Making the most of every opportunity

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.  Colossians 4:5-6

This afternoon a group of people met together to talk about some ways to use our opportunities with migrants, refugees, strangers. We have recently translated the basic book from FriendSpeak into Dutch so that we can use these lessons with people coming in as refugees. They will need to be integrated into society and so will need to learn Dutch. But they will also need to know about Christianity. And we want to be able to speak about Jesus. 

I was struck by the text from Acts 17:26 - God sets out the boundaries of lands, deciding where people will go. He is not unaware of what is going on and He is still busy saving people everywhere. And He wants to use us (you, too!). So we want to be prepared. 

We talked about how to teach a language, how it is that the Word is the teacher (not us - we are an illustration), and that God is mighty to save. We talked about some of the challenges we will meet. We do not yet know how all of this will work out, but we are willing to figure it out, in prayer, with the guidance of God's Spirit. Will you pray with and for us that we can speak the word as we should, that hearts will be prepared? 

You can find pictures of the day here.

Gospel truths of a dog owner – Show me!

We had been pampered as far as dogs go. When we welcomed Snuffles into our home, she was already 5 years old and had been trained by her previous owners. Yes, she was basically blind, but she was house-bred, didn’t bark, and listened when you gave her commands. And she loved learning new things – and was very quick at learning.

We taught her to roll over, to play dead, to dance – as well as sitting, lying down and staying. She would stay at my heel when we went into high grass, knowing that she did not know where we were going (and could not see it). You only had to teach her a new trick a few times before she figured out what you wanted and did it.

Chester has been more of a challenge. He can play ball and has even become quite good at playing soccer with Sean. But that is a natural thing that dogs do. After our experience with Snuffles, we were a bit disappointed with Chester. He can sit, but won’t always stay if you turn your back on him. He can lay down, but he cannot turn over (maybe because of his body type).

More importantly, it takes a good while to teach him something new. As with any dog, he learns best when given positive reinforcement – being praised. He just wants to make us happy! In fact he tries so hard that he hardly listens to what we are saying or looks at what we are showing him. He just does whatever he figures will work – tongue hanging out and tail wagging so hard it looks like he is about to take of in a helicopter move.

But if you take the time, he can be taught. You have to slow things down. Show him one thing at a time. Repeat. Repeat. And repeat. And once he has learned it... he will forget it. But it will come back. He really does love you and wants to please you. He just has to be shown how to do that.

Now he knows lots of things. He know how each one of us (Shirley, Sean or Scott) take him out for walks (because we all do different things). He knows where he is allowed to sit, when he is allowed to eat, when he is allowed to bark (to let us know if someone is at the door). And he does all of this very well. He also listen very well when he is called.

But he learned all of these things. He did not know them as a matter of course. He had to learn them from us. Now, once again, I am not saying that people are dogs, nor that God treats us like dogs, but there are a lot of things we can learn from this. You see, we don’t simply know what makes God happy. We can think we know and just start doing things. But if we really want to make God happy, then we need to slow down, pay attention and listen to what he wants.

And we may have to try again and again (I still get too angry when I should not). And we will sometimes forget. But God is patient with us. And he is not going to just give up on us. So, what did you learn today?

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.  Philippians 1:3-6

Follow me!

Let's go!

This past weekend was exciting. Shirley was able to go over to Germany for the Ladies Retreat - organised this year by the ladies in Switzerland - and I was down at Bible camp for a youth weekend organized by the church in Rotselaar. Both groups, not because they had discussed it with one another, worked around the theme: Follow me.

Down in Solwaster (where our Bible camp is) I was greeted by 10 year-old Gideon. These days I have a hard time remembering how old the kids are, so I asked. He proudly announced that he was 10 and this was his first real youth weekend (he has tagged along with his parents before when they were leading a weekend). It was exciting to see these young kids wanting to learn about Jesus.

And it is truly so simple: Jesus is calling us to follow him, to trust Him with our lives. Because there is a lot of work to be done. He doesn’t just want us to follow, but that we help others to follow – as many as will listen.

And yes – it is a challenge to follow Him. He asks some pretty tough things, like: love your enemies, be willing to be last, don’t look at material things as most important, follow only me. But He also gives us some pretty amazing promises: I will be with you always, all authority in heaven and earth is given me, I will give you rest, take my yoke upon you.

I have always liked Matthew 11 especially. Not only does Jesus let us know that He is where we can find rest, He makes clear that we find that rest in working together with Him. It is not in a lack of work that we find worth, it is not in doing the work we wish to do, it is in working together with Him doing His work, taking His yoke up – together with Him.

Jesus has a ton of work that needs done and He wants to do it with us. I am so thankful for a team in Rotselaar, for ladies in Switzerland, for young people and old – all willing to follow. Will you join us?

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

To see some of the pictures (thanks Luk Brazle!) click here

Lead or get out of the way

This past week I was privileged once again to be able to attend the Advanced Bible Study Series (ABSS) in Gemünden, Germany. This is a mid-week and weekend session of Bible studies with various teachers and leaders from around Europe and the world. It is not only a great time to ‘feast’ on good spiritual food (with some good challenges), but is also a wonderful time to see old friends and make new friends from around Europe.

The lessons this year seemed to be centered around leadership. How do we become leaders – which processes do we face along the way and how can we be aware of them? What is leadership exactly? What does it look like? How do we respond to modern idolatry, taking a stand and being an example? We listened to Craig Young, Patrick Boyns, Doyle Key and Jim McGuiggan.

One of the things that stuck with me was the idea that God is a giver. He so enjoys giving to all and especially to His children. And in His giving, He is wanting to save everyone – all the world. Of course we know this as Christians. But it is so good to be reminded again.

And He so wants to reach the world with His wonderful love and grace that if we do not - if we are standing in the way not allowing ourselves to be used – then we are blocking Him, keeping Him from doing that which He will do. And He will do it (bring His grace) even if we have to be moved out of the way so that He can reach others.

I do not want to be in the way – I want to be part of this wonderful, gracious, giving God’s plans to bless the world each and every day and into eternity. And He can use even me! And you. Join me in following Jesus as he brings grace to those around us.

Here are some pictures from the part of the week I was present (I went home on Friday, but some stayed through the weekend).

Come closer

Drawing from Kees de Kort

There is a children’s song about Zacheus – a very small man. He wanted to see Jesus, so he climbed in a tree. But Jesus wasn’t content with Zacheus just seeing him. Jesus stopped and invited himself to dinner with Zacheus – at Zacheus’ home. (You can find this wonderful story in Luke 19).

Another time (look at Luke 8), a sick woman hoped simply to touch the edge of Jesus garment. But Jesus was not content to leave it at that. He took the time to stop and let her know that she was healed of much more than just her bleeding.

This reminds me of what has been happening recently in our life. We have been meeting with a group of teens who are very interested in what the Bible has to say for their lives. They have been to camp and some youth weekends, but now we have been taking the time to meet Jesus in the gospels. We meet every other week, if that works out. Sometimes it is a month between studies. Their father is not a believer.

At the beginning of every study we spend time talking to one another about what is happening in our lives. We also spend a little time talking with the father, who then leaves while we read and discuss what we learn about Jesus.

One evening, he stayed a little longer, fixing something in the corner of the living room. Another time he came walking through several times during our conversations.

Recently, after we had had a longer break between studies because of all the holidays, we were just catching up with everyone and he stayed seated, taking part in the discussion. During the discussion about our lives, he brought up his own struggle with faith and we talked about why one would believe, what we can prove and why we would believe what we do. It was an enervating discussion.

The next time we got together to ‘meet Jesus’ the father, with a bit of a harrumph, decided that he might as well sit in (he played it off as if his wife ‘made’ him do it). As with all of our meetings around scripture, we were all able to discuss what we saw in the text, what we learn about Jesus and what that might mean for our lives. We leave the struggle up to each person individually. He took part with verve.

This father has slowly but surely come closer and closer to Jesus. That is simply what happens when Jesus is around. Jesus is not content to just have you watch from afar – he wants to get to know you as well. It is exciting to see what He can do with His word and as He is living in us. We continue to pray for this father – and the teens – that we will not only meet Jesus, but will also give our lives in following Him.

In the world, but not of the world

I have been reading through Revelation again recently. One of the people I have a regular talk with, an avowed atheist, wanted to look at it with me. But that is a different story. What struck me was the very applicability of the whole message to our world today.

It was years ago, when the church in Laos was being persecuted, that I first realized that the message in Revelation was indeed something for us today. In Western society persecution of Christians doesn’t really happen (making life slightly miserable does not count as persecution). But that doesn’t mean it is not happening.

And as I have been reading it struck me that Christianity is made to survive in all situations. Of course. It is God’s handiwork, so of course it will survive. But seriously, it can survive all situations. It may not be pleasant or easy or look nice, but God will be with His children at all times and in all places.

This means that the political system has much less influence than we sometimes think. Christianity was born under Roman occupation with Jewish persecution as an everyday reality. It spread throughout this Roman political system, but went on throughout history , through many different situations.

Where governments accept the truths of Christianity, the country or area is blessed (and this may be better for Christians in that country). But in every system there will be abuses, unrighteousness and evil. It is up to Christians to continue showing in life and language what is truly best – the goodness and grace of God in Jesus Christ.

When Jesus speaks to the seven churches, he emphasizes their need for faithfulness to Him, in all things and at all times, until the end. That is how we will influence this world for good! I pray that we (Christians everywhere) are asking ourselves if we are doing that – in whatever political system we find ourselves. Who is most important in your life? Will a political party bring what I really want? And if so... does my heart really belong to Him?

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5