Surrendering My Basic Prayer Request For Another Person

"You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your own passions" James 4:3 ESV

A month before I went on a mission trip in 2014, I received an email letter from some missionaries in The Middle East. The missionaries were working in a community that was being heavily attacked by ISIS. They explained in their letter that ISIS was going door to door and dragging Christians out of their homes and into the streets to kill them if they professed Jesus as their Lord and Savior. There were children who had an opportunity to deny Jesus as their Lord and Savior in order save their life, but rather chose to die in their faith. 

Although this email was very informative and helpful in making me aware of what is happening to Christians around the world, that was not its major purpose. The purpose of the email was for PRAYER because the missionaries, although they had an opportunity to leave the country, chose to stay with their brothers in Christ and potentially die with them.

I have heard a lot of stories like this and have honestly become a little immune to them. As Americans, it is normal for us to see the kid from another country on a commercial needing a dollar a day to live. We love that kid and want to care deeply for him, but we see him everyday and realize that we cannot help every kid that we come across with a need. It's similar to the way we love our mother. I deeply love my mom, but I do not always show it to her like I should because I see her everyday. I still love her, but cannot spend my whole life explaining it to her.

However, for some reason, this email rocked me and I could not stop thinking about all people who are struggling every day to stay alive. I kept thinking about my own daughter being in that situation. Then I started to think about my faith and beliefs. The Bible tells us that we are all brothers and sisters in Christ. So why should it matter if this was my own daughter or someone that I have never met if we are all truly brothers and sisters in Christ? I should love these people like I love my personal family. I began to question why God chose to let me be born in the USA instead of another country like Iraq or Sudan. What did I do to deserve this great life? What if I was born in another country and my own daughter was taken out into the streets to die because of her faith? The same faith that she gets to easily proclaim boldly in the States. If I were born in a different country, would I trust a God that allows some people to live abundantly and others struggle daily while being persecuted?

A few weeks later, I prepared to leave for my mission trip and I went through a lot of Spiritual warfare which included side effects from the malaria medicine that I was taking and a bad cold the day before we left. To be honest, I do not handle sicknesses very well and this time was no different. I went out in my front yard at about 3am and fell to my knees ready to whine to God about my problems. However, I couldn't do it. I thought to myself, here I am worrying about my simple pains while sitting in my nice house and enjoying all the things that God has blessed me with while there are people around the world suffering from persecution and dying from real sicknesses every minute of every day. 

My prayer dramatically changed from, “God help me” to “God I surrender my needs and want you to help them! God I want to feel this pain so that someone else in the world can have a moment of peace! God if it is possible, I want to trade some of my joy for others who are in constant pain!"

The fact is that I already have a relationship with God; what more do I need or should I be asking for?

I went on my trip with a cold and never felt physically great while I was there, but found an amazing peace about my situation by seeing God work through the people we met and knowing that they had a moment of peace and joy while spending time with us praying and worshipping God. They were able to have a moment of peace in their lives by witnessing other Christians  from another country pray and encourage them. These same people who have experienced more pain in one week of their life than I have experienced in my whole life, had peace for a short time while we were there simply by knowing that there were believers around the world that loved and cared for them. 

About six months later, I was sick with a 24 hour virus. Again, I found myself cowardly crying about my pains when I happened to look at Facebook and saw that one of my mentors daughters was in the hospital. She has been in and out of the hospital her whole life and always has such a positive attitude. I felt so selfish crying over my little pains and started weeping for her. Here I am again crying over a 24hour stomach ache while a little girl deals with stuff worse than this every day. I wanted to help her, but did not know what to do. So I thought like an American and decided that I could give the family money. Money fixes everything and it is easy to do. Right after we had Sophie, I gave Lacey $1,000.00 in the middle of the night because I did not know how else to help her. I think it worked. 

However, God started to reveal to me that prayer is priceless and it actually works! Money can help us temporarily, but only God can save us and give us complete peace through anything.

I am still learning the benefits and power of prayer. Lacey and I have a debrief and accountability time every week and prayer is always at the top of the list of things that we can be doing more of. We are trying to get into a habit of doing it as a family before we leave our apartment and head out into the world everyday. We understand that every time we leave our home, we have an opportunity to change someone's future. However, it can be in a positive or negative way. We want to be Spiritually prepared for every situation and pray that God will use us so that our every interaction is giving people a positive and encouraging view of God. We also pray that God is already interceding for us in the people that we meet.

I will end with this thought:

I remember my mom telling me before I became a Christian that people were praying for me. I thought nothing of it. They did not know me, but were concerned about my relationship with God. I did not understand it and I often overlook this fact when I am sharing my testimony with others now. I don't think that I have recognized the importance of this fact.  People I did not even know were praying for my salvation and then God revealed Himself to me. Wow! I wonder if my prayers can actually have an impact on someone's eternity. Can this really happen? If this is true then I want to spend more time praying for others and less time focusing on some of my basic needs knowing that God already knows what I truly need.

Some of our favorite prayer verses:

• Psalms 46:10-11
• Ephesians 1:16-23
• Ephesians 3:14-21
• Philippians 1:9-11
• Colossians 1:9-14, 4:3-6
• 1 Timothy 6:6-10
• Romans 8:26-27

Is it Gods will for me or my will?

“And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” Colossians 1:9-10 ESV

I often struggle with the thought of why we chose to leave everything that we loved in the States for a less desirable life in another country. Is this my true passion and God’s will for my life or did I feel guilty and motivated after God started revealing this great need to me around the world?

The Great Need: There are still people in the world who have never heard the name of Jesus. There are even more people in the world who know about Christians, but have only experienced them through international news or Hollywood movies in negative ways. In fact, most of the world assumes that these people in the news and in Hollywood movies, are Christians which gives them a terrible view of Jesus and what we believe. 

The Problem Is: 

“And this of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”  Matthew 24:14

Christ cannot return until everyone has at least had an opportunity to hear the Good News. In addition to this, these people who do not know Christ, will have to suffer the eternal wrath of God without even having a chance to know Him.

My Struggle:

I think that I know what my real passion and Spiritual gifts are, but I am afraid that they are selfish. I enjoy being in the States ministering around the community by mentoring and encouraging others while holding mature Christ followers accountable. I also enjoy going on a lot of short term mission trips each year to experience that deep intimacy with God and help fulfill the Great Commission. So, is this "God's Calling" for me or a selfish idea that I want to do? I want to do both while enjoying the pleasures of this life and had this luxury before we gave everything up and moved to Ecuador. My current role in Ecuador does not allow me to use my gifts or passions because that is not what this community currently needs, therefore leading me to question my motives for moving here. I do not question my love for Ecuador or desire to encourage people in other countries, but is this the best and most efficient way that I can glorify God?

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed by this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:1-2 ESV   

I believe that God’s will for Christians is to glorify Him in everything that we do by picking up our cross and SURRENDERING, daily, while discerning what God truly wants us to be doing through listening to the Holy Spirit and understanding the Bible. I think I am in the process of testing this theory to confirm it is from God.

The Challenge: 

What if my passions and desires are not what is mostly needed in the world right now? What if my desires or preferred lifestyle is already overflowing with other Christians who have the same gifts as me? I see too many Christians in the States doing what God supposedly called them to do, but that position is overflowing with other Christians. Is God really calling the wealthiest group of people in the world to the same position? Did Jesus die on a cross so that a few people who hand out brochures on Sundays get to spend eternity with God, while over half the world, who are already suffering physically every day, will continue to suffer for eternity because no one came to tell them about Jesus? 

Should I pursue my true calling, (my true passion, my Spiritual gifts) and then seek a specific place where they can be used most effectively (even if that position is already filled)?  

OR

Should I GO where I believe that the need is the greatest (even if it doesn't line up with my passions) and trust that the Holy Spirit will effectively use me as He chooses? If I choose this way, I find peace and fulfillment through my relationship with God and experiencing His miraculous work in others while understanding my eternal destination.

OR

Do I just Go and do what I love to do knowing that as long as my heart and intentions are focused on loving and glorifying God, He will use me and the Holy Spirit will lead me?

I choose all three options! 

How can I be sure I understand what The Holy Spirit is telling me?

How can I truly discern what the Holy Spirit is saying to me versus what my emotions or desires are telling me? I want to be open to the Holy Spirit and listen to Him, but I want to make sure that it is actually Him who is speaking to me and not my emotions or desires. How do I know?  

 One missionary said to his father who was begging his son to stay, “The only way I won’t go is if you go in my place.” 

If I choose not to GO and rather decide to follow my calling, who is going to GO in my place? The harvest needs more workers! It does not need more average Christians who will risk their lives only by greeting people at the door once a week or handing out doughnuts on a planned outreach event once a month. As one Pastor put it, “Jesus is worth far more than that”. 

I believe that those jobs are, for the most part, for new believers who are young in their faith. They love God and want to do whatever they can to help out so they fulfill these roles. When I surrendered, I had no desire to move to another country. I was still recovering from my own sin and old life and just wanted to be a Christian which meant going to church. I had no Godly knowledge to share with others, but I was willing to do anything and started fulfilling the basic roles at church. My help freed up more mature Christians to go and fulfill other needs like mentoring me. Not that their roles were more Godly, but there was a great need in other areas of the church. Peter and the Apostles did not hand out church bulletins for the rest of their life; they assigned that role to others so that they could focus on greater needs. 

My Honest Confession

I would rather be working in the USA while ministering to people around me that God placed in my path. I like providing for my family and not having to rely on others for financial help. I miss my comforts that my work allowed us to enjoy like our vacation trips or eating decent meals. I miss going to church while being able to fellowship with other Christians in small groups. I miss mentoring people in English. I miss living in my own home that I worked hard to pay for. I miss driving my truck and being able to go where I desire instead of being stuck in an overcrowded bus for 10 hours. I miss taking Sophie to fun places and showing her things that I did not have the opportunity to experience as a kid.

However, I am confident that we are supposed to be here and we needed Ecuador more than Ecuador needs us. Although it is tough at times, it is a joy to be in a place where we have to rely on the Holy Spirit because our own abilities are currently of little value. In Ecuador, we have no reputation or identity. We are just goofy looking gringos who speaks bad Spanish. We spent the last 10 years in the States building our identity in our faith and reputation built on Christ as our cornerstone and now we feel like we are starting all over again except for this time, the community does not know us or speak our language. 

I believe that our will is to surrender, trust, and obey; not to complain and decide what situation is best. We will have an opportunity to do that when we return to the States. For now, we will do everything in our power to represent God and Christians to this community through doing what is best for them (not us) to experience eternity.

 Which Is Right? 

The Great Need or my passion? The Bible or my supposed calling? Will these two differences line up with each other so that I can have both or will we have to make a difficult decision between our calling or the Great Need?

“God please tell me what to do and where to go.” “You have?” “I’m sorry, I was not listening.” “Say it again…after I tell you how much I feel called to go to Hawaii.”

Do I make my decision based off of my obligation to God and continue to live for eternity by going to the most needed places? (Hello India!) Or can I do what most Christians do and play both fields: Pursue my true calling and say, “I know there are needs in the world, but God did not call me to fulfill them”. Will I be content with this? If I choose to follow my calling and it leads me to a place overflowing with other Christian workers doing the same thing; Do I truly believe that I heard God correctly and am living for my eternity? 

I believe that it is good to enjoy the things of this world, but it just doesn't make sense for me to be comfortable all the time knowing that people are suffering while I go to heaven and they don’t because I did not do more to reach them. 

Conclusion:

I love missions and believe that it will always be a part of my life. I also think that reaching the nations is one of the biggest needs that Christ followers have to fill. Therefore, my heart feels obligated to go where the biggest need is even if it does not line up with my first passion. However, I believe that my best way to reach the lost and fulfill this Great Need is:

1. From the States, by motivating and equipping other Christians to GO on short-term trips, giving up a year of their life to reach the lost in another country and possibly moving to another country full time.

1. Hold the richest churches in the world accountable in fulfilling the Great Commission and continuing to pursue the lost around the world. 

1. Continue to live in another country encouraging and discipling the local church leaders by preparing and equipping them to be sent out to other parts of their country in order to fulfill the Great Commission.

When we return to the States next year, we will take some time off and pray about our options. We will pray and seek counsel from our mentors about where we should go to glorify God in the most effective way possible. We are confident that we will find true joy by putting God’s will above our personal will and desires while understanding His eternal plan.

At this particular time, I have not been able to discern or figure out which is right. 

I am supposed to be a strong Christian who will risk anything for God, but all I want to do is cuddle up in a nice cabin on a lake and retire while helping others when I choose. 

I cannot hide it…as much as I love God and understand eternity, I still desire earthly things. 

AM I MISSING OUT ON FUN STUFF BECAUSE OF MY FAITH?

“And His commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the son of God?” 1 John 5:3-5 ESV

Before I became a Christ Follower, I thought that Christians were boring and missed out on all of the cool things we sinners got to enjoy. In fact, when I surrendered, I made a mental list of all the things I would have to stop doing. No cursing, drinking, smoking, watching secular movies, listening to rap music, etc. I was overwhelmed and thought how tough life would be without those things. 

But God revealed himself to me and rescued me when I thought my life was over. I was determined to give up my sinful desires and obey Him no matter how painful it was going to be. However, I soon realized that there were too many things that were trying to separate me from God. I worried that I would fall back into one of those bad habits and fail as a Christian. 

 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

Eventually, one of my first mentors shared Proverbs 3 with me and encouraged me to stop worrying about all of the things that we are not supposed to be doing and start focusing on my personal relationship with God while understanding His grace for us. If we focus on glorifying God and understand His grace, then our sins will be revealed to us and we will be naturally drawn to let them go in order to start truly enjoying life through Him!

Living FOR God means that we will find true joy in everything that we do when we understand our purpose for living and knowing our eternal destination. We replace bad habits and addictions for a new life that is more exciting and fulfilling for us and glorifying to God. Essentially, we will not be forced to give up these bad habits, but rather want to replace them with more rewarding, life giving, life changing, pleasures. 

This does not mean that we do not want to do the things that we used to desire or that we will not slip and fall into old habits as Christians. I have made quite a few mistakes since I surrendered my life to Christ, but my love for God did not change and He revealed those mistakes to me at the proper time and my love for Him gave me victory over those desires. Unfortunately, I expect to make more mistakes in my life and I pray that God will use those mistakes to strengthen my faith and glorify His name through them and to whomever He chooses.

As Christ followers, we still struggle, BUT we have peace even during our struggles because we know and understand our purpose for living and our eternal destination.

God created all things and wants us to enjoy them so that we can understand how great He is through them. Football, family vacations, sports, eating, are all good as long as we don’t worship them, but rather thank God for His glorious creations while enjoying them.

Question: How can we know if we are enjoying God’s creations or worshiping them? 

Football

This year will be the first time in 26 years that I will be without American football. I started watching football when I was 8 with my dad and loved it. My Ninja Turtles and other action figures were no longer strange creatures, but football players. 

Although I am from Alabama where life revolves around college football, I had more interest in the NFL mainly because of the Los Angeles Raiders. I grew up in the 90’s in which rap music and being a thug was popular for goofy, white kids. I also saw the cool Raiders logo with the sword going through a skull being worn by all of the rappers and decided that this is my team.

I became a fanatic overnight and football became the most important thing in my life. I was not a Christian yet, so football was even more important than God. One of my best memories as a kid was watching football on the back porch of our house in Forrest Hills with my dad while he let me take sips of his Miller Lite and cooked chicken on the grill. It was the highlight of my week!

My passion for the now Oakland Raiders was still strong when Lacey and I started dating. I would miss important events because of a football game. There is also a famous story about the time when Lacey’s house burned down and she called me during a Raiders playoff game to tell me about it. I yelled at her and reminded her to never call me during a game. I think she understood and the house did not entirely burn down. The fireplace was still standing. Needless to say, we have come a long way. 

I will never forget the time when Lacey took me to my first Raiders game. It was the best moment of my life…at the time. We continued going to games every chance we got. We actually got to go out to Oakland for a game because I won an art contest. At the time, the only reason that I would fly was to see the Raiders. I also dressed up in my Raiders gear and painted my face to go to a Raiders/Titans game in Tennessee for my Bachelor party. Football was life and I thought it would always be that way, even after I became a Christian. 

However, Lacey and I were getting more serious about our faith and finding more life changing things to do. I wanted to spend my Saturday’s and Sunday’s doing more meaningful things rather than sitting in front of a television all day. I realized I was not going to be young forever and that there are things I can be doing right now and won’t be physically able to do in the future. Watching football is not one of them! I began to see how great our life was and that God has a plan for us while we are here for this short time.  

I began to wrestle with the question,“Is it okay for a Christian to spend so much time watching football knowing that people are suffering all around the world”. Is this Biblical? 

Did Jesus die on the Cross so that a small percentage of the world can sit back and get fat off of buffalo wings and watching football while the majority of the world is suffering and living off of less than one buffalo wing per day? More importantly, if the Bible is right and if our obligation and purpose for living as Christian’s is to share the Good News with the lost, then how is that I can just sit back and enjoy a meaningless game? 

I still loved football, but have come to realize that it is JUST a fun hobby and not real life.

Then I started to despise football fans. Alabama and Auburn football started winning and everyone centered their whole life around football. We talked about football 24/7. Football season was a year long topic. Winning became addictive and everyone talked about how important winning was. I did not get into football to see my team win. If I did, I would have chosen a better team! I liked football because of the atmosphere and the quality time I got to spend with friends and family. I honestly can care less who wins a football game or any sport for that matter…even if I am the one competing. I am competitive and do believe that winning is important in life, but not in a game in which I personally gain nothing. If Alabama wins or loses, I still get up the same way and go about my day. I gain nothing other than a quick thrill until the next game when they loose. 

  

One of my closest family members explained it to me like this’ “Clint, I love Nick Saban and Alabama football like you love your God, there is no difference between us. We just have different passions”. 

Uh- huh. Now I understand. Thank you for clearing that up for me.

It was even worse at church. Sunday mornings were filled with discussions about Saturday’s games. We went to Small Groups and all we talked about was football. I wanted to learn about God, not know how someone’s Fantasy Football team is doing. I could have gone out with my friends to drink a few beers if I wanted to talk about football all night and at least have an opportunity to share about God with them.

My friends justify this behavior by throwing scripture around that says God created all things for us to enjoy and we should enjoy football. I agree, but the question is, are we enjoying or worshiping football more than God? Let’s examine the two sides and see which one you talk and think about for most of your week. 

We say that we love God more, but do our actions and conversations reveal this?

I was excited to be getting out of a country and area that revolved around football. However, since I have been in Ecuador, I have deeply missed watching it. I miss Saturday’s, watching the games with friends and the time it gave me to shut down my brain and not think. I also miss going to Friday night football games in the small town of McKenzie, Alabama. This was one of my meditation places. I could get away from my struggles in Montgomery and find peace in a little town while watching some High School football. I also miss watching football with my dad. I have not watched a game with him in years. Our relationship has been bumpy at times since I became a Christian and drinking a beer with dad while watching football was not a high priority. But maybe it should be. I pray that God will allow us to watch a game together again one day.

Conclusion:

Football is great and I have regained my love for it since I have been in Ecuador. I do not think that it is bad to enjoy football. However, I do believe that I need to understand that it is simply a game and one of many pleasures that God has blessed us with. I pray that I also understand the definition of idols and if I am challenging my faith by spending too much time watching football or any other pleasures for that matter. 

The reality is that if God is real and we are truly living for Him; we can never spend enough time worshiping God in everything that we do…even while we are watching football. 

  

Eyes Wide Open

In 2009, after being inspired by the book “In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day,” Lacey and I  made a Bucket List and started doing all of the things that we said we would do one day. For me, it was a chance to face some of my fears. We started out going to Six Flags. This doesn’t seem scary to most people, but I was scared of riding rollercoasters and still do not care for them. (Unfortunately, Lacey and Sophie love them!) I did it and we moved on from there to do more extreme things for the next 2 years.

However, while we were at Six Flags, I closed my eyes when the ride would get to the scariest point. At the time, I was content with “just doing it” and writing it off my Bucket List. I had no intention of enjoying it and just wanted to be able to say that I did it!

I think I missed the point. 

Lacey called me out on it and I was confident to never close my eyes again. So when we went skydiving, I had 2 goals: Jump and keep your eyes open for the whole experience. I realized how fun life can be if my eyes are always open and looking at the adventure that is hidden in everything. 

While I am in Ecuador, I could easily fall into that same thought. Lacey and I both got sick while we were in Indiana and it continued in Loja. I also got traveler’s sickness when we arrived in Quito. These things along with an adjustment to the new altitude were prime for me to close my eyes, focus on my issues, and just get through situations. I become selfish and do not think about the needs of people around me like Sophie and Lacey because I have closed my eyes and chose to worry about myself. I would still try to do everything like I did at Six Flags, but I would not be intentional about  them and be in danger of missing out on a great opportunity like sharing The Good News with a stranger or mentoring Sophie. It is like going to a wedding, but not congratulating the bride or groom. Hey, I went! Isn't that what counts? 

It is not about going because anybody can do that. It is about what we do and how we glorify God even in our struggles where ever we go.

I want to have my eyes wide open for every part of this experience especially during the challenging times. I want to see how God will work in every situation. I do not want to have any regrets at the end of our time here. I truly believe that our toughest and most challenging moments will be our most rewarding and memorable adventures. 

Last week, we hitchhiked from one town to another and were all packed into this small truck and spent the next 3 hours speeding around sharp curves while passing buses on a one lane highway. We would pass on a sharp curve and barely miss an on coming vehicle. I was fortunate to be crammed in the front seat and got to keep my eyes wide open for an exciting rollercoaster ride. 

Lord, when my eyes are open, I can clearly see how you are working in my life. 

Thank you

Humble Leader

Everyone wants to be on stage or in the spot light sharing their opinion about life. 

Most of us believe that we have something important to say and expect that everyone wants to hear it. Pastors want more people to come and join their churches but wonder why they cannot grow. Others like myself have a blog or Facebook page and expect everyone to be amazed by our knowledge of life and our cool beach pictures. Christians witness to people so that they can talk about their testimony and their lives without truly listening to the person they are speaking to.

“Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: you must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.” James 1:19

Are we all really that impressive? Do we really believe that everyone needs to hear our words? Maybe we should focus more on stewarding the people God has placed in our life so that we can properly equip them and they can reach others. Maybe I should actually listen to people and understand their situation rather than quickly speaking my opinion. 

In order to do this, we need mentors who are willing to do the work and spend the extra time without getting any of the credit. We need leaders who can personally connect with others on a weekly basis by encouraging, equipping, discipling, and praying for them. 

Churches are a great place for believers to get strengthened in their faith and for the lost to seek a personal relationship with God. Pastors are great leaders who manage and equip other leaders so that they can grow as a healthy church. The preaching on Sunday is their free gift to people who are looking for answers and a purpose for living. We do not tithe to hear a Sunday sermon, but rather for the leadership, accountability, prayer, and comfort we get from the whole body of the church throughout each week. 

“Humble yourselves, therefore under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,” 1Peter 5:6 

A great mentor will humbly accept their gift that God has equipped them with while understanding that they may never get noticed for their good works. We can be at peace with this by understanding the grace God has on our life even while we were still lost and still make mistakes. We can also be inspired to do this knowing that our reward will be eternity with our Father. 

In my early years as a Believer, I enjoyed when pastors and others would publicly praise me. I became addicted to it and wanted to be praised all of the time. I justified this by thinking that I am doing God’s work. What’s wrong if I enjoy a little praise for my work? My pride soon took over and I realized I was doing good things not only to glorify God, but to seek praise from others. I realized that I had never been praised or noticed before. I looked back on my childhood and my early adult years and found that I had never been encouraged or praised from others including my parents. So when I got a taste of it in church, I wanted more. For the first time in my life, I felt wanted and needed by others. This was an awesome feeling and there is nothing wrong with wanting to feel wanted by others. 

The problem is when our pride takes over and we lose focus of our purpose.

Personal challenge - Find five people that will praise me and talk about how I have impacted their lives positively and then go find five more who will say the exact opposite about me.

I do not like this statistic and cannot confirm it’s accuracy, but do believe that the ratio would be close. It is obviously not my intention to be rude to people or have anyone dislike me. However, it is very likely that I will forget to speak to someone, spend time with another, or put my priorities in front of people who are close to me. 

If we choose to take any credit for our work, we have to include and account for all of our personal experiences.

I began to realize that I was needed by others, but I did not need praise or recognition to confirm it. I watched and learned as my mentors did amazing things while never getting noticed. I now take great joy in mentoring others while not getting any credit for it. My treasure is waiting for me in heaven. I find true joy in watching others grow in their faith.

Conclusion:

The fact is that if our hearts and intentions are right and focused on God… 

We all have something important to say.

We do not need a stage or large group of people to say it to. We just need one person. 

I enjoy spending more time away from the spot light or the popular crowds trying to impress people with my knowledge. I would rather focus more on the quieter areas where people are looking for something deeper and seeking more than just a place to fit in and meet new friends.

What is your churches identity?

What if a pastor had a church of a hundred people and those 100 people were equipped and trained to go and make more disciples through the people God had put in front of them, and those new disciples made more disciples and this trend continued year after year. And also of those one hundred people that God trusted this pastor with, a large amount of them left the church every year to share the Gospel in other places. Some people would go to different parts of the world, some would go to different parts of the United States, and some would plant small house churches in their community. And what if God continued to fill this church with new believers to replace those who were sent out? 

Would this be considered a successful church or a failure because they couldn't grow more than 100 members?

The goal today for some church models is to have as many members as possible by enticing non believers to come to church through creative strategies.They do this by watering down the Gospel and helping everyone feel comfortable where they are in life. This strategy draws the lost in and then it is the job of the church members to equip them. This has been effective for some churches and the number of young motivated believers is on the rise in the United States. However, this should not be the blue print for every church because it is not every Pastor’s identity. 

So are small churches failing because they cannot get more people in the building or are they failing because they are trying too hard to get more people in the doors rather than focusing on equipping their current members to go and share the Good News outside of the church walls. 

Are we spending too much time trying to impress people to come to our church when we could be equipping and sending out people from our church? Is our focus too much on our Pastor or a specific person to share the Good News in a presentation when we ourselves should be equipped and ready to reach others in any situation? 

I  have no problems with big mega churches. In fact, I am a member of one of the largest in my state and I believe that they do a great job at equipping new believers. They know their identity and stick with it. However, this model does not work for every pastor or church. I see little churches who look at these mega churches and think; “I am as great of a speaker as them, why don't we have 20,000 members?” Then they forget about their true identity in order to pursue a more attractive personality so they can grow in numbers. Not in faith or not in making disciples, but in numbers.

I have been to small churches with great people and congregations. However, their leaders are too busy trying to attract more people rather than discipling the ones they already have. The end result is that these people eventually wear down and give up on their small church and join the bigger successful church. Their pastors and leaders have stolen another churches idea and the members eventually realize that they can go to the real version rather than listening to a copycat version. 

One church we attended was word for word copied after our home church. They used the same lingo and even the same hand soap. They didn't even change the opening countdown song. Isn't there a law against copywriting? They wonder why they can’t grow in numbers and continue to spend more time trying to figure out why they are struggling financially.

Your church leaders have no identity! 

They stole it from another church! Your pastor was given only a certain amount of people to steward and disciple and he is missing out because he is focused on all of the people at another church.

 Pastors often justify these actions by explaining that the more people we can draw into the church, the more people we can save. This is true, but if we do not have strong, equipped believers ready to disciple them, than they could be confused about their salvation and  live a false life of believing that they are actually saved when nothing about them has changed. In essence, they are actually more lost than people who not believe.

Conclusion:

Mega Churches and Contemporary Churches are great and beneficial if their hearts and intentions are right. They will be successful in reaching the lost if their intentions are focused on glorifying God in everything they do. The challenge for them is that if the Sunday message is for the lost, than small groups and other curriculums better be spot on in equipping new believers and helping them fully understand what they are living for.

Small churches are also just as great if they do the same and stick with their true identity. Not everyone is meant to preach in front of 40,000 people every week, but we all have an obligation to invest and equip the people God has put in front of us. Both churches can be successful in reaching the lost and fulfilling God’s Great Commission if we understand our identity and stick with it.

The question is:

Can small church Pastors accept the fact that they may not be financially or publicly successful as larger churches? They may have to get another job just to meet the budget, but the eternal reward is still the same for both if their hearts are right.

Finally, it is not for us to decide how many people should be listening to us or attending our church. Our prayer is that we glorify God in everything we do to everyone He chooses to put in front of us while always pursuing the lost.

MONEY: Making the transition from business owner to missionary

“As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.” 

1 Timothy 6:17 ESV

  How much should we give? How much should we save? How much can we spend on our material things such as a house, cars, and vacations without feeling guilty? Is it okay as a Christ follower to retire and if so, what should retirement look like? How can we buy ourselves stuff when we know there are people around us starving? How can we justify our actions? Good honest Christians tell me that I am overacting and being too radical, but I read in the Bible about giving and it is so clear about this issue. 

“Now a full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of these things belonged to him was his own, but they held everything common. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need”. Acts 4:32-35 ESV   

The Old Testament talks about giving a tithe which is considered 10% of our income, however the New Testament does not mention tithing in specific numbers. In the book of Acts, it talks about how everyone gave what extra they had and shared with other followers while helping the poor and people in need. Why is this not the model today for Christ Followers? There are obviously people in need in our lives (if there are not, then we should question our purpose as believers because there should be if we are trying to reach the lost). 

I am so focused on saving money for my future or a rainy day and can easily justify this by remembering what I have already given instead of what I haven't given. Instead of investing in retirement, what if I gave that money away to someone currently in need. And what if there was a day when my family needed help and rather than relying on our own savings; we had to trust God to provide through His people. 

Is this radical or Biblical?

Am I taking these verses out of context? People will tell me “God does not want us to give everything extra we have to the poor, just give cheerfully”. I agree. However, if I am really a Christ follower and understand the full extent of my salvation and eternity by God’s grace, shouldn't I want to give it all away or at least spend more time questioning how I spend it all while being cheerful?

I have a choice:

-I can continue to use my finances wisely by living a life much lower than my budget states, saving for rainy days and our children’s future, and continue to give cheerfully. I can justify this life by not being a burden to others and our children.

OR:

-We can pray about our extra finances and give to others who need help right now and let God use others to help us when we are in need.

I have to confess that I am greedy and love money. Lacey and I love our vacations. We want Sophie to enjoy and experience the things that we were unable to as a kids. We also want to give her every opportunity to be successful both spiritually and in life. However, are we taking away an opportunity for God to work in her and our lives by having all of our financial needs met?

We are about to move to another country to share the Good News with the lost and yet we are still consumed with money: 

• We need to raise enough support so that we can go and reach the lost
• We need to work as hard as we can before we go so that we can have a good savings built up just in case.
• We need to consider the fact that we might not get enough support and we need a back up plan which will involve more money.
• I have to think about my wife and daughter and their needs and future.
• Is my daughters college education more important than a stranger who has nothing to eat or no where to live?

I am currently struggling with all of these thoughts and people have encouraged me in different ways.

Some mentors will tell me that I have an obligation as a husband and father to take care of my family and supply them with the things they need. I am encouraged by these people to save money and use it wisely to strengthen God’s kingdom through stewarding the things that He has given me. Others will tell us that missionaries should not have a savings or even an income. We should give all of our money to our ministry since we are not actually working anymore.

My conclusion:

I firmly believe that we should all pray about our money and how we should spend it. Can I sell my house and live in a smaller one in order to give to others in my own church or community that are in need? Can I sell my car and get a cheaper one to give more to others in another country who have absolutely nothing? If I eat out less, I can give more to others who have nothing to eat. Do we need to go on a vacation for every holiday?

  

Every financial decision should be prayed about and we should always consider weather it is benefiting ourselves or glorifying to God.

On the other hand, I also firmly believe that just because Lacey and I decided to give up our great jobs and material lifestyle to pursue a life that focuses on eternity rather than our current circumstances, we should not have to sell all of our possessions and live with no guarantees every day. If we should live like this for doing God’s work full time, than why shouldn't all Christians do the same. Why are missionaries and people in ministry expected to give up all earthly pleasures because we chose to glorify God as our career? Are we expected a larger portion of eternity?   

I am convinced that struggling with these issues is a good thing and healthy for our family. I am also convinced that we as a family should pray about all of our finances (giving, receiving, spending) and should consider how we can glorify God with them. There should be things in our life that we are sacrificing or giving up for others in need.   

HOW CAN I EFFECTIVELY WITNESS TO OTHERS

For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong. God chose what is low and despised in the world, even the things that are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.1 Corinthians 1:26 - 29

One of the things that I struggled with as a young Christian was how to share my faith and beliefs with others. I am not an intelligent person by any standards and had low self-esteem when I surrendered my life to live with Christ. Before I became a Christ follower, I thought that I was a failure in many ways. I was a construction worker and would always be just a construction worker. I was intimidated and embarrassed to speak around others and desperately wanted their approval. 

However, God had revealed Himself to me and my life was radically transformed. I believe that I would be dead today if it were not for God’s grace on my life. Knowing this, gave me the passion and motivation to repay God and glorify Him even if it meant embarrassing myself. I was no longer intimidated by others or afraid of rejection or humiliation. I would rather be rejected by others than separated from God.

“We are fools for Christ sake, but you are wise in Christ.”

1 corinthians 4:10 ESV

I was cool with being a fool to glorify God

I became bold in my speaking and started sharing with everyone. I did this not because of my worldly knowledge or even my Biblical understanding because I had not even read the Bible yet, but through the thoughts God had revealed to me. After reading the Bible and praying daily, I became bold in my faith and sharing with others was exciting.   

In North America, some treat evangelism as a negative word. When Christians think about evangelism; they think of the crazy guy on the street corner shouting “turn or burn! ”. Others may think of the annoying people who come to our door and interrupt our personal family time to talk about their church. Some churches think that the best way is to shower people with love and give them a gift that comes with a card or letter about their church. If we can just get them in the  church, they will have a chance to receive and accept the Good News.

I do not condemn these strategies and  believe that they do work at the proper time and encourage everyone to learn how to do them effectively. In fact, I have used all of these methods when the time or moment is appropriate. Everyone has a different story about how they surrendered their life. I pray that I do not dis-credit their way. 

I found God in a contemporary church because the music was nice and the service was over in time to watch football. God can reveal Himself to others in traditional settings with hymnal music and reformed preaching or in spirit led churches through the Holy Spirit. In fact, we practice different methods of evangelism depending on the culture we are in. For example people in India are saved through miracles, in the Middle East, it is through dreams, South America, it is through personal interaction.

Witnessing techniques are like ab exercise equipment, there are a lot to choose from, but essentially they all do the same thing. It is not about the ab machine; its about the person using the machine. The same can be said for witnessing. It is not about the technique, but about your heart and motivation for doing so. Here are some basic questions I ask myself before sharing with someone: 

• Is my heart and mind clean and focused on God?
• What are my intentions? Am I doing this because I am supposed to or because I want to. 
• What is my motivation? Someone else eternity Ezekiel 3:17
• When I am not witnessing(or using my ab machine), am I doing everything I can to sustain my relationship with God(great abs) or am I doing things that could cause me to stumble(going to the ice cream shop)

The life we live around our ministry will affect the way we witness to others. In fact, we will soon learn that intentional evangelism is not an event or a curriculum, but rather a way of living. It becomes a part or our daily life. Thats called living a missional life or as Jesus said, “Going and making disciples”.

We share because we love God and understand the grace He has given to us. This inspires us to love others and share with them so that they can also have a personal relationship with God. We do not share for our personal gain, but out of love and conviction. 

Am I focused on a success story about how I helped save someone and I am such an awesome evangelizer or am I simply just wanting to glorify God by sharing the Good News with others because of my love for Him. 

If our hearts and intentions are God focused and God centered, we will always be spiritually successful even during persecution or rejection. 

I want to challenge my heart and intentions each day. 

• Why do I want to glorify God?
• Am I expecting a reward for witnessing? 
• Why am I moving to another country? For my own pleasures or because I see a need and want to fulfill it?
• Will I glorify God if it cost me my life or put my family in harms way? 
• If I am sick, my wife leaves me, my daughter hates me, my friends despise me, my team looses, I loose everything… Will I still glorify God?

“ I am under obligation both to the Greeks and to the barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome”.

Romans 1:14

Once we challenge our hearts, minds, and intentions and understand how great God is; we now see the desperate need for us to witness to others and it is no longer an option, but our obligation. If we believe in God and understand His grace that He has given us through His Son Jesus, we no longer wonder or worry about  how we will share with others; we understand that we must share with others and God will speak through us to reach them. The consequences for their life is too great not to share!

But how?

Pray and prepare for every interaction by reading God’s word and mediating on His glorious works

• Read God’s word daily so that we can be nourished and strengthened in our faith before we enter the world
• Find our quiet place and meditate in His word and on all of His glory that surrounds us.
• Pray each morning for the people God will put in our life today and that we will not hesitate in sharing the love of Christ with them.
• We may be intelligent by human standards and great at selling people stuff or even debating people about right and wrong, but if we are not in the word, meditating on His glory and praying to Him; WE HAVE NO CHANCE TO SUCEED IN LEADING OTHERS TO CHRIST! we cannot do it with out Him

Look for opportunities during our daily interactions. 

It is easier to share with someone that you are already talking with. As a Contractor, I meet people every day at Home Depot or Lowe’s who I have to interact with. I also meet many sub-contractors, laborers, people looking for work, and customers who have different back grounds and beliefs. I pray each morning for God to be working in the people He places in my life and that He will use me to glorify His name. 

Understand the person and your purpose

For the average person, it takes about 9 encounters for before they accept Christ. We could be their first encounter and just show them the love that God has revealed to us or we could be the one who prays with them and gets to witness them surrendering their life for glorifying God. 

It is not about us, it is about their walk

We share out of love and then we make disciples

Resist the urge to teach people or counsel others until they ask. We often like to share all of the amazing things we are doing and talk about our testimony. Then we try to tell people how they could be living a life like us if they receive Christ. However, if we are not careful, this could feel condemning to others and their bitterness towards Christians will grow(speaking from experience). There is a proper time to share all of our thoughts when they are ready to be mentored or discipled. 

ASK QUESTIONS

I am convinced that if our hearts and intentions are focused on glorifying God, He will be revealed to others through basic conversations. The easiest way to start a conversation is simply by asking them questions about their life. There are no specific questions, just be authentic. I enjoy watching people out in public trying to witness to others(street evangelism) by  memorizing what they are supposed to say. It is not a play! We are not acting! It should be natural to us to share the love of Christ with others. If our heart is focused on glorifying God, every conversation will be centered on God even if we are not specifically talking about the Good News. I can start a conversation about football and transition it into a story about my mission experiences or my testimony.