Sanya Bella

Well, I'm back! Last Saturday I arrived home safely from a truly incredible and remarkable journey to Kenya. This was my eighth trip, but my first alone, I have to admit I was a bit nervous, also this my first time to fly Kenya Airways, a very pleasant experience, other than the crying baby on my way from London to Nairobi, and the fact that my television went off after fifteen minutes, which is huge on a nine hour flight! I left home on Sunday September 21st, arrived in Nairobi at 6:00 AM on the 23rd and was on the next flight to Kisumu by 8:00 AM and in Kisumu by 9:00 AM. My day began on the run, Sammy Franz picked me up at the airport, took me immediately to Moi Stadium where we would have outdoor crusade in the evening and in a massive tent in the mornings. That same day I was honored to meet the mayor of Kisumu and the city clerk, we would later meet with the mayor again at a dinner for the local pastors. Nearly 40 pastors joined together to sponsor this crusade with Peter and Chris Franz of GFI-Ministries and Cita Ministries, these two brother are the sons of a German missionary who planted churches and ministries throughout Kenya, in fact, Peter was born in Kisumu! During the two week crusade over 1000 people made decisions for Christ, many were healed and delivered, it was absolutely phenomenal. The Lord honored me by allowing me to be invited to speak in the day services, I spoke on Leadership principles and Relational evangelism, also spoke in the Fire Conference along with my good friend and mentor, Bishop George Gichana of Praise Celebration Deliverance Church in Eldoret. From there I traveled with Peter and Becky Franz north to the Turkana District, where I saw poverty in a way I've never seen, this is desert area, there is no income, no businesses, no buses or taxis, the people live in huts and scrape by to the best of their ability...yet, in the midst of all of this, GFI has built a church and medical dispensary, they have establshed a long term relationship with these beautiful people...I was honored to eat in the home of Pastor Nachii Johonson, ate goat for the first time...at least for the first time I was aware of it...thankfully it was good and I didn't spew all over the place. This trip opened my eyes to many things, opened doors of opportunity for me to return to this third largest city in Kenya, to minister to the people of Turkana and the pastors of Kisumu, and to continue with my passion and heart for Kenya...The Lord is good and faithful!

The Journey

One of the greatest lessons I've learned in life is that life is a journey not an event. An event only last a prescribed amount of time, whether it be a few hours, days, weeks or month, maybe even a year or more, it will end at a prescribed time, no event lasts forever. A journey is a totally different thing, it does have a beginning and an end, but it is what takes place in the middle that make life exciting, that is the journey! The journey takes us down many different avenues, it introduces to people, places, and things we never dreamed we'd meet, the journey enables us to connect with other, teaches us to communicate, and it teaches us to commit. The exciting thing to me about the journey is that we are able to invite others to join us and together we discover things that event people will never find. Will you join us as we boldly go where we've never gone before?

The Dynamics of the Unknown

In a perfect world we would always know what is just around the corner, who was lurking in the dark, what they really meant when they said what they said, and most of all...how everything is going to turn out...In a perfect world! We would never question what the Apostle Paul was getting at when He said that all things work together for the good, to them who are the called according to His purpose(Romans 8:28), because we would know that He really does have the whole world in His hands...In a perfect world! But we don't live in a perfect world, don't understand why things are the way they are, how things work, or why certain things happen the way they do...we are called to simply place our lives in the care of God and trust Him for His desired results. There is the dynamic of not knowing, the task of walking with God in His word and believing that Job was right when He said that God knows the way we take, and of Solomon who said we are to trust Him with all of our hearts, not to lean to our own understanding, to acknowledge Him in all of our ways...and then and only then would God direct our paths...after all, aren't the steps of good men ordered by the Lord? The dynamic of the unknown is walking in darkness and allowing the light from within to guide us, it is living by faith when the human part of us cries out for knowledge. It is following the example of Abram who left the familiar and comfortable place of his father to go not knowing where he was going, but seeing in his spirit what God was preparing for him, embracing it by faith and moving toward it...one step at a time...Our times demand this type of faith...don't they?

Second Chances...Go Brittany?

Call me a crusader for lost causes, broken people, and those considered underdogs, I am all of those! These week I was scanning cnn.com and saw where Brittany Spears had been on the MTV Awards show and won several awards...I say go Brittany! Before the religious crowd comes out of the woodwork and crucifies me understand that I do not listen to her or watch her, do not agree with her lifestyle and readily admit that she is not my idea of a role model for my daughters...however, she is a person, who has a soul, and tremendous talent and ability, she is a human being, a daughter, sister, and mother, she is someone's friend and a member of someone's family...Brittany Spears is a person who has the attention of many people! She is also an individual who was given a second chance and took it! For months we watched headlines of her failed marriage, apparent breakdown, child custody battle, parents intervening in her finances...we listened as the world said she was done, down for the count, her best days behind her...but she's back, looking healthy and thankful for a second chance! I am thankful for second chances, for I too have failed, dropped the ball, stepped out of the picture, checked out of the box, and found myself in need of family and friends, in need of redemption and the opportunity to try again. How well I relate to the story of David who returned home with a group of battle weary, tattered warriors, who were so discouraged they too considered stoning David. The Bible says that David encouraged himself in the Lord and that God's response was to direct him to go to battle and that he would absolutely be victorious and recover all that had been lost! Isn't it wonderful that God can take our failures, our breakdowns, our inabilities and turn them into places of victory? Perhaps it is this principle that intrigues me, that if Brittany Spears can be redeemed and come back in the eyes of the world, what can God do with ordinary people like me and you? I say...Go God!

People in the Process

Years ago Bill Cosby did a record, not a cd, a real life actual album that talked about how wonderful it would be if Polaroid could create an easier way for childbirth, it would make the process quicker and less painful. I would suppose women across the world would rejoice and we men who want everything in life to be quick would be happy campers...but somethings need process! I don't mind eating microwaved food, at least when it comes to burrito's or corn dogs, warming up left overs is ok, but I want pot roast to simmer all day long, if not over night...there's something that happens in the process that makes it worth the wait! Process is an important aspect of our lives, in our emotion, physical, and spiritual development, somethings need to come suddenly and somethings need to be developed and waited upon. So often in our impatience we look for shortcuts, seeking to find an easier and quicker way, not recognizing that in bypassing the process we are depriving ourselves of much needed elements. The concept of waiting is frustrating to us, standing in line irritates us, going through the various levels of process annoys us...yet, if we are willing to submit to process we will posses and become exactly what God has desired for our lives. The Apostle John talks about this in John 1:12 when he states that as many as would receive Him(Christ) to them He gives the power to become the sons of God. At the moment of salvation all that He is is deposited into our lives, but it takes time and process for it to be developed...how we need to learn appreciate and enjoy process!

Back In Illinois

This morning I left sunshine and warm weather to venture off in Springfield, IL. Tomorrow morning I begin revival at Heartland Worship Center, I'm really looking forward to this meeting, getting to know the pastors and seeing all that the Lord will do. I flew Ted airlines, felt like I was on the Hee Haw Plane, to board I had to go out the rear door of the gate area, down two flights of steps, up another flight to the rear of the plane...where I was seated next to a young family flying with their two year old, who is the next two and one half hours was not still nor quiet for more than a minute, the mother the entire time wanting to move so the baby will have more room, I'm on the aisle seat, she's in the middle...I kindly moved and enjoyed the remainder of the flight. In Chicago for a layover I enjoyed a nice Chicago Hot Dog...something about being in the City...It's Home! United Airlines and Ted are now my least favorite airline, cost me 15.00 for my one checked bag which my receipt calls "Excess Baggage", how can it be excess if it's my only bag? Here in Springfield I'm staying at a nice Ramada Inn with all sorts of places to eat within walking distance...it's going to be a great week...Even if it is only 73 for a daytime high! It smells like Fall and that is something I miss!

Getting Anxious

In 18 days I will board a plane and leave for what I believe to be the trip of a lifetime. In 2004 I went to Kenya for the first time fully expecting it to be my last, before we boarded to return home I knew deep within my spirit that I would return over and over again, and I have. This upcoming trip will be my eighth trip since March, 2004 and already I am looking forward to the next time! What makes this trip exciting is that I am going to Kisumu, the third largest city in Kenya, the home town of the new Prime Minister, Mr. Odinga, near Lake Victoria, and will be participating in a large outdoor crusade with my good friend Evangelist Peter Franz. We will teach leaders to lead, share the Gospel, and train pastors and laity alike to share the message of Christ in the streets. Already 80,000 posters have been prepared and will be distributed, I believe many people will come to know Christ! I am excited! We will travel also to Turkana, where the second oldest people group live, descendants of the Cushites, I absolutely cannot wait. When I return to Kenya I always feel like I'm returning home, as if this is the place that I belong, not one day goes by that I do not think of Africa, that I do not dream of being there, and wish that I could spend more time there. I'm not a full-time missionary, probably not even a part-time missionary, but I am Wambua, rain in the Kamba language, the brother of Titus Kiillu, the friend of Rapheal Mutinda and George and Daniel Gichana, Pastor Maurice and many others. God has emblazed a passion within my heart and spirit for these people and I will forever be thankful that God has allowed me to journey into this wonderful land. And so I travel, and I share, and I love, and I dream, and I live in the hope that I can somehow make a difference that will not just change the moment, but the future for the better for the glory of God!

Love The One You're With!

When our oldest daughter was born I could not imagine loving a child more than we loved Kaitlin. She was and is the apple of my eye, as a baby I was consumed by her, to the point that I honestly believed that she was the only child to ever have a cold, get the sniffles, fall down, or any of the other things that happen in the lives of our children. If she went to the doctor for a routine checkup I would beg God to let her be OK and not to die...I was fanatically consumed with this child...and still am to this day...often some of our most important decisions are based on how it would effect this child. When Kaitlin was three we moved from Kentucky to Illinois, my wife wanted to have another child, while she was consumed with having another, I was content and consumed with not having another, after all, how could I love another child as much or in the same way I loved Kaitlin, and I would never divide my love for my children...I love them both equally...they are the joy of my life! This morning we had a guest minister speak at our church, he spoke of God being our refuge, our resource, and our rest, he told us that God loves us not because we are valuable, but that because God loves us we are valuable. He made a statement that spoke volumes to me, he said there are times when we give more to one child than the other and that there are times when people ask the question, "How do you give more to one than the other?" The answer, "Who ever needs more at the moment!" What a powerful thought, God loves each of us the same, but there are times in our lives when more grace is required, when our needs are greater than another's, and God in His infinite love and wisdom releases into our lives exactly what we need! Do I love my girls equally, absolutely, are there times one gets something or more than the other, certainly, but not because I am unfair or because I feel differently towards one of them, but because at the moment the opportunity or need arises and we are blessed to bless them! I guess we simply need to love the one we're with!

What If It Is...What If It Isn't?

Recently I saw a flier for an upcoming youth rally called "The Final Push" it is intended for the "final generation". The lineup looks incredible and this will no doubt be a fantastic gathering! When I read the title though the thought immediately came to mind, what if this isn't the final generation? I admit I can be cynical, but in this instance it isn't my intention, I along with many believe that we are living in the end times, but I also believe that there have been several generations that have lived in the end times...so how do we know that this is the final generation? And if it is the final generation when will it end? And if it isn't the final generation what do we do? It seems to me that the teachings of scripture taught an imminent return of Christ to the earth, but it also emphasized readiness, a sense of urgency, but not fearfulness. The return of Christ is to be the blessed hope, the passion that propels evangelism, that creates a missional church that walks out and lives daily the teachings of Jesus...not just a theme that preaches well and causes hearts to be fearful. Ted Dekker, in his book, "The Slumber of Christianity", suggests it is the lack of looking for the return of Christ that has caused Christianity to be where it is today, that too many of us are more interested in obtaining earthly fulfillment that readying the hearts of those around for eternity...I must admit that I would like to see my daughters grown, have grandchildren, spend retirement with my wife and pay off some debt before the end comes...does that make me worldy minded? Is it possible that this could be the final push for the final generation and that what Christ has called us to do is disciple the nations in the message of Jesus Christ that when He does return we are not found idle, but as Jesus said, "occupying until He comes?" So if He comes in my lifetime I am blessed and ready, but if He doesn't...I'm still blessed, ready, and getting others ready with me...Sounds like we win one way or the other!

All That Jazz

I took an important step today...can't tell you what it was, but it was important to me, an inner thing, something I needed to do. The powerful thing about it is that I am at peace, the acid test of any decision in life is when the dust is settled, the decision is made, and the commentators have dispensed...we know we've heard God and walked in the path He has prepared for us...I am at rest, and it is good!

Just Want To Testify!

In April I returned from a revival in Ohio to go through an awful bout with gout, it was one of the most painful experiences that I've ever endured. During that two week period my feet were swollen to the point that I couldn't wear shoes or stand to have anything on my feet. After trying unsuccessfully to treat it naturally I ended up at a doctor's office, my blood pressure was 160/100 and my ankles were swollen, which I assumed was because of the gout. However, after clearing up the gout I continued to struggle with this swelling, better known as edema, which often is related to heart disease, kidney or liver issues...none of which I was wanting to deal with...so I prayed, I prophesied, I proclaimed the Word of God and I worried! I raised my hand when the pastor asked if anyone needed healing...I lost weight, walked 4 miles every morning before work and changed my diet....they would go down at night, but when I awakened in the morning I could feel them swelling when I got up. I took a prescribed diuretic that didn't seem to work. A couple weeks ago we flew to Texas, spent the weekend with my relatives, my aunt spoke into my spirit the Word of the Lord, that in the last days men's heart will fail them for fear of things to come...I have been fearful that something is wrong with my heart...so I began to rebuke that fear...my feet still swelled that weekend. We traveled on the Church of God General Assembly and they were fine all week, until the weekend as we began to travel home...Strange I thought, this nothing more than stress and God has not given me the spirit of fear. One week ago this past Saturday my feet returned to normal and they have been normal ever since. I am so thankful for the healing work of God in my life, it is an act of His grace on my behalf. Today the scripture in Revelation comes to mind, that the testimony of Jesus Christ is the spirit of prophecy....it says to one who may read this blog today that if God will do this for me, He will also minister to you...I am blessed and so very thankful!

You Have To Turn To Turn Around

A couple weeks ago I was on my way to a preaching assignment early on a Sunday morning, my mind was on the service that morning, and I was trying to get that first cup of coffee down without spilling it on my clean shirt! The route I was taking was quite familiar, but I missed my turn, drove right past the road and was on my way down a road I had no idea where it would come out...I had to turn around and go back...ever been there?

Life often takes us places we've never been, but it also takes down familiar paths, we just get lost along the way. The exciting thing about it is that we can get back where we're supposed to be, the painful thing is, we sometimes have to retrace our steps...we have to turnaround. For me turning around can be embarrassing, it means that I have to face my failure or mistake, I have to admit that I've missed it and doing something over again can be quite frustrating. Turning around also enables me to see things I didn't see the first time, taking note of things that have always been there, I just didn't notice them...I tell my wife often that there's a new house on my way to work, it's been there thirty years, but I just saw it...observant aren't I? It's easy to look over our shoulders and see where we've missed it, to observe where we need to be, to admit something needs to be done, but in order to get there, in order to turn around, you have to turn, to the left or to the right, you just have to take the time and make the effort to turn!

The prophet Isaiah said, "Then shall you hear a voice from behind saying, "This is the way of the Lord, walk in it!" God will give us direction, He will reveal His plan and the path we need to take to get where we need to go, it may require a turn around, it will require a turn...because you always have to turn if things are going to turn around...make sense?

Just Thinking Out Loud!

My Life This Week

Julie and I have been in a tailspin this month, went to San Antonio the first week of August to attend the Church of God General Assembly, came home and teachers returned to school on Monday. Today was the first day of school and it was absolutely the best first day of school we've experienced since being a part of Heritage Academy! I had a tooth pulled this afternoon, one of my back teeth chipped several months ago, I let it go, but this week it went south...some of the most incredible pain I've ever experienced in my life...nothing touched the pain, ibuprofen, tylenol with codeine, oxycotin...nada. Thankfully my dentist had an opening and now I'm in good shape...one tooth less! Tropical Storm Fay is coming, we're believing it's going to miss Tampa...we'll see! Guess I've got a boring life...but the week is young, I'm certain it will spice up soon!

I Saw A Statesmen

Last week my wife and I flew to San Antonio to attend the General Assembly of the Church of God, a biannual convention of the denomination that provides our covering. I have been raised in this denomination, am fourth generation and am raising the fifth generation at this present time. My great-grandmother became convinced of the reality of the present day movement of the Holy Spirit after a lady took hot coals out of a pot bellied stove, and the next day took her hands out of a sink full of soapy water to show unburned hands and a speck of soot under her finger nail. My grandmother pastored churches and preached the gospel for 48 years, my mother raised me in church, and I this year celebrated my 29th year of ministry and am raising my children to love and serve the Lord. Nearly 20,000 converged upon San Antonio to discuss the business of the church, to worship the Lord, and to plan for the future. I have to admit I went with a bit of a cynical attitude, desiring to see things change and wanting God to shake our reality. During one of the business sessions I was seated next to a friend and mentor, chatting back and forth I mentioned that I was concerned that there were no statesmen, those men and women who stand larger than life, who represent God in such a way that there is no question when they announce they have a word from the Lord. These are the people you can't wait to hear, would love to spend quality time with, if only for a moment, and when they speak...you listen...the truly have something to say! How I longed for men and women of God to stand up and prophetically declare a present truth and emerge into our generation like the prophets of old...and then I saw one! Tom Madden was elected to be the international director of youth and christian education, a young man, in his mid forties I would suppose...as he stood before the conference tears began to dwell in his eyes, his voice quivering, overwhelmed at the confidence his fellow ministers had placed upon him...he boldly announced that there is a generation rising that loves God, that has not and will not bow to the culture, a generation hungry for revival, that will be satisfied with nothing less that an absolute revolution of the kingdom...and the Holy Spirit said to me...There's your statesman! I am reminded of the Old Testament prophet Elijah, a mighty man of God who in a dark hour of time wondered if he was the only one left, the last prophet standing for what was right...in the quietness of a cave God spoke and reminded him that there were 7,000 in Israel that had not bowed down to the culture and were ready to die for the kingdom...I am convinced that there is a remnant of believers, young and old alike that love God, His house, His Word, that believe His promise will become a reality and will stand face to face with hell itself and declare the truth of God! There are unknown statesman, people whose names will never be spoken in the popular circles of christianity, who have heard from God and seek to fulfill His purpose in the earth. It's really not about the denomination or group we're associated with, it's about the relationship we have with Jesus Christ and our fellow believers...our best days are just before us...God is looking for some statesmen...could you be the one He finds?

The Movings of God

This week I read the testimony of a pastor whose church experienced an incredible move of the Holy Spirit. During this move people accepted Christ into their hearts, children received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit as outlined in the Bible, they danced before the Lord and worshipped with abandon. People of prominence were not only exposed to the refreshing presence of the Lord, but were embracing it and allowing God to demonstrate His power in the lives. As I read the words of the hungry pastor I rejoiced and was encouraged.

As I read the comments of ministers and pastors who were responding to this post I was discouraged, many of these men of God questioned the validity of the move, and more importantly, they questioned the necessity of a move of God in our time. I understand the feed me mentality of the American Church, that we in Pentecostal circles have experienced many moves of God and often label a good service, one that involves or includes emotional worship and experiences  as a move of God. I too tire of shouting and singing, dancing and declaring, only to return to the same path and pattern when the meeting is over...but we need a move of God!

Throughout human history and God's dealings with His very own creation there has always been a need for God to move in the lives of His people. We are frail and weak, we ascend and descend the ladders of life constantly, we are in today and out tomorrow, frustrated by life, concerned about the future, and unsure how to approach life's circumstances, unaware at times of God's presence...we need God! Political systems will not suffice, new presidents, lower gas prices and income taxes will not do. Rid our laws of those offensive policies and man will still need God. Build bigger churches, create better programs, feed the sick, minister to the poor, and satisfy the physical and psychological needs of mankind...we will still need a move of God!

Listen to the words of the Prophet Isaiah: "Oh, that You would rend the heavens! That You would come down! That the mountains might shake at Your presence-As fire burns brushwood, As fire causes water to boil-To make your name known to Your adversaries, That the nations may tremble at Your presence!" (Isaiah 64:1-2)

The cry of my heart is for an authentic move of God, one that doesn't just stir our emotions, but one that moves us into an authentic relationship with God. It isn't more preaching that we need, we've heard the Word, it isn't to fall down on the floor or to receive another prophetic word, we've done that...it is to realize that God is coming and we tremble at His presence and we move into greater dimensions of relationship and our hearts become ablaze with the love and passion of Jesus Christ, and from that heart flows ministry and the world around us is affected by the love of God that is constraining us!

I'm not sure about anyone else...but I need the move of God in my life!

 

It Is You...Don't Forget Who You Are!

His children captured by an evil man, angry, grown, and unable to remember who he is, Peter Banning is faced with a dilemma, everyone knows who he is...except him...He is Peter Pan! I'm watching my favorite spiritual movie...Hook! The greatest moment in the entire movie is when one of the lost boys grabs him by the face, looks deep into his eyes and says, "Oh, there you are Peter! It is you!" He then quickly begins to tell the other children that this indeed is Peter Pan, the greatest lost boy to ever live, the highest flyer, the most efficient swordsman in all of Neverland...He's simply forgotten who he is! Have you ever forgotten who you are? Have you ever felt insecure and inferior? Has there ever been a moment when the real you has been lost? Human nature and the enemy of our souls would love for us to forget who we are? The natural part of us is busy comparing itself with others, telling us that we aren't good enough, that we will never measure up. Satan, our ultimate enemy, the accuser of the brethren, also wants us to believe that regardless of how hard we try, we will never find acceptance with God or man. He tells us that we're not good enough, that our abilities and talents are insufficient, that God will never use us. He seeks to beat us down to the point that we fail to believe in God or ourselves, and if beaten down long enough we begin to hide and eventually forget who we are, whose we are, and what God says to us and about us! Who you are, what you are, where you're going, and who you belong to never changes, it's always within you...you just have to see it for yourself, to allow God to reveal Himself to you, and for the Word of God to mine the real you out of the mountains that hide the real you! The scripture says that you are bought with a price, that you are the temple of the Holy Spirit, that you, with all of your flaws and failures...that you, covered by pain and rejection...that you with all the stuff life can pile on you...are fearfully and wonderfully made, that you are the glorious work of God. It's kind of like the Intel commercial on television..."It's all inside!" Sometimes who we are is hidden from others because it's lost to us, God wants you to know that He created you who and what you are, that you are wonderful, that you have a destiny and a destination...He wants you to come out of hiding and be the person He has always desired for you to be! It Is You...Look Deep Inside!

Finding Him

Words like journey and process have come to mean much more to me recently than at any other time in my life. As a recovering fast food junkie, one trying to recover my health and live to see my grandchildren, I am coming to learn that there is value to those things that take longer to cook, than someone shoving a bag out of the window and saying, "Here's your food!" I suppose that we all at some point have experience fast food Christianity, you know, living in God's 10 items or less line, walking through the prayer line hoping that at the laying on of someone's hand all of your problems will end, the devil will once and for all be defeated, Ed McMahon will show up at your door...life will finally be wonderful! The words of Job are hitting me square in the face, "Oh, that I might know where I might find Him...that I might sit where His feet are and inquire of Him!" Isn't that the crux of the matter? Isn't finding God in everyday life, and learning that in this journey we call life that God really isn't hiding from us, He really isn't all that mystical...He just wants us to follow Him? It's like putting a swing set together, having extra parts isn't a good thing, and reading the directions really is a good idea...and leaving your kid inside while you work will save years in your life...trust me on this one! Could it be that this thing of finding and following God is a matter of trust and will? That our will must become willing to trust, and that as we trust we will find ourselves in the middle of God's will and purpose for our lives? I've been reading Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller, it's really an incredible book because he describes his search to really know God inspite of his own humanity...some days I hate being human. Donald Miller describes the emotions and confusions he has, the conflicts with friends and ideologies, his struggle to be a Human Christian and a Christian Human...not always easy I think we could all admit. I want to find Jesus, and to be found of Him, to be where He wants me, but also to be in a place where others can trace my steps and find Him as well. Perhaps amidst all the Christianese that we believers speak it would be best if our lives said that we are believers and followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, people on a simple mission to find Him and pick some others along the way!

The Presence of Perception

It has been said that how one perceives a thing determines how you respond to that thing. How we relate to our circumstances and situations, our environment, and the cards life deals us determines the outcome of whether or not we impact our generation in a positive or negative manner. This past week my family has been on vacation, while there I read a book that has challenged my spirit, forcing my to allow my perspective to be enlarged and my heart to reach beyond the borders of my comfort zone...I hunger for more, to make a difference in others, and to significantly impact my generation. The book I read is "Three Cups of Tea", the story of Greg Mortenson, the son of a Lutheran Missionary, raised in Tanzania, who went to Pakistan to climb K2, got lost and found himself in one of the most impoverished areas of the world, the area which would birth the Taliban. What he found was a need to build schools for children, especially girls, these children sat on the ground, in burned out buildings, or deserted tanks and trucks. He left to return to America with promise of returning to build one school at the cost of 12,000.00, not realizing that in the next ten years he would return time and time again building fifty-five schools and venturing into Afghanistan and continuing until this day to reach into the hearts and lives of these beautiful people. It wasn't always easy, he had to build relationships and trust, an American Christian in a Muslim country, seeking to touch their lives and meet a need, not to preach or try to convert them, he was even kidnapped at one point, yet he continued to give of himself to others. Tears filled my eyes as I devoured this book, searching my own soul, questioning the ministry God has given me, asking myself, am I doing enough and why do I do what I do, and how can I do more. There is a struggle within my spirit, a struggle for significance, not for recognition, but to make a difference in others. Is it possible that God is raising up a generation of ministers that have no names? Oh, they have names, they simply aren't known to the main stream, they minister in local churches, in the streets and in nursing homes. They stand before people and declare the unsearchable riches of God, declaring the Word of God, and modeling it with their lifestyles, not just their words or through sermons, they have become the call and the Word of God to others, painting houses, feeding adults and children, clothing the naked, and giving a drink of water to the thirsty. These people take seriously the words of Jesus who said, "If you give a drink of water to someone in My name, you have done it unto Me!" My name may never be found in a popular Christian magazine, it may never been known around the world, but it is my desire and my prayer that I will touch someone's life in a way that effects future generations! Read more about Greg Mortenson at www.gregmortenson.com or www.threecupsoftea.com, I would encourage you to buy the book, buy it from Amazon.com and 7% of your purchase will go to change the lives of children in Pakistan.

Connections

The internet, My Space, Email, Facebook, Twitter, Message Boards, all these things are absolutely essentials to my day...they create the ability to be connected, even to people I don't know. At my house no one gets the mail...that's my job, during my mother's recent visit she trying to be kind while we were at work went out to get the mail...she only did it once...that's my job! Each morning I go through a ritual of checking email addresses, My Space, and Facebook, I check in on Twitter and catch up on all the news in the message board world I'm involved in. Connection are important, they create environments for us to build and develop relationships, to expand our horizons and reach beyond our borders...they even cause us to stretch outside of imposed and self-imposed limits. I'm realizing my need to connect to people and things that don't necessarily fit my personal preferences or style, to listen to music that is different from my normal genra, to listen to ministers whose styles are not what I'm accustomed to, and to read things that don't just inspire me, but inform me and cause me to think! The scripture says that it isn't good for man to be alone, so God created an helpmeet...I think He's still doing that, creating places and people that enable us to grow and be productive, to expand our boundries and move into new dimensions and territories. I'm thankful for the people I know, the places I've been, but I don't want my past to define me completely, and I don't want to be stereotyped by myself or others, I want to be connected to life giving sources so that I myself can be a life giving source to others!

Luke 12

I'm teaching through the 12th chapter of the Gospel of Luke, I have to admit that I have been inspired by a book by Ted Haggard, "Letters From Dad"...we're only two weeks into the study, but I have to say, I've been deeply impacted by the Word of the Lord. In the first two verses Jesus warns His disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and to be real, to live authentic lives, in the next two verses we are reminded to fear God, to be more aware of Him who is able to destroy both our natural and spiritual lives...Four simple verses suddenly put everything into perspective! Jesus is calling us to live the red words, not just read them and do whatever we want, He is calling us to be the church not just do church. Recently I heard of a book by Larry Stockstill called "The Remnant", in this book he states that American church has learned how to build crowds, churches are growing, in fact, there are over 300,000 churches in America, yet of that number of churches, 20% of the pastors are dealing with some secret sin, that around 75,000 men of God struggling in their walk with God, and if they're struggling, what are their members doing? And if the church is doing so wonderful, why is the world so dark? Don't misunderstand, I'm not a doomsday prophet, not a negative Neil that believes the sky is falling...great things are happening and the Lord is blessing, there's just much more to be done, and the church must rise to the occasion! The people just spoke to in Luke 12 would also be the same people Luke would record to have turned the world upside down! The church has the greatest opportunity it has ever had...will we step up, step out, and step over into the Promised Land?