A Time to Mourn, and a Time to Dance

House of Worship - February 1, 2009

This week’s House of Worship began when the worship team gathered for fellowship and prayer, hours before participants would arrive. There was an unexplainable feeling of excitement for the night ahead and a thankfulness for the joy found in “simply” being together. The fact that we are united together by the same Spirit was especially evident in our hearts.

As the night progressed, the words found in Ecclesiastes 3 became prominent in my thoughts: “For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:…a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.” There were plenty of things to weep and mourn for – sisters affected by cancer, a sister named Hope lost without the knowledge of true hope in her life, the testimony of a challenging life filled with situations of mourning and weeping, and the poverty of the children in Uganda. But there was also so much more to laugh, smile, dance, and rejoice about!

*The exuberant sharing of a new song - “Thankful,”
*The Nooma video, “Dust,” reminding us that God believes in us – we can be like him!
*The beautiful smile of Joan as her sorrowful testimony led to absolute peace and joy in Christ. (Previously being confined to a wheelchair, she was truly released from her frail, crippled body and spirit in order to pass on her hope in Christ while giving away wheelchairs to those in need in Uganda.)
*The passionate testimony of the team who were called by God to GO to Uganda, and how Mariza had the opportunity to challenge her Greek peers to join her in God’s mission.
*The excellent worship music producing shouts of joy, jumping, dancing, and soar throats, haha.

It was truly a night filled with blessing. God’s Spirit came and filled the hearts of all gathered, just as we had prayed. Thank you, Lord!

In honor of the joyful night filled with new songs, new faces, new instruments (yeah for the tambourine!), and new life in Christ, let me close with a portion of the song of Psalm 149:

"Praise the Lord!
Sing to the Lord a new song,
his praise in the assembly of the godly!
Let Israel be glad in his Maker;
Let the children of Zion rejoice in their King!
Let them praise his name with dancing,
Making melody to him with tambourine and lyre!
Praise the Lord!”

House of Worship: Let it Rain...

On Sunday afternoon, January 25, 2009, I made my way downtown to the Hall for our special House of Worship event. As I was walking, I put my slick coat and umbrella to good use and hummed the song “Let it Rain” to myself for obvious reasons. This chorus became very meaningful to me as the day continued on - especially when our worship leader spontaneously led us in this song near the end of our time together. The powerful, passionate singing of these words inspires this summary:

There was fervent prayer for the new, out of the ordinary timing for a House of Worship gathering. Help your children know that worship is all of life, God. Let an awesome sense of communion and fellowship rain down on your family of believers.

There were passionate prayers of healing for a dear sister who recently learned of her cancer diagnosis. Let your healing power rain down on your daughter, Lord God, so that her healthy life will bring glory to Your Name.

There was a variety of music offered up by those You have blessed with amazing talent, God. Let the beautiful melodies reign in our hearts all week long, uniting and harmonizing our souls together with a sense of peace found only in You.

There were servant hands and feet moving all over the place to help set up, serve food, clean up, and ensure the highest quality of musical sound. Dear God, let your pleasure in the selfless work of your children rain down a sense of joy in their hearts for the opportunity to be blessed in giving of themselves.

Thank you, God, for letting it rain – for opening the floodgates of heaven and pouring out your love, mercy, joy and peace on the hearts of your children. Now open the floodgates of heaven over all of Greece, Lord, and let your life-giving truth reign in every heart.

Follow Love

Hello friends...The day is finally here. I'm less than 12 hours away from my first flight out of Iowa and on to Greece. :) And I must admit something... today the tears spilled over a few times. It's one of those challenging, yet rewarding transitions in my life... and the feelings are all over the place inside of me... reminiscing the wonderful last four months at home with friends and family, stressing a little about packing decisions, full of exhilaration for the journey ahead, and SO excited to grow closer to the ONE who made me and called me to this mission. :) Ah wow, I'm just... SO blessed, and I am anxious to keep letting this blessing spill over to bless others.

Here's the lyrics to an old favorite song that is really special to me (especially because of you, MO. ;) Love ya!)

Follow Love by FFH:

I'm gonna miss the simple town full of memories
I'm gonna miss just hanging out with all my friends
The rainy days and summer nights
(more like freezing days and blowing snow right now, haha...)
Skipping stones by the river side
(or skiing with the family... okay, I'll quit interrupting now!)
But i know.. its time to go
So here's goodbye here's so long
I must go and follow love
I feel my heart moving on
I must go and follow love
Carry on while I'm gone
This is what i've been dreaming of
I'll miss you so
But i must go, go and follow love

I've got a heart thats full of dreams
and a little bit of crazy
I can feel it pulling me to somewhere i have never been
I'm packing up and leaving home
To travel into the great unknown
Its time, i have to go...

We're not guaranteed tomorrow
So we must just keep on living for the day
and make the most of every moment
every step along the way...

So I must go, go and follow love


Yup, nothing like a song to sum up my feelings right now. :) I will hopefully post again very soon to let you know how traveling goes, etc. I love you all, and thanks so much for your support and encouragement! May you be overwhelmed at the enormity of God's amazing love for you.

The Greatest Gift

I have graded Bible studies for prisoners for awhile, and I wanted to share with you something from one of the lessons. By the way, this is an incredible ministry through Crossroads Bible Institute (CBI), and if you're at all interested in doing this, let me know! Ask me questions! Or just write them at P.O. Box 900; Grand Rapids, MI 49509. Wait, what am I saying... write them? This is the age of cell phones and e-mails, haha. So, here, you can check out their website at www.crossroadbible.org for more info. :) That's better... So anyway, this ministry is a huge encouragement not only for those who are in prison, but also for those like me (and it could be you!) who get to study the Bible with them and encourage them!! Now, here is...

THE GREATEST GIFT

To know without a doubt that Jesus has saved you is truly wonderful. To know that the Creator of the universe is no longer your enemy, but a trusted and faithful Friend, is truly amazing. But the Bible's teaching on salvation is not only wonderful and amazing, it is also very humbling. It's humbling to discover how terribly sinful our hearts can be. It's humbling to learn that even our very best effort can do nothing to merit eternal life. And it's humbling to acknowledge that the only possible way for us to be saved is to have someone else do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.

But the amazing "good news" far outweighs the humbling "bad news." Someone else has done for us what we cannot do for ourselves. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has done all that was needed in order for us to find the forgiveness, peace, and eternal life we so eagerly desire. Salvation is an act of pure mercy on God's part. It is a gracious gift of God, a gift of sovereign grace.

This wonderful salvation can never be merited or earned. IT can only be received through faith. It s by faith that we receive the gift of eternal life. By faith we confess that Jesus lived and died and rose again for us. By faith we receive Jesus into our hearts. By faith we receive His forgiveness. By faith we become children of God and fellow-heirs with Christ. By faith we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. And by faith we begin to produce the spiritual fruits of holiness and love.

All our hope for salvation is therefore found in Jesus alone. And all our assurance of salvation is found in Jesus alone. If we depend in any way on what we ourselves can do or have done (how long our list of good deeds, how well we follow the "moral code," how often we attend church, etc...), we will always live in uncertainty and fear (and we will only be an annoying, loud, clangy gong or cymbal without authentic LOVE (= GOD) flowing through our lives!!). If Jesus' perfect sacrifice did not cover all our sins, what could we do that would? But once we trust the Lord Jesus with all our heart, we need not doubt for one moment that God will graciously give us all that Jesus has merited for us.

Grace alone. Faith alone. Jesus alone. Small phrases. Great truths. And they are the only truths that can give us the full assurance that we truly are forgiven, that Jesus is preparing a place for us in heaven, and that our names are written in the Book of Life. The wonder and glory of salvation - God's greatest gift to meet our greatest need!

Encouragement

It started with the church service this morning...
The verse that hit me in our scripture reading was Luke 2:19. I had heard this verse plenty of times before, but today I had brought my Message paraphrase with me, and the words struck me in a special way. The verse read: "Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself."
I immediately identified with Mary. I thought of the refreshing times I have had to sit and think with God, and revel in what he's doing in my life. I thought of the times I long to be able to journal every single detail of what God is teaching me moment by moment in everyday, but I get overwhelmed and disappointed in myself for forgetting some things. Or maybe it's more-so the fact that I haven't "allowed myself" enough "date with God" time lately. And I mean a real date... one of those that you're reluctant to let end until you've exhausted every topic of conversation you're longing to share thoughts about. You wish it could go on forever simply because you enjoy being in the presence of the other so much. :) Yeah, there you have it, I've concluded that I'm thirsting for more dates with God...and I can't make up excuses to re-schedule.
But I haven't even expanded on the thought that hit me the most - it's that she kept them deep within herself, holding them dear. I desire to share and encourage others with what God is doing in my life, and that was one of my main reasons for starting this blog in the first place. While I still think that is a good and important goal, I can't forget that God is with me in the deepest core of who I am, and when I take even brief moments during the day to smile and thank God for the unique moments of beauty or fresh insight he blesses me with, it's almost like a quick text message to a friend, or a secret message or inside joke you share with a special someone. And it's these moments that enhance my beautiful love affair with Jesus, even when our exclusive dates happen less frequently for a time... Because no matter how hard I try to keep healthy habits, like journaling, a regular part of my life, it's not the amount of will power or determination I have that defines my relationship with Jesus, it's about surrendering every single part of my life into God's hands, and letting him dwell in me richly through each moment and circumstance.
God, I want YOU to be glorified through my life... and through my weaknesses, remind me that your strength shines through me. And through all that you've created me to be, use me and be with me for your pleasure and glory in my life. Thank you for all the moments that I remember your grace and truth poured out to me (and for the opportunities I've had to share them!). I thank you too for all the little details and moments that are less clear in my memory, and I know with confidence that you can and will bring them to mind for me whenever they may help further give glory to your name! :) I love you Lord!

Wow, that was just the first point of encouragement I wanted to share about from today. The second mix of thoughts came at the B.I.G. community youth event tonight. The topic was forgiveness. One of the main points was that forgiveness can often be most freeing for the forgiver. As the talk progressed, this eventually got me to thinking about the ultimate offer of forgiveness from the only ONE who will never need to be forgiven. If we can argue that harboring any sort of unforgiveness is hurtful to us, then OF COURSE God could never hold a grudge against us, right? Now, obviously, God would seem to have every right to do just that, since we have sinned and fail to meet the awesome standards of holiness required to have a pure, unblemished relationship with God, our perfect Creator. And yet God chooses to offer forgiveness through an incredible sacrfice. Wow... Of course God's forgiveness and grace has made my jaw drop in awe a number of times before, but now in yet another fresh perspective, I'm pondering the truth of this ultimate offering of forgiveness. :) God IS Love, and it would be against his very nature to offer us anything less than total forgiveness (which one beautiful definition we brought up for this word tonight was God won't throw our sins back in our face).

Hmm, we also had a great talk about how our own insecurities are what leads us to have struggles in our relationships here on earth, and how that keeps us from forgiving others. It was so good, and it reminded me of what we need to have to feel more secure - and that is our identity firmly rooted in Jesus Christ, and know the true depth of his awesome forgiveness. :) I could soooo go on, but, I'm going to get going for now. Until next time... I'll keep pondering all of these beautiful truths of God in my heart. ;)

Changing the rules...

So, a few weeks ago I finally took the time to set goals and boundaries for my blogs... and then I haven't stuck to them. In fact, I even broke my rules right off the bat. It looks like I need to keep re-thinking and refining my plans. :)
Oh well... for now, this is just a warning message that I'm about to break the rules again, because I stubbornly want to post some encouraging thoughts I had today without taking the time to blog about them on my other blog first!

Just one more...

Okay, I lied, sorry. I have one more thing to share. I have been praying that God would help me loosen my reigns on "my stuff" as I'm preparing to leave for Greece, and God has definitely brought several challenging "helps" my way. I'll share just a few...

...starting with a great conversation with a friend that reminded me that "my stuff" really isn't "mine" at all. It's a gift and a trust from God to use whatever I have to glorify him. Having lived out of a suitcase for the last four months, he also reminded me how freeing it is to manage less stuff and realize how little you really need. It reminded me of my similar thoughts and experiences living out of a suitcase last summer. :)

And then there was reading the blog of a missionary couple I met for a few brief minutes when I was in Thailand last August... They are getting ready to fly to their new mission field and have to limit their "stuff" to 33 lbs per suitcase... and the way she blogged about this experience definitely resonates with my experiences right now as I'm sorting through stuff in my room:
We have been getting things done and going through our stuff and I'm shocked that I'm finding so much stuff that I just can not part with. I found a folder of Josiah's art since he was old enough to hold a crayon...and there are some serious master pieces in there! I found a book of notes that John and I had written to each other while we were dating...I found an old sketch book of John's that he's kept since he was 14...and so many other things.I could go on and on. The insane thing is that our luggage is already over weight!!! The airline...AIR ASIA....are quite simply crooks...ok so maybe that's a little too strong. But that sure is how it feels. They only allow 15kg per person which is 33 pounds. It's known as a trap...because usually if you pack LIGHT...ONE suitcase weighs 33 pounds. And you are allowed 2 suitcases....so you almost always end up paying for a whole bag per kg. Imagine moving...all that you have...and having to choose only 33 pounds worth of stuff...It's INSANE! Yesterday I was sifting through stuff and I just had to keep saying out loud..."all for you Jesus"...and at times I would say "it's just stuff...it's all gonna burn eventually anyway... right?".... ugg.... I believe we're just going to have to pack up some boxes and leave them here in Thailand and when we have the money...send for them. That's our best bet right now... It's a good thing to experience...I think. It would be great for everyone to have to let go of STUFF...all of it...except for what you can fit in a suitcase...it's HARD but freeing.

Also, if you look ahead a couple of posts, the passage in Acts 20 about Paul leaving for Jerusalem reminded me of the importance of giving versus having...

AND THEN, finally, the real kicker that booted me hard...another page in the Revolution in World Missions book:
Economist Robert Heilbroner describes the luxuries a typical American family would have to surrender if they lived among the 1 billion hungry people in the Two-Thirds World:
We begin by invading the house of our imaginary American family to strip it of its furniture. Everything goes: beds, chairs, tables, television sets, lamps. We will leave the family with a few old blankets, a kitchen table, a wooden chair. Along with the bureaus go the clothes. Each member of the family may keep in his wardrobe his oldest suit or dress, a shirt or blouse. We will permit a pair of shoes for the head of the family, but none for the wife or children.
We move to the kitchen. The appliances have already been taken out, so we turn to the cupboards... The box of matches may stay, a small bag of flour, some sugar and salt. A few moldy potatoes, already in the garbage can, must be rescued, for they will provide much of tonight's meal. We will leave a handful of onions and a dish of dried beans. All the rest we take away: the meat, the fresh vegetables, the canned goods, the crackers, the candy.
Now we have stripped the house: the bathroom has been dismantled, the running water shut off, the electric wires taken out. Next we take away the house. The family can move to the tool shed...Communications must go next. No more newspapers, magazines, books - not that they are missed, since we must take away our family's literacy as well. Instead, in our shantytown we will allow one radio...
Now government services must go next. No more postmen, no more firemen. There is a school, but it is three miles away and consists of two classrooms... There are, of course, no hospitals or doctors nerby. The nearst clinic is ten miles away and is tended by a midwife. It can be reached by bicycle, provided the family has a bicycle, which is unlikely...
Finally, money. We will allow our family a cash hoard of five dollars. This will prevent our breadwinner from experiencing the tragedy of an Iranian peasant who went blid because he could not raise the $3.94 which he mistakenly thought he needed to receive admission to a hospital where he could have been cured.
This is an accurate description of the lifestyle and world from which I [evangelist, K.P. Yohannan] came. From the moment I touched foot on American soil, I walked in an unbelieving daze. How can two so different economies coexist simultaneously on the earth?"

Maybe more people should read this as they're worried about the "bad economy" situation in our country right now...