Light in the Darkness

Since my return to the states from a recent trip to Mozambique with my sons and a local youth pastor, I am still reflecting on how different the rest of the world lives.

This year and next in the US, there will be hundreds of conferences and a many conversations over coffee revolving around the topic of justice and the church. Some of these exchanges will actually be worth the effort. But some will be mere talk. I’m concerned about the latter group.

It is not okay to spend the equivalent of an at risk child’s livelihood for a year on a conference about poverty… and then do nothing. It is not okay to drink a $4 espresso drink, while chatting with friends about “how bad” we feel about “those poor people”, and then do nothing.

It is unacceptable that 27 million people in the world are living in slavery. Then there's over a billion living on less than $1 a day. It's hard to fathom that over 800 million do not have access to clean drinking water. There is no question that the Church ought to be light in a world so dark. The question is will the Church be the light that is needed?

It will take more than slapping on our wrist a ONE Campaign bracelet, or going without food for a day. Especially when $32/month can rescue a child from poverty and help transform an entire community where he/she lives.

The prophet Micah: “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (6:8)

Sounds pretty simple. Love mercy. Do justice. Walk humbly. I didn't say easy, but it is simple.

I recently returned from a drought-parched community called Gorongosa, Mozambique. It had not rained there since March! They had many crops planted in very rich soil, yet the harvest would be small because of lack of rain. We took the Light of Jesus to a land that was dark from the evils and traditions of witchcraft and and ancestral spirits. We prayed for rain, we prayed for healing, we added input to community leaders about malaria prevention, we trained and encouraged pastors, and we walked for miles in the bush of Africa to visit over 24 sponsored children in their homes. We built relationships with new friends and leaders halfway around the globe that we intend to continue to pray and fast for.

Like I said, not easy, but it is simple. the Church must arise to be the light in the darkness!

To get personally involved in stamping out global poverty by sponsoring a child, check out www.willetonline.com or www.questcc.org.

Can God Bless America Again?

Have you ever asked this question, 'Can God bless America again?' I have asked it and my initial answer was "Sure, God's hand has always been on this country." But then I started to think through how empty and unsupportive that sounded.
I recently returned from 10 days in country in Haiti. We sensed God's presence there among those living in extreme poverty. We had great, intimate worship and communion at night in an open-air church with bats flying over our heads, 1 cheap guitar, no electricity or running water, 2 solar powered camping lanterns and I felt closer to God than I have for a long time.
So it's not about the country, the location and definitely not what your church building looks like or how you dress for church. So what is it that brings God's blessings? And how can God bless America again?
First of all, we are not a covenant nation like Israel. God has never promised to guarantee our super power status forever.
Secondly, God has promised us as believers that salvation, mercy, forgiveness and spiritual maturity are ours as we remain faithful to God.
The answer to God's blessings for America is not going to come from presidential candidates promising us change or big business bailouts. The answer is not going to come from oil profits, from oppression of the poor, or from building up massive warheads and killing one another for dominance. The answer is not positive thinking messages from the pulpit, or Glenn Beck rallies and Sarah Palin tea parties.
The key to God's blessings begins with the spiritual state of THE CHURCH. Not your church or my church but THE CHURCH. If God is going to ever bless America again, it will not be for the sake of the nation itself. He is not partial to just the red, white, and blue as many may believe. But He is a jealous God who demands holiness from His people because He alone is holy and cannot tolerate sin.
God blesses a nation and has always blessed nations for the sake of His people. If we as the Church are not fulfilling the conditions for divine blessing, there is no hope for the rest of the nation, regardless of what country you live in.
But when The Church is healthy and living fit to receive God's blessings, when we are on our knees in prayer and worship and striving to live a set apart life, the whole nation reaps the benefits of His blessings. Why? Because the truth of the Word of God will be preached with power and with no apology. It will not be to tickle the ears of the complacent and lukewarm. When the Word is proclaimed with power, God will add to His Church and more spiritual blessings are poured out on His people and nations.
In 1 Peter 4:17 we read, "Judgment must begin at the house of God." God is watching his people.
So can God bless America again? I say Yes, but we have a long way to go because The Church must first repent and get back on track before the rest of our nation can reap the benefits of God's blessings.
Are you up to the challenge or are you going to just go for the ride to glory? Are you willing to serve Him with reckless abandon and surrendered hearts, or are you going to coast across the finish line on the draft of those running the race? Are you going to be with and serve the poor and broken or are you satisfied with dropping an occasional dollar in the plate for missions? Are you going to be a witness in word and deed for the Almighty, or do you remain silent because your ticket to heaven is already punched?

Honoring Moms

Today is a day we traditionally set aside to honor our mothers. I must say I thank God for the mother I have. She is a godly woman, a woman of prayer, and a lady who has always made family a priority.
I also want to honor my wife who has been a fantastic mother to our 3 sons. Her care, her prayers, and her constant encouragement is a blessing to us all at the Willet household.
And I also send out a thank you to my daughter-in-law in Haiti who is a "mother" to the orphans of Haiti.
Happy Mother's Day to all. I love you Mom!

Fat-Free Faith

In a time in which we have many healthy choices to reduce our fat intake and maintain a healthy weight, it remains just that-a choice. Some have made major changes in their eating habits and have dropped the pounds. Others know about it, but choose to ignore what they know allowing the fat to continue to attach itself to one's physique.
On a spiritual level, we also have the choice to make. We can either follow the Master's plan for spiritual growth and maturity, or we can choose to ignore it even when we know about it.
I would like to propose that the Western Church consider a fat-free faith. One that cuts away all the excess, all the fatty things that bog our churches down.
We have had steady a diet for years in America of books, tapes, dvds, conferences, seminars, seminaries. We build bigger and better buildings onto the ones we already have, but are we sending out any to the fields for the harvest/ Or are we merely fixing up and painting our fences to keep them all in the yard?
Yet with all of that knowledge and all of these resources, Christianity and the impact of the local church is losing grounds it seems.
A fat-free faith is one that asks us to internalize the mind of Christ. It causes us to lay aside our selfish ways and take up the cross. Your new lifestyle should you choose the fat-free faith, will be one marked by submission to the Father's will, not man's demands. Fat-free faith is a life of sacrifice, service and suffering for the Lord's sake. It will cause you to love the ones that are not loved, walk where others will not walk, interact with sinners and walk in the shoes of others instead of passing judgment upon them.
The Western Church is full of students of Christianity. But where are the disciples? Sooner or later, the medical student and intern must step out of the classroom and open his own practice and perform his own surgery. Where are the disciples who are stepping out? We are so busy learning about Christ that we forget to follow Christ. We soak in the Bible studies, but never squeeze ourselves out on anybody. We attend prayer meetings to have our needs prayed for rather praying to tear down the spiritual barriers that exist in our nation. We even have gotten comfortable with learning about unreached people groups and learning about missions rather than preparing and sending missionaries to the field.
How can a country like ours that has such rich, deep-rooted Christian culture, fail to pass on what we know as the truth to an audience that is desperately searching for truth today? This
mentality of feed-me-first and health and wealth preaching over the last 50 years has produced a generation of fat Christians who appear to know all the answers and are quick to tell them to you, but they won't go across the street to help a neighbor in distress. They are first in line at the Christian potluck so they can get seconds, but they refuse to skip a meal to feed those who have nothing to eat.
Fat-free faith will strip and detox that out of your system. You and your ministry can become a lean machine that is quite healthy. Get rid of the excess and feed on what is good. I highly recommend you give it a try. Better yet, don't just try it. Make it your life.

Where are the Men?

As a church planter and a Pastor who travels internationally doing Pastor Conferences, it never ceases to amaze me how few men there are that are really sold out and involved in the work of the Lord. Think about your own church or ministry. Who are teaching the kids? Mostly women right? Who is singing? Who is going to small groups? Mostly the women right? How about extra prayer gatherings? Who is there? The women of the church, right? Who serves the community in outreach projects or cleanup projects? Mostly women.

The church needs men! Where are the men? Ladies, don't start yelling at me about women vs. men in the church leadership battle that is so prevalent today. I am not devaluing females at all. Each gender has their roles and responsibilities and I believe a true student of the Word can see that very clearly. I may add that one of the reasons that there are so many more ladies leading in the church today is because men for the most part have checked out of the church.

Yeah, yeah I know men are so-o-o busy. Right, like women today are not. That doesn't cut it with me. Check out your family heritage before using that excuse. My father worked 2 jobs in addition to farming. My grandfather was a dirt farmer during the Depression. They worked harder lives than any of us reading this will ever know, yet when Sunday came they were in church. In fact come to think of it, whenever the church had a service they were there. Why? It's called priority. It's called loving God with all our heart, mind and strength.

Well, perhaps Sunday is the only day off. Yeah, cool-that's the way it is supposed to be. That's why it is called the Sabbath, not 'Me Day'. Sunday is not about us, it is about setting aside a day to worship. Instead we fill it with 75 sports games and practices, mowing the lawns, washing the pickup, waxing the boat, weeding the garden, and we wander why we have no energy for Monday. And somehow, because Mom took the kids to Sunday school, the "Man of the house" thinks he has it together because he has "provided for his family."

Men, I love ya but I'm kicking some of your butts(with love) because it is high time you step up and lead and serve in the church the way God designed you and gifted you to do. Put down the Bud Light and the monkey wrench, and pick up the Word. Learn what it really means to be a man. Learn what God intended for you to do. When was the last time you asked Him for wisdom or for how you could serve Him? When was the last time you prayed? When was the last time you asked your wife what you could do for her? When was the last time you asked your Pastor, "Is there anything I can help you with?"

We need you men serving alongside us in the church today. Rise up and take the challenge. The Church as a whole will be edified by doing so. To God be the glory.

Giving

It has been said many times by leaders and missionaries of the past that you cannot give what you do not possess. I could really focus here on the negative aspect of this. I could rebuke governments for giving away what we don't have which results in printing money without backing it in gold. I could talk about personal credit card debt of Americans who give gifts and presents while having nothing in the account to back it up.
But I want to speak positively to make us think about others for a change instead of the big ME.
Your life and mine is NOT about Me. Its not about what can I get. For example your marriage will not last if it is about what you get out of it. Rather it is about serving and loving the one chosen to be your spouse and having Christ in the center of that relaitonship.
but think about the following examples and perhaps dialogue with some others close to you about it. It may change your life, your relationships, maybe even the place that you live. Wouldn't that be radical?

-You cannot give money until you have made some yourself.
-You cannot give away a song unless you have a song in your heart.
-You cannot give clean water if you do not have the resources or the know-how to give it.
-You cannot give away fresh vegetables if you never planted your garden.
-You cannot give away firewood if you never cut any.
-You cannot give hope to others if you do not possess it yourself.
-You cannot give shelter to the homeless if you do not have it or know how to provide yourself.
-You cannot give advice to those in another language until you possess the skills or have a tranlsator that can speak their language.
-You cannot give away Jesus unless you have Him yourself.
-You cannot give away love unless you possess it yourself.
-You cannot minister with compassion unless you already possess it.

You cannot give what you do not possess. What is it that you want to give? Do you possess it yourself? If not why? If not what will you do about it?

Social Justice

So after 3 days of heavy rain and strong winds in my hometown in Md., I caught myself saying several times, "tough night for the homeless." Though I am not one, I have ministered to many homeless and poor on the city streets and in poverty-stricken countries.

Jesus said whatever we do for "the least of these", we do unto him. Yet today churches are still trying to figure out what to do with the poor. We sit in slumber in our padded pews, giving comforting 'talks' from the pulpit that keep the congregants coming back and writing checks for offering. As long as we don't make them mad, they will return. Then there are the Joel Osteen types that make you feel really good about yourself, tell you how to live in an unreal world, and guarantee you prosperity.

Meanwhile millions of children try to survive without food and clean water with little or no hope of a future or longevity while we are adding gymnasiums for the youth, building commercial kitchens to host the quarterly church fund-raising spaghetti dinner and forming the summer 'all-Christian' softball leagues.

Then there are the Glenn Becks who recently ruined my respect for Fox News. In a recent broadcast he makes a statement saying 'if your church has on their website the words "social justice", you need to run as fast as you can! ' Beck continued by saying, "Am I advising people to leave their church? Yes!"

As a church planter trying to be faithful in a culture that is more anti-church all the time, I really question Beck's motives in all of this. His reasoning was because Nazism and Communism both waved the banner of social justice. Yeah their answer to the poor was to take from the rich and give it to the government so the people become slaves to the government. Come to think of it, this sort of sounds like what is going on in this country now. Down through history, socialism always had a way of doing away with the middle class. Either you are wealthy as a dictator, or big government or you were among the poor.

Contrary to the talking head that feels he has the authority to tell you to leave your church, Jesus spoke about social justice many times. He gave honor to the poor, he showed respect to the broken and hurting. He fed them and gave them clothes and taught his disciples by example to do the same. It was the religious, legalistic, Pharisaical crowd that Jesus had the hardest time with. He always felt comfortable around the poor because he lived the life of a homeless man for several years of his adult life.

Perhaps Mr. Beck needs to go on a mission trip, take a break from the concrete jungle and get some dirt on those shiny shoes. Walking and working among the poor will change your life. I highly recommend it while we still have time to make a difference.

Cup of Coffee Anyone?

I recently was sent the following story from my sister in law that I just had to pass on. Perhaps you are like I am and just love a good cup of coffee. But I never thought about being a cup of coffee until I read this. Check it out...
A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee. A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how hard things were for her. She was tired of fighting and struggling and she wanted to give up.
Her mother took her to the kitchen and heated up 3 pots of water. When the pots came to boil, she first placed carrots into the first pot. In the second pot she placed eggs and in the third she placed ground coffee beans. She left them sit and boil without saying a word.
20 minutes later, the mother placed the carrots, the eggs and the coffee in separate bowls. She then asked her daughter to tell her what she saw. "Carrots, eggs, and coffee" she said. The mother asked her to feel the carrots. She did so and noticed they were soft. Then she took an egg and broke it and peeled the shell off of the hardboiled egg. Finally, the mother asked her to take a sip of coffee. She enjoyed the fine aroma and took a healthy sip of the fresh brewed coffee. The daughter then asked, "What does all this mean?"
Her mother explained that all 3 objects faced the same adversity-boiling water. But each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. But after being in the hot water, it eventually softened and became mushy and weak. The egg went in fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected the liquid inside, but after sitting in the hot water, its inside became hardened.
The ground coffee beans were unique however. After they were in the hot water for awhile, they actually changed the water. "Which are you?" asked the daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee?"
How about you? Are you more like the carrot that seems to be strong, but under adversity you soften up and lose strength and wilt away?
Or are you more like the egg that hardens with the changes of heat. Does your shell look the same but on the inside you have a bitter and tough spirit?
Or are you like the coffee bean? When the water gets hot, you actually change the water-releasing a great fragrance, changing the color and taste of the very thing that brought the heat.
Perhaps today you know someone that you can share this with to encourage them. Who do you know that has given up hope? Perhaps even you have? May I suggest taking some time and having a cup of coffee with them or better yet be a cup of coffee for someone.

Reflections from the Blizzard of 2010

After hours of shoveling and moving snow just to get out of the driveway, I sit by my fireplace with feet propped up, a hot cup of coffee, and TV tuned to the Super Bowl. 25 " of wet, heavy snow slammed our area. It would be easy to moan and groan about how much work the snow made. It would be easy to complain about standing in lines at the stores for food. It would be easy, as many have, to gripe about being housebound for 2 days because they don't know how to talk to the family they live with. But then I started to think about those who have a whole lot more to complain about then me. I remember a pastor friend of mine who lost his wife this week to cancer. I remember the ones with disabilities who can't hold a shovel let alone move snow with it. I remember the homeless locally and abroad who have no property to call their own.

So instead I choose to look at the positive-my sons were home to help shovel, my neighbor showed up with a tractor. We offered to help neighbors with our shovels.

But other things came to mind as well. We have heat in our homes, food in the kitchen, warm clothes to wear. I thought of those in Haiti that are using shovels, but moving rubble to uncover bodies and possessions. Thousands have made the streets their home because their homes were demolished by the earthquake.

As we go for our 3rd, 4th, and 5th drink while watching the Super Bowl and we eat our 3rd bowl of chili, maybe lift up a prayer for the orphan who is looking for his 1st meal and his first taste of clean water for the whole week. As we yell in celebration for our favorite team scoring a touchdown, maybe think about the last time the people in Haiti had anything to cheer about in the last week. As we laugh at the crazy Super Bowl commercials, maybe think about those who have shed tears in grief and could really use a laugh.

And in all of this contrast from the good to the bad, let's remember there is a Savior who loves all of us-He created us, He created the snow to remind us of His cleansing power, and He loves us, Oh how He loves us!

Gaining Perspective

As a pastor who has travelled to Africa and Haiti, and as a father who has a daughter-in-law serving in an orphanage in Haiti and three sons that travel worldwide as musicians and advocates for the poor with Food for the Hungry, I have been trying to gain perspective on the recent tragedy in Haiti.
After the 2nd major quake hit the island earlier this week, a friend and prayer warrior, Matt, sent me an email with some statistics that helped me grasp the magnitude of this event.
Matt is from Harford County, Md. which has a population of around 233,000. The closest city limit to my home has around 6,300 people. Recent death toll has risen in Haiti to 110,00 with numbers expected to be around 200,000+. Imagine waking up one morning and Harford County is gone. imagine for us Carroll County, Md. people that Westminster and Taneytown are now wiped out.
Here's another one Matt passed onto. the population of Baltimore City and Baltimore County is close to 1.3 million people. It has been reported that there are now approximately 1.5 million homeless people in Haiti.
I recently stayed up all night with some dear brothers feeding and clothing around 50-60 homeless people in Baltimore City Friday night. I know we made a difference, but it gave me a new persective on the amount of ministry that is needed in Haiti. Can you picture what it looks like to see 1.5 million people without a home?
God help the people of Haiti rebuild and may God hear the cry of His people as we pray and worship the Lord Almighty.

Hello from Haiti

Ever since the Tuesday earthquake rocked the Haiti community, all my family and church longed to hear was 'Hello from Haiti'. My daughter-in-law Kathleen is a missionary at an orhanage there about 100 miles SW of Part-au-Prince.
We saw first hand the power of prayer and the love of the Body of Christ through the anxious days of waiting.
With my sons (WILLET) touring in New Zealand, and Kat in Haiti, my wife and I began to pray. Two nights I prayed into the early hours of the night. The church prayed, old friends contacted us on FBook saying they were praying. I participated in an all-night prayer gathering in which hands were laid on me while praying for my family and the people of Haiti.
Special thanks to Geoff in New Zealand who called me with phone numbers to reach my sons and to all who have been great hosts for them while touring. Thanks to my many brothers and sisters down under who prayed and supported my sons during this waiting period.
Thanks to Pam and Fern from Mission Haiti, and to our freinds at Food for the Hungry for supplying any information they received.
Well its now Sunday, we still haven't heard "Hello from Haiti" by telephone yet because of communication lines, but we have recieved text messages, emails and seen FBook entries assuring us that Kathleen is OK and the other members of the orphanage, especially the children are all accounted for.
We experienced the comfort, strength and peace that only comes from Christ our Lord. Where does your strength and peace come from in unstable, troubled times? Who is it that holds you up when you feel like collapsing? If you are a believer in Jesus, do you praise Him in the storm as well as in the sunshine?
We do not hold our own destiny in this life-our lives are fragile and held in the loving hands of our Heavenly Father. Do you know Him?

Call to Consecration

Consecration is a word we don't hear too much anymore in our culture, but it is a word we desperately need to pay attention to. Consecration is more than service or duty. It is living a life of personal holiness. It is a life submitted to the power of prayer. It is through prayer that we can shake off the entanglements of this world and receive the power to endure. It is through habitual and effective prayer that we become more set apart in holiness. Perfect? No, but moving towards holiness? Yes!
It is a life of making right decisions and choices no matter what the circumstance and regardless of who is involved.
E.M. Bounds wrote, "Consecration is the setting apart of all we are, all we have, and all we expect to have or be, to God first of all."
Are you giving your all to God? Is your life one of consecration and separation? Do your goals for 2010 reflect a consecrated life?

By Faith

I have been slowly reading through Hebrews 11 and learning so much about faith. Almost every verse begins with "by faith..." What great stories of courage and willingness to be stretched beyond measure. But I was really challenged when I got to verses 17-40.
When Abraham was tested by God to offer his only son Isaac as a sacrifice, Abraham remained faithful, reasoning that God could raise the dead.
In verse 25, Moses chose to be mistreated rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin. It says 'he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.' Then in vs. 35-40, men and women remained faithful even in spite of torture, of jeers, of floggings, of imprisonment. Some were stoned, others were sawn in two!
But vs. 39-40 blew me away when we read that "they were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned somethng better..." You see it wasn't about the reward or the prize they may or may not receive here on earth.
So I ask you the same question I asked myself after reading this-How strong is your faith? Are you obedient when God asks you to do something? Are you willing to be tortured, flogged, imprisoned or will you compromise your faith for convenience, favors, and affirmation?
These men and women were "looking of a better country-a heavenly one"(v.16). What are you looking for? Is this life all you need or want, or is there something much better ahead waiting for you after this life? If you believe we are merely aliens or strangers in this land, than our lives should reflect that. There is nothing here to keep us if God has a better place for us. How about living 2010 'by faith'? Because faith is about holding fast to Jesus-no matter what! Instead of telling others you have faith, let them see it in you this year.