"Bridges to Brazil"

“. . . As your days are so shall your strength be”  Deuteronomy 33:25

Three weeks ago today I left for one of the most incredible journeys of my life. I went with four of the most amazing people in the world, Bill Williams, Melissa Partch, Carlo Corral, and Justin Harrington for a 12 day trip into the Rain Forest of Brazil and to the state of Rodonia.  There we went first to the city of Vihleana and then to one of the indigenous people groups in Brazil called the Aikana Indians.  We went there with five primary objectives in mind.

• conduct Bible classes for the children
• encourage and equip the Aikana church leaders 
• Host a community outreach in the village 
• clean and repaint the Aikana Village church
• Be a witnesses to anyone and everyone that God brings across our path in the village and along the way. 

Amazingly God gave us the strength to accomplish all of these things and more.  Carlo, along with Justin and Melissa taught the children. Carlo used his talents as a professional clown, not to mention his nose, to capture and hold the attention of children and adults who gathered for four days in the heat of the day and once in the morning to hear the parables of Jesus including the Good Samaritan, the lost Sheep, the parable of the soils and more.

Bill and I sought to use our teaching gifts to encourage individually and collectively the the Aikana village church leaders.  We preached four times in the village and once in the city of Vihleana, teaching on spiritual leadership, personal holiness, stewardship and evangelism.  We were also privileged to meet personally with the interpreters who are working to translate the Scripture into their own language.

Meanwhile Melissa worked with Ana and Pollyanna to assemble gift bags for every family with the gifts we had brought from Journey, including toothpaste, toothbrushes, flashlights, combs, school supplies.  They were distributed personally to each family including the tribe’s chief, on the day of the outreach. She also personally made friendship bracelets for all of the children which she distributed on our last day there.

Justin coordinated cleaning and painting the church.  It wasn’t as easy as we thought since the building was taller and we didn’t have a lot of ladders.  Nor were they the kind we were used to but rather hand made and heavy.  We also had to battle “Brazilian wasps” which had apparently made their home in the back wall of the church.  Nevertheless we were able to finish the project with the assistance of a number of men and women from the village.

Finally all of us sought to be a witness to anyone and everyone we met along the way, whether it was someone we sat next to on the plane or Avahaw, the school teacher we met in the village, we prayed that God would help us to open our mouth to share the Gospel.  In addition all of us visited each day in the homes of various Indians.  There we we got acquainted with the villagers and were introduced to their way of life including the way they hunt, farm, cure their food, make music, and more.

Like the apostle Paul, “we were delighted to share with them not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, 1 Thessalonians 2:8 . Thank you then for your prayers and for the financial support of so many that we might be able to be His witnesses, both in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth, Acts 1:8.

Post Election Reflections

“In this you greatly rejoice. . .” 1 Peter 1:6

Did your candidate win in Tuesday’s election.  Chances are If he did then you are pretty happy, but if he didn’t then chances are you’re pretty bummed.  Yet Peter said that there is something we can and should rejoice in, something that is not dependent upon the results of any election here on earth.  It is our salvation.  A salvation that is reserved in heaven for everyone who has put their faith in Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:4

Our rejoicing then is not dependent upon anything here on earth but rather upon the thing we have in heaven.  That’s because this world is not our home.  We are only alien and and strangers and the sooner we begin to live like that the happier and holier we’ll be. 1 Peter 2:11

Is Every Church Supposed to be a Big Church?

Well that’s certainly what it feels like and whether the feeling comes from inside or outside yet as a pastor of “small” church, it’s a pressure I feel every day.  Yet I would never say that every Christian is supposed to be healthy, wealthy and wise, instead I realize that God is sovereign and will do for one what He wants and for another what He wants and it may not be the same, ie see parable of the laborers, Matt. 20:1-16.

So why then do I think that every church is supposed to be a big church? If God is sovereign in what he gives us individually why isn’t he sovereign and in charge of what he gives us as a church?  Well the truth of the matter He is.  Our only responsibility is to be faithful, faithful in keeping his word and not denying his name, or at least that’s what he told the church of Philadelphia, Revelation 3:8

'I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.

Though and open door was given to them that no one was able to shut, they were not given much power or in other words they were not great in number and influence, yet they had been faithful to keep the word and not to deny His name.  Thus they earn the Lord’s commendation not for their numbers but for their faithfulness.

I am reminded then of Paul’s encouragement to Timothy, 2 Timothy 4:2.

Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction.

So if you pastor a smaller church or are a member of a smaller church don’t let it disturb or discourage you, just be faithful. And if you pastor or are a member of a larger church “be careful” as James MacDonald said,  “not to cultivate an attitude of disdain towards smaller works that are worthy of Jesus commendation.  Maybe it is, as Jesus said, one of the ways in which the first will be last and the last will be first.”  James MacDonald, Churchleaders.com

It's Not All Up to Me

If you run a business, raising a family, or part of any venture, chances are you think “it’s all up to you.” I’m not running a business or raising a family, but I am planting a church and the tendency is to think that “it’s all up to me.” Sadly that puts pressure on us that God never intended us to bear. It also robs us of our joy and God of His glory.

The truth is, it’s not all up to me, nor is it all up to you. It’s all up to God. Jesus did an amazing thing one day to teach his disciples this truth. It’s in the Gospel of John chapter 6. Here a crowd of people have gathered around Jesus when he turns to one of his disciples and asks, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” The truth is He already knew the answer but He said it to “test” Philip. Sadly Philip failed the test. He figured it was all up to him and so he said, “Eight months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

Andrew on the other hand, who was always bringing people to Jesus, brought a little boy to Jesus who had five barley loaves and two small fish. For sure it wasn’t much but, he knew that it wasn’t all up to him, but it was all up to Jesus. He passed “the test” and brought what he had to Jesus. Jesus then did an amazing thing. He not only multiplied the five loaves and two fish so that there was enough to feed five thousand men but he multiplied the little boys lunch so that there were enough “leftovers” for each one of the disciples.

So what’s the point? The point is IT’S NOT ALL UP TO ME, and neither is it all up to you, IT’S ALL UP TO HIM. The only thing we can do is bring what little we have to Jesus.

"No More Excuses"

Have you seen the King’s Speech? It’s actually a great movie. It won four Oscars. Best picture, best actor, best director and best original screen play. Unfortunately it’s rated R, but that is only for one extended expression of expletives. Never the less I would still recommend it.

It’s based on a the story of King George VI, who was King during one of the most critical times in all of England’s existence. Bertie, as he was affectionately known before he became King, was never supposed to become the king. His older brother Edward was supposed to become King, but after his scandalous abdication from the throne because he married a divorced Hollywood starlet, “Bertie” was tapped to succeed his father King George the V.

The problem was “Bertie” had a terrible speech impediment,. He stuttered. So much so that it threatened not only his confidence but it threatened to undermine the entire confidence of the entire nation as well. Consequently his wife, arranged for her husband to see an eccentric speech therapist, Lionel Logue. After a rough start the two form an unbreakable bond that enables him, the King, to overcome his stuttering and find his “voice”, a “voice” that inspires his people and unites them in battle.

Well, in the Bible we have a story of someone who struggles with a very similar speech impediment and inferiority complex and yet God calls him at a very critical point in his nations history to lead his people. And yet he argues with God, offering him nothing but excuses for why he can’t do what God wants him to do.

His name is Moses. He is another one of the Old Testament Super Heros we’ve been looking at this Summer at Journey. The last time we saw him he was suffering from anything but an inferiority complex. His problem in the beginning was that he was too confident. He knew that God had a purpose for his life and so he set out to fulfill it. Consequently then one day while visiting “his” people he saw one of the Egyptians beating his fellow Hebrew and so he killed him, Exodus 2:11-12.

11 One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. 12 Glancing this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.

He thought that this was God’s calling for his life and it was, but it wasn’t God’s timing. He imagined that “his” people, the children of Israel would rally around and follow him. But that’s not what happened. Instead they turned on him. Consequently then he was forced to flee for his life, Exodus 2:13-15.

13 The next day he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, “Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?” 14 The man said, “Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and thought, “What I did must have become known.” 15 When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian, where he sat down by a well.

Moses then spends forty years in the wilderness, far from the comforts of the palace and the promise that one day he would become a great leader. But suddenly and almost without notice God shows up to Moses. He shows up to him in the midst of a burning bush and says, “I have seen the suffering of the children of Israel and now is the time I want you to go and rescue them,” Exodus 3:9-10.

9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. 10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”

You would think then that Moses, when he heard this would have been thrilled. I can finally do what I was made to do, but that’s not what happens. Rather than respond to God in obedience he responds to God with an plethora of excuses. Over the next several posts we’ll look at Moses' excuses for not obeying God. I think you will be amazed because they look at lot like ours. (next time, excuse number 1)

Coming To Journey this Summer

"It's a bird, it's a plane, no it's Carlo, our Children's pastor. He's dressed up like a Super Hero in order to promote our new Summer Teaching Series at Journey. We are doing a series called Super Hero's. It's a study of Old Testament Characters, unmasking the super powers of courage, perseverance, faithfulness, courage and more. To help us we are looking at the characters of Daniel, Elijah, Abraham and Joseph.

It's not just a series for our adults and teens, our children, Kindergarten through 5th grade are studying the same thing. This weeks Super Hero is Elijah. if you want to get a head start, read 1 Kings 18:1-39 and see if you can find out what his super power is and where he got it.

Is Tressel being Thrown Under the Bus?

Ok, I’m just sick over Coach Tressel’s resignation. Has OSU thrown him under the bus? Is their “brand” worth more than their belief in an individual? Yes, he made a mistake, a big one, but we all make mistakes. It won’t justify his behavior, but I would love to know why he lied? Was it to protect his reputation and future or was it was to protect his players? Or was it something else? I know there is no “legitimate” reason, but there are reasons and I would love to hear them from him before I throw the first stone.

I also wish that OSU would be different than every other University and organization and work to restore him rather than throw him under the bus, even if he crawled under the bus himself, Galatians 6:1

 1 Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.