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
Saturday, January 29, 2011
He is coming soon! He will take His bride, He will make her new!
Wove....twue wuv. Marriage is what brings us together today....Yes it is.
Have you ever stopped what it means to be the the bride of Christ? For men, it is not always a subject we are willing to refer to, but that doesn't make it any less true. When you become a Christian, you become a part of the entire body known as the church. Christ calls the church his "bride" in a sense when John talks about it in Revelation 19;7. in Ephesians 5:25, it talks about the sacrifice that Jesus made for His bride, the church. This is such an awesome illustration, and one that I have really had laid on my heart lately. Let me explain.
THE PROPOSAL- God made the proposal with the death of His son, Jesus Christ on the cross. The question is, will you accept this free gift of eternal life and enter into an everlasting covenant with me? The answer depends on us. For the ladies out there, there is no more romantic proposal than this one...John 3:16.
THE WEDDING DAY-Everything in a marriage relationship that we have here on earth is meant to be a reflection of the relationship we have with Christ. On the day of a Jewish wedding in biblical times, the groom would make his journey to the bride's home, and carry her back to his home with people rejoicing the entire way. This is exactly what it will look like when Christ comes back for His bride. He will carry us home! There will be rejoicing! We will know we are safe in the arms of our Saviour.
FAITHFULNESS- What is one thing that is a requirement for a strong marriage? Faithfulness. We all know the consequences that arise when someone in a marriage is unfaithful. Lives are torn, hearts are broken, and everything is in disarray. We are married to Christ, and He is faithful beyond belief. Think about everything that a wife expects from her husband. Unconditional love, unconditional safety. God gives those every day we are alive. As the bride of Christ you can be sure of this, nothing is bigger than God, and nothing can overthrow Him that will ever overthrow us. God is faithful! When he makes a promise, He keeps it. Now the question arises, how faithful are we? How often do we commit adultery on God? This may sound harsh, but it is the truth. Whenever we reject Christ and return to our old partner, the world, we are choosing to commit adultery. Puts it in a new perspective doesn't it? Yet God still loves us, and keeps us, which is much more we deserve. You see God only says He hates very few things in scripture, and one of those things is divorce (Malachi 2:16). God doesn't do what He hates. He will never divorce you, even when you forsake Him to pursue a fling with the world. Once again, I could write a long blog on what the Christian life looks like and we can't stay away from God for too long before we are drawn back to Him, and once again if you would like to know more just ask me :). God is faithful. Kind of makes you think huh?
SEX- oh gross. There is no way that you can make a comparison between physical sex here on earth and God. That is just awkward. But is it really? Let's look at what sex is supposed to be, not the world says it is. Sex is not meant to be a physical reproductive process only. Scripture talks about it being the union of two into "one flesh" (Mark 10:8). Men are made to fit with women, it does not take a rocket scientist to figure that out right? It is part of our design. When we have sex with our spouse, you become one flesh, where all things fit together perfectly, and there is more than a physical connection. It is a deep emotional, and mental connection. One that cannot be expressed in words. Sex is a way of unifying a man and woman and forming stronger bonds between them, as well as confirming the covenant that they have made with each other before people. And it is the same way with God. When we accept Christ, we are ingrafted into Him. We are no longer seen as apart from Him, but partakers of His divine nature and part of His body (Ephesians 5). The Holy Spirit comes into us and confirms the covenant that we have made with Christ. The Holy Spirit comes into us, and it is a perfect fit. The repentance of mankind and acceptance of Christ as Saviour goes hand in hand with the grace and love of God, also not rocket science. Sex is meant to be pure and done in the right context, as is our relationship with God. God gave us sex to glorify Him! It is a physical picture of what has happened spiritually in our lives. Too often people don't understand the meaning and purpose behind sex, and it has distorted our view of the beautiful thing that God has given us not only for us to enjoy, but to help understand what has been done on our behalf.
I hope this made sense, but is such an awesome illustration that God has given us so that we can know Him better! I understand it can be awkward (especially for guys like myself) to think about, but it is scriptural. And it is awesome if you really ponder it. As we grow in our knowledge of our spouse, and how good He is to us, then it becomes more and more natural to want to show our love to Him! If you truly love your wife or husband, you will do anything to please them and serve them in love.
So maybe that is why we talk about having a relationship with Jesus Christ. I heard on Christian radio that one of the best ways to grow in your relationship with God is to start treating it like you would an earthly relationship. Talk to Him, learn more about Him, serve Him! And for those who don't know Him, accept the proposal that has been laid out before you and receive eternal life.
I hope this was helpful in the way you perceive Christ in a new way.
In Christ,
Phillip
Have you ever stopped what it means to be the the bride of Christ? For men, it is not always a subject we are willing to refer to, but that doesn't make it any less true. When you become a Christian, you become a part of the entire body known as the church. Christ calls the church his "bride" in a sense when John talks about it in Revelation 19;7. in Ephesians 5:25, it talks about the sacrifice that Jesus made for His bride, the church. This is such an awesome illustration, and one that I have really had laid on my heart lately. Let me explain.
THE PROPOSAL- God made the proposal with the death of His son, Jesus Christ on the cross. The question is, will you accept this free gift of eternal life and enter into an everlasting covenant with me? The answer depends on us. For the ladies out there, there is no more romantic proposal than this one...John 3:16.
THE WEDDING DAY-Everything in a marriage relationship that we have here on earth is meant to be a reflection of the relationship we have with Christ. On the day of a Jewish wedding in biblical times, the groom would make his journey to the bride's home, and carry her back to his home with people rejoicing the entire way. This is exactly what it will look like when Christ comes back for His bride. He will carry us home! There will be rejoicing! We will know we are safe in the arms of our Saviour.
FAITHFULNESS- What is one thing that is a requirement for a strong marriage? Faithfulness. We all know the consequences that arise when someone in a marriage is unfaithful. Lives are torn, hearts are broken, and everything is in disarray. We are married to Christ, and He is faithful beyond belief. Think about everything that a wife expects from her husband. Unconditional love, unconditional safety. God gives those every day we are alive. As the bride of Christ you can be sure of this, nothing is bigger than God, and nothing can overthrow Him that will ever overthrow us. God is faithful! When he makes a promise, He keeps it. Now the question arises, how faithful are we? How often do we commit adultery on God? This may sound harsh, but it is the truth. Whenever we reject Christ and return to our old partner, the world, we are choosing to commit adultery. Puts it in a new perspective doesn't it? Yet God still loves us, and keeps us, which is much more we deserve. You see God only says He hates very few things in scripture, and one of those things is divorce (Malachi 2:16). God doesn't do what He hates. He will never divorce you, even when you forsake Him to pursue a fling with the world. Once again, I could write a long blog on what the Christian life looks like and we can't stay away from God for too long before we are drawn back to Him, and once again if you would like to know more just ask me :). God is faithful. Kind of makes you think huh?
SEX- oh gross. There is no way that you can make a comparison between physical sex here on earth and God. That is just awkward. But is it really? Let's look at what sex is supposed to be, not the world says it is. Sex is not meant to be a physical reproductive process only. Scripture talks about it being the union of two into "one flesh" (Mark 10:8). Men are made to fit with women, it does not take a rocket scientist to figure that out right? It is part of our design. When we have sex with our spouse, you become one flesh, where all things fit together perfectly, and there is more than a physical connection. It is a deep emotional, and mental connection. One that cannot be expressed in words. Sex is a way of unifying a man and woman and forming stronger bonds between them, as well as confirming the covenant that they have made with each other before people. And it is the same way with God. When we accept Christ, we are ingrafted into Him. We are no longer seen as apart from Him, but partakers of His divine nature and part of His body (Ephesians 5). The Holy Spirit comes into us and confirms the covenant that we have made with Christ. The Holy Spirit comes into us, and it is a perfect fit. The repentance of mankind and acceptance of Christ as Saviour goes hand in hand with the grace and love of God, also not rocket science. Sex is meant to be pure and done in the right context, as is our relationship with God. God gave us sex to glorify Him! It is a physical picture of what has happened spiritually in our lives. Too often people don't understand the meaning and purpose behind sex, and it has distorted our view of the beautiful thing that God has given us not only for us to enjoy, but to help understand what has been done on our behalf.
I hope this made sense, but is such an awesome illustration that God has given us so that we can know Him better! I understand it can be awkward (especially for guys like myself) to think about, but it is scriptural. And it is awesome if you really ponder it. As we grow in our knowledge of our spouse, and how good He is to us, then it becomes more and more natural to want to show our love to Him! If you truly love your wife or husband, you will do anything to please them and serve them in love.
So maybe that is why we talk about having a relationship with Jesus Christ. I heard on Christian radio that one of the best ways to grow in your relationship with God is to start treating it like you would an earthly relationship. Talk to Him, learn more about Him, serve Him! And for those who don't know Him, accept the proposal that has been laid out before you and receive eternal life.
I hope this was helpful in the way you perceive Christ in a new way.
In Christ,
Phillip
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
The night is darkest before the dawn.
It has been such a great week! God is good. Did you know that? He is good when things are going great, and He is good when things are going terribly. How often do we feel that when things are going badly for us, God is somehow not good anymore? It is all based on our perspective my friends, God is unchanging. God says that He loves us and values us, that too is unchanging. I just wanted people to read that and I pray that it encouraged some of you!
So once again, this has been a great week. I began taking classes at the BSC (Biblical Studies Center, or Center for short), and I love them. It is so awesome learn in a classroom setting about how the Bible was put together, how to defend your faith, the context of stories in the Bible, and how truly awesome our God is. I have got to meet several awesome people who I have began building great relationships with and I am so thankful for that. Several of these people have already invested in the ministry that I am trying to build here and have a true fire for the Lord.
As some may know, I am now an old man. I turned 22 on Monday and it was a great birthday, albeit a little different than I am used to. I have never been away from my friends and family this long, and never around the time of my birthday. Honestly, it didn't bother me the way I thought it would. I missed everyone of course, but that knowledge that God has me for His purposes is comforting beyond all belief and has really helped me with any homesickness that I have been feeling. I am so blessed. Tangent time. Do we really realize how blessed we are to know Christ and live in this wonderful country? I was laying in bed, and all I could think about for a while was how lucky I am to have a bed. To have central heating and air. To have food. To have water that flows continuously and is clean. To have a bible. To have freedom. Christianity is not growing like it did in America years ago because we have everything we could ever want. We have made ourselves dependent apart from Christ, and we forget that Christ is the one who provided the means for us to have all these things. My question to myself and you is, if everything was taken from you, would you still follow God? That is a tough question to face, but every second of every day people in less developed countries make the choice to follow Christ no matter the circumstances.
Tangent over. So anyway, God has truly blessed me with friends back in Lubbock, and He is now blessing me with awesome friends here in Boise who love Jesus. People who barely know me decided to throw me in impromptu surprise party for my birthday and we got to bond and share our vision for our respective ministries together. God has already provided people who are more than willing to help with the ministry we have here and it is such an answered prayer! I am telling you folks, prayer matters. I can't stress that enough, prayer matters. We had our first free lunch for all the student body at BSU today, and we had about 30-40 people show up. Most who did so were people that I knew and who knew Christ, but God brought others who I had never met before and it is my eager prayer that they will continue to come and we can form stronger relationships and grow in Christ together, or introduce them to Christ.
I had a great conversation with my friend Elisa who is helping me out with our ministry. We were talking about witnessing to people and I told her how I had been feeling really down and out because I could not work up the courage to simply go talk to someone about Jesus just out of the blue and share my faith. She encouraged me and really prompted me to listen to what God says and look for the opportunity. Just because I am a missionary does not mean I have some super awesome Jesus skills that I did not possess at home. The same fear and trepidation that I experienced back home are still here, they don't disappear. But the key to overcoming these feelings is to trust Christ and listen to what He is telling you! This does not go just for me my friends, Jesus calls out all of us! We talked about relational evangelism and how that is usually the way that people respond the most positively in this area, as well as around the world. I can do that. But if God calls me to go witness to someone I don't even know, I pray that I will be strong enough to trust Him. Micah Roddy told me something about youth ministry several months back that will remain in my life forever. We were talking about investing in youth and really sharing Christ with them and he said, "You have to remember, this is not life or death we are talking about. This is heaven and hell."
Hell is not exactly a place that we like to talk about is it? But it is real. And here is the thing. God doesn't send anybody to hell, we are already going there (thanks to David Wilson for that awesome lesson). In fact, God doesn't want anyone to perish, that is why He is so gracious to wait before He comes back in final judgement (2 Peter 3:9). God has placed so many obstacles in our way on the path to hell because HE WANTS US. When we don't choose heaven and the free gift of salvation, we choose that we don't want to spend eternity with the one who desires to have fellowship with us, and God is just and good and honors our desire to not know Him and allows us to spend eternity away from Him. The price has been paid for sin, but until we repent and turn to Him, we never receive the free grace that has been given. Sin and God don't mix. But God took care of it, all you have to do is accept Him and his free gift. Isn't it so awesome to know that you don't have to be good enough to go to heaven? I could go for hours on this, and if you are interested in salvation and what it looks like, contact me! This is real my friends. This is truth. This is awesome.
I love you all, and once again contact me if you need prayer for anything. I also ask that you pray for Luke Anderson. His father passed away yesterday from liver failure and we need to lift him up with our thoughts, prayers, and actions. But don't worry, God is in control and Luke told me that his dad was a believer.
God bless,
Phillip
So once again, this has been a great week. I began taking classes at the BSC (Biblical Studies Center, or Center for short), and I love them. It is so awesome learn in a classroom setting about how the Bible was put together, how to defend your faith, the context of stories in the Bible, and how truly awesome our God is. I have got to meet several awesome people who I have began building great relationships with and I am so thankful for that. Several of these people have already invested in the ministry that I am trying to build here and have a true fire for the Lord.
As some may know, I am now an old man. I turned 22 on Monday and it was a great birthday, albeit a little different than I am used to. I have never been away from my friends and family this long, and never around the time of my birthday. Honestly, it didn't bother me the way I thought it would. I missed everyone of course, but that knowledge that God has me for His purposes is comforting beyond all belief and has really helped me with any homesickness that I have been feeling. I am so blessed. Tangent time. Do we really realize how blessed we are to know Christ and live in this wonderful country? I was laying in bed, and all I could think about for a while was how lucky I am to have a bed. To have central heating and air. To have food. To have water that flows continuously and is clean. To have a bible. To have freedom. Christianity is not growing like it did in America years ago because we have everything we could ever want. We have made ourselves dependent apart from Christ, and we forget that Christ is the one who provided the means for us to have all these things. My question to myself and you is, if everything was taken from you, would you still follow God? That is a tough question to face, but every second of every day people in less developed countries make the choice to follow Christ no matter the circumstances.
Tangent over. So anyway, God has truly blessed me with friends back in Lubbock, and He is now blessing me with awesome friends here in Boise who love Jesus. People who barely know me decided to throw me in impromptu surprise party for my birthday and we got to bond and share our vision for our respective ministries together. God has already provided people who are more than willing to help with the ministry we have here and it is such an answered prayer! I am telling you folks, prayer matters. I can't stress that enough, prayer matters. We had our first free lunch for all the student body at BSU today, and we had about 30-40 people show up. Most who did so were people that I knew and who knew Christ, but God brought others who I had never met before and it is my eager prayer that they will continue to come and we can form stronger relationships and grow in Christ together, or introduce them to Christ.
I had a great conversation with my friend Elisa who is helping me out with our ministry. We were talking about witnessing to people and I told her how I had been feeling really down and out because I could not work up the courage to simply go talk to someone about Jesus just out of the blue and share my faith. She encouraged me and really prompted me to listen to what God says and look for the opportunity. Just because I am a missionary does not mean I have some super awesome Jesus skills that I did not possess at home. The same fear and trepidation that I experienced back home are still here, they don't disappear. But the key to overcoming these feelings is to trust Christ and listen to what He is telling you! This does not go just for me my friends, Jesus calls out all of us! We talked about relational evangelism and how that is usually the way that people respond the most positively in this area, as well as around the world. I can do that. But if God calls me to go witness to someone I don't even know, I pray that I will be strong enough to trust Him. Micah Roddy told me something about youth ministry several months back that will remain in my life forever. We were talking about investing in youth and really sharing Christ with them and he said, "You have to remember, this is not life or death we are talking about. This is heaven and hell."
Hell is not exactly a place that we like to talk about is it? But it is real. And here is the thing. God doesn't send anybody to hell, we are already going there (thanks to David Wilson for that awesome lesson). In fact, God doesn't want anyone to perish, that is why He is so gracious to wait before He comes back in final judgement (2 Peter 3:9). God has placed so many obstacles in our way on the path to hell because HE WANTS US. When we don't choose heaven and the free gift of salvation, we choose that we don't want to spend eternity with the one who desires to have fellowship with us, and God is just and good and honors our desire to not know Him and allows us to spend eternity away from Him. The price has been paid for sin, but until we repent and turn to Him, we never receive the free grace that has been given. Sin and God don't mix. But God took care of it, all you have to do is accept Him and his free gift. Isn't it so awesome to know that you don't have to be good enough to go to heaven? I could go for hours on this, and if you are interested in salvation and what it looks like, contact me! This is real my friends. This is truth. This is awesome.
I love you all, and once again contact me if you need prayer for anything. I also ask that you pray for Luke Anderson. His father passed away yesterday from liver failure and we need to lift him up with our thoughts, prayers, and actions. But don't worry, God is in control and Luke told me that his dad was a believer.
God bless,
Phillip
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Do work Jesus!
Hello! I have missed you! But don't worry, we can catch up...right now.
It has been an interesting week so far to say the least! Nothing big has happened, tens of thousands have not fallen to their knees before God and entered the freeing relationship with Jesus that we all share...at least not yet! But God has been doing some cool things.
God is showing me that when He calls you to do something, you do it, otherwise you might just miss your chance. Earlier last week I was sitting at a pastor's meeting in a local coffee shop and noticed a couple of girls walk in carrying a bible. Instantly a small voice said that I should go talk to them, and after much deliberation I did. We had a great conversation and exchanged information which will come in play later in this blog. And then there is the other example. Yesterday as I went into the SUB (yes I did go to Boise State a day before classes started...and yes it was because I forgot it was MLK day), I walked past a girl sitting by herself. That same voice, in the same way, urged me to go talk to her. "Well let me put my bags down and then I will" was my reply. I walked over and put my bags down and got out my computer to check some emails, facebook, etc. Once again I had that notion to go talk to her. This time my response was "Yes I will do it in just a second let me prepare what I am going to say." I sat for a bit longer and continued to fiddle around on my computer while trying to think of the eloquent words to say to this girl and I felt that urgency that I needed to talk to her right then. I took a deep breath, wrote out my email address on a sheet of paper in case she needed it to contact me, planned on what I had to say, and got out of my chair.
Now let me make something very clear. Delayed obedience to God is still disobedience. I do plan on using that saying with my kids one day btw. So the second I got out of my chair to go approach this girl, she got out of her chair to leave. I awkwardly walked towards her and wondered if I should just tap her on the shoulder to talk to her as she threw trash away, but I figured my chance was blown. You see, if had been obedient the way God calls us to be, there is not telling what might have happened. Is it scary? Absolutely. Is it awkward? Sometimes. But God calls us to step out of our comfort zone and serve Him, sometimes we obey...sometimes we wait until we are comfortable. God taught me such an awesome lesson at that moment, trust Him...and let the outcome happen as it will.
That girl I had exchanged information with earlier last week emailed me and told me about a college event called Engage Truth in town. It is basically the paradigm of Lubbock. At least 300 college students were there (I couldn't judge that well). It was an awesome experience and very encouraging to me, I even met a couple of people who attended and started building a relationship with one of them.
Oh and guess what! I am taking classes this spring...but not as BSU. On campus there is a facility known as the Biblical Studies Center that offers free bible classes to Boise State Students that actually count as college credits! I am not a BSU student, but we may be able to work something out because I am a student and a campus minister. It is so awesome! I have already met several strong Christian believers there who share a desire for God's Kingdom to grow. I will post pictures up of it soon but it has already given me a platform to invite people to bible studies, free lunches, etc. As of right now, I am taking introduction to the New Testament, and Philosophy and Christianity (which is a apologetics course). God is really taking care of me, and there is absolutely nothing I can boast in except of how awesome and powerful my God is. Like I said, big things haven't happened per say, but God deserves the glory for the little things just as much as the big ones. Can I get an amen?
As far as the ministry goes, it is starting slow but it is still going to be awesome! I have a bible study starting this Thursday over 1 John, a free lunch scheduled every week for all the college students who want to come every Wednesday, and am working on some international ministry but haven't made any progress on that yet. I went to a campus ministry meeting today with CRU, InterVarsity, and some other organizations and we are looking at more and more ways to partner with one another and serve Christ together. That is one of the coolest things in itself!
Thank you so much for your prayers, I cannot tell you enough how grateful I am for them, and please email me any prayer requests you might have for me to pray for! Like I said on facebook, I have plenty of time and would love to fill that time praying for you! Just send me an email at phillip.grant89@gmail.com , call, or text me and I will be sure to pray for ya!
I love everyone and miss you very much,
Phillip
It has been an interesting week so far to say the least! Nothing big has happened, tens of thousands have not fallen to their knees before God and entered the freeing relationship with Jesus that we all share...at least not yet! But God has been doing some cool things.
God is showing me that when He calls you to do something, you do it, otherwise you might just miss your chance. Earlier last week I was sitting at a pastor's meeting in a local coffee shop and noticed a couple of girls walk in carrying a bible. Instantly a small voice said that I should go talk to them, and after much deliberation I did. We had a great conversation and exchanged information which will come in play later in this blog. And then there is the other example. Yesterday as I went into the SUB (yes I did go to Boise State a day before classes started...and yes it was because I forgot it was MLK day), I walked past a girl sitting by herself. That same voice, in the same way, urged me to go talk to her. "Well let me put my bags down and then I will" was my reply. I walked over and put my bags down and got out my computer to check some emails, facebook, etc. Once again I had that notion to go talk to her. This time my response was "Yes I will do it in just a second let me prepare what I am going to say." I sat for a bit longer and continued to fiddle around on my computer while trying to think of the eloquent words to say to this girl and I felt that urgency that I needed to talk to her right then. I took a deep breath, wrote out my email address on a sheet of paper in case she needed it to contact me, planned on what I had to say, and got out of my chair.
Now let me make something very clear. Delayed obedience to God is still disobedience. I do plan on using that saying with my kids one day btw. So the second I got out of my chair to go approach this girl, she got out of her chair to leave. I awkwardly walked towards her and wondered if I should just tap her on the shoulder to talk to her as she threw trash away, but I figured my chance was blown. You see, if had been obedient the way God calls us to be, there is not telling what might have happened. Is it scary? Absolutely. Is it awkward? Sometimes. But God calls us to step out of our comfort zone and serve Him, sometimes we obey...sometimes we wait until we are comfortable. God taught me such an awesome lesson at that moment, trust Him...and let the outcome happen as it will.
That girl I had exchanged information with earlier last week emailed me and told me about a college event called Engage Truth in town. It is basically the paradigm of Lubbock. At least 300 college students were there (I couldn't judge that well). It was an awesome experience and very encouraging to me, I even met a couple of people who attended and started building a relationship with one of them.
Oh and guess what! I am taking classes this spring...but not as BSU. On campus there is a facility known as the Biblical Studies Center that offers free bible classes to Boise State Students that actually count as college credits! I am not a BSU student, but we may be able to work something out because I am a student and a campus minister. It is so awesome! I have already met several strong Christian believers there who share a desire for God's Kingdom to grow. I will post pictures up of it soon but it has already given me a platform to invite people to bible studies, free lunches, etc. As of right now, I am taking introduction to the New Testament, and Philosophy and Christianity (which is a apologetics course). God is really taking care of me, and there is absolutely nothing I can boast in except of how awesome and powerful my God is. Like I said, big things haven't happened per say, but God deserves the glory for the little things just as much as the big ones. Can I get an amen?
As far as the ministry goes, it is starting slow but it is still going to be awesome! I have a bible study starting this Thursday over 1 John, a free lunch scheduled every week for all the college students who want to come every Wednesday, and am working on some international ministry but haven't made any progress on that yet. I went to a campus ministry meeting today with CRU, InterVarsity, and some other organizations and we are looking at more and more ways to partner with one another and serve Christ together. That is one of the coolest things in itself!
Thank you so much for your prayers, I cannot tell you enough how grateful I am for them, and please email me any prayer requests you might have for me to pray for! Like I said on facebook, I have plenty of time and would love to fill that time praying for you! Just send me an email at phillip.grant89@gmail.com , call, or text me and I will be sure to pray for ya!
I love everyone and miss you very much,
Phillip
Saturday, January 15, 2011
The power of prayer.
What is prayer? Why do we pray for others? Does God listen or change his mind based on our prayers? Are my prayers too weak to do anything? If God knows everything, why do we need to pray in the first place?
These are questions that every person must face in their spiritual journey, particularly those who are Christians. These are questions that I face. God is showing me little by little what the power of prayer is and why He wants us to do it. This is not going to be an exhaustive, theological study on prayer which I would love to sit down and work out (which I am sure many would appreciate me not going into a 10 page blog), but a quick insight of what has gone on in my mind and life the past week.
First and foremost, I want to say thank you for any person that has prayed for me at any time during this missional time or beforehand. Even if you just thought of me in passing and offered a quick breath of prayer for me, I cannot thank you enough. You see, God hears prayer, and he uses is it in amazing ways every day. Sometimes prayer can heal those who are sick, open doors for the gospel to be shared, mend broken hearts, or even uplift the downcast spirit. Prayer is the two-line communication we have with God. We talk (often too much), and He listens (at all times), and He often answers (but we rarely hear because we are still talking).
It is my honest belief that honest, humble prayer help us conform our minds more and more to the likeness of Jesus Christ and His thoughts and attitudes towards things. As we ask for wisdom, for example, God bestows upon us Godly wisdom so that we can be a reflection of Him in this world. Prayer for others inspires us to move and help those we are praying for! A call, a text, an encouraging word from the person who is doing the praying is often the result of prayer! St Augustine says it this way, "pray as if everything depended on God, work as if everything depended on you." I believe that some of the coolest answered prayers are those that spurn us on towards action.
God wants us to pray so that we can do a number of things. 1. Acknowledge His sovereignty in every situation. 2. To seek His face 3. To conform our minds more and more to His kingdom and his work 4. To see supernatural things happen where He will get the glory from it so that it is without question that He is God of all!
C. S. Lewis says this "prayer doesn't change God, it changes me!"
I have prayed often this week, more than I have in a long time. All my prayers have not been answered the way I would expect but of one thing I am sure. All this time I have spent with my head bowed before the King of Kings has programmed my mind to think more like Christ wants me to think. To live like Christ wants me to live. To serve as Christ calls me to serve. God has definitely answered several prayers this week, like bringing people to me who love Christ, but it is through the prayers that were offered that helped me to recognize that opportunity as my mind is continually being conformed to the likeness of His son (and trust me there is a long way to go). This is but one of the small aspects of prayer, and it is what He has revealed to me over this past week. But prayer is not limited to just our transformation of our minds, but an open door to see God do mighty and great things that we could never dream possible because we simply asked Him to do His will in our lives (and that is where the 10 extra pages could come in)
And now I ask once again, pray for me! Since my last update and blog post, I have been overwhelmed with people's prayer and support of this ministry. It is an honor to have Christian brothers and sisters who are dedicated to serving God and lifting me up in prayer. Through prayer I know that God laid it on many people's hearts to just text or call me and encourage me, and the wisdom to do that comes directly from Christ!
I mean don't you know that your Heavenly Father wants to talk?
Take some time right now and spend time conversing with the best listener in the world, and take even more time listening to him speak to you. Start inviting Christ into your life and let him transform you!
And please let me know if there is anything I can pray for you for!
Phillip
These are questions that every person must face in their spiritual journey, particularly those who are Christians. These are questions that I face. God is showing me little by little what the power of prayer is and why He wants us to do it. This is not going to be an exhaustive, theological study on prayer which I would love to sit down and work out (which I am sure many would appreciate me not going into a 10 page blog), but a quick insight of what has gone on in my mind and life the past week.
First and foremost, I want to say thank you for any person that has prayed for me at any time during this missional time or beforehand. Even if you just thought of me in passing and offered a quick breath of prayer for me, I cannot thank you enough. You see, God hears prayer, and he uses is it in amazing ways every day. Sometimes prayer can heal those who are sick, open doors for the gospel to be shared, mend broken hearts, or even uplift the downcast spirit. Prayer is the two-line communication we have with God. We talk (often too much), and He listens (at all times), and He often answers (but we rarely hear because we are still talking).
It is my honest belief that honest, humble prayer help us conform our minds more and more to the likeness of Jesus Christ and His thoughts and attitudes towards things. As we ask for wisdom, for example, God bestows upon us Godly wisdom so that we can be a reflection of Him in this world. Prayer for others inspires us to move and help those we are praying for! A call, a text, an encouraging word from the person who is doing the praying is often the result of prayer! St Augustine says it this way, "pray as if everything depended on God, work as if everything depended on you." I believe that some of the coolest answered prayers are those that spurn us on towards action.
God wants us to pray so that we can do a number of things. 1. Acknowledge His sovereignty in every situation. 2. To seek His face 3. To conform our minds more and more to His kingdom and his work 4. To see supernatural things happen where He will get the glory from it so that it is without question that He is God of all!
C. S. Lewis says this "prayer doesn't change God, it changes me!"
I have prayed often this week, more than I have in a long time. All my prayers have not been answered the way I would expect but of one thing I am sure. All this time I have spent with my head bowed before the King of Kings has programmed my mind to think more like Christ wants me to think. To live like Christ wants me to live. To serve as Christ calls me to serve. God has definitely answered several prayers this week, like bringing people to me who love Christ, but it is through the prayers that were offered that helped me to recognize that opportunity as my mind is continually being conformed to the likeness of His son (and trust me there is a long way to go). This is but one of the small aspects of prayer, and it is what He has revealed to me over this past week. But prayer is not limited to just our transformation of our minds, but an open door to see God do mighty and great things that we could never dream possible because we simply asked Him to do His will in our lives (and that is where the 10 extra pages could come in)
And now I ask once again, pray for me! Since my last update and blog post, I have been overwhelmed with people's prayer and support of this ministry. It is an honor to have Christian brothers and sisters who are dedicated to serving God and lifting me up in prayer. Through prayer I know that God laid it on many people's hearts to just text or call me and encourage me, and the wisdom to do that comes directly from Christ!
I mean don't you know that your Heavenly Father wants to talk?
Take some time right now and spend time conversing with the best listener in the world, and take even more time listening to him speak to you. Start inviting Christ into your life and let him transform you!
And please let me know if there is anything I can pray for you for!
Phillip
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