Dec 26, 2010
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The Christmas season has always been an interesting time of year for me. One of the two most special times of year for many. An interesting time to watch people as they go Christmas shopping. The warm feeling you get as you gather together with family. And the celebrating of Christ’s birth and all that He has done for us. Sometimes Christmas is the only time people will step foot in a church besides Easter.
I don’t think I’ve ever understood why people would make a point to go to church on Christmas, but then every other Sunday of the year, they just keep going on with their lives. Almost like God is a toy that should only be taken out of the box on very special occasions. For me, God is the like the velveteen rabbit. He is my very favorite, and I want to never part with Him. Although unlike the velveteen rabbit, because of what Jesus did on the cross, I never do have to part with Him!
Not only has He radically transformed my life, but He has forgiven me, He gave me a manual for life so that I never have to question what to do, He promises never to leave nor forsake me, He gave me a life that will last for all eternity, He has healed me, and much more.
But then there is the vast amount of people that don’t even know what Christmas is. They don’t know about this Jesus that put on human flesh to be born of a virgin almost 2000 years ago. They don’t know of the hope that He provides so that they never have to worry about anything ever again. For some, they will never know. Why? Because no one has ever told them.
We are in a battle, brothers and sisters. Now is not the time to be caught up in the materialism that is our culture. We need to stand in the gap for the many thousands who have never heard of Jesus’ name; who don’t know what Christmas is and the reason behind why we celebrate it. What better time of year do we have the opportunity to give someone the hope of Jesus for Christmas?
For example, Gospel for Asia has a Christmas Catalog, why not buy something from there to bless someone over in Asia with the hope that’s found in Jesus? Let them experience the CHRISTmas for the first time in their lives. How amazing would that be?
Or, taking a step closer to home, why not bless those around us that are less fortunate? I know that there are many homeless people in Philly, why not invite them over for Christmas dinner, or go visit them and share with them the love of Jesus?
Thanks for standing in the gap with me for the lost in Asia! I know that together we are making an eternal difference.
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Dec 23, 2010
A friend once told me “We were created to worship. It just depends on whom or what we will choose to worship?”
This morning I read Psalm 111 and verse 10 really stuck out to me
“Reverence for the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom.
The rewards for wisdom come to all who obey him.
Praise His name forever!”
I thought what is the definition of reverence and if I truly revered the Lord?
Reverence: to show devoted deferential honor to . (Syn)Worship, Adore: to honor and admire profoundly and respectfully.
To me that meant to be singly devoted to God, to adore Him above all else, to set a part all my worship and honor for Him .
After even more contemplation 🙂 I realized how much I settle for the plastic gods of this world and for the small dreams of my heart.
When in fact I was made for a higher, more beautiful and precious purpose- To worship God Almighty. The Great I Am.
That my friends is called – INSANITY and if I could be so bold ADULTERY
Who in their right mind would settle for rocks and ruble when there is gold and diamonds to be had.
And don’t you agree that God cannot be likened to gold and diamonds . It is a pathetic example because He is so much more.
So I pray as I continue on in my journey with Jesus that I never let go of His hand. Running after the things of this world, following the selfishness of my heart-instead of the gentle perfection of his unfailing Love and purpose for my life.
P.S. You want to know something astounding-When I do leave him, He is that faithful husband waiting with open arms to take his bride back.
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Dec 22, 2010
Hello y’all
Some of you that have been keeping up with this blog from the beginning, might remember the story I told when I got back from Asia about the children in the river? About the urgency of “there is such a thing as too late”?
Well, while I was out support raising, I was a part of a homeless ministry with my church. I really felt like I was a part of that ministry, and I fell in love with the people in Philly that were lost, and knew they were lost, but didn’t want to accept it or accept the hope that Jesus provides.
One of my homeless buddies was named Black. He was about 54-55 years old. And he was determined to believe in the another faith, but was really curious about Christianity because he grew up in the church, but had turned away later on in his life. We talked to him every week and brought him to church almost every week as well. He really enjoyed it and felt like people were loving on him even though they didn’t know him very well. Which was awesome! He was experiencing Jesus’ love through us! He started talking about the possibility of coming to Christ, which made us all really happy. We were finally getting through to him! So we kept encouraging him and encouraging him, week after week. Answering all the questions he had, and loving on him.
Sometime last week, however, Black passed away. My mom just told me of this sad news. It was shocking. To think… I knew this guy, I loved this guy, and I was praying for him every day that he would somehow turn to Jesus as his Lord and Savior. And now he’s gone…
Just like that… he’s gone. One more lost soul plunged into eternity. I can only pray that before he died, he finally accepted the Lord. But really, I don’t know. No one does except the Lord.
Anyway, I’m writing this post as an encouragement to you all, and also as a request. Please pray for the rest of those homeless people, both in Philadelphia, and also in Asia. There are so many people that still have yet to hear! And there’s no telling when they might be gone, forever. We need to reach these people.
And it took one of my friends dying to remind me of that urgency we need to have to reach the lost world.
Some of you might be thinking that this is tragic news, but remember Romans 8:28. EVERYTHING works for the good. Black’s death will be used by God, and is being used to impact many lives. Praise God for that.
Thanks for reading, and I’m so thankful that God has put us in an position where we can reach the lost world each day.
Let’s not forget our callings.
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Nov 23, 2010
I don’t have the time. These are words that I have lived by. I don’t have time to read my Bible, I don’t have time to get alone and pray, I don’t have time to read that biography. After all, I work and then I have to get home to facebook and calling my family. I have to take a nap, I have to take a shower, In have to do my laundry… The list goes on and on.
We live in a culture where we are taught that we can do what we want to do – and we live by that. Not that we want to follow the worlds example but we want to be comfortable within God’s commands. We don’t realize that God calls us to be just as radical as Jesus Christ was. Paul says to “follow me as I follow Christ”. This is a pretty huge deal. I don’t want to live like Paul! Man, that guy was shipwrecked, he was beaten, he barely escaped from so many murder plots. Oh, wait, yeah, I remember now… he was that guy that got beheaded. But… he knew Christ.
My point is that being a Christian means more than just going to church and praying when people are sick. Those are good things but they are definately not what defines us as Christians. “They were first called Christians at Antioch.” Little Christs is what the word Christian means. So, as a “little Christ” what must we do? We must follow His example. We must love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and strength.
That means giving up our time to spend it with Him. Not because we must but because we want to love Him more. This King of the universe who came down as a man to redeem my soul… why wouldn’t I want to know Him more?
So look at my life and what do you see? Probably someone who’s time is spent in a lot of different ways. Some of it serving Christ, some of it wasted. What do I want to become? Someone who’s life is consumed with loving my King. You spend time on the things you value. When you say “I don’t have time”, you’re really saying that it’s not on the top of your priority list.
Let’s give Him our time… Let’s give Him our love!
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Nov 18, 2010
I’ve been learning a lot lately about being the bride of Christ. And a lot about trusting God–fully and implicitely. Because you shouldn’t marry someone unless you trust them completely in every area, right? 🙂 That was always my assumption anyway.
But that assumption was challenged by a comment from Charlotte Lucas in the movie Pride and Prejudice: “He does not know her character as we do. . .but there is plenty of time for us to get to know him after they’re married.” The idea, in a nutshell, was that since Jane Bennett and Charles Bingley were well acquainted enough to trust each other on a superficial level (and since they were obviously in love), they should go ahead and tie the knot because, after all, they will get to know each other better after they are married. Of course, the story is set in a time when marriage was a much higher priority on everyone’s agenda, so sometimes people got married for less chivalrous ideas than love and romance, but still. . .it seems a logical plan of action, as long as you take into consideration that any relationship founded mostly on emotions is bound to be tested at some point. There comes a time when you have to trust each other’s character when the emotions aren’t there.
I’ve been struggling with learning to trust God well enough not to question His ways. I’m trying to learn to trust God’s character, even when it seems like what He’s allowing me to go through could hardly be an expression of His love. To trust that He really is working all things for my good, even when I can’t possibly see what that good might be. I know that a certain level of blind faith is involved, but I also want to have something to base that trust on. And hearing that quote made me see a parallel: when I initially began my relationship with God, all I needed to know was that He loved me SO MUCH, and that He could save me when I could not save myself. Essentially, God knows that I need to trust His love first of all, and then learn to trust His character as I get to know Him better.
As I was journaling and praying, trying to make sense in my mind what exactly I was asking from God, I felt silly asking the God of the universe to prove Himself before I could trust Him; but I feel that trust, by definition, is something to be earned, not just given. And it seemed as if Jesus read my heart and sent me the answer I was looking for–in an entry from My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers:
“God wants you to understand that it is a life of faith, not a life of emotional enjoyment of His blessings. Faith by its very nature must be tested and tried. And the real trial of faith is not that we find it difficult to trust God, but that God’s character must be proven as trustworthy in our own minds. Faith, as the Bible teaches it, is faith in God coming against everything that contradicts Him–a faith that says, ‘I will remain true to God’s character whatever He may do.’ The highest and the greatest expression of faith in the whole Bible is–‘Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him’ (Job 13:15).
So, simply believing in God is easy. The difficulty in trusting God lies in when I am waiting for His character to be proven trustworthy, when I can’t see what He’s accomplishing through my hard times. And that’s when I have to remember that He does love me, so much. And I can rest and put my trust in His love.
“But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me.” ~Psalm 13:5-6
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