Christmas

So, this morning I had an idea and I googled "college ministries in Tampa, Fl" and the results were staggering...

As I looked through the top results, I can honestly say that there really isn't much out there for people in there 20's. What a shame.

But, onto other things... this holiday season I have been doing a lot of thinking, and replaying every Christmas Eve service I have ever been to. And for those of you who know me, once Black Friday hits all that plays on my radio is Christmas music - so I have heard a lot of the typical Christmas carols... why have we as Christians watered down what this season represents?

We sing songs like "Silent Night", "Little Drummer Boy", "We Three Kings", and others that sure sound great and make me feel warm and fuzzy - but have you stopped to think about what this season represents????

God, not someone like god, or someone aspiring to be god, GOD HIMSELF put on flesh to live as we live to save us from ourselves. We had done everything we could to be His Enemy and despite our best efforts to push God away, He would not forsake us. He gave up being worshipped and rather than just being omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent, he added to his attributes... humanity (thank you Mr. Driscoll). As I have been replaying the Christmas story in my head, I had a bit of an epiphany - it was not a silent night when Jesus was born!

I was praying through the Christmas story the other day - and I had a picture come to my head of a baby that had literally not even been born yet, but the story of his life was written, REJECTION. Jesus is still in his mom's womb and is being rejected everywhere he goes. I saw an angry stepdad, whose just trying to care for his preggers wife, and go pay an unfair, unjust tax. I think the night Jesus was born, just about everything that could go wrong for that young couple - did!

As I thought about the angels that praised God, I wonder did they come to earth to make sure that their King was okay... think about it - God, whom you worship, love, respect, adore and live for - leaves the presence of the angels to save humanity... his strategy starts in a poor town, in a trough. I wonder if the angels came to make sure everything was okay, and when they saw that it was - they praised God, because that's what angels do. I wonder if for a time, there was silence in heaven, as the angels stood - battle ready, and prepared to fight for their King if something should go wrong. I think that the tension the night Jesus was born, was rather high in heaven... as they wanted to praise and protect their Lord, as he began his life of humility and sacrifice.

So, as I processed all of this - something occurred to me... every Christmas eve service I have ever been to, has been rather watered down, and every play I have seen has been about a cute fat little baby, in a cradle -while the parents look on with joy... when in reality, I think that a true Christmas eve service, should be brutally honest - that this story begins and ends with a rejected Savior, who humbly came to serve and sacrifice His own life. You should not have a Christmas eve service and should not go throughout this holiday season without thinking about that which Jesus left behind to come and be rejected - for you! This season, let the gospel of Jesus Christ ring true in your home, in your life, at your work, as you fight the crowds. It is not about presents, it is not about a tree, or crappy songs on the radio... even if I don't get my Red Rider BB Gun for Christmas - the TRUE meaning of Christmas is that Jesus' life and longsuffering road of rejection begins, so that I can be accepted before the Father! Let that be our spirit this holiday season!

Ruth...

So - this morning as I have been reading through the Bible - I got to Ruth. I have read Ruth before, and I always read it and admire the nobility and provision that comes from Boaz. He is a man who takes a woman, and bestows on her the rights and riches and honor that she is not worthy of. However, today as I read it, something new hit me.

The struggle that is Ruth's life was made apparent to me this morning. As I read her story, and put myself in her shoes - I was blown away by her heart. She loses her husband and hope of a future. Her family is torn apart, a family that by her actions we know she loves deeply. Her mother-in-law tells her to go home, and she is so in love with Naomi and her family that she refuses to take the easy and socially acceptable path, but to stay near to her mother... she goes to work and risks her life to bring food home and provide for herself and Naomi. She is obedient when Naomi tells her to go in to Boaz on the threshing floor. She is humble and grateful when Boaz blesses her with food.

Ruth, choose the tough road - not because she had to, but because I believe she felt the love of God. Naomi is willing to leave the false gods of the Moabite people, in pursuit of the true God of Israel. She gets a taste of that in Naomi and her family, and than I am sure immerses herself in that when she meets Boaz - a man who is noble, trustworthy, full of integrity and honest in all his actions. He cherishes her, cares for her, loves her, provides for her and lavishes love on her - and she does nothing to deserve it, and he is under no obligation to provide it. Boaz loves her, because he does.

And Ruth, her obedience and faithfulness - how's it rewarded? She gives birth to the grandfather of David! The Moabite woman, who was faced with a decision - follow after Naomi and God, or return to the familiar and false gods - she choose to pursue God and abandon everything else. And from her lineage comes the greatest king of Israel in the Old Testament, a man after God's own heart - not to mention she ends up in the lineage of Jesus!

Obedience sometimes requires sacrifice. Sometimes, as a follower of Jesus - we are faced with decisions, and they aren't always easy, but just like Ruth - with reckless abandon and when the choices may not make sense, or even seem to be in our best interest - to choose God's path is always the wise decision. We can do nothing to earn or deserve the love that God pours out on us, and the blessing we receive are nothing more than grace from a loving Father. But, much like Ruth, we can make choices and decisions to place ourselves in the path of those blessings.

What is your choice?

Jesus Armor!

This morning has pretty much been awesome!  

I sat down to spend some time reading and praying this morning, and I don't know about you, but sometimes I get in a bit of a funk and end up reading and praying simply out of habit, and other times I am so hungry for the Word that I devour it like it was a piece of steak.  This morning, was shaping up to be one of those times where I was going to be going thru the motions, simply keeping the discipline - and hoping that Jesus would show up... and He did!

I was sitting in my prayer room, and reading Proverbs 10, which is littered with promises and praises for "the righteous".  14 times in this chapter there are exaltations, or encouragement for those whom God would call "righteous".  So, this made me think; who is righteous? What does it mean to be righteous? How can I be righteous?  What else does the Bible say about righteousness?

It turns out - the Bible says a lot, and I by NO MEANS have done a comprehensive study - but God rocked my face off with something, that I have to share!  As I was jumping around reading and researching different place where the word "righteous" is used - I ended up in Isaiah 59.  Many scholars would call Isaiah the 5th gospel, because it is rich with prophecy of Jesus, and so shockingly specific about the person of Jesus, that it is hard to believe it was written hundreds of years before he walked on the earth (it's almost like God had a hand in it or something).

Anyway, I was reading throughout Isaiah 59 and I came to verse 17 - where God has looked down on humanity, seen that no one is righteous, there is no justice - and starting in vs. 16 "He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede; then his own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him.   He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head, he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and wrapped himself in seal as a cloak."

If you read that too fast, slow down and read it again!  This is talking about Jesus taking it upon himself to satisfy justice and salvation for humanity because we could not do it ourselves.  AND WHAT DID HE HAVE TO DO?  Put on the breastplate of righteousness and the helmet of salvation!!!!!!!  Does this sound familiar?  Ephesians 6 we are commanded (not suggested) to put on the ARMOR OF GOD.  I have read, prayed and studied that passage a number of times, and NEVER did I see that this was God's Armor, that HE had USED IN BATTLE!  

Jesus, in order to live this life as fully man, and to fulfill God's law and be our perfect sacrifice - used armor.  He then, prompts Paul through the Holy Spirit to command us to use the very armor that He used while here on earth, living as fully man!  Are you freaking kidding me!  If this isn't getting your spirit in a frenzy, you may want to check your pulse... because the Creator of the universe has handed us His Armor to do battle with.  The very armor that He used, He freely gives to us and says "Here, this worked for me, now you go - use it to defend yourself and get through this battle"

And what do I do?  I tell God that I am good.  I don't need it, or even worse - I ignore the battle completely and just walk around not fighting, ignoring the war that wages around me constantly - which in effect gives the enemy a battle-win every time.  

So, this morning, I have decided to take up the armor that Jesus used to get through life - and this armor is beat up from all the blows the devil through at Jesus.  It is dented, scratched, worn in.  There are stains from the demons that threw themselves at Jesus trying to penetrate the perfect Lamb.  There is blood-sweat inside the helmet from Jesus' stress and inner turmoil as he knelt submissively before the Father, urging Him for another way to win the war.  But - the armor is strong!  The armor has been tested by the Christ Himself, it will hold, it will protect, and so - this morning I get dressed for battle, in the very battle dress that Jesus used.  And I am ready, maybe for the first time in my life - to go to battle with the authority of Christ!

Are you?

STOP!

So - it has been really nice to finally feel like I am back on Florida time, and back into the swing of things.  One thing that hit me last night, after dinner at 9:00 at Salute's (the greatest sports grille in Riverview!) - was that I need to get back on the horse of eating healthy and working out.  I got back from Asia, and was in love with everything about America, the food and freedom and everything... so I ate whatever I wanted.  I also was dealing with jetlag - so running or working out wasn't happening.  When you have a metabolism that is stuck in reverse, this is a terrible combination - so I forced myself out of bed this morning at 5:30 - and went for a run.  It felt great, and I really enjoyed watching the sunrise as I gasped for air and struggled to keep pace.

As I was walking my dog after my run, I was thanking God for the intricacy of our planet, and how we depend on Him for so much - without even knowing it.  I was thanking Him for a beautiful sunrise - that most people miss out on, because it takes place so early in the morning - and the only reason it is beautiful - to bring Him glory.  We never doubt that the sun will rise, or that there will be air to breathe, or that the earth will spin on its axis perfectly to keep us held to earth and aligned with the sun.  This world is so perfectly designed and dare I say Intelligently put together that this morning - as I walked and prayed - I got frustrated with the ignorance of humanity!  How on earth could we argue that this was not put together by a Creator.  I guess I could understand saying it wasn't Jehovah God, YHWH.  I mean, your still missing it, and one day - you will realize and bow before Jesus!  But, to say that the COSMOS sneezed and here we are - what a dumb argument.  I felt myself get agitated with everyone and no one all at the same time.  Does this ever happen to anyone else?  Very frustrating...

So, I was praying and getting worked up - when I felt that whisper in my spirit (wonder who that was?) telling me that the Truth is hidden from some, and that your eyes and ears have to opened to hear and see the Truth.  In an instant God smacked me off of my righteous high horse!  He showed me that THE ONLY REASON that I am able to appreciate it - is because of Him.  Because He has decided to open my eyes, and unclog my ears (that's kinda gross).  Immediately, I began to praise God and worship Him for who He is... my savior.  It was really awesome, to have all of this happen in a matter of minutes.  

One last thing - and then I am off to pour into my son (another recent conviction) - God is telling me that I need to pursue and "get" wisdom and insight.  Which I am totally down with, so my pursuit right now, is to dive into God - and to become wise.  It feels like a lofty goal - and an arrogant one, but I really feel like God wants me to know (head and heart and experience) more than I do.  I have no clue yet as to what that looks like, but I know that I am going to pursue wisdom and insight, whatever that looks like.

Okay, I lied, one more thing - I was in the shower a week or so ago, and I have been praying for God to reveal more about my new name - and he spoke to me, and actually gave me a name!  It was interesting, and I am reluctant to share too much - but I believe the entire meaning behind changing my name, is coming to fulfillment here soon.  I still don't think I will be changing my name legally or anything, but I know what I am to do now, which is cool!  For now, the name is suppose to stay private between me and God, but I am excited to be hearing more on that promise and wanted to share.

WOW!

As I stated in my last blog update - I am going to be processing for quite some time, so I am not sure where and when all of what God has taught me as a result of my trip to Asia will come out - but here is a little more of what God is telling me, at least for today.

Something that I have begun doing since returning from Asia is prayer walking.  I realized on my trip that my heart and calling is for here, right here in the place that God has me - Apollo Beach/Riverview, FL!  And if I am going to truly LOVE my neighbor - shouldn't that be where I begin.  I have been in my neighborhood for almost 4 years now, and I know virtually no one.  We don't really have next door neighbors (vacant house to my right and language barrier to my left).  So, I am starting to look for opportunities to build relationship, but first - I am praying.  I go for a run at least 3x's a week, and I walk our dog every day - so I have turned my jog and dog walking time, into a time of prayer and praise.  I thank God for my neighbors, I pray for different things as I pass by the homes, I ask God that He would start a revival in our neighborhood - that this street would glorify Him, that we would be protected - all sorts of things.  Really whatever I feel led to pray...

So, as I was praying this morning, something that hit me - was how beautiful and awesome my neighborhood is!  I'm serious, my neighborhood is gorgeous.  I know in America, and even in Riverview - it's not much to look at, but man... I LOVE IT!  The homes may be small, and the grass is all dying and there are cars parked along the sides of the road - but we are all so blessed!  We have beautiful little ponds  - just to look at.  We don't need to use them to wash our clothes, bathe in, or drink from.  We have yards to play in, not sleep in or let cows eat from.  We have sidewalks to travel on, not muddy roads to walk on.  I doubt I passed a house without heating or air conditioning, to allow up to keep our temperature comfortable regardless of the weather.  I am sure every home I walked passed had some sort of refrigeration device to ALLOW US TO KEEP FOOD until we desire to eat it!!!!  What a huge blessing!  I am willing to bet that each home has multiple rooms, multiple beds, multiple showers and bathrooms, multiple devices to keep us entertained.  HOW RIDICULOUSLY BLESSED ARE WE!  

Then it occurred to me, when was the last time I was thankful for any of that?  My answer... never.  I had never been thankful for that.  I began to confess as I walked - for myself and my neighbors.  We take so much for granted, we feel entitled to so much.  I get frustrated if my house doesn't stay at 76, because then it is uncomfortable.  There are people sleeping in dirt and drinking from a river nicknamed the DEATH RIVER - and I complain about having to drink Aquafina instead of Zephyrhills???  

Then, another thing hit me - as I was walking along my wonderful sidewalk, across my beautiful ponds, with fountains going and the sun just coming up and the clouds glowing - God blessed me with a wonderful sunrise!  It was gorgeous.  And in that moment, I was so grateful - because I was experiencing the beauty of the Lord - and this is something that my brothers and sisters in Myanmar and Cambodia and all across the world can experience.  They may never know a home with A/C, or a refrigerator to save food (a foreign idea in some cultures, you have food... you eat it!).  But, they know the beauty of a sunrise!  They can experience God's magnificence in that way.  

So, this morning I made God a promise.  I don't usually like to make promises, but I did this morning.  I promised that as long as I am drawing breath, the rocks will not have to cry out to God!  I am going to praise Him, for He is worthy to be praised.  I am going to thank Him, because I have an abundance of reasons to be thankful.  And for the rest of my life, whenever I have to think about what to be thankful for... I now know - that in the grand scheme of things... I am rich!

Thank you Jesus, for the greatest gift, the greatest blessing and for opening my eyes to the wonder of your love and Creation.  You did a great job!

First Blog since Asia

My plan was to blog throughout my time in Asia... but God had a different plan.  I was unable to access my blog almost the entire time I was overseas and the few times I could - I was also able to speak with my wife and son, and I chose to do this instead.  So - for the first time, in what feels like months - I return to the world of blogging!

As I sit here and try to think about what to write about my experience, I find the same problem I had as I tried to journal my thoughts each day... words don't do this justice.  Really truly, anything I can think of to say about our experience over there - downplays the reality.  

There is so much I have learned and so much that I have experienced that to record them all would take a long time, and no one would want to read that all - so I will share in bits and pieces as God impresses on me different moments and different experiences from Asia.  

Right now, the thing that is sticking with me - is the Freedom we enjoy here in the USA that is completely foreign in Asia.  Each country we visited had to some degree - a level of persecution or restriction placed upon the Church.  It was heartbreaking to see what some of the Xians have to endure for the Gospel.  But, it was encouraging to see them enduring it and considering it a joy to face trials!

It really struck me in China - that we American Xians have NO IDEA what persecution is.  I have read the New Testament, and I see what the first Christians went through, and I know a little of Church History and what occurred - but it was always a history lesson, never something that I thought still happened today!  Wow, was I naive.  In Beijing - everything is under gov't control!  The cabs are all run by the gov't and there are literally microphones in every cab - video surveillance everywhere you look and NO RIGHT TO PRIVACY!  I asked one of the girls who helped a pastor we were getting to know, if they had a right to privacy, and she looked at me like a confused puppy.  She didn't understand the question!  What a different world we live in here in America.

It's funny - those who know me, would say that I am about as patriotic as an agnostic is religious.  Just don't care.

Well, that has definitely changed as a result of being in Asia.  You don't truly appreciate freedom and rights, until you experience them being taken away!  In China, you aren't allowed to get on Facebook, to get on Twitter, to access blogs.  You can send out emails, but the gov't reads them first.  Your emails come into your Inbox already having been read.  When you are out in public - it is wise to sensor your speech, we didn't use words like "missionary", "Bible", "preaching", "pastor", etc... because the gov't is listening to every word you say!

I knew that I was going to come back changed and that God was going to do a work in my heart - and I had prepared for God to tell me that I was suppose to move to China or something.  Never in my dreams did I imagine I would come back with a love for America and a heart to see our freedoms protected and ensured!  

We need to care about what is happening in our country, we need to care about the laws that are being passed.  And with each new law and each new regulation - we are surrendering our rights and giving more control over to the gov't - who little bit by little bit - is stealing our freedom.  And, having just experienced NO FREEDOM - let me encourage all of us, to get involved and be instruments of change and to become activists for freedom!  Because Xians are the first ones to be censored and monitored.  

Is that what we want????

Asia Bound!

Well - Drew and I decided that it would be a good idea to try and get on Asia time from the get go, so we are staying up all night.  We ventured out to Denny's at 1:00 in the morning in Minneapolis... let's just say that this must be the popular thing to do by the people who make up this lovely city, because we saw some winners for the "it's you" game.  I hadn't really eaten since lunch, and it was way too late (or early) to eat, but I figured I am on a mission trip, and gonna have to eat stuff like cat and squid or something here soon, so I should enjoy American food while I can.  So, I downed a cheeseburger that had hashbrown casserole and eggs on it - sounds interesting right?  Let me just say, it changed my life (and shortened it at the same time)!

So far, it has been an interesting journey - we got off to a rocky start.  The flight here was delayed about 3 hours due to weather and construction at the airport here in Minneapolis.  But, I ran into some people I knew at the airport and we aren't flying to Detroit until 6 am this morning, so we weren't really in a hurry.  I spent some time reading my Bible and a book that I brought with for entertainment.  I was reading in Psalm 26 and David praises God for allowing him to stand on level ground and bless Him in the great assembly.  That struck a chord with my heart, as I go to ground that has literally been shaking over the last couple of days, and I prepare to enter into a place that has different religions, morals, culture practices, social graces and - well, just about everything - I felt like God was telling me he was going to give me solid ground to stand on.  That I would continue to walk in His faithfulness, as I have been for 6 weeks now in regards to this trip.  Needless to say, it was an awesome time of being in the presence of God and hearing Him speak right in the terminal at TIA.

I am excited for this journey, I am tired already - but that is kinda on purpose right now.  Continue to pray for our journey, safe travel, my family (I am missing them already), and that we would experience a change of heart on this trip.

1 Timothy 1:5