Catching Up

Daring to believe!

Okay, I got another fishing boat. It's been over two years and I got a smaller, more manageable one that I can park beside the house. My main area to fish in is Commencement Bay, around Point Defiance. This past Monday was opening day so I hit the water early in the morning.  I thought I would be one of the early ones on the water but to my surprise I was the late one. While I didn't catch any fish that day, I thoroughly enjoyed taking the boat out on a "sea" trial.  As I was trolling through the water a tide change was taking place, in fact I went trhough two tide changes.  What I noticed about a tide change was what is called a tide line.  That's where the incoming tide pushes back on the outgoing tide and visa versa.   You can see various tide lines through out the bay.  Here's what I noticed. A tide line is usually fill with junk and the water looks like it dances.  In fact, the current can vary all around the tide line. The power of the tide will have its way.  Maybe you've heard the words ebb and flow.  I've noticed tug boats pulling a barge always seem to time their trip through a narrow area to go with the tide, whether its an incoming or outgoing tide.  You don't want to fight the tidal current.  Sail boats captains also study the tide to determine when is the best time to go with the tidal current. 

Tides are one of God's creations.  If you been hanging out at Brooklake Church for any period of time you always hear us talking about being a follower of Jesus Christ.  When a person makes that decision a change in the "tidal current" begins to happen in ones life. The nature of God is to create, to restore, to reestablish His ways in a persons life.  You may think that you can't change certain aspects of your life, that it's just the way your life was destined to be, but God can and desires to help you become all that you were created to be.  The moment you make the decision to follow the One, the tidal currents change in favor of you. The Scriptures say, "With God all things are possible".   When one yields to the power of the One who created the tidal currents you will see change, changes that bring peace and purpose to ones life.  When one dares to believe in the One, when one dares to become a follower of the One, you discover the power of the ultimate tide change in ones life.  Dare to believe, dare to follow the One who created the power of the tide.

Paul is Ticked

Galatians 1:6-9  The Message

"I can't believe your fickleness--how easily you have turned traitor to him who called you by the grace of Christ by embracing a variant message!  It is not a minor variation, you know; it is completely other, an alien message, a no-message, a lie about God.  Those who are provoking this agitation among you are turning the Message of Christ on its head.  Let me be blunt:  If one of us-even if an angel from heaven! - were to preach something other than what we preached originally, let him be cursed.  I said it once; I'll say it again, regardless of reputation or credentials, preaches something other than what you received originally, let him be cursed. "

THE MESSAGE

Been busy with church, family.

Been enjoying readingThe Message for my devotional time.  Here is a taste of it for you.  You might enjoy it.

Galatians 1:1-5

"I, Paul, and my companions in faith here, send greetings to the Galatian churches.  My authority for writing to you does not some from any popular vote of the people, nor does it some through the appontment of some human higher-up.  It comes directly from Jesus the Messiah and God the Father, who raised him from the dead.  I'm God-commissioned. So I greet you with the great words, grace and peace!  We know the meaning of those words because Jesus Christ rescued us from this evil world we're in by offering himself as a sacrifice for our sins.  God's plan is that we all experience that rescue. Glory to God forever! Oh yes!"

Like I said I really am enjoying reading The Message.  IT's givng me a greater appreiciation for the timeless of God's word.

Really I am catching up and will do so.

Sensing God

Here I go again trying to catch up.

Well here I am sitting in a Best Western hotel room in Orange County, CA.  I am down here for a few days at a invitation only conference at Saddleback church, Purpose Driven ministries.  Today, Scott Harris- a fellow pastor, and I attended a briefing on our trip to India and what is being planned for the future.  I had this sense of being among some of Gods best followers.  I continue to be impressed with the quality of people and the passion of people that I get to bump into.  At this meeting I got the sense that He was again putting somethings together that I may get to be apart of....time will tell.

Boy, is this 90 degree weather great!

As for me.......

One of my favorite Bible parts is where Joshua said,..   ".... But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15 (NIV).  This type of statement Joshua made was at point in his life that he had to reconfirm again his commitment to God, I find that interesting. Yet, I find myself doing the same thing that Joshua did. God in His wisdom, knowing our short memories and weakness brings us to points in our lives where we need to reconfirm our commitment to serve Him.  There are many things that can get in our way and covertly begin to chip away at our commitment to Jesus. I thank God for the example of Joshua in the life style to living a life to reconfirming my commitment to Jesus.

Back Home

Thursday was the last day of the conference in Mangalore, India.  The leadership of the conference was concerned for the people because of an impending strike that usually includes violence for those who are traveling.  They were relieved that the strike was postpond till Monday.  During this conference I have been thinking more about the five Purposes of the church.  They were the main points of the conference.  Since we beleive these are biblical principles, we believe they can work in any culture under any circumstances. Yet the methods that are used are always different as cutlure dictates. Of course I was think about the church I pastor and how to better understand the culture I live in.  During the conference I was thinking again about the cutlure of Brooklake Church and how to best to apply the purposes of God.  I was over whelmed with the people of India.  Heaven is going to be such a wonderful place.  Every tongue and color of skin will be there. If I don't have the chance to go back to this wondeful place and people, I will see them in heaven.  Wow, what a party that will be.

I left Mangalore on Friday afternoon, got to Bnangalore after a short 1 hour flight.  Spent the night in the airport(6pm-6am) to catch the Bangalore flight to London on Saturday at  6am.  The flight was 12 hours due to head winds.  Arrived in London at 3pm, London ( Starbucks was great) time and caught the 7 pm flight to Seattle, a 9 hour flight.  Arrived in Seattle at 7 pm.  I had been up for about 44 hours without much sleep.  To say the least I slept well, when I got home.  I like home, seeing my wife and getting caught up with all the details of the past week, talking with my boys. It felt great to be back.  I wonder what heaven is going to be like.  I bet it's like coming home. What a day that will be.

India part 4

Some how a lot of those who attended the Purpose Driven conference were under the impression that Rick Warren would be here along with James Dobson of Focus on the family.  In fact they showed us some of the material stating that.  What a disappointment they must have experience.  The leaders knew we were coming but some how they didn’t communicate that with the people.  So I was called Rick Warren several time, I tried my best to explain to them I wasn’t Rick Warren.  After the last session I think they figures out who I was.  The mix of people, in terms of profession was wide range, dentists, software engineers, civil engineers, medical doctors and students, and business owners.  One of the medical students I met came from the States to attend a medical school in Mangalore, while she was a Christian in name she admitted that she wasn’t a follower of Jesus. After some soul searching, following some bad experiences, she found some other students who were followers of Jesus and decided to make Jesus the Lord of her life.  Since that time her life has turned around and she looks forward to returning to the states.  I continue to be amazed at how God helps people, turning the bad in our lives into something good.

India Part 3

The conference was great.  About 1,000 pastors and leaders attended. To my surprise it was held in a beautiful conference center.  It was an historic because it was the first Christian event ever held in the building.  In fact this whole event was historic.  This is the first time in the history of

India

that this many pastors and leaders have gone through this type of training.  To say the least I felt over whelmed by this event.  Before each day and after lunch time they had a band and singers to lead in some songs.  Did the people ever sing, expressive and happy describes the atmosphere.  I had to remind my self that just getting together with this many believers was incredible for them.. Most of them come from out side the city where they only have a few fellow Christians in the towns and villages.    I tired the best I could in shaking as many hands as possible.  I walked through out the auditorium, down rows and isles to greet the people. After the singing the teaching sessions started.  Each teaching session lasted an hour and 30 minutes, that’s a lot of talking. In real terms of teaching it was about 45 minutes because of the interrupter needed for the local language. (There are four languages spoken in the Mangalore area.) After the first session I had to make some major adjustments because I discovered some things I take for granted in my culture, they could not relate to.  In fact baseball was an unknown game to them.  When I asked where I could find out the score of the Superbowl, they thought I was taking about a big soup bowl. I did find out the score and who won.  After each session we tried to find out if the material was making sense to them.   Since they are so polite and courteous we had a hard time, but finally we got some one to give us an idea.  As a result we made changes.  After each session we greeted more people and then tried to rework the teaching material to be better understood bu these wonderful  people.  I reminded them that if you travel 50 miles away from your home and you teach, you are considered an expert, they all laughed, but  I wanted them to know I was a learner like them and I will learn more during these sessions than they will.  What a honor it is to serve these wonderful people.

India Purpose Driven

Where do I begin to tell the story of this incredible journey to teach the Purpose Driven principles to these wonderful people of Mangalore, India. From my perspective I learned more than they did. While the climate and standard of living is different than ours, I felt good to be in their land, the Indian people area a brilliant people. While this part of the country has more followers of Jesus in terms of percentage than other parts, they still go through persecution because they are followers of Jesus. One group of ladies I met in the pastor home (they traveled many miles to attend the conference) all came to faith in Christ from a Hindu back ground. As a result of their decision to place their faith/trust in Jesus they were kicked out of their homes. The pastor took them in to help them and teach them more about Jesus. Again from my limited view, India is a very spiritual nation, 86% of the people as Hindus, 2.5% as Christians. Looking into the face of these ladies there was a sense of peace along with a desire to service God. Their prayers were intense. I was told they spend hours a day in prayer. Scott and I felt honored to have them pray for us. As I watched and looked at the various people at the conference I was amazed by the wonder of God’s creation. Sometimes I only think about the Good News of Jesus from my culture and ethnic background. But here I was reminded of the wonderful variety of Gods creation. In our conversations Scott reminded me that this culture was probably closer to the one Jesus was in than ours in the States. After he said that the first day, I looked through that lens at the people and continued to be amazed. One of the great delights for me was meeting individual people and hearing their stories. The pastor who hosted us was one of those people, Of Indian descent; his family was forced to leave Uganda when it was ruled by a dictator. They came back to India and He took a job as a seaman. After his decision to be a follower of Jesus, his life took another path. Studying the scripture and getting a education he began to start churches in Bombay. All during this time he provided for his family through jobs based on his education. The churches aren’t big enough to support the pastors so they have to find other work to provide for their families. I believe he is a wonderful example to other pastors on how to plant a church and support their families at the same time. In every sense of the terms he is a business man with a heart for God. The sacrifices of these people to be followers of Jesus continues to strengthen my faith as an example to me.

Celebration

This past week we had two celebrations. Different from each other but still celebrations.

Wednesday, we celebrated the life of Mildred James, 90 years young, passed from this life on earth to the other side, heaven. On the back of the memorial program listed all the major aspect of her life. Wow, what an impact she made on people.  One of the thoughts I had during the service: Since she was in her 90's and was living away from the area she called home (Springfield Oregon) there weren't a lot of people at her memorial service.  Don't get me wrong there was a good number, but when you looked at what she did with her life, served as a teaching missionary to four tribes in Alaska, served in Central American and in Belgium.  She gave her life for others. I could only imagine what a home coming she got when she crossed the line to the other side.  There must have been thousands of people waiting to welcome her into heaven, including my mother. What a celebration that must have been. 

After that we got to celebrate the birth of Bethany and Rubens first baby.  Walking into St Francis hospital and seeing mom and dad with the new baby along with grandparents, aunts, and friends, it was a celebration.  The birth of a new life into this world, into the arms of caring and loving parents. Wow, what a miracle the birth of a child. 

I wonder if the celebration of the birth of a child is like the passing from this life on earth to the other side, heaven. The Bible indicates our heavenly Father waits for us with open arms, hugs us and then throws this big party in our honor.  Now realize this I am not in any hurry to pass from this life yet, I've got a lot of living to do but when my number is called don't weep for me, celebrate with me. Life is a party knowing the end result.