The Excitement is Building!

It is hard to believe, but in just a little over three weeks, I am headed to the Central African Republic to represent Grace church and visit our sponsored orphans, schools and centers. I am blessed to be going with another Pastor from our church (Doug Kegarise) and we will be connecting with another church from Ohio in Paris.

As we've been preparing for this trip, I have been praying for a number of things and would invite you to do the same if God would so lead you.

First, I've been praying that God would teach me what it is He believes I need to be taught throughout this experience. Experiences like this stretch and grow one's faith if in tune to God's leading throughout.

Secondly, I've been praying that God would comfort my family back home while I am away. We do most things together as a family, so this will be the first time in 17 years of marriage that I've been apart from my wife for so long. Please pray that God would sustain and keep them while I am traveling. I am so thankful for their support and excited to bring my experiences home to my family.

Thirdly, I've been praying that God would use both Pastor Doug and I to communicate well to our church family our experience. The church in America must continual battle against an isolated/Western approach to doing church and following Christ and develop a more global perspective on what our Great and Sovereign God is doing all around His globe.

Fourthly, I've been praying that God would meet our financial needs. This trip when it is all said and done will cost each of us approximately $3000 with all of the expenses of the trip and preparations (i.e. medical visits, shots) for the trip. We have both committed to going but are also trusting God to provide for us.

Finally, I've been praying that God would teach me what true joy really is. I recently sat down with my wife and watched a video of the orphans we will be visiting opening up their Christmas gifts. It touched me greatly and I can't wait to give them a hug when we get over there. If you want to watch it, click the title "The Excitement is Building" above and enjoy.

New Year with New Goals

It is hard to believe, but here we are in 2011. I am not really one for New Year's Resolutions, but I do seek to take time when the calendar changes to reflect upon the year that has just passed and look to the new one. So here are a few thoughts as of tonight...

I cannot help but rejoice and give thanks unto God for His faithfulness. I know this sounds corny, but it is true. Through the good, bad and ugly of life this past year, God never changed and always remained just and faithful. Thank you Lord!

I am determined to continue taking not just my spiritual health seriously but my physical, emotional and mental health. I spent some time at the end of last year to reflect upon how we have been created as human beings. God has fearfully and wonderfully created us and called upon us to be good stewards of what He has entrusted to us. This includes my body, emotions and mind. So often we as pastors fall into the trap of only taking care of the spiritual that we lose sight of the other areas which in the end doesn't help the spiritual. I am thankful for my wake up call that got me back to eating well, exercising and taking steps to remain healthy in all facets of life towards the end of 2010.

I am really open to God's leading in my life. I am really beginning to recognize how short this journey upon the earth really is and I want to make the most out of every moment for the Lord. I am praying that I would have eyes to see the doors and opportunities He places before me whether small or large and be willing to walk and/or run right through them if I know He is leading. For example... I am so excited to be heading to Africa in just over 4 weeks. God is already doing great things in my heart as I prepare and yet it took a while to really take this step. Lord may each of us live life daily with an eternal view rather than temporal.

Finally, I am turning 40 this year which means I have almost finished up with my thirties which was an interesting decade to say the least. My prayer is that the lessons learned throughout my thirties will not soon be forgotten and be used to bring even more honor and glory to Christ.

Praying we all spend each and every day of 2011 fully anticipating and looking to the return of our Savior and living in His strength and power until He comes again.

The Gift of An Experience

I have spent some time today reflecting upon an experience my family and I began on this date last year. Twelve months ago today, we were packed and ready to board a plane with 8 other individuals from our church in order to fly over to Europe and serve missionary families. (Pictured above are some of the missionary kids we served and my family in Barcelona Spain)

In my reflections, I have been giving thanks for the opportunity we had last year to take a step of faith out of our comfort zone as a family in order to give my children the "gift of an experience." I love that they still enthusiastically talk about it a year later which they never seem to do with the physical gifts they find wrapped and placed under a tree.

As I contemplate all the preparations we have made for our children this year for Christmas, I am wondering how many of them will really carry long term significance compared to the "gift of an experience" they received last year. I know we will have some fun, build some good memories and enjoy life together but I can't help but wonder how I can work a little harder at providing my entire family with "faith stretching experiences" that carry more of an eternal significance than most of what the kids will receive this Christmas. I can only speculate, but I have no doubt that much of what is received this year will lose its significance in a matter of weeks, months or years at best.

As we move into 2011, I am hopeful that many Christ followers will sincerely look to our God and genuinely ask Him to open up "faith stretching experiences" for our families. I hope for this in order to see God build into our lives those lessons and opportunities that grow and shape us for the cause of Christ.

So for today... I am grateful as I reflect upon last year's experience for my children and I am trusting it will carry some lessons that will have eternal significance as they grow.

God's Timing...

As Christmas quickly approaches, I've been thinking about God's timing in respects to the incarnation of God the Son. God's people lived through 400 years of silence waiting to hear from God and then at just the right time, God responded with Christ Jesus.

Galatians 4:4-5

Hebrews 1:1-2

John 1:1-18

Sometimes we all get frustrated with God's timing and yet the incarnation reminds us that God responds at just the right time in human history for the purpose of accomplishing what He needs to accomplish within our lives and to bring Himself glory. In this instance God's perfect timing lead us to the truth that "GOD IS WITH US"!

Noah, An Ark and the walk of faith...

I've been thinking quite a bit lately about the walk of faith. For those who know me, I am quite organized and do like to have my ducks neatly ordered as life seems to go much better when I do. Yet, I am currently looking down the barrel at a number of ministry and life situations that are requiring me to "daily" walk by faith with absolute trust in a Sovereign God.

In order to bolster my confidence (a.k.a. b/c of a lack of faith) I have been revisiting the stories of old in God's word whereby men and women of God venture out in complete obedience to God even when all the ducks aren't neatly ordered.

The one I have landed on today is Noah and the Ark and it has spoken quite powerfully to me. Forgive me, but I am about to read into the story a bit as I am picturing it right now...

God said to Noah... make yourself an ark. (Genesis 6:13-14) As these words were uttered by God to Noah, I wonder what was going on around Noah. I am guessing the sun was probably shining, the population was carrying on with their normal day to day responsibilities and Noah was wondering if he should take this leap of faith. Noah had been around for a few hundred years by this point and most likely had his own routine, business ventures and life to live. Should he stop it all and obey God? What would the neighbors think? Where would the wood come from? Who would help build it? Where would the animals all come from? Would his wife tolerate such behavior? How would it impact his kids and family reputation etc...

These are the real questions of life we all face and thoughts we all process when we sense God is calling us to walk through some very uncertain times by faith. He tends to give us the answers one day at a time and asks us to be OK with that. My prayer is that I will respond just like Noah did.

Here is the punch line that caused my heart to rejoice today and gave me the confidence to keep at it for the Lord... "Noah did everything just as God commanded him." (Genesis 6:22) One day at a time. One act of obedience at a time. One step of faith at a time. This is what pleases the heart of God and takes the pressure off of me being my own god and having all my ducks in a row.

By the way... I would have had all of the ducks ordered neatly and alphabetically on the ark.

The Truly Surrendered Life

"Many give up everything to go into full time ministry except themselves. The unsurrendered self is the last thing we give up." (Rick Warren)

I've been thinking quite a bit lately about what a life lived like the Jesus presented in the Gospel Matthew would look like. As I read this quote, I could not help but think of Christ's words in passages like Matthew 20:28 where He states "just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." It leads nicely right into the passion week account where we find Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane crying out to the Father in agony as He states the following two confessions; "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will" (Matthew 26:39) and "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done." (Matthew 26:42)

As I've thought about this, I am amazed at how often pastor's are willing to publicly remind people how much they have given up to follow Jesus and serve as an undershepherd. It is as if we've settled for second best and are quick to point out how much we've surrendered for Jesus' sake. But, it would appear to me that what we remind people of,with great drama I must state, is all related to external and temporal items such as salaries, evenings at home, bigger houses and cars etc...

Rick Warren may just be on to something with his quote above as it is far easier to surrender all the worldly things that people see rather than our very hearts which King Jesus is most interested in. If Christ is truly our example, then He not only surrendered the creature comforts of planet earth but also His very heart to the Father and His will for His life. Something worth chewing on for sure...

Church on Mission

This past week, I've spent quite a bit of time in the Gospel of Matthew. What a rich and powerful portion of Scripture as it looks deeply into the life of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I've landed in Matthew because I am trying to better understand the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) in light of the larger context of Matthew's writing. In doing so, I believe I am beginning to formalize in greater depth my understanding of Christ's commission to His disciples in light of the King/Kingdom context of Matthew.

So here is my summary as of Thursday afternoon for my message on Sunday as it relates to the church being on mission...

"The Kingdom of Heaven/God is here with one King and His name is Jesus. The King has called and sacrificially provided a way for people to enter His kingdom. Together, these people have the responsibility to be growing in Kingdom character and conduct so as to fulfill the mission of establishing outposts of the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth until the King comes again."

I am thinking a great study for any church would be to take some time in the Gospel of Matthew to really flesh this out in order to gain a deeper understanding of what it means to follow and live for the King and His Kingdom in our current cultural context.

Chewing on...

Currently chewing on the following two things...

The first is related to the persecuted church. To be honest, I am not fond of thinking too much about this topic as it breaks my heart, makes me feel guilty and I feel powerless to do anything about it. Horrible excuse as a Christ follower, but just being honest. I just finished speaking with Eric who is the Spiritual Life Director at Lititz Christian and my conversation has forced me once again to bring this subject to the forefront of my mind. He has been taking time with his students to pray for and grow in their awareness of the multitudes of Christ followers being persecuted around the world for their faith in Christ. We are spoiled rotten here in America. We got it so good that we lose focus as to what is really important in God's kingdom.

"Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering." (Hebrews 13:3)

Secondly, there is a Francis Chan quote that is messing me up. He simply states "Our concern (as Christ followers) is more about going to heaven than loving the King."

"If you love me, you will obey what I command." (John 14:15)

The Genius of the AND Conference

Well I've been up for nearly 36 hours with a few little cat naps throughout and enjoying my time away at the AND conference at Granger Community Church. It wasn't too long into the conference that we knew our time at this conference would stretch our thinking as we dialogue and think through whether or not the Attractional and Missional models of church can co-exisit together as a catalyst for a movement.

The first speaker challenged my thinking deeply and confirmed a number of things I've been feeling in my heart for many years now. His name is Alan Hirsch and he spoke on "Living in the Land of AND." There is much to be said about his talk, but here are three concepts that caught my attention and are rattling around in my head right now.

The first concpet that got me thinking challenged me to think about how the attractional model of church reaches people for Christ but pulls them from their circles/cultures and places them into the new circle/culture of the attractional church. Thus, to pull people from their sphere's of influence and plant them within the new context of the church where they can come and enjoy a show and other people just like them, they have now been extracted from the very place where God wants them on mission to be the salt and light. I acknowledge this is a very sweeping statement that is worth much more dialogue, but statistics show that most people stop reaching people for Christ after being saved (in the church) for 2+ years.

Another point made was that people will possess a somewhat positive view of some form of God, Jesus and spirituality but reject the church outright. The church must take this reality seriously and work together to think about how to reverse this trend of the outright rejection of the institutionalized church.

One final question that really has me troubled... "Is a church a church if the church isn't doing what the church is supposed to do?" Hmmmm... Let that one keep you up a night for a while!

New Environment or New Me?

As I continue to slowly work my way through James MacDonald's new book "When Life is Hard" I came across a quote that I needed to share as it is one that has me reflecting upon life with a past, present and futuristic look.

He simply writes within the context of remaining under our trials the following statement;

"WE THINK THE ANSWER IS A NEW ENVIRONMENT WHEN THE REAL

ANSWER IS A NEW ME!"

May the Lord help each of us better understand this truth as the grass is usually not quite as green on the other side. Trials lived under the care and provision of God will continue the transformational process in us that comes with a life in Christ.