Anything Worth Saying?

I found out today that it is my turn to preach the sermon on Sunday morning. I’m so excited! There have been multiple Scripture passages standing out in my mind the past few days. What a wonderful opportunity I have to share, or pour out, all that God is filling me with.

There is so much going on in me that I cannot easily discern what it is I ought to speak about. This is good! I believe prayer should be the first step. I think I will focus on Colossians 1:17 and maybe touch on a few side-scriptures here and there that were on my mind (1 Peter 5:6-7, Isaiah 61). As I go to seek the Lord’s heart, I think a good question to ask is (in context of who I am, where I am, who I am talking to) “what is essential to say?” I think of particular words taken from Aaron Shust’s song ‘Give me Words’ that say “Give me words to speak, don’t let my spirit sleep, because I can’t think of anything worth saying.” The difference is that he writes about being speechless when conversing with the Lord, I am about to speak with people and I am everything but speechless. The difficulty is that I cannot ‘preach on every topic.’ So my prayer is that He would provide me with the words to speak(although God has already provided me with many many words, I feel as if I have nothing to say).

I will write more later. Peace!

Come Se Dicce…

What a day! There continues to be difficulty communicating with people here in Italy, but today I actually experienced blessings because of the language barrier. Realize, please, how it does take some effort in order to communicate words and meanings between languages. Tonight we had an outdoor church service – we sang songs, did a sketch (house built on sand, house built on rock), Steph gave her testimony, and Emma preached. Following the service, we went to a barbeque at one of the family’s home from the corps. It was the best time I have had in Italy yet, possibly. Without exaggerating, I can honestly say that I have never eaten so much in my life. On my second helping of salad, one man exclaimed, “Americani no eat much food, but you (to Josh, Emmanuel and I) eat much food!” This was when I decided I wasn’t going to stop. For me at the barbeque tonight, it sometimes seemed like we really weren’t going to stop eating. It was wonderful!

Earlier today, we had a little bit of down time – I had the chance to look up some Scripture and reflect on it. The first was 1 Peter 5:6-7. I noticed an interesting connection between these verses that is hidden. You see, verse 6 advises us to ‘humble’ ourselves under the strength of the LORD, I believe it says. See that you understand – it is us doing the ‘humbling’ and it specifically says ‘under God,’ it does not mean humility in everyday life with family and friends. He is saying, essentially, “Dude, realize how small you are in comparison to God. No, but for real, you need to imagine all that you are capable of; also, think of all that God is capable of. Know and see His ultimate power next to your tininess.”

Now check out verse 7, “Cast your anxieties on Him, for He cares for you!” Of course, the author just emphasized the infinite power and ability of God to work. He just pumped us up about the infinite power of God! This is the left hook – this all powerful God cares so much for us, and we can cast our worries and such on Him. Know the reality of these verses. Find the heart in the verse.

Shalom for now!

Full Surrender to an Unseen Cause

“It is not the quality of the instrument you place in the hands of God that determines its usefulness, it is the full surrender you make of it. It is not the quality of the agent, it is God’s having the full disposal and undisputed sway in using him.”
-Catherine Booth

“It is not our duty to bring every individual to Christ, but it is our business to see that Christ is brought to every individual.”
-William Evans

Everyday, I am realizing more how the effectiveness we have for furthering the Kingdom of God is not determined by the completion of the tasks we have been given so much as it is the spirit in which we accomplish those tasks.

“Christ be with us, Christ within us,
Christ behind us, Christ before us,
Christ beside us, Christ to win us,
Christ to comfort and restore us.
Christ beneath us, Christ above us,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love us,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.”
-From St. Patrick’s ‘Breastplate Prayer’

Shalom! :)

When God Promises

Leaving Jerusalem University College for Tel-Aviv (to fly home), so many thoughts raced through my mind. The main question I had was: what had been accomplished in me? In what ways was I different than I was three weeks ago when I arrived in Jerusalem? Are these differences beneficial for God’s kingdom? Had I taken opportunities to glorify God? Had I passed many up? How can I go on being a good steward with the experiences and knowledge I have?

I tried to think of other times I had been as expectant and deeply concerned with being equipped for serving the Lord as I currently was – my heart sank. I couldn’t think of any. I could, however, think of many times when I was being equipped but ignorantly refused further filling because I was not boldly convinced of the reality of God’s promises, of their immediate and active nature through the Holy Spirit, and of their assurance in Christ Jesus.

In this, I saw one small fraction of how the trip to Israel changed me. It was by experiencing the regret and imagining the extreme cost of passive belief in the Scriptures. Oh, and all of this happened on a bus. All of this - and many more questions and discoveries and feelings and anticipation and cries of my heart - came sort of reeling through my brain on our ride to the airport.

These words came to mind, (Philippians 1:6) “He that began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus.”

This is when I looked out the window…
There was a rainbow!

This is God's land

When I walk to the different places that Jesus has previously walked (in some cases I have been able to walk on the very surface that Jesus walked on!), there is one consistent thought running through my mind.

As I have been walking through God's land, He has spoken volumes of encouragement to me! The Lord has shown me His love as I walk through His land. Through other people - God has been working inside of me! It is an extreme understatement to say that I will never be the same because of the transformation the Creator has initiated in my life - walking in His land.

Science is confusing for me to read. Electrical currents and other things that do not meet the eye - I get that its real, but it doesn't make sense. When I see science experiments or exhibits (like the electric ball that makes your hair stand on end!!) though, it helps me to understand in realistic terms how all of the scientific explanations and stuff are truly real and accurate, etc.

I am not equating God with science. Science has nothing to do with what I want to say. Focus on the process of transformation my understanding undertook. This is what it is like for me when I know the Scriptures and then walk in God's land.

Okay, so before I go any further, I need to explain my thoughts coming to Israel. So many people had mentioned that it was their dream to come to Israel - and that I am very fortunate! I agree. I realize that not many people get the opportunity to walk the streets or walls of the Old City, and I also realize how everyone keeps telling me that I will never be the same again. Putting two and two together, it appears that there is some vital change of heart that happens visiting the place where Jesus lived. I did not believe this conception, and still think it is a terrible misunderstanding. (Just to say - I do not think that this is what anyone meant by saying to me, "You won't be the same," but I think many people do take it that way.)

I spoke earlier about the blessings I have received while living in Canton Ohio - I called it God's land because it is God's land. I am blessed ten-fold with the people He has placed in my life and the opportunities, etc. About my personal experience in Jerusalem so far: I see rocks and stones and walls and roads and palaces that are ancient and so awesome to see, as I am so interested in seeing any such ancient places. Don't get me wrong - being in this land I have been given many different opportunities to have an improved understanding or outlook of the scriptures and of the life and work of Jesus. The great problem I see with American Christian's desire to come here is...well let me say it like this: It is quite ridiculous to hold high respect for the ground on which Jesus walked when we do not take the commands seriously to look for the good of our neighbors and enemies as we look out for our own good.

On a practical note, think about it this way: My grandfather died when I was 10. I miss him more than ever. I remember seeing some things he had made as gifts before he died. Never did I consider the carpet on which he walked to have been acknowledging his love for others - nor did I experience any type of comfort being on the carpet he had walked on. The gifts he made, however, are concrete evidence of his love for people - and nobody can deny it. Likewise, God created the heavens and the earth. In fact, He created you and I as well. During the time of the Old Testament Law, the Temple was where God resided. We are the temple now.

Do not restrict God from tweaking your mind and your heart to be aligned with His. You are as near to Him now as ever, and as near as you can be! Where do you live? Where are you sitting or standing at this moment? That place is God's land. Live likewise. :)

What is your name?

"Alexander the Great, one of the greatest military generals who ever lived, conquered almost the entire known world with his vast army. One night during a campaign, he couldn't sleep and left his tent to walk around the campgrounds. As he was walking he came across a soldier asleep on guard duty – a serious offense. The penalty for falling asleep on guard duty was, in some cases, instant death; the commanding officer sometimes poured kerosene on the sleeping soldier and lit it. The soldier began to wake up as Alexander the Great approached him. Recognizing who was standing in front of him, the young man feared for his life.

"Do you know what the penalty is for falling asleep on guard duty?"
Alexander the Great asked the soldier.
"Yes, sir," the soldier responded in a quivering voice.
"Soldier, what's your name?" demanded Alexander the Great.
"Alexander, sir."
Alexander the Great repeated the question: "What is your name?"
"My name is Alexander, sir," the soldier repeated.
A third time and more loudly Alexander the Great asked, "What is
your name?"
A third time the soldier meekly said, "My name is Alexander, sir."
Alexander the Great then looked the young soldier straight in the
eye. "Soldier," he said with intensity, "either change your name or change
your conduct." "
(http://message.snopes.com/showthread.php?t=6515)

Christology is first and foremost the central doctrine in Christian theology. Belief in Christ Jesus is (at best) a burden to the gospel if it remains head knowledge and if it is never imitated by the believer. Let no unbeliever’s testimony of Christianity be negatively influenced by your lifestyle – you may never know who it is that you are influencing. More importantly, you may never know the impact that the people whom you influence will one day make. Mahatma Gandhi once said, “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” How embarrassing.

Let this be on our minds often. If we call ourselves Christians, living for the will of God, we must do it in His strength – always abiding in Him – always having a humble and repentant heart. Sin happens, I understand – even God understands! But to the person who is a professed Christian without making constant effort toward life for Christ, I believe God is lovingly, but sternly, saying:

“Soldier, either change the Name by whom you live or change your conduct.”

I need hunger pains

When the time passes which I am without food, I begin to know more evidently my need to eat: both in my mind and in my body. My prayer is that the Lord would make every moment more painfully clear to you and me, day by day, the need to be dwelling in Him and the need for Him to be exclusive to us. I pray it with hope that we would not cease to actively live for Him until we are like Him and are satisfied with Him: this, when He finally brings us to Him – in paradise.

God does not merely desire more of us; in all actuality, He requires all of us. Satisfaction is a state of 'that’s good enough' where further seeking is not wanted or found to be needed. Our goal in seeking God while we are on Earth is not to be satisfied in Him, but to have a deeper longing for Him. That, for all that He has called us to.