Trip to Boston

Last weekend I had the opportunity to travel to Boston. There is a church there that we are partners with. Camille and I left New York on Thursday on the Fung Wah Bus. This is the cheapest way to travel between the two cities. It was $30 round trip. It was quite the experience. While in Boston we were able to walk the Freedom Trail. This is a trail that covers all of the historic places in Boston to see. We saw Harvard, Bunker Hill Monument, Old North Church, and visited some cemeteries where our founding fathers lay buried.

The church that we worked with was Reunion Christian Church. They were started about 9 months after Forefront. The church is mostly composed of young families and college students. It was great to expereience a different church, but one that was still doing ministry in an urban environment. Here are some of my pictures from the weekend.

Boston Skyline

Bunker Hill Monument

Paul Revere's Tomb

Samuel Adams Tomb

USS Constitituion--Old Ironsides

Statue of Paul Revere outside of Old North Church

Old North Church

Getting Back To The Basics

This past week has been full of lessons from God. They are some of the simplest lessons to learn. I have been reading the book by Brennan Manning called The Rafamuffin Gospel. In this book Brennan writes to encourage Christians to realize the true meaning of God's grace and love. He writes all about how Jesus ate and entertained with the least of these, and we too are the least of these. We cannot earn anything from God, but rather he has chosen to lavish his love on us.

When I was reading this book, God really worked on my heart. He taught me that I am his child and nothing can take me away from his love. Here is an excerpt that really taught me a lot.

"The question which the gospel of grace puts to us is simply this: Who shall separate you from the love of Christ? What are you afraid of?
Are you afraid that your weakness could separate you from the love of Christ? It can’t.
Are you afraid that your inadequacies could separate you from the love of Christ? They can’t.
Are you afraid that your inner poverty could separate you from the love of Christ? It can’t.
Difficult marriage, loneliness, anxiety over the children’s future? They can’t.
Economic hardship, racial hatred, street crime? They can’t.
Rejection by loved ones or the suffering of loved ones? They can’t.
Persecution by authorities, going to jail? They can’t.
Nuclear war? It can’t.
Mistakes, fears, uncertainties? They can’t.
The gospel of grace calls out: Nothing can ever separate you from the love of God made visible in Christ Jesus our Lord. You must be convinced of this, trust it, and never forget to remember. Everything else will pass away, but the love of Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. Faith will become vision, hope will become possession, but the love of Jesus Christ that is stronger than death endures forever. In the end, it is the one thing you hang onto."

This really struck a cord with me. I have always heard this truth, but it really sunk in when I read it. Paul talks about this same thing in Romans 8:28-29. Paul writes "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Brennan was right on with calling us to realize that nothing can separate us from the love and grace and mercy of God. God loves just how we are. We don't have to worry about pleasing other people or living up to anyone's standards except God's.

This sounds so simple and probably have all heard it a hundred times before. But sometimes we just need to get back to the basics of our faith to truly find God's grace. We need to get rid of everything that hinders us--our fears, our desires, the traditions of the church, and our selves. Once we get back to the basics, we will find God's grace and love.

Fourth of July

These were some pictures that I took during the fireworks display. They were kind of a let down, but it was also because it was rainy and nasty outside, but I really do think that I saw better ones back home in Wichita!

God's Lessons

My summer is almost half over and God is teaching a lot of things. I know that I have already mentioned how Mark 6:34 is being driven into my life. I am slowly learning to see people how Jesus saw them, to see them with compassion. Being in New York just the little time that I have, I have caught myself getting caught up in the business of the city and the materialism of the city. There are times that I find myself just ignoring those around me because I just want to get to where I am going. It is sad but it is true. But at the same time, I see my heart for compassion growing. I have helped a man eat dinner one night and was able to be a light to him, even if it was just for a few moments. I have started thinking of ways that I can help back in Joplin and even Wichita, of ways that I can live out my life in a more full way.

It gives new meaning to what Jesus said to his disciples in John 10:10. He says "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." Jesus was in a discussion with them describing who he was; describing to him that he was the Good Shepherd and the Gatekeeper. We are his sheep that he keeps his watches over. Only when we know that Jesus came to give us life and that we know that he holds us in his hands, will we have life to full. We must live out our faith if we are going to live a full life.

Heavenly Father, I pray that you continue to mold me and shape into the person that you want me to be. I am learning a lot here in the city and I ask that you continue to teach me throughout whatever way you wish. I ask that you help me to live out my life fully and let others know that I follow you. Please continue to give me the courage to reach out to those I see and to take the opportunities that you give me. Amen.

Human Trafficking, Africa, and God's Creation

I just got done reading a book called The Natashas. It is a book that is about the human sex traffic in Eastern Europe. The book was a great read and was very informative for both the good and the bad. No detail was spared, and nothing was left untouched. Even criticizing America for our lack of discipline on those who traffic woman for the sex trade. One of the most important lessons that I learned was the my lack of compassion for the girls that I see that work in bars and clubs. I always assumed that this was something that they wanted to do, and sometimes it is, but there are a lot of times that the girls are forced into prostitution--they are slaves. The book talked about situations that happened here in New York City, which made me sick to my stomach. The place I am living, working and doing ministry is a place where girls are forced in to the sex trade. It disgusts me.

Today I was talking to one of my friends from West Africa. He just finished his freshman year at Ghana Christian College. He really wants to be a pastor and serve God's people. We were just talking about school and he said his freshman year was a little rough due to peer pressure. I asked him what kind and he said pressure to sleep with girls. I was couldn't believe this. He said that he knew better so he hasn't, but the pressure was there. This just really saddened. I never would have thought that this attitude of sex would have reached a W. Africa. It breaks my heart, especially to know that this attitude toward girls is pushed by those of us in the wester world (Europe and United States). These people would not have had these desires if it was not for our wanting to colonize them and make them like us. I commended him for remaining strong and assured him that God will reward him for his faithfulness.

I just couldn't believe what he told me. We in the USA are so proud of our culture, or values and ethics even though they are really nothing to proud of. Hollywood glamourizes sex and relationships and everyone in the world sees this as the attitude of all of America. People no longer care about the covenant of marriage or serving God faithfully by following his ethics and values (I know that there are exceptions to this, but that is how America is perceived by the world). What makes this even worse is that people associate these attitudes with Christianity.

I wish that we could press rewind and see where we went wrong, but we can't. So what are we to do?

God, please be with all of those in the world that have been forced in the sex trade. Let them know that you are not disgusted with them, that you still love them as your creation. Let the women know that you have turned away from them. And Father please be with those men who are studying to go into ministry in W. Africa. Please move their hearts closer to yours. May they not see women as something to get, but as people whom you love. Please be my friend as he continues to study. Help him remain faithful to this call on his life. Amen.