Location: Once more in my room, 7 stories above Oradea, Romania (28 May, bedtime)
Friends, I knew today would be fairly mellow, and I knew that my open schedule would allow for God to move freely. Both were true, but very different than I had imagined.
My day began with an amazing time of intercessory and worshipful prayer with my two roommates. From that time on, we knew that the heavens and earth would be shaking today!
I had planned to do laundry, and my day became on big battle with my hosts' washing machine. It turned out that the labels are in Italian, not Romanian, and that it apparently works fine until you try to open the door. It does not drain properly, so the front-loading door remains locked shut.
So rather than laundry, I answered the phone call of my new Romanian friend from Tuesday, S. (in the picture above), and I joined him and his friends in town. We spent much of the day walking in the rain (he tried to help me find a laundromat), and we also dried off in a little cafe. One of the highlights of my afternoon was seeing some sort of red-tee-shirt Romanian election group dancing in the rain to "YMCA" and "Cotten-Eyed Joe" downtown!
But all the little snags of my day were relatively nothing compared to my new friend, V. I wasn't going to post that picture, which I actually took as a joke for a friend of mine who taught me to ask for that kind of water in Romanian, but I would like to ask that you pray for her. She learned quite a bit of troubling news today from her home of Malaysia, and she is in the process of taking many exams. Please wrap her in your prayers, and thank you in advance. God is working mightily in this young lady's life.
These small and large troubles come on the heels of our fervant intercessory prayer for Oradea. God is moving very powerfully here, and we are experiencing pathetic aftershocks of the Enemy's efforts to thwart our Father's plans. Yet like my day today, when the clouds try to drown out the beautiful joy of the Lord, I merely laugh in the rain, keeping my eyes on the Creator of the sun and the rain! Thanks for standing with us; the gates of Hell shall not prevail.
I have much to write, but it is late. Just know that each day in Oradea is better than the last, and that each one before it was already great. A quick update from the past couple of days is that I helped out J. again with the young folks with disabilities--I should probably clarify that these are not young children but rather young adults, 18 and over, the eldest being only a couple years younger than me. That went very well, and then I had my first ride on an overcrowded older-fashioned Oradea tram, followed by an hour conversation with my favorite cell-phone dealer while I waited for the network to straighten itself out. It turns out that she goes to the church pastored by my roommate! And my favorite part of the day was probably accepting J.'s dinner invitation with her and V., as well as another friend. I was given the privilege of washing dishes, and it was honestly just the refreshing "pace" (peace) that I needed to enjoy with my Jesus.
As you can see, I am richly blessed to be among such fine people in this country. I am also richly blessed to be prayed for by such fine people as you! I hope you can see that you, too, are richly blessed...
Also, you will be pleased to note that my friend M. helped me get the Italy slideshow posted, I think my posts are in a wider format for you now, and I posted my testimony at the bottom of this page, for those of you who would like to see it. My blog now comes up on a Google search if you type in "therabboni", which may help folks find it more easily. I'll keep working on the Swiss train videos and any other details that will make your journey more worthwhile! Onward!
This blog is your opportunity to travel with me wherever I am in the world, during both the mundane and exciting moments of life that I humbly recognize as holy. As I bare my life to you, may your reading take you beyond my words to the Word, beyond my life to the Life, beyond the chaos to the Truth, and beyond teachings to the Teacher--the Rabboni. I promise it will be an adventure, and by the end, may you, too, truly know the Way!
A Rose From Home
My Story (As prepared for my church congregation this spring--2009)
I have a story to tell you. I am the main character, but the story is not about me. I have traveled several parts of the world, but my adventure has been closer to home. I am twenty-six years old. My story begins like many of yours…
I grew up going to church. I had been born into a family who labeled themselves “Christian,” in a country that labels itself “Christian.” Every Sunday found me attending a worship service and Sunday school in a mainline denomination church. I served as an acolyte, attended Vacation Bible School, helped my dad count and record the offering money, sang in the youth choir, was a leader in the youth group, and occasionally served as liturgist. Baptized as an infant, I was confirmed at the age of twelve, thus becoming an “official” member of the church. Then, hurt by the church, my family left to find another.
Have you ever been hurt by the Church?
After months of searching, we settled into a very large independent church. Things were different there, and I was quickly welcomed and at home among new friends that truly had a passion for Jesus. The Word of God was taught boldly from the pulpit, and I was introduced to a missions-aware lifestyle. So it was with regret that I said goodbye only a couple of years later to move with my family to another church. I purposely remained aloof, not wanting to make new friendships before I left for college a year later. Besides, I was loosing my faith—or so I thought—and I didn’t want anyone to know. I was asking scary questions like “Is there really a God?” and, if so, “Is He the Christian God?” and “Would I be Christian if I had been born in another part of the world?”
Have you ever asked yourself unsettling questions about what you believe?
So I headed into college under a cloud of confusion that only worsened for the next two years. Though I didn’t know what I believed anymore, I continued to go to church every Sunday, and to help lead worship in chapel. Most importantly, even during this questioning, I continued my morning habit of daily study of the Bible. I had begun at age twelve, reading at first a chapter per day, then ten minutes each morning, then an half-hour, and so on. So, only by the grace of the very God I doubted, I remained anchored in His Word and in His community, though I felt like a fake most of the time. Since then I have learned that “fake” is the worst insult the world can give us; that is why the label of “hypocrite” is so offensive.
Have you ever felt like a fake?
Six weeks with missionaries in South Africa followed by a year in France began to teach me what life with God is all about. I began rebuilding my faith, this time it belonged to me, in contrast to me borrowing the faith of my parents, church, or anyone else. In my parent’s basement in 2003, on either Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve, I invited Jesus to live in me; perhaps I had done so before, but I didn’t recall—but since 2003, I have never forgotten that moment. Unfortunately, nothing changed. I continued to do my best to act like a Christian, as I had done for so long.
Have you ever found yourself “doing your best” to be a good person, or to act like a Christian?
Though I did not realize it at the time, I was quenching the Spirit, even though I had welcomed Him into my life. During the next few years, the LORD continued to nurture me, and slowly things began to change. Several tough months in Idaho birthed my prayer-life. I spent three years being humbled in a job that was my informal seminary training. In 2007, a short stint in Mexico helped me to see things as they were, and not long afterward, I was baptized by immersion. No baptism of any kind can save a lost soul—only Jesus can do that. However, this baptism was an important covenant between me and God, symbolizing not only my death and resurrection with Jesus and my public profession of faith, but it also my life change, the beginning of my bearing fruit. “For each tree is known by its own fruit…”according to Luke 6:44. During the past year and a half, the LORD has provided me with an informal pastoral internship in my church, teaching me every aspect of discipleship. Simultaneously, I have been studying unceasing prayer and worship. I am now very different than I was five years ago.
In the Book of Acts (which tells the story of the earliest years of the Church) every time a person decided to follow Christ, two things took place—though not always in the same order. Each person experienced a life change, which I call the “baptism of repentance,” as well as the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which I call the “baptism of the Spirit.” Looking back, I realize that the Holy Spirit was living in me in 2003, but it wasn’t until I surrendered everything to God, as represented by my immersion, that I allowed the Spirit to have His way in me and transform my life. “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now life in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. (Galatians 2:20)”
Have you invited Jesus to live in you? Have you allowed the Spirit to transform your life?
I tell you this story for two reasons. First, I tell this story in order to boast in the LORD! May God our Father get all praise and glory forever! Second, I tell this story because it is relevant to you. Likely you have heard that I am leaving the country: I have let my light shine before you; please let your light shine within the Church, too! This congregation is in revival, and as each of you allows the Spirit to revive you, the entire Church will be revived and utterly transformed, to the glory of the Most High God. And for His glory is the reason He created us; the reason He sent His only Son to reveal Himself to us; the reason He became Sin for us and died for us on the cross—while we were still sinners; and the reason that He conquered death and offered us eternal life with Him.
It will cost you a lot—in fact, it will cost you everything, your very life. But if you have never surrendered your life to Christ Jesus, if you have never invited Him to send His Spirit into you and to transform your life, then do it right now. Just let go of everything to which you are desperately clinging; stop trying to do it yourself! This is the very reason you are still breathing in this physical life—God has been delaying His judgment of this sinful world because He is waiting for you—2 Peter 3:9 says He wants none to perish!
If you have already invited the Spirit into your life, then live like it! Bear fruit! Anyone and everyone who meets you or knows you or sees you or hears you should know immediately and clearly that Jesus the Christ lives in you and loves them! That is how stark the contrast should be between your life and the world around you!
Have you immersed yourself in God’s Word and in prayer in the last twenty-four hours?
If you call yourself a follower of Christ, then there is no excuse for not communing with Him daily! Anchor yourself in the Word! God has revealed Himself to us through His Son, Jesus Christ, and the Bible is a complete and accurate record of that revelation. And prayer is humbly letting Him love us. Let Him love you! God doesn’t need us, but He wants us! God doesn’t need us to live for Him—He wants to live in and through us! Let us love and fellowship with one another, even when you disagree! Pray for each other—the names in the church directory are a great place to start! Church, we are not only the Body of Christ, but we are the Bride of Christ. We have allowed ourselves to get bedraggled and stained—now let us stand to the glory of God! Let’s let Him purify us, restore us, and love us!
My dear Brothers and Sisters, if you have ever once been blessed by God our Father at work in me, then I urge you, please, take seriously His desire to love and work in you, beyond anything you can ask or imagine! I have told you the beginning of my story—may it end in glory to the Father, in the Name of Jesus, by way of His Spirit.
Now, what is your story?