"How many loaves do you have?"

A great crowd of people (several thousand) had been following Jesus for three days, learning about the kingdom of God, witnessing Jesus perform miracles, healing, and casting out demons. After three days, they, Jesus, and the disciples found themselves in a desolate place and out of food. Jesus had compassion on the crowd and told the disciples He did not want to send them away hungry.

And His disciples answered Him, "How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?" And He asked them, "How many loaves do you have?" They said, "Seven." - Mark 8:4-5

If you are familiar with this account, you know what followed. The people sat down, Jesus blessed the bread, broke it, and the disciples set it before all the people and all were fed, both bread and fish, and they took up leftovers and gathered them in seven baskets full.

The simple message I believe the Holy Spirit was getting across to me yesterday as I read this account is this: often we feel just like those disciples. The seven loaves and the few fish we have seem so small, so weak, and so insignificant. They are all we have, but it seems futile to even try and do anything with them when we see the great need before us. But then Jesus asks us, "How many loaves do you have?"

Now, God is certainly not limited in how He works. He can create something out of nothing. He created the universe out of nothing. But, here we see an example of the Lord taking something ordinary and natural - the disciples bread and fish - and doing something supernatural - feeding thousands with it. Often we tend to think we need to have something supernatural to give, or have supernatural power to perform the works of God. The problem is that the supernatural does not come from us, does not originate from us - it comes from God. He is willing to perform the supernatural through us, working in partnership with us, but the means He uses may be natural, like the bread. He takes the natural and exercises His power over it - the supernatural. We do our part, the natural, submitting it to Jesus, and He does what we cannot do - the supernatural.

Sign the petition for the release of 2 Iranian women jailed for their faith

Maryam Rustampoor and Marzieh Amirizadeh have been jailed in Iran since March 5th of 2009. Their crime? Being Christian in a Muslim nation. Throughout their imprisonment, they have suffered ill health, solitary confinement, and hours of interrogation while blind-folded. On August 9th, they appeared before a court and were questioned about their faith and were urged to recant their faith in Jesus Christ verbally and in written form. After affirming their faith in Christ before the court, they were sent back to prison and told by the deputy prosecutor to think about their options and come back to him when they are ready to comply. They replied that they "have already done their thinking."
A petition you can sign petitioning for the release of these two women can be found here: http://www.wnd.com/petition_iran

This is a clear violation of human rights and religious liberty. Incidents such as these (and worse) are happening more and more frequently in Iran and all over the world. If we remain silent on issues such as these, it won't be but a few decades and we'll see this same imposition of dhimmitude right here in America; we can already see it happening in Europe.

Please pray for these young women, and please sign the petition. For more information on their story, visit http://www.adnamis.org/story.cfm?story_id=203

The 'Fall of Capitalism and the Rise of Islam'?

The Khilafah Conference 2009 - America was held today in Oak Lawn, IL, outside of Chicago. A press release about the event on Friday from the group sponsoring the conference, Hizb-ut Tahrir America, stated "the conference will address the era of global change. It will present Islam as a platform for an ideological alternative to replace a failing system that has failed the whole of humanity. From the midst of Africa to the cities of America, people are suffering from the failing policies that have left hundreds of millions of people in hunger and poverty. The conference will emphasize the importance of the Caliphate State (Khilafah) that will introduce a new world order based on equality, justice, and the well being of humanity..."

"What is a Caliphate anyways?" you say? I'm glad you asked. The caliphate refers to a traditional form of government based on Islam. The term also refers to a state that implements such a government. For such a government to exist, there must be a unified nation of Muslim believers, and they would be led by a single head of state referred to as the Caliph. The Caliph is said to derive his authority from the prophet Muhammad himself. The last Caliphate, the Ottoman empire, was ended in 1924 when Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, president of the Republic of Turkey, constitutionally abolished it. There has been desire among some in the Muslim world ever since that time, however, to re-establish the Caliphate. The voices calling for its re-establishment have gotten louder in louder, both in the Muslim world, and now we see it also in the heartland of the good 'ol USA.

You can read more here
and watch the conference promo video

Will the Caliphate be re-established? Will Islam unite and rise to global superpower status? Is capitalism finished? Is America's status as a superpower finished? Will there be an Islamic Anti-Christ? Only time will tell, but this is certainly a time to be spiritually alert, awake, sober, and watchful.

Author Joel Richardson (a pen name) certainly makes a compelling case for the Islamic Anti-Christ in his book with that same title, "The Islamic Anti-Christ"; this book was first released with the title "Anti-Christ: Islam's Awaited Messiah", but it is now being re-released with a new title and some additional, updated information. He specifically contends that the Islamic Anti-Christ will be the Caliph of a revived Caliphate in Turkey, the place of the last Caliphate which ended in 1924, mentioned earlier. My purpose in writing this blog is not to plug Mr. Richardson's book; however, I have found it to be well written, informative, and extremely relevant to the times we live in. Here is a link to that book.

For those students of the Bible and eschatology (the study of the end-times), much of this may be old news to you; for others, you have already dismissed this all as absurd, even as you likely dismiss faith in Jesus Christ as absurd. But for those "in the valley of decision" so to speak, I pray that you would investigate these matters, and may God convince you of the truth and reality of what He has said concerning both the generation of His return, and of all that He has said - and may that truth transform you. In Jesus' name. Amen!

Blow the Trumpet in Zion 2009

"Blow the trumpet in Zion, sound the alarm on My holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming. It is close at hand." -Joel 2:1

The annual Blow the Trumpet in Zion conference at Northern Illinois University in Dekalb, IL will be Friday March 27 - Sunday March 29.

Here is the conferences website. You can still register for the entire assembly or individual sessions. http://zionregister.rolccdekalb.com

The speakers this year are John Mulinde and Mark Daniel of World Trumpet Mission. The ministry and call of World Trumpet Mission is:

First, is to blow the trumpet, warn the people of the nations to wake from whatever slumber we have allowed ourselves, to alert believers to the signs of the times in which we are living, and to prepare for the day of the Lord. To call people to repentance and purity, to return to the Lord and the foundation of the Word. To arouse the body of Christ to complete the mission that the Lord Jesus Christ left it to do.

Secondly, individuals, people groups and nations to come into the fulfillment of their divine redemptive calling and purpose.

Here is their homepage: http://www.worldtrumpet.com

I encourage you to check out their website, watch some of the videos, and/or read some of their resources. I have been really encouraged, refreshed, and stirred by doing this and am in great anticipation for this years conference.

An NFL Class Act Retires

One of the classiest men in football announced his retirement yesterday at a press conference. Tony Dungy, 53, the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts for the past 7 years, is calling it quits. After taking his teams to the playoffs in 10 consecutive season, Dungy's Colts lost in the first round two weekends ago.

I took interest in this story yesterday afternoon as I was listening to sports radio guys predict that Dungy would return A) because he didn't want to end his career with a disappointing playoff loss, and B) because he has a legendary quarterback with many good years left and Super Bowl opportunities in Peyton Manning. I think what they probably did not factor into the equation is that Tony Dungy's priorities are God, family, and football - in that order. Whereas other men might have stuck around longer for records, trophies, and riches, Tony Dungy realizes that true riches are stored up in heaven.

Dungy plans to spend more time with his family and do some volunteer work. He has been involved with prison ministries for years, and says he has a heart to reach out to young men in his community. "Where my heart is, is really with our young men right now," Dungy said. "We have so many guys that didn't grow up like me, didn't have their dad there and that's something I'm very, very interested in."

Congratulations to Tony Dungy on your retirement and blessings as you move forward!

Some of the comments and information for this post was taken off espn.com's website. You can read their full story here.

I challenge you to read the entire Bible in 2009 - It's doable!

If you are reading this and have never read the Bible, or have not read most of it, I challenge you an encourage you this year to read the whole thing. It seems like a daunting task, but it's really not that tough. In about three and a half chapters a day, you can have read through the entire Bible by Jan. 1 2010. Keep in mind, Bible chapters are only about 1-3 pages long, so we're talking anywhere from 15 minutes to 45 minutes a day (45 min is even a bit of a stretch, but I myself am a slow reader). There are many good reading plans out there to help you, or you can make up your own plan. Here's a link to help you get started:
http://www.backtothebible.org/index.php/Bible-Reading-Guides.html

I set my mind to read the Bible through in the fall semester of 2003, and it absolutely changed my life; I encountered the Living God! And you can too, for "all who seek, find."

A few more reasons you should take up the challenge to read the Bible in 2009:

The Bible is the best selling book of all time, and the most printed book of all time.

"The word of God is living and active..."

"Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

If you don't have a Bible, there are many available online, at libraries, at churches, or just ask and I'll send you one.

I am passionate about both believers and non-believers reading the word of God - Taste and see! You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free!

Blessings to you in 2009 my friend.

Plans for 2009

This is somewhat of a re-post of a post I did at this time last year entitled, "Plans for 2008," with a few updates. Enjoy! And don't forget to post a comment with some of your plans/resolutions, etc.

This time of year is always a great time to reflect on the past year and all that has happened, all that God did, and to also look ahead and make plans for the next year, according to the dreams and visions God has planted in your heart. With this in mind, here are some Scriptures (NLT) about making plans:


I know, Lord, that our lives are not our own.We are not able to plan our own course. - Jeremiah 10:23

May he grant your heart’s desiresand make all your plans succeed. - Psalm 20:4

The Lord will work out his plans for my life—for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever.Don’t abandon me, for you made me. - Psalm 138:8

Plans go wrong for lack of advice;many advisers bring success. - Psalm 15:22

We can make our own plans,but the Lord gives the right answer.
Commit your actions to the Lord,and your plans will succeed.
We can make our plans,but the Lord determines our steps. - Proverbs 16:1,3,9

You can make many plans,but the Lord’s purpose will prevail. - Proverbs 19:21

“What sorrow awaits my rebellious children,”says the Lord.“You make plans that are contrary to mine.You make alliances not directed by my Spirit,thus piling up your sins." - Isaiah 30:1

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. - Jeremiah 29:11

What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” Otherwise you are boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil. - James 4:15-16

Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain... -Psalms 127:1 (this one doesn't contain the word "plan", but you get the idea.)

So what are some of my plans? (I thought I would include last years for review first:)
- Like most Americans, I plan to eat healthier and exercise more in 2008 (this had its ups and downs)
- I plan to take some classes and prepare myself for grad school (no classes yet; started taking a Stats class, then found out I didn't need it; got hired in St. Cloud, moved there, got accepted to grad school here, and will begin classes this January)
- I plan to get my first credit card (finally got this one done in September - no missed payments, and not planning on any!)
- I plan to find a Christian primary care doctor in the metro area (anyone got any suggestions?) (moved away, so this one never got accomplished)
- I plan to have more children, spiritually speaking (none that I know of this year...)

Now for 2009:
-finish 12 credits and pay in full (no student loans!)
-once again, to consistently exercise and eat regular meals. I got a slow cooker recently, so I expect that to help - throw food in, turn on, go to work, and come home to dinner...i think that's how it works...
-Once again, I plan to have more children, spiritually speaking. If nothing else, I want to be sowing lots of seed - he who sows much will reap much; he who sows little will reap little
-I would like to visit my family a little more this year. I realize as I get older that your visits home decrease, but I would like to be with my family a little more this year
-use no sick leave at work (we are alloted somewhere around 35 hours a year of sick pay; I'm believing for God to keep me in good health, not using any sick time, that God may be glorified in that and be a testimony to my employer)

That's enough of mine to share; How about you? Take some time this week to sit down and reflect on how the 168 hours you spend each week is or is not being applied to achieve the things God has placed in your heart. Feel free to reply with some of your plans, I'd love to hear about them.

Happy New Year!

Timing

Do events in our life just happen? Or is there an "appointed time" for them? Sometimes we strive and work so hard to make stuff happen, but to no avail it seems. There are all sorts of reasons why we may be unsuccessful; it has become clear to me lately that one reason is often timing.

Take Elizabeth and Zechariah, for instance. "They were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both well advanced in years." We are also told that they were both "righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commands and decrees blamelessly." How many times do you think they must have prayed for a child? How many times do you think they saw their friends and family bear children and think, "Why not us? What have we done wrong?" Elizabeth "felt disgrace among the people." Do you ever feel like that? How come so and so got a husband or wife, but I have not? Will I ever get married? When will I get that perfect job I've been working so hard for? So and so go it right out of college, but here I am stuck doing such and such. When will we bear children? The list goes on and on...

For one thing, our heart attitudes are being purified as we wait. But also, there's an "appointed time". Zechariah "was chosen by lot" to go in and burn incense before the Lord in his priestly role. It was then that he was encountered by an angel who said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John." He and his wife's prayers had been heard; they were not forgotten! The angel goes on to tell him, "...my words will come true at their appointed time."

There's always so much more going on behind the scenes in any situation that we have no clue about. Often times, pieces are moving into place and stuff is happening in our lives and in the world around us in preparation for a "breakthrough" if you will in whatever thing we are working for and dreaming of.

Again, with Elizabeth and Zechariah, we know that "in the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David." This Mary, as you know, is the mother of Jesus Christ - God in the flesh! This Mary is also the cousin of Elizabeth. And this child in Elizabeth's womb (John the Baptist) is destined to go before and prepare the way for Jesus. There was an "appointed time" when Mary would be old enough to carry a child and to be betrothed to a man, for the boy Jesus would need a earthly mother and father. And so, there was an "appointed time" for Zechariah and Elizabeth as well, for God's glory! I'm sure that they found it to be well worth the wait!

So, if the mountain doesn't seem to be moving for you right now, it may just be that it's not the right timing. Don't give up! Jesus Christ is the Lord of the breakthrough!When you have the confidence that what you're workig for is God's desire too, you can stand on God's promise: "For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay." It only seems to delay, because our sense of time is so limited. Just think of all that's happened in the last month, year, and decade. So much is going to happen in the next month, year, and decade. It will not delay, so praise God and enjoy the journey!

The Latest - 10-10-08

Here's the latest on what's been happening in the life of Cole.

Last week was the Walk for Life, for the Pregnancy Resource Center of St. Cloud. Thanks to all who gave to this! We (you and I) managed to raise $255 towards the over $60,000 that was raised from the walk. The top money raiser was a lady who raised $8,000! I was tremendously blessed by the walk, and especially to see all the children and families there. I miss all the young lives and families at Maranatha Church in Minneapolis. One family I met had 10 children, and another in the womb! That greatly increases my faith for the 15 I want to have! :-)

I received a letter from my birth mother today, as a reply to one I sent to her last week. She mentioned how her mother had been active in the fight for life in the womb, and instrumental in establishing WI Right to Life. She is likely a big reason I myself am alive today. She, my birth mother, also mentioned how she has followed in her mother's footsteps and prays outside of planned parenthood weekly, for both the women and the unborn babies. I was blessed by these and other shared likenesses between myself and my birth mother and her family. May the Lord purge our land of the guilt of 35 years of shedding innocent blood!

The global financial crisis/credit crunch/bank failures/etc. have really opened up some good discussion with some co-workers about security, trust, and the things that can be shaken versus that which cannot, or rather Him who cannot, be shaken. Praying for Jesus to magnified and draw people to Himself at my job through the witness of myself and other like-minded Christians.

No great exploits to testify of at this time; my life lately seems to resemble that of Psalm 37:3, that of one seeking to "dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness", spending time with those God puts along my path on the campus at SCSU and seeking to do my job with excellence, enjoying the company and fellowship of ordinary brothers and sisters in Christ.

That's it for this post...Uphold me in your prayers as the Holy Spirit brings me into your remembrance.

Update for Week of Sept. 8th

Greetings! I'm coming to you this evening from one of my favorite places in the world...the library! Saint Cloud State University's library to be specific. A friend of mine showed me a username and password that will work continously, otherwise the guest accounts on their computers sign you off every ten minutes. So, thanks to Mikiyas, I am able to blog this evening.

"Why wouldn't you simply blog from the comfort of your own living room," you ask? Well, as of right now, I have no television or internet at my apartment. Besides my cell phone, I am cut off from the outside world. But, after sitting in front of a computer for eight hours a day, I would rather go home and do something else besides be on the internet. These days I pass the time with some guitar practice and a LOT of reading. Currently I am reading the Gospel of John, the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah, Frank Damazaio's "The Making of A Leader", "Measuring Up:The Business Case for GIS", and E.M. Bounds' "The Neccessity of Prayer." From time to time i will indulge myself in a novel as well; last Friday night I read C.S. Lewis' "The Great Divorce" cover to cover. Here's a small nugget from Bounds: "Prayer is the task and duty of each recurring day - daily prayer for daily needs. As every day demands its bread, so every day demands prayer. No amount of praying, done today, will suffice for tomorrow's praying." How true when we come to view prayer as daily contact, communication, and conversation with a living God!

Another fruitful endeavor as of late has been the study of the Bible; not just devotions. 2 Timothy 2:15 in the Amplified Bible reads, "Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth." Now Bible study alone is certainly no substitute for the anointing of the Holy Spirit, but we can clearly see from the Scripture in Timothy that we must be students of the word. Just as a soldier must be able to properly wield his weapon, even so we, under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, must properly use the word of God, for it is the sword of the Spirit! Another interesting application - that phrase rightly divide is used to picture a father or a steward who slices bread and distributes it as needed among his children or his household. We also must learn to rightly divide the bread (God's Word) and distribute it or apply it as needed to those around us in the church and in the world.

Speaking of the world, has anyone else noticed how deaf and blind the world around us seems to be to the times we live in? Every day reading or listening to the global news is like reading or listenig to a commentary on Biblical prophecy. It is truly amazing to watch the nations and events of the world move all the pieces into place. Jesus said this in regards to watching for His return, "From the fig tree learn this lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that He is near, even at the gates (or at the door)." He is coming like a "thief in the night" for all without ears to hear and eyes to see, but for those with ears to hear and eyes to see, this is one amazing time to be living!

There's a certain tension (i don't mean stress) involved with living in a time when all your plans and how you imagine life will be, the "status quo" if you will, is always on the brink of unraveling. It's in that tension, however, that we can learn to trust God and have our life so joined with Him and in Him that we're not disappointed that all our plans don't pan out, we're not fearful of the future, and we're able to serve a world around us who are freaking out. The people of God are like those who see a storm coming in the distance and prepare ahead of time, blessing those around us who are ill-prepared physically, emotionally, spiritually.

Well, I suppose that's enough blogging for one evening. I hope to perhaps write a blog update like this every week or so.

Powerful Video Drama from GodTube

I just watched this video drama on GodTube and found it to be powerful; enjoy!

The Pursuit of Purity

I was a bit shocked and very encouraged to find the front page article on CNN.com this afternoon was "The Pursuit of Purity." At over 4,000 purity events that take place annually in the U.S., such as the Father-Daughter Purity Ball, fathers are committing to be involved in their daughter's lives, including their relationships with the opposite sex, and to being good role models and protecting their families by not allowing adultery or the spirit of adultery to enter their homes through pornography. Daughters, from as young as 4 yrs old to college age, are committing to wait until marriage to lose their virginity, and to submit to their parents God given authority and covering over their lives by involving them in their relationship decisions.
The critics/sexual perverts shun and mock such ideas as archaic and backwards; to this I say "Let evildoers do their worst and the dirty-minded go all out in pollution, but let the righteous maintain a straight course and the holy continue on in holiness." (Revelation 22:11)

Read the rest of the article here.

God at the Home Run Derby

Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton hit 28 home runs in the first round of Major League Baseball's home run derby on Monday night from New York's Yankke Stadium, setting a new record. During the round, the announcers talked about Hamilton's tatoos and how he wished he had never got them, and had tried to have them removed several times. They said he had got them when he was on drugs a few years back.
I had never heard of Josh Hamilton before Monday, but apparently his story has become fairly well known. After being the top draft pick in 1999, he got on heroine and crack, I believe, shortly thereafter. In 2005, with the help and prayers of his grandmother, he turned back to God and was set free from his addiction. John 8:36 says "He who the Son sets free is free indeed."


Anyhow, back to Monday night. As I'm watching and listening to Hamilton's story, I am realizing that the guy is a Christian and Jesus set him free from his addiction (the announcers had not mentioned that part). As he continues to belt baseballs out of the park, they start talking about how he had had a dream about being interviewed at the home run derby in Yankee Stadium (some time ago, even before it was known that it would be at Yankee Stadium, or that Hamilton would be a part of it).
At this point, I'm sure the guy is a Christian. After the round, before they go to commercial, they interview him. I don't remember what questions they asked him, but his response to maybe 2 of the 3 or 4 questions was "Praise God" or "I thank God". What a stage to be able to give God the glory! Then, after the interview, the announcer throws out some comment like "What a show put on by Josh Hamilton...it's a difficult night to be an atheist, that's for sure!" I had to laugh, it was great. Though he ended up losing in the finals, he was undoubtedly the highlight of the night!
Though this might seem like a rather simple and unspectacular act of praise, it certainly brought me great joy to see God exalt His servant Josh on such a big stage, and Josh exalt his Savior in return!
Praise really is that simple, though. Praise is defined as: 1. expressing admiration, approval, commendation, laudation 2. offering grateful homage 3.to exalt or extol 4. to voice approbation or esteem 5. worship, value
When we give God praise we simply give voice to our the gratitude, admiration, and esteem that we have and feel towards our awesome Creator, especially in the presence of others.
Truly, as the Psalm 147:1 says, "It is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting." Congratulations again to Josh Hamilton; may we all simply give God the praise He is due, for who He is and what He has done...Praise the Lord!
Read Josh Hamilton tell his own story of redemption here.

On Change

In wandering around St. Cloud State University's library this evening, I came across some gems in James Hasting's The Great Texts of the Bible series. One particularly interesting exposition was on Isaiah 6 - In the year King Uzziah died.

Here's the principle verse, from Isaiah 6:1 :
"In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple."

The emphasis of the exposition is that change, particularly moving OUT of the comfort zone, the familiar, the trusted and the reliable, is often calculated and orchestrated by God to lift our vision UP from the things that are shakable and temporal and unto Him who alone is unmovable and eternal.

In light of the many changes and transitions occurring in both my life and the lives of those close to me in my church family, I found this exposition to be insightful and edifying. Enjoy!


"God never empties places in our homes and hearts, or in the nation or the Church, without being ready to fill them. He sometimes empties them that He may fill them. Sorrow and loss are meant to prepare us for the vision of God, and their effect should be to purge the inward eye, that it may see Him. When the leaves drop from the forest trees we can see the blue sky which their dense abundance hid. Well for us if the passing of all that can pass drives us to Him who cannot pass, if the unchanging God stands out more clear, more near, more dear, because of change.
This accounts for a great many of the dark experiences in life. God puts out our little light that we may see Him the better. When you are looking out the window at night, gazing towards the sky, you will see the stars more clearly if you put out your gaslight. That is what God has to do for us. He has to put out the secondary lights in order that we may see the eternal light. Uzziah has to die, in order that we may see it is God who lives. God has continually to take away our little kings, the weak repositories of our trust, in order to show that we have given a false emphasis to life. He takes away that which we regarded as the keystone, in order to reveal to us the real binding-force in life. I have known Him to come to a nation and take away the King of Commercial Property, because when commercial property reigns, men are too prone to forget the Lord."

At the time of Uzziah's death, "He [Isaiah] anticipated an end; he found a new beginning."
It was then Isaiah saw the Lord "high and lifted up", and it was THAT seeing that precipitated Isaiah's sending.

God's good plans

At the request of Scott Leisner, I thought I would share a little bit about my new job, move to Saint Cloud, and my understanding of how God brought it to pass. This is a testimony to HIS faithfulness in my life.
After becoming born again as a sophomore in college in the spring of 2004, I began to ask the Lord to tell me what I should study in college, as I was yet to pick a major, and would have to declare the upcoming fall semester. I had some of my own ideas, but was not really passionate or committed to any of them; I just wanted to tell everyone I met about Jesus.
After a summer of asking and seeking an answer from the Lord, it was on a missions trip to Costa Rica in August of 2004, while driving up through the mountains and overlooking San Jose, that the Holy Spirit whispered "geography" to me, and I knew He was telling me what to study. It was not premeditated, in fact, I wasn't even thinking about school at the time. I didn't know why geography specifically, but it didn't matter. I was just thankful to have something. To be honest, I still don't know why geography. Faith is obedience, whether or not I understand.
Over the following two years, however, my faith was tested, because it just didn't make sense to me. Looking back now, I can see, as I just stated above, that part of God's purpose in this time was to teach me about the nature of faith, and to stand on the word He speaks to me, even and especially when it tarries and does not make sense to me.
Unfortunately, because it did not make sense to me, I did not do geography with all my strength as unto the Lord. I worked hard and got good grades, but what I meant is that I did not attend career fairs, did not take an internship, did not pursue geography much outside of the classroom, etc. In short, I did not PREPARE myself for a job in geography after college. And so, when my last semester came around, instead of putting together resumes and applying for jobs, I took a business opportunity, starting my own business, which, in the moment, seemed much easier.
Over the next 6 months, various circumstances combined to lead to the failure of the original vision I shared with my other friends involved. Several other friends who owned their own businesses in similar fields were gracious enough to take me under their wing and teach me their trade, for which I am forever grateful. That being said, the last year and a half has been what I would describe as a wilderness experience.
The wilderness refers to the time or times Israel and all true sons (and daughters) of Israel spend wandering around without any clear direction or purpose, but simply a promised land which God has promised He would give you for an inheritance.
In the book of Deuteronomy, God gives us a number of reasons for which He leads us out into the wilderness: "He did this to take away your pride and to test you, so things would go well for you in the end." - Deuteronomy 8:16
"This was to teach you that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord." - Deuteronomy 8:3
Most importantly, the wilderness is where we learn to worship God first and foremost for who He is, not just what He gives to us. This was demonstrated in Moses telling God that unless God's presence went with them into the promised land, he would rather stay in the wilderness - because God Himself was the real desire of his heart.
This is what the last year and a half have meant to me - a time of humbling, a time of testing, a time of being sustained not so much by food on the table and clothes on my back and a roof over my head, but being sustained by the spoken word of God to my heart at key points along the journey, and most importantly, coming to the realization that God alone can satisfy me; He alone is the real life-giver.
Throughout the last year and a half, the Lord has reminded me again and again about geography, and so I have gone back to the books, back to the lab, and searched out and applied for geography jobs. I had some near misses with job opportunities here in the twin cities, but I always asked the Lord to shut the door if He something greater planned, and He did.
This story is about to end abruptly, but it is getting rather long, and I know how it can get reading such a long blog post. Basically, earlier this month I applied for a job in Saint Cloud, MN and was soon thereafter hired. Throughout the application and interview process, I was full of faith that this is of God. And so, in a little over a week, I will be starting the new job, and by the 1st of June, Lord willing, moving to Saint Cloud, 3 blocks from my job in downtown St. Cloud, and 7 blocks from the heart of Saint Cloud State University. All this is in fulfillment of several words the Lord has spoken to me over the past four years since I've been saved. Glory to God!
I will share more specifics about the job itself in a forthcoming blog, but I think this is enough for now. Now I live happily ever after, right? Well, not quite...Still more promises of God to be fulfilled, still more desert to cross at some point I'm sure, and once you've come into a promise, there are giants in the land to be defeated : "Tear down...smash...cut down...and burn their idols...Hate and reject those things; they must be completely destroyed." - Deuteronomy 7:5, 26
"Be careful not to forget the Lord your God...when you have more of everything, then your heart will become proud. You will forget the Lord your God." - Deuteronomy 8:11, 14
But I am not of those who turn back and forget the Lord my God. I am of those who have faith and are saved. Therefore, I will run with endurance the race that is set before me, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of my faith! (Hebrews 10:39, 12:1-2)

Discover Jesus in the Quran?

In my year and a half driving in the Twin Cities, I've seen many Muslim bumper stickers such as "In Allah we trust", or "House of Islam". However, the one I saw the other day was the first of its kind, that I've seen, and a real sign of where we are prophetically. It read "Discover Jesus in the Quran."
To understand the significance of such a bumper sticker, you should know, if you don't already, that Muslims believe that at the End of the Age, Jesus, or Isa as they call Him, will return, but not as the Jewish Messiah, but as a radical Muslim, clearing up the misconceptions about Himself that are central to the Christian faith: namely, that He is the Son of God, God incarnate, that He was conceived of the Holy Spirit, and that He was crucified, buried and resurrected.
A lot more could be said about this here; I highly recommend the book by Joel Richardson titled "Anti-Christ: Islam's Awaited Messiah". This book compares islamic and Christian eschatology, and rightly identifies the coming "Mahdi" of the Muslims as the Anti-Christ spoken of in the Bible. This man, al-Mahdi, is the one who Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad believes himself to be the forerunner of, preparing the way for this world Islamic leader to arise. Anyhow, if you want a copy, you can find it on amazon, and if you need more convincing, I'll even BUY you one, just let me know.
During a recent dialogue with a Muslim friend of mine, he asked if he could invite along another "Christian" friend of his to join us. It turned out this "Christian" friend of his is a Catholic who he has been meeting with and converting to Islam. He was likely allured by the idea of encountering Jesus in the Quran. So, this meeting with the two of them, and seeing that bumper sticker are a wake up call to me. Like Europe, the secularization of our country is making it offensive and unacceptable to believe the Bible. You can have your churches, and your holidays, and even honor Jesus as a humanitarian; but to suggest dogmatically that the Bible is the literal word of God, and that truth is not relative but absolute, that can no longer be tolerated.
Somehow, however, Islam, the most intolerable religion on the face of the planet, slips under the radar screen of the women's rights people, and the gay rights people, and the human rights people. The whole secularized society is duped by Islam's front of being the religion of peace. America needs to wake up! Those who love the lie will be given over, by God, to a spirit of deception, because they loved not the truth, because they loved not God. Already, nominal Christians in America and across the globe are being converted to Islam, which allows them to hold onto some semblance of Jesus Christ, but do not have to be looked at by the world as foolish for believing the Bible to be literal in its account of creation, or in any of its other miraculous and supernatural events. They can hold onto religion, which the soul of man craves, and yet be accepted and tolerated in the world.
My friends, do not be deceived. Without Jesus' shed blood, death, burial and resurrection, there is no salvation. The spirit of Anti-Christ is at work in the world, deceiving the willing, those who love their sin, who love falsehood, The love of the truth will protect you in the end; Jesus Christ is the truth (John 14:6).

Plans for 2008

This time of year is always a great time to reflect on the past year and all that has happened, all that God did, and to also look ahead and make plans for the next year, according to the dreams and visions God has planted in your heart. With this in mind, here are some Scriptures (NLT) about making plans:

If you plan to do evil, you will be lost;if you plan to do good, you will receive unfailing love and faithfulness. -Proverbs 14:22

I know, Lord, that our lives are not our own.We are not able to plan our own course. - Jeremiah 10:23

May he grant your heart’s desiresand make all your plans succeed. - Psalm 20:4

The Lord will work out his plans for my life—for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever.Don’t abandon me, for you made me. - Psalm 138:8

Plans go wrong for lack of advice;many advisers bring success. - Psalm 15:22

We can make our own plans,but the Lord gives the right answer.
Commit your actions to the Lord,and your plans will succeed.
We can make our plans,but the Lord determines our steps. - Proverbs 16:1,3,9

You can make many plans,but the Lord’s purpose will prevail. - Proverbs 19:21

“What sorrow awaits my rebellious children,”says the Lord.“You make plans that are contrary to mine.You make alliances not directed by my Spirit,thus piling up your sins." - Isaiah 30:1

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. - Jeremiah 29:11

What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” Otherwise you are boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil. - James 4:15-16

So what are some of my plans?
- Like most Americans, I plan to eat healthier and exercise more in 2008
- I plan to take some classes and prepare myself for grad school
- I plan to get my first credit card
- I plan to find a Christian primary care doctor in the metro area (anyone got any suggestions?)
- I plan to have more children, spiritually speaking

How about you? Take some time this week to sit down and reflect on how the 168 hours you spend each week is or is not being applied to achieve the things God has placed in your heart. Feel free to reply with some of your plans, I'd love to hear about them.

Happy New Year!

Ascending

Psalm 126 is from a group of Psalms labeled "Song of Ascents". Most scholars agree that the songs of ascents were songs sung by pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem bringing their praise and sacrifices to the Lord for various feasts and festivals. It is an ascent because one "goes up" to Jerusalem, and also "goes up" within the temple itself.

What struck me as I read Psalm 126 was how many times the words we, our, they, them, and us occur. In a psalm of 6 verses, these words appear 9 times. This is a psalm in the plural - the people of God. This is a song of ascents. We do not ascend to the holy city alone; we're in this together. We need one another, not because God is not sufficient in Himself for us, but because He desires to perfect us by causing us to ascend together, relying on one another's prayers, encouragements, corrections, faith, and love. Community life is a privilege and a blessing, sharing our life together, ascending unto the New Jerusalem as pilgrims in the earth, the body of Christ.

"The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad." - Psalm 126:4

Atheism in America

The number of atheists in America doubled from 1991 to 2001 according to the American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS). As of 2001, there were nearly 30 million atheists in the country. Although the majority of Americans still identify themselves as Christians, 30 million atheists do make up a significant percentage of the population (about 10%), and their numbers are on the increase. You can read the rest of this article, which is mostly about atheists in politics, here.

It seems to me that the results of atheism's rise are two fold. First, the Church is silenced. Laws are passed which make it illegal to speak out publicly against homosexuality and other kinds of immorality. Churches then must either go to jail, compromise, or go underground. Then, Islam fills the vacuum created by the absence of Christianity. Secularism/atheism/humanism is a bankrupt system and will collapse in the face of Islam. Be have begun to see this whole pattern play out in Europe; will it happen here in the states as well? I believe the presidential election in November will be a great litmus test to see where we are and where we are headed as a nation.

Noah's Remarkable Faith

Noah is a man of remarkable faith, who found grace in the sight of God during one of the most vile, corrupt, wicked and violent periods of human history. I don't know about you, but I want to be prepared also to stand faithful to God in the midst of an even more perverse generation than Noah's.

Jesus says, "as in the days of Noah, so it shall be in the coming of the Son of Man."
- Matthew 24:37

"The earth was corrupt before God...filled with violence...all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth..." - Genesis 6:11-12

Noah, however, "did according to ALL that God commanded him." - Genesis 6:22

"By faith Noah, being warned of God of THINGS NOT SEEN AS YET, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house..." - Hebrews 11:7

Blessed are we who have not seen, and yet believe (John 20:29), for He is coming quickly and His reward is with Him (Revelation 22:12) !