routinely was within a couple feet of the edge of the mountain which often continued several hundred if not a thousand feet below. Not only that, they pass anywhere, including curves, and the bus is a manual so we were constantly rocking back and forth with the shifting. On one hill, we were getting passed by someone who went into the oncoming lane and then someone went around them on the left so we were three wide going up the side of the mountain!

Since our plans changed a little, we are staying at a hostel in Quito for tonight and tomorrow night. It’s not as nice as our last three accommodations, but it’s ok, especially for mission trip status. Tomorrow, we have a day in Quito touring some of the various ministry work that is going on and doing some sightseeing.

What has God taught, showed, or reminded me about through today’s events?

I’ve noticed that I’ve enjoyed meeting various Ecuadorian people, but I do not feel the same connection that we felt on our two trips to Brazil. I know a lot of people who develop a special bond to the people they minister to on their first oversees mission trip. I’m thinking that is the case with me as well.
After being at the Saint home and then driving back through the mountains, I have an even more incredible appreciation for the ground-breaking work these men did to open up evangelical ministry to the Ecuadorian jungle. Shell was formerly the end of the road. The MAF guy said that what takes them 15 minutes to fly, takes about a 4 hour car ride and at least a 20 hour hike!
After returning to Quito, I realized that I really enjoyed being in the more remote areas. There is less traffic and life seems just a little slower.

“Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the LORD our God is holy!” ~Psalm 99:9

4/10/10

Today was a pretty relaxing day. After breakfast, Dr. Sills led our devotional time over the first few verses of I Corinthians 13. The drive for this entire week and the remaining trip home is rooted in love; love for Christ and love for others. Especially in my rigid accounting background, things are very missional (goal, plan, execution, evaluation). While many in contemporary evangelical missions utilize this rigid structure for missions, in reality it isn’t quite so easy to evaluate successfulness. The clarity of our “mission” was foggy at best when we left Louisville and the haze really set in when we arrived in Quito. In hindsight the mission was a success, not because we finished out a new orphanage (which we didn’t) or because we let 100 people in sinner’s prayers (which we didn’t), but because we exhibited the love of Christ. Missionaries were encouraged, those contemplating missions were given clarity, and relationships were strengthened within our team as well as with those we met in country. No one who has been on a short-term mission trip would think of calling this anything other than success.

After breakfast we went by Pastor Hosilito‘s church and looked around. They have done a lot of remodeling recently and it looks pretty nice. It was a lot bigger than I expected. Then, we traveled up to Pichincha Volcano to get an overview of and pray for the city of Quito. We were literally in the clouds looking down at Quito. After the trip back down, we went to a statue of the Virgin Mary that overlooks Quito. It has Mary standing on top of the world holding Satan by a chain. The worship of Mary in Quito surpasses any other religious figure. After this we drove through Saturday Quito traffic (fun, fun, fun, ugh) to “The Middle of the World” which is where the equator runs through Quito. There is a little touristy village where you buy Ecuadorian trinkets (some cool, some typical touristy stuff) and they have various groups performing dances and music. Our last stop was one of the malls in Quito. The girls enjoyed looking around at stuff although I think all the guys were done in about 10 minutes. It was actually a really nice mall and it had a SuperMaxi (great name for a grocery store, right?) attached so I could get some coffee.

Dinner at the mall was one of the highlights of the trip; not because of where we ate, but because of who we ate with. I sat on the end of the table closest to Pastor Hosilito and his family. He has three daughters and a niece that make up his family who were able to join us all day. It was really fun to try and talk with Hosilito’s wife Anita and their daughters while Hosilito and his niece tried to translate. I didn’t realize it until tonight, but most of the week we had been somewhat isolated from Ecuadorians. Almost all of the people we interacted with were gringo missionaries in Ecuador. I really felt charged trying to tell Anita what I was going to seminary for and hearing which of the Nickelodeon cartoons their 5-year old daughter liked. After dinner we drove back to our hostel and told Hosilito and his family good-bye.

What has God taught, showed, or reminded me about through today’s events?

Missions in evangelicalism is not the same as missions in the military. There may be clear objectives and a good plan, but the results don’t necessarily correlate to the original objectives. I think part of the reason for this is there is, or should be, an implied primary objective which is to glorify God through showing others the love he has shown us. This is something I am continuing to learn as I attempt to serve.
Ministry is about relationships. My expectations were dictated by previous mission trips that had a high degree of interaction with nationals. I definitely enjoyed the relationships that were strengthened with the other gringos on our team. But, I missed the extent of that blessing because of expectations that were not met. I don’t think my expectations were necessarily wrong, but they reveal to me something about my personality. In Brazil and here in Ecuador, I received the greatest joy through the relationships built with nationals.
I miss being in Brazil. This is an affirmation to me of the call God has placed on my life to love the people there.

“So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” ~1 Corinthians 13:13

Working....Hard!

2010-04-08T23:13:00.000-04:00

4/8/10

Part of the purpose of our trip was to complete some of the work on Casa de Fe’s new building. We finally made it out to the worksite today to complete some of the physical labor. A few of us agreed that an equipment rental place and ready-mix plant would be beneficial in Shell. Moving rocks with a shovel and wheelbarrow and mixing our own cement sealant plaster type stuff is tough work. It is amazing (in hindsight seeing how little we got done today) what goes into building a building in a majority world country.

It rained again today, sometimes pretty hard. It was warm earlier, but the rain cooled things down and the temperature was not a problem. Since no one on our team really has a construction background (especially cement construction which is very different than stick building), we were much less efficient than the Ecuadorian workers. These little 5’ tall 120 lbs guys could work circles around all of us. Sometimes it’s could to be reminded of our humility.

We were able to stop working at around 5pm and get cleaned up to go to an Italian restaurant. It seemed a little funny eating Calzones in the edge of the Ecuadorian jungle.

What has God taught, showed, or reminded me about through today’s events?

Dad was right in making me go to college.
Sometimes the work of ministry is slow and tedious.
No ministry will be as successful as it can be alone. I typically don’t like to humble myself and ask for help. In ministry, that is an absolute because ministry is about people, not me. Patty Sue has done well at involving others in her very difficult ministry.

May God provide us strength for another day. “…but your friends be like the sun as he rises in his might.” ~Judges 5:31

To Shell or not to Shell...

2010-04-07T23:00:00.000-04:00

We have Internet at the hostel we landed at so here are my past two days' reflections. I do have a few pictures at the end. If you don't want to read the whole thing, the short of it is that we finally made it to Shell Wednesday afternoon.

4/6/10

Breakfast at the Howard Johnson’s was really good. In addition to steak and rice, there were these cheese corn patty things that were really good. We were a little slow getting away this morning. Patty Sue is the woman who runs the orphanage in Shell. She was in Quito with a little girl she brought to the hospital. When we had just given up on her and began the drive out to Shell. Providentially she called and let us know that the road we were heading on had been washed out by a mudslide. There was another way into Shell from Quito but the heavy rains had taken out a bridge. Hmmm….great! This was definitely a challenge to my strong type A personality that typically survives on structure and definitiveness. After several hours (it may not have been that long, but to someone who doesn’t do well with waiting, it seemed like forever) Dr. Sills decided to head about halfway to Shell to stay at a camp run by some missionary friends of theirs. The day was partially overcast with mixed periods of rain, but the drive was still pretty cool. We wiggled up and down mountainside for several hours not really knowing if we would even be able to get where we were going. The Ecuadorian countryside was really pretty beautiful. The view of mountains and volcanoes were awesome and the people’s living conditions reminded me again of how incredibly blessed me and my family are.

We finally made it to the came sometime around late afternoon after climbing and descending over some really cool mountains. The camp sets down in the valley and overlooks a small river. It was built almost entirely by various missions groups over the years and the accommodations are actually very nice for a camp. We got settled, had dinner, and then had a time of devotion, prayer, and singing in the little chapel at the camp. The singing was added in because the rain was coming down pretty hard and no one wanted to make a dash for the cabins.

So what has God taught, showed, or reminded me about through today’s events?

No matter how well things are planned out in our human minds, his plan will trump. It is easy to study the sovereignty of God in seminary and talk about it at church, but doctrine for doctrine’s sake is useless. God wasn’t me to know him better by experiencing his sovereignty and taking rest in knowing that he has things covered.
I am blessed blessed blessed! God, all that I have is because you saw fit to place me in your creation were you wanted. My family, my home, my education, my church…everything is because you ordained it. God, I praise you for the incredible grace that you have shown me.
As God continues to prepare Carmen and I, flexibility will be an incredibly beneficial characteristic and one in which we probably both need significant amount of work. God knows what he is doing in preparing us, and he challenges us where we need to be challenged ultimately so that we can provide the most glory for him.

I’ve had several verses come to mind or get emailed to me in preparing for this trip, but the most meaningful still remains Psalm 94:19. "When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul."

4/7/10

What a day! I didn’t realize it was possible to get so tired sitting on a bus! We started the morning with breakfast at the camp. We received word during breakfast that the road was completely out to Shell and there was no way we would be able to get there so I think we were a little bummed, but no one voiced any complaints. After breakfast we were able to walk down the mountain and across the suspension bridge to tour Steve and Carol’s home. It was built almost 100% by volunteer labor from various mission teams from the states. It was absolutely beautiful! The wood and tile work was as nice as anything I’ve ever seen. The location is right on a beautiful river in the shadows of the mountains (and an active volcano).

After the tour we were waiting around to find out if Steve could plug our team in somewhere to do something with his team. As we waited, we got a call from Patty Sue asking when we were going to be there. She said the road was damaged but there was plenty of traffic going through. I think we were excited to at least see the orphanage and do what we could so we loaded up the bus and headed out.

The scenery was absolutely beautiful. The road was cut into the side of the mountain (thus the problems with mudslides). The peaks stretched thousands of feet above us and the river was probably about 2000’ below us. There were several waterfalls throughout the route that dropped down into the river below.

The hostel in Shell seems to be very nice. It actually really surprised me being on the edge of the jungle. After we got our bags in we walked down to the orphanage. Wow! There are about sixty children staying in a small little building. Many are special needs, all have some needs. Families around Ecuador bring children here because of the reputation they have for being cared for. In Ecuador, if a child is born deaf, with cerebral palsy, or some other physical ailment, many parents don’t want to exert the effort to care for them so they are dropped off. Others at Casa de Fe (House of Faith) have suffered some kind of sexual or other physical abuse, often times from a close family member. The visit to Casa de Fe was heart-breaking. Several of the children would come up to us and give us hugs, most smiled with the teeth they had, and they all seemed to be excited to see the gringos. As Patty Sue and one of her assistants Tandy explained the various conditions the children had, it was a struggle to fight back tears.

Tomorrow we finally start the manual labor. There has been some damage to a bridge that we will be attempting to assist repairing.

So what has God taught, showed, or reminded me about through today’s events?

I was able to hear Steve and Carol, Dr. Sills, and Patty Sue all discuss various visions they had for their ministries. As of right this moment, the only crystal clear calling I know I have is “get ready.” I did not hear an audible voice, but it might as well have been. As I’m preparing for ministry in seminary, I pray that God will reveal his will with clarity for the next phase of our lives. Of all the different needs in the world, what specifically has God gifted and passioned me and my family to provide the greatest kingdom impact?
A saw a picture of grace that beautifully modeled what I myself received. There is nothing about the children at Casa de Fe that warrants their presence there. Many would have died had this rescue ministry not begun. Even with the help this ministry provides, some will still die very young, but they will experience the love of Christ. There is nothing I have done nor any good about me that merited the love of Christ. Yet Jesus Christ died for me that I might have life. Praise God for calling people to help the helpless!

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. ~James 1:22-25

The mountain in the background is actually a volcano. There are a bunch of radio towers on top that broadcast throughout the region.

This is the scene every time the bus stops...Dr. Sills running to the Diet Coke.

The youth from 9th and O as well as the SBC M-fuse camps have stayed here. This is significantly nicer than the some of the camps I went to as a kid. Steve and Carol have a comprehensive vision for using the camp for training and refreshment for youth and pastors.

Steve and Carol's living room: missionary life in Ecuador don't look too bad!

To know what their minds are thinking....

Arrival in Quito

2010-04-06T07:22:00.000-04:00

My day started off with this verse in my quiet time, "When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul." (Psalm 94:19) After the week we had last week these were the exact words I needed to hear from God.

All 10 of us and all our bags arrived safety in Quito at about 9pm CST last night. Several of us noted the altitude difference as we walked up the small incline to get off the plane. Quito is about 9000 ft. so the air is definitely a little thinner. We met pastor Hosilito and his family outside of security. The small size of the airport in the largest city in Ecuador gave us a clear indication of being in a majority world country. Our bus took us to the Howard Johnson which is a very nice hotel in Quito and pretty nice for US standards as well. At least we get one nice night on a good mattress and a good hot shower.

Count Down to Ecuador

2010-03-28T22:08:00.000-04:00

In one week, I will board a plane with 9 other people to travel to the edge of the Ecuadorian jungle. A group from our church will be working with a ministry in Shell Mera that cares for orphaned and abandoned children in the area. There is a new facility that is in the process of being built that we will be able to assist in working on as well as ministering to the children, many who are special needs.

I am excited about this trip for many different reasons. Selfishly, I am pumped about the opportunity to be here specifically. This is the village that Nate Saint, Jim Elliot, Pete Fleming, Ed McCully, and Roger Youderian based their mission to the Waodani Indians before their martyrdom in January 1956. I am also excited about the team that I will have the honor to serve with. There are some from our church, some from another church, a mixture of seminary and non-seminary, and a varied range of age groups represented in our team. I am also excited to see a new part of the world to which I have never been. When we went to Brazil, one of the awesome experiences was being a part of worship service where I could not understand the words but totally understood that the church was worshiping. Being totally focused and dependent on God in worship is an incredible place to be.

I have some prayer requests that you can remember as we continue to prepare and travel:

Pray that the Holy Spirit will begin to soften hearts so the message of the gospel may find tender soil and take root in those whom we have opportunity to share.
Pray that our team members are in unity and exhibit Christ-like humility and love to those we meet throughout our week.
Pray that the final week of preparation will be free from distractions from the trip at hand and the week of Passion leading up to our trip.
Pray for Carmen and the kids' safety as they travel back to stay with her dad while I am gone.
Pray that through this trip the name of Jesus Christ will be glorified through the transmission of the gospel to literally the uttermost parts of the earth.

I don't think I will have internet access while on the trip, but Lord willing, I will post updates upon my return.

Let my heart resound with the Apostle Paul, "But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God." ~Acts 20:24

It's OK to "Question" Dad

2010-03-08T21:14:00.000-05:00

I've been using the Truth and Grace Memory Book (I highly recommend it) with our kids for catechism before bed for a little over a year now. Trista has been doing very well and Bryce is picking up quite a bit also. I stumbled across something that has been working awesome the past couple of weeks that I'll share.

I was tired one night and was getting ready to fall into auto pilot mode. I just asked Trista to tell me any one verse she remembered. It was my hope that she'd say one quickly so I could get back to my studies asap. She quoted me the first T&G verse which was Genesis 1:1. Right before I said "good job" as I was heading to turn out her light, she asked, "Why did God create the world?" The hopes of quickly returning to my studies were clearly gone, however, I was intrigued in the way she asked it. We had talked about this verse many evenings, but she was asking something differently this time.

I was able to have Trista answer her own question by asking her the catechism question she already knew, "Why did God create you and all things." Her correct response was "For his own glory." I was able to show her the connection between Scripture and the catechism questions and the lights began to go off rapid fire. She began asking several other questions about God, creation, Adam & Eve, and tonight Cain & Able as we began moving chronologically through Scripture. I have been hearing awesome questions that humble me to see the Holy Spirit at work in my children. Bryce, too, has been more attentive to the "lesson" and has even asked several great questions. I have been asking them to question me about the Bible story and have been pointing them to Scriptures that we've learned or catechism questions that we've memorized. It has been so cool to watch!

Two clear lessons are now evident after reflecting on our new bedtime routine. First, there is no amount of studies that are more important than that which is done on a twin bed with a 3 and 5 year old. Second, I have been given an incredible responsibility in overseeing the training of two precious little hearts.

O God, may I be found faithful to teach truth to those you have entrusted to my care!

"Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers." ~1 Timothy 4:13-16

"Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." ~Ephesians 6:4

The Irrationality of Relativity

2010-02-20T12:53:00.000-05:00

It is pretty common in western culture to adhere (or at least claim to adhere) to a relative worldview. The interesting thing is that relativism is fatalistic in practice. In fact, most relativists do not practice what they preach. There is an irrationality of relativity that most people simply don't even consider.

Here are a few examples:

Secular social experts claim that social influences can cause people to be mentally disturbed therefore relieving them of their social responsibility (premise is true; conclusion is false). So when a disturbed individual kills someone, the social experts try and relieve the person of guilt through examining and justifying the action through some corrupted childhood. The irrationality comes in when the social expert's spouse or child is the one murdered. In theory they may preach there are no moral absolutes, but in practice, they demand justice for the loss of their loved one.
How about a more crude visual example. If someone angers you by insulting you or physically harming you or whatever, and you retaliate through physical aggression (pushing, punching or worse) you feel justified in your action. However, if you insult (maybe even unintentionally) and are punched, you feel wronged. What causes these difference of emotions?
Recently there was a news story of man from NJ who threw his 3 month old daughter in the river. Any rational human being who hears that story experiences extreme outrage and brokenness. All men everywhere know this is wrong. How?

Paul writes in Romans 2:14-16, "For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus" (emphasis added). Paul is saying here that people act in a certain way because of a "law" or natural moral order that is "written on their hearts." All actions in life are not shades of gray. There are black and white issues that "God judges" that we are aware of "by nature."

You don't have to believe that Paul is inspired or that the Bible is true to see that relativity is irrational. All you have to do is consider the emotions you would have if your child was thrown from a bridge. Christian people did not make up the concept of morality. God wrote a moral law into the DNA of his creation.

"Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!" ~Psalm 51:1-2

"NOT FAIR!"

2010-02-01T08:20:00.004-05:00

The idea of justice is learned at an early age. Recently, Trista and Bryce have been quick to shout "NOT FAIR" whenever they sense that something they have been told to do infringes on their young sense of liberty and freedom. After a swift disciplinary response, Carmen and I restore order to the family. What motivates our children's actions? What motivates their parents responses? What would be really fair?

Clearly our children do not understand the wisdom their parents have in life situations. Rest helps bad attitudes. Chores build character and teach responsibility. Food provides nourishment for growth. Our concerns are for our children to grow in to responsible mature adults that live God-honoring lives. Our actions are motivated by love for God and for our children. Based on our understanding of Scripture and world around us, we are being as fair as we know how. Admittedly, we are not always perfect and we do ask forgiveness from our kids when we recognize our errors.

How does the relationship between God and I compare to that of my own children? Do I see God's love for me? Do I ever cry out "NOT FAIR" to God? Do I really want fairness from God? Children are an incredible blessing. They are a joy to teach and clearly a tool of sanctification being used by God. The similarity between the parent/child relationship and the God/man relationship is overwhelming. God wants us to grow into mature believers and worshipers of himself (hmm...is that sometimes my evil motive in disciplining my children; my embarrassment?). God's omniscience means he knows what is best for us and what ultimately will provide him the most glory, which is my purpose as a created being. I often don't see this. With the busyness of life, I get frustrated when things don't work the way I want. The human heart is SO selfish. Whether I say the actual words "NOT FAIR" or not, I clearly express my foolish desire for "fairness" from God. Oh the fool that I am! I should never plea for God to be fair to me! The fair thing for God to do with me, a selfish sinful being, is to banish me from his presence in hell forever. Praise God for his great mercy! Because God has shown me mercy through the atoning blood of Christ, God will not treat me fairly, but mercifully.

To you, O Lord, I cry, and to the Lord I plead for mercy: “What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness? Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me! O Lord, be my helper!” ~Psalm 30:8-10

So, so much to be thankful for

2009-11-28T17:43:00.004-05:00

I was just finishing my last paper for the semester when I was interrupted by Trista. She was wearing her Christmas nightgown, which had been on all day (along with the Christmas music) and carrying a small cookie tin that had some of our ornaments in it. When she walked in she said in her adorable 4 year old voice, "I'm sorry to bother you, but mommy can't get this open and neither can I. We just need a strong man to open it for us because I'm getting to help." They were obviously to the ornament stage of decorating our Christmas tree. As I popped off the lid, she released a gushy "Awwww" upon viewing the snowmen ornaments inside, said "thank you," and pranced back up the stairs.

Moments like these mandate that a father stop and think of the immenseness of the multitudes of his blessings. The opening line of the Doxology, "Praise God from whom all blessings flow" is clearly etched in the forefront of my mind right now.

Thursday during our Thanksgiving dinner, Carmen had collected several large Magnolia leaves from the front yard to use as nameplates on the table. The top half of the leaf bore the name of each who joined us for Thanksgiving. As we ate, we passed a sharpie around the table and were to write what we were each thankful for. A couple of the other guys and I, rolled our eyes as we passed the marker around. Then, as the seconds and thirds were wrapping up, Carmen went around the table and asked each to share what they had written on their leaf. Carmen's was "the health of my family" and mine was "healthy family." Between my mom's nearly 20 years with Multiple Sclerosis and losing Carmen's mom to cancer three and half years ago, we both recognized we had so much to be thankful for when little girls ask their daddies to be strong men for them.

O God please grant me the wisdom to lead my family well and not miss the many blessings that flow from your hand!

Me? Guiltless?

2009-10-24T08:34:00.003-04:00

I began reading through 1 Corinthians this morning and came across an idea that struck me as incredibly rich as it relates to my nature in Christ. In chapter 1 verses 4-9, Paul is giving thanks for the church at Corinth. The striking comment is in verse 8 where he says that the believers will be "guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." I have no problem understanding and relating to the sin and depravity of the Corinthians. My sinful nature is easy to relate to, but my guiltlessness before God through Christ is a beautiful thing that needs remembering. The "grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus" (v. 4) is the very thing that allows me to stand before a just and holy God as guiltless. May I continually rejoice in the status I bear as reconciled to God through the grace and mercy of Christ's blood!

Life: Worship, Interrupted

2009-10-15T22:46:00.004-04:00

There is a 1993 book by Susanna Kaysen titled Girl, Interrupted that addresses mental illness and the author's experiences with her own borderline personality disorder. The non-doctor layman's summary of BPD is that you don't act like your supposed to act. I heard a quote at chapel this week that made me think about this that I'd like to share. Dr. Albert Mohler stated that "Our worship is not an interruption in our lives. Our lives are an interruption in our worship."

Allow that to sink in a little.

We've caught my 3-year old telling his sister or mom that he's too busy for this or that. He obviously is only mirroring the language that he hears from his parents which is quite telling of reality. I heard a great acronym for B.U.S.Y. - Being Under Satan's Yoke. Remember that next time you tell someone your too busy! Our busyness and frustrations with interruptions seem so valid to us as we fly through our days, weeks, and years. In the midst of this craziness, how often do we consider our own personality as creations of God. Our purpose is worship. We were made to worship. Paul writes in Romans 12:1, "I appeal to you therefore brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." This verse speaks to a devotion of our entire bodies as living sacrifices in order to complete our designed purpose of worship.

I think we all suffer to a degree from borderline personality disorder. We think that worship, whether Sunday morning or any other time, is an interruption in OUR day. We are so WE centered that we don't even consider the reality and purpose of our existence for God's own glory.

"Dear Heavenly Father, I praise you for your love, mercy, and grace. Please forgive the evil of my selfishness and self-centeredness. Thank you for creating me. Please constantly remind me of my purpose to worship you for your own glory and honor and praise. Amen."

Revelation 4:11 - "Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created."

The Terror of Personal Evangelism

2009-09-27T22:25:00.003-04:00

Nothing sends most believers running for the door faster than the word evangelism. Yes, talking to people can be the most terrifying thing for a Christian. "Please, burn me at the stake, just don't make me share Christ with others!" This is sad, but true. I know it's true because it's how I often feel.

The excuses begin to fly when asked about evangelistic efforts:

People see Jesus in the way I live. (How many people does Scripture record coming to Christ without some kind of personal interaction?) Matthew 28:18-20
I don't know enough Scripture. (My 4-year old has several verses memorized verbatim and can answer 27 catechism questions. Try again.) Proverbs 2
People will make fun of me. (When you enter the gates of splendor and stand before your Lord and Savior, how well will that hold up?) Philippians 1:20-21
I don't know how to transition the conversation to spiritual things. (How about, "What do you think about God?" or "What does your church teach about becoming a Christian?" or "Has anyone ever really explained to you what the gospel is?". I've got more if you need them.) John 4:7-10
My testimony isn't that exciting. (You were headed for an eternity in hell and the Savior of humanity grabbed a hold of your life drawing you to Him. Since then you've submitted to His lordship over your life affecting everything you think and do. That's exciting....and if it's not true, maybe you don't have a valid testimony.) Ephesians 2:1-10
I don't know any non-Christians. (Join something. Go take a neighbor some cookies and apologize for not introducing yourself yet. Place an ad in the paper or on the web. Go to a mall. Get out of your Christian bubble!) Acts 1:8

I am taking a personal evangelism class which has a practical course requirement...you have to share your faith. Were it not for this class requirement, I could not write this post for the great hypocrisy I would be communicating. However, I have taken the course and my calling to share my faith seriously and have experienced great joy through being obedient. I praise God for the continuing work of grace which I call my life. I pray the same for all who belong to Jesus Christ.

"for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." ~Philippians 2:13

Ambassadors

2009-09-09T19:48:00.002-04:00

I heard an awesome message from Dr. Russel Moore in chapel. The text was 2 Corinthians 5:16-6:13. The convicting aspect of the message for me personally was the admonition for Christians to embrace their ambassadorship in the world. Think about some of the implications of the analogy.

Do ambassadors huddle in the embassy waiting for nationals to come knock on the gate for information about our homeland? No, they go out doing things diplomats do; telling nationals about the greatness of our homeland. Religiosity has often reduced itself to a "come and hear" mentality instead of a "go and tell" mentality as we have been commanded.
What makes a good ambassador? Would a timid recluse serve justice to the office? An ambassador must overcome any natural tendencies at timidity. Proverbs 28:1 says, "The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion."
What is the ambassador passionate about? Can you picture an ambassador that is not totally convinced with his whole being that his homeland is the best? As Christ's ambassadors, we must be bold about the glories of our home in heaven.
What is the mission of the ambassador? The ambassador sees the nationals as ignorant of his homeland an he is desirous to inform the nationals. The ambassador is committed to telling everyone he can of the glories of his homeland and King.
How knowledgeable is ambassador of the laws, customs, traditions, etc. of his homeland and his King? How many Scripture verses have I memorized except for John3:16? If I was asked to describe in detail my theology, how accurate would my description be to the canon of Scripture? Can I answer satisfactorily why I believe what I believe?

The exposition can continue but the conviction is already clear. I'm not a very good ambassador. I don't see people with the passion that Christ has called me to see them. Our culture is ignorant of the truths of Scripture and I have been commissioned to deliver a message to a foreign land.

God, forgive me, a sinner.

"Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God." ~2 Corinthians 5:20

The Gospel

2009-08-27T12:25:00.002-04:00

1. God is holy, loving, AND just.
2. All men have sinned.
3. Eternal suffering in hell is the penalty for sin.
4. Jesus Christ God's Son lived, died, & rose to life defeating the power of sin.
5. Those who repent of their sin and accept the payment for sin by Christ on the cross will experience eternal life in heaven.

There is no prayer formula or pastoral intervention necessary. Believe & repent. Your life will evidence your salvation if genuine. Read 1 John today. It will take you about 20-30 minutes and will either give you great confidence in your salvation or great fear in your condemnation.

"Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life." ~1 John 5:12-13

Let the Games Begin!

2009-08-27T11:56:00.002-04:00

We are full steam ahead on the fall semester. I've have two weeks of class down now and am completely engulfed. Carmen's 1st session of her 2nd Seminary Wives Institute class meets tonight. I am coaching an Upward Soccer team. Carmen is leading registration for a big women's ministry event this Saturday. I'm still trying to get our house ready to live in....while we are living in it. Carmen has started Trista's kindergarten and Bryce's preschool homeschooling. Trista is doing Awana's, Upward Scoccer, Children's Choir, Kid Fit, and her kindergarten homeschool work. Bryce is doing Awana's, preschool homeschool, and trying to restrain himself from throwing everything he gets his hands on. To summarize the above, we feel incredibly busy and flat wore out! Your prayer for perseverance are greatly coveted.

As I mentioned above, we have moved into our house. The house is older and most of what I have to do is maintenance items that are way over due. We unpacked most of our essentials but still have boxes everywhere. It is amazing how the things in a two bedroom apartment can fill up a three bedroom house. The kids have seem to enjoy the extra room so far. The backyard is huge and when we can stand the mosquitos we have all enjoyed it. If you are in Louisville or passing through, please stop by anytime. I mean it. Really.

The transmission went out on my Explorer about 5-6 weeks ago so we're down to my motorcycle and Carmen's Mountaineer. It has been a little difficult especially on rain days when Carmen and I both have something to do. I have decided that I no longer enjoy shopping for vehicles as I once did in high school and college. It's work!

I'll try and keep ya'll (KY isn't the deep south, but I'm getting acclimated to some of the southernisms) updated a little more often.

"Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him." ~James 1:12

We've Finally Found a House

2009-07-14T17:39:00.003-04:00

After looking for many months, we've finally found a house! Here's a picture.

The kid's will each have their own room and a yard to play in. We're pretty excited and set to close this Thursday. There is very little work that needs done, especially compared to some of the project houses we've looked at!

How often do you sin?

2009-06-15T08:15:00.002-04:00

I had a brief but interesting conversation with someone last week that I have been reflecting on. The issue was sin. I made a comment about my daily sins or something to the extent that sin every day. The individual I made the comment to was shocked at my admission of something as horrendous as committing sin everyday.

Now, I'm not claiming to have everything figured out yet, but I'm pretty certain I do commit daily sin. In fact, as wicked and vile as I am, I'm pretty sure I commit multiple sins per day if not even per hour. So if I'm convicted that this is in fact the frequency of my sin, am I that much more vile than my friend or was my friend a little misconceived about the frequency of their own sin?

This opens up a whole range of thinking about sin...or at least exposes the need to think about sin. I have a theory that "Christians" (I use the quotes intentionally) fail to think rightly enough about sin and their own personal sin in particular. We are a depraved class of beings and we sin. Our sin is serious. Now unfortunately we don't consider many of our sins as that serious. We respond to a cashier abruptly, speed on the highway, get angry with our children or spouse, and the list goes on and on. These sins are the actions of our will that caused Jesus Christ to suffer and die in our stead. Like I said, sin is serious.

I propose that Christians (notice I've dropped the quotes) must begin to think about their sin and their calling to live a life of holiness.

You are to be holy to me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own. ~Leviticus 20:26

Pondering Philosophy

2009-06-08T06:47:00.002-04:00

So the j-term course I'm taking next week is intro to Christian philosophy. Christian philosophy probably seems like an oxymoron to some people as I know it did to me several years ago. Philosophy seems like this worldly scientific way to think where people sit around and talk about nothing...kind of like Seinfeld.

As I've been reading the past couple weeks, I've really seen how useful philosophy can be to believers. Christians have as must right and even obligation to engage in philosophical interaction as any other belief system. Really at its core, apologetics is a form of philosophical debate. The really interesting thing is that Christian theism taken as a complete system of thinking is more coherent than its primary opponent naturalism and any other philosophical belief system. No huge surprise right?! Obviously, I'm a little biased, but the stuff I've been reading has really affirming that Christianity has a strong philosophical defense (apologetic).

Here's the book list that I'm working on if you want to pick some of these up and see for yourself:

The Universe Next Door by James Sire
Faith and Reason by Ronald Nash
Life's Ultimate Questions by Ronald Nash

Our family is having a pretty busy next couple of weeks. Carmen and the kids are doing VBS this week. They have to be at church by 8am each morning. It's difficult to get two kids anywhere that early!!! I'm working and trying to get my reading finished up for my class that starts on the 15th. Carmen is also thinking about trying to head back home for a week or so next week with the kids.

As we all enter the busy time of summer, let us remember the attitude of Christ who said, "...not what I will, but what you will." ~Mark 14:36

Summer's Here!

2009-05-31T17:33:00.007-04:00

Well I apologize to those of you that check here for updates on our family. Once the semester was over I didn't feel like writing anything for a while....so I didn't. It has been kind of nice to take a little break. I have now started reading for my J-term class in a few weeks so I need to get my brain working again.

We have all been doing pretty good. Bryce is continuing to grow and learn and well...be a pain to his big sister. Trista's terrible two's didn't really start until three, but this is one area where Bryce has "matured" quicker than his sister! He knows when he does wrong and hates getting in trouble, but he just can't seem to stop himself. It really is a beautiful picture of human depravity! Bryce has progressed out of diapers now and has been having very few accidents which is a huge blessing.

Trista continually amazes us. We have been using the Truth and Grace Memory Book for her catechism. She is doing awesome at memorizing Scripture and theological truths. Just last night she was able to correct mommy when Carmen missed two words in Matthew 22:37. A 3-year old's memory is an awesome and sometimes humbling thing. The pool recently opened at our apartment and Trista has definitely taken to water like her daddy. She puts on her floaty and goes all around the pool dunking her head in and splashing.

Carmen is still enduring apartment living. We continue to look at various houses, but God has not led us to "the" house yet. Many of her acquaintances have become friends and she stays busy with play days, book studies, VBS planning, and everything else it takes to keep a household running. She says she's beginning to forget the pain of taking a class and is almost ready to sign up for fall classes....almost.

I have enjoyed a few weeks of semi-relaxation. My part-time job has become nearly full-time which I won't complain too much about. The job is going really well. I'm working for a landscape lighting company called Outdoor Lighting Perspectives. I'm mostly pulling material, laying out installers each morning, coordinating service calls, etc. but I have been able to get my hands dirty a few days running service myself which is kind of fun. My J-term (1 week, 40 hours of class, 3 credit hours) is coming up in another 3 weeks so I'm engaged in my reading for that right now. Since summer is here I'm battling my jealously of all the boats I see each weekend...as if I have time!

God has been faithful and has continued to bless us in all areas. We are thankful for His provision!

We're Still Here...

2009-04-20T11:44:00.003-04:00

The semester has quickly come to the home stretch and now that I'm working my time has become a increasingly valuable commodity.

We are all doing well for the most part but quite busy. Bryce has recently made significant progress in the potty training area. He has been wearing big boy underwear for a little over a week now and we've only had to throw away about two pair of underwear. He's also doing better at his speech and comprehension which has been encouraging. Trista continually amazes us with her ability to remember things and be a big help around the house. She's doing very well at her school work and is reading small books. Carmen is continuing to over do it. She has two Seminary Wives' Institute classes that are finishing up this week. She's helping to plan the "Spring Fling" for SWI and just volunteered to help plan a fall women's outreach at church. I am looking forward to the conclusion of this semester. Three classes is definitely the most I'll consider taking at one time. Since I've been working, my coursework has been lagging a little so this week will be a big push to finish up. I've signed up for one summer class and my three classes for the fall but I'm looking forward to the little break in between.

Paul's Prayers

2009-04-01T06:29:00.004-04:00

Today I was reading Philippians and Paul's example of prayer and passion for others struck me. Read Philippians 1:8-11:

"For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God."

How awesome would it have been to be sitting in the church at Philippi when those words were first read! The believers at Philippi were the real deal. Paul knew it and he lifted up the believers there before the throne of grace. He prayed for their steadfastness in the faith so that God's glory would increase.

When I compare my prayers to that of Paul's, I am often found wanting. So many times my prayer focus is on some physical need of mine, a friend, or a family member. I often neglect eternal matters in my prayers. There is value in praying for colds, money, relationships, and wisdom. O how these pale in comparison to increasing the "the glory and praise of God" through strengthened relationships with Him!

"...Lord, teach us to pray..." ~Luke 11:1

Answered Prayers

2009-03-28T22:18:00.002-04:00

We have a couple updates that we're pretty excited about. First, Josh is working! He was hired as a part-time operations manager with a company doing low voltage landscape lighting. It is a mixture of administrative and field work which he is very excited about. The position is pretty flexible which is a huge benefit for a seminary student and the pay is fair considering the position is a little different than his past experience.

Next, we have really felt a peace about the church that we've visited for the last month. It's different than what we're used to, but we're meeting some really great people who have made us feel very welcome. The church is 9th & O Baptist Church if you want to check up on us. The pastor is Dr. Bill Cook who is a Southern Seminary professor that Josh had for a J-term class last spring. The small group that we've really enjoyed is led by Dr. T.J. Betts who was the professor for the Old Testament Internet class that Carmen took. Coincidental or providential (those of you that know me know that I don't believe in coincidence).

Finally, we had a little bit of vehicle stress this week. Josh's car had major transmission problems this week. This is really a bummer because he uses his car for work. It is still drivable but needs a new transmission. The quotes to rebuild the transmission was $1500. Again through providential circumstances, God led a man who works on Explorers to us and he is going to install a used transmission for $400! We're going to drop it off tomorrow afternoon and pray that the swap goes smoothly.

You can continue to pray for discernment regarding our housing. As most of you know our initial plans to be in a house while living here were providentially hindered. Financially it makes better sense for us to be in a home, but we can't see clearly God's timing for our future so He may want us to stay where we are. If so, we need a better sense of peace about that option. In the meantime we'll enjoy apartment living as best we can.

What does it mean for the bride to be pure?

2009-03-17T10:08:00.002-04:00

The white flowing wedding gown has been a symbol for many generations of the beauty and purity of a bride on her wedding day. My daughter loves to play dress up and has a wedding gown to play in which she absolutely loves. She pulls the veil over her head in beautiful innocent purity and asks me to marry her and her brother. The pure white bride is a beautiful thing when presented as such to the bridegroom.

Scripture uses the imagery of a bride to describe the Church. The bride is loved by the bridegroom who is Christ. My burden today is those claiming to be part of the body of the bride who are severely disconnected with what it means for the bride to be pure. Purity in times past has been a status linked to the entire being. When a bride was pure it was not an indicator of only her sexual experiences, but also her thoughts, actions, intentions, desires, and heart. Many today in the Church have segregated their lives into various compartments. One can be pure in their marriage relationship but impure in their thought life and still consider themselves pure. One can be pure in their intentions but impure in their actions and still consider themselves pure. Men and women of the Church need to humble themselves before almighty God and beg for forgiveness for the filth that many call righteous acts of the bride. I'm not necessarily saying that we need a renewal of strict Puritanism, although that may not be a bad thing, but I'm suggesting that in our speech, in our anger, in our movies and TV watching, in the use of our time, and in our relationships we desperately strive for purity worthy of the bride of Christ.

"Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure." Revelation 19:7-8

Pray for our Nation

2009-03-16T06:48:00.006-04:00

I'm reading through Revelation as part of my current Bible reading. I typically struggle in Revelation because of the unimaginable events John is describing. I have been trying to slow my reading in Revelation and meditate on each chapter. Which of the seven churches could we be in today? Are they churches, time periods, denominations or something else? What are John's emotions and thoughts as he struggles with human words to describe the magnificence of what he is seeing?

As I read Revelation 18 this morning, I couldn't help but think, "Is the United States the Babylon of Revelation 18?". Surely someone else has thought this before and it's a stretch, but listen to some of these verses:

V.3 - "For all nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living."
V.11 - "And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore,"
V.24 - "And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on the earth."

Ultimately God is sovereign. If He chooses to destroy our nation either through financial crisis or other calamity, He is sovereign and worthy of our praise. His justice is perfect. This morning I have been convicted at my past failure for praying for this great nation that may be on the verge of perfect justice.

"Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created." Revelation 4:11

Quick Update

2009-03-05T14:19:00.002-05:00

I'm a little overwhelmed with reading right now so here's a quick update on our family.

Bryce: He is determined to be the "annoying little brother." His size and devious nature leaves no doubt of the doctrine of depravity. His speech is improving a little but at two and a half we're not really expecting him to be an excellent speaker. He is doing better at learning his colors which I believed has been aided by the prize of getting to go bowling once he has mastered the primary colors. He loves the idea of throwing balls and hitting things!

Trista: She is really growing up. She requires little discipline but that is of course relative to her brother. She has adapted quite well to Louisville and is incredibly flexible at attending multiple different churches each week as week attempt to discern where God is leading us. She is continuing to do her pre-K homeschooling and has a few of the early readers down pat. Her reasoning and literary skills continue to amaze her parents.

Carmen: She is enduring our change of lifestyle. She has made many different friends through the many different churches that we have visited. Her personality is naturally suited to meeting new people but it is clear that she desires to be settled at a church and begin to build deeper relationships. Her seminary wives class has been practical and fun. She has done excellent at stretching our food budget determining that our family of 4 can typically eat a homemade (not just home cooked) meal for about $3. She longs to be in a house but is remaining mildly content in our apartment.

Josh: Josh has been spending many hours per day reading...and reading...and reading... The concept of triage has not been applied yet but will be sure to be instituted as the semester progresses. He is still looking for the right job and has a peace that God is in control of that situation. He tries to balance the demands of seminary with the demands of family while keeping a loving and caring attitude. Well, at least he tries...

Current Prayer Concerns

Wisdom in selecting a new church home
Wisdom in securing a means of income
Wisdom in discerning whether or not to buy a home
General health (We have had a significant number of colds in the past 2 months.)
Brokenness for the lost around us
Perseverance in our studies

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. I Corinthians 10:31

How Do We Understand Grace?

2009-02-09T08:37:00.002-05:00

I heard a pretty decent sermon yesterday that was designed to make us consider the term grace. So many time "evangelicals" or "Christians" will use this term will great casualness without a real reflection on what the word means. Grace in it simplest understanding is unmerited favor. When we talk about God's grace, we are referring to the unmerited favor he showed us by sending Christ do die for us. Christ died because we are sinners and God showed us unmerited favor by making a way for us to pay for an incredible debt. Because of God's justice, He could not allow the debt to go unpaid. We were unable to pay that debt. Because of God's mercy on humanity as sinners, He loved us enough to allow us to be reconciled to Him through His Son. We were destined for eternal punishment without grace. Grace is the word that defines the gospel or good news. Think about the meaning and magnitude next time you utter such a glorious word.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God" Ephesians 2:8

Faith: A Journey to Greatness

2009-02-03T07:38:00.003-05:00

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." ~Hebrews 11:1

My reading this morning brought me to the Faith Hall of Fame where some of the great heroes of faith are commended. I'm also reading a leadership book that is looking at what makes good leaders great. So I started thinking, "what makes good men of faith heroes of faith?". Think about some of the people listed.

Abraham: lied about being married twice and committed adultery
Moses: had trouble speaking and murdered an Egyptian
Jacob: deceived his father to obtain a blessing
Rahab: prostitute
Joseph: a dreamer

These are some of the all-stars of faith from Scripture yet they all had some inadequacies or flaws by human standards. There must be something else that set them apart. The text of Hebrews provides some insight into what set these people apart.

they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth (v. 13) ~As believers, we not citizens of this world, but of another. What changes could we make in our lives to live this truth?
Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead (v. 19) ~Do we really believe God can do all things? What are we worrying about today that God is not in control?
regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt (v. 26) ~What do we really value? Take an inventory of your finances and your calendar to get an honest answer.

The Hebrews 13 champions were regular people like you and me who had a right perspective on God and on this life. What is your perspective? Who is God? How can He use you? Are you open to that possibility? The disciples wanted to know why they were ineffective casting out a certain demon. Christ replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.’” (Matthew 17:20) Think about what is impossible for you and limiting you on your journey to greatness.

Disipline: The Lost Treasure

2009-01-30T07:26:00.002-05:00

It has been an interesting week. Classes began on Monday and were amazing. I'm taking Personal Spiritual Disciplines, The Ministry of Leadership, and Church History I. After one day in class, I know God providentially led me to take these courses because they are perfect for the situation I and my family is in. I'll explain why in a moment.

The snow and ice storm that coated the Midwest made its mark in Louisville. Carmen and I commented how obvious it is that IDOT and MODOT must have significantly more resources budgeted for snow removal that is allotted for Metro Louisville. The poorly (relatively to St. Louis metro area) plowed streets and the desperate pleading from news anchors to stay home unless a dire emergency arises made it clear that Louisville does not get weather like this often. It also again shows the power of God to frustrate man's plans, but I'll digress there for another day.

Since my Monday classes beat the storm I was able to attend all of them which I consider myself blessed because the Seminary canceled classes for the rest of the week and subsequently lost power. I was blessed to meet all my professors and many of the other students as an informal time of introductions was common to the first class. Due to the weather paralyzing the metro area, I was able to use the time to get a jump start on course reading. This week I have read one of the more powerful books I have read. Dr. Whitney from Southern penned a book titled Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. God led me to choose this class early in my seminary experience because it makes sense to learn how to be disciplined at the beginning of a task as opposed to when it is nearly completed. In Dr. Whitney's book, he outlines what he feels to be some of the most critical disciplines for Christian living of which several have been forgotten in our contemporary age. Some obvious inclusions are Bible Intake, Prayer, and Evangelism. Others like Fasting, Silence & Solitude, or Learning are typically neglected or written off as what the fanatics do. As I finish this book today, I pray that my life holds firm to the lost treasures that I have rediscovered this week. Christian living requires Christians to be disciplined in their living. If you are a Christian who is not spiritually disciplined, you are not living for the purposes of Godliness that you have been called. Rediscover the Joy of your salvation!

Hebrews 6:1 - "Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God"

Late Night Thoughts on Seminary Eve

2009-01-25T22:17:00.003-05:00

I begin my on-campus coursework at seminary in the morning. I have a mixture of emotions. A dear friend pointed out I don't know how to deal with very well with emotions so there is some confusion mixed in there as well. I am excited to be challenged to think at a level greater than I ever have before. I am also fearful that my lengthy transition may have caused my brain to atrophy and I will fail miserably. Ultimately, I lean on the sovereignty of God knowing that He is directing my paths.

We finished setting up our apartment this weekend so I think Carmen is about as happy with it as she's going to get. The kids continue to amaze us with their adaptability. We visited another church this morning and they both did great. Bryce did cry a bit, but I did the drop off and apparently didn't mentally prepare him. After church Carmen and I both felt like we had yet to find "home".

I had to pick up some more groceries so the current negative cash flow situation became again apparent. Additionally, I have to pay for my seminary classes this week so that will be a little painful. Prayers that I might find the job the LORD has for me are greatly appreciated. Despite our current fiscal situation, I am confident that God will provide what is necessary for us to fulfill His will through our lives. When it comes to finances, I kind of feel like Israel in the Old Testament; all I have to do is remember the past. I have never had less than I needed which can't be said for a majority of our world.

Settling in Louisville

2009-01-21T07:53:00.003-05:00

Well, our family has finally landed in Louisville. Through the LORD's leadership we settled in on an apartment complex on the east end of Louisville called Kingswood apartments. After our last trip to Louisville at new year's, I came the second week to search and find this apartment without Carmen seeing it. For those of you that know Carmen, you know this put a significant pressure on me to maintain marital harmony and reconcile my fiscally conscious mind. Since Carmen and I have both been blessed with very nice homes through our childhood and marriage, I semi-jokingly warned her that the apartment I picked would be the worst place she'd ever lived. She didn't laugh very much and she confirmed my warnings when we moved in. Despite the domestic humility of our residence, it is very nice for international standards and we feel blessed to have a place like this to live while in seminary.

The kids did excellent so far at their transition although I don't think they totally understand what is going on. Since the past many trips to Louisville involved a hotel stay, Trista asked if we get to go to the lobby in the morning for breakfast. She was also very sad on Saturday when we told her that we had to take the moving truck back because it was such a long drive. Bryce is happy as long as he has a car, plane, or train to play with and since he has many of them, he could care less if we are in St. Louis, Louisville, a house, or an apartment.

Carmen is gradually appreciating her home as more of her things get unpacked and positioned throughout the apartment. Despite her typically structured semi-rigid personality, she has been incredibly flexible and accepting of her new lifestyle. By Tuesday morning she had most of the kitchen put away and was working on homeschooling with the kids.

I think I have been in a little bit of a daze. The long transition made it seem as if this wasn't even reality. I have been thinking about where I'm going to find a job, what kind of church we're going to find, and where to put the extra boxes that probably shouldn't have been brought. One of the harder things is the realization that so many of the amazing friends and family that we had at home are now hours away and we may never have the depth of relationships that we once had. I know God will sustain us through a temporary period of isolation and bless us with new purpose and new friends, but I pray I never forget the friendships we developed and the investments made by others into our lives during the first 30 years of my life.

Jeremiah 29:11-12 ~ "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you."

Moving Update

2009-01-05T22:05:00.003-05:00

Well, we've made it through the holidays and still haven't quite finished our relocation to Louisville. We signed a contract on a home back in November and last week in it fell through. The seller was unable to meet the closing date specified in the contract and keep delaying the closing. I had a nagging uneasiness about the transaction and after the transaction was canceled I felt a peace that God did not want us pursing that house.

That puts us 3 weeks from classes starting and we've no place to live in Louisville. I'm heading down early in the morning to look at a few apartments. Carmen is NOT excited about this housing option. She is trying to be open to where God is leading us, but she doesn't understand why God would put our family in an apartment. Thankfully, He is sovereign and knows our needs better than we do.

We are thankful God spared us the frustration of the home we've missed out on and are confident that He will sustain us in the apartment that He has reserved for our family. Your continued prayers are always appreciated.

God's Role in Minimizing Our Frustrations

2008-12-23T09:01:00.003-05:00

A friend of mine recently read a Christmas account from Joseph's perspective. It is an often neglected perspective in the Christmas season, but it does provide great insight into our relationship with Jesus Christ. Joseph stressed himself for a period of time between when Mary told him she was pregnant and when an angel of the LORD appeared and told him everything would be ok. Why didn't God have an angel appear to Joseph and Mary at the same time? Why did God allow Joseph to worry about the humiliation of divorce? God was not primarily concerned with Joseph's stress and frustration. Maybe it was a test of Joseph's righteousness. Maybe one of Joseph's friends was challenged to a deeper walk with God because of how Joseph handled the situation. Regardless the reason, God is sovereign and He has little reason to focus on minimizing humanity's frustrations.

For our family, we have a pending move to Louisville, KY that seems a little frustrating to us. The closing date on our house has now passed and is basically being ignored by the seller. We had a pretty good peace about the situation which led us to this house, but now we are about five and half weeks from classes starting and we don't know where we are going to live. The valuable lesson for me from Joseph's perspective is that it doesn't really matter. God is soverign and I still believe we will be living in Louisville next month and will be taking seminary classes on campus. God's plan is what's best for my family. I can hardly wait for the blessing of hindsight to see the beauty of God's soverignty with clarity!

As we go through this Christmas season, put life into perspective. Don't focus on the frustrations you are now facing, but what God is doing through you. God's soverignty is not a justification for futility. Life with purpose is grounded in the peace of recognizing an omnipotent God whose soverign purposes may not necessarily be concerned with minimizing our frustrations, but in showing us the reasons for unceasing worship of Himself.

Life from God's Perspective

2008-12-15T11:23:00.002-05:00

In Genesis chapter 15, God made a covenant with Abram that his offspring would be more numerous than the stars in the sky. Even at the age of 75, "Abram believed the LORD, and he [the LORD] credited it to him [Abram] as righteousness." (Gen 15:6) It was 25 YEARS before God began to fulfill this covenant through the birth of Issac. 25 YEARS! Abram was human and sinned through his relationship with Hagar in his attempt to "help" God along, but Abram recognized God sovereignty in human "affairs."

Through the past several months of transition for my family and me, it has been greatly beneficial to remember Abraham's life. I have not struggled with the clarity of calling to prepare for full-time ministry. However, the time line has been a bit of a challenge. In our microwave society I have been conditioned to want to see God's plan for my life now. I want to know exactly where, when, and how now. This became evident to me this past weekend as I reached my 30th year on Sunday. I spent a little time thinking about what I had accomplished and where I was in my current phase of life. This reflection was prompted by a friend who asked me "What have you been up to recently?". Since I "retired" from corporate life we have been in a stand-by transitional period for 3 months now. We spent some time visiting different family and finishing up our classes, but it occurred to me that I had not been extremely busy. This is relative because I'm used to an extremely busy schedule and find some degree of satisfaction in "getting things done." Now, I haven't been sitting and starring at the walls for three months, but I have been living at a slower pace. My reflection on what I had been doing recently brought about a little frustration and maybe even a hint of depression. I don't wait well and now see that like Abram, God has probably been using this time to teach me how to slow down. Additionally, this new slower pace has been beneficial to try and see life from God's perspective. Obedience is obedience irrelevant of time lines or human desires.

Thank you God for showing me life through your perspective is eternally purposeful through obedient submission to your will. Please strengthen me to continue to recognize this truth.

Providence, Not Coincidence

2008-11-26T00:35:00.002-05:00

Ok, really cool update. We've been looking for a house in Louisville pretty seriously for about 3-4 months now. The night that we get home from California, this new listing pops up in a search in a neighborhood that we really like. It is well established and I think the home values will be more stable than in some of the "gray" areas. It is listed way below what the average homes around it. We found a few sketchy pictures but it looked decent. So after an hour nap, I leave at 1am for Louisville (this is still the same day, well next morning, after we got home from California). When I pull up to the house it really doesn't look that bad. I mean it actually looks pretty good. I call the realtor and find out I'm the first person to call about it. He gives me the combination over the phone and lets me look through the house on my own. It is a bank owned property which means it has already gone through the foreclosure process and the bank has a clear deed. It's short a garage, but has everything else we wanted including plenty of extra space in case family or friends want to come and stay the night. After taking about 50 pictures and emailing them to Carmen, we are pretty set on making an offer. I got a call this afternoon that the offer was accepted. We trying to set up closing asap since it has some remodel work that I'll have to do before the family moves in.

So why is this so cool? People buy houses all the time. The cool thing is providence. God's providence means He is in control of the progression of life events. He allows humanity to make free will choices within His providence, but He is in control. Did you get that? I don't have to worry about houses or apartments or classes or contracting yellow fever in Brazil. If God wants it to happen it will and I can't stop it. I also can't screw up so bad that I frustrate God's providential care for my family and me. There is a great sense of peace knowing that life occurs through providence, not coincidence.

Adventures in Southern California

2008-11-15T02:20:00.007-05:00

Our family is in the final weekend of a three week adventure in southern California with my parents. Overall it has been a great visit. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been quite as restful as we’d hoped, but what parents of two toddlers has ever had a restful moment? Mom & Dad seem to be enjoying the kids immensely. They’ve been pretty respectful of our desires to limit “prizes” and sugar treats. The kids have done incredibly well. We are constantly amazed at their ability to adapt to their surroundings. God has greatly blessed us! Carmen is doing ok. The reality of a nomadic lifestyle is not quite as….romantic as it might seem. Her nesting instincts have been made clear that she greatly desires to have space of her own that is called “home.” Your prayers for peace and wisdom as we continue to search for “home” are greatly appreciated. On that note, we have continued our housing search from afar and have not come up with a great number of prospects. It is looking more and more like God may be leading us to rent at least for a time. Financially that isn’t really something we want to do, but given our goals and relatively short stay in Louisville, that may be the wisest decision. As for me, I am fighting the balance between God, family, rest….I guess just life in general. When you don’t have a set routine, it becomes very difficult to keep priorities in line. I long for the time when I grasp a healthy balance. It always seems as though we are fighting fires. This doesn’t seem like it should be. Peace should not be limited to the confidence of my eternity but also to the daily routines as well.

Below are a few various pictures from our California adventure.

Bryce's 1st airplane ride and the first one Trista remembers

Our kids LOVE the beach!

What a cute elepahant and bride

Beach bonfire, a California must!

Trista really loves her little brother.

Yes, Bob is made completely out of Legos.

This is how most of us felt!

The Nomadic Lifestyle

2008-10-28T00:20:00.002-04:00

Carmen has been taking an Old Testament online class through Boyce college. I was thinking about how so many of the lives in the Old Testament prior to the conquest of Canaan were nomads. Adam started in the garden and was sent out. Noah left home to repopulate the world in a new place. Abram left his home for an unknown land that God would later reveal. Jacob fled home from his brother Esau. Moses lived in several different places. What is the purpose of this? Why did God lead so many of people to different areas to live their lives? What's wrong with living in the same place your whole life, or is there anything wrong with that?
I believe there are several reasons why God led many of these people away from "home" to a land that was unfamiliar to them:

Getting out of your comfort zone is good for a believer. When you spend too much time in the same routine, you become too comfortable with the way things are and don't always see new opportunities to serve or share Christ with others.
When you leave home, your spiritual gifts can be found or refined. If your living in the same town your whole life and going to the same church your whole life, you may not be challenged to do a personal inventory of your spiritual gifts. By relocating to a new area or new church, you start with a fresh slate and can reevaluate the skills God has blessed you with.
When you leave home, you become more dependent on God. I can clearly picture the first time I was standing in Sao Paulo airport and realized I was 1 of very few people who spoke English. I was in a foreign place and very dependent on God and others to help me do what needed to be done.
By living in different areas, you have a broader perspective on life. The earth is a big planet with many different types of people. Each has something to add to our understanding of life and God's purposes for it.
"Home" for the believer is heaven. Why do you want to be too comfortable anywhere on this planet?

There are several other advantages to a nomadic life. Let me clarify that I'm in no way condemning those who live and die their entire lives in the same town. There's also much to be said about the benefits of familiarity and how that too can be used to glorify God. Given my family's current nomadic lifestyle, I've just tried to take time to evaluate why God has placed my family in the situation that we are in. In the next 3 months, our family will call several different houses, hotel rooms, and cars "home" but even in the midst of all the craziness, it's pretty comforting to look back at Genesis and see some of the other people who served God as nomads.

Why are you voting for whom you are voting?

2008-10-15T09:37:00.005-04:00

I'm typically not a vocal person when it comes to election time. I have a few social topics that typically determine who I will be voting for each election. However, I recognize and am incredibly grateful for the privilege I have to vote. While I don't spend hours researching and debating various politicians' political positions, I do spend enough time to become vaguely familiar with who is running and what their position is on the issues most important to me. I strongly encourage you to consider why you are voting for whom you are voting for this November.

I'm not a huge Howard Stern fan (ok, I'm not even a small one), but I thought his playing this clip is so indicative of the lack of voter concern in the US. Please don't be one of these people.

http://www.bpmdeejays.com/upload/hs_sal_in_Harlem_100108.mp3

Life: Is this normal?

2008-09-22T10:58:00.003-04:00

Carmen and I have been back from Brazil now for about 5 weeks and have had what seems like an incredible amount of things we have completed. We got a call in the airport on the way home that someone wanted to look at our house as soon as they could. To make a long story short, we closed in 3.5 weeks. Our interim home has been set up at my father-in-law's who has been gracious enough to permit our now nomadic family to lodge with him until we find suitable housing in Louisville. We made a trip to Louisville last weekend and each found several houses we liked but have yet to discover a house we both liked. The housing search continues. The one course that Carmen and I are each taking seems to eat any "free" time. Does anyone really have free time? I mean c'mon. We've booked tickets to spend 3 weeks in visiting my M&D in CA which we'll leave for in about 5 more weeks. Sometime this fall we've got to get housing figured out and moved. Oh ya, my last day of work (woo-hoo) is 10/17 which is a little nerve racking and a little exciting. Of course God is in control, but the ridiculous structure of Carmen and my right brain thinking still has some reconciliation between what we know to be true (God's provision) and the practicality of having no income, insurance, structure, etc.

So to summarize, in less than 3 months we will have been on an international mission trip, sold our house and moved in with my father-in-law, quit my job, spent a weekend in Louisville house shopping, and spent 3 weeks in CA visiting my parents, plus all the normal life stuff that comes with having a 2 & 3 year old. Is this constant headache normal or should I see a doctor?

I have told several people that life for us right now seems like we have been thrown into a blender, but it's ok because we know God is at the controls. His timing is a continual confirmation of what He has called me and my family to do. He is the only source of true and lasting peace. Solomon sums life up well at the end of Ecclesiastes; "Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil." (12:13-14) In all of the living that Solomon did; with all his great possessions; with all the fame; with all the power; with the world-wide influence he held, Solomon said that obedience of and reverence for God was the "whole duty of man." That sure makes life seem a lot easier when we recognize we one have one thing to do!

The last couple days of our trip

2008-08-16T19:26:00.002-04:00

We've made it home. I caught a cold last Wednesday so I've been spending the last two days resting. The kids have been having fun playing games and watching movies with us. Here is some of my journal for the last few days of our trip.

Wednesday August 13, 2008

We were able to sleep in today. We didn’t have to be down to the lobby until 8:45am which was nice. We were all definitely getting wore out. Our first stop was to head to Iguacu Falls. The falls are probably the number one tourist attraction for several hundred miles, if not all of southern Brazil. Two of our translators from the week were able to join us so that we could fumble our way through the park with a little more ease. The tour of the falls was nice. The weather was a little cooler than we would have liked for the 2nd level of the open air park bus, but almost perfect for the several miles of walking that we did. The national park where the falls is located offers several miles of walking trails with spectacular views of the falls and the opportunity to experience the same vegetation that is found in the Amazon basin. The tour guide last year had said that the only different between the plants and trees in this park was that they had a lower ceiling than in the Amazon. We made our way through the park and arrived at the restaurant at the end of the trails near the “Devil’s Throat” which is the longest of this series of falls.

When we were done at the falls, the group was in agreement that playing soccer was more mutually agreeable than visiting the bird sanctuary as was originally planned. The soccer was fun, but tiring. There is no such thing as a casual game of soccer in Brazil. After about 30 minutes, Dean and I were the last Americans standing and I was definitely more content to play goal at that point. All week we typically did a pretty good job at including our bus driver in whatever activity we were doing. He just happened to have a pair of shorts on the bus and was excited to get to join our game. On the way back to drop off our Brazilians friends at the Semear school, Rick took some time to talk to the driver about his relationship with Christ. When they finished the driver said that he wanted to commit his life to Christ. He told Rick that he had been telling his mother that there was something different about our group than many of the other groups he drove for. It was difficult to hold back the tears as we heard the testimony that our friendship had made on this man’s life. While I typically think the “lifestyle” witnessing is a little weak, it had definitely made an impact on this man’s life.

Our evening plans included a nice dinner at a Curhascaria, which is a Brazilian BBQ restaurant. We were able to invite the SBC missionary, who was extremely helpful throughout the week, and all of our translators, who typically cannot afford a meal like this. The meat is all you can eat is tastes incredible. They only season it with rock salt and then place it on the spit, but it tastes amazing. At the end of dinner we were able to present our translators with the team thank you gifts as well as the individual gift items. The tears and flash bulbs were both plentiful as we said our goodbyes.

With sore muscles from soccer, we went back to the hotel to pack up our things to be ready for our departure tomorrow. It was difficult to figure out which emotions were stronger. Our love for the people here in Brazil had been greatly strengthened, but we have been away from the kids for just over a week now and Carmen and I were both ready to see them again. So far we had only talked to them one time and had one video call that didn’t work very well. If they had traveled with us, we wouldn’t have wanted to come home which is probably one of the reasons God didn’t allow those plans to happen this summer.

Thursday August 14, 2008

Oh my goodness, are my feet and muscles sore. Soccer is a physically challenging sport. We were dragging most of the morning, partly from being sore and partly from not really wanting to leave. We had all of bags packed and ready to go before we left around 9am to do some touristy type shopping on Avenida Brasil (Brazil Avenue) which is kind of like their Main Street. We bought a few things and had a snack at Hassins pastry shop. Hassin is one of Pastor John’s friends in Foz who owns an Arabic pastry shop. We walked around a little more and then had Schwarmas (no clue on the spelling) for lunch which was at another shop own by one of Pastor John’s friends.

Next we headed back to the hotel to pick up our bags and go to the airport. Our ride to the airport was interesting. Our driver was driving like he was in a Formula One race. Somehow Carmen managed to avoid getting sick from the stopping, starting, and swerving. After we got our bags checked in, we called the kids again. It was really good to hear their voices and their excitement when we told them we were coming home. Our flight to Sao Paulo went smooth and after a long wait at the Delta counter in Sao Paulo we all received our seat assignments for the re-entry into the USA.

Our group decided to have dinner together at the Pizza Hut in the Sao Paulo airport. Ordering was pretty funny since our waitress spoke no English. We finally decided to all order pepperoni since we could point to the picture to order. When we were about done eating, I tried to tell the waitress, “Ele pagu” as I pointed to brother Rick. That means he pays. The guy behind me turned around and told me they understand more English you might think. We started talking and it turned out that he was on his way home to Oklahoma. He had spent 4 years living in Curitiba as an IMB missionary on an International Service Corp term. His family of four had been working on starting house churches among the German descendants living there. We got to talk for several minutes and really interesting that God allowed us the opportunity to talk to him.

Friday August 15, 2008

I wasn’t feeling very well last night so I went to slept pretty quick. Carmen was a little restless but she seems fairly rested. We had no major difficulties at any of the passport control, baggage control or customs lines. It was nice to hear from the passport control officer in a strong Alabama accent, “Welcome home.”

As we boarded the plane to St. Louis Carmen and I couldn’t wait to get home to see the kids. When we got off the plane in St. Louis, Carmen was almost running through the terminal. The kids had balloons and had colored welcome home pictures for us. They looked so happy to see us and we were very happy to get to hug them.
Now we begin the process of trying to understand everything that we were allowed to experience. You can pray for us that we have the ability to discern God’s will for our lives as we process our experience.

We're In Brazil

2008-08-13T00:13:00.002-04:00

I’m sorry it has taken so long to get something posted. I have had little to no Internet access and we have remained incredibly busy. As I post this it is 2am on Wednesday morning (too much Gaurana...don't worry its a Brazilian soda). I know that many of you are continuing to pray for us and our team as we minister in Brazil and it is greatly appreciated. Due to the hour of the morning, I'm going to have to wait until another time to post some of the pictures. Sorry.

Below are some of my journal notes.

Wednesday August 6, 2008

Dropping off the kids was a little difficult, but we know that they are God’s and only under our care for a time. Recognizing that our children are on loan from God gives us peace knowing that His ability to care for them is far greater than ours. It was exciting to arrive at the airport and see our team. I think there were common emotions of excitement and nervousness among us all. Our flight from St. Louis to New York was delayed about an hour, but it was no problem because we had a 5 hour layover in NY. When we arrived in NY, we had plenty of time to stretch our legs and get some food. We had our first team devotion at the gate which was really cool. It was so awesome to go around the group and hear the different reasons why we were each a part of this trip. Our group is so divers in terms of age, professions, testimonies, and even how God called us each to participate.

Thursday August 7, 2008

New York to Sao Paulo was about a 10 hour flight. Just like last year I went to sleep pretty quick and sleep until breakfast. Carmen did much better this year since she brought some medication so she slept about the same. Several of the “rookies” didn’t fair so well. Chris was pacing the plane looking for someone in our group to talk to. It was really fun to arrive in Sao Paulo and recognize where we were. We collected our bags and made it through customs without any problems at all. We had about an hour to grab lunch and then continued on our next flight to Foz do Iguacu.

After many hours of travel we’ve finally settled down into our hotel room. All in all, God has provided excellent travel for us. Our flights were smooth and all ten people’s bags arrived all the way to Foz. When we arrived this afternoon at the hotel Carmen was very excited to try and meet up with one of her translator friends Celina from last year. We finally located her phone number but we were only able to leave her a message. She’ll be working with us again throughout the week so that will be nice. In fact, 4 of our 5 translators we remember very well from last year so that was kind of fun to know we would recognize people.

We were able to spend a couple hours with the SBC missionary here in Foz and we were able to present him one of the quilts from the ladies at the FBCC quilting ministry. He was very appreciative and said he couldn’t wait to go home and show his wife.

Now it is about 10pm and we are trying to repack our things. Tomorrow through Sunday we will travel from Foz to Cascavel to assist in the “Good Reader” project with Sao Paulo Gardens Baptist Church. The Good Reader project is a literacy program that uses Biblically based materials to encourage literacy among small children. It is a weekend long even that will begin tomorrow evening and continue through Sunday morning. We have been told it will be a very busy schedule for us.

Here are a few things that you can pray for us:
Ability to slow our minds and rest this evening.
Ability to prepare our hearts for sharing with those we will come in contact with.
Safe travels for the 2 hour trip up to Cascavel.
Boldness to proclaim the gospel to those who come to the Good Reader project.

Friday August 8, 2008

It was hard to get up today. The travel had kind of zapped us. After a little Brazilian coffee (oh so good) I was a lot more alert. The showers at our hotel also helped wake us up. Our hotel doesn’t have a hot water heater. They have shower heads that are wired and heat the water as is flows through the shower head. We’ll just say it is difficult to steam up the mirror.

Carmen’s excitement to meet up with Celina prompted us to modify the schedule to make an extra trip to Semear School. Pastor John took us and two other from our team up while he taught one of the classes at the missionary school. It was again very good to be reunited with friends from last year. It is hard to explain how such strong bonds can form with people half way across the globe that you only spend a week with but that was the case. The four “Americurnos” sat in on an English class. We became the main topic of the class as the students were very eager to ask us different questions and hear us speak. Since English is the dominant world-wide language, it is a requirement of the students at the missionary school. It was good to recognize the incredible blessing we have for living in the United States and knowing English. It was also interesting that the Brazilian students were more curious about American politics than most Americans. After only a few moments of political discussion it was clear that the Brazilian media is just as biased as the median in the States. I tried to encourage them to find an Evangelical leader that the trusted to get their news from rather than the popular media. The squeals from Carmen and Celina could be heard across the campus when they finally saw each other.

After lunch we loaded up our stuff and began our travels to Cascavel. We had to pick up the translator and go to Sao Paulo Gardens Baptist Church where we meet the rest of the group for our weekend. It was such a joy to be around the Brazilian people. They were all so loving and gracious to our group. It is incredibly humbling to be offered a pick of gum from a little girl who has so little. The magnitude of my blessings has become once again incredibly magnified. Some of the people don’t know how or when they’ll be able to buy toothpaste next week. Even so, there is a joy that is only explainable because of their personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Nothing else could explain joy with so little.

Sometime this evening we arrived at a church in Cascavel. I think there was a little confusion…well, I was confused anyway. Apparently Sao Paulo Gardens came to this church to help this church go to another church. Anyway, we had a quick dinner at the 1st church in Cascavel and then we went to another church (more like a mission point) for our training. It was again such a blessing to be welcomed by the mission pastor. He said many words of joy, hope, and praise. During this portion, God began to break my heart. Why me? What worth is there in me to get to experience the beauty of God’s church in Brazil? Why was this man grateful for our group’s presence? There was nothing special about us. Nothing by the world’s standards that would make us worthy to be a part of this ministry. Even now as I’m typing I can stop thinking about one of the most beautiful words in the English language: grace. Christ did not die because I was worth it. God did not turn His back on His Son because there was anything I could to warrant such injustice. Christ was perfectly holy, perfectly pure, perfectly perfect; yet He bore the weight of my sin because of His grace. Ephesians chapter two begins talking about my state before Christ. I was dead. There was no way for me to do anything that could reconcile myself to God. Christ, despite my sin, gave me life through His self-sacrifice. Verse 6 says that we have been raised up and seated with Him! I received a gift I did not deserve and could in no way acquire on my own. Read Ephesians 2:1-10 and you’ll see the incredible beauty of grace. Grace is why me. It’s why I’m here; because God willed it in spite of me to show me a greater understanding of the incredible magnitude of His grace.

During our orientation at the mission, we witnessed a presentation of the evangecube which is an incredible evangelistic tool especially in areas were literacy is an issue. If you’ve never seen one I’d recommend getting one. Carmen and I used them last year in Brazil and were amazed at how effective they could be at visually explaining the gospel. After the ecube demonstration, they played a copy of the New Tribes video “Ee-Taow” which again is an absolutely incredible story of successful Bible storying among the Mouk people in Papa New Guinea. I am grateful to our friend Angie for sharing this video with Carmen and me many years ago. If you haven’t seen it, do a Google search and find it. It’s worth 20 minutes to watch a story of lives changed by the gospel message.

Thank you God for you incredible grace.

Saturday August 9, 2008

Today began kind of disheartening. It began to rain last night and it had not stopped when we woke up. The Good Reader Project is an outdoor event so we waited at the Central Baptist Church. While we waited, we had an impromptu worship service. It was really encouraging to praise God together despite the rain outside. The “be flexible or be miserable” motto has been recited many times. During our worship times we heard testimonies from the American team and from the Brazilian team. We also same several songs, one time in English and one time in Portuguese. It’s a glimpse of heaven as we know there will be many different people praising God in heaven in their own native tongue.

When we finished our worship time the rain hadn’t really let up at all. Since there is no storm sewer system in Cascavel, the water was nearly covering the roadway in front of the church. We spent some time fellowshipping with the Brazilian team and then had lunch. After lunch the rain had stopped so we were finally prepared to go to the mission site. The rain made it significantly cooler than we expected so several in our group were struggling to find enough clothes to put on to stay warm.

When we arrived we help set up the Boa Leturia Projecto (Good Reader Project). With in a matter of a few moments, children were coming in and getting their faces painted or reading some of the books. The Americans were divided up with the translators to go and make follow up visits for the pastor of the mission. Celia, Carmen, and I were assigned to visit a family in which the wife came to the mission but the father was not interested in coming. We spent about 30 minutes taking about our families and the man’s job and other small talk. Carmen and Celia kept telling me to share my testimony or something with the man, but I just didn’t think it was right. Finally, Celia told me that she’d give me a moment to pray to ask God what to say. She was kind of joking, but I did. Since I had just been reading Ephesians 2 yesterday, I began to share this with the man. He said that he believed that we must work very hard and be good so that God with permit us into Heaven when we die. When I asked him how that was so when verse 9 says “not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” He said he didn’t know. He said that he knew the Bible was true so he must have believed incorrectly. Celia conversed with the man for a few moments and she then told me that he wanted to commit his life to Christ. We prayed with him and told him that this prayer would not save him. That just like Ephesians 2:8 says, he could only be saved by grace and he would have confidence of his salvation as God continued to work in his life.

It was very exciting to be a part of God’s work in this man’s life. Tonight we returned to the mission site for the worship service and we saw the man’s wife and three of their five children. She told me that she was happy that her husband said he was coming to church tomorrow with her. The worship service included testimonies from two of our team and pastor “Hicky” (Ricky) preached the sermon on Acts chapter 11. He did a great job at linking the mission church and the mother church to the church at Antioch and the church in Jerusalem. Not only do we have a responsibility to start churches, but we also have a responsibility to encourage and hold accountable those that whom we invest in. What good is it to be used by God to lead someone to Christ and then not spend any time discipling them? It would be like planting a beautiful flower and withholding any water from it. It was a very applicable message to both the Brazilians and the Americans.

After worship tonight, we went back to the mother church for dinner at about 9:45pm. Brazilians typically keep a later day that Americans, but this was pushing it for several on our team. It was worth the wait because whatever it was that we were eating was really good. I was kind of feeling sorry for Emily who just recently returned from South Korea, because the food in Brazil is incredibly good. There was another teenager that showed up at the church for dinner that we hadn’t seen before. She heard that there were Americans at the church and she wanted to practice her English. I’m not really sure what I said that was so funny, but this girl and the other three at the table were laughing hysterically. I’m still not sure if they were laughing at my broken Portuguese or because they were very tired. The new girl tonight said in her own broken English that she would never forget our conversations. It really showed me that sometimes the most valuable thing we can give someone is our time. I could visually see that young girl’s confidence explode as she translated some of conversation for the other Brazilians.

This truth is so applicable to not only the Brazilian culture, but in the States too. I can think of times when I hoped to send a $20 check to avoid having to spend some of “my” time. There is awesome peace in understanding that I have no time. It is all God’s. My stewardship of His time is a representation of the degree of lordship Christ has in my life. Oh God, give me your eyes to see people as you see people.

Sunday August 10, 2008

Last night was rough. One night sleeping on tile flooring is ok, but the second night after a long day required a couple Tylenol. It’s so hard to work all day and then try and calm your mind down. The morning coffee is significantly stronger than the evening coffee. Coffee is a staple at every meal. The strength and amount of sugar are the only difference.

Our group split up a little this morning. A few stayed at the main church and the rest went to the mission site. Carmen and I were at the mission site this morning. Pastor Carlos there is very good at involving his people in the service. Typically the service is a little less formal in the morning and the evening service is the bigger more formal service. Pastor Carlos played several games with the children and the Americans. We had international challenges to name the books of the bible or quote certain scriptures. Before Brian gave the morning sermon Pastor Carlos did a little venquilitrist act with a dummy named “Goo-Goo.” He is very good at relating to his people and we can tell that God is going to use him to do a great work around the mission. He has a great passion for his people and for the word of God.

After the worship service we returned to the host church for lunch. They prepared a lunch of some grilled steak and rice. Again, absolutely incredible…we are really “sufferin’ for the Lord” at meal time. After lunch we packed up the bus and said our good-byes to the people in Cascavel. The pastor at the Central Baptist Church gave a moving speech about the impact our visit had made on them. We did not feel worthy of his words of praise. As we walked outside to go toward the bus, I think there were more pictures taken than at the Oscar’s.

Sunday evening we returned to Sao Paulo Gardens Baptist Church in Foz do Iguacu. This is the church that produces the Good Reader Project. In Brazil, Sunday evening services are the primary service. The worship service began at about 7:30 and didn’t finish up until after 10pm. It included 2 American testimonies, 2 children’s choir songs, 2 or 3 youth dramas, several congregational hymns, and then the sermon. Even though it was really long, it was totally awesome. The joy of Jesus was so evident in all of the people’s faces. I’ll have to say something to Pastor Jonathan and Mark about implementing a Brazilian schedule at FBCC. After worship, the Americans were invited to a “special” room for snacks. I don’t know what they were called, but they were ham and cheese wrapped in a croissant thing and really really good. I’ll confess, after the 2.5 hour worship service, I ate three. Good-byes at Sao Paulo Gardens were difficult because we had come to love these people who we had ministered with all weekend.

Monday August 11, 2008

We totally overslept this morning. We were trying to use our cell phone as an alarm and something didn’t work. As the group was headed down to the bus they knocked on our door to let us know it was time to go. Their knock woke us up so no shower today. Carmen wasn’t real happy so she got to take a shower at the Semear School when we got there. Semear School is the Seminary that we got to teach in today and tomorrow. Most of our translators are students there except for Rafael, who drove 13 hours to translate for us. He was one of the translators from last year who now works with a Vineyard Church in Brazil north of Foz do Iguaçu.

In the opening time, we were able to present Marcelo with another one of the blankets from the quilting ministry at FBCC. He was very appreciative and he let all of the students know that he would not be sharing. The teaching sessions this morning were led by Pastor Rick and Pastor Brian in one room and our ladies ran the other two sessions. We received good feedback from the students that they appreciated all the sessions that were presented.

After lunch we loaded into the microbus and headed out to Meduneira. The Semear Project is located there and Carmen and I were especially excited to see Leci, the director, and the other ladies that worked there. Most of the women are volunteers. The Project is a community outreach that teaches women and children practical skills that help build confidence and increase the likelihood of getting a job. Leci is a woman with a plan. She has tons of ideas and implements most of them. She has done very well at developing an excellent reputation in her neighborhood and in the city government. One of the paid positions at the Project is paid by the city to help Leci continue the work they are doing.

When we arrived at Project Semear, we spent about an hour doing introductions and explaining what each individual did, where we lived, etc. We have learned that Brazilians are very interested in American culture. They want to know everything they can. Unfortunately, their view of America is primarily from the TV. After the introductions, we split up into teams of 5 or 6 and went to make follow-up visits. We visited the homes of children and women that participate in the programs offered at Semear. Some of the visits were for encouragement and in some we were able to share the gospel. In our group, we witnessed a mother in one home and three brothers, ages 15, 16, & 17, commit their lives to Christ. There is a knowledge of God and the bible, but there is limited understanding of the content of God’s word. When we read scripture, people are very open and excited to hear God’s word because they know it is true but they just don’t understand. We have been so blessed to see the power of God’s word!

One of the visits that really surprised me was the last one we went to in the afternoon. The daughter of the family was involved in the drama program at the project. Their home was in the far back corner of the neighborhood in the favellas, which is the poorest of the poor areas. The family graciously invited us into their home, which is a treat because often times Brazilians will just sit outside on their patio with you. We were the first Americans that anyone in the family had ever seen. They continually thanked us for choosing to visit in their home with them. We shared a chapter from Psalms and prayed for the family. When we left we had our translator take a Polaroid picture with us and their family. They were so excited and couldn’t wait to show their extended family the picture they had taken with the Americans. I often think as Christians we must represent Christ. I am a follower of Jesus so I think about and recognize that my actions should always conform to the actions of Christ. I rarely think about how my nationality aids me across the globe in modeling Christ. Here I was so interested in their family and totally blessed by being able to share with them yet my just being their made a strong impact on them as well. I pray that our visits will aid Leci in increasing the reach of her ministry.

After the last visit it was dark and we were about a mile or more walk from the Project. Walking through the favellas at night is not something I would typically advise, but we were with Leci so there was no serious danger. After we arrived at the Project, we watched a Powerpoint about the Project to learn more about its history and ministry. Then we had another great Brazilian meal and shared a Powerpoint with pictures from our homes, families, churches, and life in America. All the Brazilians present had their eyes glue to the screen. It again struck me how curious they were to learn about us. After our slides were completed, we had a Q&A time where they got to ask us anything they wanted about American culture. Some of the questions were pretty funny like, “Are their any good Christian men in America?”

At about 9:30 we loaded the microbus again for the return to Foz. It was a little difficult to leave, but we’ll get to see most all of them again tomorrow. It was a long day, but a good day.

Tuesday August 12, 2008

Oh my, what a day. At least our alarm worked today but waking up was so hard. We have had very little time to rest since Friday afternoon. We use our time on the bus for our team meetings and devotions and our brief time in the hotel is for our precious sleep. Anyway, we returned to Semear School this morning for another round of Americans teaching. We had two classrooms each with (2) 1.5 hour time slots for teaching. I was teaching today in the same room with Dean, Carmen’s dad. He taught on Romans chapter 8 dealing with the Holy Spirit. My teaching was from Matthew chapter 7 as Jesus finished the Sermon on the Mount but I had a bunch of verses that we read as supporting texts. I even used the ole’ FBCC “Seven Things Growing Christians Do” list. I felt God led me to this passage because of my own experiences in taking seminary courses. I tried to encourage the students to take heart and persevere through the hard times because they were now building the foundation of their future ministries as they prepared in seminary. I got ok feedback so I guess it wasn’t too bad. I definitely felt a little insufficient to teach in that situation but I pray that something we discussed would be beneficial to someone who heard.

We ate lunch quick because we need to drive back up to Meduneria to the Semear Project. We needed to get there by 1:30pm because the public schools there said we could visit with them from 1:30-3:00pm. I think I already mentioned it, but he Semear project has an excellent reputation in the community and open to Christianity in the public schools is much more favorable in Brazil than in the USA. When our bus pulled up at the school we were greeted by about a hundred Brazilian children clapping and yelling. For most, maybe all, we were the first Americans they had ever seen. I heard someone us the phrase “dog and pony show.” Just like yesterday we were very welcomed by the people in Meduneria. The middle school was having their “August Day” celebration when we arrived. The teachers were dressed up in various costumes and they were just beginning to start a play about a shot gun wedding. I’m not real sure what the script was, but it was absolutely hilarious to watch. When the teachers finished, they let us share our VBS videos. We had footage from FBCC and from Crosspoint in South Roxana. When the videos were finished we were able to use the colors of the salvation bracelets to share the gospel with the assembly. The response was…..a little confusing so Leci with Semear is going to have a lot of follow up to do.

When we finished at the elementary school we walked across the street to the High School. Here we were taken to the library to share our “life of a teenager” video footage. Brazilians are very curious about American culture and we are more than happy to share with them that all Americans don’t live in Hollywood and drive Porsches. After the video we again were able to share the gospel. Then the director of the high school took our group on a tour of the rest of the school. Leci told us later that the high school director invited us back anytime to spend a whole day there and do a more intensive Q&A with the children. I was kind of blown away at the openness to allow us to share a gospel presentation in the public schools. I was equally impressed at the attentiveness of the children in both the elementary school and the high school.

When we finished at the high school we went back to the project to lead two of the bible study for which there were already students waiting. It was really encouraging to see one of the boys from yesterday that had prayed to receive Christ in attendance at the adolescent bible study. Brian, Jeremy and I worked on preparing this study. We did an overview of the life of Joseph. We focused on the fact that God had a plan for Joseph’s life just like He has a plan for each of their lives. We did the same bible study at 6:30pm and we got better participation but I think it was still good at 4:00pm too. Before and after the 6:30 bible study we used up the rest of our Polaroid pictures. The children were all incredibly happy to get pictures taken of themselves and with their friends. One boy wanted his picture taken with Brian and then he wanted another picture taken with himself. Brian thought it was a little odd, but he did it anyway. After the pictures had developed, the boy brought the picture of himself over to give to Brian and he showed Brian that he would keep the picture that showed both of them. Leci shared later that the fact that Americans wanted to take pictures of the people in Meduneria, was incredibly important to them. She said that there is very little self worth and they view Americans very highly. Our humility in desiring pictures of them was such a blessing to them because it gave them a better view of Americans, of Christ, and of the Semear Project as well as giving and incredible boost to their self worth. I really wish I would have taken more pictures because I was afraid that the people might feel they were being made a spectacle of.

After the Polaroid film ran out, we loaded back on the microbus to go to a restaurant with the leaders of the Semear Project. We went to a pizza restaurant in kind of a mall. Carmen was very excited at getting to eat the pizza, as was several of our translators from Semear School who don’t have the resources to afford such a luxury. Again, I was reminded of some of the simple things in the States that we take for granted. After the pizza was done we said our good-byes to Leci and her leaders and climbed about the microbus with tear filled faces. When serving alongside someone with such huge passion and incredible vision it is difficult to leave.

On the bus ride back to Foz, we spent almost the whole time discussing the highs of the day. As we realized this was our last ministry day, the tears and emotions again began to well up. One of the greatest blessings we have in serving in Foz is that we get to work with Christian translators who are attending a Seminary and are passionate about missions. The combination is extremely powerful especially when we think about the limited resources that the students at Semear have and the faith that they have to rely on God for their provision. I would be honored to serve alongside anyone at the school at anytime in the future for any length of time. They were incredibly beneficial to our ministry and our personal lives as well.

Tomorrow is the “free day” when we are supposed to go to the Iguacu Falls. They are absolutely incredible, but I’d rather go play soccer. We’ll see what happens.

The Reality of Spiritual Warfare

2008-08-01T11:56:00.003-04:00

Ephesians 6:12 - For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Spiritual warfare is real. Paul warned the church at Ephesus of this reality nearly 2000 years ago. This same reality exists today as we struggle with consistency of our worship of Jesus Christ. Followers of Christ are promised to be persecuted (John 15:20). Have you ever noticed that when your drifting along in your life with little activity in your church or bible that seems seem to stay at the status quo? You don't seem to face too many trials or hard times. Interestingly, I've noticed that if I fall into a "bla" pattern I also feel kind of "bla." This is because God wired us to be discontent with "bla" and gave us an innate desire for "WOW!" as we worship Him.

As the min-revival begins in our lives, we start to get energized. We wake-up happier, smile more, and feel like we have more of a purpose in life. This often begins with a commitment to reading God's word consistently, but personal revival can also begin with a renewed passion for prayer, an event in life that refocuses us on God, a sermon from a respected pastor, or maybe even a simple comment from a friend. I haven't documented every incident in my own life, but a majority of the time, when my heart begins to be revived, I face increased challenges in life. Work gets harder, home gets harder, money gets tighter, and I see a general increase in life distractions. You likely have experienced a similar pattern. THIS IS SPIRITUAL WARFARE.

God is omnipotent (all-power, having unlimited power). Satan and his demons are limited. They don't have unlimited power. The evil of this world must focus their energy where the challenge to evil is the greatest. Knowledge of this reality should aid you to prepare for it and to be encouraged through it. Know that as you draw closer to God and serve Him, you will be attacked. Study (not read, study) Ephesians 6:10-20 and begin to understand how you can prepare for spiritual warfare. Be encouraged as you study Romans 5:3-5 knowing that our sufferings produce perseverance, character, and hope.

Final Preparation for Brazil

2008-07-27T00:08:00.002-04:00

We leave in about a week and a half (8/6) for Foz do Iguacu, Brazil. This will be our second trip to the area and we are extremely excited about the opportunity to go and be a part of what God is doing in southern Brazil. I am going to do my best to update my blog daily while we are on our trip.

Our final planning meeting was Friday night. We covered a lot of topics and I think we're all noticing the benefit of the wide diversity of our group. One of the topics we covered was going around the table and seeing what each person has learned as we've prepared the last several months. I had to think about this because I've struggled with being distracted by the logistics and not focusing on the spiritual. I heard several mention an increased level of faith or dependence on God. Some mentioned their being stretched and challenged to get out of their comfort zone. My response was that I desperately wanted to hear from and meet with God. I was reminded of Philippians 3:8, "...I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord..." Oh how much I desperately need to deepen my relationship with my Lord! Dear God, close my mouth and open my heart and ears!

Home Again

2008-07-12T22:24:00.010-04:00

After a long week we've made it home. Our kids were pretty happy to see their house again.

On Friday I helped with construction in the morning and then was able to visit the kids' camp and soccer camp in the afternoon. The ladies did an awesome job at the kids' camp. I'm still amazed that the Hindu parents allow their children to come and learn about Jesus. I was so surprised at music time to see them requesting their favorite song from earlier in the week. The camp theme was about Noah and how God always keeps His promises.

At the soccer camp it was mostly the Karen kids. They love playing soccer. When I got over to the soccer camp they were ending their day with a scrimmage. Kyle was trying his best to use the scrimmage to point out techniques that they had learned earlier in the week. Friday was quite a bit hotter so I think the attention spans had been just about depleted. Most importantly the kids new that we were there playing soccer with them because we love Jesus and see that as a way to love on them.

On Friday night, we ended our week with what has become a tradition on the FBC Family Mission trip; the pie social. The kitchen crew led by Sheri Martin hosted a grand finale event making 40 homemade pies. All the churches that meet on the Glenfield campus were invited to share in celebrating what God did this week.

As of this morning, there were a few loose ends on the construction projects that were being passed on to Glenfield. There were quite a few modifications made to their fellowship hall area that will assist the churches that meet on site to better minister to the surrounding community.

FBC Family Mission Trip 2008 Closing Thoughts

The necessity of prayer in ministry was rightly stressed.
We were able to see some practical ways to engage our neighbors. Just as the Good Samaritan displayed "neighbor" has a much broader implication than we typically consider.
We were able to engage cultures different from our own and learn that Biblical worship does not have to fit the mold that we typically consider.
We were able to enhance the building used by multiple churches and ministries to encourage them to continue hosting future missions teams and to continue to reach the nations in the Chicago area.
The rigorous schedule that was followed forced us to depend on God for physical and mental strength especially for those families with children along.
We were reminded that it's not about us; that it is ok to be a piece of the puzzle.

Again, I thank those of you who followed along and prayed for our team while in Chicago. Your prayers were an integral part to the success of our trip!

Friday Post Postponed

2008-07-11T23:35:00.002-04:00

It's late. I'm tired. I'll post something tomorrow after we get home. Thanks for all your prayers and encouragement.

Our "Free" Day

2008-07-10T23:39:00.008-04:00

I heard someone call today our "free day." That referred to the ability to choose what to do and had no financial implications. Any of you who have spent a day in Chicago know it is a long way from free. At one point T.J. and I had figured up what we had spent so far and it wasn't pretty.

Anyway, our "little" group to explore Chicago was my family, the Geist family, and Paula Probst and her 4 kids (5 adults and 8 kids if you're counting). I was impressed that Paula even wanted to tackle this trip and I'm even more impressed that she survived today. We decided to take the train downtown and use the bus/trolley system to move around. Sounded like a good plan. We had to park about 2 blocks from the train station because the train parking lot was full. This about caused some of us to miss the train. After arriving downtown we wandered around a 4 or 5 block section for an hour trying to decide between the free trolley (long wait in line) and the bus line. I don't know who came up with the crazy bus line numbering system but you need training course to figure that out. We finally made it on a trolley and arrived at Shedd Aquarium. We left Glenfield a little after 8am and arrived at Shedd at a little after 11am.

After several hours at the aquarium, we were ready to leave and found it raining. We had absolutely no rain gear. After thinking about waiting it out we decided to wait on another trolley to try and get up to Navy Pier. We waited about 30 minutes and after seeing about only 5 of the 40 people in line make it on the trolley we decided to walk over to the water taxi. Within seconds of leaving the tree covered trolley line, the rain picked up again. When we got to the water taxi, it had just left and another one wouldn't be back for about 30 more minutes. They told us it was only 2 miles up to Navy Pier so we decided to walk.

Apparently a mile in Chicago is different than in St. Louis because it was way further than 2 miles in St. Louis. The rain, 8 kids, and already long day didn't help. By about 6pm we finally made it to a table at Joe's Be-Bop. After dinner we looked around Navy Pier a little and then decided to try and figure out the bus system again to get back to the train station. As a couple of the ladies were still inside, a limo driver asked T.J. and I if we were interested in a big taxi for our group. If the driver knew how our day had gone up to that point, he could have easily gotten more out of us, but $35 seemed like a steal for 13 passengers to get where we needed to be so we loaded up to return to the train station in style. T.J., Paula, and I had to walk those 2 blocks back to get the cars in the rain when we returned to our station in Glen Ellyn.

All in all I guess it was a fun day...well fun may not be the right word, but we're all alive and we were laughing really hard as we heard others' similar stories. The daily debriefing questions have been "How did you see God working today?" and "What did you hear God say to you today?" Here's where I saw God working. If you read yesterday, you saw that I was extremely burdened at the unethical treatment of "my people" towards foreigners in our country. Today we stopped several times to ask for help (well, the girls stopped...T.J. and I of course saw no need for directional assistance) and we were even asked a few time if we could be helped. People saw that we were a big group who looked like we needed help and they were willing to do so. God showed me that there is still hope in humanity despite our depravity. People are worth it. They're they only thing worth it.

Then this is what I heard God say to me personally. As I continued my Bible reading in Romans this evening, this is what I read: "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." (Romans 8:18) Whether it's rain and an empty wallet or the identity theft of a Myanmar refugee, these are not worth comparing with the glories of eternity.

Praise God

2008-07-09T23:21:00.003-04:00

Today's schedule was pretty much the same as yesterday. The construction progress is moving along good. I'm glad Mark's in charge of everything. There are a lot of different projects going on at the same time. So far no one has gotten hurt and there really haven't been any major problems. Praise God! The VBS saw a big jump in attendance. The kids are really enjoying their time together. Amy spent a lot of time preparing and her efforts are obvious. Praise God! The soccer camp also saw a increase in attendance. The kids are doing well and Kyle is doing a great job. His willingness to use his experience in leading soccer camps has been a huge blessing. Praise God!

Tonight after dinner, five of us went with Pastor Cody to a Karen Bible study. The differences in culture was made obvious in the start time. At first we were told to be ready at 6pm. Then 6:30pm. Cody got here to pick us up at about 6:45pm and it was about 8:15 before we got started. For those of us in the world of deadlines and schedules with zero flexibility, it was very eye opening to recognize that people matter more than schedules. Kyle R lead the Bible lesson through an interpreter and did a great job. He used the parable of the good Samaritan to illustrate who our neighbors were and how Jesus said we should treat them. The most impactful thing of my day followed after Kyle finished. Pastor So-Ra spoke for several minutes and I thought he was expounding on Kyle's lesson. When he finished he explained to us that he was encouraging the people to be kind to their neighbors, but to be VERY cautious with personal information such as social security numbers, credit card numbers, home addresses, telephone numbers, etc. He said that many Koren people had been targeted to get their information and taken advantage of their ignorance of American culture. I am incredibly thankful for my U.S. citizenship, but I don't think I had ever been more ashamed of "my people." The U.S. State Department has placed refugees across our nation in an attempt to help them and the depravity of man is made clear in those that would take advantage of people who have faced such great tragedy. I think is should go without saying that we need to pray for the people in Chicago, St. Louis, and across the nation who have been helped by being brought to our country. But James 2:26 says, "As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead." There are people in the St. Louis Metro area and probably even in Columbia who are facing the same battles as the Karen that we've met this week. What deeds have I done to show that my faith is not dead?

The Hard Work Begins

2008-07-08T23:30:00.007-04:00

With our preparations completed yesterday, we started our ministry work today. We continued to pray as we began with the various ministries that we have been able to participate in. I was helping Mark with his list of construction projects. Today we removed a couple walls, a shower, re-wired some lights, removed some tile flooring, redesigned some shelves, and probably a few other things. There's is way more that could be done than we'll be able to complete this week so we're going to just do what we can do. Mark and Pastor Jim got a late start on their trip to Home Depot but God's sovereignty was displayed went Pastor Jim ran into a man that he had previously discipled but hadn't talked to in several months. The man was experiencing some major hurts in his life and was open to sharing with Jim at lunch tomorrow. Please pray for Chuck.

The VBS started today as well. It is located in a predominately Indian/Hindu neighborhood. The NAMB missionaries live in the neighborhood and have developed long-term relationship with many of their neighbors. The VBS went well and was attended well also. There was one testimony shared of a mother who advised her son that he was to learn about Jesus but not sing songs or pray to "our" God. The girls running the camp said that this young boy was the one that volunteered to pray at the end of one of the story times. There is real spiritual warfare going on. Please pray that the children will continue to learn and come to understand the truth of Scripture and the love of Christ.

The soccer camp began with several kids coming and having a great time playing soccer. Most of the attendees were Karen and are actually pretty good soccer players already. They love playing and were attentive to Kyle's leadership. Please pray that Kyle will be able to encourage and minister to the Myanmar people.

Some of our students also had the opportunity to man the prayer booths at College of DuPage. "COD" is the largest community college in the country with about 30,000 students. There experience was challenging and still encouraging.

Some of you may have heard about the Baptist missionary in Peru that died over the weekend. Greg Gomez IV was the son of one my professors from SIUE and he is chairing the Missions In Action team with Gateway Baptist Association. Mr. Gomez is a man who loves God, has a passion for missions, and was extremely proud of his son's accomplishments. Please pray for the family as they try to understand God's greater purpose in this tragic event.

Understanding Other Religions

2008-07-07T23:38:00.003-04:00

Today our group split up into two separate groups. All of the younger children stayed back at church and had a missions fair. The Trinity team lead the kids in missions activities from 10am-3pm including a tour of the Billy Graham museum at Wheaton College.

The rest of the group went on an adventure to pray for, learn about, and experience the Hindu & Muslim peoples in Little India. Our experience began with a lengthy discussion at the South Asia Friendship Center to adjust our narrow way of thinking to attempt to better understand the religious beliefs of the surrounding area. After our training we ate lunch together at an Indian restaurant where we were all able to partake in the foods of India. Most of our group did fairly well at trying new foods. Mark W. said that it was probably the least he'd ever eaten at a buffet, but we were proud of his attempt to consume most of what was on his plate. After lunch we split up into teams of 2-3 to adventure out on various missions including a scavenger hunt, visit to an emporium or even a Muslim mosque. After our missions, we debriefed back at the South Asia Friendship Center and shared our experiences. Some of those include:

All Muslims aren't wearing C4 lined jackets waiting to destroy Americans. In fact, many of them were very open and willing to talk with us and explain their culture/religion.
Hindu people are very approachable and seem more willing to talk to you than many Americans.
There are phrases such as "being on mission" that have a positive connotation to us but may be very offensive to Muslims & Hindus.
All people have "culture" including everyone from Columbia. We just normally call our culture "normal."
It is important to understand where a Muslim or Hindu person is coming from. It may require many visits spanning several months or years to show the power of Jesus Christ.
Islam is a religion. Muslims are people who practice Islam.
The practice of worshiping Jesus Christ can look very different that we are accustomed to. This is OK and does NOT mean that the truth of the gospel has been compromised.
The increase of Muslims and Hindus in the U.S. is an opportunity for us as followers of Christ to share the uniqueness of Christ with people that we would otherwise not have the opportunity to share with.

This is just a sampling of some of the things that we learned. We also discussed that the principals of learning about other cultures are applicable to any area of our world including metro St. Louis.

We closed our journey with a prayer walk through a park along Lake Michigan in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago. The Rogers Park/Uptown neighborhoods are some of the most culturally diverse neighborhoods in the country. Through God's sovereignty, the nations have been gathered to these neighborhoods so that the message of the gospel can reach them.

In our debriefing time back at our host church, we were challenged to consider the differences between "dating" missions and "marriage" missions. A short-term mission trip is like dating missions. A life devoted to missions becomes a marriage to missions. The missions marriage doesn't necessarily mean full-time missionary service, but a heart that is willing to rearrange one's life so that time and/or finances can be used by God to further His kingdom growth.

God used our journey today to open our eyes to see people more like the way He sees them...lost and destined for eternal separation from Him without saving faith through Jesus Christ. Until we begin to see people with His eyes and begin to love people with His heart, we cannot be effective at reaching people for Christ.

WWW - World Wide Worship

2008-07-06T23:51:00.006-04:00

Today was an amazing experience for our team. We spent the entire day worshiping with all of the various churches that meet here on campus at our host church. We began with a small group Bible study and predominately Caucasian worship service. I'm pretty sure our group outnumbered the host church attendance. When you ask Pastor Jim, "Where are all the people?", he responds with Africa, East Asia, South America, Southern Seminary, and even Columbia IL. Since 1990 when they began praying to see people called from their ranks to full-time Christian service, 43 members have left to serve in full-time ministry! This church exists to equip and send out. It is a moving example of a church devoted to Biblical missions.

In mid service we excused ourselves and joined the Ethiopian congregation as they began to worship. If this is what Geoff and Raechel experienced their entire trip, I can't wait to see the excitement in their lives. Despite our inability to understand any of the words, their passion for Jesus Christ is unmistakable. It is nearly impossible to sit in an Ethiopian worship service and not move. It was so encouraging to see God infuse these people with such excitement! Oh God, restore the passion of my salvation!

Before the Ethiopian service concluded, The Lords Church began their worship service. This is a Korean congregation that meets in the main sanctuary. Again, we obviously speak differently and look differently, but we clearly worship the same God. By this time in the afternoon, the picture of Heaven began to fill my mind. As Revelation 5:9 describes, Jesus blood purchased men from "every tribe and language and people and nation." It is beautiful to get a glimpse of the diversity of Heaven in one church in only a few hours!

After soccer with the Karen (Co-ren) youth, kids, and even their pastor, the Karen congregation moved into the main sanctuary for their worship service. Many of the Karen people are refugees from Myanmar. Their smiles were priceless. Their children were so precious. I choked back the emotion as I pitched a whiffle ball to a little girl wearing dress shoes that were obviously several sizes too big. The service began sometime around 2 or 2:30 and I think it was after 5:30 before they concluded. I listened as one man prayed for about 25 minutes. Nearly everyone took part throughout the worship service; singing, praying, sharing testimony, or playing an instrument. Several of us noted the great difficulty that brother Mark would likely have had in their worship service. They did not use a nursery so when the kids got restless they went outside to play soccer for a while, roamed around the sanctuary, cried, slept, or basically did whatever they wanted too. Interestingly enough, I really didn't think it was that disruptive. It was just how they did church. Again, an incredible blessing at seeing the diversity of world wide worship.

After a quick dinner of Chicago style pizza, several people my family joined the youth/high schoolers who were helping at the creation fair. The Lawrence's home was turned into a creation fair where each day of creation was represented by a booth where children were able to learn about creation. After most of the children had completed the boothes, there was a short lesson time on God and His awesomeness. Oh, I forgot to mention, almost all their neighbors are Indian (not Cherokee or Choctaw, from India). After the the lesson, we all ate pizza and Indian food (really awesome!) and got to fellowship with people who are not too common in "Wonder Bread Columbia."

I can remember singing Jesus Loves the Little Children in children's church many years ago. Today we worshiped and fellowshipped with "red, yellow, black, & white." After sharing time with these various peoples, it is so easy to see that they truly are "precious in His sight." May God use today to give me and our church an unquenchable passion to see people as precious and in desperate need of a Saviour.

God Speaks...Do I Listen

2008-07-06T00:01:00.002-04:00

Evangelicals commonly use the terminology "God's Word" to refer to the Bible. That term is used because the Bible is in fact the Word of God recorded through human writers to communicate what He desired to communicate to His creation. I think it's important to greatly revere the Bible as God's Word and act as though we believe it to be His Word to us. Why? If God were speaking to you, wouldn't you want to listen? Wouldn't you want to know exactly what He said, how He meant it, and how you need to live in light of what He communicates to you? Of course! Then for goodness sakes open His Word and allow Him to speak to you!

We (my family and 50 others from FBC) just arrived in a Chicago suburb for our semi-annual family mission trip. From 6am until now (a little after 11pm) we have been driving, prayer walking, exchanging a new broken air mattress, wading through kids in our "bedroom" (the church nursery), and listening to a detailed presentation on the ministries that we were going to be a part of this week. It is VERY much an understatement to say that we are tired and our kids are really tired. As I opened my Bible (you know God's Word) before bed, this is what I read:

"...we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that the suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." ~Romans 5:3-6 (ESV)

It is so good to hear God speak and know that it is Him! Thank you my Lord & my God.

How much more can she take?

2008-06-26T16:00:00.003-04:00

Some of you know my mother and her situation. For those of you that don't I'll quickly bring you up to speed. In 1990, mom was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Her battle began by having difficulty with walking and general lack of endurance. Over time her condition worsened to the point where she became completely bedridden and dependent. In 2000, mom & dad moved out to the west coast; partly because that's where dad got a descent job offer and partly because the climate was very mild for mom's MS. Her life has been a continual battle of all types of medical problems including falls, long hospital stays, several semi-serious infections, and now two broken legs.

Yes, the latest of her drama is now having both legs broken. My question now becomes, "How much more can she take?" I've seen her endure so much. If any publisher out there wants a great book story, this would sell thousands and maybe millions of copies. I often think her life is a modern-day Job story. (I sure hope she doesn't have to be tested through losing her kids like Job!)

The bittersweet beauty of my mom's story is the peace and hope that prevails in her life. Someone with so little is still always prepared to give an answer for the hope that is within her (I Peter 3:15). My mom is a follower of Jesus Christ. She knows that the temporary pains of this world will be one day exchanged for glorious days in Heaven. She knows God is sovereign and His plan for her life is greater than any she could dream of. My mom's fearlessness to share her faith is an inspiration to me and many others who'll never have to face the hardships she has.

Please pray for her current recovery and continued boldness.

God's Sovereignty: Reminders

2008-06-10T16:56:00.003-04:00

I was again reminded of God's sovereignty this week on two occasions. The first was as I recently studied John chapter 3. In this chapter, Nicodemus questions Jesus on being "born again." Verse 6 says, "Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit." A commentator that I listened to expounded this idea of birth by asking the question, "Which of you had any control over his or her birth? Did you climb into your mother's womb and say 'birth me'?" The critical doctrine here is that God is in complete control. He is completely sovereign in all areas of life. Verse 8 echos this thought when Jesus says, "The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."

My second reminder was through a very practical application. Some dear friends of ours suffered the torture of a miscarriage yesterday. By God's grace I have no idea how terrible this must feel. I grieve for their loss and pray that in spite of their pain they can hold to the truth of God's sovereignty. There is no reason we can understand for some of the hurts we experience in life, yet Jesus Christ experienced the greatest fathomable hurt for the greatest eternal good through God's sovereign plan.

Please remember to pray for divine comfort for our friends' loss.

No Turning Back

2008-05-29T14:20:00.002-04:00

Have you ever tried a hobby and then quit because it wasn't as fun as you thought it would be? Have you ever joined up for the gym or some other club and then gradually moved toward never using it? Sure you have. Almost everyone has made commitments to try something out and it not worked out as well as planned. "No commitment" is a common advertising slogan that entices the masses. You can try a new cell phone free for 30 days or get a magazine subscription free during a trial period. This is the way we do things. If you can't try it out first or bring it back if you don't like it you are much less likely to purchase. This is so commonplace in our society that I would venture to guess you never give much thought to how that "no commitment" mentality takes over the way you view many varying aspects of life.

Think about what is written in Luke 9:62, "Jesus replied, 'No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.'" OK, now read it again; "Jesus replied, 'No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.'" When you embrace Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, there is no looking back. There is no trial period. Instead of "no commitment" it is "full commitment" from day one. If you are not totally committed, Jesus said you are not fit for kingdom work. Christianity has been watered down too often in today's culture to be a prayer and 3 hours every few Sundays. There are many who have a false sense of eternal security who hold this view of salvation. The Christian life is not easy. It requires you to live the rest of your life and spend all of eternity 100% sold out for Jesus Christ. This is not to attain your salvation, but to prove your salvation. Genuine salvation results in full commitment.

I read this earlier this week and it struck me so hard how often I look at my salvation, my church, and my Savior with hints of the same "no commitment" attitude that I have when shopping for a new cell phone. Oh God please forgive me! The temptation to sin and return to a lifestyle of sin is unavoidable. Notice I said "the temptation." Acting upon that temptation is what makes us unfit in God's eyes for serving Him. Lot's wife did not become a pillar of salt because she was tempted to turn back. Genesis 19:26 says she looked back. She desired to return to the life she'd left.

When I'm faced with a challenge in living out my faith, I must persevere. I must remember the price that was paid for my life. I must not be distracted with the waiting and the perceived impossibilities and stay focused on God's sovereignty. I must not turn back. I resolve to not turn back. I pray for and covet your prayers to that end.

God's Sovereignty

2008-05-21T09:37:00.002-04:00

One of the greatest attributes of God is His sovereignty. Peace can only be fully understood in light of God's full and complete sovereignty. If we take control of anything we are sure to encounter difficulty and unnecessary stress.

I've been reading in Genesis lately. I've read through Genesis several times before and it is so awesome how the same passage can speak new words as I go through phases of life. When Abram was 75 years old God promised to make his decedents too numerous to count even though at that age he was childless. As the narrative unfolds we see Abram and Sarai take matters into their own hands and Ishmael is born. Eventually Ishmael and his mother Hagar are sent away and Ishmael fathers a nomadic people group who are at odds with God's people. Then 25 years after God's promise, when Abraham is 100 years old, Issac is born to Abraham and Sarah. I love what Genesis 21:6 says, "Sarah said, 'God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.'"

When you get stressed about about your job, your kids, the house, bills, and all the other stuff that floods our lives, stop and remember God's sovereignty.....and laugh.

Blogging Again

2008-05-16T11:19:00.002-04:00

I'm finding myself with a little more time so I decided to start this site back up again. Carmen and I are gearing up for a return trip to Foz do Iguacu August 6-15 so I'll use this site to provide updates. Please feel free to offer your comments.