Who Am I

“Who am I?” is a question that we ask ourselves during dark times in our lives or maybe just times of being introspective.  The Bible helps us to answer that question not just from our own perspective but from God’s perspective. Over the next 13 blogs that I write we’re going to look in the book of Ephesians chapters 1 and 2 at thirteen things that God says we are.

I am blessed!  We’ve all heard it and have probably said it. “I am blessed.”  What does that mean? Is it just referring to material things? Is it only when we are successful that we are blessed?  Is it only when things are going well for us that the favor of God is on us and we are blessed? In the book of Matthew in the famous “Sermon on the Mount”, Jesus lists nine ways that we are blessed.  

• Blessed are the poor in spirit

• Blessed are those who mourn

• Blessed are the meek

• Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness

• Blessed are the merciful

• Blessed are the pure in heart

• Blessed are the peacemakers

• Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness

• Blessed are those who are insulted, persecuted, and lied about.

It seems that Jesus is saying that we are not just blessed when things are going well, but when our perspective is turned more on him instead of circumstances.  Can we really be blessed when things aren’t going well? When it seems that all hell is coming against us? When we spend more time in the doctor’s office or hospital than at our place of work?  The answer is emphatic. Yes, we can.

Even though we may struggle, we are blessed. Our time of weakness is when his strength carries us.  Paul confirms this in 2 Corinthians 12:9. 

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.”

You are blessed today not because you’ve done the right things, but because the grace of Jesus Christ abounds in us.

The Lighthouse

I was reminded recently of a story regarding a naval vessel.  Some say this is an urban legend other say it was a British naval vessel. Whatever the case, it really spoke to me.

The story goes that there was a naval vessel on the sea.  The young man watching the radar reported to the captain that there appeared to be something heading right for them.  The Captain immediately got on the horn and demanded that the other vessel change its course. They responded back by requesting that the captain change his course.  This irritated the captain. He responded back, “This is the captain speaking and I demand that you change your course.” They calmly responded back, “Yes, sir, but I’m afraid you’re going to have to change your course.”  By this point, the captain was angered and yelled back, “I repeat I’m the captain of a naval carrier and I have several battleships surrounding me. If you do not change your course, we’ll be forced to take action.” The second vessel again calmly responded “We are a lighthouse. It’s your choice.”

As we share the gospel, there are times when we must change our course.  It could be for a number of reasons. We may have gotten comfortable with what we are doing.  We may have gone as far as we can, literally worked ourselves out of a job. Sometimes our lighthouse, Jesus Christ, wants us to reach out to others who haven’t heard the gospel.

As we go from recording one series to another, I’m seeing a pattern of God changing our course.  Women of the Bible gives hope for those that are immigrants, been trafficked, or simply feel like they aren’t worth much.  The Heritage Project reaches out to a different group – the people of North Africa.  

As we follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit to reach more people groups with the Gospel, may we ever find ourselves heading the call from our lighthouse.  Instead of refusing to change course because of comfort, may our hearts always be open, and our spiritual ears listening for the direction that God wants us to go.  May we ever been attempting things that can’t be accomplished with our strength, but things that without God we can’t do it.

Our lighthouse is always there – always shining the way.  We just have to be humble enough to head his voice.

The Three Little Pigs

Today, I want to share my take on a philosophical book that recently I’ve been enlightened to understand.  The story is called The Three Little Pigs.

We live in a world where speed is everything.  The fastest cars, the fastest hard drives, the most powerful processors – so we can get done faster and move on in life.  I would like to think that the first little pig was like that. He gathered the first thing he came across that he could build a house from, with no thought really to how it would stand up during storms.  

The second little pig was patient for a little bit but quickly got frustrated by the waiting and chose the next thing he came across.

The third little pig waited till he found the right material for his house that would stand up during storms.

Often, we tend to be like the first or second pig in a hurry to get things done, and it can sometimes come back to bite us.  Jesus says, “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore, be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.  The enemy is always trying to detour us and knock us off track. He uses our weaknesses like being impatient, fear, and pride these are things that will cause us to rush the perfect plan that God has for us.” (Matthew 10:16)

In today’s world, we can be in such a hurry to share the gospel, (as quickly as possible with no thought in doing it well) we miss an important element. We have to be strategic in sharing of the gospel.  IMM has been around for over thirty years. During that time relationships have been formed, and doors have opened to share the Gospel on a greater scale than we could have imagined.  Today, IMM products are being shown on three satellite channels, and we’ve been able to produce materials in many languages. 

I challenge you today to be like the third little pig.  Build those relationships. Do the hard work of building with strong materials. Then, when the wolves come around, your brick house will be able to withstand their huffs and puffs, and with God’s foundation under you, it will stand. 

What is Your Heritage?

A popular saying is “It’s hard to know where you’ve come from if you don’t know where you’ve been.” Understanding our heritage and where we’ve come from helps us to know who we are. For years people have searched courthouse records for any information about relatives.  Today with a simple DNA test, they can pinpoint your heritage to a close proximity of where your ancestors came from.

The heritage of the church is no different. For the first 400 years following Christ, North Africa was the powerhouse of Christianity.  Many people gave their lives for the cause of Christ. Others developed the theology that is still being used in the church today.

Built upon the sacrifices of the North Africans and those since then is the movement now being seen – going to all nations that all may hear, that all may know, that all may experience the love of Jesus Christ that has washed away our sins.  May I remind you, know where you’ve come from. Understand where you’ve been. In a few short years, we will be part of the heritage that Christians talk about.

IMM Forever, Family

For the first eight years of my missionary appointment I served in Siberia, Russia, where the nearest AGWM missionary was an eight-hour drive away. The second closest was either a five or six-hour flight. Or if you were in no hurry, you could get to either place in three or four days by train.

When we dealt with issues — culture shock, chronic headaches, or even burn out do
to the stress of missionary work and government hoops — a phone or internet call was all we had. Even then you had to be careful of what you shared, because it was always possible your emails were being read or phone calls were being listened to. Hugs, a kind hand, or a shoulder on which to cry on were few and far between.

In April of 2012, I had the opportunity to attend Connect 2012, IMM's birthday
celebration. I remember being amazed and almost envious of the community and family
atmosphere that appeared present at IMM. From my first meeting with the Godwin’s to tours with Jerry (IMM's director at the time) and visiting the IMM office building, there was just something different, something special. Every encounter with IMM was like a warm hug.

Fast forward 6 years and I now find myself a part of IMM. What I thought was good back
then has been even better. I left family in the states, but IMM has become my new family. Having the ability to share my prayer requests, having someone to talk to, pray with, or just vent to when culture shock gets to be more than you can handle, feels even better than I could have ever imagined. IMM Forever is a phrase that has been stated a lot in recent weeks. To me it doesn’t refer to just a media organization, but a family and a culture that will transcend the test of time.