Southern Living

"Pumped Up Kicks" and the Gospel

2011-10-12T19:49:00.002+02:00

So, before you watch the video below and listen to the song I want to tell you it is very catchy and peppy, but the song is about brokenness and sin and evil. There isn't any profanity, but through some conversations with others I believe I need to put this disclaimer up. To read the lyrics click here.

This blog was inspired by a conversation I had with couple friends about a month ago. One was sharing how she was really upset that the radio stations were playing this song - a song about a boy who found his father's gun and killed his father and goes on to kill his peers (or at least muse about it). I hadn't heard the song yet, so I went home and checked it out. Yes, it is really catchy and upbeat and fun to sing, and it is about those dark topics and stories we rarely come in contact with until they are thrown in our face by circumstance or media.

What I heard in the song God used to stir me to compassion. There are young men and women all over this country in all of our schools and lives that are bitter and betrayed, disconnected, broken, forgotten, and outcast[1]. This song tells of a boy who is abused and unloved by his father, and finds solace at least in the thought of killing him and killing others.

Therefore, what are we to make of this song, the young men who wrote it, and the many who listen to it not because it is fun and catchy but because they resonate with the story of a young person in pain and anger? I believe it ought to stir us to compassion and evangelism. How many people around you and me need the gospel of Jesus Christ, the good news of redemption, that Christ took the wrath we deserved and cleanses and heals us from the sin committed against us? How many people around us who are bitter, betrayed, disconnected, broken, forgotten, and outcast are seen through the eyes of our flesh - strange, weird, amusing, not worth it - without grace - instead of through the eyes of Jesus Christ - "For our sake he made him [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God...who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God" (1 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 12:2).

When we hear this song or other songs like it, may we be stirred to pray for more laborers to go into the harvest; may we pray for God to give healing and salvation to the writers and performers of these songs and to those represented by the song. May we remember that "God so loved the world [the world of people that did not know him and and who loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil], that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16; 1:10; 3:19) and do likewise: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another" (John 13:34 cf. John 15:9, 12).

Finally, "Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man [Adam], and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned...Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's [Jesus] obedience the many will be made righteous...In him [Jesus] was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it...[He has] come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in [Him] may not remain in darkness." (Romans 5:12, 18-19; John 1:4-5; 12:46).

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[1] Gross, Craig, and Jason Harper. Jesus Loves You This I Know. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2009. Print.

Seeing the Trajectory

2011-06-14T16:00:00.000+02:00

I was recently (within the last month or so) inspired to read Exodus. I had listened to a couple sermons, and I wanted to begin diving into what these pastors were pointing at.[1] That is the trajectory of the Old Testament to Jesus, looking at how the words of God in the Old Testament are "pregnant or round with the gospel"[2].

So, I've been reading the Exodus, and it has been incredible. I am seeing Moses as a mediator in a whole new light. It is even more clear and amazing how Christ is the new and perfect Moses. Just as the physical tabernacle of the Jews were shadows of the heavenly tabernacle, so Moses is a shadow of God's ultimate mediator - His Son - Jesus.

I have been thinking about all the sacrifices and offering that were required of God's people - sin offering, burnt offering, grain offering, wave offering, drink offering, and etcetera. Jesus did not just fulfill completely the sacrifice of atonement, but he accomplished and fulfilled the requirement of all of these offerings and sacrifices. Whatever these offerings were supposed to accomplish but could not (Hebrews 10:4) Jesus accomplished in fullness in His life, death, and resurrection.

Today I was reading Exodus 33:12 - 34:16. In these passages Moses pleads with God to be with him and the Israelites or not to lead them to the Promised Land at all. God responds and declares He will be with them; He will give them rest; His people have found favor in His sight; He will make them distinct from the other nations; He knows His people by name. Pregnant with the gospel. Do you see Jesus and His work?

Jesus has made the plea and He Himself has responded; He is preparing us for and leading us into the Promised Land - eternity with him. Jesus declares, "And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20); He promises and gives us rest (Matthew 11:28-29; Ephesians 2:6); Jesus found favor (grace) in the eyes of His Father (Matthew 3:17; 17:5; Ephesians 1:3); He has made us distinct from the rest of the world: "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy" (1 Peter 2:9-10). He knows us individually and personally (John 10:14, 27; 2 Timothy 2:19). "Round with the gospel."

What a hope we have in Jesus! No longer must we say, "Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people...If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?”" (Exodus 33:13, 15-16). We can and do proclaim, "Yes! Because of Jesus we have found favor in your sight. You have made us a people for yourself. You do show us your ways (John 14:26; 16:13; 1 John 2:27)!

May we - His people - ever marvel more at the glorious sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ - taking the wrath of God and purchasing a people for Himself forever. May more and more people all over the world - from every tribe, tongue, and nation - come to marvel at the glorious work of God their Savior.
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[1] Messages from the Gospel Coalition's 2011 National Conference: http://thegospelcoalition.org/conferences/2011/#media
[2] From Mike Bullmore's message at The Gospel Coalition's 2011 National Conference: http://thegospelcoalition.org/resources/a/gods_great_heart_of_love_toward_his_own1

A Promise Fulfilled

2011-03-31T06:26:00.000+02:00

I gave my word to a friend I would have a new blog written by the end of the day. This is me fulfilling that promise.

Josiah Venture: I am almost done with the application to be taken on as a full-time Josiah Venture missionary. One big personality/ministry profile test to go.

Josiah Venture 2: I will be going back to the Czech Republic this summer to co-lead an intern team with Tyler Patty. I am really excited for who God is bringing together and what He has planned for this coming summer. I am thankful to once again be a laborer sent to fields white for harvest.

Books: I just started Love Wins by Rob Bell at the encouragement of two friends - Matt and Tim. So, we'll see how that goes. I'll be sharing my thoughts on this book with all of you from time to time right here.

Prayer Requests: Continued growth and maturity in life and faith. Preparing for leadership and ministry this summer. Boldness and courage in speaking the truth in love whether that is confronting sin or foolish decisions or sharing the gospel with friends and strangers.

Sermons: I recently listened to sermons from John Piper on spiritual gifts. They are fantastic. Head over to www.desiringgod.org to listen to, watch, read, or download them. They are "Spirtual Gifts", "Faith: The root and trait of all spiritual gifts", "Using Our Gifts in Proportion to Our Faith Parts 1, 2, and 3". Enjoy :) I'll be listening to Matt Chandler's sermons from his series through Habakkuk. You can listen to or read them here.

Good times: I cut my hair and beard (Thank you, Rachel, for the extra nudging. Many people are very grateful). I turned 23: morning and afternoon with my dad, dinners with family and friends, one of them being my first steakhouse dinner with my first steak and red wine pairing. It was fantastic. Also, I got to enjoy some red wine and dark chocolate for my birthday with friends as well.

Grace Groups: I'm in a Grace Group going through Book 2. If you don't know what a Grace Group is, just click here. Good, tough stuff.

Movies: Recently, I have had the opportunity to enjoy some really good movies. I humbly recommend "Get Low" with Robert Duvall and Bill Murray, "Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World" with Michael Cera, "It's Kind of a Funny Story" with Zach Galifinakis, and "RED" with Bruce Willis and Morgan Freeman. Check them out at your leisure. They are all worth seeing.

Čau!

San Antonio

2011-02-17T17:53:00.000+01:00

It is nearly two months since my feet touched down on American soil. After seven months abroad, I've learned that the soil itself feels the same nearly everywhere; it is the newness of what you have known and experienced before that can be a bit dizzying.

I have enjoyed the "culture shock moments" of being back - a toilet swirl, the American social, conversational murmur, pricier food, driving again, having conversations exclusively in English, and returning to my home church - Wayside Chapel. I think it looks a bit like being at college, and you have only eaten cafeteria food for a whole semester. Then you return home for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Suddenly it's family and friends and incredible amounts of food all at once, and you love it, but it can be overwhelming at times, especially if you eat too much.

So, good times (Tak, dobrý časy). It was an incredible time in the Czech, and I miss living there - the friends, the food, the places; and it has been a blessing to be back.

More to come here in the days and weeks ahead. I am looking forward to blogging once again.

New post next week.

2011-01-31T06:26:00.001+01:00

Yes, after a long break, I will be back blogging next week. Thank you for your patience.

"Untouched Fields of Snow;" journal entry from the evening of November 29th while riding home with Greg from Malenovice

2010-12-02T23:17:00.000+01:00

"Untouched fields of snow." This phrase has been going through my my mind. I see it as a living picture of some truth of this country and the people who live here. As you drive or train around these days you will surely see untouched fields (or landscapes) of snow - beautiful, bright, shining. And so the people are here - made in the image of God with innate beauty and worth and value and purpose. But in the midst of its beauty there is death. There is no life in snow. It neither is alive nor produces life, and so are the vast majority of people here. In them is only death, and like snow that is here for a season and then melts away, so their lives will melt away. And for a season they may gleam and shine bright and beautiful, but there is death in them, and unlike snow that melts away and returns each in year in season, they will not return. It is appointed to die once and then face judgment.[1] And this fate is all our fates; for sin gives birth to death and only death, and maybe as with the first snow the birth is celebrated, but in due season death comes.

And it is in this state, in the untouched fields of snow of our hearts that Jesus proclaims, "The fields are white for harvest!"[2] For it is Jesus who takes our hearts touched only by the gleaming, cold death of sin and brings forth life. With the fields frozen and buried, the stuff of life is cut off, for the fields of untouched snow cannot and will not grow - buried under gleaming death - and death would have its way, but Jesus comes to the fields of our frozen hearts and melts away the sin and quickens us to new life, taking the frozen, gleaming death of our lives upon Himself and giving us the stuff of life, which in truth is the person of life - Himself - Jesus the Christ.

And so I hope and believe for the people of the Czech Republic and for my friends and family back home in America, whose lives are but fields of snow - life killed, buried under the weight of death.

And it is to these fields Jesus also proclaims, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out more laborers."[3] And like the sun that melts the ice and brings life, so the Son of God melts our dead, frozen hearts and gives new life - His life - to us.

And it is to these frozen fields of snow we laborers are called, and to these frozen souls we proclaim the Savior; we love those frozen and dead by sin, and the Holy Spirit moves in and through us as life from the life Giver, and saves.

We are in a world of untouched fields of snow waiting to be touched by the melting, life-giving embrace of Jesus Christ. Amen.

With 26 days to go...

2010-11-19T20:00:00.001+01:00

Yesterday I shared about my weekend in Zlín. Today I want to share about my week in Tabor.

High Schools:
God, in the last two weeks, has opened up two schools for Greg and I to go into. This means students who need Jesus have been placed at our fingertips (so to speak). God has given us access to the lives of students of all backgrounds who all need Jesus.

School 1: This school is like the middle/upper-middle class high school comparable to Ronald Reagan High School or Alamo Heights High School (for those that live in San Antonio). Almost all the students here will go on to universities.

School 2: This school is comparable to Roosevelt High School (again for San Antonions). It is a technical/vocational school. Most of these students will not go to university, and the simple truth is there is less money to be had there.

In both schools, the students have equal need of Jesus. In both schools there is the pain caused by sin. In both schools there are walls of different shapes and sizes between Jesus and their hearts. In both schools, I believe, is low-hanging fruit waiting to be picked, a bountiful field ready for the harvest.

I have had two weeks to go in to classes at School 1 and one week to go into classes at School 2. God has decided these two doors would open up with one month left in the Czech Republic. God has given me 26 more days in this country for this season. I hope it is 26 days of preparing the way for these students and teachers to meet Jesus Christ (Mark 1). 26 more days...

Prayer Requests:

We will be having a sports afternoon for School 2 on Wednesday, November 29. We are hoping and praying it will be an opportunity to connect with students, especially guys. "So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us" (1 Thessalonians 2:8).
For wisdom in pursuing relationships with individual students - where, when, who, how, etc.
For wisdom and courage in telling them the gospel of Jesus Christ.
For the Thanksgiving youth group night/outreach - for the youth group to be loving and inviting and welcoming and for relationships to begin between Christians and non-Christians, to the glory of God, the sanctification of His children, and the salvation of the lost.

Dekuji moc (Thank you very much)!

P.S. I may be mostly offline this next week. I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving. May it be a time of rejoicing, praying, and thanking. In all these God is faithful. Amen.

A weekend in Zlín

2010-11-19T00:21:00.000+01:00

Below you will find the story/account of my weekend in Zlín. For those that have less time, you will be able to skim through the bolded words or phrases for a quicker read while (I hope) still getting all the main ideas. Čau!

One final weekend:
I want to thank you for your continued support of the ministry I am a part of here in the Czech Republic. My final weekend (of this season at least) in Zlín and Olomouc was great.

I got to teach on Friday night, and I talked about God's call on our lives. God is ultimately unique (Isaiah 64:4), and He imparts this uniqueness to His children (1 Corinthians 2:9-10), and then we split for the guys to read and talk through 1 Timothy 3:1-13 and for the girls to read and talk through Proverbs 31:10-31; both pictures of what a life called by God look like, and we as brothers and sisters are called to exhort and encourage one another toward these pictures of Christ-likeness, with our prayers, our words, and our actions.

The rest of the overnighter was a lot of fun, especially introducing them to P.O.W. (Place, Occupation, Weapon). I love it because it is an improv game that overcomes language barriers. We also ate pizza, which is an essential requirement of any youth group overnighter. We walked around town and closed out the night with a viewing of "Fireproof".

Saturday was full of surprises as plans changed and changed again. When it was said and done, I got to spend the day in the beautiful city of Olomouc. David, one of the students at the overnighter, goes to college in Olomouc, and he took the afternoon off to give me a tour of the great sights - walking, pictures, churches, architecture, statues and sculptures, a black and tan and fried chicken and cheese, dorm room coffee, and good conversation - so good.

Back in Zlín for the evening, I went to Samuel's house for the night. He is the elder who is responsible for the college and youth ministry of the church and the Czech leader I led Zlín camp with. Staying with him and his family is always a joy. Full of hospitality and love, the Huštovi family has been a source of great joy and encouragement for me.

The Huštovi family and me. L-R: Samuel, Eliška, Šarka, Barunka, and me.

Sunday followed with a wonderful farewell in the church as I got to enjoy seeing Filip, a student who became a Christian this summer, share his testimony again, and be given the opportunity to share my testimony. I was only asked about five minutes before, so I did not have anything planed (for those who may come and visit Czech churches, always have a message/testimony in your back pocket because you really never know when you will be asked to share). I ended up sharing about the people in my life who impacted me - Mom and Dad, a 65(?) year old Sunday school teacher named Ed, my first and third youth pastors, my first and only college pastor, and roommates (and this is only scratching the surface). I read Hebrews 10:24 and exhorted them and myself to not put off what we can say to someone today until tomorrow because you never know what God will do with your words and actions. Like the five loaves and two fish, we do not know how God will multiply our obedience in "spurring one another on to love and good deeds," but we have hope and assurance that He will because our "Father is always working" and "the wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." We believe that God has done, is doing, and continue to do great things.

I got to thank the church for their hospitality and spend a relaxing afternoon with the Huštovi for lunch and dessert, then I boarded the train to head back home to Tabor. I was given the opportunity to tell three people about Jesus. So thank you for your prayers. God acts because of our prayers (Isaiah 37:21ff. Keyword: "Because").

And that was my weekend in Zlín and Olomouc.

For more pictures from the weekend, please click here.

Prayer Requests:

I am traveling to Ústí nad Labem tomorrow. I will be joining the youth groups from Litvinov camp for a weekend retreat. I am teaching Friday night, and this will be my final weekend (in this season) with these friends. So, prayers for teaching, relationships, and goodbyes. "[Jesus] must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30).
For a restful week after the Ústí weekend. I will be traveling to Orlova to visit friends and then is Thanksgiving conference (WooHoo!).
Next Friday is a Thanksgiving youth group night/outreach for the Tabor youth group. I will be sharing a short word, and we are hoping to build relationships with some new students who (we are hoping and praying) will be there.

Thank you all. It is hard to believe I am near the end of this season. It's been amazing.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."

Hebrews 12:1-2

Week 25 of 30 (give or take)

2010-11-12T01:54:00.000+01:00

I want to show you all pictures of what has been going on, and then I'll add some text. Sound good? I hope so.

More photos from the "Autumn" themed English club (like I promised):

Leading English club.

Greg, Danča, a Matě listening "eagerly" and enjoying čaj.

Eliška a Kačka cherishing a pre-butchered (carved) pumpkin.

My partner in crime, Franta, and I as we decide how best to carve our pumpkin.

Our finished masterpiece.

Bara, Danča, and Greg beginning the Jack-O-Lantern process.

Bara eying up the potential pumpkin spook.

The squash, the myth, the legend...it is Jack-O-Potter (and Greg).

Someone's relationship status on Facebook got updated ;)

Okay, now more a few pics from our first men's group last Sunday night:

So, I didn't get any picture of us guys actually, but here are a couple shots of the aftermath: burgers, roasted pumpkin seeds (which I made for the first time - score!), drinks, and the Word.

Pretty good ingredients for a guy's night. The key verse was 1 Corinthians 11:7.

So, that's that for pics right now. Onto the text:

This week has been an explosion of sorts, mainly in regards to new opportunities. This week doors opened to two different high schools here in Tabor, which is great. Both of these schools we were trying to get some things started at since September or October, and now, they have finally opened up for Greg and I to come in and teach English, which for us a bridge to meet students initially and begin to pursue relationships and evangelism with them. I am so thankful God has opened these doors. This also creates a whole new area of prayer needs:

Scheduling, pursuing calling and not potential, pursuing fruitfulness and not busy-ness (thanks to Mark Driscoll for that phrasing): Basically, with these new opportunities, there is lots of overlap: Which school do I serve at more? Do I balance both? Is one supposed to be my primary focus and the other supplemental? How do I balance these two new opportunities, new open doors? Prayer for wisdom as I pursue God's direction is much appreciated.
Connecting with students: I do want to pursue teaching English with God-honoring excellence. If the students do not know English better by the end of the class, I have failed. That being said, for me (us), English is far more a means to an end - that end being meeting with and connecting with students for the sake of Christ and His elect. Wisdom in knowing how and when to pursue students (collectively and individually) - in and out of school - is something I need intensely.
Bridging relationships I build to Greg and the Christian students and youth group/church here: I leave soon. This truth makes it all the more important to be a bridge to those who are staying here and continuing in the labor among God's harvest here. I do not want students to leave when I leave. I want students to be connected to God's laborers here when I leave. So, prayer for this as well is needed.
"John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete.
He must increase, but I must decrease.”
He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him" (John 3:27-36 ESV).

Finally (for this post), I go to Zlín this weekend to spend time with the youth group there, teach the Bible, and enjoy fellowship with the students and leaders. This will be my last time seeing these people for this season in the Czech Republic. Please pray that when I speak to the group it would be a fulfillment of 1 Peter 4:11-12, and that it is a good last time with them, that it is a time we can have and look back on with joy. I hope for and believe great things for these brothers and sisters, and I am thankful and humbled that God has called me to be a part of their lives and calling and His work in and through them.

Thank you all so much. I look forward to more. Čau!
If you want more to pray for, please pray for more laborers to come to Tabor, southern Bohemia, and the Czech Republic as a whole; please pray for people to come to salvation in Jesus Christ; and please pray that the Christians here (including myself) would really go and make disciples and speak boldly with power, love, and a sound-mind/self-control (2 Timothy 1:7ff.).

Dekuji moc!

An evening of autumn

2010-11-04T22:25:00.000+01:00

Today was a pretty good today. I got to help teach in the jr. high this morning, which was followed by a morning search for candles. Why candles? We needed them for our jack-o-lanterns tonight. Yes, tonight was the autumn/fall/late Halloween/taste of Thanksgiving English club. Well, I got the candles, and then I took another look at a recipe for apple cider I found online. After using Google's online translator to try and figure some stuff out I went to Billa (the local grocery store) to begin the hunt. I was able to find everything I needed except for cheesecloth and kitchen string. The journey toward getting all the items was certainly laughable and humbling - limited Czech + online translations + somewhat confused workers + laughing with Martina Pixova as I talked with her on the phone asking, "What is hřebíček?" Turns out they were the cloves I was looking for. Score!

Well, since I could not find the cheesecloth I figured we would just throw all the ingredients in and strain them out or just be careful when serving it to not give someone a few allspice berries or orange rinds in their drink. However, after talking with Greg and getting into some good ol' American ingenuity, we decided we could make our own tea bags out of coffee filters. We threw the ingredients in those and stapled them off and into the cider they went for brewing. And it turned out flippin' awesome! (you may read that in whatever tone of voice best works for you).

After cleaning up, I decided we needed more apple cider. The tea bags couldn't be out of flavor yet. So I went out to Billa for the fourth time today and bought two more bottles of cider. They are brewing away right now.

Greg and Štěpán took a lot of pictures, and I took some also. Right now, I only have mine on hand. I put up a link to the other pictures when I get a chance. Enjoy!

Pumpkins from Tesco for the Jack-O-Lanterns

Everything you need for hot apple cider.

Post English club mugs.

Our homemade tea bags.

So, that was Thursday. I have a full day head of me tomorrow: jr. high in the morning, workout after that, lunch with friends, back to the junior high at 2, Czech lesson at 4, and my first graduation ball. So, prayer for any and all those things is appreciated. I really desire that I would decrease and Christ would increase as I spend time with others.

Oh, and we saved all the pumpkin guts. I am thinking of trying out this recipe some time soon.

A post of pictures

2010-11-02T17:57:00.000+01:00

I just got back from Multicamp. Now that I'm rockin' my Nikon Coolpix 4600 4-megapixel digital camera, I got pictures for all of you. Go this link to see them all. Čau!

On the road again

2010-10-27T20:00:00.010+02:00

Today, I was on the road again (well, technically its rails because I rode trains). By now, I will hopefully be in Vsetin, CZ for Multicamp. I'll doing 3 sessions of 3 hour English lessons for students and hanging out and having a good time.

This means I will likely be offline until this coming Monday. In the mean time, please pray for my health (I got myself a bad cold), for Christian students to come away knowing and loving Jesus more, and non-Christian students to come away knowing and loving Him for the first time in their lives. Also, please pray for wisdom as I teach and have conversations and participate in the lives of these students. May I be an instrument of preparing the path for them and Jesus to meet in significant ways (Mark 1).

A snapshot of my personal life - books I am reading or just finished:

I just finished the Major Prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, and Ezekiel. Talk about wading through swamps for a while, but it was totally worth it.
I just finished Mark. It was a nice change after being in the Old Testament for about a month or longer. I think I will head to 1 and 2 Peter next.
I am reading On Being A Theologian of the Cross. It is pushing me to think more deeply about grace and holiness.
I am reading Sailing Alone Around the World by Joshua Slocum. It is fascinating. It makes want to take a long sea journey and see and meet amazing people.

Čau!

Less of an update, more of a story...about a friendship

2010-10-26T23:47:00.001+02:00

So, I have come to find myself in a surprising new friendship...with butter. Yes, butter.

You see, I rarely use better. When I want jam on my bread, I don't lube it up with butter first. When I eat pancakes or waffles, maple syrup is just fine. Sometimes I do eat buttered toast, but that is only if it is an "only butter" piece of toast. When I eat bread with meat and cheese and veggies, butter is not present.

So, how did I find myself in this new found friendship with butter? Well, it started slowly. "Maybe I'll follow suit and add some butter to this piece of bread. I'll just eat a piece of buttered bread." This, like any gateway decision, will lead to this morning's breakfast: "Yes, I will put butter on each piece of bread I eat whether I will ultimately add peach jelly or meat and cheese. It doesn't matter. The butter's here, and I am going to enjoy this friendship."

Will I be as dedicated a friend as I showed myself this morning. Probably not, and I doubt my friendship with butter will last when I return back to the states, seeing as you cannot really Skype or Email or Facebook with butter (I am not counting any of the "I like butter" fan pages. Those are 'fan' pages, not 'friend' pages).

You may be thinking, "But Jonathan, your relationship with butter does not have to be long distance. After all, we do have butter in America. This friendship can last. It really can." No, my friends, I don't think it can (or will).

"Why?" you ask. It is simple. Butter does not pursue you in America like it pursues you here. Butter is patient here. It waits at every meal at camp and at every home. It doesn't beg or plead. It waits. It remains present with you and is patient with you, as if to say, "I know you'll come around. Look how present and patient I am, and look how much everyone else so enjoys me. I have time. I'm butter." Yes, my friends. This is the butter of the Czech Republic. A butter I have become friends with for the time being, a friendship I do not think will last much past the next two months, for better or for worse.

Do you have any unexpected friendships?

What's happened, happening, and coming up.

2010-10-23T19:00:00.000+02:00

What's happened?

So, for those of you who read my blog nine days ago, I need to update you on how all that went:

- The teaching went really well at youth group. I received a lot of good feedback. Thank you so much for praying. I taught on Mark 1:1-15 on being people who "prepare the way" for others and Jesus to meet. Really, thank you.

- The weekend in České Budějovice was great. Thank you for praying. I believe God responded to those prayers with "Yes." I was encouraged and refreshed and discipleship opportunities showed up, and it was a good time. The paragraphs up to the next " - " share about the weekend. If you need to move through this blog quicker, just scroll down to the next " - ".

I had a great 9 kilometer hike with a student there named Pet'r. We talked about life, leadership, youth ministry, politics, rebuke and correction, team building, vision, and more. We also went to a small village called Trocnov. This is where a very famous Czech named Jan Žižka was born and where a very nice statue of him resides (there are statues of him all over Southern Bohemia - southwest Czech). He was born at Trocnov around 1360 and despite the youthful loss of his left eye, went on to become the most feared and respected military leader and tactician in Czech history.

Music that makes you stop

2010-10-14T22:22:00.001+02:00

I appreciate music that makes me stop. Sometimes I like to multi-task too much. Music here, a few internet windows there, and so on.

And then I hit a song or an album that makes me stop. I can't multi-task. I have to stop because I have been drawn in by the message of the song. I want to grasp it. I want it to wash over me. I want to sit in it. Maybe you appreciate music that makes you stop too. Here six artists that make me stop. Maybe they will make you stop too.

My Epic
Bradley Hathaway
Ascend the Hill
mewithoutYou
Preson Phillips
Mars Hill Music
Thrice
Dustin Kensrue

What's a coming: life, ministry, and prayer

2010-10-14T16:00:00.000+02:00

So, what's coming up for the rest of the month?

- I am teaching this Friday (tomorrow) at the youth group out of Mark 1. I am really looking forward to it. Pray for my preparation - that I would be disciplined, diligent, and responsible in my handling of God's word - and the people who hear it - repentance, salvation, to leave with a Great Commission mindset, to be reminded of who Jesus is and what He has done for them - and the illustration I'm working on - clear, helpful, God-honoring, that it would help them remember - and that I would be filled with the Holy Spirit - that I would led and directed by Him and be humble before Him. I desire that God be working through me as His instrument and not in spite of me due to folly or laziness. I am so thankful that He is always working either way, being the strength in my weakness(es) and overcoming my weakness(es) for His kingdom and glory (John 5:17; 2 Timothy 2:11-13).

- I travel an hour south to České Budějovice this weekend to visit students from Strakonice camp this summer. It will be our first time hanging out since camp, and it will be my first time back in CB since March, 2008. It was the first Czech city we went to and where I gave my first message in the Czech. Good times. I am hoping for refreshing times of community and fellowship as well as discipleship and mutual encouragement and spurring to take place (Matthew 28:16-20; Romans 1:12; Hebrews 10:24-25).

- I have gotten connected to a local junior high school to come in and help teach some English classes. I am thankful for this opportunity to meet students. I am also seeking to discern whether this is an area of calling and fruitfulness God has for me or if it is only opportunity and busy-ness. It is an opportunity for service and connection and relationships, but Jesus knew His call and walked away from these opportunities at times as well to pursue what His calling was (Luke 4:38-44). Please pray for wisdom and discernment as I pursue faithfulness, calling, and fruitfulness these last two months and not merely potential and busy-ness.

- Most/Maybe all the JV missionaries in Czech will be coming to Tabor next weekend. It is a time to see Greg's ministry and spend some time together in community and pray for him and each other. It will be great to see them all again. Please pray John 17:20-21 and Romans 1:12 and Hebrews 10:24-25 over us.

- I will be traveling to Vsetin again (Southern Moravia - southeast Czech) for a youth conference (www.multicamp.cz) of about 200 students to help with English teaching out there. My connection with this conference is the Zlin youth group from our second camp in the summer. I found out four other Americans are coming out to help as well as a short-term mission trip. I am hoping and praying for gospel proclamation opportunities, discipleship, and a deepening of relationships with students and leaders during this time.

- Still trying to learn the language. It's hard, but I'm getting better one step at a time. Please pray that I would have energy and motivation and discipline to continue to study and practice and really learn Czech, the heart language of over 10 million people, about 99% of which (9,900,000 people) still need to hear the gospel and repent of sin and believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

- There are some stories I could tell. If you want to hear some of the stories of specific interactions and relationships, just ask. You can ask via comment, Facebook, or email. I am more than happy to share with you how God is moving in this country and in and through me.

“Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight’” (Mark 1:2-3).

May we go and do likewise.

My home in Tabor...Video!

2010-10-12T21:14:00.000+02:00

If you cannot see the videos, click here.

My travels and things: 17/09 - 26/09

2010-09-20T00:04:00.000+02:00

View Larger Map

The above map shows my traveling schedule from 17/09 through 26/09 (G is where I started and where I will finish).

I just finished up a great weekend with the mladež z Zlína (youth group from Zlin (might be incorrect Czech grammar, but only Czechs and missionaries here who read this will know for sure)). I taught Friday and Saturday night (thank for your prayers).

Tomorrow I leave Zlin (C) for Bratislava (D) to get my visa. Please pray everything goes smoothly and we actually get it. Also, tomorrow after that I head to Malenovice, CZ (E) for Josiah Venture fall conference. I think almost all of JV's missionaries and many staff members from all their countries will be there. I am looking forward to catching up with friends and meeting new people and hopefully getting some rest and refreshment (I hope you get to visit Hotel Malenovice one day. It's beautiful. Near flawless sunsets behind mountains covered in a forests of trees while overlooking a valley with the city of Malenovice laid out right before you. Yeah, I hope you get to see it one day.).

On Friday I head to Most, CZ (F) for a fall retreat with the Litvinov and Usti n. Labem mladežy. I'll be teaching from Galatians 5, so please pray for that as well. Then it is back to Tabor (G). All the traveling is by train except from Bratislava to Malenovice. Dobry Časy (good times).

So, a story to break up all the information feeding:

I have never spent more time or tried so hard to fly a kite in my life. It was a morning and afternoon activity at the retreat. We made our own kites in partners (My partner was Filip, and Šarka and Eliška helped decorate it - totally rocked.). After lunch we climbed the nearby hill to fly the kites. Filip and I then proceeded to run up and down and back and forth all over that hill to keep the kite in the air (which I learned you really have to do if there's no wind once you get it up 30 ft.). I definitely got my cardio that afternoon (up and down that hill). Also, I learned what they call kites in Czech - drak(y) - which means "dragon," and they don't "fly" their draky (možna (maybe) 'draci' for the plural); they "play" them. So for our "flying kites" they have "playing dragons."

Čau!

Life and ministry in the Czech Republic, An Update

2010-09-12T23:13:00.000+02:00

This post is a bit long. It consists of many stories. There are pictures with captions if you just want to scroll through, and prayer requests are at the bottom.

________________________________________________________________

I usually give chronological accounts of my life and ministry from the last post to the present, but this time I will just share some stories (they will be in chronological order but not necessarily in the "this happened...then I did this...then this cool..." kind of way). Hope it suits your fancy.

I'm learning Czech. It's hard. It's got seven cases (it means the endings of words change based on how they are used in the sentence). This makes the Czech language incredibly flexible when it comes to word order, but for the English speaker who loves word order (I've discovered I am especially partial to word order) it is quite difficult. With every word you have to know the 14 potential endings (original word + the next six case endings + and the seven endings when it is plural). There is a pattern though. Like I said, a lot of work ahead of me. I learned that you are officially a beginner in a language until you know 2,500 words, and then you get to be at the intermediate level. I have also learned it takes about 400 hours of study to go from beginner to intermediate - 150 hours of grammar study and 250 hours of vocabulary. I think I have completed about 30 hours so far.

The Buchtelovi family have been one of the most welcoming, hospitable, fun, and friendly families I have had the privilege of spending time with and being hosted by. I have enjoyed many firsts at their home with their family, and this time I experienced my first homemade svičkova (I gotta tell you, Czech food goes great with Czech beer and Czech beer goes great with Czech food. It's like the two were developed together to create a culture that contained a near perfect harmony of the two). It was fantastic, and I'm not just talking about the food. I have enjoyed some wonderful Czech hospitality from the Buchtelovi family in Strakonice, and I hope I will get to see (or at least hear about) another first there as well - pan (Mr.) and paní (Mrs.) Buchtelovi and their son, Pavel, become Christians. Their daughter, Mňamka, is already a Christian, and I hope I get to witness (or at least hear about) her continued growth and maturity in Jesus Christ. Those will be the best firsts, and I am so thankful that God has brought me in to play a part in His plan for each one of them.

Pavel is in the yellow shirt. He's also a great musician - singer, songwriter, guitarist, pianist, and bassist. Dang.
P.S. This is my English class from our first camp (Strakonice camp). Back Row L-R: Martin B, Martin L, Šarka, Me, Terka, and Sam. Front Row L-R: Pavel, Jenda, and Honza.

Mňamka and I in Prague after English Camp (from last summer)

Svičkova, the national Czech dish and my favorite Czech meal = marinated beef in sauce with bread dumplings, garnished with a slice of lemon, cranberry preserves, and whipped cream. So good.

My camp dance BROmance partner from our third camp (Litvinov Camp) is now a believer. He trusted in Christ on Monday, August 30. We got a new brother as of two weeks ago. His name is Lukaž (but we call him "Spajsy" (pronounced "Spicy") because of his last name).

Enjoying our camp dance BROmance :)

This took place at the first big Litvinov camp follow-up - Pancake Party and Overnighter at the Dankovi home. It was here that I received my first home-harvested and home-jarred jar of honey ("med" in Czech). I walk in to their home in Ustí nad Labem, and one of the first things I see is hundreds of jars of honey. I think, "Wow, either they love honey or they have some way of getting a lot of it." I then discovered that they have bees. How often do you hear that when you go to someone's house? "Wow, this is a lot of honey." "Yeah, we have bees." Wait, wait..."You have bees?!" We also played sports, sang worship and camp songs together, had some delicious grilled pork and chicken made by pan Dank, led morning exercises, ate some delicious pancakes, got to meet some new people and enjoy some new friendships, and had the privilege of Spajsy coming to some of us just to tell us he was now a believer, and just have fun with friends and family.

Morning exercises at the Dankovi house.

Now, we're jumping to this weekend that just took place, so go ahead and make the jump with me. Aaaannnddd...LEAP! K, good job, glad you made it.

This weekend was the Tabor City Festival (Táborská Setkání). This is where the Renaissance Fair comes to you rather than you having to go to the Ren Fair (apparently in Europe that's how it works). They fill the town square and outlying areas with booths and food and performances and shows. Lots of friends and students were in town who I know from Josiah Venture or camps, and it was great getting to spend time with them (got to watch a Driscoll sermon with Martina, always a highlight). Night one involved a plate-sized, fried, potato pancake (bramboračka) topped with sauerkraut and pieces of cooked ham, finishing a friend's bramboračka, a klobasa (decently large sausage with two pieces of bread and mustard), and a large cup of Kofola to top it off (again, so good). We also got enjoy a laser light show that transitioned into a quite good fireworks display. I don't think I had ever been so close to where the fireworks were actually being shot from. Day 2 involved eating a "Goliath" burger (definitely the best food of the festival). It was big and delicious and was great with Kofola. We also got to see a knights and jousting show (somewhat similar to what they show at the Excalibur Hotel in Vegas). We got to cheer for the Ruža Žlutá (Yellow Rose) Knight.

Poster for the festival

I wasn't kidding about the food.

The entrance of the Hussite army and medieval folk - complete with real torches, fire jugglers on stilts, and a guy who blows fire.

So, now for my final story of the post. As the weekend of the city festival approached, I was praying for opportunities to share the gospel and for God to give opportunities to the Czech believers as well. Yes, as I prayed I was also thinking, "I do not know this language well enough to share the gospel, and You know that too God, but I'm still praying for it. Hmm..." Well, I got to do just that Saturday night. I was leaving the festival, and ahead of me was a guy in a wheel chair and a young woman (early 20s myslim (I think)), and I felt the twinge of "Go share the gospel with them." And I thought/prayed, "God, I really don't know how to do this in Czech at all," which was followed by the, "Do you trust me?" "Yes, yes I do."

So, I walked up and said, "Prominte," which means something like "I'm sorry/excuse me." "Mluvite anglicky? (Do you speak English?)" "Ne (No)." "Dang it," I thought to myself. I almost called it there, but someone (I'd say the Spirit) kept me going. So, as I tried to make some semblance of sense in the best Czech I could muster with minimal use of English, I asked if they know Jesus, "Znate Jeziš?" The man in the wheel chair said yes, and I don't remember what the woman said. "Znate tady? (Do you know here?)" I asked pointing at my heart. He said yes, and I don't remember how the woman responded. I then apologized for not introducing myself and got their names - Michal and Eliška. "Budete v zabor zitra rano? ("Will you be in church tomorrow?" is what I wanted to ask. I said "zabor," but the word for church is "sbor." You are allowed to laugh and smile with me at the Czech errors. That's what I do)". Again, Michal said yes, and Eliška said no. I wanted to tell them that Jesus loves them, but I don't know the verb "to love" yet. "I want mluvit vy tenhle (to speak you this)...Jeziš ma rad vy hodně moc ("Jesus likes you very much," at least that is how I think it translates)." Trying to invite them to church came next with some more butchered Czech in which I think I got the meaning across (I accidentally told them I have many good girl friends at church when I meant to tell them I have many good friends there). Mind you, even when the words are right, this is very likely quite butchered Czech.

Life and ministry in the Czech. You and I both know there are many more stories to tell and people to introduce you to. I look forward to sharing more with you all soon. Here are some quick prayer requests:

For the people mentioned in this post - continued growth and perseverance in their faith or for salvation.
English club started last Thursday. The second one is this Thursday. It is a great opportunity to serve and build relationships with students and have fun.
We have a sports day follow-up with guys from Strakonice camp this Wednesday. We want it to be a good time with the guys and a time for us to share the gospel and our lives with them (1 Thess. 2:8).
I will be traveling to Vsetin this coming weekend for a Zlín Camp follow-up retreat. I will be giving two messages - God's Fatherly Faithfulness (Is. 36-39) and The New Self (Col. 3:1-17). They will be a total of 1 - 1 1/2 hours (including translation). It has been a while since I prepared an original talk, and I have never been up in front of others giving a message for that long before. Please pray that I would pray through the preparation and that I would listen to the Spirit as He guides toward what to communicate to the students at the follow-up.
And for me specifically - growth and maturity in Christ, self-discipline, purity. If you would, please pray Colossians 3:1-17 over me...by God's Spirit and grace I will.

I miss you all, and I am thankful I get to share this with you, even if it is only a glimpse. Thank you for your prayers. Thank you for the financial support you gave as well. Because of your sacrifices of time and money I am very well provided for; I am able to do much ministry, and I am able to be a good host for those whom I get to receive into my home. Thank you all so much.

The Czech Republic, a cultural note

2010-08-26T00:07:00.000+02:00

The Czech Republic drinks the highest number of beers per capita in the world. So far this year, the people of this country have drunk a total of:

1,065,061,931 litres of beer That's an average of 187280.14 litres per hour or 52.02 per second, with every man, woman, and child each having drunk 104 litres.[1]

Update and some thoughts

2010-08-24T19:50:00.000+02:00

For the conclusion to the conversation in Istanbul, please click here.

I've been able to spend a lot of good, fun time with students and peers here in Tabor - grill outs, spontaneous dinner get togethers, cafes. It has been a lot of fun, and I have gotten to reconnect with some people I first met two years ago or last summer. I also had my first Czech lesson today. It is going to be a hard road to the conversational level, and I am excited for it.

Recently, I have been thinking about friends and friendships. I got to read three blog posts all about the same event. It was quite interesting getting three perspectives of one singular event. It was a goodbye between three friends who are also friends of mine, and it has inspired a lot of thought and reflection on my end.

I was reminded that I missed a summer with these three people. These three people are (or is it have been or a mix of both) great friends and have significantly impacted and changed me, and there is a part of me that is saddened that I could not share this summer with them. There is also the peace that God has us where we are for a reason, but that doesn't negate the sadness. It creates of stew of trust, thankfulness, sadness, memories, and joy for the present and what is to come.

My thoughts have then turned to the myriad of friends I no longer "share life with" these days and how much I miss them. So, I have been thinking about reconnecting with friends from school or home that I haven't sought out since being in the Czech. How successful will I be at it? I don't know, but I'm hoping I'll get to share life with some friends again though we are very far apart.

So, that's about it, and Czech is really hard. I've had two lessons. Those ninjas just won't give up.

Prayer Needed ASAP!

2010-08-14T18:10:00.000+02:00

Conclusion of the conversation in Istanbul:
I think the conversation went well. It is at the point where God needs to open his eyes to see the lie that Islam is and the truth that Jesus is God and that we need Him to be our savior. I learned a lot about Islam in the process as well, and I believe God also used it to equip me more for next time and to give me a deeper love for those enslaved to their sin in the false religion of Islam. The most interesting thing was that he acknowledged our conflicting beliefs but refused to say I was wrong. We could not both be right and that was a big deal, but he refused to acknowledge such a thing. He lives in San Diego with his Jewish wife and (I think) two year old daughter. I am praying more laborers would enter his family's life in Turkey and in the states. His name is Mashala.
_________________________________________________________________________________

Well, I'm in Istanbul, and it has been hard and great (also hot). Here's what's been up: I think I cam here desiring to have ministry and evangelism opportunities but did not come with God's armor on and equipped. This is a hard place. I was bold in one conversation last night, and I felt that God wanted me to stand up and preach the gospel to the whole hostel terrace hang out place. I was terrified, and I eventually just went to bed. Humility and repentance...I need to remember that "there is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love" (1 John 4:18).

Well, that being said, I was led through the Blue Mosque by a man who sells carpet and brought me to his store. There they pressured me to buy a carpet, but I didn't cave. Here's where it hits the fan though. They serve me coffee and tea, and His nephew (about 30 years old) and I begin to talk about Islam and Christianity. He goes on for a while, and I push back with truth.

Long story short: this is Ramadan right now, and Muslims fast between sunrise and sunset. He invited me back to his store/home at 8:30 to essentially debate Christianity vs. Islam and to join him and his family for the breaking of their fast. PLEASE PRAY FOR ME AND THIS CONVERSATION AND MEETING TONIGHT.

"For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete" (2 Corinthians 10:3-6 ESV).

Thank you all. I will be spending the next hour praying and preparing. The time here is eight hours ahead of the Central Time in the U.S. This means it is 7:00 p.m. here and 11:00 a.m. in Texas or Chicago, etc.

Stories: The end of the summer and a trip to Istanbul

2010-08-13T04:22:00.000+02:00

The summer is done. All the interns fly out tomorrow, and I do as well.

It has been an incredible summer. From our three camps we saw three students saved and repent and believe on Jesus Christ for salvation, and we were invited into God's current work in many others. It was a summer of planting, watering, and reaping. God reminded me of John 3, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” This is my hope for the students now that camps are over. Sometimes, you do not know what is going on inside a student, but you do not see the Spirit of God moving, but you have faith in it, and God has given me faith to believe and pray for these students.

Man Time at Strakonice Camp

At each camp I saw changed lives - people who were touched by Christ through His word and His love through His Spirit, and us, His chosen vessels of clay. One student at our last camp said this to me, "There was no conflict here. It was amazing." I thought about that for a while. How often can you put forty people together for a week, and only a handful know each other prior to that week, and an even smaller handful have known each other for longer than a few months, and have essentially no conflict? I believe God gave us His grace to be of one heart and one mind and one Spirit as He is one with Himself, and this student got to see it, and he knew it was special, something different, in his words, "amazing."

Ultimate in the rain at Litvinov Camp

I was given the opportunity to be a spiritual brother again. I have messed up in my share of brother-sister relationships/friendships - biological and spiritual - and God gave me opportunity for redemption, and He did redeem it. I was asked and given the opportunity to speak words of truth into the lives of my sisters. Here, I must thank Donald Miller and Grace Groups of Open Heart Ministries for giving me some tangible, creative ways to give words to others (If you want to know what they are, just let me know.). I am incredibly thankful for God's redemption in my life. I certainly do not deserve to be a safe person for others, but God has decided to change my heart and make it more like His, and along the way He is molding me into a safe person for others, with grace for the mistakes I make along the way.

Swimming in the Jordan Lake

Team BonJon 2010 is not departing each other this summer just as teammates and brothers and sisters. I believe each of us would say that we are also departing as friends. I am very thankful for these relationships. God has used these people as sanctifying vessels in my life this summer, and He equipped and called me to be a sanctifying vessel in their lives as well - through righteousness and sin. Thank you, Ryan, Alli, Jenda, and Eva.

Leading alongside Bonnie this summer has also been a great joy. Last summer, we would both have told you it was very difficult to lead with each other, let alone build a friendship, and we probably would have never picked to team up again, but God had other plans, and Josiah Venture paired us up for a second time, to our surprise, and we were surprised. The summer's camp theme was "Redeem," and we lived out redemption as we saw God take what was nearly a bit of a disaster last summer and change it into something great this summer. Last summer we entered in as strangers, frustrated by our differences and various strengths and weaknesses, and this summer we entered in as friends - excited by our differences and wanting to support each other's strengths and cover each other's weaknesses. Thank you, Bonnie.

Watermelon Rind Home Run Derby at Litvinov Camp :)

Fun "non-spiritual" memories from the summer: getting slapped on the butt by a 65(?) year old woman in Litvinov while buying drinks for my team, having "Man Time" at Strakonice camp where we took off our shirts, did warrior yells, and played viking football; getting a new nickname at Zlin camp - Mufloniček (mountain goat), going hiking and playing ultimate frisbee in the rain at Litvinov camp, having a watermelon rind home run derby with Ryan and Barry (pronounced bar-ee) at Litvinov camp, going swimming with the team in the Jordan Lake in Tabor, having my first B52 in Prague.

I'll have more "stories" posts to come, but I need to move on to something else for the time being.

It is 3:52 a.m. in Prague, and I leave Czech to go to Istanbul today at 12:00. Why? Well, when you enter the Czech on a tourist passport, you can stay for 90 days. My 90 days is up on Sunday. Now, ideally, my extended visa would already be in and effective by now, but there have been some complications. Czech is also part of a group of countries known as the Schengen Countries. "Under the Schengen agreement, transiting from one country to another within the Schengen area is done without border controls. In fact, the Schengen visa makes it possible to visit all the countries in the Schengen area and to cross internal borders without further formalities." [1] Unfortunately for me, the 90 days applies not just to being in Czech but to being in Schengen period, which means I not only have to leave Czech but I must get to a non-Schengen country as well. The kick: nearly every country in Europe is a Schengen country. Exceptions are the U.K., Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Croatia, and Turkey, and the cheapest airfare was to Istanbul, Turkey, which is why I am will be in Istanbul from today through Sunday. I will be staying at the Istanbul Harmony Hostel.

So, all this said for now, here are some things that I/we could use prayer for:
- Transitioning into what's next - for interns going home (American and Czech) and for me into fall ministry here in the Czech
- Safe travel and stay in Istanbul. For ministry and evangelism opportunities along the way and while and there.
- Learning to live on my own well. I'll be living on my own for the first month of my time here in Czech.
- Learning the Czech language. It is very difficult.
- For the churches to follow-up events and seeking to continue building into the relationships and ministry started at camp - discipleship and evangelism.
- Humility in listening to the Lord confessing and repenting honestly and openly and sincerely.

Thanks for everything.

The picture post before the stories post

2010-08-08T16:13:00.000+02:00

Here is where you can find almost all the pics from the summer: Ryan's photos
For some extra pictures from Litvinov camp (our last camp of the summer), you can go here: Litvinov Camp Photos.

How can you participate in this blog? Take a picture and add a caption or dialog to it and put it in the comment field or email it to me, and I'll put it up :)

Stories with pics for them to come. Hopefully later today or Monday.

Thank you Ryan for taking so many great pics this summer (all of his pics were with a broken camera - the viewing screen cracked. Every picture was taken not knowing what it would look like. Pretty sweet, huh.).

2010-07-26T23:18:00.000+02:00

These are the 150 most used words in the notes I received from friends - students and teammates - from Zlin Camp last week :) Click the picture to see it larger and clearer.

I will hopefully have another blog update this week. Wanted to get this out to all of you. Thank you for your prayers and your impact. More later.

Also, more pictures are up!

Camp 2 Begins

2010-07-17T07:43:00.000+02:00

Last camp was great. I haven't gotten the chance to write about it yet via this blog. Thank you for your prayers. We have a new brother and sister - Pet'r and Majda. We also already have a new brother for Zlin camp. He became a Christian here at training. As Brandon, our US leader, said, "Camp hasn't even started and we're already winning."

This camp is a first time camp. It'll be a little crazy and such, and we are excited for what God has for us there. God has chosen us to establish the foundation for their English camp ministry. Please pray that we establish Godly principles to build on. This camp is also smaller, but there are still non-Christians coming who need to know Jesus and many young Christians who need to grow and mature in their relationship with Christ. The US team is great. Please pray that we continue to have unity and that God would protect all of us from the attacks of the enemy.

Thank you all. More stories and such will come later. I will not have internet for the next week. See you Saturday.

P.S. More pictures are up!

Off and running

2010-07-02T01:38:00.000+02:00

Which is what we are, off and running. It is late here; US Team Training is all done. We head out at 8:40 a.m. for Strakonice camp. We have dinner there Friday night, prep on Saturday, and students arrive at 3:15 p.m. Saturday afternoon. The team from Cherry Hills Church in Colorado is great. We are all connecting really well. The Czech team is prepped and ready to go.

I will likely not have internet until next Saturday. So, here's what we are looking at: It's a camp with over 100 people total, 55 of them being students not from any of our teams, which means about 50-55 non-Christian students at camp for a whole week with about 50-55 Christians, which means a lot of first time interaction with Christians, first time hearing any story from God's word, first time talking and being asked about spiritual, let alone Christian, things, first time being prayed for by name, first time being loved unconditionally...first time hearing the gospel. There will also be many non-Christian students who have been in years passed and are friends with the Christians in Strakonice, which means more of God's word, more love, more being prayed for, more love, more Jesus, more gospel.

What does all this mean for you? We have a minimum of 55 prayer requests (connection to the 55 students above just in case you missed it). We also have prayer needs for our teams: unity, love for one another, being sensitive to the Spirit, preparation and execution of English classes, sports, evening program, talks, small groups, all of it; good weather, boldness and sensitivity to the Spirit, that we would remain connected to the vine and spend time in the Word and in prayer, that we would pour ourselves out and also get spiritual rest and renewal, that we would love well - Jesus, each other, and the students; that we would communicate the gospel clearly and without cultural baggage - Christ and Him crucified and resurrected.

Thank you all so much for all the support you've already given me in prayers and finances and encouragement. This Strakonice camp is part of the legacy you are leaving in your wake. With your prayers and support you are impacting over 100 people, half of which need salvation.

I love you all. May you not grow weary in doing good. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them (Galatians 6:9; Ephesians 2:10).

The Unexpected Conversations, The Unexpected Impact

2010-06-20T23:58:00.000+02:00

I have had many conversations here in the Czech. I have not planned most of them. At best this is the plan: "God, I am going to be on a train for a long time. I will probably be sitting near or next to someone for a long time. Remind me of the boldness you have given me and the call to joyful boldness you have given me." Beyond that, not much is planned. I have talked to both Christians and non-Christians since being here, and I am reminded of what God has taught me over the years and gave me words for last fall: You never know how much something you do or say can impact someone else. I am saying this from a positive angle. You never know how much an act or word of kindness, love, encouragement you consider small or insignificant will actually impact the person who is receiving. You just don't.

There is a great quote by Henry Brooks Adams, "A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops." This not merely a truth for teachers. You never know where your impact stops. Did my youth pastor in 7th and 8th grade know I would be in the Czech Republic preaching the gospel and discipling team members and students? No, but my ministry here is a part of his legacy. Did my parents know where I would end up; who I would speak to or impact when they were raising me? No, but each one of those moment is a part of their legacy. I could go on and on about those who have touched my life and have subsequently touched the lives of many they will never meet on this side of heaven. The impact is a part of their legacy.

God has given me opportunities to bless and teach and encourage in ways that are so contrary to what I gave my life to for so many years. Sometimes it is unbelievable that He is not only giving me this opportunity to give and impact rather than take and use, but He has called me to it. It is not, "Well, here ya go. Why not?" It is, "I want you for this. Right here, right now."

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,

nor the heart of man imagined,

what God has prepared for those who love him.”

1 Corinthians 2:9

This is every day, every moment. This is the person you got to talk to at Starbucks, the person you sat by on the train, the waitress you had serve you dinner last night, your lifelong friend, your week long friend. This is your life touching the lives of others and God taking that impact, no matter how small you may have thought it was, and multiplying it in the receiver's life like five loaves of bread and two fish. That's the picture. When you touch someone else's life, when you offer a taste, a glimpse of Jesus to someone else no matter how small, you do not know how much Jesus will then show up in that person's life, how much impact and life change He will have through you. It's pretty crazy. Your impact is a picture of Jesus and a conduit for Jesus Himself.

Therefore,

"We are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls...And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up."

Hebrews 10:39; Galatians 6:9

One month in, six months to go

2010-06-19T01:11:00.000+02:00

It's really late. I'm not going to write much on this one. Gotta a couple of things to say and ask for though :)

We got more new photos up!

Our visit to Strakonice was really great. For two quick and sweet accounts of our visit to Strakonice, check out Leah's perspective and/or Alli's perspective. You'll get some of mine soon too.

God provided and we got our visa stuff taken care of, stopping Satan from making us more busy and making us leave the country before our call here is up. I didn't realize to half way through the process that this wasn't mere paperwork; there was a spiritual battle behind the scenes to keep us here in the Czech to continue serving Jesus.

Please pray that God would continue to mold me into a Christ-like leader. This is pretty much my rookie season. Sometimes it feels like I'm doing everything wrong and other times it doesn't feel that bad and other times I feel like I'm getting it...kind of ;)

Please pray that the team and I would not live out of fear but would be bold and step out where and when the Spirit is prompting us, whether it is to stop and pray, encourage someone, start a conversation with a stranger, rebuke a brother or sister, and etcetera.

Love you all. I hope to Skype with some of you soon :)

Here's to you from Team BonJon!

P.S. Darkhorse and Thin Ice have made it to the Czech Republic. Pretty cool, huh?

Leaving Zlin and on to Tabor - first visit down (and a link to pictures!)

2010-06-07T01:43:00.000+02:00

No video this time around.

We just finished up our visit in Zlin, Czech Republic. What a weekend. Here's what our weekend looked like:

Thursday: Arrive in afternoon, meeting with Samuel Hust (Czech team leader), meeting with Sam and two of his students (Filip and Bara), all ages evening Bible study - worship, Jenda taught on Jonah and being used by God despite our weaknesses and failures, Ryan gave part of his testimony, and I got to share about the camp theme of "Redeem" and vision to see redemption in the lives of students at camp, home stay with Ryan at Filip's house - great food (fresh watermelon!) and coffee and tea, Ryan played some guitar, watched some videos of the youth group on Facebook and showed Filip videos from camps Ryan and I had done.

Friday: Wake up for a great breakfast with great coffee and tea, go to Sam's house, get 300 flyers for an afternoon sports/games/sausage cookout to walk around Zlin and give to students (There are lots of them because there is a film festival going on.), pass out flyers (slackline for 20 minutes) 'til lunch, get lunch, Sam gives us 200 more flyers, pass out flyers 'til 3:30 - none left, go to the sport court for games and hang out and sausage sandwiches and prayer that students will respond, one guy and three girls come (sweet!), play floorball, volleyball, mosquito tag, snake tag, human bumper cars, and the awkward game (let two little boys who see us playing play, and Sam and a few other adults get to connect with their parents. Cool!), eat sausage sandwiches (all while connecting with the youth group and the four students who came), drop our bags off, go to movie in the park with students and watch "The Spy Next Door" with Jackie Chan (Czech dubbed. Still didn't miss much though), sleep in youth group room.

Saturday: Wake up, team meeting with Czech team from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. - vision, team building, what does camp look like?, prayer, responsibilities, questions, small groups, purpose and theme of talks, encouragement, travel to grass field on the side of a hill - hang out and slackline (two girls from the day before join us - Hannah and Reanna), play the Australian Jumping Game (aka Stomp) and Jell-O, split off and get dessert with the intern team - talk about what we learned about God and ourselves this weekend and where you think God has called you to be fruitful at camp rather than just busy, go to youth group room, talk to a non-Christian who is staying with us, go to sleep.

Sunday: Wake up early, go to church conference (two sister churches that get together twice a year), miss the bus because we can't find the youth room key, leave it unlocked and take a car, surprised to see one of the non-Christian girls from Friday with the bus group (her name is Veronica), listen to messages in Czech, worship, speak for 20 minutes on what shapes me - Bible, prayer, and people (pastors, friends, mentors, etc), more messages, lunch and hanging out, more worship and messages (Alli shared for a few minutes about God's love - it was great), get to talk with Luci (one of the Czech youth group students - one of the lead students of the group) about grace and joy and forgiveness, cook sausages on a stick over an open fire, play the Australian Jumping Game again, pray with Czech team, group picture, say goodbye, hang out in youth room as a team, relax, play BANG! a few times, read, write blog.

For Monday: Still writing blog, take a train to Tabor, rest and do laundry

Quite a weekend. The team and I are already looking forward to our camp with them in mid-July.

FOR MORE PICTURES OF THE WEEKEND CLICK HERE (Thank you Ryan for taking all those pictures).

Prayer Requests: Jenda and Eva are both taking university entrance exams this week - Eva on Monday and Jenda on Tuesday. Please pray that they pass. Please pray that the Christian students in Zlin would be bold and invite their friends to camp and follow up on the relationships they built this weekend. Please pray that we get some good rest in Tabor as we travel to Strakonice on Thursday for 5 days. Pray for team unity and sensitivity to the Spirit. Pray that we would continue to prepare and persevere. Please pray that God would provide all of Jenda and Eva's support (they are really close). Please pray Romans 12:1-2 over us: "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Thanks Dad).

Thank you all for you love and prayer and support. I am continually encourage by how God is moving here.

P.S. Hope you enjoy the pictures :)

The Amazing Race and Malenovice: Vlog 5

2010-06-01T22:00:00.000+02:00

If you can't see the video below, click here.

Also, a couple things not mentioned in the video. Jenda is still raising support (check out the new pic below).

God has provided $1,140.00, so he only needs $560.00 more! This is incredible. I am still excited and honored to have him on the team this summer. I fully believe he is one of the many chosen people in this country God will use to bring an awakening to the Czech Republic and Eastern Europe as a whole.

As we finished our last night of intern training we went through a labrynth (a guided walk through the hotel with stations along the way and plenty of candlelight). We made trees where the roots were people God has used to form and shape and influence us; you were the trunk, and the branches were people you do and can influence. We went on to mold play-dough into what fulfills us and is our foundation. After this, we were asked to write a letter to ourselves - What do you like about yourself? What do you want to leave behind? What sins need to be pruned away? What are some things you want to start? In this letter I wrote my first "What if...?" page (thanks Donald Miller). We then went to write names on rocks of people we need to and want to forgive and make marks on the rocks for things we need forgiveness for, and when we were ready we hurled them into the woods - as far as the east is from the west so God has removed our sins from us. We then followed a candlelit path down the stairs to a room where we dipped our hands in clean water - representing the innocence of our initial creation, but then we dipped our hands in dirt to represent our rebellion and sin. We then walked over to a leader who washed our hands symbolizing Jesus redeeming us and washing us clean (Zechariah 3 and Jude 24-25 among others). Our hands were then anointed with oil and the person who anointed them prayed for us. Then we walked the Romans Road with the verses lit by candles making a commitment to love and serve and obey at the end by lighting a candle as a sign of our commitment. Worship bookended this (great worship in great community), and our team took communion together before the journey, remembering Jesus' death and also remembering where Jesus has met us powerfully and with grace in our lives (thanks Mark Johnson).

Again, I miss you all. It is hard and wonderful here. I hope it is hard and wonderful for you as well wherever God has called you for this time.

Amazing Racing!

2010-05-26T22:00:00.000+02:00

By the time you read this, we may be done or nearly done with the first day of the Amazing Race. All the interns will be here, and we will be team building through trials and exhaustion and shared experiences like you wouldn't believe. So, if you could be praying for all the teams and for safety and fun and good weather and good conversations and chemistry among the teams to take place, that would be great. Thanks all. Next update from Malenovice :)

From me to you from Tabor

2010-05-21T23:48:00.000+02:00

If you can't see the video, click here.

Estonia! (seriously, read this. It's for you.)

2010-05-18T22:00:00.000+02:00

Come and serve in Estonia (seriously)!

(Only 10 days required!)

ENGLISH CAMP 2010

English Camps have been an effective ministry tool for us during the years. This year we are doing 7 English Camps. But we are still missing some. American people. In total Josiah Venture still needs 25 people for their ministry in Estonia. Here is the need defined in detail:

7 people for June 25 - July 3 in Saku, Estonia.

9 people for July 9-18 in Kohila, Estonia.
4 people for July 23 - August 1 in Kuressaare, Estonia.
2 people for July 23 - August 1 in Tartu, Estonia.

If you are ready to serve as a missionary for 10 days in this summer, let us know as soon as possible. We want/need to know it before the 25th of May at the latest.

Each person needs to fundraise $820 + plane tickets.
(We also need 3 people for a soccer camp. If you can play and want to come, let us know!)

Contact Lucka Zagorova at lzagorova@gmail.com and tell her you heard about it from Jonathan Rosen :)
- Also, Lucka is amazing! So, LET'S GO!

Traveling to the Czech

2010-05-17T21:43:00.000+02:00

Tomorrow we're off and running, getting all prepped up for the interns' arrival May 26, and the rest of the summer after that.

Equipping Czech Youth for Christ's Commission; 3 Days Left!

2010-05-13T15:49:00.000+02:00

One of my favorite core values of Josiah Venture is indigenous empowerment - encouraging and training national leaders in the Czech church. One of the ways we express this value is by inviting Czech believers from local churches to serve on an intern team for the entire summer. Last summer, Martina Pixova was the Czech intern on my team.

Last summer I remember praying a very specific prayer at each camp. I asked God to raise up Elijahs and Elishas and Peters and Pauls and Moseses and Deborahs and Marys and Priscillas for the Czech Republic, and I firmly believe that the two Czech interns on our team this year are answers to those prayers.

This summer, I have the privilege of serving alongside of Eva Svehlova and Jenda Halamka. I am excited that you have the opportunity to incorporate the value of indigenous empowerment by investing in them and the advance of the gospel in Czech (In order to best support them both, the women on the team are in charge of helping Eva raise support, and the men on the team (Ryan Haggerty and I) are in charge of helping Jenda raise support.)

I met Jenda at the Bohumilice English camp last summer. He was raised in a Christian family and is one of the strongest members of his youth group, and he is stepping out in this internship to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ, and I believe God has far more planned for him than any of us know (1 Cor. 2:9; Eph. 3:20-21).

Jenda has just been accepted to be a summer intern with Josiah Venture's English camp ministry. This means that he'll be on my intern team and will help promote and lead three camps. It is a great fit, because he was at the first camp we did last summer and was my small group translator and did translation for our apologetics panels. Jenda will translate as well as share his life and the gospel with students all over Czech. I am thrilled for him to grow in knowledge and love of God. I know his honest, caring, and sincere personality will be a huge blessing for our team.

If you are interested in being a part of Jenda 's ministry this summer, he has two main needs: prayer and finances. If you would like to pray for Jenda, please email him at denan@email.cz with the subject "Prayer," and he will add you to his update and prayer request list (He understands English.). If you are interested in financially supporting him, he needs to raise $2000 by May 26. This covers trainings, food and board, camps, and travel for the whole summer. You can send a check to Josiah Venture, PO Box 4317, Wheaton IL 60189 with a note that it is for Jenda Halamka. Please write his account number 17122 in the memo line of the check. You may also give online by clicking here and entering in his name and account number. Either will work :)

Thank you and God Bless,

Jonathan

P.S. Jenda's life is an increasing example of how God uses English camps to clearly proclaim His salvation, to connect unbelievers to Czech believers, and has a unique opportunity for Czech believers to grow in areas of leadership, ownership of their faith, and witnessing. It is my prayer that this e-mail serves as a tangible testimony of how God is working in the Czech Republic.
____________________________________

I leave this Sunday, the 16th, and there is a lot going on to say the least. Please pray that I would get everything done and accomplished that I need to - e-mails, packing, errands, shopping, goodbyes, time with God, and anything else you can think of and want to pray for. Thank you so much for being a part of this and supporting me and the team. Our team as a whole still needs to raise about $8,000. God has provided all the financial support I need. Thank you for being God's vessels to help makes this all possible.

From Now to the Czech: 20 Days and Counting

2010-04-26T22:55:00.000+02:00

Five months has nearly gone by, and I can only imagine how fast these next twenty days will go by.

A lot has been going on regarding my Czech internship, a lot of really exciting things to be exact. So here's the update you've been waiting for:

The Team
It has all been decided. We have our intern team put together. Drum roll....Bonnie Boyd and I are co-leading an intern team again, and we are incredibly excited serve with each other for another summer.

the guy interns

God has given us two: Ryan Haggerty, hailing from Peoria, IL; and Jenda Halamka, hailing from Bohumilice, CZ. Ryan has been to the Czech Republic with his church doing English camps before, and I was able to work with Jenda at our first camp last summer. He translated for my small group and for our apologetics panels.

(Top to Bottom: Ryan Haggerty, Jenda Halamka)

Ryan is a living answer of one of my most repeated prayers from last summer and since being back in the states - that God would send more laborers into the harvest of the Czech. Not only do I get to see God answering prayers in Ryan's ministry, but I get serve alongside someone who is an answer to prayer. I am really stoked to live with and serve with Ryan this summer.

Jenda is also an answer to a much repeated prayer from last summer and here at home - that God would raise up Peters and Pauls and Johns and Elijahs and Elishas and Josiahs to lead the church in the Czech Republic. I remember praying this prayer specifically day after day at the Bohumilice camp, and getting to have Jenda on our team is part of God's answer.

the girl interns

Besides getting to co-lead with Bonnie again, God has also given three incredible women of God to serve with this summer. They are Frances Rau - Tampa, FL; Allison Weaver - hailing from Willowstreet, PA (but she's lived much of her life on the mission field nationally and internationally); and Eva Švehlová - hailing from Strakonice, CZ.

This summer will hold Bonnie's 15th, 16th, and 17th camps (may be wrong, but it is definitely in the teens), and Frances was just in the Czech Republic over spring break with the team from Moody Bible Institute (where she is soon graduating from). Allison has served many years doing missions in South America, and this will be her first time in the Czech Republic (really excited for this!); and Eva is a student leader in the Strakonice youth group, and I was able to work with her last summer at our Strakonice Camp.

(Top to Bottom: Bonnie Boyd, Frances Rau, Eva Švehlová, Allison Weaver)

I could and do believe and say the same things about Frances, Allison, and Eva as I did for Ryan and Jenda. Each of them is a living answer to prayer, and I am excited to serve with them and spur them on to their calling for the summer.

The Czech Locales
The churches and locations are all set. We will be working with the church in Strakonice, Zlin, and Litvinov this summer, and I cannot wait to do these camps. In communicating with the Czech leaders, I believe we have been "mutually encouraged by each other's faith" and passion.

View Team BonJon 2010 in a larger map

Scroll over the map to Eastern Europe and you will see the tag markers I put on the map for you. This will give you a visual of where in the country we will be and for what reasons. I'll be adding the American church team locations soon.

Support Raising
There is lots of good news and new challenges regarding support. God has already provided 73% of the financial support required for the seven month internship. I have $2,800 left to go. God has also provided 100% of the funds Bonnie, Ryan, and Allison need. Frances is still raising support, and we are confident God is going to provide for 100% of her needs as well.

Czech Support
Jenda and Eva each have to raise $2,300 for the summer. They are responsible for raising $300 (6,000 crowns) from Czechs, and it is our privilege as a team to help them raise the other $2,000. This means that we need to raise $4,000 for our Czech interns this summer. I am praying for 80 people to each give $50 to fully fund Jenda and Eva.

How Can You Help?
1. Please continue to pray for us. Now, you have faces and names and places to pray for. Also, please pray that God would provide everything we need to fulfill the calling He has for us over there, and that we would not take His provision and preparation for granted, but that we would remain intentionally and gratefully dependent on Him.

2. You can give financially. If you would like to give to me, Frances, Eva, and/or Jenda, please click here. Enter in any of our names and our account number and you can give online with your credit or debit card. Beneath the online form are other ways you can give if you would prefer.

To give to Eva Švehlová, type in her name and Account # 17121.
To give to Jenda Halamka, type in his name. Unfortunately, his account number is forthcoming, but I will update this as soon as I get it.
To give to Frances Rau, type in her name and Account # 17118.
To give to me, type in my name - Jonathan Rosen - and Account # 17104. And if you would like to receive one of my vision and support letters, please let me know, and I will get one to you ASAP :)

Thank you for reading this. Thank you to those who have been praying and will be praying. Thank you to those who have given and will give. You are the people God has chosen to bring to reality His good and great purposes.

Real Love in being home and departing again

2010-04-16T18:00:00.000+02:00

"Love is doing whatever you have to do at whatever cost to yourself to help the beloved be enthralled - fully and forever - with what is most satisfying - God, not themselves" (John Piper; 01:01:25).

"There must be something inside of us that loves to be near bigness when we feel little" (John Piper).

"Your calling is His calling on you to Him for the body" (Matt Chandler; 39:45).

"You can toil away your whole life and be unbelieavably faithful to God and see little on this side of heaven. But boy, we need to know it before we sell out and try to create cool Jesus" (Matt Chandler; 45:03).

Too often, I am learning, I regurgitate truth without crying out for it to impact and change my life. This is a problem. Not that I was insincere before, but it is really easy to lay truth over a life issue or problem or pain or failure, even if you really believe it, and realize you haven't processed or moved on or communicated meaningfully at all. I have learned that too often the emotional, intimate, and relational aspect of being a Christian is elevated at the expense of the intellectual, and the intellectual is also too often elevated at the expense of the intimate, and reactions back and forth ensues. I have learned that the spiritual truth, the Christian truth, is where the intellectual and the intimate meet, and this is a hard tension to love and hold on to. Being home has stirred new emotions and relationships again that are in the process of being wedded to the intellectual truth of who God is and how He is working in me and others (Matt Chandler talks about this too. It's just a great sermon. Watch it or listen to it. Throw it on your IPod or something. It is well worth your time.).

When I changed my blog title to "Home Again" back in December, I did not yet know what being "Home Again" would hold for me. I was leaving something "big" to come home. I wanted home to be big, as in a big time of my life, not five months of small, and it has turned out to be big. It has been made so clear that I needed this five months home in a different community to prepare for the ministry ahead of me. Parts of my life have been stirred up here that would have never been stirred in Chicago, mainly because I am a part of a different community, not better or worse, but different, and so they push and pull and stretch me in different ways, and new places in my life are being pruned and there are new pains and failures and new joys and successes.

I have been blessed with incredible communities to be a part of, and getting to reunite with friends in Chicago was a great gift. I received words there that I will cherish for a long time (Hopefully, I'll write them down so that long time will be a life time.). I was impacted and allowed to impact, and it was exciting and exhausting and renewing, and I know that these last four weeks home will be similar, and that seven months in the Czech will be as well.

Do you feel broken or unclean?

2010-03-08T18:00:00.000+01:00

For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you—that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine (Romans 1:11-12).

I am continually encouraged by the faith and teaching of Mark Driscoll, and I was greatly encouraged by these two videos, and I hope they encourage you as well. Why was I encouraged? He reminds of who Jesus is and what He's done for me. Is there anything better to be reminded of? Is there anything more encouraging?

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain (1 Corinthians 15:1-2).

On My Shoulders

2010-03-01T18:00:00.000+01:00

Last Monday I went to a home Bible study. Tuesday, I went to Krispy Kreme to catch up and spend some time with Tim. Besides fellowship and good times, both had another thing in common.

Monday, Sarah (the wife of the Bible study host) made some great pound cake. Tuesday, well, I was at Krispy Kreme (see a similarity yet?). I had two slices of pound cake at the Bible study – delicious. However, I decided to have a third post-Bible study...bad call. Tuesday, I had already snacked for far too long on pita chips and spicy hummus (also tasty). A fresh Krispy Kreme donut and large, 99¢ decaf coffee, though delicious, was also a bad call.

You see, I have this unfortunate tendency to listen to my tongue (taste buds?) over the advice of my stomach. My tongue is selfish, and it’s a liar. Many a time I will have thoroughly enjoyed this or that meal or dessert or snack, and I’ve reached the quite content place we’ve all reached after eating something quite tasty or that hit the spot just right, or both. In that place of contentment my tongue will speak up, “That tasted so good, didn’t it?” “Why, yes it did,” I reply. “You know you want more.” “What?” “Oh yeah, of course you want more.” “I’m actually pretty content right now.” “No, you’re not.” This continues for a bit until I begin to doubt my meal contentment, to question the contentment’s sincerity.

At this point the third voice enters, “Hey, it’s your stomach. Don’t listen to him. He doesn’t care about you. Think about me. You know how I’m feeling? Fine, really content actually. So, don’t take another bite. We've been through this before. You don’t really want another slice/piece, and you know it.” Well, needless to say my tongue is quite disapproving of all that nonsense (nonsense to him at least) and continues on lying about how I’ll be just fine and my stomach won’t be upset later and in fact, I will probably feel better (Don’t forget what I said earlier. My tongue is a selfish liar. Also, if you’re having trouble picturing this whole discussion, think of it as a shoulder angel vs. a shoulder devil.).

I’m getting better at heeding the voice of wisdom – my stomach (the shoulder angel) – but I am far from error free (seeing as how I ate that third piece of pound cake and ate a fresh, glazed Krispy Kreme and tried to down a large decaf (only made it half way through the coffee though) on an already not super happy stomach).

Again, remember, my tongue is also very selfish because he does not really care about me at all. My stomach does, and we all know our stomach always get the last word. “That tasted great!” Too bad I’ll be regretting it in a bit (upset stomach induced moans on the way). And you know what, I never regret not eating that third piece or trying to eat another this or drink another that. It’s pretty much contentment with no discomfort versus overindulgence and frustration and discomfort later. Seems like a no-brainer, right? But that overindulgence part is always so tempting isn’t it?

One of the many aspects of foolishness is knowing the negative consequences and deciding to go forward with the actions anyway (line inspired by statements made by Steve Phillips). Praise God for His patience, His forgiveness, and great books of the Bible like Proverbs.

In honor of President's Day

2010-02-15T22:38:00.000+01:00

I recommend the book I have recently started, 1776 by David McCullough.

I am about 50 pages into it, and it is great. As a lover of fiction and someone who enjoys history, it is a book that weds the two beautifully, recounting the true events of 1776 while reading like a novel. I love it so far, and I anticipate loving it the rest of the way through.

It was recommended indirectly to me by Nate Hughes via his blog (click the link to check out his take on the book). It even made his "Top Nine Books of 2009." So, I figured I'd ask for it for Christmas, and it has not disappointed.

The book also contains maps and pictures of painted portraits of most of the major figures, which I found rather...cool. You are thirty pages in, and you see the pictures and think, "I 'know' that guy. He did 'this' or is like 'that,'" and you have a real face to go with the real people of history you are beginning to follow for one of the most historic years on the world stage.

So, in honor of President's Day, check out 1776, a book that follows many of our nations early presidents (especially Washington) and founding fathers through one of the most important years of their lives.

You know you live in a fallen world when...

2010-02-12T01:48:00.000+01:00

You can't even trust the hair on your own body.

That's right, I have discovered it is simply untrustable, which is quite sad. In a world of plastic surgeries and fad diets and lots of make-up products that simply baffle me, I thought I was doing alright being happy with the genes God gave me. I got the genes from Isaac that were suppressed in Jacob but were quite dominant in Esau. I've embraced being a hairy guy. I enjoy not looking like a twelve year old.

Unfortunately, our world is broken and fallen - from the great moral evils of the day to simply not being able to enjoy being hairy in peace. Thirteen days ago I had a pilonidal cystectomy. Yep, that's what I said, and no, it's not from Harry Potter.

A pilonidal cystesctomy is basically the removal of a pilonidal cyst, which is a cyst that forms at the base of the talilbone, most common in males 14-25 years old (and I was right in the sweet spot, I guess) and likely caused by a really bad ingrown hair (so the prominent theory goes). Well, I'm sure some friends of mine are putting two and two together by now.

So, because recurrence rates are quite high (The doctor said if I do not keep hair out of the area, it will recur, which equals no fun.), I'll likely be getting some laser hair removal (something I thought I would never do. Me? Laser hair removal? God has a sense of humor we've learned.) since I have no interest in constantly using hair removal cream and shaving back there. What a pain in the butt (pun intended).

Well, back to the beginning, you know you live in a fallen world when you can't even enjoy the fruit of the DNA God gives you.

A Taste of "The Fifth Gospel"

2010-02-09T00:37:00.000+01:00

If there's a "PTL! (Praise the Lord!)" for anything in this life, it's that this is true. He came for me, for someone like me, for someone unlike me.

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:1-10).

Believe! Believe on Jesus Christ for salvation, and if you don't believe now, start seeking after Jesus, and if you already believe, remember, remember Jesus; remember the all sufficient grace He has poured and continues to pour and will pour out for you so you can do those good works to proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Amen.

Sin and Sex, or "Love" Pt. 3: Its Greatest Distortion

2010-02-06T00:37:00.000+01:00

Sin is in essence playing God by self-centered self-service, with a mind-set that grabs rather than gives, especially where pleasure is concerned; so it was inevitable that in a sinful world God’s delightful but delicate arrangement for the simultaneous joy-getting through simultaneous joy-giving of married couples would suffer. And so it does.

Because sin is self-indulgence, and the pleasure level of sexual action is high, exploitative sex, in which one partner uses the other in order to get a good feeling, abounds both within marriage and outside it, in the world of prostitution, where feelings become in effect a commodity for manufacture and sale. Again, because sin is lawless greed, the passion to possess sexually someone who is not your mate keeps recurring; lust joins hands with the equally sinful desire to dominate, and fornication, adultery, and child sexual abuse take place, if not in the flesh, then in the heart. Once more, because sin is egoism and sexual pleasure is a short-term ego-booster, rapists and seducers force sexual action on others by physical and psychological violence, anticipating a grand euphoric glow when it is done (which glow, be it said, does not always come: see 2 Samuel 13, especially verse 15). Victims of sexual violence are sometimes called sex slaves, but that phrase would apply even better to its lust-driven perpetrators.

So many moderns are ‘sexually scarred’ either as practitioners or as victims of sexual egoism and callousness, the ‘love’ that is really self-absorbed lust, and it would be ‘sexual hypocrisy’ (denial of the truth about ourselves) to pretend otherwise. Today’s sexual mess is universal, and one way or another we are all in it together.

From Personal Standards by J.I. Packer

"Caprica"

2010-02-04T00:48:00.000+01:00

Caprica is a new television series that has recently premiered on Syfy. Only three episodes have aired, and they are all currently online (You can watch them on Hulu or Syfy. FYI, this show does contain some heavy PG-13 level content). Though I have found myself caring about the characters and interested in the story, it is the writers use of worldviews in characterization and conflict that I have appreciated most.

The tagline of the show lets the viewer know there's more to it than mere drama: "The future of humanity begins with a choice." The writers communicate that no one just makes a choice, but everyone operates from a set of beliefs that inform and move him or her to make the choices he or she makes - one's worldview or belief system. Episode 1 hints at the larger and more complex use of worldviews to establish characters and conflict, but Episode 2 bothers with no such subtlety.

These worldviews come clashing together as the show's writers begin asking questions and making statements about human life and morality. Is there absolute good and evil. Are there absolutes at all? What makes a human...human? What constitutes life? Is a human mind just a really phenomenal biological computer, or are we more? What is the soul?

Daniel: What if you could copy all the information that makes up a person and put them in a program and bring them back to life. What if you could copy the soul.
Joseph: You can't copy a soul.
Daniel: How do you know?
Joseph: I don't know. I just know what I know.

Those of the monotheistic cult in the show are the only ones that believe in absolutes, that god has declared what is good and what is evil. The society at large is polytheistic and has its laws and principles, but it is clear they are grounded on nothing - no foundation to base these laws and principles on (Jesus gives a great illustration/metaphor/word picture for this). As one character said, "You can rationalize anything."

And rationalize the people do as the writers begin to contrast belief systems and how one's beliefs clearly affect how one lives. The writers accurately portray that a people with no absolutes are a people guided only by selfish desires and ambition. Belief in the supernatural does not automatically provide a ground for absolutes or real good and evil, and the show reveals this.

The writers of this show also accurately portray the depravity of man. Even in these first two episodes they have revealed an understanding of man's nature, showing that the time and place of man does not change who he is, all that changes are the methods we use to feed our nature and glory of self.

And here's the truth: We are all evil, selfish through and through, born as totally depraved creatures. Mankind has not changed from the days of the Colosseum; we have merely changed how we feed those same desires. Of your own accord you will never proceed toward a brighter and better future of your own life nor will we as a people. Each one of us is on our own personal path of destruction toward the dead end of death to spend an eternity in Hell for sinning against a Holy God.

We have sinned against God. We have wronged and turned our backs on our Creator. We have given him 'the finger' and yelled, "Screw off!" as we turned and went our own way. This is a big deal, this is a massive deal because He is holy. He was our Father and we said, "No, I do not want you. I don't want your goodness. I don't want your love. I don't want to live in such a way that is selfless. I want to be god. I want to be the most important thing. No, take your love and shove it. Take your holiness, your perfectness (and I mean your perfect justice, patience, kindness, hatred of evil, all that really good perfect stuff you are and have) because I want me," and we lost it. We chose the path of death and destruction away from God to suffer the consequences forever, in this life and the next.

But God said, "No, I will save you from yourself though you are ill-deserving of it. Though you have made yourselves My enemies, I will save you. Though you have dumped gasoline on your lives and lit the match, I will rescue you," and He sent His Son, Jesus Christ -- God become man, the God-man -- and He lived the life we could not and choose not to live, and He died the death and took the punishment we deserve on the cross, and three days later He rose from the dead to the eternal life all of us desire but could not attain in victory over Satan, sin, and death; and He said, "Repent of your sins and believe on Me for salvation - the forgiveness of your sins and eternal life in Heaven, a reconciled and restored relationship with your Heavenly Father - your Creator - to be forever indwelt by the Holy Spirit - God Himself, and a life of purpose, meaning, value, peace, joy, hope, and love - redemption, real salvation."

(Here's how another person puts it.)

Leave your life of death behind where you glorify yourself to your own end, where you rationalize the evil deeds that destroy you and others and repent: see your sin, sorrow over your sin, confess your sin, hate your sin [1], and turn from your sin to believe on Jesus Christ for salvation - eternal, abundant life.

(Want another good illustration/metaphor/word picture? Like candy? I thought so. How this looks for a real life situation? Here's a few: Francis Chan and Johnny Cash and Robert Robinson. Check out one, two, or all three.).

All that said, I'm looking forward to the third episode.

A supplement to love, or "Love" Pt. 2

2010-02-01T23:49:00.000+01:00

After posting my blog entry on love, I got feedback from plenty of people and watched some good Bible teaching on the subject and had some really good conversations with friends and family about it. The teaching that I found to be the best supplement and addition to my post is Rob Bell's Nooma video "Flame." It's an 11-minute video that is well worth your time.

I think he has it right. This idea of "falling in love" is the world's distortion of "ahava," and this has to be built on "rya" if it is going to succeed, or if "ahava" shows up first, we know "rya" must very quickly be established (or lit if you are still working with the flame analogy). If "ahava" is continually fueled and cultivated without fueling and cultivating "rya," you end up with the world's distortion - Satan's lie.

Ultimately, we desire to be like Christ and to love as Christ loved in all our relationships. The love that is not addressed in this video is the love of one's enemy, to love when it is hard, when the object of your love is undeserving of it. What then? How do we love someone who is unlovable in our eyes? We must remember the cross; we must remember Jesus Christ.

"For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:6-8).

And,

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us" (1 John 4:7-12).

Thoughts from "Garden State"

2010-01-29T18:00:00.000+01:00

Garden State is one of those indie dramedies (examples include Lars and the Real Girl, 500 Days of Summer, United States of Leland, or Wristcutters) many, or at least some of us have come to know and love these days.

After seeing Garden State for a second time, I am reminded of the difficulty of interacting with this genre of film. These movies are very dialog heavy, and since I do not take notes, it is easy to lose key lines from the movie as you watch it, and they slip away even faster once the movie is over. Second, I do not so much watch these films as much as I enter into these films. Movies like Avatar and Daybreakers are movies you watch but do not necessarily enter into, or you merely enter in for a scene here or a scene there.

This film deals with the themes of emotion, home, love, significance; and all of these are addressed within a world that is finite. This life is the only shot you get, and when it's over, it's over. That's it. So, where's the hope? Well, hopefully you'll find something worth living for and people worth living with...hopefully. After all, according to Garden State, life is an "infinite abyss." So, what do you do? You live in the present, for the now, because who knows what's on the way and how long it is going to last anyway.

As I watched Garden State I realized that I shared similar emotions and feelings with the varying characters at different points in the film, but I could not enter into these feelings without knowledge of how my faith addressed these emotions. True, sometimes you do not feel like you have a home, a place of community to go back to ("The affectionate child pines in a mansion for the home of his parents, though that is a scene of comparative poverty," which is clearly revealed by the statements of Jesse in the film.), but for the Christian, it does not end there.

For the Christian, we know that whatever idea and community of "home" we experience here, it is only a taste of what our real home will be - Heaven, eternally in the presence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. "This is the expression and summation of all the believer hopes for beyond the gave...ETERNAL LIFE: It is life, intellectual, physical, spiritual, social—in absolute perfection—and all this forever...through eternity there shall never be a moment when there shall not be a fullness of joy; when the happy immortal shall not be able to say, "THIS IS LIFE!" 'He will remove all of their sorrows, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain! For the old world and its evils are gone forever!' (Rev. 21:4)."[1]

For Garden State, this life is a road to nowhere:

Andrew Largeman: You remember that idea I had about working stuff out on my own and then finding you once I figured stuff out?
Sam: The ellipsis?

Andrew Largeman: Yeah, the ellipsis, it's dumb. It's dumb. It's an awful idea. I'm not gonna do it, okay? Cause like you said, this is it. This is life. And I'm in love with you... I think that's the only thing I've ever really been sure of in my entire life. And I'm really messed up right now, and I got a whole lot of stuff I have to work out, but I don't want to waste any more of my life without you in it. And I think I can do this. I mean, I want to. I have to, right?
Sam: Yeah. Yes!
Andrew Largeman: So what do we do? What do we do?

So, what do you do in a life that's on a road to nowhere? Where do you go? Find love that will hopefully last until you die? Find a home that's permanent enough to last so you can leave it instead of it leaving you? What?

"There is a source that can tell us what life is really about. Found in the pages of Scripture...are directions not just to “live and learn” but to “learn and live.” The promise of skillful living is made to all those who will “listen to advice and accept instruction” (Proverbs 19:20). God has revealed truths about life; the Bible is a guidebook of sorts, a blueprint to living, the foundation of a well-built life and a roadmap through the maze of confusion that our days often resemble. There is purpose and meaning, clarity and fulfillment in this life. But it is only found as we navigate by the wisdom contained in the word of God."[2]

"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ – the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith" (Philippians 3:7-9).

On a road to nowhere with no absolute destination except the non-existence of death and no absolute purpose, all that is left is desire. Purpose becomes fulfilling your desires, and you cannot fulfill your desires; no one can ultimately fulfill their desires, which makes every life without Christ a failed life.

"For Thou hast made us for Thyself and our hearts are restless till they rest in Thee" (Augustine). Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." He is the road; He is the destination; He is the purpose, and it is through Him that we finally reach our true home, where we've been meant to be since the day we were born - eternal life with Him in Heaven.

Love

2010-01-28T16:04:00.000+01:00

I heard a song about love this morning, and I don't remember much of the content except that it was about love. It was a Christian guy so I know it's not Lady Gaga's or Kes$ha's (I even got the dollar sign right for her name.) or 3OH!3's perspective on love...if they even have a perspective on "love."

It inspired thoughts of conversations with my former roommate, conversations about this concept of "falling in love" with someone, which has in turn led to the phrase "falling out of love." Really?

We need an accurate definition of love. Without this, no one knows what they're even falling into or out of. [Spoiler Warning!] The fact is, with the right definition of love, you realize it's not something you fall into or out of at all.

Many of us have heard the phrase, "Love isn't a feeling. It's a decision." Hurray cliché. But if you look past the overuse, you will find its truth.

"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things" (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).

I began to think, "How much of love is a feeling?" My thoughts took me to the passage above. Patient and kind, how often do you or I feel patient or kind? How often do you or I fall into or out of patience and kindness and hope and humility? Do we just fall into or out of envy or boasting or arrogance or rudeness? They just happen? We just fall; it's the gravity of life, I guess (By the way, how can you fall in two different directions? You only fall one way? Where does this second option for falling come from?).

How often do I just fall into not insisting my own way, and later, I just end up falling out of it and insisting on my own way instead? I mean, it just happens right. Everyone walks down their own paths, and sometimes those paths take people apart, right? Life just happens to me, to us, doesn't it?

Here's the deal, none of us just fall into or out of any of those things love is. Those are all choices to be and act a certain way. As John Piper says, "Love from God in us shows itself in deeds, deeds, deeds!"[1] It is a fact. "But I'm in love with him/her." Really? Are you patient, kind, content, humble, selfless, joyful? Whatever it is we're falling into or out of, it isn't anything like love. In fact, if love is a feeling and not a decision, all love is is a collection of all our emotions that at this time or that time make us feel good (It's pretty selfish, huh?). So really, what we are all saying is not that we fall in or out of love but that we fall in or out of feeling good with this or that person. Sounds great, right? Thankfully, this is not what love is.

Why is 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 the right definition of love? Because it is not rooted in mankind and his ways. It is instead rooted in Jesus Christ, which means it is rooted in God. This is the true meaning of love because it is who God is. All of this is rooted in and founded on the person of God who is most fully revealed in Jesus Christ. When we say, "God is love," we are talking about the Trinity; we are talking about Jesus; we are talking about 1 Corinthians 13 and other passages like it found in God's word for us: Love is from God.

"For God loved the world, so He gave gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16; emphasis mine). Do you see 1 Corinthians 13 in this? Do you see it in the God of the universe, the Creator who humbled Himself from His rightful place as king in Heaven to live on this earth as a man, as part of His creation even to the point of suffering and dying on a cross, and for what? For our salvation because of His love, real love, love that is a decision, love that you can't fall into or out of, love that is actually what love is, love that was undeserved, and we can rejoice that this is a love that truly never changes, never leaves us nor forsakes us, from a God who does not fall into or out of feelings but has chosen in His complete and perfect goodness that He would love us.

We will never fully grasp and understand the love of God and what love actually is until we grasp and understand the distance between the throne and the cross.

To Eastern Europe

2010-01-27T18:00:00.000+01:00

As I get closer and closer to May 15, the reality of going back to the Czech Republic sets in deeper and deeper. Yes, God willing, I will be returning to the Czech Republic to do youth ministry there, and this time for seven months.

I will again be leading/co-leading an intern team over the summer, and this summer is looking like quite the roller coaster ride, except that you are blindfolded before you get on, and the blindfold does not come off until you reached the crest of that first thrilling and terrifying hill. Like a new, unseen roller coaster, this summer will have similar aspects to it - camps, intern teams, visiting churches and schools, songs, dance, follow-up, and etcetera - there will also be much that is new - curriculum, interns, churches and camps, schools, cities, challenges, and things I have not even thought of yet.

Josiah Venture (JV)

Josiah Venture (JV) takes its name for King Josiah of 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles fame. Using money that had been put into the temple treasury, he had the Temple of God restored and in the midst of its restoration found the Book of the Law (Deuteronomy). Having read it, he tore his clothes and wept for the sin he and his people had committed, and he summoned the people to hear the Book of the Law read, which led to a revival of the people who once again placed the Word of God at the center of their lives. Eastern Europe desperately needs its own Josiahs, young men and women who lead the way spiritually as this young king did.

Vision and Mission
This is the vision of Josiah Venture, to be part of a movement of God among the youth of Eastern Europe that finds its home in the local church and transforms society. Our mission and calling is to equip young leaders to fulfill Christ's commission by reaching and making disciples. More than just conversion, we want to see passionate followers of Jesus Christ, with a vision to reach and disciple their generation for Him.

The Ministry
My team and I will be involved in leading evangelistic English camps for high school and university-age students. The English camps are a vital tool in bringing the gospel to the youth in a relevant and relaxed environment. We will be promoting the camps, teaching conversational English, building relationships with non-Christians through activities (sports and free time), leading small group evangelistic discussions, and helping lead evening programs consisting of music, drama, games, and testimonies.

When summer is over, I will be living with a full time missionary, Greg Strock, in the city of Tabor. I will be taking 10 hours of Czech a week (Hurray Language!). I will be participating in camp follow-up events throughout the fall. These would be outreach style events meant to continue to facilitate connection and relationship between the church and youth ministry and the other students who attended the camps. I will be helping Greg with any of his ministries and will likely do some teaching in the youth groups. I will also be doing a lot of "contact ministry," which means spending time with students outside of school and church - playing sports with them, getting coffee or going out to eat, and etcetera. I will also be attending the JV fall conference, staff Thanksgiving, and weekly and monthly leadership meeting.

The Family
The people of JV are incredible. It is like one big family. I am so grateful that God has allowed me to be a part of this family. Nate and Emily Hughes are the leaders of the English camp internships in the Czech, and they are amazing. There are people that bring peace. When they visited the camps (they visit every camp for a day for the whole summer), I felt a peace come with them. They are like the parents of the interns, or the wise, caring older brother and sister while over there, and I can't thank them enough for their encouragement and leadership, and these are just two of the many incredible brothers and sisters I have had the privilege of meeting and being sharpened and spurred on by in JV.

Passion
The JV staff is filled with it, and it flows out of them into all those who come in contact with them and their ministry. I love it. Where does their passion come from? The Gospel (1 Corinthians 15:3-7). The people of Eastern Europe need to hear the gospel, and it is for this reason why I am going there and why those already there still serve (1 Corinthians 9:23; 2 Timothy 2:10; Titus 1:1).

"You get better at preaching the gospel by hearing it preached well and preaching it well” (Tim Keller). I get to preach the gospel a lot in this ministry. You live the gospel. You live the truth and defense of the faith. You live the testimony of Jesus Christ – salt and light – your joy makes a statement:

"Though [we] have not seen him, [we] love him. Though [we]do not now see him, [we] believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of [our] faith, the salvation of [our] souls" (1 Peter 1:8-9).

Your life tells Christ’s story. When you speak the gospel, there is power there (Romans 1:16-17), and when you live as Christ lived, when you love as Christ loved, when you obey as Christ obeyed, when you give grace as Christ has given grace, you tell those watching and listening to and relating with you true things about Jesus. You tell them Jesus loves and Jesus reigns and Jesus lives and Jesus gives grace and Jesus gives Himself for their salvation. You not only preach the gospel in this ministry, just as we ought in life, you live the gospel for the sake of the elect and the edification and encouragement of the brotherhood of believers (Hebrews 10:24-25).

So this is what my seven months in the Czech Republic will be. Thank you to those who were used by God to make my three month internship there last summer possible. I continue in prayer for what this next season holds. I believe God is raising and will raise up Josiahs from the Czech Republic and Eastern Europe. I believe He is going to raise up Moseses and Peters and Pauls and Isaiahs and Davids and Elijahs and Elishas and Johns to bring His gospel to His people.

"Legion" from two sides

2010-01-24T22:07:00.000+01:00

Legion (click this link to get the basic information and summary of the film) is a new movie in theaters. It is one I cannot directly interact with because I am not going to see it. There are films I will not see (The trailer was bad enough.). This is one of them. It is a film that "deals" with spiritual matters. Thus, for those that are interested, I want to give you a review of the film from a Christian and a review of the film from a non-Christian.

I think it is a clear contrast between the Christian and non-Christian mind. The movie itself testifies to the fact that without the Holy Spirit, one can never rightly understand and interpret and apply the Scriptures. Without the Holy Spirit, one can only twist and butcher God's word and the God who authored it, "which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction" (2 Peter 3:15).

"Bold and arrogant, these men are not afraid to slander celestial beings; yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not bring slanderous accusations against such beings in the presence of the Lord. But these men blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like brute beasts, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like beasts they too will perish" (2 Peter 2:10b-12).

Camera Tag

2010-01-20T05:55:00.000+01:00

I'm in. I'll start as IT. If you do not live near me, feel free to start your own game where you are.

How do you play? Click here.

Also, major update on my upcoming seven month term in the Czech Republic. I know...the suspense is killing me too.

"Daybreakers"

2010-01-18T23:09:00.000+01:00

I saw "Daybreakers" last Thursday night. Yes, it is a vampire movie, and no, it is not for everyone (for a content review click here). It is a vampire movie in the same way that "28 Days Later" is a zombie movie. In "Daybreakers" the vampires are not mystical or magical but biological, turned by a virus from a bat. These former people do not have beating hearts. Instead, they have a low body temperature, burn up if they are hit with sunlight. And, more importantly, they need human blood to survive. Unfortunately, they are running out of humans.

Message and Themes
Well, I could not really find a message in the film, but a major theme revolves around fear of death and fear in general. Who really has fear? The vampires think humans live in fear because they are being hunted; they are outnumbered; they can die, but the vampire cannot die of natural causes. However, as the film continues you realize the vampire has much more to fear than just the sun, and like the humans they were before they were turned, they are still fallen and sinful and selfish and power hungry. Really, you learn that immortality alone does not change someone's heart (whether it beats or not). New powers and abilities do not change how one will use them.

Parallels to Life (Spoilers ahead)
Parallels to life? A vampire movie? Really? Yes. The plot and conflict are similar to that of Will Smith and his plight in "I Am Legend." Throughout the film I saw the vampires as those who do not have new life in Christ, as representative of those all around us who are living a physical life but are at the same time spiritually dead. This is important for the following parallels.

Parallel 1: Due to the lack of humans and thus, human blood, the vampires are looking for a blood substitute. You find out that drinking one's own vampire blood or another vampire's blood does not work. It instead morphs you into a bat-like mutant creature. Just like sin and sinners, when we seek solutions and significance and salvation in any other place but Christ, in more sin, it only ruins us and takes us further down the path of destruction, makes us more selfish, more hard-hearted. Like the vampires could not turn to each other for salvation from their plight, so we cannot turn to creation, to man or beast or plant for salvation from our plight of being dead in our sins, for there is no salvation there.

Parallel 2: You are then introduced to a character who has gone from being a vampire to human. How? The sun. He crashed his car, flew through the windshield into the sun and landed in water where a tunnel to hide him from the sun was. Anyway, that limited exposure to the light made him human again. Brought him back. Just like in life, it is exposure to the light of Christ that reveals the truth of who we are - sinners in need of a savior - that leads to new life. "Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" (John 8:12), and "you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9).

Parallel 3: You then learn that not only do controlled burns from the sun make one human again, but the blood of the former vampires/newly humans turn vampires into humans again. Interesting, we as Christians have been ignited by the light of Christ and are called to proclaim His gospel, His good news of salvation to the world. What we have been given we are called to proclaim and give to the masses. What was inside those who had new life was an antidote to the walking death the vampires lived in. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith" (Romans 1:16-17).

Parallel 4: Lastly, the vampires did not want it. Reminiscent of Will Smith crying out to the mutants that he had an antidote, that he could save them, so we see the same response in "Daybreakers." However, unlike the inability to respond the mutants had in "I Am Legend" (see Ephesians 2:1-3), the vampires in "Daybreakers" willingly chose to reject the cure, their salvation (see Romans 1:18-23). And so does the vast majority of humanity reject by nature and by choice the salvation offered to them in Jesus Christ. But just as the heroes of "Daybreakers" carry on, seeking to find a way to bring all the vampires back to new life, so we as Christians carry on as Christ's witnesses "that [we] may proclaim the excellencies of him who called [us] out of darkness into his marvelous light."

The Imperfect Christ-type (Spoiler ahead)
A Christ-type in literature is a character whose death brings about redemption for others or society or the hope of redemption (Maximus in "Gladiator," Will Smith in "I Am Legend," Aslan in "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe"). One former vampire, the brother of the protagonist, having been turned human, ends up standing before a SWAT team of vampires who are starved for blood. He stands his ground, proclaiming the good news that they have an antidote, they do not have to kill anymore, they need no longer be enslaved to their need for blood; however, they do not listen and attack, not knowing this act of brutal violence will in fact be their salvation. And so we as Christians stand, knowing that just as Stephen died proclaiming the good news of salvation in Christ, so we stand in the face of any opposition to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, knowing that God will use our faithful stance and obedient proclamation to bring even some of our attackers to salvation in His Son, Jesus Christ.

A reading recommendation: "Stop Going to Church"?

2010-01-16T07:14:00.000+01:00

Yep, that's what the reading recommendation is called. Check it out here.

Review of the movie "Daybreakers" coming soon.

From Glory to Humility

2010-01-09T09:05:00.000+01:00

There are realities in the Christian faith so awe-inspiring that it seems nearly impossible for me to comprehend, too incredible for me to feel deeply, a realization that to seek to know this truth brings a weight to one's worship and gratitude I can hardly bear. Below is one of these truths.

In Ezekiel 1:22, 25-28, Ezekiel describes his vision of the throne of God:

"Over the heads of the living creatures there was the likeness of an expanse, shining like awe-inspiringcrystal, spread out above their heads...And above the expanse over their heads there was the likeness of a throne, in appearancelike sapphire; and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness with a human appearance. Andupward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were gleaming metal, like the appearance of fire enclosed all around. And downward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around him.Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking."

Ezekiel knew this to be God but did not know this person to be the Son, to be Jesus Christ, but it is the Son who reveals the person of God in the ways our physical senses can comprehend, and comparing this passage with Eph. 1:21-22; Phil. 2:9-10; Heb. 1:8; Rev. 1:13-16; 4:2-3; and 5:13 shows clearly that this is indeed Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Ezekiel is witnessing on the throne, and here is the truth I can hardly bring myself to meditate on, this is where it hits home:

"You will never fully grasp and understand the love of God until you grasp and understand the distance between the throne and the cross" (Robert Reyburn).

The distance between the Son of God on His throne, His pure glory, to His death on the cross, His complete humiliation. I can hardly bring myself to think on and feel this more deeply. Like a giant wave coming up and crashing down over my head. I can barely bring myself to stay put and let its truth wash over and in and through me.

"How great the Father's love for us? How vast beyond all measure? That He would give His only Son to make a wretch His pleasure." The Father's love is the Son's love, and how great is His love, how vast? It is the distance from the throne to the cross, from His glory to His humiliation. How great indeed is His love for us, indeed is its vastness beyond all measure, for no one can comprehend the distance that none of us will ever go out of love for another.

May you and I never forget how great is His love. May you and I boldly approach the throne of grace as sons and daughters and ask, "Help me to understand more clearly, help me to feel more deeply the depth and greatness of Your love."

__________________________________________________________________________________

I have been reading Ezekiel, and anyone who has read Ezekiel knows how difficult this book can be to understand or apply, which is why I have been listening to a sermon series on it for further teaching and understanding, which is what God used to teach me this, to remind me how great the distance was for Him to give His life for me.

Pride and Humility

2009-12-29T00:56:00.000+01:00

For your listening pleasure, feel free to enjoy the Artist of the Week while reading this blog. I also encourage you to enjoy him when you can simply take in and reflect on his lyrics and music without distraction.

There are those times that pride unwittingly builds up within a person, and it has recently built up in me. Satan is crafty, and I am more wicked than I know, which is why the body of believers is so necessary in sanctification because they see the areas of our life that we have turned a blind eye too. "Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety" (Prov. 11:14), and these "counselors" range from people directly in our lives to sermons to the books we read, and it is from a book that this rebuke came, Knowing God by J.I. Packer to be exact.

As Packer brings the reader into the forthcoming study of the Triune God he reminds the reader of the need for humility, quoting Paul he says, “knowledge puffs up” (1 Cor. 8:1). If one’s growth “in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” does not lead one to increasing humility due to the continued realizations of God’s awesome nature and character, then one’s study of God is in vain.

Cut down, realizing I had indeed allowed knowledge to “puff me up,” forgetting who God really is and that no matter how much I know I still “see in a mirror dimly [and only] know in part” (1 Cor. 13:12). Furthermore, whatever knowledge I gain ought to lead me into greater Christlikeness (Rom. 12:2).

Praying that God would again restore me to a state of humility is one that is a tad frightening to pray because you know that God will do so, and you know that it is either by trial or discipline that Christlike humility will be restored. Right now, it is confession and repentance. A good friend has told me there is rebuke coming. As I reflected in the situation and after, I said, “Thank you God for leading me back to humility that I may rightly serve you.” What other response is there when we as Christians are told,

“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 1:6-7),

And,

“‘My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.’” It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons…He disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Heb. 12:5-7, 10-11).

So, I seek humility to stand before God as His creation, as His son, being reminded of the prayer of Francis Chan, “God, make me more like Jesus Christ no matter what it takes.”

A gift for friends

2009-12-25T06:14:00.000+01:00

Here is a really easy way to share your enjoyment of this holiday season (maybe the year?) with your friends: Your very own "My Life is Christmas" (mlic) text updates. Simply, something happens to you during the day that confirms that your life is indeed Christmas. Just send a text to some friends with the story, and finish it off with a good ol' "mlic."

Inspired by other sites that encourage like particaption. There is one I will not name here, but it's for people who have something really bad and ridiculous happen to them. I just found out about another called "My Life is Average" (mlia), and there is another I have seen called "My Life is Twilight" (mlit); yes, it does exist, and people participate in it, though I believe it is an internet entity that should not exist.

So, share your Christmas joy with your friends (or annoy them with it) this holiday season, and feel free to create your own acronym categories. I have already added a "My Life After Moody" (mlam) for my friends to enjoy (or get tired of).

So, the question is, "What is your life?"

"Avatar"

2009-12-23T07:15:00.000+01:00

I got to see Avatar tonight. Overall, 4 out of 5 stars. If you can, spend the extra money and go see it in IMAX 3D, if you can't see it in IMAX, spend the extra money and see it in 3D, and if you can't do either of those, just go see it in theaters because this movie was made to be seen on the big screen and heard in surround sound. James Cameron's latest film (first feature length since 1997's Titanic) comes with great visuals, quality acting, and unlike Transformers 2, it's story actually lived up to its visual grandeur.

Avatar (for a summary of the film's story click here and read the "Synopsis") is far from just a movie and entertainment. James Cameron has a message, and it rings loud and clear.

For starters, I really enjoy movies, and I really enjoy talking about movies with others after we've seen it. It is a lot of fun to not only discuss the messages of a film but also bring it into contemporary life and ask, "If the message(s) of this film were really true, what kind of implications would that have," and other questions like it. This is my attempt to bring some of my thoughts and discussions from friendly conversation to thoughtful blog entry.

Cameron's worldview and gospel comes through via the characters and peoples in his new film. Viewers may even notice some fairly obvious similarities between this movie's message and the messages of The Lion King, Pocahontas, and Dances With Wolves.

Worldview
The optimal worldview put forth is pantheism (all nature is spiritual and there is a one, or ultimate unity; in Avatar, it is the Great Mother i.e. our own mother nature). Nature itself is spiritual, and the path to peace and enlightenment is one of true connection with nature, but not creation. In fact, there is no "creator" in this film. Everything simply is. The closest thing to a creator is a deity of nature, a spiritual being that is equally connected to all nature. As Richard Dawkins puts it, pantheism is a "sexed-up" atheism/naturalism. It just takes naturalism and religiofies/deifies it.

However, this view of reality is completely contrary to the view of God as the Creator in Christianity and cannot be accepted as truth: "For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things" (Romans 1:21-23).

Furthermore, this belief system falls apart on a very basic level - the value of human life. When Neytiri saves Jake from a pack of alien wolf-dogs, she tells him the killing of the animals is sad and awful, and he asks her, "Then why did you save me? Why didn't you let me die?" Her answer, "You have a strong heart." What does that even mean? Pantheism does not have a clear answer as to why the life of a person is more valuable than any other species in nature - plant or animal. There is no explanation as to why people intrinsically value human life over all other types of life or why they should value it more or if they should value it more.

Christianity
Sigourney Weaver's character is named Dr. Grace Augustine. Though she does not display any Christian practice or statement in the film, her name would seem to be intentional. In the film, Grace identifies with and sympathizes with the Na’vi (the alien species), as one should in light of the injustice and evil (done by the humans) under which they have suffered. However, she has no interest in changing the Na’vi. In fact, at her death she "converts" or becomes fully accepting of their beliefs by becoming one with Pandora (the planet) and with the Great Mother stating, "I am with her. She is real."

In my opinion, Cameron is using Dr. Grace as his messenger to Christians as to what his ideal Christian is like. He is telling Christians to stop trying to proseltyze and change people of different beliefs. This message conveys that other religions are just as good as Christianity, if not better, and Christians ought not claim that their religion is right. After all, all cultures are equally valid if they promote peace and harmony with others and the earth, and the Na’vi are certainly portrayed as a near (if not completely) sinless society.

Good Things
Without going into detail, it is clear that the prejudice and "depersonizing" of the Na’vi is evil, and the blatant destruction and disregard for creation and the lives of others in pursuit of the almighty dollar is evil as well (You will notice the similarities between what happens in Avatar and what took place in North and South America when the Europeans arrived.).

I loved that the mineral they were mining for was called "unobtanium." Again, an intentional name I believe. It would seem that Cameron's message here is that happiness, significance, purpose, security, love, and etcetera are all ultimately unobtainable through the functional savior of financial and material gain, and ultimately, this mineral was unobtainable to those who sought to take it by any means necessary. Likewise, the idols we build will always taunt us. We will never fully reach our created heavens and our functional saviors will never get us there. Just as the deity (the Great Mother) in Avatar crushed the idol the humans had created, so we need to turn to Jesus Christ who will crush our idols as our Lord and Savior.

In Summary
Cameron's "gospel" (his good news to the world) is an empty one. He has no basis for valuing human life over that of any plant or animal. Furthermore, there is no creator in his fable; only a mythical being that is somehow entwined with nature. In reality, there is no one in nature with whom to reconnect at death. There is only the personal, triune, Creator, God, and we, along with all the earth, all that is seen and unseen, are His creation. Cameron's "gospel" is no gospel at all. Unlike his message to Christians, Christians must refuse his "gospel" and his proclamation to stop proclaiming the name and exlusivity of Jesus Christ. "This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:11-12).

To not critically engage such a film is to passively accept its messages, which, especially in this case, is not something that Christians should do.

For further reading on Avatar and James Camerson see:

Douthat, Ross. "Heaven and Nature." The New York Times. 20 Dec. 2009. Web. 23 Dec. 2009.
-- A great review of and interaction with the film.
Holz, Adam R. "Avatar." Plugged In Online. 18 Dec. 2009. Web. 23 Dec. 2009.
-- Overall, some pretty good things to say about the movie and its messages.
"James Cameron (I)." The Internet Movie Database (IMDb). Web. 23 Dec. 2009.
"James Cameron." Wikipedia. Web. 23 Dec. 2009.

Saying goodbye well

2009-11-27T23:32:00.000+01:00

It's been a long time since my last post, and I have had other blog entry ideas, but this is what I have been thinking about lately.

A couple weeks ago I helped host a vision and recruiting night for Josiah Venture at school. It was the first time I got see a couple people I haven't seen since the summer. My coleader, Bonnie Boyd, was one of them. I asked her about her missionary training with MTI in Colorado. One of the most useful sessions they had there was on saying goodbye well. She said that gave her a lot of insight on how she had not said goodbye well when she had left for missions in the past and how she can change that when she leaves in the future.

This small part of the conversation has gotten me thinking about saying goodbye well because I'll be saying goodbye to a good number of friends in few weeks since I'm graduating from college and headed back to Texas and all. I had written a blog on goodybes at the beginning of last summer - how being a Christian affects goodbyes, reunions, and new frienships, but I did not think about how do say goodbye well.

So I ask myself these days, "How do I say goodbye well? What do good goodbyes look like?" Part of it is respecting the weight of the goodbye, and it may weigh heavier on others than myself. It is entering into the emotion with them and saying goodbye in that place. I may be excited to leave and ansy. My mind may be on the journey ahead rather than on the relationship and the ensuing goodbye. I think it looks like being fully present in those moments of goodbye. I think recognizing the "finality" of it is important as well. Say a real goodbye and acknowledge it as a real goodbye. Do not hide under the potential of Facebook or Skype. Let the actuality of those speak for the potential that is there. Because it is goodbye, and it is unsure of when, if at all, we will see each other in person in this life again. That's reality.

Maybe this is a part of it. Maybe it is none of it. This is a new place for me. Saying goodbye after high school is far from saying goodbye at the end of college. So, what is a good goodbye, and what does it look like? I am praying I'll find out in a few weeks time.

It's been some time

2009-09-13T07:04:00.000+02:00

I know it's been some time since the last post. I've come back from the Czech, finished the first 3 weeks of my last semester, and gone street preaching for the first time since I went to Ukraine in the summer of 2007. There's a lot I could talk about.

Spiritual warfare is real. Paul is right when he said, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Eph. 6:12). I have experienced the reality of this twice now in the last two weeks. Many times you will preach the gospel to those who are dead in their sins, enemies of God, but twice in the last three weeks I have found myself witnessing to someone who is not only dead but being influenced and deceived and taught by those forces of evil (1 Tim. 4:1). It is a reality.

I believe God is teaching me something. Teaching me to speak truth in love well, to not speak truth in fear but in boldness, in the spirit of power, love, and self-control that He has given us (2 Tim. 1:7).

It is a fascinating thing to speak with someone about Christ who is being influenced and deceived by a demon. It is like no other kind of conversation I have ever had. It is different than any time I preached the gospel in Ukraine or The Czech Republic or the second week of our floor's (plus others) outreaches. It is unique. It is a spiral of conversation in order to escape the truth of God's word.

I believe God is teaching to really speak the truth. I think He is preparing the gift of prophecy - truth teller and proclaimer - I think. I believe God desires to make me a better teacher, a better proclaimer of His gospel, to His glory and the blessing of others, for His name's sake and the sake of the elect.

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith” (Rom. 1:16-17). Christ is the rescuer of the captives. When He rose from death, He rose in victory over Satan, Sin, and Death. He conquered our greatest foes, and thus, there are now no lost causes with Christ. In and by the Spirit we preach life to those who are dead. In and by the Spirit through the death and resurrection of Jesus the Christ from the dead we stand united in His victory, and we preach from this victory, we love from this victory; thus, we can love rightly, purely, as He loved us first.

"But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us...In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another" (Rom. 5:8; 1 John 4:10-11).

Amen.

15 days...

2009-07-30T15:45:00.000+02:00

Only 15 days left. It's hard to believe I have been in the Czech Republic since May 26 and that it will all be done in just over two weeks. Since the last post our 2nd camp occurred and we are about to begin our third and final camp. A new sister in Christ joined the family, a young lady who had been to camp 7 or 8 times and God called her to Himself completely at the end of camp.

Tabor camp (camp #2) was great. It was incredibly smooth - a well oiled machine some would say. Our biggest issue was that the meal song person wasn't always on time. If that's your biggest problem at camp, it's a great camp on the program side of thins. What was also incredible was that it was also a spiritually focused camp. God moved in the hearts of believers and nonbelievers alike, and I believe there are quite a few that He is raising up to be leaders and quite a few more He is drawing to Himself, and all to His praise and His glory.

The American team from Oregon was also incredible, and I am blessed to personally know those brothers and sisters in the faith, and now, when I take a road trip, I'll have some great people to see and stay with in Oregon. They did a phenomenal job at camp. Whatever stewardship God and their leaders entrusted to them they succeeded in with flying colors. I did not see anyone bury their coins in the dirt but took them and doubled and tripled what God had given them.

The Tabor team also surpassed all expectations. They were intentional. They shared their lives and the gospel with the students at camp. They did not back down. They sought out conversations. They were not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation.

L-R: Pirate Bonnie, Martina, Pavli, Me, Cory

It was a great gift to serve alongside and build relationships with those at this camp. Things to pray for now:

-That God would not only send laborers of His gospel but would also send laborers in His word and doctrine to teach and instruct the believers here -- that He would continually renew their minds to the transforming of their lives
-That the Christians in Tabor would continue to boldly preach the gospel of their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
-That God would send those to disciple the young believers - spiritual fathers and mothers for our new brothers and sisters in the faith - specifically Adela and Maggie
-Continue to pray for Nina - that God would send laborers into her life, brothers and sisters and fathers and mothers in the faith; that He would continue to draw her to Himself, and that she would repent and believe
-For our final camp. There are 81 students and 21 leaders, the largest camp out of the whole summer. Pray that there would be a spiritual revival and awakening, that we would be salt and light, that our words would be gracious and seasoned with salt that we would know how to answer all who ask, that God would fill us with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding, and that the teams coming together to lead this camp would be of one mind and one purpose - fully united in one body as the pure bride of Christ - "all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35), and that we would preach the gospel boldly, clearly, and accurate, in love, that we would be a clanging cymbal.

Thank you all for your continued interest, support, and prayers. God is moving in the Czech Republic and Eastern Europe to His praise and glory. I look forward to the time I get to see you in person and talk to you face to face again. May you be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 2:1). Amen.

Finally, on Cory's blog are some great videos and entries about the summer as well, and he's put up some great new pictures. All really great stuff.

Round 2 begins

2009-07-17T22:57:00.000+02:00

We just finished training for our second camp, and it has been so refreshing. The team from Oregon is great, and I love spending time with them. The leaders from Tabor are geared up too, and it is incredible to be ministering alongside them at this time.

There are many things I would like to write, but I will write them later, like how English is a gift, it really is. For now, I want to give you a few updates and prayer needs:

1. God has been answering the prayers to send laborers into Nina's life. She has been talking to Emily, Martina, Adela, myself, and my sister. Please pray that God would begin to send laborers from her hometown - Brno. Also, please pray for Nina and her mother. They are going on vacation today, but Nina's mom likes to drink, and when she does she is not someone you want to be around. I don't think I need to go into more detail. Also, Nina says she believes, but is not sure she has fully trusted yet. I think she has acknowledged the truth of the gospel, but it has not become beautiful to her yet (How John Piper puts it). Continue to pray that Christ would manifest Himself to her in prayer, scripture, and life.

2. Tabor camp begins tomorrow: pray for team unity among the 3 teams, that we would be connected to the vine (John 15), not relying on ourselves or others for ministry but on God alone, that our words would be seasoned with salt that we would know how to answer all who ask, for good weather, that there would be a spiritual awakening, a great awakening for Christ at this camp. PRAY BIG!

I love you all. I wish I could share my life in person with you. It is so hard to truly convey or communicate all that is happening. I think I am getting a taste of what Paul may have felt when writing letters. May the peace and joy that passes all understanding fill you through the work of Christ in your life - He lived, died, and rose in victory and reigns in heaven today - rejoice that He has written your name in heaven.

In Christ,

Jonathan

End of the first and on to the second

2009-07-13T20:30:00.001+02:00

Camp 1 is officially over. Nine days sure flew by. So much happened. God stirred people's hearts. We have a new sister in Christ, and I believe we have more brothers and sisters on the way.

Where to start? Where to end?

God moved throughout the whole week, and His Spirit was definitely present. I saw God use Josh and Emily to pour into Adela's life, and God drew her to Himself, and we have a new sister named Adela. It's hard to imagine last Thursday, no sister, and Friday, new sister. I look forward to hearing and possibly seeing God mature her and lead her into truth and holiness.

Nina...so much I could say, and so much more I hope to be able to in the future. On day 2 of small group discussions, I let the students know we had Bibles for them if they wanted to read more of the stories, and she looked at me and said, "I think it's too soon." She then came up to me afterward and told me she was an atheist and only saw the stories as a fairytale, and today she is a young woman who believes in God and wants to be a Christian but is afraid of what it will mean for her life, how it will affect certain relationships...Jesus Christ rose in victory over Satan, sin, and death. He rose in victory over her fear, and because of this, there are no lost causes with Christ. She is a friend that I love as a brother, and a friend I hope and pray to one day call sister.

I also saw the first seeds of the gospel planed in many lives, and we have the greatest gardener, God Himself. God may and does bring us into the planting and watering, but He causes the growth, and I also am incredibly excited in anticipation as I look forward to the stories of many students who left camp not believing but will find themselves inexplicably drawn to the Father by His grace through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I also prayed for God to raise up Moseses, Elijahs and Elishas, Peters and Pauls, from this camp, and I believe He will. I watch in prayer and hope for the day when God makes this a reality. Amen.

This is my greatest desire for these students -- that they would know God's personal love for them and love Him with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. Can there be a greater desire for anyone?

So...what to pray for...

1. "After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. And he said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest" (Luke 10:1-2). Please pray for more laborers. That God would surround these students with Christians wherever they are. That they would not be able to escape the gospel of Jesus Christ.

2. I am looking for a woman, young or old, mom or daughter, any sister in Christ that wants to commit to praying for Nina. That God would send Christians into her life. That God would protect her from the birds of Satan, the stones of persecution, and the thorns of this life. That she would believe on Christ for salvation and begin to grow in Him. I can keep you updated on what she needs prayer for and hopefully connect you to her on Facebook or something like that. She needs prayer and more laborers for the gospel. With all that said, in the end, she needs Jesus Christ and to surrender herself to Him.

3. Pray that we would get rest. Camp 2 training starts tomorrow and camp 2 starts Saturday.

4. Pray that God would continue to stir passion within us for the students.

5. That God would protect our unity. There will be three teams at this next camp - intern team (us), Czech team (Tabor youth leaders), and American team (Good Shepherd Church from Oregon). Jesus tells us that they will know we are followers of the living God by our love for one another.

Picture coming soon and all that good stuff. Thank you for your continued prayer support. I don't know what this summer would be like without it, and I'm glad I never will. Thank you and God bless!

The first camp follow-up

2009-07-11T23:18:00.001+02:00

Well, camp is done, and we are heading into the first follow-up weekend. One girl was brought into the family yesterday. We all have a new sister in Christ named Adela.

God is continuing to draw others to Himself, of that I am sure. Continuet to pray for Adam, Nina, Tomash (2), John, Lucka, and many others.

Also, please continue to pray for us as a team, that we would honor God in the relationships that are formed, that we would be good stewards of the ministry He has given us, and that we would continue to grow in Christ-likeness.

A longer, more story oriented post with some picture links will be coming...just not yet.

Also, we have the great privilege of staying in a student's home this weekend, and his backyard is a small farm -- homegrown apricots, cherries, wheat, corn, tomatoes, grapes, onions, garlic, and then some. Fresh off the tree apricots and home jarred pears and apricots along with some cherries...God is good, and He has blessed us (Cory and myself) with a wonderful home to stay in (pictures coming soon).

Prayer Need!!

2009-07-10T19:10:00.000+02:00

Tonight at 8 p.m. Czech time (2 p.m. ETS) we will be telling the last two stories of Story of God. They are the death and resurrection of Jesus and the beginning of the church, and they end with the gospel message a call to salvation.

Please be praying for tonight: for those of us speaking, leading small groups, for the students. I love you all. Thank you.

The middle of the beginning of the rest...

2009-07-07T23:49:00.000+02:00

There's internet here, but I can't get on very often. I wanted to update you with some prayer requests.

The Story of God is going really well, and spiritual conversations are happening left and right. Thank you for praying.

Please continue to pray for clear communication and wisdom as we speak, in large groups, small groups, or one on one. Our desire is that God would shine through us as He did with Stephen when he stood before the Jewish Sanhedrin, proclaiming the gospel. May our thoughts, actions, and words be light and salt to the students.

Please pray against the attacks of Satan: Bonnie is a main storyteller/teacher, and her voice is gone, against distractions when the word is being taught, and against disunity.

Please pray for more laborers of the gospel. That God would send more laborers into the lives of the students He is drawing to Himself, here at camp and when they leave.

Please pray for Nina, Adela, Lucka, Eva, Tomash, Radek, Radim, Adam, and Jon, and the many other students I cannot name here. God is doing a great work, and they are engaging. Pray that their the Holy Spirit would reveal truth to them as He did to Peter when he said that Jesus was the Christ.

Thank you for all your love and support. Josiah Venture desires to be a part of a movement of God in the Czech Republic, and God is moving here.

The end of the beginning and the beginning of the rest...

2009-07-03T00:46:00.000+02:00

Hey out there. This may be the last update for a while. Internet access is going to be spotty for the month of July. So, for the last one for who knows how long, here's a vid of prayer requests for you all. Thank you so much for all your suppot. I'll keep you posted as I can.

One week to go...

2009-06-23T21:45:00.000+02:00

Only one more week until we're at our first camp training and on to our first camp with Bohumilice. Here's what we need prayer for:

Bonnie, Kevin, and I are the "storytellers" for the week, which means we will be telling the story of God - beginning to end and leading live dialogs with groups of about 20 and then splitting into smaller groups. Pray that we will be intentional in preparation - reading through the story, practicing reading it aloud, wisdom when leading the live discussions, etc.

Our final youth group visit is this weekend. We are going to Tabor. I will be teaching Friday in the youth group. Please pray that I would prepare and teach the lesson God wants me to teach and not what I merely want or am comfortable doing - God-prepped and not man-prepped.

Continual unity and growth as a team...we are all still very different and learning a lot about each other.

What is great is that we just got back from a two night retreat to this great cottage/house out in the woods with its own pond. It was incredibly relaxing and fruitful - got a lot done. I was able to read over half of Ender's Game. It was great. Couple movies, good food, ice cream with egg liquor poured over it (It's quite good.).

Yes, our room did have a hammock.

And Cory got some more great pictures of the scenery and the castle we got to visit. Enjoy!

Everything, but not quite because more can always be said

2009-06-17T01:41:00.000+02:00

It's been a full week since I've posted. Life's been busy and internet access limited, but I'm back.

Prayer requests:
We are doing school visits this week in Strakonice to promote English camp. Please pray that God will provide many opportunities to capture conversations for Him and many would see the light of Christ shine through us.

Pray that our team would continue to grow in unity and patience with one another. No matter how great anyone is, when you've been with them for 3 weeks straight and you know you have another 6 or so to go, it can become quite tiring.

We would finish and accomplish what needs to be done with God honoring excellence - English lesson creation and prep, Bible studies, learning and reviewing the Story of God Messages we will be giving, and whatever else arises.

God would provide financial support for two Czech interns on another team - Babu and Vashek. They are both incredible people who have recently come to Christ (with in the last 3 years I believe) and have a passion to proclaim God's word. If you are interested in supporting them, please let me know and I will get you the information you need.

My coleader Bonnie has a lot on her plate. She is leading the first camp and helping to lead the other two. She is also one of the main teachers for English camp (Telling the Story of God and leading dialogs) as well as teaching English classes. Pray that she will be diligent in her leadership and seek renewal and rest in Christ alone.

For our first English camp coming up. It is the first 2 weeks of June - training and camp. Pray that the Christians will grow in their faith and tell others of Christ boldly and that the non-believers will come to repentance, that the Holy Spirit will fall like a waterfall over the students at the camp and many would come to salvation.

Also, some of you may be waiting for a team picture. Who are we after all?

L-R: Bonnie Boyd, Cory Dimler, Martina Pixova, and Myself. Feel free to look any of us up on Facebook.

God has been incredibly faithful. We just got back from our first youth group visit this past weekend. We went to the village of Bohumilice in the southwest of the Czech Republic. It is a village of rolling hills and farms, interesting insects, which I remember seeing in Ukraine as well, and some great people and lots of bread, fresh fruit, and no napkins.

Along with those things come some Czech culture lessons I want to share with you:

Something Czechs love is syrup. No, not maple syrup. Flavor syrup for water. Who wants plain old water when you can add a flavorful sugary syrup to it? They are kind of like the powdered mixex many add to water in the states, but it's syrup. The family we stayed with had their own special recipe, which was delicious. It was black elder flower lemon syrup. I know it sounds crazy. They make about 3 liters of it at a time. They get a tone of black elder flowers and put them in jars of water with either lemon slices or just lemon juice, couldn't figure it out. They let it sit for a couple days, add sugar, then simmer it get the water out and refrigerate it. Voila! Homemade syrup. I do want to try and make it back home, but I'm sure there will be plenty of trial and error.

We also discovered a new ingredient for potato salad - gummi bears. Do with that what you will.

Lastly, we discovered two new ways to have pasta. Forget what you've thought of variety. Leave behind tomato sauce and alfredo, scampi and the like. To enjoy this meal you simply need to make some butter pasta and have either ketchup or cocoa powder for hot chocolate and powdered sugar. I will admit, when I saw it all on the table, my first thought was the movie Elf and how he put maple syrup on the spaghetti. I can't imagine this was too far from that. Give it a shot. It's pretty tasty, but don't expect it to sustain you from lunch 'til dinner if you're planning on having an active afternoon.

We stayed with a great family whose home is attached to the church. They were an excellent example of Christian hospitality, the kind you picture when Paul and John tell believers to welcome and strengthen and encourage traveling brothers and sisters. We had a warm bed, warm showers, fresh cherries, a homemade dinner that was great, and some wonderful conversation.

I wanted to post something before we left and get some prayer needs out to you, but I was unable to do so. One of them would have been over the teaching I was asked to give Saturday night.

It was one of those times I felt completely stripped of all of myself and only left with God and His word. I had no resources, no extra materials, not a lot of time, no computer. It was just reading God's word and praying for Him to direct me toward the right passage of scripture because it's His message. I am merely a steward of it. God directed to Acts 3:1-10.

I then wrote the talk, which was completely different than any I had done before. This had no cool outline, to trick or strategic method. It was a story. It was also the first time I have manuscripted a talk and read what I wrote word for word.

I found myself empty. I had written a talk from a passage I did not study beyond reading and praying and listening. No commentaries here. I found myself reading a talk I wish I knew better. I found myself stiff and trying to read and have good eye contact, which is quite difficult. It was those times where you know God has asked something of you, and all you have are the 5 loaves and 2 fish, and by His grace and power multiplies it to glorify Himself and it happens to be what people need, and you did not know it until it was all over.

It was a great weekend. We got to meet and fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ who are stepping out in faith and obedience, many of whom have family and friends that do not believe and are very hostile to the gospel. One of the main student leaders in the group moved out of her mom's house because she wouldn't let her got to church. We are only here for a summer, this is their life. They are part of a remnant here in the Czech, and they are standing God's foundation with Christ as their cornerstone. Their youth group is eight people. I go to a school where I live on a floor with 30 other Christian guys for 9 months of the year. They are standing firm. It is an honor to stand and serve with them.

So, thank you for all your prayer and support. I miss home a lot and friends and family. I feel your absence. God has used you in immeasurable ways to bless me and help prepare me for this summer, and I wish I could share it with you in the flesh. I look forward to the time when we get to catch up in person and not merely through blogs and instant chat.

Finally, if you haven't already, I recommend subscribing to my friend and teammate Cory's blog. It's very good, and he's got video updates. Also, feel free to peruse the many great pictures he's taken throughout our trip. There are definitely some good ones.

A story or two

2009-06-10T01:43:00.000+02:00

This comes from last Saturday night. Our team is on our way back from a fun dinner out. I got pizza that had ham, spinach, mushrooms, and sea fruits. I ordered because I didn't know what sea fruits were. Martina got the translation and started laughing. Turns out they are octopus and shrimp. Good times. My nose was clogged because of the cold I got, so I didn't get to taste much of it...for better or for worse. Either way it was a good time.

Our apartment is right across the street from a nice park, which still has fun play ground equipment that kids can get hurt on that have been banned and eliminated from all the parks in the U.S. I call them dizzy destruction devices.

After playing on those for a bit, we ended up playing with a couple young Gypsies, Roman and Brian. They were fun and full of young 10 year old gangster. We then met their older brothers and cousins. Turns out, the older guys are on a break dancing team that is heading to Croatia for a competition in July. Pretty cool. They practice for 2 1/2 hours every day, and when school gets out it'll be 4 hours a day. Their mom and older sister came over to listen to the convo, and then the fun began.

Roman and Brian showing us their moves

Somehow we ended up getting to Ong Bak 1 and 2 (The Protector) and how cool and talented Tony Jaa is. One of the guys, Honsa, wanted to show me one of his kicks. Knowing he break dances, I was expecting a high flying kick, but it was a pretty normal one.

I thought, "I could one up this guy." Thought doing something would keep the conversation going, you know, build more of a bridge. So I did one, and the guys thought it was pretty cool...my leg didn't though. I can't do stuff like that cold like I used too.

Apparently the older sister thought it was the cooooolest, and she asked if I was planning on taking any girls home with me. Her mom standing right next to her, I was quite surprised at the question, and no, I'm not taking any girls home with me. She then jokingly/semi-seriously told me to call her and said some more stuff in Czech. We decided it was getting cold and needed to leave the park. However, we did get to tell them about English camps and the precamp party that's going in Strakonice in late June.

All in all, it was a good time -- park, people, conversations.

Apparently I'm slightly more attracive because a few days earlier I had gotten my face rubbed and kneeds patted by a 50 year old tipsy woman.

I was sitting on the train away from the group doing some reading, and this woman sat across from me. After a few minutes she started speaking to me in Çzech. I told her, in Czech, that I don't speak Czech, but this didn't phase her. She spoke more emphatically and proceeded to rub my face with the back of her hand and pat my knees. Another first...

I responded by telling, in Czec, I didn't understand, which again, did not phase her at all, and to my surprise, apparently encouraged her to rub my face a few more times and pat my knees.

Fortunately, Cory took this opportunity to grab Martina, our Czech teammate, to come over and help me out. Turns out it was the woman's birthday, and she though I looked humble, sympathetic, and attractive. Who knew? All that just from sitting quietly and reading the Bible.

Needless to say, those three adjectives have become a running joke between me and Martina. We figured the Gypsy girl also thought I was humble, sympathetic, and attractive. What are the odds?

A lot

2009-06-08T23:03:00.001+02:00

A lot has been going on, which is part of the reason I haven't updated much. We are moved in to the apartment in Strakonice, doing some team building, and getting ready for our first youth group visit this coming weekend.

Please pray for team unity and spiritual growth, that we would have continued patience with one another and remember the gift and blessing each one is to the team.

Sorry for lack of details here, but they will come. In the mean time, check out lots of pictures from the trip thus far. Cory Dimler has gotten some amazing shots!

Love you all. Remember where our joy is found, that our name is written in the book of life (Matt. 10:17-20).

So much so fast

2009-05-31T15:15:00.000+02:00

Well, first entry from the Czech Republic. It's been quite a journey so far. It's hard to believe I have a whole summer to go because so much has already happened. The Amazing Race makes one feel like they have been here much longer than just a few days.

We started in Vienna, Austria; and traveled to many of its most famous sights, overcoming obstacles like physical challenges, hedge mazes, photo scavenger hunts, and navigating the public transit system. We then traveled to Bratislava, Slovakia; which is where the hostel we stayed was.

Day 2 sent us to Budapest, Hungary. Huge surprise! I had no idea I would be traveling to Slovakia, let alone Hungary, during the Amazing Race. Budapest has some beautiful places, specifically the Liberty Statue at the top of this large hill that overlooks the whole city, which we had to climb up as part of one of our challenges.

Budapest was the hardest day by far. I don't think I have ever done more walking and stair climbing in one day in my life. I felt like I walked myself into a six pack. Forget crunches. Just walk from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m., and add a large hill/mini mountain climb and an umpteen amount of stairs with pretty much no breaks, and I guarantee you'll be closer to a six pack than you were before. Your feet will also hate you, but that's just a side effect.

We have been in Frydlant, Czech Republic at Hotel Malenovice. We will all be here through Thursday going through internship training, and then we're off for the summer -- writing English lessons, preparing Bible lessons, budgeting, traveling, preparing for camp, visiting youth groups, and all the surprises God usually gives us along the way.

Check out the video below for a slide show that Cory Dimler put together that chronicles the Amazing Race. He got some great photos.

Arrival & The Race from Cory Dimler on Vimeo.

A life of ministry is a life of goodbyes, but that's only half...at most

2009-05-16T07:47:00.000+02:00

I want to get into stories and lessons first this time. The prayer developments and requests and developments will be at the bottom of this post. Just scroll on down if you want to skip this stuff.

It's done, it's finished. My third year of college is complete. Only one more semester to go. Who knew it would go by so quickly or seem so slow while in the midst of it.

A life of ministry is a life of goodbyes...It certainly is. Those in ministry often led in new directions, and those being ministered to are just as often as well. It happens as one grows, learns new things, is revealed new things, and etceteras. As Donald Miller rightly notes, there is no bullet point list to figure out life lessons. Life happens and God is in the midst of it, and you grow and you learn and you are moved and you move and in all that there are goodbyes.

I imagine Paul knew this very well, as did all the apostles. John's brother was martyred, and puts a whole knew depth to the brotherly love language John employs in his letters. They were called the Sons of Thunder. You and your brother only get a duo name if you are tight, always by each other's side, always together, and passionate, and his brother was martyred for the fame and popularity of an evil king.

Peter stayed in Jerusalem, but many of the apostles and others were martyred (Ex: Stephen) or called to other locations. Tradition says Thomas went east toward India and John went to Ephesus to name only two of the ten others.

Paul was all over the Mediterranean and Israel. He spent a year and a half to two years in Corinth before leaving. His two letters to that church reveal how emotional his departure must have been. He wept with the elders of Ephesus upon his departure, a vivid picture of the bond of brothers in Christ.

In all times and places of life, a decision also demands sacrifice. We are not omnipresent; we are not even dipresent (present in only two places). While at school I cannot be home with family and other friends. While at home I cannot be with friends from school. While in the Czech, well, you get the idea. As excited as I am for this summer, I also remember the good times had at school and at home, with people here and there, and consider what good times may have been had with them had I chosen to stay and not go to the Czech.

But this is only half, if even that. A life of ministry is a life of hellos and reunions and surprises and eternity. Leaving home and going to school...a whole new world of people and relationships. Returning home from school...fun and joyous and blessed reunions. Going back to the school...quite similar. Going to the Czech for the first time... Returning to the Czech...

These are all part of the great picture. The goodbyes point us to Christ and his salvation and eternal glory with him and those I have said goodbye to, remembering that no matter how long or short the time we get to spend together here, eternity is a long, long time. The new hellos do the same. Meeting a fellow brother or sister in righteousness for the first time... There is something special about meeting someone and realizing you will be eternity together, praising the king, realizing they have been doing the same thing you've been doing a world away. We are indeed united in Spirit.

And those blessed reunions! Do we have anything that compares to such feeling, a catalyst of joy within us? You know what I am talking about. That person, that friend, your brother, your sister, your mom, your dad, your girlfriend, your boyfriend, your spouse...reunited after a time of separation... Is there anything like that first hug? Is there anything like that first smile at the sight of them? And this is only a shadow of what is to come. We have been separated from our Father since the Fall, and Christ came to us 2000 years ago, and has brought us back into a right relationship with God that brings Him glory, and we wait. We are in his presence, but the time will come when we are brought bodily into his throne room. What a reunion that will be! Will there be anything like that first smile when we see him as he is, face to face? No, there isn't, for this is what the deepest longing of every human heart is, foreshadowed by the many reunions we are blessed with in this life.

Come to Jesus! Are in a right relationship with God that brings him glory? Are your goodbyes blessed with the peace of eternity? Are your hellos blessed with the hope of great things to come? Are your reunions blessed with knowledge that the greatest reunion is on its way?

God has put eternity into the heart of every person, an eternity with Him. Sin has separated us from God, has broken the relationship he desired to have with us. We became enemies of the living God, the God who loves us, and He sent his Son to live the life we could never live, to die the death we deserve, to take the punishment and wrath we willingly brought on ourselves, and rose from the dead in triumph over sin, death, and Satan...that we may be with Him. Have you believed this? You need to. Believe it! It is the truth. It will set you free. Set you free of the bondage of sin. Set you free of the meaningless and selfishness of this life into the joy filled life of glorifying God, your creator who gave his life that you may have a full one, an eternal fulfilled life. And if you already believe, if you are already one of His, this is your cornerstone. This is who chose you, and He has sealed you unto eternity, to be with Him forever and to tell others until that time this message, this message of salvation and hope, of relationship and peace with our Lord and Savior Jesus, the anointed one of God.

My prayer request is that you dwell on this truth. That you dwell on the reality of your salvation, and if you have not yet believed, that you talk to Jesus for the first time, recognizing that he has saved you and enjoy your first prayer with he who saved you.

For the sake of Christ, that many may come to salvation...Amen.

it's all crazy! it's all false! it's all a dream! it's alright

2009-05-13T23:27:00.000+02:00

I leave for the Czech in 13 days. I'm in a wedding in 11 days. I move out of my dorm in 2 days. I have my last final in 1 day. It all seems overwhelming. It isn't because I know it isn't, but it seems so sometimes.

It seems like a dream that I leave so soon. I have received some more support. God has provided $7,000+ for this summer, and all of the surplus to likely go for next. I am blown away and humbled and incredibly blessed by the family that has surrounded me in their support. Thank you. I check the updated support on Wednesday and Friday, and I see the growing list of supporters, members of this team, and I am silenced before the grace of God. I do not deserve this grace. I do not deserve a family such as I have, but He in his great mercy and kindness has decided to give such a family to me. You, my brothers and sisters, are a daily reminder of God's grace, of his blessing and faithfulness in my life.

I don't know what to call this section. I don't like "Answers to prayer" because all prayers are answered. Every request is answered with, "No," "wait," or "yes." Maybe I'll call them requests that have been granted:

1. Katherine will be going to the Czech this summer for at least three weeks.
2. Finals have been going well.
3. As stated earlier, financial support continues to come in.

Prayer requests:
1. Please pray that I will be a man of prayer as the internship approaches and throughout it.
2. We may be getting a Czech woman, Martina, on our team this summer. She would be a huge blessing.
3. That I would be diligent in accomplishing what needs to be done and not over commit myself during the time between school ends and when I leave.
4. Please pray for God to provide my sister with enough money to attend Johnson and Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island.
5. Please pray for the believers we will be encouraging and teaching as we travel throughout the Czech this summer. We will be in the cities of Bohumilice, Strakonice, and Tabor.
6. Please pray for the lost we will be preaching the gospel to and building relationships with. Our desire is that many would come to salvation that God may be glorified.
7. Pray that I would get some good solid rest - spiritually and physically

This semester has not been one of great books. The books have all been alright, but this semester has been one of good conversations and excellent lectures from incredibly wise professors. I learned so much in the classroom this year as opposed to the material I read. Sometimes reading here is like drying to drink from a fire hydrant. You don't end up getting that much sometimes and it's difficult and intense and you're all wet and uncomfortable by the end anyway, and it's not even summer, so you're not in a swimsuit partying it up in the hot streets with your friends and some super soakers.

The classroom was a time to soak and to let wisdom wash over me as I and my friends engaged with it intellectually and sometimes verbally. Discussing it outside of class, especially with my roommate, has been a great privilege. We'd talk about all our doctrinal learnings and applicational challenges while we jogged for our jogging fitness elective. Fitness and God...few combinations compare, which may not be true because I don't like jogging, but it's alright with friends, but even then I don't find it that great...maybe this is the false part of the blog. Just give a frisbee and a beach or a grass field and some people, and I'll run all day.

In closing, to give credit where credit is due, the title of this blog comes from the title of mewithoutYou's forthcoming CD release. Go to www.myspace.com/mewithoutyou to listen to three new songs from the album. They're really good.

A finale. Not the grand finale or the finale, but a finale

2009-05-07T05:58:00.000+02:00

A week and a half left of school. Books, papers, finals, Czech prep, all of it is going on.

Answers to prayer:
1. God is providing financially for the interns to go this summer.
2. Papers were finished on time, and I think they are pretty quality.
3. God has provided even more funds for this summer and future ministry with Josiah Venture then I ever could have imagined! There is one special person I need to thank deeply and seriously for her incredibly generous donation. In line with that, I have been very blessed by all of you who have prayed and given to allow me to go this summer and support this ministry and proclaim the gospel.
4. God has provided a place for me to store all my stuff - the garage loft of Paul and Stephanie. They are incredible.

Prayer requests:
1. Please pray that I will be a man of prayer as the internship approaches and throughout it.
2. Tomorrow we will be able to give Katherine a decision point. She can go if she wants to. Pray that God would giver her wisdom and discernment and peace about whatever decision she makes.
3. We may be getting a Czech woman, Martina, on our team this summer. She would be a huge blessing.
4. Please pray for God to provide my sister with enough money to attend Johnson and Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island.
5. Please pray for the believers we will be encouraging and teaching as we travel throughout the Czech this summer. We will be in the cities of Bohumilice, Strakonice, and Tabor.
6. Please pray for the lost we will be preaching the gospel to and building relationships with. Our desire is that many would come to salvation that God may be glorified.
7. Pray that I would get some good solid rest - spiritually and physically

School has been crazy busy this whole semester but especially these last few weeks. I thought I had some stories to tell, but my mind is blank right now. It may be because I'm tired because I know I haven't been leading a completely dull life.

Also, I am stoked to go see Dan Deacon play at The Metro tomorrow night. It's going to be a blast!

So Much!

2009-04-29T06:24:00.000+02:00

Like the title says, so much has been going on since the major update I last posted. Let's get started.

Answers to prayer:
1. God is preparing me for leadership and that I believe I am growing in my sensitivity to the Holy Spirit's leading
2. I believe God has been doing the same for Bonnie, my co-leader
3. THIS IS HUGE!!!! ALL MY SUPPORT IS IN, AND I ALREADY HAVE A SURPLUS! God indeed answers prayer (Luke 18:1-8; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; James 5:16b)! More on this to come in this entry.
4. I will now be making phone calls to donors to thank them for their support. What a blessing!

Elaboration on 3 and 4: Alright, God has provided a small surplus of funds thus far, and I have sent out about 60 more support letters as of today. I am incredibly excited and grateful for this opportunity. Supporters are more than faces, people with money. They are partners in this ministry. They are part of a team that desperately needs their prayer and financial support. I am grateful and honored that my supporters have the opportunity to affect the ministry in the Czech Republic that is bigger than myself. They get to help send others and support the ministry as a whole. What a blessing! You have been part of the answer to prayer of many other interns.

Thank you so much for praying. We are seeing God answer prayers in incredible ways.

Prayer Requests
1. Continue to pray that Bonnie and I walk by the Spirit and grow in wisdom as the internship approaches. We both are striving with God in prayer to be Godly leaders this summer.
2. Many other interns still need support to come in. Please pray that God would provide for them to go this summer.
3. I have two big papers due this coming Monday. Please pray that I would not do them for a grade but that I would learn and grow from doing them and that they would prepare me for ministry this summer.
4. Please pray for God to provide my sister with enough money to attend Johnson and Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island.
5. Please pray for the believers we will be encouraging and teaching as we travel throughout the Czech this summer. We will be in the cities of Bohumilice, Strakonice, and Tabor.
6. Please pray for the lost we will be preaching the gospel to and building relationships with. Our desire is that many would come to salvation that God may be glorified.
7. Please pray for our team member, Katherine. She is seeking the Lord for discernment on whether or not to go to the Czech this summer. We really want her to come, and we are praying God would provide financially for her, but we ask that His will be done and not our own.

What a week it has been. Friday, the 17th, I had about $2,000 for the Czech. On Monday, the 27th, it had more than doubled! Not only did God answer prayer, but he blew my expectations out of the water, which is what God usually does.

That's all for now. Enjoying school and friends and life in general here. Can't believe I leave in four weeks.

Also, feel free to comment on here, email me, or call me. I would love to here what is going on in your life. Pray for you and pray with you.

In Christ,

Jonathan

Major Updates

2009-04-24T04:09:00.000+02:00

Wow! A lot has gone on since my last update. This necessitates some context before I jump into prayer requests and then more details.

I have been promoted to co-leader of the intern team this summer. I will be leading alongside Bonnie Boyd who is going to the Czech for two years. This means I will be a part of the training and decision making and spiritual care of our team in a greater capacity and with more responsibility. This is an opportunity I am extremely excited about. Bonnie is a great young woman of God, and to have the opportunity to learn from her and lead alongside her is such a blessing.

Also, we now know who is on our team. Currently, there are four of us: Bonnie, my friend Cory Dimler, Katherine Robertson (from Arkansas and goes to Baylor), and myself. The Josiah Venture staff is also looking for one or two Czech interns to join our team. What a great team. I am also incredibly grateful and excited to serve, serve with, and be a part of leading this team.

On to prayer requests and answers to previous prayer requests after. "The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results" (James 5:16b), and your prayers are doing just that. Thank you!:
1. That God would continue to prepare me for this new leadership and that I would be sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading
2. That God would do the same for Bonnie and fill her with supernatural wisdom as the summer approaches.
3. Support: I, Cory, Katherine, Bonnie, Dan (another intern), and Amanda (another intern) are all raising support, and all of us need more. I currently have $2,015, and I need $4,500 by May 1st. All the other interns are at about the same level or less, and we all have the same deadline. Please pray that God will provide for all of us to go to the Czech and minister this summer, that His name may be praised and many would come to salvation.
4. I will likely be making phone calls to potential donors this coming week. Please pray those conversations would go well, and at the very least I would be able to have a good time of prayer with those I call.

Answers to prayer:
1. I am nearly completely better from my cold. Thank you!
2. More support has come in.
3. Junior/Senior banquet was wonderful, and everything was great.
4. I have been praying more and being more sensitive to the Spirit's leading in this area, and I am seeking out intentional time in the World. Thank you.

Stories and such:
Life has been quite a ride lately. It is increasingly difficult to make time for the important small things - prayer and reading scripture, fellowship, phone calls, and letter writing. The stuff that may only take an hour or less, but there are no due dates or grades, and those things that do have due dates and grades at least are much bigger and seem more important (papers, reading assignments, meetings, etc).

Junior/Senior Banquet (JSB) was great. The guys looked sharp, and all the girls were absolutely beautiful. Dinner was nice, and Dr. Dyer's message was good. It was about suffering and how it produces sanctification and wisdom. He used the illustration of block of steel. Just as it was, it would probably be worth a few dollars, but if it was melted and hammered into horse shoes, it would be worth about $30. However, if it was melted down and made into needles, it would be worth about $350. However, if it was melted and made into high tension springs for Swiss watches, it would be worth about $2,000. This upward value produced by blast furnace after blast furnace and shaping after shaping. What a good picture of sanctification and wisdom through suffering.

Our group at JSB went bowling and to IHOP afterward. It was a ton of fun.

I have been taking Romans with Dr. Zuber this semester, and it has been incredible. I have learned so much and the Spirit has spoken to me in many ways through His word and the wisdom of Dr. Zuber. We just finished Romans 6 (No, we won't finish the book, but his depth is worth it.). I wish I could give you all of it, but I can't. I will give you what will hopefully carry into some good study of the book for yourself.

It comes down to indicative and imperative. The indicative is reality. It is what is true. It is what you ARE. The imperative is what ought to be. It is the implications and commands. Too often, are Christian walk puts imperative before indicative, which is completely wrong. Doing this builds our foundation not on Christ but on what we can or can't do, which we all know is no foundation at all.

Romans 1-6:14 is indicative. Read that again. Romans 1-6:14 is all about what IS. What Jesus has done. Who we are as Christians. Paul makes sure this foundation is firmly laid before any imperative is brought up. In short, here is the indicative: if you are a believer, Jesus lived a perfect life, died on the cross, and rose again three days later. Through this He righteoussified (justified) you. This means you are justified by grace through faith ALONE. This means you stand in the righteousness of Christ. This means you died with him, were buried with him, and were raised with him, and God views you as such. Thus, you are united with Christ in His death and resurrection, and thus, His righteousness. Christ died to sin, and you ARE dead to sin. This means you do not need to die to sin or you are dying to sin. It means you ARE dead to it. This is a fact, it is reality. This means you DO NOT have to sin anymore. We were once not able to not sin, but now through Christ's work, we are now able to not sin. Living out of this truth, out of who you ARE produces sanctification.

Now, the imperative: Stop sinning! Just stop it! Christ has brought you to new life. Don't hang the dead corpse around you and drag it around. Christ has given you sight. Don't cover up your eyes and claim to be blind. Christ has given you hearing. Don't cover your ears and claim to be deaf. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SIN ANYMORE! You have been broken free from sin and death's chains.

In addition, do not struggle with sin. This will only frustrate you. You are DEAD to sin. Instead, struggle with walking by the Spirit (Romans 8), and by doing so, you will sin less, you will gain moral discernment. Live as who you really are (Romans 1-6:14). Don't try to defeat sin with the law, with a list of do's and don'ts (Romans 7), but instead learn to walk by the Spirit (Romans 8).

What a message, the message we are called to preach and teach, the message I will be bringing to the Czech, the message I am called to tell my friends, the message you are called to tell your friends. May we step out in trust of the Spirit, empowered by Him to reach the world. This is THE message. No other way of salvation for this life and the next exists. May we live boldy as the Spirit has empowered us to do. You are Saints my brothers and sisters. You do not have two natures. You are no Jekyll and Hyde. You are alive to Christ, united with Him, and dead to sin. Thank you Jesus. Amen.

Prayer Requests

2009-04-16T08:35:00.000+02:00

Just prayer requests this time, in no particular order (can't truly say that though, guess there is somewhat of an order):

- That support funds would continue to come in. God has currently provided $915.00 through generous donations, and I need $3,585.00 more.

- That I would be sensitive to the Spirit's leading and teaching these last 5 1/2 weeks before I leave. I am completely convinced that what I am going to learn and experience during this time is essential to my ministry this summer.

- I would be devoted to prayer. That I would intentionally seek out times of communion with Christ.

- Junior/Senior Banquet is this Friday, and I and the other guys in the group want everything to go smoothly and for the girls to have a wonderful evening.

- Nik and Cory are also raising funds, and they both still need more. Please pray that God would indeed provide for this summer.

- I have a bad cold, and it has affected my energy level, and it makes daily tasks for tiring and annoying.

Thank you for praying. Money moves material goods and services, but prayer moves the sovereign King and Savior of the universe. Thank you.

6 1/2 weeks to go

2009-04-11T05:27:00.000+02:00

Again, prayer requests first, followed by those more interested in stories and details/have the time to read longer blogs.

Prayer requests: My friend Cory Dimler has been accepted to Josiah Venture and will be going to The Czech Republic. Please pray that he will be sensitive to the Holy Spirit's lead in all aspects of his life as Jesus prepares him for the wild road of ministry this summer. I ask for the same prayers for Nik Walborn and myself. Pray that I would continue to grow in understanding of the Gospel -- Jesus' life, death, and resurrection and the salvation he offers through justification by faith, both being an incredible grace from Him, greater than I will ever conceive. Please pray for support to come in for my friend Nik Walborn and Cory and me, being thankful for whatever extra God provides for any of us because it will be able to support any who need more. Please pray that I continue to be diligent in my walk with God, remembering that He is the center, the rock that makes the ripples in the lake of my life. Everything ought to flow from Him, and I desire this to be true each moment of my life.

It's hard to believe I will be in another country in 6 1/2 weeks. This semester has been kick in the face. It has definitely been the hardest semester yet, and I believe even that is preparing me for this summer. I am pretty sure this summer will be the busiest most pressing time of my life to date, and I believe God is teaching me to experience spiritual rest in the midst of the lack of physical or emotional rest.

In preparation for the summer I am reading Vintage Jesus by Mark Driscoll, and I will be reading his Death By Love as well. These are both to give me a further grasp of Jesus Christ, his life, death, and resurrection. My responsibility as a believer is not to convert anyone. That is the Holy Spirit's responsibility. My responsibility is to preach the gospel, which means I need to get it right. I will be preaching the gospel to many teenagers who have never heard it before, and by God's grace, even when I get it wrong the Holy Spirit still works. It is amazing that he has called me into this legacy of standing for truth and preaching the gospel.

I read of Athanasius today. He is pretty much the one responsible for making sure the doctrine of the Trinity became just that, Christian doctrine. Those preaching heresy had political power, and he spent 17 years in flight and exile, all the time writing against the heresy and for the truth. I thought to myself, "God is calling me to a legacy of witnesses such as Athanasius. Who am I to be called to such a task?"

This Good Friday I am reminded that it was for my sin that Jesus died (1 Cor. 15:3), and indeed [his] grace is sufficient for [me], for [his] 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 (2 Cor. 12:9). It is with this confidence and hope that I take steps boldly into the future, putting faith in the in Him who has promised to be the power in my weakness.

It is incredible. My brother in Christ, Cory, is going to the Czech Republic. Nate had sent me an email asking me to continue casting the vision of the summer internship and JV to guys I knew because they still needed more guy interns. I asked many people, and then I asked Cory. God works in incredible ways. He went through two international ministry opportunities, and God brought him to JV. It is incredible to see my brother taking up the mantle of Christ and taking His message to the lost. I am incredibly grateful for his friendship and the opportunity to serve alongside him, whether on the same team or knowing we are both seeking the same goal - the glory of God in Christ - in different places in the country, separated by time and space but together in spirt. The same goes fo rNik Walborn as well. He is a brother I have been blessed by beyond measure.

I have grown more and more thankful for eternity. Not only to see my savior face to face and live with Him forever, but I get to spend lifetimes unending with brothers and sisters who have gone before me, walked beside me, and come after me.

An Update

2009-03-30T06:24:00.000+02:00

Prayer requests: Wise and intentional with my time: that I would not marginalize time with God or fellowship or other very important but not urgent things for the sake of grades, but that I would also be diligent in my studies. I have a systematic theology mid-term on Tuesday; it's going to be a killer. Czech internship: raising of funds and prayer support, finish getting all my paperwork, and getting international insurance worked out. That God would continue to use His word, prayer, those around me, and classes to prepare me for my internship coming up, and that he would continue to sanctify and mature all of us serving their this summer and prepare each student we meet to meet with Him.

Mid writing P.S. (guess that makes that an M.W.S.): I also regularly update my Twitter (www.twitter.com/rosenministries), and you can subscribe to it in the same way you do blogs.

I have sent (well, my mom has sent) my support letters out, and it says to check this blog for updates and prayer requests. I put my prayer requests at the top for people who do not have time for all this nitty gritty detail stuff. I completely understand. It's hard to keep up with a lot of blogs that are filled with multiple paragraphs each. So, for those that want the quick updates and prayer requests, you do not need to read further. For those that want more details and all those things, feel free to continue.

Spring break was great. I have an incredible family and amazing friends. It was a blessing to be home again. Long days, late nights, movies, games, running, cooking and putting on a formal dinner; it was great.

This weekend I ran my first 5k with my roommate and a friend of his in Winona Lake, IN, which is pretty much Grace College and Seminary. 3.1 miles in 28:17. I'm pleased, but my right knee isn't. It was fun and relaxing being off campus for a night and a day, meeting new people, and resting for a bit (5k's lead to great naps and enjoyment of guilt free large meals).

Overlooking and underlooking

2008-12-18T07:18:00.000+01:00

Well, it is my last night at school until 2009. I leave tomorrow morning to head home for Christmas break. I'm nearly all packed. It's that place where you've packed everything except what you are going to use later that night (like my laptop) and what you will use the morning of and will pack after you use it (like my toothbrush, which fits in both categories).

God has revealed quite a few things to me this semester. As I have grown, matured, been pruned, I continue to look for the high places that need to be torn down. This was particularly difficult this semester. This is because the high place that has dominated the horizon for so many years is "nearly gone." I believe Christmas break is a major checkpoint, but God has been pruning it away this entire semester. Thus, I asked myself, "Where will Satan attack me now? What high place in my life is giving him a foothold?" It took a whole semester before I realized what it is.

This semester has had some themes to it. They overlap and weave in and out of each other, but there are some themes nonetheless:
-Tensions
-End with prayer.
-Confession without transformation is just vain honesty.
-Why am I filled with so much pride?
-Intellectual ascent to the guidance of the Almighty without heart support isn't much of an ascent at all and only leads to fraction-hearted obedience.
-Trust the Holy Spirit for your memory, and He has gifted me with a good one.
-Listen
-Self-burdening: Christ's yoke is easy and His burden is light, and I often pick up other burdens to carry. His cross is all I need, and yet I pick up other crosses to carry.
-I fear rejection, but I am learning to not live or act in fear.
-I still need to learn better self-motivation. It is a good thing God has surrounded me with such a wonderful community to spur me on.
-I desire to lead from within than from above.
-Some things are worth doing well, other things are worth doing, and some things just need to be thrown in the "to hell with it" basket.
-Discipline means doing what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, in the manner it needs to be done, regardless of how I feel.
-Relationships do not increase in depth naturally. One must be intentional in going deeper. No one touches the bottom of the deep end of a pool by accident. You have to intentionally dive down and push your way to the bottom.
-Broaden my prayer life.
-How you break a fast often reflects the spirit of the fast itself.
-It's fun to have a big long go-t.
-Donald Miller is an excellent author. Please read Searching for God Knows What and Through Painted Deserts. They are excellent books and have been a blessing to me this semester.
-Hold what you think you have in an open palm.
-In reference to a past post, gains and losses.
-Women's roles in ministry is a ticksy issue.
-Consistently reading blogs (which Google Reader makes very easy) and The Adventures of Dr. McNinja.

Not a bad summation. Not exhaustive, but not trivial. Each of these could be a blog/note post in of itself. Maybe one, or a few, or some of them will be developed further. It is likely they will continue to develop as they already have, in quiet reflection or conversation. Needless to say, I am excited to go home. To take a break. To get recalibrated. To realign myself with God. It's not easy to stay aligned, even though I'm at a Bible school. Life happens here just like anywhere else. This is no Eden, and neither is Texas, but they are home nonetheless. They say, "Home is where the heart is." Well, ultimately my heart is with Christ, thus my home is heaven. Earthly my heart is here and in Texas. They may not be Edens, but they are home nonetheless, and I am at peace in either. Goodbye cold, wintry, dry, slippery Chicago (for now), and hello warm, sunny, humid (The air is like natural moisturizer.) Texas. See you in a few hours.

Gains and losses

2008-11-07T09:08:00.000+01:00

A friend wrote a note a couple months ago. It had no title. The note consisted of a picture and the statement, "Sometimes something really good has to end."

Gains and losses, just one of the many tensions our lives and faith is built on. I have gained so much this semester, and at the same time, I have lost as well.

I have gained relationships with greater depth. I have gained new friends. I have gained new opportunities in leadership and ministry. I have gained new knowledge and wisdom. I have gained. This is without question.

I have lost. I have lost the confident feeling of a home church to return to. I have lost the confident feeling of close friends to return to back home. I have lost consistent connections. I have lost the ability to be home for more than three weeks (at least for now), and I have now been told that I, along with all the men on our floor, will be losing our RA.

In this life, we must remember to hold everything in an open palm. Nothing is ours, and Greg (our RA) is God's son before he is our shepherd, friend, mentor, brother... I have been learning a lot this semester from a man named Dr. Sauer. He is my professor the my Hebrews class. He and his wife were told this week that she has breast cancer, and the day he was told he comes to class and speaks on 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

Everything in an open palm. God is sovereign; He is all knowing; He is all powerful, and He has our deepest good at heart. It is a wonderful thing that God is more interested in our holiness than our happiness. It is all part of the great reversal - last-first, first-last, weak-strong, strong-weak. I may have lost, or it may feel like I have lost, but they are all gains: "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing" (James 1:2-4).

I am full of joy. It is amazing that we can be sad, grieving, and yet be filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit. Emotion does not affect our salvation. Emotion does not affect our distance from God. It is wonderful to know there is a constant that is steadfast in the storms of life, whether they come from without or within.

I am moving through the application process to do my internship with Josiah Venture in The Czech Republic. I have taught in the youth group I serve in, and I currently lead a small group. I am a part of The Calling, which is the new men's ministry on campus. I am on the promotions team for Moody Campus Radio and host a show Monday nights. I play intramural sports with the men on my floor, and I love it. I am going to Erwin McManus speak today. My sister is coming in this weekend. The JV vision night is next Thursday. Tim flies in next weekend, and Thanksgiving at Kyle's is just around the corner. I have so much to be grateful for, and this is just the surface.

Life happens to us all. Friends are called to fight wars. Friends lose loved ones. Friends have family who become deathly ill. Life happens, and yet we are told to thank and praise God in all circumstances. Our speaker in chapel spent three days going through Psalm 73, and he ended with this, "Always remember that the nearness of God is your good." No matter where you are, no matter what is happening, no matter what you are doing or not doing...close your eyes, and remember that the nearness of God is your good." I will remember. I will close my eyes and remind myself of this. I will seek God's face. He is our refuge. He is our strength.

Friends may move geographically, but one of the many gifts of God is that we are unified by the Spirit, and that means we are never alone. We can always be coverd in the prayers of the saints no matter where we are. You or I may be gone physically, but we can say that we are still present in Spirit because it is the Spirit that unifies all believers into the Church, the body of Christ, with Jesus as its head, and this is wonderful.