With the skyrocketing cost of health care and insurance that, even once obtained, we often can't afford to use, there is a growing interest for information about natural ways of maintaining a healthy body. And this is the time of the year when cold and flu season is in full swing. It's an unfortunate fact that the common cold can't be prevented in the same way as the flu. The good news is that we can do more than just get a flu shot to keep ourselves up and running.
There are certain foods and spices that are natural immune system boosters - and they can be easily incorporated into many typical family meals. Some dinner helps that I like to use include oregano, onions and garlic. Dessert helps that I often choose are things like cinnamon, ginger and natural peanut butter. And the natural element is key because the well-known name brands tend to add ingredients that weaken peanut butter's overall effectiveness in combating colds and flu. Another reason peanut butter is effective is because it's high in protein, and protein also gives the body that extra advantage over season related ailments. Other great high protein dinner items that can be used are soy and Salmon.
Though most of us are aware of the value of vitamin C in protecting our bodies from seasonal sickness, I would also like to take a moment to emphasize the fact that fresh fruits and veggies are always a better choice than just taking a vitamin C tablet. While a tablet or a glass of fruit or vegetable juice (which is notated as 100% juice on the product) are better than nothing, when fresh fruits or veggies are eaten, then we also get the benefit of the fiber and the natural sugar - elements which also keep a body healthy. A few great choices include oranges, pineapple, strawberries, grapefruit, broccoli, tomatoes and potatoes.
Another item which is great for strengthening the immune system is green tea. And when sweetened with a teaspoon or two of Splenda, it tastes great. Not only is green tea good for the immune system, it also helps to reduce stress - which is another type of health thief. Unrelieved stress over extended periods of time can actually deplete the body's ability to maintain optimum health. Getting the right amount of sleep also keeps stress levels lower and keeps the immune system charged and more prepared to fight off colds and flu.
While the above isn't a complete list of natural immune system strengtheners, when we use them consistently, they are very effective items for building up our system and keeping us healthy. That being said, here are some ideas that will help make that healthy New Year a little more than just a wish.
Simple Winter Dinner
(Goes great with a dinner salad)
1 pound ground turkey or hamburger
1 small onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon Oregano
1 Tablespoon Soy sauce
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon hickory salt
Combine turkey, diced onion, salt, hickory salt and garlic. Cook together on medium heat until ground turkey browned. Add Oregano and Soy sauce and stir. Serve over white rice. Serves 3-4
Peanut Butter Cookies
(A Peanut Butter lover’s dream!)
½ cup milk
½ cup water
2 eggs
½ cup natural peanut butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 Tablespoons Blackstrap Molasses
1 cup sugar (or Splenda)
1 ½ cup self-rising flour
Beat together milk, water, eggs, peanut butter, vanilla, molasses and sugar for about 2-3 minutes. Stir in flour. Drop by teaspoon full on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 for 7-10 minutes. Makes about 2 dozen cookies
Spice Cookies
(A little spice on a cold winter night)
½ cup milk
1 egg
1 Tablespoon butter softened
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 teaspoons honey (optional)
3 teaspoons vanilla
¾ cup sugar (or Splenda)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoons nutmeg
1 teaspoon ginger
1 cup self rising white flour
Beat together milk, egg, butter, oil, honey, vanilla and sugar for 2-3 minutes. Stir in flour. Consistency will be somewhat stringy. Drop by teaspoon on greased cookie sheet
and bake at 350 for 7-10 minutes. Makes about 12 cookies
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Friday, January 25, 2008
One Chosen Hero
One of my favorite Old Testament stories is that of Gideon's in the book of Judges, Chapter 6, verse 11 through Chapter 8. Not only have I enjoyed creating a short "retelling" of this Bible classic, but a few years ago I even wrote (and published) a song which captures his experience, and I entitled the song, "The Sword of the Lord". I have enjoyed sharing it live with various people groups when the Lord has given me opportunity so share my musical gifts in a ministry type setting. That being said, I hope you will enjoy reading "One Chosen Hero" as much as I enjoyed writing it.
"Lord, this is craziness," Gideon muttered in prayer from the floor of a shallow, stone pit. "I can’t believe that I’m forced to thresh wheat on the floor of a winepress! And for what cause? The Midianites might steal our harvest if they find out we have one. Why can’t you just wipe them out?" He raised his threshing sledge into the air and pounded a loosened wheat sheave for emphasis.
A sudden burst of light caught Gideon’s attention and he looked up from the sheaves. Gazing down at him was a man with blazing, brilliant eyes that exuded a joy which Gideon knew he’d never personally experienced. "The Lord is with you, you mighty hero!"
Gideon slowly stood, staring at the figure who seemed to have an iridescent glint that emanated from his very core. At first, Gideon was unsure of how to respond. Then the words of the strange greeting registered. "The Lord is with me," Gideon repeated incredulously. "If the Lord is with me, or anybody in this nation for that matter, then why has the Lord allowed the enemy to kill so many of us? And why has the Lord allowed our enemy to steal our livelyhood and destroy so much of our land? It feels more like God and all the world are against us!"
"Don’t you realize that I have given you the power and the authority to trample the enemy and overcome all of his wickedness? I will use you to help your people get the victory over the enemy because I have chosen you."
Gideon gaped, stunned by the words of the stranger. Then he asked, "But how? I’m not rich, I have no notoriety, I’m not even very smart."
"I promise you, I will equip you. When you go to fight this battle, I’ll be closer to you than any of your family or friends. Just call out to me. I am more than able."
Gideon blinked, shaking his head in utter amazement.
"I promise," the figure grinned, which made him even more vivid. But there was something deeper.
Is it possible to emit love? Gideon wondered, then he finally spoke again. "Could you please stay here for just another moment? I…I just need a confirmation from you. You know, just so I can know that I haven’t lost my mind from threshing too much wheat. Um…I…I want to bring you an offering. Will you wait?
"Sure," the figure chuckled as he helped Gideon out of the pit.
Gideon turned, walked a few steps and looked over his shoulder. The figure had seated himself under a nearby oak tree, and in a rich baritone voice began singing a song that Gideon had never heard before. "The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!"
Gideon spun around, ran to his house, and hurriedly prepared an offering of young goat meat, unleavened bread and broth. Once everything was ready, he made his way back to the oak tree. His stomach plummeted to his feet when he saw that the figure wasn’t just a figment of his imagination. Then a sense of peace washed over him.
Well, at least I know I haven’t gone crazy.
The figure grinned and pushed himself to standing with his staff. "I see the mighty warrior has returned."
Gideon chuckled to himself at the very sound of the words.
"Set it on that rock," the figure pointed, then added, "Smells good. Go ahead and pour the broth over it."
As Gideon poured, it felt as though lightening surged through him. He stepped back as the figure pointed his staff at the offering. The rock on which it sat began to vibrate, glowing brilliant white as smoke swirled and billowed into the azure sky. A blaze erupted from the rock and consumed the offering as the figure disappeared.
Gideon fell to his knees and cried out, "Please God, have mercy on me! I’ve seen your Angel!"
An immediate peace coursed through him as he heard the Lord’s voice reply, "Be at peace. You shall live and be victorious."
An overwhelming joy flooded Gideon’s soul as he was hit with the reality that God hadn’t forgotten him or his people. It suddenly struck him that God wanted to give them peace, hope, and most especially, a future. The problem was wrong focus. Everywhere he looked it seemed people were either undermining God’s ways, or worse, worshiping something other than The One True God. Joy gave way to indignation as he uttered, "But Lord, what can I do?"
An uncanny boldness rose up in him as an idea floated into his mind. Restore a right focus! Restructure my priorities, Lord. And Yahweh, bring an army who will join me to reach this nation!
"Lord, this is craziness," Gideon muttered in prayer from the floor of a shallow, stone pit. "I can’t believe that I’m forced to thresh wheat on the floor of a winepress! And for what cause? The Midianites might steal our harvest if they find out we have one. Why can’t you just wipe them out?" He raised his threshing sledge into the air and pounded a loosened wheat sheave for emphasis.
A sudden burst of light caught Gideon’s attention and he looked up from the sheaves. Gazing down at him was a man with blazing, brilliant eyes that exuded a joy which Gideon knew he’d never personally experienced. "The Lord is with you, you mighty hero!"
Gideon slowly stood, staring at the figure who seemed to have an iridescent glint that emanated from his very core. At first, Gideon was unsure of how to respond. Then the words of the strange greeting registered. "The Lord is with me," Gideon repeated incredulously. "If the Lord is with me, or anybody in this nation for that matter, then why has the Lord allowed the enemy to kill so many of us? And why has the Lord allowed our enemy to steal our livelyhood and destroy so much of our land? It feels more like God and all the world are against us!"
"Don’t you realize that I have given you the power and the authority to trample the enemy and overcome all of his wickedness? I will use you to help your people get the victory over the enemy because I have chosen you."
Gideon gaped, stunned by the words of the stranger. Then he asked, "But how? I’m not rich, I have no notoriety, I’m not even very smart."
"I promise you, I will equip you. When you go to fight this battle, I’ll be closer to you than any of your family or friends. Just call out to me. I am more than able."
Gideon blinked, shaking his head in utter amazement.
"I promise," the figure grinned, which made him even more vivid. But there was something deeper.
Is it possible to emit love? Gideon wondered, then he finally spoke again. "Could you please stay here for just another moment? I…I just need a confirmation from you. You know, just so I can know that I haven’t lost my mind from threshing too much wheat. Um…I…I want to bring you an offering. Will you wait?
"Sure," the figure chuckled as he helped Gideon out of the pit.
Gideon turned, walked a few steps and looked over his shoulder. The figure had seated himself under a nearby oak tree, and in a rich baritone voice began singing a song that Gideon had never heard before. "The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!"
Gideon spun around, ran to his house, and hurriedly prepared an offering of young goat meat, unleavened bread and broth. Once everything was ready, he made his way back to the oak tree. His stomach plummeted to his feet when he saw that the figure wasn’t just a figment of his imagination. Then a sense of peace washed over him.
Well, at least I know I haven’t gone crazy.
The figure grinned and pushed himself to standing with his staff. "I see the mighty warrior has returned."
Gideon chuckled to himself at the very sound of the words.
"Set it on that rock," the figure pointed, then added, "Smells good. Go ahead and pour the broth over it."
As Gideon poured, it felt as though lightening surged through him. He stepped back as the figure pointed his staff at the offering. The rock on which it sat began to vibrate, glowing brilliant white as smoke swirled and billowed into the azure sky. A blaze erupted from the rock and consumed the offering as the figure disappeared.
Gideon fell to his knees and cried out, "Please God, have mercy on me! I’ve seen your Angel!"
An immediate peace coursed through him as he heard the Lord’s voice reply, "Be at peace. You shall live and be victorious."
An overwhelming joy flooded Gideon’s soul as he was hit with the reality that God hadn’t forgotten him or his people. It suddenly struck him that God wanted to give them peace, hope, and most especially, a future. The problem was wrong focus. Everywhere he looked it seemed people were either undermining God’s ways, or worse, worshiping something other than The One True God. Joy gave way to indignation as he uttered, "But Lord, what can I do?"
An uncanny boldness rose up in him as an idea floated into his mind. Restore a right focus! Restructure my priorities, Lord. And Yahweh, bring an army who will join me to reach this nation!
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Peace in Peril’s Midst
I’ve heard it said over the years by various aunts and uncles of mine that when they were kids, no one locked their doors, tamper-proof meant toddler-proofing your house, all kids walked home from school (which I’m told was always several miles), and basically, people just felt far more safe and secure than we do today - even when they had opportunity to do some fun family travel.
It’s an amazing thing to me that this generation has more technology than any other, yet all of our fancy gadgets haven’t made much difference in our overall sense of peace and safety. Even with all the precautions that airports take, travelers are still subjected to a host of regulations that make travel more of a hassle and less enjoyable with each passing month. And as we see the perils of our times increase, it’s enough to make a person wonder what on earth is happening? If technological advances and safety regulations won’t protect us, then what – or who will?
Peace in Relationship
Acquiring peace begins with a right relationship with Jesus. We can choose to ask Jesus to be our personal Lord and Savior simply by asking Him in our own heart felt prayer.We can even choose to abide by the 10 commandments. But right relationship goes deeper than keeping a list of do’s and don’ts. It’s a heart issue. God desires a friendship with us. And as with any loving relationship, if we love Him, we’ll avoid destroying that relationship by applying His Word to our lives (Gospel of John 15:14-15). Once we have asked Him to be our personal Lord and Savior, that relationship is sealed (Revelation 7:3). But just like we choose not to do the things that we know annoy our loved ones, if we love Christ, we will make an effort to find out what things annoy Him by reading His Word, and then choose not to do those things.
Cultivating a relationship with Him is comparable to cultivating a relationship with a physical person. Basically, it consists of spending time with Him and listening to Him. And the way that is accomplished is through prayer and reading His Word. As our love for Him grows deeper daily, we’ll develop a desire to do the things in His Word that we discover bring Him joy.
Peace in Focusing on Him
Job was a man who had it all. The Old Testament Book that bears Job's name illustrates that he had wealth, success, a family – he also lost it all. But even in the middle of his storm of tribulation, Job didn’t focus on the fact that he had lost everything. His attitude was, "…the Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord" (Job 1:21). Now this does not mean that Job wasn’t upset. Nor does it mean that he didn’t mourn. And I admit, having an attitude like that is much easier said than done. Still, when tragedy strikes and we call on the Lord Jesus, He will be faithful to strengthen us and bring us through the tough times.
If we focus on that which is stealing our peace, we’ll become fearful. However, if we direct our focus on His promises to us from His Word, then we’ll be able to experience peace in spite of our struggles. The way we handle each difficult situation that we encounter will do one of two things for us. We’ll either learn to trust God on a deeper level, or we’ll be overcome by or own fears and frustrations. Focusing on Jesus and his promise of victory to us is something that will always bring us great encouragement (see Revelation 12:10-11). And if we can remember to thank Him for the victory while we are still in the struggle, it will seem less intense.
God can take any situation that we are in and make it work out for our benefit and his glory (Romans 8:28). Catching that revelation will keep us from getting stuck in fear. While we might occasionally experience fear due to our circumstances, we will not be overcome by it when we choose to direct our feelings of fear to Jesus in prayer. Nothing is more powerful than the God whom we worship – the same God who claims us as His own children.
Meticulously Planned Peace
Every parent knows that little children believe what their parents tell them. We parents plan a future for our children. Some of our plans include things they really don’t appreciate. Things such as school, eating their vegetables and having a set bedtime on school nights are not appreciated by the average child. However, these things which they see as a frustration, an inconvenience and a hindrance to accomplishing their wills are just some of the things we parents do which will eventually prosper our children, give them hope and a future.
Often times we express our aggravation over the struggles that God allows in our lives. We typically don’t appreciate them and sometimes get irritated with Him. If we can remember to ask God in prayer to show us the wisdom that He wants to give us from each struggle, then the struggles that we walk through will not only give us opportunity to develop more of the fruit of the Spirit in our lives (Galatians 5:22-26), but we’ll be able to more effectively encourage someone else in the future. One of the greatest blessings and joys God can give us is the opportunity to help a brother or sister in Christ walk through a struggle we’ve already come through victoriously. Our great God has not left us powerless and hopeless in the middle of our difficult circumstances. He is a loving, living Savior who is ready, willing, and able to help us acquire His perfect peace – especially in the midst of peril.
It’s an amazing thing to me that this generation has more technology than any other, yet all of our fancy gadgets haven’t made much difference in our overall sense of peace and safety. Even with all the precautions that airports take, travelers are still subjected to a host of regulations that make travel more of a hassle and less enjoyable with each passing month. And as we see the perils of our times increase, it’s enough to make a person wonder what on earth is happening? If technological advances and safety regulations won’t protect us, then what – or who will?
Peace in Relationship
Acquiring peace begins with a right relationship with Jesus. We can choose to ask Jesus to be our personal Lord and Savior simply by asking Him in our own heart felt prayer.We can even choose to abide by the 10 commandments. But right relationship goes deeper than keeping a list of do’s and don’ts. It’s a heart issue. God desires a friendship with us. And as with any loving relationship, if we love Him, we’ll avoid destroying that relationship by applying His Word to our lives (Gospel of John 15:14-15). Once we have asked Him to be our personal Lord and Savior, that relationship is sealed (Revelation 7:3). But just like we choose not to do the things that we know annoy our loved ones, if we love Christ, we will make an effort to find out what things annoy Him by reading His Word, and then choose not to do those things.
Cultivating a relationship with Him is comparable to cultivating a relationship with a physical person. Basically, it consists of spending time with Him and listening to Him. And the way that is accomplished is through prayer and reading His Word. As our love for Him grows deeper daily, we’ll develop a desire to do the things in His Word that we discover bring Him joy.
Peace in Focusing on Him
Job was a man who had it all. The Old Testament Book that bears Job's name illustrates that he had wealth, success, a family – he also lost it all. But even in the middle of his storm of tribulation, Job didn’t focus on the fact that he had lost everything. His attitude was, "…the Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord" (Job 1:21). Now this does not mean that Job wasn’t upset. Nor does it mean that he didn’t mourn. And I admit, having an attitude like that is much easier said than done. Still, when tragedy strikes and we call on the Lord Jesus, He will be faithful to strengthen us and bring us through the tough times.
If we focus on that which is stealing our peace, we’ll become fearful. However, if we direct our focus on His promises to us from His Word, then we’ll be able to experience peace in spite of our struggles. The way we handle each difficult situation that we encounter will do one of two things for us. We’ll either learn to trust God on a deeper level, or we’ll be overcome by or own fears and frustrations. Focusing on Jesus and his promise of victory to us is something that will always bring us great encouragement (see Revelation 12:10-11). And if we can remember to thank Him for the victory while we are still in the struggle, it will seem less intense.
God can take any situation that we are in and make it work out for our benefit and his glory (Romans 8:28). Catching that revelation will keep us from getting stuck in fear. While we might occasionally experience fear due to our circumstances, we will not be overcome by it when we choose to direct our feelings of fear to Jesus in prayer. Nothing is more powerful than the God whom we worship – the same God who claims us as His own children.
Meticulously Planned Peace
Every parent knows that little children believe what their parents tell them. We parents plan a future for our children. Some of our plans include things they really don’t appreciate. Things such as school, eating their vegetables and having a set bedtime on school nights are not appreciated by the average child. However, these things which they see as a frustration, an inconvenience and a hindrance to accomplishing their wills are just some of the things we parents do which will eventually prosper our children, give them hope and a future.
Often times we express our aggravation over the struggles that God allows in our lives. We typically don’t appreciate them and sometimes get irritated with Him. If we can remember to ask God in prayer to show us the wisdom that He wants to give us from each struggle, then the struggles that we walk through will not only give us opportunity to develop more of the fruit of the Spirit in our lives (Galatians 5:22-26), but we’ll be able to more effectively encourage someone else in the future. One of the greatest blessings and joys God can give us is the opportunity to help a brother or sister in Christ walk through a struggle we’ve already come through victoriously. Our great God has not left us powerless and hopeless in the middle of our difficult circumstances. He is a loving, living Savior who is ready, willing, and able to help us acquire His perfect peace – especially in the midst of peril.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Heart of Love
If you’ve been following my blogs, you’ve probably noticed by now that I really enjoy serving the Lord through mission work. Though a sweet blessing, traveling to whatever host country He allows me to go is rarely easy. It requires time away from my job as a freelance writer, time away from my family, and of course, some cash. But honestly, I’m typically so excited about going that I’m nearly oblivious to the struggle. Instead, I see myself as a participant in an exhilarating, joyous journey of faith as I watch God move in ways which are always over, abundantly, above anything I could think or even imagine. He never ceases to surprise me as I walk into opportunities to witness, and encourage my siblings in the Lord – and even experience their encouragement. It’s amazing to me that a team and I will travel with the intent of serving and encouraging; and the whole team typically ends up getting encouraged and served by our Christian siblings in the host country!
On one particular mission to Latvia, a lovely Christian lady name Maudina (a member of one of the churches with whom we were partnered for that mission) graciously opened her home to us as a place to stay while we were there. Though her home was roughly the size of a small two bedroom apartment, it was beautiful with all of it’s wood accents, and her face glowed with delight when she met us at the door.
"Are you hungry?" she asked, moving toward the kitchen where a homemade apple coffeecake and several different beverages awaited us. Then she added, "Sorry I was not sure what you really like. And sorry about my English. Is not so good. Is everything else good?"
"Yes ma’am. It’s wonderful. Thank you so much! And your English is much better than our Latvian." I smiled, feeling humbled.
Our hostess giggled and we hugged each other. I knew that all she’d done was a sacrifice because Latvia is a second world country. Maudina reminded me a little of Lydia in the 16th chapter of Acts.
A Heart that’s Filled
Just like this precious lady in Latvia, Lydia had a heart of love - faithful to serve others. Lydia, a Jewish business lady from Thyatira (present day Turkey) loved God. She and other women met regularly to pray together (Acts 16:13). One day, Paul and his missionary team showed up at the prayer meeting and told everyone about Jesus. Lydia was so excited to hear that the Messiah had some and would fill her life with purpose, hope, and victory, that she immediately became a disciple. Then she offered Paul and the team a place to stay in the midst of their travels so that she could hear more testimonies from them.
And speaking of purpose, hope and victory, it didn’t take long for our little team to discover that these things were sadly absent from the lives of many inmates in a Latvian prison where we did some ministry. In fact, those things were lacking in their lives long before they ever wound up in prison. Many of them were taught as children (under the Russian rulers) that there wasn’t a God and that they were here "by chance". A simple product of evolution. But as the Lord imparted his vision and purpose to them through our ministry outreach, they’d go and witness to their cellmates and invite them to the chapel services that we held. What an incredible blessing to see God working in their hearts!
A Servant’s Heart
A willingness to serve sets us apart from today’s business world mentality. Worldly industries have a mindset of out-doing one another. Jesus’ apostles originally had a hard time understanding that Jesus had not come to out-do the Roman Empire. He wasn’t even making an effort to compete with it, much less impress anyone or gain men’s approval. Seems like a contradiction to a servant’s heart until we remember that Jesus set an example for us to obey the Father first, and then serve Christ’s body. It is written that obedience is better than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22). It took obedience for Jesus Christ to sacrifice His life for us. And all we need to do is ask Him to come into our heart and lives and save us. When we do that, He shares with us His power to cause us to overcome in every difficult circumstance that we’ll ever face. He has given us gifts and talents to encourage and build up one another. One isn’t better than another, but they all work together to strengthen us, His Bride, and bring glory to God. And what a beautiful Bride we are when we are all about loving Jesus and one another, willing to support one another emotionally, in prayer, and in ministry – with a heart of love.
On one particular mission to Latvia, a lovely Christian lady name Maudina (a member of one of the churches with whom we were partnered for that mission) graciously opened her home to us as a place to stay while we were there. Though her home was roughly the size of a small two bedroom apartment, it was beautiful with all of it’s wood accents, and her face glowed with delight when she met us at the door.
"Are you hungry?" she asked, moving toward the kitchen where a homemade apple coffeecake and several different beverages awaited us. Then she added, "Sorry I was not sure what you really like. And sorry about my English. Is not so good. Is everything else good?"
"Yes ma’am. It’s wonderful. Thank you so much! And your English is much better than our Latvian." I smiled, feeling humbled.
Our hostess giggled and we hugged each other. I knew that all she’d done was a sacrifice because Latvia is a second world country. Maudina reminded me a little of Lydia in the 16th chapter of Acts.
A Heart that’s Filled
Just like this precious lady in Latvia, Lydia had a heart of love - faithful to serve others. Lydia, a Jewish business lady from Thyatira (present day Turkey) loved God. She and other women met regularly to pray together (Acts 16:13). One day, Paul and his missionary team showed up at the prayer meeting and told everyone about Jesus. Lydia was so excited to hear that the Messiah had some and would fill her life with purpose, hope, and victory, that she immediately became a disciple. Then she offered Paul and the team a place to stay in the midst of their travels so that she could hear more testimonies from them.
And speaking of purpose, hope and victory, it didn’t take long for our little team to discover that these things were sadly absent from the lives of many inmates in a Latvian prison where we did some ministry. In fact, those things were lacking in their lives long before they ever wound up in prison. Many of them were taught as children (under the Russian rulers) that there wasn’t a God and that they were here "by chance". A simple product of evolution. But as the Lord imparted his vision and purpose to them through our ministry outreach, they’d go and witness to their cellmates and invite them to the chapel services that we held. What an incredible blessing to see God working in their hearts!
A Servant’s Heart
A willingness to serve sets us apart from today’s business world mentality. Worldly industries have a mindset of out-doing one another. Jesus’ apostles originally had a hard time understanding that Jesus had not come to out-do the Roman Empire. He wasn’t even making an effort to compete with it, much less impress anyone or gain men’s approval. Seems like a contradiction to a servant’s heart until we remember that Jesus set an example for us to obey the Father first, and then serve Christ’s body. It is written that obedience is better than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22). It took obedience for Jesus Christ to sacrifice His life for us. And all we need to do is ask Him to come into our heart and lives and save us. When we do that, He shares with us His power to cause us to overcome in every difficult circumstance that we’ll ever face. He has given us gifts and talents to encourage and build up one another. One isn’t better than another, but they all work together to strengthen us, His Bride, and bring glory to God. And what a beautiful Bride we are when we are all about loving Jesus and one another, willing to support one another emotionally, in prayer, and in ministry – with a heart of love.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Covering Missionaries in Effectual Fervent Prayer
The older I get in the Lord the more evident it becomes to me that God has given a mighty weapon to every Christian – the weapon of prayer. It’s mighty to the pulling down of enemy strongholds and more powerful than the world system. And where mission work is concerned, prayer has more value than money. Now someone might raise an eyebrow at that and ask, "How is that possible? Isn’t it money that makes mission work possible?" While there is a cost involved, it’s very easy to just give money and then never give another thought – much less another prayer. And as someone who’s been on the field many times, if I had to choose between the gift of someone’s prayer covering or their monetary gift, I personally would pick the prayer covering. Money can only go so far. Prayer has a fascinating way of being the catalyst for making stuff happen, and God has an incredible way of stepping in where we come up short. Consider what Jesus was able to do with five loaves and two fish (Luke 9:13). So here are 10 specific ways that prayer warriors (i. e. intercessors) can pray for missionaries that are not only highly beneficial, but also down-to-earth practical.
1) It’s not an uncommon thing for an airline to decide (seemingly arbitrarily) to cancel a person’s flight and move him or her to another. On one occasion, I just happened to see a flight attendant standing at the bottom of an exit ramp with a small sign that had my next flight number written on it. Because my previous flight had been long, and I was rather tiard, her sign didn’t quite register in my mind and I walked right on by. Then at the prompting of the Holy Spirit, I went back and asked her why she was holding up that sign.
"Is this your next flight?" she asked.
"Yes."
"It’s been canceled. I need to escort you and any others to your new flight."
It turned out that I was the only one from that particular flight. God knows if that was an angel disquised as a human or not, but it was certainly someone’s prayers that helped me make that connecting flight. Thank God for His grace and mercy!
2) Great flying weather and beautiful weather while in the host country. Poor weather can cause turbulence, and a plane in turbulence can be pretty unnerving. In addition, crummy weather will delay flights, complicate other modes of travel, and make ministry more difficult – especially if you have equipment to transport. Because I typically lead the praise and worship when I go on a mission trip, I usually have my guitar. On one occasion we had to catch a train to another city in pouring down rain. To make matters even more interesting, the train station was not within walking distance. So we had to pile our team into a taxi that was roughly the size of a VW bug. Since the trunk was way too small to hold my guitar, we laid it across our laps. Let’s just say the trip to the train station was a unique experience. We sang Veggie Tales songs as a stress release. However, there have been other occasions when I went on a short-term mission trip and never saw a drop of rain. God can do anything!
3) That all the missionary’s luggage would arrive both ways, undamaged. Nothing’s more frustrating than not having what you need and trying to file a lost / damaged claim report. Especially if one of those items is an instrument. And I speak from experience about the deep annoyance I've felt when my guitar has been lost in transit and my luggage has been damaged. By God’s grace and mercy, I did eventually get my guitar back.
4) Supernatural health. It’s very difficult to get medical care in some countries. Sickness definitely complicates ministry in many ways. Also, the pace of a mission trip is often very rapid. Getting needed rest can be a very real complication – which makes it difficult to heal if a person has health issues. I thank God that the worst thing that I personally ever experienced has been a cold, but this did make it difficult to sing.
5) That God would be in the middle of all the missionary’s relationships. The enemy loves to mess with people’s minds. And the combination of jet lag and stress can make it a real challenge to stay focused and subdue the flesh. I once heard a preacher say that mission work will either bring out the worst in a person, or the best in a person. When I finally got the opportunity to go on the field myself, I understood. I’ll sum that up like this: any area in which a person is lacking the fruit of the Holy Spirit (see Galatians 5:22-26) will be an area that the enemy will hit hard.
6) God’s wisdom and discernment for the missionary. Some people know how to talk a good game. Though in some cases, there are just language barriers. There are also some people in other countries who aren’t particularly fond of Americans. I was once in a situation when a woman wanted to argue her political views of America with me. I apologized for the things that she was frustrated about and the Lord opened a door for me to witness to her. It was only by God’s grace (and probably someone’s prayers) that I knew what to say.
7) God’s provision for the missionary’s finances, and that He’d stretch them out. During one mission trip, a couple of shopkeepers found out that our group was a group of missionaries and blessed us with a few items at no charge!
8) That God would use the missionary for the prospering of His kingdom. It seems obvious to pray that people will be saved and delivered, but the enemy will fight to keep people in bondage. Also there are some countries in which people will more readily accept Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. This is why some mission agencies will report "thousands saved" and other missionaries only report a few saved. It all depends
on how open the people are. Sometimes it takes years before results even begin to show. The thing we must remember is that heaven rejoices over each saved individual - not a qualifying quantity.
9) That the missionary would focus consistently on being a person after God’s own heart. It can be easy to get out of focus when out of your comfort zone – especially when things don’t go as planned. Which they often don’t when on the field. Flexibility is a necessity. And trading our agendas for God’s is the best way to avoid a lot of frustration that will often manifest as complaining. I’ve watched teams almost split because of a team member’s hidden agenda and self-seeking attitude.
10) That God would help the missionary to adapt easily to the host country, and have an easy readjustment when returning home. There is actually a type of reverse culture shock that can happen to a missionary if he or she has been particularly immersed in the culture of his or her host country. It all depends on how much the missionary has identified and adapted to the culture of the host country, and how well the missionary has been able to stay in-touch with family back home.
The above list is definitely not a complete list. However, it will make a great springboard as we listen for the Holy Spirit to lead us into keeping our missionaries covered in prayer.
1) It’s not an uncommon thing for an airline to decide (seemingly arbitrarily) to cancel a person’s flight and move him or her to another. On one occasion, I just happened to see a flight attendant standing at the bottom of an exit ramp with a small sign that had my next flight number written on it. Because my previous flight had been long, and I was rather tiard, her sign didn’t quite register in my mind and I walked right on by. Then at the prompting of the Holy Spirit, I went back and asked her why she was holding up that sign.
"Is this your next flight?" she asked.
"Yes."
"It’s been canceled. I need to escort you and any others to your new flight."
It turned out that I was the only one from that particular flight. God knows if that was an angel disquised as a human or not, but it was certainly someone’s prayers that helped me make that connecting flight. Thank God for His grace and mercy!
2) Great flying weather and beautiful weather while in the host country. Poor weather can cause turbulence, and a plane in turbulence can be pretty unnerving. In addition, crummy weather will delay flights, complicate other modes of travel, and make ministry more difficult – especially if you have equipment to transport. Because I typically lead the praise and worship when I go on a mission trip, I usually have my guitar. On one occasion we had to catch a train to another city in pouring down rain. To make matters even more interesting, the train station was not within walking distance. So we had to pile our team into a taxi that was roughly the size of a VW bug. Since the trunk was way too small to hold my guitar, we laid it across our laps. Let’s just say the trip to the train station was a unique experience. We sang Veggie Tales songs as a stress release. However, there have been other occasions when I went on a short-term mission trip and never saw a drop of rain. God can do anything!
3) That all the missionary’s luggage would arrive both ways, undamaged. Nothing’s more frustrating than not having what you need and trying to file a lost / damaged claim report. Especially if one of those items is an instrument. And I speak from experience about the deep annoyance I've felt when my guitar has been lost in transit and my luggage has been damaged. By God’s grace and mercy, I did eventually get my guitar back.
4) Supernatural health. It’s very difficult to get medical care in some countries. Sickness definitely complicates ministry in many ways. Also, the pace of a mission trip is often very rapid. Getting needed rest can be a very real complication – which makes it difficult to heal if a person has health issues. I thank God that the worst thing that I personally ever experienced has been a cold, but this did make it difficult to sing.
5) That God would be in the middle of all the missionary’s relationships. The enemy loves to mess with people’s minds. And the combination of jet lag and stress can make it a real challenge to stay focused and subdue the flesh. I once heard a preacher say that mission work will either bring out the worst in a person, or the best in a person. When I finally got the opportunity to go on the field myself, I understood. I’ll sum that up like this: any area in which a person is lacking the fruit of the Holy Spirit (see Galatians 5:22-26) will be an area that the enemy will hit hard.
6) God’s wisdom and discernment for the missionary. Some people know how to talk a good game. Though in some cases, there are just language barriers. There are also some people in other countries who aren’t particularly fond of Americans. I was once in a situation when a woman wanted to argue her political views of America with me. I apologized for the things that she was frustrated about and the Lord opened a door for me to witness to her. It was only by God’s grace (and probably someone’s prayers) that I knew what to say.
7) God’s provision for the missionary’s finances, and that He’d stretch them out. During one mission trip, a couple of shopkeepers found out that our group was a group of missionaries and blessed us with a few items at no charge!
8) That God would use the missionary for the prospering of His kingdom. It seems obvious to pray that people will be saved and delivered, but the enemy will fight to keep people in bondage. Also there are some countries in which people will more readily accept Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. This is why some mission agencies will report "thousands saved" and other missionaries only report a few saved. It all depends
on how open the people are. Sometimes it takes years before results even begin to show. The thing we must remember is that heaven rejoices over each saved individual - not a qualifying quantity.
9) That the missionary would focus consistently on being a person after God’s own heart. It can be easy to get out of focus when out of your comfort zone – especially when things don’t go as planned. Which they often don’t when on the field. Flexibility is a necessity. And trading our agendas for God’s is the best way to avoid a lot of frustration that will often manifest as complaining. I’ve watched teams almost split because of a team member’s hidden agenda and self-seeking attitude.
10) That God would help the missionary to adapt easily to the host country, and have an easy readjustment when returning home. There is actually a type of reverse culture shock that can happen to a missionary if he or she has been particularly immersed in the culture of his or her host country. It all depends on how much the missionary has identified and adapted to the culture of the host country, and how well the missionary has been able to stay in-touch with family back home.
The above list is definitely not a complete list. However, it will make a great springboard as we listen for the Holy Spirit to lead us into keeping our missionaries covered in prayer.
Monday, January 21, 2008
The Comission of Missions
I thought my heart would leap right out of my chest as the plane raced down the runway, gathering speed for takeoff. The joy I felt was definitely comparable to that of my wedding day as I praised and thanked God in my heart while the plane ascended. In the seat beside me, I could hear my husband whispering his own praises to God.
Mission work has always been an event that has brought me joy. When I had the opportunity to visit the country of Latvia (in the old Soviet block) in July of 2002 and 2003, it was one of the most positive experiences of my life. And when my first opportunity presented itself, it was very sudden - but very welcome. I had all of four months to prepare before I left. Now that might sound like plenty of time, but when you're going overseas, it makes for a very rushed preparation. The ideal situation is to have the opportunity to prepare over the course of about six months or even a year. The following points are some things that I have learned (some of which came the hard way) and that I have found beneficial and worth passing along because of other wonderful mission experiences that the Lord has arranged for me to have.
And so it Begins...
My thought is to highlight a few of the basic things in preparing for a short-term mission trip. You see, things like obtaining a passport can take several months. For whatever reason, the folks who issue them don’t like to be rushed. It’s advisable to allow at least six months for them to do their thing. Passport photos can be taken in several different locations. Stores that advertise portrait packages often also do passport photos.
After getting passport photos, the post office is the next stop. This is where the exhilarating, action packed process of filling out the paperwork begins.(grin!) The clerk at the post office will most likely request a driver’s license and social security card, or a birth certificate for proof of identification. Once the paperwork is completed and the passport pictures are given to the clerk, the post office will do the rest of the work... concerning the passport.
Another thing that must be done many months in advance is getting proper immunizations. It can take several months for the human body to build up the necessary antibodies from immunizations to make them effective. Check with your health care provider to determine what immunizations are necessary and how much time it will take to make them effective.
Airline tickets are another thing that should be taken care of months in advance. The general rule of thumb is that the more time one allows between purchasing the tickets and the actual departure date, the less expensive the tickets will be. And while tickets can be purchased on-line, I find that a good travel agent is a God-send! If your luggage gets lost - as often occurs, or it gets damaged, a good travel agent is a real blessing. You tell them what happened, they can guide you through the lost / damaged claim process.
Survival Techniques
There are many items that I can recommend in order to effectively "survive" an overseas trip, but I think the most useful tools are good old fashioned courtesy and politeness. Especially if one doesn’t get the opportunity to learn the language before arriving. As I stated earlier, I had all of four months to prepare for my first mission trip to Latvia. One can’t just walk into one’s local university and take three credit hours in Latvian 101. It’s not a common language. So the first two words I made a point of learning in Latvian when I arrived were "ludza" and "paldiez" (please and thank you), and I followed them up with the most warm-hearted smile I could muster. I’ve never forgotten those two words. This effort took me a long way with the people. In time, I gained the confidence to attempt some other words and a few phrases. Though we did have an interpreter, the people really appreciated my attempts and efforts to connect with them in their own language.
When traveling abroad, it isn’t uncommon to become sleepy at the very worst possible time - otherwise known as jet-lag. Multivitamins, a healthy and physically fit body, and a hot shower all help to combat jet-lag.
Most people I have contact with don’t realize how beneficial it is to be physically fit before going on a mission trip. There is typically a lot of walking involved. If you can make the time to get involved in an exercise program about six months before leaving, it’s very helpful.
Often times a washing machine or a dryer are difficult to find when on the mission field. Therefore, it’s a good idea to take clothes that can be hand washed, dry quickly, and don’t wrinkle easily.
Anything requiring electricity (such as hair dryers, curling irons, or musical equipment) will need a device called a converter if you have the blessing of electricity available to you. This makes items designed for an American electrical current usable in foreign countries. Converters can be purchased in many electronics stores.
Another very useful item is mosquito netting. Many places in Latvia didn’t have screens in the windows; nor did they have air conditioning. So the only way to stay cool is to open the windows. Mosquito repellent is also very helpful.
European bathrooms are not always quite the same as American ones. Therefore, I would highly recommend bringing a roll or two of toilet paper, bath towels, bath robe and bath slippers. I would say that the most important preparation you can make is through prayer, and having your church and loved ones keep you in prayer. There are a whole multitude of things to keep in prayer such as not missing connecting flights, not losing luggage, protection, the people being able to understand the message that the mission team is bringing, and don't forget about praying for good weather. Especially while traveling. Believe it or not, I have seen the Lord respond to those types of prayers with some gorgeous days.
By now, you might be asking, "Why on earth would anyone in their right mind want to do this?"
Besides the fact that It’s an opportunity to share what I believe is true and positively affects someone’s eternity - it’ an adventure. It’s a challenge that few will embark on and many fear. A God-given opportunity that some dare to dream of but only a handful would ever seriously consider. A great exploit for expressing God’s unconditional, undying love to people who are often feeling hopeless and confused. But most importantly, it’s one of many ways to honor Jesus and it's mentioned in the Gospel of Matthew 28:19, "Therefore go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit".
Mission work has always been an event that has brought me joy. When I had the opportunity to visit the country of Latvia (in the old Soviet block) in July of 2002 and 2003, it was one of the most positive experiences of my life. And when my first opportunity presented itself, it was very sudden - but very welcome. I had all of four months to prepare before I left. Now that might sound like plenty of time, but when you're going overseas, it makes for a very rushed preparation. The ideal situation is to have the opportunity to prepare over the course of about six months or even a year. The following points are some things that I have learned (some of which came the hard way) and that I have found beneficial and worth passing along because of other wonderful mission experiences that the Lord has arranged for me to have.
And so it Begins...
My thought is to highlight a few of the basic things in preparing for a short-term mission trip. You see, things like obtaining a passport can take several months. For whatever reason, the folks who issue them don’t like to be rushed. It’s advisable to allow at least six months for them to do their thing. Passport photos can be taken in several different locations. Stores that advertise portrait packages often also do passport photos.
After getting passport photos, the post office is the next stop. This is where the exhilarating, action packed process of filling out the paperwork begins.(grin!) The clerk at the post office will most likely request a driver’s license and social security card, or a birth certificate for proof of identification. Once the paperwork is completed and the passport pictures are given to the clerk, the post office will do the rest of the work... concerning the passport.
Another thing that must be done many months in advance is getting proper immunizations. It can take several months for the human body to build up the necessary antibodies from immunizations to make them effective. Check with your health care provider to determine what immunizations are necessary and how much time it will take to make them effective.
Airline tickets are another thing that should be taken care of months in advance. The general rule of thumb is that the more time one allows between purchasing the tickets and the actual departure date, the less expensive the tickets will be. And while tickets can be purchased on-line, I find that a good travel agent is a God-send! If your luggage gets lost - as often occurs, or it gets damaged, a good travel agent is a real blessing. You tell them what happened, they can guide you through the lost / damaged claim process.
Survival Techniques
There are many items that I can recommend in order to effectively "survive" an overseas trip, but I think the most useful tools are good old fashioned courtesy and politeness. Especially if one doesn’t get the opportunity to learn the language before arriving. As I stated earlier, I had all of four months to prepare for my first mission trip to Latvia. One can’t just walk into one’s local university and take three credit hours in Latvian 101. It’s not a common language. So the first two words I made a point of learning in Latvian when I arrived were "ludza" and "paldiez" (please and thank you), and I followed them up with the most warm-hearted smile I could muster. I’ve never forgotten those two words. This effort took me a long way with the people. In time, I gained the confidence to attempt some other words and a few phrases. Though we did have an interpreter, the people really appreciated my attempts and efforts to connect with them in their own language.
When traveling abroad, it isn’t uncommon to become sleepy at the very worst possible time - otherwise known as jet-lag. Multivitamins, a healthy and physically fit body, and a hot shower all help to combat jet-lag.
Most people I have contact with don’t realize how beneficial it is to be physically fit before going on a mission trip. There is typically a lot of walking involved. If you can make the time to get involved in an exercise program about six months before leaving, it’s very helpful.
Often times a washing machine or a dryer are difficult to find when on the mission field. Therefore, it’s a good idea to take clothes that can be hand washed, dry quickly, and don’t wrinkle easily.
Anything requiring electricity (such as hair dryers, curling irons, or musical equipment) will need a device called a converter if you have the blessing of electricity available to you. This makes items designed for an American electrical current usable in foreign countries. Converters can be purchased in many electronics stores.
Another very useful item is mosquito netting. Many places in Latvia didn’t have screens in the windows; nor did they have air conditioning. So the only way to stay cool is to open the windows. Mosquito repellent is also very helpful.
European bathrooms are not always quite the same as American ones. Therefore, I would highly recommend bringing a roll or two of toilet paper, bath towels, bath robe and bath slippers. I would say that the most important preparation you can make is through prayer, and having your church and loved ones keep you in prayer. There are a whole multitude of things to keep in prayer such as not missing connecting flights, not losing luggage, protection, the people being able to understand the message that the mission team is bringing, and don't forget about praying for good weather. Especially while traveling. Believe it or not, I have seen the Lord respond to those types of prayers with some gorgeous days.
By now, you might be asking, "Why on earth would anyone in their right mind want to do this?"
Besides the fact that It’s an opportunity to share what I believe is true and positively affects someone’s eternity - it’ an adventure. It’s a challenge that few will embark on and many fear. A God-given opportunity that some dare to dream of but only a handful would ever seriously consider. A great exploit for expressing God’s unconditional, undying love to people who are often feeling hopeless and confused. But most importantly, it’s one of many ways to honor Jesus and it's mentioned in the Gospel of Matthew 28:19, "Therefore go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit".
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