One step at a time...

Do you ever feel like you have no idea where you are going in life? How do you find where you're supposed to go, anyway?

As a Christian, I have wrestled with these questions. I have often heard that God wants us to search and struggle to find His will. Is this what the Bible teaches? Nowhere in the Bible does it say that we need to find God's will. Instead, Jesus instructs us to:

"seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness," Mt. 6:32 ESV

Do a simple word search for "seek" on www.BibleGateway.com and you will see verse after verse where God instructs His people to "seek the Lord," "seek My face," "seek your God," "seek My name," "seek Me."

God only wants us to seek HIM. If He is not at the center, then something has replaced Him. But, does this mean He doesn't want us to know His will for our lives?

Not at all:
"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God," Rom. 12:2 ESV

Several passages even clearly state some of God's will for us as believers:
"For this is the will of God, your sanctification" I Thess. 4:3 ESV
"give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." I Thess. 5:18 ESV

So, God wants us to know, but HOW do we know if what we are doing is really God's will?
"And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. ²⁸ And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." Rom 8:27-28 NLT
"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD,' plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" Jer. 29:11 ESV

Wow. Not only can we be assured that God has plans for our good and that give us hope, He has also given us His Spirit who already knows God's will for us and pleads for us according to that will! If we are seeking God first in our lives, then His Spirit is able to work freely through us and we ARE God's will.

Again, all we need to do is seek God. Put Him in the center of your life, then your life will be God's will. If we knew all of His plans for us, why would we need faith? God wants us to place our faith in Him and His good will for us.
"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him" Heb. 11:6 ESV

So, the path we walk as a Christian often looks like this:


God knows what the road looks like, where the tough spots are, how it twists and bends and where it goes, but because He asks us to have faith in Him for guidance, He only shows us one step at a time...

"for the LORD searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you" I Chr. 28:9 ESV

I encourage you to search God's Word yourself for more about the subject of His will for our lives.

~Michelle

News Video #3 May 2009

TellJapan.com Video News Vol.#2 April 2009

Video News Letter Jan. 2009

Well, we've moved to NH. It's literally frozen...

Why anyone who knows Jesus can't vote for Obama/Biden

Economically, I could care less who wins. In an economy like ours (i.e. not driven by farming, hunting, manufacturing etc.) things will be bad if people don't spend money and good if people do spend money. That's based entirely on confidence of lenders and spenders and not on reality. Either guy could preside over a nasty depression or a surge.

The reason I can't vote for Obama is summed up by Joe Biden's CBS interview. How the H*LL do you "come to a consensus" on infanticide?

For the record, I think Palin's answer was disappointing. If you know that killing babies is wrong, say it, put it out there and quit pussyfooting around the issue.


Watch CBS Videos Online

SNL gets it...why are the rest of us so stupid/greedy?

Jesus is Alive - Shai Linne

Shai Linne

I got Shai Linne's The Atonement a little while back. I'll start with the preface that I do not really agree with Calvinist theology, with the caveat that I do wholeheartedly believe in the sovereignty of God. Shai Linne clearly comes from a Calvinistic Reformed viewpoint. That said, this is an EXCELLENT album. He shows clear understanding of theology and presents his views with out falling into the "me too" trap.

Let me explain; it seems to me that many "Christian" artists sound so clearly CCM (you know what mean, admit it) that no one outside the CCM world would ever bother to listen. I would think that redeemed individuals should be free to be MORE creative and cutting edge than others. Rather than playing "Christian" music, I think we should view it as Christians who play music. Subtle, but important, because it takes the focus off a religious pigeonhole and allows those with a relationship with Jesus to glorify God with their music weather it be about God, theology, a girl or a car.

I admit that I am not super well versed in the hip hop/rap music scene, so I can't promise Shai Linne's sound is 100% unique. But I can say that listening to The Atonement will give you more solid Biblical information (aside from the Calvinist thing :-) ) than your likely to get in most Sunday school classes, and it's delivered with quality and talent that doesn't need to be apologised for.

Social Justice Does NOT = Missions

I've been seeing a lot of references lately tying missions work to social causes. For example, a church will take a trip to Uganda and build houses or go to an impoverished region of Bolivia and dig wells. I'm not saying that these are bad things, but what I don't see in most (not all) of these "missions" works is Jesus being proclaimed. The problem is, if I dig you a well so you have clean water (and I won't even bother with the fact that a first world person going to a third world country to do labor that a native could/would do for a fraction of the cost seems both narcissistic and inefficient) but then soft sell the Gospel, I have failed you. You may be a little more comfortable on your way to hell, but your still on your way to hell. This is not missions work, it's social work (which, admittedly, Christians should do more of). These things are only effective and worthwhile if they are used as a platform to proclaim Jesus.

PK Bogle House

I just finished working on a fire place and chimney today. The house is very unique and seems to be either loved or hated by those working on it. I happen to think it's pretty cool; I think it appeals to me because it represents the kind of emphasis on efficiency and intentional use of space that is often found in Japanese design and architecture (though it's a little big for Japan). I could tell you about it, but it would be easier to just check it out yourself here ....

Duoh!

"Stupidity got us into this mess, and stupidity will get us out!"
Homer Simpson

I heard this and my first thought was, that is almost right. You see, I've been learning (maybe the hard way) that God doesn't need my clever ideas and all the wonderfully abilities that I bring to the table. As I look at scripture and those around me I see that God sometimes spends decades breaking people before they are really useful. It also seems that an inordinate percentage of those that become great men/women of God are, by the worlds standards, not always best and brightest, sometimes they are downright stupid.

I'm not suggesting that God doesn't want to use those that are the most talented in there field, in fact I believe it is probably quite the opposite, but rather those that are the most talented seem to struggle trying to do things in their own way instead of giving control to God, who is in control anyway. We often SAY we trust God, but we don't often ACT like we trust God. If you really trust God, than you have no reason to freak out when things go wrong.

So, stupidity got us into this mess, and God will get us out...

When communication doesn't exsist..

This is what happens.
The label on the mail slot reads "Property Committee." In this church people don't communicate well. Instead of talking to someone, they put pieces of a gutter in a mail slot. Sad, really, really, sad.

What Christianity might mean?!?

This article from the Daily Yomiuri really bothers me. On one hand I get that unsaved people from a society were appearance is often more important than reality may want a certain style of wedding. I believe that Justin and Scott have the best intentions. I don't think being militant 24/7 is Biblical, after all Jesus must have been a pretty cool dude to hang around with, He got invited to parties; if He was always condemning people and making them ashamed or bashing them over the head in the name of truth people would have avoided Him. On the other hand, honestly, this is blasphemy in the worst way.

I know every one always says blasphemy is using Gods name as a curse word, but thats just the tip of the iceberg. Blasphemy is also dishonoring Gods name by claiming His stamp of approval on our crap. Example, if you put a Christian fishy on your business card and then go out and rip people off, I say, "blasphemy". To me it seems that non-Christian Christian weddings are basically the same thing, blasphemy. The thing is, it's not good enough to share what Christianity "might mean" to someones life because they, and 99.6% of their country are going to Hell. Contextualizing and finding creative ways to plant seeds is fine, even necessary, but not at the expense of Jesus and the truth. We can be friends to and with the lost without being the religious freaks that ruin a good party and still be 100% forthright about who God is and what He DOES mean, not what He might mean.

More proof of God...

Scientists: Alien Life Could Be Pretty Weird.

As I read the above article I have to wonder what kind of rock has hit the head and damaged the brain of so called "scientists." Before you jump to any conclusions I'm going to shock you and go out on a limb and concede the possibility of extraterrestrial life.

Now that you have labeled me a heretic let me explain why I have at least not fallen to the depths of apostate...

What I can't get past is the obvious implications of E.T. being out there. I'm going to conveniently ignore the theological implications such as: what if they didn't fall (is all the universe cursed, or just our corner); if they fell did Jesus redeem them as well; etc. etc. etc. So heres my hang up:

If the odds of evolution are so astronomical, what are the odds of it happening twice? I mean, really, dudes, think it through! On top of that if they looked ANYTHING like ANYTHING on earth it would be even more obvious! It seems painfully obvious to me that aliens would merely be further evidence of a creator. And the tacky "altruistic E.T. planted the seeds of life and let it grow " nonsense is also lacking astute mental consideration (it's stupid). Unless these benevolent beings could exert enough control on EVERY aspect of EVERYTHING for millions/billions of years because keeping chia pets got boring it just wouldn't happen.

Maybe the little gray people can fix global warming... we'll tackle that next time...

Spiritual Gifts

I have recently been exposed to yet another spiritual gifts test. It has had me thinking again about the UNIQUE role each follower of Christ has in the body (church).

I obviously don't have a problem with studying Ephesians 4, I Corinthians 14, etc. but I do wonder if these lists are intended to be comprehensive. It seems to me that these are merely examples and not to be taken and used to pigeon hole people. I find that each believer has (again) a UNIQUE set/blend of gifts that enables us to fulfill the role in the body God has for us now; it may change later or it may never change but the body can't function properly with four arms and no legs, so be what you are meant to be. It is better to be a toilet scrubber in God's will than a teacher outside it.

In short, I'm suggesting that our spiritual gifts are not necessarily quantifiable by forcing them to be categorized into the (what I believe are not comprehensive) lists in scripture. (side point; if they are comprehensive, then why are they not all the same?)

Michelle also makes a good point, taking such a test is really a cop out. The best way to discover your spiritual gifts is to get into scripture and get off our butt and SERVE in our local church. (though she would communicate that with a tad more diplomacy than I :)

Quote of the day

"Well done is better than well said."
New England Patriots Quarterback Tom Brady quoting Ben Franklin while responding to smack talk by the San Diego Chargers.

If I were a bolt or a bolt fan, I'd keep my braggadocio to a minimum. The flying elves have "well done" in their corner.

You gotta be kidding me!

O.K., so school was canceled here in NC yesterday because of the great non-blizzard of '08. If school was canceled like it is here no one in NE would ever graduate. We would all be finishing middle school just in time to hit the retirement home. In NC, if there is a CHANCE of "bad" weather EVERYTHING closes and all grocery stores are stripped bare of milk and bread. (Another mystery to me, if I really thought I was going to be stranded, potentially with no power I would be going for the non perishables. You know, the stuff in cans that doesn't go stale or get sour.)

Of course, native southerners point out that "we aren't equipped with plows and salt trucks and stuff like up north." True. But that only matters if you need them. What happened yesterday wouldn't have received any road treatment in NE. Then the non-Yankees argue that "we don't have practice driving in this weather." True. I digress. Stay off the road, it will be safer for me.

Here's the problem, I can live with yesterday, but TODAY (mind you, no snow, no ice, dry roads, in short, no reason) I bring Troy to school and it is deserted. A two hour delay. Why? I don't get it.

The funny thing is, I see us do the same types of things in Churches. We make weird, irrational decisions because of the fear of what might be, but in reality often isn't. It's ashame, because if we are justified in Jesus we are set free, we should act like it.

Its work!

I realized something today listening to "Sanctified" (a song on Mercy Me's latest CD)

I'll begin by saying the song would be better titled "Justified"; I believe that many/most Christians confuse and merge Justification (Saved/Set Free/Done/)and Sanctification (an 'already but not yet' kind of Pauline theology thing) into some kind of murky quasi faith+works thing that misses the mark of good doctrine and distorts the Gospel. But, I suppose that "Justified" isn't nearly as poetic as "Sanctified" and I'll give them the benefit of the doubt on intentions; but I do disagree ;)

That said, I've come to the conclusion that Justification is easy, but Sanctification is hard, sometimes really painful.

Sorry Andy, but that's stupid.

Go here and watch Andy Rooney's latest latest rant. To be honest, I've never really understood why or how Andy got the gig he has, but enough people seem to like him and plenty don't like me so I guess my opinion shouldn't bother him to much.

The thing is, he usually talks about benign topics such as kitchen utensils. I'm sorry, but making political points based on names is about the most asinine thing I've ever heard! It seems to me that someone who wants a cerebral, intellectual president would apply a little more brain power to their analytical model.

Modalism, heresy, and the "Multi-Dimensional" God

I was talking with "Bob" yesterday and he informed me that he would no longer buy or listen to music by "Phillips, Craig and Dean" because he learned that they hold to the doctrine of Modalism, which he considers to be heretical. For now I'm going to ignore the "how should we treat their music if they are heretics" debates because I want to address the assumption that we can call someone heretical because of their stab at trying to explain God.

For the record I DO NOT agree with Modalism, but the fact remains that "Trinity" is never used in scripture. I think the basic problem is that we think we can explain God. In all honesty can you really claim to have an adequate analogy for a Triune God that is three yet one?
Water/Ice/Steam (modalism)
An egg
Marriage (husband/wife/Jesus)
Come on, they just don't cut it!

So, here is the cliff notes version of my theological junk box for all the stuff that I can't wrap my brain around:

We are four dimensional beings (depth, width, hight, time); and outside of theorizing, we are unable to truly comprehend something that is, lets say, 8 dimensional. For example, if you tried to explain our existence to a two dimensional comic book character it would be difficult/impossible to properly describe depth and time because they have no adequate reference point at which to begin.

I think that God could be eight or ten or one hundred dimensional. Why do we insist on putting God in a human-sized box? It seems to me that in a multi dimensional (i.e. more than four) perspective, things we can't understand (like sovereignty vs. free will or a Single yet Triune God) may be very clear.

Lets look at the bottom line:
Can a modalist be saved?
Yes
Can a modalist have a close walk with Jesus?
Yes
Does modalism reach the level of heresy?
I don't believe so. While I do believe there are many good reasons to hold to a Trinitarian understanding of God, I must also admit that Scripture nowhere explicitly lays out this doctrine. If it was that important for us to hold to then God would have put it out there point blank. I suspect the truth is we just can't grasp who God really is because we are limited in too many ways.

What's missing...Hmmmm...I don't know...maybe JESUS!

I just watched a Tom Brady interview on 60 Minutes and I found it amazing, yet not at all surprising, when he said that despite the Super Bowl rings and the money and the super model girlfriend and the success and all the other stuff that everyone seems to think will make them happy he feels as though he's meant for something greater and wonders what is missing.

I think I might have idea....

What's up (besides Tom Brady's record breaking statistics)

It's been a very busy couple of months. We've been to a lot of churches in a lot of places. The kids are definitely sick of being in the van! We are currently a tick below 28% of our required monthly support.

We are hoping to be at 50% by 2008, but in our view it seems unlikely. The good thing is, unlikely is not impossible and God will put us at 50% if He wants to. At this point, the situation is primed for God to get the glory, 'cause a miracle will be the only way it happens.

On another topic, GO PATS! With the Steelers summarily dispatched it seems (and here's that word again) unlikely that Planes or Fishys have ANY chance and the Midgets ,based on recent history, have gotta be more than a little apprehensive. Oh yea, it's gonna happen, you know it, even if you won't admit it.

Newspring Church...Wow!

Thats all I can say...

This is a busy month for us, we are visiting 5 different churches, singing in one, and speaking in three. We're also going to a wedding just outside of Washington, DC and if we have time will drop in on a sixth church that I've always wanted to visit (National Community Church in DC) Today we had the opportunity to visit Newspring Church in Anderson, SC. I listen to Newspring's podcast and was quite curious to see how an actual service was executed.

Wow...

I could tell you about the attention to details, like the quality musical instruments (Les Paul guitar, anyone?) or the fully decked out lobby featuring the current series (Game Time, they even had yard lines on the floor) or the incredibly efficient (and enthusiastically friendly) volunteers (Pro sports arenas could learn from these guys) or the assuring children's ministries (despite the sheer volume of kids, I was made to feel that MY kids were important) but the fact is, you've just got to see it to get it.

I was talking with Tony (who's family tagged along with us today) and we were discussing what made Newspring different from the multitude of other churches (even several in our area) that are trying to be culturally relevant. To be honest, most of them are missing an intangible something that one cannot immediately place a finger on; Tony believes that the missing ingredient is freedom. I think he's right. It's an atmosphere of authenticity that has no pretense; freedom to worship.

Having seen it first hand, I believe that that same kind of environment would yield massive dividends in Japan were a caged freedom of expression (culturally) leads to squelched worship among believers.

Anyone who thinks they would hate going to a mega church needs to to visit Newspring. Maybe a smaller church really does suit you better, but don't knock it until you've seen it, and seen it done with the kind of excellence that gives God's people a good name.

It's not a tumor, it's a ferret...

I knew ferrets were dangerous...

The only thing better than the Red Sox winning is the Stankies losing

We're at the Red Roof Inn in Winchester, VA on our way back from a missions conference in NH. We are EXTREMELY busy this month, I'll fill in the details later.



The Red Sox gave the Angels a severe pounding on their way to a World Series win. It looks as though there's a good chance the next victim along the way will be the Indians, up on the Yankees 2-1. In game 2 God sent a plague in the bottom of the eighth that cause the very reliable Joba Chamberlian to have a total meltdown, walking one, hitting two, and throwing two wild pitches, the end result being a blown Stankie lead; Cleveland went on to win in the 11th. It was awesome to watch!

As for football, the Pats just improved to 5-0 with yet ANOTHER incredible performance. NE did look mortal in the 3rd quarter but ruled the other three in a fashion that must make other teams very very nervous.

Embracing failure

It was amazing to watch the NY Mets blow a seven game lead in 18 days to lose there place in the 2007 playoffs. It marks the biggest blown lead in that span in MLB history.

Future Hall of Famer Tom Glavine's last start was abysmal as he gave up 7 ER , not even surviving one inning. When asked if he was devastated Tom responded that he was "disappointed, but devastation was for more important things in life." This made a lot of Mets faithful livid! They wanted him to be as crushed as they were.

But I've been thinking, it seems to me that one of the prerequisites for a long term baseball career is the ability to come back and play after failure. After all, baseball is a game in which the very best fail often, slumps occur, if you hit the ball 3 times out of 10 you're a god (little "g").

So why is a game filled with so much failure so popular in a culture (Japan) that is so afraid of failure? I wonder if the cord struck by baseball can be used to contextualize Jesus in such a way that the fear inherent in Japanese culture can be overcome.

TIME TO PARTY LIKE IT'S 1995!

The Sox just clinched the AL East title riding a great outing by Matsuzaka (8 innings , 113 pitches, 8K, 2ER) and a Stankees bottom of the 9th melt down involving a rare blown save by Mo (three runs to tie) and a 10 inning 10-9 Baltimore win.

Woo Hoo!

Better, Stronger,Faster, i tunes Capable

If they built the six million dollar man today, how much would he cost? I also think Steve Austin would now have a built in ipod.... Knight Rider was MUCH cooler anyhow....

Evangelism in Japan and the spectrum between boring and edgy.

"There are points on the spectrum between boring and edgy. In politics, the guy who wins isn't boring or edgy. We are more centrist. Apple is trying to appeal to the edgy."

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, in an interview with SmartMoney magazine

"So what does that have to do with Japan or evangelism?", you ask with great interest. Nothing. But it did get me thinking about the spectrum thing.

The reality is: traditional things, regardless of culture, tend to skew somewhere in the boring to centrist part of the spectrum.(I know, I know, not always!) Japan is steeped in tradition and one mindset of traditional Japan is plurality of religion. This means that buddhism, shintoism, and spiritism can all coexsist and there is no perceived conflict; Christianity is just another option to add. It's the exclusivity of Christ that becomes a major stumbling block to meeting God. One thing I've heard from Japanese friends and acquaintances is that it is not possible to be both Japanese and Christian, as if Christianity is somehow fundamentally unable coexist with what a Japanese person is. It is, obviously, absurd to think that a relationship with ones Creator could cause you to cease being what you are; He made you after all. Yet maybe Christianity IS incompatible with traditional Japanese culture.

I wonder if the Apple approach might not yield better return on invested effort when it comes to evangelistic efforts in Japan. If you move toward something radically edgy than you move away from the traditional and the baggage it brings. Of course, you would still need to address the unique questions about life and God and purpose that Japanese culture brings to the table, but maybe it can be done in a way that transcends Japanese traditions and helps Japanese culture become what God intends for it to be through the influence of redeemed Japanese believers.

What's up

It's been busy, very busy.

During the business we've gone to see No More Kings play at the Visualite theater. The Visulite is small (for a music venue) so your close, real close, it only cost $8 a ticket and the acoustics are absolutely phenomenal!

And speaking of phenomenal, the only thing better than NMK's debut album is NMK live, they are freakin' awesome!

I also got to go see the Patriots spank the Panthers in pre-season with 5 friends. I got all six tickets free from my insurance agent, which must mean that I'm paying way to much for insurance, so maybe the tickets were "free" :)

The Pats looked ready for the season, as a native New Englander this makes me happy, and the the Panthers looked not so ready, as a native New Englander this also made me happy; I can be seen here gloating after the second blocked field goal attempt of the game. You'll kindly notice that the full stadium is almost empty because 7/8 of the Panthers fans bailed after the first half!

On Labor Day we went to the Fort Fisher Aquarium, also only $8 a ticket and free for 6 and under. Not Sea World but not bad for $8 and the new fresh water exhibits were very impressive.

Troy particularly liked the turtles, but I don't have any pics of that, so you get to see Troy with an alligator.