Friday, June 29, 2012
Characteristics of a Godly Wife pt. 2- Why Submit?
“…as the church submits to Christ.”- Ephesians 5:
Ps, this looks much better on our family blog-forhisgloryandourgood
In continuing on our request to find what Biblical marriage is all about, we were left to wrestle with the question that applies to every Christian on the face of this earth, how much will you submit your life to Jesus Christ?
The answer that can only please God is 100%.
Not 20%
Not 65%,
Not even 99%.
God Wants All of Us.
“love the Lord your God with ALL your heart and with ALL your should and with ALL your strength and with ALL your mind.”- Luke 10:27 (sense a pattern here?)
Anything else is sub-par, against God, mediocre, and watered-down Christianity.
But why must we submit to Christ? And how does this pertain to women in regards to their husband? As we continue down this road, these questions will be answered. As for now, let’s focus on why Christ is worthy of our submission and adoration.
Get Low
To submit is originally a military term coming from the Greek word hypotasso- meaning to arrange under, subordinate, to subject one’s self, obey.
In military, submission to authority is a vital training exercise that is routinely drilled into the young cadets as they train for war. Without this discipline, there is chaos. When they battle is raging, emotions are flaring, and thoughts are scattered, the submission of those young cadets to a leader that is experienced and removed from the fray is something that has overcome many foes
The question arises, “Does Christ deserve the radical submission that He calls the church to?”
Let’s look at some characteristics of Jesus Christ:
Who is Christ?
1. He is God
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”- John 1:1
“they shall call his name Immanuel (which means God with us)”- Matthew 1:23
“He is the true God and eternal life.”- 1 John 5:20
2. He is the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the great “I AM”, He is God in the flesh. There is no one like Him.
“On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of Lords.” – Revelation 19:16
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”- Revelation 22:13
3. He is the Faithful Groom.
“if we are faithless, he remains faithful-for he cannot deny himself.”- 2 Tim. 2:13
“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself…”- John 14::4
“For the husband is the head of the wife and Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.”
4. He is the Rescuer of the Lost, the Great Overcomer.
“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.”
“But take heart; I have overcome the world.”- John 16:33
“Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”- 1 John 5:5
5. He is the Creator of All Things, Including Us.
“For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities- all things were created through him and for him.”- Colossians 1:16
6. He is our Only Hope.
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.”- Hebrews 10:23
“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
The Point:
Jesus is worthy of all of our adoration and praise. Can a mere human attain any of the things listed above? Of course not.
This is the Jesus we submit and give our lives to, not the sissy Jesus that is portrayed in so many movies and places today.
Ladies, here me on this, you can not properly submit to your husband until you have properly submitted to Jesus Christ. The Gospel has the power to transform marriages, strengthen them, and make them work. Without the Gospel at the core, and submission to Christ, a marriage will fail. This failure does not always come in the form of a divorce. A failed marriage consists of one that does not give God the glory He deserves.
It is my prayer that in my marriage, as well as marriages across the world, that we would all submit to our spiritual head, Jesus Christ, and glorify His name!
In Christ,
Phillip
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
The responsibility of a Godly wife pt. 1
It has been about 8 months since my last update..
Epic Fail.
Not much has happened these past 8 months...wait,that is not entirely correct.
That girl I talked about, Casey Sharp, well we are no longer dating.
We're married.
If anything, that is enough change and newness to warrant a blog post. We were engaged over Thanksgiving and we were married on March 10th in Lewiston, ID. Marriage is a wonderful, refining, exciting, difficult, and enlightening adventure that I am privileged to be on ,and you can be sure that there will be numerous blog posts in the future of lessons learned, refining moments, and hilarious stories. I am so blessed to call such a beautiful Godly woman my wife.
The blog posts for the next couple of days will focus on some Biblical truths I am learning about marriage, taken from Ephesians 5.
1.Marriage glorifies God because it points us to the Gospel.
"Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands."
A couple of clarifications:
Epic Fail.
Not much has happened these past 8 months...wait,that is not entirely correct.
That girl I talked about, Casey Sharp, well we are no longer dating.
We're married.
If anything, that is enough change and newness to warrant a blog post. We were engaged over Thanksgiving and we were married on March 10th in Lewiston, ID. Marriage is a wonderful, refining, exciting, difficult, and enlightening adventure that I am privileged to be on ,and you can be sure that there will be numerous blog posts in the future of lessons learned, refining moments, and hilarious stories. I am so blessed to call such a beautiful Godly woman my wife.
The blog posts for the next couple of days will focus on some Biblical truths I am learning about marriage, taken from Ephesians 5.
Marriage, in it's original design, is meant for one main thing.
To Glorify God
- the wife is compared to the church
- the church submits to Jesus Christ, who is the culmination and lifeblood of the Gospel.
- a woman's relationship with her husband is to be a direct response from her response to Christ.
- Biblical marriage is not politically correct. Neither is the Gospel.
- Homosexual marriage cannot hold to the tenants of God's design and intent for marriage,because the Scripture clearly demonstrates two different sexes in a marriage relationship (husband and wife)
- I don't write the mail, I just deliver it.
The question to wrestle with today:
- How much of your life do you submit to Christ and how does it impact you?
As, I think on this, I see the need to figure out who this Jesus is that we must all submit to. We will look at those characteristics of Christ in the next blog.
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Goodness. I started this blog with no idea of what I was going to say, let alone with no intent to start a mini-series.
However, Biblical marriage is under attack, and there is a great need to understand marriage in light of the Gospel, especially with the age group I interact with
Teaching on marriage is not just constrained to married couples who are having difficulties, newlyweds, r premarital counseling. If you are single or dating, having a Biblical view of marriage right now is essential to having a Godly marriage in the future.
As a BCM, we are praying about starting a young married's Bible study, so I am hopeful that this miniseries will feed into that!
Saturday, November 5, 2011
An update
Wow. It has been a while hasn't it? It is amazing how easy it is to go months without sitting down ande valuating what God has been doing in your life for other's entertainment, but I will try to make it short and sweet for you!
God is good. All the time.
Since moving here in January, I have seen God do some awesome things. No I have not seen thousands come to Christ, yet... but I have seen God be faithful to answer my prayer requests. God is faithful to answer things according to his timing and His will, even when I feel like they should be done a bit differently (ever been in that situation?)
Since my last update the ministry has continued to grow spiritually. We are finally finding ourselves with a small group of people committed to the BCM, and I am seeing God shape those people's lives more toward the image of His Son Jesus Christ. I see my students taking opportunities to share the Gospel with their friends and classmates. It is a humbling experience. It is humbling because I know that I have nothing to do with it. If there is anything I am learning in my adventure in Boise, ID is the fact that I am utterly incapable of taking any credit for what God has been doing. It is amazing to see how when I feel like I am at my lowest point or my teaching is not that strong, that is when God decides to speak to the hearts of others. However, when I am prideful and arrogant as I teach (sure that because of my wisdom it will change my students lives) is when I don't get to see God's hand as much (even though I know He is still faithful to keep working). This is so antithetical to what the world teaches, "Make a name for yourself, success is found in large groups who adore you."
I am thankful for Jesus Christ, who chose to use 12 men, several of them uneducated fisherman who would constantly not understand the teachings of Jesus, as the vessels through which He poured out His truth to a dying world.
"God does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called."
Our free lunch is going well, with attendance somewhere around 55-60 each week. We have seen several students deepen their relationship with Christ through this ministry, but I would ask earnestly that you would send more workers into our ministry to talk to those who come to free lunch (some who would have never set foot inside of a Baptist church) and develop intentional relationships to share the Gospel.
I love international students. As I was driving in Meridian, ID I began to think of how I could reach out to this people group on campus who are often overlooked and I began to earnestly pray that God would equip me to form relationships with them and show them the love of Christ. God is so faithful to answer your prayers when they are in accordance to His Will and good pleasure. The next week I was bombarded with a host of international students that I met in the most random of places, and I have been able to use the gifts and experiences granted to me through Christ to reach out and start forming relationships with them, mainly in the form of ping pong (give me 2 more months and I will be a champion ping pong player). I love the different cultures and the openness to discuss spiritual matter with many of them. I look forward to continuing my friendship and ministry to them. God is faithful to answer the desires of my heart.
God has also been faithful to provide the beginnings of a BCM men's bible study. One of the things I have been lacking is the lack of Godly men to encourage and sharpen me, as well as just have fellowship with other guys. I now have those things, and I look forward to seeing what God will do in that ministry, as we challenege each otherto be the men of God that God has called us to be.
Tangent time.
What does it take to be a man?
It means stepping up and leading your wife and children.
It means loving your wife as Christ loved the church.
It means bearing the responsiblity for your family.
It means fleeing from sexual temptations.
It meanst fighting against the schemes of the Devil with the weapons of the Holy Spirit.
It means discipling other men.
It means taking young men under your care and showing and teaching them what it means to be a Godly man.
It means dying to yourself to serve others.
It means interceeding for the lost and broken.
It means stepping up to serve in the churches.
It means being someone that a woman can respect and see the Savior in.
It means being a protector.
It means being committed to God.
It means so much more, and many men are turning into sissies who would rather fulfill their own selfish desires than be accountable to the God who created them.
End Tangent.
I have also blessed to be intentionally discipled by a dear friend a few years older than me. This time spent with Chris has blessed my life in so many ways, especially in my relationship with Casey and what it means to be a man after God's own heart. It is yet another assurance of how extremely important discipleship is in the life of a believer.
Now the big news...
"Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”- James 4:15
This is a verse that every Christian should hold fast to. Since moving to Boise, the truth of the importance of praying and living in God's will has become so real to me. I have realized that God's ways are so much higher than my own, and that it is complete stupidity to try to force my own will in my life.
Tangent.
Let's think about this, if God is the author and creator of Salvation, knows all His plans for you, and is a good Father, then it would make complete sense that everything He sends my way in regards to my future is glorifying to Him. I want you to notice something, I didn't say that it would be a pleasure filled road. Sometimes God sends people to places where they will be killed for their faith. This idea that you are "safest when you are in the center of God's will" is often misunderstood. Thousands of people have died for being in the center of God's will, but God constantly works good from what we have seen as evil. For example, the death of Jesus Christ was the ultimate fulfillment of being in the center of God's will, yet it has brought hope and salvation to so many people. Being in God's will is stretching, but the thing we can remember is that we can have unmeasured joy because we know that God is allowing us to be a part of His amazing plan for the world. We must not buy into this worldly philosphy that if you follow God in His wil that everything is going to easy, but we must buy in to the truth that we can have joy knowing that the God of everything loves us, never forsakes us, and gves us joy and peace in the midst of the hell of this world. All that to say, we are safest in God's will, but in a very different way that so many intrepret it.
End Tangent.
Three weeks ago, I sat in a leadership conference with a pastor from Ada, Oklahoma. Pat Kilby is a good friend and I have been very blessed to get to know him as well as his brother Ryan, who actually was the guest speaker at our retreat this past weekend. Pat spoke of expecting God to do great things in your ministry if you will trust Him enough to do the big things. During this conference, I kept thinking about how excited I am to move back to Lubbock and get this solid teaching and discipleship in the Bible Belt once again. I kept thinking how awesome it would be to move to Ada, Oklahoma and work under Pat and Ryan Kilby and be back in my comfort zone of the South, in a place that preaches straight up truth and the Gospel. I began to daydream of how through them, I would become a great leader. I wanted my plans to be fulfilled, even though I had been trying really hard to pray that God's will be done in regards to my future place of residence.
Then God spoke to me. No, not audibly, but that still small voice that only the sheep of God can recognize. It said this...
"I want you to stay in Boise."
That's it. Nothing else, no explanation, just a command.
Instantly I knew what this implied. I must forsake all the plans that I had, and trust God that His will is sovereign, good, and will glorify Him.
I said "Ok God, I'll do it."- simple words, but life-changing.
God has called me to serve in Boise, ID for quite a while, until He tells me to go somewhere else. I will finish school most probably at Boise State, and then wherever God wants me to go for seminary. I am excited and at peace about God's will. I know that He will do great things through it! There is the obvious sadness that comes along with the fact that I will not get to see my family and friends in Texas near as much, but I love God more than I love them, and desire to serve God more than I want to serve them. This may seem harsh, but it is the way that we are supposed to think and act, that is the whole premise behing Luke 14:26, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple."
I love all of you back home in Texas, so much. But that pales in comparison to the love I must have for the God who stepped down into time, lived a perfect life, was hated, mocked, beaten, whipped, and died a sinner's death, raised from the dead three days later, and is now the living Savior for all mankind. I love God, even when I must be taken out of my comfort zone. But don't worry! I will come home and see everyone over the holidays...and you can come see me!
I am still dating my wonderful woman Casey Sharp, and she has been completely supportive of my ministry and obedience to what God has called me to do (trust me she was really looking forwards to being a Texan once again). In two days we will celebrate our 7 month anniversary, and I am such a blesed man to be pursuing a Godly woman. Be sure that on the next blog update I will touch on more personal things, not just the ministry.
I love you all, and I am thankful that we share the same Father in heaven who has adopted us out of our sins to be saved and sanctified through His Son Jesus Christ.
In Christ,
Phillip
God is good. All the time.
Since moving here in January, I have seen God do some awesome things. No I have not seen thousands come to Christ, yet... but I have seen God be faithful to answer my prayer requests. God is faithful to answer things according to his timing and His will, even when I feel like they should be done a bit differently (ever been in that situation?)
Since my last update the ministry has continued to grow spiritually. We are finally finding ourselves with a small group of people committed to the BCM, and I am seeing God shape those people's lives more toward the image of His Son Jesus Christ. I see my students taking opportunities to share the Gospel with their friends and classmates. It is a humbling experience. It is humbling because I know that I have nothing to do with it. If there is anything I am learning in my adventure in Boise, ID is the fact that I am utterly incapable of taking any credit for what God has been doing. It is amazing to see how when I feel like I am at my lowest point or my teaching is not that strong, that is when God decides to speak to the hearts of others. However, when I am prideful and arrogant as I teach (sure that because of my wisdom it will change my students lives) is when I don't get to see God's hand as much (even though I know He is still faithful to keep working). This is so antithetical to what the world teaches, "Make a name for yourself, success is found in large groups who adore you."
I am thankful for Jesus Christ, who chose to use 12 men, several of them uneducated fisherman who would constantly not understand the teachings of Jesus, as the vessels through which He poured out His truth to a dying world.
"God does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called."
Our free lunch is going well, with attendance somewhere around 55-60 each week. We have seen several students deepen their relationship with Christ through this ministry, but I would ask earnestly that you would send more workers into our ministry to talk to those who come to free lunch (some who would have never set foot inside of a Baptist church) and develop intentional relationships to share the Gospel.
I love international students. As I was driving in Meridian, ID I began to think of how I could reach out to this people group on campus who are often overlooked and I began to earnestly pray that God would equip me to form relationships with them and show them the love of Christ. God is so faithful to answer your prayers when they are in accordance to His Will and good pleasure. The next week I was bombarded with a host of international students that I met in the most random of places, and I have been able to use the gifts and experiences granted to me through Christ to reach out and start forming relationships with them, mainly in the form of ping pong (give me 2 more months and I will be a champion ping pong player). I love the different cultures and the openness to discuss spiritual matter with many of them. I look forward to continuing my friendship and ministry to them. God is faithful to answer the desires of my heart.
God has also been faithful to provide the beginnings of a BCM men's bible study. One of the things I have been lacking is the lack of Godly men to encourage and sharpen me, as well as just have fellowship with other guys. I now have those things, and I look forward to seeing what God will do in that ministry, as we challenege each otherto be the men of God that God has called us to be.
Tangent time.
What does it take to be a man?
It means stepping up and leading your wife and children.
It means loving your wife as Christ loved the church.
It means bearing the responsiblity for your family.
It means fleeing from sexual temptations.
It meanst fighting against the schemes of the Devil with the weapons of the Holy Spirit.
It means discipling other men.
It means taking young men under your care and showing and teaching them what it means to be a Godly man.
It means dying to yourself to serve others.
It means interceeding for the lost and broken.
It means stepping up to serve in the churches.
It means being someone that a woman can respect and see the Savior in.
It means being a protector.
It means being committed to God.
It means so much more, and many men are turning into sissies who would rather fulfill their own selfish desires than be accountable to the God who created them.
End Tangent.
I have also blessed to be intentionally discipled by a dear friend a few years older than me. This time spent with Chris has blessed my life in so many ways, especially in my relationship with Casey and what it means to be a man after God's own heart. It is yet another assurance of how extremely important discipleship is in the life of a believer.
Now the big news...
"Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”- James 4:15
This is a verse that every Christian should hold fast to. Since moving to Boise, the truth of the importance of praying and living in God's will has become so real to me. I have realized that God's ways are so much higher than my own, and that it is complete stupidity to try to force my own will in my life.
Tangent.
Let's think about this, if God is the author and creator of Salvation, knows all His plans for you, and is a good Father, then it would make complete sense that everything He sends my way in regards to my future is glorifying to Him. I want you to notice something, I didn't say that it would be a pleasure filled road. Sometimes God sends people to places where they will be killed for their faith. This idea that you are "safest when you are in the center of God's will" is often misunderstood. Thousands of people have died for being in the center of God's will, but God constantly works good from what we have seen as evil. For example, the death of Jesus Christ was the ultimate fulfillment of being in the center of God's will, yet it has brought hope and salvation to so many people. Being in God's will is stretching, but the thing we can remember is that we can have unmeasured joy because we know that God is allowing us to be a part of His amazing plan for the world. We must not buy into this worldly philosphy that if you follow God in His wil that everything is going to easy, but we must buy in to the truth that we can have joy knowing that the God of everything loves us, never forsakes us, and gves us joy and peace in the midst of the hell of this world. All that to say, we are safest in God's will, but in a very different way that so many intrepret it.
End Tangent.
Three weeks ago, I sat in a leadership conference with a pastor from Ada, Oklahoma. Pat Kilby is a good friend and I have been very blessed to get to know him as well as his brother Ryan, who actually was the guest speaker at our retreat this past weekend. Pat spoke of expecting God to do great things in your ministry if you will trust Him enough to do the big things. During this conference, I kept thinking about how excited I am to move back to Lubbock and get this solid teaching and discipleship in the Bible Belt once again. I kept thinking how awesome it would be to move to Ada, Oklahoma and work under Pat and Ryan Kilby and be back in my comfort zone of the South, in a place that preaches straight up truth and the Gospel. I began to daydream of how through them, I would become a great leader. I wanted my plans to be fulfilled, even though I had been trying really hard to pray that God's will be done in regards to my future place of residence.
Then God spoke to me. No, not audibly, but that still small voice that only the sheep of God can recognize. It said this...
"I want you to stay in Boise."
That's it. Nothing else, no explanation, just a command.
Instantly I knew what this implied. I must forsake all the plans that I had, and trust God that His will is sovereign, good, and will glorify Him.
I said "Ok God, I'll do it."- simple words, but life-changing.
God has called me to serve in Boise, ID for quite a while, until He tells me to go somewhere else. I will finish school most probably at Boise State, and then wherever God wants me to go for seminary. I am excited and at peace about God's will. I know that He will do great things through it! There is the obvious sadness that comes along with the fact that I will not get to see my family and friends in Texas near as much, but I love God more than I love them, and desire to serve God more than I want to serve them. This may seem harsh, but it is the way that we are supposed to think and act, that is the whole premise behing Luke 14:26, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple."
I love all of you back home in Texas, so much. But that pales in comparison to the love I must have for the God who stepped down into time, lived a perfect life, was hated, mocked, beaten, whipped, and died a sinner's death, raised from the dead three days later, and is now the living Savior for all mankind. I love God, even when I must be taken out of my comfort zone. But don't worry! I will come home and see everyone over the holidays...and you can come see me!
I am still dating my wonderful woman Casey Sharp, and she has been completely supportive of my ministry and obedience to what God has called me to do (trust me she was really looking forwards to being a Texan once again). In two days we will celebrate our 7 month anniversary, and I am such a blesed man to be pursuing a Godly woman. Be sure that on the next blog update I will touch on more personal things, not just the ministry.
I love you all, and I am thankful that we share the same Father in heaven who has adopted us out of our sins to be saved and sanctified through His Son Jesus Christ.
In Christ,
Phillip
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
What must I do to be saved?
Over the past few days, the concept of what it means to be saved has been brought to my mind over and over again. Salvation through Jesus Christ is an amazing, refining, heart wrenching, and scary process more often than naught. But what does it mean to be saved? We live in a culture where many people believe they are "saved". Let me make one point clear, I am not God, and I do not claim to be. I have no authority to judge whether someone is going to Heaven or Hell, that is not my place, nor would I ever want it to be. A judgement like that deserves a perfect Judge, and that is God's role.
However, it is my duty as a Christian to stand up for the most basic principals of the Christian faith, even in the midst of opposition of what so many view as the "norm" for salvation. Are you ready?
Salvation is not a prayer...necessarily. It is not walking down the aisle in an emotionally charged room...necessarily. It is not listing Christianity as your religion on facebook....necessarily. It is not baptism...necessarily. It is not easy....necessarily.
All of these things can be associated with salvation, and for some people this may be the moment that they truly get what salvation is, but salvation in Jesus Christ is so much more than that.
"For God so loved the world, that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."- John 3:16
This is our hope, this is our salvation. Believing in Jesus Christ. But what does it mean to believe? The greek word for believe infers to entrust oneself in. We are called to entrust ourselves completely in Christ, not just say empty words.This is called FAITH. The result of this FAITH is a lifestyle that reflects our dependance and focus on Christ. How people do we know that claim to have believed in Christ, yet their life has not changed at all? Yes, it is a life change! God did not save us to stay the same! He saved us from sin and death so that we can walk in righteousness and life!
1 John talks extensively about what it means to become a born again Christian. It states, "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God."- sounds a lot like John 3:16 doesn't it? But here is the kicker, it goes on to say, "We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him." Once you are born-again, you do not continue to dwell in darkness as you once did! There is a life change. What this is not saying is that we will be perfect, or that we will not struggle with sin, we are human and our flesh still craves for it's sinful desires. However, we are a new creation in Christ Jesus, and it is impossible for someone who has the Spirit of God inside of Him to live completely in sin, for the Spirit that lives inside of us is jealous for God's glory, and has created a new creation!
Salvation is this. Completely trusting Jesus Christ as Lord of your life and a total surrender to Him as Lord and King of Kings. It is acknowledging that we are separated from God because of our sin, and it is the plea to God to save us through His Son Jesus Christ. It is the willingness and desire to repent from our sin and trust Christ with our lives. To repent means to "think differently", and to turn the other way. When someone accepts Christ as their Lord and Saviour they approach life completely differently. It is amazing to see people who have experienced a total life change through Jesus Christ. My old roommate Ryan Burden is an excellent example. Jaxson Fanta is an excellent example. I am an example, and you should be too! Are we perfect? No. Will we ever be? Yep. But not in this lifetime. This is no way gives glory to ourselves, but all glory goes to God who is finishing the work He started in us!
God still cares about the way we live our lives, if you don't believe me read the New Testament sometime. The majority is written to encourage Christians to continue living the life that God has called them to live in Christ Jesus. If someone is unwilling to surrender their life to Christ, maybe they should reevaluate their salvation a little bit. Harsh statement? Absolutely. But I take my cue from James, "Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one: you do well. Even the demons believe- and shudder!" The result of salvation is a changed life, not a perfect life, but a changed one. I will tell you a secret, even Paul the apostle had trouble with sin, but his attitude toward that sin reflected the mindset of Christ. "For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate."- Romans 7:14-15
I do not want to come across as a know-it-all, legalistic, and bible-thumping Christian, but I will stand by what Jesus has done for us and what he expresses salvation to be, a complete and amazing life change done by Jesus Christ himself, not by our own works or merit, but all by His saving grace. Salvation changes a person from the inside out. First their soul is made right with God, and then over the course of our lives Christ molds us more into the image of His son, and prunes us so that we may bear more fruit (Romans 8:29, John 15). We live in a culture that claims to know Christ, yet walks in darkness and approves of the darkness. How many of us are willing to die for our faith like our brothers and sisters in hostile countries? Christianity is not a game, nor is it a cool fashion statement. It is a complete surrender to Christ to save you and help you walk through this life, carrying your cross with Him one step at a time.
So for those looking for an easy religion, look somewhere else. But to those looking for a fulfilling, life-altering, eternal, refining relationship with the creator of the universe, come to the cross of Calvary where a perfect God subjected Himself to torture and ridicule, died on a cross to pay the debt for our sins and transgressions, died, and rose again three days later so that we may put our complete hope and trust in Him and be made free from the bondage of this life. Jesus came for those who wanted to enter into a true relationship with God, not those who want Him on the back-burner.
And for those who already know Christ and have experienced his grace, I pray that you (and myself) would recognize that God wants us to change the world through the Holy Spirit that we possess. I pray that we would make Christ our number one priority, for if we truly know Him we cannot let Him be on the back-burner in our life. Christ came so that we can have life and have it abundantly (John 10:10). God is love. God is truth. God is awesome.
We cannot let culture adapt who Jesus Christ is. We must follow what God's word has called us to do. Love God. Live for Him. Tell others. Be changed.
However, it is my duty as a Christian to stand up for the most basic principals of the Christian faith, even in the midst of opposition of what so many view as the "norm" for salvation. Are you ready?
Salvation is not a prayer...necessarily. It is not walking down the aisle in an emotionally charged room...necessarily. It is not listing Christianity as your religion on facebook....necessarily. It is not baptism...necessarily. It is not easy....necessarily.
All of these things can be associated with salvation, and for some people this may be the moment that they truly get what salvation is, but salvation in Jesus Christ is so much more than that.
"For God so loved the world, that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."- John 3:16
This is our hope, this is our salvation. Believing in Jesus Christ. But what does it mean to believe? The greek word for believe infers to entrust oneself in. We are called to entrust ourselves completely in Christ, not just say empty words.This is called FAITH. The result of this FAITH is a lifestyle that reflects our dependance and focus on Christ. How people do we know that claim to have believed in Christ, yet their life has not changed at all? Yes, it is a life change! God did not save us to stay the same! He saved us from sin and death so that we can walk in righteousness and life!
1 John talks extensively about what it means to become a born again Christian. It states, "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God."- sounds a lot like John 3:16 doesn't it? But here is the kicker, it goes on to say, "We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him." Once you are born-again, you do not continue to dwell in darkness as you once did! There is a life change. What this is not saying is that we will be perfect, or that we will not struggle with sin, we are human and our flesh still craves for it's sinful desires. However, we are a new creation in Christ Jesus, and it is impossible for someone who has the Spirit of God inside of Him to live completely in sin, for the Spirit that lives inside of us is jealous for God's glory, and has created a new creation!
Salvation is this. Completely trusting Jesus Christ as Lord of your life and a total surrender to Him as Lord and King of Kings. It is acknowledging that we are separated from God because of our sin, and it is the plea to God to save us through His Son Jesus Christ. It is the willingness and desire to repent from our sin and trust Christ with our lives. To repent means to "think differently", and to turn the other way. When someone accepts Christ as their Lord and Saviour they approach life completely differently. It is amazing to see people who have experienced a total life change through Jesus Christ. My old roommate Ryan Burden is an excellent example. Jaxson Fanta is an excellent example. I am an example, and you should be too! Are we perfect? No. Will we ever be? Yep. But not in this lifetime. This is no way gives glory to ourselves, but all glory goes to God who is finishing the work He started in us!
God still cares about the way we live our lives, if you don't believe me read the New Testament sometime. The majority is written to encourage Christians to continue living the life that God has called them to live in Christ Jesus. If someone is unwilling to surrender their life to Christ, maybe they should reevaluate their salvation a little bit. Harsh statement? Absolutely. But I take my cue from James, "Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one: you do well. Even the demons believe- and shudder!" The result of salvation is a changed life, not a perfect life, but a changed one. I will tell you a secret, even Paul the apostle had trouble with sin, but his attitude toward that sin reflected the mindset of Christ. "For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate."- Romans 7:14-15
I do not want to come across as a know-it-all, legalistic, and bible-thumping Christian, but I will stand by what Jesus has done for us and what he expresses salvation to be, a complete and amazing life change done by Jesus Christ himself, not by our own works or merit, but all by His saving grace. Salvation changes a person from the inside out. First their soul is made right with God, and then over the course of our lives Christ molds us more into the image of His son, and prunes us so that we may bear more fruit (Romans 8:29, John 15). We live in a culture that claims to know Christ, yet walks in darkness and approves of the darkness. How many of us are willing to die for our faith like our brothers and sisters in hostile countries? Christianity is not a game, nor is it a cool fashion statement. It is a complete surrender to Christ to save you and help you walk through this life, carrying your cross with Him one step at a time.
So for those looking for an easy religion, look somewhere else. But to those looking for a fulfilling, life-altering, eternal, refining relationship with the creator of the universe, come to the cross of Calvary where a perfect God subjected Himself to torture and ridicule, died on a cross to pay the debt for our sins and transgressions, died, and rose again three days later so that we may put our complete hope and trust in Him and be made free from the bondage of this life. Jesus came for those who wanted to enter into a true relationship with God, not those who want Him on the back-burner.
And for those who already know Christ and have experienced his grace, I pray that you (and myself) would recognize that God wants us to change the world through the Holy Spirit that we possess. I pray that we would make Christ our number one priority, for if we truly know Him we cannot let Him be on the back-burner in our life. Christ came so that we can have life and have it abundantly (John 10:10). God is love. God is truth. God is awesome.
We cannot let culture adapt who Jesus Christ is. We must follow what God's word has called us to do. Love God. Live for Him. Tell others. Be changed.
Friday, April 15, 2011
A new season
Been a while hasn't it?
God is good all the time, and all the time God is good. :)
Many things have happened over the past month, and I will try to address them as best as I can.
Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to lead my first mission trip. We went to Cheney, Washington and worked at a woman and children's shelter, a homeless youth shelter, a crisis nursery, and a couple of local Baptist churches. My team consisted of 2 guys, and 6 girls. Intimidating enough I would say. But one thing I have come to notice, is that through prayer and petition God always seems to put the perfect team together, especially on mission trips. Everyone did such a fantastic job, and worked to the best of their ability, and then some! It was such an awesome, and a priveledge to lead such a fantastic group of people. We also learned how to evangelize on college campuses, and it is definitely something that I have taken back home, as well as all the other ministry tips I learned from our awesome host, Arlette. I also got to learn how to drive a 15 passenger van that just so happened to be a part of a local spanish church (as you will see in our team picture)
Other news: I knew from within the first month that I was here that God was telling me that I would be staying here longer than one semester. As of right now, I have signed up to stay another semester through December, if not longer. There is still so much work that needs to be done, and God has allowed me to be a part of it! Please continue to pray for me, and those souls here that we interact with who have not received Christ.
And now the news that everyone is waiting to hear about:
Yes there is a girl. Yes she is wonderful. And yes I am interested, to say the least. God's will is being sought continually in this process, and prayer for that process would be much appreciated. There are some complications in regards to my standing as a missionary and pursuing relationship, but I trust completely that God is faithful to reveal what to do in His timing. And that is what it is all about, Christ Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. As I continue to pray and seek His will, it is about Him and what glorifies Him. She is a wonderful, smart, funny, insightful, dignified, beautiful, and amazing woman of God. Yet despite all of these things, Christ must be the focus where are eyes are fixed. Whether God wants us to pursue this relationship now, or at a later time, it is going to be done the right way. It is a refining process to say the least. One that teaches both of us to practice patience, and to wait on Christ.
Now here is the questions, what does this process look like, not just for me, but for all Christians?
It starts first and foremost with abandoning the world's idea of relationships and dating and focusing on what God desires for a relationship. God's desire is that it would glorify His name, and as Christians it should be our heart's desire to do exactly that. It requires setting boundaries. It requires seeking Christ personally, as well as together. It requires giving up what your "perfect" list of a future spouse, and allowing God to show you his list. It is time consuming. It is not physical. It is spiritual first and foremost. I could tell you that I have been perfect in relationships in the past, but it would be a bold faced lie. But thanks be to God that He continually renews us and gives us new opportunites. And He gives you new opportunities as well.
My prayer and my hope is that first and foremost, I will stay in God's will and do what He has called me to do. Everything else will fall in place. And to be honest, that can be a little intimidating, but that is where the word "faith" comes in. As Hebrews says, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Have faith my friends, for if you seek God, you learn that He is faithful.
SpreadtheWord my friends,
Phillip
God is good all the time, and all the time God is good. :)
Many things have happened over the past month, and I will try to address them as best as I can.
Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to lead my first mission trip. We went to Cheney, Washington and worked at a woman and children's shelter, a homeless youth shelter, a crisis nursery, and a couple of local Baptist churches. My team consisted of 2 guys, and 6 girls. Intimidating enough I would say. But one thing I have come to notice, is that through prayer and petition God always seems to put the perfect team together, especially on mission trips. Everyone did such a fantastic job, and worked to the best of their ability, and then some! It was such an awesome, and a priveledge to lead such a fantastic group of people. We also learned how to evangelize on college campuses, and it is definitely something that I have taken back home, as well as all the other ministry tips I learned from our awesome host, Arlette. I also got to learn how to drive a 15 passenger van that just so happened to be a part of a local spanish church (as you will see in our team picture)
Other news: I knew from within the first month that I was here that God was telling me that I would be staying here longer than one semester. As of right now, I have signed up to stay another semester through December, if not longer. There is still so much work that needs to be done, and God has allowed me to be a part of it! Please continue to pray for me, and those souls here that we interact with who have not received Christ.
And now the news that everyone is waiting to hear about:
Yes there is a girl. Yes she is wonderful. And yes I am interested, to say the least. God's will is being sought continually in this process, and prayer for that process would be much appreciated. There are some complications in regards to my standing as a missionary and pursuing relationship, but I trust completely that God is faithful to reveal what to do in His timing. And that is what it is all about, Christ Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. As I continue to pray and seek His will, it is about Him and what glorifies Him. She is a wonderful, smart, funny, insightful, dignified, beautiful, and amazing woman of God. Yet despite all of these things, Christ must be the focus where are eyes are fixed. Whether God wants us to pursue this relationship now, or at a later time, it is going to be done the right way. It is a refining process to say the least. One that teaches both of us to practice patience, and to wait on Christ.
Now here is the questions, what does this process look like, not just for me, but for all Christians?
It starts first and foremost with abandoning the world's idea of relationships and dating and focusing on what God desires for a relationship. God's desire is that it would glorify His name, and as Christians it should be our heart's desire to do exactly that. It requires setting boundaries. It requires seeking Christ personally, as well as together. It requires giving up what your "perfect" list of a future spouse, and allowing God to show you his list. It is time consuming. It is not physical. It is spiritual first and foremost. I could tell you that I have been perfect in relationships in the past, but it would be a bold faced lie. But thanks be to God that He continually renews us and gives us new opportunites. And He gives you new opportunities as well.
My prayer and my hope is that first and foremost, I will stay in God's will and do what He has called me to do. Everything else will fall in place. And to be honest, that can be a little intimidating, but that is where the word "faith" comes in. As Hebrews says, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Have faith my friends, for if you seek God, you learn that He is faithful.
SpreadtheWord my friends,
Phillip
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Who do you love?
Well hello again!!! I have missed you! But don't worry, we will catch up.
I must say it again, God is good. Even when I don't feel like giving praise, He is still good.
I digress.
It has been a great couple of weeks! Over the past couple of weeks God has really shown me what it looks like to be in ministry full time, and it can be difficult. I definetly still have a very long way to go, but it is giving me a great taste of what it will be like down the road. Let me tell you something my friends, never take your college minister or pastor for granted! I never realized how much planning and prayer it takes to even organize a small event or mission trip. I am learning more and more that God wants a Godly man to be a leader, not an immature boy. I love to joke around, I do! But there is a time and a place for that, and more often a time and a place to be strong. My prayer is that God will continue to change me from the inside out, so that I can be an example to those around me and someone they can trust.
God has started putting non-believers in my life, and allowing us to form relationships with them. PRAISE THE LORD!!!! I need prayers my friends, THEY NEED PRAYERS!!! Help me knock down the spiritual barriers of darkness to allow the true light of God and salvation to shine into their lives. God is showing me over and over that we so often forget about the outcasts in society, or the ones who don't receive the attention they need or love, and that He came to redeem them as well. God is good, and He loves you and me.
We went to the Rock and Worship Road Show this past Thursday and it was absolutely fantastic! Bart Miller from Mercy Me gave the final talk, and it was very thought provoking. He talked about what it meant to love God. So often, we love the attributes that we like about God and His gifts. His love, our house, our friends, our money, being healed, etc. All of things are great no doubt and He deserves praise and love for them. But do we love God for just being God? If you were to ask me why I loved my future wife and I responded, "Well she cooks for me, cleans for me, makes my bed, rubs my back, takes care of the kids, etc." you would think that is a pretty shallow love am I right? Those are things that I will respect and love about my wife, but my hope is that I will love her for the very person she is! We should love God for merely who He is! HE IS GOD! And he has loved us enough not to leave us rotting in our sin and darkness, but has provided a way to enter into a relationship with Him. The question we all need to face is, do we love God for just being God? Do we love Him when the cancer doesn't go away? Do we love Him when we are poor as dirt and can barely lift our face? God is unchanging my friends and He loves with unconditional love, and we should strive to love Him in that same way, for if we truly loved God, we would change the world. (And no, we will never match the love that God has shown towards us, but we can sure love Him to our fullest).
I am going to Alaska next week to go serve Jesus with my college group back home for 8 days. I am so excited not only to see my friends and show Jesus to people, but also to place myself in a learning position to take notes and bring them back to Boise for when we go to Cheney/Spokane, Washington for our missions trip. I would covet your prayers for both of these mission trips. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my blogs and pray for me, I can never thank you enough!
God bless my friends,
Phillip
I must say it again, God is good. Even when I don't feel like giving praise, He is still good.
I digress.
It has been a great couple of weeks! Over the past couple of weeks God has really shown me what it looks like to be in ministry full time, and it can be difficult. I definetly still have a very long way to go, but it is giving me a great taste of what it will be like down the road. Let me tell you something my friends, never take your college minister or pastor for granted! I never realized how much planning and prayer it takes to even organize a small event or mission trip. I am learning more and more that God wants a Godly man to be a leader, not an immature boy. I love to joke around, I do! But there is a time and a place for that, and more often a time and a place to be strong. My prayer is that God will continue to change me from the inside out, so that I can be an example to those around me and someone they can trust.
God has started putting non-believers in my life, and allowing us to form relationships with them. PRAISE THE LORD!!!! I need prayers my friends, THEY NEED PRAYERS!!! Help me knock down the spiritual barriers of darkness to allow the true light of God and salvation to shine into their lives. God is showing me over and over that we so often forget about the outcasts in society, or the ones who don't receive the attention they need or love, and that He came to redeem them as well. God is good, and He loves you and me.
We went to the Rock and Worship Road Show this past Thursday and it was absolutely fantastic! Bart Miller from Mercy Me gave the final talk, and it was very thought provoking. He talked about what it meant to love God. So often, we love the attributes that we like about God and His gifts. His love, our house, our friends, our money, being healed, etc. All of things are great no doubt and He deserves praise and love for them. But do we love God for just being God? If you were to ask me why I loved my future wife and I responded, "Well she cooks for me, cleans for me, makes my bed, rubs my back, takes care of the kids, etc." you would think that is a pretty shallow love am I right? Those are things that I will respect and love about my wife, but my hope is that I will love her for the very person she is! We should love God for merely who He is! HE IS GOD! And he has loved us enough not to leave us rotting in our sin and darkness, but has provided a way to enter into a relationship with Him. The question we all need to face is, do we love God for just being God? Do we love Him when the cancer doesn't go away? Do we love Him when we are poor as dirt and can barely lift our face? God is unchanging my friends and He loves with unconditional love, and we should strive to love Him in that same way, for if we truly loved God, we would change the world. (And no, we will never match the love that God has shown towards us, but we can sure love Him to our fullest).
I am going to Alaska next week to go serve Jesus with my college group back home for 8 days. I am so excited not only to see my friends and show Jesus to people, but also to place myself in a learning position to take notes and bring them back to Boise for when we go to Cheney/Spokane, Washington for our missions trip. I would covet your prayers for both of these mission trips. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my blogs and pray for me, I can never thank you enough!
God bless my friends,
Phillip
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Every knee will bow.
Well it has been a while since the last update! Things are going very well! God is faithful, and will continue to be.
We had our first leaders meeting last week! It was fantastic getting to work with people who share the same aspirations to see the campus of Boise State encounter the living God. Early last week, I met with a former BCM director and he casually mentioned a ministry conference that takes place in San Francisco every year through Golden Gate Seminary. My heart leapt at the opportunity to take a trip to California and learn about Jesus! The bad news was that it was only a week away. I decided to go for it and see what happened. Praise the Lord that He provided a way for us to go! I decided that I would take our three leaders, Elisa, Shane, and Casey in the hopes that we could bond and grow together. From the get-go of planning this trip, Satan was in attack mode.
Tangent time.
Do you realize how much you are hated by the enemy? Do we truly realize how much Satan despises us? Satan will do anything in his power to take away the glory that we should be giving to God and turn it to Himself and ourselves. Satan hates you. He hates God. He hates salvation. He hates the saving grace and love that he has scorned. Every evil, slanderous, hurtful, and doubt comes from the prince of this world in order to mess you up. Satan despises God. Do we really get it?
Better Tangent.
Our God is bigger than Satan. He has CRUSHED him. And the same Spirit that has completely obliterated Satan and his sorry lot of demons resides in you when you accept Christ and turn your life over to Him. Do you know what that means? We are victorious! But Satan loves to tell us that we aren't. He loves to tell us that Jesus died for all people except for me. He loves to lie and tell us that God is not faithful. Let me tell you something my friends, GOD IS FAITHFUL. God is good. God is just. God has beat the evil forces of darkness, it is up to us to discern truth from life and live by the Spirit of truth that now resides in us. Does this mean we will be perfect? Does this mean we will not struggle and not doubt? Of course not. Satan is good at his job, but we can hold fast to the scripture that tells us that , "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." (Romans 8:37, and you should check out the verses leading up to that btw).
End tangent.
Everything seemed to be super difficult as we tried to organize this trip (and yes waiting until a week beforehand definitly did not help). We could not find a car that would support us adequately and enable us to drive safely through the storm of ice and snow we were forced to face. We could not find lodging that was free or inexpensive due to our small budget. Casey was diagnosed with walking pneumonia the day before we left. Things were hard. Satan put doubts on my mind. But God allowed these things to happen as he always does so that we could trust in Him completely. And he provided. Housing was given to us by two sweet couples from a local church we contacted who let us stay in their gorgeous homes free of charge. Gail and Joyce offered to let us take their 4x4 Jeep. Casey was given just enough strength and endurance to make it through the weekend, and that weakness she felt helped deepen her relationship with God. God is faithful.
We walked into the conference and the first thing I noticed was the large amount of asians that were present. And then the weirdest thing happened. A lyric from the Newsboys "He Reigns" song started playing in my head and would not stop. The lyric says, "The sound of Asian believers filled with God's holy fire." The rest of the conference I could not escape this thought. I looked around during worship and saw Asians worshipping. I have never seen a more beautiful or peaceful thing. It was amazing. We went on an urban excursion of our choice the next day. I decided I wanted to go to Chinatown and see how I felt about it. There was just enough seats in the car for those who chose to go. As we walked around Chinatown, my heart was elated. I could not stop smiling (and of course that had to do with being in an awesome new place). We met with a Chinese pastor and he told the story of how he became a believer. I ate dinner with a man from Thailand who imparted wisdom and love to me. I am not sure what all of this means but it def. showed me that I have a heart for the Asian people. I went home and decided to look on the IMB's (International Mission Board) website and just see what kind of short term mission trips are available. The first thing that came open when I opened the world missions link was something that said "Want to spend Christmas in China?"- it was listed under the urgent need tab. Very interesting to say the least huh?
All in all it was a fantastic conference and a great way to invest and build relationships with our fellow leaders.
God is good. God is faithful.
Phillip
We had our first leaders meeting last week! It was fantastic getting to work with people who share the same aspirations to see the campus of Boise State encounter the living God. Early last week, I met with a former BCM director and he casually mentioned a ministry conference that takes place in San Francisco every year through Golden Gate Seminary. My heart leapt at the opportunity to take a trip to California and learn about Jesus! The bad news was that it was only a week away. I decided to go for it and see what happened. Praise the Lord that He provided a way for us to go! I decided that I would take our three leaders, Elisa, Shane, and Casey in the hopes that we could bond and grow together. From the get-go of planning this trip, Satan was in attack mode.
Tangent time.
Do you realize how much you are hated by the enemy? Do we truly realize how much Satan despises us? Satan will do anything in his power to take away the glory that we should be giving to God and turn it to Himself and ourselves. Satan hates you. He hates God. He hates salvation. He hates the saving grace and love that he has scorned. Every evil, slanderous, hurtful, and doubt comes from the prince of this world in order to mess you up. Satan despises God. Do we really get it?
Better Tangent.
Our God is bigger than Satan. He has CRUSHED him. And the same Spirit that has completely obliterated Satan and his sorry lot of demons resides in you when you accept Christ and turn your life over to Him. Do you know what that means? We are victorious! But Satan loves to tell us that we aren't. He loves to tell us that Jesus died for all people except for me. He loves to lie and tell us that God is not faithful. Let me tell you something my friends, GOD IS FAITHFUL. God is good. God is just. God has beat the evil forces of darkness, it is up to us to discern truth from life and live by the Spirit of truth that now resides in us. Does this mean we will be perfect? Does this mean we will not struggle and not doubt? Of course not. Satan is good at his job, but we can hold fast to the scripture that tells us that , "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." (Romans 8:37, and you should check out the verses leading up to that btw).
End tangent.
Everything seemed to be super difficult as we tried to organize this trip (and yes waiting until a week beforehand definitly did not help). We could not find a car that would support us adequately and enable us to drive safely through the storm of ice and snow we were forced to face. We could not find lodging that was free or inexpensive due to our small budget. Casey was diagnosed with walking pneumonia the day before we left. Things were hard. Satan put doubts on my mind. But God allowed these things to happen as he always does so that we could trust in Him completely. And he provided. Housing was given to us by two sweet couples from a local church we contacted who let us stay in their gorgeous homes free of charge. Gail and Joyce offered to let us take their 4x4 Jeep. Casey was given just enough strength and endurance to make it through the weekend, and that weakness she felt helped deepen her relationship with God. God is faithful.
We walked into the conference and the first thing I noticed was the large amount of asians that were present. And then the weirdest thing happened. A lyric from the Newsboys "He Reigns" song started playing in my head and would not stop. The lyric says, "The sound of Asian believers filled with God's holy fire." The rest of the conference I could not escape this thought. I looked around during worship and saw Asians worshipping. I have never seen a more beautiful or peaceful thing. It was amazing. We went on an urban excursion of our choice the next day. I decided I wanted to go to Chinatown and see how I felt about it. There was just enough seats in the car for those who chose to go. As we walked around Chinatown, my heart was elated. I could not stop smiling (and of course that had to do with being in an awesome new place). We met with a Chinese pastor and he told the story of how he became a believer. I ate dinner with a man from Thailand who imparted wisdom and love to me. I am not sure what all of this means but it def. showed me that I have a heart for the Asian people. I went home and decided to look on the IMB's (International Mission Board) website and just see what kind of short term mission trips are available. The first thing that came open when I opened the world missions link was something that said "Want to spend Christmas in China?"- it was listed under the urgent need tab. Very interesting to say the least huh?
All in all it was a fantastic conference and a great way to invest and build relationships with our fellow leaders.
God is good. God is faithful.
Phillip
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