This simplistic church, what I mean by that is they stay with the very basics doctrinally. They are a bit more charismatic in nature than the ones I am more accustomed to, and yet in this sermon I heard the pulling down of high doctrine. The example he gave is someone approached him about going deeper theologically in his messages, the guy asking considered himself a student of theology. This pastor’s answer was if you don’t have the basics down yet how can you go deeper in theology? So his reply was, “How many people have you shared Christ within the past week or two?” Needless to say the pastor made it sound like the gentleman left like a puppy dog with his tail between his legs. He unfortunately never directly addressed the question but pointed at the shortcomings of those who go deep as his response to the question. This happens both ways, both parties point at the shortcoming of the other rather than point at their own short comings and strive to attain that as their goal in sanctification!

We unfortunately must all agree that there are shards of truth in the pastor’s thoughts although I believe that this is a false argument. I don’t believe the two things have to be mutually exclusive, in the sense that I believe that there can be high doctrine / theology and passionate evangelistic fervor for the lost and a love for men.

The gospel message which needs to be brought to all men, in all socio and economic classes demands there be a simplistic explanation of the Gospel. If this were not the case we would still be reading scripture in latin and the Word as we know it today would not exist. Yet man likes to pervert a good thing and make it something for which it was not intended, which in many cases, is lowering the bar for those who need to see that the bar doesn’t move for anyone, there are only differing intellectual entry points and the standard in God’s word toward sanctification never changes.

This thought reminds me of the saying that, “God meets you where ever you are but doesn’t leave you where you are at…” God will meet you in the pig pen etc, but He doesn’t leave you there in the pig pen, he puts a robe on your and a ring on your finger and you now have a higher calling.

The tension is to press forward to reach forward to the high calling of our Christian life here on this earth as we work out our salvation in fear and trembling, yet pressing on toward the goal.

Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. – Phillipians 3:13-14

The bar is never lowered in sanctification for either seeking God with our whole heart or having a relationship with Jesus, and a passionately practiced life in Christ, not by which earns us any merit or a righteousness of our own but out of the gratitude of our justification. In other words the highest understanding of doctrine and who Christ is, should only compel us to live out this doctrine in theological living. It should be a conforming factor in our lives which we are ever seeking to be molded by and transformed into the image of Christ.

On the other hand I have heard also many a sermon that discusses the dumbing down of America, no one can read the reformers and look at the educational system in the united states and see the quality of people we’re putting out into the world and not be amazed at how far down the intellect scale we have seemed to come. People can read my own blog and see that there is either a lack in the educational system or in me, or a combination of both.

There has been many a sermon which takes the dumbing down of Christianity and runs with it disdaining vernacular jargon. Some make snide remarks or comments about churches who don’t have much of a message, or who in their attempt to contextualize the message in the vernacular language weaken the message by weakening the vocabulary. And many times there is a thread of truth in these accusations. Some churches have made much of loving people contextualizing or seeking felt needs to the point of gutting the gospel message.

The problem is that neither of these two things need to be pinned one against the other yet for whatever reason this happens: Intellect vs. plainly speaking, high doctrine vs. loving men and the lost. The problem is these things MUST co-exist and yet we in our short sightedness do not always see it. We must have Intellectual high expectations and yet speak plainly, and we must never lower the bar of preaching and doctrine, and still yet love men.

How many of us as believers began in the churches which perhaps were more seeker oriented and held less emphasis on doctrine. Someone demonstrated the love of Christ to us in one of these churches where doctrine wasn’t their highest priority yet God used it for our benefit. This is not to say that the gospel message must not be understood from Gospel truth. Somewhere along the way we must have heard the true gospel message and regeneration must have taken place, and as we grew in relationship with Christ He showed us a deeper and deeper walk, and deeper and deeper theology and doctrine, and a deeper and deeper love. None which come without trial and experience in the faith as we walk out the doctrine He’s using to shape our lives.

So it is in these tensions we must seek after truth, once again danger on both sides of the extremes. We must also be careful not to step on one side to polish the other; both extremes lose the heart and the point of the intention.

What I am most thankful for is Christ who demonstrated both of these things for us in the person and work of Jesus Christ, marrying the two things together, faith, and the byproduct or fruit of faith which are the works He prepared for us from the foundations of the world.   Jesus gives us both giving us amazing doctrine, and yet living practically among men, demonstrating these truths as He lived and gave us in the new testament an example of this:

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” -Matthew 22:36-40

So as you are considering Thanksgiving, read scripture, meditate upon its meaning, drink it in as it is the true bread of life which we can not live with out, and tell someone about the good news of Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross!
Happy Thanksgiving!

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. – John 12:24

It has to die before it can bring life. This whole process of sanctification is a continual death to self and our life, in God.

Today the autumn leaves reminded me that when we are going through tough times, when we are dying there is beauty in our death to self, death to our flesh. And though for a while there is death, it isn’t until death takes place do we really notice the beauty, and trust in the fruit that will be produced next season. Although everything appears to be dying, and death is taking place, God is always faithful, and we can rest assured that there will be differing seasons until Christ’s return.

Thus how difficult is it to say when we are actually going through the hard times, that we see the beauty in those circumstances? This was God’s design to allow for seasons of life to death and back again. In fact we are most definitely going to have persecution in one form or another if we are truly following Him. In this persecution, with the sovereignty of God, there is a death which demonstrates God’s breath taking beauty. While we in our finite perspective see the gray all around, God shows us the beauty of this self death as we recount the faithfulness of God in our past seasons. He is always faithful to His children.

Paul amazingly shows us in 2 Corinthians as he recounted his persecutions, and then exhorted us to open our hearts! These seasons are not ours for the keeping but they are to point to Christ, just as all of creation points to God. And everything cries out Grace Grace Grace !!!

The words below, though correcting the Corinthians are encouraging. They allows us to get closer to understanding the paradox of life in Christ and death to self.

May God grant us all His perspective in times of affliction, and yet may He receive all the Glory for it!

1 Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 For he says,

“In a favorable time I listened to you,
and in a day of salvation I have helped you.”

Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. 3 We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, 4 but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, 5 beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; 6 by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; 7 by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; 8 through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 9 as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.

11 We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians; our heart is wide open. 12 You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. 13 In return (I speak as to children) widen your hearts also.      –2 Corinthians 6

This is from the Valley of Vision Puritan Prayers.

Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly, Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision, where I live in the depths but see Thee in the heights; hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold Thy glory. Let me learn by paradox that the way down is the way up, that to be low is to be high, that the broken heart is the healed heart, that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit, that the repenting soul is the victorious soul, that to have nothing is to possess all, that to bear the cross is to wear the crown, that to give is to receive, that the valley is the place of vision. Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells, and the deeper the wells the brighter Thy stars shine; let me find Thy light in my darkness, Thy life in my death, Thy joy in my sorrow, Thy grace in my sin, Thy riches in my poverty, Thy glory in my valley.

In the beginning of the Summer we had two minivans, and we parked on the street.  I could go on about the auto-thefts or the windows, or the car crashes, but I’ve already done that, (shattered windows)here, (stolen)here, the final word here (crash).

Honorable mention is also a blue van we had for a few weeks before the transmission went out donated to us by God’s Mountain Camp.  I was told by a friend that if his wife wrote a story about what’s happened over this summer, it wouldn’t be, believable.  I concur it seemed so surreal so much of the time.  All of that being said we’ve also seen a lot of devastating spiritual things take place which could easily take the spot light over some stolen vehicles or broken glass.

Our house reminded me as I sat and thanked God for our driveway this morning, of our sanctification.  We get torn down by the issues of life, by circumstances, yet God continues the work he started because He is faithful.  Not the house or anything about the house but because God is faithful to Himself and His word.

We began this journey to come to the North East of Kansas City, I must confess being a small town anglo white boy from Kansas working out my salvation in fear and trembling in the North East doesn’t seem to always go together.  I thought today about how we go along in life and are oblivious to the power of God.  He could smash me in an instant, yet he had mercy.

I remember a Sermon Tim Juhnke spoke about not too far back about discipline.  I recall that there are several different kinds and it isn’t always healthy to try to figure out why you’re being disciplined but to trust that God has the best thing for you and that your discipline is because He loves you.    Is it sin?  Is it to build my character?  Is it to take away an Idol?  I pray for the answers yet the only thing I really have to go on is that it is for my good.

In spite of so many trials, even the inability to reach out this summer as I had hoped, God has been faithful to me and my family all summer long.  The communication between my wife and I has been extraordinary over the summer because these trials, were great and more frequent, and the busyness of life became less.  Oh we are about to get back into busy mode here but I thank God for the trials for the goodness of our marriage.   Let me encourage you to read Tim Challie’s blog on some of his Personal Reflections.

So I am so thankful for my wife, and our relationship this summer.  We are preparing to celebrate our 10 year anniversary as well and I am truly blessed by my wife, she is truly the love of my life and truly the better half of our marriage.

I am also blessed that we were able to go through these trials with my children.  They learning the value of material things, seeing us at our less than sanctified moments of frustration, and our repentance when we sin or fail.  God has allowed conversations about things that would not have come otherwise, at least not in this time or season of life.

We have been blessed by friends who have come along side of us, and in spite of my own pride to receive rides to work and my wife to get rides to the store we have had to depend on others for a season.  This was beneficial for a couple of reasons, there were benefits in fellowship and spending time with one another in Christ and long term our relationships are stronger because of the time we spent with one another.

People often say that they want something  Beyond McChurch yet Christ centered relationships are only developed around Christ and with Time.  We so often want them like a Big Mac, now.  This is a longer process you may have to buy the cow to get the Big Mac.  I have been blessed by these relationships over the summer, those whom allowed me to depend upon them.  I pray only that I did not in any way take advantage or presume on their kindness.

I’m thankful for my parents as they gave my wife and I numerous times their van to borrow on the weekends.  This was an incredible blessing.  God also has allowed me through some of these various trials, and trials I have not mentioned explicitly to make more friends, and to love more and deeper.  I have prayed more this summer than I have in a long time, I still pray for reconciliation for so many things and repentance for so many more.

In spite of tragedy God has been faithful, and Good, and though our summer was unrelenting at times God gave us Grace, and is still granting us mercy every day.

I have not mentioned a number of things I am thankful for here, but I know them all in my heart and I am thankful despite of my flesh screaming otherwise at times.

I am thankful for friends family, and most of all the grace and mercy of God the father, though I don’t deserve it has blessed me with these people whom I will never forget.

Before I begin, let me tell you that it will be six years in July that we have lived in the North East of Kansas City.  We moved here that long ago for several reasons.  The chief motives at the time were for discipleship, I was moving nearer to the person that was teaching me and caring for my soul spiritually.  The next motive was to purchase a home for a lesser value than the one we were previously living in, out in Independence.  The third reason at the time was to move into the city to minister to the nations.  I have a degree in Spanish and in my employment I use it little, however in my neighborhood I have much opportunity.  As we have stayed in the City I have seen the more desperate need for Christians to move back into the city because it is one of the most unchurched, or unsoundly churched populations in the United States of America.  Most of the congregations which have sound doctrine have moved out to the suburbs.  This not to say all churches in the city have little doctrine but there are few.  Where there are not churches there are mosque’ and Buddhist temples, kingdom halls, many cults have infiltrated the cities yet many or most of the “Christians” are not represented in the city.

We moved here in spite of safety concerns, trusting God would be our provider, and He has provided each step of the way.  We did not move down here because the sole purpose was cheaper housing, we did not move down to the city because it was in the center of town and we could get to places more easily, we moved down to both be discipled and to make more disciples.

We had a rough beginning in the city when we went through a church “plant/split/shipwrecking” however, it was an amazing time of growth.  God saw fit to bring us toward FCC where we have never been more blessed by sound preaching and teaching then at any one time in our life.  However our mindset in the city has been to become like missionaries in this city. Most people, told us we were crazy, out of our minds.  Between friends and family members you would have thought we had just purchased a ticket to the loony bin, we saw it as an opportunity to be obedient to God’s word and not live for this life, at least as much of not living for this life at the time, which God had revealed to us.

This was where we are to plant our feet, and make disciples, yet we have been attending our church at FCC in the suburbs.  It’s been difficult in attempting to figure out how to minister to people in the city and yet attend a church in the suburbs.  It’s hard to bridge the gap at times, although God is able at all times in all ways to do these things.  When we first arrived to the church people would ask us where we were from and why we were living down there.  It’s hard to say we’re living in the city to minister to the people, without feeling as if you’re sounding self-righteous.  Somehow it seems honorable if you go abroad but for whatever reason if you are living as a missionary/tent maker in the city, you’re a little radical, or a little out there.  Perhaps is our American Seek ye Comfort of Culture first ideology, I am unsure.

Regardless we’ve been at our church for a few years now, we have held back yard bible clubs, held out reaches from our home, yet nothing really has brought our neighborhood together, until the past two weeks.  God has answered our prayers in ways that we or really (I) had not anticipated.  We have been praying for opportunities to get in closer with our neighbors.  To begin to bring light into the darkness.  Yet God does things in ways I do not quite understand, I thank Him that His ways are higher than my ways.

It all began the night  that Richard Owens Roberts Preached at FCC, I came home and even though under some great conviction about prayerlessness, we made it to sleep.  We had our fan on and the window cracked.  My wife woke up to look outside at 1:30-ish am as it was lightening and raining, and our Blue Mini-Van had been stolen… It was simply GONE.   Yes right out in front of our home.

Let me put this in perspective a little bit, our car windows have been broken out of our mini-van , we think, eleven times now in almost six years, many of those were attempts at auto-theft, and this morning our new van had been stolen.  You can enlarge the pictures below by clicking on them.

I’m not showing all of the pictures, the lining out of the top of the van was ripped, the dvd player was ripped out and the wiring for the dvd player.  they ripped the seats, and then drew a picture of a demon or a devil on the dashboard.

This devastated my family, my children, each time it is difficult for them to understand how the heart of deceitfully wicked people could be so wicked.  We are one of the few people on our street that do not have off street parking.  Had we known better we would not have purchased a home without one down here, but God knows what we need better than we do, and thus had these lessons in mind for our family before the foundations of the world!

We prayed for the people which stole our car, it appeared to be a gang initiation, and we were also aware that this was extremely spiritual as well.  I confess I have not prayed enough, for them, and as I write this blog post, I am convicted that I must pray more for them.  We were able to get a rental and we had made a decision that this time we were not going to be hasty and go purchase a vehicle but stop and save for a vehicle or perhaps wait on the Lord to provide one in time.   We had one more mini-van, and our school year is over this Friday so we thought we will just make it one more week with the rental and we will be just fine.  God will provide.

Saturday morning at 4:30 am we hear our door bell ringing and ringing.  we quickly dress and run down to the bottom of our stairs and there are two neighbors standing outside.  They said that two kids just hopped into our van and took off down the street.

We were nearly in shock and dumbfounded that our other car had been stolen less than two weeks from the last one.  It’s been so heart breaking and we hadn’t even gotten the other one settled yet before this one had been stolen out from underneath us.  Our neighbor from across the street rushed over and said she had heard a crash right after it happened.    Some other neighbors looked down the block and saw our van wrapped around a telephone pole only a half a block away.  The police officer said when they broke the ignition they probably messed up the steering and when they drove off so fast to get away the probably lost control of the van because the steering was affected by the ignition break and they hit driver-side into the telephone pole.

After much devastation, and being completely amazed that we have now had 11 car windows crashed in almost 6 years and 2 stolen vehicles in two weeks, after we had gotten through all of the thoughts of “Are we being targeted by someone”. and or we know that Satan is attempting to steal our faith, and our joy, I sat back and asked God why?  I mean another $5oo deductible lord?  How am I going to get from place to place now?  I must provide for my family?  How Lord does this work?  It caused me to ponder all of these things over and over again, asking God why?

Then in church today really before church started and I was thinking over the previous day and all of its problems I remembered several things.  I remembered that all of my neighbors later on in the morning were gathering outside of our home.  They are all watching how we handle this tragedy, we were able to talk about Jesus slightly with some men in the neighborhood, and our neighbor across the street is ready for us to begin a monthly prayer meeting in our home for the neighborhood.  And then I realized….

God answered our prayer, he’s bringing our neighborhood together, He’s magnifying His name!  He’s humbling me and my family…. He’s providing, He’s rebuilding! He’s restoring!  He’s opening doors with these people I would not have otherwise.  And then I realize my own failure, and my lack of faith, and my foolishness and I realize God is faithful, and good, and wise, and sovereign.   I’m sure the further away we get from the incident the more we will be able to see God’s grace, and God calls this sanctification and says that it’s purpose is to conform us to the image of Jesus Christ.

I look forward to sharing these things with my family, after having written them out to solidify them.  He is a good God.  Please pray that our neighbors would come to know Christ, that Christ would call them to Himself!  May God be glorified in this trial.

And I thank him for all his blessings and trials because in spite of my faithlessness he is God who is always faithful.

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? -1 Peter 4:12-17

The first thing about living in the Hood, there are some things that are a little ways out, like Sam’s Club, Wal-Mart, lots of chain restaurants, are not in the hood, however in the the ‘northeast’ we have one thing that’s very cool, and that is great big, deep, hills in the city.

Where: 3218 Gladstone Blvd. KC, MO 64123

Some Incredible slopes lie just west of this museum, we spent some time, talked to some non-locals ( meaning not local to the North East ) and we had a blast!  God is good to give us these small things to enjoy!

Let me begin this post by stating that I don’t normally post video promo’s nor do I care much for movie media in general any longer. We entertain ourselves to death in this culture. However this movie was absolutely stunning, in a literal way. We could hardly leave our seats when it was over.

Tonight we went to see the movie “Fire Proof.” When I say we I mean two brothers in Christ, one which is going through a possible divorce went with me this evening. I invited him out after a group of us spent Tuesday evening in prayer for his marriage. We went this evening to perhaps inspire hope in his heart through Christ. We realize fully that what we saw was a movie but no one can deny the principles that were there, nor the fact that God is a God of hope and reconciliation.

I don’t think my emotions could have been stirred more, and the conviction of the “lack” of loving my wife greater than if God himself showed me in a dream, this was clearly God’s standard in the husband’s responsibility to the wife and the picture of Christ on the Cross giving up “EVERYTHING” to the point of death for the bride.

It was interesting the name “Fireproof” doesn’t mean that fire will never come to it, what it means is that when the fire comes, it can withstand the heat & flame. The other motto was, “Never leave your partner behind.”

This is essentially the jist movie, and a picture of a man who came to trust God with his whole life and future, for the sake of his marriage, giving up every last earthly treasure in his life for the pursuit of HER.

I would encourage every man to go see this movie, as tear jerking as it is, there are some funny parts but every man should attend for the fact that we need to know the truth about where we are at in our failures so that we can move forward in our own sanctification in loving our wives and dying to ourselves!

Today started off innocent enough, we are preparing for our annual BYBC (Back Yard Bible Club) out of our home next week. One of the things I’ve noticed from living in the city for a few years now is the fact that when we moved down here, it was to bring Christ into this place. It was to bring light into darkness.

However one of the things that our flesh automatically does without our taking notice, is it has us in the same routines we used to do when we lived in the suburbs. In other words, we have not been engaged in the city like we should. We would often eat out in restaurants outside of the the North East, and do most of our shopping outside of the north east. I would go to work and come home. This is what most of America does, we live in these compartments of comfort and safety and we have been no different.

My family and I started the day off by considering these things, and making our way to Budd Park city pool not too far from our home, in order to be intentional. We have always managed to find the ability to swim outside of the city because often it’s been outside of what we know and our comfort zone. However today we went there with the intension of passing out flyers for the back yard bible club next week. I was surprised when there were several there who seemed interested especially one Hispanic man and his son.

Budd Park Public Pool

It was a small pool but the whole family enjoyed themselves and well I got a little too much sun. Regardless we were able to pass out several flyers for the BYBC and we are hopeful some might come. May we continue to pray for the families we spoke to as well.

And then if I didn’t have enough I spoke with a friend of mine who’s in our shepherding group and he came over for dinner this evening. Things went very well at the pool so I asked him if he would go down to Independence Avenue with me. Little did I know what we would encounter as we went out to share Christ. We prayed and both of us having a conversation of this to be genuine sharing Christ and we desired that it not be just something wrote or disingenuous, but that the Holy Spirit would empower His people to share His Grace.

The first guy we ran into started speaking about terrestrials, and he was speaking to himself in the air before we got there. He spoke of uncloaking people. We did the best we could to speak to him but he was not receptive, we gave him a book Pursuing God—A Seeker’s Guide and just then another gentleman walked up to us probably late 20′s with a baseball cap, white guy with gold fronts. He was wanting to go “kick it” somewhere and just then Bobby mentioned that we are here to share the gospel with him. We let him speak for quite a while, it was a bi-polar conversation, and just as there was a crack for us to make our way in the bus came and he took off, yes with a book as well.

As we began to walk down the street slowly looking around finally we crossed, and there was a guy who we attempted to speak to, asking him “do you know who Jesus Christ is?” he replied, ” that’s a funny question because I think you know who I am” and then he walked off. We by this time were perplexed about our encounters.

Until we came down the block and as I prayed I was wondering if we’d encounter anyone who’s conscience wasn’t so seared by the things of this world so that they could hear a crying out for them to believe on Jesus Christ that they might be saved.

Right about this time we see this woman sitting right about where the back of this white car is now. We asked her simply, ” Did she know who Jesus was?” Almost in an instant her eyes welled up with tears. This poor haggard woman was probably in her early to mid 40′s. She had kind of colored reddish brown hair. She had one top tooth and her bottom teeth were black and crooked. She looked worn from drugs, abuse, possibly prostitution at some point.

Bobby and I weren’t prepared for the conversation that we had next. She said yes she knows who Jesus is, and she said that she believes in Jesus. I have counseled and spoken to dozens of addicts who say Jesus and then they love the world. This woman was different. I don’t have the conversation verbatim, however one of the first things she said is that, “God chooses people and he hasn’t chosen me.” She said she married a Christian man at the age of 33 and lived as a believer for 5 years, and gave her whole heart to God, but God would never free her from her addictions. She had heard countless stories and seen them of how people came into churches and were saved and then freed from their addiction but she’s cried and pleaded to God to free her, and she said all the immoral things I do, I’ve asked him to take it from me and he just won’t. If you could see the pain and agony in her tears, the worn face, and the tired and probably high countenance.

We had never encountered someone who had in a sense “right” doctrine and saw that in spite of her incessant crying out to God, she could not free herself, and He seemingly to her, would not help her. Bobby comforted her with these words, if you had to live in torment all the days of your life, and in agony, and pain, would your faith be worth it, is God whom you trust in? She insisted that she believes in God and that she will until the day she dies, but He has not chosen her, and so she’s given up. I tried to point her to the fact that as long as she has breath it’s not too late, and that even right now if God’s in control of everything, that us meeting her in that very moment was His purposed plan to call her back out of darkness into light.

Bobby had more words of comfort for her in the sense that he has experience with similar situations and to be truthful we were shown a glimpse of a perspective that we knew was out there but never had anticipated an articulation of theology from an addict on the streets. I pray that God will use this meeting with Donna to bring her to Himself, I’ve never seen anyone so seemingly desperate for God, and honest about it since I’ve been down here.

This was an encounter I will never forget. I’m sure Bobby won’t either, and it’s a wake up call to sitting, living compartmentally, socially detracted, and distracted from the movement of the Gospel to move men and women to engage the people around them.

We pray soon that we’ll make this a regular practice and we’ve picked out a starting point on Independence Avenue. For those of you that don’t know Independence Avenue is one of the most difficult places in Kansas City MO in regards to sin and crime. I’m still processing through everything that happened tonight so please forgive me if I’ve not articulated well, or that I leave any theological cliff hangers dangling because these are things that when they are on paper, and in the pages of books they can seem very comforting, and trustworthy but this increased God’s enormity in my life this evening in the sense that I am nothing before Him but an instrument. I hope an instrument that He might use to people to really engage people who are not like themselves.

For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but if not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship. What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.

For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings. -1 Corinthians 9:16-23

If anyone knows me I don’t use this passage to justify being like the world but I view this passage as having to know and be engaged in peoples life, in their context for the genuine purpose, like Paul, to Share Christ with the lost.

So I charge all of you to pray for Donna, the lady we met this evening! And then I challenge all of you to look up, and see what we’re missing when it comes to lost souls!!!

The same savior that saved you desires for others to make disciples as an imperative in Mathew 28, in an authentic genuine way that will bring honor and Glory to His name.

If you’re interested in sharing Christ on Independence Avenue we will be doing it again next week starting here.

Please hit the contact button or reply to the e-mail that’s sent to you!

We arrived home late Friday evening after an evening with my parents and brother and his wife, out on the town for my Mother’s retirement party. She was honored a week before Mother’s Day weekend. We picked the children up from their other grandma’s and made it home around 10:00 pm. Brandy and I made it to bed by 11:00. The previous day the serpentine belt had come off on our other vehicle and nearly broke, and is now awaiting repair.

We were surprised when in the morning we woke up early and refreshed thinking we may need to attend second service at FCC because of our late night, however since we woke up early, we determined that we had plenty of time and we could even be a bit early for first service. I asked my oldest daughter to grab something out of the van that I needed before we could leave. However, this morning when my daughter walked outside to get something of our van she had the pleasure of delivering some familiar, yet not so good news to us. Kayla was able to tell us that all three of our drivers side windows on the van that was still yet mobile, were broken out. So much for attempting to make it to first service this morning.

We’ve come to expect things to not always go the way we think they should in our neighborhood; it’s part of the cost of not having off-street parking and living in inner city. I also realize it’s part of God being totally sovereign and the fact that we’re not….

However we’ve lost an exact count on our windows being obliterated, this is either the sixth or seventh time our windows have been hit or shot out of our van. No exaggerations, there are fleshly moments when things like this happen and we wonder where do these kids live, who would have done this, and would it be all right to teach them some discipline?

There is also the other side of it, we’ve moved here for the purpose of sharing Christ, to be a light in a dark place, and we know men love darkness rather than light. And though often we feel inadequate in our “doing” of the word, we are doing, and spiritual warfare is real.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. – Matthew 5:43-48

So as our flesh calmed down and I began to really consider this morning our circumstance, we prayed for whomever this person was who did this to our van. We were able to see opportunity for hope in Christ that this person might come to know Jesus Christ.
And this evening as we had a new couple join us from our church, and my wife recounted some of her own stories of sanctification. It is a rare time in the Christian walk where “sanctification” does not also mean an increase of fleshly pain as the things of this world are stripped from our hands, and what control we have conned ourselves into believing we have slips through our fingers, we slowly, must come to grips with the fact that God is the designer, and these windows being broken out, our other van being down…. were all designed by the sovereign hand of almighty God for the purpose of His Glory and our sanctification that we may be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. It is never painless, and the more pain we go through, more suffering, more sanctification carving off portions of our flesh, as we decrease and God increases, He is busy at work bringing us to a greater understanding, brining us low so that we might recognize our God to be God, magnificent, holy, perfect, faithful and yes absolutely sovereign over all things.

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? -1 Peter 4:12-17

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death – Philippians 3:10

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? – Luke 9:23-25

The bottom line was our windows were allowed to be shattered by God’s design.

I can already say that God has proven himself faithful and strong, as God planned for me a day off in advance to take care of everything! He’s sovereign, and I wondered how I was going to spend my day tomorrow!

I soon rose to turn the lights on in my daughters’ room and I saw my youngest daughter sleeping in her bunk bed soundly, while my oldest daughter had awakened due to a strange smell, also still very groggy. I looked up again after having run in to put my contacts in quickly, and I saw a thick cloud of white smoke, surrounding my youngest daughter still sleeping on the top bunk. I gained my senses somewhat and took a breath and the whole upstairs smelled like burning rubber.

My wife had gotten up before me and threw some water on the side of the bed where the sparks were shooting out from the wall, but the bunk bed was pushed close to the wall. I pulled the bunk bed back got my youngest daughter down from the bed and yanked the surge protector out of the wall, and called the fire department.

Just a few charred marks around the little socket have had a huge lasting affect on us this morning as we reflect. The firemen offered little advice. They brought in a heat camera to ensure there was no fire in the wall and then quickly left, all eight of them.

We had taken down our hallway smoke detectors because they were incredibly old and we had redone the hallways with new sheetrock, and we have had every intension of replacing them soon, yet we hadn’t.

Last evening my wife and I went out to dinner reflecting on our lives together, how far God’s brought us, where we’ve been, and yes how much we love our children, and feel so enormously blessed to have them in our lives, words do not describe our gratitude toward our heavenly father.

It was as if last night was to drive home the point of God’s sovereignty and mercy, in our lives. We felt as if last night God literally sent angels to guard us, yet understanding that we are not guaranteed even one more day, or moment.  It is up to our Heavenly Father, when our time is to come, and the time of our children, although it’s something I can’t fathom at this time,  He has been and continues to be our refuge, and He is a Good God.

Psalms 91
1He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
5 You will not fear the terror of the night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only look with your eyes
and see the recompense of the wicked.
9 Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—
the Most High, who is my refuge —
10 no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
no plague come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
12 On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the adder;
the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.
14 “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
I will protect him, because he knows my name.
15 When he calls to me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”