Thursday, November 26, 2009

Two Hungarians, A Saxon, and a bunch of Swiss Grannies

Location: Bedroom, Sighisoara, Romania, nearly 8am on Thanksgiving Day...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, for many reasons. I am praying for you today, that you might have a Christ-centered day of thanking the Lord for your many blessings, no matter what your circumstances. I have been invited to share a meal with other Americans tomorrow night, and we are having a special Thanksgiving prayer service on Saturday evening. Though I will not be able to celebrate with you this year, let's all lift up our thanks to our great God, that He might get the glory!

As you can see, I have a lot for which to be thankful. You see my coworker, M., working among the hand-knitted socks donated by Swiss grannies. We have begun preparing over 5000 pairs of boots that will assist us in our Christmas "Warm Feet" project. Because of this, last week we finished up our weekly Sunday school programs for the year. Some of you will be scandalized to know that when I came out as Queen Jezebel with a skirt over my pants during the last program, I did not realize that my skirt had fallen to the floor, to the laughter of all present. Oh dear!

Yesterday was great! I had the privilege of joining my choir director in an old Saxon village where he spends a lot of time--it is a small village lost in the hills, with only about 30 families there. (Just an aside: remember when we had to convince the guard last week to let us in the hospital last week after visiting hours? I met the guard again, in this village of V.! My host said that it was "impossible" that I knew anyone there, but with God, all things are possible!) I had no idea what kind of work we would be doing, so I tried to prepare for everything. It turned out that we are trying to renovate the only church in town--which is several hundred years old! It was built before the Reformation! The house next door, where we ate lunch, is younger. It will not be 200 years old for another five years!
What a privilege it was, though, to work on building the church. After all, that is my calling, to build the Church. The Church is not a building, but a group of people filled by the Spirit of the Living God. While we worked, I got to talk to my new Hungarian friends about the Bible--it was all new to them. As I told them about Abraham, one of them asked me if he was still alive! I also got to explain that heaven is not some place "upstairs," but it is new life, true life, with God. They could not understand my lifestyle of faith, and the idea of living through prayer was so interesting that they wanted me to pray for them.
Then I was given almost 30 minutes' notice that they were going to invite the village to come hear me preach. I contacted some of my friends to pray for me, and we gathered on the church steps. The Lord moved powerfully, and though I was instructed (very emphatically) to speak not more than 15 minutes, one lady asked if I could keep going, please, for an hour! I could have!

They were so interested to hear that the church was not going to be Orthodox, or Lutheran, or Baptist, but that as the only church in town, all who wanted to know Jesus more would be welcome.

That is my prayer for you today; on this day of thanks, may you know Jesus more!

As foresight, I want to let you know that this weekend will begin a downhill race toward Christmas, so I might be in less contact. We will be traveling around the area, so not only will my time be limited, but my internet may be, too. I will pray for you no less, though! Thank you for your prayers for me. I plan to make some more decisions about my future this next week, and a lot of people who are dear to me are also in the process of making important decisions. I am so thankful for a God like ours, who leads us, loves us, and lets us know and serve Him!

One thing for you to keep in mind as you pray--something the Lord has been reminding me. I am not a missionary. Romania does not need missionaries--90-odd percent of Romanians consider themselves Christians. I am not a missionary, I am a Christian. What Romania needs, what America needs, what each part of the world needs, are true Christians in whom they can truly see Jesus. Not people preaching words, but men and women who are living the preaching. Not religious people, not head-hunting evangelists, but people who know Jesus personally and live like it, in every mundane detail of their lives. The Church would be much different if each person in the church let Jesus live in him or her, at home, far away, and in every good and bad circumstance of this life we live.

I bless you in the Name of our Jesus!
Posted by at

A Rose From Home

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?