Spiritual Atrophy: Ashamed of the Gospel

Romans 1:16
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes…

Overall, I believe that we as a people have become more passive in our interactions with others.  That passivity has seeped into our Christian relations as well.  Relations with other believers, but most importantly, relationships with the lost.

We may go all year without really connecting with others in a deep and significant way, and wonder why our interactions have become so superficial.  We watch person after person enter and then leave our lives, without ever sharing with them the hope in which we have.  And all the time, we are waiting for the “perfect opportunity”- an opportunity which never actually comes.  And all the while, our spiritual muscles begin to lose their strength, as they atrophy in the disease of our passivity. 

Some say this passivity is just happenstance- and that a perfect opportunity to really get honest with people about the gospel will eventually come, if we will only wait for it.  To this, I would disagree.  I used to believe this to be true…until I peeled back the layers of my passivity to find one thing: shame.  In a sense, I was ashamed of the gospel.  I was embarrassed.  I was worried about how to bring it up in conversation, what to say after that, and what people would think of me if I did. 

With the silence of my passivity I was inadvertently doubting the power of the gospel and the power of it’s God. I was allowing my fear of man to dictate my level of obedience rather than my fear of God.  And in the end, I was the one who came out short.  I was the one who missed the opportunities to speak the light of truth into desperate lives.  I was the one who missed out on being used by God, finding the abundance of joy in being in His will. 

Christians, I believe that it’s time for us to step it up- living a life that is in active pursuit of sharing the gospel that has changed our lives.  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t believe that the opposite of passivity is an aggressive approach.  I don’t think we need to be standing on street corners waving signs of “Repent” and warning that the end is near (although in a strange way I covet that lack of inhibition that echoes with David that ‘I’ll become even more undignified than this’ if that‘s what it takes for God to be magnified).  But let’s be honest, most of us Christians aren’t even close to that end of the spectrum. 

Let’s begin by taking an active approach in our day to day.  Let’s begin by looking at the platforms that God has given us to share his love and his truth.  Let’s begin with asking the questions that we’re afraid to ask.  Let’s begin by starting those conversation that we’re always waiting for.  Let’s begin by sharing with strangers and with friends the things that our God is doing in our lives.  Let’s begin by taking interest in those we never found interesting.  Let’s begin by taking the gospel seriously, immersing ourselves in it so much so that it is overflowing into the lives around us.  Let’s begin with one person.  Let’s begin with today.

Lord, give us the strength to boldly proclaim with our lips and with our lives that we are “not ashamed of the gospel”.

Remember What's Really Important This Time of Year....

James 1:27 
"Religion that God our father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after Orphans and Widows and their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world"

John and I were just reminiscing about our trip to Egypt in 2008, wondering how the kids are doing, wishing we could be there, and hoping to make it back there soon.  With that spirit, I wanted to post a bit of the email updates we wrote during our time there.  As you read, I want you to remember with us what is truly important this year.  And then...do something.  Do something that will make a difference for someone this holiday season. 

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Today we visited an orphanage for Handicapped Children and it was Amazing. It was difficult, but most of all rewarding. There are 13 children there in two small apartments next to each other. Most of the kids lay lifeless on the beds, they all are in diapers and most of them cannot speak other than noises. It was amazing to see how they came to life in response to your touch and words.

One boy in particular was such a joy to interact with. His name is Abinoub, he is 9 years old and was born mute, deaf, and blind. He lay motionless on the bed and when I went to hold his hand he jumped into my arms. I just held him for a while and talked to him, even though he couldn't hear. He loved to be held like a baby and rocked back and forth. When we held him like that the biggest smile you could imagine would be on his face and you could feel his joy, I knew that he was aware and felt the love we had for him. The minute I put him down in his crib, he would jump up feeling around for me and once he got a hold of me he wouldn't let go. He was longing to be held, to interact with somone.

So many of the kids responded just to being held and touched. I wish we could have spent all day there just holding the kids and telling them how much we loved them. It was also difficult to interact with them becasue many of them would drool on you, try to eat your clothes, and we could clearly smell the urine on the beds we sat on. But it was even more difficult to look into their eyes and not love them, not touch them, not reach out them.

Yesterday in the main orphanage we go to Deb was counseling on the of girls and she asked me to come into their room in the middle of the session. The girl had asked that I would come in because she wanted to share something with me. When I went into the room Deb asked the girl if she could share her story. She wanted her to. Deb went on to tell me how this girl had just shared her story.

*It's Deb cutting in real quick* She had been suffering from depression and suicidal thoughts due to a long history of abuse by her biological father. He had physically abused both her and her mother for many years. Her view of what a father was had been completely tainted by past. She had a scar on her upper arm from where her dad had slit her with a knife. The amazing thing about this story is, just being able to talk to her about the love of God our father, how a real father is supposed to be. Without going into tedious detail, she gave her life to the Lord this day, and it was so amazing being able to be a part of this. She told me that we had already impacted her life so much.

She went on to say that when she first met John, she was blown away with his compassion and gentleness with all the kids...how well he treated them. She said that she immediately wanted to call him "Baba" which means Daddy in Arabic, but she was too shy to do so.

After that, she asked if we could ask him to come in the room and share with him these things. I called John into the room and proceeded to tell her story. Before I knew it, I was just sobbing. We were all sobbing. I held her in my arms as she wiped away MY tears...but more than anything, at that moment, she knew she was loved SO much, by John, by me....and most of all, by the Greatest Lover of all....Christ.

John's Back :)...I never experienced before the feeling of someone looking up to me as their father. As I listened to Deb tell me this girls story it broke my heart and it was difficult to hold back the tears. I can't imagine what it is like to have such an abusive father. As my heart was broken I also realized the power of Christ's love, the healing it can bring, and the Amazing God we serve. So often we think that we aren't doing enough, I had only played with this girl a few games, said hello, talked with her a little bit, but it had such a profound effect on her. How many more people could have their lives changed by God's love and grace if we would only take the time???

We have so much more to share and are trusting God to do even more in the coming week and a half we are here. We will be going to the Red Sea this weekend and will send another update early next week. Continue to keep us in your prayers and even more the kids at the Orphanage.
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Happy Holidays Everyone.

Love,
John and Deb

For more information on Christian Orphan Outreach or on how to Sponsor a Child for the Holidays visit our updated website!

Heaven is a Wonderful Place...or is it?: A Look at the Description of Eternity

Revelation 21:21
The twelve gates were twelve pearls,  each gate made of a single pearl.  The great street of the city was of pure gold, like transparent glass. 

I don’t know about you, but when I think of heaven, the description of pearly gates and golden streets doesn’t really move me.  Besides the fact that I’m more of a silver girl, the idea of jewels, gems, glitter and glamor does little to excite me when it comes to the prospect of eternity.  I don’t believe I’m alone in this idea, either.  Just the other day I was speaking to a young girl, completely turned off by the idea of leaving her loved ones here on earth to enter into a mere amusement park made of precious metals and sparkling gems.  No thanks. 

And you know, I totally agree.  If that’s all that heaven is, who really wants it?  I sure don’t.  There has got to be something more than just the fear of Hell pushing us along the road toward heaven.  I was discussing this perspective with my mom the other day on one of our drives. 

We were contemplating the idea of golden streets and pearly gates when we came to an interesting conclusion: God wants to out-do us.  He really does.  He wants to take the things that have become so glorified in our world, and show us that in His world, those things are really nothing at all.  He wants to take the things we have come to call “valuable” in our paradigms, our gold, our diamonds, our glitter and glamor- and turn them into streets for us to trample on in His world.  Just think about it.  Gold will be what we walk on, not what we hang around our necks and place on our fingers. 

It’s as though God is trying to turn our worlds upside down by reminding us that the things that really seem precious to us are hardly good enough to walk on in His presence.  He is making a value statement, reminding us of His greatness in comparison to the things that we have considered great.  This doesn’t just go for gold and pearls, bur for everything else that we have considered valuable.  In His presence, those things will be of little value and worth. 

He is reminding us that in His world, things will be exceedingly greater than we could ever ask for or even imagine (Ephesians 3:20).  In His world, all the things that have brought us joy, and all the things that have brought us pain will be diminished in the sheer glory of His presence.  A world where every tear will be wiped from our eyes, death will be overcome, mourning will not exist, and our pain will have no existence (Revelation 21:4).  A world where we will experience the fullness of satisfaction, and where our joy will finally be complete.

God wants to out-do us, reminding us that this world is but a morsel of the things that are to come.  So, in that case, to heaven it is…bring on the streets of gold. 

Question for response: What are your thoughts, fears, worries, or perspectives on what Heaven will be like?

The Problem with our Interactions with Others:

1 Thessalonians 5:11
“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up…”

God has really been challenging me in how I deal with others.  I would have to say that this verse, tucked away in the book of Thessalonians is the theme of the challenge that has been placed on my heart throughout this year. 

Another translation of this verse calls us to “edify” one another.  What a strong word.  Every interaction we are to have with others is meant to be an avenue of growth, encouragement, and lifting each other up.  I don’t know about you, but that hardly describes every interaction I take part in. 

Last year we invited a young couple that we had recently met to our home for a dinner party with some friends.  Although I don’t remember all the details of what we spoke about, I remember sharing stories of God at work in each of our lives.  At the end of the night, the couple that we had just recently met asked if they could pray for us before they left- and we spent the rest of the evening praying and encouraging each other.

When they left that night, even with the dishes still in the sink, and the mess waiting to be cleaned- more than anything I remember feeling edified.  I felt so uplifted and encouraged.  And I remember thinking, “what if all my interactions with others left them feeling this way?”  I wondered why that type of edification was not present in many of my relationships with others…even with believers. 

The reality is, it takes effort to have a life that is lived to build others up.  It takes a deliberate attitude of humility to put them and their needs first.  And frankly, it takes practice.  It’s not a natural human condition to edify others and to build them up.  Our muscles are conditioned for self-gratification.  It takes an exertion of our minds and an extension of our hearts in order to live a life that brings others one step closer to the love of God through their interaction with our love.  But at the end of the day, more than anything, that is what this type of interaction is purposed to do: bring us one step closer to His love. 

Look around and see, this world is filled with too much of the opposite. And unfortunately, our churches have also fallen prey to the antithesis.  Criticism, condemnation, complaining, and ingratitude poison our communities, seep into our interpersonal relationships, and our take hold of our pews.  It’s time we begin to take an active approach.  For that is our only hope. 

I want to live a life that edifies others, more than anything else.  I want to leave their presence with the complete assurance that they felt loved.  I want to look for ways to encourage those around me.  I want to let them know that they are truly appreciated and respected.  I want to be more deliberate in loving this kind of way, and in doing so, deliver to them a fraction of the relentless love of God that is always there to build, uplift, and edify. 

Will you join me? 

How to Kill Worry:

Matthew 6:34 
Do not worry about tomorrow…

Yeah.  I know what you’re thinking, “easier said than done”.  It’s true.

This concept that is all throughout scripture is probably one of the hardest verses to actually follow through.  “Do not murder”, “Do not steal”…those we can probably handle if we really focus, but “Do not worry”, well, that one seems slightly overrated.

I am a worrier.  I find it hard to let go of control and allow life to just happen.  Even today, I find myself preoccupied with a little bit of worry.  Things that can aggressively consume my mind if I’m not careful.

Over the years I’ve come to depend on a few cognitive doctrines to help me wrestle with the intrusiveness of my worry:

1. Take worry seriously.  Don’t allow yourself to worry about anything- from things as simple as the weather to things as serious as your loved ones.  Worry is like a poison, that can easily spread into every part of your life and eventually conquer your reality.
2. Remember that worry is not from God.  It’s not an innocent process of “thinking through things” as we may try to justify it.  Worry is directly linked to fear, and where there is fear, there is a lack of faith.  These thoughts are not from God, and the longer we allow them to permeate our mind the more we are distancing ourselves from God’s perspective and pulling away from His presence.  
3. Consider what worry is replacing: Prayer.  When we worry, we are allowing thoughts that could be devoted to prayer to be sidetracked to fuel for our anxiety.  Worry plays the part of our prayers, and in the end, nothing gets accomplished.  
4. Remember, something supernatural happens when we deliberately choose to give our worries to God in prayer.  You don’t have to understand it, and you can’t explain it, because it doesn’t make any sense, but it’s guaranteed.  Our Lord promises it.  When we act on what we believe, God exchanges our worry for true, unrivaled peace.  

So whatever is on your mind today, there is only one thing to consider:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7).

i < You

Philippians 2:3 
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves…

I recently posted an article called He < I.  The main concept of that post was to pose a challenge to re-prioritize our lives, allowing God to increase as we decrease. 

This week I have been challenged to take hold of a whole new level of re-prioritizing:  others.  Since Wednesday, I have been home for the holidays.  My family is unique in this way: there are tons of us.  Try to imagine a Thanksgiving gathering with the entire cast of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and you’ll get a picture of what I mean.

It’s really a beautiful thing, actually.  So many different personalities.  We all come together to form a kaleidoscope of characters.  Everyone with their own unique experiences, perspectives, challenges, and journeys.

The natural product of coming together during holidays is this: to share your lives.  Updating each other on where we are going, what we are doing, and what God is doing in our worlds.  For most of us, we long for this sharing.  We long for this connection with other individuals.  And for most of us, in our natural state, that is our primary purpose in communicating with others- telling our stories.

Although I believe this verse means so many things, the one thing that stands out to me this week is in the area of conversation.  Jesus takes this natural desire for affirmation, and he challenges it.  He challenges us to take our longing to be heard, and exchange it for a longing to listen.  He dares us to put our lives on hold for a moment, making the lives of others our primary purpose.  He urges us to consider others better than ourselves, putting them first in every aspect- including in conversation. 

So these holiday weeks, as you are interacting with friends, family, and loved ones…remember this: consider others better than yourselves.  Take the time to listen actively first, before you attempt to be listened to.  Take the time to ask them questions and really care to know the answers.  Take the time to savor the details of their lives.  Take the time to make their lives important by your attentiveness and consideration.  Take some time to consider others better than yourselves.

Thanksgiving: No Regrets

Philippians 3:13
Forgetting what is behind, and straining toward what is ahead...

For me, this year has been filled with an enormous amount of blessing…and a great deal of loss.  John and I have been overwhelmed by the bounty of God’s blessing in our lives this year.  And I wonder sometimes if the losses that we have experienced have been the true catalyst for our sincere joy.  I suppose it’s in the face of loss that one realizes where true joys are to be found.

This year, as some of you know, I lost my dear Uncle Abe.  Shortly after that loss, another dear friend of ours was suddenly taken to heaven.  Last week I went to visit his wife.  I thought it would be a good time of sharing and a time to encourage her in her time of need.  What I didn’t expect, is that she would be the one to challenge and encourage me far beyond what I anticipated.

As we were chatting, she was describing her relationship with her beloved husband.  One thing she said to me I will never forget, “When I look back, I am thankful that I have no regrets about the way we loved each other”. 

I am absolutely challenged by that statement.  And this Thanksgiving, more than anything else, I am challenged to live that out.  I want to be a woman who has no regrets in the way that I love, recognizing every moment as a most precious and temporary gift. 

First and foremost I am thankful for my Lord.  Thankful for the undeserved grace that is lavished upon me every single day, graces that are new every morning.  I want to live a life of no regrets in how I love my Lord.

Second, I am thankful for my precious husband.  I never believed that there was “one special person out there made just for me”, until I met him.  He was fashioned for me, as a gift from my God, in every little way.  I am so thankful for his integrity, his humility, his heart and the love he showers on me everyday.  I want to live a life of no regrets in how I love him.

Thirdly, I am so thankful for my family.  I can’t say my family is perfect- no family is, but I can say with confidence that it’s an incredible thing to be fully and completely loved, supported, and accepted by them- no matter what.  My parents are two of my best friends, and my brother is one of the greatest men to walk the face of this earth.  I want to life a life of no regrets in how I love them. 

Lastly, I am thankful for my friends- for all the special people that God has placed in my life.  Each one of you is a unique piece that could never be replaced.  I want to live a life of no regrets in how I love each of you.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. 

May we love with no regrets.

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