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Archive for the ‘Missions’ Category

Cookies, Kool-Aid and Jesus

Posted in Hope, Missions on May 20, 2010| Leave a Comment »

I heard an encouraging story yesterday that I thought appropriate to share here, especially given where my heart has been this week.

A man here in the El Paso area shared his first memories of learning about Jesus.  He grew up in Mexico and did not have much to do with church.  But every year, for one week, his colonia was visited by a missions team who came to do Vacation Bible School in a local church.  He attended every year because he said, “Those white people in the white van had the best cookies I had ever tasted.”  He admits that he does not remember much about what they taught, but distinctly remembers the cookies.

The encouraging part of Chalio’s story is that now, 30 years or so later, he is a pastor and church planter here in El Paso.  While he can’t remember all the stories he was told as a child by the missions team year after year, the love those people showed impacted him.  He believes that he is exactly where God wants him to be and it is largely due to a group of folks who came and served cookies and Kool-Aid and told him about Jesus.

So take hope today!  The seeds you sew may not show growth immediately, but God will use your efforts to transform lives.  Stick with it!

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The Imbalance of Hopelessness

Posted in Church, Missions on May 19, 2010| 1 Comment »

Last night, after a long day of construction in the sun, I took some time and visited one of my favorite spots in El Paso to relax and regroup – Kinley’s House of Coffee and Tea.  As I sat on the patio watching the sun go down over the Franklin Mountains, I thought about the people of the area and the desperation and hopelessness that many of them experience as a part of daily life.  Over the course of the hour or so that I sat there, I was approached by three different men who live on the street, asking for money or cigarettes.  One of the gentleman had perfected his approach allowing his personality to come through joking with the folks on the patio.  One of the other men asked first for a cigarette but since I don’t smoke, he then asked for change and the third simply asked for a little money.

The three men had one thing in common – very little hope.  I helped one of the men but not all three.  I left there unable to get the look of the third man out of my mind.  He was worn and broken with skin that showed his time in the sun.  His eyes were hollow and faded by defeat.

I have to admit, I am haunted today by his desperation and hopelessness.  I am overwhelmed by the immense need of the people of this area.  But I thank God that I am affected in this way.  May we never grow so accustomed to the plight of the poor that it no longer bothers us.

We live in an imbalanced world.  The very fact that I am able to sit at my computer and type these words, and in turn, you can sit at yours and read them illustrates the fact that we are in a different class.  I pray that God bothers you today by this fact.

I could offer some suggestions for how to deal with this imbalance – but I want you to wrestle with it today, and then offer some comments here as to what God puts on your heart.

I look forward to hearing from you.

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Roofing in the Sun

Posted in Missions, Motivational on May 18, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Monday was a great but tiring day.  It has been a few years since I have torn shingles off of a roof.  We had 9 college students and myself all working on the same project from 7:30 am to 5:00 pm in the El Paso sun and they did awesome.

It was so inspiring to see students who have dedicated a week of their lives to serving Christ and serving others.  The work they did was extremely strenuous but I never heard a single complaint.  I was pleased with their desire to work and serve.  Today we get to put the new shingles on the roof – less strenuous but still very tiring.  I have to say, I am looking forward to spending the day with my new heros.

I have two requests for you.  One is that you pray for these students today – for their safety and for sensitivity to all the opportunities God will provide for them to make a difference in the lives of others.  Second, I encourage you to consider the passion these students are showing this week and let some of that rub off on you – seek out opportunities today to make a difference in the life of someone else.

Be blessed today and be a blessing as well.

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Day Full of Prayer

Posted in Formation, Hope, Missions on May 6, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Today is the National Day of Prayer.  People all across America are gathering to pray.  It is exciting to see the news of groups gathering to pray for their city officials or to lift up their schools.  It should be a reminder of just how great the nation is in which we live – an environment that still allows this kind of activity.

As I think about setting aside a day to pray, it stirs up a couple of thoughts in me.  One is that we allow ourselves to become so busy that it takes setting aside a day as a reminder to stop and pray.  I hope that today will remind us that every day should be a day of prayer.

The second thought is that while praying for God to move in our nation or to guide our leaders or to work through our schools are all worthy and needed prayers, maybe today we should include praying that God will change the world through me.  So often, even our prayer life reflects how we think the problems of the world have their source in something or someone other than ourselves, ie. “God, help them make better decisions.”  “Dear Lord, change their hearts.” “Holy Father, provide for the hungry.”  Maybe our prayers today (and every day) should be a little closer to home.

My prayer for you and for me today is this:  Holy and merciful Father, use me today to make a difference in a hurting world.  Burden me with a passion to see lives changed for you.  Strengthen me with your patience and power to stick with it long enough to see that change happen.

Bess someone today!

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Be a Blessing Today

Posted in Grace, Missions on May 5, 2010| 3 Comments »

This morning I was up early.  Today is the last day of the Drive Conference here in Atlanta – this afternoon I’ll be on a plane and back in Levelland by bed time.  As I laid in bed this morning praying before getting up, thinking about the day ahead and what I have experienced here at this conference, God impressed on me one simple thought.

You have heard me talk about my friend LaPinsky Phillips – he is my brother from another mother we like to say.  He lives right here in the Atlanta area.  Oddly enough, we haven’t run into each other while I’ve been here (it’s not like it’s a big city or anything).

At any rate, when LaPinsky is asked how he is doing, his common response is, “I be blessed.”  And then when we say goodbye he always says, “Be blessed.”  I have adopted that for many of my email correspondence and even the closing of the blog post many times.

But today, God impressed me with this simple thought:  Instead of being blessed, today, your focus should be “who can I bless today?”

So today, my prayer for you and me is this:

God, make us sensitive to ways and situations in which we can be a blessing to someone else today!

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Pray for the Border

Posted in Church, Missions on April 19, 2010| Leave a Comment »

I spent Tuesday and most of Wednesday last week in El Paso, finalizing plans for a mission trip for our local college students.  My request today

is for your prayer for the people in that area.  I am sure that you have heard of the violence in the Juarez, Mexico area that has been going on for the last couple of years.  Until the last few months this violence has been centered in Juarez and has been going on primarily between two drug cartel’s fighting over territory.

But recently, the violence has been turned toward the local town folks as far out as 60 miles from Juarez.  The need for prayer is obvious, but specifically, we need to pray for the innocent people caught in a no win situation.  Their homes have been taken or destroyed.  They have no place to go and little hope to survive short of scavenging and stealing.  Pray for God’s provision and protection.

The local pastors are in even more of a dilemma because they are being threatened as well, but they feel the need to stay and minister to the hurting people in the area.  What little support these pastors have received in years past from church partners state-side, has been cut off due to the violence.  Mission groups are making other plans this year and going other places that are not so dangerous.

I ask that you take 5 minutes today to stop and pray for these people.  Pray that God will break into this situation and be glorified.  Pray for protection, courage and strength for the pastors and their families who choose to stay and minister in this horrible situation.  We already know the outcome of the war – God will prevail.  But pray that God will sustain these people until that day!

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You’re Welcome

Posted in Community, Grace, Missions on March 31, 2010| Leave a Comment »

I remember when the slogan became popular.  I was young but even then it made an impression of home and prompted thoughts of friendliness and being welcomed.

Tom Bodett had no affiliation with the motel chain, but was a voice that helped launch the chain into the forefront of the market.  But the ad-libbed slogan is what people remember (at least if you are my age or older).  Anyone know what I’m talking about?

Yep, you guessed it – “We’ll leave the light on for you!”

A very simple statement that communicates a world of images and has stuck with the chain for over 20 years.  I had not heard a radio ad for Motel 6 in years for some reason, but just this week I heard the familiar voice recite the familiar slogan on the radio.

All this got me to thinking about hospitality and providing a welcoming environment to others.  Leaving the light on sends the message of “We are ready for you and we want you here.”

Of course, the first thing that comes to mind is the church.  Is your church welcoming of others?  Do the individuals in your community know that they are welcome in your church?  Do you go out of the way to “leave the light on?”

But the focus on my mind today is a little more personal – a little closer to home.  How welcoming are you?  We talk a lot about showing people God’s love and grace and many of us do that regularly – but on our terms and our time frame.  What about the inconvenient drop-in to your office or to your home?  When you are in the big middle of a huge project, how inviting are you to someone who needs to talk?

God’s call on us as followers of the Way is to show love and grace as a way of lifestyle, not as a project we do on “Outreach Night” at the church.

My prayer for each of us today is that we will be welcoming and inviting to those who need us.

I have done this before, but I want to make the invitation to you again.  If you need to talk or just simply want prayer for a need you may have, my email is to the right – please feel free to contact me.

“I’ll leave the light on for you!”

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How Many Remotes Does It Take?

Posted in Community, Formation, Missions on March 10, 2010| Leave a Comment »

As I sat this morning in my chair and had my prayer and reading time, I looked to my right to see this sight.  The question came to my mind, “Just how many remotes does it take to turn on a television?”

I remember a day when the common statement in some households was something to the effect, “I don’t have a remote, that’s why we had kids.”  Not any more.  Now it would appear that it takes at least two remotes for each piece of equipment.

As I thought about this new reality, I began to think about the purpose of the remote.  Don’t get me wrong, it is a wonderful invention and one that would change my life if it went away.  But the whole premise of the remote is that it allows me to affect a change “remotely” – to change something without having to physically get involved.

The downside to the invention of the remote is that the premise has bled over into other parts of our lives as well.  Trying to make a difference without physical commitment has become a way of life.  I see something on television about the earthquakes in Haiti and Chile and I am moved to do something – to give money and pray.

We hear about the living conditions in the local children’s home and we are moved to do something – again, give money or make phone calls.

Jesus called us to live an engaged life – not a remote life – an involved life.

How can you ditch the remote and get involved today?

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Preach the Kingdom

Posted in Formation, Grace, Missions on March 9, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Today I was reading through Luke chapter 9 and ran across these verses.  Jesus was giving the disciples their daily marching orders.  He told them that they had the power and authority to heal the sick and cast out all kinds of demons.  He also left no question as to the fact that they were to “preach the kingdom of God.”  When I read this, I was reminded of a quote that is typically attributed to St. Francis of Assissi.  The quote:  Preach the gospel always and when necessary, use words.

Jesus told his disciples that as followers of the Way, they needed to be about caring for others and preaching the kingdom.  Is that still our calling?  I believe it is.

So what does living out these verses look like today?  I think St. Francis hit the nail on the head.  We are to live our faith in the way we love and care for others.  But don’t miss the fact that we are to share our faith verbally.  Obviously, if our life does not reflect the love of Jesus, then our words will make no difference at all.  But if we are trying to rely on our actions alone, how will anyone ever make the connection between compassion and the love that God wants to offer them.

Preach the kingdom of God today – using words and actions.

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Beans and Rice

Posted in Missions, Motivational on February 26, 2010| Leave a Comment »

I had a meeting yesterday with two really dedicated missionaries in the El Paso area.  They run a food bank for a local colonia (unincorporated community) just outside El Paso.  Every Tuesday, they give out beans and rice (an average of 900 pounds per month) along with other grocery items.  During this time, they have a worship service with those who come for assistance and also have an opportunity to pray with each of the folks.  Next month will mark nine years for them in this ministry.

I left the meeting amazed and inspired by their dedication.  Thank you Elfie and Joan for your tireless dedication to our Lord and the people of Fabens and the border towns just inside Mexico.

May we all strive to live out our salvation as you do each day!

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