Reach 4 Life and WCH

One of the new things that we have begun this year is Reach 4 Life.  Reach 4 Life is the abstinence program being used by World Hope in Zambia, Malawi, & South Africa.  I have seen it at work first hand in Zambia.  It is saving the lives of Zambian youth.  The idea is that if you can get a kid to accept Jesus and follow His ways, especially in the area of Sexual purity, you can help them avoid contracting HIV/AIDS.  The results are huge.  The government in Zambia is asking World Hope to come into their schools and offer R4L as a part of the curriculum. 

Here at The Hub we are running through R4L with a group of High School students to see if it has a similar impact on American students.  So far I have been very impressed with how the student have reacted.  I hope that some of these students will be on the team that is heading to Zambia this summer.  They would be equipped to share firsthand what they have learned and help the Zambians who are desperately searching for an answer to the pandemic that plagues them.

For more information on R4L and World Hope check out http://www.worldhope.org/worldhope/aboutnew.htm

For more information about what we are doing with R4L post a comment and I will get back to you.

What Is Holding You Back?

What must it have been like to be one of the disciples following the ascension of Jesus?  Just prior to this they saw Jesus suffer and die.  They saw their hope of Jesus being king seemingly destroyed.  They had to feel as though everything they believed was a lie.

Then it happened, a group of women said that the tomb was empty and an angel said that Jesus had raised from the dead.  Then Jesus appeared to them and their eyes were opened to the reality of who he was.  All that he taught now maid sense.  What joy had to fill their hearts.It had to be absolutely amazing.  All truth was suddenly made available to them.  Then they saw him ascend into heaven on a cloud.  For these simple men this had to be more than they could handle.  This kind of stuff doesn’t just happen.

In Acts 1:14 it says “They all met together and were constantly in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus.”

What do you think that prayer was like.  It had to be the most amazing time of prayer ever.  They realized that they had been face to face with God for three years and that he had chose them to be His instrument of salvation in this world.  It had to be amazing.

Check this out, just as they were his instruments of salvation in that day, we are it today.  Our times of prayer and worship should mirror theirs because it is the same God and he has done the same things.

What is holding us back?  My desire is to be so committed to the things of God that this type of worship and prayer flow from who I am.  That is who I want to be and what I think God wants us all to strive for.

The Presence of God

Wow, what a day!!  I am telling you, there is no replacement for being in the presence of the Lord.  I find two things are true about being in his presence; you know when you are, and you know when you are not.  This is the interesting thing… We can all be in His presence far more than we are.  It is up to us if we walk in His light or not.   Let me explain.

It is up to us if we spend time in the word.

It is up to us if we pray.

It is up to us if we have personal times of worship.

It is up to us if we practice the spiritual disciplines.

It is up to us if we are in a small group.

If we do all of these things on our own throughout the week, then Sunday morning at Church is a celebration.  It is a time to gather with other believers and celebrate what God is doing in our lives.  

Being in the presence of the Lord is up to each of us.  I know in my life I am going to do whatever it takes to experience God on this level and then help my family to have the same experience.

Grateful?

I happened upon a few words in scripture this morning that have impacted me greatly.  Let me set the stage…  There was a women who had been doubled over by an evil spirt for 18 years.  No one had been able to heal her and for that period of time she was in severe pain.  Then Jesus changes her life.  Luke 13:12-13  -  When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, ” Dear women, you are healed of your sickness!”  Then he touched her, and instantly she could stand straight.  How she praised God!  

I bet she was face down on the ground before Jesus weeping and praising God.  Jesus had done an incredible thing for her that day.  He made her life better and gave her hope of a future, both on this earth and for eternity.

The big question…  How do we praise God for the things he has done in our lives?  Do we recognize it and simply move on without a mention, or do we even recognize it at all?  Either response is not acceptable.  We should all follow the example of  this nameless women and when we see God move in our lives we should praise God.  Praise him with all we are worth.

Sunday Afternoon

Just a few minutes ago I was spending time doing my Life Journal for the day.  Sunday afternoons are usually a great time for me to spend with God, typically everyone is taking a nap.  I was really into what i was reading and what I felt God was telling me through it.  Then Sydney came out of her room, she is the one in the house who naps the least.  She came out of her room and said “Daddy, can you play with me?”.  I thought through what the right answer might be.  Here I am spending time with God, really enjoying what I am reading and here comes my five year old asking me to spend time with her.  Do I want her to remember me as a dad who always had stuff to do, or as a dad who would drop what he was doing to be with her.  The choice was easy for me.  So I am going to play “All the ball games you love” (not sure what that means) with my little girl.

Teamwork – Two are better than one…

I realized something today, being a part of a team makes ministry so much fun.  We had a planning day today where we go and spend time looking to the future and together we plan as best we can.  The ideas that flow when we all put our heads together are amazing.  The synergy that occurs can not be duplicated without the team.  Ministry without those guys would be miserable.  I know miserable carries a dramatic tone, but I don’t feel it is much of a stretch.

There is the reason Jesus sent his disciples out in pairs (Mark 6:7-13).  He knew they could accomplish more together than they ever could apart and they would have each other to fall back on when things got difficult.

Team is an essential part of life.  In all we do we should seek people out to do it with.

What am I doing here?

I feel like I joined the tech world today, and let me tell you it is a scary place.  If you happen upon this and begin reading it I hope it is insightful for you.  Today there won’t be any insight as I am fumbling around, but as the days go by I hope to tell what I am thinking and what is going on on my life.