I was picking up trash in front of the church building today while braving the afternoon heat. I found the usual trash: cigarette butts, empty whiskey bottles, Burger King bags, deflated balloons, napkins, even a pink copy of a "notice to appear." But something unusual happened as I walked along Main St.: a black shaggy medium-sized dog trotted down the sidewalk towards me. His tags jingled as he moved at a relatively fast clip, tongue lolling out of his mouth. No slack in pace as he passed. It looked like he knew where he was headed to, and no owner to be seen. I've seen plenty of stray dogs during trips to Mexico, but along busy Main and Johnson it was the first stray I can remember seeing for a long time.
Stray dogs are easy to spot. If only it was so easy to spot a man who has strayed from his Owner! A dog without an owner is a stray, but every man has a Maker. Once we are born again every man has an Owner. Followers of Christ look to Him to satisfy our thirst with His Living Water that brings eternal life. Many professing followers of Jesus are like that dog: they trot with purpose, but not the purpose of the Owner. Somehow they have been separated. God never leaves His children alone, just like no loving parent leaves their child intentionally at the fair. But kids are separated from their parents all the time through absentmindedness, distraction, or circumstances.
I've never had that sinking feeling of losing a child and having their name paged over the intercom. But as the city has ways of reuniting a stray dog with his owner, as stores have ways of reuniting father and son, so God has a way of being found by His children: His constant availability. James 4:8 says, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded." God wants to be found. If you seek Him with your whole heart, you will not remain lost. You will find Him because He will reveal Himself to you.
A good example is our huge family Easter egg hunt at my Grandpa and Grandma Henry's house. Every year Aunt Julie, Angela, or Darla have a hand in hiding the "golden egg" in an acre of property in Ramona. Now the golden egg makes this a hunt for adults and kids alike, seeing as it usually contains $20! Every year the focus is on the golden egg. Every year it is the very last egg to be found because it is hidden very well. After about five minutes of looking, kids and adults start saying things like, "Is it still out here?" or "Which side of the yard is the golden egg on?" The one who hid the egg will say, "It's on that half of the yard." Everyone will move over to that side. The egg is so well hidden that within ten minutes the search will often be narrowed to a small area until the egg is found.
My point is this: the golden egg is found every single year! My grandpa always tells us how every year eggs are left behind in gopher holes and in piles of grass. But not one time has the golden egg remained because it was our chief focus. There are some who give up and sit down, content with their finds. But there are others who will not leave the field until the egg is found. Likewise the one who hid the egg knows the location, and will continue to tip and assist until the egg is found. It is the same way with our LORD, Jesus Christ! He has revealed Himself through His Word. There are many who will start looking for salvation but lose heart. No one has ever found the golden egg eating BBQ on the porch, and no one has found eternal life without looking! If we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us. If we want eternal life through Him, we will find it because He will lead us to Himself. He is the prize that we are seeking.
The stray that trotted past me today had tags and a collar. He carries with him information that will reunite him with his owner. Every human being has been created in the image of God so His mark is upon all mankind. Unlike animals, God has breathed into man a spiritual element, a living soul. God has given man the freedom to choose to trust in God or to reject Him. There is certain hope for all who call upon the name of the LORD in repentance, humility, and faith! We have no power or knowledge in ourselves to be saved, but by the grace of God we can be redeemed from the wandering path. What a reunion occurs when a man comes to Christ! What sweetness there is in knowing your Maker as Savior and Master, and fulfilling His purposes. Nothing compares to the love of God. John 3:16-17 says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. [17] For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."
02 September 2009
31 August 2009
Our family is officially on the website!
I received word that our information has been loaded on the Shepherd's
Staff website. We look forward to uniting in the pursuit of God's glory
in Australia! If you want to see the page, follow this link!Not only do we have the inestimable power of God to protect and provide us, but God is building a team to serve God together with us. I am reminded of Ephes. 4:15-16: "...but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ-- [16] from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love." It is comforting to know that the call for some is to go, and others are called to send. We are not in the business of self-promotion, but the ministry of God-glorification. When the Body of Christ is united in a venture of faith, God will be faithful to lead, guide, and provide.
30 August 2009
What faith is...
Today in the high school group we discussed the marks of faith in God. Faith is not based on what we receive from God, but is active reliance upon the character of God as revealed in scripture. It is a tragic fact that many people read the Word of God, but do not know God personally. In a day when the focus is predominately on what God has done or can do for us, it is high time we started simply magnifying the character of God's nature. The reason why we are blessed by what God does is because of who He is. God is good, so all He does is good. God is righteous, so all He does is perfect.
A biography gives a small glimpse into the heart of a person. An autobiography even more so, because it is written from a first-person perspective. The Bible is God's autobiography, His living will and testament. In its pages we see that God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and without sin. Every attribute of God is infinite: He is just as well as gracious, loving as well as true. Not one attribute nullifies another and is like a facet in a jewel that increases the beauty of reflective light. It would be a waste to read God's Word and not come away with increased knowledge of God. The scriptures were given that we might know and believe on Christ, as John states in John 20:31: "...these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name."
How we can sell God short by only dwelling on what He does! Who He is should be our focus! In talking with a friend today, he talked about how an acquaintance (I'll just call him Joe) spoke with George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. They carried on a brief and rather awkward discussion about the newest Indiana Jones movie. Joe had seen movies directed by these two, especially Star Wars and Indiana Jones. He knew the works of Lucas and Spielberg very well. He could talk about the history of the films, quote lines from them, and perhaps even explain how they were directed and produced. But Joe didn't know Lucas and Spielberg on a personal level. He had no intimate knowledge of them personally: things they love, ways they deal with stress, how it would be to work with them, their political views, or future dreams. It was a brief, shallow, and superficial interaction that fell far short of a meaningful conversation.
For a lot of Christians, this same awkward "relationship" (which is likely a stretch to use the term) parallels the relationship they have with God. They know that Jesus has died to save them from their sins. They know that God loves them, that Jesus is the Good Shepherd, and that He hears our prayers. The focus is on what He does rather than on who He is. We are like a kid at his fifth birthday party who is completely focused on the loot he will receive rather than the people who demonstrate their love through the giving of gifts. Not every child is like that, of course, but we must guard ourselves from focusing on the gift rather than the giver, what we receive rather than Who is giving!
I was challenged by this thought today. I am resolved to make sure I dwell upon the characteristics and attributes of God in my prayers, when I meditate on the Word, and in preaching. I'm going to keep my eyes open and my heart ready to receive more light concerning God's character. Isn't it amazing that God cannot be taught? Nothing needs to be explained to Him or catches Him off-guard. Isn't it wonderful that God does not change? Our bodies change and perspective changes as we grow older and the realization hits that things we once thought were so important are simply the small dust on the scales. God has been right since before time began. I praise and thank Him for that! God is good, and in Him is no shadow of turning. All glory to Him who was, is, and who is to come!
A biography gives a small glimpse into the heart of a person. An autobiography even more so, because it is written from a first-person perspective. The Bible is God's autobiography, His living will and testament. In its pages we see that God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and without sin. Every attribute of God is infinite: He is just as well as gracious, loving as well as true. Not one attribute nullifies another and is like a facet in a jewel that increases the beauty of reflective light. It would be a waste to read God's Word and not come away with increased knowledge of God. The scriptures were given that we might know and believe on Christ, as John states in John 20:31: "...these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name."
How we can sell God short by only dwelling on what He does! Who He is should be our focus! In talking with a friend today, he talked about how an acquaintance (I'll just call him Joe) spoke with George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. They carried on a brief and rather awkward discussion about the newest Indiana Jones movie. Joe had seen movies directed by these two, especially Star Wars and Indiana Jones. He knew the works of Lucas and Spielberg very well. He could talk about the history of the films, quote lines from them, and perhaps even explain how they were directed and produced. But Joe didn't know Lucas and Spielberg on a personal level. He had no intimate knowledge of them personally: things they love, ways they deal with stress, how it would be to work with them, their political views, or future dreams. It was a brief, shallow, and superficial interaction that fell far short of a meaningful conversation.
For a lot of Christians, this same awkward "relationship" (which is likely a stretch to use the term) parallels the relationship they have with God. They know that Jesus has died to save them from their sins. They know that God loves them, that Jesus is the Good Shepherd, and that He hears our prayers. The focus is on what He does rather than on who He is. We are like a kid at his fifth birthday party who is completely focused on the loot he will receive rather than the people who demonstrate their love through the giving of gifts. Not every child is like that, of course, but we must guard ourselves from focusing on the gift rather than the giver, what we receive rather than Who is giving!
I was challenged by this thought today. I am resolved to make sure I dwell upon the characteristics and attributes of God in my prayers, when I meditate on the Word, and in preaching. I'm going to keep my eyes open and my heart ready to receive more light concerning God's character. Isn't it amazing that God cannot be taught? Nothing needs to be explained to Him or catches Him off-guard. Isn't it wonderful that God does not change? Our bodies change and perspective changes as we grow older and the realization hits that things we once thought were so important are simply the small dust on the scales. God has been right since before time began. I praise and thank Him for that! God is good, and in Him is no shadow of turning. All glory to Him who was, is, and who is to come!
28 August 2009
Shepherd's Staff Details
Laura and I are very excited about our partnership with Shepherd's Staff. We are grateful and blessed to be affiliated with such a ministry for many reasons. For those who are interested, I'll do my best to explain the relationship that Shepherd's Staff will share with our family. Though we are being "sent out" by Calvary Chapel El Cajon, I will no longer be an employee of the church as I have for the last four years. I will be "employed" by Shepherd's Staff, though they will not pay me. People will choose to support our venture in faith, make tax-deductible donations on our behalf to Shepherd's Staff, and they will pass along the funds to us.
When I go to Brisbane, I will not be allowed to make any money in Australia. I will be traveling on a Tourist Visa, which enables me to stay for up to three months at a time. Funds that God provides through friends and family will be sent from Shepherd's Staff to us. In addition to financial accountability and oversight, Shepherd's Staff gives me W-2 status, supplies health care for our family at a reasonable cost, and provides a wealth of godly counsel through pastoral and support staff. We have been so blessed with Pat Kenney, the western regional Pastor. He visited with Laura and me in our home on Thursday and answered many questions we had.
One thing we will be discussing at the 6:30pm Friday meeting at Calvary Chapel El Cajon on September 4th is how people can be a part of our care team. It is amazing how God ordains the Body of Christ to work! People are not called to foreign fields alone, but God raises up people from the sending fellowship to assist with prayer support, communications, logistics, financial, moral and re-entry support. Kevin Akenson is the missions director at Calvary El Cajon, and we will work closely with him in placing people in positions to provide the support we need. Those on our care team won't simply be "helping out:" they will be joining in the work!
How awesome it is that God desires all His children to be involved in His business, whether on the home front or far from our shores. He has called and gifted us in many different ways that compliment each other. I was talking to Laura the other day and a wry smile crossed her face as I talked about a counseling appointment. She said, "You're not a counselor. You're a preacher!" It takes the pressure off of me to know that God has gifted me in areas and has gifted other people who are wonderful counselors. I've been called to give an answer for the hope that is in me, but I don't have lament the fact that I'm not a great counselor. I rejoice in the Helper, and that Jesus is that "Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6).
I thank God for each one of you, and thanks for caring enough to pray and support our family. We are excited about what God is doing and what He plans to do through this venture. "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake" (Psalm 155:1, KJV).
When I go to Brisbane, I will not be allowed to make any money in Australia. I will be traveling on a Tourist Visa, which enables me to stay for up to three months at a time. Funds that God provides through friends and family will be sent from Shepherd's Staff to us. In addition to financial accountability and oversight, Shepherd's Staff gives me W-2 status, supplies health care for our family at a reasonable cost, and provides a wealth of godly counsel through pastoral and support staff. We have been so blessed with Pat Kenney, the western regional Pastor. He visited with Laura and me in our home on Thursday and answered many questions we had.
One thing we will be discussing at the 6:30pm Friday meeting at Calvary Chapel El Cajon on September 4th is how people can be a part of our care team. It is amazing how God ordains the Body of Christ to work! People are not called to foreign fields alone, but God raises up people from the sending fellowship to assist with prayer support, communications, logistics, financial, moral and re-entry support. Kevin Akenson is the missions director at Calvary El Cajon, and we will work closely with him in placing people in positions to provide the support we need. Those on our care team won't simply be "helping out:" they will be joining in the work!
How awesome it is that God desires all His children to be involved in His business, whether on the home front or far from our shores. He has called and gifted us in many different ways that compliment each other. I was talking to Laura the other day and a wry smile crossed her face as I talked about a counseling appointment. She said, "You're not a counselor. You're a preacher!" It takes the pressure off of me to know that God has gifted me in areas and has gifted other people who are wonderful counselors. I've been called to give an answer for the hope that is in me, but I don't have lament the fact that I'm not a great counselor. I rejoice in the Helper, and that Jesus is that "Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6).
I thank God for each one of you, and thanks for caring enough to pray and support our family. We are excited about what God is doing and what He plans to do through this venture. "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake" (Psalm 155:1, KJV).
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