Countdown to Nicaragua

I'm going to be quite a globe-trotter this year. In addition to going to China, I am going to Nicaragua next month. We will be working in a very poor part of Managua at a Christian School. I'm hoping to be able to blog from there at least every other day. I'm excited at what the Lord is going to do.

Please be in prayer for our missions team. Pray that we stay healthy, united, and that the Father uses us to show the Nicaraguan people his love.

A City on a Hill

Matthew 5:13-16

"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

I love this passage. The thought of a city on a hill, in the darkest of night, is amazing. I often have the opportunity to approach Amarillo from the north on many nights. You can see it from 40 miles away. It cannot be hidden. It is a beacon that lets me know I will soon be home.

This is one of those passages that many of us have heard all our lives. Sermon after sermon has been preached on it. But how many of us incorporate this into our lives? For most of us, the extent of being salt or light ends when we leave the sanctuary. We say things like, "What a great message" or "The spirit was heavy today" and then walk out hoping to survive another week in a fallen world. But I say that our calling is a little bigger than that. Even Satan spends time in the presence of God (see the story of Job). Even the demons confess that Christ is Lord. What truly separates us from this sinful world? I submit that it isn't parking our rears in a pew. In fact, parking is the last thing we should be doing!!

Don't hear what I'm not saying. I'm not saying that we shouldn't go to church. We should! We need to be with like-minded believers as often as we can. But, we are the light of the world. What good does it do for us to carry the light of Jesus in us if we hide it in a church building? Do my co-workers see the hope of Christ in me or do they just see me? I'm sad to say that they usually see me. How sad is that? I have the key to saving this lost world and I keep it to myself! I know many people who confess Christ in one breath and talk about enjoying the sin of this world in the next. I have done it myself many times.

We are so worried about what our friends might think of us if we share the good news with them that we keep it inside! What kind of friends are we to others when we do that? Here's the hard part of this lesson: when we fail to share Jesus, we are trying to please man and not the Father. But, Jesus says we cannot serve two masters. We must choose. And the scripture is clear that there are only two sides to choose. You know what I'm saying here. It stinks. There's no middle ground here? No, there's no middle ground. I've heard all my life that life is about compromise. I'm learning that that's a lie. There is no compromise in the Kingdom. There is only choice and sacrifice or choice and consequence.

I'm finding that there is joy in the sacrifice. It's an oxymoron. As I learn to let the ways of the world go, I find joy in the presence of the Father. I don't always find happiness. Happiness is circumstantial, but joy is everlasting.

Aren't we all called to go into the world and make disciples of the nations? I didn't read any clause that said "if you are a pastor" or "if you are a theological genius". It just says to go. I'm not saying you have to go to Africa or India or Iran. Last time I checked, the United States is a nation. And the great thing is, we don't even have to pack.

There's a haunting question here. Are we going to be obedient and share the light or are we going to choose the other side of the coin and keep it to ourselves?

First Things First

It's been a while-I know. As I've said before, I'm not terribly consistent when it comes to blogging. However, much has happened. First of all, our church is sending a missions team to Nicaragua next month. Heather and I have decided that it would be beneficial for me to go. I wanted to go anyway, but we feel like I need to get my feet wet in missions and this week-long trip is a great opportunity to do that. I would like to ask anyone that reads this to please pray for me. Because of our plans to go to China and the initial expense involved, not to mention that the economic downturn has adversely affected my job, we don't have a large cash reserve sitting around. I believe that God will provide the funds and I know that I live in a Kingdom economy rather than the world economy. So we are praying...please pray with us! More importantly, the people we will be working with (mostly children) live in deplorable conditions. They need Jesus! Pray that everyone in our group will be Jesus to these kids.

I took a couple of years of Spanish in college. Nearly 20 years later, I haven't really ever used Spanish, so I'm a little rusty, to say the least! But the the other night, I was on a train and started asking the Lord for the ability to speak Spanish and everything I learned back then came flooding back. I hated that class, but now am glad I took it! I have enough knowledge now that I could get by without a full-time interpreter. Dr. Brown, if you ever come across this blog-THANK YOU!

We have nailed down a tentative plan to go to China in April. We are very excited. We have begun Rosetta Stone Mandarin and have labels all over the house with the chinese words that represent the things that are labeled. For example, the water dispenser on the fridge is labeled shui (water). It is great fun, but I find the language to be particularly daunting. My children, however, are learning fast. Oh to be young and sponge-like again.

My last request for this post is that you pray for clarity of purpose for us. We have our heart set on a certain part of China, but want what the Lord wants for us. We don't want to be so set on one place that we miss his direction. As I have said before, it seems like everything is being set in place and I know that's true. We just want the vision to see what is really being set in place-not what we want to see.

Thanks to all for the encouragement and prayers. Know that when we go, we carry you all in our hearts and therefore, you will be there also! Praise be to our Father who was and is and is to come!!!