This past week I have had the responsibility of painting our carport. If you have ever painted anything like this, you know that first you have to scrape off the old paint, then you add the primer, and then you are able to paint. Well with the size of our carport, this is a pretty big job and each of those tasks take at least a full day.
Day one for me consisted of scraping off the old paint. Nearly 8 hours were spent scraping, and scraping, and scraping, with the sun getting hotter, and hotter, and hotter. By the end of the day, I was dripping with sweat and my arms were exhausted. I went inside to shower and cool off and then I waited for my father to come home to ask him if my work was sufficient enough. Much to my surprise, he told me that it wasn't. It wasn't that my work didn't live up to his standards, but rather I had used the wrong scraper. There was a another scraper in the toolbox that was actually a lot more efficient in taking off the paint. When I had to repeat my task of scraping the next day, I understood this to be true.
So day two of the job was almost like deja vu. I continued over the same spots, scraping away for hours. Much more paint came off with this scraper, and the carport did look a lot better. While I didn't mind doing the labor, I was somewhat frustrated with myself that I had pretty much wasted the day before, performing a task that turned out to be useless.
Do you ever wonder if our tasks in life are this way? People are so busy these days, involved in so many activities that we barely have time to sit down. I am not saying that being busy is a bad thing, but what is it that is keeping you busy? One day we will have to stand before our heavenly Father and give an accounting of the work that we have done. 1 Corinthians 3 talks of how the reward will only be given to him who has done good work, not to him who has wasted his time on a meaningless task.
Now obviously, this reward is not the reward of salvation. Salvation is not something that is earned through works, but rather it is something acquired through a relationship with Christ. But I love this idea of seeing my Father look at my work and saying, "Well done, Todd! The work that you have done is sufficient. It is exactly what I wanted you to do."
The positive to my mistake on painting was that I was given another day. But in life, we get only one chance. We have only one life to live. And as Moses states in Psalm 90, the time of that life quickly passes so we need to learn to number our days. What sort of things are you going to be remembered for? When you stand before God and he asks you what you did with the majority of your time, what are you going to say? Will the things that you have done actually matter? Will they have made an impact on the world? Or will all of your time been spent in vein?
This theme of not wasting my life has become a motto for me this past year. I have tried to apply it to my day, to my hour, and to my minute (ex. "Don't waste your minute"). This conscious effort to live every breath to the glory of God is one that is hard to attain, but I feel is necessary in checking our works. One of my biggest fears in life is to have spent all my time doing something that doesn't really matter. So this thought helps me in deciding whether or not something is worth pursuing.
What is it that you are wasting your time on? Are you seeking treasures that will never last? What could you be doing with that time that helps in furthering God's Kingdom? You have but one life to live. Don't waste it. Don't waste your life.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Whatever happened to the Church?
"They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people and the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved."
- Acts 2:42-47
Whatever happened to the church? Whatever happened to the fellowship, and the continuous prayers, and the selfless giving? Whatever happened to the commitment to the Word of God? Whatever happened to the church having favor with all people and the LORD adding to their number daily?
Today the church is described as a building, not as a people. It is seen to be a Sunday tradition, not a continuous fellowship. It is split into nearly 38,000 denominations, definitely not "continuing with one mind". And why don't you just ask people in the community whether or not the church is finding favor with men?
When I see the church today, people are more concerned about getting home in time to watch football than they are in discovering the application of God's Word. They are more concerned about music conforming to their interests than they are about the words that are being sung. They are more concerned about getting the same seat every Sunday than they are about seeing new people reached. And then we wonder why the LORD isn't adding to our number daily!?
I have met some incredible men and women of God in the church, but I find it sad when they are labeled as "radical" or "super Christians". When you compare these people to Scripture, they aren't radical at all; they are simply just following in the footsteps of their Savior and following the model of this first church.
The members of the Church were first called Christian in Acts 11:26. When studying the commentary of this passage, it explains that "Christian" literally means "partisans of Christ." The commentary goes on to explain that the Christian label was given to individuals who evangelized and taught the Gospel and who "demonstrated orthopraxy (meaning: correct action) by meeting physical needs."
Is this the church today? Are we committed to evangelism like the early church was? Are we committed to meeting physical needs like the early church was? One has to only open their eyes to find people who are in need of physical help and who are in need of hearing the Gospel. Many would claim that they don't feel called to do this, but let me correct you: you just haven't heard your call to do it. Just put your ear to the Bible and you will hear over and over again, God calling you to "preach good news to the poor, bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim freedom for the captives, and release from darkness for the prisoners" (Isaiah 61). To be honest, you could probably turn to just about any page in Scripture and find a call similar to this. When we don't answer these calls, it is no wonder why we are called hypocrites.
As a Church, it is about time that we wake up! The world is in desperate need of a Savior and if we don't help them, who will? Just turn on the news and you can see that the world, and our country, are in a downward spiral. But while this is going on, we are keeping our mouths closed because we don't want to suffer any persecution or be labeled as "politically incorrect". We complain so much about the government and other organizations taking too much control, but that is only because the Church is not stepping in and helping. Imagine what the world would be like today if we would continue to spread the love of God as fervently as that first church.
Why is it that a commission by a king is considered an honor, but a commission by God is considered a sacrifice? It is time to step up, Church. It is time to put on the full armor of God and to advance His Kingdom like we have been given such an honor of doing. It is time to get back to the basics of Christianity and to become one again. We often sing, "They'll know we are Christians by our love", but I will be the first to confess that's not true. The only difference today between Christians and non-Christians is that Christians go to church occasionally.
As Francis Chan often asks, "If you were to read Scripture, is this what you would picture the Church to look like?" I want to encourage you to re-read the book of Acts. As I have been studying it over the past month, I have been amazed at some of the truths that God has shown me. But simple head knowledge isn't enough. It is time to put these truths to action. Men and women, let's start being the Church.
I feel that there is no better way than to close with a segment of the Jesus's prayer for us in John 17:
My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."
Amen.
- Acts 2:42-47
Whatever happened to the church? Whatever happened to the fellowship, and the continuous prayers, and the selfless giving? Whatever happened to the commitment to the Word of God? Whatever happened to the church having favor with all people and the LORD adding to their number daily?
Today the church is described as a building, not as a people. It is seen to be a Sunday tradition, not a continuous fellowship. It is split into nearly 38,000 denominations, definitely not "continuing with one mind". And why don't you just ask people in the community whether or not the church is finding favor with men?
When I see the church today, people are more concerned about getting home in time to watch football than they are in discovering the application of God's Word. They are more concerned about music conforming to their interests than they are about the words that are being sung. They are more concerned about getting the same seat every Sunday than they are about seeing new people reached. And then we wonder why the LORD isn't adding to our number daily!?
I have met some incredible men and women of God in the church, but I find it sad when they are labeled as "radical" or "super Christians". When you compare these people to Scripture, they aren't radical at all; they are simply just following in the footsteps of their Savior and following the model of this first church.
The members of the Church were first called Christian in Acts 11:26. When studying the commentary of this passage, it explains that "Christian" literally means "partisans of Christ." The commentary goes on to explain that the Christian label was given to individuals who evangelized and taught the Gospel and who "demonstrated orthopraxy (meaning: correct action) by meeting physical needs."
Is this the church today? Are we committed to evangelism like the early church was? Are we committed to meeting physical needs like the early church was? One has to only open their eyes to find people who are in need of physical help and who are in need of hearing the Gospel. Many would claim that they don't feel called to do this, but let me correct you: you just haven't heard your call to do it. Just put your ear to the Bible and you will hear over and over again, God calling you to "preach good news to the poor, bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim freedom for the captives, and release from darkness for the prisoners" (Isaiah 61). To be honest, you could probably turn to just about any page in Scripture and find a call similar to this. When we don't answer these calls, it is no wonder why we are called hypocrites.
As a Church, it is about time that we wake up! The world is in desperate need of a Savior and if we don't help them, who will? Just turn on the news and you can see that the world, and our country, are in a downward spiral. But while this is going on, we are keeping our mouths closed because we don't want to suffer any persecution or be labeled as "politically incorrect". We complain so much about the government and other organizations taking too much control, but that is only because the Church is not stepping in and helping. Imagine what the world would be like today if we would continue to spread the love of God as fervently as that first church.
Why is it that a commission by a king is considered an honor, but a commission by God is considered a sacrifice? It is time to step up, Church. It is time to put on the full armor of God and to advance His Kingdom like we have been given such an honor of doing. It is time to get back to the basics of Christianity and to become one again. We often sing, "They'll know we are Christians by our love", but I will be the first to confess that's not true. The only difference today between Christians and non-Christians is that Christians go to church occasionally.
As Francis Chan often asks, "If you were to read Scripture, is this what you would picture the Church to look like?" I want to encourage you to re-read the book of Acts. As I have been studying it over the past month, I have been amazed at some of the truths that God has shown me. But simple head knowledge isn't enough. It is time to put these truths to action. Men and women, let's start being the Church.
I feel that there is no better way than to close with a segment of the Jesus's prayer for us in John 17:
My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."
Amen.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Point them to the Cross
Wow! It has been about two and half months since I last wrote a post. In the meantime, I have been on four different continents, so please excuse my delay. From May 15 through June 23, I was in Beirut, Lebanon (flying through Germany), and from July 11 through July 25, I was in Empanganee, South Africa. If you are trying to figure out how that totals to four, make sure to factor in North America as well.
A lot of things have happened this summer. God has shown me a lot, and I have had some incredible conversations with people. As time goes on, I will try to post some of these stories on here to share them with you, but I will avoid posting them all at once.
So for story number one, let me start in South Africa...
South Africa lies in the southern hemisphere. Because the earth is tilted, the southern hemisphere has a different set of constellations than the northern hemisphere. One of the most famous constellations in the southern hemisphere, and the one that I was most excited to see, was the Southern Cross.
One night, my dad, my brother Scott, and I were standing outside and my dad and I spotted the Southern Cross. Immediately Scott wanted to know where it was located and we tried pointing it out to him, but he stood there several minutes without ever being able to see it. Even though it was so clear to us, and even though we were telling him the exact location of it, he just could not see it. (To his credit, he did finally find it later on that evening).
That night my dad led us in a devotional and Acts 26:12-18 was our passage. Verses 12-15 were the focus, as it was supposed to lead us in discussing our "Damascus road experience", but verses 16-18 are what grabbed my attention:
"But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me."
First off, what a great commission this is from God! But the thing about that passage that caught my attention the most was the command to 'open their eyes'. Nowhere in there does it command us to win people to Christ, or to perform some supernatural conversion experience, as if it all depended on us. All that God commands us to do is to open their eyes, and from that God can bring about the forgiveness, and the inheritance, and the sanctification that follows in that passage.
Immediately I thought about how Scott could not see the Southern Cross, even with us clearly explaining it to him. Really there was nothing more that we could have said or done to help him see it. All that we could do was to point the way and hope that his eyes would be open to seeing it.
But isn't it the same when we are talking to people about Christ? To us who have seen "the Cross", it is so clear to us. But when we tell others about Him, their eyes are blinded and no matter how well we word things or how hard we try to get them to see Him, they just cannot see Him.
I cannot tell you many times I have had conversations with people, whether it be this summer in South Africa or Lebanon, or whether it be at Marshall University, or whether it just be in the community, where I have laid out the Gospel so clearly, but the individual just could not see the Cross. They could not see their need for a Savior.
I long so hard for these people to understand Christ the way that I do, and to see Him the way that I see Him. I recognize, as 2 Corinthians 4 states, that the god of this world (Satan) has blinded those that do not believe, so that they 'cannot see the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ.' And knowing that I have no sovereign control to make these individuals see Christ for who He really is, all that I can do is to keep praying for them and to keep pointing towards the cross.
To those who know people who do not yet know Christ, I want to echo God's words to you: Get up and stand on your feet. Go to those people and open their eyes. Keep pointing the way towards the cross and keep interceding for them in prayer, begging for God to have mercy on them and grant them salvation.
To those who are reading this and have no clue what I am talking about, or maybe you do know what I am talking about but you know that you do not have a relationship with Christ, I want to speak to you as well: Satan has blinded your eyes. He is keeping you from seeing Christ for who He really is. He really is there and He is holding out His hand, desiring a relationship with you. Do not give up hope! Keep looking. Keep asking questions. Keep seeking, for the Bible says that those who seek Him with all their heart will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13).
I praise God for the blessings He has poured out on me, especially this summer. Not many people are given the opportunities that I have been given, and I am so thankful for those who have helped give me these opportunities. Luke 12:48 says that "to whom much is given, much is expected", and so for that reason, I will continue to proclaim Christ wherever I go. I pray that eyes would be open and that people would see the hope that exists in Christ alone. In Christ, you can be forgiven of your sins, you can experience true life, and you can have a sure hope of salvation. Oh, if only everyone could experience this freedom!
A lot of things have happened this summer. God has shown me a lot, and I have had some incredible conversations with people. As time goes on, I will try to post some of these stories on here to share them with you, but I will avoid posting them all at once.
So for story number one, let me start in South Africa...
South Africa lies in the southern hemisphere. Because the earth is tilted, the southern hemisphere has a different set of constellations than the northern hemisphere. One of the most famous constellations in the southern hemisphere, and the one that I was most excited to see, was the Southern Cross.
One night, my dad, my brother Scott, and I were standing outside and my dad and I spotted the Southern Cross. Immediately Scott wanted to know where it was located and we tried pointing it out to him, but he stood there several minutes without ever being able to see it. Even though it was so clear to us, and even though we were telling him the exact location of it, he just could not see it. (To his credit, he did finally find it later on that evening).
That night my dad led us in a devotional and Acts 26:12-18 was our passage. Verses 12-15 were the focus, as it was supposed to lead us in discussing our "Damascus road experience", but verses 16-18 are what grabbed my attention:
"But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me."
First off, what a great commission this is from God! But the thing about that passage that caught my attention the most was the command to 'open their eyes'. Nowhere in there does it command us to win people to Christ, or to perform some supernatural conversion experience, as if it all depended on us. All that God commands us to do is to open their eyes, and from that God can bring about the forgiveness, and the inheritance, and the sanctification that follows in that passage.
Immediately I thought about how Scott could not see the Southern Cross, even with us clearly explaining it to him. Really there was nothing more that we could have said or done to help him see it. All that we could do was to point the way and hope that his eyes would be open to seeing it.
But isn't it the same when we are talking to people about Christ? To us who have seen "the Cross", it is so clear to us. But when we tell others about Him, their eyes are blinded and no matter how well we word things or how hard we try to get them to see Him, they just cannot see Him.
I cannot tell you many times I have had conversations with people, whether it be this summer in South Africa or Lebanon, or whether it be at Marshall University, or whether it just be in the community, where I have laid out the Gospel so clearly, but the individual just could not see the Cross. They could not see their need for a Savior.
I long so hard for these people to understand Christ the way that I do, and to see Him the way that I see Him. I recognize, as 2 Corinthians 4 states, that the god of this world (Satan) has blinded those that do not believe, so that they 'cannot see the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ.' And knowing that I have no sovereign control to make these individuals see Christ for who He really is, all that I can do is to keep praying for them and to keep pointing towards the cross.
To those who know people who do not yet know Christ, I want to echo God's words to you: Get up and stand on your feet. Go to those people and open their eyes. Keep pointing the way towards the cross and keep interceding for them in prayer, begging for God to have mercy on them and grant them salvation.
To those who are reading this and have no clue what I am talking about, or maybe you do know what I am talking about but you know that you do not have a relationship with Christ, I want to speak to you as well: Satan has blinded your eyes. He is keeping you from seeing Christ for who He really is. He really is there and He is holding out His hand, desiring a relationship with you. Do not give up hope! Keep looking. Keep asking questions. Keep seeking, for the Bible says that those who seek Him with all their heart will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13).
I praise God for the blessings He has poured out on me, especially this summer. Not many people are given the opportunities that I have been given, and I am so thankful for those who have helped give me these opportunities. Luke 12:48 says that "to whom much is given, much is expected", and so for that reason, I will continue to proclaim Christ wherever I go. I pray that eyes would be open and that people would see the hope that exists in Christ alone. In Christ, you can be forgiven of your sins, you can experience true life, and you can have a sure hope of salvation. Oh, if only everyone could experience this freedom!
Friday, May 7, 2010
Help!
Hillsong United produced a film that was shown in theaters nationwide on November 4, 2009. The plan was to release the film on DVD in March, but plans changed when countries from around the world also began to request that the film be shown in their country. Now the tentative release date is August of 2010.
Before going further in this blog, I ask that you take a look at a short clip from that film. It will set the precedence for the thought in the rest of this post:
Hillsong United Clip
As I was watching that film in theaters, I remember feeling anguish over all the needs across the globe. Just barely open your eyes and you see millions who are homeless, starving, sick, or oppressed. Turn to CNN or Fox News and see the disasters that have struck Haiti, or see all of the orphans that are in Honduras, or see the AIDS problems that are in Africa. I feel like you can't really look anywhere without seeing needs that are demanding attention. And no matter who you are, or what beliefs you have, you can't help but feel for those people.
A lot of times, it is easy to see those things and feel like the problem is too big for us, and so we change the channel. Or we examine our own lives and realize that we, too, have problems, and even though they are much smaller, they are more demanding of our attention. And so whatever mindset we fall into, we always end up ignoring the the cause of those that are dying abroad and thanking God for "blessing us".
Part of me wants to veer off and address that last statement about being blessed, but hopefully your own Spirit will convict you of what is wrong about those thoughts. So for now, I am simply just going to stay on track with where I am going...
I don't know if you have seen the news this past week, but disaster has struck our own soil. There was an attempted terrorist attack in New York, a huge oil leakage in Louisiana, and massive flooding in Nashville. The latter of the three hits home with me the most due to my friends and family that live down there. As I have been in touch with them and following the news, here are some of the things that I have found:
Thousands of houses have been completely destroyed, and most homeowners did not own any sort of flood insurance (Nashville never floods). More than 7,000 people have been declared to be officially homeless, in addition to those that already were. The death tally expects to be in the hundreds, as water has still not even gone down far enough to check in all parts of the city. Schools have been destroyed and many are cancelled for the remainder of the year. Hotels, restaurants, and businesses have lost everything. Crime rates have soared as homes are being broken into and items are being stolen. The city is in desperate need of millions of dollars to help rebuild what is one of the most popular cities in all of America.
Ok, so now we reach that point when we see how you respond. Do you simply just turn the channel again, or go on to your next website? Or do you actually stop and pray over the ways that you can get involved? If you are reading this and are part of the Christian body, then I exhort you even more to consider this. Read Matthew 25:31-46 as you do so.
God calls His church to rise up in times like this to help those that are in need. One of His promises is that He will never leave us nor forsake us, but how will others realize that if we leave them and forsake them? What an opportunity this is to show the world the love of Jesus Christ by helping those that are in desperate need! Help is needed all over the globe and if you are able to help them out in any way, then do it. Do you think that you have been blessed to simply just hang on to that? No, rather you have been blessed so that you can bless others.
If you have been blessed, like I have, then join me in reaching out to those that need help. You may have other projects or other causes to help with, but I want you to know that my dollars are going to Nashville. I don't say that boastfully, but I say that to present a challenge for you to join me in that. I have other projects and causes to also think about, but I simply cannot continue to turn the channel and move on with my life. This is what God has called us to do.
If you want to get involved, then I am going to get you in touch with Celia Quin. Celia is a teacher in Nashville and is part of First Baptist Church of Pegram. She is currently assisting in running a shelter out of her school, as they are the only school in the area that still has electricity. She also currently has connections with the American Red Cross and some other organizations because they are also running out of their school right now. Celia has said that some of the major needs right now are clothes and household items for those that have lost everything, and they are also in need of Bibles. Maybe the best way to go about giving is to send money and let her spend it accordingly.
To send a letter or money to Celia, you can do so through the following postal address:
Celia Quin
10 Erin Lane
Nashville, TN 37221
If you want to first communicate with her via email, her address is:
Celiajane03@hotmail.com
Thank you for taking the time to read this post and thank you in advance for getting involved in this ministry. I want to leave you with one final quote, and then this post will be done.
"Having seen all this you can choose to look the other way, but you can never say 'I did not know'."
- William Wilberforce
Before going further in this blog, I ask that you take a look at a short clip from that film. It will set the precedence for the thought in the rest of this post:
Hillsong United Clip
As I was watching that film in theaters, I remember feeling anguish over all the needs across the globe. Just barely open your eyes and you see millions who are homeless, starving, sick, or oppressed. Turn to CNN or Fox News and see the disasters that have struck Haiti, or see all of the orphans that are in Honduras, or see the AIDS problems that are in Africa. I feel like you can't really look anywhere without seeing needs that are demanding attention. And no matter who you are, or what beliefs you have, you can't help but feel for those people.
A lot of times, it is easy to see those things and feel like the problem is too big for us, and so we change the channel. Or we examine our own lives and realize that we, too, have problems, and even though they are much smaller, they are more demanding of our attention. And so whatever mindset we fall into, we always end up ignoring the the cause of those that are dying abroad and thanking God for "blessing us".
Part of me wants to veer off and address that last statement about being blessed, but hopefully your own Spirit will convict you of what is wrong about those thoughts. So for now, I am simply just going to stay on track with where I am going...
I don't know if you have seen the news this past week, but disaster has struck our own soil. There was an attempted terrorist attack in New York, a huge oil leakage in Louisiana, and massive flooding in Nashville. The latter of the three hits home with me the most due to my friends and family that live down there. As I have been in touch with them and following the news, here are some of the things that I have found:
Thousands of houses have been completely destroyed, and most homeowners did not own any sort of flood insurance (Nashville never floods). More than 7,000 people have been declared to be officially homeless, in addition to those that already were. The death tally expects to be in the hundreds, as water has still not even gone down far enough to check in all parts of the city. Schools have been destroyed and many are cancelled for the remainder of the year. Hotels, restaurants, and businesses have lost everything. Crime rates have soared as homes are being broken into and items are being stolen. The city is in desperate need of millions of dollars to help rebuild what is one of the most popular cities in all of America.
Ok, so now we reach that point when we see how you respond. Do you simply just turn the channel again, or go on to your next website? Or do you actually stop and pray over the ways that you can get involved? If you are reading this and are part of the Christian body, then I exhort you even more to consider this. Read Matthew 25:31-46 as you do so.
God calls His church to rise up in times like this to help those that are in need. One of His promises is that He will never leave us nor forsake us, but how will others realize that if we leave them and forsake them? What an opportunity this is to show the world the love of Jesus Christ by helping those that are in desperate need! Help is needed all over the globe and if you are able to help them out in any way, then do it. Do you think that you have been blessed to simply just hang on to that? No, rather you have been blessed so that you can bless others.
If you have been blessed, like I have, then join me in reaching out to those that need help. You may have other projects or other causes to help with, but I want you to know that my dollars are going to Nashville. I don't say that boastfully, but I say that to present a challenge for you to join me in that. I have other projects and causes to also think about, but I simply cannot continue to turn the channel and move on with my life. This is what God has called us to do.
If you want to get involved, then I am going to get you in touch with Celia Quin. Celia is a teacher in Nashville and is part of First Baptist Church of Pegram. She is currently assisting in running a shelter out of her school, as they are the only school in the area that still has electricity. She also currently has connections with the American Red Cross and some other organizations because they are also running out of their school right now. Celia has said that some of the major needs right now are clothes and household items for those that have lost everything, and they are also in need of Bibles. Maybe the best way to go about giving is to send money and let her spend it accordingly.
To send a letter or money to Celia, you can do so through the following postal address:
Celia Quin
10 Erin Lane
Nashville, TN 37221
If you want to first communicate with her via email, her address is:
Celiajane03@hotmail.com
Thank you for taking the time to read this post and thank you in advance for getting involved in this ministry. I want to leave you with one final quote, and then this post will be done.
"Having seen all this you can choose to look the other way, but you can never say 'I did not know'."
- William Wilberforce
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Crossing the Finish Line
In November of 2008, I had the privilege of running in the Huntington Half-Marathon. I had trained for several months leading up to it and felt like I was prepared when race day finally rolled around. In training, I had discovered what I felt to be a good pace for myself, though I wasn't sure how the adrenaline of race day would change that. However, I decided to take a watch with me and try to stay on pace for an 8 minute mile, and then when I hit mile marker 11, I would take off for the final two miles.
As the race progressed, I stayed consistently around 8 minutes per mile. Some miles were a little quicker and some were a little slower, depending on who was around me. One man that I ran with for a while was wearing a shirt that displayed the verse 1 Corinthians 9:27, which talks of beating your body into submission. I felt that was a great verse for such a long race.
After passing mile 10, I began looking for 11, which was where I was going to pick up the pace a bit. However, after 8 minutes on my watch had gone by, mile marker 11 was nowhere to be found. I continued running and 9 minutes, then 10 minutes went by and I still hadn't seen it. I began to ask the judges if they knew which mile I was at and none of them were completely sure. Yet through all of this, I continue to run.
A couple of minutes later, I passed a sign indicating mile 12, meaning I had one mile to go. I picked up my pace a lot for that final distance, confused as to why I never saw mile marker 11. But in that final mile, I was able to pass a few people and cross the finish line in a sprint, getting a time of 1:46:20.
I was standing around after the race and watching others who had crossed before me laying on the ground completely worn out. Others were eating, trying to replace all of the energy that they had just lost. However for me, I felt as if I had a lot of energy left in me. This was not because I was in phenomenal shape (given, there were dozens of people who beat me), but I felt as if I could have run harder or picked up the pace sooner. One fellow runner reminded me that, being my first race, I should take joy in just completing it. But the competitive person in me kept thinking, "I could have run harder. I could have picked up the pace a long time ago."
I think that is one of the worst feelings in the world: to think that you could have done more. This emotion is often felt in sports as there have been many times that I felt like I could have tried harder or given more effort. I have felt similar things even in school after turning in a project that I know that I could have done better on. For me, completion alone has never been enough. I must know that I gave everything I had, no matter what is at stake.
Do you think that this feeling exists in Heaven? I mean, I know that Heaven will be all about the glory of God and worshiping Him with all that we have. But I think that my biggest fear in life is to one day get to Heaven, crossing that finish line of life, and still have energy. I fear getting there feeling as if I could have done more, or that I could have talked to more people. I don't want to be one of those people who simply just floats there way into eternity. I want to be the one who crosses that finish line in a full sprint, and then be able to look Jesus in the eyes and say, "I gave everything I had for you. I did it all for your glory!"
When I view the world today, I see so much suffering, so much pain, so much brokenness. I know that I have talked about these things in previous posts, but this is still what I see! And then my eyes shift back to the church where I see many members saving up for retirement so that they can move to the beach and play shuffleboard for the rest of their lives. Is that the way you want to enter Heaven? Is that the way that you want to cross the finish line?
Several individuals stick out to me as people who are running hard at all times. I won't take the time right now to recognize you on this post but you should know who you are. If you have to question it, well then most likely you are not one of those people and maybe you need to pick up the pace a little bit. But if you are one of those individuals, then I thank you for the ways in which you have paced me and encouraged me to keep running. Let's continue on as hard as we can until we cross that finish line of life and enter into eternity.
Please, examine your life and check how hard you are running. What else can you be doing to advance God's kingdom on this earth? Who else can you tell and what else can you do to get closer to Him? Be one of those individuals who collapses at the finish line knowing that you have given everything that you could have possibly given. Make Colossians 1:29 your life verse, striving with all of HIS energy. He will carry you until the end.
"To this end I labor, struggling with all His energy, which so powerfully works in me."
-Colossians 1:29
As the race progressed, I stayed consistently around 8 minutes per mile. Some miles were a little quicker and some were a little slower, depending on who was around me. One man that I ran with for a while was wearing a shirt that displayed the verse 1 Corinthians 9:27, which talks of beating your body into submission. I felt that was a great verse for such a long race.
After passing mile 10, I began looking for 11, which was where I was going to pick up the pace a bit. However, after 8 minutes on my watch had gone by, mile marker 11 was nowhere to be found. I continued running and 9 minutes, then 10 minutes went by and I still hadn't seen it. I began to ask the judges if they knew which mile I was at and none of them were completely sure. Yet through all of this, I continue to run.
A couple of minutes later, I passed a sign indicating mile 12, meaning I had one mile to go. I picked up my pace a lot for that final distance, confused as to why I never saw mile marker 11. But in that final mile, I was able to pass a few people and cross the finish line in a sprint, getting a time of 1:46:20.
I was standing around after the race and watching others who had crossed before me laying on the ground completely worn out. Others were eating, trying to replace all of the energy that they had just lost. However for me, I felt as if I had a lot of energy left in me. This was not because I was in phenomenal shape (given, there were dozens of people who beat me), but I felt as if I could have run harder or picked up the pace sooner. One fellow runner reminded me that, being my first race, I should take joy in just completing it. But the competitive person in me kept thinking, "I could have run harder. I could have picked up the pace a long time ago."
I think that is one of the worst feelings in the world: to think that you could have done more. This emotion is often felt in sports as there have been many times that I felt like I could have tried harder or given more effort. I have felt similar things even in school after turning in a project that I know that I could have done better on. For me, completion alone has never been enough. I must know that I gave everything I had, no matter what is at stake.
Do you think that this feeling exists in Heaven? I mean, I know that Heaven will be all about the glory of God and worshiping Him with all that we have. But I think that my biggest fear in life is to one day get to Heaven, crossing that finish line of life, and still have energy. I fear getting there feeling as if I could have done more, or that I could have talked to more people. I don't want to be one of those people who simply just floats there way into eternity. I want to be the one who crosses that finish line in a full sprint, and then be able to look Jesus in the eyes and say, "I gave everything I had for you. I did it all for your glory!"
When I view the world today, I see so much suffering, so much pain, so much brokenness. I know that I have talked about these things in previous posts, but this is still what I see! And then my eyes shift back to the church where I see many members saving up for retirement so that they can move to the beach and play shuffleboard for the rest of their lives. Is that the way you want to enter Heaven? Is that the way that you want to cross the finish line?
Several individuals stick out to me as people who are running hard at all times. I won't take the time right now to recognize you on this post but you should know who you are. If you have to question it, well then most likely you are not one of those people and maybe you need to pick up the pace a little bit. But if you are one of those individuals, then I thank you for the ways in which you have paced me and encouraged me to keep running. Let's continue on as hard as we can until we cross that finish line of life and enter into eternity.
Please, examine your life and check how hard you are running. What else can you be doing to advance God's kingdom on this earth? Who else can you tell and what else can you do to get closer to Him? Be one of those individuals who collapses at the finish line knowing that you have given everything that you could have possibly given. Make Colossians 1:29 your life verse, striving with all of HIS energy. He will carry you until the end.
"To this end I labor, struggling with all His energy, which so powerfully works in me."
-Colossians 1:29
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Don't Waste Your Life - Acts 20:24
"But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God."
Welcome to the Todd McClure story. Some of you may know these details and some of you may not. But I am going to fast-forward through my life to get to my main point. I have no intentions of dwelling on my past or even bringing attention to myself, but rather my goal is to show what the LORD has truly done in my life...
Growing up, soccer was my dream. I even remember coloring a picture in kindergarten and telling my teacher that it was my dream to play professional soccer. God and family were always a big part as well, but soccer was my passion.
In high school, I won two state championships. I also received numerous awards and as a result, I was contacted by many different schools, some offering scholarships and others offering the opportunity to play Division 1. The latter was too good to pass up. After visiting Marshall University and speaking with the head coach, I knew this is where I was supposed to be.
I often look back and wonder what it was that drew me to Marshall. To be honest, soccer is the only reason I came here and well, that hasn't exactly flourished. I guess I could go into more details with that. I had aspirations of being the star, but coach never put me on the roster. I had dreams of being the leading goal scorer, but really, I was never given a chance. I wanted to have my jersey retired one day, but instead, I have bounced around from number to number, depending on who was injured. Ironically, the one thing that brought me to this school hasn't exactly worked out. There are a lot of other things that have happened, many of them illegal, and so I cannot post that sort of material on this site. Point being, however, soccer really wasn't all that I had hoped it would be.
Following each semester, players had individual meetings with the coaching staff. Mine always consisted of coach suggesting that I transfer and me simply just turning that talk into motivation. However, no matter how hard I worked, or how hard I tried, I felt as if I was invisible. And if you looked at the Marshall record books, I was invisible.
In the meantime, I was a part of Campus Crusade for Christ and Fellowship of Christian Athletes and was growing daily in my walk with the LORD. But one day in particular struck me more than any other day. It was at the 2008 Campus Crusade Winter Conference and Chad Young was speaking on going to the "deepest, darkest parts of campus to share the love of Jesus." He suggested scenarios such as going to the the fraternities or the sororities, but for me, I knew that it was a call to go to my teammates and to the rest of the athletic teams on campus. For the first time, a vision was implanted in me and I knew that I had to go.
That spring, several of my teammates came to Christ. This was not because of my own doing but it was because the LORD was simply just answering prayers and allowing me to be a part of it. In addition to this, several football players, including a former roommate of mine, also made professions of faith. What a miraculous event all of this was! We were seeing the athletic department won to Christ!
A lot of times, people have stories of the past, but mine is still present. You may notice that we are now more than a year from that original event, but God is still leading people to Christ throughout the whole athletic department. In fact, we have seen our FCA grow from about 6-7 people my freshman year to more than 50 people this year! God really is at work.
However, over the past year, I have known that my main mission is to share Christ with my teammates and my coaches. My teammates were easy, as those that had come to faith were also assisting me in that mission. However, the coaching staff was a different story. I had tried to talk to the coaches, particularly the head coach, multiple times a year. But the more and more that I tried, the higher and higher the barricade went. Multiple times I was asked to leave his office or he simply just walked away as I was trying to share the love of Christ with him. But I knew that I had to keep trying. He was the last one on my mission.
I knew going into this spring that it would be my final semester on the team. The coaching staff had made that very clear and offered me the opportunity to quit right away, but I told them I didn't want to do that. After another semester of trials and hardship, I was finally given another opportunity to meet with the coaching staff, this being my final meeting.
When I was praying before my the meeting, I thought back to Esther 4:14 when Mordecai suggests that Esther was raised up for "such a times as this." Again, I often look back to my reasons for coming to Marshall and I knew that it felt so right. So could it be that I had come for such a time as this as well?
The meeting started and, as predicted, I was told that my career was done. But (prayers answered) he then asked if I had anything to add, which I did...
"Coach, looking back over the years, I haven't really moved anywhere on the depth chart. And each time that we have met, you have suggested transferring or quitting, but I have continued to ignore you. And so with that, I must be extremely stupid, or extremely determined..."
With that, he made his point as to why I appeared to be determined, shown by my motivation on the field. However, I responded...
"You see my motivation on a really shallow level. If you don't mind, I would like to introduce you to a deeper level of my life, and this is where my motivation lies. As you know, I am a member of FCA and am a follower of Christ, and the only reason that I have stuck around this long is because sports gives you a platform. With that platform, you are surrounded by 25-30 guys every day, a coaching staff, and a community that looks up to you. Now you can either use that platform to glorify yourself or you can use it to glorify something greater. And I use it to glorify Christ. You see it as me sticking around simply just to try to earn playing time. But I want you to know that the only reason that I have stuck around for so long, despite all the opposition, is to show my teammates the love of Christ, to show you all the love of Christ, and to show the community the love of Christ."
He responded a lot better than expected, "Todd, I have noticed that you have always been on a mission...And whether you know it or not, you really have had a great impact on the lives of your teammates, and, I say this humbly, you have made a great impact on my life as well..."
Much more took place in that meeting and much more was said, but that is a conversation that must be shared with you in person. However, I left that office feeling like I had accomplished something. I left with all weight removed from my chest. And I left without any regrets.
I came to Marshall with the goal of playing soccer, but God took that and literally made me one of "the least of these" (1 Cor. 1:27). From that position, He gave me the mission of proclaiming Christ to my teammates and to my coaching staff and for the first time in my life, I can finally say that I have completed that task. I don't say that boastfully because the majority of times in my life, I fail in carrying out the mission that God gives me. However in this situation, I can say that I have done it. And that does not mean that my ministry is done. Rather, the door has actually been opened to a lot more Gospel conversation with many individuals, including my coach.
If I can end on one final point, this is it. John Piper has written a book, "Don't Waste Your Life," and that theme has just really stuck with me ever since I read the book. It was the theme of FCA this year, it is a title of an often-played Lecrae song, and it also shows up on many of my shirts. But if we could scale that down a little bit, I would encourage you to not waste your day, or not waste your hour. In my situation, I knew that I had one last meeting with coach, and I don't know how I could have handled it if I had wasted it. I guess I did have a slight advantage knowing that it was my last one. But maybe you have an opportunity at school, or at work, or in the Kroger checkout line. You don't know what will happen tomorrow. Maybe this is your last encounter with this person. My prayer is that you won't look back on that situation one day with regrets, but rather you will look back praising God that He gave you that opportunity and you made the most of it. In this life, nothing else matters. If only we can just finish the course that God has set out for us. We have one life to live. Let's not waste it.
"But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God."
Welcome to the Todd McClure story. Some of you may know these details and some of you may not. But I am going to fast-forward through my life to get to my main point. I have no intentions of dwelling on my past or even bringing attention to myself, but rather my goal is to show what the LORD has truly done in my life...
Growing up, soccer was my dream. I even remember coloring a picture in kindergarten and telling my teacher that it was my dream to play professional soccer. God and family were always a big part as well, but soccer was my passion.
In high school, I won two state championships. I also received numerous awards and as a result, I was contacted by many different schools, some offering scholarships and others offering the opportunity to play Division 1. The latter was too good to pass up. After visiting Marshall University and speaking with the head coach, I knew this is where I was supposed to be.
I often look back and wonder what it was that drew me to Marshall. To be honest, soccer is the only reason I came here and well, that hasn't exactly flourished. I guess I could go into more details with that. I had aspirations of being the star, but coach never put me on the roster. I had dreams of being the leading goal scorer, but really, I was never given a chance. I wanted to have my jersey retired one day, but instead, I have bounced around from number to number, depending on who was injured. Ironically, the one thing that brought me to this school hasn't exactly worked out. There are a lot of other things that have happened, many of them illegal, and so I cannot post that sort of material on this site. Point being, however, soccer really wasn't all that I had hoped it would be.
Following each semester, players had individual meetings with the coaching staff. Mine always consisted of coach suggesting that I transfer and me simply just turning that talk into motivation. However, no matter how hard I worked, or how hard I tried, I felt as if I was invisible. And if you looked at the Marshall record books, I was invisible.
In the meantime, I was a part of Campus Crusade for Christ and Fellowship of Christian Athletes and was growing daily in my walk with the LORD. But one day in particular struck me more than any other day. It was at the 2008 Campus Crusade Winter Conference and Chad Young was speaking on going to the "deepest, darkest parts of campus to share the love of Jesus." He suggested scenarios such as going to the the fraternities or the sororities, but for me, I knew that it was a call to go to my teammates and to the rest of the athletic teams on campus. For the first time, a vision was implanted in me and I knew that I had to go.
That spring, several of my teammates came to Christ. This was not because of my own doing but it was because the LORD was simply just answering prayers and allowing me to be a part of it. In addition to this, several football players, including a former roommate of mine, also made professions of faith. What a miraculous event all of this was! We were seeing the athletic department won to Christ!
A lot of times, people have stories of the past, but mine is still present. You may notice that we are now more than a year from that original event, but God is still leading people to Christ throughout the whole athletic department. In fact, we have seen our FCA grow from about 6-7 people my freshman year to more than 50 people this year! God really is at work.
However, over the past year, I have known that my main mission is to share Christ with my teammates and my coaches. My teammates were easy, as those that had come to faith were also assisting me in that mission. However, the coaching staff was a different story. I had tried to talk to the coaches, particularly the head coach, multiple times a year. But the more and more that I tried, the higher and higher the barricade went. Multiple times I was asked to leave his office or he simply just walked away as I was trying to share the love of Christ with him. But I knew that I had to keep trying. He was the last one on my mission.
I knew going into this spring that it would be my final semester on the team. The coaching staff had made that very clear and offered me the opportunity to quit right away, but I told them I didn't want to do that. After another semester of trials and hardship, I was finally given another opportunity to meet with the coaching staff, this being my final meeting.
When I was praying before my the meeting, I thought back to Esther 4:14 when Mordecai suggests that Esther was raised up for "such a times as this." Again, I often look back to my reasons for coming to Marshall and I knew that it felt so right. So could it be that I had come for such a time as this as well?
The meeting started and, as predicted, I was told that my career was done. But (prayers answered) he then asked if I had anything to add, which I did...
"Coach, looking back over the years, I haven't really moved anywhere on the depth chart. And each time that we have met, you have suggested transferring or quitting, but I have continued to ignore you. And so with that, I must be extremely stupid, or extremely determined..."
With that, he made his point as to why I appeared to be determined, shown by my motivation on the field. However, I responded...
"You see my motivation on a really shallow level. If you don't mind, I would like to introduce you to a deeper level of my life, and this is where my motivation lies. As you know, I am a member of FCA and am a follower of Christ, and the only reason that I have stuck around this long is because sports gives you a platform. With that platform, you are surrounded by 25-30 guys every day, a coaching staff, and a community that looks up to you. Now you can either use that platform to glorify yourself or you can use it to glorify something greater. And I use it to glorify Christ. You see it as me sticking around simply just to try to earn playing time. But I want you to know that the only reason that I have stuck around for so long, despite all the opposition, is to show my teammates the love of Christ, to show you all the love of Christ, and to show the community the love of Christ."
He responded a lot better than expected, "Todd, I have noticed that you have always been on a mission...And whether you know it or not, you really have had a great impact on the lives of your teammates, and, I say this humbly, you have made a great impact on my life as well..."
Much more took place in that meeting and much more was said, but that is a conversation that must be shared with you in person. However, I left that office feeling like I had accomplished something. I left with all weight removed from my chest. And I left without any regrets.
I came to Marshall with the goal of playing soccer, but God took that and literally made me one of "the least of these" (1 Cor. 1:27). From that position, He gave me the mission of proclaiming Christ to my teammates and to my coaching staff and for the first time in my life, I can finally say that I have completed that task. I don't say that boastfully because the majority of times in my life, I fail in carrying out the mission that God gives me. However in this situation, I can say that I have done it. And that does not mean that my ministry is done. Rather, the door has actually been opened to a lot more Gospel conversation with many individuals, including my coach.
If I can end on one final point, this is it. John Piper has written a book, "Don't Waste Your Life," and that theme has just really stuck with me ever since I read the book. It was the theme of FCA this year, it is a title of an often-played Lecrae song, and it also shows up on many of my shirts. But if we could scale that down a little bit, I would encourage you to not waste your day, or not waste your hour. In my situation, I knew that I had one last meeting with coach, and I don't know how I could have handled it if I had wasted it. I guess I did have a slight advantage knowing that it was my last one. But maybe you have an opportunity at school, or at work, or in the Kroger checkout line. You don't know what will happen tomorrow. Maybe this is your last encounter with this person. My prayer is that you won't look back on that situation one day with regrets, but rather you will look back praising God that He gave you that opportunity and you made the most of it. In this life, nothing else matters. If only we can just finish the course that God has set out for us. We have one life to live. Let's not waste it.
"But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God."
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Ministry of Reconciliation
Many of you may remember my post from awhile ago titled, "A Message of Love." It was all about how I was given a message from Colonel's mom to pass on to him. The message was, "I love you." Given such an incredible message to share, I couldn't wait to find him. I ended up passing on that message and I feel like so many doors were opened in my relationship with Colonel. Well this past Wednesday, another incredible event took place.
I saw Colonel on Tuesday night after coming home from FCA. Luke, Chris and I stood out by the dumpster and visited with him for a little bit. I shared with him that his mom had called me a couple of days ago to just ask how he was doing. I then asked him if he wanted to talk to her. He immediately responded yes. It was sort of too late to call at that time, so we planned to meet the following evening at 8:30 pm, sharp.
I walked out of my apartment at 8:29, and there was Colonel, leaning on his can-filled buggy, waiting for me. He complained that I was a minute late, but I explained that his watch was actually two minutes fast. We quickly got through that dispute and he asked, "Can I call my mom?" I grabbed my cell phone and dialed her number and it rang a few times before the answering machine picked up. I hung up and kept trying over and over for the next fifteen minutes until his mom finally answered the phone.
I then passed off the phone to Colonel and he got to talk to his mom for about 25 minutes, the first time they had talked in nearly 2 years. You could see the joy on his face! He asked her all about his sisters, and nieces, and cousins. He found out a lot about how everything back home had developed in the last 30 years and how he had kind of missed out on all of it. He got to tell his mom all about Huntington, WV and about the "scrap metal business that he runs". And with each exchange of words, you could see how welcomed he felt by his mom.
Afterward, Bobby (one of his partners) asked if he, too, could use my phone. He preceded in calling his uncle and talking to him for the first time in nearly two years as well. I have no idea how he remembered the phone number. But in both conversations you could see how delighted they were to get in touch with their family. Especially in Colonel's eyes, you could see how he went from a feeling of anxiousness and fear (not knowing how he would be accepted, or even if he would be accepted) to a feeling of love, knowing that he was accepted by his mom.
In the last blog post about this topic, I talked about how it reminded me of how God, also, has given us a message of love. He has given us the Gospel to take to all the nations. Well this night reminded me even more of it...
Before my eyes, I witnessed two men who were being reconciled to their family. They had left under harsh circumstances and hadn't talked to their families in many years (Colonel hasn't seen his mom in over 30 years). They were once extremely close, yet now they have been separated from their family. But we were given the opportunity to reconcile them.
The same is also true with God. In 2 Corinthians 5:16-21, Paul writes of how we have been given the ministry of reconciliation. He writes in verse 16 that we are to "regard no one from a wordly point of view," but rather we are to see everyone as Christ sees them. I think often of how we are so moved by seeing the reconciliation of families, but rarely are we moved when we see a sinner reconciled to Christ. We are moved by the fact that Colonel has been reconciled to his mom, but in reality, it doesn't matter unless he also becomes reconciled to Christ (which is a daily prayer from his mom).
I share this post for three reasons:
1) I wanted to update you on what has happened in that story. It truly has been incredible to witness. And please understand that it is nothing by my own doing, but rather, it is God at work. So give Him all the glory!
2) I want you to pray for him. Pray for his reconciliation to the true Father. Join his mother in praying for him daily.
3) I want you to think about how you can reconcile others to God. You have been given the ministry of reconciliation. And when I saw how welcoming Colonel's mom was, I couldn't help but think about how much greater the welcome from God will be (just read the story of the prodigal son).
Maybe it is you who needs to be reconciled to God. Maybe you are the one who has left God and are now digging in the "trash" of this world. If so, please get in touch with me. I would love to talk more with you about how to get things right with God. Or even if you don't need my words, please just let me know how I can pray for you. God is waiting patiently for you to come home, ready to welcome you with open arms.
I want to leave you with the final verse of the 2 Corinthians passage to just meditate on for a little while. It truly is incredible:
"God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God."
I saw Colonel on Tuesday night after coming home from FCA. Luke, Chris and I stood out by the dumpster and visited with him for a little bit. I shared with him that his mom had called me a couple of days ago to just ask how he was doing. I then asked him if he wanted to talk to her. He immediately responded yes. It was sort of too late to call at that time, so we planned to meet the following evening at 8:30 pm, sharp.
I walked out of my apartment at 8:29, and there was Colonel, leaning on his can-filled buggy, waiting for me. He complained that I was a minute late, but I explained that his watch was actually two minutes fast. We quickly got through that dispute and he asked, "Can I call my mom?" I grabbed my cell phone and dialed her number and it rang a few times before the answering machine picked up. I hung up and kept trying over and over for the next fifteen minutes until his mom finally answered the phone.
I then passed off the phone to Colonel and he got to talk to his mom for about 25 minutes, the first time they had talked in nearly 2 years. You could see the joy on his face! He asked her all about his sisters, and nieces, and cousins. He found out a lot about how everything back home had developed in the last 30 years and how he had kind of missed out on all of it. He got to tell his mom all about Huntington, WV and about the "scrap metal business that he runs". And with each exchange of words, you could see how welcomed he felt by his mom.
Afterward, Bobby (one of his partners) asked if he, too, could use my phone. He preceded in calling his uncle and talking to him for the first time in nearly two years as well. I have no idea how he remembered the phone number. But in both conversations you could see how delighted they were to get in touch with their family. Especially in Colonel's eyes, you could see how he went from a feeling of anxiousness and fear (not knowing how he would be accepted, or even if he would be accepted) to a feeling of love, knowing that he was accepted by his mom.
In the last blog post about this topic, I talked about how it reminded me of how God, also, has given us a message of love. He has given us the Gospel to take to all the nations. Well this night reminded me even more of it...
Before my eyes, I witnessed two men who were being reconciled to their family. They had left under harsh circumstances and hadn't talked to their families in many years (Colonel hasn't seen his mom in over 30 years). They were once extremely close, yet now they have been separated from their family. But we were given the opportunity to reconcile them.
The same is also true with God. In 2 Corinthians 5:16-21, Paul writes of how we have been given the ministry of reconciliation. He writes in verse 16 that we are to "regard no one from a wordly point of view," but rather we are to see everyone as Christ sees them. I think often of how we are so moved by seeing the reconciliation of families, but rarely are we moved when we see a sinner reconciled to Christ. We are moved by the fact that Colonel has been reconciled to his mom, but in reality, it doesn't matter unless he also becomes reconciled to Christ (which is a daily prayer from his mom).
I share this post for three reasons:
1) I wanted to update you on what has happened in that story. It truly has been incredible to witness. And please understand that it is nothing by my own doing, but rather, it is God at work. So give Him all the glory!
2) I want you to pray for him. Pray for his reconciliation to the true Father. Join his mother in praying for him daily.
3) I want you to think about how you can reconcile others to God. You have been given the ministry of reconciliation. And when I saw how welcoming Colonel's mom was, I couldn't help but think about how much greater the welcome from God will be (just read the story of the prodigal son).
Maybe it is you who needs to be reconciled to God. Maybe you are the one who has left God and are now digging in the "trash" of this world. If so, please get in touch with me. I would love to talk more with you about how to get things right with God. Or even if you don't need my words, please just let me know how I can pray for you. God is waiting patiently for you to come home, ready to welcome you with open arms.
I want to leave you with the final verse of the 2 Corinthians passage to just meditate on for a little while. It truly is incredible:
"God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God."
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