I’m excited to join my dad on his broadcast, Bible Talk, tomorrow (later today actually). We’ll be discussing Self Acceptance and how every person can enjoy who they are and also can venture to find the undiscovered parts of themselves that is hidden in a relationship with their Maker, Jesus Christ.
The broadcast will be on local television here in Antigua. We should be receiving a copy of the episode. I’m praying that I will be able to share it with you all.
Please pray that our viewers will not see us, but rather two people who are imperfect, but are imparting a heartful message by One who is Perfect and who can perfect all broken lives.
Pray also that I can lay go of pride for the Spirit to move in me to share my personal struggles with self acceptance when opportunity is given. Ask for honesty and grace to do our jobs well on this program.
I was mediating today and I was thinking about the name of Jesus. I was thinking how at the name of Jesus, people turn mute; faces translate heart secrets: Men rage, women sigh, a child presses his eyebrows toward the center of his face, exposing curiosity.
Can we say that speaking the name Jesus has a supernatural effect on people? I want to believe so.
We do know that there is power in His name:
> We find Life:
“But these (the words to the Gospel of John) are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.” -John 20:31
>We get Access:
“…Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you.” -John 16:23b
>We are freed from sin:
“I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.” -1 John 2:12
We also see that there is a day that everyone observe and reverence the name of Jesus:
“That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” -Philippians 2:10-11.
What’s in a name? Well, there is a lot to this one.
“The wicked flee when no one pursues, But the righteous are bold as a lion.” -Proverbs 28:1
Fear should never be listed in the Christian vocabulary. Only the wicked should be afraid because they should fear punishment coming for their wrong. Solomon contrasts the cowardly wicked to the boldly righteous. While the wicked run away when no chases them, the godly are described as lions – bold and unafraid. Where is the source of this boldness? It is found in the love that is in God.
“And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.” (1 John 4:6).
God is love and when we find ourselves in love we are in fellowship with God. God’s love is as strong as death (Song 8:6) and nothing is able to separate us from it (Rom 8:39).
According to the Apostle John, fear doesn’t even exist in the presence of love: “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love” (1 John 4:7).
If we are afraid, then we are showing that we are fearing of being punished. Unless we deserve to be punished for something, we should never express fear in our faith. Romans 8:1 says, “there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus”.
Rather then cower in fear, we should always demonstrate God-bred boldness knowing that “we are more than conquerors through Him that love us” (Rom 8:37) and that “greater is He that is in us [you] than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4). Let us thank God who has given us the victory over all things through Christ Jesus (1 Cor 15:57) and by this we never have to be afraid.
Time has a way of changing things. My Sunday school class are not the same bunch of kids that I reared from juniors. When I started teaching Sunday school, some of my students were in diapers. Today, I returned home to find them carrying around baby diapers, playing babysitting for their families.
At one time, counting numbers was a class favorite; Last Saturday, I sat with my two eldest students talking about college. Time does changes, and I feel that it has gotten the best of me again.
The most irritating question I have seemingly poking at the side of the head is, “Did they get it?”
Did they understand that the God that created auroras, alligators and atoms is the same God that they can know personally?
Did they understand when someone wrongs them that love covers a multitude of sins? And God calls us the forgiven to always forgive?
Did they learn that those verses we rehearse over and over again are the words of Jesus, and they are a light guiding our feet and leading our path to a blessed, complete life?
I guess the core question I want to ask is if I fulfill my job as a teacher. I don’t think I’ll ever fully know that answer.
A consolation for me is Mark 4:26-29 – Jesus’ Parable of the Growing Seeds. Jesus conveys a man planting. He scatters some seeds on the ground and leaves it to grow. Days pass, and the farmer witnesses a ripe harvest.
The earth yielded the crop on its own, only for the farmer to reap the produce. The most important role the farmer played was planting the seed. How much growth of God’s Kingdom is out of hands?
We don’t know, but one day we will witness a final reaping, and all we have sown into the people in our lives will show its produce.
Again, I don’t know how much they got, but God gave me some relief when I witnessed one of my students sitting with the toddlers, teaching them a Bible story. I smiled at that.
“Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you.” -Genesis 12:1
Abraham followed the still voice of God. The same still voice that Samuel heard in the night; the same still voice that Elijah heard after the whirlwind now called Abraham to venture forth and found the nation of Israel. The Voice wanted him to leave the safety of his family, to abandon the norm of his culture, to forsake the security of his homeland –to follow a promise. The promise to bless a people and the promise to free them of their sin.
The command from God to Abraham can sound bizarre. Leave all comfort to venture into uncertainty. Abraham most likely faced conflict with his family. The idea of following the direction of an unknown God probably seemed absurd to them. Yet Abraham obeyed God and did as God had spoken to him to do (Genesis 12:4).
What is God impressing on you to do that seems out of the comfort zone? Sometimes the very thing you don’t want to do is the precise path God wants you to tread.
Observe what God also tells Abraham in Genesis 12: “And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing”
God doesn’t send us anywhere without making a promise that he will use us and take care of us. In Luke 5, Jesus calls Peter to follow him; in addition he foretells to Peter what he will do: you will catch men. Remember that God is our loving Father and that he will not lead us somewhere that he would not assure us that he is in it.
Whether leaving our comfort zone is a conflict of our interest or a challenge of our fear, we should rely on the fact God has a definite purpose in the direction He chooses. He also makes a guaranteed promise that he will bless us. Its in the still small voice of God we hear the great call of our destiny.
A valuable moment in life is when you are reminded to be grateful. I was in Neumünster, Germany, serving at Cafe Jerusalem. Cafe Jerusalem was a coffee shop where the hungry could come and receive a free warm meal and also hear about the Bread of Life -Jesus Christ.
I came with some friends of mine to volunteer for a day at the cafe. As I rotated between waiting people and washing dishes, I was constantly meeting broken people with broken stories. Unemployed. Imprisoned. Homeless. Addicted – all of them consumed with an idea of hopelessness for life.
This led me to think about how good my life is and how great God has blessed me. I stop thinking about how much I would love American peanut butter and began thanking God for His goodness to me.
Look around. You can see enough where you live you are living better than someone else. Take time today and thank Jesus for all that He has given you.
Everybody, it has been awhile since I’ve updated you on what I’ve been up to. My last update was in January at the beginning of my Spring semester at college; it’s now June!
This semester really went by fast. If you asked how I felt about this semester, I would say it felt like lifting weights: It was difficult but very rewarding. Along with many the enjoyable experiences there were many struggles; but it was well worth it, because God used those circumstances, even those difficult ones, to develop His character in me .
Some of the most enjoyable experiences I had on campus included God stretching my faith when He had some friends and I act spontaneously on showing His love to someone in need. We went downtown, found a homeless person, fed him, gave him clothes and then shared the Gospel with him. It was so unusual and spontaneous, but it was so awesome to do something reckless for the cause of Christ!
Probably the greatest joy of this semester was to see my youngest brother, Steven, graduating from college! It’s such a blessing to see all his hard work and sacrifice pay off.
My twin brother David, youngest Steven, Myself and my eldest William
I also was heavily blessed to have my dad and my eldest brother and his family come and visit us for Steve’s graduation! They gave me the cutest nephew in the whole world. Yours is doesn’t even come close (I am biased okay).
Once school closed, summer began inventing fond memories. The ending week of school, my family and I visited the USS Alabama Museum. I was able to relive some ship life while I was onboard (I really miss ship life).
Since I got out for break I was able to attend two weddings, one of which I ushered in. It was a real blessing to be reminded that one day, the sky will break and Jesus will come for us His bride.
Before coming home, I shared two weeks staying with two of my close friends individually at their homes in Indiana and Wisconsin. I really enjoyed to get out to the back-doors of the countryside USA.
Life has been blessing. Every one that comes, from finishing another year at school or being home with my beloved parents, is reminder of God’s sovereignty; and just as brings blessings, He also allows suffering.
My unofficial them verse this semester was the words of Job in Job 1:21 after he loses his property and children: “The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD.”
From all that I experienced this time of the year, this verse harmonized with the value that I need to always praise Christ however my life alters to the good or bad. My affection doesn’t hinge on circumstances, but on His unchanging right as God.
Here’s how you can pray for me:
>Pray that I’ll grow and remain faithful to God. Summer is rampant with temptations.
>They are some summer projects by my church that I will be involved in, including a weekly vacation children Bible school and a possible missions trip. Pray for God’s guidance and grace.
>Pray that Christ will continue to bless and expand my family’s missionary ministry here in Antigua.
I cherish and value your prayers and concern for me as always. Lord bless!
FOLLOW THE SON 