"I'm Free Now!"

As I write this article this morning the breaking news is of three young women who have been freed from a ten year nightmare of captivity in a home in Cleveland, Ohio.  Today Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight are alive and free!  These three young women were each abducted separately ten years ago and have been held captive for all this time.  The details are still emerging but the words I’ve heard over and over so far are “celebration”, “freedom”, and “rejoicing” in describing the feelings of those freed from captivity and the family and friends who thought they had been lost forever.  I couldn’t help but rejoice as these young women celebrate their freedom and release from captivity.  
Not to sound too much like a preacher, but the parallels to their stories of captivity and imprisonment by evil men to all of mankind’s captivity and imprisonment to sin is striking.  They were taken and held captive.  No freedom, no peace, no  hope.  Yet through their incredible escape, the details of which have yet to be released, they are now experiencing freedom, joy, hope and peace once more.  That which was lost has been found!  Many had given up hope and assumed that the women were dead.  For years family members and friends searched and hoped that one day they would find them alive.  That day has come!  These women were rescued by a couple of neighbors.  Jesus Christ is the one who rescues us from our captivity to sin.  He allows us to experience new life, freedom, hope and joy.  As the rest of this story unfolds we will hear more about the horrific situation these young women had to endure.  But today we celebrate because that which was once lost is now found.  As one of the women said “I’m free!”  Without Jesus we are still captive to sin and it’s horrific effect on us.  May we celebrate life with them and reflect on the truth that in Jesus Christ, we too are free!   

Take 2!

Time to get back to it!  Our new Worship Leader, Matt Anthony, pointed out that I have not posted to my blog in over three years!  Yikes!  I didn't realize it had been that long.  Truth be told I've been using Twitter and Facebook for so long that I don't think about using blogging.  Well, I want to take another stab at it.  As it turns out I'm actually doing a lot of writing just in various places.  I will try to consolidate my thoughts here.  For some it will be repetitive, but I hope that this will allow me to keep my thoughts straight as well as a place where you, the reader, can access the information that you may not be able to through other avenues.  So, it's March 14, 2013, let's see how I do as we move forward.

Nearing the end

Today is Thursday, February 25 and it's my last day on the ground here in Vancouver. It's hard to believe that my time here sharing the Gospel with the world is drawing to an end. I have tried to make some notes of people I've met and all the countries they represent but I know I won't be able to recall it all. But, God knows all the seeds that have been planted and those who will be in Heaven as a result of our obedience in being here and sharing the Gospel.
I do want to share with you about an encounter I had Wednesday night with a young man named Tavi. He was a really engaging young man who was more than willing to share about his beliefs. After having an entertaining conversation with him about the Canada hockey team, I switched the conversation to spiritual matters. That's when it got really interesting. He was raised Hindu but had abandoned his parents faith and had crafted his own, unique belief system that doesn't involve a personal God but rather a force. So, I asked him about Jesus and what he though of him. He gave the typical line of Jesus being a prophet. That's when I asked about Jesus being God. He quickly said "Jesus wasn't God" to which I challenged him about Jesus saying that he and the father was one. He didn't know what to do with that and stumbled through a simple response of "well, I don't know about that, you might be right." I could tell that he was really thinking about what we had talked about. He had to leave as he got a phone call so I gave him the Jesus Pin and tract and asked him to think about what we had talked about.
There is no such thing as a "typical" evangelism encounter. Not here, not back home. Each and every time we are obedient to share the love of Jesus Christ by telling the greatest story of all time, God will use it in unique ways for His glory.
Pray for Tavi that God will continue to reveal his truth to him and that he will respond to Jesus' love.

Winter Games + Jesus

It has been a couple of days since I have posted much of anything other than a quick tweet from time to time. It has been a very busy couple of days and the opportunities to share Jesus has been tremendous! I am so blessed to be here for "such a time as this". I only have four more days to be on the ground and telling the story of God's love for mankind shown through His son, Jesus Christ.
There are several things that make sharing the Gospel at the Olympics so unique. One is the vast number of cultures and countries that you will engage for the Gospel. I have lost tract of all of the people I have shared with from various countries but needless to say, it's been a lot!
I know that today will bring a number of opportunities to engage people with the Gospel and I pray that I will be alert, aware, prepared and bold to share the truth in love with all those I encounter. That is not so unique to sharing the Gospel at the Olympics. No matter where you are today you too need to be alert, aware, prepared and bold to share the truth in love with all those you encounter. Let me encourage you to make the most of every opportunity you have with each and every person you engage with today.
The other special thing about being here is the blessing of sharing with old friends and making of new ones. There really is a special bond with those you serve with "in the trenches". I am grateful for these men and women who are here to share the love of Jesus with the world. There are top notch men and women of God.
The window of opportunity is closing with each passing day here at the Winter Games. My desire today is to make the most of it for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be all glory and honor.

Vancouver Day 3

It's early in the morning and I am excited about what God has in store for today. This is the day that the Lord has made and I will rejoice and be in it!
I wish I had the same mindset everyday but the truth is, I don't. I know everyday is a gift from God. Why do I feel like I have be somewhere somewhere special or doing something special before I get excited? Everyday is a gift from God and He's just waiting for us to unwrap it and make the most of it.
I claim today for my Lord. I want to be used by Him wherever and to do whatever He has in mind. I pray for opportunities to meet people who need to hear about Jesus. I ask for boldness to share the truth of the Gospel in love and the sensitivity to really hear those I share with today.
Make the most of today, no matter where you are or what you're doing - it's special.

Vancouver test blog entry

This is just a test to see if my blog will post to facebook.
This is only a test,
Had this been an actual blog entry you would be reading something much more interesting than this.
I do, however, hope to share some of my Olympic ministry thoughts here though so check back.

Coffee for Mom

One of the things my mom really enjoys is coffee. Not the fancy Starbucks with added stuff - just straight forward, black coffee. She likes to drink it all day long. She will drink instant coffee if she has to, but she prefers to "real" stuff. I am trying to go by and visit her daily at the nursing home where she is on hospice care. We are blessed to live just about 4 miles from where she is now residing. While my mom is a coffee fanatic, I am not. I love the smell of coffee beans freshly ground, but all in all I don't care for the taste or smell of coffee, especially when it is old. There is a QT Convenience Store located between my house and mom's nursing home. I decided yesterday morning to stop by and get the biggest cup of coffee they have. She was thrilled when I brought it to her yesterday. Not being a particularly sharp guy, I decided to repeat this gesture today with much the same response - a big smile and a grateful thank you.
While I was reflecting on this today, I realized how the small things matter. The small things that we can do for others can have a significant impact on them. These small gestures are not intended for our benefit, but rather for the benefit of the one we are serving. Granted, we receive a blessing from the service by giving, but that is not the focus - the other person is.
Philippians 2:3-4 reminds us: "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."
I hope that I can continue to bring mom a cup of hot coffee for as long as I can. In the process I hope I can not only learn more about serving her, but also show her the love of Jesus Christ.