A Dangerous Prayer

"Dear Lord, please keep us safe and secure."

I would safe that most of our prayers take form as variations of the above.  Whether it is during travel, financial stability, or healing an injury or illness, we as humans like to be safe and secure.  Christians especially are hooked on the comfort thing...what good is believing and obeying the Almighty if He cannot even keep you safe?  I pray, You protect.

I know that I spent most of my life offering up similar requests.  It is a normal thing to like security.  But what if while it is normal, it is not what is needed?

I have been on mission trips to Haiti twice in the last two years to work with an orphanage in Port-au-Prince, the capital.  Haiti is a very unstable and dangerous place and so I prayed for God to protect me...but what if I was praying counter to what God wanted?  What if "safe" is not the state that God wanted me in in order to do His ministry?  If I really wanted to be safe and secure, I should have stayed in Nebraska.  If I really wanted to be comfortable, I would not be in most impoverished country in the Western Hemisphere.  But I was in Haiti, a dangerous place...it is good to ask for protection, right?

My father helped lead these mission trips to Haiti for about seven trips a year of three years and he put it like this: God loves us and will always do what is best for us...but what is best for us is what is best for Him and what is best for Him may not include security, stability, or safety.

Jeremiah 29:11 is an oft quoted verse: "'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the Lord. 'Plans to prosper you and not to harm you; to give you hope and a future.'"

This is a very comforting and encouraging verse until you look at it from a none materialistic perspective.

What is not the greatest prosperity that man can experience is seeing God's face and hearing "Well done, good and faithful servant."?  Do you know when you will hear that?  When you are dead.  Being dead is not really "safe" in the world's eye.

What can harm us when we are aliens to this world?  What can be taken from us when our possessions and bodies are on loan?  We will be given new bodies when...we hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

What hope is there outside of God?  Doing anything BESIDES what God intends is hopeless...there is only futility.

What if your future is not a cruise to retirement on a Florida golf course, but the golden gates of heaven and...hearing, "Well done, good and faithful servant."?

I do not enjoy pain and I would not intentionally wish it upon someone else but...we are not in control.  We are serving the MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE...the ONE and TRUE GOD who has determined us worthy of His UNCONDITIONAL LOVE and has called us FAMILY...what is a little pain in comparison to pleasing Him?  What is discomfort when home is waiting?  What is life but an opportunity to say, "Yes Lord"?

But I warn you...this is a dangerous prayer.  When you stop praying "Keep me safe" and start saying "Thy Will be done"...watch out.  When your earthly "safety" no longer becomes a priority to the places that God is going to take you so that you can do wonders...you will be safe in His arms.  When matters of this world no longer matter, He will stretch you and pull you and make you do things that just plain hurt.  HE WILL ANSWER THAT PRAYER.  When you ask, "Put me where you need me."...He will.  So be careful what you pray because God is listening.  If you want to be stay "safe", you will probably will...and that might be all you do.

So think hard what you want to ask Him for.....

                         your safety?                                                    or His glory?

Blank, Blank blanked the blank and the blank.

"Yesterday, Stephen ate the muffins and the broccoli."

The above is a very underwhelming sentence and can easily be ignored or discarded as it does not really contain any vital information.  However, this particular configuration of letters and punctuation is acting a space filler and an example for this lesson in fully understanding an idea through word meanings and sentence structure.

"Yesterday" is an introductory phrase in that it provides important information that applies to the sentence's meaning, setting, and back story.  This particular word is letting the reader know the time that the actions relayed by the statement took place.  So before we learn the action or subject of the sentence, we know the time...yesterday.

"Stephen" is the subject of the sentence.  This means that the whole sentence was created to explain what the subject, Stephen, did.  Subjects are like the bread in a sandwich, while the fillings (actions) and toppings (describers) may change the bread will always be there as the staple.  We are thus learning what action Stephen took that was important enough to be expressed through written communication.

"Ate" is a verb.  Verbs are the action that is being preformed by or to the subject of the sentence.  Verbs give motion to the sentence.  Without this type of word, the subject simply exists without movement or activity..."Yesterday, Stephen."  Yesterday Stephen existed.  While it is important to know what the sentence is about it is equally important to know what is taking place.  The verb choice sets the tone for the idea as words like "decimated" or "ran" bring very different images to mind.

"The muffins and the broccoli" is a phrase known as the direct object.  A direct object answers the "What?" question.  Stephen ate what?  The muffins and the broccoli are the answer.  The sentence can be called complete without a direct object but it would lack possibly vital details.  Yesterday, Stephen ate...a rhino...a hamburger...Manhattan.  I think you get the picture.  Like the verb, the direct object and alter the magnitude of the atmosphere of the sentence.  Eating a rhino is much more epic than eating a hamburger...unless it is a hamburger the size of Manhattan (but that is a different topic).

The fact that I ate muffins and broccoli is not really that big of a deal and possibly not even worth the bits of data that it takes to transport it to you to read.  But the point of this email was not to share my dietary habits with you but to explain and hopefully deepen your appreciation of the power of words and the way in which they are organized.  While the words are simple, the depth is not.

The fact that I ate muffins and broccoli could tell you that I care about getting my vitamins but still enjoy fun food.  It could also imply that the fact that I told you that I ate the food yesterday was so important that I had to put it first...I could have told you the timeline at the end or not at all.  The fact that I am telling what I ate must mean that those muffins and broccoli were a pretty big deal in my life.

The fact that I have spent almost a page over-explaining this whole event to you should make you think that the first sentence of this whole rant most be HUGE in order to be worthy of an entire blog entry...

How about another example.

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."

Where the Women At?

There is a shocking shortage of 20-something women that on are on the roads at the same time that I commute to work and back.

Nothing.  Nada.  Zipporino.

Now this may not seem like a valid concern or even something worth taking notice of but for me it is for many reasons:

1. I am a male.  Being of such gender, I notice that all prospective mates of appropriate age in any situation that I may find myself in.  It is not something that I or any person of the XY model always does on purpose.  It is sort of like how radar picks up the presence any moving object within a certain perimeter...only my objects are women between the ages of 20 and 25 and with a pulse...and it is always working.

2.  I would like to someday get married.  This fact goes beyond the basic ability to detect and identifying possible matches and narrows it to the fact that to usually marry a women...one must meet a women (and no I do not realistically expect to meet my future wife by passing her on the freeway...I am not that dumb...but it could happen and thus reason #1).

3.  It sums up the last month and a half of my life (see explanation below).

We all have expectations for life.  No matter how hard we try or strive to not make plans, we end up making a plan in the process.  Humans naturally like to know what is going to happen, what should happen.  Our lives contain an infinite amount of possibilities for how every single second of our lives could turn out...think about.  At this moment, as you read this, anything could happen.  There is nothing from stopping an elephant breaking free of the local zoo, picking up a bouquet of flowers, and delivering them to you right this instant through the new elephant sized sun light in your house.  Anything could happen...there are no limitations, sure some may say stuff about laws, social etiquette, physics, jail, and other restrictions that determine what we can and cannot experience in our lives.  I am currently writing this piece from my desk at work during my lunch.  Warren Buffet could walk into the office and tell me that he just bought the company and inform me that I am fired because he needs my cubicle for his ferret bungalow.  That could happen...it probably will not, but it could.  Reports of miracles from the news and the Bible give us knowledge that anything is possible despite the supposed restraints.  When there is an infinite God with infinite knowledge in charge of the universe, possibilities are infinite.  THERE ARE NO LIMITS TO WHAT CAN HAPPEN IN YOUR "EXPECTED" 74 YEARS OF AVERAGE LIFE.

                                                                  ...but with such unlimited possibilities, we still find expectations.

If my expectations came true I would be currently resting up for my game as a professional football player in my Make Tony Stark Jealous engineering lab where I make the world’s coolest products and with my pregnant Christian model wife…but obviously things do not always go the way we hope.  For me it turned out better than my feeble imagination could conjure.

I wonder if that is how Gideon felt as his defending force was cut from 32,000 to 300 (not exactly up to expectations)…and then he conquered an army of 120,000 (way better than expectations).

How about when Samuel was told to anoint the next king of Israel and finds himself face to face with the strapping first born of Jesse…and God said, “Next.”…seven times until he got to the baby of the family (that is not what he expected)…who became one of the most acclaimed men and kings to ever live (that is not what he expected).

I am in a place that God is bringing me to places beyond my comprehension by taking me places beyond my comprehension.  

I am loving life in a new state, a new city, a new apartment, and a new job.  I am in a place I have never been before and often find myself completely clueless…that is not any easy place for me to be.  I have always prided myself on having answers or a direction or at least something to make up.  God knew that too and has brought me to this place so that I do not know where I am going to end up, but I suppose that that is fun part.

Infinite possibilities with an infinite God…enjoy the ride.  You will probably end up in a place you never expected.

Going Straight Biblical

The 55th chapter of Isaiah has always been one of my favorite sections in the Bible because of its variety.  However, recently it gained a whole to new level of depth and meaning and importance.  Let's see if I can break down just how awesome this chapter is.  I recommend having a printed or digital copy of the Bible open while you read this.

(Warning: Explanations are not be chronological)

Vs 8-9 have been one of the foundation stones for my spiritual life for quite awhile.  Why not?  God is telling us (paraphrased) that we are dumb and He is smart, we know nothing and He has the game plan, we are mortal and He is infinite, we are nothing and He is God and thus...we should trust Him.  I love to make plans for my life (very spiritual and God pleasing plans mind you) that I believe to be a good course of action.  You would think after the first fifteen times that I presented my life script to God and He briefly scanned it, laughed, and asked me why I was trying to write a sketch comedy, that I would figure it out that He knows better than I.  I know you would not trust a three year old to set up your annual budget (otherwise you would end up with large investments in gummy bears and the proud owner of a unicorn ranch...which would actually be pretty cool) so why would you trust YOURSELF to set up your entire life...go to the expert.  Vs 10-11 continues the theme to remind us that God's Word accomplishes EXACTLY what it is supposed to, nothing more nothing less.  The snow and the rain nourish and grow the earth, God does the same for us. Look to Him especially when it makes no bloody sense according to our man (or woman) logic.

Vs 12 might be one of my favorite happy verses in the Bible.  So we are going out in joy and being led by peace strolling through the countryside with all birds chirping on this wonderful day, you know one of the those days that could only be made better if...wait "THE MOUNTAINS AND THE HILLS WILL BREAK FORTH IN TO SHOUTS OF JOY BEFORE YOU AND ALL THE TREES OF THE FIELD WILL CLAP THEIR HANDS." How awesome is that!  It always reminds me of the 1940's Disney shorts where the character is strolling along to cheerful whistle music and all this stuff happens.  How can there be anything wrong in the world when you have the mountains singing and the trees clapping (Boom...clapping to music while praising is Biblical...the trees say so).  Life is a joy.  Life is a blessing.  You exist in God's love...that right there is enough.  Nothing else matters.  When you feel low remember that Pikes Peak is swaying back and forth belting out a Southern Gospel hymn while the Redwoods are using their limbs to throw down a mean syncopation because...their God reigns and He is glorious and worth getting excited about.  Repeat: OUR GOD IS WORTH GETTING EXCITED ABOUT.  Focus on the blessings.  Life is amazing.

We spend our money on really dumb stuff.  Why do I have three toaster ovens?  Do I need a fully body massager for my dog?  What is the point of owning thirty-seven t-shirts?  Answer: Cause you problems; Heck no;  There is not one.  Vs 1-2 is a cry to not waste our time or resources.  We spend money on stuff that does not matter.  How is your 401k going to treat you in heaven?  Guess where your vintage dress collection goes when you die?  Goodwill.  The earth is temporary.  Jesus wants us to "Listen carefully to Me and eat what is good and delight yourself in abundance."  People always talk about those missionaries that go into dangerous places or people who pray four hours a day or believers that give away 90% of their income...and call them "radical" or "crazy" or "unbalanced".  Would you rather spend an extra hour on a school or work project that will be forgotten by next year or spend that hour building up your treasure in heaven for the REST OF ETERNITY?  I read a story in "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan about their where at his daughter's play and he asked his mother-in-law if she was enjoying the play and she responded, "I would rather not be here."  When he asked why, she said, "I just don't know if this is where I would want to be if Jesus came back.  I could be ministering to the poor, preaching to strangers, or in my room praying."  Our first reaction might be something along the lines of "Crazy old bat", "She has nothing better to do with her life", or "She is too spiritual".  Maybe you should read verse two again.

6 and 7 brings us back down to earth, again.  Repent.  We are all dirty sinners.  Period.  Finito.  We all have issues and problems.  We are all broken.  We are dirt.  We are worthless.  It is easy to get on our high horse and compare our righteousness to that person down the street.  You are right...you haven't raped anyone...congratulations.  Good work on not murdering anyone.  Do you want a gold star?  The problem is the comparison reference point.  Jesus, never sinned perfect Son of God who died on the the cross and conquered death for the salvation of every man, women, and child that ever lived and would live,...Jesus...is the standard...how righteous are you now?  How is that self-worth and sense of entitlement doing?  You deserve nothing.  But God says, "Seek the Lord...call upon Him...and let him return to the Lord, and He will have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon."  We are redeemed and set free.  We are given worth by that perfect being that died on the cross.  Live in appreciation.

This last section is the new one.  I have read it before but current life circumstance have made it...well...real.  Vs 5 freaks me out and makes me uncomfortable.  Here is why:  "Behold, you will call a nation you DO NOT KNOW, and a nation WHICH KNOWS YOU NOT will run to you, BECAUSE of the Lord your God...for He HAS GLORIFIED YOU."  Usually change occurs through hard work, connections, investing time, planning, outreach, and other generally tangible methods...usually that is how life works.  That just got thrown out the stinking window.  God is going to bring entire nations TO us that we have never met before...to us for what?  To preach the gospel and glorify His name.  Imagine walking outside your door to get the paper and an entire African tribe is sitting their, 300 strong, waiting for you to tell them about Jesus.  Intimidating right?  You ask why are they here and they respond, "God told us to come to you."  BOOM.  All self-accomplishment out the window...AGAIN.  GOD, THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE AND MASTER OF EVERY ATOM HERE, NOW AND FOREVER, HAS GLORIFIED YOU, THE KNOW THE KNOW NOTHING MORTAL THAT CANNOT TIE THEIR SHOES WITHOUT AN INSTRUCTION MANUAL, SO THAT PEOPLE THAT HAVE NEVER HEARD OF YOU AND YOU HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THEM WILL COME TO YOUR DOORSTEP LOOKING FOR THE LIFE GIVING WATER OF THE LOVE OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.  Are you getting the scope?  That kind of pressure and responsibility and lack of control is well...unearthly.  God is using us to reach the lost, heal the broken, and save the sinners.  We are not equipped or qualified but He "glorifies" us to make it work.  I am intimidated by the nations that I do not know but understand to be coming down the pipes.  Just be willing to show up and rely on Him.  You have the opportunity effect eternity with how you interact with strangers everyday that God has brought into your life...and there are no coincidences.  God plans all

I have no answers, just a passion to see the world on its knees before my God.

God Bless

Haiti

I just got back from two weeks working with orphans in Port-au-Prince, Haiti so I figured I had better give a summary of what God did there and what I heard and saw:

We live in a broken world.  Jesus is awake and live.  Our Lord God reigns.

Here is the website for Faith Mission International, the organization that I went with and my father works with, if you are interested in more information about their work or are interested in being apart of supporting this ministry through donations, prayer, or being a member of a team.

www.fmi-haiti.org

Blessings.



Wait...that is it?  You spent two weeks in one of the most impoverished locations in the world that is crippled by Satanic Voodoo and you write three short sentences?  It takes you at least four run-on sentences just to explain how you feel after a nap.  Where is the long, wordy text?  Where are the stories of how God broke you in every aspect of your faith and life?  How you experienced mornings where you could not talk to people for fear of blowing up at them from sheer annoyance and internal turmoil?  Not even a mention of the battle with the personal demons of pride and jealousy for a full week in relation to team members and leaders?  The absolute squaller in which a majority of the country lives that involves living in houses made of other people's trash and eating garbage?  To work with kids who were thrown in latrines by their parents due to the lack of interest or children that will probably never feel a loving embrace their entire lives?  You have to share your heart with these people, Stephen...the need to know what God is doing in you and in Haiti.  If the spiritual and emotional trials are too tough to share...go somewhere else.  They at least deserve a good story of a pant-less three year old boy in the tent city grabbing the newly unwrapped Nerf football and running screaming all the way throw the tents with the ball above his head as fifteen Americans watched.  Share the joy that comes from dance battles in which the winner is the first to remove the hat from the head of the other, playing basketball on a broken basketball hoop in 105 degree heat, cramming 47 people on a 24 capacity short bus for a two hour ride, or standing on the beach as orphans sing the praises of the ONLY Father that truly loved them.  What about the infants at the hospital that sat in stimulation-deprived comatose that later smiled and repeated words because someone took them time to care?  The botched projects that resulted in two hours of time with only the smile of an appreciative boy and a pile of splintered wood to show as a product?  The passion with which people in this country praise their God, no matter their economic or physical situation?  Tie in a important bible verse like Matthew 28:18-20, 'And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." ' where God showed you that He has all authority and He will never leave and we are to spread His love to ALL nations.  SHARE WITH THE PEOPLE THAT OUR GOD IS NOT DEAD AND THAT HE HAS ALREADY WON THE WAR AND NO MATTER THE CORRUPTION OR DEVASTATION OR THE PAIN OR THE FEAR OR THE DOUBT, HE WILL ALWAYS REIGN HERE, IN HAITI, IN AFRICA, IN EUROPE, ON EARTH, IN THE MILKY WAY, AND IN EVERY CREVICE OF THE UNIVERSE OUR GOD IS ABSOLUTELY SOVEREIGN AND THUS WE HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR.  Tell them that...tell them what your Heavenly Father has laid upon your heart.  Tell them of our inadequacy to handle life and all its issues.  Tell them that you have no idea what you are supposed to do with your life next year, next month, next week, or even tomorrow...but right now your God reigns and you know that Bible tells you that he has already won so we are to take joy in HIS victory.  Tell them.

Nah...I'm good...sometimes a few words say all that is needed.

We live in a broken world.  Jesus is awake and alive.  Our Lord God reigns.

Freedom Verse

Why is it that we never ask God what He would want from our life?

Instead we toil day after day in the meaningless pursuits like those of a fife.

Everyday we try to claim another piece of this world for ourselves, a continuous struggle,

But in the end we just end up as another muggle.

Part Christian and part worldly man and thus missing the point,

For a man that is only part Christian, is no Christian at all, not a single joint.

It is absolute dedication that our Heavenly Father demands from us,

Our heart, our soul, our successes, and our failures…this is not a band wagon or party bus.

Galations 2:20 says that it is no longer I who lives but Christ that lives through me,

It is the very abandonment of self identity that will actually set you free.

Free from  bondage and worry and helplessness and doubt and eternity in isolation,

The opportunity to live in unison with the very ruler of this entire population.

I have never really been excited about living forever in heaven,

Singing in robes and floating on clouds forever is as thrilling as bread without leaven.

But while I may not be amped for what I know about the above,

I am ready to live in eternity with the One Holy Dove.

Because I know the joy and peace and love that resides in me and my soul,

If heaven is the source of this goodness, I don’t want just part, I want the whole.

The song says that there is power in the blood of Jesus Christ the Lord,

It is that power that allows smile each day and not slam my head against a board.

God saved you and me.  He saved us through the abandonment of Himself, His Son,

Don’t you think that He deserves credit for everything that we have ever done?

My heart is my testimony for the reason that I died to live in service of Jesus,

What is your reason?  But please don’t keep it just between us.

America

Last night I had the privilege of driving and accompanying my elderly neighbor to a "Patriotic Musical" at a enormous church in Wichita, KS.  I was not sure what to expect but she was pretty excited so I settled on anticipation.

In the midst of a 80 person choir, 15 person orchestra, gymnast, professional videos, thousands of waving miniature American flags, smoke machines, confetti, thousands of red, white, and blue balloons dropping from the ceiling, taps, altar call (did I mention that all participants were decked out in patriotic clothing?), and the playing of many great American classics ("Yankee Doodle", "Proud to Be an American", "Hymn of the Old Republic", etc), I got concerned.

The main focus of the evening was on our service men and women, their families, and other "heroes" in our country.  I was is in no way concerned about the people whom they were honoring, for they deserve it, or their proclamation of their gratitude to have the freedoms that a residence in America allows.

I grew concerned when the following phrase was used: "America, the greatest Christian nation in history".

I enjoy my rights in America and recognize America's past and efforts to serve and reach out to the world.

I simply would not extend the title of "Christian Nation" to today.  America is no longer a Christian nation.  Here is my reasoning:

The previous title insinuates that the nation is led by its Christian beliefs: no.
Policies and laws reflect the Christian beliefs: no.
Citizens work to make sure that policies and laws reflect the Christian beliefs: no.
A majority of the nation claims Christian belief: maybe...and acts accordingly: heck no. (There is a difference between surveys of people and church attendance and life application)
Media, entertainment, popular culture, and clothing reflect such beliefs: no.
The love of Jesus permeates the very social, economic, and behavioral fiber of the nation: no.
Etc.

Call me a hater or in a bad mood but America has come along way from "one nation under God" and "In God We Trust".  I do not want to rag on what is wrong with America...I want to rag on what it CAN be.  The foundations of this country were established on the cornerstones of faith and love.  I know times have changed and things just are not that simple anymore...why not?  People are still people, politicians are still politicians (and sometimes people), and neighbors are themselves.  Things have not really changed that much really...just more technology and a bigger spiritual gap to fill.

I love America.  I am proud to be an American.  But I do not want to be so nostalgic that I think only of the Western exploration and WWII triumphs.  I also do not want to be so apathetic that I just complain and do nothing.  The afore mentioned evening was one of celebration and probably not the best time for the pastor to get all serious and gloomy, but we still must be aware.  Look at the statistics.  Look at your neighborhood.  Look at yourself.

This is our land.  We are God's people.  This is God's land.  We are God's nation.

Now...taking back lost ground is not easy.  There will be embarrassments, harassment's, and failures along the path of proclamation.  I AM NOT ENCOURAGING MILITARY ACTION OR POLITICAL REVOLUTION.  I want us to revolt with our lives.  Be what you want this country to be.  Address problems in communities and people.  Reach out to the hurting.  Comfort the needy.  Protect the weak.  Be a hero.  DO SOMETHING CRAZY.

This 4th of July, remember where you came from and look forward to where God wants to take you.

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.  Do everything in love.
                                                                        1 Corinthians 16:13-14 (NIV)