01/12/11
Matthew 21
So Jesus sends his disciples to this town and tells them to untie a colt and donkey and bring it back to him. He tells them to tell anyone who questions them about it that it is for the Lord. And so they do it. They go and get him a donkey and a colt. Wow. They walk up in there and are like “this is for God” and everything is all good. It’s not their donkey, but they walk out with it.
This has always been so fascinating to me because I am amazed at the fact that they walked straight in there and took it. No one chased after them, no one put them in jail, but they got away with a donkey and a colt. I think that if I would have been that guy, I would have been like...”I’m sorry what? Not happenin.” And this is where I am reminded of how great the Lord really is. I am in awe of how powerful and incredible the Lord is and then how we don’t always make it out to be that way.
All they had to do was say that it was for the Lord’s work. They did not have to show proof of anything, they just had to say. This shows how powerful things are in the Lord’s name. Whenever we need help or anything, we just need to say it in the Lord’s name. It is with the Lord that great power comes. With him, we truly can do anything and it is small stories like this that prove that to be true.
Real life LA: Day 7
We met with the Kaleo staff today to talk about what is going on in that ministry. It was a good time to get an insight into the ministry and what they are doing. Not only that, but it was good to talk to the staff to see into their heart and to see what they are all about. I mean, I know a few...most of them, but it was still good to hear what they are about and talk to them about it. It is good to see where they come from and what lead them out here. It is good to see what they love about being here and what keeps them here.
We went out to lunch with them after that. Gina, Casey, Danny, and I had lunch together. It was good to talk about things further in depth. Danny and Gina had a good conversation about the OAKS and if he would be interested in it. I think we might have won him over. Casey and I talked a lot about his life and why he is here. And it ended with Gina still trying to convince me to come out here (she doesn’t need to convince me).
Gina and Casey asked Danny and I to speak in their D groups at LACS. Basically it was because they did not know what they were going to talk about, just kidding, but seriously. I shared my testimony and kind of gave the girls an insight about my journey with Christ. They remembered me from The OAKS this past summer. So, that was good to talk to them about. We ended the conversation with them asking me questions about boys. It was a really interesting time..ha. It was good though because it is good to give them an insight on what they should be looking for in boys at their age.
We then headed back to Skid Row to do S.A.Y Yes! And I might say that when we got out of the car, I was pretty upset. We carried the food bin all the way from the car to Central City. It comes back to that thing where we already have more than the people we see on the street. We know that. We go to a $36,000 school and even if we don’t have the money to pay for it, we still have more than most people on Skid Row. To carry food down the block and really not think about it, kills me. It is just another thing of not thinking things through. Watching people as we walked by with it and listening to their comments, kills me. It was very upsetting for me and I think that we should have thought it through more. We should have dropped someone off with it at the door and then parked. We should have starved for the night. We should have been smarter than we were. However, we weren’t. It’s over. We looked like jerks.
Levi ran to get something and all I could hear outside was screaming when he opened up the door. “Give me my money! Give me my money!” It was obvious that someone was extremely upset. And it all starts to become more of a reality as we are inside of those doors that the safety ends at the doors. It is so safe inside of the building, but once you step foot on that street, you are in a completely different world. When you step foot onto that street, you are exposed to more than you could ever imagine. Lisa had to call the cops on the argument. It ended up being a domestic violence dispute. So, that is another reality...cops. Other than the argument in the street, most of the time was pretty uneventful. Lorah and Meagan tried to dance, but they failed miserably. Levi took a video of it and called it, “White Girls Trying to Dance.” It was entertaining and an epic fail.
We did the Karaoke ministry last night. It was a good break from everything and a really good time. As I sat there and talked to people, it was so good to see them get off the streets from the pain and the hurt that they were used to. It was good to see them be able to relax for a little bit. It was good to hear a bit of who they were off the streets and see them really come through. It was good to see people be able to be themselves and have a good time. At the same time, it is hard though. It is hard to know that as soon as they leave, they are going to go back out on the street. As soon as they leave, they are going to be back in the reality of things. As soon as they are done, they are going to be in pain and in heartache. And all this good time that they just had will be a memory. That’s a hard thought to put our minds around as we are going back to a place where we can sleep comfortably (for the most part) and that is warm (for the most part). And we will just go back to our everyday lives. And that was the night.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Kill Lorah
01/11/11
Matthew 21
“And so it is, that many who are first
now will be last then; and those who are
last now will be first then.”
Matthew 21:16
Whoever is first will be last and the last will be first. A concept that many people in our society cannot grasp. We live in a society where we are pushed to be at the top. We cannot be at the bottom of the ladder. If we are, we are not successful. So the question is, how do we as followers of Christ, get to the bottom of this ladder? How do we not let society’s voices get into our head?
To be honest, it is not an easy task. I know that mostly everyone knows that, but I am just being honest. It is hard to be at the bottom of the ladder. It is hard to give up what we love the most for those who deserve it the most. It is hard to be the dirt under people’s feet. It is hard especially with everyone else in the world telling us that this is not how it is supposed to be. It is supposed to be the opposite, we are supposed to love worldly possessions and strive to be the person barking out the orders. We are supposed to be the ones trampling over people. Success is power. It is being the strongman. it is being at the top and not caring about those below you. This is what success is in our society.
So what does it look like to be a successful Christian? It does not mean that you can’t be at the top of the ladder. It does not mean that you cannot be successful. It does not mean that you cannot have a lot of money. It is hard for people with these things to be humble at times, but if they can humiliate themselves, they are not doing anything wrong. If they are making the last first and the first last, they are doing what they are supposed to do. If they are not in love with their money and they do not let their positions get to their heads, it is possible. To be last is to be willing. It is to be willing to put yourself below others. It is to be willing to allow others to get the glory.
Real Life LA: Day 6
We spent the morning in Watts at the health clinic. We listened for years (it seemed like years) to a presentation of what the clinic is all about. As Isaac explained to us a little bit about the clinic, I got a bit upset I might say. I got so upset to see how such a big city, one of the biggest, has so few aids to people. They do not have hospitals fit for the actual population. They do not health care that is fit for the majority of their population. In my mind, I am screaming, “fix it!!” However, this world is not fit to fix it. We are fallen, how can we fix it? It sucks so much sometimes, but we just have to go on with it.
Listening to Keith and Virginia’s story (for the second time) was really good to hear. There is nothing that is making me back out yet. I am not ready to give up on my inner city dreams. It is hard sometimes to see so much hopelessness and I think that is what makes me want to come and what makes me want to run away. To hear Keith and Virginia and where they came out of is such a great ting to hear. It really is an encouragement. This is what makes me want to come back. To see the hope restored makes me want to be here. This is what really touches me. This is what really fills up my soul. This is what I want to do. This is what I am called to do.
Following Watts, we headed to the Dream Center. The Dream Center is doing a lot for the community that surrounds them. They are helping many people and really pulling them out of where they were before. We did not get to see those success stories while we were there though. We did not meet anyone who really could testify to that. I have been there before for a service, so I know a bit more than most people know. I have seen a bit more into than others in our group have seen into it. Even so, I still am weary about it. I am still interested in how relational it really is. I do not think that a ministry can be a true ministry without relations. Sure, they can plant seeds and do a lot of good, but there has to be some kind of relationship to make it more than, “Oh I believe in Jesus.” It’s impressive, but I think that it could be a lot more than what it is.
It has been extremely irritating on this trip to listen to people have such a need for Starbucks. I know that I sound like such a jerk, but I am being honest. Today, people constantly whined for some Starbucks and I was thinking, “We are going to Skid Row and all you can think about is Starbucks?” Stupidly enough, I made the wrong comment about it around the wrong person. The thing is though, we don’t need to go onto Skid Row carrying 5 dollar Starbucks drinks. We don’t need them. We have just become so addicted to it that we cannot let it go. there are things out there that are so much more important than Starbucks.
Now that I am done with my rant, we headed to S.A.Y Yes! next and hung out with kids pretty much. I helped a girl named Ti Ti with homework the whole time. She has a bit of an attitude, but it is kind of funny. The other kids in there are a pretty diverse group. They are the type who seem like they would get along in the program, but at school there is no chance that they would talk to each other. It is interesting to see groups like this and to make observations like that.
Matthew 21
“And so it is, that many who are first
now will be last then; and those who are
last now will be first then.”
Matthew 21:16
Whoever is first will be last and the last will be first. A concept that many people in our society cannot grasp. We live in a society where we are pushed to be at the top. We cannot be at the bottom of the ladder. If we are, we are not successful. So the question is, how do we as followers of Christ, get to the bottom of this ladder? How do we not let society’s voices get into our head?
To be honest, it is not an easy task. I know that mostly everyone knows that, but I am just being honest. It is hard to be at the bottom of the ladder. It is hard to give up what we love the most for those who deserve it the most. It is hard to be the dirt under people’s feet. It is hard especially with everyone else in the world telling us that this is not how it is supposed to be. It is supposed to be the opposite, we are supposed to love worldly possessions and strive to be the person barking out the orders. We are supposed to be the ones trampling over people. Success is power. It is being the strongman. it is being at the top and not caring about those below you. This is what success is in our society.
So what does it look like to be a successful Christian? It does not mean that you can’t be at the top of the ladder. It does not mean that you cannot be successful. It does not mean that you cannot have a lot of money. It is hard for people with these things to be humble at times, but if they can humiliate themselves, they are not doing anything wrong. If they are making the last first and the first last, they are doing what they are supposed to do. If they are not in love with their money and they do not let their positions get to their heads, it is possible. To be last is to be willing. It is to be willing to put yourself below others. It is to be willing to allow others to get the glory.
Real Life LA: Day 6
We spent the morning in Watts at the health clinic. We listened for years (it seemed like years) to a presentation of what the clinic is all about. As Isaac explained to us a little bit about the clinic, I got a bit upset I might say. I got so upset to see how such a big city, one of the biggest, has so few aids to people. They do not have hospitals fit for the actual population. They do not health care that is fit for the majority of their population. In my mind, I am screaming, “fix it!!” However, this world is not fit to fix it. We are fallen, how can we fix it? It sucks so much sometimes, but we just have to go on with it.
Listening to Keith and Virginia’s story (for the second time) was really good to hear. There is nothing that is making me back out yet. I am not ready to give up on my inner city dreams. It is hard sometimes to see so much hopelessness and I think that is what makes me want to come and what makes me want to run away. To hear Keith and Virginia and where they came out of is such a great ting to hear. It really is an encouragement. This is what makes me want to come back. To see the hope restored makes me want to be here. This is what really touches me. This is what really fills up my soul. This is what I want to do. This is what I am called to do.
Following Watts, we headed to the Dream Center. The Dream Center is doing a lot for the community that surrounds them. They are helping many people and really pulling them out of where they were before. We did not get to see those success stories while we were there though. We did not meet anyone who really could testify to that. I have been there before for a service, so I know a bit more than most people know. I have seen a bit more into than others in our group have seen into it. Even so, I still am weary about it. I am still interested in how relational it really is. I do not think that a ministry can be a true ministry without relations. Sure, they can plant seeds and do a lot of good, but there has to be some kind of relationship to make it more than, “Oh I believe in Jesus.” It’s impressive, but I think that it could be a lot more than what it is.
It has been extremely irritating on this trip to listen to people have such a need for Starbucks. I know that I sound like such a jerk, but I am being honest. Today, people constantly whined for some Starbucks and I was thinking, “We are going to Skid Row and all you can think about is Starbucks?” Stupidly enough, I made the wrong comment about it around the wrong person. The thing is though, we don’t need to go onto Skid Row carrying 5 dollar Starbucks drinks. We don’t need them. We have just become so addicted to it that we cannot let it go. there are things out there that are so much more important than Starbucks.
Now that I am done with my rant, we headed to S.A.Y Yes! next and hung out with kids pretty much. I helped a girl named Ti Ti with homework the whole time. She has a bit of an attitude, but it is kind of funny. The other kids in there are a pretty diverse group. They are the type who seem like they would get along in the program, but at school there is no chance that they would talk to each other. It is interesting to see groups like this and to make observations like that.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Shake it off
Matthew 19
“Then who in the world can be saved?
Jesus looked at them intently and said,
“Humanly speaking, it is impossible.
But with God everything is possible.”
Matthew 19:26
This is right after the man asked God how to get into heaven. When Jesus told him to sell all of his possessions and follow him, the man was extremely sad because that is much to sell. We do this often, this thing where we have to know the limits. We have to know the measures. We have to know the guidelines. If I do this much, what does that get me? So often, we are missing the point.
We cannot be perfect. We cannot live this life being flawless. There is no way that we can. And yet, that is what we are supposed to strive for. We are supposed to live our lives in a model after Christ Jesus. That is the simplest way to put it. Following God and loving others and living a life that loves those around us, that is what we are supposed to do it.
Looking at this verse though, we see that there is no way that we can do this on our own. We cannot follow God on our own. We cannot strive for perfection on our own. We need a higher up. We need someone who is much stronger than us. We need someone who is perfect to make up for all of our imperfections. The truth is that we cannot live this life on our own. We cannot do things on our own. We need God because it is with God that everything is possible. Without God and without his perfect love and power, we are absolutely nothing.
LA: Real Day 5
We spent pretty much all day at Fuller. It was quite the party. By that I mean that we went to the library and worked on homework most of the day. It was not too bad, I got my mind thinking about the more in depths of what I am going to write my paper on. Not only that, but got some real sources down for at least one box of it. There’s a start.
At lunch, we talked with some of the admission people. It was good to talk to one of the admission reps who understands going to do ministry before actually going back to school. We talked a little bit about that and what it looks like, so that was good. She really encouraged me to do that. She also was good at targeting what I am most interested in, urban ministry. It was good to talk through that with her as well. Basically, it was not a total waste to talk to her.
This was pretty much the extent of my day until I went out later with Megan. We got some dinner, chilled, and really talked through some things. It was good to talk to her and relax with her and to get some pretty big stuff off my chest. It did not feel like big stuff at the time, but now that I look back, I see that it was bigger than I was making it out to be. She helps me so much to sort out truth from lies because she speaks truth into my life. It is so awesome to see how God uses both of us in each other’s lives. I love it, I love talking to her. Basically, I am sorting through what it means for me to be passionate about things. I am sorting through what it means to have the Spirit lead my life. I am sorting through what it means to step out on that ledge when it seems like there is no one behind me. I am sorting through what it means to care about people and have a passion for people when it hurts the most to do so.
I see people and I have this deep love and deep passion for them. I cannot help it, I cannot help but care for their well being. And sometimes that is a really frustrating thing because I do not get the same support from people around us. They do not always understand why I care so much about people, but I do. I cannot help but to care about them and love them. Even if it is someone who I cannot stand, if they are in deep trouble and deep hurt, then I feel a push for me to go and be by their side. I can’t stop myself. That is when I feel no support. I feel people not being by my side.
“Then who in the world can be saved?
Jesus looked at them intently and said,
“Humanly speaking, it is impossible.
But with God everything is possible.”
Matthew 19:26
This is right after the man asked God how to get into heaven. When Jesus told him to sell all of his possessions and follow him, the man was extremely sad because that is much to sell. We do this often, this thing where we have to know the limits. We have to know the measures. We have to know the guidelines. If I do this much, what does that get me? So often, we are missing the point.
We cannot be perfect. We cannot live this life being flawless. There is no way that we can. And yet, that is what we are supposed to strive for. We are supposed to live our lives in a model after Christ Jesus. That is the simplest way to put it. Following God and loving others and living a life that loves those around us, that is what we are supposed to do it.
Looking at this verse though, we see that there is no way that we can do this on our own. We cannot follow God on our own. We cannot strive for perfection on our own. We need a higher up. We need someone who is much stronger than us. We need someone who is perfect to make up for all of our imperfections. The truth is that we cannot live this life on our own. We cannot do things on our own. We need God because it is with God that everything is possible. Without God and without his perfect love and power, we are absolutely nothing.
LA: Real Day 5
We spent pretty much all day at Fuller. It was quite the party. By that I mean that we went to the library and worked on homework most of the day. It was not too bad, I got my mind thinking about the more in depths of what I am going to write my paper on. Not only that, but got some real sources down for at least one box of it. There’s a start.
At lunch, we talked with some of the admission people. It was good to talk to one of the admission reps who understands going to do ministry before actually going back to school. We talked a little bit about that and what it looks like, so that was good. She really encouraged me to do that. She also was good at targeting what I am most interested in, urban ministry. It was good to talk through that with her as well. Basically, it was not a total waste to talk to her.
This was pretty much the extent of my day until I went out later with Megan. We got some dinner, chilled, and really talked through some things. It was good to talk to her and relax with her and to get some pretty big stuff off my chest. It did not feel like big stuff at the time, but now that I look back, I see that it was bigger than I was making it out to be. She helps me so much to sort out truth from lies because she speaks truth into my life. It is so awesome to see how God uses both of us in each other’s lives. I love it, I love talking to her. Basically, I am sorting through what it means for me to be passionate about things. I am sorting through what it means to have the Spirit lead my life. I am sorting through what it means to step out on that ledge when it seems like there is no one behind me. I am sorting through what it means to care about people and have a passion for people when it hurts the most to do so.
I see people and I have this deep love and deep passion for them. I cannot help it, I cannot help but care for their well being. And sometimes that is a really frustrating thing because I do not get the same support from people around us. They do not always understand why I care so much about people, but I do. I cannot help but to care about them and love them. Even if it is someone who I cannot stand, if they are in deep trouble and deep hurt, then I feel a push for me to go and be by their side. I can’t stop myself. That is when I feel no support. I feel people not being by my side.
Monday, January 10, 2011
01/09/11
Matthew 18
“I also tell you this:
If two of you agree down here on earth concerning anything you ask,
my father in heaven will do it for you.
For where two or three gather together in my name, I am there among them.”
Matthew 18:19-20
Wherever two or three gather in the name of the Lord, he is there also. He is always by our sides as long as we gather in his name. If we gather for fellowship in him, we have nothing to worry about. What does it mean to know that he is there? What does it mean that he does not leave our sides? What does it mean to gather in his name?
These past two chapters have included much about faith. I come back to something that I typically do when thinking about faith, if the disciples did not have faith, how are we supposed to? They saw Christ face to face and they still did not have faith. That is crazy to me. It is crazy that I can have faith in something that I have never seen. I have seen the works of this man, I have seen the fruit of this man, I have felt the Spirit, but I have never seen this man. I have never seen God. I have never touched or felt a concrete God. And yet, I still believe in him. I still have a bit of faith. It's never enough though. The faith that I have is never enough and I need to work on it.
Where TWO OR THREE gather, he is there. The power of God, the creator of the ENTIRE UNIVERSE is there if we meet in his name. That is something that is sweet and I do not think that we really take that to heart as much as we should. We sometimes forget about the power of God. We forget about the power of the Spirit. We water it down way too much. God created all of this, why are we putting him in a box?
Real Life in LA: Day 4
Most people look at Watts and see a dirty part of LA and only want to run away from it. It's dangerous. The people there do drugs. They drink. They party hard. They are in gangs. No one wants to be around that. No one wants to willingly go into that. No one wants to put themselves into danger. They do not want to willingly surround their family by alcohol, gangs, and drugs. Besides, the community is hopeless any way. There is no hope. There is no point. Why would people ever even try?
And to tell you the truth...I have never felt this way. I look at Watts and see the potential. I see the kids in the community and see how they can make a difference. I see the leaders in the community and see how they are changing it. I see the beauty in the people. I see the beauty in the people who everyone is nervous around and scared of. I see God working in people that others gave up on years ago. I see community and love, even if it is not what our view of community is. I see opportunities there. I see how people can help. I also see how God is bigger than all of this and that there is no such thing as hopelessness.
I forgot what it was like to worship in an inner city church. I forgot what it felt like to have fellowship and community. And I am glad that I got to experience it again today. Watching people worship God in a way that expresses who they are makes me so happy. I love watching Keely worship because you can see her love for God. She worships him with so much joy and it is not just a systematic worship kind of thing. I felt the Holy Spirit in the room and I could feel the joy in the room. It is such a sweet experience to go to an inner city church because there is so much darkness right outside of the doors, but there is so much light from the church itself. Walking in there, people feel joy and they feel love. It is such a great feeling and there is a hope that is poured into the people.
I think what Powerhouse has going is such a great ministry. They really are trying to get out to the community. They go out into the community and invite people. The let people come as they are and do not try to change them. At the same time, they are not afraid to call brothers and sisters out on things to push them to be better. They are not only working on spiritual matters, but they are also helping people out physically. They have the free clinic, the pregnancy center, and they feed people once a month. They love the community and want to help them in a holistic way. It is really sweet to see what they are doing and how they are doing it. Not only that, but the way that they have set up their ministry is great. The girl's ministry is great for Bible club. They are not only going once a week, but they are actually set up with a Christian woman as a mentor. That is awesome because they need good models and role models in their lives. I look at this ministry and see so much beauty in it. I see how people are really coming around. I see how people want to change the community. I see the true hearts of people and see the beauty in their honesty.
And then I look at the leaders who have been brought up in Powerhouse and am so excited about it. I look at Jimmy and think how incredible he truly is. He brings a group of kids every week to Powerhouse. He deals with them on his own and takes care of them. He loves them and cares for them and pushes them by bringing them to church. He models good morals for them and gives them tough love when they need it. He is one of those guys that you can hear God speaking when he speaks. As I listen to him and talk with him, I see how great God is. I see how God is really working in him and through him. It is so great to see that. It is so great to see how God is pushing him and stretching him. It is awesome, truly awesome, to see the love that God is pouring into him and how that is overflowing onto others around him. Even when he is talking to me, I can feel his love for God and for me. It is people like this that Powerhouse is raising up and that is awesome. It is people like this who are changing our cities and projects. It is people like this who God is calling and they are doing so much.
Talking with Todd after the service was really good. Todd is such a great pastor and he knows his congregation. He knows their needs and how to help them in ways that others don't. He pays attention to the people in the congregation and actually takes time to get to know them. He works hard. It is interesting to see how involved he really is. He is not only the pastor, but he leads worship, he picks up things, he volunteers, he cares for people, and he works in the inner city. His job calls for a ton of attention already, but he adds so much more to that by working in the inner city. Looking at the way that he does things is so encouraging to me. I see how he pulls through and how he loves people and am completely encouraged by him. He shows that it is doable, but it is hard. He shows how it is important to be surrounded by a good group of people. He shows that it is important to have people to really hold him up. I am so amazed by him. I am so encouraged by the way that he loves his people. It is truly a thing of God.
We hit up Mosaic later that night. It was a bit of a culture shock compared to Powerhouse. Mosaic was in the middle of the city, in a show venue, called the Mayan. It was a church with a dj and loud beats. There were fog machines, changing lights, spot lights, and center stage worship band. Most of the people who went there were younger and kind of trendy. All coming from what it seemed like, the same background. For the area that it was in, it seemed like it was a good fit. It seemed like it reached out to a upper class, more trendy class. The area, the worship service, everything was very well done for this group of people. It is a place where anyone can come in and don’t feel judged. It is really good for people who are not used to going to church. I did, however, question what they do to actually to keep in contact with people. It kind of seems like people come in and leave and no one really knows about them. So, it was interesting to see that.
Matthew 18
“I also tell you this:
If two of you agree down here on earth concerning anything you ask,
my father in heaven will do it for you.
For where two or three gather together in my name, I am there among them.”
Matthew 18:19-20
Wherever two or three gather in the name of the Lord, he is there also. He is always by our sides as long as we gather in his name. If we gather for fellowship in him, we have nothing to worry about. What does it mean to know that he is there? What does it mean that he does not leave our sides? What does it mean to gather in his name?
These past two chapters have included much about faith. I come back to something that I typically do when thinking about faith, if the disciples did not have faith, how are we supposed to? They saw Christ face to face and they still did not have faith. That is crazy to me. It is crazy that I can have faith in something that I have never seen. I have seen the works of this man, I have seen the fruit of this man, I have felt the Spirit, but I have never seen this man. I have never seen God. I have never touched or felt a concrete God. And yet, I still believe in him. I still have a bit of faith. It's never enough though. The faith that I have is never enough and I need to work on it.
Where TWO OR THREE gather, he is there. The power of God, the creator of the ENTIRE UNIVERSE is there if we meet in his name. That is something that is sweet and I do not think that we really take that to heart as much as we should. We sometimes forget about the power of God. We forget about the power of the Spirit. We water it down way too much. God created all of this, why are we putting him in a box?
Real Life in LA: Day 4
Most people look at Watts and see a dirty part of LA and only want to run away from it. It's dangerous. The people there do drugs. They drink. They party hard. They are in gangs. No one wants to be around that. No one wants to willingly go into that. No one wants to put themselves into danger. They do not want to willingly surround their family by alcohol, gangs, and drugs. Besides, the community is hopeless any way. There is no hope. There is no point. Why would people ever even try?
And to tell you the truth...I have never felt this way. I look at Watts and see the potential. I see the kids in the community and see how they can make a difference. I see the leaders in the community and see how they are changing it. I see the beauty in the people. I see the beauty in the people who everyone is nervous around and scared of. I see God working in people that others gave up on years ago. I see community and love, even if it is not what our view of community is. I see opportunities there. I see how people can help. I also see how God is bigger than all of this and that there is no such thing as hopelessness.
I forgot what it was like to worship in an inner city church. I forgot what it felt like to have fellowship and community. And I am glad that I got to experience it again today. Watching people worship God in a way that expresses who they are makes me so happy. I love watching Keely worship because you can see her love for God. She worships him with so much joy and it is not just a systematic worship kind of thing. I felt the Holy Spirit in the room and I could feel the joy in the room. It is such a sweet experience to go to an inner city church because there is so much darkness right outside of the doors, but there is so much light from the church itself. Walking in there, people feel joy and they feel love. It is such a great feeling and there is a hope that is poured into the people.
I think what Powerhouse has going is such a great ministry. They really are trying to get out to the community. They go out into the community and invite people. The let people come as they are and do not try to change them. At the same time, they are not afraid to call brothers and sisters out on things to push them to be better. They are not only working on spiritual matters, but they are also helping people out physically. They have the free clinic, the pregnancy center, and they feed people once a month. They love the community and want to help them in a holistic way. It is really sweet to see what they are doing and how they are doing it. Not only that, but the way that they have set up their ministry is great. The girl's ministry is great for Bible club. They are not only going once a week, but they are actually set up with a Christian woman as a mentor. That is awesome because they need good models and role models in their lives. I look at this ministry and see so much beauty in it. I see how people are really coming around. I see how people want to change the community. I see the true hearts of people and see the beauty in their honesty.
And then I look at the leaders who have been brought up in Powerhouse and am so excited about it. I look at Jimmy and think how incredible he truly is. He brings a group of kids every week to Powerhouse. He deals with them on his own and takes care of them. He loves them and cares for them and pushes them by bringing them to church. He models good morals for them and gives them tough love when they need it. He is one of those guys that you can hear God speaking when he speaks. As I listen to him and talk with him, I see how great God is. I see how God is really working in him and through him. It is so great to see that. It is so great to see how God is pushing him and stretching him. It is awesome, truly awesome, to see the love that God is pouring into him and how that is overflowing onto others around him. Even when he is talking to me, I can feel his love for God and for me. It is people like this that Powerhouse is raising up and that is awesome. It is people like this who are changing our cities and projects. It is people like this who God is calling and they are doing so much.
Talking with Todd after the service was really good. Todd is such a great pastor and he knows his congregation. He knows their needs and how to help them in ways that others don't. He pays attention to the people in the congregation and actually takes time to get to know them. He works hard. It is interesting to see how involved he really is. He is not only the pastor, but he leads worship, he picks up things, he volunteers, he cares for people, and he works in the inner city. His job calls for a ton of attention already, but he adds so much more to that by working in the inner city. Looking at the way that he does things is so encouraging to me. I see how he pulls through and how he loves people and am completely encouraged by him. He shows that it is doable, but it is hard. He shows how it is important to be surrounded by a good group of people. He shows that it is important to have people to really hold him up. I am so amazed by him. I am so encouraged by the way that he loves his people. It is truly a thing of God.
We hit up Mosaic later that night. It was a bit of a culture shock compared to Powerhouse. Mosaic was in the middle of the city, in a show venue, called the Mayan. It was a church with a dj and loud beats. There were fog machines, changing lights, spot lights, and center stage worship band. Most of the people who went there were younger and kind of trendy. All coming from what it seemed like, the same background. For the area that it was in, it seemed like it was a good fit. It seemed like it reached out to a upper class, more trendy class. The area, the worship service, everything was very well done for this group of people. It is a place where anyone can come in and don’t feel judged. It is really good for people who are not used to going to church. I did, however, question what they do to actually to keep in contact with people. It kind of seems like people come in and leave and no one really knows about them. So, it was interesting to see that.
LAD3
01/07/11
Matthew 16
“Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.
“Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
Matthew 16:24-27
As I have been here, what I feel has happened is that God has shown me more and more of where I am supposed to be. I see more of what I love here and what I am passionate about. I see people that I am in love with and that I want to serve. I see a city that is broken and that I want to help build up. This is apart of my heart.
Moving here, would be great, but at the same time would kill. I mean, like I said, I love the people, I love the city, I love the organizations...but what about the other things I could do? What about travelling the world? What about going to Cambodia? What about all the things that have taken over my heart as well?
And then, this is what comes to my mind... “whoever wants to be my disciple must take up their cross and follow me.” I feel the Holy Spirit on me. I feel God working in my life. I hear him saying, come, follow me. And as I think about that, I realize that is exactly what I must do. I must take up my cross and follow him. I must let go of all the things that I want to do and follow him. I must listen to him and follow him. These are the things that make me a disciple.
Life in LA: Real Day 2
We went to Emmanuel Church this morning. To be completely honest, I fell in love with how they were working in the community. I fell in love with their staff and how honest and upfront they were about things. I fell in love with how God’s hand is moving and how he is working through them. It is such a beautiful thing to see and I was so delighted by that.
The one thing that hit me the most was during one of the speakers talks and he was describing all these different views that people have of churches in the inner city. He gave us examples, but the one that stuck out the most was, the church being a moat and only letting certain people in, but when danger was near drawing up the bridge. This is held closely to my heart because I see this in my own community. I see different churches building a moat and keeping themselves safe. The people that go to the churches are not necessarily the ones who need it. The ones who are inside and on the inside of the moat are good to go. The outside world is at their control and when they decide to let the bridge down. And this is what he said about all the examples, including this one, THIS IS NOT HOW THE CHURCH IS SUPPOSED TO BE! The church is supposed to be loving and caring to those around them. It is supposed to be involved with the community around them. It is supposed to care for them and pour into them and do it because Christ loves them. This is what it means to love God. It means to love his people, no matter who they are or where they come from.
Also, they have started a program called the Compton Initiative. The church goes into Compton, paints people’s houses, and gets them looking nice. They are changing up the place, making it a place that people are proud of. They are helping people by showing Christ’s love through serving them. They are becoming the “good for nothings” and being knocked face down in the dirt. And they are doing all of this because they love their community, they love the people of Compton, but most of all, they love Jesus Christ. It is so amazing to see. I see things like this and my heart gets so excited. I get so pumped up. And not only that, but I see leaders in their church like Alma who have an idea and then it happens...and get excited. I am so excited because it gives me more faith in myself.
Later on in the day we met with S.A.Y Yes! and to be quite honest I wasn’t really impressed. I think the way that they spoke about things might have bothered me a bit. I mean, I agree with the whole program, but I feel like they are a little of on some things. One of the things they said was that feelings don’t matter. He was trying to say that feelings should not have an influence on choices, but the truth is that they do. A person’s feeling reflects the choices that they make. The environment that they live in has an influence on their feelings and that has an influence on the choices that they make. And they need people to help them sort through their problems so that they can help them with the choices that they make.
Kaleo was incredible last night. I really felt the Holy Spirit on the group and it was awesome. I saw some of our students from the group really step up in leadership and that made me so happy. I think that they really have something going in Kaleo. They do not have a fluffy youth group where they do not learn anything, but instead they really are pushed. They push each other. It is awesome to see and I love how things are going.
01/08/11
Matthew 17
“I assure you that even if you have faith
as small as a mustard seed,
You could say to a mountain,
“move from here to there”
And it would move.
NOTHING WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE.”
Matthew 17:20-21
As Christians, we often talk about this faith we have in a way that makes it seem so unreal. The faith that we have is so fake to me sometimes. If we truly believe in our God, we should be able to take bigger steps. We should be able to get out closer to that ledge. We should not be so skeptical, but we should see how big our God is and that nothing truly is impossible.
I see this in my own life. I think that I have enough faith, but it comes to a point where I am talking about whatever it is that I want to do and I am shut down by those around me. It becomes one of those things where people talk to me as if I am child and say, “oh...that’s a nice idea.” When God lays something on my heart, I should not be so discouraged by those people. I do not care how close they are to me or how much I respect them, God is bigger than any of them will ever be. That means that if God puts something on my heart then I need to run with it. I need to take it and go through with it. God will bring me through. He will help me even if no one else supports me.
Nothing is impossible with faith in the Lord. He is not in the small box that we put him in. He is so much bigger than we have ever made him out to be. He is so much more magnificent than we could ever imagine. We cannot wrap our minds fully around God, so how is it that we cannot have faith that he will pull us through? How is it that we can say, “eh...I don’t know if that will happen?” We can’t. We cannot put restraints on God...HE IS THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE. When we create a universe, then we can talk.
Father God, I praise you for all that you have done for us. I praise you for your love, for you power. I praise you for ow you pour into us and love us unconditionally. I praise you for you will and for how you want to see this world become a better place. I praise you for the passions that you put on hearts. I praise you for how your hand is working in this place and for how you are working here. I praise you for your love for the city and love for the whole world. I praise you for your redeeming grace. I praise you Father God.
Father, I pray that you will continue to work in my heart. I pray that you will continue to show me who I am through the passions that you lay on my heart. I pray that God you will continue to push me. I pray that you will help me to see things through your eyes. I rebuke all the lies that tell me that I can’t do it. I rebuke the words of the faithless. I rebuke the words of the hopeless. God, I know that you can do whatever. I know that you can and are working through me. God, I pray that you will give me the strength that I need. I pray that you will give me the power I need. I pray that you will give me the love that I need.
I love you, Father.
Amen
Life in LA: Real Day 3
We went to Watts to do a service project today. At times I was a bit annoyed with the lack of help in my area, but now that I look back, we got a ton done. I am really excited for the Watts school to open. I cannot wait to see it be done and for kids to be in there. I cannot wait to see God work in so many ways that we cannot imagine. I cannot wait for people to come in and see the need and feel the want to teach. I know it seems impossible, but it is not. God can do this, he has the power to do this. I am praying that a flood of people will come in and will feel the need to go to this school. I pray that there will be a hunger in people’s hearts and that they will seek after that hunger. I am praying that they see the love that is needed in that community and they follow after that love. I pray that God will open the eyes of people and see the need in Watts and that people will follow that. I pray that God will break hearts and people will go to Watts. I pray that people will fall in love with Watts.
I am in love with Watts. I am in love with the community, the children, everyone. Jimmy is a great guy from Watts. I look at him and think to myself, “I don’t know how he does it.” I watch Jimmy interact with people in Watts and just see God. I see God’s love, God’s heart, and feel God’s presence when I am around Jimmy. I see him interact with kids who are not use to love and act accordingly and am in amazement. He loves them with all that he has and it is only by God that he can love them the way that he does. These kids are hurting and are in pain and it is awesome to see how much he loves them. I see Glenn work with the kids and love them. He encourages them when they need it and shows them tough love when they need it. He pushes them and helps them to become better than what they are. He loves his community and it shows through the way that he lives. I watch Keely and her sister and the way that they pour into people and see God’s heart. I see them pour into people that everyone else has already given up on. I see them caring and pushing people and it is awesome. Yesterday, I saw a bit of Andrea’s heart for Watts and it was awesome. I saw her love the community that she just became apart of and it is awesome. I saw her hope for the school and how it is so grounded in faith. I saw a beautiful heart that wants nothing but to do God’s will. I am excited for her to see where it goes.
These are the people that see me want LACS in Watts to happen. I see the faith and the love for their community and want nothing more than for LACS to accomplish so much. I see the kids and how they need so much and need love and get excited for LACS to open. I see the people who love this community and want other people to adapt that love. I cannot wait to see how God blesses this community. I cannot wait to see how LACS is blessed through these people and other people. It is such an exciting thing and I am so pumped for it. These kids need a school like this. They need a school that cares about their well being. They need a school that cares about their actual education. They need a school that will help them excel and that will show them the love that they deserve. I am excited about this and cannot wait for it all to work out. God is doing awesome things.
We had dinner at Lindsay, Lorraina, and Jennifer’s house last night. Megan was so nice to join us as well. Talking to Lindsay was really good for me. Listening to how she made her decision to come to WI was good for me. God was definitely talking to me through her. It was good to really hear how she loves this place and to see how she cares for the city. I am excited to see how God continues to bring me here.
Matthew 16
“Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.
“Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
Matthew 16:24-27
As I have been here, what I feel has happened is that God has shown me more and more of where I am supposed to be. I see more of what I love here and what I am passionate about. I see people that I am in love with and that I want to serve. I see a city that is broken and that I want to help build up. This is apart of my heart.
Moving here, would be great, but at the same time would kill. I mean, like I said, I love the people, I love the city, I love the organizations...but what about the other things I could do? What about travelling the world? What about going to Cambodia? What about all the things that have taken over my heart as well?
And then, this is what comes to my mind... “whoever wants to be my disciple must take up their cross and follow me.” I feel the Holy Spirit on me. I feel God working in my life. I hear him saying, come, follow me. And as I think about that, I realize that is exactly what I must do. I must take up my cross and follow him. I must let go of all the things that I want to do and follow him. I must listen to him and follow him. These are the things that make me a disciple.
Life in LA: Real Day 2
We went to Emmanuel Church this morning. To be completely honest, I fell in love with how they were working in the community. I fell in love with their staff and how honest and upfront they were about things. I fell in love with how God’s hand is moving and how he is working through them. It is such a beautiful thing to see and I was so delighted by that.
The one thing that hit me the most was during one of the speakers talks and he was describing all these different views that people have of churches in the inner city. He gave us examples, but the one that stuck out the most was, the church being a moat and only letting certain people in, but when danger was near drawing up the bridge. This is held closely to my heart because I see this in my own community. I see different churches building a moat and keeping themselves safe. The people that go to the churches are not necessarily the ones who need it. The ones who are inside and on the inside of the moat are good to go. The outside world is at their control and when they decide to let the bridge down. And this is what he said about all the examples, including this one, THIS IS NOT HOW THE CHURCH IS SUPPOSED TO BE! The church is supposed to be loving and caring to those around them. It is supposed to be involved with the community around them. It is supposed to care for them and pour into them and do it because Christ loves them. This is what it means to love God. It means to love his people, no matter who they are or where they come from.
Also, they have started a program called the Compton Initiative. The church goes into Compton, paints people’s houses, and gets them looking nice. They are changing up the place, making it a place that people are proud of. They are helping people by showing Christ’s love through serving them. They are becoming the “good for nothings” and being knocked face down in the dirt. And they are doing all of this because they love their community, they love the people of Compton, but most of all, they love Jesus Christ. It is so amazing to see. I see things like this and my heart gets so excited. I get so pumped up. And not only that, but I see leaders in their church like Alma who have an idea and then it happens...and get excited. I am so excited because it gives me more faith in myself.
Later on in the day we met with S.A.Y Yes! and to be quite honest I wasn’t really impressed. I think the way that they spoke about things might have bothered me a bit. I mean, I agree with the whole program, but I feel like they are a little of on some things. One of the things they said was that feelings don’t matter. He was trying to say that feelings should not have an influence on choices, but the truth is that they do. A person’s feeling reflects the choices that they make. The environment that they live in has an influence on their feelings and that has an influence on the choices that they make. And they need people to help them sort through their problems so that they can help them with the choices that they make.
Kaleo was incredible last night. I really felt the Holy Spirit on the group and it was awesome. I saw some of our students from the group really step up in leadership and that made me so happy. I think that they really have something going in Kaleo. They do not have a fluffy youth group where they do not learn anything, but instead they really are pushed. They push each other. It is awesome to see and I love how things are going.
01/08/11
Matthew 17
“I assure you that even if you have faith
as small as a mustard seed,
You could say to a mountain,
“move from here to there”
And it would move.
NOTHING WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE.”
Matthew 17:20-21
As Christians, we often talk about this faith we have in a way that makes it seem so unreal. The faith that we have is so fake to me sometimes. If we truly believe in our God, we should be able to take bigger steps. We should be able to get out closer to that ledge. We should not be so skeptical, but we should see how big our God is and that nothing truly is impossible.
I see this in my own life. I think that I have enough faith, but it comes to a point where I am talking about whatever it is that I want to do and I am shut down by those around me. It becomes one of those things where people talk to me as if I am child and say, “oh...that’s a nice idea.” When God lays something on my heart, I should not be so discouraged by those people. I do not care how close they are to me or how much I respect them, God is bigger than any of them will ever be. That means that if God puts something on my heart then I need to run with it. I need to take it and go through with it. God will bring me through. He will help me even if no one else supports me.
Nothing is impossible with faith in the Lord. He is not in the small box that we put him in. He is so much bigger than we have ever made him out to be. He is so much more magnificent than we could ever imagine. We cannot wrap our minds fully around God, so how is it that we cannot have faith that he will pull us through? How is it that we can say, “eh...I don’t know if that will happen?” We can’t. We cannot put restraints on God...HE IS THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE. When we create a universe, then we can talk.
Father God, I praise you for all that you have done for us. I praise you for your love, for you power. I praise you for ow you pour into us and love us unconditionally. I praise you for you will and for how you want to see this world become a better place. I praise you for the passions that you put on hearts. I praise you for how your hand is working in this place and for how you are working here. I praise you for your love for the city and love for the whole world. I praise you for your redeeming grace. I praise you Father God.
Father, I pray that you will continue to work in my heart. I pray that you will continue to show me who I am through the passions that you lay on my heart. I pray that God you will continue to push me. I pray that you will help me to see things through your eyes. I rebuke all the lies that tell me that I can’t do it. I rebuke the words of the faithless. I rebuke the words of the hopeless. God, I know that you can do whatever. I know that you can and are working through me. God, I pray that you will give me the strength that I need. I pray that you will give me the power I need. I pray that you will give me the love that I need.
I love you, Father.
Amen
Life in LA: Real Day 3
We went to Watts to do a service project today. At times I was a bit annoyed with the lack of help in my area, but now that I look back, we got a ton done. I am really excited for the Watts school to open. I cannot wait to see it be done and for kids to be in there. I cannot wait to see God work in so many ways that we cannot imagine. I cannot wait for people to come in and see the need and feel the want to teach. I know it seems impossible, but it is not. God can do this, he has the power to do this. I am praying that a flood of people will come in and will feel the need to go to this school. I pray that there will be a hunger in people’s hearts and that they will seek after that hunger. I am praying that they see the love that is needed in that community and they follow after that love. I pray that God will open the eyes of people and see the need in Watts and that people will follow that. I pray that God will break hearts and people will go to Watts. I pray that people will fall in love with Watts.
I am in love with Watts. I am in love with the community, the children, everyone. Jimmy is a great guy from Watts. I look at him and think to myself, “I don’t know how he does it.” I watch Jimmy interact with people in Watts and just see God. I see God’s love, God’s heart, and feel God’s presence when I am around Jimmy. I see him interact with kids who are not use to love and act accordingly and am in amazement. He loves them with all that he has and it is only by God that he can love them the way that he does. These kids are hurting and are in pain and it is awesome to see how much he loves them. I see Glenn work with the kids and love them. He encourages them when they need it and shows them tough love when they need it. He pushes them and helps them to become better than what they are. He loves his community and it shows through the way that he lives. I watch Keely and her sister and the way that they pour into people and see God’s heart. I see them pour into people that everyone else has already given up on. I see them caring and pushing people and it is awesome. Yesterday, I saw a bit of Andrea’s heart for Watts and it was awesome. I saw her love the community that she just became apart of and it is awesome. I saw her hope for the school and how it is so grounded in faith. I saw a beautiful heart that wants nothing but to do God’s will. I am excited for her to see where it goes.
These are the people that see me want LACS in Watts to happen. I see the faith and the love for their community and want nothing more than for LACS to accomplish so much. I see the kids and how they need so much and need love and get excited for LACS to open. I see the people who love this community and want other people to adapt that love. I cannot wait to see how God blesses this community. I cannot wait to see how LACS is blessed through these people and other people. It is such an exciting thing and I am so pumped for it. These kids need a school like this. They need a school that cares about their well being. They need a school that cares about their actual education. They need a school that will help them excel and that will show them the love that they deserve. I am excited about this and cannot wait for it all to work out. God is doing awesome things.
We had dinner at Lindsay, Lorraina, and Jennifer’s house last night. Megan was so nice to join us as well. Talking to Lindsay was really good for me. Listening to how she made her decision to come to WI was good for me. God was definitely talking to me through her. It was good to really hear how she loves this place and to see how she cares for the city. I am excited to see how God continues to bring me here.
LA Day 2
01/06/11
Matthew 15
“These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far away.
Their worship is a farce,
for they replace God’s commands
with their own man-made teachings...
You are not defiled by what you eat; you are defiled by what you say and do.”
Matthew 15:8-9;11
So many people were trying to look at this whole follow God thing is something that has to be done in such a legalistic way, but it is the opposite. It is not about how closely people follow the law. It is not about not eating certain foods. It is not about not working on the sabbath. It is about where the heart is. It is one thing to worship God in these ways, but when their hearts aren’t in it, then it is a problem. They are not really worshiping God in the first place.
As I am here and am back in the ministry that I love so much, I see people’s hearts really in it. I see people who really care about what they do. It is more of a reality thing and not a follow the rules kind of thing. They love the people that they work with. They model the right life to live through the love of Jesus Christ. They pour into the city of LA so much and it is awesome. They do not show people that it is all about going to church, following the rules, praying, reading the Bible...but they show them that it is so much more. It is more than being a “cookie cutter Christian,” it is showing the love of Christ. It is having a heart that is filled with the Spirit of the Lord and that is so into the people around them.
The reason why this is such a big deal around here is because the people that are witnessed to in this area look at Christianity with a “oh, I have to follow the rules.” They look at as if they decide to follow God, then they have a list of things that they HAVE to do. They have a list of rules to follow. However, the missionaries show the people that it is so much more than that. They show them that it is loving God so much to follow his rules. They show them that it is loving God so much that they ask for his will. They show them that it is loving God so much that they let him change them.
Life in LA: Real Day 1
Today, we woke up and hung out a bit. Most of us had a bit of time before we had to be at Bob’s and so we relaxed until then. It was good to have time in the morning to hang out and be alone. It was good to be able to process what was on my mind and to prepare myself for the day.
We met at Bob’s and headed out with Biron around the neighborhood. He took us on a tour to show us what was what and so on. It was a good explanation of things and a good tour, but I must say that I got a bit annoyed. I just don’t like how “touristy” it was. We were travelling in a large group and everyone was taking pictures. Part of this has to do with the fact that I know some of the people here. I have interacted with them and hung out with them and to turn their area of living into a tourist area is hard for me. It is one thing to go around and to learn, but we looked so much like spectators and that this was a zoo. I know that was not our intention, but that is just how I felt. Also, I think that if we would have been in smaller groups, it would not have been so bad. I know that it obviously had to be this way, but it just was extremely awkward to me.
Later in the day we went around the different ministries of World Impact. As we were in the middle school, I saw a few of my campers from the summer. It was good to see them because they are so great. They had already started to shoot me with the imaginary blow darts by the time that I saw them...shocking. It was funny though and good to see them. We walked through LACS Middle School, Sonshine Shop, and were upstairs in the TUMI office. It was cool to walk through things and see them again. I think that it is more confirming that I should be out here, but that is going to take a little bit more prayer.
Cavanagh, Sarah, and I grabbed some Pupusas for lunch at the Salvadorian place on Washington. Pupusas are so good! It was good to be in a smaller group and to hang out with Jon a little bit. I know him just a bit and it has been good to get to know him a little more. He is really great and really cares about the group which I think is awesome.
We also had the privilege of listening to Keith Phillips speak today, twice. He spoke to us separately and then he spoke at the Gathering as well. It was good to hear him speak later at the Gathering because he really went deeper on what he had said earlier in the day. He really went into his vision and the new vision of World Impact which was great for me to hear because I do see myself being here. This is how we ended the night, the Gathering. It was good to eat with the interns and hear what has been happening in their lives. It is so great to see how God has been working here and how his hand is moving.
Matthew 15
“These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far away.
Their worship is a farce,
for they replace God’s commands
with their own man-made teachings...
You are not defiled by what you eat; you are defiled by what you say and do.”
Matthew 15:8-9;11
So many people were trying to look at this whole follow God thing is something that has to be done in such a legalistic way, but it is the opposite. It is not about how closely people follow the law. It is not about not eating certain foods. It is not about not working on the sabbath. It is about where the heart is. It is one thing to worship God in these ways, but when their hearts aren’t in it, then it is a problem. They are not really worshiping God in the first place.
As I am here and am back in the ministry that I love so much, I see people’s hearts really in it. I see people who really care about what they do. It is more of a reality thing and not a follow the rules kind of thing. They love the people that they work with. They model the right life to live through the love of Jesus Christ. They pour into the city of LA so much and it is awesome. They do not show people that it is all about going to church, following the rules, praying, reading the Bible...but they show them that it is so much more. It is more than being a “cookie cutter Christian,” it is showing the love of Christ. It is having a heart that is filled with the Spirit of the Lord and that is so into the people around them.
The reason why this is such a big deal around here is because the people that are witnessed to in this area look at Christianity with a “oh, I have to follow the rules.” They look at as if they decide to follow God, then they have a list of things that they HAVE to do. They have a list of rules to follow. However, the missionaries show the people that it is so much more than that. They show them that it is loving God so much to follow his rules. They show them that it is loving God so much that they ask for his will. They show them that it is loving God so much that they let him change them.
Life in LA: Real Day 1
Today, we woke up and hung out a bit. Most of us had a bit of time before we had to be at Bob’s and so we relaxed until then. It was good to have time in the morning to hang out and be alone. It was good to be able to process what was on my mind and to prepare myself for the day.
We met at Bob’s and headed out with Biron around the neighborhood. He took us on a tour to show us what was what and so on. It was a good explanation of things and a good tour, but I must say that I got a bit annoyed. I just don’t like how “touristy” it was. We were travelling in a large group and everyone was taking pictures. Part of this has to do with the fact that I know some of the people here. I have interacted with them and hung out with them and to turn their area of living into a tourist area is hard for me. It is one thing to go around and to learn, but we looked so much like spectators and that this was a zoo. I know that was not our intention, but that is just how I felt. Also, I think that if we would have been in smaller groups, it would not have been so bad. I know that it obviously had to be this way, but it just was extremely awkward to me.
Later in the day we went around the different ministries of World Impact. As we were in the middle school, I saw a few of my campers from the summer. It was good to see them because they are so great. They had already started to shoot me with the imaginary blow darts by the time that I saw them...shocking. It was funny though and good to see them. We walked through LACS Middle School, Sonshine Shop, and were upstairs in the TUMI office. It was cool to walk through things and see them again. I think that it is more confirming that I should be out here, but that is going to take a little bit more prayer.
Cavanagh, Sarah, and I grabbed some Pupusas for lunch at the Salvadorian place on Washington. Pupusas are so good! It was good to be in a smaller group and to hang out with Jon a little bit. I know him just a bit and it has been good to get to know him a little more. He is really great and really cares about the group which I think is awesome.
We also had the privilege of listening to Keith Phillips speak today, twice. He spoke to us separately and then he spoke at the Gathering as well. It was good to hear him speak later at the Gathering because he really went deeper on what he had said earlier in the day. He really went into his vision and the new vision of World Impact which was great for me to hear because I do see myself being here. This is how we ended the night, the Gathering. It was good to eat with the interns and hear what has been happening in their lives. It is so great to see how God has been working here and how his hand is moving.
Welcome to LA
01/05/11
Matthew 15
Jesus told them to go ahead of him. He dismissed the 5000 people that he just fed with 2 loaves and 3 fish. He just did that. He showed how powerful and miraculous that he is...in front of the disciples. They witnessed it. They watched it. They saw it all. And here they are, on the boat, they see a figure walking toward them on the water. It must be a ghost, they say. And the voice of the Lord calls out to them, “Do not be afraid, it is I.” Peter walks on the water toward Jesus and the storms start to come and fear takes over him. He begins to sink. Fear knocks him down.
After witnessing a miracle, Peter falls. He falls from fear. He is overtaken by fear and he is down. He saw the Lord do incredible things, not once, not twice, but many times. And even so, he loses faith in the Lord. It is such a human reaction. We see God do so many things in our lives. We see him work in us, we see miracles, we feel the Spirit of the Lord upon us and yet we fall from fear all the time. We allow fear to over take our lives and hurt the faith that we have in the Lord.
As I read through this, I think about the other day as we were driving out here to California. While we were driving, we were almost on empty. We were in the middle of the desert and the GPS said that the closest gas station was about 20 miles away. Fear started to fill the car, but I could only have faith. We serve a mighty God who can do anything. I have seen him do miracles. I have seen him change lives. I have seen him work and why would I doubt him in such a time? As we drove, I started to pray...not out of fear, but out of faith. I started to pray that God would bring us upon a gas station. I was praying that he would lead us in the right path. That he would provide. I knew that God had our back and that he was going to keep us safe.
This is just one of the many times that I have encountered faith and fear, however. To be completely and totally honest, faith is not always the winner. In fact, faith is less likely way too often. It has become easier for me to let fear take over. When living in fear, I do not have to worry about being tried or tested. I do not have to worry about being stretched and pushed. It is easier, I just get to complain and whine and do nothing about it. However, I have learned that faith is so much better. It is so much more fulfilling. It is so much more satisfying. It feeds our hunger in ways that nothing else can. Faith is such a beautiful thing. With faith, we can do all things, who wouldn’t want that?
LA
He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to announce
that the captives will be released and prisoners will be freed.
He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord’s
favor has come, and with it, the day of God’s anger against the enemies.
Psalm 61
I love this city with all that I have. I am so glad to be back here and among the people that I love so much. I am glad to be back in the things that I am so familiar with. I am glad to be here and learning more about what God is doing. I am glad to be among those who really understand me and love me so much.
As we are here in LA and especially in the World Impact area, I cannot help but to think of Psalm 61. The city of LA has gone through so many trials. People here are hurting and they are brokenhearted. They are at a point in their lives where they live in anger and they live in pain. They see the past and cannot forgive what has happened among them.
Gangs versus gangs, races versus races, people versus people. There is so much here. There are so many people. There are so many past problems that haven’t been dealt with. There is so much pain and so much sorrow from not letting go. There is so much reconciliation that needs to be done in such a big pain. There is so much hunger for God in this place because it is so dark and it is in so much pain.
And that is what is beautiful about this city. He has sent people here to heal the broken hearted. He has sent people to work with the people of LA. He has sent people to love and to care about the people of LA. I got to see my friend Megan last night and she is one person who I see loving these people in LA. She is a person who really loves the kids of Kaleo and it is beautiful. I have seen partial fruits of her work in the students that she works with and it is so amazing. The missionaries and interns in World Impact really love this place and it is obvious. Keely loves her students at LACS and talks about them as she does love them. She pours into them in so many ways. She loves them and cares for them and pushes them. She does not let different things bring her down. She does not let their lives let her become hopeless. It is actually the opposite, she finds so much hope in the hopelessness. And as I see the other missionaries, I see that this is true as well.
This city is beautiful.The people are beautiful.God is working.He is here.He is big. He’s got this.He is sending people out.
It is amazing.
Matthew 15
Jesus told them to go ahead of him. He dismissed the 5000 people that he just fed with 2 loaves and 3 fish. He just did that. He showed how powerful and miraculous that he is...in front of the disciples. They witnessed it. They watched it. They saw it all. And here they are, on the boat, they see a figure walking toward them on the water. It must be a ghost, they say. And the voice of the Lord calls out to them, “Do not be afraid, it is I.” Peter walks on the water toward Jesus and the storms start to come and fear takes over him. He begins to sink. Fear knocks him down.
After witnessing a miracle, Peter falls. He falls from fear. He is overtaken by fear and he is down. He saw the Lord do incredible things, not once, not twice, but many times. And even so, he loses faith in the Lord. It is such a human reaction. We see God do so many things in our lives. We see him work in us, we see miracles, we feel the Spirit of the Lord upon us and yet we fall from fear all the time. We allow fear to over take our lives and hurt the faith that we have in the Lord.
As I read through this, I think about the other day as we were driving out here to California. While we were driving, we were almost on empty. We were in the middle of the desert and the GPS said that the closest gas station was about 20 miles away. Fear started to fill the car, but I could only have faith. We serve a mighty God who can do anything. I have seen him do miracles. I have seen him change lives. I have seen him work and why would I doubt him in such a time? As we drove, I started to pray...not out of fear, but out of faith. I started to pray that God would bring us upon a gas station. I was praying that he would lead us in the right path. That he would provide. I knew that God had our back and that he was going to keep us safe.
This is just one of the many times that I have encountered faith and fear, however. To be completely and totally honest, faith is not always the winner. In fact, faith is less likely way too often. It has become easier for me to let fear take over. When living in fear, I do not have to worry about being tried or tested. I do not have to worry about being stretched and pushed. It is easier, I just get to complain and whine and do nothing about it. However, I have learned that faith is so much better. It is so much more fulfilling. It is so much more satisfying. It feeds our hunger in ways that nothing else can. Faith is such a beautiful thing. With faith, we can do all things, who wouldn’t want that?
LA
He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to announce
that the captives will be released and prisoners will be freed.
He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord’s
favor has come, and with it, the day of God’s anger against the enemies.
Psalm 61
I love this city with all that I have. I am so glad to be back here and among the people that I love so much. I am glad to be back in the things that I am so familiar with. I am glad to be here and learning more about what God is doing. I am glad to be among those who really understand me and love me so much.
As we are here in LA and especially in the World Impact area, I cannot help but to think of Psalm 61. The city of LA has gone through so many trials. People here are hurting and they are brokenhearted. They are at a point in their lives where they live in anger and they live in pain. They see the past and cannot forgive what has happened among them.
Gangs versus gangs, races versus races, people versus people. There is so much here. There are so many people. There are so many past problems that haven’t been dealt with. There is so much pain and so much sorrow from not letting go. There is so much reconciliation that needs to be done in such a big pain. There is so much hunger for God in this place because it is so dark and it is in so much pain.
And that is what is beautiful about this city. He has sent people here to heal the broken hearted. He has sent people to work with the people of LA. He has sent people to love and to care about the people of LA. I got to see my friend Megan last night and she is one person who I see loving these people in LA. She is a person who really loves the kids of Kaleo and it is beautiful. I have seen partial fruits of her work in the students that she works with and it is so amazing. The missionaries and interns in World Impact really love this place and it is obvious. Keely loves her students at LACS and talks about them as she does love them. She pours into them in so many ways. She loves them and cares for them and pushes them. She does not let different things bring her down. She does not let their lives let her become hopeless. It is actually the opposite, she finds so much hope in the hopelessness. And as I see the other missionaries, I see that this is true as well.
This city is beautiful.The people are beautiful.God is working.He is here.He is big. He’s got this.He is sending people out.
It is amazing.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
True Faith
Matthew 15
Jesus told them to go ahead of him. He dismissed the 5000 people that he just fed with 2 loaves and 3 fish. He just did that. He showed how powerful and miraculous that he is...in front of the disciples. They witnessed it. They watched it. They saw it all. And here they are, on the boat, they see a figure walking toward them on the water. It must be a ghost, they say. And the voice of the Lord calls out to them, “Do not be afraid, it is I.” Peter walks on the water toward Jesus and the storms start to come and fear takes over him. He begins to sink. Fear knocks him down.
After witnessing a miracle, Peter falls. He falls from fear. He is overtaken by fear and he is down. He saw the Lord do incredible things, not once, not twice, but many times. And even so, he loses faith in the Lord. It is such a human reaction. We see God do so many things in our lives. We see him work in us, we see miracles, we feel the Spirit of the Lord upon us and yet we fall from fear all the time. We allow fear to over take our lives and hurt the faith that we have in the Lord.
As I read through this, I think about the other day as we were driving out here to California. While we were driving, we were almost on empty. We were in the middle of the desert and the GPS said that the closest gas station was about 20 miles away. Fear started to fill the car, but I could only have faith. We serve a mighty God who can do anything. I have seen him do miracles. I have seen him change lives. I have seen him work and why would I doubt him in such a time? As we drove, I started to pray...not out of fear, but out of faith. I started to pray that God would bring us upon a gas station. I was praying that he would lead us in the right path. That he would provide. I knew that God had our back and that he was going to keep us safe.
This is just one of the many times that I have encountered faith and fear, however. To be completely and totally honest, faith is not always the winner. In fact, faith is less likely way too often. It has become easier for me to let fear take over. When living in fear, I do not have to worry about being tried or tested. I do not have to worry about being stretched and pushed. It is easier, I just get to complain and whine and do nothing about it. However, I have learned that faith is so much better. It is so much more fulfilling. It is so much more satisfying. It feeds our hunger in ways that nothing else can. Faith is such a beautiful thing. With faith, we can do all things, who wouldn’t want that?
Jesus told them to go ahead of him. He dismissed the 5000 people that he just fed with 2 loaves and 3 fish. He just did that. He showed how powerful and miraculous that he is...in front of the disciples. They witnessed it. They watched it. They saw it all. And here they are, on the boat, they see a figure walking toward them on the water. It must be a ghost, they say. And the voice of the Lord calls out to them, “Do not be afraid, it is I.” Peter walks on the water toward Jesus and the storms start to come and fear takes over him. He begins to sink. Fear knocks him down.
After witnessing a miracle, Peter falls. He falls from fear. He is overtaken by fear and he is down. He saw the Lord do incredible things, not once, not twice, but many times. And even so, he loses faith in the Lord. It is such a human reaction. We see God do so many things in our lives. We see him work in us, we see miracles, we feel the Spirit of the Lord upon us and yet we fall from fear all the time. We allow fear to over take our lives and hurt the faith that we have in the Lord.
As I read through this, I think about the other day as we were driving out here to California. While we were driving, we were almost on empty. We were in the middle of the desert and the GPS said that the closest gas station was about 20 miles away. Fear started to fill the car, but I could only have faith. We serve a mighty God who can do anything. I have seen him do miracles. I have seen him change lives. I have seen him work and why would I doubt him in such a time? As we drove, I started to pray...not out of fear, but out of faith. I started to pray that God would bring us upon a gas station. I was praying that he would lead us in the right path. That he would provide. I knew that God had our back and that he was going to keep us safe.
This is just one of the many times that I have encountered faith and fear, however. To be completely and totally honest, faith is not always the winner. In fact, faith is less likely way too often. It has become easier for me to let fear take over. When living in fear, I do not have to worry about being tried or tested. I do not have to worry about being stretched and pushed. It is easier, I just get to complain and whine and do nothing about it. However, I have learned that faith is so much better. It is so much more fulfilling. It is so much more satisfying. It feeds our hunger in ways that nothing else can. Faith is such a beautiful thing. With faith, we can do all things, who wouldn’t want that?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)