Mission trip to Bulgaria. What, a mission trip to Bulgaria? Africa, South America, even Russia remain common destinations to go on a mission, but who thinks of Bulgaria? Yet, the country cries out for people with loving hearts to make their mission trip to this place that is shrouded in the pain of brokenness and abandonment. In our last article, we spoke of donating used items to charity to help children in Bulgaria, but perhaps God inspires you to do more. On a mission trip to Bulgaria, you would find children wasting away, literally, for attention and the loving touch of Jesus.
In 2007, BBC released a documentary entitled Bulgaria’s Abandoned Children, which gives us an example of the need for mission trips to make Bulgaria their next destination. Keep in mind, as you read on, that Bulgaria is not a third world country, it is a part of the European union! In the BBC documentary, the host made her own “mission” trip to Bulgaria to cover a social care home, housing seventy-five children, in the village of Moniligo. Of all the European countries, Bulgaria has the highest number of physically and mentally disabled individuals warehoused in institutes; one in fifty children are institutionalized in such social care homes. Most of the children enter the homes at the abandonment of their parents because of minor afflictions, such as being blind, deaf, or, perhaps mildly autistic. The conditions of the facility in the film are horrendous, but the conditions of the children are worse. The documentary gives heart-wrenching accounts of neglect and abuse, for it seems the mission of the institute simply remains to house the children until they’re old enough to make the trip to a different home, or they die. Not only are the limbs of the children gnarled like sticks from malnourishment, but most of them are never taught to talk and receive no therapy or special care for their disabilities. There are no organized activities or field trips outside, there is no one to hold the children in a loving embrace, and most the staff refuses to even make eye contact with the children. Without stimulation or education, children with the potential to live a relatively normal life, despite their disease or disability, are left to rock the day away, muttering unintelligible noises and waiting for the next spoonful of gooey porridge to shove into their mouths. Bulgaria’s Abandoned Children shows us why making a mission trip to Bulgaria is needed, for Jesus inspires His followers to love and care for little children because it is His heart.
We must not forget that, when everyone else pushed the children away in the Bible, Jesus reached out and took the children in His arms and blessed them. Today, we are Jesus’ arms, and our mission is to embrace the children others push away – to embrace children like those orphaned and abandoned in Bulgaria. James 1:27 claims this is what makes our religion real, or pure and faultless: “to look after orphans and widows in their distress.” If looking after children in need makes our faith faultless, it can never be “wrong” to make a mission trip to Bulgaria. The next step is to seek information on such a trip, and perhaps make the ministry to Bulgaria’s abandoned Children our next mission.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Donate Used Items to Charity to Help Kids in Bulgaria.
Donate used items to charity to help kids in Bulgaria. I have an excess of slightly used items sitting around my house which I would love to donate to charity to help kids in need in Bulgaria. It’s a great thought, but how does one donate used items to charity to help kids in Bulgaria? After all, shipping items to the country, just as shipping items to Ghana, is not a good option because of theft and inadequate postal services. Money is the best thing to donate to get kids the items they need because it can be safely wired, but in times like these, I don’t have extra money. My heart cries out, however, that there must be a way to donate and bless kids with the excess of things we have in this country, for I would rather give to charity than throw away my used items. As I was thinking and praying about this, God began giving me a few ideas of innovative ways to gain a return for these items go help His children. The following gives several ways to donate used items to charity to help kids in Bulgaria.
Donate used items by recycling and use the money for charity! With the recent push to “go green,” what better way to join the movement than to make the good of the environment translate into helping the poor and orphaned kids in Bulgaria? Search online for recycling centers that pay for glass or metal, and announce that you are collecting in your church and neighborhood. Also, look at sites like http://www.cash4cartridgesusa.com to donate old ink-cartridges, and http://www.yourenew.com/ to recycle electronics for cash. It doesn’t cost you anything, and it gives you that extra money you’re always wishing was around to help charities reach kids in places like Bulgaria.
Secondly, a good way to donate used items to charity to help kids in Bulgaria, through getting a return for them monetarily, is to hold a garage sale. Determine before-hand that all the proceeds you make will go towards charity, and promote your sale thus. This will draw more people to come, as well as encourage further spending. People often become willing to spend more if they know that all the cost is going to help kids in need.
Finally, get cash to give to charity to help kids in need by donating used items to places like the Goodwill. True, most second-hand stores do not give money for the things you bring in, but they will give you a receipt you can file and get a tax-rebate from. If you track the taxes that these donations saved you, and use the money you would have had to pay as an offering to help kids in Bulgaria, it’s similar to getting money for those used items to donate to charity. Also, look into high-end second hand stores that actually pay for slightly used, quality clothing. In Seattle area, there’s a place called Plato’s Closet that gives cash for brand-named clothing.
Now that you have a way to get money out of those used items, you can give the aid to the Bulgarian children Changing a Generation supports that you thought was not financially possible for you previously. With a little innovation, it’s easy to donate used items to charity to help kids in Bulgaria, and in Africa, and it doesn’t cost you anything!
Friday, June 11, 2010
Writing Journals to Draw Closer to God.
Writing Journals to Draw Closer to God. When you’re writing journals, it doesn’t always have to be an exploration of self-discovery; you can approach the practice a different way by writing journals to draw closer to God. My most powerful journals are those I am writing to God as I seek to draw closer in relationship with Him. As my journal writing expands to involve God within it, I find I’m drawn closer to God because it allows His words and truth to come onto the page and into my heart. When I am writing journals to draw closer to God I experience His love and inspiration in my life at a level that the “self,” without God’s word, cannot experience.
Why not just pray to draw closer to God instead of spending time writing journals? Words are powerful. God created the world through words. In a way, He was writing the world into being in Genesis when “God said…and there was.” Words can invoke the creative inspiration of God! God also gave us words, in the Bible, as a way to draw closer to Him. When we think carefully about it, the Gospels are like an account of the disciples writing journals about the events that happened: they wrote out details and discoveries, and they also ended up writing what God had to say, through Jesus and what we call “divine” inspiration. They discovered more than “self,” they invited God into their writing, and the writing became a venue for us to draw closer to God’s love and heart today.
When we speak about the unique power of writing journals to draw closer to God, we cannot forget that Jesus himself was called “The Word.” In John Chapter One, we find Jesus called The Word. In the Jewish, not only does this reference mean Jesus, but also the “word” of God, by which He created the world and governs it, and the written word – the Bible. Which is why writing journals – actually making it a practice to write words on paper – can be a great venue to draw our hearts closer to God: God uses both spoken on written words to reach humanity, and when we use both venues to reach him, we find a deeper level of intimacy.
In my journals, I begin by writing as if I’m writing a letter to God or speaking to Him like a friend. Sometimes I address Him directly, other times I just write with Him as the audience to my story or thoughts. As I begin opening up my heart on the page, I discover I draw closer to God because it takes more vulnerability to be honest with written words. The more vulnerable I am, the more God can speak to those fears, doubts, lies, questions, or uncertainties. Often, I find that my journals become a message from God as well, and not just me writing to Him. Whether this happens through Him bringing a scripture verse to mind for me to write down, or from God actually inspiring me to write down words, I find it always draws me closer to His refreshing love. Below is the most recent message God gave me:
“Come to ME so that you never go empty or weary. Do good always. Even when you’re slapped, abused, and crushed, do good back. Give back MY blessings. The one thing I always promise you is an overflow of joy and my light…”
This message in my journals came from God at a time when I desperately needed His inspiration and was having a hard time with persecution, feeling like I wanted to retaliate. These words gave me the life and the reminder I needed to draw closer to God for the strength to persevere. That’s what God’s words do – “the word of God is living and active…it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).
Because of the power of words and the ultimate power of The Word, combining them together allows God to become active in your thoughts and heart in a whole new, life-giving way. And, it’s not hard to do; start by pulling out a notebook and simply begin writing your journals to draw closer to God!
Why not just pray to draw closer to God instead of spending time writing journals? Words are powerful. God created the world through words. In a way, He was writing the world into being in Genesis when “God said…and there was.” Words can invoke the creative inspiration of God! God also gave us words, in the Bible, as a way to draw closer to Him. When we think carefully about it, the Gospels are like an account of the disciples writing journals about the events that happened: they wrote out details and discoveries, and they also ended up writing what God had to say, through Jesus and what we call “divine” inspiration. They discovered more than “self,” they invited God into their writing, and the writing became a venue for us to draw closer to God’s love and heart today.
When we speak about the unique power of writing journals to draw closer to God, we cannot forget that Jesus himself was called “The Word.” In John Chapter One, we find Jesus called The Word. In the Jewish, not only does this reference mean Jesus, but also the “word” of God, by which He created the world and governs it, and the written word – the Bible. Which is why writing journals – actually making it a practice to write words on paper – can be a great venue to draw our hearts closer to God: God uses both spoken on written words to reach humanity, and when we use both venues to reach him, we find a deeper level of intimacy.
In my journals, I begin by writing as if I’m writing a letter to God or speaking to Him like a friend. Sometimes I address Him directly, other times I just write with Him as the audience to my story or thoughts. As I begin opening up my heart on the page, I discover I draw closer to God because it takes more vulnerability to be honest with written words. The more vulnerable I am, the more God can speak to those fears, doubts, lies, questions, or uncertainties. Often, I find that my journals become a message from God as well, and not just me writing to Him. Whether this happens through Him bringing a scripture verse to mind for me to write down, or from God actually inspiring me to write down words, I find it always draws me closer to His refreshing love. Below is the most recent message God gave me:
“Come to ME so that you never go empty or weary. Do good always. Even when you’re slapped, abused, and crushed, do good back. Give back MY blessings. The one thing I always promise you is an overflow of joy and my light…”
This message in my journals came from God at a time when I desperately needed His inspiration and was having a hard time with persecution, feeling like I wanted to retaliate. These words gave me the life and the reminder I needed to draw closer to God for the strength to persevere. That’s what God’s words do – “the word of God is living and active…it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).
Because of the power of words and the ultimate power of The Word, combining them together allows God to become active in your thoughts and heart in a whole new, life-giving way. And, it’s not hard to do; start by pulling out a notebook and simply begin writing your journals to draw closer to God!
Find Christian Motivational Speakers.
Find Christian Motivational Speakers. Have you ever tried to find Christian motivational speakers who inspire real change, rather than just provide an hour of feel-good-words with no lasting impact? Whether we’re planning an event and need motivational speakers, or looking to find motivational sermons to listen to, it remains important to remember that not every message deemed “Christian” is infused with the power that alters our perception and brings LIFE to our hearts! So, when seeking to find Christian motivational speakers whose words are full of this power and life, three things should come to question: 1. What is the speaker’s primary purpose behind his or her ministry? 2. Feel out his or her perspective on Redemption and Christianity, and, 3. Weigh not the individual’s schooling first, but the speaker’s primary Teacher. Considering these three things helps us find Christian motivational speakers that truly motivate movement in hearts and lives.
First, Christian motivational speakers should know what their purpose is each time they step up to the microphone. Although the message, the people, and the settings may change, someone motivated by God’s heart never changes their purpose behind speaking. And, no one can motivate others with their words without first being motivated by the heart of God. Personally, I am always impacted to change when I listen to Ceitci Demirkova because her purpose behind each message is the same: “to inspire others to reach the fullness of their destiny in Jesus Christ,” which is to embrace and live out Christ’s salvation!
Secondly, a huge component to find Christian motivational speakers involves finding someone who knows the meaning of true Redemption, and extends that message to others. When the Bible says, “the old has gone, the new has come,” it means just that. Redemption means we are freed completely from the sin that separates us from God, and we are restored to connect intimately with Him. When Christian speakers still cling to the idea that we are imperfect and impure before God, even after accepting our new life through Christ’s sacrifice, then the message they deliver is condemning and not motivational. It brings death and not life, because it’s not the heart of God.
Lastly, and most importantly, so much weight seems to be put on an individual’s accolades or scholarly achievements when seeking a Christian motivational speaker, when we really should consider the speaker’s Teacher first. Surely, education is important, but the ultimate Teacher does not lecture in the classroom. Jesus told us in John 14:26, “the Councilor, the Holy Spirit…will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” Without the Holy Spirit as the primary Mentor and Teacher, every spiritual lesson is void of true life. Romans 8:2 reminds us that it is this Spirit that brings life and sets us free. So, if a speaker does not go first to the Spirit, then no one is going to be set free or motivated to change because his or her words will not carry that living breath of God that MOVES hearts. A heart that’s been schooled in surrendering and listening to The Teacher will bring a motivational message that a theology class alone cannot.
To find motivational speakers does not have to be a science. These three things really come down to one underlying theme: God’s love. If Christian speakers have God’s love, they will carry the purpose of Salvation behind everything they do, they will understand that complete Redemption between us and our Savior is a part of God’s loving plan, and their words will come from the teachings’ of the Spirit, since we cannot learn to love like God without the Holy Spirit moving our hearts in the first place. Remember, no matter whom the Christian motivational speakers are, the final response is always up to the listener: we make a choice to stay stagnant, or to move with the motivation of the Spirit.
Friday, July 31, 2009
The Mission isn't the People, The People are the Mission
By: Krinda Joy Carlson
Intern, Ceitci Demirkova Ministries
The mission isn’t the people, the people are the mission. At first glance, this sentence screams “fallacy,” or at least “contradiction.” So, let me rework it visually:
Mission = People
OR
People = Mission
Which of these equations make the greatest sense? Many would say that the first is correct according to the Great Commission (which is every Christian’s mission): “Go and make disciples of all nations. Baptize them…teach them…(Matthew 28:19-20).” But, let me point out that we cannot baptize or teach a nation without people, for the people are the nation. Without people, therefore, we cannot have a mission, because we need the “them” to fulfill the Great Commission. Often, however, we have a reverse mentality in which the goal or the nation is our sole focus as opposed to HUMAN HEARTS.
People are the mission. When we understand this, we beat the Jonah-complex which I wrote about last week. Jonah was angry when Nineveh didn’t burn because he was focused on the mission as opposed to saving the people. He missed the joy of participating in the deliverance of an entire city because he was so wrapped up in the execution of his task.
If we focus solely on a mission or calling in our lives, we miss the miracles happening along the way to the completion of that mission. Essentially, we miss the whole purpose of having a mission – the purpose is to make an eternal difference. The only way to make an eternal difference is to affect the hearts and souls of human beings. Missions don’t exist without people.
Jesus’ life exemplifies this point. He certainly had a mission – his entire life built towards the purpose of the cross – but He stopped on the way for the people, showing they were His first priority…they were IT. He never ignored the need of a crying heart for the sake of a goal or plan in which He was endeavoring to fulfill. Take, for example, the story of Jarirus’ daughter, Luke 8:40-55.
Jarius was a very important official, highly esteemed in the eyes of the people. His daughter was sick, and he tried everything. Nothing worked. She was only twelve, and she was dying. Jarius was desperate. So, he opted to find Jesus personally, as opposed to sending his servant. When Jarius located Jesus, he fell at His feet and begged Christ to come to his house. The people all watched in astonishment. In modern day, this would be like a famous superstar prostrating himself and begging a “middle-class” individual for help…the press coverage would be epic. Therefore, Mission-Jarius’-Daughter was a red-carpet event for Jesus. He agreed, and Jarius led the way at a frantic pace. The gossip-hungry crowd pressed tightly around them, wanting to be a part of this significant event. Each step was another second in which the little girl could be taking her last breath. But, Jesus stopped. Abruptly. Jarius looked back, confused, “Hurry, hurry!” Jesus was looking around at all the people and asked, “Who touched me?” Everyone wondered if He’d gone nuts! There were thousands brushing against Jesus, what could He mean? Why was he allowing himself to be distracted from this mission at hand by such a little detail? The daughter of this famous man was dying! He was risking his reputation and ministry! Nevertheless, Jesus persisted. “Someone has touched me.” Finally, a frightened woman came forth, and threw herself before Jesus in fear. She had suffered bleeding for twelve years and knew that if she could only touch His garments, she would be healed. And, she was! This woman – who had endured scorn from others, who had felt dirty for so long, who’s life savings had been spent on trying to find a cure – was finally whole. Yet, she was still ashamed, sprawled in the dirt before Jesus. Jesus knew that although her body was healed, her heart was still bleeding. He touched her and spoke, “Daughter…Go in peace.” He delivered this woman from turmoil and shame by ministering peace and calling her daughter – an endearing term only recorded coming from His lips this once. As Jesus was giving this woman acceptance and belonging, a servant came to Jarius with news. His daughter was dead. Jesus was no longer needed. In everyone’s eyes, the mission was a failure. But for Jesus, so long as there are people, the mission is never abandoned. He told Jarius that his daughter would be healed. Jarius remains in shock. He stared at this crazy man thinking, She’s dead. Why didn’t you complete your mission to my daughter. Why did you stop for this woman and let my daughter die? When Jesus arrived at the house, people mocked and jeered. Jesus looked past the circumstances towards the girl in need. With a word and a touch, he raised Jarius’ daughter up from the dead, completely whole and healed. His mission was completed, despite it all, because His mission was based on the souls of the people, which are eternal and never fade.
Along the road to whatever Jesus was seeking to accomplish, he never looked at the needs of the people as an interruption…because he operated out of a people mentality. He did not allow fame, or importance of a goal, nor the voices of the crowd to override the cry of human souls. And, Christ did not die for the sake of a mission; He died for the hearts and souls of the PEOPLE. Our Great Commission is to epitomize Jesus Christ…our mission is not about reaching goals, it’s about reaching souls. The people are our mission.
Intern, Ceitci Demirkova Ministries
The mission isn’t the people, the people are the mission. At first glance, this sentence screams “fallacy,” or at least “contradiction.” So, let me rework it visually:
Mission = People
OR
People = Mission
Which of these equations make the greatest sense? Many would say that the first is correct according to the Great Commission (which is every Christian’s mission): “Go and make disciples of all nations. Baptize them…teach them…(Matthew 28:19-20).” But, let me point out that we cannot baptize or teach a nation without people, for the people are the nation. Without people, therefore, we cannot have a mission, because we need the “them” to fulfill the Great Commission. Often, however, we have a reverse mentality in which the goal or the nation is our sole focus as opposed to HUMAN HEARTS.
People are the mission. When we understand this, we beat the Jonah-complex which I wrote about last week. Jonah was angry when Nineveh didn’t burn because he was focused on the mission as opposed to saving the people. He missed the joy of participating in the deliverance of an entire city because he was so wrapped up in the execution of his task.
If we focus solely on a mission or calling in our lives, we miss the miracles happening along the way to the completion of that mission. Essentially, we miss the whole purpose of having a mission – the purpose is to make an eternal difference. The only way to make an eternal difference is to affect the hearts and souls of human beings. Missions don’t exist without people.
Jesus’ life exemplifies this point. He certainly had a mission – his entire life built towards the purpose of the cross – but He stopped on the way for the people, showing they were His first priority…they were IT. He never ignored the need of a crying heart for the sake of a goal or plan in which He was endeavoring to fulfill. Take, for example, the story of Jarirus’ daughter, Luke 8:40-55.
Jarius was a very important official, highly esteemed in the eyes of the people. His daughter was sick, and he tried everything. Nothing worked. She was only twelve, and she was dying. Jarius was desperate. So, he opted to find Jesus personally, as opposed to sending his servant. When Jarius located Jesus, he fell at His feet and begged Christ to come to his house. The people all watched in astonishment. In modern day, this would be like a famous superstar prostrating himself and begging a “middle-class” individual for help…the press coverage would be epic. Therefore, Mission-Jarius’-Daughter was a red-carpet event for Jesus. He agreed, and Jarius led the way at a frantic pace. The gossip-hungry crowd pressed tightly around them, wanting to be a part of this significant event. Each step was another second in which the little girl could be taking her last breath. But, Jesus stopped. Abruptly. Jarius looked back, confused, “Hurry, hurry!” Jesus was looking around at all the people and asked, “Who touched me?” Everyone wondered if He’d gone nuts! There were thousands brushing against Jesus, what could He mean? Why was he allowing himself to be distracted from this mission at hand by such a little detail? The daughter of this famous man was dying! He was risking his reputation and ministry! Nevertheless, Jesus persisted. “Someone has touched me.” Finally, a frightened woman came forth, and threw herself before Jesus in fear. She had suffered bleeding for twelve years and knew that if she could only touch His garments, she would be healed. And, she was! This woman – who had endured scorn from others, who had felt dirty for so long, who’s life savings had been spent on trying to find a cure – was finally whole. Yet, she was still ashamed, sprawled in the dirt before Jesus. Jesus knew that although her body was healed, her heart was still bleeding. He touched her and spoke, “Daughter…Go in peace.” He delivered this woman from turmoil and shame by ministering peace and calling her daughter – an endearing term only recorded coming from His lips this once. As Jesus was giving this woman acceptance and belonging, a servant came to Jarius with news. His daughter was dead. Jesus was no longer needed. In everyone’s eyes, the mission was a failure. But for Jesus, so long as there are people, the mission is never abandoned. He told Jarius that his daughter would be healed. Jarius remains in shock. He stared at this crazy man thinking, She’s dead. Why didn’t you complete your mission to my daughter. Why did you stop for this woman and let my daughter die? When Jesus arrived at the house, people mocked and jeered. Jesus looked past the circumstances towards the girl in need. With a word and a touch, he raised Jarius’ daughter up from the dead, completely whole and healed. His mission was completed, despite it all, because His mission was based on the souls of the people, which are eternal and never fade.
Along the road to whatever Jesus was seeking to accomplish, he never looked at the needs of the people as an interruption…because he operated out of a people mentality. He did not allow fame, or importance of a goal, nor the voices of the crowd to override the cry of human souls. And, Christ did not die for the sake of a mission; He died for the hearts and souls of the PEOPLE. Our Great Commission is to epitomize Jesus Christ…our mission is not about reaching goals, it’s about reaching souls. The people are our mission.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
WE the JONAHS
WE the JONAHS
Krinda Joy Carlson
Intern, Ceitci Demirkova Ministries
Lately, the Bible’s been funny to me. Not the Bible itself, the stories in it. This morning I was reading Jonah and had to laugh! Jonah, like all the other characters in the Bible, was one-hundred percent human – just like us. He was stubborn, he was afraid, he didn’t want to do the task God asked, and he was the ultimate dramatic. The story starts like this:
God says GO!
Jonah says no.
He actually physically tries to run from God. The first place he goes is a shipyard, thinking maybe he can put some ocean between him and God, as if contact with the Creator of the Universe could only be made on land! But, he can’t escape. At sea, a storm tosses the ship about like a rubber-ducky. The sailors are frantic and petition their various gods, to no avail. Finally, they went to Jonah, knowing he was in the process of running away from God since he announced it to them when he boarded the ship. Instead of praying and submitting, Jonah tells them to throw him overboard.
Jonah decides he should die.
God decides He’ll give him another try.
So, did God send a life-raft to pick him up, or a sailor to rescue Jonah? No, He “provided” a great fish “to swallow” Jonah (if anyone ever tries to say God doesn’t have a sense of humor, just point them to this story)! Jonah sat in that mucky-yucky, not to mention slimy, innards of the fish until he finally prayed and turned to the Lord. The Bible says that the fish then VOMITED Jonah out on shore. And, he gets another chance.
God, again, says GO!
Jonah says ok, I’ll bring to Nineveh your woe!
SO, Jonah finally travels to fulfill the original mission God sent Him on. When he gets to Nineveh, he warns the people of their sin and tells them that they will be destroyed. The king and his people are so repentant, they denounce all their gods and pray and fast to the One true God. God sees this, and has compassion on the people of Nineveh. Meanwhile, Jonah is watching for the city to be destroyed. He’d brought the warning of God, and now he waits for the message he brought to be fulfilled. After all, this is what he was sent for! When Jonah realizes that Nineveh is getting a second chance, he gets angry that the word he delivered didn’t happen like he said, so he begins berating God. “I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God,” he shook his fist to heaven. “Slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending the calamity.” Aaaaarrrrrr, “Now, O Lord, take away my life!” With that, the angered man stormed to the desolate landscape outside the city, without supplies or shelter.
Jonah goes to the desert to bake.
God sends shade for his sake.
Despite his original dramatic intentions, Jonah was happy for the shade, but the next day the vine, which was providing protection for the sun, withered. He became angry all over again at God – angry because nothing was going the way he planned. His solution? Nothing less than death (this is the third of Jonah’s death wishes in the short book!).
Jonah asks, “Death to me, O God, please render!”
God asks, “Jonah, my child, just surrender.”
And then book ends – fin, complete. We never discover the resolution of the story. But I think that’s the point of the Book of Jonah. The end of the story is ours. God gives us Jonah because we can relate, then leaves the story unfinished for us to complete. After all, we are all Jonahs who are being shaped into vessels God can use. Maybe you haven’t done any of the following, but I can guarantee you know someone who has…
Ran from the difficult things God asks him to do.
Blamed God for bad things that happen to her.
Been angry when something didn’t turn out the way he or she thought it should.
Just generally whined, complained, and dramatized when life was out of their control.
Sometimes, we only see the unpleasant, stinky part of life, or the things that are removed from our lives. When, in fact, Jonah’s story shows us that the smelly fish wasn’t a curse, it was a blessing because it preserved his life; just as the vine in the desert was provided for a season, until it was time for Jonah to move on. God didn’t send the fish or remove the vine out of anger but out of loving compassion. He did not send Jonah to Nineveh simply because he was angry with the city, He sent him because He loved the people and desired to provide them with another chance. After Jonah rejected the call, God could have chosen someone different, but God wanted Jonah because He cared. Just like with Nineveh, God provided Jonah with second chances. God did not relent. He kept on pursuing Jonah.
That’s how God is with us, he’s gracious and compassionate. He doesn’t sit in heaven and wait for us to fail so He can get angry and send calamity. No matter how much we mess up, God still wants to use us! If we run, He’ll send a storm to redirect our route. If we jump into the ocean, He’ll send a big fish to swallow us up and spit us where we need to go. If we decided to wander in the desert, He’ll eventually spring something from the ground to bring us back to our right minds. You see, God can handle our dramatics and our fears, but the one thing He does expect of us is to let HIM BE GOD. The problem with Jonah trying to control his life, the weather, the plant, and the fate of the city is that he operates out of the human condition of condemnation. Even condemnation upon himself (note: his desire to die). Whereas, God’s plan, which we see played out in the story, is one of grace. He extends this redemption in equal amounts to all peoples. So, when the Book ends with God asking Jonah, “Don’t I have the right to do as I please with my creation?” He is asking this same question of us. We all come to the point where we must answer this question, which is why the end of Jonah is our beginning. For, our journey starts with acknowledging God’s right and might to control with His great love. So, you can choose to run or surrender.
But if you run, He’ll smile and send a fish just for you…
because you’re a Jonah, with a calling too!
Krinda Joy Carlson
Intern, Ceitci Demirkova Ministries
Lately, the Bible’s been funny to me. Not the Bible itself, the stories in it. This morning I was reading Jonah and had to laugh! Jonah, like all the other characters in the Bible, was one-hundred percent human – just like us. He was stubborn, he was afraid, he didn’t want to do the task God asked, and he was the ultimate dramatic. The story starts like this:
God says GO!
Jonah says no.
He actually physically tries to run from God. The first place he goes is a shipyard, thinking maybe he can put some ocean between him and God, as if contact with the Creator of the Universe could only be made on land! But, he can’t escape. At sea, a storm tosses the ship about like a rubber-ducky. The sailors are frantic and petition their various gods, to no avail. Finally, they went to Jonah, knowing he was in the process of running away from God since he announced it to them when he boarded the ship. Instead of praying and submitting, Jonah tells them to throw him overboard.
Jonah decides he should die.
God decides He’ll give him another try.
So, did God send a life-raft to pick him up, or a sailor to rescue Jonah? No, He “provided” a great fish “to swallow” Jonah (if anyone ever tries to say God doesn’t have a sense of humor, just point them to this story)! Jonah sat in that mucky-yucky, not to mention slimy, innards of the fish until he finally prayed and turned to the Lord. The Bible says that the fish then VOMITED Jonah out on shore. And, he gets another chance.
God, again, says GO!
Jonah says ok, I’ll bring to Nineveh your woe!
SO, Jonah finally travels to fulfill the original mission God sent Him on. When he gets to Nineveh, he warns the people of their sin and tells them that they will be destroyed. The king and his people are so repentant, they denounce all their gods and pray and fast to the One true God. God sees this, and has compassion on the people of Nineveh. Meanwhile, Jonah is watching for the city to be destroyed. He’d brought the warning of God, and now he waits for the message he brought to be fulfilled. After all, this is what he was sent for! When Jonah realizes that Nineveh is getting a second chance, he gets angry that the word he delivered didn’t happen like he said, so he begins berating God. “I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God,” he shook his fist to heaven. “Slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending the calamity.” Aaaaarrrrrr, “Now, O Lord, take away my life!” With that, the angered man stormed to the desolate landscape outside the city, without supplies or shelter.
Jonah goes to the desert to bake.
God sends shade for his sake.
Despite his original dramatic intentions, Jonah was happy for the shade, but the next day the vine, which was providing protection for the sun, withered. He became angry all over again at God – angry because nothing was going the way he planned. His solution? Nothing less than death (this is the third of Jonah’s death wishes in the short book!).
Jonah asks, “Death to me, O God, please render!”
God asks, “Jonah, my child, just surrender.”
And then book ends – fin, complete. We never discover the resolution of the story. But I think that’s the point of the Book of Jonah. The end of the story is ours. God gives us Jonah because we can relate, then leaves the story unfinished for us to complete. After all, we are all Jonahs who are being shaped into vessels God can use. Maybe you haven’t done any of the following, but I can guarantee you know someone who has…
Ran from the difficult things God asks him to do.
Blamed God for bad things that happen to her.
Been angry when something didn’t turn out the way he or she thought it should.
Just generally whined, complained, and dramatized when life was out of their control.
Sometimes, we only see the unpleasant, stinky part of life, or the things that are removed from our lives. When, in fact, Jonah’s story shows us that the smelly fish wasn’t a curse, it was a blessing because it preserved his life; just as the vine in the desert was provided for a season, until it was time for Jonah to move on. God didn’t send the fish or remove the vine out of anger but out of loving compassion. He did not send Jonah to Nineveh simply because he was angry with the city, He sent him because He loved the people and desired to provide them with another chance. After Jonah rejected the call, God could have chosen someone different, but God wanted Jonah because He cared. Just like with Nineveh, God provided Jonah with second chances. God did not relent. He kept on pursuing Jonah.
That’s how God is with us, he’s gracious and compassionate. He doesn’t sit in heaven and wait for us to fail so He can get angry and send calamity. No matter how much we mess up, God still wants to use us! If we run, He’ll send a storm to redirect our route. If we jump into the ocean, He’ll send a big fish to swallow us up and spit us where we need to go. If we decided to wander in the desert, He’ll eventually spring something from the ground to bring us back to our right minds. You see, God can handle our dramatics and our fears, but the one thing He does expect of us is to let HIM BE GOD. The problem with Jonah trying to control his life, the weather, the plant, and the fate of the city is that he operates out of the human condition of condemnation. Even condemnation upon himself (note: his desire to die). Whereas, God’s plan, which we see played out in the story, is one of grace. He extends this redemption in equal amounts to all peoples. So, when the Book ends with God asking Jonah, “Don’t I have the right to do as I please with my creation?” He is asking this same question of us. We all come to the point where we must answer this question, which is why the end of Jonah is our beginning. For, our journey starts with acknowledging God’s right and might to control with His great love. So, you can choose to run or surrender.
But if you run, He’ll smile and send a fish just for you…
because you’re a Jonah, with a calling too!
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Stories from the Love-Starved
Stories from the Love-Starved
By: Krinda Joy Carlson
Intern, Ceitci Demirkova Ministries
The other day I entered Wal-Mart’s restroom, and in one of the stalls I saw a pregnancy test. It was negative. The image of it sitting there made me want to cry. My first thought was, What type of desperate situation would force someone to take their pregnancy test in Wal-Mart? A scenario played out in my head:
There’s a girl who had it all. She grew up with a family that attended church regularly, lived in a great neighborhood, and had the “perfect” American life. On the outside. Inside, though, she was desperate. Desperate to satisfy her craving for love. Her father never said “I love you,” and she felt her family never talked about real feelings, feelings that were ready to shatter her to pieces if they didn’t find an outlet. So, behind closed doors she sought the cure. Her medicine became attention from boys. But there were side effects, for her hunger to feel special and loved only increased each time she slept with her boyfriend. One day, the inevitable came: she missed her menstrual cycle. It took her a day to gather the courage to drive to Wal-Mart. Standing in the aisle with the pregnancy tests, she waited until she was alone. Her arm felt like lead, barely able to rise and pick up the box. It seemed to mock her. I can’t…I can’t be seen with this. I’m supposed to be this perfect Christian girl! It was so easy for her to slip it in her purse and walk to the bathroom, paranoid the whole time that if she made eye contact the people she passed would know. As she shut herself in the stall. She felt sick – she took the test. The next few minutes of waiting took an infinity. When the results showed, she almost fainted with relief. Blue was her new favorite color. She hung over the toilet, breathing…breathing. After collecting herself, she stared at the test, unable to bring herself to touch it again. And, too afraid someone would see her carrying it to the garbage, she left it sitting in the stall. She had a scare, but she was safe now. Somehow she didn’t feel much better as she left Wal-Mart…all she could think was, I’m a criminal and I’m so dirty. I need…something. But no one will ever know…
She goes home to an empty house.
No one is there to hold her and tell her...
Though I made this particular story up, it’s composed from reality. I’ve worked with numerous girls who have the same story, just translated in a different version. This craving for love, however, doesn’t just gnaw at girls. Guys have their own hunger-pains.
He, too, grew up going to church periodically as a boy, but phased out of attending as he grew older. His family was pretty much a wreck, and he craved something more. He looked, and looked. Maybe it would be found in a woman’s touch? His first serious girlfriend was at age sixteen. She manipulated him, sucked him dry, and left him with his manhood punctured by the barrage of her words. He was sure his heart would never be whole again. Until, an angel came along. She patched the holes and made him feel a man once more. They went to church together, prayed together, and…slept together. After all, they loved eachother. He knew she wanted him, and that made him feel needed, it gave him purpose. But it didn’t seem to be enough. He still hungered. So, he decided that one day they would be married – that would fix his consuming desire. They graduated. A year later, she broke it off. As she left, she ripped off every patch on his heart, and added a few punctures of her own. He stood alone, the wind of pain whistling through his abused heart. Love is a lie, God is a lie. If it was all a lie, he knew life wasn’t worth it. But something inside of him still beat to live, so he chose to numb it all away. Party every weekend, one hook up after the next, experimenting with anything to bring pleasure. I’m iron, I’m steal. Don’t care, don’t care, don’t care…just live. No matter what, when he was alone he still cared. And he panted to be cared for. I’m so dirty. I need…something. He knows better than to open up again…
He goes to sleep with an empty heart.
No one’s there to tell him…
…what? What is no one there to tell him? What did the girl never hear? They both grew up going to church, and yet they were still starved for love. Isn’t the God of love enough to keep these young people from vacuuming up pleasure from the dirty floors of this world? Yes, the God of Love is, but the god of religion is not. How many times does someone enter a church who has a story like this, and all they feel is numbing, burning shame because they are held at arms length. But what if, when they fell, someone was there to hold them tight and tell them, “You’re worth more than ever! God doesn’t love you for what you can do for him, or what you don’t do. HE JUST LOVES YOU.” Religion says instead: you’re worthless, or worth less, to God when you mess up, when you hurt, when you are essentially human. This message breeds stories like the ones above, and, ultimately, death. But Love – in the words of Jesus – says: “I showed My love for you by dying for you while you were still a sinner” (Romans 5:8). This message brings LIFE, and it is the “something” the individuals from our stories instinctively know they need!
As representatives of Jesus on this earth, He asks us to send the message of love and not religion. For until we realize that love is not “that we loved God, but that He loved us” first (1 John 4:10), we’ll always be pursuing and craving after love. But when we realize love is not earned, then we can accept the life-changing, head-over heels, all-out, reach-for-the-stars love relationship God wants to have with us. And, when we understand and accept the real unconditionality of God, it is only then that we truly learn to love Him and others, and our life choices naturally follow. This is what every man, woman, child, and youth longs and hungers for – the ability to love and be loved unconditionally. Two questions then remain:
What message have you been given about God?
And, are you giving religion or the message of Jesus to this love-starved world?
Only the love of Jesus satisfies.
By: Krinda Joy Carlson
Intern, Ceitci Demirkova Ministries
The other day I entered Wal-Mart’s restroom, and in one of the stalls I saw a pregnancy test. It was negative. The image of it sitting there made me want to cry. My first thought was, What type of desperate situation would force someone to take their pregnancy test in Wal-Mart? A scenario played out in my head:
There’s a girl who had it all. She grew up with a family that attended church regularly, lived in a great neighborhood, and had the “perfect” American life. On the outside. Inside, though, she was desperate. Desperate to satisfy her craving for love. Her father never said “I love you,” and she felt her family never talked about real feelings, feelings that were ready to shatter her to pieces if they didn’t find an outlet. So, behind closed doors she sought the cure. Her medicine became attention from boys. But there were side effects, for her hunger to feel special and loved only increased each time she slept with her boyfriend. One day, the inevitable came: she missed her menstrual cycle. It took her a day to gather the courage to drive to Wal-Mart. Standing in the aisle with the pregnancy tests, she waited until she was alone. Her arm felt like lead, barely able to rise and pick up the box. It seemed to mock her. I can’t…I can’t be seen with this. I’m supposed to be this perfect Christian girl! It was so easy for her to slip it in her purse and walk to the bathroom, paranoid the whole time that if she made eye contact the people she passed would know. As she shut herself in the stall. She felt sick – she took the test. The next few minutes of waiting took an infinity. When the results showed, she almost fainted with relief. Blue was her new favorite color. She hung over the toilet, breathing…breathing. After collecting herself, she stared at the test, unable to bring herself to touch it again. And, too afraid someone would see her carrying it to the garbage, she left it sitting in the stall. She had a scare, but she was safe now. Somehow she didn’t feel much better as she left Wal-Mart…all she could think was, I’m a criminal and I’m so dirty. I need…something. But no one will ever know…
She goes home to an empty house.
No one is there to hold her and tell her...
Though I made this particular story up, it’s composed from reality. I’ve worked with numerous girls who have the same story, just translated in a different version. This craving for love, however, doesn’t just gnaw at girls. Guys have their own hunger-pains.
He, too, grew up going to church periodically as a boy, but phased out of attending as he grew older. His family was pretty much a wreck, and he craved something more. He looked, and looked. Maybe it would be found in a woman’s touch? His first serious girlfriend was at age sixteen. She manipulated him, sucked him dry, and left him with his manhood punctured by the barrage of her words. He was sure his heart would never be whole again. Until, an angel came along. She patched the holes and made him feel a man once more. They went to church together, prayed together, and…slept together. After all, they loved eachother. He knew she wanted him, and that made him feel needed, it gave him purpose. But it didn’t seem to be enough. He still hungered. So, he decided that one day they would be married – that would fix his consuming desire. They graduated. A year later, she broke it off. As she left, she ripped off every patch on his heart, and added a few punctures of her own. He stood alone, the wind of pain whistling through his abused heart. Love is a lie, God is a lie. If it was all a lie, he knew life wasn’t worth it. But something inside of him still beat to live, so he chose to numb it all away. Party every weekend, one hook up after the next, experimenting with anything to bring pleasure. I’m iron, I’m steal. Don’t care, don’t care, don’t care…just live. No matter what, when he was alone he still cared. And he panted to be cared for. I’m so dirty. I need…something. He knows better than to open up again…
He goes to sleep with an empty heart.
No one’s there to tell him…
…what? What is no one there to tell him? What did the girl never hear? They both grew up going to church, and yet they were still starved for love. Isn’t the God of love enough to keep these young people from vacuuming up pleasure from the dirty floors of this world? Yes, the God of Love is, but the god of religion is not. How many times does someone enter a church who has a story like this, and all they feel is numbing, burning shame because they are held at arms length. But what if, when they fell, someone was there to hold them tight and tell them, “You’re worth more than ever! God doesn’t love you for what you can do for him, or what you don’t do. HE JUST LOVES YOU.” Religion says instead: you’re worthless, or worth less, to God when you mess up, when you hurt, when you are essentially human. This message breeds stories like the ones above, and, ultimately, death. But Love – in the words of Jesus – says: “I showed My love for you by dying for you while you were still a sinner” (Romans 5:8). This message brings LIFE, and it is the “something” the individuals from our stories instinctively know they need!
As representatives of Jesus on this earth, He asks us to send the message of love and not religion. For until we realize that love is not “that we loved God, but that He loved us” first (1 John 4:10), we’ll always be pursuing and craving after love. But when we realize love is not earned, then we can accept the life-changing, head-over heels, all-out, reach-for-the-stars love relationship God wants to have with us. And, when we understand and accept the real unconditionality of God, it is only then that we truly learn to love Him and others, and our life choices naturally follow. This is what every man, woman, child, and youth longs and hungers for – the ability to love and be loved unconditionally. Two questions then remain:
What message have you been given about God?
And, are you giving religion or the message of Jesus to this love-starved world?
Only the love of Jesus satisfies.
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