Lion Chasers...

Sack Lunches...

2009-06-06T09:09:00.001-07:00

I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down in my assigned seat. It was going to be a long flight. 'I'm glad I have a good book to read Perhaps I will get a short nap,' I thought.

Just before take-off, a line of soldiers came down the aisle and filled all the vacant seats, totally surrounding me. I decided to start a conversation. “Where are you headed” I asked the soldier seated nearest to me. “Petawawa” we'll be there for two weeks for special training and then we're being deployed to Afghanistan.

After flying for about an hour an announcement was made that sack lunches were available for five dollars. It would be several hours before we reached the east and I quickly decided a lunch would help pass the time. As I reached for my wallet I overheard soldier ask his buddy if he planned to buy lunch. “No, that seems like a lot of money for just a sack lunch. Probably wouldn't be worth five bucks. I'll wait till we get to base.”

His friend agreed.

I looked around at the other soldiers. None were buying lunch. I walked to the back of the plane and handed the flight attendant a fifty dollar bill. “Take a lunch to all those soldiers.” She grabbed my arms and squeezed tightly. Her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me. “My son was a soldier in Iraq; it's almost like you are doing it for him.”

Picking up ten sacks, she headed up the aisle to where the soldiers were seated. She stopped at my seat and asked, “Which do you like best - beef or chicken?”

“Chicken” I replied wondering why she asked. She turned and went to the front of plane, returning a minute later with a dinner plate from first class. “This is your thanks.”

After we finished eating, I went again to the back of the plane, heading for the rest room. A man stopped me. “I saw what you did. I want to be part of it. Here, take this.” He handed me twenty-five dollars.

Soon after I returned to my seat I saw the Flight Captain coming down the aisle looking at the aisle numbers as he walked. I hoped he was not looking for me but noticed he was looking at the numbers only on my side of the plane. When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out his hand, and said, “I want to shake your hand.”

Quickly unfastening my seatbelt I stood and took the Captain's hand. With a booming voice he said, “I was a soldier and I was a military pilot.” Once, someone bought me a lunch. It was an act of kindness I never forgot.” I was embarrassed when applause was heard from all of the passengers.

Later I walked to the front of the plane so I could stretch my legs. A man who was seated about six rows in front of me reached out his hand, wanting to shake mine. He left another twenty-five dollars in my palm.

When we landed I gathered my belongings and started to deplane. Waiting just inside the airplane door was a man who stopped me, put something in my shirt pocket, turned, and walked away without saying a word. Another twenty-five dollars!

Upon entering the terminal I saw the soldiers gathering for their trip to the base. I walked over to them and handed them seventy-five dollars. “It will take you some time to reach the base. It will be about time for a sandwich. God Bless You.”

Ten young men left that flight feeling the love and respect of their fellow travelers. As I walked briskly to my car, I whispered a prayer for their safe return. These soldiers were giving their all for our country. I could only give them a couple of meals.

It seemed so little...

A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to 'The

United States of America

for an amount of “up to and including my life.”

That is Honor and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.

May God give you the strength and courage to pass this along to everyone on your email buddy list.

I JUST DID

Signed,
Proud to be an American

A Better understanding of His Story through History...

2009-06-04T09:37:00.000-07:00

Our History and His Story
Paul M. Bassett

Professor of the History of Christianity, Nazarene Theological Seminary; Kansas City, Missouri USA

Moses instructs Israel: “And when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the Lord’s Passover, for he passed over the houses of the people in Egypt, when he slew the Egyptians, but he spared our houses.’ And [responding] the people bowed their heads and worshiped.”

Isaiah quotes Yahweh’s beckoning: “Your ears shall hear a word behind you saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. Then you will defile your . . . images. You will scatter them as unclean things; you will say to them, ‘Begone!’”

Our Lord offers himself in bread and wine, saying: “Do this in remembrance of me.” “Remember” saturates Scripture, for Scripture points to our God’s redeeming work at every turn in the time and space we know. But this “remembering” surpasses intellectual or emotional recall. It begins in prevenient grace, the constant call of the Holy Spirit to everyone, everywhere, at all times, to be reconciled to God and to each other.

This remembering directs us to worship—“Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy.” This remembering aims to maintain in holiness that which God has sanctified. This remembering directs us to worship—to the appropriation of what God has done for us into “ordinary” life.

Let the life of the Church, then, root in remembering—in proclamation, in nurturing, in sacraments, and in good works. Again, this remembering roots not in us but in the work of the Holy Spirit. Entering the great act of holy remembrance, Eucharist, we confess: “I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life.” Christian remembering begins in that lordship and in that gift. And that lordship and that gift point on to the Living Word and to the Written Word.

Remembering through hearing the Word and remembering our particular history as a branch of the one Body of Christ entails paradosis, traditio: a handing on to, an infecting with, our own and the next generations as the now long line of generations has infected, infused, affected, and leavened us. We are to hand on not simple recall but grace, not simple remembrance (however reverent) but a call to decision. Insofar as histories of the Church of the Nazarene and Nazarenes bring us to say, “What a great Church!” or “What a great person!” they may have failed. They certainly fail, if they do not bring us to say, “Thank God for this, God’s instrument!” At their best, our histories will first and essentially evoke praise and thanks to God.

Our histories, as histories of a branch of the Body of Christ, should be testimonies, confessions, even where they must report the seamier side of things. Reporting success, they testify that the Spirit has been the Lord and giver of life. Confessing failure, if not sinfulness, they testify to the forgiveness of sin. Always they should testify to the need for God’s grace and the benefits of the Atonement.

Tellers of any part of this story are morally and spiritually obligated to use the story to proclaim the Gospel, within which lies an invitation to confess, to repent and to receive the redeeming grace of Christ. They rehearse the story seeking to infect hearers with that Gospel.

We all know that most tellings of our story have brought us only to say, “What a great church!” or “What a great person!”

We’ve meant well. And pious outbursts do occur here and there in the tellings. But we have too often aimed our tellings at boosting institution(s) and persons, or we have aimed them at getting folks to do something. A fundamental reason we must raise revisionist questions about our written and oral histories is that our real history, His story, did not find its way into our outlines and researches, our pens and our computers.

To put it positively, this very conference is in the great, on-going re-forming spirit of the Church—”always reforming.” Authentic reform reaffirms the central “memory” of the church.

In this light, permit me to propose short responses to four of the issues set out by our consultation’s program committee. My responses to the other issues may be extrapolated from the four that follow.

Are we Nazarenes dealing with our true past [“real” vs. “perceived” story]? Response: We have barely touched our “real story,” our “true past.” Why? Because we tend to take for granted the Gospel side of our story, the Godward side of our story. Our more serious attention goes into the institutional side of that story, forgetting that the real meaning of the institutional side is found in our fidelity to the Gospel side, the Godward side.

Contextual location and memory—Does memory change between Guatemala and Chicago and how does that reflect the life of the church? Response: Empirical histories do differ according to temporal and geographical location. So, the shaping memories differ. But let us reject attempts to make the empirical histories the last word, especially last words that divide. Fundamental to the church is its catholicity. The history of the church in both places named is my history too. The history of the Church in every place belongs to us all, for there is but one real story—the Gospel of God’s redeeming love. “One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, etc.” We might rephrase the question in word and in deed: Given the differences in memory of life in the church, in all of its variety, how do we express its common remembrance, its common memory, the memory given by the Lord and Giver of the Church’s life?

Does globalization / internationalization require a memory? Do we need memory? Response: God has never worked in the abstract but always in the particulars of history. To understand and love God and neighbor unconditionally, I must know particular histories. I yearn to know these particular histories because God has graciously brought me into his marvelously varied family. Can the Body of Christ even talk globally / internationally without a memory? It is not our business to “form an identity.” The call of God within the great redemptive history, both within Scripture and the continuing life of the Body of Christ (including the Church of the Nazarene), has already given us an identity. Our task, in every age and place, is to express that identity. Our particular identity is defined by our calling to exemplify, teach, and preach a particular facet of that redemptive history—holiness of heart and life. Doing precisely this has already given us a rich history or memory within the wider history of Christ’s Body.

Let’s take up this history, all of it, and give witness to it as a story, a memory, of how God works. Let’s tell the whole story, so that the hearer or reader will praise and glorify God and not simply say, “What a great church!” or “What a great person!”

What is obidience...

2009-06-04T08:51:00.000-07:00

Bill Drake led worship for large group gatherings at a university in California. One day, Operation Mobilization leader George Verwer came to campus to speak. Here's Drake's account of what happened:
"I thought I might impress him by playing some of Keith Green's music. As I left the piano, Verwer caught me in front of 3000 people by saying, "Young man, you probably ought not to be singing songs like that unless you're prepared to back it up with your lifestyle."
To say the least, I was embarrassed and humbled. I liked singing about obedience and holiness, but until then it hadn't crossed my mind that there is no true worship without obedience--which for a disciple of Jesus means being involved in His kingdom."

Who do you say that I AM..?

2009-05-19T09:04:00.000-07:00

The Hebrew Name of God - El

he word El comes from a root word meaning "might, strength, power" and probably
derives from the Ugaritic term for god.

In Scripture, the primary meanings of this root are "god" (pagan or false gods), "God" (the true God of Israel), and sometimes "the mighty" (referring to men or angels). When used of the true God of Israel, El is almost always qualified by additional words that further define the meaning that distinguish Him from false gods. These other names or titles for God are sometimes called "construct forms."

El and El Constructs
For each name in the list below, I provide the following information:

The Hebrew text for the name
The most common English transliteration (in italics)
A definition for the name, references to the Tanakh, and frequency information
Additional comments, if applicable.

God

El. [basic form]
The name for God meaning "strength, might, or power."
The basic form El appears over 250 times in the Tanakh.
Appears primarily in construct relation when describing the God of Israel.

Note that the pictogram for the word El appears as a "strong Controller" or Sovereign:

The One God

El Echad.
The One God (Mal. 2:10).
Echad means one in Hebrew and hearkens to the Shema.

The Faithful God

El Hanne'eman.
The Faithful God (Deut. 7:9).
From aman, to support, nourish.

The God of Truth

El Emet.
The God of Truth (Ps. 31:5).
Emet means firmness, faithfulness, reliableness.

The Righteous God

El Tsaddik.
The Righteous God (Isa. 45:21).
Tsaddik means just, righteous.

The All-Sufficient God

El Shaddai.
The All Sufficient God.
Shad means "breast" in Hebrew (Gen. 17:1; 28:3; 35:11; 43:14; 48:3; 49:25; Exod. 6:3; Num. 24:6; Ruth 1:20; Job (various references); Psa. 22:10; 68:15; 91:1; Ezek. 1:24; 10:5; 23:21 etc.). Occurs 48 times in the Tanakh.

In Genesis 17:1, YHVH said to Abram: "I am El Shaddai. Walk before me and be perfect." So why did the LORD choose to reveal Himself using this distinctive Name to Abram?

Most English translations render El Shaddai as "God Almighty," probably because the translators of the Septuagint (i.e., the Greek translation of the Old Testament) thought Shaddai came from a root verb (shadad) that means "to overpower" or "to destroy." The Latin Vulgate likewise translated Shaddai as "Omnipotens" (from which we get our English word omnipotent). God is so overpowering that He is considered "Almighty."

According to some of the sages, Shaddai is a contraction of the phrase, "I said to the world, dai (enough)" (as in the famous word used in the Passover Haggadah, Dayeinu -- "it would have been sufficient"). God created the world but "stopped" at a certain point. He left creation "unfinished" because He wanted us to complete the job by means of exercising chesed (love) in repair of the world (tikkun olam).

Jacob's blessing given in Genesis 49:25, however, indicates that Shaddai might be related to the word for breasts (shadaim), indicating sufficiency and nourishment (i.e., "blessings of the breasts and of the womb" (בִּרְכת שָׁדַיִם וָרָחַם)). In this case, the Name might derive from the contraction of sha ("who") and dai ("enough") to indicate God's complete sufficiency to nurture the fledgling nation into fruitfulness. Indeed, God first uses this Name when He refers to multiplying Abraham's offspring (Gen. 17:2).

El Shaddai is used almost exclusively in reference to the three great patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and (according to Exodus 6:2-3) was the primary name by which God was known to the founders of Israel (the Name YHVH given to Moses suggests God's absolute self-sufficiency). The word "Shaddai" (by itself) was used later by the prophets (e.g., Num. 24:4; Isa. 13:6, Ezek. 1:24) as well as in the books of Job, Ruth, and in the Psalms. In modern Judaism, Shaddai is also thought to be an acronym for the phrase Shomer daltot Yisrael - "Guardian of the doors of Israel" - abbreviated as the letter Shin on most mezuzot:

The Most High God

El Elyon.
The Most High God.
This title stresses God's strength, sovereignty, and supremacy (Gen. 14:20; Ps. 9:2).
Sometimes referred to in Scripture simply as Elyon (e.g., Num. 24:16).

The Everlasting God

El Olam.
God Everlasting; The Everlasting God; (Gen. 21:33, Ps. 90:1-3, 93:2; Isa. 26:4).
Olam means world, universe, everlasting time or space.

The God who sees me

El Roi.
God Who Sees me; Hagar's name for God when He saw her affliction (Gen. 16:13).
Notice the Chateph Qamets under the Resh.

The God of Jeshurun

El Yeshurun.
The God of Jeshurun
Yeshurun means "the righteous (yashar) people": Israel's ideal character and high calling (Deut. 32:15; 33:5,26; Isa. 44:2).

The Mighty God

El Gibbor.
The Mighty God. Picture of God as a Warrior and Champion (Isa. 9:6).
Gibbor means strong or mighty

The God of knowledge

El De'ot.
The God of Knowledge (1 Sam. 2:3).
God has perfect knowledge of all things, from beginning to end (omniscient).

The Great God

El Haggadol.
The Great God (Deut. 10:17).
When used about God, gadol means great, grand, awesome.

The God of Glory

El Hakkavod.
The God of Glory (Ps. 29:3).
Kavod means glory, weight, and honor.
Note the use of the Maqqef (binder) in this construct name.

The Holy God

El Hakkadosh. (Sometimes transliterated Hakadosh).
The Holy God (Isa. 5:16). Kaddosh means sacred, holy, set apart, utterly unique
and one of a kind.

The God of the Heavens

El Hashamayim.
The God of the Heavens (Ps. 136:26).
Shamayim refers to the abode of God.

The God of my life

El Chaiyai.
The God of my life (Ps. 42:8).
The first person personal pronoun ending is used with the word Chayim.

The Gracious God

El-Channun.
The Gracious God (Jonah 4:2).
Chen means grace.

The God of Israel

El Yisrael.
The God of Israel (Ps. 68:36 [H]).
Israel comes from the verb sara, contend, and associates El with YHVH (Gen. 32).

The God of my strength

El Sali.
God of my Strength; God my Rock (Ps. 42:9).
Sala means cliff or crag in Hebrew, used poetically like Tzur (Rock).

The God of Patience and Consolation

El Erekh Apayim avi ha-tanchumim
The God of all patience and consolation (Romans 15:5). Note that erekh apayim means "patient" and tanchumim is the Hebrew word for consolation (which comes from nichum, Isa 57:18 - nichumin - comforts).

The God of Compassion

El Rachum.
The God of Compassion; Compassionate God (Deut. 4:31).
From racham (Qal). Rechem means womb.

All Merciful God

El malei Rachamim
God full of mercy; All merciful God;
From racham (Qal). Rechem means womb.

The God of my salvation

El Yeshuati.
The God of my Salvation (Isa. 12:2).
From yeshuah, meaning salvation, deliverance, and victory.

The God of our salvation

El Yeshuatenu.
The God of our Salvation (Psalm 68:19).
From yeshuah, meaning salvation, deliverance, and victory.

The Jealous God

El-Kanno.
The Jealous God (Exod. 20:5; 34:14; Num. 5:14, 30; Deut. 4:24; 5:9; 6:15; Jos. 24:19; 1 Ki. 19:10, 14; Ezek. 39:25; Joel 2:18; Nah. 1:2; Zech. 1:14; 8:2).
Suggests that God watches us lovingly and closely, like a faithful and passionate bridegroom watches over his betrothed.

God with us

Immanuel.
God is with us (Isa. 7:14).
Immanu is a preposition with plural ending.

The Awesome God

El Hannora.
The Awesome God (Neh. 9:32).

"Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign;
Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,
and shall call his name Immanuel." (Isa 7:14 KJV)

God's Perfect Will vs. God's Permissive Will..

2009-05-18T08:28:00.000-07:00

"What is the difference between God's sovereign will and God's perfect will?"

Answer: When speaking of God’s will, many people see three different aspects of it being revealed in the Bible. The first aspect of it is known as God’s decretive, sovereign, or hidden will. This is God’s "ultimate" will. This facet of God’s will comes out of the recognition of God’s sovereignty and the other aspects of God’s nature. This expression of God’s will focuses on the fact that God sovereignly ordains everything that comes to pass. In other words, there is nothing that happens that is outside of God’s sovereign will. This aspect of God’s will is seen in verses like Ephesians 1:11; where it tells us that God is the one “who works all things according to the counsel of His will” and Job 42:2, "I know that You can do everything, And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.” This view of God’s will is based on the fact that because God is sovereign, His will can never be frustrated. Nothing happens that is beyond His control.

This understanding of His sovereign will does not imply that God causes everything to happen. Rather, it acknowledges that because He is sovereign, He must at least permit or allow whatever happens to happen. This aspect of God’s will acknowledges the fact that even when God passively permits things to happen, He must choose to permit them, because He always has the power and right to intervene. God can always decide to either permit or stop the actions and events of this world. Therefore, as He allows things to happen, He has “willed” them in this sense of the word.

While God’s sovereign will is often hidden from us until after it comes to pass, there is another aspect of His will that is plain to us. That aspect is what is known as His perceptive or revealed will. As the name implies, this facet of God’s will simply acknowledges that God has chosen to reveal some of what His will for us is in the Bible. The perceptive will of God is God’s declared will concerning what we should or should not do. For example, because of the revealed will of God, we can know that it is God’s will that we do not steal, that we love our enemies, that we repent of our sins, and that we be holy as He is holy. This expression of God’s will is revealed both in His Word as well as in our conscience, through which God has written His moral law upon the hearts of all men. The laws of God, whether found in Scripture or in our hearts, are binding upon us. We are accountable when we disobey them.

Understanding this aspect of God’s will acknowledges that while we have the power and ability to disobey God’s commands, we do not have the right to do so. Therefore, there is no excuse for our sin, and we cannot claim that by choosing to sin we are simply fulfilling God’s sovereign decree or will. Judas was fulfilling God’s sovereign will in betraying Christ, just as the Romans who crucified Him were. That does not justify their sins. They were no less evil or treacherous, and they were held accountable for their rejection of Christ (Acts 4:27-28). Even though in His sovereign will God allows or permits sin to happen, we are still accountable to Him for that sin.

The third aspect of God’s will that we see in the Bible is God’s permissive or perfect will. This facet of God’s will describes God’s attitude and defines what is pleasing to Him. For example, while it is clear that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, it is also clear that He most surely wills or decrees their death. This expression of God’s will is revealed in the many verses of Scripture which indicate what God does and does not take pleasure in. For example, in 1 Timothy 2:4 we see that God desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth,” and yet we know that God’s sovereign will is that “no one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:44).

If we are not careful, Christians can easily become preoccupied or even obsessed with finding the “will” of God for our lives. However, if the will we are seeking is His secret, hidden, or decretive will - we are on a foolish quest. God has not chosen to reveal that aspect of His will for us. What we should seek to know is the perceptive or revealed will of God. The true mark of spirituality is when people desire to know and live according to the will of God as revealed in the Scripture, and that can be summarized as “be holy for I am Holy” (1 Peter 1:15-16). Our responsibility is to obey the revealed will of God and not to speculate on what His hidden will for us might be. While we should seek to be “led by the Holy Spirit,” we must never forget that the Holy Spirit is primarily leading us to righteousness and to being conformed into the image of Christ so that our lives will glorify God. God calls us to live our lives by every word that proceeds from His mouth.

Living according to His revealed will should be the chief aim or purpose of our lives. Romans 12:1-2 summarizes this truth as we are called to present our “bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” To know the will of God we should immerse ourselves in the written Word of God, saturating our minds with it, and praying that the Holy Spirit will transform us through the renewing of our minds, so that the result is what is good, acceptable and perfect—the will of God.

I scream..you scream..we all SCREAM for Ice Cream..

2009-05-18T08:24:00.001-07:00

Last week, I took my children to a restaurant.

My six-year-old son asked if he could say grace.

As we bowed our heads he said, 'God is good, God is great. Thank you for the food , and I would even thank you more if Mom gets us ice cream for dessert. And Liberty and justice for all! Amen!'

Along with the laughter from the other customers nearby, I heard a woman remark, 'That's what's wrong with this country. Kids today don't even know how to pray. Asking God for ice cream! Why, I never!'

Hearing this, my son burst into tears and asked me, 'Did I do it wrong? Is God mad at me?'
As I held him and assured him that he had done a terrific job, and God was certainly not mad at him, an elderly gentleman approached the table. He winked at my son and said, 'I happen to know that God thought that was a great prayer.'

'Really?' my son asked.

'Cross my heart,' the man replied.

Then, in a theatrical whisper, he added (indicating the woman whose remark had started this whole thing), 'Too bad she never asks God for ice cream. A little ice cream is good for the soul sometimes.'

Naturally, I bought my kids ice cream at the end of the meal. My son stared at his for a moment, and then did something I will remember the rest of my life.

He picked up his sundae and, without a word, walked over and placed it in front of the woman. With a big smile he told her, 'Here, this is for you. Ice cream is good for the soul sometimes; and my soul is good already.'

Trust me...

2009-05-14T14:29:00.000-07:00

"How can a mere finite human be sure that infinite wisdom would not tolerate certain short-range evils in order for more long-range goods that we couldn't foresee?"

"Okay, then, imagine a bear in a trap and a hunter who, out of sympathy, wants to liberate him. He tries to win the bear's confidence, but he can't do it, so he has to shoot the bear full of drugs. The bear, however, thinks this is an attack and that the hunter is trying to kill him. He doesn't realize that this is being done out of compassion. Then, in order to get the bear out of the trap, the hunter has to push him further into the trap to release the tension on the spring. If the bear were semiconscious at that point, he would be even more convinced that the hunter was his enemy who was out to cause him suffering and pain. But the bear would be wrong. He reaches this incorrect conclusion because he's not a human being. I believe God does the same to us sometimes, and we can't comprehend why He does it any more than the bear can understand the motivations of the hunter."

"The death of God himself on the cross. At the time, nobody saw how anything good could ever result from this tragedy. And yet God foresaw that the result would be the opening of heaven to human beings. So the worst tragedy in history brought about the most glorious event in history. And if it happened there, if the ultimate evil can result in the ultimate good, it can happen elsewhere, even in our own individual lives. Here, God lifts the curtain and lets us see it. Elsewhere He simply says, 'TRUST ME'."

Fearless...

2009-05-11T16:05:00.000-07:00

"Found among his papers in Zimbabwe after he was martyred"

I'm a part of the fellowship of the unashamed. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I'm a disciple of His ... and I will NOT look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still.

My past is redeemed. My present makes sense. My future is secure. I am done and finished with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap living, and dwarfed goals.

I NO longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I do NOT have to be rewarded. I live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by the power of the Holy Spirit.

My face is set. My gait is fast. My goal is heaven. My road may be narrow, my way rough, my companions few, but my Guide is reliable and my mission is clear.

I will NOT be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed.

I will NOT flinch in the face of sacrifice or hesitate in the presence of the adversary. I will NOT negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I will NOT give up, shut up, or let up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up and preached for the cause of Christ!

I am a disciple of Jesus. I must give until I drop, preach until all know, and work until He comes. And when He does come for His own, He'll have no problems recognizing. My colors will be clear!

This is our prayer for His guidance in our life.

Soli Deo Gloria

AMEN

2009-05-11T15:44:00.000-07:00

So I finally finished a book that I started on our journey to South Africa, it is entitled "The Sacrifice" by Robert Whitlow. It took me way to long to finish this book, not because it wasn't interesting but rather because I let life take over and never found time to pick the book back up. I traveled down to South Georgia this past weekend for my little brothers college graduation, there I found some time to read on the drive.

This book captured my attention at the end, I was a little confused throughout the beginning but it really hit home near the end. Like many of us, I have been struggling with what is next in my life, where does God want me to go or to do? It is still something that I have been dealing with. Unfortunately I have been letting life and things take over way too much instead of letting God continue to have my full attention. I think part of me believed I was doing enough but deep down I knew I was not. I just started thinking, was the trip to South Africa now forgotten. Were the emotions, the closeness to God, the pure joy of doing God's work a thing of the past; was I just back to my same old routine like nothing ever happened? And what happened to the people I spent time with, not only my awesome team members but also the amazing African people I met? Was our work forgotten?

This is totally Satan working on me, trying to destroy me but God NEVER gives up! At the end of this book I read something that made a huge impact on, reminding me of God's awesome power, love, and adoration for his children. Here are the 2 lines that said it all and reminded me that God never gives up.

"Nothing God inspires is lost. Nothing his servants do in obedience is wasted."

How true is this!?! Too many times I wonder if the things I have done, the prayers I have prayed go in vain. Oh how they do not!!! God has a purpose for each one of us and when our time on earth is done our mark will still be here. They may not remember us by name but our impact or rather God's impact, his work, his love will remain! Amen, Amen, Amen!

Remember.....LET GO AND LET GOD......

Faith— Not Emotion : "We walk by faith, not by sight —2 Corinthians 5:7"

2009-05-01T12:31:00.000-07:00

For a while, we are fully aware of God’s concern for us. But then, when God begins to use us in His work, we begin to take on a pitiful look and talk only of our trials and difficulties. And all the while God is trying to make us do our work as hidden people who are not in the spotlight. None of us would be hidden spiritually if we could help it. Can we do our work when it seems that God has sealed up heaven? Some of us always want to be brightly illuminated saints with golden halos and with the continual glow of inspiration, and to have other saints of God dealing with us all the time. A self-assured saint is of no value to God. He is abnormal, unfit for daily life, and completely unlike God. We are here, not as immature angels, but as men and women, to do the work of this world. And we are to do it with an infinitely greater power to withstand the struggle because we have been born from above.

If we continually try to bring back those exceptional moments of inspiration, it is a sign that it is not God we want. We are becoming obsessed with the moments when God did come and speak with us, and we are insisting that He do it again. But what God wants us to do is to "walk by faith." How many of us have set ourselves aside as if to say, "I cannot do anything else until God appears to me"? He will never do it. We will have to get up on our own, without any inspiration and without any sudden touch from God. Then comes our surprise and we find ourselves exclaiming, "Why, He was there all the time, and I never knew it!" Never live for those exceptional moments— they are surprises. God will give us His touches of inspiration only when He sees that we are not in danger of being led away by them. We must never consider our moments of inspiration as the standard way of life— our work is our standard.

Gracious Uncertainty...

2009-04-29T03:00:00.000-07:00

April 29, 2009

Gracious Uncertainty

. . . it has not yet been revealed what we shall be . . . —1 John 3:2

Our natural inclination is to be so precise— trying always to forecast accurately what will happen next— that we look upon uncertainty as a bad thing. We think that we must reach some predetermined goal, but that is not the nature of the spiritual life. The nature of the spiritual life is that we are certain in our uncertainty. Consequently, we do not put down roots. Our common sense says, "Well, what if I were in that circumstance?" We cannot presume to see ourselves in any circumstance in which we have never been.

Certainty is the mark of the commonsense life— gracious uncertainty is the mark of the spiritual life. To be certain of God means that we are uncertain in all our ways, not knowing what tomorrow may bring. This is generally expressed with a sigh of sadness, but it should be an expression of breathless expectation. We are uncertain of the next step, but we are certain of God. As soon as we abandon ourselves to God and do the task He has placed closest to us, He begins to fill our lives with surprises. When we become simply a promoter or a defender of a particular belief, something within us dies. That is not believing God — it is only believing our belief about Him. Jesus said, ". . . unless you . . . become as little children . . ." (Matthew 18:3 ). The spiritual life is the life of a child. We are not uncertain of God, just uncertain of what He is going to do next. If our certainty is only in our beliefs, we develop a sense of self-righteousness, become overly critical, and are limited by the view that our beliefs are complete and settled. But when we have the right relationship with God, life is full of spontaneous, joyful uncertainty and expectancy. Jesus said, ". . . believe also in Me" (John 14:1 ), not, "Believe certain things about Me". Leave everything to Him and it will be gloriously and graciously uncertain how He will come in— but you can be certain that He will come. Remain faithful to Him.

Here I am...send me...

2009-04-22T08:26:00.000-07:00

This is the prayer that that Isaiah prayed to God asking for an increase in territory.. "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here I am. Send Me!" - Isaiah 6:8 ...

If you want to be used by God, get ready to hurt. If you want to be a comforter, then get ready to suffer. If you want to be someone who can really encourage others, then you must be a person who's walked through the valley of discouragement, surrounded by hurt, suffering and loss.

God is equipping you and me to be vessels of love, healing, and restoration to a world of people filled with pain, hate and fear.

Happy, Happy Birthday Mindy

2009-04-20T20:16:00.000-07:00

Happy, Happy Birthday Mindy. I hope you had a wonderful day celebrating yourself. Like April, you do life well, so it calls for a BIG celebration.

Remember, 30’s are the new 20’s (and you still look like you’re in your 20’s). I hope that 30 turns out to be your best year yet. My one friend always tell me, “twenties are for figuring yourself out, discovering who you are, learning about the world around you and thirties is when you put all of that into action and go for it with everything you got.” I hope that you get everything your little heart desires this year. You are such a great example of a woman Mindy for the rest of us, so thank you for being such an amazing, beautiful example.

Sorry I am a little late. I am typically forgetful with birthdays and usually have somebody to remind me. Give me a call soon, so we can catch up.

Love ya sister,
Martina

The church...

2009-04-19T06:46:00.000-07:00

THE PLACE OF THEOLOGY IN THE POSTMODERN WORLD

I endeavored to write this book because we are living in a world that is without direction or moral compass. As I stated in chapter 1, Christians are in a world that has repudiated many of the assumptions of modernity: the importance of the rational, the propriety of the orderly and the possibility of objective truth. Ours is a culture where personality has more Street value than character, psychological wholeness than spiritual authenticity We find ourselves in a world where pleasures are embraced without moral norms and social responsibility.

Christian truth is attacked not so much for its particular assertions, but for its fundamental claim that there is such a thing as binding, objective truth. The quest for truth has been replaced with an emphasis on pleasure and entertainment. We live in a world of the therapeutic and the psychological, an endless quest for self-fulfillment and entitlement. Sin has become little more than the infringement of personal rights and privileges; there is little thought of defining it by the standard of the holiness of God. With so much interest in the management of life, what is the benefit of a volume on such a seemingly esoteric topic as timeless, transcendent, historic truth?

This question is complicated by the fact that modern Evangelicalism is in a state of crisis. The very community that historically has been deeply interested in transcendent, timeless truth seems more focused on the merely private, personal, and temporal than ever before. If I could be so blunt, the church has lost its soul, at least some think so. The Evangelical Church, I believe, is on the brink of becoming another of the many Social, do-good agencies whose mission-purpose is to help people to more fully enjoy this life, but neglect the implications of eternity.

As our culture has shown marked inclination to secularism, the church seems to have followed suit. One of our recent Christian social critics has summarized the problem quite succinctly: �The stream of historic orthodoxy that once watered the evangelical soul is now dammed by a worldliness that many fail to recognize as worldliness because of the cultural innocence with which it presents itself.�

Another has described the current situation in the church as an �ecclesiastical swamp.� In accepting the vogue of postmodernity Thomas Oden suggests that segments of the contemporary church have fallen victim to �an intellectual immune deficiency syndrome. This malaise is characterized by a decline of Christian content in teaching and preaching with an accompanying increased interest in self-help directions that merely promise better management of everyday crises.�

There is also an appalling ignorance in the church of its rich Christian heritage. Mark Noll speaks of �the scandal of the evangelical mind,� the denigration o the intellectual content of the faith accompanied by the elevation of the subjective and personal.3 George Barna complains that the average Christian is uninterested in life-changing religious convictions, having little more than the most superficial awareness of sin, grace, and redemption.

This moral and intellectual crisis comes to the Evangelical Church when Christianity is without serious opponent; there are no potent rivals in our culture making claims o having objective, final truth. Such truth claims have been abandoned in the postmodern experience. David Wells has found a general parallel to the situation in the churches today in the era prior to the Reformation in the sixteenth century.

First, the two churches, he suggests, are similar in that they each manifest a lack of confidence in the Word of God. In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries the denigration of the Scriptures was manifested in the church�s reversion to papal pronouncen1ents, today to business know-how and psychological counseling. Second, both churches reflect a flawed understanding of the seriousness of sin. One of our philosophers, having reflected on the decline of the discussion of sin within his own religious heritage, simply has stated: �The new language of Zion fudges: �Let us confess our problem with human relational adjustment dynamics, and especially our feebleness in networking� . . . . �Peanut Butter Binge� and �Chocolate Decadence� are sinful; lying is not. The measure of sin is caloric.� Third, in both instances the church, having lost its grasp on sin, has minimized the glory and efficacy of the death of Christ.

These very circumstances (the moralizing of virtue and the trivializing of sin, the psychologizing of the Scriptures to make it user friendly and inoffensive, and the marginalizing of the centrality of the cross of Christ) are the reasons or this book. This is a call for the church (its pastors, teachers, and laity) to reverse the trends that pose a threat to the historic gospel of Christ and speak so lightly of the work of the Savior. It is time for us to listen to the Scriptures for our message, not the inebriated culture. The need of the hour is not for revival; it is for something even more fundamental. It is time for reformation in the church. Revival has to do with the extension of the gospel; the greatest need in the contemporary church is to rediscover the gospel, its glory and its power. It is time to turn to the fundamentals of the faith and be refreshed in its truths, to gain a new love and respect for the Holy Scriptures. Revival without Reformation is religious enthusiasm at best; revival without reformation is the only hope of the church.

Show me thy glory...

2009-04-19T05:44:00.000-07:00

“People are starving for the greatness of God. But most of them would not give this diagnosis of their troubled lives. The majesty of God is an unknown cure. There are far more popular prescriptions on the market, but the benefit of any other remedy is brief and shallow. Preaching that does not have the aroma of God’s greatness may entertain for a season, but it will not touch the hidden cry of the soul, ‘Show me thy glory!’

Go with God...

2009-04-17T13:24:00.000-07:00

Hey all,

My testimony to everyone was posted on Thrive Africa's website. Check it out when you have a chance and be inspired that as long as we Go with God, we will be lead to do extraordinary things as ordinary people serving an extraordinary God.

Let your light shine..

Tres

The "TRUE" meaning of Easter...

2009-04-16T17:59:00.000-07:00

Q. What is meant by the term Easter in Acts 12:4? Is this Easter the Jewish
Passover or a pagan festival?

(Submitted by: Dee)

A. First, lets take a look at the verse in question along with the few verses before it:

"Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.) And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people. " (Acts 12:1-4, KJV)

The second part of your question needs a bit of clarification and explanation. Biblically speaking, the Passover was not a "Jewish" festival although Jews (members of the tribe of Judah or citizens of the Kingdom of Judah, consisting of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin and most of the tribe of Levi) certainly celebrated this festival and still do. The Kingdom of Judah came into being when the other ten tribes of Israel (the tribe of Joseph became two tribes – Ephraim and Manasseh) split from those three tribes at the end of King Solomon's reign. The ten tribe nation was called Israel from that point forward and the citizens of the Kingdom of Judah were called Jews. The Passover festival was an Israelite festival and not just a Jewish festival – it was ordained for all 12 (actually 13) tribes to keep.

The holy day or festival known as Passover was never called Easter by the first century church. The word Easter is a derivative of Ishtar, or Astarte or one of other names (such as Venus) given by various cultures to their goddess of fertility. This is the origin of Easter eggs and the rabbit (noted for its rapid procreation) as a symbol of that celebration.

The King James Version Bible was written by scholars whose orientation was toward Catholic and Anglican church doctrines, and this caused some of the errors in translation i.e., the translation of the Greek word pascha, which means "passover", as "Easter" in Acts 12:4.

The New International Version Bible correctly translates pascha as "passover":

"After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover." (Acts 12:4, NIV)

Pascha is correctly translated as Passover elsewhere in the KJV and almost all other reliable translations.

Easter is indeed of pagan origin and was originally celebrated at the spring solstice as part of the worship of a pagan goddess of fertility.

Let Go ...And Let God...

2009-04-14T07:34:00.000-07:00

How would you know?...
The Saviours words...
If you never felt pain,
Then how would you know that Im a Healer?
If you never went through.
How would you know that Im a Deliverer?
If you never had a trial,
How could you call yourself an overcomer?
If you never felt sadness,
How would you know that Im a Comforter?
If you never made a mistake,
How would you know that Im forgiving?
If you knew all,
How would you know that I will answer your questions?
If you never were in trouble,
How would you know that I will come to your rescue?
If you never were broken,
Then how would know that I can make you whole?
If you never had a problem,
How would you know that I can solve them?
If you never had any suffering,
then how would you know what I went through?
If you never went through the fire,
then how would you become pure?
If I gave you all things,
How would you appreciate them?
If I never corrected you,
How would you know that I love you?
If you had all power,
Then how would you learn to depend on me?
If your life was perfect,
Then what would you need Me for?
Perrie Jones Jr.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY APRIL!!

2009-04-11T06:37:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday to You…Happy Birthday to You…Happy Birthday Dear April…Happy Birthday to You. You do life well mi bello amigo - - CELEBRATE YOURSELF!!

There are Bible Verses that are created for your specific birthday, see below for yours:
“Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” 1 John 4:11 NIV

Everybody told me that my early twenties were my “glory days!” That could be further from the truth. Like a fine wine, I insist that life only gets better with age. Every day is my glory day!! You are a beautiful person, keep God first and he will continue to bless you in ways that are unimaginable.
I hope you have a Happy, Happy Birthday April!

Your friend always,
Martina

The Meaning of Easter...

2009-04-10T13:07:00.000-07:00

7 LAST SAYING OF CHRIST

1 "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke
23:34). FORGIVENESS

2 "I tell you the truth today you will be with me in paradise" (Luke
23:43). HOPE

3 "He said to His mother, 'Woman, behold your son!' Then He said to the
disciple, 'Behold your mother!'" (John 19:26-27). CARE

4 "'Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?' - which means, 'My God, my God, why
have you forsaken me?"' (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34). LONELINESS

5 "I am thirsty" (John 19:28). SUFFERING

6 "It is finished" (John 19:30). TRIUMPH

7 "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit" (Luke 23:46). REUNION

THE TRUE MEANING OF EASTER

Prayer of Jabez...

2009-04-10T04:14:00.001-07:00

Prayer of Jabez: What is it?
The Prayer of Jabez comes from the Bible. In 1 Chronicles 4:10, we read: "And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that Thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that Thine hand might be with me, and that Thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested." The prayer is composed of four parts. First, Jabez asks God to bless him. Second, he asks God to enlarge his territory or increase his responsibility. Third, he prays that God will be with him and stay close. Lastly, Jabez asks that God keep him from harm so that he will be free from pain.

Prayer of Jabez: Why is it important?
The Prayer of Jabez reveals that Jabez understands what many people do not -- there is only one God and He should be the center of our work God wants to bless every life. But, we must first make the choice to invite God into our life and ask for His blessings. Jabez wants to succeed and increase his sphere of influence for God. The specific sphere of influence is not important. What is important is that when we want to reach for goals and accomplishments that we have God on our side. Proverbs 16:3 says, "Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established." It is critical to understand and practice this in a close relationship with God. Further, it is equally important to stay close to God and rely on His continued support and guidance throughout life. Jabez clearly knows and prays specifically to the One who can protect him from evil and pain -- God. At the end of the verse it is clear that God approved of this faithful prayer by granting it. It is also important to see that Jabez was passionate in his plea to God: "He cried out to the God of Israel." God wants to hear that we need Him through passionate prayer.

Prayer of Jabez: What does it mean to you?
The Prayer of Jabez reminds us that everybody struggles with choosing to rely on himself or God. Whether you are a focused Christian
or just searching to find out more about God, life is a growing process. However, it is very clear in reviewing the Prayer of Jabez, as well as the rest of the Bible, that God is faithful in caring for those who seek Him. Jabez sets a great example of how God wants everyone to come to Him through constant and passionate prayer. If you are looking to start a relationship with God or improve your existing relationship with Him, start with prayer. God answers prayers when you trust Him (1 Chronicles 5:20). Prayers to God also please Him (Proverbs 15:8). We can all learn from Jabez and faithfully pray to God always in everything that we do.

Prayer of Jabez: The Book by Bruce Wilkinson
The Prayer of Jabez is covered in phenomenal detail by Bruce Wilkinson in his book of the same name. We highly encourage you to read this fantastic and inspiring resource, that challenges each of us to:

"Attempt something large enough that failure is guaranteed…unless God steps in!"

Why Go to Church...

2009-04-09T10:51:00.001-07:00

A church-goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday(or Saturday). 'I've gone for 30 years now,' he wrote, 'and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So, I think I'm wasting my time and the preachers are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all.'

This started a real controversy in the 'Letters to the Editor' column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher:

'I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this...They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!' When you are DOWN to nothing...God is UP to something! Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible! Thank God for our physical AND our spiritual nourishment!

'When Satan is knocking at your door, simply say, 'Jesus, could you get that for me?'

Let's Get P-A-I-D in C-H-R-I-S-T!

2009-04-08T08:14:00.000-07:00

Partnership - with God, God's poor, and God's people around the world, and your team.
Abandon - living simply and leaving behind the distractions and noise that keep you from God.
Immersion - in ministry. You'll have the opportunity to minister as Jesus' disciples, 24/7.
Dependence - on God for everything. You'll have many tests of faith along the way.

The acronym is P-A-I-D. "You are PAID as you embrace God's agenda."

God is THE answer...

2009-04-06T11:50:00.000-07:00

Its easy to be discouraged when things are going badly. But if you’re a member of Gods true Church He has a positive answer for all things.

You say: “Its impossible”

God says: “All things are possible” (Luke 18:27)

You say: “ I’m too tired”

God says: “ I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28-30)

You say: “ Nobody really loves me”

God says: “ I love you” (John 3:16)

You say: “I can’t go on”

God says: “ My Grace is sufficient” (II Cor 12:9 Psalms 91:15)

You say: “I can’t figure things out”

God says: “ I will direct your steps” (Proverbs 3: 5-6)

You say: “ I can’t do it”

God says: “ You can do all things” (Philippians 4:13)

You say: “ I’m not able”

God says: “I am able” (II Cor:9:8)

You say: “ It’s not worth it”

God says: “ It will be worth it” (Romans 8:28)

You say: “ I can’t forgive myself”

God says: “ I forgive you” (I John 1-9 Romans 8:1)

You say: “ I can’t manage”

God says: “ I will supply all your needs” (Philippians 4:19)

You say: “ I’m afraid”

God says: “ I have not given you a spirit of fear” (II Timothy 1:7)

You say: “ I’m always worried and frustrated”

God says: “ Cast all your cares on me” (I Peter 5:7)

You say: “I don’t have enough faith”

God says: “I’ve given everyone a measure of faith” (Romans 12:3)

You say: “I’m not smart enough”

God says: “I give you wisdom” (I Corinthians 1:30)

You say: “I feel alone”

God says: “I will never leave you or forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5)

Deny Yourself...take up your cross..

2009-04-06T11:35:00.000-07:00

1) deny yourself - James and John coveted the limelight. They replied, �Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory. Mark 10:37. One of your greatest challenges will be to resist promoting yourself and trying to succeed on your own, then asking God to bless your efforts. God's not interested in second-hand glory. He wants the credit for what He (not you) accomplishes in your life.

2) take up your cross - Nobody goes directly from denying themselves to following Jesus. First we go through crucifying experiences. Paul says: 'I die daily' 1Corinthians 15:31. Certain things in your life can be handled only one way - dying to them. Listen: 'Count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God' Romans 6:11. Jesus did not even talk about the cross to His disciples, until He knew they understood this principle. Why? Because until you do, you will never see the cross as a plus.

3) follow Him - Too often we take God's presence for granted because He said He would never leave us. But He also said: 'You did not choose me...I chose you' John 15:16. It is not God's job to follow you, it is your job to follow Him! When you do, it will cost you, change you, and challenge you. Sometimes you will go through valleys, other times you will stand with Him on the mountaintop. You must be willing to follow Him anywhere, any time, under any conditions; that is the deal!

Faith vs. Works...

2009-04-06T11:33:00.000-07:00

FAITH VERSUS WORKS

Richard M. Riss

Union Bible Church, Old Bridge, N.J., September 27, 1992

During the time of the Reformation, one issue that was hotly
contested was whether a person is justified by faith or by works.
The Catholics emphasized James 2:24, which states that "a man is
justified by works, and not by faith alone," while the
Protestants responded with Galatians 2:16 and Romans 3:28,
according to which "a man is not justified by the works of the
Law but through faith."

Which is it? Are we justified by faith, as Paul says, or by
works, as James says? James was worried about people who
accepted Christian doctrine as true but who did not live
accordingly. He wrote that "even the demons believe and
shudder." Paul, on the other hand, was worried about those who
thought that if they followed the law, they would automatically
be acceptable to God. Of course, right standing before God
results neither from believing the right doctrines nor from going
through the right motions.

It's fine to perform good works, but that will not earn a
person right standing before God, since the Lord is not
interested merely in whether we engage in good deeds. He wants
to know why we are performing those deeds. Is it in order to
look good? Is it so that other people will think highly of us?
Is it in order to escape punishment? Do we engage in them so
that others will be indebted to us and we will therefore have a
measure of control over them?

Or, when we do what is right, is it because, more than
anything, we want to do the right thing? Is it because we love
the Lord so much that we desperately want to please Him above all
else? The reasons for our actions are extremely important, even
more important than the actions themselves. God is interested in
our inner motivations. Why do we do what we do? We don't even
know the answer to this ourselves most of the time.

By the same token, it's fine to have faith, but what is the
nature of that faith? Is it merely an acceptance of truth? Is
it only an acknowledgment that miracles are possible, or that the
Scriptures are true? Or is it a love for Jesus Christ, prompting
us to be pleasing to Him in all of our thoughts, words, and
actions?

During the Reformation, both the Protestants and the
Catholics were wrong. The Protestants were wrong when they
implied that merely by believing certain propositions we would be
justified before God, and the Catholics were wrong when they said
that simply by obeying the commandments we would be just.
Neither is sufficient. The thrust of the entire Bible is that it
is our inner motivations, attitudes, thoughts, and desires that
are either pleasing to God or disgusting to Him. If we are
humble and contrite, He will lead us into all truth. If we
sincerely desire to do the right thing because it is the right
thing, then we will automatically begin to follow the dictates of
the law. If we conform to outward obedience without any deep
desire to please God, then it is to no avail. On the other hand,
we can acquiesce that Jesus Christ died for the sins of the
world, and even for our own sins, but if we do not order our
lives accordingly, then we are neither righteous before God nor
pleasing to Him.

We often think that the motivations for our actions are
pure, when they are actually far from it. This is why the law is
so important. Whenever we fail to conform to God's commandments,
it helps us to realize that something is wrong--that maybe we are
not the paragons of virtue that we thought we were. We are thus
confronted with a brutal and startling reality of our own
wickedness, but it is important to come to a realization of this
nature. This is why James said that a man is justified by works,
and not by faith alone. He meant by this that we can have all of
the faith we want, but if we are not conforming to God's
standards, then we really aren't the good people we thought we
were. Our actions against God's word should startle us into
seeking God and asking Him for inner purity. If it were not for
the existence of the word of God as an objective standard, it
would be very easy for us to get complacent, thinking that we are
without any faults, and in no need of any improvement in
character.

On the other hand, there is another form of complacency
which rests assured that, because we are following the
commandments, that we are in God's good graces. But we must not
be concerned merely with appearances. This is why Paul said that
a man is justified not by works, but by faith alone. We can walk
in all of the good works we want to, but if we have false
attitudes or improper motivations for performing them, then we
are hypocrites, and we are only pretending to have faith in God.
It is only true faith that justifies. We can only have right
standing before God when we are motivated in what we do by a true
love for God, desiring with all of our hearts and minds and souls
to do what is pleasing to Him.

When we find that we have transgressed God's rules and that
we are therefore not the good people we thought we were, or, on
the other hand, when we find that we are not transgressing those
rules but come to realize that our reasons for being good are
unworthy of us, then, in either situation, we are presented with
a tremendous opportunity. God is able to change us. As we
repent before Him and ask Him to show us those areas in our lives
that need to be rectified or justified, He will do so, and, in
the process, He will cleanse us and make us right.

Those who engage in this process are said to be justified by
faith, for by faith we appropriate God's power to do this, made
available to us through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. And when
we appropriate God's provision in this way, we begin to walk in
the good works without which no man or woman can be justified.

What, then, of the idea of forensic justification, the idea
that, legally, we are just, even though we are sinners, due the
righteousness of Christ which has been imputed to us? Didn't
Martin Luther say that a person is at the same time both
righteous and a sinner?

This idea is fine, as long as we understand that God sees
the end from the beginning. That is to say, the only reason that
the Christian can be both righteous and a sinner simultaneously
is because, in the end, we will be sinners who have been made
perfect, or just, not only in a legal sense, but also in a
practical sense. God is in the process of rectifying us. We are
being renovated. He is in the process of taking us in our
fallenness, and completely realigning our spirits, so that our
motivations, our hopes, our dreams, our ambitions, and our
priorities conform to what He had in mind when He created us.

He desires to work in us a continual process of
rectification, or realignment. It is not something to be
postponed until the end of our lives, or until the end of the
age. It would be disadvantageous to procrastinate in our
cooperation with Him in these matters. There's a growth process
involved in the Christian life. It's not as though we can arrive
instantaneously, either at the moment of our initial experience
with God, or at some point in the future. He takes us, as it
were, from glory to glory.

There is a sense in which God now views us as perfect, in
light of the end of that process, but it is a process, and moment
by moment, He offers to us the privilege of responding to His
call to blamelessness, by the power of His grace working within
us. This is a blamelessness, not merely in outward actions, but
in attitudes and motivations. This is why Paul wrote that we are
justified by faith alone, and not by works. Yet, as we have
seen, the faith that justifies is never alone. It is always
accompanied with actions of goodness which are a natural outcome
of justifying faith. This is why James states that we are
justified by works, and not by faith alone.

But strictly speaking, we are justified neither by faith nor
by works. Rather, it is God who makes us righteous. He does so
by miraculously working within our hearts and minds so that we
are motivated to love Him, and to love His qualities of virtue,
integrity, altruism, and selflessness. When we love Him, and His
qualities, it motivates us to yearn with all of our hearts to
emulate them. And as He works this desire into us, our response
is to cry out to Him to give us the strength to do these things.
Then, when He grants us this strength, we use it eagerly in order
to think as He thinks, and walk in His ways, moment by moment.

In and of themselves, neither faith nor the performing of
good works can rectify us. Only God can grant us the desire to
walk with Him and the strength to do so. He is our preserver
from wickedness and, therefore, from its serious consequences.
We can rely neither upon faith nor upon works for justification,
for God alone is our salvation.

Purpose Driven Life...

2009-04-03T08:59:00.001-07:00

Thank God in every moment of our life:

AN INTERVIEW WITH RICK WARREN (REMEMBER HE WROTE:PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE' )

You will enjoy the new insights that Rick Warren has, with his wife now having cancer and him having 'wealth' from the book sales. This is an absolutely incredible short interview with Rick Warren, 'Purpose Driven Life' author and pastor of Saddleback Church in California
In the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said:
People ask me, What is the purpose of life?
And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were not made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven.
One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body-- but not the end of me.
I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity.

We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.

Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one.
The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort; God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy.
We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.

This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer.
I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore.
Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life.
No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on.
And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.
You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems:
If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness, which is my problem, my issues, my pain.' But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.
We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her- It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people.
You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life.
Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy.
It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before. I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease.
So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72.
First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit.. We made no major purchases.
Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church.
Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation.
Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free.
We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity?
Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)?
When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better. God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do.
That's why we're called human beings, not human doings.
Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.
Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.
Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.
Painful moments, TRUST GOD.
Every moment, THANK GOD.

Knowing...

2009-04-03T05:43:00.000-07:00

So I must tell you, I had my reservations about this one. I wasn't sure what to expect and frankly, I just needed to get away. I had so many things going on in my head and heart that I wanted to sit and be still. I wanted a place where my mind can drift off an experience something other than the anxiety, hesitation, fear and doubt that has plagued me since returning. I've had a stirring in my soul and needed a supernatural release. So, I went to see a movie..a Nicholas Cage movie of all things...I know I know..kinda weird, but I saw the film "Knowing". I had a slight idea what the film was about, but I was very unsure. Low and behold the entire film was based around the religious understanding that the son of a preacher (now a professor of science at MIT) once had before loosing his wife and coming to the conclusion that it all is worth nothing. There are so many little nuggets in this film it's kind scary, but all true revealing. If you have the opportunity I would recommend watching this film (with an open mind of course). Prior to watching the film I would also suggest reading up on the book of Ezekiel. It seems as though the entire movie is based around how we choose to loose faith in God and how He has plans for us that we don't even understand, but choose to rationalize God's work through our own feeble minds. Let us not be discouraged in the works of God or distracted by the plots of man. For there is a God, He has a plan and we all play a very important role. Whether you understand your role or not, or whether you believe..you are a child of God and He has a plan. It's not by coincidence and there are so many signs along the way that we may never understand. So as we live and go about our days...be present to the promptings of the Lord and let His will be our guide. Nothing else matters...

Here is a snipped quoted from the movie:

Ted Myles: "Stay with me. I know how this sounds, but I've mapped these numbers to the dates of every major global disaster from the last 50 years in perfect sequence. Earthquakes, fires, tsunamis... The next number on the chain predicts that tomorrow, somewhere on the planet, 81 people are going to die, in some kind of tragedy."

Phil Bergman: "Whoa. Just step back. Have another look at it! Systems that find meaning in numbers are a dime in dozen. Why? Because people see what they want to see."

What do you see....

"...seek first His kingdom..."

2009-03-31T08:34:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share a story with you that has truly impacted my life. While we were visiting Mambula Game Lodge. I had the chance to catch up with a couple of the workers. After a couple conversations it was clear one of the workers was after my shoes and he asked that I leave them for him. I didn't find this offensive, but rather quite reflective of our culture. We've been taught to seek so many other things as if they have the power to make us happy, complete or whole inside. But we are so unclear on what happiness really is or God's plan for us. Frankly, I placed the thought of serving God, like my life depended on it, on the back burner was if there is time, or even someone else who can fill the role "I" am called to do. After about 10 min. of talking with this employee I found out that he was going through some life struggles, like all of us are, but he was looking for salvation/solutions in all the wrong places. The bottom of a bottle, smoking, etc. Then he began to tell me he knew it was wrong...he knew that it wasn't what he should be doing, but he didn't have anyone to teach him another way. It was during this moment that I felt the prompting of God within me to share the word (or what little I knew) to him. I was very familiar with the principles of the bible, but didn't know exact scriptures to quote that would be relevant for the situation, so I prayed constantly within for God's direction through the Holy Spirit. Within about 10min. of conversation about the bible and showing him scripture that related to what he was going through, where to find salvation, direction and the love of God...this young man began to shift. You could see it in his face and the way he held himself. It's as if a light bulb went off inside. He understood the ramifications of living a life as he had and what that meant for he and his family. Unfortunately, I had to run cause we were on a really tight scheudle, so I left him with prayer and asked God to show me what I should do next. Before I headed out, I asked when he was getting off work and if he'd be around when I got back. He said no, he'd be off work soon, but he would be in to work the next morning. I knew that our encounter was not by accident. So I jetted off to get ready for the safari and prayed for another opportunity to meet with him.

The next morning..I ran to see if he was there. He was! I was so excited..he had just gotten there and we were due to leave in about 8 min. So I ran over and met him at the bar with a satchel across my shoulder. He embraced me with a big hug and welcomed me as if we were old friends. Everything about him was different. He had a little pep in his step and he embraced every word I said to him as we greeted each other. He also introduced me to his co-worker who I had met the day before briefly. You could tell they had been sharing what he and I talked about the day before and what he was thinking about. I knew I was tight on time so I reached inside the satchel and pulled out a bible (one I had purchased from the coffee bar) and the same shoes he wanted when I first met him. I told him I didn't have much time, but I needed him to choose. I needed him to choose what I was going to leave behind for him to continue growing in God. You could see the words we shared yesterday guiding his thoughts. ( Matthew 6:33 "..seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." ) He looked at me and with no doubt, hesitation or fear..he reached for the bible and embraced it as if he had found the holy grail himself. I was overwhelmed with joy. His willingness to let God be his guide as he seeks the kingdom of heaven. I told him " God wants you to have the bible, and I want you to have the shoes." Go with God.

2009-03-30T12:12:00.000-07:00

Hey Y'ALL, be sure to check out the adventures of James Wald on his blogg (http://www.james2africa.com)

Enjoy!

III

Live Among The LIVING...

2009-03-30T10:53:00.000-07:00

Hello All,

Well..I must say..it is amazing how supportive we've all grown to be of each other in our continued efforts to seek the kingdom plans for our lives both individually and collectively.

I was drawn to a picture from the trip that most (if not all) of us are familiar with. I was looking back at some pictures from the trip when I noticed "death" in a new way. We are living amongst the living dead and will soon be called to live among the living. Be encouraged and know that this life is temporary and there is a price paid for our lives and a calling for you before you were born. How do you repay someone for such a high valued investment in you...? LIVE AMONG THE LIVING....!

No Reserve, No Retreat, No Regret...

2009-03-26T06:13:00.000-07:00

I was encourage to share this after the testimony Matt gave about the company policies most employers embrace these days. So I wanted to share a life story with you all that should prove as encouragement to us all. God is in control and as we see Him and walk in His ways..we will be blessed!

William Borden's life

Quotations taken from Borden of Yale, by Mrs. Howard Taylor, Moody Press, Chicago

In 1904 William Borden graduated from a Chicago high school. As heir to the Borden family fortune, he was already a millionaire. For his high school graduation present, his parents gave 16-year-old Borden a trip around the world. As the young man traveled through Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, he felt a growing burden for the world's hurting people. Finally, Bill Borden wrote home about his "desire to be a missionary."¹
One friend expressed surprise that he was "throwing himself away as a missionary."
In response, Bill wrote two words in the back of his Bible: "No reserves."
Even though young Borden was wealthy, he arrived on the campus of Yale University in 1905 trying to look like just one more freshman. Very quickly, however, Borden's classmates noticed something unusual about him and it wasn't his money. One of them wrote: "He came to college far ahead, spiritually, of any of us. He had already given his heart in full surrender to Christ and had really done it. We who were his classmates learned to lean on him and find in him a strength that was solid as a rock, just because of this settled purpose and consecration."²
During his college years, Bill Borden made one entry in his personal journal that defined what his classmates were seeing in him. That entry said simply: "Say 'no' to self and 'yes' to Jesus every time."³
Borden's first disappointment at Yale came when the university president spoke on the students' need of "having a fixed purpose." After hearing that speech, Borden wrote: "He neglected to say what our purpose should be, and where we should get the ability to persevere and the strength to resist temptations."⁴ Surveying the Yale faculty and much of the student body, Borden lamented what he saw as the end result of this empty philosophy: moral weakness and sin-ruined lives.
During his first semester at Yale, Borden started something that would transform campus life. One of his friends described how it happened: "It was well on in the first term when Bill and I began to pray together in the morning before breakfast. I cannot say positively whose suggestion it was, but I feel sure it must have originated with Bill. We had been meeting only a short time when a third student joined us and soon after a fourth. The time was spent in prayer after a brief reading of Scripture. Bill's handling of Scripture was helpful. . . . He would read to us from the Bible, show us something that God had promised and then proceed to claim the promise with assurance."⁵
Borden's small morning prayer group gave birth to a movement that spread across the campus. By the end of his first year, 150 freshman were meeting for weekly Bible study and prayer. By the time Bill Borden was a senior, one thousand of Yale's 1,300 students were meeting in such groups.
Borden made it his habit to seek out the most "incorrigible" students and try to bring them to salvation. "In his sophomore year we organized Bible study groups and divided up the class of 300 or more, each man interested taking a certain number, so that all might, if possible, be reached. The names were gone over one by one, and the question asked, 'Who will take this person?' When it came to someone thought to be a hard proposition, there would be an ominous pause. Nobody wanted the responsibility. Then Bill's voice would be heard, 'Put him down to me.'"⁶
Borden's outreach ministry was not confined to the Yale campus. He cared about widows and orphans and cripples. He rescued drunks from the streets of New Haven. To rehabilitate them, he founded the Yale Hope Mission. One of his friends wrote that he "might often be found in the lower parts of the city at night, on the street, in a cheap lodging house or some restaurant to which he had taken a poor hungry fellow to feed him, seeking to lead men to Christ."⁷
Borden's missionary call narrowed to the Muslim Kansu people in China. Once that goal was in sight, Borden never wavered. He also inspired his classmates to consider missionary service. One of them said: "He certainly was one of the strongest characters I have ever known, and he put backbone into the rest of us at college. There was real iron in him, and I always felt he was of the stuff martyrs were made of, and heroic missionaries of more modern times."⁸
Although he was a millionaire, Bill seemed to "realize always that he must be about his Father's business, and not wasting time in the pursuit of amusement."⁹ Although Borden refused to join a fraternity, "he did more with his classmates in his senior year than ever before." He presided over the huge student missionary conference held at Yale and served as president of the honor society Phi Beta Kappa.
Upon graduation from Yale, Borden turned down some high paying job offers. In his Bible, he wrote two more words: "No retreats."
William Borden went on to graduate work at Princeton Seminary in New Jersey. When he finished his studies at Princeton, he sailed for China. Because he was hoping to work with Muslims, he stopped first in Egypt to study Arabic. While there, he contracted spinal meningitis. Within a month, 25-year-old William Borden was dead.
When news William Whiting Borden's death was cabled back to the U.S., the story was carried by nearly every American newspaper. "A wave of sorrow went round the world . . . Borden not only gave (away) his wealth, but himself, in a way so joyous and natural that it (seemed) a privilege rather than a sacrifice" wrote Mary Taylor in her introduction to his biography.¹⁰
Was Borden's untimely death a waste? Not in God's plan. Prior to his death, Borden had written two more words in his Bible. Underneath the words "No reserves" and "No retreats," he had written: "No regrets."

Life Lessons Over Lunch...

2009-03-24T11:58:00.000-07:00

So we are all looking to get out of work and serve in some capacity...before we strangle the person in the adjacent cubicle. Well, how about some improvisation, until that opportunity to hop on the next plane to South Africa comes..? Something was brought to my attention that we may all be able to implement into our work day/environment in some way. It's all about sharing the word of God in a non-threatening way with those we care about and want to see Godly change in thier lives. So consider "Life Lessons Over Lunch". It's a series that has gotten alot of review about what the work environment should be and how to implement effective and lasting positive progress. I thought it would be worth sharing for those interested in a resourceful way to share the word. Looking forward to hearing your feedback. Enjoy ! ( http://www.lifelessonsoverlunch.com/ )

- Go with God!

The Invisible Children..

2009-03-24T11:17:00.000-07:00

I think we can all find purpose and an opportunity to speak out and be a part of something bigger than ourselves. Let's come together and remind each other why we are here and the power of numbers of a voice willing to stand for something.

Be Encouraged ( http://www.invisiblechildren.com/home.php )

2009-03-24T08:01:00.000-07:00

so guys, i'm new to the whole blogging thing so right now, i'm testing it to see if i do it right. =) I'll come back later with actual thoughts! I love you all and hope you are blessed!

Revelation...

2009-03-22T05:52:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it takes going through our darkest and most trying hour to gain insight and a renewed perspective towards the kingdom of God. And it's during these dark moments that we have a revelation of the spirit of God within us. This revelation changes who we are from the inside out with conviction and purpose, allowing us to go with God in confidence and strength and grow with God doing His work wherever that may be.

To God be the glory for my darkest hour!

- III

Creation 09'

2009-03-21T14:15:00.000-07:00

Lionchasers...

I just ran across that event Martina was talking about, Creation 09'. I ask that you consider praying about this opportunity to come together again and praise God. Be encouraged let me know your thoughts..

Creation 09'

- Martina, if there is any information you'd like to post that may be helpful to the group in making decisions, please do so..

- His grace...

III

Friendship with God...

2009-03-21T13:27:00.000-07:00

Hello Team,

As discussed, I wanted to start a blogg for us all to contribute. Feel free to share this with others as you are lead to. Also know this community is focused on supporting each other and sharing resources and ideas to build each other up. Hopefully we all find this a helpful tool to commit to in a way that is a fun, creative and supportive outlet and resource for everyone as we all seek next steps in Christ. Please be encouraged and know that our lives, our love and our losses are all for our gain and will serve to support future opportunities to step up and grow closer to Christ as lion chasers.

- His grace is sufficient...

Daily Devotional (3.21.09)

III