Costa Rica Day 1- Building and Being the Church

What a good 24 hours it has been. Wednesday we flew from Houston prepared for the unknown...which means we really had no clue how this mission would begin.

Our goal was to be the lead team, the first of many to come to Costa Rica and provide help, encouragement and training to local pastors. To equip them to build stronger churches and reach the needy of faith in the community.

How was this going to work? Were pastors going to attend? Would we even be helpful? We truly didn't know what to expect, but 24 hours in...God, as always, is Good.

Pastor Dani picked us up at the airport. We took the long way home. A short stop by a restaurant and then a long, bumpy trip to Tamarindo. 4 pastors and church leaders would be joining us from Casa Vida- Tamarindo. As we stopped by the church we were able to see what God was doing. We got the tour of the place. Open wall sanctuary and the Women's Bible Study was about to being. 2 men were studying how to help people find freedom from their addiction. No matter where we are, struggles exist and the church should be here to help. 

From there we went to the hotel. Teak Pacific. I believe our team and one other group is the only one here. It's nice. The grounds are beautiful, rooms are enough, but the best part is the "lobby" (open air) where we can visit. We met some of the guys grabbed a bite and called it a night! 

Thursday

We woke up and got going early. We met for breakfast in the lobby. 14 people in all joined us. Some of the pastors from Playa Azul made breakfast. including coffee! We spent time hearing stories, enjoying fellowship and eating some good food! 

After breakfast it was off to the library where we held our morning training session! I was amazed, almost 4 hours of training! The pastors not only share a passion for God's Word, but a true brotherhood with each other! The question were amazing (even though the first 2 hours were almost entirely in Spanish!) the desire to go deeper in God's word and learn how to share it with others was a driving force! Language can be a barrier, but this morning, even those barriers didn't stand in our way! 

After our first session we grabbed lunch as aa team and headed back to the hotel. We then spent a few hours talking about definitions! (I know exciting right? Actually it was!) to unpack God's word from inspiration to revelation was awesome! We had to cut things off just to give our brains a break! I couldn't have imagined that the Lord would allow us to invest and be invested in so greatly today! 

Ended our afternoon with a short walk to the beach for sunset. The day isn't over yet. Still have worship service later tonight! Praying for much fruit tomorrow!

Forgiveness: My Lifeguard Retreat

Growing up I did the unthinkable. Not 10 seconds after I did it, did I wish it could be undone.

As a teenager I was a lifeguard during the summers. Not a bad gig, but one year, I forgot to renew my Life guard and CPR certifications in a timely fashion. So to get it done in time I had to pay to go to an overnight "retreat" where you could get all the hours you needed in two days instead of 2 weeks (I can't remember how long it was supposed to take exactly, all I know is it was too long!)

I really thought my procrastination had brought me to brilliance, time saved! I was a swimmer, this would be no problem. I could rock this and be the top of the class! Well, it wasn't my ability that was the problem, it was my "uniform." I was a swimmer after all. In the 90's we didn't have the modest bicycle short suits of today...nope...my uniform was a Speedo. You know the one I am talking about...the ones that make you cringe! Yep, I wore that. I mean, why not? All my friends wore this every day. No problem, it was part of the gig...Well NOT at "Lifeguard Retreat!" (sounds like a bad 80's title doesn't it)

The moment I walked out in it, i wish I could undo it. Man, 3 guys would become my Mortal Enemies for the weekend. They wouldn't stop. I thought beating them in a competition would work, Nope. I changed into a "normal suit" for the rest of the weekend, Nope. I even tried ignoring them, Nope. They were out for blood, and it was my self-esteem. After the closing ceremony where your parents came to pick you up I went back to the cabinet find all of my stuff scattered all over the cabin and campgrounds...Not my most exciting moment in life. It hurt. 

Today I was reading Matthew 18:21-35. Jesus tells the story of the man forgiven MUCH and yet how he was unwilling to give forgiveness, for what in comparison to the debt he owed, was very minor. His unwillingness to forgive the one indebted to him resulted in the King's punishment. 

The warning is clear v.35 - So my heavenly Father will do to everyone of you, if you do not forgive your brother FROM YOUR HEART.

Jesus makes it clear, if we belong to God, we are called to live out lives that bring Him glory. How can we do this? Love Generously, Show Mercy, and Forgive Quickly. 

I read this and for the first time in decades I thought about that weekend retreat. Those guys were not my friends that weekend, but in the big scheme of things their actions don't even make the radar of my life and surely their actions don't warrant me holding onto un-forgiveness that is an offense to my Lord.  For the record...forgiven ;) I know as adults you and I can name 100 harder instances of offense than this, but the truth is still the same. 

I think it's time take our eyes off the offenses that others bring to our table and keep our eyes open to the mercy that God show us daily. No one has ever been won over by hate, piercing glares, the cold shoulder, stealthy FB posts, anger or harsh words. In fact, that's not even our goal! Hum, if it is, we'd all be toast. 

So stop trying to forgive, by helping the other person react in a way that confirms your forgiveness "Worked." Just forgive. Our audience is the King! The relationship that we are guarding the most is with the Lord. Let your forgiveness come from the heart that has been healed by the blood of your Savior. God may change the heart of the brother you forgive...and He may not. That's His call, not ours. In forgiveness, you'll be set free! 

Focus on the 40!

I heard someone ask the other day,

"How do you decide if a group photo is good?"

"Who do you look for first?"

Funny thing is... I knew my answer! If everyone in the picture looks great, but I look like a goober...I don't think it is a good picture!  Isn't it funny how we look for ourselves!
       ok, maybe it's just me :)

In my quiet time this morning I was reading Ps. 105! It is a great Passage! The beginning stuck me! It appeared to have a pattern! The first 5 verses really focus on:

What I should do TO God!            give thanks, call (v.1) sing praises (2), Seek(4)
What I should do FOR God!         make known (v.1) tell all (2)
What I should do IN RESPONSE to God!           rejoice (v.3) Remember (v.5)

All of this is True! It is pretty clear that I should do all of these things and God is calling me to action...BUT

Then I read the next 40 verses...my pattern  disappeared into the greatness of God's Faithfulness! The next 40 verses have nothing to do with what I can do for God, they are filled with How God has shown His great love for His people! His has always been good! He has always brought us through! He has always protected and provided for those He loves!

The Psalmist spent 8 TIMES more time sharing about WHO GOD IS and WHAT HE HAS DONE, than he spent on me! In this one chapter, I became overwhelmed with the reality that there are so many times in life that I look for "ME" in God's working, when the truth is...God wants me to see "HIM!"  When I stare at the greatness of God in these 40 verses, my "5" seem like a joy filled natural response, not a chore or a job! In light of His 40, my "5" don't take much at all, in fact, it's kinda silly that I even need to be reminded of them.

So if you want to join me today, take a minute to read Ps. 105...don't skip the "5," but definitely let yourself get wrapped up in the 40!

Love Thy Neighbor as Yourself

And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”  - Mark 12:28-31

The events of the last week have caused me, like many of you, to do a gut check. Violence, not an isolated incident, but as a thread in the fabric of our American Culture has been evident. Honestly, my emotions have ranged from sad, to angry, to confused. Really, my heart hurts. I enjoy writing posts on family...that was my first thought, but then it hit me...this is my family. There is no condoning what has happened. The families involved need our heartfelt and sincere prayers. They also need us to take a step back and look in two places for guidance and clarity: Scripture & the Mirror. 

GRACE: What a beautiful word. It is a word that wraps up God's action towards us. Undeserved favor. (heavy on the undeserved) We cling to this word as Christians. We know that without it, we are hopeless. We, our own toughest critics, thank Jesus for it quickly, share it with our children instantly, our spouses freely and with many friends over time....the progression is intentional. We understand US and those closest to us. We believe we understand others. We assign our opinion to their motives and often are ready to extend grace...when they come to us and repent, all they have to do is say, "I'm sorry," or "I was wrong." 

Church---This is NOT grace. 

In Matthew 18:21-35, Jesus tells the story of the man who was forgiven much. He was grateful for GRACE, but when he was wronged by another he was not willing to give what he had just received. What was the warning to this unforgiving man? It was not that he was justified in holding a grudge. It was not pointing out that the man in debt is getting what he deserved. It was not praise for being true to how he felt. No, the Master called him "wicked" and delivered him over to punishment. Jesus closes by saying, "So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.” (v.35)

Church, the world will not change because of policy or principle. We will not find relief in picketing, FB or Twitter rants, or famous people holding up a banner. No, the vast majority of the world denies Jesus as the One True God. Therefore we cannot expect them to hold to our truths. 

No, the world will change when WE as Christians understand this. WE are the 'Light of the World.' WE are to be the peacemakers. WE are to suffer so that others can see Christ. If salt loses it's saltiness, then what is it good for? WE must lead.

SIMPLE.YES...EASY.NO

So what are we to do?

LOVE.- Love God and Love people. Not just those who we "like," but all who bear the image of God. This isn't being fake, it's letting what Christ has done in us become visible. There is no person who has wronged us, greater than we have wronged God. It's time for us to embrace that truth. Stirring up movements that attack another brother is sin. Holding a grudge, is a sin. Posting on FB a post to garner personal support or sympathy at the expense of another...is our sin. We are called to build up, not tear down. Church, we must love our Neighbor as ourself. Quick to forgive, slow to get angry. We must take our thoughts captive before we become the unmerciful servant, and be ready to love. It will free your soul! 

LISTEN.- How many times does Jesus say...'LISTEN' or 'HEAR?' We have to understand this. People are different, God designed it this way. It's beautiful and we are a tapestry that is pleasing to God! We know 'Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus.' Yet we assume that we understand people of other cultures without taking time to ask and listen to their stories. In the conversations I have had with people who don't share my identical story, do you know what I have discovered? They see live a little differently than me. Many of our assumptions are wrong, and we need to change that. Now you may be saying, people need to come to the table so that we can talk about things. You may even say, I'm waiting at the table and no-one will join me. 

What if you are at the WRONG TABLE? 

When is the last time you asked for perspective from another brother or sister? Openly, honestly, sincerely...ready to listen, not ready to cut them off to defend your Point of View? 

PRAY.-You and I are NOT enough. We look in the mirror and see our history of failures covered by the veil of Christ. You and I can't fix this. Outside of Christ, we become an unbiblical church/"christian." We must lean into Christ. WE must cry out, hand in hand with all of those who claim Christ Crucified and Resurrected. Yes, pray in secret, but we must also not isolated ourselves, we must come together. It is time for FERVENT, GOD-FEARING prayer christian. 

SIMPLE.YES...EASY.NO

We must step across the picket lines (that we may have setup), humble ourselves, and stop waiting on a official or government entity to "get it right." We must put all of our eggs in the Lord's basket. We must love the Lord and Love our neighbor...Who is my neighbor? The friend we have pushed away, the hurting families in the news, the angry/scared brother of a different skin tone, the neighbor who doesn't speak your same language...we must love them. 

Coffee Prayers and Perspective

Last full day of vacation. It has been a really good week. Waking up to a cup of coffee and the view of the mountains...does it get better than this? To help slow myself down, I've been doing "coffee prayers." All too often I pray for a moment and then jump straight into my Bible study. This week, I have used my first cup of coffee as a prayer time. I'm not done praying, until I'm done sipping. It really has helped elongate my time with the Lord in prayer. 

This morning during my coffee prayer, the mountains were covered with clouds.  The rain was drizzling. 

In that moment it stuck me that I have never paid attention to the clouds from this perspective before. Most the time I am looking up at the morning clouds hoping that the sun is back there somewhere about to burn them up and open up the sky. Today I was eye level with the clouds. Staying at 10,000 feet changes the way I hoped for the clouds to fade away and the sun to appear. 

I could see the sun go to work. No, I couldn't see the sun, but with every passing moment I watched more and more of the town below appear. From the ground, it is hard to know that the sun is at work. We look up and we see consistent cloud cover, but from Elevation, it is easy to see all the work that is being done.

In this moment (it takes much longer to write than it did to see) I began to pray. I want to see life from the Lord's perspective. I want to endure the clouds with a certainty that the dreariness of the moment WILL NOT LAST. I want to lead with the confidence of being "sure of what I hope for and certain of what I cannot see."

To be a husband that doesn't get defeated when he has a disagreement with his wife, a dad who doesn't get swept up in the moment of my child's accomplishments or failures, a friend who holds at bay a quip when nerves run thin, a pastor who can see beyond the moment to what lies ahead. All of these things are so tough from sea level. You know, that shallow part of your faith that prays quickly and spends a 1 minute devotional with God. I want to live a faith at 10,000 feet! Giving generously, loving freely, trusting fully and believing whole-heartedly. 

The air is thin up here. My body tells me that life is easier at sea level, but my faith reminds me that  the life I was made for is in the heavens, not below.

In the Beginning God...not man

I have stayed pretty quiet on many of the political debates raging in our country. Not because they are unimportant or I lack an opinion (if you know me, I always have an opinion), but more so, because I have not felt compelled to speak...until now. 

My compulsion doesn't come from a place of anger or fear Romans 8:28 provides us with a peace

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

I believe fully what scripture tells us. If I, and anyone else who professes Christ, truly trusts the Lord and loves Him... heart, mind and body...God, Himself, is working for His good and mine. If God is for me, what power does any man have to stand against Him? 

My compulsion comes from a need to REPEAT, not create. My opinion is not that important. Instead,  I feel like I need to repeat what Scripture says on the issue of gender. Is this a proclamation? Sure, but it is also a reminder. A reminder to those who claim that name of Christ, those who would label themselves "christian" or "Christ-follower." 

Read what God wrote in Genesis 1:27

God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Gender is "God Assigned," not man given. It is not determined by a short-sighted doctor at delivery. This is the beauty of knowing God is BIGGER than us. How many illegitimate, life-changing decisions would I have made as a teenager going through puberty if I would have been told that my ways were higher than His? Haven't we all felt uncomfortable in our own skin at times and wanted to change something? What has kept us from trying to over-ride His ways? Christ alone, and praise God, He protected me from such a low view of Him. 

You see, some things are God assigned. I truly believe that the conversation that has embraced our country from the White House to voices in our local community is not an attack on American values. I believe it is the scheme of sinful man to once again attack our Creator. It is disguised well? Yes, but do not be fooled, you Christian are not the main target. Baseball and Cracker-Jacks...the American Dream is not its foe. No, this one is aimed at Christ, Himself. 

Where do we stand?

 Whom else would I stand with, Christ holds the words to eternal life.  (John 6:68)

What shall I do? 

The Lord will fight for you...be still (Ex. 14:14)

Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” (Rom. 12:19)

Church we are called to trust the Lord, live for Him and stand with Him. If we sin in our actions "fighting for God" we squeeze Him out of the situation. We must behave in a way that people "will see our good works and glorify our Father in Heaven."  And if it comes to it, and we are asked, like the disciples in Acts 5, to obey a command that is an attack against God, then our actions and answers are already given... 

"But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men."

Church, be alert. Be faithful. Be loving. 

In these things, know that the one who is being attacked has been attacked since the fall. He was not concerned then, and He is not threatened now. 

Pray without ceasing and make sure that you are careful where you stand, lest you fall. 

Keep your eyes on Him, follow His command, stand firm in your faith. 

We know who has already won this one!

Celebrate Your Progress

It is our first full day on a cruise. So far, so good. Christi and I both begin the 2nd leg of life this week. Of our 40 years of life, we have known each other for 3/4 of it and have loved each other 1/2 of it. Pretty awesome when you consider that!

We have endured, overcome, and celebrated more than I could ever put into words...and I was reminded of that this morning.

Last night we went through a storm on the boat. We are on the 10th deck, so the swaying was obvious. When I got out this morning the evidence of what we had gone through was obvious. Everything was soaked, tied down and the sky was still cloudy and dark. I went to the side to have my morning quiet time and just took in my surrounding. Although we were in the dark, I could see in the distance a big patch of light and we were headed for it. It was pretty cool, knowing the we would soon be in the sun and I could see the ocean in the full light of day! Since it was a ways out, I sat down and spent some time reading.

Isaiah 40---one of my favorite, if not my favorite, chapters in all of scripture. V.12 says,

Who has measured the waters in the hallow of His hand, and marked off the heavens by the span, and calculated the dust of the earth by the measure, and weighed the mountains in a balance.

As I considered how incredible God was, I looked up. Couldn't see the patch of light we were once headed toward. I looked around and all I could see were dark patches in the distance. Then the weight of it all sat in...I was in the light patch, it just wasn't the full light that I had thought I saw in the distance. I had a choice, mourn the fact that the "relief" that I thought awaited me was not so bright, or be excited that I had come through a dark time and even in the "light" there was still more to come!

This is marriage! God has created a beautiful scene for a man and woman. How many lives have fallen apart when they made it through the dark times to the light patch. When they realized it wasn't the end, only progress...they quit.  GOD DIDN'T DESIGN YOU TO QUIT IN THE PROGRESS, BUT TO REJOICE IN IT!

Christi and I have not arrived! Praise God! That means there is more....much more... to come! As I look back, I thank God that we endured the dark spots and have no desire to go back. I rejoice that God led us the bright spots in our past...looking back, even some of those seem dark in comparison to the light we love each other in now. How amazing is it that even now, we have not reached the finish line, but our GREAT GOD has still brighter places for us to seek!

Who could conceive of such a plan? Not me, I want Point A to Point B as fast as you can. But God in His greatness wants me to celebrate the progress, not just endure the road.

Not sure when on this cruise we will see the sun uninhibited, but it will get here eventually. Of that I am sure. Until then, I'll make the most of the progress we've made this far!