Everything to Lose

A man blind from birth.  A seemingly hopeless condition.  Forced to depend on others.  Enduring shame as people assumed that sin was the culprit. (John 9) 

Because bad things don’t happen to good people, right?  Wrong. 

Did he live in fear or worry?  Was he lonely?  Had he lost all faith and hope?  Or had his condition become so normal that he didn’t even think about a cure?  We don’t know any of this, we can only assume.  But one thing we do know is that everything changed the day he met Jesus…

 

Jesus explained that sin didn’t cause this blindness, but that God would use it to display His works in this man’s life.  Next Jesus made mud with His spit, rubbed it on the man’s eyes, and told him to wash in the pool of Siloam.  “So the man went, washed, and came home seeing.” (John 9:7)  A miracle happened that day!  And now this man had an incredible testimony about the working of God in his life!

When I’ve studied this passage before, I’ve been touched by the man’s faith – how he believed what Jesus said, obeyed, and how his faith healed him.  Maybe this is where the term “blind faith” came from.  But today, I was impressed more so with his condition.  Obviously he was blind.  Everyone knew it.  More so, he had nothing to lose in obeying Jesus.

Later in John 9 Jesus is defending himself against the Pharisees (religious experts) who, upon hearing about the incredible miracle, were more concerned that Jesus healed on the Sabbath and was claiming to be God than about the man’s incredible testimony.

Physical blindness is obvious.  The bumps and bruises are visible and painful.  Spiritual blindness, not so much.  While the bumps and bruises of life still occur, and hurt, they can be reasoned away, coped with, or ignored.  Blinded to the root cause.  And blinded to the cure – Jesus Christ as the light of the world. 

Unlike the blind man, the Pharisees had everything to lose in following Jesus.  Power, influence, lifestyle, possessions, self-importance, independence, being accountable to no one…  Plus they reasoned that they already knew God.

And ultimately we all worship the same God, Jesus isn’t the only way to eternal life, right?  Wrong.

Therefore, they didn’t want or need Christ.  Their questions went in circles.  Their stubbornness prevented Truth from getting a foothold.  Then they turned to downright insults.  Jesus did the best He could, but even He couldn’t penetrate their defenses.

People think the work we do in South Africa is noble and needed.  The blind, sick and poor need Jesus - they have nothing else, nothing to lose.  But lately the Lord has been breaking my heart for those who feel they have everything to lose and nothing to gain.  Those who know Christ get what I’m saying.  Unfortunately, those who don’t think I’m a judgmental fanatic.  Except that I’m not the one judging here…

Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.” (John 9:39) 

Born with sinful natures, we are all spiritually blind – by default.  Jesus came to set us free from the penalty of sin.  We can’t do that for ourselves.  When we recognize our blindness and accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are born again in the spiritual sense.  On the other hand, if we think we can save ourselves, if we think we can already see, then the opposite is actually true.

How do you reach a person who feels they have everything to lose and holds on with white-knuckled determination?

Honestly, I don’t have easy answers or deep spiritual insight here.  But this is something I’ve been reflecting on, praying about, even grieving over, during my time here in the US.  People have so much, do so much, and want so much that they become blinded to life’s greater meaning, missing out on God’s greater blessings.  That was me.  I was also blind, but now I see, and for that I am grateful.  I’m by no means perfect, but I don’t need to be with my trust in Christ.

Jesus didn’t give up, but he did move on…and the Pharisees remained blind, for eternity.   And while that breaks my heart, it doesn’t erode my faith or trust in Him.

My Favs

So far, my trip to the US has been great.  I’ve been busy catching up with family and friends, meeting with prayer and financial partners, and working to raise awareness and support for Ignite South Africa.  It’s been a great time, but definitely not a vacation!  I’m thinking I’ll need one when I get back to SA!!

One of the questions people frequently ask is what do I miss most about living in SA?  Of course my answer is family, friends and my home church – Kensington Community Church.  In this picture I’m at the zoo with my niece Paige and nephew Brandon.

But just for fun, here are some other things that I’ve been enjoying while I’m here – things that are different, or we can’t get, or are too expensive or far away to enjoy regularly…

Some of My Favorite Things (Easy, this isn’t the Oprah show)

Driving an automatic car!!  Thanks to a dear friend who loaned me his.

So many choices.  Everything from dozens of different cereals, sweets and sodas to being close to so many stores and malls.  Where we live in SA, a trip to the mall or movies is a day-long field trip.

Pizza.  My favorite food.  While here I’ve enjoyed Little Caesars, Jets, Buddy’s, Alibi, Mexican pizza, Mediterranean pizza, you name it!

Fast Food.  Drive-thru Arby’s eaten in the car just because I can (yeah for automatics!)  Also Burger King and Taco Bell. Yum!

Ethnic Food.  Mexican and Chinese (favs!) Arabic. Greek. Thai.  Indian.

Sales.  With my limited budget, I’m like a hunter on safari when it comes to finding great deals, discounts and year-end clearances.  I actually don’t buy much in SA, preferring to stock up when I’m back in the US.

Favorite TV shows.  This year my mom got Bones out of the public library and I’ve been catching up.  I have a crush on Seeley Booth.  And somehow I got addicted to Storage Wars.

Costco.  Cheap jeans, bulk coffee and other goodies.  Unfortunately, since most of my favorite things are food, I’m not sure if my new jeans will fit.  Shame!

Super-spiritual, huh?

But on a serious note, I’m so thankful to be able to visit on a yearly basis and grateful to those who help to make it happen.  Thank you!

Storage Wars

It seems only in America can an obsession with possession result in series of hit reality TV shows like Storage Wars.  I have to admit I find this show fun and fascinating to watch!

For those unfamiliar, when storage units are abandoned the contents are sold at public auction.   The show follows the pursuits of 2 auctioneers and 6 buyers in search of great deals. 

The storage unit is opened.  Buyers get a few minutes to peer inside but not go inside.  Then the auction begins – all or nothing.  It’s more like gambling than shopping which adds to the excitement.  Afterwards, we watch as the winner hunts for buried treasure, which sometimes turns out to be trash.  Fascinating!  Who doesn’t enjoy finding that great deal?

But what is even more fascinating to me is the fact that there are so many abandoned storage units that we can have an entire reality series with spin-offs.  Why did the owner leave behind so much stuff?  We can only speculate.

Did they die?  We all know we can’t take our stuff with us.

Did they get more stuff?  Better stuff?

Did they move away deciding to just get more stuff somewhere else?

Did the storage unit become a white elephant, too expensive to keep over time?

The show doesn’t tell anything about the owners.  All we know is that the units are abandoned and up for grabs.  People come from miles around like vultures, and those of us who don’t watch.  Fascinating!

I don’t want to read too much into this fun, light-hearted show…but… it does give me pause for reflection…

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  (Matthew 6:19-21)

Yuuup!

Workers are Many

“Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.  When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”  (Matthew 9:35-36)

Yesterday evening at Kensington Training Camp, Steve Andrews taught from this passage.  Jesus saw the needs around him and was filled with great compassion - a word in Greek which actually means a heart-breaking, gut-wrenching, visceral reaction.  Jesus knew he’d soon be leaving, no longer able to teach and heal people in person.  He needed help to carry out his work.

“Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”” (Matthew 9:37-38)

Steve confessed to wondering, even doubting, how the church could meet an ocean of needs with only a pool of resources.  That’s when the Holy Spirit reminded him that there’s really an ocean of resources - and we’re not talking about money, we’re talking about people. 

Jesus told his disciples to pray for more workers, but then in the very next verse he sends them out themselves.  Hey! (Matthew 10:1)

God expects us to notice the needs around us, to have his heart and compassion, and to be his hands and feet in the world.  He expects us to pray, but not just pray, to also go.  And if we’re not sure where, how, or when…start somewhere.  When we do, the workers aren’t few, but many!

Last night we commissioned 4 mission teams doing just that.  People stepping across time zones and comfort zones as the hands and feet of Christ.  Please pray for them.

And please consider if the Lord may be calling you to lead a team of your own.  If so, I’ve written a blog series to help you get started, and I welcome any questions or comments that you have.

   

Leading Mission Teams:

How to Get Started

Forming the Mission Team

Making the Most of Team Meetings

The Nitty Gritty of Getting There

Managing Team Finances

Fundraising 101

Spiritual Preparation

Team Building

Cultural Preparation

Final Details before Heading Out

Returning Home

Getting it Done

Did you know that the average life expectancy in South Africa is less than 50 years?  This is about 30 years lower than the average in the US which is approaching 80.  30 years can seem like an entire lifetime, especially in the eyes of a young person.

We believe that with knowledge comes power - the power to make good choices, to plan for the future, and to live longer, healthier lives purposed by God.  With such knowledge and power, this generation can soar above the statistics, beating the odds currently stacked against them.

On February 22, the top 6 student leaders from 21 local schools, gathered for our first Impact youth leadership conference of the year.  The theme for 2012 is “Get It Done” with the emphasis on achieving healthy lifestyles, making God-honoring choices, and being positive role models. 

The teachings equipped students in 3 areas:  presentation skills, information on the leading causes of death in SA, and assessing one’s health.  In between, the students broke into small groups to practice skills, discuss lessons learned, and assess their own health risk factors. 

The topics were tough, as were the assignments, but the students were absolutely pumped for the challenge!  It was awesome to see them working together excited to learn and lead (and live longer!).

With hotdogs and homework in hand, these young leaders left knowing they were uniquely gifted and purposed by God to be His change agents.  Their long-term project includes teaching their peers what they’ve learned and facilitating health fairs at their schools.  We’re excited to see what these creative, empowered young leaders come up with!

Please pray for them.

Lord, Teach Us To Pray

One of the misconceptions I had about prayer stemmed from an incomplete understanding of its purpose.  Another misconception had to do with the learning and intentionality required to achieve powerful and effective results.  (James 5:16)  If we think of prayer as “merely” talking to God, we tend to stop short of learning how to pray according to God’s Word.

I find it interesting that of all the things the disciples heard Jesus say and saw Him do, the one thing they asked Him to teach them was how to pray.  (Luke 11:1)  Why not something more awesome like feeding thousands with just a few loaves and fish, calming storms, or raising the dead? 

…why prayer?...

I just read a great book by Dr. Myles Munroe called “Understanding the Power and Purpose of Prayer”.  He suggested several reasons why the disciples wanted to learn how to pray above other things.

In terms of ministry, the disciples saw Jesus praying more than anything else.  The Bible tells us how Jesus was up early, often withdrawing to quiet places to pray.  It sounds like Jesus devoted hours each day to prayer.  His miracles, on the other hand, took mere minutes, seconds even.  Consider the ratio of time spent.  Consider the results.  What a lesson this is for our lives and ministries!

Often we think we’re too busy to pray, especially for hours a day.  Yikes!  But what if 1 hour with God could accomplish hours of work by knowing how to direct our efforts according to His will?  By avoiding all those things He didn’t have planned for us, including false starts and spinning wheels from striving in our own strength?  By having the right mindset of peace, joy, confidence, and courage?  Prayer is meant for us to talk to and hear from God – agreeing with His will, and receiving His wisdom and guidance for carrying it out.  Spending time in prayer actually saves time in the long run.

I’m sure the disciples also recognized how prayer developed intimacy between Jesus and the Father.  We know that Jesus always knew God’s will and did it.  (John 5:19-20)  How often do we spend hours talking about problems with only frustration and weariness as the end result, no solutions?  Societal issues.  The economy.  Healthcare.  The government.  Wayward teenagers.  Addiction.  Those are some pretty big problems.  Maybe we should do less talking and more praying because it’s our prayers that God needs to actually be able to operate in those situations and to use us as well.

We also see in Luke 11:1-4 that prayer doesn’t come automatically, it needs to be learned.  While Jesus was praying, the disciples weren’t, they were just watching and waiting.  They obviously saw something different about Jesus’ prayers and didn’t think they could pray that way on their own, even though they would have grown up praying in their synagogues.  So what did Jesus do?  He taught what we call The Lord’s Prayer to serve as a model.  Jesus taught us because He agrees we need to learn.

I’ve been learning a lot about prayer lately, including that there is a lot to learn – much more than I had originally thought.  But that shouldn’t intimidate us from communicating with our loving Father and Creator; rather it should excite and motivate us to press in deeper!

God Needs Us

Am I the only one who finds prayer a bit challenging?  Not the “talking to God” part, but more so in understanding its purpose, and the principles for those powerful and effective prayers that get results. (James 5:16)

On February 14^th, along with June and Pastor Abram, I had the privilege of teaching local pastors and church leaders about the purpose, principles and power of prayer.  And as usual, teaching also turned out to be a huge learning experience for me as the Lord opened my eyes to His truths and my misconceptions about prayer.

What happens when our prayers aren’t answered?  Sometimes we feel abandoned by God or doubt His love for us.  We may question God’s character, integrity, or faithfulness to His Word.  Or we may doubt ourselves – our faith, our understanding of God’s Word, our discernment of His will.  Maybe we decide that prayer is not for us; rather it’s for those more spiritual, eloquent, or gifted.  (After all, it is a spiritual gift, right?)  Ultimately, our prayers dry up.

Prayers are meant to be answered, so when they don’t bring results we need to find out why.  We need to look to the Word of God for insight, and avoid jumping to the wrong conclusions about God or ourselves, conclusions that actually contradict the Word of God.  And I think one way we short-circuit our prayers is through an incorrect or incomplete understanding of their purpose.

Why should we pray?  Do our prayers matter?  After all, God already knows, controls, and has predetermined everything.  He’s everywhere, all the time, and never changes.  I know the Bible tells us to pray and, of course, and I want to be obedient.  I also know that Jesus did and I want to model Him.  But I’m sorry, those reasons alone just don’t evoke the sense of passion, power, and effectiveness that should characterize true prayer. 

In Genesis 1:26-28, we learn that we were created to reflect God’s image - nature, character and personality – in order to have fellowship with Him.  We were also created to carry out His purposes on earth – to rule, to have dominion, to take care of things – using our own free will, abilities and initiative. 

We know God’s plans and purposes will always be accomplished. (Isaiah 14:24, Psalm 33:11, Proverbs 19:21, Ephesians 1:11)  We also know that God will never break or contradict His Word.  (Isaiah 55:11, Matthew 5:18)  Therefore, when God gave us dominion or legal authority on earth, He also limited Himself from taking over.  Otherwise, He’d violate His purpose as stated through His Word.

God needs our agreement and cooperation to accomplish His purposes – His will, His desires, His promises, and His blessings.  That’s why our prayers matter!  Prayer is how we give God permission to interfere in the earth’s affairs.

Think about the men and women in the Bible whom God used needed to carry out His will - Noah, Abraham, Moses, Esther, even Jesus.  It’s still God’s will that will be done, but He needs our prayers and obedience to carry it out.

What does God need you to accomplish?  What about me?   Let us pray!