Well it has been a while since the last update! Things are going very well! God is faithful, and will continue to be.
We had our first leaders meeting last week! It was fantastic getting to work with people who share the same aspirations to see the campus of Boise State encounter the living God. Early last week, I met with a former BCM director and he casually mentioned a ministry conference that takes place in San Francisco every year through Golden Gate Seminary. My heart leapt at the opportunity to take a trip to California and learn about Jesus! The bad news was that it was only a week away. I decided to go for it and see what happened. Praise the Lord that He provided a way for us to go! I decided that I would take our three leaders, Elisa, Shane, and Casey in the hopes that we could bond and grow together. From the get-go of planning this trip, Satan was in attack mode.
Tangent time.
Do you realize how much you are hated by the enemy? Do we truly realize how much Satan despises us? Satan will do anything in his power to take away the glory that we should be giving to God and turn it to Himself and ourselves. Satan hates you. He hates God. He hates salvation. He hates the saving grace and love that he has scorned. Every evil, slanderous, hurtful, and doubt comes from the prince of this world in order to mess you up. Satan despises God. Do we really get it?
Better Tangent.
Our God is bigger than Satan. He has CRUSHED him. And the same Spirit that has completely obliterated Satan and his sorry lot of demons resides in you when you accept Christ and turn your life over to Him. Do you know what that means? We are victorious! But Satan loves to tell us that we aren't. He loves to tell us that Jesus died for all people except for me. He loves to lie and tell us that God is not faithful. Let me tell you something my friends, GOD IS FAITHFUL. God is good. God is just. God has beat the evil forces of darkness, it is up to us to discern truth from life and live by the Spirit of truth that now resides in us. Does this mean we will be perfect? Does this mean we will not struggle and not doubt? Of course not. Satan is good at his job, but we can hold fast to the scripture that tells us that , "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." (Romans 8:37, and you should check out the verses leading up to that btw).
End tangent.
Everything seemed to be super difficult as we tried to organize this trip (and yes waiting until a week beforehand definitly did not help). We could not find a car that would support us adequately and enable us to drive safely through the storm of ice and snow we were forced to face. We could not find lodging that was free or inexpensive due to our small budget. Casey was diagnosed with walking pneumonia the day before we left. Things were hard. Satan put doubts on my mind. But God allowed these things to happen as he always does so that we could trust in Him completely. And he provided. Housing was given to us by two sweet couples from a local church we contacted who let us stay in their gorgeous homes free of charge. Gail and Joyce offered to let us take their 4x4 Jeep. Casey was given just enough strength and endurance to make it through the weekend, and that weakness she felt helped deepen her relationship with God. God is faithful.
We walked into the conference and the first thing I noticed was the large amount of asians that were present. And then the weirdest thing happened. A lyric from the Newsboys "He Reigns" song started playing in my head and would not stop. The lyric says, "The sound of Asian believers filled with God's holy fire." The rest of the conference I could not escape this thought. I looked around during worship and saw Asians worshipping. I have never seen a more beautiful or peaceful thing. It was amazing. We went on an urban excursion of our choice the next day. I decided I wanted to go to Chinatown and see how I felt about it. There was just enough seats in the car for those who chose to go. As we walked around Chinatown, my heart was elated. I could not stop smiling (and of course that had to do with being in an awesome new place). We met with a Chinese pastor and he told the story of how he became a believer. I ate dinner with a man from Thailand who imparted wisdom and love to me. I am not sure what all of this means but it def. showed me that I have a heart for the Asian people. I went home and decided to look on the IMB's (International Mission Board) website and just see what kind of short term mission trips are available. The first thing that came open when I opened the world missions link was something that said "Want to spend Christmas in China?"- it was listed under the urgent need tab. Very interesting to say the least huh?
All in all it was a fantastic conference and a great way to invest and build relationships with our fellow leaders.
God is good. God is faithful.
Phillip
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Friday, February 11, 2011
The Kingdom
Wow! It has officially been over a month since I first arrived in Boise. God has done some amazing things for sure in this short time. I was thinking the other day that it feels like I have been here six months. Over this past month I have learned so much and seen God take care of me in so many ways. Let me list some.
1. Friends
I was so nervous that I was going to be going at this all alone. I have left some awesome friends back in Lubbock, and I miss them terribly. I thought I would be lucky if I could find a couple of strong Christians to replace them if I looked for several months. God knows my needs, he has provided several close friends already who truly love the Lord and seek His will. They encourage me, they work with me, and they allow me an outlet when I just need to rest. I am so thankful for all of them.
2. Leaders
This was what I was sent up here to do, establish leaders to take over when I leave. God showed me that I didn't have to establish leaders, they were already here waiting for an opportunity. God has blessed this ministry with several awesome Godly people who truly want to serve Him. It is has been awesome getting to do discipleship, and to be discipled by them as well. There is real potential in this Treasure Valley for people to stand up and be the leaders God has called them to be.
3. Home
I have always lived near my parents. I have always been blessed to know that I had a solid support whenever I would need it. When I came up here, I was nervous that I would not be comfortable with my host family, and that I would have no solid support system that I could see and touch. God has provided once again. My host family is awesome, and they love God. They have been so supportive of this ministry and truly try to help me in any way they can.
4. Ministry
I had no idea what I was going to do when I came up here. Of course I had some ideas, but as soon as I got here they didn't really pan out the way I thought they would. When I encounter things like this, it often reminds me of the saying, "Man plans, God laughs." Even though things didn't work out the way I thought they would, God is showing me that my mission verse is still in play, "Acknowledge Him in all your ways, and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:6. As I sought God's will in this ministry, He opened doors. He provided leaders, He provided ideas, He provided people, He provided what I needed. He gave me the idea of a free lunch for students, and over the past 3 weeks we have had an average of 30ish students, it is awesome! He provided the idea of a LifeGroup over 1 John, and we have had an average of 8 students each week! God is good, and He will continue to provide. God also provided boldness for praying for people by providing an awesome Christian friend to help me!
I have grown a lot this month, mainly in my reliance on God. I have learned over and over again that being uncomfortable and stretched is where God works the most.
I have no idea what the plans for the future are for me in Boise. I have no idea if God will want me to stay here, or to return home to Lubbock. But I will trust Him and allow Him to reveal it to me in His time.
Now some awesome news! I am taking some leaders to California this next week for a missions conference in San Francisco! Talk about last minute planning huh? The opportunity came up a couple of days ago and we just decided to go for it! It is hosted by Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary and I have heard some awesome things about it. We will leave early next Friday and return on Monday night so please be praying that we will have safe travel because we are driving. I am also heading to Alaska next month for some mission work, and we are working on taking our BCM to Washington over our spring break to serve Jesus! Now that is just cool.
I think one of the one major ideas that God has continually put in my way is that all of this work I am doing is for the Kingdom. Pastors all across this idea speak of their work for the Kingdom. I had never really heard that term used that much, but I love it. I am learning more and more that as Christians, we must all work for the Kingdom of God. It is an eternal investment my friends. It does not matter whether you are Southern Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, etc. , as long as you believe in the basic concepts of salvation, Jesus, and God, we can work together to further His Kingdom! I tell everyone I meet that I do not want them to become a Baptist, I want them to know Christ first and foremost, we can deal with the rest as it comes. I love what one of the pastor's said about his own convictions, "I am Southern Baptist by doctrine, but a Christian by faith."
Amen.
God bless all of you, and grace and peace to you.
Phillip
1. Friends
I was so nervous that I was going to be going at this all alone. I have left some awesome friends back in Lubbock, and I miss them terribly. I thought I would be lucky if I could find a couple of strong Christians to replace them if I looked for several months. God knows my needs, he has provided several close friends already who truly love the Lord and seek His will. They encourage me, they work with me, and they allow me an outlet when I just need to rest. I am so thankful for all of them.
2. Leaders
This was what I was sent up here to do, establish leaders to take over when I leave. God showed me that I didn't have to establish leaders, they were already here waiting for an opportunity. God has blessed this ministry with several awesome Godly people who truly want to serve Him. It is has been awesome getting to do discipleship, and to be discipled by them as well. There is real potential in this Treasure Valley for people to stand up and be the leaders God has called them to be.
3. Home
I have always lived near my parents. I have always been blessed to know that I had a solid support whenever I would need it. When I came up here, I was nervous that I would not be comfortable with my host family, and that I would have no solid support system that I could see and touch. God has provided once again. My host family is awesome, and they love God. They have been so supportive of this ministry and truly try to help me in any way they can.
4. Ministry
I had no idea what I was going to do when I came up here. Of course I had some ideas, but as soon as I got here they didn't really pan out the way I thought they would. When I encounter things like this, it often reminds me of the saying, "Man plans, God laughs." Even though things didn't work out the way I thought they would, God is showing me that my mission verse is still in play, "Acknowledge Him in all your ways, and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:6. As I sought God's will in this ministry, He opened doors. He provided leaders, He provided ideas, He provided people, He provided what I needed. He gave me the idea of a free lunch for students, and over the past 3 weeks we have had an average of 30ish students, it is awesome! He provided the idea of a LifeGroup over 1 John, and we have had an average of 8 students each week! God is good, and He will continue to provide. God also provided boldness for praying for people by providing an awesome Christian friend to help me!
I have grown a lot this month, mainly in my reliance on God. I have learned over and over again that being uncomfortable and stretched is where God works the most.
I have no idea what the plans for the future are for me in Boise. I have no idea if God will want me to stay here, or to return home to Lubbock. But I will trust Him and allow Him to reveal it to me in His time.
Now some awesome news! I am taking some leaders to California this next week for a missions conference in San Francisco! Talk about last minute planning huh? The opportunity came up a couple of days ago and we just decided to go for it! It is hosted by Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary and I have heard some awesome things about it. We will leave early next Friday and return on Monday night so please be praying that we will have safe travel because we are driving. I am also heading to Alaska next month for some mission work, and we are working on taking our BCM to Washington over our spring break to serve Jesus! Now that is just cool.
I think one of the one major ideas that God has continually put in my way is that all of this work I am doing is for the Kingdom. Pastors all across this idea speak of their work for the Kingdom. I had never really heard that term used that much, but I love it. I am learning more and more that as Christians, we must all work for the Kingdom of God. It is an eternal investment my friends. It does not matter whether you are Southern Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, etc. , as long as you believe in the basic concepts of salvation, Jesus, and God, we can work together to further His Kingdom! I tell everyone I meet that I do not want them to become a Baptist, I want them to know Christ first and foremost, we can deal with the rest as it comes. I love what one of the pastor's said about his own convictions, "I am Southern Baptist by doctrine, but a Christian by faith."
Amen.
God bless all of you, and grace and peace to you.
Phillip
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
The Master's Call
Tangent begin.
First off I would like to say this, as a Christian I am no better than you. As a Christian missionary, I am no better than any Christian whom God has redeemed. As Christians,we tend to compare ourselves with other Christians, am I right? I think that we forget so often that we are all on a level playing field at the foot of the cross. And here is something that always blows my mind, the same spirit that lived in the apostle Paul lives in me. The question is what you choose to do with it. You can stifle it and live a mediocre life, or you can let it shine and glorify God's name in all you do. Once again, I sure do love to stifle the light so that I can be comfortable, or better yet because I am scared of the results. But remember, the same spirit that is in Billy Graham dwells in you my brothers and sisters! I say this because I don't want any glory for myself in anything that takes place in this life, and it is not because I am spiritual or more favored in God's eyes that I am where I am today. I am a broken, doubtful, sinful, adulteress Christian that is saved by the same grace that you hopefully have been rescued by.
Tangent over.
God is good my friends. And He answers prayers. And sometimes He doesn't answer prayers, but even that can be an answered prayer. As you may know, I have been praying for boldness in sharing my faith. I have been praying that God would put people in my life to help me. And God is faithful. You see one thing about God is that He desires for all men to be saved, and He will provide the means to reach people if we are faithful and seek Him. You see I have been praying these prayers and trying to keep my eyes open for God to do something, which is how you should approach prayer wouldn't you agree? The other day I was interrupted in my nap (a sin that is punishable by death) by a text from my good friend Casey here in Boise, it read like this "So I totally had a dream last night that you and I were evangelizing on campus. It was an epic dream. :)" Now come on people that is just awesome. I am not saying that this was a full blown vision from the Lord necessarily, but it was enough for Casey and I too meet up and go do evangelism on campus together later that week.
Evangelism is scary. Or so I thought. But I had to change what I thought evangelism was. Amber called me from India the other day and shared with me how she evangelized at YWAM, and I decided to follow that model. All Casey and I did was ask people around campus if we could pray for them, that's it. If God opened the door or they had more questions or were interested in more info we would talk more with them. It freaked some people out, it annoyed some, and it was awesome to others. We didn't share the gospel with anyone yet, but I believe they saw two Christians who genuinely cared for them enough to pray, not sale them something. In Boise, you are solicited by everything and everyone, no one wants to listen to a sale's pitch. They want honesty, just like we al do. Some might not want to admit it, but they want some one who loves them unconditionally, and that is Jesus my friends. Boise State is an extremely liberal school, and that makes connecting with these students very difficult, but if anything it might give them a different view of Christians that we just want to lift them up in prayer. My prayer is that the people who we did have short conversations with will pop up in our radar once again, and we can build relationships with them.
I wish I could say that people dropped on their knees and accepted Christ, but to my knowledge that hasn't happened...yet. But I pray that one day I will get to see it happen.
I hope this was a fun quick read for you, and I pray that I will be consistent in loving others the way that Jesus loved us.
Phillip
First off I would like to say this, as a Christian I am no better than you. As a Christian missionary, I am no better than any Christian whom God has redeemed. As Christians,we tend to compare ourselves with other Christians, am I right? I think that we forget so often that we are all on a level playing field at the foot of the cross. And here is something that always blows my mind, the same spirit that lived in the apostle Paul lives in me. The question is what you choose to do with it. You can stifle it and live a mediocre life, or you can let it shine and glorify God's name in all you do. Once again, I sure do love to stifle the light so that I can be comfortable, or better yet because I am scared of the results. But remember, the same spirit that is in Billy Graham dwells in you my brothers and sisters! I say this because I don't want any glory for myself in anything that takes place in this life, and it is not because I am spiritual or more favored in God's eyes that I am where I am today. I am a broken, doubtful, sinful, adulteress Christian that is saved by the same grace that you hopefully have been rescued by.
Tangent over.
God is good my friends. And He answers prayers. And sometimes He doesn't answer prayers, but even that can be an answered prayer. As you may know, I have been praying for boldness in sharing my faith. I have been praying that God would put people in my life to help me. And God is faithful. You see one thing about God is that He desires for all men to be saved, and He will provide the means to reach people if we are faithful and seek Him. You see I have been praying these prayers and trying to keep my eyes open for God to do something, which is how you should approach prayer wouldn't you agree? The other day I was interrupted in my nap (a sin that is punishable by death) by a text from my good friend Casey here in Boise, it read like this "So I totally had a dream last night that you and I were evangelizing on campus. It was an epic dream. :)" Now come on people that is just awesome. I am not saying that this was a full blown vision from the Lord necessarily, but it was enough for Casey and I too meet up and go do evangelism on campus together later that week.
Evangelism is scary. Or so I thought. But I had to change what I thought evangelism was. Amber called me from India the other day and shared with me how she evangelized at YWAM, and I decided to follow that model. All Casey and I did was ask people around campus if we could pray for them, that's it. If God opened the door or they had more questions or were interested in more info we would talk more with them. It freaked some people out, it annoyed some, and it was awesome to others. We didn't share the gospel with anyone yet, but I believe they saw two Christians who genuinely cared for them enough to pray, not sale them something. In Boise, you are solicited by everything and everyone, no one wants to listen to a sale's pitch. They want honesty, just like we al do. Some might not want to admit it, but they want some one who loves them unconditionally, and that is Jesus my friends. Boise State is an extremely liberal school, and that makes connecting with these students very difficult, but if anything it might give them a different view of Christians that we just want to lift them up in prayer. My prayer is that the people who we did have short conversations with will pop up in our radar once again, and we can build relationships with them.
I wish I could say that people dropped on their knees and accepted Christ, but to my knowledge that hasn't happened...yet. But I pray that one day I will get to see it happen.
I hope this was a fun quick read for you, and I pray that I will be consistent in loving others the way that Jesus loved us.
Phillip
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