Food 4 Thought

  When you think of the perfect verse you would tell someone when they grow faint or weary, what scripture often comes to mind? If you’re thinking Isaiah 40:31, that’s what came into my mind as well. One of the most common verses you hear at our church gatherings is

"Isaiah 40:31.But they that WAIT upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not grow weary, they shall walk and not faint."  

   It is a verse that is most popular in our children’s Sunday school class. Some have even heard Lincoln Brewster’s son quote it after his famous “Everlasting God” song. We regularly use this verse when we grow weary, or grow impatient about certain prayer requests that have not been answered on our time. We use it to encourage saints to keep pressing on; reminding them that their strength will be renewed as eagle’s wings. Though it is great to use it as a verse to encourage and find strength in, I however prefer to look a little deeper. If we just read the first line of this verse and stop there, and really see through the eyes of the prophet Isaiah and try to perceive what he is really trying to say, I really think it would turn our churches upside down!

   Webster defines wait- to serve or to be available or in readiness. Many of us hear the word wait, and we tend to pause. And yes, you are right, wait does mean to pause, but it also means to serve. Just like a waiter or waitress at your favorite dine-inn restaurant waits or serves your every need, we must also serve Christ, our family, our church and our community. That is where I find the problem in most churches today. Often times we find ourselves in hard situations and don’t know which way to go. So instead of moving, we pause. Our biggest mistake is when we pause and remain at a stand still. It is there where the enemy creeps in through our minds.  

   A famous quote I love and believe is “An idle mind is a devils workshop” It is so true, so many of us Christians are drowning in idle time! We have nothing to do, no where to go, nothing to preach, or no one to serve. To be a Christian requires us to be Christ-Like. Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords himself left his throne of Glory to come and serve. Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many. Matthew 20:28. After reading this verse, let’s ask ourselves the million dollar question. When was the last time you served? Have you offered of your talents to the church? When was the last time you offered to help cut the church yard or scrub the beautiful white thrones in our church we call toilets. Have you offered a ride to an un-churched family? What about giving a simple bible lesson to our curious children? To think, out of all the millions of people on the face of the earth, God chose YOU. How can we not serve Him? Living for God doesn’t only consist of coming to church on Sundays and Wednesdays or even showing up to a couple of youth events every other month. We have been called to serve! Our schools, neighborhoods, and communities are crying out for help, and all we can think of is ourselves. Am I up to date with the latest styles? Is my ride fly enough to impress the ladies, will the others notice my new Coach purse? We sing along with the church choral “if You can use anything Lord, You can use me” but yet when it comes time to give of our money, time, talents or love, we’re no where to be found. Take my hands Lord and my feet; just don’t touch my wallet or my weekends. Haha, funny huh? Funny, but true. If we want to prosper in life, we must first learn how to serve. Can you imagine how full our churches would be if we all had the spirit of servant hood? Many of us have that devilish mentality of “oh, it’s the pastors job, he can do it” That is a lie from the enemy! No, it is our job. Our pastor’s job is to tend and feed the sheep. Last time I checked, Pastors DO NOT produce sheep, instead, sheep produce sheep. We must step up and step outside of our church walls and reach this hurting world.

   Now the question is, how can we have a servant’s heart? Simple, just ask! When in need, we cling on to Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. Instead of asking for material things, let’s ask God for a servant’s heart, a heart like Jesus. I challenge you today to be like Jesus and serve. Start off small. Offer to usher the next service, pull some weeds around the church yard. Offer a hug to the first kid you see, or a ride to an elderly who really can’t really see. None of the work you do, big or small, will go unnoticed in the eyes of God. In fact, I can just see Jesus looking down smiling saying “that’s my boy/girl” Let’s do like the 12 disciples and serve, and I promise they will say about us like they said about Paul in the book of Acts 17:6 “these who have turned the world upside down have come here too.” Remember, they that WAIT on the Lord, shall renew their strength.

As I wrote this, it really made me think. Have I given all I have to serve? Think about it. I hope this blesses you all!
Sincerely,
Nana

Life As You Know It

      Music blaring so loud that the rhythm seems to beat in tune with the pumping of your blood.  Your entire body bouncing now as you weave through to the middle of the crowd.  Multi-colored lights flash from the speakers set in every corner. Smoke clings to your clothing and lungs as you find a space near your friends.  Prompted by the start of a new song they raise their voices. Once again singing the words of the song at the top of their lungs.  Most of them are off tune and pitch.  In the mere seconds between songs your other senses begin to stabilize.  Besides the strong odor of the many bodies perspiring from their dance, a new foul smell begins to fill the air.  It wafts from the back up to the front of the crowd.  Though the stench is strong it doesn't deter the people from their dancing.  Instead they seem to jump higher, Body swaying to the music, Fists pumping the air. Some individuals have grown weary and slipped to the side. Eyes drooping, speeched slurred, as their strength quickly fades with the action of the night. 

    What are you picturing here in your mind? Could this be describing a scene from your past, or perhaps present life?   I'm certain this is a scene few have witnessed.  It's not a bar, club, or concert.  This is, "The UPC of Vanuatu".  Now to fill in the missing pieces.  The service is set-up in a "Custom Village".  The only hint of Western civilization is the 70 year old slab that serves as our floor and altar, and the three-foot speakers that were rented from the lone casino on the island.  Mango, papaya, banana, and other various island trees serve as our church walls.  If someone were to complain about the temperature of our church the usher would have a problem adjusting it to their needs, for heavy north winds serve as our A/C.  Accompanying the wind is a strong odor from an outhouse or nearby chicken coop, and smoke from brush fires tends to accumulate in the open space of our churches location.  The weary bodies mentioned are children.  We set them aside to sleep on the woven grass mats that serve as our pews. The congregation begins to sing songs of praise asking God to "open up the Heavens."  The looming clouds seem to comply as drops of rain fall to the earth.

    Humans are not the only attendees present.  As the sun grows dim giant fruit bats begin to swoop through the air.  Flies, mosquitos, and other pests swarm around our bodies.  Dogs and cats saunter in and out among the people, hoping for a hand-out from some kind soul.  Finding none they settle for lying on the altar mats.

   It's not quite the first picture you had in mind, is it?  From a "good time, party all night long" scene to a life far from anything you will ever experience.  In fact, this is what most people strive to never live like.  Working day after day to make ends meet, to have transportation, electricity, fashionable clothing, and all the amenities the world has to offer.  Most of us have obtained, or at least for the moment grasp this lifestyle, yet we still sit unhappy and transfixed in our pews.   There are many things I could learn from these people, but the one that stands out so vividly to me is humility.  Pride in Webster's dictionary is referred to as "An over high opinion of oneself; exaggerated self-esteem; conceit; a too great sense of one's own superiority; vanity."  The bible refers to pride as "not of the Father, but is of the world" 1John 2:16.  Jesus spake of pride as defiling a man.  (See Mark 7:20-22)  The Psalmist David wrote that God would hide His goodness from the pride of man (Psalm 31:19-20).  Pride is never referred as a good attitude to have.  Even so our hearts are full of pride, and it dictates much of our daily lives.  What we wear, whom we befriend, where we work, what "good deeds" we do.  "Sure pastor I'll help out at the church, but I don't take out the trash, and definitely can't clean toilets.  It's just not my thing."  "God use me in ministry!  I just can't work with the homeless, or old.  I don't cook, and besides I can't go to work with their smell on me."  Pride even controls how we worship God.  Our first reaction is to see who's watching when God's spirit moves on us to dance or shout.  We clap lightly, whispering "Amens", and harnessing the urge to run the aisles.  I'm not calling out a need to be overly boisterous in our worship.  Sometimes going to the extremes in worship can be prideful as well.  Being aware of your surroundings, and the effect it has on people is good, it only becomes a problem when we give up singing a hymn of praise unto God because we can't find the right note, or sit down in the midst of worship because we have a nice outfit on tonight.  Worshiping God is not about the way you look or your reputation.  It is in fact the opposite.  When we worship God we come in humbleness.  Knowing that no way we act or look can change the sin in our lives.  Only through God's grace and salvation can we obtain freedom from our sin. 

    As I look at the Nivan people who have humbled themselves before God it makes me ever aware of my own pride and self-indulgence.  I want to forget who is around me, what clothes I am wearing, what they will say when I dance before Him, if my hair falls down, whether people say I'm "so spiritual" when I choose to give up activities, and I want to live, pray, dance freely in His presence, knowing that He is my only audience, and no one else matters.  There is so much more that could be said on the topic of pride, but I will let the Word of God say it.  James 4:6-10 "But He giveth more grace.  Wherefore He saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.  Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil and he will flee from you.  Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you.  Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double-minded.  Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to heaviness.  HUMBLE yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He SHALL lift you up."

For more scriptures on Humility see Prov 16:18-19, Mat 18:4,23:12, Luk14:11,18:14, 1 Pet 5:5-6.

Brace 4 #MPACT

3-4-1, (3 christian young men - standing 4 - 1 God)
Phillip Williams, Christopher Nichols, and Jonathan Williams play and awesome original piece that they wrote, called "Brace 4 #MPACT! 

Reality Vs Fiction

I’m 23 years old (in October) and if there’s one thing I have learned after being married for 2 years, it’s that my wife, Ashley, is always right...Wait, that doesn’t match up with my title...OK, it’s that relationships in books and movies are nothing like how they are in real life. So, I’m going to hit four major topics on relationships and we’re going to look at the

 Reality vs. Fiction

The Friend Zone:

Fiction: Hollywood portrays the friend zone as a great place to be for a few reasons. First, you get to see the other person change clothes. You know, how they do, they walk around in their underwear, parading around about being happy in their nudeness. They talk to you about everything, and they always need lots of hugs. Come on, let’s get real, no one hugs that much. Second, the friend zone always becomes awkward because one likes the other but doesn’t think it’s the other way, and there begins the everlasting circle of tension that typically, if not always leads to something sexual (Why has Hollywood focused so much on sex? Because it makes them money, while it ruins kids lives). And lastly, the two get together in the end and live happily ever after (we’ll get to that one later). Did I mention this probably is a PG-13 movie that is not rated R, being fed right to your minor?

Reality: This is a sick way for Hollywood to ruin “friends” relationships. First, you’ll never see them change clothes! They might talk to you about some things (but not what you are hoping). Second, yes you might start to like this person, but is it because you are with them all the time? Or is it because it’s an actual crush/Lust? And lastly, rarely do you get together and if you do it hardly works out because the relationships changes from friends for years to more, and it’s not normal for you. Guys, get this through your head that a girl is not going to randomly wake up one day and say she likes you and wants you, she either liked you from the beginning or she won’t.

The Kiss:

Fiction: Your main goal, according to Hollywood, should be to kiss anyone and everyone you can. There’s slow kissing, energetic kissing, kissing multiple people, and kissing those of the same sex. Movie after movie focuses more and more on these scenes and the heavier action and show that kissing is for everyone.

Reality: Hollywood has destroyed a simple yet meaningful act of affection and turned it into something dirty, perverse, and sexual. They’ve taken kissing and made it the root of the evil, per say. It shows younger and younger kids doing it (to get them while they’re young), same sex doing it (to confuse the world that homosexuality is ok ; NEWSFLASH: it’s not!), and creating a fake world where kissing changes or solves everything. Guys!, get the image and fantasy out of your head, girls don’t really kiss each other all the time and it’s not going to be what you think. And while I have your attention, quit trying to force your girlfriend to kiss you passionately like on TV or movies. Have a real relationship, not one made of kissing and touching.

Sex

Fiction: I’m going to be very careful how I word this section, but Hollywood needs to be exposed on all fronts. Hollywood is on a campaign to take sex and destroy its ties with love. Actors and Actresses “make love” on camera in close to 60% or more of the movies this year, including children’s movies. People want to see sex in movies and on TV, sex sells. They want to see the action and excitement and want to talk about it with their friends. Hollywood figured out the right angles, the right thing to say, and the right amount of skin showing that gets people talking about a movie. They know how much they can get away with in a PG13 movie to get kids in young, and to see the garbage that is produced.

Reality: Sex is not how Hollywood portrays it. If you’re hanging with people that do want to have sex all the time, hang with new people! If you’re sleeping with the person on the first date, that’s sin. Correction: If you sleep with a person AT ALL before you are married to them, that’s sin. And sleeping around with several people isn’t cool either. It destroys future marriages, leads to children, and specifically abuses the possibility of real love in a couple’s life. Love is not found after sex, it’s the other way around.

Happily Ever After

Fiction: There’s a Prince and a Princess, they go through a trial by either dragon, bad guy, or crazy witch, and are later reunited for everything to be great! Or as Hollywood puts it, fall in love in 3 days, move in together after a month, find a great job, and boom you are there! Even their fights look happy in the movies. They show the happy couples running around half naked in their apartments, kissing at every waking moment, and always happy as can be.

Reality: There’s no such thing. Life happens, Christian or not, and in relationships there will be struggles at home, problems at work, and sometimes life will reek. There are great moments too, but it will NEVER be happily ever after. Scripture gives an encouraging and sobering roadmap to a wonderful reality, Matthew 6:33: But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added into you.

This is real life, not a fairy tale, time to wake up!