One Look

"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!" Matthew 6:22-23

Our eyes can get us into a lot of trouble sometimes. If we fail to see a stop sign we might crash. If we look too much at a computer screen we get headaches. If we look at someone to hard or too long or not in a way they understand they might thing we're creepers. The list can go on forever. Yet even though subconsciously we all know this, I can't say for myself that I've ever actually sat down and though of how profound this truth is. 

Speaking literally, our eyes (apart from our heart and desires) are one of the first things to cause us to stumble or fall morally. There are countless examples of affairs that have started all because of one glace, one look, that leads to ungodly thoughts and then into actions. There are millions all over the world right now who are addicted to things such as pornography or explicit literature, all because of what seemed to be one harmless look that triggered something far greater inside the human brain than they ever thought possible. It only takes one look to end a friendship or a marriage; one look to start a lifelong addiction. A failure to look at the warning signs of a struggling friend that ends up in suicide; a failure to look at the people you surround yourself with that continue to drag you down deeper. 

One look or a failure to look holds extreme power to dictate the trajectory of our lives.

Even figuratively, the lenses in which we see our world projects the direction of our lives. If I choose to look at things that happen in my daily life as interruptions, frustrations, and obligations then its pretty likely I will live a miserable, defeated life. But if I instead choose to see through new eyes the whole atmosphere of my life changes. I start to see that the things set before me are actually invitations into a greater life, opportunities to work out the areas that I struggle with (patience! can I get a witness!?), and commitments are callings that I get to do instead of things I have to do. 

And now I see why Paul so stressed for us to "...fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:12) Because it is only when we consistently keep our eyes on Jesus, that they tend not to wander on to other things that seek to destroy us. It is only when our eyes are focused on him that we can see our world through his eyes, and it is only when we see through his eyes that we can reach out to the hurting and helpless around us. 

So let us fix our eyes on Jesus and never look back. 

Harassed and Helpless

"When Jesus saw the crowds he had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." Matt 9:36

I read this and think of how different a picture we have of this today. Judgmental and hateful people pointing their fingers at a lost, broken, and hurting world all while claiming the name of Christ. People who profess Jesus with their mouths but not by sharing his compassion. Churches that shout hate against culture and celebrities because of their values and morals, when we cannot expect unbelievers to live under standards to which they do not believe or yet even understand.

I think Jesus looks at the crowds today in the same eyes as he did in the gospel of Matthew, with compassion, knowing that they were harassed and helpless. Yet it breaks my heart to know that generally speaking it is the Church today that has done much of that harassing.

Should we not have a heart of compassion as our Savior did? Should we not strive to share and show this compassion to people who WE don't understand (Jesus understands them), people who are different than us, who hold different opinions and values, who live a lifestyle that we know little about.

Live a life of love. And remember that you were once one of those harassed and helpless. If not by the grace of God.

Qualified by The Blood

I've realized now more than ever before that I'm not at all qualified for the roles that I play in life. I'm not qualified to lead a high school small group. I didn't even know Jesus when I was in high school, so how on earth can I tell these girls to rise above the peer pressure when I did nothing but fall prey to it? I'm not qualified to be a nanny. I have the least patience out of anyone on this entire planet (my friends are laughing right now because they can testify). How can I show the love of Christ when I can't even be patient enough to be okay with the fact that it takes a four year old 20 minutes to brush his teeth? I'm not qualified to be an outreach liaison. I'm just a fresh off the press adult. With 21 years under my belt, how could I possibly have the knowledge and wisdom to lead those far older than me? And by far I'm not qualified to call myself a "Christian"! By gosh, with all that I've done, with all that I still struggle with. Surely, God some how pulled the wrong name out of the hat. 

But what if. What if its not my qualifications that actually count for anything? When God called Jeremiah He declared "Before I made you in your mother's womb, I chose you. Before you were born, I set you apart for a special work. I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." (Jeremiah 1:5) If God appointed Jeremiah as a prophet before he was ever even born, then God must have pulled his qualifications from somewhere else. Being that God and He alone was there before the world was made, then it must mean that it's not what I've done or accomplished (or my lack of) that qualifies me, but it is what God has done and accomplished that qualifies me for the work I'm doing. 

Jeremiah thought the same way I do. (We'll probably be friends in Heaven) He replies to God's decree saying, "But Lord God, I don't know how to speak. I am only a boy." I sound like this a lot to God. "But Godddddd....! Really, Jesus! You must have meant to chose that other guy for the job. I'm only this kid with more failures to my name than qualifications." And while I'm saying all of my But Godddd..'s, God Himself, in His grace and mercy, is saying, But GOD in reply. "But GOD shows His great love for us in this way: Christ died for us while we were still sinners." (Romans 5:8) "But GOD chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and He chose the weak things of this world to shame the strong." (1 Corinthians 1:27) And I realize that I am one of those foolish and weak things He chose to do His will here on earth. I realize that its not my qualifications that matter at all, but that the very blood of Jesus has qualified me to do all things that God calls me to do. 

So by the world's standards you could say that I should probably be fired from all these roles I fill. I'm not smart enough, old enough, talented enough, or patient enough for any of them. But GOD Himself has qualified me to do all of these things and more. And His qualifications far exceed mine. Thank God that we are called before He even made us, before the world itself even existed. Thank God that He chose us and qualified us before we ever stepped foot on this earth to do anything right or wrong. Abide in His qualifications; in the reality that as followers of Jesus His blood not only wipes our sins away, but that His blood also qualifies us to do the things we could never do apart from Him. 

Lovers of Your Presence

"We are lovers of Your presence. And that's all we want to be."

Oh bless, this "Here on Earth" album by Bryan and Katie Torwalt has been preaching to me so much. Seriously, stop what your doing right now and go buy it, then continue reading. I feel like these past two weeks God has been consistently emphasizing to me His presence, the Spirit's presence and power within us and what that could bring if we were simply obedient. 

Man, could you imagine what our days would look like if we truly welcomed and walked in and by the Spirit's presence? I believe we'd see a totally different outplaying of our daily lives. Days where REVIVAL would be birthed in the hearts of believers and LIFE would be birthed within the hearts of the lost. Could you imagine what our days would look like if we truly walked by the Spirit's leading? I know we'd be in drastically different places than we choose to put ourselves in each day. I think I'd be on the streets more, in the slums, in community, and be more intentional with each place I went throughout the day. Could you imagine what our days would look like if we let the Spirit direct our words? We would be encouragers, grace bearers, people who build up and never tear down, people who put others before ourselves. Could you imagine what our days would look like if we embraced and lived in the power the Spirit gives us? Lives would be set free, sin would be conquered, victory would be the norm. We could bring hope and healing to the thousands. 

Could you imagine the outflow of Christ to others if we simply were more AWARE of the Spirit's presence, prompting, and power? God make us lovers of Your presence who are hungry for Your presence. Let us burn with a desire to see Your presence not only invade our lives, but the lives of this world. Let's not just imagine, let's see His presence flood this earth. 

The Shakedown before Revival

I feel like it’s a constant theme within Scripture of God always allowing faith rattling things to happen before He shows up in even bigger ways. Before Paul was set ablaze for Christ and took the gospel to more places than anyone in the world and wrote more than half of the New Testament he had to encounter Christ a shakedown kind of way. He was struck of his horse on the road to Damascus and Scripture says that he encountered the risen Christ. I don’t know about you, but I could only imagine how much this shook Paul to his core being a persecutor of the very Christ he was seeing. In the Old Testament we see how Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, suffered as a prisoner and servant before God brought him into the place of a pharaoh’s assistant. Joseph, who had previously seen dreams of his brothers bowing down to him, these very brothers that sold him into slavery, was most likely having his faith shaken as he sat in that prison cell. Yet in all these cases throughout Scripture we see that these “shakedowns” always brought about a greater good, a greater revival of the purpose and mission of God.

Currently, at Canaan, I feel like we are in this shakedown phase. With a change in some of the missionary staffing, we as a team and Canaan as a whole has had to readjust in many ways.  The kids have had to get use to a change in the teaching staff and adjusting to a few new faces. There are days when these changes seem impossible for them, but as we progress we are seeing the kids actually renewed and encouraged to strive on in even greater ways.

Also at Canaan right now we are having our land surveyed and the removal of squatters that are currently on our land. This is bringing quite the shakedown of our community as we are all on high alert because of the squatters potential outrage of being forced to move.  We have a whole new set of rules for where we can be and cannot be at certain times and as with any change it brings frustration. But after meeting with Pastor Henri last night the team now sees the greater good that will come from this happening. As these squatters are removed, Canaan will have more opportunity to grow and expand on the land that God has given them. With these projected long term expansions Canaan will be enabled to reach thousands and thousands more for Christ.

Personally, I’m being shaken to the core right now as well. A few days ago I got the news that my uncle who has been fighting stage 4 lymphoma for over a year was emergency admitted into the hospital. They have started him on heavy radiation and with a tumor close by one of his kidneys they are expecting this to have damaging effects on that kidney. Too often we think that if we are serving God that guarantees everything in our lives flow good and dandy. But that is nothing but a lie. I knew that as God led me to make the decision to return to Haiti for four months that my uncle was still sick. And yet God told me to trust him. So I stand here, an ocean away, with the reality that my uncle might not make it. But I also stand in the reality that I have a Savior who took cancer on the cross. I have a God that is a healer, who is The Great Physician.  I stand in the reality of a God who says that “faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains.” So while my faith is being shaken to the core right now, I praise God that I even have the gift of faith. I praise God knowing that in the moment I am being shaken, but it is only a preparation of a coming revival, a coming move of God.

The fact is that we don’t always understand why God does things the way He does them. But I am learning that I am so glad that He does do them His way. While the shakedowns aren’t that fun, I know that I stand in a faith that is ultimately unshakeable, and that God will bring me through, and us through anything that comes our way. I know that God uses these times to shape and mold, to build up, and push us on to greater things. So I praise God for these shakedowns, because it is only the flood gate being opened of the coming revival that is to hit this land called Canaan, to hit this country called Haiti that will ultimately flood into the ends of the earth.