Ah 2012...It's been fun!

Some highlights from 2012

End of the Year Barbecue

Old Faithful Christian Ranch's Bike Gang 

Dress as a professor/staff member day 

Broom ball was one of the best ideas ever. It was so cold and so much fun but it really brought our campus together. 

                                                         

Halloween Party with me being Caesar and Brady dressing up as Stetson. So great!

Captain Hammer and Dr. Horrible photo bomb. 

Chad's Birthday :)

Ultimate Octopus has to be one of the coolest variations of Ultimate Frisbee that I have ever seen. 

Some pretty great people to play flag football with. 

I learned how to brand calves this summer...yea that did not go well for me haha.

2012 has been great. I have laughed, cried, learned, evangelized, and just seen God do some amazing things. I am so excited to see how I have grown so much with my Boise family and I learned a lot from my Pinedale family (but I never want to brand cows again). God is growing me at Boise Bible College and he has shown me favor there. I find that I am more focused on living for God and letting him move through me and those around me. It has been painful but it's a good kind of hurt. 

With that being said, I am super excited for 2013. It's a new year with a lot of exciting new adventures coming up! Who knows where we will be? I hope to be growing and serving God at Boise Bible College with a possibility of serving at Newberg Christian Church this summer? That might change though, God may have some other plan and that is okay to! Maybe you will be serving God through your job or perhaps you will be at school? You might go on a mission trip to another country and fall in love with the people there. You never know what God is going to do. Be grateful for this year but prepare for the next one! Remember God is in control and he has a ton of stuff planned for this year. So with whatever comes up be ready to change and be ready to serve.

Have a Happy New Year!

God's Chisel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QCkBL2DfVg

Junk, rubbish, deceitful, angry, lustful, idolater, murderer in my heart, coveting, blasphemer, and any other name you can call me...I fit that description.

When I came to Christ, I felt that it would be easy. I didn't think through the pain and the struggles and the hardship that would come. I knew it was going to be difficult but I had no idea of the struggling that would ensue. With that being said, I was only about 14 or so when I actually came to Christ so I definitely did not have a huge idea.

This video put it best. I hate the wickedness inside me. God is chiseling it out piece by piece and he is growing me more and more but I need to keep growing. Maybe that's where you are at to? Do you hate who you have become? Do you hate what you do to yourself, to others, and to God? Well, I don't have an Oxi-Clean commercial that washes out all stains immediately but I can say this: God will continue to chisel us and shape us. "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me" (Luke 9:23).

If we want to follow Christ we have to give up our very nature...you are not going to do that overnight. It takes time and it takes effort to become the men and women God wants us to be. It's worth everything to me. I want to be a man God is proud to call his son. I want to hear the words "Well done good and faithful servant." Don't you want to hear it to? Then we have to let God take control of who we are.

I feel like God has shaped and molded me so much more then what I used to be. If you looked at the dorky kid who accepted Christ at a camp 6 and a half years ago and you saw me now, I can guarantee you that you would see a changed man. Growing in Christ is one of the most things I have ever experienced. Because I feel like I am letting God down, but as this video says and I believe the Bible supports this as well...we don't support God...he hold us up.

So give yourself over to Christ. Let him chisel out what needs to be chiseled. Take up your cross and follow him today.

Ahhh...Christmas

Christmas Day...for some it is one of the most joyful times of the year and for others it is the most depressing time of the year. This day represents the coming of Jesus Christ the Son of the Most High God. I love what this holiday represents because it the beginning of our freedom in Christ and the great love he has for us! But...this holiday is also one of great sadness. There are going to be 26 empty seats tomorrow evening as families gather together for Christmas dinner in Connecticut. Families that are torn apart by divorce suffer this holiday and people are dying in wars all over the world. Why should we celebrate when there is so much pain? I don't think there is a better answer than what the angel said to the shepherds.

"But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David, there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:10-11 NASB). We have a reason to rejoice in the midst of our pain and our sadness. I am not in any way saying that children's deaths, divorce, or war are not things to be sad over. However, what I am saying is this: This Christmas season, we have a reason to celebrate. It may not feel like it what with all this pain around us or having just suffered through finals week but we have the same reason to celebrate that those shepherds did. A savior has been born.

The prophet Isaiah predicted some 900 years before Christ's birth. "For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on his shoulders; And his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6) We have a reason to celebrate. No matter what your pain, heartache, addiction, or suffering, Tomorrow we celebrate the day that Christ came to free us from that.

This Christmas season I hope you are encouraged and strengthened by Christ for another year. For those of us that are on break from school, I hope that you become well rested and ready to tackle another semester of school in a few weeks. For those of us that are suffering from the trials of this world, I hope that the Prince of Peace brings you peace. Remember, this is the good news!

Merry Christmas to all!

Discouraged but not Defeated

So, I am going to be straight up with you. This week has sucked so far and it is only Tuesday. I am fighting a cold (the first cold of the semester and on finals week no less) and I have three finals. Two of those finals are Greek and a 2nd Timothy and Titus final so that will be fun.

But, I was praying to God a little bit ago and he hit me with something that I had forgotten. This week is not about finals or passing or failing. They are important but they are not the focus. You see, around 2000 years ago, a young girl from Nazareth was facing one of the most challenging tests of her life. This girl was living a normal life; she was going to be married to a nice guy and raise a family in small town Nazareth...but God changed that. He basically told this girl that he wanted her to bear the Savior of the world. This is a pretty big deal! But Mary's response was the best response anyone can give. "Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word" (Luke 1:38).

God calls people to take on tasks that appear overwhelming or terrifying. He called Noah to build an ark for a hundred years or so and be ridiculed, He called David to face his giant, He called Elijah to stand up to a king, He called Esther to save a nation, and he called this poor peasant girl to bear a Savior. He has called us to the tasks in front of us. For a lot of us right now that is finals. I can guarantee that some of you reading this would rather face Goliath then go and take an exam tomorrow morning. However, God has called us to this at this time and purpose. He has called me to Boise Bible College to prepare myself for ministry where I will face far worse challenges then a final exam.

What I am trying to say is this, if Mary of Nazareth could agree to bear the Savior of the world (as well as have her friends and family reject her, possibly stone her, ridicule her, ruin her family's name, and all that went with being pregnant out of wedlock in those days) then maybe we can put our beard on and take care of the task in front of us. It is going to be a pain. Personally, I am not really looking forward to a Greek Final tomorrow afternoon. That is not exactly my idea of the greatest day ever...but God has called me to it, and I need to say the same words that Mary said, "Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word."

To the Ends of the Earth?

To the ends of the earth? What does that mean for you and me? Do we go out and serve the people in Cambodia and ignore those in our own backyard? Or do we focus on those around us and ignore those without the Gospel in Africa. What does the ends of the earth mean to you?

In the Book of Acts, the apostles have begun the task of fulfilling the Great Commission. In this commission Christ said, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20 NASB). Make disciples of all the nations...that's a huge call for us as believers. How on earth do we even begin to fulfill such a call to serve? Why not just focus on those here at home?

From what I see in the Bible, God has given Christians the great responsibility and joy of spreading his news throughout the world. How can we ignore such a great calling? Some are fulfilling the need in this country and that is great. Others are fulfilling the need in other countries and that is great...but why not both? Why not focus on both our country and other countries? Now I am not saying to give up your entire livelihood and move to Kenya to minister in the slums of Nairobi...but I am not discounting it either. You have a call to serve God and follow him. How are you going to make that call more evident in your own life?

A few weeks ago I had a great opportunity to go to the International Conference of Missions (ICOM). At this conference, I met so many different Christian men and women who were following the call of God both in America and in other countries. They focused on different aspects, this is true, but the unity and purpose of telling the world about Jesus was invigorating. I feel that our focus should be on our home our country and the world. For example the places my ministry should encompass, my Jerusalem is Boise, my Judea is Idaho or Oregon, my Samaria is Wyoming or Utah (No offense to those who love Utah or Wyoming), and the ends of the earth...well its the ends of the earth.

I don't know what the Great Commission is going to look like in every Christians life. However, I do know that the Christian is called to live differently. Keep your heart open to what God says and if he begins to lead that way...don't fight because that is an uphill battle and you will not win. :)

Safe Christianity

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LA_uwWPE6lQ

These past few days have been incredibly weird, even for me. I have so many thoughts and ideas running through my mind and it helps when I type them out so here I am. What is God trying to convey?

I was watching this video by Francis Chan and I find it is so applicable in my own life. So often Christians (including myself) want an easy life laid out in front of them. They want the typical "take your family to church on Sunday, tithe, and maybe give to a missionary" Christianity. Maybe this is just me but I want something more. I want to hear those words, "Well done good and faithful servant" when I die. I think that should be the desire of every Christian. However, the question needs to be asked, "Are we willing to do the footwork?"

Do we love God enough to do what he wants us to do? John the apostle was writing the book of Revelation. Within the first three chapters we see Jesus Christ himself sending a message to seven churches. One of the churches is the city of Ephesus. Now Ephesus was a city that was home to the temple of Artemis as well as being one of the major trade ports of the Roman empire. This made Ephesus one of the most diverse religious centers in the world (Similar to New York or another major city). So the Christian church was battling these false doctrines and doing well by persevering and toiling But Christ had one rebuke, "But I have this against you, that you have left your first love"-Revelation 2:4.

The Ephesians had started out very strong. They were following God and doing his will as can be evidenced by portions of Acts. However, by about 90 A.D. these men and women had lost their love for Christ and he rebuked them for it. Examine yourselves, have you left your first love? Are you clinging to that balance beam as though your life depended on it? If so that needs to change! Are you ready to try something daring? Get out of your comfort zone. But I can guarantee that Christ was not comfortable while he died on the cross. 

I Need A Miracle

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmhNZkyGloc


We all need a miracle. Whether its for physical or spiritual needs, we all have that longing inside of us for something more. Yes, many of us have Christ, but do we truly surrender ourselves to Him? We need a miracle to change our hearts.

I look at my personal walk with Christ and I see just how far I have come over the past year and it thrills me! However, I see the road ahead of me more clearly and I realize just how much farther this road is then I ever anticipated. This road is going to be filled with pain and heartache. It is a road where fear and sorrow will overtake us. Why do we walk this road? Why do some of us walk the road that Christ walked?

It takes a miracle. If I was on the outside looking at true Christians giving their all for Christ I would not be able to explain it myself. However, I can say this. There is nothing more satisfying then following God. A miracle took place the day I left the kingdom of Satan and entered the Kingdom of God. "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come"-2nd Corinthians 5:17. We are a new creation when we come to Christ, so why do we hold on to our old nature? We are being sanctified and changed as we go but this road we tread is not a sprint but it is a marathon. "Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us..."-Hebrews 12:1.

To all the Boise Bible College students, your time here at BBC is a marathon it is not a sprint. Keep that in mind as some of us are nearing the finish line and some of us are beginning to find the race is a lot longer than we could have ever imagined. Challenge considered? Challenge accepted.

Bless the Lord Oh My Soul

Bless the Lord oh my soul, I'll worship your holy name...

You know, it is nights like these that I feel incredibly unworthy to worship my God. He has shown me such mercy and forgiveness in my life and I continually reject him and want to do my own way. This day is another one of those struggles. Why does God continue to forgive me even though I go my own way? Why does my God continue to love me even though I don't deserve it? I don't know why but I do know that I am grateful.

I feel like David. I know I have grown in my faith and I can see the affect it has had on my life. I love seeing how far I have come! However, I also see where God needs to continues chipping away the old me and it is painful. David cried out in 2nd Samuel 12:13 "I have sinned against the Lord." David committed far worse sins then I have (in my human eyes) but I understand that cry. I have sinned against a God who loves me more then I could even know in so many aspects of my life: Pride, anger, lust, hatred, injustice, gossip, and hypocrisy. He could do so much better then me but he continues to love me. It is one of those paradoxes that I am quite grateful for.

I have realized something incredible though and I continue to learn it. God forgives. The sins that we keep running to are sins that must be cleared out of our lives. In 1st John 1:8-9 it says, "If we say we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

He is faithful and just to forgive us for our sins. This God loves us way too much to leave us the way we are and I do not know about you who are reading this, but my prayer is that God keeps molding and shaping me into his image. "For I am confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus" Philippians 1:6.

I am confident that God will keep working in me. I want to bend to his will though...not break to it.

Pictures from OFCR

As I promised, here are some pictures of Old Faithful Christian Ranch this year. It was a lot of fun all three weeks but I have to say my personal favorite is Jr. High week. The kids are just excited, ready to have fun, and a lot of them are still open to the things of God. 

Our biker gang 

Dodge ball Court (I may or may not have spent most of my time here pegging children with dodgeballs. hehehe)

 Keith preaching to the Jr. Highers

 Pinata Time!

 Worship time!

 Dodgeball! 

Keith Stayman (He's not awake yet)

 Hannah going in for the kill

 Ben posing on the waterslide

 Chapel

 Kylie's Cabin

 Kevin Odette

 Strong Fujimoto!

Worship Time (Every move I Make)

As you guys can see this was a great summer up at Old Faithful Christian Ranch. I encourage kids to go to this camp if they can and people who are too old to go should volunteer for staff. It is hard, draining, and one of the most exhausting things you can do...but it is one of the most worthwhile ministries I have participated in. 

Are you a Radical?

Do we love Christ the way we are called to? Are we so sold out to Christ that if we lost everything, it would be enough?

Luke 9:57-58 "As they were going along the road, someone said to Him, 'I will follow you wherever you go.' And Jesus said to him, 'The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.'"

We are so quick to say that we will follow Christ wherever he wants us to go...but what if he calls you to poverty? What if you have to walk a desert path? Will you still say blessed be the name of the Lord? Will we  understand Christ's word when he says "And he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.' Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me" 2 Corinthians 12:9.

Paul had implored with God to take away a "thorn in the flesh" but God didn't do it! Paul accepted this because he believed Christ when he said that his grace is sufficient. How true those words are and how often do we not live them out! There are exceptions obviously, the woman suffering from cancer, the man struggling through a divorce, or the child struggling through an addiction who call on the name of the Lord. However, how often do we tell God "It's chill, I got this one covered"?

This should not be! I am guilty of this. I try so hard to plan and prepare for every situation. Then something happens that I did not expect then I hit my knees and pray about it. Shouldn't we bring everything to the cross before the crap hits the fan?

It appears that we don't trust God in our own lives. What in your life shows that you are different from the person who doesn't have Christ, besides Sunday morning? We have to die to ourselves in order to live for Christ. Is that a price you are willing to pay?

Old Faithful Christian Ranch Summary

So as most of you know I have served for the past month up in Island Park, Idaho at Old Faithful Christian Ranch. This had to be one of the hardest yet most rewarding summers of serving yet! I have to admit that there were days I was thinking "God, why on earth am I here right now?" But God made it all worth it this summer.

July 9th-13th we had Sr. High Camp. This is a camp basically for 10th grade up to graduated 12th grade. Let me tell you it was difficult, some members of my cabin were rebellious towards me because of the lack of age difference, while others were okay with it. I had to rely on God for the strength and the patience to handle the situations as they came up. God does not abandon his people though! "Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary." (Isaiah 40:30-31)

July 16th-20th we had Jr. High camp. This is for 7th grade-9th grade students. This camp was easier for me because there was more of an age difference. However, I still had to trust in the Lord because my strength is weak compared to what I had to face. This week was really great though, I saw a renewal of a passion for God and it encouraged me to keep following God. We also had one boy from our cabin give his life to God. Let me tell you, nothing gets me more excited about God then seeing people come from death into life. It is invigorating to say the least.

July 30th-August 3rd we had Junior boys camp. The week before that was a Jr. Girls camp for 4th-6th grade girls that (for obvious reasons) I did not assist with. But Junior boys week was definitely a challenge for me. You try watching twelve 4th-6th grade boys for a week and you will understand what I mean. But God prepped me and strengthened me for the challenge. We had at least 5 boys out of our 12 recommit to or accept Jesus Christ. IT WAS FANTASTIC! I had one kid come up to me on Wednesday night and ask me, "How do I accept Jesus into my heart?" I told him, "That is the best question ever!" I made sure he understood what Jesus did for us and he accepted Christ. As it says in Luke 15:7 the angels were rejoicing over that one soul that was saved!

So to sum it up, this July was incredibly difficult for me personally. I struggled with self doubt, with sleeplessness, rebellious campers, sleep deprived staff (I can't say I was any better though lol), and Satan on the prowl. But as it says in 1st Peter 5:8-9 "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world." Resist him and he will flee. That is what we did at Old Faithful Christian Ranch this year.

I'll look into getting some pictures posted on the blog here soon hopefully!

If anyone is interested in serving at Old Faithful Christian Ranch next summer check out the link below and their facebook page!

http://www.ofcr.org/

https://www.facebook.com/OFCR.org

God bless!

The Will of God

God's will...its a tricky subject. People try to find the will of God/gods by Ouija Boards, Fortune balls, praying to their ancestors, and every other thing imaginable. Why? Because people are scared of the future. They want to know whats going to happen.

If you had asked me five months ago whether or not I was going to serve at Pinedale Bible Church I wouldn't have been able to give you an answer. Was serving here God's will? Well I'm here so I am going to say yes. Did he have something better planned for me? Possibly I don't know. However, this I do know. I am here for a reason. I may have little experience when it comes to ministry but God wanted me here for some reason. People poured into me while I was here and I got to pour into people that I hope made some impact on them. 

Was this internship hard? You bet! I put in at least 300 hours of working with kids over the month of July alone. Was I discouraged? You bet! I still am somedays! But, looking back, if I had the choice to do this summer over again...I would still have chosen Pinedale. Because this is what God wanted me to do. I don't know what God wants me to do tomorrow. Who knows? Maybe in six months I will be in Kenya helping build a well! Or maybe I'll be serving at a church in Boise.

What am I trying to get at? I can hear you asking this now. Here is the point. Ministry is hard. Life is hard. Get used to it. Nothing in this world worth doing is easy. So pray to God for strength to do his will, pray for wisdom to do his will, and put your beard on! Philippians 1:6 "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus."

 

When the Rubber Meets the Road

These past few weeks my faith was really challenged as I strove to serve God. Allow me to explain.

I worked up at Old Faithful Christian Ranch in Island Park Idaho. I have to say it was very rewarding working with other people to impact high school and middle school students for Christ. However, working at the camp was definitely not easy. Both weeks, I was under spiritual attack around late Monday or early Tuesday. The devil attacked me with my fear of being inadequate in my ministry to the students.

Both weeks I had to pray for strength and wisdom while other staff members came around and encouraged me to continue to do what I know God has called me to do. My former pastor, Keith Stayman, put it this way when I said I was under spiritual attack, "That means you are doing something right." That hit me hard, I had been feeling inadequate for what Christ called! I thought God may have made a mistake choosing me to serve that week so this had really hit me at my core. The devil works hard to immobilize us when we are serving Christ.

When the devil attacks us spiritually, then we are doing something right! The devil wouldn't hit me as hard if I didn't care about Christ and try to lead people toward him but since I am ministering for Christ, that means that I am now on his hit list! So since I am on his hit list it means I need to rely on Christ even more because without Christ's protection and putting on the armor of God...I am in serious trouble!

I was encouraged this past week to pick an action verse and a life verse, something that I can fall back upon in times of trouble. I found those two verses. My life verse is Philippians 1:21 "To live is Christ and to die is gain." I am not trying to build myself up here on earth. I don't want treasure on earth! I want to live my life in light of eternity, because that's where life really gets kicking. While I am here on earth I want to live it out for Christ but when I die it's going to be even better.

My action verse is Micah 6:8 "He has shown you oh man what is good and what the Lord requires of you, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." That's what Christ wants us to do. If we walk humbly with him then he will lead us! But if we are proud and stubborn then Christ has a much harder time molding us. It is for Christ that we have to live, not for ourselves.

At the end of the day, you have to decide whether or not you are following Christ. If you are following Christ then grit your teeth cause it will not be easy. I once heard a saying, "Accepting Christ can be the easiest thing in the world...living for him will be the hardest thing you will ever do."

Old Faithful Christian Ranch

You ever have those summers that you just love? Yea, so did I. One of the big reasons for those summers was because of Old Faithful Christian Ranch. 

I leave tomorrow morning for Old Faithful Christian Ranch to serve with brothers and sisters in Christ. I am stoked for this! This camp is an awesome experience for anyone whether staff or camper.

The week is filled with fellowship, evangelism, games, food, and bathing in mosquito spray! This place really helped me in my spiritual walk and now I return to work with kids who go through the same stuff I went through as a kid.

High School Staff

Gotta love lunch

Some sort of running game!

Camp is a place where I built friendships with tons of people who I am still really good friends with to this day. Whether you are a lackey for Brenda (terrifying work), working with the excellent cooks, or chilling with the kids. OFCR is an excellent place for personal growth and for helping others grow.

I have been going here since 2005 and I turned out pretty good (don't comment on that).

I'm a Christian First

"I'm a Christian first and a German second." Famous words by the German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Dietrich was a German Christian during the Second World War during the reign of Hitler and his persecution. He spoke against the German government and for Christ. He payed the final price by being hung in 1945.

As we celebrate Independence day in the United States, enjoy the barbecues and the fireworks by all means. But also remember at what price we are allowed to enjoy this. The men and women who died for that right. It's not national barbecue day (though I do enjoy ribs myself). While saying thanks to those who fight for us, remember our higher cause.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:1-2 ESV).

236 years ago our forefathers signed a declaration. That declaration declared their independence from an oppressive foreign power. Christians let us declare our independence from the foreign power of the devil and his advocates! Let us cast aside all sin that hinders us and run toward the perfecter of our faith. Our citizenship is in heaven therefore remember that we are Christians first and foremost.

Rediscover Him

So I am listening to Rediscover You by Starfield. I have to say this song has got to be one of the best songs I have heard in a while. I love the lyrics to this song. "You told me, look for you and I will find. So I'm here like I'm searching for the first time. Revive me Jesus make this cold heart start to move, help me rediscover you."

That is something I want for my life! So often, church is just something people do on Sundays. Christians, we are called to so much more then a service on Sunday! Now don't get me wrong, I love church and I love fellowship. But if our lives only exhibit Christ on Sunday, then we have a problem.

If you could no longer go to church (for whatever reason) what in your life would show that Jesus Christ is the center of your life? What do you do in your life that says to the world, "Hey I follow Jesus Christ!" If there isn't a lot, then maybe it is time to rethink your priorities.

If persecution hit your church right now. Would you stick with it and stand by your fellow brothers and sisters? Or would you say, "This isn't what I signed up for! I'm out!" Really think about that.

People are dying for their faith in countries like Indonesia, India, Iran, Pakistan. These people are the true Jesus Freaks. The ones that want to follow God no matter the cost. Here in America, if we stand up for God people snicker when they see us passing by but generally it does not get worse then that. People in persecuted countries give it all up for the sake of the cross.

For more information on the state of the persecuted church go to http://www.persecution.com/

To these people God is not dead. He is surely alive! Oh death where is your sting! Oh hell where is your victory! Church where is our passion for God? Let's rediscover him.

Branding Calves

Well, today I experienced something new. I found what it is like to wrestle a calf to the ground as someone sticks a hot iron on it to mark them. Definitely not something I do everyday in Boise. It was a lot of fun though. I found out how to wrestle a calf to the ground without getting kicked in the face. However, I did get head butted by an angry calf in the knee. I then promptly threw it to the ground and put my knee on its neck. Yes, I hulked out and I am proud of it. :)

Definitely a good time. :) However it got me thinking (dangerous I know). But, how much like cattle are we? The cows were upset and making a lot of noise (certainly understandable I would make noise if I was castrated and then had a hot iron stuck in my side just saying) but this was pain they had to go through, so that when out in the field, people would know that this is someone's cow. What about us? When we go through pain and suffering in our lives, maybe it is just God letting the world know that these people are mine. I let them go through pain so they will bear my mark and let the world know they are mine. Just an idea.

Today was an excellent day, I am definitely sore and kind of tired from all of this but it is something I am glad I got to experience. I mean, I am in Wyoming for crying out loud, might as well experience the local culture, am I right? 

Lukewarm Christianity

"I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth." (Revelation 3:15-16 NASB). These harsh words are from the mouth of Jesus to a church that had become lukewarm in their faithfulness to God. God despises apathy in our lives. He doesn't want us to try and sit on the fence, for man cannot serve both man and money.

"Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet saying, 'Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house (The Temple) lies desolate?' Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts, 'Consider your ways!'" (Haggai 1:3-5 NASB) Haggai was a prophet after the return of the exiles from Babylon. The people had become apathetic toward the Lord while they lived in grand houses. God despised and still despises apathy. Consider your ways! Are you serving God or serving yourself?

It makes sense doesn't it? I mean, in our lives we hate to be ignored. Especially when we are trying to help other people! How much more does God who loves us so much that he died for us hate to be ignored by man? When it comes to Christ, men and women have to make a choice. C.S. Lewis put it best when speaking of Jesus and his Godhood. "Either he is a lunatic, on the level with a man who calls himself a poached egg, the devil of hell, or God himself. But let us have no more of this nonsense about him being a good person. He did not intend to leave that option open to us." When it comes to Christ you are either for him or you are against him. We cannot live our life toeing the line, seeing how close we can come to sinning without actually sinning!

In Matthew 25 we see, in my mind, one of the most terrifying parts of Scripture.


"But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared fro you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' Then the righteous will answer Him, Lord, when did we see You, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger and invite You in, or naked, and clothe you? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to you? The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.' Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger and you did not invite me in; naked and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.' Then they themselves also will answer,' Lord when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You? Then he will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." (Matthew 25:31-46 NASB)

When it comes to serving God you cannot live on the fence. If you are one of those Christians that lives for Christ Sunday morning and the rest of the week live in a manner that is ungodly...now would be an excellent time to turn that around. What are you living for? Are you living for the one that died for you? Or are you living for yourself even though you claim the name of Christ? When I die, I want to hear the words "Well done good and faithful servant" not "Depart from me ye accursed." I love God and I want to follow Him. I hope you do to.

Until next time, "The Lord bless you, and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance on you and give you peace." (Numbers 6:24-26)

Our Golden Calf

I have been confronted with my sinfulness these past two days. No one has called me out on it but it has been revealed to me just by looking at my own life. It makes me upset! I want to follow God but I find myself reaching out for that same old piece of forbidden fruit then I slip and fall and knock my head loose. Somebody tell me what's a boy supposed to do?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ip7MaWhfW_g

I get so clumsy, and so foolish. I feel clean on the outside but on the inside I feel unclean. I feel like I have an idea of how Aaron must have felt after the Golden Calf incident. So what am I supposed to do after being confronted with sin in my own life? Do what Aaron did in the verse directly after that. "Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, 'Whoever is for the Lord, come to me!' And all the sons of Levi gathered together to him." 

I can imagine Aaron being one of the first to be beside Moses. Otherwise, he probably would have died for his sin and he definitely would not have become the high priest of the people. In our lives we need that battle cry. "Whoever is for God come and join us! If you aren't then stay away!" I want to be one of the Levites that run straight to God when they realize their sin. 

Do everything you do for the glory of the one who made you. Whether you are working in a church or shoveling horse stalls. Whether you are on a mission trip to Kenya or reaching out to a hurting friend. God deserves the glory in our lives. So lets get off our high horses, find the sin in our lives, and run to the cross! Sound good? "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me" (Galatians 2:20)

That's the choice we have to make every day. Do we serve God? Or do we serve men? Until next time may the grace of God be with you as you search out the sin in your life and expel it.

Mountains, Mosquitos, and Children oh my!

Dang, what a week. It has been seriously insane trying to keep up with everything that has gone on. The past four days have been filled with hiking, teaching, games, and just a good time.

Monday was bad. I was so dead that first day because I had no idea what to expect from the hike and it killed me. However, it was a nice hike, Billy Wood talked to the kids about Creation and what God has done. Wooh! It was definitely fun to go over that with the kids. Also exciting was the fact that we had a little girl give her life to Jesus. So that's always good stuff.

Tuesday was definitely a lot better on me physically speaking. I knew what to expect and it was a lot more enjoyable. Lynda Silvey talked to the kids about how we look at the world. What does the Bible say? Why do we listen to the Bible? Etc. So she did a pretty dang good job on that in my opinion.

Wednesday was beautiful. We hiked up to Sacred Ridge where Jim gave the Gospel message to the elementary kids. That combined with the fact that we were up in the mountains was just a perfect way to describe God's awesomeness.

The sheer grandeur of these mountains is astounding. It makes me think of the song "Did you feel the Mountains Tremble?" These mountains will one day tremble when the King of Kings comes in glorious and mighty in power. "For the Lord is a great God and a great King above all gods, in whose hand are the depths of the earth, the peaks of the mountains are also his. The sea is His, for it was He who made it, and His hands formed the dry lands." (Psalm 95 NASB) Just being in the presence of this astounding display of power was humbling.

The picture above is from our hike yesterday. Yesterday was our last day of hiking on Mountain Qwest for Christ. Yours truly was the one who gave the message to the kids. The lesson had me focus on the diversity of birds in our world. From the long beak of the stork, to the swiftness of the ostrich, and to the delicacy of the flamingo, God has designed each and every creature for a purpose. How much more valuable are we to God??? The hike was gorgeous. We went and stopped on the shore of a lake and had our snack and lesson there.

This week had to be one of the most tiring weeks of my life. But I loved it because of the fact that children were able to see God in an entirely different way then they may have seen Him before. Also, our last count was 7 more children for Christ so that in and of itself makes the weariness and the mosquito bites all worthwhile. So, until next time, "The Lord bless you and keep you, The Lord make his face to shine on you and be gracious to you, The Lord lift up his countenance on you and give you peace." (Numbers 6:24-26)

Internship duties and Plants vs. Zombies

Alright  Alright, well a fair bit has been going on since I last updated. I have been introduced to a new game and Mountain Qwest for Christ (Pinedale VBS) starts tomorrow at Noon!

So Plants Vs. Zombies is a tower-defense game that I am addicted to now. Its kind of like Zombieland meets the Home and Garden Chanel. But the basic idea is zombies are invading your yard and you have to use plants to defend your yard. There are a lot of different plants and though it sounds absolutely stupid, it has to be one of the funnest games I have played in a while.

Now to Internship update, this week I am going to be swamped! We have Mountain Qwest for Christ starting tomorrow. Basically, we are going to ride in a bus for a half hour, then for two hours we are going to snack, hike, and have a lesson. This will continue for four days and it is going to be a lot of fun but really tiring...especially since I am not the most adept hiker. Haha but I will persevere!

Second, we have both middle school and high school youth group this week. I am really excited for the middle school youth group on Thursday night because I have had the opportunity to work with them a little bit and they are a really good group to be working with and I am excited to work with them more this summer. The high school group meets on Wednesday night. The high school youth group is a new experience for me. I have never worked regularly with a high school youth group. It has always been middle schoolers and younger. These guys are a good group to work with and I am already thrilled with how quickly I have clicked with this group.

Third, tonight I started attending a deal for college age students and highschoolers that deals with the fact of creationism, the proof for intelligent design, and all that jazz. It was really interesting even though this guy went completely over my head in the terms he was using. But it was definitely intense.

Fourth, and this I am really excited for. Our highschooler youth group is taking a trip to see Tim Hawkins this Saturday! I am stoked for this because Tim Hawkins is one of the funniest comedians I have ever heard. We will also be hitting Boon Docks, basically a go-kart type game place from what I have heard. So I am excited to take this trip and see what God will do.

Alright, well that's all that is new in my life! Until next time may grace and peace be with you as you search for God's call in your life.

Beautiful Wyoming

Alright, so I have thought for the longest time that Wyoming is a land filled with dust and plains. When I thought of the word beautiful I definitely did not think of Wyoming, just saying. However, these past couple of weeks have really been astounding in terms of beauty.

This picture reminds me of the 1st Psalm. "How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does he prospers." (NASB)

The viewpoint from these hills was astounding. To just stand up there and feel so small in the grand scheme of things. I don't know about you guys but I get a shrinking feeling and its not a bad shrinking feeling it is a very good one.

As I was driving back from a prayer meeting at the Youth Pastor's house I saw this and I just had to stop and take a look. It's like God took a paint brush and very carefully added details here and there until the picture was perfect. It is just amazing at the detail God goes into.

Beauty can be found anywhere in the world. St. Augustine once said, "Men go abroad to wonder at the heights of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motions of the stars, and they pass by themselves without wondering" While God has created a beautiful earth for us to live on, so often we ignore the fact that God has designed us beautifully. It is exciting once you think about just how beautifully designed we are.

In conclusion, I no longer think Wyoming is ugly. It definitely isn't gorgeous but when you look for beauty in God's creation, it's hard not to find it. Adios people!

Funny Thing About Elementary Kids and Christians

Funny story about Elementary kids...they can be little punks sometimes! Haha and I mean that in the nicest way possible. However, working with about 20 Elementary students as they are all running around laughing, screaming, crying, and whatever else you want to imagine, can be quite harrowing to say the least. Give me Middle Schoolers and High Schoolers any day of the week. :)

They are fun to work with though, for all of my complaining there are good kids and there are some that are not so good. God loves them though, and as long as he wants me to work with them I will work with them. They kind of remind me of Christians in churches today. During the day, I was attempting to get a game of Capture the Flag started with them but to try and gain all of their attention was incredibly difficult because they had so much energy. So if they had listened to the rules, everyone could have had a lot more fun but they wanted to do their own thing which didn't work as well. Many that claim the name of Christ focus on things that aren't valuable in the long run, like money, power, or fame. These things are good things in and of themselves but are they accomplishing the purpose at hand, which is to give glory to God? If so, that is wonderful and I say go all out with what Christ has given you. But if not...

"Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood hay, straw, each mans work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire."- 1st Corinthians 3:12-15

God desires us to build our personal lives on that which will last. If we focus all our energy on things that don't last then that is not good. If we focus on the things that last, the things Christ told us to focus on (Living for Christ where we are at, showing people what sets us apart through our actions, etc.) then those are riches that last. If we as Christians focus on things that don't last, then we will escape the fire but as though we jumped through the fire.

It all comes down to a matter of the heart. Do we want to serve Christ or serve ourselves? I want to reiterate what Joshua said to the people as they settled in the land of Israel. "If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the river, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord."

Choose today whom you will serve.

First Three Weeks in Pinedale

These past few weeks have been exciting for me. My first year of College has been finished and I have started to work at a church in Pinedale, Wyoming. These past three weeks have been eye opening to me as I minister for God and his Kingdom here in Wyoming.

The first week here was very difficult for me. My first day in we had a Fishermen's club (3rd-5th graders). I do not do well with Elementary kids. They are incredibly difficult for me to relate to. Plus youth group the first night was kind of rough in several ways, getting used to the new dynamic of the group was one of them. 

After that first week though God really began to get through to me in my personal life. I began to read the Book of Luke. Luke is such a powerful book in my eyes. The only New Testament author who was a Gentile, he relates to us. What hit me hardest though, the thing that was a slap in the face, was just how Jesus treated people here on earth. He took time for everyone and today we can barely take time for our family let alone strangers.

The other thing about God that I love is the way he spent his last week here on earth. The last week on earth he didn't do any crazy big miracles, he cursed a fig tree here and a few other things. But nothing like feeding 5000 people or doing a triple back-flip off the temple. He spent that last week with people, loving them and letting them love him. The relationships we build with people will have more effect in the end then we realize. It is something that we as Christians need to remember. 

Otherwise, these past couple of weeks have settled down a fair bit. I am getting into the flow of things here in Pinedale and I am really enjoying it and the chance to minister. I see God moving among the people here but it needs work just like every other community does. So until next time, "May the Lord bless you and keep you, may he make his face to shine upon you and be gracious towards you, may the Lord lift up your countenance and give you strength." Numbers 6:24-26