Travel

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National Missionary Convention

National Missionary Convention PosterI will be at the National Missionary Convention this weekend to represent Impact Ministries International and Impact Prayer Ministry.

I love the National Missionary Convention!  It is an incredible gathering of worship, encouragement, learning, connecting, and representation.  There will be missionaries and mission works represented from all over the world.

The National Missionary Convention is being held at the Duke Energy Center in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio, November 15 – 18, 2007.  If you are in the area, or can be in Cincinnati this weekend, I highly recommend a visit to the National Missionary Convention.  If you are there, look up the Impact Ministries International booth and stop by and say hello. 

Please pray for the convention and the missions that will be represented.  Like us at Impact, most are looking to connect with current partners and supporters as well as make connections with potential staff, interns, and financial and prayer partners.  Pray that these connections are made and that the entire convention is conducted in a way that brings honor and glory to God.

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Preaching/Teaching Trip

Meramec Springs Cross

The above picture was taken from a scenic overlook at the Meramec Springs Park near St. James, Missouri.  I was able to spend a few days in Missouri with my family this past weekend as I was the mission speaker at the Waynesville First Christian Church in Waynesville, MO.  On Sunday morning, I was able to introduce the mission of Impact Prayer Ministry to the congregation and answer a few questions they had.  I also taught during their Sunday School hour on “A Foundation For Life” and preached a message, “Active Faith”, during the worship service.  They are a gracious congregation seeking to make Christ known in their area and around the world.

As I mentioned, my family was able to join me on this trip so we took a couple of days to enjoy some of the scenery of the Ozark mountains.  On Saturday, we visited Ha Ha Tonka State Park.  The name itself made me want to go check it out and when I read the description of the park, I knew it was a “must see”.  The park contains the shell of a “castle” built on an incredible bluff overlooking the rolling hills of the area.  While that was impressive, the real beauty was the natural features found in the trails and roads through the park.

On Sunday evening, after I had rested from the morning’s work, we went to Meramec Springs Park in nearby St. James.  We were able to enjoy a beautiful evening walk along the waterway flowing from the spring to the river.  A waterway filled with trout and trout fishermen.  There was also an interesting “historic drive” that took us to an incredible overlook of the park and surrounding area.  This park is owned and operated by a private foundation and was a great find.

On the way home, we stopped at the St. Louis Zoo.  Not only was this zoo impressive with its layout and variety of animals, it is free!  We had our membership pass from the Potawatomi Zoo and anticipated a reciprocal agreement that would get us in with the pass, but found out that wasn’t even necessary — it is free admission to everyone.  The main parking lot does cost $10, but there is some limited on street parking that is free if you don’t mind parking a little ways away.

All in all, it was a great trip.  I thoroughly enjoyed our family time together and the walks, hikes, and drives we were able to take.  I loved being able to teach, preach, and meet some of the folks from the Waynesville church.  I pray that my time with them was an encouragement and help to them as it was to me.

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The Acropolis

Acropolis

I recently had an incredible evening at the Acropolis, a Greek restaurant in Evansville, Indiana.  I was in Evansville attending the National Student Conference where I was helping to represent Impact and our efforts to recruit future interns and staff.  Monday afternoon was individual group time and dinner was not provided that evening at the conference, so four of us headed out to eat at this Greek restaurant.

While we were waiting to be seated, the owner came out to introduce himself and to see what we were wanting to eat.  He told the hostess that we didn’t need menus, he would cook for us.  If we had a couple of hours to enjoy dinner, he would cook and bring us a variety of food.  The statement was made that if we liked beef, chicken, pork, lamb, and shrimp, we would like what he prepared for dinner.  That sounded good, so we were off to be seated and begin our adventure.  (They do have a full menu, but this is evidently the “house specialty” – you don’t order, you just eat!)

We told them our time was a little limited, we only had an hour and a half, so the food began arriving right away.  It started with a large platter that was the cold appetizers.  I wish I was more fluent in greek food and knew what it was, but the short label is that it was good!  This was followed with a dish of chicken, artichoke, mushrooms, and rice as well as a chicken pasta dish.  Then the food continued flowing to our table.  A Greek salad, shrimp in an incredible sauce, boneless pork ribs,  lamb ribs, gyros, green beans and potatoes -I’m sure I’m leaving something out- and then Doros comes out to see how we like his cooking and if we are filling up or would like more food.  We had consumed more than enough and our time was dwindling, so we declined additional food.  This meant it was time for dessert and coffee to finish our evening meal.

Wow!  What variety.  Everything from the service and atmosphere to the food was excellent.  Angie did a great job taking care of us and making sure we had what we needed for an enjoyable meal.  I enjoyed the time spent with Dean, Jeff, and Randy as we learned from each other and grew to appreciate even more what God is doing in and through each life.  Angie appreciated our committment to pray for her.  As we left, she brought us a request from Doros to pray for his son who has had meningitis.  We were glad to do that and to continue to pray for them.

If you are ever in Evansville, Indiana and want some great Greek food at a great place, I would highly recommend Acropolis.  It was truly an experience of food and friends to remember!

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Demanding Satisfaction

Satisfaction Guranteed SealSatisfaction Guaranteed!  Really? . . . Is that possible?  Can someone else guarantee your satisfaction, or mine?  How can satisfaction be promised when what satisfies you may not satisfy me?  How does a person enforce, or claim, this guarantee?  Is it possible to demand satisfaction and actually get it?  Is it possible to have such unrealistic expectations that you are never satisfied?

After each flight that I take, I fill out a survey for the airline regarding my satisfaction with the trip and their service.  One of the questions that I always laugh at, asks my opinon on the value received for the price paid.  As much as I search for the best price possible, I always think that I would have liked to have paid less.  I’ve not yet had a flight that I could truly say that I was satisfied with the price.  Does that mean the cost was unreasonable?  Not necessarily, but it may mean that my expectations were. 

True satisfaction seems to have a lot to do with contentment in spite of, not because of, expectations.  It is saying, “That is sufficient” and really meaning it.  “I know that I wanted something more and at less cost, but this is enough.”  True satisfaction is a mind-set, a decision, a committment on our part that must not rely on some other person or thing to bring us fulfillment. 

This can only come through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  It is in Jesus that we learn and know that His “grace is sufficient for you.”  It is enough.  It is plenty.  Jesus says in Matthew 6:32 that the pagans chase after the things they need to be satisfied, but it should not be that way with us.  He is to be our provider and our satisfaction.  “Then Jesus said, ‘I am the bread of life.  Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.'” (John 6:35)  This is a satisfaction that does not rely on our physical bodies being fed and provided for, but rather a dependance on our spiritual being, our soul, being nourished and cared for.  It allows us to sing, “I’m satisfied with just a cottage below, a little silver and a little gold.”  It also allows us to live satisfied without a cottage and with no silver or gold.  It is a satisfaction that comes not from demanding, but from surrendering. 

Demanding always says, “I want more!”  It never has enough.  Surrender says, “I give up!”  It recognizes that I don’t deserve anything, so whatever I do have is plenty.  Surrender to Jesus brings a true satisfaction because it allows us to rest in His grace and mercy.  It is there that we learn through the Holy Spirit a peace and contentment that cannot be understood outside of a relationship with Jesus. 

Are you demanding satisfaction in your home, your work, your church, your world, your life?  If so, it is time to quit demanding and surrender all of these areas to Jesus so that you can know true satisfaction.

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Greener Pastures

We’ve all heard the saying, “The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.”  We’ve probably all thought that and believed that at various times in life as well. 

It is interesting that as often as I’ve heard that phrase used, I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone use it and actually mean it.  It is always in the context of, “you think it is that way but it really isn’t.”  They don’t mean the grass is greener, it just looks that way from this side. 

I’ve spent this past week out in the Pacific Northwest and as I’ve travelled in Washington and Oregon, I’ve thought the grass really does look greener out here.  So, what if the grass really is greener on the other side of the fence.  What difference would that make?  Would it cause us to climb the fence?  Maybe even get off the fence and decide where we will walk?  Perhaps even be so bold as to investigate why the grass is greener?  No, for most people there is never a decision made, just a complaint that someone has it better than they do.

Yes, the grass is greener, the flowers are larger and more beautiful, the landscapes more lush out here than anything in northern Indiana in the summer.  But there is a price.  The price is rain.  Day after day of cloudy, gloomy, rainy weather.  Yes, there are days of sun to provide the energy for growth, but it is the rainy seasons of the northwest that bring with it a greenness that the hot, dry summers of Indiana can never produce.

Our spiritual lives can be similar.  We may see someone who appears to have an incredible connection with God and we wonder why they have that and we don’t.  Envy and jealousy begins to creep into our life as we allow thoughts of unfairness to dwell in our mind.  We close our mind to the “rain” that has filled a person’s life and caused them to draw nearer to God.  Even if we recognize the cloudy, dreary days that drew a person into a depth of relationship with God, we want a shortcut.  We want the result without the things necessary to bring it about. 

God has designed no shortcuts.  He says that if we want to be His disciple, we must take up our cross and follow Him.  Our faith must be tried and tested.  Our salvation must be worked out with fear and trembling.  It is work.  It is hardship.  It is not easy.  Yet, when accomplished, the peace, joy, and contentment that comes will always make the grass look greener on your side of the fence. 

May you be found walking in greener pastures because you faithfully pursue Christ at all costs.

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A Priceless Drive

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”  James 1:22

Road ConstructionI spent much of today driving from South Bend, Indiana to Cameron, Missouri – just north of Kansas City.  What a trip!  I left South Bend at 1:00 PM and arrived in Cameron at 11:00 PM my time, 10:00 PM local time.  With an hour out for a WalMart, meal, and fuel stop, it was still a long drive.  Let’s see if I can sumarize it well:

  • Driving – 500+ miles

  • Time – 10 hours

  • Fuel – $58

  • Meal, snacks, and Dr Pepper – $10

  • Listening to audio recordings of the entire books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke – Priceless!

The time seemed to pass quickly as I listened to these gospels.  So much so, that I can hardly wait for the drive home to continue this priceless listening.  Even the occasional construction zone – with speed limits reduced to 55 mph instead of 70 mph – were not an annoyance as it gave a little more time to soak in the Word.  I love God’s Word!  I love to read it, proclaim it, and listen to it.  Even more, I love to live it!  That is the most necessary part, and the most difficult part. 

James tells us that to merely listen to the Word, but not do what it says, is a fairly useless activity.  However, if we hear the Word and put it into practice, we will be blessed in what we do.  Just in case we are not sure what putting the Word into practice might look like, James gives us some straightforward examples in verses 26 and 27.  Controlling ourselves, particularly our tongue, is an outward display of a part of the fruit of God’s Spirit – self-control.  Practicing what we hear from God also involves loving our neighbor as ourself – caring for widows and orphans in their distress.  Not making excuses for why they might be in need, but caring for them with the love of Jesus.  Finally, James wants us to know that living the Word of God requires us to keep ourselves from being polluted by the world.  We must take captive every thought and hold it obedient to the will, love, and righteousness of God.  See, I said this was the hard part. 

Fortunately, as we expose ourselves to the Word of God through reading and listening, we have God’s Spirit within us to empower us to live it.  It is our choice.  Do we allow God’s Spirit to use His Word to convict us of sin, righteousness, and judgement?  As we do, do we adjust our actions, even our very thoughts, to align with God’s view of what is right, good, and proper? 

It was a great day for listening and I pray it was an even better day for preparing me to live the words I heard.

May God draw you to hearing His Word and empower you to live it.

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Dead or Alive?

The Great Salt Lake 

“Give, and it will be given to you.  A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.  For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”  Luke 6:38

I was out on Antelope Island last night in the midst of the Great Salt Lake in Utah.  The trip out was interesting because you have to cross a lengthy causeway where the air is filled with a horrific stench.  The combination of the salt, sulfur, and decaying matter causes a smell that makes most other smells seem tolerable.

The island itself was beautiful!  There are 40 freshwater springs on the island that provide fresh water for an abundance of wildlife and plant life on the island.  It is amazing to see all of this life that is surrounded by a lake that is dead.  The springs provide living water in the midst of despair and decay. 

Today, we were in Provo and were able to see Utah Lake.  This lake is entirely different in nature as it contains freshwater and much life.  The interesting thing is that the two lakes are connected by a river.

So, what’s the difference?  The Great Salt Lake is a taker only and not a giver.  Fresh water flows into it, but there are no streams of water flowing out.  The minerals and salinity simply build up within the lake so that it reaches the point that life cannot survive.  Utah Lake, on the other hand, not only takes in fresh water, but it has an outlet that passes it along.  The flow of water into, and out of, the lake allows it to maintain a freshness that makes life possible.

Our spiritual lifes are similiar.  We have a choice to make.  Will we be takers only, or givers as well.  A taker is willing to benefit from the love and giving of others but is unwilling to pass any of that along.  Soon life becomes stagnant and the soul becomes a “dead sea” within us.  We were created to both give and receive.  To maintain a healthy spiritual life, we must be constantly giving that which has been given to us.  Jesus points this truth out throughout His life and in the verse above, we see that we cannot outgive God.  Nothing we give can ever empty, or deplete, the love God has for us.  In fact, our giving of God’s love to others serve to increase it in us – not decrease it.

May you be found giving so that life flourishes in and around you.

 

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On The Road Again

I’ve been away from internet connection for a number of days and it is good to be back in touch with the world.  🙂

I am in Salt Lake City for a Prayer Gathering.  I got into town this past Thursday and was able to spend some time with God in the midst of some of His beautiful creation. 

Even more special was meeting some of His beautiful people.  I spent the weekend with Tom Koehler and his family in Clearfield, Utah.  Tom is co-pastor of Christ Community Church in Clearfield.  I thoroughly enjoyed our time of worship together on Sunday and was able to share with a small group at his house on Sunday evening.

Pray that God uses this week to continue to reveal His will for ministry in Utah.

I’ll continue posting my teachings and articles as I get time.  Stay tuned!