Jimmy McCarty - Soul Searching

Healing in Kenya

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

I spent the last couple weeks traveling around Africa visiting 4 of AIM's Novas Project teams and one of their Real Life teams. One of our team leaders in Kenya posted this blog and I wanted to share it with you. Cherise is a young woman fighting for all that God has for her, leading a team who's experienced more transition than they probably should in their time on the field, and seeking the power of the Spirit - the power God's promised to reveal. Here's her story. I hope it inspires you the way it has me.

Jimmy

Mark 5:24-34

"And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said 'If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.' And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediatly turned about in the crowd and said, 'Who touched my garments?' And his disciples said to him, 'You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, Who touched me?' And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, 'Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your disease."

She reached out and touched Jesus. She knew the power that he held- she knew it would be enough just to touch him- She had faith.

WE went to the hospital to spend time praying with those who were there sick. I was with Joyce and we had been going around for a while by the time we came to this woman. She started talking about the surgery she had in the beginning of January and about how the incision had not stopped bleeding since then. Right away God put this story on my heart and spoke to me about how it was the woman who reached out with expectancy that she would be healed. I shared with her about the Mark 5 woman and encouraged her to reach out and to touch Jesus. It was as though Jesus was speaking straight to my heart saying, "I don't want her to bleed anymore. I want her to reach out. I want her to touch me."

Usually when we go to visit the hospital they want us to pray for them and I was more than willing but I also just knew that SHE needed to reach out for him in complete faith. I asked her to pray and she did.

After I prayed for her and Joyce prayed too. And we left.

The next morning I was out back behind the pastors house washing my laundry with Tara. She was telling me about the previous day and hw she had experienced some pretty intense/exciting stuff and I was saying how I know that God is doing a lot more than we ever see. We both stopped talking after that and just kept washing away. My mind kept considering these words that I had spoken... I kept considering this idea of these miracles happening behind us as we go and wondering if my faith was strong enough to really believe what I had said. We were planning on going back to the hospital that afternoon and as I washed my laundry I felt like God just whispered straight into my heart, "Go back to her and see. She is well."

I knew she was... and I knew that out of all the people we had met with that she was the one I was suppose to go back and see. But to be honest there was a part of me that was afraid. What if I went back with full expectancy and faith and she was still bleeding? I thought it might be easier to just not know and believe that she is well. But no, this time that wasn't enough. God kept telling me to go back and see her, her faith has made her well.

I was with Paul that afternoon at the hospital and he told me to wait until the end to see if there was time to go and see her. We were about to approach the last man before leaving when Joyce and Jess were walking towards the door. I asked Jess if she would stay with Paul so I could go with Joyce- and they both agreed.

Joyce and I headed to the ward and walked straight to her. Her incision was uncovered and looked clean.

Ask her! Ask her! I almost wanted to shout. I had to hear it but I already knew.

She said that she had stopped bleeding that morning. Joyce and I just smiled. I could NOT stop smiling. Joyce asked me if I remembered how the Lord had told her that this woman would not be in the hospital by the end of the month and at that same time the woman told the translator that she was leaving in the morning. She was healed and was going home.

Her faith had made her well.

We prayed together with her, thanking God for his healing touch and for allowing us to see what he had done.

The Sun and the Lamb

Mon, 1 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Training Camp #9 is officially over. Last week 35 new Real Life students left for India, Kenya and Swaziland to begin a three month adventure living and serving among the marginalized in those areas of the world.

This was painted by our Delhi, India team. God told them to only use their hands to create the image. Their leader felt led of God to keep the bottom left portion of the sun "unpainted". As I looked more, I began to see the face of a lamb in the unpainted area. The sun (the son) with the face of a lamb, radiating to the world. What a beautiful picture.

The trends with training camps are continuing to hold true to some patterns. The first 48 hours is usually the hardest, then out of nowhere, something breaks and the group falls in love with each other. We battle through some hard truths; we break down independence and arrogance, all so we can begin to see the Spirit of God move and work.

The "breaking point" for this camp was the night we taught on "Listening to the Voice of God." It is always a step outside of the normal comfort zone when you're put on the spot and asked directly: what's God saying right now? But God speaks.

I teach that God has some amazing attributes:

1) He's incredibly creative. Often we think He only "speaks" in an audible voice when the reality is that He speaks in colors, pictures, movies, Scriptures, songs, bold declarations, still small emotions and a host of other ways. We listen for what HE is saying, not what we want to hear.

2) He's a great multi-tasker. We could take our time and let everyone go in turn, but that only serves us, it doesn't matter to God - He can sort through the madness, speak individually, speak clearly and move powerfully - because He's that kind of God.

3) He speaks way more often than we care to listen. We shouldn't wonder IF God is speaking, but always be anticipating His next move (even if that move is a passive: "just be WITH me").

4) He WANTS to commune with us. We should never settle for a life where conversations with God go one direction. We all-too-often justify God's lack of speaking as some sovereign, master plan instead of us simply not being attuned to His voice. God is not aloof or distant, Acts 17 says, "He is not far off."

At Training Camp, these participants heard the voice of God. They spoke these words in faith to one another and the Body was encouraged, strengthened and comforted (that's what it's all about after all, serving one another). It was beautiful.

In other news, our World Race alumni trip to Haiti returned last week having had a great trip. They traveled in true World Race fashion - trusting God for every move - and He did!

On Thursday I head to Uganda, Kenya and South Africa for a time of debrief with AIM's Novas Project. 20 or so college-age students are serving for 6 months in these countries and are learning so much about ministry, who God has called them to be, the value of community and so much more. Not only am I excited to raft the Nile River (it's on my bucket list LOL) but looking forward to a great time of discussion and wrestling with these guys.

On a final note, God provided and I met my January Support Goal, quite miraculously I might add. I'm gearing up for another $2,000 for February. If God calls you to support these amazing efforts in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, and Europe in March, click "support me" to keep this alive! Praise God for His faithfulness!

When you serve a stingy God...Part Three

Sat, 23 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

So let's suspend reality for a second and consider the notion that God isn't stingy. In this new world, God is lavish. In fact, He's given us so much we couldn't possibly begin to sort through all He's given us, let alone catalog it. Just when we'd begin to feel like we've gotten our heads around one gift, there are another dozen waiting to be explored, tried out and embraced.

The first shift is the belief that God can give any gift He wants, for any length of time, for any purpose to any of His children He wants. I remember back in high school when my best friend at the time had a cancer scare. I still can't explain it, but throughout the entire experience, God gave me this unbelievable faith that my friend was going to be okay. I had no reason to believe it (all the signs pointed the other way), in fact, it was completely counter to my normal personality to believe it.

To date, I've never had that kind of faith again. I've never believed something so against the odds with such confidence since. It was supernatural and it gave glory to God.

The second shift is that God is a miraculous God. No one probably disagrees with this statement, but the shift isn't in believing it, but realizing the role you play in it. In Amos 3:7, it says "surely the Sovereign God does nothing without revealing his plan to His servants the prophets." Did you get that? God gives us access to His will. In fact, in the overflow of His goodness, He responds because we ask.

The third shift is that we have to get over our fears of God's movement. We're terrified of the miraculous because we don't have a game plan for what would happen if God moved. We don't pray in tongues because we're afraid of our intentions or that others will get the wrong impression of God. As I said in a previous post: we need to feel a sense of devastation in our pursuit of the greater gifts. Fear is revealed in feelings of relief when God doesn't move. Devastation reveals a heart that is passionate and desperate for His move.

Consider your arguments. Consider your actions. Consider the God you want to serve, a God that's lavish, that gives good gifts. Don't settle for a life that's less. Don't settle for a life of decisions made through fear.

Trust Him.

Coastline of Tauronga, New Zealand

When you serve a stingy God...Part Two

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

I've noticed that we often do not prefer to be well rounded, we'd prefer to be the master of a few things than average at a bunch. Not a universal mindset, but those that excel in certain areas (athletics, academics, or social environments) definitely implement their areas of expertise more often than adding to their tool chest.

If we look at the gifts of the spirit, we sometimes look at them like personality types. For example, if I happen to have a personality bent towards explaining things to people, I might (mistakenly) believe that it's a spiritual gift of teaching from God (remember, it's never to my glory but to God's and most clearly seen when it's something I couldn't do under my own power). I might choose to hone that skill thinking that the greatest glorification of God is for me to become an expert in a single field.

The truth is, it's to MY glory if I hone that skill, not necessarily God's. It's a preference of MINE to have one thing to focus on, and hone, rather than multiple.

Over the past couple years I've made a few observations:

1 1) We'd prefer spiritual gifts that we feel in control of. It gives us a sense of satisfaction and, ultimately, makes us feel safe.

2 2) We don't explore gifts we that don't think we'd be good at because of our fear of failure and our fear of being out of control.

3 3) We believe that God has given us a gift or two and settle for that (as if He were stingy with his giving). Our worldview doesn't hold that maybe, just maybe, God's generously given us a ton of gifts (like when you're a kid on Christmas morning). What if we held that God has given all of us all the gifts and that maybe when Scripture says that not everyone has every gift, maybe it's referring to a few certain people that God wants to use in such dramatic ways that they couldn't contain one more gift, but that the rare position is actually to be lacking in a gift or two.

4 4) Even though Scripture says to "desire greater gifts" (1 Corinthians 12:31), we're actually relieved at the thought of lacking in some gifts (prophecy, tongues, healing, etc.). Instead of being devastated at the thought of lacking some of these greater gifts, literally devastated... we're relieved. What's that all about?

5 5) We like the idea that God's predicable. We read books about "finding out your child's spiritual gift" because we don't hold to the idea that God could give us any gift at any time for any reason for any length of time. It's easier to believe that God's done with us, that He gave us everything when we were conceived and He will just have to work with what He's got.

We would probably never attribute the adjective "stingy" to God, but if any of these above observations are true, our actions suggest that we actually find safety in believing it. But before I make it sound like safe = good, let me say how insulting this is to our Creator.

It's like saying: "Thanks Mom and Dad! I really like this gift, but you can take back all the other toys, I'd rather just spend some time really getting some use out of this one..."

But what if God isn't stingy? What if He's as lavish as 1 John 3:1 and Ephesians 1:7-9 say? Next post...

When you serve a stingy God...Part One

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Do you remember when you were a kid and Christmas time came around? You know that age when it doesn't matter what the gifts are, just that you have a lot of them? When you kept track of how many presents you had in comparison to your siblings or friends?

It's amusing, this past Christmas my presents I was looking forward to hadn't arrived by the time Christmas morning came by. This past Christmas I opened one, count them, one present on Christmas morning. I'm almost 30 so it's not like it mattered, but I reflected in that moment back to the Christmases when my parents were the coolest ever because I banked on the number of presents I got on a given Christmas morning.

Over the past couple years, I've begun to notice a trend. I do that, notice trends. My conclusion to this trend is this: we act like we serve a stingy God. We don't actually act upon a belief that God is lavish, overflowing, or whose blessings are so abundant it's overwhelming.

I can say that, but I'm not sure you believe or agree with me.

Let me walk you through my observation.

In Scripture there are about 25 official "spiritual gifts" listed in 3 passages (Romans, 1 Corinthians and Ephesians). You'd recognize them if you heard them...prophecy, teaching, miracles, evangelism (or the office of evangelist).

Scripture says that as believers, God gives us gifts of the spirit. These gifts give us the ability to do things supernaturally that we could not do successfully (or as effectively) under our own strength. They draw attention and glory to God.

Some people mistakenly believe that gifts are personality traits. For example, if I'm a generous person I must obviously have the "gift of giving". Others mistakenly believe that you're given gifts at conception and, once they're discovered, it's all God can or will ever give.

But neither of these beliefs support my claim that our actions suggest we believe God is stingy.

Our culture holds to some values that we often believe are incredibly noble. We believe success is a good thing, failure is bad (until we learn from it, then we try to ignore the failure and focus on the success of overcoming it - still emphasizing the success). We also value control (it's funny that "self control" is listed at the end of the Galatians "fruits of the Spirit" passage... because we usually consider it of more importance than love sometimes). We stay in control because when we are in control we puff ourselves up with the satisfaction that God can never be misrepresented if we never step a toe out of line. For some reason, this is really important to us, so important, in fact, that we'd rather miss the leading of God than go forward if there's a risk of mistake. The sin of poorly representing God is apparently a worse sin than disobedience...at least that's what our actions (or inactions) suggest.

But that still doesn't reveal my brokenness over this issue.

More to come in Part 2. Enjoy some pictures from my recent trip to Australia and New Zealand! Your support is promoting the kingdom in 108 individuals in New Zealand right now. It's beautiful!

Peter (our Aussie friend), Robby, Mark and Kyla (January 2010 Squad Leaders)

January 2010 World Racers! Crystal Springs, New Zealand

Staff Team (Jimmy, Janina, Allison, Mark, Kyla, Robby, Tara)

Praying for Haiti

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Just so you are all kept up to date. Adventures in Missions is mobilizing teams to go down and help with the victims of the recent earthquake in Haiti. We actually have AIM staff who live in the Dominican Republic who are on the ground working out how to travel in and out and receive relief workers. The World Race had 8 teams in Haiti as of February 2009 so watching the news hits very close to home for many in our World Race family. Several World Race alumni are already raising funds to fly down and help with the relief efforts.

Join us in prayer for the people there. Please do not entertain thoughts that this is somehow God's punishment for the evil perpetuated in this country and consider the people, made in God's image, who are suffering and desperately in need of hope. This could be a new day for Haiti as the people of God show true love and care.

I will post a blog soon on my recent travels to Australia and New Zealand. God moved in some incredible ways, 108 new World Racers are spreading the kingdom on the other side of the world and need your help in prayer and finances. We are the Body of Christ and whether it's Haiti, New Zealand or your hometown, we're all in this together.

IDK...

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

My mom asked me a few months ago how many text messages I thought my youngest brother sent out in a month. I shot high and guessed 300-400...

She laughed in my face and informed me that he had, in fact, sent over 3,000 text messages the previous month. That's literally 10 times as many as the other 5 family members COMBINED. (Luckily, all the text messages are "In Network" and cost nothing.) But the truth is, many of these messages are probably less than 5 characters long... probably acronyms or abbreviations...and probably full of cultural slang...

We have a whole vocabulary of slang we've developed for our digital communication...

LOL

BFF

BRB

CUL8R

One of my favorites is "IDK" ("I don't know"). When I was thinking about writing this blog, "IDK" flashed in my head and made me smile. But if I think about what's going on in my heart right now, it's not that "I don't know", it's that maybe "I don't care."

I've referenced "The 8^th Habit" (a book I'm plowing through right now that's rocking my world) in my past few blogs and I keep reading this same sentiment: you can have all the know-how, passion and motivation, but all of that has to intersect with something the world actually needs.

Too often we get disillusioned by the fact that our "hobbies" don't become our realities when, in fact, the things we enjoy doing can still be channeled into a valuable contribution.

But the deeper issue is this: we have to choose to care.

It's a sad commentary, but as defensive as we'd be to say "but I DO care", our actions speak far less. Do we really care that people around the world are starving to death? Do we care that Thailand has nearly 2 million slaves in the sex industry? Do we really care that 51% of Swaziland is infected with the HIV/AIDS virus?

Okay, let's bring it down to earth a little. Do we really care that our neighbor next door just lost their job and can't keep the lights on next month? Do we really care that the teenagers that pace the mall need their lives wrecked with a vision that's greater than themselves?

People who live their lives saying that these needs are UNACCEPTABLY UNMET in our world do something about it.

Our teams work with a ministry in Bangkok Thailand called "Night Light". It employs women who are willing and able to leave the sex industry a job and Christian community. They currently employ 80 of these women but the latest on their Web site says they have 22 women on the list they just can't afford to pay that would get out if they could. We're talking $250 here...$250 to get women out of sex slavery THAT WANT TO LEAVE!

Adventures in Missions feeds orphans in Kenya, Swaziland and India through the Sound of Hope campaign. Do you have any idea how far $1 goes in these countries?

This isn't a petition to give (though that'd be awesome), it's an example of things people have done to meet needs that are unacceptably unmet in our world.

Passion, gifts and motivation have intersected with something that really matters, a genuine need in our world.

Here's the thing: contributions come in all shapes and sizes. You may not go to Bangkok, but you might buy the jewelry Night Light sells. You may not adopt an orphan, but you may help raise awareness for Sound of Hope.

I spend my time training and mobilizing hundreds of missionaries to go to all these places. My method of meeting these unacceptably unmet needs in the world is to multiply myself by being a part of not one person going (me) but literally hundreds who can meet these needs.

I need supporters to continue this. Your contribution may not be as hands on, but you can still play a part.

We can have a voice that's heard. Live a life that matters.

Thieves

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I don't know if you've ever been violated by someone taking something that belongs to you, but I can assure you:

It's deeply personal.

Unfortunately, this seems to happen all too often on the World Race, no matter how careful we are. I remember being in South Africa and having a girl in our group come back stunned with the reality that the camera that had been strapped across her body, UNDER her jacket was somehow cut away and taken right off her person. It's deeply personal, I assure you.

It's so much easier to empathize with the victim in these stories. The injustice of it all gets a rise out of us. We band together to come against those evil enough to commit such an atrocity. But it's not often we see ourselves as the perpetrator...even when we are.

While those that would steal have motivations of greed or power, we justify our thievery by calling it "protection" or "compassion."

Don't believe me?

I suggest that we rob others, probably every day, of the opportunity to make their own decisions. We take away the option for others to form their own conclusions by withholding information or flat out excluding them from our lives.

Think about how you rationalized not sharing the Gospel with the last stranger you had a conversation with. What was your internal argument?

"I don't really have time to get into it all..."

"They probably wouldn't be interested..."

"They don't know me, what right have I to talk about this?"

So we don't.

We rob them of the opportunity to make a decision because we've already made the decision of that moment for them. They don't even have a chance.

Or when was the last time you invited someone you barely knew to join you and your friends in a community event?

"I wouldn't want them to be the new kid' or feel awkward..."

"I don't know if my friends would be okay with it, it's kind of our thing'..."

"They're probably too busy with their own life and friends..."

So we don't.

This is a HUGE part of my life right now as I enter a support-raising season. I look over the lists and lists of people I know. People from my life now, people from the past, people I meet along the way, even readers of my blog or Facebook profile.

"They're probably not financially in a place to give..."

"Surely they have others they're already giving to..."

"I haven't seen them in forever, who do I think I am asking for support when we've been out of touch for so long...they should be more in the loop before I ask."

So I haven't.

It's a battle we fight. We assume the best of intentions, but what we've really done is take away the God-given free will of others by robbing them of the opportunity to make their own decisions.

The truth is: we're not nearly as noble as we might think. We don't actually protect them at all, we save ourselves the risk of embarrassment or appearance of weakness, vulnerability or need. You see:

It's always about us.

With the return of ownership comes the trust that if people make a decision, I get to respect it. Sure there's a place for persuasion, debate, negotiation or conversation. But it takes us to a new level of relationship, a new level of respect and a new level of intimacy.

In case you haven't asked me for prayer, support or friendship because you assume something about me, here's some things you should know:

I give to support missionaries (even though I raise support myself).

I desperately desire to be included and fear rejection (just like everyone else).

I live on the generosity of others, but am not embarrassed by that.

I'm giving you the option. I'm giving you the information, the opportunity and the challenge to seek God. Whatever the Lord leads, would you be faithful and obedient?

Would you grow to intimacy with those around you in this way? People need you, and you need them...let's not waste our time. There's too much to do to advance God's kingdom to live in petty ways.

Why God hides

Mon, 7 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I'm noticing a trend in our cultural thinking...one that disturbs me. The more I converse with those of my generation that truly have a desire to follow Christ, the more I find this trend plays out. What may make this trend so scary is that the hearts and intentions of these individuals are sincere! Our desire (notice I now include myself in this group...because I have unwittingly adopted this trend, to my chagrin) is the pursuit of the truth, the pursuit of righteousness, and a pursuit of the deeper things of God.

Here's a scenario to put things in context:

Let's say I'm overseas and I come across a blind man sitting on the street corner begging for money. I'm moved to compassion and take my companions over thinking maybe we can introduce this man to the hope of Christ (if he isn't yet aware of this hope). We interact, we listen, and we resolve to pray healing for this man. Jesus did it all the time, right? So why shouldn't we?

We begin to pray. We offer a litany of theologically correct prayers up to God being sure to include the formulaic "if it's your will" disclaimer. We remind God of how much attention and glory He'd receive from moving in this way. We say "amen" and look...

"Well sometimes these things take time..."

"God's still in control, maybe He has a greater plan..."

"Maybe we should pray something different..."

Hear me clearly on this: all good, plausible theological proofs. Here's what disturbs me: the second we saw that blind man, these theological proofs flashed through our head. We actually engaged in this situation with a Plan B, an explanation for why God wasn't going to move.

I've recently had a couple of conversations that have shown me how deep this disillusionment really goes. This is what I've heard:

"I pray but when God doesn't answer I'm sure He's just waiting on me to decide something..."

"I ask God to reveal Himself in a new way but He stays silent...He must be testing my faith..."

"I want God to move but [and here's the holy grail]... it's probably just not his will."

Is this the God we serve? A God who stays distant from us on purpose? A God who doesn't move, doesn't speak, doesn't respond to our cries for intimacy or move in compassionate, merciful ways?

We live a life full of the "exceptions". We watch God fail to miraculous move and justify it. In fact, we end up living lives of these "special cases" when God doesn't move immediately and thus we console our disappointment with faith in "God's sovereignty" (ie. a greater plan we'll never be privy to...because that's God's M.O.: to keep things as secretive and covert as possible and ultimately away from us).

I don't want to disavow truth, but I want to expose the contentedness we have with powerless and intimacy-less lives.

Why is it okay to believe that God speaks but live a life without ever hearing His voice?

We say Jesus is our ultimate example but never once operate as He did...we never heal the sick, multiply food for the hungry or raise the dead.

But at the end of this discussion, it's not about power, it's about a relationship. What intimacy can we even conceive with someone who doesn't speak and may not ever be around...it's like having a pen pal that wrote you one letter a long time ago, but whom you consider your best friend of all time.

We believe God is present but often question if He's spoken because His words sound an awful lot like common sense.

It will always be academia until we truly encounter God. God's not hiding, we're just content only looking in the places we've already looked.

Emotional Addictions

Sat, 28 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

"Your heart will follow your head."

Michael Hindes

Thank goodness...I feel a little relieved that this is the case.

It makes sense. Romans 12 says "You will be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Not the "renewing of your heart". In Ancient Near Eastern culture (in seminary terms this just means "Biblical times"), the heart' is the seat of the emotions, representing how you feel. Your mind' then means what you know.

I'll be honest...I've never been able to see this actually play out in real life. Just because I decide not to be cranky in the morning doesn't mean I won't FEEL cranky in the morning. Just because I decide not to be annoyed by a situation doesn't mean I won't FEEL annoyed.

We talk a lot in the World Race about living our lives "unoffendable". You know what I've concluded? Living a life where I don't allow the people, conversations, situations or environments to offend me is 1) a choice I do make in my mind - I decide not to be offended and 2) something I might actually feel but have to figure out if I will be victimized by it or respond the way I've decided to respond.

Can you do it? Decide how you feel? I'll admit I'm obscenely horrible at it.

Like most things in life, however, it's a process ... a long process.

The Romans passage I referenced above I think actually describes it best. The Greek tense could be explained like this: "You will be transformed by the on-going, perpetual, renewing after renewing of your mind."

So if I want to start FEELING different, I have to start THINKING different. But remember, how many important things in our lives actually give us the luxury of instant gratification? So I have to THINK different now, and later, and tomorrow.

My THOUGHTS have to turn into BELIEFS and my beliefs have to turn into CONVICTIONS. Only then will I begin to FEEL different in situations that would have otherwise incited me to feel otherwise.

You know what THINKING has to change first? Give up the incessant need to be right. I had a talk with my siblings about this just yesterday: we're addicted to being right and making sure everyone involved knows it. Even if we are somehow "mature" enough to keep our mouths shut, we sure THINK it...imagine that...what we're supposed to do it change the way we think right?

You know what...my "heart really does follow my head"... it does so because I want it to be that way. And more than that, it's who I want to be.

It's really not about the couch...

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I'm pretty sure that if God asked me for my couch, I'd give it to Him...really without thinking twice about it...

I'm absolutely positive that if He asked me for my nice clothes, I'd have no hesitation giving them away...

I really wouldn't think twice about giving up my car, eating chocolate, listening to my Ipod, having my own room or any host of the things God's blessed me with... I don't know if everyone shares these sentiments, but honestly, these things just aren't that important to me...

I've been observing that these aren't the things that God asks of me...I still have my couch and have no belief that God wants me to give it away...He doesn't seem to ask the things of me that are easy to give...

Which means one of two things has to be true: a) I don't make the connection when I lose things that are unimportant to me...probably because I don't care or b) God doesn't really care about those things either because what He's really after is, well...me.

In 2 Samuel 24, King David is adamant that He will pay for the land upon which to make His sacrifice to the Lord saying "I will not give to the Lord that which costs me nothing."

The Abraham and Isaac story has always been of particular interest to me. God could have asked for ANYTHING of Abraham, his wealth, his servants, his livelihood, all of which I'm sure Abraham would have willingly given.

I find it intriguing that God was very specific in His promise to Abraham. In Genesis 17: 19 God says "...your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with HIM as an everlasting covenant for HIS descendants after HIM."

It stands to reason, then, the magnitude of what God truly asked of Abraham when He asked for the sacrifice of his son Isaac. Not only was Isaac the fulfillment of a promise (again, not just any "son" born to Abraham...very, VERY specifically, Isaac), but Isaac was truly what Abraham loved most. His most prized treasure and possession.

This morning my pastor shared a story that iterated this again, the story of the "Rich Young Ruler" who came to Jesus saying, "I've done it all, I've followed the rules, I've lived admirably, I've earned a reputation for righteousness'....what more do I lack?"

Jesus didn't ask for him to follow more rules, to beat his will into even greater submission, to make good choices, to discipline himself, to spend more time in the word, to regulate his temptations and never sin...he asked of him what he loved most...

"Go, sell all your possessions and give to the poor, then come and follow me."

God's not interested in our comfort or entertainment, not really even in our satisfaction or fulfillment...at least not nearly as much as He is in our character and our completeness.

What do you love most? If you genuinely have a desire to follow God, eventually He's going to ask you for it.

In Hebrews 11, the "Faith Chapter", it says "Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead." Even in the face of God's apparent reneging on His promise, Abraham believed the supernatural would happen...an unrelenting trust in God...a faith that surpassed the logical and reasonable.

What would this world look like with men and women living with this kind of faith? What mighty things would happen? What nations would be shaken? What kind of hope would the hurting and lost find? What kind of true satisfaction and fulfillment would exist in our hearts?

If we're going to see that happen, it's going to cost us...literally everything. We've got to live with a reasoning that if what I love most is given to God...I reason that He can bring His promises literally back from the dead.

In this season of support raising, I've had to look at this role in this light...I truly love what I do. What if God asks for it back?

He may not, He could definitely provide more than I could possibly imagine. I still need 15-$100 a month supporters or 30-$50 a month supporters. You could be a part of God's ultimate plan...and He may literally bring your Isaac back from the dead as you live a life of faithfulness. "Support Me" is on the left over there if God leads.

Voices

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I'm reading this great book right now called "The 8th Habit". If you haven't read Stephen Covey's original "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" you really should read both books, they're changing my life. This second book is about going beyond integrating good habits into your life, but to actually use them to find the "voice" that you have...that unique, personalized, passionate, driven, purposeful "thing" that is you.

I love this concept, I love the idea that each one of us is created in God's grand design with a voice...and more than a voice, but a message. It doesn't have to be a profound message, it just has to be yours.

I think innately we know if we have it or not. In fact, if we're not worried whether we have it or not we're either a) to apathetic to care or b) too busy using our voice to spend time trying to analyze it. I appreciate what one of the first principles the book talks about says: when all is said and done, you have a choice. You have the freedom to discover, use, embrace and promote your voice and help others discover their voice. We live in a society that says if we don't have a "title" or a "given responsibility" that you should just wait to be told what to do. The 8th habit says if you have discovered your voice, that you always get to speak influence, you always get to speak into the things that could be.

As I'm reading this, it resonates with me because it's the missing piece of the puzzle I've been looking for. With all the training I do and all the growth I see in the ministry I am apart of, everything can fall into place (ie. people can get healing, people can get vision, people can exercise passion, people can work (and work hard), etc.) but all this is just the prerequisite to the ultimate goal: find out who you are and learn to speak from that part that is you, that part that God designed on purpose, it's destiny really and it's the courage to walk in it.

To be honest, I think I've found my voice...

My voice is to my generation. It says "Wake up! There's more to life. Don't bother me if you're still trying to figure out if life can be more significant than the mundane you've been living. Come to me when you're desperate enough to live a life free-falling into God's plan. We can get there, it'll cost you everything, but we can get there."

This inspires me. This taps into a passion. When I get to speak these words, I have a satisfaction: I know God's called me to this, it's His message, I'm just the mouthpiece.

I want to keep speaking this message. I need you to see that this message can change the world. One of the ways you can acknowledge this is by joining the team. I need 15 more $100 a month supporters to fund my ministry for next year. I need people on board by January 1, 2010. It's as easy as clicking "Support Me!" on the left menu bar.

Let's find our voices. It's what brings life...it's our destiny.

Are you kidding me?!

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

So in the hundreds and hundreds of World Race blogs that pop up, it's not often we get a truly unique story about a truly unique event. Tiffany is the Squad Leader for our June 2009 World Race Team ("I" Squad!). Read this incredible story of being able to truly meet a woman in her moment of need: Tiffany's Story

In need of a vision?

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I've been spending quite a bit of time thinking about the future. Not MY future as much as THE future...as in what's next?

The World Race, as amazing as it is, was never, and is still not, intended to be "it".

As in, "here you go, now you're ready...uh...go!"

But sometimes it feels that way. Sometimes it feels like at some point all the pieces are going to miraculously come together in some magnificent, supernatural way and everything is just going to "click"...

Reality check...it doesn't work that way. Sure, some people know, they know who they're supposed to marry, or where they're supposed to live, or where the next season is supposed to lead. They work towards a goal they've always had or commit to a vision they are just 101% sure of (...show offs...), but what about when you lack a vision?

I'm convinced that many of us don't need to beat a dream out of ourselves, to be honest, we just need a vision to be a part of. It's not so crucial that it's the "right" vision, but something about it should matter. Because, really, it's about playing a role in the kingdom and sometimes it just doesn't matter that my role is EXACTLY what it should be for me to be happy, but that it's contributing to something bigger than myself.

I think we all are in search of this. Maybe by being apart of a church body, or being a "big brother" or "big sister" to an inner city kid. Or maybe it's a global scale of being on the front lines and living overseas planting churches. We all just want to be a part of something that matters. And if we find ourselves in a place of indifference...at least we want to want it...

Over the next few months, I'm hopefully going to be a part of helping those visions become realities. I want to see dreams happen and for visions to become passions and passions to become real kingdom all over the world. It's not hard, takes some work, but it's so close I can taste it.

Maybe you hear this whisper...maybe not yet. Maybe you want to see this become a reality.

I'm willing to put in some time to see it possible. I need your help to do it.

Ask the Father to give the dreams.

Pray for the laborers to become part of the movement.

Seek out ways to make it happen for you.

If you want to support the growth of this vision and the efforts I've described above, one way you can help is to financially support my efforts. I need quite a few more monthly supporters for next year. Click "support me" on the menu on the left and let's see what God does.

Reflections of a World Race Staff

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Someone asked me today what God was doing in my life...I reflected...

Someone else asked me how life outside work was going...I laughed...

Someone else asked me what makes me come alive...I showed them my life...

My life, as it is, is like something out of a story...

traveling all over the world...

having a voice that challenges a generation...

living a life of significance...

Strangely, I'm not tired. Sure I need rest and, like Christ, need to steal away from time to time...

But it's amazing. I go to sleep thinking of the lives that are impacting orphans...

MOZAMBIQUE

of the voices that are preaching the Gospel...

PERU

of those beginning a pilgrimage...

JANUARY 2010 "N" Squad

and of the role God has asked me to play.

It's unbelievable. I don't deserve it. I can't imagine living any other life.

13th Squad Launches in Guatemala

Thu, 8 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I was on the 2nd ever World Race...and here I am helping launch the 13th squad of World Racers to the field.

It's amazing, humbling, and constantly reminds me that this is what I should be doing right now. Awesome. Truly awesome.

I'm hanging with the "L" squad here in Antigua, Guatemala. I'm sitting in the lobby of our hotel listening to 70's pop music on an overhead speaker. I look up to see two dogs sleeping under a table, look out the gate to see the cobblestone walkways and the hustle and bustle of this quaint little town. This is my 4th trip to Guatemala and while I always seem to get sick here (no seriously LOL) it's still one of my favorite destinations.

It's a place where my Spanglish actually seems to work quite a bit. The people here are incredibly friendly and open to conversation. The city itself sits in the shadow of 3 volcanoes. On Wednesday, the entire squad hiked up one of the closest volcanoes, Pacaya, where we roasted marshmallows over the molten rock. This is a big deal for me because last time I was in Antigua (on my own World Race 2 and a half years ago) I missed this hike because I was sick with strep throat. Yet, this time, I powered through and got to do the hike! The volcano is an amazing site, ash and cooled molten rock are a sight like I've never seen. It's humbling to be near something so powerful, something so volatile and something that has the potential to cause such devastation. What a mighty God we serve that even the volcanoes are nothing compared to his might and power.

As for the ministry here, the squad of 47 World Racers is one of the best squads we've ever sent out. This morning, for example, the entire group prayed over the sick in their group, interceded for the villages in which they will be serving (and this was no passive gesture, some wept, some declared) and worshiped in a way that truly shook the heavenly realms. This group is ready to take the kingdom, they have bought in, celebrated, grieved and resolved that they are ready and available for God to come and move.

I can't imagine a more inspiring life. Wow.

Cheers

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I'm sitting in Clondalkin, Ireland a suburb of Dublin. Let me first say: I love Ireland. The people are friendly, the countryside is beautiful and I'm spending my days with 88 unbelievable World Racers ready to begin the pilgrimage of their lives! I try to keep all of you wonderful readers apprised of my status, but to summarize: this is the greatest honor I could hope to achieve. I am so fulfilled by what God allows me to do even if it demands an incredible amount of who I am. It's more than I could have asked for and I'm so beyond grateful.

St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin

Last week we trained another 46 racers (I just crossed the 300 mark of Racers I've had a part in training, this puts us over 400 racers ready to embark on this thing we call the World Race! These guys are amazing! I call them the "Super Soakers"...I have yet to meet a group so enthralled with the idea of being in the presence of God.

At the end of the day I am greatly inspired by the idea of being an agent of change in the world. That my life matters and ultimately has significance is of the utmost importance to me...I'm fortunate to see the direct results of this passion. This role has given me the opportunity to observe so many things about my generation. Here are some things I've noticed:

1) We are a wounded generation. Abuse, brokenness, addiction, rejection, you name it. But get this: the resulting compassion for others is unparalleled.

2) We are desperate for a vision. Significance is hugely motivating and at the end of the day, we're disillusioned by the idea that self promotion, entertainment and greed can ultimately fulfill us.

3) Fear keeps us at bay. We're obsessed with money, obsessed with security, paranoid about the future, skeptical of threats to our foundations.

4) Relationships matter. Life's not worth living without people to share it with. This is the foundation for missions and when relationships are absent, a sense of significance wanes.

5) We want proof. We want to see God move in ways we know He can. We want to believe He's as powerful as He's said. We want to understand how to be a world changer by representing God as more than even we've understood Him to be.

Honestly, I love this generation. There's a hope at its very core that holds the promise of great life. It's a generation who has been offered the chance to change the world as we know it...and I'm all in.

Sabbath

Sun, 17 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This past Tuesday morning I came down with some kind of ailment. Didn't know at the time if it was the dreaded "H1N1" virus (it wasn't) but honestly I didn't feel bad enough to really care. I didn't feel terrible, but my terrible cough and the fear of what the sickness could probably have been and whether it was contagious or not made me wary enough to work from home. I didn't get better over the next couple days and ended up just staying home. I watched some tv, answered some e-mails, slept a ton, drank copious amounts of water...and happy to announce that I'm on the mend.

It's interesting though, if I had taken a few days of vacation there's no doubt that I would have thrown myself hard into times of growth, times with the Lord, study, creative brainstorming (if that were possible, stress seems to rob me of any creative power). But since I was officially "sick", I found myself without any obligation to be productive. Weird.

It's amazing how times when I'm supposed to Sabbath or rest are the times I work the hardest socially, emotionally even spiritually sometimes. I hit a breaking point this week, I told God I was done talking.

I'm done taking every opportunity with the Lord to air my laundry list of prayers or formulating noble excuses for God's silence because my 4-second attention span doesn't yield instantaneous answers, comprehension or action plans. It can so easily become legalistic in a way to feel good about going through the motions, a satisfaction that I have done good on a certain day.

But I was done. I don't want my relationship with God to be one-sided or to become a list of habits. I want to just be in the presence of God (thanks Tom Sipling) and let that be enough. These past few days I've just been. I haven't gone head deep into disciplines or habits, I've not scheduled time in or felt obligated to do anything.

And it's been the most refreshing few days I've had in a long while. I need to get sick more often apparently...

Hot off the presses!

Tue, 12 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This morning in our staff meeting I had a word spoken over me...that word prophesied that God is expanding my territory...and it couldn't have been more accurate. We're about to launch 35 racers, about to train another 90 and are recruiting 100 for the October World Race coming up later this year.

It's time to get the word out. Check out this blog: October World Race and pass it along to those who might be ready for an adventure. We're actually half way there already but need your help to double our kingdom influence in nations all over the world!

Addiction

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I had a talk with a good friend today. We came to a somewhat liberating if terrifying conclusion: we are addicted to answers.

It's funny, a lot of postmodern voices say that we are a generation that's okay with ambiguity but I've seen more often than not that we are frantic and desperate for answers. We develop disorders when we don't have answers; we doubt our faith when we don't have answers; our spiritual disciplines go through the roof in an attempt to ascertain a divine answer to our latest dilemma.

What a sad commentary.

I've been saying for a while now "he who needs nothing, doesn't need God." When we have all the answers, we don't need a Wonderful Counselor. When answers give us security we don't need the Prince of Peace. We demand answers because we demand control of our lives.

Do we understand yet? Control...answers...self...

God doesn't ignore our questioning...why do I insinuate that by acting like he does?

God doesn't withhold information from me...why do I accuse Him of that by entertaining anxiety?

Why can't I just live completely dependent upon the Lord? Why can't I just trust Him? At certain times in my life I've lived that way, I need to get back there somehow...it was a good way to live.

Tactics...#2: Skepticism

Sat, 25 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I wrote yesterday about lies. The best kind of lies are the ones that have enough truth to be believable (to say the sky is "green" is a poor lie, there's no ounce of truth to make it even partially believable). Satan is a master of truth-lies and if he can deceive us, even slightly, he can cause us to doubt the truth of God. Adam and Eve in the garden showed that to be true.

Another tactic of the enemy is skepticism. I'm amazed at how often he uses this especially within Christian communities.

The scientist is skeptical of the supernatural.

The traditionalist is skeptical of the new perspective.

The conservative is skeptical of grace.

The wounded is skeptical of change.

The educated is skeptical of decisions made by the ill-informed.

The rejected is skeptical of invitations to community.

Skepticism is just another way to define fear or control. In fact, "control" could be defined as having a root of fear - the threat of losing of something valued.

Satan keeps us in bondage by helping us choreograph a nightmare, one that gets mentally and emotionally rehearsed to near perfection. Skepticism that becomes an emotion of fear almost always has tapped into a rehearsal of a nightmare that will likely never actually occur. Pair this with the lie that the skepticism is actually righteous indignation and the devil's work is done.

So often, we believe we have the right to be defensive and that somehow God is incapable of acting on His own behalf and unless we take a stand for "righteousness", God's good name will be irreparably marred. Skepticism may, in some cases, be Holy Spirit driven - but the emotion should be one of compassion, not anger.

Remember the story where Jesus got angry and drove the merchants out of the temple. Let's remember that this is the ONLY instance of anger seen by Jesus in all of scripture. We've taken this story to justify our emotions of "anger" (which are typically "fear" and "hate", not "anger"). Jesus wasn't skeptical here, he was broken.

Strong emotional reactions usually mean something is being violated. If you feel skepticism at an act of God or at an argument you don't agree with, check your emotions - God doesn't need protecting. Allow yourself to be moved to love and compassion and see where that leads you.

Tactics...#1: Lies

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Let's discuss some realities for a minute: scripture says that our enemy prowls around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. I don't bring this up to make you paranoid but, listen, maybe you should be more paranoid...

Who is satan? Scripture defines him as the "father of lies." Deception is the principle tactic of the enemy. Exposing the deception of the enemy by shining the light of truth into the darkness is the easiest and most effective way to overcome the enemies tactics.

My friends are getting a little annoyed with me. I've discovered this new show called "Lie to Me." (I have an obsessive personality so I'm applying all the little tricks I'm learning on my friends to see if they actually work.) It's a drama on FOX TV that catalogs the stories of an organization called the Lightman Group which specializes in deception detection. They get called in by the government and other individuals to try and expose the lies told by those who typically have a lot to hide. It's fascinating to watch the cast draw conclusions from the slightest twitch, the smallest hand movement, the briefest hesitation, head nod, furrowed brow, change of tone and a host of other tells that expose emotion that is felt but may not be intended to be communicated.

I went out and bought the book written by the doctor who's research is the basis for the show and have been reading up on how complicated a "science" this really is. Deception is actually quite difficult to acknowledge with any kind of certainty! In fact, the research was never intended to relate to lie detection, it was merely a catalog of anatomical displays of emotion. A shoulder shrug means confusion, a furrowed brow and clenched lips indicate anger, raised eyebrows denote surprise. The premise is this: any time the emotion being conveyed doesn't match the content of what is being communicated: it's a lie!

It's made me realize how brilliant of an offensive tool lying really is for the devil. It's incredibly complex and even the best, most learned men and women in the world can't ever uncover deception 100% of the time. No wonder we fall prey to the devils schemes so often!

I want to give credit where credit's due: the Holy Spirit is the author of all truth. The TRUTH is: we're not victims! We're victorious - the truth has overcome the lie, the light has overcome the darkness!

I want to spend a couple blogs exposing the tactics of the enemy.

Today's tactic: Lies and Deception.

Expose the lie for what it is, embrace the truth that actually exists - take the devil's legs out at the knees and live in the light, not the darkness. The devil won't make the lie obvious - in fact it may have elements of truth mixed in! God has the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Claim it, know it, embrace it.

Listen...

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Do you ever have that moment when you think someone may have called out your name....but you're not quite sure...so you look around casually to see if anyone is acknowledging you or trying to catch your eye...but you don't see anyone and wonder if you just made it up or if you are confident enough in your auditory skills to look a little more fervently for the summoner?

I have one of those names. "Jimmy" for some reason sounds like a plethora of other names. It may not necessarily rhyme but it gets mistaken all the time for any other name that might end in the "mee" sound. It kind of gets annoying really, but at the risk of ignoring someone that might actually be trying to summon me, I diligently look and respond in a half-hearted "yes?" just in case.

Christians are masters at explanations. When I was at seminary I was in awe at the lengths people would go to as they would try to explain concepts they didn't fully understand. The mysteries of God are so threatening to us (though most of us secretly like it) so we try and explain it. Maybe it's a result of the curse of eating from the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil" that we always seek out an answer or solution but I'm starting to learn that sometimes I just don't want to know.

Hearing God's voice is one of those Christian disciplines we try so hard to explain, formulize and even conjure into reality. We pray, wait 2 seconds then explain that God is being "intentionally quiet" or that He's "waiting on my next move" or that somehow we've sinned and God is punishing us with His silence. It's laughable really that we think we can manipulate God into speaking, but rarely do I hear it taught that "God speaks far more than we care to listen."

In my ministry, I've begun incorporating a listening prayer discipline into my life. I operate on the basis that God speaks with the intention of me understanding and replying. I assume that God constantly wants to speak to me and lead me (even lead me into times of rest and refreshing or into times of intimacy with Him).

The passage I always here referenced to this is the time where Elijah goes in search of God's voice only to realize that God's voice was not in the wind, the storm, the noise, etc. that God was a "still small voice." We've built an entire theology around the fact that God's voice is a whisper and those of us who miss the whisper are condemned as infantile, sub-par believers ("what? Did someone say Jimmy'?")

Here's my challenge: SLOW DOWN. We've committed ourselves to a relationship but taken no time to LEARN how to communicate. In America, for instance, we have totally ignored the disciplines of silence and solitude. Even our "quiet times" are spent reading, journaling, worshipping - all active disciplines. WE NEVER LISTEN.

Have you ever just sat on the couch with a cup of tea, stared off into space, let your mind stall itself out, reach a point of peace...then just listened?

God's voice is unmistakable. It's a thought, a picture (God's quite the artist by the way), a movie, an epiphany a conclusion, a name, a face, a desire, a joy, a sadness, a surprise, a mystery, a burden, something fresh, something treasured, something remembered...something special.

Listen...

Radical Real Life?

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I've been reading Ecclesiastes this past week and it's a terribly depressing book. Chapter after chapter Solomon talks about all the wonderful things in life (beauty, friends, productivity, accomplishments, legacies, etc.) only to conclude that at the end of the day it's all completely worthless, a fruitless "chasing after the wind."

I dare say we all arrive at a similar conclusion on a micro-scale at periodic points in our lives (you know, those moments when we realize we've worked really hard for something that just didn't pan out to be everything we hoped it to be.) But if that's a hard pill to swallow, the reverse (where most of a driven generation lives) can be even more devastating.

What I'm talking about is this: we are desperate to make our lives mean something. We experience a moment of significance only to watch it sink into a mire of desperation to preserve the moment and panic that we'll never be able to replicate or top it.

We spend our lives chasing, moving, flying, clutching, grasping...

Who can survive that way? "Radical" can't mean firing on all cylinders 100% of the time. There's a real life in there somewhere. I believe there's a hybrid....that it's possible to live real life radically....but most of us will have to grieve the reality that radical real life isn't a perpetual mountain top.

But before I start sounding pessimistic, let me say that the taste of radical real life I've tasted is just as sweet...it's hard, messy, exhilarating, wonderful, horrible and raw...it's real, and I wouldn't want it any other way.

Grieving the Seasons

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

"Change is the only constant."

I don't know who said that, but I've found it to be undeniably true. Sometimes change is planned, sometimes unexpected - almost always it demands something of us. Sometimes change is a relief, sometimes it's a shock, sometimes it's a terror. But whatever the case, change will come and seasons will turn.

Our WR Director Michael Hindes brought an intriguging word: "Season's don't begin with a beginning, they always begin with an ending." While birth always seems to be the logical place to begin definition of a new season, autumn always precedes winter which precedes spring, it's just the way life works.

At our WR training camps, we spend several days on this concept of grieving. The World Race is a new beginning! The new beginning can't begin until the grieving of the past has occurred. I've seen racers on the field try and begin without truly grieving the past and growth is always stunted.

More frequently than that, I've seen alumni racers end their race without truly grieving the change of seasons. As I write this I think to myself "dang, grieving' is such a loaded word, can't we use something a little more optimistic?" As I sit here, I conclude from my experience the truth: grieving' is exactly the write word to use here.

There's always a necessity for grieving a season where growth occurred. There's something desperate about not losing what was once so wonderful. The things we fight to learn, the obstacles we will ourselves to overcome, the truth that we glean and even the life we experience through freedom and a taste of destiny all become fiercely guarded.

We experience freedom only to dissolve back into fear that bondage is right around the corner. We experience life only to dread the thought of returning to death or sleep. We label every wilderness as the ultimate evil and sometimes back our way into them as we do everything in our power to avoid them.

If I've learned anything about seasons though, it's that they always come. Always. Winter always follows the dying season of fall. Spring always follows a season of dormancy and winter. Harvest always follows a season of growth and new beginning. The harder we strive to avoid the changes in our lives, the more discontented, disillusioned and even angry we become. Season's aren't meant to be a lifetime.

There are some seasons we force upon ourselves at the wrong time and there's elements of seasons we bottle up to try and preserve only to watch them wilt and fade. It's time to grieve the changes. Grieving is both celebrative for what was gained and sorrowful for what was lost. It's the right response, the honest response. In fact, when we look into the pain of grieving there's a glimmer of life on the other side. It's what makes the beginnings so magical and precious.

Fear of the result is always worse than the result that actually occurs. Don't miss out on a great beginning because an ending is too hard to let go of.

Speaking in Tongues

Wed, 8 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

We're control freaks. No, seriously, it's kind of outrageous when you think about it. We're absolute control freaks. Not only will we try and control the things that happen to us, but we have back up plans for how to control our protection if something is threatening and our control begins to break down. If that doesn't work we have backup plans for that and if THOSE desperate acts of manipulation don't work, it's fight or flight baby (which is a backup plan in and of itself...so Darwinian I know...).

This past training camp, I had an epiphany.

I've felt the need for the last several years to defend the position, integrity, and reputation of Adventures in Missions and if I'm honest, defend God. I don't know what possesses me to take on these burdens (as if I truly understood what I was doing) but I work fiercely to protect the things I see as important. Not that it's all bad, but wow, the stress is unbelievable.

This past training camp we had some of the most outrageous, amazing, momentarily terrifying but truly honest and real experiences with the Lord. The Spirit of God moved through our midst in unprecedented ways. Freedom began to occur, new understandings of God began to be realized, celebrations, grievings, joy, honesty...I could go on. The fruit of our time was precious, sacred even.

When these nights happen, I get the rush of Holy-Spirit-adrenaline and just bask in the wonder of it all...until it's done. Once it's done I immediately launch into crisis management mode. "Who had a problem with this?" "How am I going to back this up?" "What are people going to say about our ministry (truth or not)?" All these management thoughts run through my head. They're not all faithless, some are pastoral, but the emotion that accompanies them carries a little trepidation.

This past camp I realized a truth that has changed everything for me. The truth isn't "I'm a people-pleaser" (though I do have those tendencies). The truth isn't "let God be your defender" (though He IS and I am learning to trust that everyday). The truth wasn't even that ground breaking...but it's given me clarity that is taking away anxiety.

Speaking in tongues is always an issue. No matter what the Spirit did (laughter, tears, dancing, worship, even people falling to the ground) nothing gets challenged the way speaking in tongues does. As a Southern Baptist kid I get it. I've seen the whole "we believe it we just don't encourage it" argument. I've heard the cessationist doctrine (I studied in seminary). And at the end of the day, I realize that the notion of tongues sounds irrational.

It's always the hardest issue to overcome, but it's always so surprising to me that the issue arises not from a conviction from Scripture but from fear of loss of control. Remember, we fear what we can't control and when our control disappears, our backup plans get haphazardly thrown into gear.

If doctrine is the stumbling block for you, I want you to listen to this. I was able at this past camp to talk through some of the core doctrinal issues on tongues with a group of racers. I feel a good understanding of audience, context and the simple facts of what Scripture says will alleviate any crutch it affords when you want to challenge the fruit of experience people have when God moves.

So here goes:

Question #1: Is tongues real?

Scripture talks frequently about tongues. Acts 2 and 4 note that the Apostles spoke in tongues, preaches in tongues, etc. Some might argue 1 Corinthians 13 but factually, it has no conclusive language to say that tongues is irrelevant for today. If you're still skeptical, talk with someone who prays in tongues and see the fruit of that discipline in their lives. It's either Satan, their flesh or the Spirit. Decide for yourself.

Question #2: Scripture never actually talks about a prayer language' what's that all about?

Romans 8 talks about the Spirit groaning and uttering words we do not understand as He intercedes on our behalf. Keep in mind that the Romans were highly educated and the Roman church was well established when this epistle was written. If we are to interpret this through the lens of philosophers and scholars (as the Romans were), the Spirit inside us intercedes to the Father on our behalf. If that's what's happening then we must be the ones uttering and groaning right? It's not about the content of our prayers (though God might choose to reveal the meaning), it's about the Spirit inside us communing with the Father.

Question #3: Isn't tongues only of God when it has an interpretation?

People always throw this out and never seem to be able to refer to where this is actually listed in Scripture. So here you go: 1 Corinthians 12 refers to a list of "spiritual gifts" noted by a specific Greek word for "gift" ("charis"). These include things like healing, miracles, faith and also tongues and interpretation.

Let me pause here and suggest something: does God only heal people when someone with the gift of healing prays? What about miracles? Faith? We can infer then that if someone is given supernatural faith without necessarily having the "gift of faith", couldn't someone also be able to speak in tongues under the influence of the spirit without necessarily having the "gift of tongues"?

Another way to think of this is: is a gift for a lifetime or for a moment? If it's for a moment, then we truly have no control over when God chooses to give and have no obligation for performance.

1 Corinthians 14 spends several paragraphs talking about this whole "tongues and interpretation" issue. I want you to read carefully what 1 Corinthians 14 says. Keep in mind that the audience is an unlearned, unestablished church. They are at the very beginning stages of their spiritual journeys and establishing any kind of system needed guidelines. The verse clearly states that if someone speaks in church there must be an interpretation. Think through this scenario: God gives a word to an individual while the body of Christ is assembled. The intent is to build up the body (though Paul admonishes elsewhere that prophecy is better for this) and is a direct word to a congregation. This is different than a prayer uttered to the Lord by the Spirit inside us.

My epiphany is this: I don't think I have the gift of tongues. I think I allow the Spirit of God to pray on my behalf, but not once have I felt the Lord call me to give a word to a body in a tongue. Following this to its logical conclusion, praying in tongues doesn't fall under the guidelines of 1 Corinthians 14 because it's not directed to an individual or body where an interpretation gives the tongue meaning, credibility and accountability.

Question #4: If it's alright for us all to chatter away in tongues as long as we're praying, it feels chaotic, isn't God a God of order and peace?

My question back is this: when then is passionate prayer appropriate? If the community operates in freedom and in unity, then prayer should be passionate. Can God not hear our prayers even if we utter them at the same time? Christians all over the world pray like this but Americans tend to have the utmost of concern for this method of prayer. Even in English, praying in a "concert of prayer" can be a faith-building, life-giving thing. The principle is not "order vs no order" it's about freedom, loving one another, and refusing to venture down the road to judgment and legalism. Is there a threshold where we're simply babbling in our own pride? Absolutely. Is that why we live in a community that has permission to bring correction and guidance? Absolutely. Is the answer to mandate that the only way to pray is reverently in a circle listening to one voice hear from the Lord at a time? God forbid.

I know this is long for a blog post. But it's been burning in my heart the last week or so. Judge the fruit. God is a redeemer and like I told the racers last week repeatedly: God works in spite of us and our best efforts. Our community is one where it's okay to try and fail, where it's okay to make a mistake. I told one racer that "God's a big boy." He doesn't want our defense, He wants our obedience. Defensiveness is just another assertion of control...God wants that too.

Comfort Zone vs Danger Zone

Mon, 6 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Today is my day off. It's the first day off I've had in 15 days...I'm not tired per se, but reflective, re-energizing and remembering.

Another Training Camp is over. My fourth since I've worked at AIM, the first of the 4 I will direct this year. Another 34 men and women have been empowered with everything I can possibly think of to journey around the world walking in the power of the Holy Spirit to deliver hope to the nations.

Training Camp is a hopeless bait and switch. I can't help it. There's no way to prepare for what God does at camp. Even coming out on the back end, I'm still tongue-tied to answer the inevitable question: "how was camp?" The truth is, camp was awesome. It was hard, had it's very low lows, had it's incredible highs and was exactly what God intended. I'm blessed to work alongside some wise, gifted, Spirit-empowered individuals. I'm honored to serve a leader who has a vision far greater than mine and who takes time away to love me as a person not as an employee. I'm blessed that God chose me to be here right now, I don't deserve it.

If you read the "Last 100 Blogs" on the World Race home page you'll see littered throughout the blog reports of the 34 individuals who had their lives wrecked this past week. While every camp deals with the emotional baggage, hurt, wounds and scars from the past, no group I've trained has engaged in the grieving process the way this group did. God gave me a prophetic word for this squad: "those who have been forgiven little, love little; those who have been forgiven much, love much." This group is taking it to the next level and they're doing it through brokenness...

I'm always amazed at how Satan tries to attack the kingdom shaking efforts we engage in. My team who has done several rounds of camp with me now, know that about 2-3 weeks out we have to start preparing ourselves for the onslaught of the enemy. Our minds, hearts, emotions, moods, relationships, families, etc. all seem to come under strain, stress, turmoil or attack as we lead into camp. It's so blatantly obvious I've stopped trying to explain it away as coincidence. As we take the necessary precautions to pray protection over ourselves, our leaders, our community, etc. we start noticing the tactics changing. This time it was vehicles. Don't ask me why, but cars that have run smoothly for months on end all broke down at the same time (not kidding people at least 6-7 vehicles simultaneously needed repairs the week before camp started).

Even at the conclusion of camp, devastating news from a sister department in AIM hits us and we launch back into action tired or not. It's worth every struggle to see the lives changed and the kingdom rocked. I understand in a profound way Paul's confession that he has "poured himself out as a drink offering". The great thing is, an empty glass sits waiting to be filled and it's no better time to allow the Spirit to fill again with HIS power, HIS strength, HIS perseverance.

In only 7-8 weeks another camp has to come together, this time with 3 times as many participants. God is faithful. Thanks for your prayers and partnership in the kingdom. It's the most wonderful thing I can think of doing with my life right now.

Update from the Rudolphs!

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Hey all, I received this from my good friends the Rudolphs. The World Race has spent quite a bit of time ministering in Mozambique with this family. Here is the latest update from their family and ministry:

NEWSLETTER

Jaco & Maria Rudolph

Hallo from a warm and very dry Mozambique.

We were very busy for the two months but it was really worth it. There were time when we said to ourselves how are we going to get through everything we have to do but through the grace of God we every time made it. The following scripture lifted us up so many times over the last six years " Luk 12:32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." Yes if the Father wants to give you HIS kingdom he is in control and he will as Father supply to every need. This includes guidance, strength and every need. Did He not tell us to walk in faith?

Ministry

Tamane orphanage.

We decided to move the children to and area closer to the power line so that we will have electricity available for the new buildings. After negotiations with the government they said that they would give us 30 hectors of ground. The application is in and the process started this will be a big blessing and there will be more than enough space for future buildings and projects. We were also given permission to start drilling for water. Then we can start building. The drilling contractor started drilling the first holes and drilling should start in about two weeks time at the orphans. We were blessed with a visit from an outreach team from the Dutch Reformed church in Western area. They helped us to build a toilet and bathroom as well as a playing area for the children.

The woman was giving teaching and skills training to the children everyday. At the end the children was blessed with a party and gifts. Needless to say they were a very happy bunch of kids at the end. Each child also received his own bible and they are now using it daily. The team also showed the Jesus film in the bush close to Inhasoro one evening. About 200 people attended this. An amazing thing happened that night. The local bar across the road closed while the movie was on and only opened when we left.

The first building materials were delivered in Tamane and we started making the first bricks. The children also started making the Jeca bundles for the roof. We are also busy with negotiations with Sasol to be more involved with the orphans. Please pray for this

Children ministry conference

God is really moving in the Sofala province and for the first time we had a conference on children ministry. Leaders attended this from 10 different denominations. The goal was to get the leaders to understand the role of children in the ministry better and to find ways to draw children to God. We strongly believe that God want to use children in the ministry and through children make a difference. They saw for the first time children praying for pastors and the sick. When praying a manifestation took place and the next day testimonies of healing were given. The leaders stood amazed by this. The next day the pastors washed the feet of children and prayed over them. A comity of 11 members were formed to manage future events and to do future planning. In November we had a follow up conference in Nova Mabone and again this was a huge success. We are in the process of teaching the children to make a difference through prayer. In January we will have a follow up conference.

Youth outreach

In June/July we had a group of young people from Brits in South Africa visiting us their ages were from seven to sixteen. What a blessing!!! They worked for to days in the Sofala province, reached out to the orphans in Temane and Makonzi. They prayed for the sick and ministered to people for the first time ever. They showed the movie The Passion of Christ and experienced the amazing event of a sangoma (witch doctor) accepting Jesus Christ as his Savior. We then worked with them for three days. All of them went back home changed. They started a prayer group at home and lately started ministering to broken adults.

Bible school

The four bible school students are really a blessing to us and it is amazing to see how they have grown spiritually over the last year. We just know that every one of them have a different culling on his or her live. And we cannot wait to see how they will grow over the next three years

Testimony

We went through a very difficult to months with Jaco's health in a bad state. Eight month's ago a gland in his neck started swelling and he started getting weaker. For the last three months he experienced a lot of pain in his neck and limbs. In November he went for a medical examination and the doctor were very concerned about his health. In December we went to SA to see another doctor who operated on the lymph gland and a small sample (about one third) were removed and send away for tests for cancer and TB. These came back negative. A few days later a surgeon were suppose to remove the remaining part of the gland but when he examined Jaco he were not happy and said that there is some thing very wrong and that he will do the operation one week later. When he operated on Jaco yesterday he was amazed that he could not find the lymph gland at all. He said after the operation there is no cancer or TB. We believe that a miracle took place a want to praise God for this all the honor and glory to him.

Prayer requests

Please pray for the following

Finances that we can continue with our work
The building project
The orphans, we need bicycles for them for transport to school and back as well as proper school wear
R 140 000 (rand) for a drilling machine to be able to help with the water problems at the orphans and in the different communities.
A single cab truck the building of the orphanage an our work in general
Teachers and helpers with the orphans as well as our own children
Wisdom and endurance for the new year ahead
The World Race teams that will visit us in January

May God bless you all this festive season and the New Year ahead.

We pray that your road ahead will be smooth and blessed. That you will experience God's presence every moment and see His hand in every way of your lives.

Jaco, Maria, Maggie and Rudo

Update on Jaco - follow up!

Thu, 4 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Hey all, got this today from Jaco! Praise God for his healing, restoration and mercy.

Hi Jimmy.

Here everything is going well. The test results were negative praise God. On Wednesday the surgeon will remove the gland in my neck and by the weekend we should be on our way back to Mozambique. We are looking forward to receive the world race teams in January. Thank you so much for your prayers and support it really means a lot to us.

Love

Jaco

Pray for Jaco!

Mon, 1 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

If any of you have heard my World Race story, you will probably have heard about how close I got to a family of missionaries in Mozambique. Jaco and Maria Rudolph and their children Maggie and Rudo are South African but have dedicated their lives to reaching the orphans and lost in Vilanculos, Mozambique.

I received this e-mail from Jaco yesterday:

"Hi Jimmy.

We are as a family going thru a very difficult time. I went for a small operation on Thursday and will know today ( Monday ) if I have cancer of the glands. This is really very difficult for me it is as if my mind keep on running away all the time thinking about " what if ". What about my family and the ministry. Then I just say to myself but God is in controle. Please pray for us we really need it.

Love Jaco"

This family has hosted several generations of World Racers since my time with them in May of 2007. They are partners in the kingdom work and are changing Africa as we know it for God's glory. Please pray for their family that they would have peace in the midst of the storm, that God would provide more laborers to help the family reach out and that should God will, Jaco would be miraculously healed and would be able to continue his kingdom work in Mozambique.