The Greatest Celebration of Them All!

"Brothers, think of what you were when you were called.
Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many
were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God
chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise;
God chose the weak things of the world to shame the
strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the
despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify
the things that are, so that no one may boast before
Him." 1 Corinthians 1:26-29

Without this effectual call—there is no going to heaven.

This effectual call, is a GRACIOUS call. It is the fruit and
product of free grace! That God should call some—and
not others; that some should be taken—and others left;
that one should be called who is of a more wicked
disposition—while another of a sweeter temper, is
rejected; here is free grace! That the poor should be
rich in faith, heirs of a kingdom (James 2:5), and the
nobles and great ones of the world for the most part
rejected; this is free and rich grace! "Even so, Father,
for so it seemed good in Your sight!" (Matthew 11:26)

That under the same sermon one should be effectually
wrought upon—while another is no more moved than a
dead man with the sound of music; that one should hear
the Spirit's voice in the Word—while another does not
hear it; that one should be softened and moistened with
the influence of heaven—while another, like Gideon's dry
fleece, has no dew upon him; behold here distinguishing,
sovereign grace!

What is the cause of this—but the free grace of God! It
is all enameled and interwoven with free grace!
Those who are monuments of God's mercies, will be
trumpets of His praise. "So that no one may boast
before Him!" 1 Corinthians 1:29
Thomas Watson, "A Divine Cordial"

The single most memorable moment of my life will remind me of this amazing grace of God tomorrow. The third day of December commemorates the seventh anniversary of my re-birthday. It was the moment that the effectual call of God became a reality in my life and His grace began to transform me. Since December 3, 2000, my life has never been the same and I have been led to do things I never imagined doing. I have been a world traveler, I have experienced the most rewarding things a life could possess, I have met and married a wonderful woman, and it all keeps getting better. In the frequent times of distress, I am continually reminded that these sufferings are so slight and small compared to the immeasurable riches that await the followers of Jesus for an eternity to come. I have been graciously been renamed as one of those and can only rejoice in the indescribable grace of God. Tomorrow's gonna be good.

Leia Mais…

Goodness

"May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it."
Ephesians 3:19

"The grace of God is the unhindered, wondrous, boundless
love of His heart, poured out upon His people in a countless
variety of ways, without stint or measure--not according to
our deserving, but according to His infinite heart of love! This
I cannot understand--so unfathomable are its heights and
depths! God's love is infinitely tender, and self-sacrificing,
and devoted, and patient, and eager to lavish its best of
gifts and blessings, upon the objects of His love.


Put together all the tenderest love you know of, the deepest
love you have ever felt, and the strongest love that has ever
been poured out upon you--and heap upon it all the love of
all the human hearts in the world, and then multiply it by
infinity--and you will begin, perhaps, to have some faint
glimpse of the love and grace of God towards His people!"
Author Unknown

The reward is here and the reward is to come. I had always hoped to get married, but wasn't sure it would actually happen. Considering God's calling on my life, I often doubted that I would be able to find an equally unique and devoted woman to share my purpose in life. Now it's here. The LORD has crowned me with an amazing wife who shares my passion and zeal to live in Africa long-term. Solomon tells us in Proverbs 18:22 that "He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord."

And married life far exceeds my expectations. The wedding itself was a great celebration, but I never imagined how enjoyable being married would actually be. I figured I would learn a lot about selfless living, love, partnership and communication, and cooperation, but in these past three weeks since the wedding, there are no words to describe the depths of spiritual and emotional value that my wife and I have obtained in being together and loving each other. The deepest of connections that has been formed between Kattie and I is something that I have never experienced before and will likely never experience again aside from the relationship I have with Jesus. It's times like last night when the satisfaction of our unification is truly becomes a reality: we were laying in bed together, unable to sleep, when we broke out into songs of praise simply because our God has been so good to us. It was especially enjoyable because my wife didn't even make fun of my dismal singing voice -- it was pure.

Since agreeing to spend the rest of our lives together, Kattie and I have always committed to ourselves and to God that we would be honored to worship God in loving each other. I think that's the greatest part of this whole deal: for those who trust Jesus, all of life is worship. That's why we are commanded to do all things for the glory of God. But what better way to worship than to love someone with all your heart! If this thing called marriage is to represent the way Jesus loves His people, then what an honor it is for us who enter in to such a sacred covenant! We're surely enjoying it, and, by the grace of God, it will only get better. His goodness will continue to prevail.

Leia Mais…

gospel: thrive; flourish = prosperity? huh?!?

“The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.”
Deuteronomy 29:29

“Mysterious ways,” they say. That’s how God works. And it is certainly interesting the way that works. A few examples of creative work in His people are: the Israelites, that is, God’s chosen people, were sent into generations of captivity in Egypt just so that they could be delivered from it – and then there’s the whole parting of the Red Sea thing. Job, a faithful and righteous man lost all his possessions and his health, just so that his faith could be tested and refined. Isaiah ran around naked like a wild man for three years simply to prove a point to Cush and Egypt, and Ezekiel lied down on his sides for over a year as a symbol of punishment for Israel and Judah. Ananias and Sapphira sold a piece of their own property in order to donate most of the proceeds to the work of the church leaders, but were stricken down dead because they didn’t give it all away. And there are so many more.

Often times, we don’t know what God is doing or is going to do. It’s His little secret, He doesn’t have to tell us, as He has the right to have those secrets. But the things we do know, the things we have already witnessed from Him, are ours. They are His precedent to us. We can have them, use them, and learn about the character of our God from them. The most important question to ask as the revealed will of God unfolds in our world is, “Why?” It is not the “Why?” that questions God and challenges His infinite wisdom in the way He rules all things. Rather, it is the “Why?” that longs for a deeper meaning and begs for an elaboration on the things that He’s doing and His reasons for doing them. The tone of the question asked is crucial.

The following has already been revealed, and may shed some light on some of God’s “secret things”.

For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations, and repays to their face those who hate him, by destroying them. He will not be slack with one who hates him. He will repay him to his face. You shall therefore be careful to do the commandment and the statutes and the rules that I command you today.

And because you listen to these rules and keep and do them, the LORD your God will keep with you the covenant and the steadfast love that he swore to your fathers. He will love you, bless you, and multiply you. He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your wine and your oil, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock, in the land that he swore to your fathers to give you. You shall be blessed above all peoples. There shall not be male or female barren among you or among your livestock. And the LORD will take away from you all sickness, and none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which you knew, will he inflict on you, but he will lay them on all who hate you.
Deuteronomy 7:6-15

Ah, what hope and what despair! Hope for the one who obeys and despair for the one who rebels. The hopeful part is the piece that makes our hearts feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It makes us smile because it is happy and comfortable and we get a bunch of stuff. But it may be strange for some to hear that God “repays to their face those who hate him, by destroying them. He will not be slack with one who hates him. He will repay him to his face.” When asking the “Why?” question, there are typically two drastically different responses: for the one who obeys God, it is, “God, I trust you, so would you show me what you’re doing?” but for the one who rebels against God, it is, “God, how could you, a good and loving God, let things like this happen to good people?” The first response enables the questioner to possess a patient, hopeful serenity that the second questioner may never attain. Instead, the second questioner may wrestle with anger and resentment toward God. But this ought not be a surprise to us, since every person, regardless of his or her present spiritual condition, at one time has rebelled against God and perhaps asked similar questions full of anger and resentment. It is only by the grace of God alone that the aim of questioning, for some of us, has become different.

It’s far more interesting to me, however, to observe how this plays out in the Western church. The Trinity Broadcasting Network, commonly known as TBN, includes some programming that is often a grossly blasphemous portrayal of the Biblical lifestyle and it honestly makes me sick. By in large, born out of an increasing desire to be entertained through television programming, there is an interesting movement within the church that expects a sort of blessing from God that He owes us. Exploding in the 1980s with the gaining popularity of televangelists, countless people have heard sayings like, “If you’re faithful in giving me your money, God will bless you with a new house, a better car, and your dream career.” In other words, if you pay your “church rent” on time every Sunday, you’ll get rich. It’s the easy-to-understand version of the gospel. It holds all the comfort for which we so deeply long. Well, that sounds like the most ridiculous, counterintuitive thing I’ve ever heard! If we give our money away, doesn’t that mean we are less rich?

This is called the prosperity gospel. The "prosperity gospel" is the teaching that God will reward signs of faith with health and wealth. It is also called "word faith," "name-it-and-claim-it," "health and wealth gospel" and "positive confession." It is most often found among more fundamentalist and evangelical churches, but in the last decade or so has begun spreading among Hispanic and African-American congregations.

Another aspect of this type of teaching is the inherent do-it-yourself mentality. At some point along the way, as if the Gospel could not speak for itself, some so-called Christian leaders got sidetracked and felt the need to “market” Christianity, so that it could be more user-friendly. “Of course,” the underlying idea was, “we consumerist Americans are so independent of anything outside ourselves, we can do anything—alone. We don’t need X’s help to do Y. Why would we need anyone else’s help? That’s absurd!” Now, I can see the value of living an upright life in the sight of God and working hard to get all your stuff together. We don’t want to misrepresent Jesus by living sloppy lives that reflect poor stewardship with what He’s already given us. But it seems that there has been a widespread abandonment of John the Baptist’s philosophy, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). Caused by the increasing value being placed on prosperity and success, there has been a lopsided, enormous demand for self-help services permeating the upper-middle class American culture. No longer do we need to be dependent on a God that can create the universe with a mere thought. He is no longer our ever-present help in time of need, because we don’t need help. In the old days of our spiritual forefathers, the Puritans, the people had a firm, solemn understanding that a sovereign God was to be trusted to accomplish all things according to His will, however He pleased. Man’s responsibility was to make much of God, and God’s responsibility was a divinely monergistic work for Him to accomplish that which He saw fit, and He didn’t need man’s assistance, as if God Almighty were somehow incompetent in some way to fulfill His job description. That trend faded into a synergistic philosophy that stated, “If you start the work, God will surely finish it.” Now, it is almost a humanly monergistic work that goes something like this: “I can do it. God wants to make much of me. He wants me to work hard enough to be a better person with a better life and better possessions. So here are my seven steps to help myself attain success and prosperity. God will surely bless that.” Bottom line: we have traded the truth of God for a lie and worshipped created things rather than the Creator (Romans 1:21-25).

Needless to say, I have a real problem with this so-called “health and wealth gospel.” My grandmother, who was a faithful follower of Jesus that donated her time and money to the benefit others out of the faith-filled goodness of her heart, never for the purpose of receiving anything in return, died a few years ago when cancer ravaged her body. When I asked the “Why?” question, by the grace of God, I remained hopeful in His perfect purposes for His people, and continued to trust Him as the giver and preserver of my grandmother’s life. If I had truly bought into this prosperity gospel, then I would have been faced with a huge dilemma in my grandmother’s situation: she was faithful for a long time, yet she was dying a slow death full of disease – “God, why is this happening to her? What are you doing? Because she has been faithful, aren’t you supposed to make her rich and healthy? Why aren’t you doing that, God? Better yet, why are you letting this happen to such a good person?”

I know a man that believes in this “name-it-and-claim it” approach, who has an interesting story. He is a good man, an older man, probably in his seventies. A couple of years ago, his niece was diagnosed with cancer. Of course, like any concerned follower of Jesus would do, he called upon his fellow believers to pray with him for her healing. Prayer for healing is a perfectly Biblical thing to do, and every believer ought to do it. But for this man and his equally faithful friends, they expected a complete and total physical healing before everything was said and done, without exception. “Wow,” I remember thinking to myself, “I didn’t know the Holy Spirit could be ordered around like that.” A few months later, she died, and the man was devastated. But I could see it coming. And now this man’s health is deteriorating. I hope that His hope remains in the Great Healer, but not as a comfortable quick healing fix, but as a protector and sustainer of everlasting life, not just this earthly life. God doesn’t HAVE to do this or that for anyone but Himself. He’s God. Of course, He knows our hopes and desires, our needs and pains, but it is His choice how He handles those things. And sometimes it’s a secret to us at the time, only to be revealed in hindsight. Other times, it’s a mystery that we may never uncover. Still other times, He shows us outright what He’s going to do even before He does it. Regardless of how God decides to handle the affairs of the universe, our will can never supercede His will, and never should we have the audacity to try ordering around our infinitely wise Creator. Never will the holy thoughts and perfect plans of God be thwarted.

The most appalling part of all this, though, is the fact that such teaching dilutes the real Gospel so much that it presents a miniscule depiction of the great significance of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. Reducing the true Gospel to a system of self-promotion and material wealth is perhaps the most severe tragedy of all. When the Biblical version of the condition of a man’s soul is accurately conveyed, the situation in which we find ourselves is far greater than a mere poverty-prosperity paradigm. It is much more urgent, much more desperate.

See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you today, by loving the LORD your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess. I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.
Deuteronomy 30:15-20

To reduce the Gospel down to material riches is to diminish its power. Deuteronomy 30 doesn’t seem to care much about money or material possessions. It’s about obedience, loyalty, allegiance, and honor – to God alone. The possession to which the Bible refers is the everlasting reward that God grants to His faithful people, not the transient, fading, unsatisfying riches of this world. These eternal possessions are things that cannot be taken away by the difficulties of this life or the enemies of God. It is an unshakable Kingdom that He rules, and a faithful covenant that He keeps. To imagine our reward as faithful followers of Jesus as temporal success and wealth in this life paints such a dull, boring picture of God’s power and grace. The eternal riches that await the Faithful far outweigh any sort of riches that can be accumulated in an infinite amount of lifetimes on earth. Moses spoke with great anticipation when the Israelites were approaching the Promised Land. But he never got to taste it. He did get to taste a land far greater than that. The abundant life within the heavenly land that we are to possess is too grand and great and deep and good for us to grasp with our tiny imaginations of the good places we think God has prepared for us with Him for eternity. And it doesn’t include lots of money, big houses, and fancy cars. No self-help seminars are necessary there – we have God’s help then. And He is the one that will cure every disease, wipe away every tear, and give the best gifts we could ever hope for! Prosperity is in the Gospel, but only at the expense of the blood of Jesus, only by the grace-filled faith given by Jesus, and only for the fame of Jesus.

Leia Mais…

What's Our Response?

"Curse God and die" or "The LORD gives and the LORD takes away"? It is the crucial decision that we must make in response to tragedy. Consider the following situations...

A single mother of three earns a hard living as a teacher, often having a difficult time providing both the emotional support and financial support that her fatherless children require. At ten, seven, and five years old at the time of the divorce, many questions loomed over her at the daunting task of raising her children alone. But today, they are all adults and the personification of satisfying joy in her life. The oldest boy is a successful Boys' Basketball Coach and High School Math Teacher, the middle daughter is an incredible married mother of a beautiful one-year-old daughter, and the youngest boy is engaged to be married soon and plans on living a life of service in Africa for the rest of his life. She has reason to be proud: she has done a great job as "Mom." But all of a sudden, as she feels in perhaps the best physical shape in years, she has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Why, O God, does this happen? She deserves better, doesn't she?

A faithful husband and father of three teenage boys is adored by his family. He loves his wife as God requires, he teaches his sons to follow Jesus, and displays the goodness of his God in all relationships. He leads Boy Scouts and camping trips with his sons and their friends. He handles the finances of a private American school in North Africa and leads his household well. He makes sure to take care of his wife, taking intentional time to spend alone with her. On top of all that, he's an athlete who runs and plays basketball -- in great shape for his age. And all of a sudden he has skin cancer. How could this happen to such a faithful father, husband, and worshipper of God? Or, rather, why would God allow such a tragedy happen to such a good person?

He was a wealthy family man with seven sons and three daughters, yet he shared his possessions graciously with his friends. Everyone thought him a great man in his day, as he made sure to put upright character and impeccable integrity at the top of his list of valued priorities. In his time and culture, he treated his servants remarkably well and made sure that his friends knew that they were valuable to him. Then one day, out of the blue, a band of violent rebels killed all of his servants, a wildfire burned up all his livestock, and a violent storm destroyed his house with all of his ten children inside. Everything was lost except his wife. Even as the man began to mourn his loss, he became ill with a great sickness, a skin disease that produced boils all over his body. Of all men, should God not reward this one above all? Why does punishment afflict this man instead? What a tragedy!

The preceding true stories are only a few examples of countless situations that seem to create a conflict within the hearts of many people wondering where God is in the midst of difficult circumstances such as these. The first story is the most recent: it is the story of my mother who was diagnosed with breast cancer this past week. The second story is of a friend of mine, Tony, who was diagnosed with skin cancer last month. And the final story is of Job, as described in the Bible.

In such situations, we are faced with a difficult decision to make. I have always observed that people could react in one of two ways regarding these tragedies of life. 1) Become angry with God that he would allow such an injustice to happen or 2) Turn to God as the only source of hope and comfort in such a great time of need. I have seen both take place right before my eyes. The first option is a miserable one to witness. The second option affects a demeanor in the person that is utterly indescribable in the awesomeness of it.

In the first two stories mentioned above, they are still dramas waiting to unfold in the multifaceted wisdom of God. In the final story, since it is a story that is now in the past, I believe we can learn from it.

So here's how it went down in the story of Job... After Job had lost all of his possessions and was now wallowing in the misery of his physical affliction as an outcast, his wife approached him: "Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.” But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?”" Wow! What a response! A response like Job's receives commendation, as the writer of his biography states, "In all this Job did not sin with his lips." I cannot imagine how Job could have such a reaction to what had just become of his life, if it could still be called that. The only explanation is that the grace of God enabled him to make such remarks, since in and of himself, Job might seem incapable of such profound righteousness and wisdom. It would seem like his wife has a great argument -- but he didn't think so.

Even as Job went on to lament his predicament, and he received shoddy advice from his friends, never did he recant his trust in the sovereign goodness of God. Upon losing his family and possessions, perhaps the most profound and timely words were uttered from Job's lips: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." In other words, "no matter what happens to me, no matter what I gain or what I lose, I will praise God because He is worth it." Relative happiness or comfort was, to Job, of little consequence when it came to the ultimate, supreme, and absolute glory of God. God Almighty is to be blessed, regardless of the calamities that befall us.

I remember the choice that my friend, Shantra, made about a year ago when she was caring for her dying mother -- by all accounts, she blessed the name of the Lord, and it was counted to her as righteousness. Never did she sin with her lips, and God was certainly pleased, I'm sure. But now, at this very moment in my life, my family members and I have this very choice before us. So does Tony and his family, along with countless others who find themselves in similar situations. We must make this choice because a tragedy has befallen us. So I beg the question, What's our response? What choice will we make? My hope is that the same grace that God gave to Job he will also give to me and others like me, that we will bless the name of the Lord, regardless of the tragedies in our lives.

And may the healing of our God be infused into the ailing bodies of those battling life-threatening diseases. To Him be the glory forevermore!

Leia Mais…

Blood on the Altar, or Splatterings of Imperfection -- Stage Two.

Yes, it is true that the demand of righteousness from God would be satisfied by a sacrifice of some other innocent martyr of justice, instead of the guilty party. But the repetition of sacrificing animals has not become the once-for-all sufficiency needed to pay the immeasurable penalty due the sinfulness of men. There must be a necessary better sacrifice.

STAGE TWO -- "Better things have come: The Reality."

And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
1 Peter 1:17-21

Any time I share with anyone about some of the things that have happened to me in my life, I find myself awestruck at how wonderful it is to truly know God. The drastic constrast between what I deserve every moment of my life and what I am actually receiving is utterly indescribable. Like when I was chatting with a teenager about what I have been doing these last few years -- I seem to be often beside myself as if watching it all unfold in real time, absorbing all of the goodness of God as I describe it as a story. Praise God that she was also encouraged by the tale that He has so graciously woven into my life.

My imperfections, all of my sin, are splattered bright and wide across the sides of the altar of sacrifice. But it is another's blood that covers my sin and pays for it all, that I might go free. Formerly, it was the blood of bulls or sheep or goats. Presently, it has become a much more precious and enduring sacrifice: the Lamb of God. To meditate on the idea of such an act endows a humility upon me that drops me to my face in prostrate adoration of such a holy plan of an all-sufficient God.

The shadow of times past has become the noonday of a brighter existence. The precondition of true freedom, namely, animal sacrifices, has been superceded by the fully-atoning sacrifice of Jesus on His killing stone, the altar of the cross.

Although my own imperfect humanity tempts me to writhe in all of my filth, willingly time and time again, I have yet been ransomed once for all! Wretched man that I am, yet He has foreknown, as the all-wise and all-knowing King of the Ages, that Jesus would set me free. Not only because freedom is what I desperately desire, but so that I may know that He alone is the One that has accomplished it for me. Never did He "help me" to do this or to do that so that I may become a "better" person or free myself. Never could I be able to do such an impossibility! Never could I ever be able to breathe on my own, much less walk, or do anything of any sort of good. But He can. He did. And He does still. He is slow to anger and quick to forgive. No matter how many times I show how imperfect and sinful I truly am, He rises up within me with the all-atoning sacrifice that forgives even the gravest of sins. That sacrifice, Jesus willingly took upon Himself, knowing in advance that I would freely enjoy Him in it for eternity.

Blood well spilt.

Leia Mais…

Blood on the Altar, or Splatterings of Imperfection -- Stage One.

He is a God of justice. Altogether righteous and holy, alone He stands. None can endure His presence, severed by the breach of justice that has been so treacherously passed down from generation to generation since the Sin of Adam. Enter the need for Law. Resulting from such a rampant disregard for all things right and good, an instatement of divine authoritative suppression had to be enforced as a basic requirement of men. Finding themselves in desperate need for rescuing, drowning in sin, men have passively longed for peace. So God has made a way for it, and God has given it.

STAGE ONE -- "The Shadow."

Laws for Peace Offerings
"If his offering for a sacrifice of peace offering to the Lord is an animal from the flock, male or female, he shall offer it without blemish. If he offers a lamb for his offering, then he shall offer it before the Lord, lay his hand on the head of his offering, and kill it in front of the tent of meeting; and Aaron's sons shall throw its blood against the sides of the altar."
Leviticus 3:6-8

Back then, the animals had to pay, lest the entire human race be smitten from the earth entirely. Through that, God extended a little mercy toward men, the firstfruits of His creation. But today, animal rights activists would have you thrown in jail for such an inhumane act. More than just slaughtering animals, though, the early practice of sacrificing for the sake of peace must have had a more meaningful purpose. I think there is something to be said about the idea of shedding innocent blood for the guilty -- and that being the bridge of peace, justifying men before God regarding His righteous requirements. But I it's more than just a "take one for the team" approach...

Most intriguing to me is the rite of throwing the blood against the sides of the altar. What is the significance of that? At first glance, it may seem like shenanigans on the part of the priests in order to brighten up otherwise monotonous ceremonies. But what does such an act truly signify? I'm not quite sure, although many scholars may have their theories.

Here's what I think... I can still remember around this time of year, at the conclusion of Ramadan two years ago, when I was invited out into the hill country of Morocco to participate in the Feast of the Sacrifice (Eid al Adha). I remember seeing a lot of blood. It poured from the neck of a squirming sheep, vainly struggling to keep its life. The blood first became a stream and next a pool, then at once it was swept away, gone from that once vibrant life forever. So it was with the sacrifices outlined in the book of Leviticus. But the blood was kept for a reason: a life had been taken, but not without purpose. A remembrance of what once was, but had to be taken, needed to be displayed. A life once existed, but now had been snuffed out by the injustice of another -- and the payment was in blood. So it was kept and splattered across the killing stone, the altar. Smeared in crimson red was the stain of sin, atoned for by the innocent life of an animal. But not without the reckoning of justice in God's hand. God was satisfied, and man was justified -- at least, until the next life would be taken and blood once again thrown against the altar.

So what is the cost for me? How much do I have to pay in order to at least get a glimpse into the righteousness of God? Something has got to give, because God requires justice from me. I mean, that horribly judgmental attitude I had toward that beggar the other day must call for recompense. The constant grumbling and complaining about the details of life require an answer. The outright, blatant disregard for the commands of God and the deliberate sin altogether require a severe penalty on my part. What blood must be thrown? It ought to be my own. But it isn't. By the matchless mercy of God, a substitute has taken my place. But blood has been thrown against the altar nonetheless. The animal rights activists won't let me slaughter an animal, so from whom does the bloodguilt come?

The stain of my sin glares deeply and darkly upon the walls of the altar. Revealed by the confession of my broken and contrite heart, it has been splashed upon those stone blocks time and time again at the beckoning call of God Himself. The list is long. My sin is great. But the burden has been lifted and I have been justified by another's blood.

Leia Mais…

We Wrestle

Jacob Wrestles with God
"And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel [meaning, 'he strives with God'], for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel [meaning, 'the face of God'], saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.” The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip. "
Genesis 32:24-31

Jacob wrestled with God, grappling with Him, striving to keep his life. And somehow he prevailed, but not without a remembrance of it. For the rest of his life, Jacob, now named Israel from this encounter, was left crippled. But he was not utterly destroyed. Why not? One might think that to wrestle with God would ultimately mean suicide. Instead, Jacob was rewarded with the honor of being named by God himself a greater name than he once possessed. It is a name that would be remembered throughout the generations and even until today.

There is a difference between wrestling with God and wrestling against God. Jacob was wounded, but not destroyed. Later on in the book of Exodus, Pharoah and the Egyptians were humiliated, wounded, and finally blotted out from the earth. Jacob's heart was one that was soft and intended to be obedient to the voice and leadership of God. Pharoah's heart was continually hard and insisted on rebelling against the authority of God. One man's legacy reaches deep into the faithfulness of God and leaves an inheritance that lasts for all time. The other man's legacy reaches deep into the faithlessness of man and leaves only an example not to follow.

As I continuously evaluate my life in view of the Word of God, I hope and pray for three things in regards to the story of Jacob's wrestling. First, I can only hope for God to intervene in my life so that I may be found in a place that I am somehow striving to be more like Him and not merely standing around breathing to death. Second, when certainly does God come with His intervention, although I may wrestle with Him as Jacob did, I would receive a better name and a lasting legacy that credits Jesus for anything good flowing from me. And lastly, but perhaps the most important, I hope that I will not ever wrestle against God as He intervenes through the Holy Spirit, thereby imitating the suicide of Pharoah.

As of this moment, I wrestle. I am back from Africa and beloved Morocco, away from many people that I had grown to love in my two years there. I know that I long to be back in Africa, yet I am here in the US for a season. Much of me wants to wrestle against God and His intervening leadership in my life. I want to rebel against the Holy Spirit and disobey His perfectly wise plan for me right now. But I must not wrestle against Him. He will, however, allow me to wrestle with Him and still grant me the grace to persevere. And so I ask for a spirit of wisdom and revelation (Ephesians 1:17) that I may remain content (Philippians 4:11) in whatever situation I find myself. It is there that I will encounter the Living God and receive a legacy that lasts throughout the ages.

Leia Mais…

Engagement, Wedding Plans, and a Few Photos

So, yes, it has been official for a few weeks now -- Kattie and I are engaged and planning to be married on November 9, 2007. The proposal took place in typical casual Adam fashion on Monday, August 20th. Below are a few engagement photos taken at the Pittock Mansion in Portland. It is a great spot overlooking the city, surrounded by amazing forestry that provides a great hiking experience or quiet place to get away. We just took a few photos (these really aren't the best ones).

As mentioned above, the wedding is scheduled for November 9th, in downtown Portland. Kattie and I could not be more excited! And we're not stressing so much about the planning, since we're getting a lot of help from our families. Plus, we're far more concerned with what will take place in the decades following the ceremony. I think one of the most amazing things about November 9th will be the people, as always seems to be the case. To me, it seems, no event is ever memorable if it weren't for the people involved. For this occasion, we will certainly have important friends and family in attendance from here in the US, from France, from Canada, and from Morocco. It will surely be a joyous occasion. And still there will be some beloved people that will be unable to attend. Nevertheless, our hope is that it would be an occasion that would be a great delight to our Lord Jesus.

Please pray for us as we begin this journey together.

Leia Mais…

Adjusting and Settling

Wow! As August winds down, I look back at perhaps the busiest month of my life. It went a bit like this...

August 2-4: Spend some time with good friends of mine, Tim and Jo, as they celebrated their wedding in West Palm Beach, Florida.


August 4-9: Spend some time with good friends of mine, the Canner family in Baltimore and Scott, Amanda, and Kattie in our nation's capital.


August 9-12: Spend some time in Michigan meeting some of Kattie's family and friends.


August 12-16: Spend some time in Texas with some of my family and friends.


August 16-18: Take a 3-day cross-country road trip from Austin to Portland with Kattie.


August 20: Become officially engaged to Kattie and begin planning the wedding ceremony that will be November 9.


August 20-24: Begin training/orientation with Americorps for my Partnerships for Student Achievement program this year.
August 27-31: Begin teacher in-service at Glencoe High School, the school at which I will be serving.

In between all these things, Kattie and I have been organizing our future apartment, registering the car, planning on getting Oregon drivers' licenses, planning the wedding, meeting people, brainstorming ways to volunteer in Portland (we're going to attend an interest meeting at the Portland Rescue Mission Saturday morning), getting a membership at 24 Hour Fitness, getting lost all over Portland, and spending way too much money on life in general.

So, needless to say, it has been quite busy and hectic. But the Lord has remained faithful through it all, enabling us to continually worship Him through it all. No matter what is happening, wherever I am, He remains steadfast in His covenant love for me. HE IS MY ROCK.

The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?

When evildoers assail me
to eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
it is they who stumble and fall.

Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
yet I will be confident.

One thing have I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to inquire in his temple.

For he will hide me in his shelter
in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will lift me high upon a rock.

And now my head shall be lifted up
above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;
be gracious to me and answer me!
You have said, “Seek my face.”
My heart says to you,
“Your face, Lord, do I seek.”
Hide not your face from me.
Turn not your servant away in anger,
O you who have been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not,
O God of my salvation!
For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
but the Lord will take me in.

Teach me your way, O Lord,
and lead me on a level path
because of my enemies.
Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;
for false witnesses have risen against me,
and they breathe out violence.

I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living!
Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord!
Psalm 27

To all of you who have continually prayed for me and for Kattie and supported us through whatever adventures we experienced, Thank You! Now begins another one. This is just another opportunity to join the God of the Universe, the King of the Ages, in His little sandbox to play and see what He'll accomplish. His will must most assuredly be done! And we are the beneficiaries. May His goodness truly satisfy our souls in the deepest parts.

**An updated Newsletter is in the works with specifics on the aforementioned things.**

Leia Mais…

Back in the States

So, it's been a long time coming... It's taken so long, partially due to the slowness of my current dial up Internet connection! I'm not used to this. I tried to upload some photos onto this post, but it was so slow that the connection timed out. Crazy. So sorry, no photos. Maybe next time. But it's all good, I guess.

So here is what has happened in the past month:
- I returned to Texas safely, obviously, and am splitting time at my mom's house and at my dad's.
- I spent some time with my family.
- I bought a pretty cheap used car and got insurance.
- I got a job with Americorps in Portland, Oregon for the upcoming year, working with at-risk youth in a local high school.
- I visited some friends in West Texas and some family in Louisiana.
- Got a new cell phone (email me if you want the number).

And here's the upcoming plan -- August is gonna be a crazy month! On Thursday, August 2nd, I'm flying out of Austin to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to go to my buddy Tim's wedding in Palm Beach. On Saturday, August 4th, I fly out of Ft. Lauderdale to Baltimore, Maryland to join up with my friends that I met in Morocco before they return to that beloved country: Scott, Amanda, and the Canners, not to mention Kattie (the woman for whom I am moving to Portland and am hoping to marry). Kattie, Amanda, Scott, and I are planning on visiting all the "sites" in Washington, DC before Amanda and Scott return to teach another year in Casablanca. From there, I fly out of Baltimore on Thursday, August 9th to Detroit, Michigan with Kattie so I can meet her family there. Then on Sunday, August 12th, the two of us fly out of Detroit back to Austin, Texas so Kattie can meet my family. Finally after a few days in Texas, we're taking a massive road trip from Austin to Portland, Oregon where we'll be meeting up with Kattie's two sisters and living there (but not together) for this upcoming year. Lord-willing, my pastor from Morocco, Bob, and his wife Sue, will join us in Portland as well. So it should be good. With Ed and Barb Velure, who worked with us in Casablanca, already in the Portland area, it should be like a mini-reunion for us. I'm excited.

But the most exciting part is what I briefly mentioned earlier -- the fact that I'm hoping to marry (Lord-willing, of course) a beautifully incredible woman, Kattie, in 2008. I couldn't be more thrilled and grateful to my God for providing such a hopeful joy in my life. I know I have made many mistakes in my life, but there are no regrets because He has revealed Himself through it all. Therefore, I am unable to comprehend the goodness that He so abundantly lavishes upon me in granting me such an honor to take her as my wife. All honor and praise and glory be unto Jesus forevermore!

**I'll update you again when I get to Portland!**

Leia Mais…