A time zone that is Ten and a half hours different from here is literally on the other side of the world. . . what an adventure. This past Christmas break I helped lead a team of volunteers from my church to a small little village in the Southeast state of Tamil Nadu, India. This was actually my second trip over there, but the first time to this particular village of Untouchables. In Indian Hindu culture, there are over 4,000 different castes, which separate classes of individuals from one another. People from lower castes are generally unable to marry outside of their caste, and much of their social interactions and opportunities are based on what caste you are born into. There is no way to earn your way up the caste system. You simply try to be  as faithful as possible in this life so that the gods will move you up in caste when you are reborn in your next life. The Untouchables or Irula caste of people are the lowest of the low. If their shadow even crosses the shadow of someone of high caste then the high caste person has now become unclean (which leads to many actions to be “clean” again) and extremely upset.  Literally, these people are never touched except by their own people, and usually their only employment is snake and rat catchers for local farmers. They are commonly called the backward caste (or b.c. for short) as well as the people of darkness.

Our church has been working with this particular colony for nearly 3 years, and things have come a long way. Our efforts to establish clean water, education, micro-enterprise, health, and housing are led by indigenous pastors that have been trained extensively. Our church simply provides complimentary services and knowledge in their efforts. In this way, we nullify any movement towards imperialism by our support. My team was heading over to do some construction projects in the village (i.e., 2 homes, handwashing stations, home repair seminar, plant two gardens, distribute greenLockers supplies, etc…)  while a second team went to provide health and wellness needs (i.e., blood pressure and diabetes checks and physicals as well as seminars on germs, disease, marriage,  and nutrition). The video below walks you through our trip from start to finish, and please email me if you have any questions at all about certain pictures. Obviously, there is no way to encapsulate all that occurred during our time there, but I wanted to share a few things that really stood out.

Apostle Thomas – We went to St. Thomas Mount for the first half-day that we were there in Chennai. You will see pictures in the video of the chapel that was erected on the spot where the apostle Thomas was martyred, the cave where he hid from his enemies, a spring that burst forth with water from a rock when he was needing water (and has flowed ever since, though it is on a mountain!), and the cathedral that houses his actual tomb and remains. Thomas is only one of three apostles that we know where they are buried, and it was so humbling to know that I walked on the ground of one who walked with Jesus!

Homes  – The first home that we built was for a homeless woman (Malika )who had 6 children, and had just lost her husband in an accident last year. She worked tirelessly with us the entire week working with tears in her eyes and a smile on her face. On the night of the house dedication, one of our team members who is an M.D., found her flat on her back on the ground next to her new house – unable to move. His examination revealed that she had a badly herniated disk in her back, and she admitted to feeling the pain for weeks. . . . wow! She was so tough all week – not a single complaint. The next day we discovered that she did not sleep much that night, not because of her back, but because she simply could not believe that we loved her that much to build her a home! Her parents had abandoned her long ago, and with her husband gone, she was nearly hopeless, but now. . . everything has changed she said!

      -    As a follow-up - we just found out 3 days ago that she has since come to accept Jesus Christ as her LORD and savior, and she will be baptized when the next team goes over in March.

The old man and his new home – We ended up contracting a team of builders (4 men, and then 3 or 4 of our team members) to build a 3-5 year temporary home for a man whose home had collapsed during the rainy season. Raj said this would only cost around $80, and so we moved forward with it. It is one of my favorite memories because the man just watched the build not knowing whose house they were building – whether it was for him or the person who actually owned the land (i.e., he was simply squatting on it). He was so thankful when he received the home saying “I was an orphan, years ago, my wife left me, no one has ever wanted me. . . but today I feel cared for” – later on that night, I was walking past his new home on the way to the village celebration, and he had a single candle lit in the home, and you could hear him quietly singing to himself. . . just beautiful!

The mindset of poverty – Much of India’s population is either vegetarian of nearly so. This is a result of a multiple factors including cows being holy (i.e., no one eats beef), pigs being unclean, as well as the shear expense of meat for most people. Thus, vegetable gardens would be a great idea for a year-round sustainable food source; however, we had met great resistance to this idea in the village previously. We soon found out that since they have the poverty mindset of simply making it through the day or living to the end of the week that waiting a month for plants to grow and produce food was close to impossible to even comprehend. We built two gardens and planted them full of plants in hopes of their examples would be proof to the villagers of their value

      -    As a follow-up - we just got some pictures the other day of the gardens full of vegetables, and a local pastor said that many more families now want gardens!!!!

Little girl left under tree – One of the most heart-wrenching stories of the trip was the day that I noticed a little girl laying on some blankets under a big tree in the village. I saw her there for several hours, and so I inquired “where is her mother?” A villager explained that her mother had left to go to the main village for work, as she does every day. I soon found out that this less than a year old baby is left under that tree every day, and now no longer cries because she has learned that no one will be there to answer her . . . no one is ever there to pick her up.

greenLockers – I run a non-profit organization called greenLockers (www.greenlockers.org) that partners with a student organization in local schools to collect new and slightly used school supplies, clothes, and books during their end of the year locker clean-out days. These supplies are sorted and then distributed to local charities for free. On this trip, we had the distinct honor of distributing some of these supplies to a school near the Irula village. I cannot tell you how that filled my soul – to be used by God to love children in this way, and to see them celebrate. . . just priceless!

Joy and contentment – As many of you may know from being in poverty stricken areas in your own travels, there are simply no words that can describe the joy and contentment in many of their eyes, though they had nothing.

Break-through of honesty –After 3 years of working in the village we had a moment of true authentic relationship this year that reminds me much of the revival that just took place on Bethel’s campus this past week. The villagers put their overly hospitable, cultural masks down, and shared their frustrations and lack of knowledge with us like never before. This was truly a watershed moment of forming trust! For example, we built a latrine for the village 2 years ago, but they have not been using it. This means that women (who are not allowed to go to the bathroom during the day) must walk out into the field either at night or early in the morning – risking stepping on cobras and scorpions – to go to the bathroom. They have told us reasons for not using them for two years, but every time we addressed those reasons, they simply would come up with something else andnot use the latrines. This time, with tears in her eyes, a woman came up to us and simply said, “we don’t know how to use them, no one has ever told us how.” Soon others were confessing to other instances of vulnerability like needing to have a sign on the doors to know which are the men’s and which are the women’s, certain things about the clothes and shoes that we have been bringing over, and multiple other things. . . I cannot express to you how this was all such a breakthrough – just amazing!!!

Germ game and the basics – the medical team came up with a brilliant game to teach the children about germs. We have been trying for several years to get them to wash their hands because of all the sickness that has resulted from not doing so. There are even stories of people just falling to sleep right after eating (they eat with their hands) without washing their hands and then rats come in their huts at night and gnaw away the ends of their fingers, resulting in disease, infection, and death. So, this game involved several tennis balls that were covered with a white powder. The children passed around the balls until everyone had powder on their hands. The instructors then told them to rub their hands together until they no longer saw any of the powder. In essence, the children then saw their hands as “clean”; however, the powder was black light activated, and so when a black light was passed around the children, they clearly saw the white residue glowing on their hands. In this way, they understood that even though you cannot see certain things, they can still exist. For the first time, they understood the concept of germs – just fantastic!!!

Connection so deep, so fast – One thing you find out fairly quickly in this beautiful culture is that they assume that you are telling the truth. This is of course, very different from U.S. culture where the average person assumes some level of skeptism during a new conversation. For example, in the village in India, if I complimented someone’s outfit or smile, they would respond with a grateful “thank you” and feel very blessed. If the same conversation happened here between two strangers the one being complimented might automatically think thoughts like these, “why did he say that?”, “what does he want from me?”, or “he doesn’t really mean that, he is just being nice.” I cannot tell you how much faster relationships can form with this one simple difference. Truly I tell you that I am closer to some Indians that I knew for only 1 week than some friends I have known for years.

Focus – One of the most refreshing things for me on this trip was that my only responsibility was to wake up each day and then work as hard as I could on the projects, knowing that I was making an impact in these people’s lives. I did not have to worry about the next day, week, or month. I simply had to focus on what God wanted me to do that day and then do it – nothing was hanging over my head. Of course, when I returned home, there were not only tons of emails to respond to, but I immediately needed to start preparing for events and classes weeks and months in advance. This was a difficult transition at first, but then God graciously convicted me in one of my quiet times with Him. He told me “Ted, I have not changed, why have you?” In essence, His expectations are the same for me here as they were in India. I need to wake up each day and ask Him what He wants me to do, and then do it. Of course, some of those daily assignments will deal with the future, but that future is not my burden to carry, it is God’s, and He carries it effortlessly!

Baptism stories – We had the unbelievable honor of baptizing a handful of people at a one of the local churches in a nearby city. I am always amazed at their commitment to Christ in doing this public display of faith, regardless of the consequences. There are five questions that I had to ask each person before baptizing them:

1. Do you accept Jesus Christ as your personal LORD and savior? Same as here in the US
2. Do you agree to never again worship any idols of any kind? You have to understand that there are over 330,000,000 gods in Hinduism with altars everywhere – I wish they would ask this one over here for the idol of money!
3. Do you agree to always follow Jesus Christ even when your family persecutes you and your village excommunicates you? Note that the question is not IF, but WHEN you face persecution, they know full well of the risk they are taking.
4. Have you been forced in any way to be baptized today? If a person accuses a pastor of forcing them to be baptized then the pastor automatically gets 3 years in prison for that crime.
5. Why are you getting baptized today? The most common response went something like this “For years I was beaten by my husband who was an alcoholic, one day I was in the hospital waiting to die and someone told me about Jesus. I prayed to Jesus and the next day I walked out perfectly healed, and so I figured that I should learn about and follow this Jesus no matter what.”

******* Don’t waste time – Finally, there is always a strange juxtaposition of death and life when I travel to India. In 2008, my aunt and uncle, who were missionaries and pastors fully alive and on mission for Christ, were tragically killed in a car accident the day before I left to go to India.  That day was supposed to be a huge family reunion celebrating each other, instead we wept and grieved all day. This year, my friend Scott Johnson, who I had taught Block with for 5 years went to be with the LORD while I was over in India. Those of you who have been through someone dying know that there is nothing easy about it. At this point, however, I do know what I have learned from those two experiences. Namely, I don’t want to waste time, not a single moment!” I discovered through all of this that somewhere deep inside me, I did believe that my actions in life could have some control on how long I was here. . . clearly that is ignorance – I am on assignment here by my King, and He is in complete control. This commitment does not mean that I become more busy, in contrast, it means that I am fully present wherever I am, whether that is on vacation, with my family, or in front of my students. I know now that only with intentional, daily steps of disciplined actions can I ever become that man that I was created to be. I will never drift to the shores of integrity, strength, and character – no,. . . drifting only washes you back onto the shore you left from, a shore that is named lukewarm, and I don’t plan on ever seeing that dock again!

Here is a video recap of the entire trip

India ’10 ’11 from Ted Bryant on Vimeo.

Here is the link to the blog that walks you through the trip step by step!

http://www.gccindiateams.blogspot.com/

Peace be with you all

This is a video of the “Feed” – which is our church’s way of doing announcements – enjoy!

The Feed 7.31.2010 from Ben Sanders on Vimeo.

Thanks again Ben!

Anyways, I want to share just briefly a few things that have helped clarify some of the issues in my class discussions, and also a couple of videos that have been great for discussion.

First of all, this is not a religion or philosophy class, and so I do not debate the sin nature of homosexuality in class because that is what most of the students expect – a debate about what is the TRUTH. . . . consequently, in my experience, that is the only thing the students are prepared to take about. We take the stance of many churches – that homosexual behavior is a sin. . . and we go from there (I have additional materials for the students about the “truth” debate if they want it, and the subject is covered in more detail in other ways here at Bethel). . . it is amazing to me; however, that many people cannot even think past this truth concept – to see that there are other very important issues about this topic that we are failing to address.

Another way of viewing my purpose is to look at a familar phrase:

Truth in love (Eph 4:15) - Once again, not messing with the truth part – that is definitely a huge part of how Jesus was uncommon, but the “in love” – which is an expression of “how” we are to express the truth – that is what made him a walking revolution - he was revolutionary not just for what he said but for what he did - healing on the Sabbath, touching the leper, going to Matthew’s house, talking to the woman at well, and associating with prostitutes! He chose to not condemn the world, but to save it (John 3:17). . . which starts with forming a relationship with someone, getting to know someone before we could ever share “truth” about heated issues.

In my experience, when people focus only on the truth in these situations then judgement/condemnation is already on its way – and can be felt by those around them. However, when I focus on the “in love” then judgement stays away, and the other person is more open to talking because they trust that I care about them. . . not just their sexuality. . . – I refuse to live in a way that reduces the immense/Jesus sacrificing value of another human being’s life and experience to simply an alterior motive and/or a grossly stereotyped label. . . and I think Jesus models that behavior over and over in scripture. 

Videos:

Interesting dichotomies here to notice in these videos:

Acceptance vs Approval - we use these terms interchangeably at times with regard to this issue, and yet these terms are critically different.

Attitude vs Belief- Again, attitudes may change without changes in beliefs. . . .misusing these terms can cause serious wounds.

Watch this video to get a fresh look at “hate the sin, love the sinner”. . . one of the most popular Christian phrases regarding this issue.

a. I’m getting old,

b. I have never had any formal ”dance” training,

c. I hate messing up!

d. I wanted to make the most of this opportunity to serve Jesus!

You see . . .

Easter to me is all about surprises – really good ones!! And though no experience can compare to hearing the amazing news that JESUS IS ALIVE!!!   

I really couldn’t believe that I got to have this much fun serving with friends at my church!  Praise God that He invented fun. . . .and dancing!

First warning. . . if you think this doesn’t apply to you, and that there really is no need to read this. . . . . I really don’t know why God will ever tell you that. . . .so, you might want to check the source of that thought – AND keep reading! You also might want to pray that God be with you as you read. . . . once again, if that sounds like a ridiculous thing to do?? . . . . . . . that’s not coming from God. . . do it – get Him involved.

First let’s talk about some basic characteristics of the enemy – I recommend you watch the weekend service from Granger Community Church from this past weekend (3/8/09) entitled “Sex for Sale” – watch it here (www.gccwired.com)  – where Mark Beeson explains the 3 hats of satan

Hat #1 – Tempter – trying to sell you lies like -  “this (whatever act the temptation involves) is not that bad. . . noone will know. . . and it doesn’t matter anyway, because it’s not that wrong . . . you can totally handle it. . . other people, stupid people, get caught – but your not stupid. . . . . it’s just this one time. . . . . just a little bit won’t hurt” – and after every step that you take, the enemy tempts you with the next one – and notice. . . . it is usually a slow/gradual process.

Hat #2 – Promoter – after he has tempted you he then tries to sell you lies like “this is going to be the best ever. . . . so fulfilling, it’s going to feel so good – you will feel so taken care of, so complete, so alive, so. . . . . . right – this is what you have been missing out on for soooo long!”

Hat#3 – Accuser – after you have commited the sinful act, he then tries to sell you lies like “I can’t believe you did THAT. . . you are horrible!!! – your toast now – God will never take you back. . . . might as well not even fight it – just give in all the way. . . you can’t resist it . . . you’ve already proven that!. . . . it will never go away. . . there is nothing you can do!. . . you knew it was wrong, but you did it anyway – that is the worst of the worst – not even God wants you back now!”

Let me be very clear. . .satan is the father of lies (John 8:44), which means. . . all he does is tell lies. . . so, these “hats” are ALL LIES – every single one!!

So, what does this have to do with you?

So, what is your weak spot when comes to your marriage?? What do you feel like your spouse is not giving you enough of?? especially things that you think you deserve?? Here is a quick list of some of  these maybe

1. Sex

2. Quality time together . . . that they actually WANT to spend

3. being valued and appreciated for all that you do

4. Sharing an emotional connection – talking about things that are close to your heart. . . . EVEN YOUR FAITH!

5. Passion, desire, adventure, fun

6. A sense of peace (or lack of tension)

etc….

HAVE NO DOUBT IN YOUR MIND that this area of resentment in your life has a huge bullseye painted on it – and it is going to be attacked by the enemy using Hat #1 and Hat#2 above

and if you don’t already have one – there may be someone entering into your life that just “happens” to provide an opportunity to have that resentment fulfilled. . . . . it’s called a strategy. . . and the enemy has been perfecting it for thousands of years!

The question then, reagarding our behavior, is NOT what is right and what is wrong – the question is what standard are you going to hold yourself to -  so as to be the brightest light possible for God’s kingdom – bring Him the most Glory – form the most solid Family – to be an inspiration for your friends/children/grandchildren. . . . . . because they will know, and they are watching. . . . . and in order prevent this, you need to have behavioral guidelines that will protect you from the lies of the enemy. . . especially the one that tells us that this is “really not a big deal”, and that “you can handle it”

Here are some questions to ask yourself (rate each one on a scale of 0-5 – with 0 being “no, not me at all” and 5 being “yes, that is me most of the time”):

1. Am I sharing more of my thoughts/feelings with someone else (of the opposite sex) than I am with my wife/husband?

2. Have I been thinking and getting excited about how I can see someone else (of the opposite sex) a little more often – even if it is with a larger group?

3. Am I, or could I be,  the major spiritual force in someone else’s (of the opposite sex) life right now – turning them towards Christ?

4. Do I have SOME excitement and/or attraction to someone else (of the opposite sex) when we physically touch in a supposed “neutral” way? – hand shakes, welcoming/parting hugs, a touch on the shoulder, arm, or knee, etc…

ok . . . Tally your points. . .

-

- if you have a total of 1 or more then you need to understand that you are most likely being attacked spiritually. . . AND. . . you are losing. . . . . . now what??!

1. Remember that some of the most effective “sells” of the enemy is that “this is not a problem – completely harmless”, and “you can totally handle it on your own.”

2. Remember that Paul tells us in the Bible to RUN from sexual sin and temptation (1 Cor 6:18) – so that means you need to stop cold turkey/put distance between you and him/her, STOP communication

3. This path to sexual sin is most often a very SLOW one – with gradual steps that you hardly notice . . . . it is a slow fade

4. Think about what kind of legacy/model you want for you, your marriage, your children, and grandchildren. . . . because they will remember these types of things forever!

5. Know that in this struggle, you have an opportunity to get even closer to God (who is strong enough to help you through this) and have a witness of strength. . . . . or become one of many who have sinned in this way only to hide and decay in shame and agony – saying to themselves “I don’t know how this happened. . . . . ”

6. Finally, know that sexual sin starts when you even lustfully (not just sex, but also companionship, etx…) think about somone else. . . . many of us have traveled down that path at some point – to differeing degrees. Repenting/confessing/being real with God wipes it all clean – from the one-time lustful thought to the full-fledged adulterous lifestyle that someone has lived for years. Don’t ever believe the lie that God won’t take you back (hat #3 above). . . . . . In fact, you may be reading this post for the exact reason of God desparately wanting you back . . . He’s just waiting on you to ask. . . . . . . . ask Him back in. . . and WHATEVER you have done. . . He is ready – right now -  willing AND capable, to help you turn this thing around. . .

We cover a lot of material, which we break into 4 broad categories of Spirituality, Communication, Conflict Resolution, and Sexual intimacy. Here is a picture of most of the 21 couples that attended this past Saturday (Feb. 28th).

- We had a great time, and I always love working together with my wife to help influence people’s lives!!

Here are my top 10 highlights from the day:

10. A comment from one of the couples “to defray desires becoming expectations, simply imagine what it would be like if you were still alone.”

9. Giving people some insight on how the enemy is going to try and attack your marriage

8. Outlining in detail the “good” fight – conflict is inevitable, and the proper handling of it can make you stronger than ever!

7. Talking about the idea that if the point of communication, especially disagreements, is to truly understand each other. . . .then. . . “winning” – really has very little to do with it!

6. Seeing people “get it” when we talk about some of the gender differences that can lead to all kinds of communicative difficulties.

5. Helping couples begin to pray together, outloud, – some for the first time – ever!

4. Having one of the guys comment in front of everyone – “WOW, I am getting a lot more out of this than I ever expected!”

3. Referring to our very frank Q & A session regarding Sexual intimacy – yes, we talked about _________.

2. Seeing several couples crying during one of the prayer times where we have them look at each other while Ang prays for each one of them – she does an amazing job with this!

1. My amazing wife pausing throughout the day to breath through contractions and back spasms – I am so proud of how tough she is for the Kingdom! One time I even reassured everyone “don’t worry, she’s a professional. . . “ 

What were you doing 6 years ago?  Life was a lot different me . . . just starting Graduate School at Notre Dame. . . no kids. . . absolutely no concept of what was to come.

But one night during a church service, I felt God telling me that I needed to go and help out Corey Mann with Lifeline (the name, at the time, of the high school youth group at GCC),  so that is pretty much what I told him. . . “hi, I’m Ted. . . and God told me that I am supposed to help you with the youth group” – ok. . . . sort of different – but it was the start of a wonderful 6 full years.

A week ago this past Sunday night, I said goodbye to GSM (Granger Student Ministries) and yet:

1. I was still having so much fun volunteering

2. I was still having tremendous impact with the students

3. I was still effective in my teaching times to the youth group

4. I was fully supportive of the leadership, and loved the leadership team so much -

5. I believed with all of my heart in the future of GSM and D. C. Curry

6. I got to enjoy weekly time with some of my closest friends

7. I could not have enjoyed the band’s worship any more than I was – just amazing!

Do you get the point . . . . NOTHING WAS WRONG. . . .

It is so funny that many times we assume that something must go wrong (either from one of our own mistakes or the mistakes of someone else) in order for God to pull us away from something. . . . BUT, I see no promises of that in the Bible, in fact, there are many instances when God or Jesus calls someone to transition from one good thing to another.

Rob Wegner gave a message a few weeks ago about being a laser in life – you know – the idea that if our efforts are widely dispearsed then we have little effect – BUT, if we focus our efforts on only a limited number of things then we can have tremendous impact and power (i.e., just like the focused light in a laser). . . . well, . . . God started to do something with me on that one . . .

As a prayed and wrestled with God on this a little bit, these are some things that I discovered:

1. I am no longer able to be the laser focus at GSM that I wanted and used  to be (go on all the trips, go to student’s ball games, hang out late at night, lead a small group, etc…) - largely due to some of my life circumstances (i.e., 3 soon to be 4 small children, among other things).

2. I believe God is moving me into three other areas of my life where I can be a laser (husband/Father, being a professor at Bethel, and greenLockers), and I am supposed to focus there now.

3. Though leaving is saddening, I was reminded of a saying (not sure who said it, but it is on the wall in my sister-in-law’s house ) – “Don’t cry because it is over, smile because it happened!”. . . . to that I say AMEN! . . .

and so I end with some of my highlights from the years – in no particular order – and this is just the start of a huge list in my head: Feel free to leave comments below with some of your favorite memories!!

1. Stephen Smith’s baptism, and a certain conversation I had with Nathan Gage on a Monday night  – both on a Mexico trip.

2. Serving with my amazing wife for 3 of the years!

3. The dresser drawer night

4. The night that I felt the spirit move so much that I taught for 1.5 hours. . . . oops

5. Without a Trace

6. Campfires at Men’s retreats. . . . all of them, but especially one at Camp Mack when a father and son were reunited

7. playing basketball down on the back porch outside the Great Room with some of my boys from Niles – that one goes way back!

8. Acquire the Fire trips!!

9. Camp Adventure. . . . way too many memories to even start!!! – - God is just so tangible there, and that main room there where we worship is pretty close to Holy ground in my book.

10. Just all of the week-in and week-out hugs and heys from everyone. . . . I may miss that the most. . . thank you for all of the love everybody. . . I will miss you tremendously, but thank you for helping me become the Man that God wants me to be. . . . . . . . . . and if God has ever used me to influence your life. . . . all I can say is – go . . . . . GO. . . . and do likewise!!

I was driving along Cleveland yesterday on the way to rehearsal at GCC for a monologue I did this weekend, and traffic was packed in the right-hand lane coming up the hill right there where SR 23 breaks off to the South by UP mall. I was in the left-hand lane cruising along at like 15 mph without a car in front of me at all (and still about 50 yards to the light) . . . . . . and then a van decides to pull out of the right lane and into the left just as I was getting ready to pass her (i.e., I must have been in her blind spot). . . . . . there was nothing that I could do – no time to dodge . . . . in an instant, I heard a crunch, and then like a bumper car was spinning into the 2 lanes of oncoming traffic. . .praise God the light had only just turned green – so the oncoming traffic had plenty of time to slow down (if the timing would have been different. . . , well, I am not sure what would have happened, but I know what could have. . . ).  I pulled into a subdivision – long story short. . . I got a relatively small dent, some scratches. . . she was 16 and freaking out – it would have been really rough for her to have that on her record already. I decided to let her go. . . . but not not without trying to help her understand that we all make mistakes, . . . really it happens to everyone – then we talked a little more and we were on our way. . . . probably never to see each other again – and I prayed to God that in some way she had felt His presence in all of this. . .

It is amazing what happens when you realize for a moment that for some reason your life was spared. . .

you ask. . . why?

and though I cannot fully answer that question – especially in light of the unexplainable deaths of so many people everyday – including my aunt and uncle (see post below), but I do know one reason

I still must have work in God’s Kingdom bringing process to complete. . . . and I do not plan on wasting any time pursuing things for only myself or even my family – because those motivations pale in comparison to God’s will, which I trust already has what is best for me AND my family. Now this does not mean that I must run myself into the ground with busyness – I fully believe there is a divine rhythm  for me – for all of us. . . . . and a rhythm is nothing without its pauses (times when there is a rest/silence).

That being said though . . . I am on a renewed drive to crank up the amp on my electric guitar and ROCK! . . . .seriously, what is there to fear? . . . failure – no, because I believe that the only true failure is inaction, stagnation, being lukewarm, refusing to give God what little I have – -remember, God can never use you to feed 5000 if you never give him the 2 fish!

1. God says . . .think small. . . big will come – Matthew 13:33 (NIV)

33 Jesus also used this illustration: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.”

I love how I have read this passage many times, and know of the parable. . . and just skipped right over the “3 measures of four” part because, . .  . well, I have no idea what that means. . . I mean. . . of course you use flour in bread  – right, what is the significance of that.

The early audience of this message would have understood this at a much deeper level. . . 3 full measures of flour = 11 two-liter Coke bottles full of dough = about 100lbs of dough. . . yeah, . . . we are NOT talking about one small loaf of bread here!. . . and yet, Jesus says the power of the kingdom of God is only having to use “a little bit of yeast” and it will work its way through all 100lbs of dough!

God says. . . when big problems come upon you. . . THINK SMALL. . . .it is through small interventions that big problems are solved, . . . do not wait for some huge solution. . . . instead have faith that one small solution followed by another, and another, etc… you know, . . . like the small changes/decisions that we make in our lives – it is through these. . . that huge solutions are made. . . – - – God is telling us here that in God’s kingdom. . .  there is an immensity in smallness . . . . remember, the Kingdom of God is also like a mustard seed, which (Matthew 13:32 NIV) though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree.

If this is all true. . . . then we can start looking at things completely differently. . . . so, it is the small things that we do. . . . the everyday things that can bring the kingdom of God . . . things that we already know how to do . . . . no more excuses on not being “prepared” or not “knowing enough of the Bible” - 

here is my mustard seed list today

• smiling at someone that I do not know
• not complaining today, but being encouraging
• giving my wife and kids a great big hug and kiss when I get home today – before I say word or do anything else
• caring for my students – listening to them
• not exaggerating any stories today
• asking my 2 of my colleagues how they are doing today. . . and having the time to listen
• being grateful, not greedy
• calling a friend that I have been meaning to call for months

Make a list for yourself. . . and see what God does with your small interventions . . .

 -

- SO, what does this verse mean to you? . . . to us as the Church? . . . and what DOESN’T it mean?

Matthew 9:11-13 (New International Version)
11When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?”

12On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’[a] For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

- the footnote is Hosea 6:6 (NIV) -  6 For I desire mercy, not sacrifice,
       and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.

- SO. . . .

 It was inspiring though to wait in line this morning (Ang went first at 6am and waited for 45 minutes) – I followed with about a 30 minute wait at 6:45ish. . . . . but to see all walks of life there . . . unified. . . . each with his/her own team that they are playing for  . . . . committed. . . . passionate. . . .willing to do whatever it takes to do their part. . . . to reach their goal. . . . . . when else do we see this in this country???. . . . there was no threshold of affluency, race, religion, sexual orientation, athletic ability, intelligence, physical capability, gender, language, etc….. – WOW, you know what I thought of . . . . . . . isn’t this supposed to be kind of what the church looks like? - there was no checklist of rights and wrongs at the door to let you in – just your government issued ID. . . . . there were no further questions, judgements, or even looks – to try and categorize how “good” you were or what you believed – in fact. . . it seemed everyone was well accepted. . . . . . . . . . . wow, what a refreshing and INSPIRING experience to see unity – oh sure, . . . there were different opinions, but there was . . . one goal – to make this country better. . .  - and everyone was “ALL IN”.

Then it hit me. . . . Christians are all supposed to be on the same team right???. . . . sure, there are differences in our opinions, but the goal should be the same right?? – reaching the lost, suffering, broken, and poor. . . . . . but we aren’t even coming close. . . . in fact, one of the biggest reasons, from people that I have spoken to, that people don’t want to become Christians is because of all of the bickering/fighting/badmouthing that the see within the Church. . . . . . . . . and we are supposed to be the EXAMPLE of love, peace, grace, and mercy in the this world?

I pray for unity within the Church – NOT REPLICATION – but a committed effort, across our differences,  to do whatever it takes to reach our goal – together. . . . how amazing would that be?!. . . . . . . . . Maybe some day there will be lines outside of churches – people just waiting to get in,. . . . so committed and passionate to make a real difference in the world – without feeling judgement or threshold barriers of some sort. . . . . . . . . . . . maybe this will never happen, . . . but, I am going to give everything that I have as a part of the Church to do that (i.e., everyone I meet, everyday, everywhere) – I don’t want to shoot for anything less than that - – - – every vote counts right?. . . so does every smile, every hug, every encouraging word, and every listening ear. . . .

I see people using all kinds of big and fancy words to try and explain to people their Christianness (I know, not a word, but it fits here), their specific denominational doctrines, . . .  and how DIFFERENT they are from the rest. . . . . . or the opposite, . . . not knowing at all how to show to others that we are Christians.  Do you know how ridiculous it seems to those outside the church (remember. . . the people we are supposed to be reaching. . . !) – when we bicker, conditionally love, fight, badmouth, and hold grudges towards one another??!!??. . . . why would they ever want to be a part of that??. . . . as if there’s not enough dysfunction in our own families to deal with. . . . . Seriously!, . . . . Church. . . . let’s get ahold of ourselves (myself included). . .

What did Jesus say?

John 13:35 (New Living Translation)

Jesus as an infant – he “depended on love and care from others, especially Mary and Joseph. If we are meant to carry Jesus’ likeness, we can’t try to be invulnerable and the church has to admit its own vulnerability and need.”

Jesus calling Peter – “Peter admitted being an unworthy companion and even asked Jesus to go away from him. Jesus didn’t say He was calling Peter because of his virtuous life but promised Peter that he could be better and do great deeds if he followed Jesus. In His life on earth, Jesus risked sharing Himself with weak and sinful people — and that’s still true.”

Jesus washing feet - “We may think God wants us to serve Him, but Jesus showed us that God’s real desire is to serve us. He also said that we should serve each other in His name. That’s challenging for us as individuals and as a church because we sometimes too quickly tell people what we expect of them rather than ask what we can do for them.”

1. Many of the young people of this coming generation inspire me. . .  they give me hope for the world that my little children will one day live in. . .

2. What is it about bonfires? . . . God just seems to show up in such a huge way. . . loosening the tongue as well as the heart. . . Praise God for 11p.m. bonfires in the woods with stars filling the clear night sky!

3. In the boat that we are sailing on in life – is Jesus the cargo or the Captain? (Mark 4:36)

4. Jesus calms the storms outside of us and inside. . . . if we let him

5. If the enemy cannot stop you. . . he will speed you up until you spin out!

6. Samson forgot that the LORD was the source of his strength. . . have I? . . . have you?

7. How scary is it to be a part of a people or a church that is sooooo routine that if God’s spirit leaves it (Judges 16:20) – no one would notice!

8. Many times. . . “success is simply getting up one more time than you fall down” (Mark Beeson)

9. Simon Peter only met Jesus. . . . because his brother Andrew brought him. . . . never underestimate what God can do with the people that you invite to come and see Jesus

10. Many of us are asleep to the power of prayer (Luke 9:32 )

May God receive tremendous glory from all that we do in the next 2 days !!!

Some of you have already seen this, but still. . . . here is some truth to hang onto today and this weekend:

Peace be with you –