The title of this post is a little misleading. There was a plane ticket purchased, a flight spent sitting next to a stranger from another country, a long layover, and--of course--an occasional struggle with that ever-frustrating language barrier. But I didn't go overseas. Last week, I flew with a team on a mission trip to Portland, Oregon. After two trips overseas, it was a bit strange to be on a trip where I didn't need my passport, a visa, and a lot of vaccinations. I'll admit it--it was even difficult to wrap my mind around the fact that I was even on a mission trip. I couldn't believe that I was ON MISSION in a place where most of the population spoke my language (though there were a few hours spent with children who only spoke Spanish, and there was a significant number of Koreans in that city too), there were no crazy foods to be tried, and the culture shock was negligible (actually, it turns out Portland is eerily similar to Austin, and even claims the title of "2nd most hipster city in the country," with Austin not far behind).
We can be honest, all too often the words "sharing the Gospel" and "missionary" are associated with an expedition to some foreign country and conjure up images of brave souls preaching the Gospel in some obscure, alien-sounding language to "unreached people groups." I already admitted it--I fall into the trap of that kind of thinking too. I've spent time hiking to remote villages and struggled to reach out with the love Christ who didn't speak the same language I did. So it's easy to get into the mindset that Gospel-sharing and "missions" are terms you use when you go someplace far away.
So I guess what I'm trying to get at is this: the lesson I learned on this mission trip is that you don't have to go ON A MISSION TRIP to be a MISSIONARY. You're on mission every day. The things we did on that mission trip weren't anything special. We were sent out by a local Baptist church to aid families who were frequently being ministered to by that church. On a particular day, a couple of the girls and I helped manage the "Essentials Pantry;" the church keeps a closet of hygiene products, laundry soap, paper towels, and an assortment of other, well--essentials, and distributes them to several families. On another day, half the team and I cleared brush, vines and trees on a family's property so they could build a fence; meanwhile the other half was next door mowing a lawn for an older man who wasn't able to do it on his own, and they did some brush-clearing too. On yet another day, we did yard work again and cleaned out a garage for a couple preparing to sell the wife's mother's house. On two afternoons, the team split again to go to two different apartment complexes to play games and share Bible stories with children living there (on Sunday the church would come by and pick those same kids up to drive them to church). We took thank-you notes and cookies to community workers in the city. And, everywhere we went, we took opportunities to "notice the invisibles"--meaning, the people that often get ignored. This can include homeless folks, vagrants, the waiter at the restaurant you're eating at, or the person in line behind you at Voodoo Donuts (a Portland staple). We struck up conversations and simply did our best to work God in; and if that couldn't be done, just treat that person like they mattered, as Jesus would have.
So in summary, there was nothing done on this trip that couldn't be done anywhere else, particularly not your own hometown. Any church can start up a homeless ministry; you, yourself at any time can show a random act of kindness to a community worker, your waiter, the person at the checkout counter in a grocery store, or the guy begging for cash at the street corner. Notice the invisibles, anywhere you are. Talk to strangers! It's not that hard. And who knows? You may get to plant a seed in that persons life. God WILL get His Good News out to the world; He doesn't need your help. But you can have the the honor of being a small part in His grand scheme, and it is an honor indeed. And a great place to start is right at home.
"One of the great realities with which we have to deal is the voice of God in this world.....the expression of the will of God spoken into the structure of all things. This Word of God is the breath of God filling the world with living potentiality. The voice of God is the most powerful force in nature, indeed the only force in nature, for all energy is here only because the power-filled Word is being spoken."
--A.W. Tozer
"Then Jesus came and told His disciples, 'I have been given authority in Heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given to you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.'"
Matthew 28:18-20
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Monday, May 7, 2012
Diversity
So it's been a while since I last wrote (about a month?); between exams, finals and other activities, things have been so busy! Reflecting back on this year, I am struck by the wonderful diversity of people I have met. Where else can you find such an odd combination, a mix of mismatched people but in the church? And whoever would have thought of it but God?
God, the genius that He is, INVENTED diversity. He didn't stop at one species of insect, he created billions. The rainbow isn't only one color; and He didn't conceive just one kind of people, He unleashed that fabulous mosaic known as the human race. Christianity has in its membership billionaires and homeless, teenagers and grandparents; it's congregation spreads across continents and cultures.
When God calls us to battle in the Spirit (Ephesians 6), an army of robots or clones (Star Wars reference) is not what He had in mind. He compares us to a body (an analogy used over 30 times in the New Testament, though the most famous reference is 1 Corinthians 12). When you look at the many types of cells that make up the human body, they are different from one another as anything can be. Apart from the body, what could a white blood cell--this amorphous blob, floating around seemingly oblivious to the activity in the rest of the body--possibly have in common with a sleek muscle cell? What unites them is purpose--everything that they are is for the sake of the body. At the first sign of danger, a white blood cell will sacrifice itself to destroy a toxin that could endanger the whole body; and a muscle cell devotes its entire life to pulling and relaxing, pulling and relaxing in unison with other cells like a team of rowers so that your body can walk, run, jump, and move forward in space, though the cell itself will never see the grander movement it helped create.
I believe that is a reflection of God Himself. When he calls us to life in Him, He's not calling us to a life that's boring and drab. He offers a life that's an explosion of vibrancy, color and excitement. What else can you expect from the One who conceived the masterpiece of diversity He painted the world with? And it's a life with purpose, the ecstasy of community within a family, a Body, united in our devotion to its purpose. Yes, we could live on our own, with ourselves as our only concern, just as a cell could operate on its own (consider the solitary amoeba, living its life depending on other cells only when it ingests them for food). Becoming part of the community that is the body means sacrificing some degree of independence, but what about the grander purpose, the plan that God may have had in mind when He created the masterpiece of diversity to begin with? I mean, which would you rather be? An amoeba, completely independent, swimming around with only yourself to think about (to whatever degree of thought an amoeba can manage) or one of the many, many fabulously diverse cells that make up you and me, aiding that body to accomplish a purpose bigger than any of us can imagine.
"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous--how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can't even count them, they outnumber the grains of sand. And when I wake up, you are still with me."
Psalm 139:13-18
"To be a member is to have neither life, being, nor movement, except through the spirit of the body, and for the body."
--Blaise Pascal
God, the genius that He is, INVENTED diversity. He didn't stop at one species of insect, he created billions. The rainbow isn't only one color; and He didn't conceive just one kind of people, He unleashed that fabulous mosaic known as the human race. Christianity has in its membership billionaires and homeless, teenagers and grandparents; it's congregation spreads across continents and cultures.
When God calls us to battle in the Spirit (Ephesians 6), an army of robots or clones (Star Wars reference) is not what He had in mind. He compares us to a body (an analogy used over 30 times in the New Testament, though the most famous reference is 1 Corinthians 12). When you look at the many types of cells that make up the human body, they are different from one another as anything can be. Apart from the body, what could a white blood cell--this amorphous blob, floating around seemingly oblivious to the activity in the rest of the body--possibly have in common with a sleek muscle cell? What unites them is purpose--everything that they are is for the sake of the body. At the first sign of danger, a white blood cell will sacrifice itself to destroy a toxin that could endanger the whole body; and a muscle cell devotes its entire life to pulling and relaxing, pulling and relaxing in unison with other cells like a team of rowers so that your body can walk, run, jump, and move forward in space, though the cell itself will never see the grander movement it helped create.
I believe that is a reflection of God Himself. When he calls us to life in Him, He's not calling us to a life that's boring and drab. He offers a life that's an explosion of vibrancy, color and excitement. What else can you expect from the One who conceived the masterpiece of diversity He painted the world with? And it's a life with purpose, the ecstasy of community within a family, a Body, united in our devotion to its purpose. Yes, we could live on our own, with ourselves as our only concern, just as a cell could operate on its own (consider the solitary amoeba, living its life depending on other cells only when it ingests them for food). Becoming part of the community that is the body means sacrificing some degree of independence, but what about the grander purpose, the plan that God may have had in mind when He created the masterpiece of diversity to begin with? I mean, which would you rather be? An amoeba, completely independent, swimming around with only yourself to think about (to whatever degree of thought an amoeba can manage) or one of the many, many fabulously diverse cells that make up you and me, aiding that body to accomplish a purpose bigger than any of us can imagine.
"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous--how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can't even count them, they outnumber the grains of sand. And when I wake up, you are still with me."
Psalm 139:13-18
"To be a member is to have neither life, being, nor movement, except through the spirit of the body, and for the body."
--Blaise Pascal
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Presenting: the Gospel--Part II
I can't really tell you how to share the Gospel. There is no guaranteed, catch-all way to get the maximum number of converts. But that's not what Christ called us to do anyway. He said, "Go now and make disciples of all nations," but He didn't say that every person you meet is going to immediately repent and follow Jesus. Your job is to plant seeds. Here I will discuss how you might do that; the rest is up to the Holy Spirit.
--A really good way to share the Gospel is to know it. Now, if you are a Christian, you probably know the Gospel story (I also outlined it in Part I of this post), but get familiar with it. You don't have to go to seminary to be effective in evangelism; one of the many, many awesome things about God is that He can use ANYONE: "baby believers," "veterans," trained ministers and, well, the rest of us. However, I do recommend studying the Scriptures as often as you can. One, because God has given His will through His Word. You can't grow in your walk with Christ without paying attention and seeking what God's will is for you. Two, so that when you get some difficult questions you can be prepared to answer them. And you will get some tough questions.
--Share your testimony. Your testimony is YOUR STORY of how Christ saved YOU. Where you were before spiritually, when God called you, and how you're following Him and obeying His commands now. Something I hear believers complain about these days is that they don't have an awesome Saul-Paul testimony. To them I say: ....really? God is not some boy asking you out on a date; you don't have to worry about being "too easy." If it didn't take hitting rock bottom for you to repent and turn to God, great! You weren't as bullheaded as the guy that God found drunk, high, and face down in a ditch, so to speak. Paul himself said he was the worst of the worst, and his whole salvation was so that others would know that there's no such thing as being too far gone. Now, if you were that guy, don't be ashamed of how God saved you. Tell your story, because there IS someone out there who is in the same place you were who could be helped by your testimony.
--Build relationships. You may not always get this opportunity, but that's fine. If all you get to do is plant a seed, God can use that. As often as you can though, make friends. I always recommend building relationships with the people you're ministering to because it's good to tell the Gospel story (excellent, in fact. Do it as often as you can!) but it's better when people can see it lived out in your life. People see you all the time, and as a Christian you are representing the kingdom of God: "So we are Christ's ambassadors; God is making His appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, 'Come back to God!'" (2 Cor. 5:20). Live as an example, so that when you share the Gospel to nonbelievers it's not just empty words--they can see in the way you act and speak every day that you mean what you say, and it has substance. You can also be an example to new believers, guiding them in the way they ought to behave and obeying Christ's commands: "We live in such a way so that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault in our ministry. In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God" (2 Cor. 6:3-4).
Share the Gospel as often as you can, and live out your beliefs every day, so that no one will stumble because of you. But no matter what, remember that YOU cannot save anyone. Only the Holy Spirit can do that. And no one can come to salvation except by the Holy Spirit's calling. Your only job is to live as Christ commanded and spread His Good News throughout every nation. "You must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks you about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then, if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ" (1 Peter 3:15-16)
So there you have it, as best I can explain it. Be ready at all times to share the Gospel, share it with love, and live for Christ in-between. That being said, have a happy Easter!
"And the ransom He paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God chose Him as your ransom long before the world began, but He has revealed Him to you in these last days. Through Christ you have come to trust in God, and you have placed your faith and hope in God because He raised Christ from the dead and gave Him great glory.
You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart.
For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever, because it comes from the eternal, living Word of God. As the Scriptures say,
'People are like grass; their beauty fades like a flower in the field. The grass withers and the flower fades, but the Word of the Lord remains forever.'
And that Word is the Good News that was preached to you."
1 Peter 1:18-25
--A really good way to share the Gospel is to know it. Now, if you are a Christian, you probably know the Gospel story (I also outlined it in Part I of this post), but get familiar with it. You don't have to go to seminary to be effective in evangelism; one of the many, many awesome things about God is that He can use ANYONE: "baby believers," "veterans," trained ministers and, well, the rest of us. However, I do recommend studying the Scriptures as often as you can. One, because God has given His will through His Word. You can't grow in your walk with Christ without paying attention and seeking what God's will is for you. Two, so that when you get some difficult questions you can be prepared to answer them. And you will get some tough questions.
--Share your testimony. Your testimony is YOUR STORY of how Christ saved YOU. Where you were before spiritually, when God called you, and how you're following Him and obeying His commands now. Something I hear believers complain about these days is that they don't have an awesome Saul-Paul testimony. To them I say: ....really? God is not some boy asking you out on a date; you don't have to worry about being "too easy." If it didn't take hitting rock bottom for you to repent and turn to God, great! You weren't as bullheaded as the guy that God found drunk, high, and face down in a ditch, so to speak. Paul himself said he was the worst of the worst, and his whole salvation was so that others would know that there's no such thing as being too far gone. Now, if you were that guy, don't be ashamed of how God saved you. Tell your story, because there IS someone out there who is in the same place you were who could be helped by your testimony.
--Build relationships. You may not always get this opportunity, but that's fine. If all you get to do is plant a seed, God can use that. As often as you can though, make friends. I always recommend building relationships with the people you're ministering to because it's good to tell the Gospel story (excellent, in fact. Do it as often as you can!) but it's better when people can see it lived out in your life. People see you all the time, and as a Christian you are representing the kingdom of God: "So we are Christ's ambassadors; God is making His appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, 'Come back to God!'" (2 Cor. 5:20). Live as an example, so that when you share the Gospel to nonbelievers it's not just empty words--they can see in the way you act and speak every day that you mean what you say, and it has substance. You can also be an example to new believers, guiding them in the way they ought to behave and obeying Christ's commands: "We live in such a way so that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault in our ministry. In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God" (2 Cor. 6:3-4).
Share the Gospel as often as you can, and live out your beliefs every day, so that no one will stumble because of you. But no matter what, remember that YOU cannot save anyone. Only the Holy Spirit can do that. And no one can come to salvation except by the Holy Spirit's calling. Your only job is to live as Christ commanded and spread His Good News throughout every nation. "You must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks you about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then, if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ" (1 Peter 3:15-16)
So there you have it, as best I can explain it. Be ready at all times to share the Gospel, share it with love, and live for Christ in-between. That being said, have a happy Easter!
"And the ransom He paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God chose Him as your ransom long before the world began, but He has revealed Him to you in these last days. Through Christ you have come to trust in God, and you have placed your faith and hope in God because He raised Christ from the dead and gave Him great glory.
You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart.
For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever, because it comes from the eternal, living Word of God. As the Scriptures say,
'People are like grass; their beauty fades like a flower in the field. The grass withers and the flower fades, but the Word of the Lord remains forever.'
And that Word is the Good News that was preached to you."
1 Peter 1:18-25
Monday, April 2, 2012
Presenting: the Gospel--Part I
So in case some of you don't know, this week is a significant week as far as Christian holidays go. Palm Sunday, Good Friday, all leading up to Easter where we celebrate the resurrection of Christ. This week I've also been thinking a lot about the Gospel. So I decided to write these next two blogs as a two-part look at what the Gospel is (Part I) and how to share it (Part II). This is the Gospel as I was taught it.
GOSPEL is a pretty churchy word. According to our good friend Merriam-Webster, it's a Middle-English word meaning "good news," and the meaning of it now is "a message concerning Christ, the kingdom of God, and salvation," or "something accepted and promoted as infallible truth, guiding principle or doctrine." I thought that second part was pretty interesting. I don't know which connotation came first, but I think it's neat because to a believer in Christ, the good news is the Truth, infallible and our guiding principle.
This "good news" tells the story of God's creation of mankind, and us (quite pathetically) choosing sin over obedience. From the very beginning, sin has been punishable by eternal separation from God, but there's always been a way out: the perfect sacrifice--the shedding of sinless blood. All of us are sinful, so none of us are able to make that sacrifice. So God did it Himself, in the form of a man: His Son, Jesus Christ. "For everyone has sinned; we fall short God's glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when He freed us from the penalty of our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin" (Romans 3:23-25).
God loved us so much--He always did, in spite of our sinful rejection of Him--that He paid the price for us. "People are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners"....."He was handed over to die because of our sins, and He was raised to life to make us right with God" (4:5, 25). It wasn't because of anything we did to earn it, but because God LOVED us (He would have done it for you if you were the only person on the whole planet to die for). It cost Jesus a great deal of pain (crucifixion isn't exactly quick and painless) and unity with God the Father for a time, because He took our sin upon Himself. But of course He didn't stay dead. He rose again in triumph over sin and death, and is currently sitting at the right hand of God.
So what does this mean?
First, it means the PRICE HAS BEEN PAID. Jesus took the punishment each and every one of us deserves for our sinful acts. We couldn't have paid it on our own. This is called "grace:" the free and unmerited favor of God, the undeserved divine assistance granted to us. The slate has been wiped clean, the debt erased.
Secondly, this leaves us with the relatively easy part: confession of our sin and acceptance of the gift of salvation. Christ made the sacrifice, but it doesn't do you any good if you're still stubbornly clutching to your sin. You've done wrong, rejected God your own idea of what you want for your life. Confess your sinful nature to God and leave it behind, and then accept Christ's gift, "For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, then you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved," but remember, you're not saved because of anything you did, " since it is through God's kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God's grace would not be what it really is--free and undeserved" (Rom 10:9-10; 11:6)...a lot of the Scripture quoted here will come from Romans, because it sums this up very well.
Thirdly, this means that through faith, we have the opportunity to enjoy a relationship with God. Through Christ's sacrifice and this gift of undeserved salvation, the curtain that divided us from the Holy of Holies has been torn. "For God knew His people in advance, and He chose them to become like His Son, so that His Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, He called them to come to Him. And having called them, He gave them right standing with Himself. And having given them right standing, He gave them His glory" (Rom. 8:29-30). This is incredible, that we who were sinful can become like sons and daughters of God. But being made like Jesus, we must LIVE like Jesus! That means leaving behind the sinful life we were rescued from and being made new. "We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know that we will also live with Him" (Rom. 6:6-7). So we've died to sin, and the Holy Spirit which indwells us will give us the power to live like Christ. "But now you are fee from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." (6:22-23)
If you're not a believer, you can accept this gift of salvation right now. Just pray and tell God you're sorry for your sins, you believe that Jesus died for you to pay the price you deserved and rose again in victory over death, and that you want a new life in Him. If you are a believer, having accepted this gift already, you must share this good news of salvation with others--which I will discuss in the next post. If you have any questions, you can ask me, or find your local pastor.
"What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since He did not spare even His own Son but gave Him up for us all, won't He also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for His own? No one--for God Himself has given us right standing with Himself. Who then will condemn us? No one--for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and He is sitting in the place of honor at God's right hand, pleading for us. Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean He no longer loves us if we have trouble, or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us."
Romans 8:31-37
GOSPEL is a pretty churchy word. According to our good friend Merriam-Webster, it's a Middle-English word meaning "good news," and the meaning of it now is "a message concerning Christ, the kingdom of God, and salvation," or "something accepted and promoted as infallible truth, guiding principle or doctrine." I thought that second part was pretty interesting. I don't know which connotation came first, but I think it's neat because to a believer in Christ, the good news is the Truth, infallible and our guiding principle.
This "good news" tells the story of God's creation of mankind, and us (quite pathetically) choosing sin over obedience. From the very beginning, sin has been punishable by eternal separation from God, but there's always been a way out: the perfect sacrifice--the shedding of sinless blood. All of us are sinful, so none of us are able to make that sacrifice. So God did it Himself, in the form of a man: His Son, Jesus Christ. "For everyone has sinned; we fall short God's glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when He freed us from the penalty of our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin" (Romans 3:23-25).
God loved us so much--He always did, in spite of our sinful rejection of Him--that He paid the price for us. "People are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners"....."He was handed over to die because of our sins, and He was raised to life to make us right with God" (4:5, 25). It wasn't because of anything we did to earn it, but because God LOVED us (He would have done it for you if you were the only person on the whole planet to die for). It cost Jesus a great deal of pain (crucifixion isn't exactly quick and painless) and unity with God the Father for a time, because He took our sin upon Himself. But of course He didn't stay dead. He rose again in triumph over sin and death, and is currently sitting at the right hand of God.
So what does this mean?
First, it means the PRICE HAS BEEN PAID. Jesus took the punishment each and every one of us deserves for our sinful acts. We couldn't have paid it on our own. This is called "grace:" the free and unmerited favor of God, the undeserved divine assistance granted to us. The slate has been wiped clean, the debt erased.
Secondly, this leaves us with the relatively easy part: confession of our sin and acceptance of the gift of salvation. Christ made the sacrifice, but it doesn't do you any good if you're still stubbornly clutching to your sin. You've done wrong, rejected God your own idea of what you want for your life. Confess your sinful nature to God and leave it behind, and then accept Christ's gift, "For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, then you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved," but remember, you're not saved because of anything you did, " since it is through God's kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God's grace would not be what it really is--free and undeserved" (Rom 10:9-10; 11:6)...a lot of the Scripture quoted here will come from Romans, because it sums this up very well.
Thirdly, this means that through faith, we have the opportunity to enjoy a relationship with God. Through Christ's sacrifice and this gift of undeserved salvation, the curtain that divided us from the Holy of Holies has been torn. "For God knew His people in advance, and He chose them to become like His Son, so that His Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, He called them to come to Him. And having called them, He gave them right standing with Himself. And having given them right standing, He gave them His glory" (Rom. 8:29-30). This is incredible, that we who were sinful can become like sons and daughters of God. But being made like Jesus, we must LIVE like Jesus! That means leaving behind the sinful life we were rescued from and being made new. "We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know that we will also live with Him" (Rom. 6:6-7). So we've died to sin, and the Holy Spirit which indwells us will give us the power to live like Christ. "But now you are fee from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." (6:22-23)
If you're not a believer, you can accept this gift of salvation right now. Just pray and tell God you're sorry for your sins, you believe that Jesus died for you to pay the price you deserved and rose again in victory over death, and that you want a new life in Him. If you are a believer, having accepted this gift already, you must share this good news of salvation with others--which I will discuss in the next post. If you have any questions, you can ask me, or find your local pastor.
"What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since He did not spare even His own Son but gave Him up for us all, won't He also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for His own? No one--for God Himself has given us right standing with Himself. Who then will condemn us? No one--for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and He is sitting in the place of honor at God's right hand, pleading for us. Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean He no longer loves us if we have trouble, or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us."
Romans 8:31-37
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Climbing the mountain.
Here I will attempt to sum up what God has taught me on my mission trips, and I will discuss my opinion on spiritual growth because, really, that's what mission trips do. They grow you spiritually. And because you don't necessarily have to go on a mission trip to grow, I will break what I think spiritual growth means into three parts.
Like I said before, I didn't go to seminary. This is just MY OPINION, formulated based on what I believe God has taught me and when I examine my life, these are the three things that I had to learn most to get from where I was, to where I am now, and I pray with all my heart I don't ever stop growing.
First, you need to LOOK AT WHERE YOU ARE NOW. Examine where you stand with God. I mean really, be honest with yourself. You have to start somewhere, and you can't move forward if you don't know where you are to begin with. How much do you trust God? How's your knowledge of Scripture? Do you follow God's laws well, pretty well, or not at all? Are you satisfied with where you are with Christ? (here's a place to start: "yes" is the wrong answer) Analyzing where you stand is important. If you're a believer, you may remember that this is the first thing you had to do before you became one. You had to look at where you were and realize that it was not with Jesus. Now, you've got to do that again and take another look at where you stand in relation to Him. If you're off by a few spiritual degrees, you're going to have to figure out how to get a little closer. This is what they call conviction, and I felt this big time on my first mission trip to Japan. If you read my post "Missions Overseas part I: Japan," you know what I mean.
Second, YOU'VE GOT TO TRUST GOD. This is a big deal. Trust is something you may be familiar with, but if you're like me, tend to struggle with. In society, you judge how "close" someone is to you based on how much of yourself you share with them. Relationships develop as two people open up to each other. I don't just mean the dating kind--friendships, too. Think of the people you trust most: maybe family, your spouse, or best friend. Think of how much they know about you-- all your hopes, dreams, desires and sins. Do they really know everything? Granted, they might...but consider this: God already knows ALL OF IT and you didn't have to tell Him! As much as you've told that one person you trust most in the whole world, God knows far more than that. So isn't He the One you should trust with helping you with your problems and drawing you closer to Himself? Don't you think He can handle your little broken heart? Not that you shouldn't cry with your best friend about your problems (by all means do, I recommend it) but don't forget about God. YOU CAN'T GROW IF YOU DON'T LAY EVERYTHING OUT ON THE TABLE. Don't hold anything back. There's no point, He already knows about it. So just get it out there and let Him turn it into something beautiful.
Thirdly, YOU MUST STEP OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE. Leave base camp. Point yourself toward that mountain and start walking. You've probably already stepped outside your comfort zone by completely opening yourself up to God and laying everything out in the open for Him to use, but here's the crazy thing about a relationship with Christ. It's dynamic. It's a spiritual walk, not a spiritual sit. God intended for you to keep moving along beside Him--He's got so much to show you that you just can't see being still. So when you get comfortable--and you will, eventually. You'll sit back and think, "Wow, God is so awesome. I've learned so much. I've even shared the Gospel a couple of lost people. This is great!" Then He'll shake you. He'll take something away, or throw something in like a wrench in the gears of your happy, contented spiritual sit. Not because He's cruel, but because He wants you to move! It's completely necessary. Paul said to the Corinthians (I use Paul a lot because, let's face it. He's done it all): "For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!" This is the same guy that wrote about a spiritual thorn that was growing Christ's strength in Him; our bodies wasting away but our spirits being renewed; being beaten, driven down, pressed on every side by troubles and sharing in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus could also be seen in our bodies. So you've got to be pruned if you want to grow any blossoms.
So, to sum it all up: examine, trust, move. In Japan, God caused me to examine where I was standing in relation to Him because of the incredible work I was seeing around me. I was seeing fruit everywhere, but I myself wasn't growing any. So I made a commitment to move closer, to get rid of whatever was standing between myself and God. To do that I had to trust Him. Like you'd trust a surgeon with your body, you must trust the Lord of the universe with your all. Because, honestly, who else are you going to trust? In Bolivia, the danger I was often in and the chaos of feeling unsure and insecure led me to become totally and completely dependent on Him. And once I was, I moved closer. Once I was closer, He moved me forward. I had to step outside of my comfort zone. I tried things I'd never tried before. I had to put it all on the line. But I became braver, stronger, more assured in Christ's safe hold over me. That is what Christ wants. He wants us to put it all on the line for Him. And remember that we're not alone. We'll climb higher and higher, grow closer and closer, and experience more and more of this incredible experience called the walk with Christ.
"God's way is perfect. All the Lord's promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to Him for protection. For who is God except the Lord? Who but God is our solid rock? God arms me with strength, and He makes my way perfect. He makes me as surefooted as a deer, enabling me to stand on mountain heights."
Psalm 18:30-33
Like I said before, I didn't go to seminary. This is just MY OPINION, formulated based on what I believe God has taught me and when I examine my life, these are the three things that I had to learn most to get from where I was, to where I am now, and I pray with all my heart I don't ever stop growing.
First, you need to LOOK AT WHERE YOU ARE NOW. Examine where you stand with God. I mean really, be honest with yourself. You have to start somewhere, and you can't move forward if you don't know where you are to begin with. How much do you trust God? How's your knowledge of Scripture? Do you follow God's laws well, pretty well, or not at all? Are you satisfied with where you are with Christ? (here's a place to start: "yes" is the wrong answer) Analyzing where you stand is important. If you're a believer, you may remember that this is the first thing you had to do before you became one. You had to look at where you were and realize that it was not with Jesus. Now, you've got to do that again and take another look at where you stand in relation to Him. If you're off by a few spiritual degrees, you're going to have to figure out how to get a little closer. This is what they call conviction, and I felt this big time on my first mission trip to Japan. If you read my post "Missions Overseas part I: Japan," you know what I mean.
Second, YOU'VE GOT TO TRUST GOD. This is a big deal. Trust is something you may be familiar with, but if you're like me, tend to struggle with. In society, you judge how "close" someone is to you based on how much of yourself you share with them. Relationships develop as two people open up to each other. I don't just mean the dating kind--friendships, too. Think of the people you trust most: maybe family, your spouse, or best friend. Think of how much they know about you-- all your hopes, dreams, desires and sins. Do they really know everything? Granted, they might...but consider this: God already knows ALL OF IT and you didn't have to tell Him! As much as you've told that one person you trust most in the whole world, God knows far more than that. So isn't He the One you should trust with helping you with your problems and drawing you closer to Himself? Don't you think He can handle your little broken heart? Not that you shouldn't cry with your best friend about your problems (by all means do, I recommend it) but don't forget about God. YOU CAN'T GROW IF YOU DON'T LAY EVERYTHING OUT ON THE TABLE. Don't hold anything back. There's no point, He already knows about it. So just get it out there and let Him turn it into something beautiful.
Thirdly, YOU MUST STEP OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE. Leave base camp. Point yourself toward that mountain and start walking. You've probably already stepped outside your comfort zone by completely opening yourself up to God and laying everything out in the open for Him to use, but here's the crazy thing about a relationship with Christ. It's dynamic. It's a spiritual walk, not a spiritual sit. God intended for you to keep moving along beside Him--He's got so much to show you that you just can't see being still. So when you get comfortable--and you will, eventually. You'll sit back and think, "Wow, God is so awesome. I've learned so much. I've even shared the Gospel a couple of lost people. This is great!" Then He'll shake you. He'll take something away, or throw something in like a wrench in the gears of your happy, contented spiritual sit. Not because He's cruel, but because He wants you to move! It's completely necessary. Paul said to the Corinthians (I use Paul a lot because, let's face it. He's done it all): "For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!" This is the same guy that wrote about a spiritual thorn that was growing Christ's strength in Him; our bodies wasting away but our spirits being renewed; being beaten, driven down, pressed on every side by troubles and sharing in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus could also be seen in our bodies. So you've got to be pruned if you want to grow any blossoms.
So, to sum it all up: examine, trust, move. In Japan, God caused me to examine where I was standing in relation to Him because of the incredible work I was seeing around me. I was seeing fruit everywhere, but I myself wasn't growing any. So I made a commitment to move closer, to get rid of whatever was standing between myself and God. To do that I had to trust Him. Like you'd trust a surgeon with your body, you must trust the Lord of the universe with your all. Because, honestly, who else are you going to trust? In Bolivia, the danger I was often in and the chaos of feeling unsure and insecure led me to become totally and completely dependent on Him. And once I was, I moved closer. Once I was closer, He moved me forward. I had to step outside of my comfort zone. I tried things I'd never tried before. I had to put it all on the line. But I became braver, stronger, more assured in Christ's safe hold over me. That is what Christ wants. He wants us to put it all on the line for Him. And remember that we're not alone. We'll climb higher and higher, grow closer and closer, and experience more and more of this incredible experience called the walk with Christ.
"God's way is perfect. All the Lord's promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to Him for protection. For who is God except the Lord? Who but God is our solid rock? God arms me with strength, and He makes my way perfect. He makes me as surefooted as a deer, enabling me to stand on mountain heights."
Psalm 18:30-33
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Overseas part II: Bolivia
I decided to go to Bolivia in August of 2011. A good friend of mine had lived in Bolivia on mission with International Teams several years ago and had returned each year with a team since then. I told her I was interested in going, so we began fundraising. Mostly we had bake sales. After months of baking and selling everything from brownies to sugar cookies to pumpkin *fill in the blank* I was ready to never crack another egg again. We also held a 5k, sold handmade hats, and the very generous members of our church gave their support, so we soon had the funds we needed. January of 2012 came, and I was going to Bolivia!
The team consisted of the five of us from Texas, four from Ohio, and five from Bolivia (but several others joined us from time to time along the way). We traveled with a doctor who was part of a ministry called Red Vida de Epseranza (Life of Hope Network) that brings medical and dental attention to people in needy rural communities. They also take donations of hygiene products, toys, school supplies, clothes, food.....you name it. Our job as volunteers was to bring as many donations with us as we could and then help distribute them in the villages we traveled to.
Each of us brought at least one suitcase (some brought five) packed full of donations. It wasn't easy to get these suitcases there. First, the team from Texas arrived a day later than everyone else because of a canceled flight (and every flight after that was delayed), and a suitcase was lost. Our other team members had luggage lost by the airline too, that weren't found until much later.
When we finally arrived in Cochabamba, Bolivia, we visited two orphanages. This proved to be a kind of warm-up for what we would expect in the villages later. Children grinning from ear to ear, heartbreaking testimonies from adults, and the overwhelming feeling of being completely unworthy of the work. I didn't feel like I was ministering to anyone as much as being ministered to. Each time a little kid smiled.
Then, when it was time to depart for Potosi (what would be our home base)--OUR BUS LEFT WITHOUT US! After we'd loaded half our luggage onto it! We gathered up the rest of our luggage and ran after the bus! We made it part of the way down the road when the good doctor pulled up and we loaded what remained of our luggage onto his Jeep. He told us he would try to beat the bus to its next stop in a town not far away and try to convince it to wait. My eyes locked onto my suitcase tucked into the rack atop the Jeep as it pulled away and I pictured my passport and cash zipped safely (I had thought) inside. It didn't seem so safe anymore!
Well, we didn't catch the bus in the next town. Or the town after that. After two cabs and another bus (and sleeping overnight on said bus) we procured a van to take us the rest of the way to Potosi. We crammed ourselves into that van and prepared for an eight hour ride. We quickly got used to very long rides in a not-so-comfortable vehicle.
Upon arriving in Potosi, we caught up with the rest of the luggage (though one suitcase was never found) and sorted out the donations. We divided everything into little gift bags; each bag was designed to go to either a boy or girl and had a toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, a toy and a snack. We took enough bags with us for the children of several villages. Another bus arrived that would be our personal transportation for the next week. We grew very, very, very, very, very grateful for our driver. We were basically entrusting him with our very lives on those roads (did you know that the most dangerous road in the world is in Bolivia? ...before you get excited, we didn't drive on it. But there's little difference, they're all death roads).
We visited three villages. In each one we distributed donations and two clowns that were travelling with us did a show, and the good doctor treated some patients and gave a short sermon. In each one we felt our hearts break for the children who were sooooo happy to receive the little gifts we gave them. We heard stories from adults, and wished we could stay longer! Years! It would really be a full time career to meet all the needs there. Nutrition, exposure to harsh weather, disease, and children being abandoned by their parents who leave for the cities to drink are a few of the terrible problems we saw in the campo.
In the States, yes, we do have issues. But it is appalling that so many problems people face in other parts of the world (well, in the States too) are so fixable! I saw toddlers with no pants or shoes, walking around in the cold, shivering. Elderly folks with pneumonia. Many, many people with diarrhea from bad water. It wouldn't be hard for us, who have so much, to fix some of those problems. And they are just grateful that you took a little time to come visit them (and brought some clowns for a show).
God taught me many things on that trip, but I'll break it down. First, he taught me that I am not helpless. It's easy to feel like I'm not going to make much of a difference. Who am I? I'm 5'4'', not very strong, I don't have many skills. I couldn't even speak Spanish that well. But God can use me anyway, in spite of what I lack. I felt useful there, even if it was just making kids smile.
Second, He taught me that there will be problems. You can't avoid them. I foolishly thought that once I had my ticket everything else was going to be a cakewalk. WRONG! It seemed to us that once one problem was taken care of, another one dropped in to take its place; we dealt with everything from canceled flights and missed bus rides, to broken axles and a twelve mile hike (two out of six total hours in the dark, and we weren't 100% certain where we were going). We soon decided that nothing was ever going to be easy. But the work was worth it. After that very long hike to the last village we visited, the people there told us they knew God was with us, and what a blessing we were. We prayed with dozens of people, and tears of joy were shed by everyone. No way I would have missed that!
Third, God showed me that He is in control. Actually, He beat this one into me. And you know you're going to get it when the Creator of the universe is beating a point into you. Satan threw problem after problem at us, and God turned it into another lesson of how wonderfully awesome He is. For example, our bus broke an axle so we had to stay another day at a church in Uyuni until it could either be fixed or alternate transportation could be arranged to get back to Potosi. Did I mention we had a flight to catch, and we still had to get to Sucre and then Santa Cruz to catch it? But God had a plan! While we were waiting, we each began to share what we thought God had taught us on the trip. It turned into people sharing testimonies, family members sharing with family members testimonies they'd never heard, and two got saved. People were crying all over the place. Who knows if that would have happened if we'd left on time? God has His Master Plan. We're just along for the ride. And what a ride it is!
So if you're thinking of going on missions, or if you are already, remember to trust God and keep your eyes open. It is so worth it.
"But I will reveal my name to my people, and they will come to know its power. Then at last they will recognize that I am the One who speaks to them.
How beautiful on the mountain are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns!"
Isaiah 52:6-7
The team consisted of the five of us from Texas, four from Ohio, and five from Bolivia (but several others joined us from time to time along the way). We traveled with a doctor who was part of a ministry called Red Vida de Epseranza (Life of Hope Network) that brings medical and dental attention to people in needy rural communities. They also take donations of hygiene products, toys, school supplies, clothes, food.....you name it. Our job as volunteers was to bring as many donations with us as we could and then help distribute them in the villages we traveled to.
Each of us brought at least one suitcase (some brought five) packed full of donations. It wasn't easy to get these suitcases there. First, the team from Texas arrived a day later than everyone else because of a canceled flight (and every flight after that was delayed), and a suitcase was lost. Our other team members had luggage lost by the airline too, that weren't found until much later.
When we finally arrived in Cochabamba, Bolivia, we visited two orphanages. This proved to be a kind of warm-up for what we would expect in the villages later. Children grinning from ear to ear, heartbreaking testimonies from adults, and the overwhelming feeling of being completely unworthy of the work. I didn't feel like I was ministering to anyone as much as being ministered to. Each time a little kid smiled.
Then, when it was time to depart for Potosi (what would be our home base)--OUR BUS LEFT WITHOUT US! After we'd loaded half our luggage onto it! We gathered up the rest of our luggage and ran after the bus! We made it part of the way down the road when the good doctor pulled up and we loaded what remained of our luggage onto his Jeep. He told us he would try to beat the bus to its next stop in a town not far away and try to convince it to wait. My eyes locked onto my suitcase tucked into the rack atop the Jeep as it pulled away and I pictured my passport and cash zipped safely (I had thought) inside. It didn't seem so safe anymore!
Well, we didn't catch the bus in the next town. Or the town after that. After two cabs and another bus (and sleeping overnight on said bus) we procured a van to take us the rest of the way to Potosi. We crammed ourselves into that van and prepared for an eight hour ride. We quickly got used to very long rides in a not-so-comfortable vehicle.
Upon arriving in Potosi, we caught up with the rest of the luggage (though one suitcase was never found) and sorted out the donations. We divided everything into little gift bags; each bag was designed to go to either a boy or girl and had a toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, a toy and a snack. We took enough bags with us for the children of several villages. Another bus arrived that would be our personal transportation for the next week. We grew very, very, very, very, very grateful for our driver. We were basically entrusting him with our very lives on those roads (did you know that the most dangerous road in the world is in Bolivia? ...before you get excited, we didn't drive on it. But there's little difference, they're all death roads).
We visited three villages. In each one we distributed donations and two clowns that were travelling with us did a show, and the good doctor treated some patients and gave a short sermon. In each one we felt our hearts break for the children who were sooooo happy to receive the little gifts we gave them. We heard stories from adults, and wished we could stay longer! Years! It would really be a full time career to meet all the needs there. Nutrition, exposure to harsh weather, disease, and children being abandoned by their parents who leave for the cities to drink are a few of the terrible problems we saw in the campo.
In the States, yes, we do have issues. But it is appalling that so many problems people face in other parts of the world (well, in the States too) are so fixable! I saw toddlers with no pants or shoes, walking around in the cold, shivering. Elderly folks with pneumonia. Many, many people with diarrhea from bad water. It wouldn't be hard for us, who have so much, to fix some of those problems. And they are just grateful that you took a little time to come visit them (and brought some clowns for a show).
God taught me many things on that trip, but I'll break it down. First, he taught me that I am not helpless. It's easy to feel like I'm not going to make much of a difference. Who am I? I'm 5'4'', not very strong, I don't have many skills. I couldn't even speak Spanish that well. But God can use me anyway, in spite of what I lack. I felt useful there, even if it was just making kids smile.
Second, He taught me that there will be problems. You can't avoid them. I foolishly thought that once I had my ticket everything else was going to be a cakewalk. WRONG! It seemed to us that once one problem was taken care of, another one dropped in to take its place; we dealt with everything from canceled flights and missed bus rides, to broken axles and a twelve mile hike (two out of six total hours in the dark, and we weren't 100% certain where we were going). We soon decided that nothing was ever going to be easy. But the work was worth it. After that very long hike to the last village we visited, the people there told us they knew God was with us, and what a blessing we were. We prayed with dozens of people, and tears of joy were shed by everyone. No way I would have missed that!
Third, God showed me that He is in control. Actually, He beat this one into me. And you know you're going to get it when the Creator of the universe is beating a point into you. Satan threw problem after problem at us, and God turned it into another lesson of how wonderfully awesome He is. For example, our bus broke an axle so we had to stay another day at a church in Uyuni until it could either be fixed or alternate transportation could be arranged to get back to Potosi. Did I mention we had a flight to catch, and we still had to get to Sucre and then Santa Cruz to catch it? But God had a plan! While we were waiting, we each began to share what we thought God had taught us on the trip. It turned into people sharing testimonies, family members sharing with family members testimonies they'd never heard, and two got saved. People were crying all over the place. Who knows if that would have happened if we'd left on time? God has His Master Plan. We're just along for the ride. And what a ride it is!
So if you're thinking of going on missions, or if you are already, remember to trust God and keep your eyes open. It is so worth it.
"But I will reveal my name to my people, and they will come to know its power. Then at last they will recognize that I am the One who speaks to them.
How beautiful on the mountain are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns!"
Isaiah 52:6-7
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Overseas part I: Japan
Ok so now I'll talk about missions overseas. Well, mostly I'll talk about the two mission trips I've taken outside the country, and from my experience maybe give a little advice that may or may not help if you're considering a mission trip to another country. And I'll begin at the beginning.
In July of 2009, I applied to go on mission to Tokyo, Japan. When I was accepted, I was both excited and slightly terrified. I'd never been outside the country before, and the trip cost about $6,000. I had no idea where I was going to get the money, but I was determined to go. I had one year to raise the money, and I can say that without the very generous (and patient) members of my church, there's no way it would have been done. I designed and sold t-shirts, baked and sold pies, sold over 200 breakfast tacos in my church courtyard (and a few at school), held a 5k race, and anything else I could think of. By April I had the full amount I needed. When the date of the trip rolled around, I had no idea what to expect, but I was SO EXCITED!
After a 14 hour flight, my team and I landed at Tokyo airport. Thanks to jet lag, we were dead tired. We took a train from the airport to the International Hostel (I slept the whole way). My first impression of Tokyo was that it was so clean. Public areas in the States aren't usually filthy, but you can expect some litter on the street, or maybe a dirty table every now and then at a restaurant, but in Tokyo everything is squeaky clean. You could lick the sidewalk if you wanted to (though somebody would probably get upset and disinfect it).
My team and I spent each night at the International Hostel, where you could expect flat pallet beds, a hot shower, and toast, eggs and.....salad? for breakfast. Salad with your choice of dressing--not kidding. After breakfast each morning, we left the hostel to go to church at a Christian school a short train ride away. It was the only Christian school around, so we prayed every day that it would get to stay there and give kids a Christian education. From there we went to our assigned part of the city where we would do our mission work.
Our main goal as volunteers was to make friends with the Japanese people. To get the significance of this, you've got to understand that depression and suicide are a pretty big epidemic over there. Because of the Japanese emphasis on bringing honor to the family, there's a lot of pressure on Japanese young people to be successful in their endeavors. A LOT of pressure. You think you stress a lot about school? Imagine growing up in a culture of zero individuality, and your whole purpose in life is to have a successful career and contribute to the good of society. There's a Japanese saying that goes, "the nail that sticks up gets hammered down." In other words, disappear into the humming machine of society. For them, not getting into a good school or failing to find a career basically means you're worthless. So, feeling dejected and depressed, many people take their own lives. 80 people a day. Not joking. It's a horrible way to live, only finding worth in work or school, and, not surprisingly, people can't handle it anymore so they end it all.
So simply making friends with the Japanese people doesn't seem as superficial now, does it? We literally stood on the street and talked to anyone we met. Well, actually, we offered free 5-minute English lessons. The Japanese LOVE to practice their English, even though most of them are really good at speaking it. But when we "practiced" with them, we asked questions like, "What do you like to read?" or "What do you like to do?" and when they asked the question back, we would talk about the Bible, or church. That opened up potential for a discussion, and we could share the Gospel. More than that, though, they received exclusive attention from a complete stranger. Once I was able to talk to someone, I asked their name, where they go to school, what they like to do with their free time, and when, the opportunity came, I explained the Good News of Christ. Most had never heard of Jesus before, and that He died for them. It was unthinkable! They could not believe that somebody could love them, individually, regardless of what they did or whether they were rich or successful, and that He willingly died for them. I remember vividly when a man, when He heard of Jesus and what He did for him, started crying. I'd never seen a man cry before.
I hate to admit it, and I'm sure many Christians will agree, but I've taken the Gospel for granted. It's the curse of growing up in church. When you're old enough to speak you learn to recite John 3:16, and the story of the crucifixion loses it's weight and terror. Then I spoke to people who'd never read a Bible before or even heard of sin or that there was a payment to be made for it--and it blew my mind. I felt so convicted for EVER taking my salvation for granted.
We also visited the temple in Asaksa, and it was there that God reminded me just how powerful He is. It was the largest Buddhist temple in Japan. Outside the temple are two stations. One is a pot filled with water that people ladle out and drink, to purify their insides. The other is an incense burner where people waft the fumes over themselves to purify their outsides before entering the temple. Inside and outside the temple were dozens of statues--some dressed in clothes so they don't get cold at night. I was reminded of Isaiah 40:18-31, which compares the mightiness of God to idols. But what was made painfully clear was that idols aren't always statues of people or gods, like you could find anywhere in Tokyo. Money, academic success, your job--any of those things could be an idol. Just like the statues in Japan, that material thing you're worshiping is worthless until you give it worth. A stone statue is just a statue until it's dressed up.
If you're thinking of going overseas, remember to keep your mind open. I was prepared to go in like Mother Teresa, or Lottie Moon, and teach the Japanese the good news of Christ, and instead I was smacked in the face with how eagerly the Japanese soaked up everything I'd been taking for granted most of my life. It happened again when I went to Bolivia. Knowledge of salvation, unconditional love, having a deeply personal God--since I'd become a Christian those things had just kind of settled into the back of my mind and I hadn't really given them another thought. That sounds really horrible, but it's true. Other things like church, having a Bible handy whenever I want it, I'd taken those for granted to. I pray that I never take any of it for granted again. As Christians in America, I think that tends to happen. But God will remind you--it may not be with a trip to the other side of the world, but one way another you will be reminded, and you'll never look at the Gospel the same way again.
"'To whom will you compare Me? Who is My equal?' asks the Holy One. Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? We brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name. Because of His great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing. O Jacob, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles? O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights? Have you not heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth."
Isaiah 40:25-28
In July of 2009, I applied to go on mission to Tokyo, Japan. When I was accepted, I was both excited and slightly terrified. I'd never been outside the country before, and the trip cost about $6,000. I had no idea where I was going to get the money, but I was determined to go. I had one year to raise the money, and I can say that without the very generous (and patient) members of my church, there's no way it would have been done. I designed and sold t-shirts, baked and sold pies, sold over 200 breakfast tacos in my church courtyard (and a few at school), held a 5k race, and anything else I could think of. By April I had the full amount I needed. When the date of the trip rolled around, I had no idea what to expect, but I was SO EXCITED!
After a 14 hour flight, my team and I landed at Tokyo airport. Thanks to jet lag, we were dead tired. We took a train from the airport to the International Hostel (I slept the whole way). My first impression of Tokyo was that it was so clean. Public areas in the States aren't usually filthy, but you can expect some litter on the street, or maybe a dirty table every now and then at a restaurant, but in Tokyo everything is squeaky clean. You could lick the sidewalk if you wanted to (though somebody would probably get upset and disinfect it).
My team and I spent each night at the International Hostel, where you could expect flat pallet beds, a hot shower, and toast, eggs and.....salad? for breakfast. Salad with your choice of dressing--not kidding. After breakfast each morning, we left the hostel to go to church at a Christian school a short train ride away. It was the only Christian school around, so we prayed every day that it would get to stay there and give kids a Christian education. From there we went to our assigned part of the city where we would do our mission work.
Our main goal as volunteers was to make friends with the Japanese people. To get the significance of this, you've got to understand that depression and suicide are a pretty big epidemic over there. Because of the Japanese emphasis on bringing honor to the family, there's a lot of pressure on Japanese young people to be successful in their endeavors. A LOT of pressure. You think you stress a lot about school? Imagine growing up in a culture of zero individuality, and your whole purpose in life is to have a successful career and contribute to the good of society. There's a Japanese saying that goes, "the nail that sticks up gets hammered down." In other words, disappear into the humming machine of society. For them, not getting into a good school or failing to find a career basically means you're worthless. So, feeling dejected and depressed, many people take their own lives. 80 people a day. Not joking. It's a horrible way to live, only finding worth in work or school, and, not surprisingly, people can't handle it anymore so they end it all.
So simply making friends with the Japanese people doesn't seem as superficial now, does it? We literally stood on the street and talked to anyone we met. Well, actually, we offered free 5-minute English lessons. The Japanese LOVE to practice their English, even though most of them are really good at speaking it. But when we "practiced" with them, we asked questions like, "What do you like to read?" or "What do you like to do?" and when they asked the question back, we would talk about the Bible, or church. That opened up potential for a discussion, and we could share the Gospel. More than that, though, they received exclusive attention from a complete stranger. Once I was able to talk to someone, I asked their name, where they go to school, what they like to do with their free time, and when, the opportunity came, I explained the Good News of Christ. Most had never heard of Jesus before, and that He died for them. It was unthinkable! They could not believe that somebody could love them, individually, regardless of what they did or whether they were rich or successful, and that He willingly died for them. I remember vividly when a man, when He heard of Jesus and what He did for him, started crying. I'd never seen a man cry before.
I hate to admit it, and I'm sure many Christians will agree, but I've taken the Gospel for granted. It's the curse of growing up in church. When you're old enough to speak you learn to recite John 3:16, and the story of the crucifixion loses it's weight and terror. Then I spoke to people who'd never read a Bible before or even heard of sin or that there was a payment to be made for it--and it blew my mind. I felt so convicted for EVER taking my salvation for granted.
We also visited the temple in Asaksa, and it was there that God reminded me just how powerful He is. It was the largest Buddhist temple in Japan. Outside the temple are two stations. One is a pot filled with water that people ladle out and drink, to purify their insides. The other is an incense burner where people waft the fumes over themselves to purify their outsides before entering the temple. Inside and outside the temple were dozens of statues--some dressed in clothes so they don't get cold at night. I was reminded of Isaiah 40:18-31, which compares the mightiness of God to idols. But what was made painfully clear was that idols aren't always statues of people or gods, like you could find anywhere in Tokyo. Money, academic success, your job--any of those things could be an idol. Just like the statues in Japan, that material thing you're worshiping is worthless until you give it worth. A stone statue is just a statue until it's dressed up.
If you're thinking of going overseas, remember to keep your mind open. I was prepared to go in like Mother Teresa, or Lottie Moon, and teach the Japanese the good news of Christ, and instead I was smacked in the face with how eagerly the Japanese soaked up everything I'd been taking for granted most of my life. It happened again when I went to Bolivia. Knowledge of salvation, unconditional love, having a deeply personal God--since I'd become a Christian those things had just kind of settled into the back of my mind and I hadn't really given them another thought. That sounds really horrible, but it's true. Other things like church, having a Bible handy whenever I want it, I'd taken those for granted to. I pray that I never take any of it for granted again. As Christians in America, I think that tends to happen. But God will remind you--it may not be with a trip to the other side of the world, but one way another you will be reminded, and you'll never look at the Gospel the same way again.
"'To whom will you compare Me? Who is My equal?' asks the Holy One. Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? We brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name. Because of His great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing. O Jacob, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles? O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights? Have you not heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth."
Isaiah 40:25-28
Friday, March 16, 2012
Because it's an issue.
Yes, I know I said I was going to talk about overseas missions today, but because what's trending on Facebook these days is that many people are getting engaged and that seems to have some repercussions for everyone else, I thought I would throw in my two cents about the "engagement explosion" (as always, you can take it or leave it).
If you are engaged, congratulations! That's wonderful, and I wish you and your honey a wonderful life happily ever after! This is for the rest of us. You may have noticed the ripple effect that an engagement announcement has. For those in a relationship, it probably means the girl sighs dreamily while the guy's thinking, Crap! The heat's on!
For us singles, it may mean feeling kind of sorry for yourself, finding a couch and some ice cream and watching a few old films, wondering, When is going to happen for me? I'm here to tell you DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT!
Guys, here I'm going to talk to the girls for a second.
Girls: there's about a million things that I could say to you, but I'll keep it simple. Just because you didn't get married before your friends did doesn't mean you're an old maid. It doesn't mean there's something wrong with you, that you're less attractive than the girl who just got her ring, or the one who's in a relationship. It also does not mean that you need to go out and hunt yourself a guy. Don't chase men. Don't chase men. Don't chase men. Repetition implies emphasis. Forget about that feminist crap about being a liberated woman and taking what you want; it's not cool to be a slut anymore. Be yourself, live your life, read some books, go on some adventures, and the right man will come to you. And then he'll fight for you, and win your heart, and want to keep you. And that's when there's generally a ring involved. But the point is that it happens on God's timing, not yours. Besides, if you spend every day worrying that you're never going to find "the one," you miss out on the experiences of every day leading up to then. A very smart lady named Elisabeth Elliot said, "The important thing is to receive this moment's experience with both hands. Don't waste it." (Good reads: Passion and Purity and Let me be a woman, both by Elisabeth Elliot).
Now, gentlemen: I'm not a guy. I don't know what you like to read, so I don't have some recommendations for you. Talk to a mature Christian male friend about that. However, to you I will say this: be the guy that a girl can trust. If you're in a relationship, this means that she won't stress about the ring as much because she knows that you care about her more than anything in the world. If you're single, it means building companionship. Girls love a guy they can trust (that business about being mysterious is more attractive isn't necessarily true; be the real deal). There is a girl out there specially made by God just for you; just be patient. In the meantime, be mature. Have some life experiences, and figure out what it is you're looking for to begin with. Paul said that being single is a gift; now calm down, that doesn't mean being single is better somehow and that you must stay single forever. Every stage of life is a gift by God and has a purpose. Don't rush through it. And if you like, spend a little time with the ones who have "figured it out." Maybe they could give you a little advice? Who knows? Personally, I don't believe God would have given you such a romantic heart with the intent that you'd never find the one to share it with.
So there it is. Now, quit complaining and congratulate a pair of friends who just got engaged!
"Trust in the Lord and do good, then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart's desires. Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust Him, and He will make your innocence shine like the dawn, and the justice of your cause shine like the noonday sun."
Psalm 37:3-6
If you are engaged, congratulations! That's wonderful, and I wish you and your honey a wonderful life happily ever after! This is for the rest of us. You may have noticed the ripple effect that an engagement announcement has. For those in a relationship, it probably means the girl sighs dreamily while the guy's thinking, Crap! The heat's on!
For us singles, it may mean feeling kind of sorry for yourself, finding a couch and some ice cream and watching a few old films, wondering, When is going to happen for me? I'm here to tell you DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT!
Guys, here I'm going to talk to the girls for a second.
Girls: there's about a million things that I could say to you, but I'll keep it simple. Just because you didn't get married before your friends did doesn't mean you're an old maid. It doesn't mean there's something wrong with you, that you're less attractive than the girl who just got her ring, or the one who's in a relationship. It also does not mean that you need to go out and hunt yourself a guy. Don't chase men. Don't chase men. Don't chase men. Repetition implies emphasis. Forget about that feminist crap about being a liberated woman and taking what you want; it's not cool to be a slut anymore. Be yourself, live your life, read some books, go on some adventures, and the right man will come to you. And then he'll fight for you, and win your heart, and want to keep you. And that's when there's generally a ring involved. But the point is that it happens on God's timing, not yours. Besides, if you spend every day worrying that you're never going to find "the one," you miss out on the experiences of every day leading up to then. A very smart lady named Elisabeth Elliot said, "The important thing is to receive this moment's experience with both hands. Don't waste it." (Good reads: Passion and Purity and Let me be a woman, both by Elisabeth Elliot).
Now, gentlemen: I'm not a guy. I don't know what you like to read, so I don't have some recommendations for you. Talk to a mature Christian male friend about that. However, to you I will say this: be the guy that a girl can trust. If you're in a relationship, this means that she won't stress about the ring as much because she knows that you care about her more than anything in the world. If you're single, it means building companionship. Girls love a guy they can trust (that business about being mysterious is more attractive isn't necessarily true; be the real deal). There is a girl out there specially made by God just for you; just be patient. In the meantime, be mature. Have some life experiences, and figure out what it is you're looking for to begin with. Paul said that being single is a gift; now calm down, that doesn't mean being single is better somehow and that you must stay single forever. Every stage of life is a gift by God and has a purpose. Don't rush through it. And if you like, spend a little time with the ones who have "figured it out." Maybe they could give you a little advice? Who knows? Personally, I don't believe God would have given you such a romantic heart with the intent that you'd never find the one to share it with.
So there it is. Now, quit complaining and congratulate a pair of friends who just got engaged!
"Trust in the Lord and do good, then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart's desires. Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust Him, and He will make your innocence shine like the dawn, and the justice of your cause shine like the noonday sun."
Psalm 37:3-6
Thursday, March 15, 2012
On getting involved.
I write this post in response to a question posed to me by a reader. First off, I'll define what it means to be on mission. To be on mission does not necessarily mean trudging through some jungle to reach a remote tribe of people with the Gospel (though that would be pretty sweet). My definition (you can take it or leave it) of BEING ON MISSION means that you are working to GROW THE CHURCH. In obedience to the Great Commission, you are spreading the Gospel, and that can be done overseas or right on your street.
That being said, there are three ways to be involved in missions: pray, give or go.
Prayer is absolutely essential. In his letters to churches Paul frequently spoke about the power of prayer: "For we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of His will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding....we also pray that you will be strengthened will all His glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need" (Colossians 1:9,11). Prayer works, and extremely encouraging to those being prayed for. You can form a group in your church and pray for those on missions, or that God will lead you to some kind of ministry.
The second thing is giving. You can give money, time or space. Open up your home to your fellow church members, give a little bit of your spare time to teach Sunday school or mentor a new believer. If you've got money to spare, give it to a ministry. In answer to the question of some overseas ministries: there is the International Mission Board, possibly the most well-known world ministry and an entity of the Southern Baptist Convention (the Annie Armstrong and Lottie Moon offerings are seasonal offerings that give to this ministry); other quite well known ministries include International Teams, New Tribes Ministries, iGo Global and Youth With a Mission. There are many global and local ministries that you can look up, or I can and list them in the next post.
Lastly, you can go. This is what is usually thought of first when one thinks of missions because it is generally seen as the most daring, or at least the most conspicuous form of ministry. Traveling to another country risking life and death is dramatic, romantic in a way; and truthfully, not everyone can do it. But not everyone is called to do it either. There are those who can't go because of work or family obligations, but those are the ones who can provide the way for the people who are free from such obligations and are willing to go. If you can devote the time, find out where you're called to go and then get to work raising the money. If you must stay, then do what you can to support those who are going. Whichever you are--one who stays or one who goes--don't neglect each other. The church is meant to work together, and simply can't be effective any other way.
I hope that answered some questions. If you're thinking of going overseas or getting involved locally, pray about it and talk to some smart, experienced people in your church. Stepping out and being an active Christian, taking the Gospel to places untouched is unlike anything else in the world. Believers aren't supposed to be passive, or comfortable--but that's for another conversation. Next post, I'll talk about overseas trips--from talking toilets in Tokyo to llama-skin beds and the great outdoors in Bolivia.
"But thank God! He has made us His captives and continues to lead us along in Christ's triumphal procession. Now He uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere like a sweet perfume. Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this?"
1 Corinthians 2:14-16
That being said, there are three ways to be involved in missions: pray, give or go.
Prayer is absolutely essential. In his letters to churches Paul frequently spoke about the power of prayer: "For we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of His will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding....we also pray that you will be strengthened will all His glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need" (Colossians 1:9,11). Prayer works, and extremely encouraging to those being prayed for. You can form a group in your church and pray for those on missions, or that God will lead you to some kind of ministry.
The second thing is giving. You can give money, time or space. Open up your home to your fellow church members, give a little bit of your spare time to teach Sunday school or mentor a new believer. If you've got money to spare, give it to a ministry. In answer to the question of some overseas ministries: there is the International Mission Board, possibly the most well-known world ministry and an entity of the Southern Baptist Convention (the Annie Armstrong and Lottie Moon offerings are seasonal offerings that give to this ministry); other quite well known ministries include International Teams, New Tribes Ministries, iGo Global and Youth With a Mission. There are many global and local ministries that you can look up, or I can and list them in the next post.
Lastly, you can go. This is what is usually thought of first when one thinks of missions because it is generally seen as the most daring, or at least the most conspicuous form of ministry. Traveling to another country risking life and death is dramatic, romantic in a way; and truthfully, not everyone can do it. But not everyone is called to do it either. There are those who can't go because of work or family obligations, but those are the ones who can provide the way for the people who are free from such obligations and are willing to go. If you can devote the time, find out where you're called to go and then get to work raising the money. If you must stay, then do what you can to support those who are going. Whichever you are--one who stays or one who goes--don't neglect each other. The church is meant to work together, and simply can't be effective any other way.
I hope that answered some questions. If you're thinking of going overseas or getting involved locally, pray about it and talk to some smart, experienced people in your church. Stepping out and being an active Christian, taking the Gospel to places untouched is unlike anything else in the world. Believers aren't supposed to be passive, or comfortable--but that's for another conversation. Next post, I'll talk about overseas trips--from talking toilets in Tokyo to llama-skin beds and the great outdoors in Bolivia.
"But thank God! He has made us His captives and continues to lead us along in Christ's triumphal procession. Now He uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere like a sweet perfume. Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this?"
1 Corinthians 2:14-16
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
So here it is.
All right, here it is. I'm writing this blog because I want to give you all a bit of insight into what it is I do. I'm a student. I'm studying biology at a medium-sized school in Texas. I love to run, watch movies and travel. Actually, I love to travel on mission (for those of you who don't know what that is: it means I want to travel the world and tell people about Jesus. If you don't know what THAT means, stay tuned, and I assure you, I will talk about that soon).
I believe God has called everyone to go on mission. For some people, that means staying put in the States and serving those placed around you. For others, it means going to another state, or another country--maybe for a short time, maybe permanently. Anyway, to start this off, I'm going to tell you in three points what every person needs to know before going on mission (overseas or locally).
First, you have to know (very thoroughly) what you believe. Because if you don't know what you're talking about you'll do more harm than good. STUDY THE BIBLE. Learn the Word inside and out. Take a few Bible classes if you need to. Read some books on theology (I personally recommend C.S. Lewis. That guy's a genius--even better if you can read him with a British accent). Think to yourself, why do I believe in Christianity? It's a tough question, but imagine a nonbeliever asking you that, and it'll get you studying so that you can answer!
Second: PRAY. This is a big issue for me, because I like to think that I can do everything by myself. I have to tell myself every day to take a little quiet time and tell God how I'm doing, what's worrying me, and then thank Him for always being there for me. He already knows everything that's on my mind, but that doesn't mean He cares any less. And it's a huge comfort to know He's taking the time (out of the infinite time available to Him) to listen.
The third thing about missions is to remember you're not alone. You're not the whole Body of Christ, just a part of it. There's a whole population of believers out there all working toward the same goal you are: spreading the Gospel. Don't try to take on the whole mission yourself. Paul describes this quite beautifully in 1 Corinthians 12. As a biology major I find this analogy especially moving. It's perfect because in the human body, one part truly can't operate without the rest of the body. A hand on its own is useless; an eye, very intricate complicated in design, is pointless without a body to use it (for a deeper dive into this analogy, read Fearfully and Wonderfully Made by Dr. Paul Brand, orthopedic surgeon and medical missionary to the lepers of India--you'll never look at 1 Cor. 12 the same way again). So don't separate yourself from your home church to go out and serve. You won't accomplish nearly as much, and you'll miss out on the support.
So that's my two cents in three points. Prayers are extremely welcome. God bless!
Upcoming trips:
-Nicaragua (Aug 18-26)
-Potosi, Bolivia (Dec 31-Jan 18(?))
"I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ's return. May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation---the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ--for this will bring much glory and praise to God."
Philippians 1:9-11
I believe God has called everyone to go on mission. For some people, that means staying put in the States and serving those placed around you. For others, it means going to another state, or another country--maybe for a short time, maybe permanently. Anyway, to start this off, I'm going to tell you in three points what every person needs to know before going on mission (overseas or locally).
First, you have to know (very thoroughly) what you believe. Because if you don't know what you're talking about you'll do more harm than good. STUDY THE BIBLE. Learn the Word inside and out. Take a few Bible classes if you need to. Read some books on theology (I personally recommend C.S. Lewis. That guy's a genius--even better if you can read him with a British accent). Think to yourself, why do I believe in Christianity? It's a tough question, but imagine a nonbeliever asking you that, and it'll get you studying so that you can answer!
Second: PRAY. This is a big issue for me, because I like to think that I can do everything by myself. I have to tell myself every day to take a little quiet time and tell God how I'm doing, what's worrying me, and then thank Him for always being there for me. He already knows everything that's on my mind, but that doesn't mean He cares any less. And it's a huge comfort to know He's taking the time (out of the infinite time available to Him) to listen.
The third thing about missions is to remember you're not alone. You're not the whole Body of Christ, just a part of it. There's a whole population of believers out there all working toward the same goal you are: spreading the Gospel. Don't try to take on the whole mission yourself. Paul describes this quite beautifully in 1 Corinthians 12. As a biology major I find this analogy especially moving. It's perfect because in the human body, one part truly can't operate without the rest of the body. A hand on its own is useless; an eye, very intricate complicated in design, is pointless without a body to use it (for a deeper dive into this analogy, read Fearfully and Wonderfully Made by Dr. Paul Brand, orthopedic surgeon and medical missionary to the lepers of India--you'll never look at 1 Cor. 12 the same way again). So don't separate yourself from your home church to go out and serve. You won't accomplish nearly as much, and you'll miss out on the support.
So that's my two cents in three points. Prayers are extremely welcome. God bless!
Upcoming trips:
-Nicaragua (Aug 18-26)
-Potosi, Bolivia (Dec 31-Jan 18(?))
"I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ's return. May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation---the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ--for this will bring much glory and praise to God."
Philippians 1:9-11
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)