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Unlit Candles: Part 3

“For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.”  - Habakkuk 2:14

Lord, what can I do…what can we do to fill the whole earth with the knowledge of your glory? 

He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.  Go!  I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.”  - Luke 10:2-3

May we be faithful to pray for workers to go out and win people for You.  May we be faithful to go when you send us!

“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth is given to me.  Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations.”   - Matthew 28:18-19

Jesus, you are my king.  You have all authority over me.  When you say, “Go” I will obey without question or hesitation.

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.  You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as men rejoice when dividing the plunder.”   - Isaiah 9:2-3

Jesus, help us to take your light to dark places.  Break our hearts for the lost.  May we weep over them as you wept over Jerusalem.  Let all the nations of the earth rejoice in the hope and joy you bring. When can the entire table of candles shine brightly for you without any darkness?

Unlit Candles: Part 2

I have been challenged to think about the people in this world that are still living in darkness. People who have never heard the message of hope Jesus brings. People whose difficult and bitter lives we will never begin to comprehend until we live among them. But maybe we don’t want to. The American Dream seems easier. Happier. Safer. Why give up my nice things when I can be an active member of church right where I’m at? That country, that city is unsafe. Unsanitary. Unfriendly.

One night as Amy Carmichael, a missionary in India, lay awake and listened to drums beating to tell of someone’s death, she saw this:*

“That I stood on a grassy sward, and at my feet a precipice broke sheer down into infinite space. I looked, but saw not bottom; only cloud shapes, black and furiously coiled, and great shadow-shrouded hollows, and unfathomable depths. Back I drew, dizzy at the depth.

Then I saw forms of people moving single file along the grass. They were making for the edge. There was a woman with a baby in her arms and another little child holding on to her dress. She was on the very verge. Then I saw that she was blind. She lifted her foot for the next step…it trod air. She was over, and the children over with her. Oh, the cry as they went over!

Then I saw more streams of people flowing from all quarters.  All were blind, stone blind; all made straight for the precipice edge. There were shrieks, as they suddenly knew themselves falling, and a tossing up of helpless arms, catching, clutching at empty air. But some went over quietly, and fell without a sound…

Then I saw, like a little picture of peace, a group of people under some trees with their backs turned toward the gulf. They were making daisy chains. Sometimes when a piercing shriek cut the quiet air and reached them, it disturbed them, and they thought it a rather vulgar noise. And if one of their number started up and wanted to go and do something to help, then all the others would pull that one down…

What does it matter, after all? It has gone on for years; it will go on for years. Why make such a fuss about it? God forgive us! God arouse us! Shame us out of our callousness! Shame us out of our sin!”

*Taken from Amy Carmichael's book "Things as They Are: Mission Work in Southern India"

Unlit Candles: Part 1

Tonight at my church’s Good Friday service, we experienced different aspects of Jesus’ death on the cross. We tasted vinegar and asked Jesus to be with us in the bitter times of our lives. We held a branch of thorns and reflected on the crown of thorns Jesus wore. We torn a piece of cloth and remembered that through Jesus’ death, we no longer had to be separated from God.

But the final station is where God spoke to my heart. Each person lit a votive candle and placed the candles on a table. I sat and watched the room begin to glow with light. But that’s not what I really noticed. As I sat, listening to the people around me sing the lines, “Amazing love, how can it be? That you my King would die for me?” I looked at the candles on the table that had not been lit. And I thought about the places on earth that still have not seen the light Jesus brings. There are people who don’t celebrate Good Friday. Not because they choose not to, but because they’ve never heard the Good News. And my heart broke for them.

Perhaps I got to experience just a little of what Jesus felt as he stood on the hill overlooking Jerusalem for the last time before his crucifixion. Jesus didn’t see the magnificent temple or hundreds of people and animals busily milling around the streets. He saw the hearts of people who were hurting, people who were empty; hearts covered by darkness. And he wept over the city.

How often do our hearts break for people living in darkness? People who have no hope? How often do we weep for the lost and the least of this world? Too often I am content to sing about how Jesus died for me, but I fail to bring that wonderful message to others who desperately need it.

Things I Like

Sometimes, when you've had a really bad week, its good to focus on things that make you happy. And here are a few of mine:

Books:
The NIV Study Bible
Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beacher Stowe
The Jesus of Suburbia by Mike Erre
The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning
Pretense by Lori Wick
Too Small to Ignore by Dr. Wes Stafford

Music:
Caedmon's Call, Christy Nockels, Lifehouse, Switchfoot, David Crowder Band, Chris Tomlin, Counting Crows, Dashboard Confessional, Everyday Sunday, Norah Jones, Jack Johnson, Jennifer Knapp, Jimmy Eat World, Rascal Flatts, Shane & Shane, Shawn McDonald, The Fray

Pictures:


Authors:
A.W. Tozer
Elisabeth Elliot
Erwin McManus
C.S. Lewis

Places:
My house
New Life Ranch
Tabor College
London, England
Thailand

Hobbies:
Playing guitar
Hanging out w/friends
Reading
Traveling to new places
Talking with Chris
Writing
Photography
Attending Rodeos
Singing
Hanging out with high school kids
Camping

Books of the Bible:
Colossians
Psalms
Lamentations
Jeremiah
John

Organizations:
World Impact
Compassion International
Voice of the Martyrs

Videos I've Made:
Escape: Project Jen


Mr. Brightside


Quotes:
I never walk alone, Christ walks beside me, He is the dearest friend I’ve ever known; with such a friend to comfort and to guide me, I never, no, I never walk alone.

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?"
- Marianne Williamson

"There is only one relationship that matters, and that is your personal relationship to a personal Redeemer and Lord. Let everything else go, but maintain that at all costs, and God will fulfill His purpose through your life. One individual life may be of priceless value to God's purposes, and yours may be that life."
- Oswald Chambers

“There is no ongoing spiritual life without this process of letting go. At the precise point where we refuse, growth stops. If we hold tightly to anything given to us, unwilling to let it go when the time comes to let it go or unwilling to allow it to be used as the Giver means it to be used, we stunt the growth of the soul…The truth is that it is ours to thank Him for and ours to lose, ours to let go of – if we want to find our true selves, if we want real Life, if our hearts are set on glory.”
- Elisabeth Elliot

"I do know that waiting on God requires the willingness to bear uncertainty, to carry within oneself the unanswered question, lifting the heart to God about it whenever it intrudes upon one's thoughts."
- Elisabeth Elliot

Songs:
Mighty To Save by Hillsong


Hey Ya Cover by Matt Weddle


Anna Begins by Counting Crows


Wedding Dress by Derek Webb


February Song by Josh Groban


The Heart of Life by John Mayer


Grey Street by Dave Matthews Band

Immanuel

The holidays always bring mixed emotions for me. On one hand, there is a newness and excitement that comes with the first snowfall, houses glistening with Christmas lights, and beautiful music only played one month out of the year.

However, as I grow older, some of the magic of Christmas seems lost. My wonderful family was torn apart by divorce – and their decisions continue to tear at my heart. Instead of looking forward to spending time with my entire family, I dread it. On other occasions, I am overwhelmed by a deep sense of being alone. Sometimes it seems like the holidays bring more heartache and headaches than happiness. And deep down in my heart, I am sad because I know things weren’t meant to be this way.

Recently, one night when I was feeling especially alone and discouraged, God spoke to my heart. He didn’t say a lot, just one word. And that word has made all the difference.

“Immanuel.”

“God with us.”

Have you ever stopped to think what Immanuel means to YOU? God is with you. Here. Now. You don’t have to be afraid, alone, or anxious. God is WITH you.

The word “Immanuel” is best known for its part in the Christmas Story. An Old Testament prophecy is fulfilled when Matthew describes the birth of Jesus, “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel – which means, ‘God with us.’” Jesus left everything beautiful and glorious to be with us. We are no longer alone. Immanuel is used other times to encourage the people of Israel not to fear when surrounding nations threatened to annihilate their cities. Psalm 46 begins with the words, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.” The author goes on to say how wherever God’s presence is, life comes flowing out. Finally, the psalm concludes with a command and a promise, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”

Immanuel.

Jesus is here.

The situations I encounter won’t be any different this Christmas. My family is the same. My relationships are the same. My feelings are the same. But God has made the story of Jesus come alive to me in a completely new way. He is here with me. I am not alone.

Here is my challenge to you. As you go through this holiday season, look for ways that Jesus shows he is with you. Sometimes its big things, but other times he reveals himself in small ways we usually overlook. Look for opportunities to share a story of how God has been with you. Instead of focusing on the busyness, the shopping, or even the feelings of loss and loneliness, stop. Be still and know that the Almighty God is with YOU. He is Immanuel.

Walking with God

“The test of a man’s religious life and character is not what he does in the exceptional moments of life, but what he does in the ordinary times.” - Oswald Chambers

“Enoch walked with God.” - Genesis 5:24

“They will walk and not be faint.” - Isaiah 40:31

Ten thousand steps. If you are a healthy, physically fit individual, you will walk an average of ten thousand steps each day. This year, we were each given a pedometer at work to count our steps. I never realized before how much I depend on walking to move from one place to another. From my bed to the bathroom in the morning is ten steps. At work, I take between three thousand and five thousand steps each day!

Walking is a huge part of everyday life for most people. Its so normal, we rarely even think about it. Sure, athletes run, children skip, and teenagers find more reasons to drive than we thought possible. But, if you lose your ability to walk, you would probably have to alter your entire lifestyle.

I never realized the Bible makes so many references to walking – and I’m not talking about a literal mode of transportation. One of the most common phrases about walking is to “walk with God.”

What does walking with God look like? It is a faithfulness, a steadfastness, a continuous choice to follow God and to live to please him. It is a decision to obey God in the ordinary times of life. When He seems silent, you still follow. When people disappoint or frustrate you, you still follow. Walking with God is a deliberate choice in the mountains, the valleys, and the mundane to let God form you into the person He created you to be.

I think walking with God can be one of the most difficult parts of our relationship with him. It is so normal, its easy to lose sight of God and get caught up in the discouragement, busyness, or apathy so prevalent today. We can get comfortable in our lives and depend on our own strength to get us through the day.

In his book, “My Utmost for His Highest,” Oswald Chambers challenges us to live for God in the ordinary things. He says, “Walking on the water is easy to impulsive pluck, but walking on dry land as a disciple of Jesus Christ is a different thing…We do not need the grace of God to stand crises, human nature and pride are sufficient, we can face the strain magnificently; but it does require the supernatural grace of God to live twenty-four hours in every day as a saint, to go through drudgery as a disciple, to live an ordinary, unobserved, ignored existence as a disciple of Jesus…We have to be exceptional in the ordinary things, to be holy in mean streets, among mean people.”



God has been teaching me over and over again to walk with him daily. Each day, I have the choice to be obedient and live for him, or to do things my own way. Below are some verses from scripture, as well as quotes from Oswald Chambers I have been reading in his book, “My Utmost for His Highest” that have spoken to me regarding what it means to walk with God.

“…Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and let them up a high mountain, where they were all alone.” - Mark 9:2

“We are not built for the mountains…we are built for the valley, for the ordinary stuff we are in, and that is where we have to prove our mettle.” - Oswald Chambers

“We have seen what we are not, and what God wants us to be, but are we willing to have the vision batter’d to shape and used by God? The batterings always come in commonplace ways and through commonplace people.” - Oswald Chambers

Ask God to help you walk with him each day. Even when life is usual. Even when He seems silent. Ask Him to give you the grace to be “exceptional in the ordinary.”