Giving Thanks

It is the day after Thanksgiving, and its "dejavue". 365 days ago, I sat in a hospital waiting room, waiting through the surgery, praying for Rebeca, anxiously waiting for news about her condition. It's been a long road. Today, 365 days later, I sit in another hospital waiting room. We have traveled from Jahuara to Culiacan, down to Mexico City, and now we are in Corpus Cristi, Texas.

I am thankful for:

• My Saviour, who gives us hope in times of difficulty. His promises are what have brought me through this situation.
• My family, including the Casarez. I love them very much, and praise God for them!
• For "voz sos..."
• My immediate family's health
• The good times I have spent with little Rebeca. I pray for many more to come.
• Elda. She's a riot. I love that little girl!
• For ice cream. It's cheering me up right now!
• For music.
• etc.

Give thanks, on the mountains, and in the valleys.

You Don't Have to Know a Lot

I was thinking today about something I heard John Piper say in a message. I don't have the exact quote, but it was something like "you don't have to know a lot to be used by God in a great way. You only have to know a few glorious, all-consuming...truths, and be set on fire by them".

I was thinking about a problem I have noticed in our day. It is a matter of cultural influence in our thinking. The problem I see is that we tend to think that if you are a converted athlete, a Christian rock artist, a missionary that has led hundreds to Christ, and so on, then you are more useful to God. This is simply not true. If it were, than I would have every reason to be discouraged. But this is not the case! God can use me, if I commit to following him, and growing in my passion for his renown.

The gospel is what we need to be set on fire by. And don't be fooled into thinking that this means we pray for a heart for the lost, and pray for a desire to evangelize. I have found it to be true in my own life that if I have to pray for those things, then I have a greater underlying problem - my relationship with my Saviour. When my relationship with Christ is deep and rich and pure and sweet, then the rest comes naturally.

This may have been a big babble of ideas, but this is what I am saying: Take heart! If you seek after the Lord with all your energy, and establish the truths of his word in your heart, then God will use you! You don't need a Ph.D. You need truth, and a passion about that truth!

Personal Lessons in Biblical Hope

I recently wrote a paper on Biblical Hope. I believe that the source of this hope is Jesus Christ (1 Tim. 1:1) , and I define biblical hope as a confident anticipation that God will keep His promises, thus providing the way to joyfully continue forward in any circumstance. This is an exerpt from the section I entitled Applicaton 2: Personal Lessons in Biblical Hope.

Biblical hope has been a very real topic to me since November, 2005. My family has served in Sinaloa, Mexico on the mission field for six years. We have become very close to our national ministry partners, Carmen and Norberto. They are like a second mother and father to me, and their two little girls, Rebeca and Elda are as close to me as my own sister. In November, 2005, I was told that Rebeca, age seven, had been diagnosed with a brain tumor, placing her in critical condition. What followed were four months of coma – four months of uncertainty about what the next day would hold in precious little Rebeca’s life. I believe that this is the first time in my life that I had to question God’s plan in such a personal way. I have had grandparents pass away, but why would God allow this to happen to a little seven year old?

At first, the temptation that I succumbed to was a focus on the present, on the horrible situation that was taking place. I was both bitter and confused, understanding that God is sovereign, yet unhappy with his choice. I was, like Peter on the waves, in danger of sinking to my end if I did not cry out to the Lord in this time of need. The waves of the situation were overwhelming, and as far as I could see, God was messing up. This was probably the worst spiritual valley I have experienced in my faith.

Thankfully, I was able to be lifted up by my brothers in Christ, who encouraged me to focus on God’s promises, and not the situation at hand. When I began to realize that God was trying to show me many things through this situation, my perspective began to change. I remembered that this life is temporary, and that some day we will be with God, and His plan will have come to pass in perfect order. I remembered Isaiah 55:9-10, that God’s thoughts are much higher than ours. This helped me to trust that God knew what He was doing. When I shifted my focus from the “waves” to the “Maker of the waves”, I found peace for my soul. Rebeca has improved, but not completely. It's still very hard to see her this way, but when I remember the promise that God is a very present help in our time of need, and that he knows those that come to call on Him, I find hope.

From the Conclusion:

May those who seek to find hope outside of the Savior realize the futility of their endeavors, turn to the only Source of true hope, Jesus Christ, and rest in the promises of the Savior. May those who have received the gift of Christ’s love live their lives in confident anticipation of the fulfillment of God’s promises, encouraging and empowering the believer to live for His glory.

Worship Hard, Don't Hardly Worship

Dr. Baker's standard encouragement when we leave class for chapel:

"Worship hard -- don't hardly worship!"

From the Dome of the Rock to the Astrodome

I think these following ideas come from Chris Tomlin/Louie Giglio, in their respective writings (The Way I Was Made, The Air I Breathe):

Even a cursory glance at humanity indicates that every man is an inherent, inveterate worshiper. No matter how you cut it, everyone worships something, and worships it well. Temples surround us. From the Dome of the Rock to the Astrodome, worship is taking place across the planet. From moshing fans at rock concerts to quiet monks at secluded monasteries, church steeples to neon lights, everyone is worshiping something. The question is not whether or not you worship, but what you worship, for you, my friend, are a seasoned worshiper.

It's a concept worth considering, since God has declared Himself as the only One worthy of worship:

"You shall have no other gods before me" (Deuteronomy 5:7).

If you miss the boat on worship, then you miss the boat on eternity.

Worship - Short and Sweet

Worship is our response to, and magnification of, that which we deem of utmost importance in our life.

The old English word was spelled wor(th)ship! Worship is attributing worth to something.

Follow the trail of your time, money, and conversation, and you will have a pretty good idea of what you worship.

Funny - Coffee Worship

Sad, but true.

$3.00 cup of coffee at starbucks:

5 days a week = $15

1 month = $60

6 months = $360

1 year = $720

a habit over the next 20 years = $14,400

worship????? just a little : )