Week Three. He Has A Plan.

“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit-just as you called to the one hope that belongs to your call-one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But Grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.” Ephesians 4:1-7

In the book I just finished, Beyond Belief by Josh Hamilton (OF for the Texas Rangers), Josh talks about his struggle with drugs and alcohol that tore apart his life for 4 years and his battle to overcome the power of sin to fight back with Jesus at his side to gain control of the life he was given. He speaks on the constant battle to follow Gods plan for his life and the time when he failed over and over falling back into sin, feeling unworthy of the life God had for Him. Later in the book he finds strength one night in his Grandmothers house after 4 years of drug abuse, holding a bible open to James 4:7 “Summit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

            In the verse above in Ephesians, Paul is writing to the church in Ephesus urging them to live out the life that God himself laid the foundation for. He goes on to say that we are to do this in the same likeness as Christ lived out His plan and to remember that we are unworthy of His plan, but by the Mercy of God and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ we have been given the gift of Grace to be deemed worthy of a life with Christ and to following the path God has for each of us. Many times I feel inadequate to fulfill God’s plan for my life, or sometimes I sit, wondering, questioning God’s plan for my life, sometimes not understanding what is next or wondering why things happen at the particular time, maybe wanting them sooner or later. As I live my life though I am constantly reminded later that God's timing is perfect. Sometimes I don’t see it then, but later in life, like as if He flicks me in the head, I realize again and again His timing is perfect. Like His plan for Africa and wanting to come over here so badly for the longest time having to wait 5 years to do so. 5 years ago I would have not known the kids I do now, have the relationships with people I have and at the time my heart was full of selfishness and not servant hood. Like always though, His plan is perfect and my timing to come here was perfect and I constantly thank Him for this opportunity every time I come over here and serve in His name. As I sit here though, I always question and know that I am not worthy to come. I am a sinner, destined for an eternity of Hell, but with the forgiveness of God and the sacrifice on the cross by Jesus Christ I am able to live an eternity with Christ walking with Him as I live life and forevermore!

           

            This summer when I was working at Pine Cove (Go Base Camps!) I was asked what my favorite song was and why. For someone who loves music more than anyone I know it took me a long time to answer, but after a minute or 2 I said, “Embracing Accusation” by Shane and Shane.  As to why, I began to explain how much truth the song has within it. Its starts off with:

The father of lies

Coming to steal

Kill and destroy

All my hopes of being good enough

I hear him saying cursed are the ones

Who can't abide

He's right

Alleluia he's right!

The devil is preaching

The song of the redeemed

That I am cursed and gone astray

I cannot gain salvation

Embracing accusation

The father of lie, Satan has come to destroy the hopes that I have of being good. “Be sober minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a lion, seeking someone to devour” 1 Peter 5:8 He is out there to destroy our hopes and dreams and to speak hatred and unworthiness into us. But:

Could the father of lies

Be telling the truth

Of God to me tonight?

If the penalty of sin is death

Then death is mine

I hear him saying cursed are the ones

Who can't abide

He's right

Alleluia he's right!

Could the father of lies, be telling us the truth. Has the one, cast out of the heavens be constantly telling us exactly the truth, that we are unworthy and should be given the penalty of sin, that is death. He is right, I am a sinner and deemed unworthy. I am selfish and boastful, and living a world dedicated to things other than God. I do forget to read the word, I do sin and yes I should spend an eternity with him in Hell, but Satan refrains from one thing, which is probably the verse that makes this my favorite song.

Oh the devil's singing over me

An age-old song

That I am cursed and gone astray

Singing the first verse so conveniently

He's forgotten the refrain

Jesus saves!!

He redeemed us from the curse of the law.

In the torments and evil things spoken to me (us) by Satan. Out of everything he says that could be true, he has forgotten one thing. Jesus has saved me; Jesus has saved us as a body of Christ from the death that should be given to us! God has given us a plan to live by and a path to follow and it is up to us to follow it. If you doubt that then turn to my girlfriend Anja's favorite bible verse, Jeremiah 29:11

“For I know the plan I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare, and not for evil, to give you a FUTURE and a HOPE.”

The Lords plan for our lives is to not live in torment, fear or confusion. He has given us a life worth living, worth telling others about and a life that with God, will be the perfect plan for you. If we live in Him and abide in His plan and teaching, He will sustain us, give us a HOPE, give us a FUTURE and our plan will be lived out, although not always easy, by not my timing, not by your timing but his timing. My heart burns with passion for the hope and life God has given to me. He has given me a life to live, but it is not my life. He is the creator and redeemer and through Him I live. He is the reason I live, the reason I sing, the reason I live to want so desperately for others to know Him. My heart is to see a world break out of selfish desires and see people radically transformed to follow the plan God has for you.

Josh Hamilton was given a plan for his life. For 4 years he went on and off drugs, trying every worldly kind of treatment he could and it wasn’t until he put his faith in Christ and found hope in Him that he was able to follow the plan that God had for him. It is not until we put our faith in Christ as well that we can see the plan that He has for us and live it out like the way we were meant too.

My prayer for everyone reading this and even for the ones that won’t. If you every feel inadequate, unworthy or confused in your life, look to Christ. He is the reason we live and through Him we live. God has a plan for you and I, and I promise, that with Christ, nothing can stand in our way of accomplishing the plan God has for us.

We are one body in Christ, one world created by God, with many different plans. I pray that we as a body for Christ follow that plan and live out a life that has Him right by our side and allows no one, including our self, to stand in our way. 

Week Two. God is Enough

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent. For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of the cross.” Colossians 1:15-20

          The second week I got to do 2 pretty incredible things. The first being, going back to work at the school Rays of Hope, on Tuesday, which is a primary school (K-6^th) in the slums of Kabalagala which is right outside of Kampala about 30 minutes away from SOZO House 1 and SOZO House 2. When I arrived I could see that God has done incredible work in the renewing of the school including using people to fix floors, paint walls, put a water faucet in the school so no more walks to get water and build a kitchen area designated for cooking and serving food for the kid’s breakfast and lunch. The kids had not forgotten me and I was, with the help of a few of kids, able to remember most of the kid’s names I had gotten know the year before. God has supplied new and more teachers (which meant I didn’t have to teach which is good because I would rather them get and education….I do not have the gift of teaching school). Joel, the Headmaster of the school said that most of all of them had been able to pay their school fees and the others had made arrangements to do so soon. To see this school thriving like ever before gave me so much affirmation and joy that the Lord has his mighty hand over this school and His spirit has and will continue to let it thrive as he transforms lives using education and the teachers and kids of this school to radically effect there nation and neighborhood they live in.

          The second was on Wednesday of that same week I was able to go to a family group that the interns had been going to all year. I went with Carrie, Quinn and Paige because the guy, Jake in their group was in Kenya. The families, like the school, were in Kabalagala just a few blocks away from the school. As we arrived, we were greeted by the grandfather of the house and then by his granddaughter and his grandson Ronald. When we entered the home I was told that the Grandfather, alone, takes care of his 10 grand children and 8 of them live in the small home that we had bible study in. Before we even sat down, they showed the kindness of the Lord by the way they spoke, smiled and acted while we were there. The Grandfather was still thanking the 3 girls for the glasses they had given him a few weeks before and the son showed thankfulness too as well. As they served us tea and bread, the 2 more grandchildren arrived and say down in the small room just to see us and hear the word of God again from us. This time though Ronald read from Word and gave the teaching in English and Lugandan so that his grandfather was able to clearly understand as well. This family, even though not having a lot, still had so much joy in their lives, and praised God for every gift that they had. As we left, in the pouring rain with no rain jacket, I was truly more blessed by that home visit than I ever thought I was going to be.

          In Colossians 1:16-20 (the verse above) Jesus is praised by Paul for all of His glory, mercy, power and honor. As the second week came to a close, I was constantly reminded of how awesome my God is. He is the ruler and power over all creation and loves each one of us even though we deserve to live without him. We live in a world of wrong and right, yes’s and no’s and in this world, my God is in control of it all. He is the one that created all things, sees all things and knows all things and though Him alone I have life. Our world, especially America is a country thriving on the next best thing, how much you have, what don’t you have, I want to be better than you and yet in all that, the times I see God the most are times like the first 2 stories. In places that don’t have much, but yet have everything because they have Christ and have little to replace Him and He alone is enough to fulfill every desire we could possibly have.

          My heart burdens to see the world, myself included, except Christ as all they need. Last weekend we took the kids of SOZO to play soccer and as I was walking back with House 2, I was walking with Remmy and pointed to the house of the hill that belongs to riches man in Uganda. I asked Remmy if he would ever want to have that much money, and Remmy, who a few months ago barely had food and no bed replied with these simple words… “You know a rich man dies too….I may have no money, but I have Jesus, and that is all I need.” Jesus is all we need and I desire to have the same heart as Remmy and to look around me and see a world that has that same heart as well. We have become a possessive world, but I pray that we as a people and nation become a prayerful and thankful world. “For it is written, if anyone shall boast let him boast in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:21. May God’s love and mercy affect this nation so much that we no longer boast in what we have or don’t have, but only boast in the love, righteousness, glory, mercy, forgiveness, power, and redeeming sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ.

“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” Colossians 2:6-7

Week One. Ridicule vs Praise

Week 1 was absolutely full of blessings and full of the Lord’s teaching. It all started with my plane ride from Amsterdam to Entebbe, Uganda. When I sat down in my seat I realized that the 2 people on my left both had bibles on their tray tables and quickly introduced themselves to me. One was a missionary from Colorado named Scott and the other was a Ugandan native, pastor and professor named Marvin Ssempa. Marvin was on his way back to Uganda after a visit to the USA to see family. After the first 30 minutes of discussion realizing our similar passions for ministry we began to talk about scripture, God, the world and our similar desires to share the gospel. It was awesome to see it because the plan ride from Atlanta to Amsterdam and the whole lay over in Amsterdam I felt so alone without anyone by my side. The Lord quickly reminded me that I am by no means alone with Him and He put two amazing people in my life for 8 hours who encouraged me, prayed over me and followed by each one of us teaching the other 2 scripture for 2 hours.

            After departing from the airplane and getting our visas we prayed together once more and left on our separate journeys. After waiting nervously for my bags because of the lost bag that I had to wait 4 days for last year I finally got them both, met my ride and left the airport. Last year I stayed 2 months in our first home with SOZO and got so close to the kids there and was so excited to see them. As we drove I was suddenly informed that a few hours before they had switched me to House 2. For a few moments I was pretty let down and confused of why I was going to House 2 and questioning the plan of my Lord but soon was filled with comfort and excitement to meet the new 2 kids at House 2. As we arrived at the house at midnight I was greeted by the Uncle of the house and discovered that the kids and aunts had already gone to bed and I was going to have to wait and meet them in the morning. I volunteered to get up at 4:00am to give them breakfast, and that was a huge step for me because I was coming off just a few hours of sleep in the past 36 hours.

            When I woke up I was surprisingly refreshed and ready to arise at 4:00. As Stephanie and I were making breakfast each kid slowly came down one by one and I was told a name to remember and after more came it was harder and harder to remember the kids names but I promised myself I would try my best to remember. About 8 kids into the line up one of the best surprises yet happened.

            

            To back track, last year while I was in Uganda Jon Brennan and I visited Mercy Home where the original 17 came from. There unfortunately still many kids there so we brought food for all of the kids and stayed while they cooked it to make sure they oldest 3 boys and the pastor would actually give them the food. Everything that came into that home was taken by the 4 and the kids rarely received any of it making going to the Home and hanging out and playing with the around 22 kids such a huge blessing. When I was there I has a strong connection with a boy. He told me his name was Raymond, who was about 11 years old, and for the 4 hours I was there he held my hand and talked to me every moment except for the 30 or so minutes I played soccer with all the kids. When I left for the second time I looked him in the face and promised him I would come back and see him. As I was leaving he ran up to me and gave me, what is some kind of fake jewel he kept in his pocket and told me to keep it, and it has been in my backpack ever since. When I left I said a prayer, praying I would see him again not knowing what would happen to him within the year I was gone………

     

Remmy

             And down come the stairs was Raymond, with me COMPLETY forgetting Jon told me a month earlier we had taken him for Mercy Home and I must have had the biggest smile on my face when he said, “I remember you Will.” Raymond, who is now called Remmy has developed into an amazing, smart child of God and we have connected even more. The kids of House of 2 are incredible…Solomon, John, Ambros, Rosco, Benjamin, Enock, Benard, Marvin, Remmy, Rolland, Eddie (who now laughs all the time, when last year at Airfield he never smiled or said a word. The Lord has transformed him so much) Pheiona, Sharon, Nila, Joan, Faith, Josephine, Janet, Florence and Winnie (who 4 and so precious). They have been such a blessing these past 2 weeks and have given me so many reasons to smile, laugh and play until I can’t move at night!

            As week 1 came to a close I started to think about all the reasons I am here. Not only does my heart long for every child to be loved, but also I desire to see Africa change for Christ as a country. To be here and love on these kids in the slums or in Sozo, I am honored by the privilege to watch them grow up to be men and women of God. That transforms in to Godly leaders of there own country. These kids have 1/5 of what most kids in America have, but yet they smile and laugh as if they have everything they need…and they do. The don’t fill there time with games and toys but fill there lives with the love and mercy of Jesus Christ! The may pick on each other but when it come to showing affection to there Lord, no fingers are pointed and no remarks are made. Only hands raised and voices crying out to their Father with praise, thankfulness and love. That is what I long for to happen in America. For America to change to a country that doesn’t ridicule others for worshiping, reading there bible on the quad or being a Jesus Freak, but a desire to rise up along side one another and worship a God that has created all things, knows all things and sees all things. To have a love for one another that is without ridicule, but with a voice of affirmation and commitment to serve along side of them for the Kingdom of God.

            People say that these kids can learn a lot from what America does, but my response would be the opposite. To sit and watch them love Jesus with every inch of there body, I would say we have a lot to learn from them!

 “Every day, I make a choice

To be led, only by your voice

To be bold and unafraid

Knowing I am covered, I am safe

For even now, in my need

You are proving yet again to me,

                                               You are there, You are there, Always there”

                                                                   -Jeremy Riddle-

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ by grace you have been saved and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:4-6

SOZO House 2

Love Came Down

"So they took Jesus, and he went out bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with Him two others, one of either side, and Jesus between them. Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." John 19:16b-19.

As we approach Easter pray about what God wanted me to get out of most this weekend and the week leading up to Easter, by taking the time to sit and meditate on the Easter holiday. Over the years I have just seen Easter as the time my God sent His one and only son to come to earth, live among us and then to die for our sins because without that sacrifice we were incapable of spending eternity with God because of the sinners we are. God put a burden on my heart to meditate more about the Easter season more this year and over the past couple of days I have done exactly that and this is was i believe God was trying to tell me and show me.

My life in Christ was never meant to be the easiest thing in the world. Christ didn't say, follow me and you will never again struggle or have hardships but in John 15 "If they persecute me, they will also persecute you." We live in a world that is full of hardships whether it deals with family, friends, school, jobs, or just day to day life. Christ himself faced hardships while on this earth, so why should we ever think our life should be perfect. Why should we ever think we deserve to have a life without hardships? The only man to ever walk this earth that was perfect faced abuse, denial, hatred each day of his life after His ministry started. So what does that tell us? It tells us that is we are doing what we are called to do, minister to the world, then we will face hardships because we are the hands and feet of Christ. The road we walk in life is steep at times, and storms will cover us some of the days of our lives but unless we give up we have Hope. "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." Psalm 23:4

Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior of our souls took on my burden, took on your burdens and sins and died for you and I. He DIED for you and I.....WHY? Because He loves us. He loves us regardless of our sins, regardless of what you have done or will do, He loves us. Easter is that time of remembrance. Remembrance of the day Jesus Christ gave Himself up to the Roman guards, stood in front of Pilate as the same people who embraced Him a few days ago with Palm Tree Leaves, shout "Crucify Him, Crucify Him," as he is strips of his garments, leaned over and was beatin and whipped with a cat of 9 tails, had a crown of thorns put on Him and was led up a hill to then be nailed to a cross, risen up and mocked until the time he took His last breath and GAVE UP his spirit. At anytime Christ could have called the whole thing off and been rescued by angels but instead he took the punishment and was crucified for US! And is no means do I deserve that. I am not a man good enough for someone as perfect as Christ to die for me, much less good enough for anyone to die for me. But through the Crucifixion we were given Salvation, Grace and Hope and that is why Christ died for us. He loved us so much, and wanted to spend eternity with us that He gave up His own life. Before Christ we had nothing. No Hope, No Future, and No Salvation.

Kari Jobe writes a song called "Love Came Down," and the Chorus says:


Love came down and rescued me
Love came down and set me free
I am Yours
Lord I'm forever Yours
Mountains high or valley low
I sing out and remind my soul
I am Yours
I am forever Yours


We are FOREVER in God's hands and God is in control, He was in control of the Crucifixion and is in control of this earth and all that goes on in it. We have the choice whether to rely on Him or not but if we give ourselves over God, He has the power to control our lives. My main point of this blog is for the person reading this to understand that God is in control of all things and no matter what is happening in your life, never feel that God has abandoned you or that He has some how lost control of His plan for you. God has a plan for you and like Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For i know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and HOPE." God is our hope and as long as we rely on Him in all things, it will always work out in the end. "And we know that for those who love God all things work for the good, for those who are called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28. God works in the good, but He also works in the bad, just like He did in the Crucifixion of His son. James says in chapter 1, "Consider it pure joy my brothers when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. James is saying that in times of struggle rejoice in the fact that good will come from it. God works in times of struggle and will always bring good things from it, and will allow Himself to be glorified through it.

But if we give up and lose focus on who is in control, Satan wins. If we begin to rely fully on ourselves and what WE want to do or what WE want others to do, Satan wins. Satan sits and waits on any opportunity to strike in any aspect of our life. God is with us wherever we go, as long as we believe in Him and remember that He cares for us daily. "Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed; He will answer Him from a Holy Heaven with the saving might of His right hand." Psalm 20:6. 


During this Easter time remember that God plan is perfect and through the good and the bad God will always prosper and have Glory in the end. My prayer for those reading this, is that you sit and meditate on the Easter time as well. Allow your spirit and self to be open to what God wants to say to you. I pray that you always trust in God and know that He is in power of all things. Though sometimes you and I can't see it at first, we must Hope in the fact that God is in control, and in the end, struggles will cease to exist, and we will all be with the Father and Son and we will dwell in His Glorious Reign Forever and Ever!


Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:1-4


JESUS REIGNS, OVER ALL, HE REIGNS! FOREVER AND EVER....AMEN


May God Bless you and your family over this Easter Holiday.