Little Rock Missions Trip

Today is saturday; day six of our missions trip. We have a cookout at the Boys and Girls club and then we are done. It has definitely been one of the best missions trips I have ever been on, but it has also been one of the hardest; physically, mentally, and spiritually.

We get up and meet at the church by eight o'clock. We usually get to our individual backyard Bible clubs at ten til nine to set up. My crew (led by Allen Thornton), Lauren Howell, Rebekah Magnus, Alyssa Romand, and Andrew Etherington were at Jessica Bunting's house. The first day we had a girl named Justis come and towards the end of the day two brothers, Brent and Javon.

Then we pack up and head to the DreamCenter around eleven. We are there playing with the kids from 11:30 to 3:30. We have music, a lesson, games, crafts, and a lot of time to hang out. Most of the boys from our team would get there and start running and wouldn't stop until we left.

Next was the Boys and Girls club. Our team then split into about half. One have went into the gym to help with the basketball camp while the other half stayed in the craft room, snack room and game rooms to play with the kids that didn't want to play basketball.

While this trip was trying physically, it was more trying spiritually. These kids weren't the good, bible belt Christians that we were used to. Some of them were rude, disrepectful (especially to women), and openly selfish. We faced the smae things everyday. "Hey, We don't say those words." "No, you can't have that. I said no. Give it back." "Don't hit that kid." It was a lot of repeating ourselves just for them to barely obey us.

In all that though, we did have great conversations and we began to impact them. Most of these kids don't have fathers or any authority figures. That being said they are still faced with rules (from the dreamcenter, etc.). When faced with rules they will do everything in their power to kick and fight against them. Even if they do end up obeying, they let you know they don't like it.

They also take advantage of the weak spined. They would ask for things we were instructed not to give them. They would try to tell us that the leaders said it was alright. Anyone that gave in a bit were preyed upon. Most of the people I saw on the trip did well. They loved on the kids. They played with them. But when they needed to they stood strong. They spoke strong and confident telling the kids what they could not do. The kids seemed to respect that and eventually started to submit more.

This is a brief overview of what we were doing and some of the things we were faced with, but I will be writing more about our trip. The second day was a very impactful day for me. I got to see a team member go through something and God taught me through it. I will write about that tomorrow.

Artwork

So I didn't get my project done over break so I will have to finish it this summer. For now I thought I would post some of my artwork. Feel free to say whatever you want about them. I'm just a beginner and my art doesn't define me. I love art and I love Christ and in this project that I haven't finished I will bring those together. These are just some of my work from Drawing I last semester:






This was a picture taken in my dorm that I drew. It's my first charcoal drawing.






This is a pencil drawing I did from a picture off the Internet. I liked the idea that the flower was her skirt.






This is a sharpie cross-hatch of a flower.






I drew four pencil drawings of body parts of different animals. Placing the boxes next to each other so that it looks like a griffin.






We had to drawing nine four by four drawings in a box form and the pictures had to correlate to each other. I chose nine of my favorite movies. Below are a larger view of the pictures.






Braveheart






The Dark Knight






Gladiator






Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows






The Last Samurai






The Lord of the Rings






The Sixth Sense






Spiderman






Star Wars






This is just a random pencil drawing of a friend.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Our God

A couple of weeks to go, I had the privilege to go to a Chris Tomlin/Louie Giglio concert at ASU. It was a very refreshing night and I learned quite a bit. It was amazing to see so many people worshipping God corporately on a state college campus. It was really good to be encouraged in the Lord and have a night set apart for worshipping God. One song that we sang was Chris Tomlin's Our God.

I love this song and recommend that you look it up. This past friday I got to go to the detention center with some of my old friends from Bible Church and Crystal Hill. It was different than any other time I had been. Most of the members from the band Across the Valley were there playing and Michael Friesen encouraged the kids there to stand/clap/ get into the music. Most of the kids know what we want to hear and will try to give us the right answers so it can be difficult to know whether they are genuine or not. Our job isn't to judge whether they are or not. We are just supposed to love them and share the message with them.

Anyway that night we played the same song that I had heard at the concert; Our God. The kids stood up, danced, clapped, and played beats on the desk. Now I don't know if those kids believed and I know for sure that not all of them were. But that didn't matter. Whether they meant to or not, God was glorified. Music was made and it was pleasing to God. I worshipped well that night. I was filled with both sorrow for my sin and joy for God's grace and mercy to me. I worshipped just as well sitting in a detention center with kids who didn't know what it meant to follow Christ as I did sitting in a gym filled with Christians singing praises to God. Why? Because God was glorified. And we had the opportunity to share the gospel. It truly is amazing.

So in my profile I have mentioned that I am a graphic design major, but I haven't really said much about it or shown very much of my work. I really like my major and in future posts I will post some of my work and comment on them. Currently I am working on a pretty big side project. This idea came to me about a week ago and since it is spring break I have really been able to work on it. I will keep you posted on this project as well.

The Great Exchange

In church today, Pastor Lawrence taught on 2 Corinthians 5:21:

"For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

After the sermon, the worship band played music while we went to get the elements and take communion. Near the crackers and grape juice, they put a piece of paper titled "The Great Exchange - A Communion Meditation." I want to just copy that on here. Please take time to look and meditate on these truths and how they apply to your life.

"We Come With...

God's wrath upon us
Enmity with God
Our unrighteousness
Enslaved to sin
Sin against God
Addictions to various lusts
Lawlessness
Dead in sin
Hopelessly Lost
Justly deserved punishment
Weak
Ungodly
Sinners
Enemies of God
Disobedience
Slaves to our fleshly nature
Defeated by sin
Spiritually destitute poverty
Enslaved to the spirit of this age
Death and Hell as our future
The devil as our father
Part of the fallen sinful creation
My past sinful life
Cursed because of the law
List of sins against God's law
Racism, class warfare, religious bigotry
Division due to selfishness, self-centeredness
Alienated from God
Sons of the devil, this world"

That's the bad news and if we stopped there everything would be hopeless. But here is the good news of the gospel and the great exchange

"By the Cross We Receive...

God's favor
Peace with God
Christ's righteousness
Redeemed (bought with a price)
Forgiveness
Freedom in Christ
Penalty paid in full
Alive in Christ
The hope of heaven
Propitiation (anger and wrath appeased)
Can do ALL things through Christ
Made godly by God's gift of righteousness
Status as God's "holy-ones" - saints
Reconciliation with God
The obedience of Christ credited to us
Slaves of God
Victorious in Christ over sin
Every spiritual blessing in Christ
Deliverance from this evil age
Life and heaven as our future
Reborn from above - God is our Father
Made a new creation in Christ
All things new in Christ
Status as blessed in Christ
Released from punishment due our sins
Dividing wall is torn down
Unity in One new Man - Christ
Acceptance in Christ
Sons of God"

Repentance

I would like try to give you an image of repentance by looking at two people who knew Jesus and openly sinned against him while he was physically alive; Peter and Judas. Growing up a Christian, I always had this image as Peter being the good guy, while Judas took the role as the bad guy. Truth is they were both sinners just like us. The open sin that they committed was right before Christ was crucified.

Peter, as predicted by Jesus, denied that he knew Christ three times before the rooster crowed. Judas, again predicted by Jesus and apart of God's plan of salvation, betrayed Jesus and gave him over to the chief priests to be killed.

Even though all sins are equally bad and will award us a one-way ticket to hell and the wrath of God, denying the Son of God and betraying him to be killed seem pretty bad. But look at both men's actions up to that point.

Judas premeditated the betrayal of Christ. Matthew 26:14-16 says,

"14 Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. 16 And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him."

He sought an opportunity to betray him. Judas was looking. He was trying to betray him, because money was more important.

Peter didn't dwell on betraying Jesus. He was in a place with people who were not followers of Jesus and he denied him because he was didn't want to get into trouble. Does this make Peter's sin better than Judas'? Of course not. But Peter had a life that was about serving Christ, not about looking to betray him.

The most important part of this story and the topic of this post comes in their response to their sin. Both felt guilt and wished they could take back what they had done.

It says that Judas tried to give back the money to the priests. He says, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." But if you look he never tries to undo what he did. Judas didn't think that he could be saved from the wrath of God for his sin. When you have this mindset, then you have no hope. If we cannot be saved from God's wrath, then life is pointless. Because of this, Judas committed suicide.

On the other hand, God illustrates true repentance through Peter, who after his denial went and "wept bitterly." This is the proper response to sin; true sorrow for what I have done. I should feel bad. I should mourn when I sin against the holy God of the universe who created me. But Peter doesn't die mourning. He uses his mistake to grow. The Holy Spirit works in our lives and uses even our sins to sanctify us.

Romans 8:28 - "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."

God can get glory even from our sin. When we sin, it promotes God mercy and grace, which gives God glory. I want to end this with some words from Matthew Henry about this passage and repentance.

"True repentance for any sin will be best evidenced by our abounding in the contrary grace and duty; that is a sign of our weeping, not only bitterly, but sincerely. Some of the ancients say, that as long as Peter lived, he never heard a cock crow but it set him a weeping. Those that have truly sorrowed for sin, will sorrow upon every remembrance of it; yet not so as to hinder, but rather to increase, their joy in God and in his mercy and grace."
-Matthew Henry

Comparing Peter's response to denying Christ to Judas' response to betraying Christ.

Worship and Evangelism

"9 Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them. 10 We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat. 11 For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. 12 So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. 13 Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. 14 For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. 15 Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name."

Hebrews 13:9-15

Pastor Todd Murray taught us on this passage of scripture this past sunday during equipping hour. He taught on the relationship between worship and evangelism. Too often people think of worship just as singing hymns on sunday morning. We try to label it and try to use forced concentration to worship during that time. We also argue about style. We are so fixed on whether we should play modern or classical. This is especially true of those who grow up Christian. Why are we having to try so hard to worship? Because we aren't evangelistic.

We aren't evangelistic because we like to sit comfortably. Trying to be moral Christians, having all Christian friends, during the week and just going to church on sunday will ruin worship. When we sit comfortably, we become lazy and have no visible "need" to worship. So we struggle through it.

Notice verse 12:
"So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood."

Jesus went to those outside the "gate" of Israel, which means he went to non-believers; the sick who needed a physician. This is Christ's work on the cross providing salvation for all who believe, and at this point it was extended past Jews to all ethnicities. Jesus spend most of his ministry with believers. He chose his disciples and then went to those who needed him.

Now look at verse 13:
"Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured."

We are to follow him and go to the non-believers. He are to spend time with the sinners and tax-collectors of our day and show them the love of Christ. This won't be easy as the second part of the verse says. We will have to endure the hardships that come because of dealing with sinful people. But we have to remember what is said in the previous verse; that Christ did the same for us, the "Christian" people.

When we follow Christ's command and evangelize the lost, we will become tired and weary. We should exhaust ourselves spiritually for Christ. That is why Christ has set apart one day to dedicate completely to him. So we can refuel. And when we exhaust ourselves for Christ, it no longer becomes a struggle to worship Christ, especially corporately.

When we come to church after exhausting ourselves for Christ, we won't care about style. we won't be as easily distracted either. We will come weary and broken saying, "Let's sing and talk about and worship Jesus!" It will be a time to replenish ourselves so that we can go out again and share the news about our Lord!

This convicts me in two ways. First, I'm not exhausting myself for Christ. Do I come starving for corporate worship? Am I so investing in unbelievers that when I am in the Word and around God-focused believers I want to praise Him and worship Him? Sadly, I do not.

Second, I am not accurately worshipping God. Do I look to sunday as the highlight of my week? Is it a day where I can refuel myself spiritually? Do I look at time in the Word and time spent with believers as blessed time from God? Is worshipping God the life source of my starving soul? Again, I do not. I prefer to sit comfortably in my Christian world with my Christian friends not doing worldly things (notice I didn't say "doing Christian things" because if we were to do the Christian thing we would follow Christ). This is a wrong lifestyle. It is not a lifestyle of obedience, but thankfully Christ forgives us and gives us another chance.

Lord, I pray that you would help me in my worship. Help me to exhaust myself for you. I want to be weary of this world by evangelizing you to the lost. I want to come to your house craving for worship not fighting to concentrate on worshipping you. I praise you for sending your Son to save us. I also praise him for being an example of how we are to live. Please break my lazy lifestyle and fill it with a lifestyle burning to share the good news about salvation. I want to give you the worship you deserve and I want to desire to worship. Worship is not a duty, so help me not to view it that way. I pray this all in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Fleeing Sin

I have started Pilgrim's Progress and want to write about certain things I learn through this reading experience. I have read it before but it was a long time ago. I realized that this could be very helpful for me and others who are trying to live this life in reality.

At the beginning of the book, we find a man named Christian, who lives in the City of Destruction. Christian is weighed down by a heavy burden and is distressed by what he has read in his big book. The book tells him that the City of Destruction, where Christian lives, will be burn with fire from heaven. He was burdened but did not know what to do, so he took a walk in the fields with his book. There he met a man named Evangelist.

Evangelist asked him what was wrong and the man told him of his fears. When asked why he was still in the city, Christian respond that it was because he knew not where to go. Evangelist points him to a gate, but Christian could not see it. So Evangelist says go toward the light and there you will find the gate. At the gate you will be told what to do.

"So I saw in my dream that the man began to run. Now, he had not fun far from his own door when his wife and children saw him and began to cry for him to return; but the man put his fingers in his ears and ran on, crying, 'Life! Life! Eternal life!So he did not look behind him, but fled toward the middle of the plain."

This part is so powerful. The man hated his sin so much that he fled at that very moment from the city. Even when his wife and kids came to stop him, he never looked back. He continued to run with the same intensity for life. He didn't go back and prepare for his journey. As soon as Evangelist told him what to do, he did it. He trusted God and hated his sin enough to get out of the city before anymore harm could befall him. Nothing in that city was important enough to keep him there for another second; not his friends, not his wife, not his kids.

I am reminded of Joseph when faced with the temptation to sleep with Potiphar's wife. The Bible said he fled. He turned and ran out of the house as fast as possible. He didn't linger. He was so convinced that God had better than sin could offer that he didn't even consider going against God.

This makes me wonder what I do when faced with temptation and when I see sin in my life. Do i turn and run? Or do I linger and play with it a bit? Am I constantly on guard so that when I am suddenly faced with temptation I can flee without a second thought like Joseph did? When I see my sin and realize what I need to do to be right with God, do I run after it like Christian?

Sadly most time the answer is no. But thanks be to God for Christ who died for our every sin, so that we can be saved and have a relationship with God. Thank God for the Holy Spirit who will help guide us through life, so that we may be able to flee. This relationship between us and every part of the trinity is only possible through Christ Jesus. He was the man that lived the same life we did. He was tempted in every way we were, and he succeeded in every one of those temptations. Then he died to save us. His perfect life is the reason that we can be with God. It is also the only way we can say no to sin.

Thank you, Lord, for sending your only Son to die for us. Thank you for making this prayer possible through that work on the cross. Lord, we know that we fall short every day, but we also know that you look at us and see Christ's righteousness and not our own, because we have none. I thank you for that substitution. I pray that you would guide us through your Holy Spirit. Help us to flee sin, and be more like you. We can only do this through the help of your Spirit. Thank you for all the blessings you give us, including victory over sin. Help us never to take credit for that, but to exalt and praise you. Amen.