Going Home

Last night in my house. Then 3 nights at debriefing (with AC). Followed by one extremely long flight (19 hours), and 2 shorter flights (3 hours). Finally, I will drive my car home on fantastic roads , and sleep in my bed, and drink tap water. 

This blog is done. Don't check it anymore.

Sorry if that saddens both of you who read this, but that is all.

Joel

Pile On The Burdens?...

Many of you may know by now, and by many, I mean the 3 or 4 of you who are up to date on this blog, that the university that I was primarily ministering to has been closed. It is a lengthy explanation as to how a university can just shut down and send 16,000 students home mid-semester, but I believe the expression, This Is Africa, will suffice. Things don't always make sense, and sometimes it makes even less sense to ask questions... It is just a stalemate of cultures. I can't understand the logic behind it, and they can't figure out why I can't rationalize closing a school. 

So, this has resulted in a little confusion as to exactly what we are supposed to. I had gotten very comfortable in my routine ministering to students on campus. At times, feeling extremely  proud of the things that God had done in and through our team. It was exciting, and some of it happened so fast that it is a blur of about 4 weeks of fantastic ministry. But, with the closing of the university, I lost all of my relationships and any contacts that I had. So, "Where to now?" This is the question I have been asking myself for a few days. "What to do with the next 3 weeks?" 

In retrospect, I had a ton of passion for the students on campus about 5 weeks ago. I would get up each day, and sit down with the Lord and plan my day. I would get all ready to attack that campus with the Word of God; and I did. It was really exciting, and as I said, I got into a bit of a routine with it. It was great, and I think a lot of people were impacted with and for the gospel; I also met some great guys and got to disciple some guys who were new believers. All well and good right?

However, it is going to be little different for the next three weeks. I am getting the feeling that it is going to be much less relational and much more keeping your nose to the grindstone, and hitting the streets with the gospel. Although, the prospect of a new focus is exciting, what that entails will, I am sure, not be so easy. 

I have been reading through the sermon on the mount lately; reading it once, sometimes more than that each day trying to glean as much as I can from those radical words. Trying to square this challenging message with other things that Jesus said, and trying to see where I fit in all of these sermons while in Dar es Salaam. I wish it was simple enough to say that all of the things that Jesus tells us to do in Matthew 5 and 6 were suggestions for us, but He is God. He doesn't offer us suggestions. He offers us truth; commands. All of this seems to point to one thing. If you were unfortunate enough to hear me preach at Central before I left, you heard this. But as I look at the teachings of Jesus, I see that God is concerned with my relationship with Him, and my relationships with my neighbors. We are to constantly be reaching up to God, and simultaneously reaching out to people. They are inseparable. Read Matthew 23:37-38. 

So, lately, I have really been praying for a burden for the lost around. Although my focus will change a little bit, there is still a ton of lostness around it. I know that it is crazy to ask for burden, but it is a fitting word. According to the apple dictionary, a burden, is an especially heavy load; a duty that causes hardship. If you have ever ready The Pilgrims Progress, this makes 2 or 3 references on this blog to that book, the main character, Christian, arrives at the Cross, and he is loosed of the burden that had been a strain on him thus far. It is a beautiful image of the way that Christ relieves us of the burden of sin. With all this in mind, it seems crazy to pray for a burden. But that is what it will take. Although the need to be burdened for the lost around me is ever present, the desire is not. I think it is a prayer that all believers need to pray continuously, but it is hard. It is one of those costly prayers. It will demand action and radical obedience. 

This was long and drawn out, but I want to leave you all with a question to think about. I only do this, because I am thinking about it too. Keeping in mind I am always dealing with my own sin, I want to pose this question. What would my world look like if I was genuinely and wholeheartedly burdened for those who are dead around me? Not the whole world, just my little cluster of interactions that I call "my world". What would it look like if I was consumed by an unquenchable desire to see lost people come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Sometimes it seems like I am the lost one... not "them". It seems like sometimes I, being "found", could not be more lost. I am the one who has the task clearly before me, but I wander around- aimless, like I have no direction when in fact, I CARRY THE MOST WONDERFUL NEWS THE WORLD COULD FATHOM. I need to be burdened. We all do. 

Please pray for our team to finish well. We have 17 days until be go to debriefing; 21 until we are home. Thank you for all of your prayers- from the beginning of this journey up to now I am so grateful for them. 

Peace,

Joel

It's Stinkin Oppressive

Recently, I was able to catch up with a dear friend that I haven't seen or communicated with in nearly two years. It was just an email or two, but it was enough to see that when the Lord blesses us with friendships and relationships, and they are from Him, it is a beautiful thing. In the brief message that I received, it was clear that God had ordained this time and this conversation. 

Lately, I have been thinking and reading a lot about prayer. Last week, I read these words from John Bunyan, author of The Pilgrim's Progress, arguably the best allegory of the Christian faith ever written (who would actually argue that I don't know). He said, 

"Pray often, for prayer is a shield to the soul, 

a sacrifice to God, and a scourge for Satan."

-John Bunyan

So with these words somewhere in the back of my head, for some reason I had the desire to contact this long lost friend. He, obviously was unaware of my recent thoughts on prayer, but nevertheless, he gave me these words- not necessarily in this context, but this phrase is exactly as it appeared in that message-  "...[if] one doesn't have a spirit of prayer, then its stinkin oppressive."

How true! Over the last two weeks, I have been praying, to be a better pray"er". I had been thinking on the fact that so often I offer God cheap prayers, but I want to be known as one who prays costly prayers. I am reminded of Cain and Abel's sacrifices. God didn't want Cain's. They both gave sacrifices; they both gave the best they had, but God said that it wasn't enough, and that it would not do. It was not a blood sacrifice. It was not as costly; and the cost of sin was very high.

I am still praying to be a better pray''er''. It is hard. honesty is hard; But it is good. I would encourage all of you who read this, to consider your prayer life. I have considered mine, and it is rather cheap. I shudder to think that I have been living my Christian life thus far offering, almost exclusively, cheap prayers to a most high God. The God who gave us everything, is He not worthy of the most costly prayers from the deepest groaning of our souls?

This blog was a joy to write for two reasons. I got to write about some of the things that I am learning and God is teaching, but I also got to share how God works through others in our lives. To my friend, if you read this, it has been a while, but God has not stopped using you to impact my life. It is my hope that I am impacting others half as much as you have impacted me. Thank you brother.

Peace,

Joel

Pride Cometh Before The Fall... So does Summer

Over the past 88 days that I have been in Africa, I have come to the realization [it did not take all 88 by any means] that Africa is one humbling place. People have a phrase here, AWA (Africa Wins Again). It is true. Whether it is a power outage at the MOST inconvenient time or traffic being backed up for hours for no reason. Random downpours of torrential rain, people hassling me, or me just being an idiot, etc. These things have to make me laugh. Just when I think a little too highly of myself, something untimely happens that reminds me that I am not such a big deal after all. Africa is definitely ahead with an insurmountable lead. It isn't even a fair fight. Not to make this place seem miserable, it is not by any means. But, I would be lying if I told anyone that Africa never gets the best of me. Little things just happen. 

The last week or so in particular, I have been really homesick, and desiring all things familiar. In retrospect, I am sure what I displayed was more pride and stubbornness about all these little inconveniences than anything. And pride, my friend, is a terrible thing. 

The way I see it, people have two ways to respond to situations; Be it pleasant ones, or unpleasant ones. The first way, is to view the situation (again good or bad) as it applies to oneself. Either this thing was really good for me, or this thing was really bad for me. The former grows pride in a much more obvious, blatant way. The latter takes a different form of pride. The kind that is manifest in self pity and wanting to drag everyone else down out of jealousy. Both are prideful.

The second, the less natural way, is to view the situation in a proper perspective. This world is not about me. To try and realize that because the universe caters not to me, but to a holy God. Pride is hard to escape, God makes it clear in the Bible that He will not stand for pride. I recently read through Daniel. The entire first half sets up a beautiful picture of the Lord, dealing rightly with pride.

So right off the bat, God allows King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, to conquer Judah. Increasing his land and power. Long story, good details, Daniel and friends wanting vegan diets, a few name changes, Belteshazzar interprets dreams, God praised, idols built, fiery furnace, God praised, so on and so forth. After a myriad of events (which are really a good read- I don't mean to make light of them at all), King Nebuchadnezzar makes this statement stop his palace roof.                                        "Is this not great Babylon which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?"

I love God's response. The timing, the word choice, everything. Before the king even finishes his statement, a voice from Heaven says, "O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom shall depart from you, you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. And you will be made to eat grass like an ox." The Bible says IMMEDIATELY the word was fulfilled against him. Because of his pride- when clearly God put him in his place of power with a win over Judah, God cast him out from among men for Seven years (well...periods of time). He eats grass like an ox, he is made to be wet with the dew from heaven, his hair will grow lie the eagles feathers, and his nails like bird's claws. Pride sucks. Just ask Nebuchadnezzar.

BUT, we serve a gracious God. His gives gifts, not pay. He gives grace, not wages. The Bible says after the days had passed, Nebuchadnezzar says, "I lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me..." God is so gracious. All His works are right and all His ways are just; those who walk in pride He is able to humble. Even if God had not ever restored Nebuchadnezzar, He would have been right in doing so. ALL His works are right. 

I need to evaluate myself so often. I don't think I could do it enough, because God is so serious about pride. Pride puts us in a higher place than we could ever hope to deserve. It elevates self, and parades it in front of men, rather than letting God be magnified before men. I am ashamed when I think of all the prideful moments I have DAILY. It seems like I am either committing a selfish act, about to commit a selfish act, or reflecting and repenting for a selfish act. The flesh loves itself, and wants everyone and everything else to love it. But that is a fight that we cannot afford to shirk. Pride is sin in its most clear definition- us rebelling from what should be a child like dependence on God. Thinking that we can do anything apart from Him, and that it is better that way. Not so. Therefore, I must decrease and Christ must increase.  I have a lot to work on. Good thing Africa is helping to keep me humble. 

Peace,

Joel

Love and Stuff

As of late, I have been learning a lot about grace and mercy and stuff. I am not gonna rehash that because it is all in the previous blog, but in thinking about all this grace and mercy and stuff (on a 17 hour bus ride to Nairobi), God showed me some awesome things. So here was my train of thought. We are saved by grace- what is grace? Why do we get it? Of what importance am I and God would show me and offer this gift to me? What is mercy? How does all of this come about? 

-keep that in mind as I digress. I have also been reading Romans. And around Chapters 12 and 13 it begins to talk a lot about Love. And how that is the mark of a Christian. Our love.

- back to the questions about grace. The answers are very simple. Everything that God has done for us is a direct result of His love for us. Thats all. There is no more to figure out. All philosophies and crap have to stop there. Because His love is the only way to explain it. Yay. Good for Joel. Nothing mind blowing right? But in seeing how He loves us, it made me to wonder as to the way in which we are called to love. As believers, we are to do ALL things as a act of love for those around us. 

Here is the part of Romans 13 that I found very exciting. Romans 13:11-12. Paul gives from Chapter 12 through 13:10, reasons to love. Then in verse 11, He says, "besides this, you know the time, that the hour has come to awake from sleep..... 12-so put on the armor of light..."

When I read "besides this" it was as if I could hear Paul talking in conversation. Like he was saying, all these reasons to love are good, but THIS ONE, is obvious. YOU MUST SEE IT. "You know the time"- what time is it?

Well, He tells us. IT IS DAY TIME! WAKE UP! Go put on some armor. The day is at hand. When Jesus came, He DEFEATED the world (time) of darkness, and sin, but He did not END it. He began the world (time) of light. Salvation through Him. But it has not fully come yet. Not until He comes back. So Paul says, it is daytime. Not night anymore. That means, although we still live in a world riddled with sin and death, we ALSO live in a kingdom of light. And Hope. 

So what time is it? It is the time of Christ. Sin and Death are defeated. So even though Jesus' world has not fully come yet, it is still here. And we hope in that day that He IS coming back. 

So often we get bogged down in the world of Sin and guilt and death, and we forget "TETELESTAI"- It is finished. Christ defeated that world. We, as believers, don't live by the rules of that age. It is done away with. For the time being, we coexist with it, but we are Children of Light, as the Bible clearly puts it. So what does this have to do with love? 

Remember Paul, "besides this"- He is giving another reason to love. The age we live in in a different one than that of non-believers. Thus, we have the upper hand in the ability to love. If life's end was death, and the sin we live in, than YES. Sin. Sin all you want. If this life is it, why not have as much fun and get as much self fulfillment out of it as you can. BUT thats not true. We know that age is defeated. It is still here, and very present, but we are living in triumph over it. We, through Christ, have overcome. And the hope of a new age should compel us to love. To love everyone as Christ exampled. In all humility. 

So I need to daily, take off my pajamas. And wake up. The day is here. Not night... maybe I won't even sleep in pajamas anymore. Cut out the middle man in the mornings.

Peace,

JOel

Grace That is Greater Than All Our Sin

Things have been picking up around here lately. We have been on campus every day meeting college students and sharing with them. Some of my conversations were exciting, and some not so exciting, but the gospel was shared either way. I have made one really good friend, named Hashim. He is a second year student, and he comes from a muslim family. He has come to church with me a few times and said that he really enjoys the service. We have had many good conversations, and yesterday he invited me to celebrate Eid ul-Fitr with him and his family. Eid is the festival marking the end of the fast of Ramadan. All I know is that there will be much food, one white guy, and subsequently one Christian at this festival.

So on a different note, I am really excited about some cool things that God has shown me lately. I have been reading a lot of different parables of Jesus, and really trying to find some solid application for them in Dar es Salaam. Which wasn't hard. Very quickly I learned that they all have overtones, if not blatant demonstrations of grace. My two favorite parables have always been The Prodigal Son, and The Parable of The Workers and Their Pay (cliche, I know, but what can I say). I read them again, and its grace and hope everywhere. The father comes sprinting down the road to meet his son. The son who so readily said, "Dad, I'm sick of this life you got here. Give me the goods, I'm outta here!" He greets him with no questions asked. Just thrilled that his son would come back. Or when the employer chooses to give the laborer who only worked for an hour the whole days wages. "It's my money right?" "Can I not do with it what I choose?" Those men, in a system where you get ONLY what you earn, 

deserved very little. But they were given much. They were given grace. Not pay.

So in thinking about all this grace I began to question two things. One is, how is it possible? Two, what was the cost? 

So the answer to the first question is kinda hard... so hard I gave up looking.  In short, I don't know how its possible. I guess the only explanation is supreme love. God would rather make a way for his family to return than to let us die in our sinful rebellion.  

The second question gave me chills when I sought to answer it. Obviously the cost was Jesus Christ's perfect life, given as a bloody, gruesome sacrifice. But for me, this time, there was more. Try and follow this scatterbrained farrago of thoughts. I am a little ashamed to admit what I am about to share, but its the truth, so I'll try and get real honest. Until recently, I kind of thought that sending Jesus wasn't that big of a deal. And I was a believer at this point too! Crazy huh? But my thinking was that if we sin, God could just make a sacrifice for us. Jesus. Done deal right? NO!

Jesus wasn't drummed up as a solution to our sin. Shame on me for ever thinking so. God did not look down at His wayward people and say, "I need a sacrifice for these people that I love. Let me see what I can come up with." He looked at his Son who had always been with Him. ALWAYS BEEN. From the very beginning, to creation, to his death, and will never cease to be. To assume anything else, takes away from the deity of Jesus. So the cost of grace was higher than I had ever thought. Maybe I am just ignorant, but I think that I have vastly underestimated this grace thing here. It is truly unbelievable. God did not fashion something else, in an attempt to not have to come down to a lost and dying world. He did not try and shirk this task of redeeming the world, to put it on someone else. He did it. HE CAME DOWN. GOD HIMSELF. IN THE FORM OF JESUS, THE FATHER'S BELOVED SON.

 

I hope to never ever let the magnitude of this grace, and as a result, this scope of love, escape my thoughts. Grace is what needs to be my song. More than any doctrines or dogmatic approaches to a person's belief system. I need to preach grace, and the hope that is found therein. to the people that I am meeting here. I am excited. People don't need to hear what I think about things. They need to hear grace.

Peace,

JOel

Sorry its been a while...

I read 1 Corinthians the other day; chapters 1 and 2. A verse in Chapter 2 really began to make me think about my ministry [not only here in Dar es Salaam, but my life's ministry(ies) in general].

   "For I am determined to know nothing among you 

except Jesus Christ and Him crucified."

                                     -1 Corinthians 2:2

So Paul, writing to the crazy church in Corinth, just gets done telling the people to be united and without division in the Church. Then he says, you know what else guys, I don't even care about all that other crap- not one bit. Because I AM DETERMINED to know NOTHING among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I think this says a whole lot about the way the church ought to look, but it also speaks to the way I need to relate to people. Do I always keep the gospel of Christ central?

 In chapter 1, Paul tells the people not to be divided because the things that were causing strife were pretty trivial, and in some respects took glory from Jesus Christ. So when we get caught up in lame crap that really doesn't matter, it robs Christ of glory that is due to Him and elevates our "wisdom" and ways of doing things to a place that it does not  and cannot deserve. (1:18-25 says much about our wisdom... or lack thereof).

So, for me, when I begin to dwell on ways that I can be more appealing, and relevant to more people, is that really what I need to do? .... maybe, maybe not.....Is a trendy production required for the gospel? Apparently not- but I do love them. I thoroughly enjoy leading worship in a packed out room with all the lights and video screens and  as many super cool things as I can get my hands on. And I think God is cool with that. A laser show can glorify God. But I know in my life, sometimes I find myself getting caught up in all the shuffle, and I lose focus of the gospel. 

I have been reminded of this often lately, and  repeatedly been encouraged to remember this one simple truth, That whether recording a new cd, serving in Africa, leading a Bible study of 4 guys in Americus, GA, or a ministry to people who like chocolate, this truth must be always central:

I am a sinner; always by nature and  far too often by choice.

I have rebelled and strayed from my creator, and offended Him to the nth degree.

I am deserving ONLY of Hell eternal, and nothing more.

BUT 

I have been loved supremely. 

God sent Jesus who knew no sin, to become mine.

He was scorned and rejected by men; and killed.

However, He was raised from the dead, and was not defeated. 

He was bruised, but sin, He crushed. 

I am saved by God given faith, and grace that will never end.

By no merit of my own, only by the blood of Jesus Christ. 

Therefore, I must make up my mind to know nothing among anyone, except Jesus Christ, and the fact that he was crucified because I was helpless to get out of my sin apart from Him.  I am very guilty of the opposite far too often. 

It is my prayer that I will always desire to preach the gospel and KEEP it central. If I am to boast in anything, let me boast in the cross of Jesus Christ. 

Peace,

JOel

BLAH BLAH BLAHG

I have an apology to make. I am sorry that I am so lazy and have not updated this blog in a long time. I am lame and have been to "busy" to do it. By busy I mean lazy- it just sounds better to say I was busy. So to all three or four of you who have ever read this blog, I am sorry.

I am also sorry for wasting your time on this one. Maybe if both of you wait patiently, I can get a mediocre update for you- like the ones you're used to.

Peace,

JOel

Beautiful Things Stored in Disgusting Containers

God is still doing amazing things in Dar es Salaam. Many of them are taking place in my own heart and life. Lately I have been looking through the new testament for things that I have not read before, or at least not in a long time. I came across this a few days ago.

. 

2 Corinthians 4:1-12- (particularly verse 7) 

"... but we have this treasure in jars of clay

to show that the surpassing power belongs

to God and not to us...."

-2 corinthians 4:7

In previous blogs, I have mentioned this treasure. It is the message of the new covenant; the ministry of reconciliation as Paul later calls it in chapter 5. I have also mentioned the fact that I need to carry this treasure in a manner worthy of its magnitude. This is the way to salvation. It is the very words of Jesus Christ, the Messiah and redeemer of all people. So I am still being convicted daily to minister to people with more and more passion.

But the other part of this verse, the "clay pots" image is also very interesting to me. I am no theologian or Bible scholar, but if I have the treasure [the gospel of Jesus Christ] inside of me, and the verse says the treasure is stored in jars of clay, then I am nothing more than a clay pot... like that transitive property. If a=b and b=c, then a has to equal c, right?- yeah, I got math skills. Thanks Mrs. Roland. So I am merely a clay pot, holding a beautiful treasure. All to the glory and praise and power of our great God.

I have seen a very real, practical example of this in my life since I have been here in Dar. 

You may or may not know this about me; I am a very shy person around new people. If I know you well, I will say or do anything around you, often leading to hilarious and embarrassing moments. But if I just met you, I will not say much at all. In fact, I will probably just stare and watch in silence until I feel like I know you "well enough" to loosen up. That is just how it is. I am nearly socially inept around new people. So, how does a guy like me end up working for the IMB, on a team in Tanzania, when his only task is to meet new college students everyday for 4 months? ... at a school of over 17,000 students. 

I didn't know how. I thought I was the worst possible choice for this trip. I can think of several of my friends who are more outgoing with new people than I am. But after reading this passage, the fact that I know I am nearly incapable of doing this task excites me all the more. Why? Because the more I suck at something, the more glory God will get when there is any success that comes from it. If I was super outgoing, any success on campus meeting new students and sharing the gospel with them could be seen as, " Oh that Joel; He is so outgoing... just perfect for this task." That does nothing but rob God of due glory. The fact that I am bad at meeting new people, says that any success MUST be only because of God's power and glory.

We are clay jars. Nothing more. Probably caked with dirt, full of cracks, not fit to decorate the ugliest yard in the whole world. But, God uses clay jars rather than beautiful vessels because a dirty, rotten, self-centered person brings God more glory. Glory that is His, and His alone. It is not for any man to give to any other man, as if men do things to merit such glory and power. I am praying that when people see us as Christians, they never see anything more than  rotten sinners, capable of no good thing, redeemed and being used humbly by the King of ALL.

Peace,

JOel

Yesu-The Savior

In church here, we had been looking at the prophets, and specifically as of the past 2 weeks, we have been looking at their prophecies. It has shed new light on Jesus and made me think about Him in a different way than before.

The Bible is big; and long. There are  a lot of words and I have never read them all. But, in going through some of these prophets and their role in the Bible, I have seen and read scripture that I have never even thought about reading. Who reads Malachi? or Zephaniah? In all my overlooking them, I thought I was missing out on dusty words of ancient prophets. BUT what I was missing, was Jesus in all of this. He is the one the prophets all spoke of, and He is the one that all of scripture is directing us to... even the "boring stuff"... it points to Jesus.

From Genesis 3:15 on, every word in the Bible seems to scream, "Jesus! The Savior!" It either says, He is coming, He is here, or He tells it Himself, that He is the One. I knew the Gospels, and some of Isaiah's prophecies were about Jesus, but Jesus is everywhere. I cannot believe that I lived all these years as a believer and did not realize the magnitude and significance of the life of our savior. Literally thousands of years before Christ actually came, the stage was being set for Jesus to come. From the Garden of Eden, Jesus was on the way. Then, through thousands of years God orchestrates the events and circumstances that needed to transpire for Jesus to be born the way that it was told.... And He did it because He loved a sinner like me. He used Abraham, Isaac, and David, and even King Herod to fulfill the prophecies in order that Jesus would come in all of His glory to redeem that which was lost. 

Praise God for His faithfulness throughout the ages. He did everything because He loved us from the beginning with a love that is above everything we can know. It is truly a beautiful story. I am amazed more and more at how big God is and how big His story is. Outside of the faith that God has given me, I would say it is unbelievable.

Peace

#4

So as of now, I have had a lot of free time here in Dar. Because of this, I have been able to do a lot of thinking and praying. All this thinking led to a question I asked myself. The question is, "What is it about the gospel that I am ashamed of?"...

This took me back for a moment . I thought to myself, "surely I am not ashamed of the message of Jesus; I am on a semester long mission trip in East Africa for crying out loud." But, then I think of all the times that I do not speak up, or become really withdrawn in conversation, can I call it anything but being ashamed? I think I can sugar coat it enough and tell myself it just wasn't a good opportunity, but why hide it? Apparently sometimes I am ashamed of the gospel. But why?

Paul addresses this issue more than once in the New Testament. So it has been a problem before... Good news for me, I am not the only one.... but bad news, because while I might not be the only one, I still am one. So what is it that I am embarrassed of? Is it the fact that Christianity just isn't popular today? Maybe it is my own shortcomings in my walk with the Lord, and I don't feel the right to pry into other people's lives. Perhaps is a more specific issue in scripture... like debates over alcohol or speaking in tongues that I sometimes would rather not deal with... But the more I think about it, the more I realize that it is none of these things. I think, more than anything, I am choked up sometimes by the controversial figure that Jesus was.

Jesus is hard to deal with, honestly. For the believer, it is hard to grasp that He gave us commands rather than suggestions. Even harder to admit that we are slaves to Christ, indebted to Him everything we are and hope to be, rather than servants who come and go... and are rewarded for it. For the nonbeliever, it is hard to accept the pivotal truth that Jesus is THE ONLY WAY. There is no other. There are times when I can preach the gospel with passion and a boldness that can only come from the power of God, but there are also times when that passion is no where to be found. So for me, I think the fact of the matter is, that sometimes I just do not want to present Jesus. That must change. I know that I am not responsible for what people do with Jesus, nor would I want to be. That is for God to do. However, I am very much responsible for giving an account of who Jesus is, what He has done in my life, and what He wants for all people. This is much easier said than done. Sometimes it like God is asking a lot, especially while I am in a foreign country, but Jesus gave us fair warning as to what it is to follow after Christ. (Luke 14:26-33 among others) But is our reward not so much greater?

It is my prayer, for me as well as all of you, that our love for the Lord may become greater each day; Hoping that we would all begin to carry the message of reconciliation that God has entrusted to us, with more passion than ever before.

 I need a drastic change of pace from the way I so casually and sometimes carelessly carry it now. Jesus is who all scripture points to, He is the one who all creation praises, and He is the one I am forever indebted to because of His supreme love that is the basis of my salvation.

Peace,

JOel

 

Sick in Africa

So, I have been here for 15 days so far. 13 of them were spent at a hostel type conference center. All of the hands on missionaries were there for an orientation. We definitely had a lot to be taught about living and working in Africa. There were around 10 different teams represented here in Dar es Salaam for orientation. This past Thursday all of the different teams left for their fields: Our team stayed in Dar, there were teams sent to Uganda, Kenya, Madagascar, South Africa, and a few more secure countries. 

Friday, I was really sick. Apparently I had a small colony of amoebas in my stomach and they caused an infection; all this led to a fever of over 104... apparently that could kill someone who is not as tough as I am. So, I had a miserable first day in our new house. I spent the day in the hospital here in Dar, and got some good medicine. I am pretty sure I saw God in 4 yellow pills.

Speaking of God, He is doing some amazing things throughout Africa. Obviously bringing 37 college kids out here for a semester is quite indicative of some of His goings on, but as we listened to stories at orientation, and met some of the national partners, it is evident that God is here. 

Long story short, here is where I am at in all of this: On day 2 of orientation, I was scared. Very scared. Scared that God would call me here forever, and I honestly didn't want that. I have plans and goals and things that I want to do in life, but they are all centered around my desire and passion for leading worship and making music. I was scared that God would strip me of those goals and call me here if I get too involved here and what not. But then I heard a quote, and I believe it is a partial quote by John Piper. It was something along these lines, 

"... missions is not the goal of the church [christians]

worship is; missions exists  where worship

does not."

This radically changed my thinking. It is not about me not wanting to be a worship pastor, more than a missionary; it is about the fact that God has equipped me to do both. By the fact that I am a worshipper of God, living in a place that does not worship God, missions exists. This is in Americus, Georgia or Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Although this does not take away my flesh, which screams that I am not in a safe or comfortable place. It does not take all of the homesickness away, nor the desire to see the familiar faces of loved ones. It does, however, free me to rest in the fact that God, from whom all blessings flow, is good. And He has placed me here. And He is what this life is about. It is hard. 

But He is good. It is one thing to know that He is good, but I have found it to be a completely different thing to believe it at all times. It is my prayer that I will believe this simple truth in my heart and in my actions the same way that I know it in my head. That when I am sick, in a hospital, in East Africa, missing friends, wanting to be comfortable at home, but torn because of the lostness all around this world, I can say God is enough... Apparently I am not there yet... still a little selfish... but working on it. It is a slow process and sometimes it sucks. But He IS good.

Peace,

JOel

Philippians 1:21- In Preparation

"For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me."
Philippians 1:21-22

These two verses have penetrated my heart and mind since the beginning of the summer. Since then, I have begun to really understand what those two verses mean and how I can apply the meaning to my life. God has shown me a lot of things about what it is to be a child of His in this world.

What He showed my I did not like. I did not like the idea that Joel's little wants are not part of the plan. I wanted to base my walk with Christ on how comfortable I can be and still serve Him. But God taught me otherwise. Because the reality is, that we serve a big God with big plans. While yes, God does care about my little wants, should I care so much about them? Should those things be the things that I struggle and strive for? If we served a small God with merely good intentions and a teddy bear like quality, the answer is yes. But we do not serve that God. Our God has more than just good intentions, He is the definition of truth, and ALL good things come from Him. He is more than a cuddley teddy bear that can comfort, He is the definition of love, mercy, and grace. He is full of passion for the lost people in my town and all the nations alike, and He is in the midst of a great redemptive plan.

How crazy is it for me to serve the most high God, with His redemptive plan in motion, only to stop and refuse to go on until I am good and ready. If living this life means Christ and fruitful labor, then that is insane. My hope is this: That I will find God to be all satisfying in my life, and that the ability to join Him in His redemptive plan will be all rewarding for me. I hope that as I live life, I can fully grasp that the life I live is no longer my life, but Christ's life.

Peace,
JOel

Hands On Africa Fall 2008

I am leaving for Tanzania soon. I will be there kind of a long time. More to come.