Adoption Summit Day One

We have just arrived back at our hotel after an amazing day. Bethany and I signed up for the Christian Alliance Adoption Summit unsure of what exactly to expect, but compelled to attend. Our connection point was our own adoption journey we are currently in the middle of, so I expected or hoped for some confirmation of our choice to jump into this call without all of the answers. What happened today was that and SO much more.

As I’ve listened to awesome Christian speakers in the field, and organizations and workers in ministries related to orphan care God has not only confirmed in my heart our choice but has enlarged my vision for the local church. Today God powerfully reminded me that the church is the hope of the world. Today God helped me to catch the vision that orphan care is far more than a social agenda but is in fact part of the lifeblood of His gospel.

All over the world churches are stepping up to care for orphans in their midst and sharing the truth of Jesus with the audience of people their loving care gained them.

The church in America is being awakened to this incredible need and opportunity to use her resources to empower her brothers and sisters in hurting places to spread the gospel. And I believe as churches in the US do this, they are awakened to God’s power, His love, His missional call, His call to sacrifce and be set apart, our hope in Jesus through the gospel, and God’s glory through His church that embraces the love and sacrifice of Jesus.

I am encouraged in the midst of transitions in my life that God has called me to love and serve his bride the church and to expect and encourage great things from her!

Simple thoughts

This morning I feel reinvigorated by some simple thoughts and truths. I have been praying for guidance in a decision for some time and this morning had a much better answer to my prayers than the answer I was looking for. Instead of the circle yes or no response God reminded me how absolutely amazing my life is. Through no work of my own, and actually in response to a life hell-bent at opposing God, I have been given a new life in Jesus. I have been invited into the family of God, having been purchased from the bondage to sin I’d sold myself to and brought into communion with God through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. I now live a life in faith that the Son of God who rescued me by dying for me while I was His enemy, will certainly provide all things needed now that I have been adopted into His family. This Jesus that I call Lord is in fact the Lord of all creation through whom everything that was made was made by and for. This good news, in ways I find it hard to imagine, gets clouded out at times by the stuff of this world.

What I felt as all of this was pouring through my mind was that every problem I ever have has at it’s root at least one common cause: my trying to be God of my life again. While I know the truth of the gospel is that those who are Christians are redeemed– they are purchased back by God. For me this means that God is both my creator who made me once and has every right to my life, an he is by redeemer who through Jesus bought me back from my state of rebellion. So once again my life is not my own for I was bought at a great price. So it is that I say behind every argument I have with my wife, every selfish act I do, every lustful thought I have, every bad financial decision, every time a miss God’s standard for holiness– that behind each of these is that part of me that still wants to be or thinks I am God. That I have rights of my own. That my time is mine. That I can choose anything only because I want that thing. In fact the reality is every moment, relationship, opportunity, resource, and gift that I have isn’t mine because my life is not my own. They all belong to God an I am simply entrusted with them.

Now I can also argue as others have that we are our most human– our most authentic and whole when we live in this kind of trust and intimately dependent relationship with God. But for me (and I think many Western Christians) I need more to embrace a death to myself more than a reminder of how to be wholly me. I have grown up in the land of opportunity where I was told I can be whatever I want and I can do anything I put my mind to, and I blended this easily with the Bible which says that I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.

What I need more often than not is a realization that if God never does anything else good for me again He has already given me enough that I will be eternally, gratefully, devotedly, and unashamedly His. Every other good thing is only heaping blessing on top of blessing.

So, God I end saying that I seek your will out of obedience to you– in a desire to follow your leading wherever you want me to go for my life really is yours. And I pray for wisdom in faith that you who called me from darkness when I was still your enemy will not leave me hanging now that I’m your son.

Thank you for another day to try to get things right(er).

Two Dangerous Legal Situations in the Works Right Now

A want to direct your attention to two legal situations that every Christian should be aware of, pray for, and take action on.

First, the Obama administration is considering rescending the Conscience Clause.

CNN article here

ACLJ (American Center for Law and Justice), a Christian legal agency gives you a chance to sign a petition.

Second: on the international level, the UN is in talks with the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) which has introduced the Defamation of Religions Resolution. This resolution is truly an attempt to silence any anti-Islamic voices.

Read More here

AIDS Experience by World Vision

The World Vision Experience: AIDS, is a free exhibit and will be hosted at ASU West in Glendale, AZ March 15 – 22.  This sounds like an amazing experience, and I hope some of the high school students I work with will go.  Bethany and I are going to attend on March 15th.  We will be carpooling from the Queen Creek area around 5pm.  Let me know if you are interested in traveling with us or meeting us there.  You can see a trailer below:

Growing Awareness

Ever since my wife Bethany and I began our process of adopting our hearts have been opened to issues we were aware of before, but (speaking for myself) were sadly unmoved by.  In the past few months my knowledge of some of the global crises that impact children has grown, and my desire to do something about things has increased too.  Besides adopting, I am often at a loss to what God is inviting us to do.  I do believe, however, that one of the things God has encouraged me to do is to talk, share, and invite others to seek out ways that God may invite them to engage in His mission to bring the good news of Jesus to the world.

One part of this missional calling we have as Christians is to truly embody the good news of Jesus.  We don’t just share a story of good news, but our Spirit-filled, transformed inside-out lives should excite interest in others who are searching for the kind of abundant life that Jesus makes available to all those who abide in him.

With this in mind, I’ve found a theme for this blog, and an inspiration to write.  For those friends who will grace me with their time to read my hope is that God will do for you what He has begun to do for me.  To expand both our concern for the world, and our faith that Jesus can and will empower us with his world-changing good news.