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Barnabas – Son of Encouragement

Posted in Church, God, God Stories, Responsibility, Service, Spiritual Growth, tagged calling, Discipleship, encouragement, fasting, grace, hearing God, joy, spirituality, work on July 1, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Do you have a specific calling from the Lord? All followers of Jesus have the great commission which applies to the Church universal and we each have a gift or gifts that God has given us for the proclamation of the Gospel and the edification of the Church. However, I suspect that many of us are uncertain whether we have a specific calling from the Lord. You see, this morning it just became very clear to me what my calling is even though I have been a follower of Jesus since 1983. The fact that I just received this crystal clarity doesn’t mean I have not walked in my calling. As I think of the times in my life that I have felt the most joyful, the most fulfilled, they have been when I was walking in my calling. Before I go further I will tell you that my calling is to be an Encourager.

Looking back on one of my formative God stories I realize that God spoke the call to me, but I concentrated on the wrong part of the word He gave. In May or June of 1989 I awoke in the middle of the night knowing God was present. I slipped out of bed and onto my knees ready to pray for whatever burden the Lord put on my heart. But no desperate need arose for me to pray about. I remember thinking / praying, “What is it Lord?” Then I heard Him speak to my heart. “I am going to have you say special things to special people. And to prove it, I’m going to take care of your house today.”

For years I have paid more attention to the miraculous provision God made in providing a home for us out of the blue the next day. But I am struck this morning by the truth of the calling captured in that first sentence. “I am going to have you say special things to special people.”

A few years later I experienced another profound revelation from the Lord. I was feeling led to undertake a three day fast for the first time. As I pondered this, a friend who attended a Pentecostal church approached me at work one day and said, “Dan, during worship in our service last night, the pastor had a word for you. He said if you will fast for three days on water only, then the Lord will show you what you are to do.” I was blown away. Until that time, I had not mentioned to anyone what I was considering. So during Holy Week that year I undertook a three day fast. I will never forget it. Most importantly I did receive a clear message from the Lord. Funny thing, it was while I was mowing the lawn on Saturday toward the end of the fast. The Lord said, “I have not called you to be a preacher and I have not called you to be a teacher, I have called you to be a man of prayer. You will preach and you will teach, but first and foremost I have called you to be a man of prayer.”

You see I had the notion I was waiting for God to call me into the ordained ministry. I loved Him. I thrilled at reading and sharing the Word. And I desperately wanted people to experience the new life in Christ, the abundant life in Christ that I had found. My vision of calling and ministry was fairly narrow and was confined to becoming a minister in a church. Even as my understanding grew, I did not grasp the fact that I had a calling and, with some degree of consistency, I was walking it out.

So the point of today is simple. God has a general calling on your life which is to honor and glorify Him, but He also has a specific call on your life. The following steps will help you find your specific calling.

1) Begin by asking Him to guide you and use you. As you lean on and trust in Him, He will lead you to your calling.

2) What are you passionate about? What brings you the greatest joy? For myself and for many others, we are most alive and impassioned when we are doing what God has created us to do.

3) What are you good at? The talents we possess are gifts from God. They are given to us, first and foremost, to glorify Him. They generally also help to provide for us, although that is not always true. An example comes to mind. Early in my faith walk, I told God I would gladly go into the mission field. I pictured using my engineering skills during the day to help people in a third world country build wells and construct homes by day followed by bible studies and preaching at night. But the call for me to actually go into foreign missions has not yet come. It seems likely to me that one of the reasons is my struggle with languages. For some, like our youngest children and my cousin Richard, languages come very easy, but not for me. In lieu of actually going overseas on foreign missions, we have been able to support and encourage others who have that calling.

4) What do other people compliment you on? Sorry, while this can include your mother, it has to be more than just her. When we walk in our giftedness, it will bless others and some of those people will let you know. I am not talking about stroking our vanity, but words of affirmation that we are doing what we are supposed to be doing.

Our calling will in some way support the Great commission – the growth and building up of Christ’s body in the earth. Don’t limit this to just the preaching and teaching of the Word though. I know God is the great physician who ultimately heals us, however He most often uses doctors and health professionals to be His agents of that healing. The difference between a person who is walking in their calling as a medical professional and a person who does not recognize what they do as a ministry is the motivation. One seeks to minister to people and meet their needs through God’s strength and provision. The other does not have this foundational truth driving them. I have heard of doctors who pray with their patients through the healing process. To me that is a great indicator that they are walking in their calling.

Just because you have a specific calling does not mean that these are the only ways God will use you. He is the omnipotent Creator of the universe. If you are available and obedient He is more than able to give you the grace in any and every situation you find yourself. However, recognizing your calling and seeking to put yourself into positions to grow and use the talents you have is a sure path to fulfillment in God’s amazing economy.

Have a blessed day today and may you flourish in the place where God puts you.

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A Sweet, Sweet Fragrance

Posted in God, God Stories, Service, Spiritual Growth, Vision, tagged family, honeysuckle, mind of Christ, plants, service, sin, spiritual growth on June 5, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Two and a half years ago my wife and I felt prompted to make an addition to our home. It seemed a little odd since we were facing an empty nest within 8 months as our youngest of four was about to graduate and head off to college. As we continued to pray the nudge became a clarified vision and so we began the process. The addition was to add a pool and a garage with an apartment over head. We designed it, found a builder who worked wonderfully with us to get it done before the two weddings we had that year, and by Memorial Day we had a new swimming pool and pool house. One of the most exciting aspects of the process for me was the opportunity to design and add the landscaping.

One of the coolest features we designed was a cedar pergola to connect the pool house with our home. This turned out really nice creating a rather strong contrast of the red cedar against the grey-brown brick of the buildings. Additionally it framed a small courtyard that needed the creative landscape touch. One of the things I envisioned were vines climbing up the pergola and providing an additional degree of natural shading as well as seasonal color. I found some plants that appeared like they would work and I added them into the plan.

Today, two years after completion of the project I regularly begin my day talking to the Lord on the pool house porch. This morning I was struck by the wonderful fragrance that wafted in and around the little courtyard from one of the honeysuckles that we planted. The plant has climbed the 12 feet to the top of the pergola and is covered in delicate pink blossoms.

As I breathed deeply I thought about how that little honeysuckle is like believers who grow into committed followers. Two years ago the plant arrived in a pot that I easily held in the palm of my hand. We were careful to plant it in good soil. We amended the soil and added the appropriate fertilizer. We also watered it whenever conditions warranted. A regular task through the growing season has been the training of the plant. You see honeysuckles spread broadly in their natural state. They tend to be invasive and a nuisance. We had in mind a vertical growth that looped up and over the pergola. So on at least a weekly basis we have had to maneuver the branches into the correct direction. Additionally we have pruned it removing dead and damaged growth as well as branches that weren’t heading in the right direction.

There are parallels with the growth and training of this little plant and followers of Jesus. The start of our life in Christ is a very delicate time. If the enemy can’t stop us from hearing and responding to Jesus’ call to save us, he will double down to keep us from growing in our faith. He hates all Christians, but if he can prevent us from becoming effective, then at least he doesn’t have to worry about us working in tandem with God to expand the kingdom. During this period of vulnerability it is crucial that new believers be properly connected to a vibrant body of believers who will ensure they are fed, nurtured, and encouraged.

A major challenge for new believers is the process of sanctification that we begin when we say YES to Jesus call upon our lives. Salvation is God’s gift given the moment we say yes to Him. Our new life in Christ begins then. It would be wonderful if all bad habits and sin tendencies were immediately removed at that time too, but it doesn’t work that way. My personal experience is that some of my sin tendencies disappeared immediately. Some did not. 1 Thessalonians 4 talks about living to please God which we do as we sanctify ourselves from the old habits and sins. In a very close comparison this is like the pruning that takes place on that little honeysuckle we planted. Unhealthy branches and branches that aren’t going the right way have to be removed. The same is true in our lives. And these things take action on the part of the new believer usually in alignment with the body of believers they are connected to.

Time is also a similarity between our honeysuckle and the believer. I have seen a few new believers “flame out.” In every case they jumped forward with great enthusiasm and vigor, but they wilted within a relatively short time frame. They had not taken the time to grow, to develop the roots of faith needed to withstand persecution and the various attacks of the enemy. Jesus talks about this in the parable of the sower see Matthew 13:1 – 23, but especially verses 20 & 21. As I mentioned before the early stage of plant growth is a very vulnerable time. The roots must develop depth to be able to withstand a dry spell.

I have a lot of perennials that I have planted. One of the worst things you can do for a perennial is water it too often. This results in shallow roots with no depth. If you then leave for a week or two and there is no rain you are liable to return to dead plants. This is one of the reasons that the Lord doesn’t just make life all fun and games. We must experience times of difficulty, challenge, and dryness to cause us to persevere, stretch ourselves, and grow our faith.

Finally I mentioned the wonderful fragrance coming from the honeysuckle. In the old testament the burning of incense was a prescribed act of worship. Symbolically we view the drifting up of the incense smoke and fragrance as representative of our prayers and offerings rising to God. As we spend time in the Word of God, the Bible; as we sit under good, solid teaching; as we apply ourselves to serving others; as we seek to hear and obey God, we will grow in our faith. It may be all small steps, but they are steps none-the-less. We begin to take on the mind of Christ more and more. We are like that honeysuckle stretching, reaching, and growing. And in our season to blossom, we will burst forth in fragrant, beautiful bloom. Our devotion and love of the Father will manifest itself in the flower and fruit of a life established and growing in Him.

Let me finish the story about why God gave us the vision to expand. About the time we finished building, my sister’s house sold essentially out of the blue. They looked around for some place to live, but that wasn’t working out. Again that nudge from the Lord convinced us to offer up our home. The day after our youngest son moved into College, my sister and her family moved in with us. The extra room made it work fine. And then 8 months later, our oldest son who had moved away for what seemed like a good job opportunity, realized closer to family was important. So their family of 4 moved in with us. So when the vision was given we wondered why soon-to-be empty nesters would be adding on rather than downsizing. We didn’t know, but we clearly sensed the Lord’s leading so we obeyed. And because we did we have been blessed to grow so much closer to our grandsons, son, and daughter-in-law as well as my sister, brother-in-law, nieces, and nephew. I’m convinced that despite the challenges that three families living together will invariably bring, we have all grown through this experience. And I believe that part of that sweet fragrance is the love and service we have given to one another these past two years.

Be blessed my friend and be a blessing to someone today.

Our Fragrant Honeysuckle

Climbing the pergola this honeysuckle looks and smells wonderful.

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Check Your Motives

Posted in Church, God, Jesus Christ, Responsibility, tagged Caiaphas, Easter, faith, Jesus, Killing Jesus, messiah, obstacles to faith, religion, religious leaders, Transformation on April 13, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Over the past few weeks I have taken more time to study one of the chief “villains” in the Easter story, Caiaphas, the high priest who orchestrated Jesus’ crucifixion. While I have contemplated the Easter story hundreds of times through the years, I have always just lumped Caiaphas and his father-in-law Annas into the group of evil religious leaders who conspired to have Jesus killed by the Romans. While true, I realize this superficial look misses a vital lesson that we need to consider in our walk with the Lord.

How did these men who were steeped in the religion of the Jews miss the coming of the Messiah?
As the prophecies were fulfilled why did they not stop, reconsider, and acknowledge that Jesus was who He claimed to be?
Finally when Jesus rose from the dead, why did they not get the message then?

Answers to these questions will help us find the right path that they failed to see. Simply stated “Wrong Motives Made Them Miss the Messiah”

For these men, religion defined by their interpretation of the Law, meaned everything. Most importantly it trumped the relationship aspect that God desires to have with His children. King David was called a man after God’s own heart because He was passionate to know the Lord. You can’t help but see this intimacy in many of David’s psalms – see Psalm 51, 91, 139 for good examples of this intimacy. For Caiaphas the protection of the “purity” of the Law was His responsibility. As high priest he was the final arbiter in disputes and interpretation of how it was applied. Viewing his role as the primary custodian of the Law, Caiaphas took exception to any view of the religion different from his. When asked by one of the religious leaders what the greatest commandment was Jesus response was not about religion but relationships. From Matt 22:35-40:

One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 22:37 (Deut. 6:5) 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 22:39 (Lev. 19:18) 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Jesus’ message of a relationship with God and particularly His boiling the Law down to two keys struck the religious leaders as a direct attack on everything they stood for. They saw their religion threatened and their defenses were on the alert to any further subversion of their religious practice. Their religion made it hard for them to see the living God among them.

There was also the potential political threat of Jesus teaching. Jesus was amazingly popular. He brought a message to every man, woman, and child of a God Who loved them deeply, Who care for them intimately, and through signs and miracles wrought by Jesus’ hand, was actively engaged in people’s lives. Under the Roman occupation though popular figures were considered a threat who could marshal the masses to rebel and this was not acceptable. Both the Romans and the Religious leaders were determined to prevent a rebellion, therefore Jesus walked under a cloud of suspicion. On a number of occasions Jesus pointedly rejected the political route even though many in the crowd clamored for Jesus to fulfill the popular interpretation of the conquering, kingly Messiah. But both the Romans and the Religious leadership heard the crowds, they saw them growing, and they felt the threat to the delicate balance in this hotbed of sedition. Their political view made it hard for them to see the living God among them.

Annas’ was of the Zadokite clan. The high priesthood had resided in the Zadokite clan for hundreds of years. When Alexander the Great conquered and rose to power he transferred power away from the Zadokite clan. The Romans however restored power to Annas’ ancestors building a political and financial relationship that was mutually beneficial to both parties… at the expense of the general population. Taxes, fees, exchange rates, and monopolies on religious essentials allowed the priestly families to become incredibly wealthy. They in turn shared some of this wealth with the Roman’s in the form of tribute. To the religious leaders Jesus assault upon the money-changers and vendors selling animals in the Temple was more than just an attack on their prescribed religious practices, it was an attack on their carefully crafted and extravagant livelihood. Their lifestyle and the financial pipeline from the religious practices that poured lots of money into their pockets made it hard for them to see the living God among them.

Finally as the story of Easter plays out the religious leaders’ anger, hatred, and rage finds its full vent upon Jesus. That Jesus does nothing to resist them, nor does He do anything to try and deflect their accusations causes the mock trial, torture, and execution to progress rapidly. In approximately 24 hours Jesus goes from kind and gentle leader of a small band of disciples to a dead body in a grave. The book “Killing Jesus” by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Duggard brings to light much of the context and backstory that we may not pick up just from reading the biblical text. The high priest and religious leaders broke numerous religious laws in the way they handled Jesus’ case, however they justified it all on religious and political expediency. On the third day, when the tomb is opened and the body of Jesus disappears despite a Roman guard stationed at the tomb, I would think that they might have second thoughts about who Jesus was and the validity of their actions. Instead they make up a story about the body being stolen and attempt to carry on life as normal. Their pride and their guilt made it hard for them to see the risen God among them.

We’ve looked at roadblocks to recognizing and accepting the Lord for Who He is. It is also true that these same obstacles will keep us from growing in our faith. Jesus has called us to live an abundant life. But it is important to realize that this abundant life begins and ends in our relationship with Him. Every one of the areas mentioned above: our religious observations, our political leaning, our lifestyle and financial provision, even our emotions are to subservient to our knowing and growing in Christ. The message of Easter is that Jesus is Alive. Let us live fully in the reality that Jesus is Alive and wants to live in us more fully every day. Say “YES!” to Jesus’ continuing work in you and you will experience His love in greater and greater measure day by day.

Be blessed my friend and be God’s blessing right where He puts you today.

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Life-long Learning

Posted in Church, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, Prayer, Responsibility, The Father, tagged bible, holy spirit, learning, obedience, scripture, study, Word of God on April 6, 2015| Leave a Comment »

John, the beloved disciple, concludes his gospel with an interesting sentence. John 21:25 says “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” While many of us have a few noteworthy accomplishments and amusing anecdotes from our life, Jesus’ life is the life above all lives to be studied. Although He lived for a relatively brief period, He is the central figure of history. The book that describes His life is the all time best-seller. It is printed in more languages than any other book. And despite repeated attempts to blot out His story and crush His people, the church continues to grow. As believers in Jesus we have a responsibility to become followers of Him. In Matthew 7:21 Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” How do we do this? In reality this is a simple, impossible task. We simply read the book that tells us about Jesus and God’s work in the believers, the bible, and then we do what it says. It is impossible for us to do this perfectly in our own strength. That is why Jesus to sent the Holy Spirit to all who would follow Him.

As a young believer I heard someone explain the difference between being intelligence and wisdom. Intelligence is the ability to grasp and understand large amounts of information. Wisdom is the ability to apply the information one possesses in the right manner. I witness this in my work with plant managers and leaders in manufacturing. The truly special leader is one who possesses a good intelligence and exercises excellent wisdom. Many are the leaders who are intelligent, but do not walk in the most wise fashion. In Matthew 10 Jesus gave directions to His disciples as they were being sent out on a brief training mission. In verse 16 we read “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” Jesus does not want us ignorant of His work. He admonishes us to become as knowledgeable as practically possible, yet walk in humble innocence.

Our church is a good example of what God can do through a group of committed believers who seek to follow Jesus every way we can. We are a bunch of imperfect people seeking to know and serve a perfect God. One of our Pastor’s tag lines is a simple phrase, “Read the Word. Do what it says.” By doing that we see people come to faith by the dozens and even hundreds. We do not have a final count, but as of 9 am on Sunday morning we had already seen over 200 people come to faith in Jesus. And at the 9:15 service at our campus I saw dozens more come forward and make a profession of faith. This is a wonderful thing to see.

This is the first vital step into the abundant life Jesus calls His followers into. Being the first step carries the certainty that there are many steps to follow, too many and too varied to be addressed in a short post. However the Holy Spirit, who seals every believer at conversion, is able to lead and guide each believer into the life God calls them to. The Holy Spirit knows what is needed, what is not, where we must go, what we must do. In short, the Holy Spirit is God living in us to guide us into all that we need to know and do. The caveat here is that the Holy Spirit is still subject to the will of the believer. Jesus desires to work in concert with us. Our willful obedience, not our coerced obedience, is God’s desire.

Today, I encourage you to do a few things that may be new. First, ask the Lord to instill a fresh desire in you to know Him better. Second, ask the Lord to show you anything inside of you that is hindering your taking your next step in faith. Third, read the Word and ask the Lord to help you do what it says. Fourth, listen and respond to the leading of the Holy Spirit. He will always lead you in accordance with the Word of God. In fact the bible and the Holy Spirit are always perfectly in synch.

The Holy Spirit inspired the writers of the bible to put down the words we read. It is the Holy Spirit indwelling the believer who gives us the ability to read, understand, and follow what it says. If you feel lead to do something that is contrary to the bible, then stop and seek the Lord’s clarification. I have had the Lord prompt me to do things that I thought were odd, things that definitely took me out of my comfort zone, things that I normally wouldn’t have thought to do, but I have never had the Holy Spirit prompt me to do something that is against the scripture. Let this be a safeguard for you.

In the post-resurrection days, the Church literally exploded into life. People recognized that God had done the most amazing thing the world would ever know. It remains the pivotal point in all of history. And people were moved to live in a radically new way, following the teaching of the One who had conquered death and called them to this new life. We have the opportunity to follow in their footsteps. Jesus calls us to Himself and then into the unique life He has equipped us for. Immerse yourself into learning about and following the One who loved you so much He went to the cross on your behalf.

Be blessed today my friend. And be a Spirit led blessing to others.

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Alleluia, Jesus is risen! The Lord is risen indeed!

Posted in Holy Week, Jesus Christ, Service, tagged Easter, Empty tomb, garden tomb, Jerusalem, resurrection on April 5, 2015| Leave a Comment »

The world was forever changed on Easter morning. On Friday sin was judged and the just penalty was paid in full. On Sunday the Lord rose triumphantly from the grave proving He had not only paid the penalty, but He defeated death, hell, and the grave in the process. ALLELUIA, JESUS IS RISEN! THE LORD IS RISEN INDEED!

In Friday’s post I shared pics from the Church of the Holy Sepulcher over the most likely site of Golgotha and the empty tomb. Just outside the current city walls there is another potential site where there was a rocky face that had the appearance of a skull and an empty tomb in a garden. During our trip to Jerusalem last spring we visited this site. Whether this site is the actual burial place or not, it much better depicts what it would have looked like. I share these pics with you today in hopes that this Easter you experience God’s grace in a new and powerful way. He died for you and He rose for you. Lift up you heart, your hands, your voice to Him this day… and be thankful!

Picture from around 1900 of what the rock face looked like. This was also beside a major road out of Jerusalem which was another necessary characteristic of the Roman’s. Crucify in a very public place to send a message to other would be rebels.

Communion shared in the Garden Tomb. Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of Me.”

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A Time to Grieve

Posted in Church, God, Jesus Christ, The Father, tagged crucifixion, Gethsemane, Good Friday, Jerusalem, Jesus, Jesus' death, mock trial, Stations of the Cross, Way of the Cross on April 3, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Good Friday is a time to remember what Jesus did for us. He was innocent. But He chose to die in obedience to the Father and out of love for us… for you and for me. Consider what He did. For the story from 4 perspectives Read Matthew 26:57 – 27:61, Mark 14:43 – 15:47, Luke 22:47 – 23:56, John 18:1 – 19:42.

He was innocent. He never sinned. At a time of great political tension in the land Jesus did not antagonize the foreign power that ruled. In fact His message and heart reached out to the Romans who listened and were receptive to truth. Remember the Roman centurion who asked for prayer for his servant. Jesus’ only “issue” was that He stood up to the religious authorities and He called them out about their hypocrisy.

He was powerful. He did not have to die. He certainly did not have to die the brutal way He did… if He chose not to. When He is arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, His followers begin to mount a resistance, but Jesus tells them to stop and that He could overwhelm His accusers with 12 legions of angels. But He chose to obey the Father’s plan and submit to them instead.

He was gentle. When Jesus faced His death, He laid aside any and every attempt to soften the path. I woke up at 3 this morning and I immediately thought about Jesus. At that time He was probably with the Sanhedrin. He had already been beaten, spit upon, and cursed by many. He was nearing 24 hours being awake. Don’t forget the intense sorrow He had experienced in the garden, sorrow and anxiety so intense that He had sweated blood. Already He had to be close to physical and emotional collapse. Yet He stood and He took their worst.

He was beaten and battered. In addition to the beatings He took from the religious leaders and the temple guards, Jesus was brutalized by the Romans who were professionals at administering pain and death in the most horrific fashion. Seriously, the Romans knew how to inflict the utmost pain and humiliation upon a person. It was a key ingredient in how they kept such a large empire under control. Make the penalty for resistance and rebellion so unbelievably cruel and painful that almost no one will stand against you. These were Jesus’ executioners. The most realistic portrayal of this is in the movie – The Passion of Christ. It has been a part of my spiritual discipline to watch the movie on Good Friday primarily because it portrays what Jesus went through… for you and for me.

He was loved and He was being separated from the ones He loved. The images of His mother, His disciples, His close followers mingled in the crowd of “haters” as He was led to Calvary had to pain Him further. But even more excruciating had to be the separation from His heavenly Father for a time. In fact this is probably the biggest deal of all. Jesus, the One Who existed in union with the Father from before the world began, was about to experience something that happened only this once in all eternity. As judgment passed on Jesus for all mankind’s sin, His Father turned away. When the sin was judged, Jesus knew separation from the Source of all life, His heavenly Father. Matthew captured this moment in Matt 27:45 – 46. Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” We know why today. The Father’s love desired to make a way for us to be reconciled to Himself. The demands of justice had to be met. Through the death of the only sinless, perfect soul, our redemption was purchased.

Again I encourage you to take the time today to let the weight of what Jesus did rest upon your soul for a little while. When we understand how much He did for us… how low He was willing to go to reach us… what great a price He paid for us, we cannot help but be deepened in our love and devotion to Him. That God loves you so much that He experienced Good Friday is amazing beyond description.

Receive the Lord’s blessing today in rich abundance. And share His blessing with those He brings into your life.

Here are pictures from our trip to Jerusalem. Actually we walked the Via Delarosa exactly one year ago today. I begin with pictures of the Garden of Gethsemane.

Garden of Gethsemane

Ancient Olive Tree in the Garden. This tree is hundreds of years old.

Inside the Church of All Nations in the Garden.

The altar in the Church of All Nations is directly over a large rock outcropping that was in the Garden. This is a likely place where Jesus prayed.

The Garden of Gethsemene was the location of an Olive Press.

The Garden of Gethsemane was the location of an Olive Press.

Our guide indicated that while these trees are possibly over a thousand years old, they roots continue to send up shoots and they live for thousands of years.

Our guide indicated that while these trees are possibly over a thousand years old, the roots continue to send up shoots and they live for thousands of years. So these roots existed at the time Jesus was arrested here.

Front of the Church of All Nations.

Next is the area where the Roman fortress Antonia was located. Here the final part of Jesus’ mock trial was completed, where the Roman scourging took place, Where He was dressed in a purple robe and a crown of thorns and mocked, where he was disrobed, and where His march to Golgotha began.

This is the Church of Condemnation. The area surrounding the “Stone Pavement” mentioned in John 16:19.

Inside the Church of Condemnation.

In the Church of Condemnation

This is the Stone Pavement where Pilate tried to release Jesus. He brought Jesus out wearing a crown of thorns and wearing a purple robe. But the crowd, incited by religious leaders, shouted, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”

Details on the Stations of the Cross.

Inside the Church of Flagellation.

Standing at the beginning of the Stations of the Cross

The following shots are several of the Stations of the Cross as we wind our way through the streets of the Old City of Jerusalem.

These final pics are from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre which is over the most likely site of Golgotha (also referred to as Calvary) and the Garden tomb. This church was built in 326 AD. It is also called the Church of the Resurrection in the Orthodox Church.

This altar is over the rock that is believed to be Golgotha, the “place of the skull” where Jesus’ cross was erected. Here a pilgrim leans in to kiss the rock.

This slab is supposed to represent where Jesus body was laid in preparation for burial.

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Holy Week in Israel – Palm Sunday

Posted in Church, God, Jesus Christ, Responsibility, Service, The Father, tagged Easter, hypocrite, Jesus, Kidron Valley, Mount of Olives, Palm Sunday, sin, Transformation, Triuphal entry on March 30, 2015| Leave a Comment »

My personal preference is majestic nature views like the vistas in Yosemite Valley or the view from Clingman’s Dome observatory. However the morning view of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives is impressive indeed. Such was the view locals and pilgrims experienced as they crested the Mount and viewed the city over the Kidron Valley.

View of Jerusalem from the top of the Mount of Olives. The golden dome is the Muslim Dome of the Rock which sits essentially on the site Jewish Temple Mount. Going even further back into antiquity this is also Mount Moriah where Abraham was directed with his son Isaac. At the last minute before Abraham sacrificed Isaac, God stayed his hand and provided a ram for the sacrifice. See Genesis 22.

Zoomed-in view of the southern side of Jerusalem. Shot 1 of 4 with each panning a little further to the north.

Jerusalem, Shot 2 of 4.

Jerusalem, shot 3 of 4.

Jerusalem, shot 4 of 4.

It was along the path leading down from this point and into the city that Jesus was hailed by the crowd, probably numbering in the few hundreds. Recorded in the gospels (Matt 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:28-44, John 12:12-19) they shouted, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord.” “Hosanna in the highest.” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” “Hosanna to the Son of David.” “Hosanna!” “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord” “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David.”

It is important to realize that Jesus was still an enigma to many. Some saw in Jesus the political leader who would rise up and challenge the oppressive Roman regime and lead Israel to freedom. Others saw a man who made outrageous claims of intimacy with God that bordered on blasphemy. Many were devoted followers who believed Him to be a great prophet. And some had even confessed Him as the Messiah, the Anointed One sent from God. So within the crowd that lined the path and pushed around Him there was religious fervor, political fervor, and a few skeptics who watched, listened, and took notes to report to the religious leaders.

One telling scene during the descent which probably took an hour or more, was that Jesus wept over the city (Luke 19:41). He knew the opportunity that the people of Jerusalem had, but He also knew that many would miss it. In the midst of what should be pure celebration, Jesus is saddened by loss those who do not recognize Him will experience. Unfortunately that is still true for many today. God is present and alive in the world today, but many still miss Him. They fail to recognize the time of the Lord’s visitation and their loss is an eternal loss.

That Jesus arrives in an understated manner is part of God’s approach to us. This approach leaves room for faith. While some religions believe it is acceptable to coerce conversions, that is not God’s way. He values the relationship built upon faith. When we exercise faith in giving up our lives to Him, then the gift He gives is an assurance that He is Who He says He is.

As I think back to my life before I gave my life to Him, I was a fairly religious person. I think it is important to clarify, I could not see hypocrisy in my life because frankly, I don’t remember my church speaking too strongly against many of the sins I walked in. I believed in God. I believed Jesus was His Son. I attended church almost every Sunday, said confession, and partook of the sacraments. I tried to be a good guy and follow what the church taught. What I did not do was regularly read the bible, pray, or live according to all that the bible said about believers. OK, that sounds like a hypocrite, but from my point of view I was just trying to be like many of the other “Christians” I knew. I guess I was just like a lot of people in the crowd on that first Palm Sunday waving palm branches and shouting, but not really knowing who Jesus really was.

That changed for me when I finally surrendered and asked Him to be Lord of all my life. My belief about God and Jesus moved from belief to certain knowledge. Doing “church” things out of duty morphed into living a life in intimate relationship with the living Lord. And the Word of God became the source of my inspiration, information, and strength.

Admittedly there have been times when I have struggled to release something, but the Lord has graciously led me successfully through a number of those challenges. I am sure there are still other opportunities to grow by either giving up something that I don’t really need or adding something the Lord wants me to undertake. However I am confident that since He has been faithful to lead and help me through those before, He will continue to do so in the future. Even though He was God’s Son, Jesus prayed and had to lean on God’s strength to pass through some of the tests that He undertook on our behalf. This is a model for us to follow.

A thunderstorm rolled through early this morning as I was praying about what to write today. At one point a brilliant flash of lightning streaked across the still black sky just as I looked up. Jesus had the power to ask, nay command, the forces of nature to obey Him and they would have. He even said at one point that He had to but ask and legions of angels would respond to His call. But He did not seek to be spared by any of the means He had at His disposal. Instead He obeyed the Father perfectly. He took my place and He took your place on the cross. He bore my sin and He bore your sin. The penalty that we were under, He paid.

On Palm Sunday Jesus again set His face resolutely toward Jerusalem. With raucous celebration around Him he crested the hill at the Mount of Olives and saw the city of His death, burial, and resurrection. And while He wept, it was not for Himself, but for the city and those in it who would miss what He was doing. Lord, help us to see, understand, appreciate, and act upon what you are doing in our lives and the lives of those around us – today and every day. To You be all glory, honor, and praise today and forevermore. Amen!

Be blessed my friend and be God’s blessing to someone today.

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Holy Week in Israel – Part 1

Posted in Church, God, Jesus Christ, tagged Capharnaum, forgiveness, Galilee, Israel, Jesus, Jesus life on earth, Jordan River, ministry, Mount of Beatitudes, Peter, restoration on March 28, 2015| Leave a Comment »

In 2014 we were fortunate to travel to Israel with a group from our church. I enjoy learning about history and I am an avid student of geography. Visiting the places where Jesus lived, walked, and taught was a dream come true. And while I have studied the bible for over 30 years, being there made it come alive in a new and vibrant way. This was just before the Arab uprising which stopped travel for several days. As we progress through Holy Week for the next several days I will share pictures and stories from that trip. To set the stage for Holy Week I will concentrate upon the trip prior to our Jerusalem visit today.

The three days prior to Jerusalem were spent in Galilee. We visited Capharnaum, where Jesus was based through His time of ministry, as well as many traditional sites such as the Mount of Beatitudes, the Sea of Galilee, the Jordan River, the Church of the Primacy of Peter where Jesus commissioned Peter to “Feed My sheep”. An over-riding impression of Galilee was peaceful. It was easy to picture Jesus walking through this land, ministering to people, healing, delivering, and teaching. Galilee is fairly rural. In Galilee the land is dotted with small villages surrounded by lots of fields and open spaces. It is different from the US where rural often means a single farm surrounded by it’s fields. I don’t remember seeing any homes remote from others.

When visiting places of historic consequence, I like to imagine what it was like at that time in history. That means you often have to look past a lot of what has been added as well as seeing through the revisionist history. Fortunately in the Holy Land you have two major benefits. First, there is much about the land that has not changed dramatically. Being such a highly contested area, there has been much ebb and flow to who is in charge, but not a tremendous amount of development that has significantly changed the land. One of the most significant changes is that modern horticultural techniques have made the land bloom and grow more prolifically than ever, however this has not resulted in significant development and growth… at least not in Galilee. Along the Mediterranean Coastline, yes, but not so much in Galilee. The second reason it is perhaps easier to get the feel of what it was like 2000 years ago is that we have the most accurate living document from antiquity to consult when we read the bible. The bible is far and away the most widely published and read document in history. And unlike all other ancient documents, the bible can be compared to extant manuscripts from the first century showing the accuracy of what we read today.

One small detail. I will refer to the Sea of Galilee by its traditional name from the scripture of Sea of Galilee. However it is technically a fresh water lake. Water flows in particularly from the snow melt and springs of Mount Hermon and it flows out by way of the Jordan River.

CAPHARNAUM

Matthew 4:13 tells us that Jesus moved to Capharnaum. It was in this area that Jesus called Simon Peter, his brother Andrew, James, and his brother John. (Matthew 4:18-22). It was in this area that Jesus got into a fishing boat and taught the people as they lined the shore. From this shoreline Jesus would climb into a boat with His disciples and travel to different places around the lake to teach, to heal, and to get away for quiet time with the Father.

Jesus’ home during His ministry years.

Ruins in Capharnaum.

One of the stories set in Capharnaum is found in Matthew 8:5-13. A Roman Centurion comes to Jesus asking for healing on behalf of his servant. The Centurion’s faith in Jesus is so strong that Jesus is “amazed.” (See verse 10)

Aviel, our guide, provides background on the ruins of the synagogue we are standing in. Archeologists put the timing of this synagogue to around the 1st century meaning it is possible this was one of the places Jesus worshipped and taught in. The construction cost was likely funded by a wealthy Roman centurion.

The shore of the Sea of Galilee in Capharnaum.

MOUNT OF BEATITUDES

On a sea side hill about a mile from Capharnaum is the commonly accepted location of the Mount of Beatitudes (See Matthew 5-7). A small church was erected in that location and visitors like ourselves come to walk where Jesus walked and see what Jesus saw. We were there in early spring and everything was nice and green. We were told that the beginning of April moves into the dry season and shortly browns and tans would be the predominant coloring. As you can see, it was fresh, colorful, and alive.

View southeast from the Mount of Beatitudes. Mount Arbel is the peak just left of top center.

View west from the Mount of Beatitudes.

View eastward from the Mount of Beatitudes.

Church on the Mount of Beatitudes.

View up to the church on the top of the hill that is the likely location of the Mount where Jesus gave the sermon on the mount, including the beatitudes.

CHURCH OF THE PRIMACY OF SAINT PETER

The Church of the Primacy of Peter sits on the water’s edge on the north side of the Sea of Galilee, a little below the Mount of Beatitudes. This location is believed to be the same one described in John 21. This makes sense since it is only a mile or two east of Capharnaum where the disciples would have likely headed after Jesus’ crucifixion.

Reading John 21 again, I am struck by how Jesus responds to the disciples, especially Peter. First Jesus sought Peter and these other disciples out after they had gone back to Galilee. Jesus had told Mary of Magdalene to tell the disciples He would see them again in Galilee. In my mind I suspect they had “hung out” for a little while before they resorted to what was familiar to them – fishing. Second He met them where they were and He met their immediate need. An entire night without any success was instantly turned into overflowing success immediately following obedience to Jesus’ command. Third He feeds them. Notice that He already had fish and bread ready for them when they came ashore. Finally the way Jesus restores Peter is telling.

Peter denied Jesus three times. Jesus asks Peter three times does he love Him. With each response I can sense Peter’s growing desperation to assure Jesus of his devotion. I can’t prove it, but I believe that Peter carried with him a large burden of guilt because of his denial of Jesus. There are not a lot of activities that are recorded in all four gospels. When they are they are vitally important in God’s message to the church. Peter’s denial is one of them.

When Jesus forgives us, our sins are literally transferred to the ledger of “debt fully paid”. We do not ever have to go back and pay that debt. This is hard for some people to accept though. As proud and brash as Peter was, it is likely that his sense of guilt was strong and would hinder the plans Jesus had for him. Jesus’ three questions and three directives were directly aimed at demolishing the foot hold the enemy had in Peter’s life through that guilt. Finally Jesus speaks prophetically to Peter to let him know that he will again face a choice to deny or follow Jesus and this time he will follow to the very end.

The Primacy of Peter chapel.

Inside the chapel at the Church of the Primacy of Peter.

Statue symbolizing Jesus reinstating Peter into leadership in the church.

The outside chapel at the Church of the Primacy of Peter. We enjoyed a wonderful quite time as a church here.

Having Church on the shore of the Sea of Galilee on the grounds of the Church of the Primacy of Peter.

JORDAN RIVER

The place we visited on the Jordan River and had baptism was within a mile or so from where the Sea of Galilee empties into the Jordan River which flows the 75 or so miles south to the Dead Sea. We were told that the lower Jordan River is fairly polluted due to the heavy use of the lower Jordan River for agriculture, but I don’t have any confirmation of that. As you can see by the pictures it was a beautiful location. The Jordan River below the Sea of Galilee for most of the year is a small, meandering stream rather than a large flowing river. I find it so like our Lord to take a small and relatively insignificant river and infuse it with eternal meaning as the site of John the Baptist’s ministry and Jesus’ baptism. The same is true of Galilee in general. There are no large and prosperous cities. The people seem to live quiet, modest lives. It is such an understated place for the God of the universe to perform the vast majority of His earthly ministry. But that was His plan and purpose.

Pilgrims coming up out of the Jordan River.

The baptism site at Yardnit on the Jordan River in Galilee.

The baptism site at Yardenit on the Jordan River in Galilee.

Jordan River downstream from Baptism location.

Pilgrims awaiting the baptism at the edge of the Jordan River.

TIBERIUS

We stayed two nights Tiberius, the city built by Herod Antipas during this time and named after the Roman emperor. For a time it was the capital of Galilee. While much of Galilee was decidedly Jewish, there were Roman cities built during these years such as Tiberius and Sepphoris. These cities were built from the excessive taxation of the local citizenry and strove to create a Roman feel in the backwoods province of Galilee. These were pagan cities of the foreign rulers built to impress upon the local population the dominance of Rome and perhaps bring the influence of Roman culture.

View north from our hotel room in Tiberius. I never was sure what that flare was, but it reminded me of Jesus teaching that a city set on a hill cannot be hidden in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5:14) About four hours after this picture we were on that Mount which happens to be just under the city shining in this picture.

Tiberius from our hotel.

View back at Tiberius from out on the Sea of Galilee.

Demonstration of the traditional “fishing” on the Sea of Galilee.

One of our tour boats on the Sea of Galilee.

The fishing fleet returning at days end to Tiberius.

The hills north of the Sea of Galilee

Remnants of the morning shower that rolled across Tiberius and the Sea of Galilee at daybreak. It was so cool to wake up to this flash shower that quickly rolled down off the hill above Tiberius and onto the Lake. It reminded me of the stories of Jesus calming storms such as the one found in Matt 8:23-27.

Over the next few days I will share a few other pictures and stories from Israel. One of my biggest take-aways from the trip was that the Lord who is powerful beyond comprehension chose such a quiet and relatively non-descript area to send His Son. We are talking about Jesus’ entire life and ministry spent in an area the size of New Jersey. Today over 2 billion people all around the world call themselves Christians. Amazing! But that is not all. Wherever you are, whatever you have done the same God who chose this unlikely piece of land to fulfill His amazing plan is asking you to be His and to allow Him to use you and your life for His glory. He wants to pour His life into and through you just as He poured His life into and through Galilee 2000 years ago. And just like He is not through using this Holy Land in His plan, He is not through using you either. That is awesome beyond words! Thank you Lord God Almighty!!!

Be blessed today and be a blessing.

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An Opportunity So Huge…

Posted in Church, God, Prayer, Responsibility, tagged faith, holy spirit, intercession, Islam, missionaries, Prayer, religious activity, truth on March 3, 2015| Leave a Comment »

The sales person pitching their wares will often tout their product with the line “An opportunity so huge you won’t want to miss it.” If we listen just a little we are drawn in and before we realize it we are purchasing this must-have item that 30 minutes before had never seriously crossed our minds. Such is the power of salesmanship. There are amazing opportunities in life, but the majority of them arrive without the fanfare of a huckster working the crowd to drum up business. In fact the greatest opportunities are often disguised as challenges, a difficulties, or a crisis. Today the world faces a number of major challenges. That means we are on the cusp of some amazing opportunities. In times of trouble it is imperative that we fix our eyes on the Lord and follow His leading for the crisis to be transformed into the blessing that He can bring. Let’s look at one of the opportunities today.

The rise of ISIS (and Iran) in the Middle East is a major crisis. I have been perplexed by the lack of outcry from more moderate Muslims over the violent actions by ISIS. We don’t know all the motivations, but I assume fear of being targeted by the extremists is part of it. However my recent study of the subject reveals that the true nature of Islam is revealed in the rhetoric and actions of ISIS. If we peal away the politically correct rhetoric and misrepresentations of the “religion of peace” and get to the heart of the teachings of Islam, we find a movement that is commanded to achieve world domination through whatever means necessary. Lying and violence to achieve the spread of Islam is not just condoned, it is encouraged. This is a sobering realization and one that is vitally important that we grasp. What Hitler wanted to do in the name of the Aryan race, ISIS wants to do in the name of Allah.

Up to this point my prayer has been, “Lord please stop ISIS.” “Lord, please protect our soldiers.” “Lord, please give our leaders wisdom in dealing with ISIS.” But yesterday I realized I was missing the opportunity that lies before us, an opportunity that I believe the Father wants us to participate in through our intercession. That is the evangelization of the Muslim world. You see, the Muslim faith exerts very strong restraining pressure to keep people from leaving the faith. From the total loss of family and friends to loss of life, the negative societal implications for a Muslim to convert to another faith is practically overwhelming. Yet today the stark, brutal nature of the religion and its moral bankruptcy when compared to the teachings of Jesus have never been more clear. This presents an opportunity to reach moderate Muslims with the true Gospel of peace.

We support a dear family that has been ministering in Muslim lands in central Asia for 11 years. They recently relocated to a country very close to Iraq. Obviously I have been praying for their safety. They answered God’s call to missions as a newlywed couple and now, four children later, they minister as a family of six dedicated souls. The Lord has laid it upon their hearts to find people of peace. These are Muslims who God has put the notion in their heart that there is something more, something greater, and they are willing to ask questions that Islam forbids. In their last place of service the Lord brought a young Muslim family into their life because one member had a vivid dream of Jesus coming and speaking to them.

Our opportunity is to join with the Lord in praying these divine encounters into being. There are many Muslims right now who are scared and searching. While ISIS is making a big show of their brutality to westerners, they are that much and more brutal off-camera toward moderate Muslims. This is a time when the door of opportunity to reach a very hard people group with the gospel exists. Jesus specifically commanded His followers to pray for this in Matthew 9:38 and Luke 10:2. From Luke, Jesus told them, “The harvest in plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field.”

Here are a few specifics that the Lord has put on my heart to pray for as well as suggestions our missionary friends have offered as prayer points.

1) Pray for the Lord to stir the hearts of Muslim people to seek Him. This will include supernatural visitations of God’s power.

2) Pray for the Missionaries to make contacts with “people of peace” in other faiths who are open to talking about the gospel and truth.

3) Pray for protection, including invisibility from the enemy during the crucial formative stages of this movement.

4) Pray a hedge of protection for the missionaries, their families, and the new converts that God will bring into the body.

5) Pray for courage for Muslims to take their next steps and accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

6) Pray for Muslim families to convert so that home churches can begin in their homes.

7) Pray for provision for this work to go forward. Provision is first God’s hand directing and leading all these efforts. Second it is the prayer covering that we are talking about right now. Third, it is the meeting of the physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs of those engaged in this work.

May the Lord bless you today with His mercy in abundance as you go forth to love and serve the Lord.

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Eye on the Prize

Posted in God Stories, Jesus Christ, Service, tagged crabs, dugout canoe, fishing, honduras, mission trip, persistence on February 25, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Do you have trouble becoming distracted? In the Movie “Up”, this is humorously captured whenever a squirrel shows up or even the mention of a squirrel takes place. Retaining a sharp focus upon the task at hand is a necessary trait for success. The ability to articulate a definitive vision and goal, and then determinedly stick to the plan to achieve them is a critical element of success. This is true on the grand scale of nations and armies as well as in our personal lives and with daily activities. During our week in Honduras, we got to see this dogged determination play out in a fun and inspiring manner when we went “fishing” with Erlin and his father.

The gentleman in the yellow shirt is Erlin’s father and Erlin is the young man in the middle of the green boat. That was our vessel for the trip into the bay on that sultry Thursday morning.

Getting into the bay required weaving through a mangrove forest down a narrow channel until we got to bigger water.

Erlin’s father knew the waterways well since his living was made plying the waters catching fish and crabs and performing whatever odd chores he could find. Fernando made it a point to take us on this tour not only to give us a picture of what every day life looked like to the locals, but to give this family a little income.

We passed a few other fishing boats. The term fishing was used rather loosely to refer to any activity around the water that entailed catching food for the dinner table whether it was fish, crabs, oysters, shrimp or whatever.

Twelve year old Erlin sat beside his father acting as the first mate. As we made it out into more open water I looked around for the life preservers. I realized then how much our lives in the US are regulated. There were not only no life preservers, there was no load rating on the boat, no throwable floatation devices, actually there wasn’t much at all other than a small boat that resembled a dugout canoe with a rather antiquated 25 horsepower motor, one gas can and nine passengers.

When we got into the bay we traveled for about 20 minutes along the mangrove covered shore. Having covered three or four miles through various channels and streams to get into the bay I realized we were a long and arduous distance from any civilization.

Now I mentioned yesterday that the village was called Playa Grande which can be translated as grand or large beach. Well, I have to say the name had to be applied either in jest or as very wishful thinking. Up to this point we had seen nothing resembling a beach.

The heat of day, the gentle slap of waves against the hull, and the buzz of the boat motor had lulled me into a drowsy state. Suddenly I noticed the wind created by our movement die down and the motor idle back. We then turned into the beach for our picnic.

At the risk of chasing a squirrel, I want to make a point about different perspectives. To our new friends this was their understanding of what a beach was like. I expect many of my readers got a little chuckle as they saw this beach that doesn’t exactly fit the picture of a beach most of us have. Perspective is huge isn’t it. To all of the young people and to many, if not most, of the adults in Playa Grande their experiential base is what they can see within a days walk of their home. The broad sandy beaches that we associate with a beach simply isn’t within the experience of most of the people of Playa Grande.

As we ate our mangos and drank our drinks, a discussion between the men broke out about whether they could catch crabs here to show us. They thought it was possible, but they would have to move away from the beach to do so. Erlin, listening intently to the discussion, said there were crabs close by and he could catch one. A little smack-talk ensued which seemed to only strengthen Erlin’s resolve.

The men spread out and disappeared while Erlin walked a few feet and away and shouted, “there’s one down here!” (Fernando was giving us the play by play interpretation since all the conversation was in Spanish.)

We watched as Erlin started digging furiously into the mud.

Every now and then he would stop to listen. Then he would dig speedily again.

He was down on the ground reaching as far as his short arms would reach trying to get his hand into the crab hole and around the crab.

Finally he shouted and Fernando announced that he had a hold of a crab. A minute later Erlin walked back to the group with his prize.

It was really fun to watch this unfold as Erlin was the first back to the beach with a crab.

This vignette reminds me of what the author wrote in Hebrews 12:1-3

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing out eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him He endured the cross, scoring it shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

Our vision is to be and do all that God created us for and Jesus died for us to walk in. A steady focus upon the Lord combined with a consistent, determined pursuit to know Him is the path to an abundant life in Him.

Paul states it in a similar way in Ephesians 3:12-14.

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

I am so thankful that we had an opportunity to spend this week in Honduras. It was especially gratifying to see the Lord touch and change lives – ours as much as anyone’s. And I will never forget the lesson of a persistent young man with mud up to his neck, a grin from ear to ear, and a wriggly crab in his hand.

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