What color is it?

As I sat in class I am excited at what will happen tomorrow and the near future. As my classmates all agree we need to stop arguing and go out and do something. It is neat to see the vision shifting it is neat to see younger generation grasping that God's plan was simple. That we should just go out and obey the word instead of argue with everything in it.
I am excited as these are the present and future leaders in the church at what growth and excitement may come out of this realization, the scripture is actually pretty black and white. It is not gray most of the time let's stop acting like it. Let's stop living in fear of man. Let's be confident in Christ, lets be confident that God will work al things OUT FOR HIS GLORY. It is about him and not me. Lets bring him the glory and not ourselves. Lets actually die to ourselves.

Christmas what is about again?

I miss God’s Word being good enough. In Catel, Guinea Bissau, we didn’t have to debate anything, if God said it it must be true. Obviously, there are things to talk about and we all interpret things differently, I understand that, but some issues are just concrete in scriptures, but not here in America.

My eyes have been opened to how broken we truly are here in American. I mean, I knew it, but wow, I can actually see it now. We convince ourselves we are good because we have stuff, yet kids are dying spiritually and emotionally. How do you help a kid see that, when they just go out and get the latest thing and pretend all is good.

This time of year is a perfect example of this, things are a mess and families are falling apart. yet we pretend for a few days all is well, we try to buy our kids love or keep them out of our hair with some new toy. Instead of a toy maybe we should pray as families, study God's word, serve together, eat dinner together, and yes even have a good old fashion game night. 

God told us to be servants, to serve others, to go without, lets try that this holiday season. let spend all our extra time on family. For Christmas lets hang out as a family, lest share what we like about each other. instead of once again buckling under the pressure and becoming again like the world. Let us this year buck the culture and became the aliens and strangers we are suppose to be in this present world.

God was born into a wooden shabby manger for us and gave up everything he had to serve us, and then died on a wooden rough shabby cross. He served us his whole life, lets us follow that example and serve him with our whole life, let us give up everything to serve him and go where ever he may send us.

The reason for the season is to become a servant like Christ, when was the last time we modeled that with our Christmas list and spirit. Let this season be the beginning of something new in your and my lives.

enjoy

I am really enjoying Platt new series through Matthew, I hope you do also.

http://www.brookhills.org/rss/video.xml

great sermon

great sermon by Platt on Dec 4th.
http://www.brookhills.org/rss/video.xml

Short Term Mission

I was asked yesterday by a student what was the point of short term mission trip and did we really make a difference in Africa? I must say these are two very good questions. As I sat there for a second and thought about how to respond I realized quickly the difference we did make in 2 short weeks, but also the importance for continuing trips or a long term missionary to live in Guinna Bissau. I also realized that no amount or words or pictures can ever describe or give justice to a mission trip. Picture show a very small percent of what we did and in our case so much of the impact was spiritual and emotional, you can never take a pic of that. In a culture where women are still bought, have no value, and are beaten and abused. To see a Christian man during a marriage seminar sit by his wife and hold her hand, well honestly it takes your breath away. You can never fully describe it and it certainly means little in a picture.

So the answer is you have to go live it. I mean really live it. Not stay at some fancy hotel or gated compound, but to go live with the people, engage in their lives, participate with them in survival in the harsh West Africa life. Let them know they are an equal and you will work alongside them. This is why we go; to begin relationship so we can share the gospel. It also begins passion for missions, cause awareness, allows other people to come and connect, brings value to their life, and show us a lot of what we think matters in America really doesn't.

We also go to plant seeds, teach, and train others about Christ. In one of the bible studies we had with church leaders and others, we overviewed the whole Bible every book. A young man thanked us afterwards. No one had ever explained each book and why they are important let alone what they mean and why to read them. He was going to read a Bible because of that 2 hour talk. If nothing else it was worth it to go for that one soul to be exposed to the truth of God. I may never know what may happen with that young man or seed, but God will and he used us that night to speak exactly to him.

As I again mulled over the question at hand I realized how important short term trips are and why we need to continue to support them. Can I ever put it into words or show it in a picture. No I do not think I can. What I can say is go and see for yourself, go live with the people, let your guard down and be valuable. I hope all will serve someday weather here or abroad. Also I know we made a difference; you saw it in the hugs, the goodbyes, the pleading to come back, and the asking us to move there. I think the only way to ever understand this is to go and experience a short term trip yourself.

Reached and Reaching: Black And White

Reached and Reaching: Black And White: No, this post is not about racism. It's about the simplicity of the gospel message. I think we like to make gray areas that are non-existent...

thoughts from west Africa trip

I have so many thoughts in my head from Africa i do not even know where to start. I guess first is it was amazing there hungry for the gospel. They could not get enough and there was no distractions to study and church. Yes life is hard and days are long, but being unplugged was refreshing and very nice. You could actually sit and listen and not be drawn away to a meeting, email, text, tweet, or whatever you can put in that space. 

Second was the beauty of the country and massiveness of the stars at night. i never knew there where so many stars in all my life. There was nothing better to remind me of who I am, than to look in the Africa sky and see the majesty the Lord created.

Third the peoples willingness to share and give all that they had to anyone. As i have returned to the Christmas (greed season) in America, it has hit me hard how much they shared and truly lived in a biblical community whether they where aware of it or not. My first moment back to american culture was a Grandma taking my seat on the plane, stealing my headphones, and also taking my blanket as well as Karen’s. She returned to her seat, but we where out of luck in the terms of the blanket. We have so much and we think we are entitled to all and even more. In Catel they have nothing and share even that with others. 

These are all my thoughts for today I will share more tomorrow and the weeks to come.