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?
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Sunday, January 10, 2010
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?
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?
Monday, January 4, 2010
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.
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.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Living it Out
Is it just me or is there a recent surge stressing the need for taking care of the poor? Is THE CHURCH really stepping it up like scripture commands us to do or is it now just cool to be about the poor? Was it because Bono made speeches asking 'Where is the Church?" Or is it because mega churches like Willow Creek and Saddleback are now pouring millions into missions and AIDS prevention and clean water efforts? Is that why it is cool-because the "big churches" are now involved?
I propose we need to be involved with fighting poverty and taking care of the poor first and foremost because we are commanded to do so, not because we are blindly following the efforts of another church or ministry. Fighting poverty is not a fad or passing church strategy that is quickly shelved when the next new concept of 'doing church' comes down the pike. If the Church is going to BE the Church, then, we that are the church, must stop just talking about it and begin to live it out.
We live it out by being among the poor, praying for the poor, sharing or giving of our possessions, supporting causes and ministries that impact the poor, and by making conscious choices in our own lifestyles. What do you do with your time? Where have you volunteered recently? Who do you support financially? Where do you send your checks? Who do you buy from?
With Christmas around the corner, everyone is shopping feverishly for that perfect gift. We rummage through all of the multiple choices we have at the mall, we battle for position in line at the register like a defensive lineman, we throw our plastic down-One Hundred, Two Hundred, Three Hundred... and worry about paying it later. We add more stuff to our living quarters, add more pounds to our waistlines, and count our blessings for how good we have it.
Meanwhile there is a man outside in the bushes trying to find refuge under his cardboard box to keep out of the cold rain. There is a family going to bed hungry because Dad still hasn't found work for the winter since budget cuts at the old job left him unemployed. There's an elderly person sitting by an open kitchen stove trying to keep warm because they can't pay their utility bill. Then of course there are the millions of orphans in 3rd world countries like Ethiopia and Haiti that I have visited that scrounge for 1 meal of rice today and walk miles to pour clean water into a container from a community well that was provided for by believers who sacrificed some money and lived out what the Bible commands.
It takes more than talk to make a dent in poverty. It takes sacrifice, planning, lots of prayer, commitment and living out what you say you really do believe. How strongly do you really believe? Your life will prove it.
As you prepare for Christmas and the hope that comes with the season, consider how you may provide hope for some 'of the least of these.'
I propose we need to be involved with fighting poverty and taking care of the poor first and foremost because we are commanded to do so, not because we are blindly following the efforts of another church or ministry. Fighting poverty is not a fad or passing church strategy that is quickly shelved when the next new concept of 'doing church' comes down the pike. If the Church is going to BE the Church, then, we that are the church, must stop just talking about it and begin to live it out.
We live it out by being among the poor, praying for the poor, sharing or giving of our possessions, supporting causes and ministries that impact the poor, and by making conscious choices in our own lifestyles. What do you do with your time? Where have you volunteered recently? Who do you support financially? Where do you send your checks? Who do you buy from?
With Christmas around the corner, everyone is shopping feverishly for that perfect gift. We rummage through all of the multiple choices we have at the mall, we battle for position in line at the register like a defensive lineman, we throw our plastic down-One Hundred, Two Hundred, Three Hundred... and worry about paying it later. We add more stuff to our living quarters, add more pounds to our waistlines, and count our blessings for how good we have it.
Meanwhile there is a man outside in the bushes trying to find refuge under his cardboard box to keep out of the cold rain. There is a family going to bed hungry because Dad still hasn't found work for the winter since budget cuts at the old job left him unemployed. There's an elderly person sitting by an open kitchen stove trying to keep warm because they can't pay their utility bill. Then of course there are the millions of orphans in 3rd world countries like Ethiopia and Haiti that I have visited that scrounge for 1 meal of rice today and walk miles to pour clean water into a container from a community well that was provided for by believers who sacrificed some money and lived out what the Bible commands.
It takes more than talk to make a dent in poverty. It takes sacrifice, planning, lots of prayer, commitment and living out what you say you really do believe. How strongly do you really believe? Your life will prove it.
As you prepare for Christmas and the hope that comes with the season, consider how you may provide hope for some 'of the least of these.'
Sunday, September 27, 2009
With All Your Heart
A friend of mine recently gave us a scare with 70% blockage of an artery in his heart. After inserting a stent to keep the vessels open, he is now recovering at home. It caused me to think about my own heart and what it means when scripture says to seek the Lord with all your heart. Jer. 29:13 says, "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."
Jesus taught in Matt. 5:8, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." The writer of Hebrews in chapter 10:22, encourages us to "draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith.."
To love God with all our heart, to serve Him with all our heart, we must stay very connected with God. Perhaps that's why Jesus told us that the branch must stay close to the Vine. For our heart to be healthy, we must hear the cry of His heart. We must bring our desires into alignment with His and submit our agenda to His.
We must live lifestyles that keep our heart in sync with the heart of God. We cannot live as we want and then think we can just burst into his presence in times of crisis and tragedy. We need to stay in close relationship with Him daily so that when the tough days come our hearts are still in tune with Him in a deep, intimate way.
I do not serve a Santa Claus Jesus in which I only call on Him a few times a year and submit a wish list that I expect Him to deliver on. I serve a Risen Lord that desires a relationship with me that is real and a heart that is sincere. He does not want some half-cooked allegiance that only calls on Him in times of need. He wants a disciple that follows Him with all of his heart, takes up his cross and walks the path He has in store for each of us.
Jesus taught in Matt. 5:8, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." The writer of Hebrews in chapter 10:22, encourages us to "draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith.."
To love God with all our heart, to serve Him with all our heart, we must stay very connected with God. Perhaps that's why Jesus told us that the branch must stay close to the Vine. For our heart to be healthy, we must hear the cry of His heart. We must bring our desires into alignment with His and submit our agenda to His.
We must live lifestyles that keep our heart in sync with the heart of God. We cannot live as we want and then think we can just burst into his presence in times of crisis and tragedy. We need to stay in close relationship with Him daily so that when the tough days come our hearts are still in tune with Him in a deep, intimate way.
I do not serve a Santa Claus Jesus in which I only call on Him a few times a year and submit a wish list that I expect Him to deliver on. I serve a Risen Lord that desires a relationship with me that is real and a heart that is sincere. He does not want some half-cooked allegiance that only calls on Him in times of need. He wants a disciple that follows Him with all of his heart, takes up his cross and walks the path He has in store for each of us.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Battleground or Playground?
It has been said, "You can tell a lot about a man by who his enemies are." This is definitely true when it comes to the Christian life. As a follower of Christ, we enter a battleground, not a playground. It is hardly a life of ease, wealth and prosperity as some may preach about.
Rather it is a life scarred by conflict, spiritual warfare and intense opposition. When we surrendered our life to Jesus Christ, we made Him our Commander in Chief. By doing so we also acquired a new enemy-one who heads up a vicious network that is bigger than the Verizon network.
Victor Hugo was quoted as saying, "A good general must penetrate the brain of his enemy." To win a war, one must know the strategies and tactics of the adversary. He is the master of deceit and disguise. He is a liar and he wants nothing more than to bring misery to your household.
The choice of whether we win this war or not is up to us. To fight off the enemy's temptations, we must use the weapons we have been given. What good is training and equipping the soldier if he leaves his weapons and his know-how in the barricks?
If you want to make a difference with your life in this dark world, you will meet the enemy head on. So strap on your gear, prepare for the battle and follow your Commander in Chief. You are on the winning side. Get off of the playground and march onto the battlefield!
Rather it is a life scarred by conflict, spiritual warfare and intense opposition. When we surrendered our life to Jesus Christ, we made Him our Commander in Chief. By doing so we also acquired a new enemy-one who heads up a vicious network that is bigger than the Verizon network.
Victor Hugo was quoted as saying, "A good general must penetrate the brain of his enemy." To win a war, one must know the strategies and tactics of the adversary. He is the master of deceit and disguise. He is a liar and he wants nothing more than to bring misery to your household.
The choice of whether we win this war or not is up to us. To fight off the enemy's temptations, we must use the weapons we have been given. What good is training and equipping the soldier if he leaves his weapons and his know-how in the barricks?
If you want to make a difference with your life in this dark world, you will meet the enemy head on. So strap on your gear, prepare for the battle and follow your Commander in Chief. You are on the winning side. Get off of the playground and march onto the battlefield!
Friday, August 21, 2009
A VOICE FOR THE POOR
So I am back from yet another mission trip to a third world country-this time it was Haiti. It's always amazing to me the different reactions we get as we share stories and pictures of our adventure in a poverty-stricken country. Many are very supportive, some are relieved they didn't go, then the there are the ones who just don't quite get it yet. That's OK I was there one time myself, until I put myself in the midst of the poor.
For the ones who say things like "africa's just not my thing..." or "what about the poor here in our own country?", I would like to address that. Allow me to be a voice for the poor for you. Maybe 'Africa isn't your thing'. To that I simply ask 'What is your thing then?' Instead of shooting holes in my calling and telling me what you aren't about, how about living out what you are for?
To those who say 'what about the poor here in our country', I say this. Poverty is poverty, though there are different extremes of it. And I say there is no longer any excuse that children should die for lack of food, clean water or medicine regardless of whether the child is in Africa, Appalachia, or down your street.
There are no excuses for keeping blinders on either. The facts have been gathered. The government continues to sleep on the issue. The Church is finally catching on to the idea after a rock star kicked them in the butt.
If it is ignorance because of lack of knowledge on the matter I give one grace. I was once there also. But when you are presented with the facts of poverty and one still turns away from the problem with complacency then I have this to say.
The next time you and the boys stay home from church to watch Jr. run his Nascar machine around the track, make sure you invite the one you know who just lost his job and pass him one of your cold ones. Maybe that's a start for you. Make sure you give him one of those fine sandwiches you whipped up too.
The next time you plop your potbelly in the recliner to watch the big NFL game, and you reach for the 2nd helping of buffalo wings, remember the homeless guy you passed or the single mom struggling to meet her bills. Hey maybe call them up and invite them over...oh that's right they can't afford a cell phone. Well at least you thought about them...
Well, maybe Africa or Haiti is not your thing, but at least you are giving your tithe at church, right? I mean you are doing that right? So maybe some money is getting in the hands to help someone.
Oh and while I am going off, for those that can afford the skyboxes this year, don't forget to tip the guys that park your Escalade. And hey here's an idea, maybe throw the Vietnam vet on the street corner a quarter-that will make you feel so good.
So I'll keep travelling to the countries you don't want to go to or are not interested in helping. I'll hold the naked babies, preach through a translator to the ones that churches have turned away, and pray for the ones who will die barring a miracle because there is no doctor in their village. And you help take care of things back in good old USA and we both win. Because together we end up stamping out poverty.
I know what the bible says about the poor. I know what God has asked me to do concerning the poor. My question is what has God asked you to do? Have you even asked Him?
For the ones who say things like "africa's just not my thing..." or "what about the poor here in our own country?", I would like to address that. Allow me to be a voice for the poor for you. Maybe 'Africa isn't your thing'. To that I simply ask 'What is your thing then?' Instead of shooting holes in my calling and telling me what you aren't about, how about living out what you are for?
To those who say 'what about the poor here in our country', I say this. Poverty is poverty, though there are different extremes of it. And I say there is no longer any excuse that children should die for lack of food, clean water or medicine regardless of whether the child is in Africa, Appalachia, or down your street.
There are no excuses for keeping blinders on either. The facts have been gathered. The government continues to sleep on the issue. The Church is finally catching on to the idea after a rock star kicked them in the butt.
If it is ignorance because of lack of knowledge on the matter I give one grace. I was once there also. But when you are presented with the facts of poverty and one still turns away from the problem with complacency then I have this to say.
The next time you and the boys stay home from church to watch Jr. run his Nascar machine around the track, make sure you invite the one you know who just lost his job and pass him one of your cold ones. Maybe that's a start for you. Make sure you give him one of those fine sandwiches you whipped up too.
The next time you plop your potbelly in the recliner to watch the big NFL game, and you reach for the 2nd helping of buffalo wings, remember the homeless guy you passed or the single mom struggling to meet her bills. Hey maybe call them up and invite them over...oh that's right they can't afford a cell phone. Well at least you thought about them...
Well, maybe Africa or Haiti is not your thing, but at least you are giving your tithe at church, right? I mean you are doing that right? So maybe some money is getting in the hands to help someone.
Oh and while I am going off, for those that can afford the skyboxes this year, don't forget to tip the guys that park your Escalade. And hey here's an idea, maybe throw the Vietnam vet on the street corner a quarter-that will make you feel so good.
So I'll keep travelling to the countries you don't want to go to or are not interested in helping. I'll hold the naked babies, preach through a translator to the ones that churches have turned away, and pray for the ones who will die barring a miracle because there is no doctor in their village. And you help take care of things back in good old USA and we both win. Because together we end up stamping out poverty.
I know what the bible says about the poor. I know what God has asked me to do concerning the poor. My question is what has God asked you to do? Have you even asked Him?
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