"TIA"

TIA: "This is Africa"... that's what people say when their expectation isn't met or is poorly met: the power is out for hours or days, TIA, the water is off for days, TIA, Internet speed? what's that?, TIA, mosquito nets, TIA, lake flies that remind you of the plagues in Egypt, TIA, getting charged a higher price because you are a white foreigner who doesn't know better, TIA..., and then...

beautiful red soil which grows anything you plant in it, TIA, beautiful children who look at you curiously, TIA, big, big smiles with shining eyes, TIA, worship that goes for an hour, TIA,  a prayer service that depicts how we should all pray unceasingly, TIA, missionary wives praying once a week for all the needs around them, TIA.

So we have been here for about three weeks and there are so many impressions of life.  We have been blessed beyond our imagination. We are sharing a huge house with the Potter's Field Inters/Missionary team. The house is old but beautiful: high, high ceilings, big bathrooms, a terrace that gives a luxury view of Lake Victoria,  windows with arched tops, heavy wooden doors.  And as it seems with all things here, there is the OTHER side. All the windows are barred, nicely done, but metal bars that prohibit outside entry. The doors are barred with the same heavy metal bars and everything gets padlocked at night or when you leave the house empty. A high fence surrounds the property with razor wire stretched across the top. The German Shepherd watchdog and the night guard or the day guard are always around.

We are blessed to have access to the Potter's Field vehicle and the people at the grocery are getting to know me.  I know that: the ground beef smells funky no matter what brand, the bread is really fresh, avocados are dirt cheap, matooke is a green banana that tastes like a potato, cassava is a root that tastes like potato, eggs come in two kinds: yellow yolk and white yolk(really!), broccoli is kind of yellow but still good, milk comes in one liter plastic bags, and the tilapia out of Lake Victoria is fabulous. I am surprised that I can get: peanut butter made in New York, Nutella, Nivea body creams, laundry soap made in Austria, towels made in Germany, and biscuits and cookies made in England.

We are blessed by Calvary Chapel Entebbe. So many people extend their hand out to us both physically and metaphorically.  They are glad to meet you and get to know you. I have to listen so carefully because my ear isn't tuned into the Ugandan English yet. I was sitting in service on the first Sunday and I kept hearing the word "fresh". It just didn't make sense, about halfway through the sermon I realized he was saying "flesh".  Each person has been amazingly patient with me as I ask them two and three times to repeat themselves.

Our children are blessed by the missionary wives and some foreign families that have other purposes here.  Many people we meet are here to study and work at the Virus Institute.  There is a play group that we have been invited to that includes a Russian, two British ladies, a Texan and me. Down our street there is a family of seven children who are missionaries from Alaska.  There is incredible diversity in this little town of Entebbe.  The kids are making friends.  We haven't had one major emotional breakdown!  We are back to school and so they are focused on that too.

We are so blessed by all of you out there in the wide world of e-mail and Facebook. We are grateful  for your immediate response to our request for prayers. For those of you who are new to our loop, we have had plumbing work done that took four days, two water heaters die on us-one upstairs, so we had hot water raining through the ceiling, thankfully nothing was damaged and I ended up with a very clean floor. We really have had power outages that went on for days, and no water for two days.  Raoul is still wrestling with the Internet provider.

Our current prayer request: We are still looking and praying for the right car. We are trying to get our paper work together for our work permits. Raoul has been sick with some kind of head cold/sinus infection.

We thank you for all your support, both financial and spiritual.  We would love to hear from you too!  Our e-mail is usually up and we are glad to stay informed with your lives.  Just because you don't have geckos in the wash basin doesn't mean your lives aren't interesting to us.

Goodbye for now, Ingrid.

Raoul here - well, it certainly has been interesting to get our lives started afresh here in Africa. It is not an easy life when one looks at the material comforts but it is a peaceful life. Everything happens at a slower pace and everyone is friendlier and calmer as a result. My first two weeks have mostly consisted of getting our house in order (lots of plumbing repairs were needed) and setting up all the little parts of life like phones, internet, bank, groceries, driving on the left side of the roads, etc. I started this week at CC Entebbe and going forward I will be involved in several building projects (a school, a work shop, a well, a chicken farm), IT support, general facilities oversight, and preparing to teach next year in the local discipleship training school. I will start with one class (lasts about 4 months) in Inductive Bible Study. We are in the process of getting our work permits and finalizing our container to be shipped from LA next month. Lots of prayer needed to make sure it all goes smoothly, for - TIA - you just never know...

We love and miss all of you and send you our love. Raoul.

Showdown at the PFR Corral

This is a video I made on the ranch in Montana. I couldn't upload it at the time, so here it is:

Final Media Project

Here is my final video project. This was a class effort about our time in Montana.

Fiedler Update

Here's the latest! Ingrid at the keyboard,

When we last updated/posted/blogged we were at Potter's Field Ranch in Montana. We have since then packed up our five children, one dog, one intern-Sarah, one U-Haul trailer and driven from Montana to Camarillo, California to come to a stop until October 22nd.

The last days at Potter's Field were full of highs and lows as interns packed and said good bye to us and one another.  Some of them we will see again in Uganda, as we have the privilege of sharing a house with them in Entebbe during their 6 months of serving, then we will all cry again when they leave.

The drive from Montana to California was long and we were all a little squished in the very full Suburban.  We experienced Yellowstone with its bisons, Old Faithful, waterfalls, and other fabulous scenery.


Now we are staying in Camarillo, California enjoying the generous hospitality of my aunt and uncle who are letting us stay in their house until we fly out.  It is our hope to see many of our friends here and  pass out as many hugs as possible!  Our major task here is to get the 40 foot overseas container in order.  It is no minor undertaking as there are potential donations coming from churches throughout the US and it all needs to be buttoned up correctly, not to mention we never done this before.


Godspeak Calvary Chapel of Thousand Oaks continues to show their support for us as they purchased the plane tickets for us yesterday, and ultimately will generously be paying for our share of the container and its shipping, not to mention their monthly support. We are blessed to have a home church like this.


Stepping back from our Potter's Field experience and comparing who we were when we came in, to who we are as we leave, truly we can say that our spiritual cup is full.  Raoul LOVED his classes and greatly admired those who taught with such passion and integrity.  I had a much needed rest from many of my duties as Mom - such as cooking and cleaning.  Eric and Francesca were blessed with friendships with the interns, all of whom are cut from a different cloth. Hannah, Nathan and Benji had a great time exploring the wooded campus. They built forts in the woods, rock bridges in the streams, played hide and go seek, scootered like crazy, and Nathan learned to ride a bike almost overnight without training wheels.  We are glad to be part of the Potter's Field family and look forward to building the school building in which children in Entebbe will be taught and discipled. The Potter's Field staff loved on us with a Christ-like love and will also be supporting us financially in Entebbe. If you belong to a church which has never seen their presentation I would highly recommend it. It is life changing-as all the interns can attest to.

Speaking of looking forward... we are looking forward to the beginning of our time in Entebbe. Our mailing address is currently the Linquist's P.O. box.  Anything you want to send can be sent to:

Fiedlers
c/o Loren Linquist
P.O. Box 837
Entebbe, Uganda, East Africa

Our flight is two 10 hour legs, LAX to London and London to Entebbe. Please pray for our kids, that they can sleep and endure the flight. I can't think of any 3 year old or 5 (almost 6) year old boy to whom sitting for 10 hours comes naturally! Please pray for us as we pack and get ready to go, that we wouldn't forget vital things. Please pray for a spirit of family and peace as we share a large house with the interns in Entebbe. Please pray for health and safety at all times! Please pray that our language skills increase quickly and that we all adjust to our new environment. Please pray that we will die to our flesh daily and that -as we ourselves hope and pray - we can serve Craig and Loren without reservation.

We are so thankful for your interest in our endeavors, for your prayers and support.  We know that this is a privilege to serve our Lord in Africa.

Enjoying God's mercy and grace,

Raoul, Ingrid, Eric, Francesca, Hannah, Nathan, Benjamin.

A Happy Servant

Luke 17:10 "So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.'"

Here we have Jesus giving us the secret to a joyful and happy life. The original disciples were a thickheaded bunch and Jesus had to be direct in His approach in order to get the point across to them clearly. And not much has changed concerning His followers so I am glad that He put it so simply: consider yourself of no worth and consider it your duty to do what is commanded you. Jesus gives us the analogy of the servant so that we have a picture of what kind of selfless attitude He wants us to have.
At the root of all unhappiness in the world lies sin. At the root of all sin lies pride in the heart of man.  From there emanates all that is contrary to life and peace with God. Death and destruction is the end result every time pride enters the thinking of sinful man. It seems overwhelming and impossible to overcome, for it is such an integral part of who we are. It takes a supernatural intervention to remove pride from our hearts, for only God can restore us to everlasting life. The way to overcome this deathtrap is to allow God into our lives and recognize that all good things can only come from Him. In us dwells no good thing - we are unprofitable servants. The good that we manage to do, we do by the grace of God and since it is He who enables us to do good, we cannot take the credit for it. We give the glory to God, where it belongs, and consider it our duty to do as He commands. When we have reduced ourselves to nothing and allow the Holy Spirit to fill us so completely that He overflows from our lives onto others, we finally find that peace and joy we have always longed for.

Application
Today I will remember that I have died to my self and that it is Christ who lives in me. I will keep Galatians 2:20 in my mind throughout the day.

The Thankless Servant

Luke 17:9 "Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not."

The servant in the house of the master does what is expected of him. He does do without expecting thanks or compensation of any kind. By definition, being a servant or slave brings with it the surrender of any kind of hope for rewards of one's actions of obedience to the master's will. The ideal servant was one who performed his duties quietly and efficiently. He gets all done that is expected without being seen or heard. He stays in the background and looks for clues from his master of what to do next. He knows from experience what he needs to do to make his master happy and does so faithfully. The most he can hope for is not to draw attention to himself and not be noticed.
How many times do we get upset or have our feelings hurt because we faithfully perform our tasks and duties at home, at work or in ministry and no one notices. We do all that is required of us but then do not get any recognition for a job well done. Whether or not the job was really well done is questionable for we often think more highly of our work than others. In any case, we long for recognition and rewards, a pat on the back saying "well done!" When others simply don't notice us we feel overlooked, unappreciated and treated unfairly.
But hat is exactly what is expected of us as faithful servants of our Lord. We are here as followers and servants of the living God. He loved us first in a way that is so far above all that we could ever repay Him that any effort on our behalf to give back is ridiculous in comparison. He gave up His own son in order for us to be with Him. He has paid the penalty for our transgressions and we are now free to give up our lives in return for His. It is our choice to love Him back and He tells us "to love Him is to obey His commandments." We chose to do what He says out of thankfulness for His gift of salvation and our service to Him and others does bot warrant any rewards in return. We have already received our reward, ahead of anything we ever did for Him, and a lifetime of service could not repay Him for what He has given us freely. Yet, incredibly as it may seem, He choses to still bless us for our works and obedience. As we die to our own desires and live a life of service unto the Master of heaven He showers blessings above blessings upon us. We can never out give our loving Father. We may never get the recognition from man on earth, but one day we will stand before our Creator and hear the words "Well done my good and faithful servant."

Application
In order for me to keep in mind that nothing I do in obedience to the Lord warrants any rewards for me, I will keep Galatians 2:20 in mind today.

Others First

Luke 17:8 "But will he not rather say to him, 'Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink'?"

The master tells the servant to prepare food and serve the master after a full day's work in the field and tending to the animals. The servant has both day and evening duties to fulfill before he can sit down and take care of his own needs. His first duty is to his master and all that he requires, then to himself. The expectations of a servant are to fulfill his duties faithfully and completely before he is allowed to have some "me-time."
As the bondservants of Christ we are expected to be faithful in all of our duties. We, too, have been given many tasks to fulfill in our daily Christian walk. We are to love and serve the Master and each other before we are free to take care of our own needs. The word of God is clear about this. The beauty of the Creator's design of life is that as we are faithful and serve other, we do not have to worry about our own needs, for unlike the selfish earthly master, our heavenly Master will give us the desires of our hearts. We needn't worry about meeting our own needs, for they will be met by the supernatural provisions of God. Jesus tells us to seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added to us.
As we focus on kingdom business and not on our own needs, two miraculous changes will happen in us: first, we take our eyes off of ourselves and forget about all the worries and needs that seemed so urgent just a moment ago, and second, as we see the needs and despair of others, we change our perspectives on what is really important in our lives. This leads us to align our own desires with those of God and our selfishness turns to compassion. We give up selfish wants and gain loving compassion; what a deal! It is here where the peace and joy of the Lord enters our lives and we find fulfillment in our daily tasks. We serve a perfect Master who always blesses us more than He expects us to give.

Application
In order to become more others centered and gain compassion in my life, I will ask God to help me to stop grumbling and complaining when I am asked to serve others when I do not feel like it.

A Christian Servant

Luke 17:7 "And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him coming in from the field, 'Come at once and sit down to eat'?"

Servanthood is a basic theme in Christianity that we come across over and over in Scriptures. The way that a Christian is to conduct himself is similar to that of a servant simply doing his job. Paul even calls himself a "bondservant" of Christ. This description talks about our position, our heart and our work in Christ.
As a servant we are subject to the Master of the house. We submit to God and his desires in every area of our lives. As His servant we have no rights or privileges. We are the last to be considered and the first to be asked to do something. We willingly do all that is asked of us without complaining or grumbling for that would not be acceptable due to our stature. We are charged with taking care of the master's property and business and do any job that is given to us. At any moment the Master has the right to reassign us or tell us what to do. Our job is to simply obey.
The heart of a servant is one that is surrendered to the wishes of the Master. He has resigned to the fact that he exists solely for the Master's pleasure and has given up all hope of living for his own purposes. He has a heart willing and ready to yield to whatever is given him to do. The servant does not show any sign of rebellion or even disagreement with his master. A good servant is faithful in his responsibilities and diligent in his work.
Finally, all that is on the servant's heart is to do as the Master commands. He gives every effort and strength to his Master, spends every moment of his day working for the benefit of his Master. There is never a question of "Why should I do this" or "I think I could be used better somewhere else." The answer of the servant is always "Yes, Master" and he goes and does what he is asked to do. His schedule is determined by the one he belongs to and he never does anything without making sure it is in the Master's will.

Application
In order to surrender to the Father and align myself with His will, I will remind myself to have an attitude of "Your will be done" in all situations that I come across.

The Unprofitable Servant

Luke 17:6 "So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.""

In these chapters of the gospel of Luke, Jesus is instructing His disciples in the concept of self-less living. He is using the example of the pharisees as those who think too highly of themselves and believe that they deserve to be served, rather than serve others. Jesus warns the disciples that that kind of self-centered thinking will only bring offense to God and He uses the example of Lazarus and the rich man to illustrate the outcome of selfish living. It will only lead to a hard heart and will bring offense to God and His people. Their attitude should be one of forgiveness and selfless service. Upon hearing that, the disciples asked Jesus for more faith. Jesus' response is recorded in verse 6. If they had the faith of a mustard seed they could command trees to be moved. In another gospel Jesus talks about faith that can move mountains.
Jesus is telling His disciples that even if they only had faith the size of a mustard seed, the smallest of all seeds, they could do impossible tasks. In other words, He is telling them that what they need is not more faith, for what little faith they have is already enough. What they need in order to be faithful followers of Christ is not more faith or more power from above, but rather more humility. You see, the followers of Jesus saw His mighty power and miracles and they wanted more of that power in their lives in order to be great among men. What Jesus is telling them is that before they can handle the power, they have to be broken to the point of realizing that there is nothing good in them. He says in verse 10, "So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do." In order to not fall into the traps of self-righteousness and the terrible consequences that follow, the lesson to learn is not to ask for more supernatural power, but rather to allow God to humble us to the point of death of self. It is when we are completely void of our own desires and wishes, our natural tendency to promote ourselves, that God will fill us with the power of the Holy Spirit and perform miracles in us and through us. The byproduct of a surrendered life is the power of God in our life, not the other way around. As a disciple, you first give up all, then you gain everything.
Too many times we say to God, "OK, God if you do this for me or give that to me, then I will give up more of my life for You!" That kind of thinking only shows that we still think we deserve something, because of our own goodness. To have that kind of attitude is dangerous and Jesus warns us that it would be better to be drowned with a millstone around our necks than to offend any one of the other followers because of our selfishness. The faithful servant recognizes that there is nothing good in him and what he does, he does out of duty and obedience to God.

Application
If I want to be a useful servant to God, I have to first recognize that I am unprofitable with what I have to bring to the table. Brokenness comes before usefulness in the kingdom of God. Today, I will write on a piece of paper "I am an unprofitable servant" and look at it throughout the day to remind me to be humble in all I do.

The Glory of God

John 17:22 "And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one."

Jesus prays for His disciples and asks for unity among them. This unity is to be a witness to the world of the God nature of Christ. But this unity is not naturally achieved in men, but needs godly intervention to come about. God the Father gave Jesus His glory when He came to earth. Jesus had the glory of God in heaven as part of His nature, but He humbled Himself and came as a man, not as God, so He needed the Father's glory. What is that glory? God is perfect. He is holy and righteous. He never makes a mistake, never sins, never regrets an action or is surprised by the outcome of an event. He knows the end from the beginning and is sovereign in all matters of the universe. He is in total control and reigns with all power, knowledge and wisdom. He can create something from nothing and is good in all He does. His very nature is love and no evil can be found in Him. And that is the basis of His glory. His very nature gives Him glory. We praise and worship God, and rightly so, for He is the only worthy one. Jesus, as God, had that very same nature and was worthy of our worship. When He came as a man, He had to walk in perfection and never sin, in order to be that perfect lamb of God who can die in our place. He was obedient in all things, holy in His conduct here on earth, and thus the glory that belongs to the Father also was given to the Son while here on earth. No sin could be found in Him. He said of Himself that when we see Him, we see the Father. When we see Jesus, we see the glory of God, perfection in Human form. Jesus was glorified while on earth.
As His followers we will not be completely glorified until we get to heaven, but right now we are being sanctified and we are in the process of glorification. As we obey and do as Christ commanded we put on Christ's righteousness and we are being transformed into the image and likeness of Jesus. As we are being changed, we have more and more of His glory shining in our lives. In our walk with God, we die to our selves and resemble Jesus more each day. It is that process of transformation that allows us to display the one aspect of the Godhead that is impossible to achieve any other way: unity. As we become more like Christ, we are able to live in harmony and fellowship that glorifies God. Amazingly, as we glorify God, we are being glorified ourselves. The more we lose and give up, the more we gain that which was unattainable before. Praise God for His miraculous workings in our lives.

Application
I want the glory of God to shine in my life, as I surrender to Him each day and let Him live in me. Therefore today, I will take on Christlikeness and continue to speak with kindness and gentleness in all my interactions.

Our Unity is Our Witness

John 17:21 "That they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent me."

The night before His crucifixion Jesus prays to the Father and asks Him to bless His followers. He wants them to have His joy and to be kept save in the world by the Holy Spirit. At this point in His prayer He asks for unity among His followers according to the example set by Jesus and His Father in heaven. And this unity is to be a sign to the world that Jesus indeed was sent to earth by God. When we look at the history of mankind what stands out to me is the constant presence of conflict. There has never been a time when man has dwelt in peace and unity. There is something in the nature of man that compels him to want more and take from another what isn't his. Man is greedy, covetous, full of envy, desiring to lord it over others, and never content with what he has. His actions and emotions cause pain, strife, and suffering and the end result of human desire is always death. As soon as two have to come together and live in a common environment there will always be conflict. It is our sinful nature. We cannot help it. Left to our own devices, we are condemned to a life of misery.
Jesus told us to be witnesses to the world. We are not just to witness to the world but actually lives as witnesses among the other people. We are to show the world by the way we live that God is real and that Jesus is the son of God. There is one way that stands out above all others in our daily walk in which we can accomplish this: to get along. What is impossible in our natural state, will be achievable with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us. If we, as Christians, love one another and live in harmony with each other, we will be so different from the norm that the world has to stop and take notice. We are set apart, sanctified, from the world, not to do as the world does, but as God has shown us.
This is not a new concept that Jesus introduces here. All through the Bible God intended for His people to live in such a way to be witnesses for Him. He took a whole nation and set them apart from the rest of humankind. He blessed them and gave them His commandments so that they may be a shining city on a hill to those that live in darkness. The Israelites were to be the example to everyone else of what it looks like to be governed by God. When they trusted in God and depended on Him they succeeded, but when they walked in their own strength they failed miserably. Ultimately, they became legalistic and blew their witness because they elevated the letter of the law above the heart of God and tried to live their lives on their own terms.
Likewise we, too, need to depend on God daily for the ability to walk in unity if we desire to be witnesses of God's redemptive work to the world. To dwell in unity with our brothers and sisters is not in our nature and can only be achieved in our lives if we daily surrender to the leading of God. To be witnesses is not so much about what we do, but rather to what extend we allow God to come into our lives and change our hearts. We need to be transformed from the inside out by the power and grace of God. It takes dying to self and living for God that will cause us to esteem others in such a way that we can live together in peace. And that unity will speak louder to the fallen heart than any sermon we can ever preach.

Application
I want to be a witness to those around me by how I interact with my fellow believers. Today I will pray to God to grant me kindness and love toward everyone I come in contact with. I will speak only kind words in each conversation that I have today.

It's all about Jesus

John 17:20 "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in me through their word."

In the 17th chapter of the gospel of John we come across Jesus' prayer to the Father. He prays for those that have believed that Jesus was sent by the Father (Vs.8), because He would no longer be in the world (Vs.11). He prays for their joy (Vs.13) and for them to be sanctified by the Father's truth (Vs. 17). In this verse Jesus extends the prayer not only to those who were believers at the time, but also to those who will believe in Him in the future.
What strikes me in this verse is the fact that Jesus assumes two things: that the disciples will preach His gospel to non-believers and that the non-believers will believe in Jesus based on their testimonies. Jesus does not pray to the Father that the unbelievers will come to a belief in Christ, He prays for those that will believe. To Jesus it is already a matter of fact that there will be new believers based on the testimonies of His current disciples. Jesus knows all things. He is God. He can see the end from the beginning. He is neither surprised by the lack of faith or the great accomplishments of His disciples. There is nothing we can do as disciples that He does not already know. When Jesus went to the cross He already knew who I was with all my faults, sins, and abilities. When He laid down His life He died for all my sins and covered them completely. When I fail today in my sinfulness, He says, "Yes I know; I covered this on the cross too. Now confess and repent and sin no more. Go on fighting the good fight." Too many times we tell the Lord that we will never do "that" again, only to find ourselves once again fallen pray to the same old sinful behavior. And we are such self-focused creatures that even in our sins we still focus on what we did. The result is that we beat ourselves up and see only our weaknesses and failures. God wants us to take our eyes off of ourselves, when we fail and when we succeed. When we fail, so that we do not fall into despair, and when we succeed so that we do not give into pride. Our focus needs on be on Jesus. When we fail we need to look on Him who died on the cross for us and thank Him that He covered this sin as well. When we succeed, we need to thank Him for empowering us through the Holy Spirit and for giving us all the faith to believe. It is all about Him! We must decrease so that He must increase. We die daily to our selves and follow Him. We must give Him every day afresh and let Him work in us. What counts is not what we can or cannot do but what He has already done. He gave us clear instructions to obey His commandments and go into all the world, be witnesses of His gospel, and make disciples. Any other path in life will not lead to His glory in heaven.

Application
I want to stay connected to God throughout the day, so that I do not let my eyes drift away from God and onto myself. Therefore today I will keep an attitude of prayer in my mind and seek any opportunity to pray, for myself and others.

Worldly Gain vs. Heavenly Purpose

Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?"

Every morning we wake up and face another day. Another 24 hours to spend doing the same things, being around the same people, doing the same tasks, going to the same job. What's the point? Why get up out of bed and spend another day doing what we did yesterday? Where is the meaning? Where is the purpose? What do we live for? Countless people around the world live life every day doing whatever they do without considering the point of it all, the meaning of their lives, the purpose of their being. Very few consider why we are here and what our destinies are. The purpose for living in this sinful, fallen, dog eat dog world. Most simply try to make the best out of it and want to accumulate as much stuff as possible before they die. Let's be as comfortable as possible for as long as possible. But that is relative, isn't it? When we look at life on earth a lifetime is very long, but when we look at eternity, our existence here is but a moment, a speck in time. Time is valuable, our most precious commodity. Most people look back at their lives in old age and have regrets of wasting time. there is so little of it to go around. All this begs the question: where is the profit in our existence? What is the meaning of being here on earth? What is it all about? How do we give our lives meaning and purpose? How do we find fulfillment?
Jesus tells us that even if we gain the whole world, but in the end lose our soul, we have gained nothing at all. To lose our souls is to lose everything in the grand scheme of things. To run after material gain is foolishness if in the end we lose it all. So how can we not lose our souls? Jesus just told His disciples in the previous verse that if they try to save their lives they will lose them and if they lose their lives for His sake they will gain them. The key then lies in losing our lives for His purposes, so that we may gain our souls in the end. God created us, He gave us purpose and meaning. In order for us to live in accordance with what we were designed for, we must follow the instructions of the designer. Jesus tells us to "first seek the kingdom of God and all these [material] things will be added to you." Let's then shift our focus and take our eyes off of us and our needs, wants, fears, and desires and look at what our creator tells us will give us meaning and purpose. His ultimate goal for our lives is to end up in heaven at His side and to bring as many people with us as possible. To achieve this we need to be kingdom minded disciples of Christ. The highest profit is to gain access to the heavenly throne room for all eternity. Why try to gain the world, when we can gain eternity?

Application
Are my goals and desires lining up with God's will for my life? Today I will pray that God take away any ambitions to gain worldly success that I still have.

Life and Death

Mark 8:35 "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it."

After having to rebuke Peter for disagreeing with Jesus and His plan for salvation, Jesus brings together all those around Him and gives them a lesson in discipleship. The one question that we all will have to face one day is "what happens when we die?" Death is the great equalizer of men. It is no respecter of persons or titles. Prince and paupers have to deal with the fact that one day the body will cease to be and we have to go beyond this earthly realm. Throughout the ages men have come up with every conceivable philosophy about life after death, from the complete death of body and soul to the fountain of youth that can make you live forever. Those that are uncertain tremble at the thought of dying and either ignore it altogether or work toward making sure their good outweighs their bad. Some have simply resign to the fact that they can never know what will happen and adapt the attitude of making the most out of the time here on earth by fulfilling every desire of the flesh.
In general there are two types of people when it comes to dealing with death: those that work out their own salvation in one form or another and those that trust God to save them. What does the Bible say about death? The writer of Hebrews points out that "it is appointed for man to die once, but after this the judgement." Paul also tells us that for the believer "to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord." (2 Cor. 5:8) When the body ceases to function we receive a new body in which we will spend eternity. Our soul is eternal and will never cease to exist. When we are done on this earth with a corruptible body we will take on the incorruptible and go before God for judgement. God, who is a holy and perfect judge, one who cannot tolerate any form of sin in His presence, will then take our lives and examine them for any sin we have committed while on earth. And if there is any to be found, it has to be judged. God cannot by nature leave sin unjudged for that would make Him unfair. What is the penalty for any form of sin? Romans 6:23 tells us that "the wages of sin is death." This death then comes as what is called the spiritual death - eternal separation from God and never-ending torment in hell. Revelation 21:8 talks about this place: "but the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." 
What is the answer for life eternal? To be born again spiritually unto life eternal by accepting Jesus' redemptive work on the cross as out free gift of salvation. By the shedding of His own, innocent blood Jesus has paid for our penalty for our sins and we are free from all condemnation. When we stand before the eternal judge thus cleansed from all unrighteousness we are free to enter into God's presence for all eternity. You see, we can either try to save ourselves through our own righteousness, which leaves to eternal damnation, or we can let God save us through His work, which ensures heavenly bliss for the rest of time. It is not about our efforts, but about God's purposes. In our finite minds we can only see as far as death and do what we can before we get there. God sees death merely as a starting point for those that believe in Him to do abundantly and exceedingly for His kingdom. For the believer death has lost its sting, for he has already died to self and been born again unto servanthood in God's eternal kingdom. Physical death merely becomes a transition from corruptible to incorruptible, a falling asleep and awakening.

Application
I want to rest in the assurance of God's redemptive work and His purposes for my life. I do not need to work out any of my own plans but simply follow His plan. Therefore I will daily surrender my will to Him and ask for His will to be done every day in my life. Today I will surrender my plans to go to Uganda to Him and accept whatever He wants for us in that regard.

PFR Adventure video

Latest video post. The assignment was to do a promo for Potter's Field with the topic of adventure.

Christian Discipleship

Mark 8:34 "When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, 'Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.' "

In Mark chapter 8 Jesus is in Caesarea Philippi with His disciples. As an ancient center of pagan worship, Caesarea Philippi was notorious for its shrines and altars to various gods. In this setting Jesus asks His followers who people say that He is to find out what they know about Him. Peter correctly declares Him to be the Son of God and Jesus commends Him for being full of the Spirit of God, for only the Holy Spirit can reveal that truth to men. After making sure they know that He is God, Jesus then starts talking about His destiny of suffering and death on the cross. In horror Peter rebukes the Lord, after which Jesus tells Peter to "get behind Me, Satan."Jesus rebukes Peter for being self-serving in his words and actions. He then calls everyone together to give them a lecture on what it means to follow the Christ.There are four points in this verse that Jesus makes in regard to discipleship. Anyone desiring to be a follower of Christ has to follow by denying self, taking up his cross and following Jesus.
In order to qualify as a disciple of Christ we must first of all have the desire to follow Christ. This may be obvious, but how many times do we just follow the newest trends, be part of the latest fashions, simply because everyone else is doing it. I venture to say that a majority of the multitude following Jesus really wasn't interested in being a disciple, but rather just saw the commotion around Him and they were interested in the newness of His message and the sensation of His miracles. This kind of following fizzles out quickly and before long scatters when the new becomes old and the teaching gets too hard to emulate. There were followers and then there were those that wanted to come after Jesus and follow His directions. The majority of Christians today are willing to follow Christ up to the point of their own comfort zone, but no further. As long as He does not make them uncomfortable and fits into their own ideas of what life should be like, they will gladly take the Biblical advice. True discipleship, however, will take what God says and live its life accordingly. The disciple worldview will align itself with God's teachings, no matter how difficult or foreign it may seem.
A second point in this verse is to deny self. There is no good in us. As followers of Christ we cannot let our own feelings and desires determine how we think and act. We are called by God to learn and obey His commandments and to act out of self-less love toward God and others. Christ has purchased us on the cross and it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me (Galatians 2:20). If we want to claim the benefits of a forgiven and saved life, we have to recognize this new ownership and let God reign on the throne of our lives. God becomes our Lord and His Spirit indwells us to do according to His good pleasures. There is no room for our self and God in our lives. There can only be one master of our hearts. Our lives are no longer about what we want but what He wants, which ultimately leads us to what is best for us anyway. If we have faith and let Him lead us, we will soon reap the benefits of a Spirit lead life full of peace and joy.
Next Jesus talks about taking up our cross. This simply means that we are willing to put to death our own desires and obey God in every area of our lives. Jesus is our great example here in His willingness to carry His own cross down the road to Calvary. He was obedient to the purposes of God, even unto death. He willingly hung on the cross and gave up His Spirit to glorify the Father and in the process was glorified Himself. If we display the same kind of obedience to the will of God, if we are willing to put to death the desires of our own flesh, God will bring His own glory into our lives and we will be blessed by it. The true sign of love of the disciple is obedience to the teachings of the master. Are we willing to die in order to glorify God? Is there any area in our lives that we hold onto and refuse to let go? Do we cling to bad habits out of insecurity and fear? We need to let go and let God. He knows what is best and we are safe in His hands.
Lastly, the mark of a true disciple of Christ is one that follows Him. No matter where He goes, we go. Having determined that we want to be His follower, realized that there is no good in our self, determined to be obedient to Him in every area of our lives, we now go wherever He tells us to go. We follow Him to the ends of the earth in order to do His work. We do not determine where we go in life, but rather daily ask Him where He wants us. Whether He wants us to minister in our home towns or be a proclaimer of the Good News in China, we are willing to go wherever He calls. We are empty vessels in the hands of the Master and as such we simply react to His skillful touch. His purposes are higher than ours and His plans better than anything we can ever come up with.

Application
I desire to be the kind of follower of Christ that displays all of these traits of discipleship. How much I still struggle with denying self and obedience. Today I will deny my self by taking every opportunity to help someone else, no matter what I am doing at the moment.

A Certain and Serious Walk

1 Corinthians 9:26 "Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air."


In the middle of Paul’s exhortation to the church of Corinth, he is comparing the life of a Christian to the athlete that runs in a race to compete to win. The attitude of the follower of Christ has to be just like the serious athlete who gives his all to win the race he is competing in. In the previous verse we learn that we run the race of life to receive that incorruptible crown of glory of the victorious Christian living. Here we can see two important attitudes we need to have along the way: certainty and seriousness.
When the runner enters the race he cannot know if he will run the race. He may be the favorite, but even then a lot can happen in the race that may hinder him from achieving victory. He cannot be certain of success, but if he is to be successful he has to have the mindset that he will win. He needs to be so convinced in his abilities and have such faith in his training that he knows he can win. If he starts the event hoping to win and thinking “well, maybe I may win,” he has already lost the race. Successful athletes are confident almost to the point of arrogance. Likewise, the Christian has to enter and run the competition fully convinced that he is going to come out on top in the end. There has to be certainty in all he does, knowing fully that victory is his and nothing can prevent him from making it to the finish line. We call this certainty in our daily walk with God faith. Faith is a gift from God. It is not something we conjure up to give ourselves false hope, but rather it is certainty in a true and faithful God who always keeps His promises. It does not depend on our ability to perform, but on God’s ability to keep His Word. Here lies the difference between the athlete and the Christian. The athlete can never know the outcome of the race, but we do know the outcome of our walk of faith. We know that Christ has won the victory on Calvary and has beaten death and sin, thus allowing us to be victorious as long as we cling to Him. It is often said that we do not fight for victory, but from victory. Therefore we can run with absolute certainty and do not have to question the outcome. As a matter of fact it is sin to wonder wether God will be able to keep us safely through this life and we will make it to heaven. The letter to the Ephesians tells us that we have His guarantee, His Holy Spirit living in us, that He will see us through to the end. To doubt would be to call God a liar, or at the very least incapable. That is not the God who created the universe. He is the Truth and He is all power. He says what He means and He means what He says. He is God.
Further we see that Paul calls us to be serious in our walk. He tells us not be like the shadow boxer who fights an imaginary opponent. The fighter has two very different styles and mindsets when he is going through the motions of fighting and when he is actually in the ring facing an adversary. In the first scenario, he is fighting a fake, unreal opponent that he is only imagining in his mind. He is free to play around, dance around, and can easily think of himself higher and better than he really is. But when he is in the ring with an actual enemy, he has to be real and properly assess the situation if he wants to not get beaten. He has to keep his strength, follow a strategy, not let his guard down, watch every movement of the opponent, and be in the fight with all his being to be victorious. One little slip, one moment of distraction could spell the end of the fight. He needs to take his fight seriously and cannot show off or pretend. How often do we Christians think too highly of ourselves or our abilities, only to find out that when we are faced with an actual opponent, we are not prepared to fight. We think we are all that and then God allows a trial into our lives and we fall apart. It is essential that we take this Christian walk seriously and realize that we are in a fight for our lives and the lives of those around us. We need to be diligent and prepared. Most of all we need to cling to the unending source of our strength, Jesus Christ. We bring nothing to the fight, but the willingness to be used by God. He will then enter our lives and fight the battles for us. And since He has already won the victory, we know the end result. The fight is ours to lose and God’s to win. The choice is ours. 

Application
I want to be completely surrendered to God’s will for my life, so that I can walk and live in His strength, not my own. I want to have total faith in God’s abilities and be serious about my Christian walk. Therefore today  during my prayer time I will spend at least half an hour on my knees before God, surrendering all areas of my life to Him.

Christian Temperance

1 Corinthians 9:25 "And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown."

The apostle Paul is likening the Christian walk to a competitive race, in which the athlete competes for the victor's crown. There are many parallels that can be drawn, like the physical and mental preparations necessary to be successful in the endeavor, whether a physical race or a spiritual walk with God. In this verse Paul points out that the athlete who trains for a race is temperate in all things.
Everybody agrees that it would be foolishness for an athlete in training to stay up late partying, to drink alcohol, to smoke, to eat junk food, to play video games, and watch TV all day. None of these things would benefit him in his training, but only lessen his chances of winning the race. Being aware of all that could potentially hinder him, he comes up with an exercise program and living regiment that is designed with one purpose in mind: to be victorious in the race. Every part of his life comes under scrutiny and anything that does not benefit the athlete has to go. Not only the things that would hurt the training, but also the aspects of his life that have no benefit toward the goal. And for the athlete to go through with the new program of controlled living it takes one thing above all: self-control, or temperance.
Equally, or even more so, the Christian who wants to be successful in his walk with God has to bring every aspect of his life under scrutiny and look at it through the lens of God's perspective. Every part of our lives and personality, our living habits and character traits have to be closely observed and measured by the standard of God's commandments. We know from the self-revelation of God, His Word, what will benefit us and what will hurt us in our race to the finish line. He has given us a standard to live by and He does not tolerate any compromises. He alone knows what is good for us and He will not allow us to change or add to any of His instructions for the Christian life. To live a life that is Christ-like we have to a) study the Word of God, so that we can know His will and commandments, b) measure every area of our lives against the yard stick of His Holy Word, and c) diligently follow through, without compromise, in applying the eternal recipe for a successful Christian life. The latter takes the same kind of self-control an athlete has to display, yet even more than that, for there are not only physical and mental challenges to overcome, but also spiritual ones. Where do we get that kind of self-control? It is a fruit of the Holy Spirit living in us. Galatians 5:23 tells us so. Like the athlete who depends on his coach to keep him on a regimented lifestyle, we, too, have a trainer that will keep us accountable to the new way of living. He is the Holy Spirit. But not only will He hold us accountable and encourage us, He will also empower us to have the kind of self-control that is needed and work God's work in us, so that we can be successful in the race of Christian living. How can we access that power from on high? We need to be willing to let God break us before Him, we need to acknowledge and confess all of the areas in our lives that do not line up with His will, and we need to allow the Holy Spirit to fully indwell us.

Application
I want to be completely broken before God, so that I can walk in His power and enjoy the fruits of His Spirit living in me. Thus today I will spend a half hour before God and take inventory of areas of my life that He has already shown me, where sin had to be dealt with and how I have fared so far.

The Case for Thankfulness

Another video project. We were to depict a virtue. Enjoy:

The Christian Games

1 Corinthians 9:24 "Do you know know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it."

In his first letter to the Corinthian church, the apostle Paul addresses a number of problem areas that he was made aware of in the church. Several false doctrines had crept in and he sought to correct them. In this particular section he is using his own life and position as apostle as an example of how to live the life of a believer. He exhorts the church to have the same attitude and heart in their devotion to a Christlike walk as an athlete would have who is trying to win a race. This analogy would hit very close to home to the Corinthians for they held the Isthmian Games in Corinth, second only to the ancient Olympic Games. Athletes were held in high esteem in the Greek culture and their fame spread throughout the known world, much like today.
When an athlete is preparing for a race on a highly competitive level, he displays certain disciplines and attitudes before and during the race. First, he devotes all his efforts, energy, and time to get his body ready to compete. He gets up early, trains hard and often, and takes in a special diet of foods that will benefit his body. Anything that could hinder his chances of winning, he cuts out of his life. He prepares to make himself physically strong. Second, he gets himself mentally ready to compete. The body may be right, but if the mind is not equally trained, he has no chance of winning. Most professional athletes will agree that the games are lost and won in the minds of those competing. Both during practice and in the race, the mind has to be ready for the task. Already during training, the athlete has an attitude of winning. He is ready and prepared to do whatever it takes to get himself in shape. He is of a single focus and all of his being, all aspects of his life are dedicated to the cause of winning. The competitor believes that he can win. He knows that he has trained hard and effectively and is ready for the challenge. During the race, he knows that he can only win if he gives it his all. He has confidence in his training and knows that he is physically ready, which enables him to stay focused on the goal of winning the race. His heart is not concerned about anything outside of the race and he gives the race every ounce of strength he has available. He holds nothing back and thus becomes a contender for the prize.
Paul asks us to have the same kind of devotion and dedication in our Christian walk as the ancient runners had. Only the cost of losing the race of life is much more costly and the rewards much more gratifying. We need to prepare ourselves physically and mentally by developing good habits in what we  allow to enter our bodies and minds. Like an athlete, we must train hard and often and devote all of our daily routine to the effort at hand: to run the race of the follower of Christ in a fallen world. If we are not disciplined in our efforts and do not make use of all the training facilities that are available to us, we will not win the race and that will have eternal consequences both for us and those around us. If the athlete is willing to be single minded for an earthly crown of fame and glory, how much more should we be willing to sacrifice and stay the course for a heavenly crown of glory. And there is one secret ingredient that gives us the ultimate edge in the race. Christ has already run the race for us and He has won! If we get in the game and are willing to follow Christ we are guaranteed to win the race and come out as victors in the end. In athletics the outcome of the race can only be determined ahead of time by illegitimate means, but in our Christian walk, we can be assured that if we stay devoted we will succeed and earn the crown of everlasting life at the finish line.

Application
Like the ancient runner, I want to be wholly devoted to Christ. I want to cut out anything that hinders my chances at winning the race from my life. Therefore today I will ask those closest to me what they see in me that needs to be dealt with and ask God to change me in those areas.

Heart of Worship

Ephesians 5:19 "Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord."

The apostle Paul is teaching the new believers in Ephesus how to conduct themselves in a new, redeemed way. Christ has brought light into the world and is shining it into the hearts and lives of His followers. All that has been done according to the former conduct is now exposed and dealt with by the blood of Jesus and thus the new believers are to walk worthy of the sacrifice of Christ. To do anything according to the old nature of man is sin, for the follower of Christ is a new creation, empowered by the Spirit of God. That new nature of the reborn believer manifests itself in ways that glorify and bless God. In this section of the letter to the Ephesian church Paul has already addressed the attention (vs.15), the attributes (vs.16), the attitude (vs.17), and the aspirations (vs.18) of the new man in Christ. In this verse he now turns his attention to the utterances of the Christian.
As a new creation in Christ, part of the challenge we face every day is to walk and act in accordance with our new nature. God has finished His redemptive work for us, but He is currently involved in the sanctifying work in us through the Holy Spirit. He has given us a new heart, a new nature, and calls us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Therefore, a renewal process is happening in each one of us that will take the rest of our lives to reach perfection. Part of this renewal in us involves our speech. Just like the missionary who moves to a new country and has to learn the language and habits of a new culture, so we have to learn afresh the idiosyncrasies and language of the culture of God. We are no longer of the household of man, but are children of God, who have to conduct themselves accordingly, both in behavior and speech. Paul shows us here what this new language looks like that is spoken in the kingdom of God. God wants us to speak to one another in three particular ways: in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.
Psalms speak of the old verses penned by David and others in the Old Testament times. They are generally an individual's expression of praise and worship directed to the Almighty God. Hymns are songs sung by the body of Christ with the purpose of unification through corporate praise and worship. Spiritual songs indicate an expression of praise and worship about any part of the Christian life. The common factor in these is an attitude of praise and worship. Where does this attitude come from? A heart overflowing with worship for our Creator. A heart that is "singing and making melody to the Lord." Whenever we are opening our mouths, the results should be constant outflow of the Spirit filled heart. Mat 12 :34 tells us that "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." As we address each other, our words should reflect the Word of God and encourage the listener immediately to praise and worship our God. The focus thus has to be on the attitude of our hearts, in order for our words to be pleasing to God and each other.

Application
I want to have a heart that is constantly rejoicing in the works of God in my life. For that I need to get my eyes off of myself and onto Jesus. Anything else pales in comparison to the wonderful act of redemption by Him on my behalf. Therefore today I will read again the "Resurrection" chapter in "The Story of Jesus" book and ask God to help me to keep this lesson fresh on my mind.

Dissipation vs. Generation

Ephesians 5:18 "And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit."

The believers in Ephesus are taught by the apostle Paul to leave the old man behind and start walking in the newness of life that is found in Christ. He exhorts them to disregard the lusts of the flesh and reminds them that Jesus is light and reveals all the secrets and hidden places that exist in the hearts and lives of man. Those hidden and unreported sins always lead to destruction. The old man is a physical being, constantly driven by physical desires, whereas the new man in Christ is spiritual, motivated by the commands and laws of God.
The city of Ephesus was known in the world as a city given over to a lifestyle of physical pleasure and carnal desires. They worshipped deities such as Diana, the goddess of fertility and sexuality, and Bacchus, the god of wine and physical ecstasy. The followers of these gods would regularly "worship" with drunken orgies and please their gods by living an epicurean lifestyle. Against this background Paul warns the new believers of the Way to leave the old life behind and focus on living in a way that would please God and benefit our bodies.
We all have a choice how to live every day of our lives. We can either fulfill the lusts of the flesh and fill ourselves will all manner of substances that might give us a temporary sense of pleasure and relief from the worries and stresses of the world, or we can allow God to fill us with His Holy Spirit, which will bring His peace and joy into our lives. The result of trying to live for the flesh will always result in dissipation. In science, dissipation describes an irreversible process that increases the state of entropy in the system it is working in. In other words, a higher state of disorder is introduced through a process that cannot be undone. Such is a life given over to physical pleasures. Whether it is a failed marriage ruined by unbridled lust, a ruined career due to alcoholism, or a drug induced insanity ruling every aspect of one's life, going after the things of the flesh will always result in irreversible consequences that we will regret when we are faced with them.
Not so with God. The opposite of dissipation is generation. Instead of increased chaos, God generates in our lives power and a sense of peace through His Spirit. Paul tells us to "be filled", or rather,  "to be being filled" with the Spirit of God, not wine. Contrary to physical stimulants, the Spirit will work in us to grow and mature us into a man or woman of God. The Holy Spirit comes to live in us at the point of salvation, yet due to our sin nature, we need to daily surrender our desires and receive a fresh filling of the power of God. We are creatures with free will and God will not force Himself on us. Each day, we need to chose God and align our lives with His eternal purposes and He will be faithful to provide the power and gifts needed to live each day victoriously. There may be temporary setbacks due to our weaknesses and selfish thinking, but God is always ready to restore us through His Spirit, if we choose to turn our faces to Him and ask for His Spirit to lead us. Each day is a new start and a new opportunity to allow God to sit on the throne of our lives which always leads to a life full of purpose, joy, love, fulfillment, and order. Instead of dissipation we will experience a state of completeness and fullness of life.

Application
I have experienced the pain and destructive power of a life given over to fleshly desires and do not ever want to go back to that kind of life. Thus today I will resolve to start every day by asking God to let His will be done in my life, not mine.

Redeeming the TIme

Ephesians 5:16 "redeeming the time, because the days are evil."

In the letter to the Ephesians, the apostle Paul is reminding the church that they are no longer children of darkness, but are new creations in Christ, children of the light. They are to walk in the light, which is Christ, and not according to the former conducts. The light reveals all secrets and hidden sins in the lives of the believers and they were exhorted to conduct themselves in all truthfulness and sincerity of heart. Paul encourages the church to "wake up and arise"and live in the newness of life that has been granted to them by Christ.
In this section of the chapter Paul explains what it looks like to live a life in the light of Christ. He gives a number of characteristics of the "enlightened" believer. In verse 15, Paul tells us to "walk circumspectly," to live every day aware of what is going on around us, so that we can make wise decisions at any time. Here in verse 16, he points out that we are to "redeem the time"that we have left, "for the days are evil," we only have a short time here on earth to fulfill the calling that we have been given by God. To redeem the time means to make the most out of every moment that we are on this earth. We are not to be given into the pursuit of earthly and selfish pleasures, as fools are, but rather spend our energy on kingdom business. We are born, converted and then, in the blink of an eye, will be in heaven with God for eternity. The time between salvation and death is short and there is a lot of work to be done for God. We do not have the luxury to waste time here on earth, for "the harvest is great and the workers are few." We are no longer our own, but Christ has redeemed us from the bondage of slavery to self and the world. In light of this, we are to be about our master's business and, like a bondservant, are to devote our very being to the pursuit of His purposes.
When I think of a life of total devotion to the Lord, the life of Daniel comes to mind. As a child, he was taken from his home in Jerusalem and kidnapped to Babylon, where he grew up in a strange land among strange customs and people. He did not chose to be there, yet his whole life is a testimony of submission and dedication to God's will. His life was an utter success, both from the heavenly and earthly perspective and he never wavered in his faith, even when confronted with imminent death in the lion's den. God used him until the very end of his life and he is one of the few characters in the Bible whose sins were never shown to us. Like Daniel, we, as believers, live in a world that is not our own, among a people and in a land that are strange and hostile to us. Like Daniel, we are called to submit to God's will and to devote ourselves completely to His service, so that we, too, can be tools in the hand of a mighty God. Daniel, in his faithfulness, changed not only the heart of kings, but changed the course of history and forever impacted the world to come. The same way, we are called to "redeem the time" we have on this earth and turn the whole world right side up. How sad is the Christian existence that is only concerned with the worries of a comfortable life and given over to selfish pleasures. How much more exiting is the life of one who goes out and in selfless service changes the lives and destinies of countless other souls.

Application
I long for the designation of "man of God" given to many of the men in the Bible. I pray that God grant me this kind of life, given wholly to the pursuit of godliness. Therefore today during my quiet time I will read the story of Daniel again and pray that God would show me areas of my life that I have to surrender to Him.

Look out for the Enemy!

Ephesians 5:15 "See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,"

Paul is talking to the church at Ephesus and teaches them that they should walk in the newness of their saved lives. They are to put away the old man and be imitators of Christ. Christ is light and, like Him, we are to have no fellowship with darkness. Light shines in to every corner of a room and brings to the forefront that which is hidden. Darkness conceals and hides that which does not want to be seen. God calls us to a life lived fully in the light, with no hidden sin or dark secrets. All parts of us need to be brought into the light by Jesus and they need to be dealt with at the cross. We are to have no fellowship with darkness.
In this verse, Paul tells us that if we want to avoid darkness and its evil minions, we must first of all "walk circumspectly." The Greek word is akribo and talks about being careful and diligent. The picture here is that of a sentry standing guard on the walls of a city, ever diligent to watch for the enemy that might be sneaking up out of the darkness. To be circumspect, or to "look around," is to be on the constant lookout for anything that may entice us to allow darkness sneaking back into our lives. We are to live with the awareness that that there is an enemy out there who wants to destroy us by luring us back into the old life of deception and death.
Nehemiah was a great example for this kind of awareness. When he gave orders to rebuild the city of Jerusalem, he was fully aware of the dangers that the enemies of God presented to him and his people. In Nehemiah 4:8 we hear that "all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion." And what did Nehemiah do? He could have stopped the work and worry about their safety or he could have ignored the threats and go on building the walls. He did neither. He perceived the threat for what it was: a real and present danger from real sworn enemies. He took the necessary precautions, but at the same time kept on doing God's work. He armed the workers and positioned them strategically around the city. He encouraged the workers and reminded them of the greatness of God. So from then on half the men worked and the other half stood guard, armed to the teeth. And what was the result of Nehemiah's presence of mind? God discouraged the enemies and brought their plans to nothing. They found a prepared people, ready to take on the enemy, and they didn't even try to attack.
God wants us to have the same mindset as Nehemiah when it comes to facing the threats from our enemies. We need to be ready for them, prepared to do battle, yet continuing with the works that God has called us to. To stand watch and walk circumspectly is wisdom, to neglect the enemy is foolishness. To think that there is no enemy that is willing to destroy us is utter folly and will make us easy prey for that lion that is going to and fro upon the earth, seeking whom He may destroy. We have already won the victory over death in Christ, but we have to still be wise when it comes to the strategies of the adversary of God, lest he render our efforts useless for the kingdom.

Application
I want to have the awareness and wisdom of Nehemiah when it comes to dealing with those that want to destroy my witness for Christ. Today I will read again the story of Nehemiah and pray that God grant me the wisdom to learn the lessons of Nehemiah.

Miracle at Milemarker 148

My latest video project: the assignment was to capture a conversion story. Enjoy!

Heaven's Social System

Acts 2:45 "And sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need."

After receiving the Holy Spirit in the upper room, Jesus' disciples start preaching the Way and the early church is growing steadily in Jerusalem. The believers meet in the temple and homes and a community of followers of Jesus is developing. In this new gathering of the saints, the focus is on teaching the Word, fellowship with one another, the Lord's supper, and praying together. They are single minded in their pursuit of a Christian life, unified and empowered by the leading of the Holy Spirit. In this verse we find out that they went as far as selling all their possessions and divided them up in the group in order to meet all the needs that were present amongst each other.
The world and its political systems have tried to find various ways to take care of those that are less fortunate and have less. It usually involves some way of trying to get to entice those that have money to give it to the poor. Foundations have been established, government programs, various religious organizations, or even worldwide bodies like the UN, all in order to find a better way to live - a way to bring justice and equality to the living conditions of the inhabitant of this planet. In recent times socialism has spread across the globe to establish that utopian society in which none would suffer hunger and all would be living on an acceptable level. Trillions are spent on trying to improve the human condition, yet all efforts to eradicate poverty and hunger seem to be in vain. Why is that? All these efforts of the world have failed because there is still one aspect of created man that is working against all attempts to make this world a better place and is throwing a wrench in any machinery designed to help one another: his sinful nature. We are at our core selfish and evil and do not want to part with our resources freely. We may be compelled to give to others out of guilt, necessity, or even forced to give through taxes and fees, but when it comes down to it we want to hold on to what we have and take care of our own lives first. Then, if there is anything left over, we may give some to those that we like and that have touched our lives in some way. We are looking out for number one and our perceived needs have to be met before we can even start to think of meeting anyone else's needs.
So what on earth compelled the early church to do such a thing, as to sell all they had and give freely to one another? Did Peter go around and force them to give up all? Did they make up some set of rules and regulations to get them to give if they want to be part of this special group? No, the giving happened out of free choice. The early believers wanted to give and meet the needs of those around them. The secret lies in the fact that when they gave up their lives and believed unto Jesus for their salvation that the Holy Spirit came to live in them and gave them a new heart. They became a new creation, one that is not subject to the sinful nature of man, but rather subject to the holy nature of God. Jesus nailed the sinful flesh on the cross and dealt with the deadly effects of our old nature once and for all. To be truly loving, compassionate and caring, we have to have God living in us and transform us from the inside out. Only then can we care about each other in a way that we want to help and give up our own cares and replace them with cares for others. Jesus has already taken care of us; He has saved us from a destiny in hell, given us a new Spirit and nature, and promised to give us everything we have need of. He is the Lord of our lives and works in us to perfect us into His image. We do not need to worry about supplying for our needs. He has it handled. and He can take care of us much better than we ever could. Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:33 to "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." And this now frees us up to take care of the needs of others. Everything we have comes from God and should freely flow through us to be given to each other. This is the heavenly social system. This is the one government program that will always work and never bankrupt our resources, for the heavenly bankroll is infinite.

Application
I want to have the security in Christ's provision, so that I, too, can freely give all that I have without worrying about my needs being met. Therefore today I will read and meditate on Matthew chapter 6 and ask God to help me surrender all worries and anxieties.

God-centered Fellowship

Acts 2:44 “Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common.”

The new church was meeting and fellowshipping in Jerusalem as a group of believers following Jesus’ teachings and instructions. They spent time together and shared in all things. It states that all who believed were part of this church and thus the only qualification for membership in this new church was belief. It was belief that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah, that caused them to form a new entity, a new body of worship and Christian community. They had all things in common. They shared every aspect of their lives with one another, both physically and spiritually. It was their belief in God and the infilling of the Holy Spirit that made them one. They realized that they all had one thing in common: that they were all sinners in need of a savior and that that savior had come and died on the cross for them. As a result they now had a new lease on life and shared a common goal that transcended any other motivation in their lives: to serve Christ with all they had. 

How many times today do we segregate and divide in our churches, because we get together and decide that the only true way to do church is to come up with regulations that all have to adhere to based on our own understanding. We are comfortable only with certain a way of worship, a certain dress code, a certain group of people, and develop our own little club. We restrict memberships and invent new rules with which to ensure that only those that fit into our little society will enter. Paul warns the early church about such behavior in the book of Galatians. In chapter three verse three he asks the Galatians “Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit are you now being made perfect by the flesh?” The church in Galatia thought they had to get back to making rules and regulations for members to qualify to be part of their group. Paul further tells them in verse five “Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?” In other words what is required to be part of God’s body? Faith in Jesus. Romans 10:9 tells us “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him form the dead, you will be saved.” That’s it. Nothing else is required. To go back to legalism and try to make church goers adhere to all the rules we can come up with in order to make sure no one undesired is among us is foolishness. In Jerusalem all who believed became members of the gathering of saints and so it should be today. Let us not add heavy burdens to the backs of those that want to celebrate Christ’s victory on the cross and live in freedom from bondage of the old life that has now been defeated. We are a new creation in Christ. And all that is required to be part of the body of Christ is faith.

Application

I desire to have the kind of koinonia fellowship with my brothers and sisters in the body of Christ that the early model of the church displayed. For that I have to have a fresh understanding of what Christ has done for me, so that I do not look to myself but to Him. When I am self-centered, I divide, but when I am Christ-centered I join together. Therefore, today I will read the epistle to the Galatians and meditate on it during my time with God.

Scooter Boy Video

Another media project video. This time with Nathan.

Four Essentials of the Christian Life

Acts 2:42 "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers."

After Jesus ascension to heaven the disciples gather in Jerusalem and wait for the filling of the Holy Spirit. They receive the Spirit and start preaching to the people gathered in the city for the feast of Pentecost. Many believe and the church grows rapidly in numbers. Luke tells us now that the new group of believers continued to practice four essential aspects of the Christian life: teaching the Truth, fellowshipping, eating together, and praying. The disciples had been given the charge by Jesus to go into the world and make disciples, so they started in Jerusalem with the new converts. They didn't just care about adding in numbers to the early church, but to turn them into healthy Christians. They achieved that in four ways.
First, they taught the apostles' doctrine. The believers that walked with Jesus and sat under His teachings for about three years now became the teachers and passed on the knowledge of "the Way." They spent time in the scriptures and expounded on them in the light of Jesus' life and death. Before the  new converts were able to successfully walk with God they had to be educated in the things of God.
Second, the new church continued in fellowship. The Greek word is koinonia and speaks of not only gathering together in the name of God as a group of believers but also having communion together with a common spirit. It is more than just being together physically, but rather having all things in common. It is a way of being in one accord and sharing life with one another with love and compassion. This is probably where the practice of sharing their material possessions started.
Third, the breaking of bread, tells us that the group of new Christians ate together. They probably met in their homes as early home churches while they shared in fellowship. This also is where the early believers start following Christ's commandment to remember Him with the Lord's Supper. Bread and wine would have been present at the meal and they would break the bread to remember Christ's body that was broken for them and the blood that was shed.
Finally, the believers would pray together as they met. Jesus taught them that prayer is vital to a healthy Christian life. Many times in the gospel stories we see Jesus praying to the Father for wisdom and guidance. In the upper room, the disciples prayed and waited for the filling of the Holy Spirit. Now they had to learn to walk with God, empowered by the Holy Spirit. This can only be achieved if we follow God in all we do and let Him instruct us daily. The life line to hold onto in our attempts to die to self and walk in newness of life is a continuous attitude of prayer and dependence upon God.

So here we see the pillars of a successful Christian life: the teachings of Jesus (the Bible), the fellowship of believers, the Lord's Supper, and prayer. For any one of us to be successful in our Christian walk we need to have all four present in our lives. To be witnesses for Christ to all the world and make disciples wherever we go we cannot forsake this model of the early church. To walk in the power of the Holy Spirit and die to self can only be achieved in this way. If we leave out the Bible, we do not know what to believe and will be lead astray by all sorts of strange doctrines. Without the fellowship of believers, we are lone warriors for Christ and will not be able to stand against the attacks of the enemy. Our strength is in numbers. The body of Christ can only function if all parts are working in unison. If we do not remember what Christ has done for us we will start to become self-righteous and try to walk in our own works, which will only lead to failure. We have to recognize that we bring nothing to the table, that it is Christ in us that gives us victory. Without prayer, we cut ourselves off of God's speaking into our lives and will wander aimlessly through life. We cannot forsake any of these aspects of the Christian life if we want to be strong and victorious in our quest to be Christ like.

Application
I want to be successful in my daily walk with the Lord and follow the model of the early church. Today, I will write this verse on a piece of paper and stick it where I can be reminded of these four essentials of the Christian faith throughout the day.

The Name of Jesus

Philippians 2:9 "Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name."

Paul the apostle is using Jesus as the example for the believers in Philippi to follow in the areas of humbleness and obedience. He reminds them that Jesus, who was the eternal God, equal with God the Father, came down to earth as a man to follow the plan of God completely. He humbled Himself by becoming a man and fulfilled every instruction given Him. He was obedient even unto death. Because of this obedience, Paul now tells us, God has exalted Jesus and given Him a name above any other.
We see first of all that God highly exalted Jesus. After his successful mission on earth, Jesus ascended into heaven where He sits down at the right hand of God. Jesus purchased the title deed of earth when He paid for it with His life on the cross and He is seated on His throne in heaven. "Tetelesti!" He proclaimed on the cross: "it is finished!" or "paid in full!"He was faithful to His calling and is now waiting in heaven for the day that He comes back and claims what is rightfully His. First, He will gather His church unto Him and meet them in the clouds at the rapture, then He will come back a second time and sit on the throne of David here on earth. For a thousand years He will reign in this world before the Great White Throne judgement of all of mankind and afterwards a new heaven and a new earth. Jesus was and is God of this universe, but as a man God exalted Him to become the king of this earthly realm with all that is in it. Adam lost the right to rule the world and gave it up to the usurper, but the second Adam reclaimed the throne and will come back to occupy it.
Second, God has given Jesus the name which is above every name. The name of Jesus is to be proclaimed and worshipped for it is the only name by which man can be saved. Up until Jesus came and died, the name of God was Jehovah or "YHWH,"the unpronounceable name of God. But in Jesus God gave Himself a face and a name by which we could come to know and have a relationship with the God of the universe. "THWH,"the great "I AM" was shrouded in mystery, but through the revelation of the Christ we are now able to fill in the blank about our Creator, for we have a tenable example in human flesh of who He is. Jesus is that revelation of God, through which we can know Him and His name is to be worshipped and praised above every other name.

Application
Today I will spend extra time praising an worshipping God.

Almost halfway to done update

Greetings!  Ingrid at the keyboard.

At the end of the week we will be at the halfway point of our stay here in Montana, at the beautiful Potter's Field Ranch.

Over all, things here have been great!  There have been no injuries or major illnesses. We are in a cabin instead of a tent, (whew!), a private Porto-potty instead of an out-house, a qualified and talented kitchen staff instead of whatever I am thawing out of Trader Joe's freezer section.  Each one of us has his or her own difficulties with the daily routine.  Raoul is frustrated by little to no phone reception, I miss my own washer and dryer, Eric misses his favorite foods, Francesca misses having a little more privacy, Nathan misses his friends, Benji misses our old house, as he calls it.

But all those things are nothing compared to the heaps of blessings.  Raoul has spent so much time focused on the Lord and in the Word, this is such a unique opportunity for any father of five.  It is better than the seminary that he never had!  It is also forcing him to overcome his writer's block, since everyday they have a devotion to read and write.  So what used to be torture is now almost automatic.

I am STILL homeschooling.  But soon everyone will be done.  This year is a testimony to how little boys are active, how important a teacher is, and how kids cannot work on auto-pilot.  I have never been good at finding the middle ground and this year I really struggled to parent and school according to my convictions.  There was not enough time, and I never figured out a better plan, a little like a high jumper that keeps trying with a pole that is just too short.  This is one of those moments in life where I wish God would speak to me by writing on the wall, so could have a clear and decisive answer to my dilemma. But, enough of that.

Eric is doing great, many thanks for all the prayers.  He is more and more social with all the people here.  He is even introducing himself to the guests that are here on a regular basis for a weekend break or longer retreat.  I love to use my "mommy ears" and secretly listen to him talk to new acquaintances about what we/he is doing.  He has become quite a pool (balls not water) shark and had an opportunity to target shoot recently.  This is something he is really good at and it is a welcomed relief from the struggle of school.

Francesca is blessed beyond measure by all the female interns.  She is enjoying a one on one Bible study with Michelle, a returning intern, now on staff.  She has learned how to make those cute little flowers on toenail polish, that requires a fine touch which I admire.  She is trying to keep in touch with her friends at home. "Bumping" and texting them with her ipod.

Hannah is done with her school.  She is writing letters, (pencil and paper kind!) trying to ease her homesickness.  She hasn't been able to tell us what she is missing, just homesick.  She has new friends too, and enjoys going for an explore in the nearby woods, picking wild raspberries, finding rocks, and bringing me flowers.  One of the interns said that Hannah should be a musician because she feels everything so deeply.  So I am praying for a violin teacher in Entebbe.

Nathan and Benji are having fun, all the time basically.  They are on a permanent explore in the area.  Nathan found a frog in the creek, Benji found the snake on the lawn.  Not having a TV readily available has forced the boys to enjoy things like skipping stones, balancing on walkways, finding sticks to use as guns and swords, and all sorts of good old kid fun.  They fall into bed tired, and a little dirtier than I'd like.

Our time here has helped us change gears and to start thinking of ourselves as a missionary family, moving into a new stage of life.  I think everyone's expectations have been loosened up and what was once unknown (being at Potter's Field) is now known and it didn't kill us.  Hopefully this will encourage the kids for the next step of moving to Uganda.  They have met and know all the interns, who will be there when we arrive in Oct/Nov.  God is so detailed and so intimately concerned with His children, that He has prepared friendships and friends for my kids for that hard time when we hit the red Ugandan soil.  What a loving God we serve!

Until next time, Ingrid

Christ's Obedience

Philippians 2:8 "And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross."

As the apostle Paul is writing to the Philippians and exhorting them to have unity and joy in their fellowship He points to Jesus as our example. Jesus was God, an eternal being, and became man, so that He could live as a man and ultimately die as a man as the propitiation for our sins. Paul points out in this verse that Jesus humbled Himself and became obedient.
God had a plan from the beginning to save Adam and his descendants form the deadly effects of sin in their lives. He sent them out of the Garden, out of reach of the tree of life in order that they would not live in sin forever, but die in their sinful state and be resurrected in a new, sinless state once they accepted His plan of salvation. All through history God worked toward that plan of salvation and used His creation and men to tell the world about His plan. Then it was time to carry out the plan that GOd devised and Jesus was to be the answer to all of man's problems. In his sinful state, man could never pay enough to make up for sinning against a holy God, for anything less than holy could not satisfy the requirements to pay the penalty for sinful behavior. It had to be a holy sacrifice to relink man with God and enable man to spend eternity in the presence of a holy God. Thus the only satisfactory sacrifice would be that a holy being, God, come to earth as a man, live a sinless life and then die in our stead. God knew this from the beginning and that is precisely what He had in mind. So He sent Jesus to earth to carry out His redemptive mission, all along remembering His motivation for such a sacrificial act: His love for mankind. Jesus was obedient to that plan to the end and fulfilled it perfectly. Just one little sin on His behalf in His 30 plus years of life would have destroyed that plan. But He did not falter. He was obedient at every point of His manly existence and carried out His Father's plan to the "t."
There were many times in His life that I am sure He was weak, tired, hungry, angry, and lonely, any of which situations cause me to sin almost without exception. I know that I do not have the self control Jesus displayed, so I have to rely on the Holy Spirit to help me die daily and become more and more like Christ.

Application
I want to be obedient in my walk with God, no matter what the circumstances are in my life. That requires a concentrated effort to focus on God every day of my life. Therefore, I will resolve to make it a practice for the rest of my time at PFR to pray three times a day routinely.