Africa Love // ::be you::

People joke sometimes about Christians assuming that if they're "called to the nations" they're automatically going to Africa.

I dated a guy who grew up as a missionary kid in Nigeria.  He and his roommates had a house with African art and photos on the walls.  In America, there's something trendy about decor from other world cultures, specifically Africa and Asia.  See:  Pier 1.  World Market.  As a young professional, it says, "I care about the world."  "I'm well-traveled."  "I enjoy not being ignorant, but instead being educated about how other people think and live, and I accept that my way is not the only way."

It's easy to see something trendy, and resist just for the sake of resisting the trendy thing.  I know from experience.  Maybe its an over-acted version of "walking to the beat of your own drummer," ie., being yourself.  Which, ironically, results in not being yourself, because the trend is still controlling your behavior.  But in light of the joke I heard the other day, implying that Africa was something of a "trendy" place to go be a missionary, I wanted to just stop a moment.

True, not everyone is called to go to Africa to spread the Good News.  But I would hate to see those who are actually called to Africa, resist for fear of just doing what's trending in Christian America.  Could it be, that in this hour, so many are drawn to be missionaries in Africa because God is actually calling them, in a beautiful way, in this time and season, and He has great plans for this continent?  Could it be that there is more there He wants to do than just convert believers?  Could it be that Africa is ready for more of something we haven't even imagined yet?



. . . What could it be?



In summary:  There's no shame in loving Africa, even if lots of other people do.  Love what you love, be you, and give Africa a kiss for me.

What we See

I live in a world where what I see is not all there is.  

The battle that is raging has already been won.

The battle is real, but the outcome is pre-determined.

The Creator has already ensured that in the end, there is Victory for the righteous.

 This isn't what I see.  

But what I see isn't all there is...         

Because I have faith in God's reality

because He's shown me He is real and He is there

And He's proven He knows me  .   .   .         and is With me in His Word . . .

 

 

And is With-In Me.

He gave me grace to Believe  .   .   .   

and has confirmed at every milestone,

and stones in between,

and through the words of others who know His love;

 And together we are the Beloved.

I live in a world where the unseen riches are the greatest ones,

Where my greatest lover is not physically here with me,

.

.

.

 
but is with me.

Where the one whom I don't see, is the one who never leaves me.

and never stops     loving   

 
me.

                                                                                                                    

                                                             

                                

It is so hard not to believe what you see.  But we really don't believe in the madness of what we see--- the darkness, the hate, the death.  We know it is happening, but it is not the whole story.  It is not the truth.  The truth is in the hope that beats these things.  Flips them on their head.  The darkest hate is not beyond the redeeming blood of Jesus.  The redeeming blood of the Anointed One is for precisely this kind of darkness.  It's His power that transforms this into light.  The hope is eternal life in Jesus.  The hope is spiritual wealth, peace, joy, the blessing of God.  We live for heaven, not for this world.  We cannot let what our eyes behold deceive us.  We are called to walk by faith, and not by sight.  

He loves us.



:)

You might not be Asking

It is amazing what God will do when you ask Him. It's crazy sometimes how you can be worrying about something without realizing it. And then it's like, you remember that God can do anything... even if it's as simple as asking him to bless someone you care about on their birthday-- rather than worry about if you are choosing the perfect gift; or asking for favor or understanding from your bosses before you ask for something. It's like, "Oh yeah... let me not worry about saying the exact right words or asking too much, or about them not liking the gift. Ask God to do His good work through it- and that sounds like a request He will honor.

Powerless Without Him

Today several things reminded me that without God, I am totally powerless. Utterly. Totally. Completely!

By His grace, he's equipped me with natural talents, and before God shook my life, I thought I was supposed to get by on those alone. Now, after meeting God and recognizing his omnipotence, I keep needing to remind myself that I am not doing things on my own. I do not have this conversation with this person on my own. I do not communicate anything lovely and admirable musically on my own... Even better: When I try to do these things in His name, HE IS WITH ME. And when I give him the control, and acknowledge in my mind and heart that it is HE who does all these things through me, and not I who do these things... I experience a release... The pressure that I put on myself is gone. All I can do is prepare as well as I can in His presence for this performance/talk/speech/paper, clarifying my purpose to give Him glory... and then I trust Him to use me for His glory when it is time. Oh, Lord...by your grace, may I never forget how trustworthy you are,




I pray...
Oh Lord, by your grace, may I never forget that I am utterly powerless without you. I can accomplish nothing on my own power- Even before I knew you, I did nothing without your enabling. How liberating it is to know that it is not I who must be ____ enough to persuade this person, or touch the heart of this person, or complete this or that task. It is all dependent on your will. May I never be tempted to think I act on my own power, to think that I deserve the glory, because I do nothing on my own. In every keystroke, every beat of my heart, every bat of my eyelash, you are there giving me life. In every note that I play, every moment of joy that it brings to me and others, you are there supplying it. I remember it now, Lord, and help me never to forget.

May all my desires reflect yours, God. I pray for wholeness, cleansing, freedom, and joy.

"What manner of foolishness lies in my heart that Christ has yet to shine his light on?"

Loving God More

Several of the verses on this page spoke to me, right now, so I will just link to it.

http://www.crossroad.to/HisWord/verses/topics/lovingGod.htm


"My flesh and my heart fail;
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Psalm 73:26"

His grace is sufficient

"To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is suffiicient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore i will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficuties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

-Paul (2 Corinthians 12: 7-10