Does Satan Exist?

I found this really intriguing and was wondering what some of my "followers" or "readers" thought... take a peak at the link below and watch the clips consecutively. I'd say it probably takes 30-45 min to watch them all. I think this is a topic that doesn't get discussed very often and I found it gut-wrenching and eye-opening all at once. I will say, however, that I praise God for those he's created... no matter what their views or opinions are. In each of them, I see God revealed and I am thankful for that.

DOES SATAN EXIST?

What Do I Know of Holy?

what do i know of you father? on earth and heaven above, what do i know of your love? sometimes, i feel so far from you... even when searching and seeking your face. as i continue to seek you, i thank you for the days i get to experience your overwhelming holiness. i pray that you continue to use me in reconciling those lost back to you. i pray that i see your sovereign character and your holiness in every year that i live, every day of every week, every minute of every day... in every person, in every season of life, in every struggle, in every mission- big or small, and in every breath i take. 

you are the great reconciler. you make me strive for holiness. i will give you praise father... even when i fail over and over again at being holy.

'but just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written, "be holy, because i am holy".'

1 peter 1:15-16

'for you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. he was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.'

1 peter 1:18-20

thank you for moments like these in my life. you never cease to amaze me. i'm going to keep chasing you...

Known By Our Love

yesterday, as i was mingling right inside the doors of oak hills (church) i was humbled by the tiniest act of authentic love. this couple, who had recently welcomed their new baby into the world just days before, had brought their new addition to show her off to everyone. as people gathered around to sneak a peak and chat with the new parents, a few grocery bags of homemade food were dropped off around their feet and next to the car seat. being a friend of the couple, i walked with them out to their car to help load up the food. as we were loading it up and saying our goodbyes, i couldn't help but feeling blessed by this simple, yet beautiful act of authentic love shown to these people by members of our body who just wanted to love on them.

lately, i've had conversations with various friends about how the typical american church is known by anything and everything except authentic love. we put on these massive performances at Christmas time with flashy lights and spend hundreds or thousands of dollars to pull these insane operations off. we look at our leaders, pastors, and ministers sitting up high on their pedestals because we've placed them there and they either don't realize it or don't feel the need to come down. we build these fancy buildings with expensive novelties to attract "un-churched people" so that they might feel like they're not really stepping foot in a church; to make them feel comfortable... we spend so much time in our fast powered boats trying to camouflage ourselves so that we can "get the numbers" by a sneak attack here or a hurried service there. 

the biggest characteristic of a Christ-centered church is that the body is knitted together in love. our individual walks with God ought to be community projects. we can't do it by ourselves. how will people know we are followers of Christ? they need to see how we love. that's when the community around us will notice the church. when its members are actively and passionately loving each other... the people sitting next to us on Sunday mornings or Wednesday nights. 

"love your neighbor as yourself" the bible says. 1 thessalonians 4:9 talks about how we are directly taught by God to love. "now about brotherly love we do not need to write you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other." you already love yourself so figure out how to love your neighbor- say "God, teach me how to love...". Christian brotherhood is not an ideal which we must realize, it is already a reality created by God in Christ in which we participate.  

the church needs to be like-minded in this. if we can do this; be like-minded and gushing with authentic love to each other, the "outsiders" looking in will know us for that. not by our fancy buildings and signs or expensive retreats. we'll be known by our love. 

after all, Jesus founded His empire on love. want to be like Jesus? wash the feet of your neighbor. bring a meal for a family who might be overwhelmed. pray about being aware of the divine appointments God has set up for you throughout your day. let's not zoom through the busyness of each day like we all do and let's just sail along with the wind of God's voice in our sail, directing us to those who need to be shown true, authentic love. 

help me not to be okay just because everything is okay with me. i want to feel the pain that someone else feels... i want to rejoice when others have something to rejoice about... i want to ask, "how can i love you today?" and then i want to actually do it... joyfully.  

Suffering

i was talking with a friend just yesterday about suffering. as i was asking about her specific struggle, it got me thinking about the role God plays in our suffering. why would a God of love appoint us to suffer, ever? the struggles, the illnesses, the loss of a loved one or job, the trying times in our lives... if God is a God of love and compassion then why is there suffering for his people?

to that, i answered myself this... God never asked us to do anything we can do; He asked us to live a life we can never live, to do a work we can never do. it is by His grace that we are living and doing it. it is by His Spirit that we are living it out. and through it all, there will be struggling and persecution. it says so in the Word. (2 timothy 3:12)

when the apostle paul was locked up in a roman jail cell, he was suffering. it was then when he wrote about suffering and what God intends it to look like through the story of Epaphroditus (who risked his life to share the love that the philippians had for him). 

"now i rejoice in what was suffered for you, and i fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. i have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in it's fullness-" colossians 1:24-26

paul is filling up the afflictions of Jesus. meaning; what's missing from those afflictions is the presentation of our suffering savior. since we couldn't see Jesus' death, He sends ambassadors of his suffering to suffer in our midst. He calls you to suffer for him to bring his love and his afflictions to bear on you. Christ could no longer make the personal presentation to all the nations... he's in Heaven. we, however, are called the body of Christ. thus, God intends for the afflictions of Christ to be presented to the world through the afflictions of His people. 

paul is like epaphraditus. he's taking the love offering of the sufferings of Christ and offering to those who didn't have a personal relationship with Jesus. his sufferings are an extension to others so they might not only hear about how Christ suffered for them, but see in him, His body and His sufferings for them. 

our suffering advances the gospel. i'm perfectly okay with that. if i am to suffer for the sake of the spreading of the gospel then lay it on me. and here's the kicker. i will pray that i rejoice in it too! we can rejoice because Jesus will carry us through it. like that cheesy poem, the "footprints" one. "...when you saw only one set of footprints in the sand, it was then that i carried you". haha but this is true. life is going to be a roller coaster of trials and tribulations and times of suffering. it should also be about continuous praise and glory given to our Father through it all. therefore, "...because the Lord's steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise Him." psalm 63:3

finally; through your suffering, are you making it known that the hope of Christ lives in you? it is said, "...the God of all peace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast." 1 peter 5:10

is this length good mr. kelly? ;)

   

Seeds

this, i found interesting... i was as intrigued as skeptical to see what the inevitable spin would be. come to find out, Matthew Parris, the author, was born in africa and raised throughout the country, and was personally familiar with christian missionaries who often lived and worked in villages close to his own. link here

as a frequent contributor to The Times, he was asked to go to malawi to see the charity that the paper supports. in his first few paragraphs, Parris comments that: “. . . traveling in malawi refreshed another belief, too:  one i’ve been trying to banish all my life, but an observation i’ve been unable to avoid since my african childhood. it confounds my ideological beliefs, stubbornly refuses to fit my world view, and has embarrassed my growing belief that there is no God.

“now a confirmed atheist, i’ve become convinced of the enormous contribution that christian evangelism makes in africa:  sharply distinct from the work of secular NGOs, government projects and international aid efforts. these alone will not do. education and training alone will not do. in africa christianity changes people’s hearts. it brings a spiritual transformation. the rebirth is real. the change is good.”

reading that ignited myriad thoughts and questions, and for a brief moment, i sat in simple silence as i basked in God’s love for this man. can you just imagine?! the seeds that are being planted by these missionaries, obedient servants, and the authentic loving followers of Christ will most likely be unknown to them. what's so propitious is that God is using this man, who chooses not to believe, to ignite someone like little old me, to be encouraged. i am encouraged to love authentically and not only that but to pray that i am able to show authentic love to those standing in line at the grocery store, neighbors i meet in the elevator in my apartment, and the people of this city. “an observation i have been unable to avoid since my childhood” is nothing short of the gracious, patient and relentless love of a real God gently knocking on the door of his heart waiting to be invited in. the “spiritual transformations” he has witnessed and has humbly admitted to, despite his own personal belief to not believe, must be speaking louder in the halls of his heart than he realizes. he goes on to say that the change and impact that christianity has brought to so many people, tribes and nations throughout africa is undeniable and is worthy of recognition. he remarks that “only the severest kind of secularist could see a mission hospital or school and say the world would be better without it.” i am encouraged by this because God is still seen and reflected in and through the lives of all His children.

despite the turbulent circumstances that plague our world, the love and light of Christ is recognized. i am encouraged to see that the Word is in fact living, active and true. 

Dreaming of a not too far away Land...

8:00pm- i can hear the sounds of the waves of the indian ocean crashing on the beach. a warm breeze grazes my skin and is caught up in my nose; i breathe deep the warm saltiness of it...

8:06pm- jolting awake to the pure memory of what sounded like 8 part harmony, i gently fall back asleep to the sweet voices of the people of toangoma praising an amazing God.

11:12pm- like lighting flashing, my mind replays short movies of african children silently waving their hands at my camera while smiling.

11:14pm- i remember being down on my knees, surrounded by laughing faces, and trying to peer through the sea of hands and arms at the overcast sky asking God, ‘help me to never forget this memory’.

11:19pm- flashback. the tarps are crashing above as the sun sheds it’s acclaimed warmth on my wet cheeks. again tonight, i’m sailing on the rich, melodic voices of the body... i sing along this time in my dark room in minneapolis. 

11:31pm- cool to the touch, i lay my hands on the sandy blocks of which my teams’ hands laid and am taken aback by the overwhelming feeling of the Holy Spirit moving in this place... the people to the right and left of me are not speaking my same language but i know exactly what’s being said and have never tasted something so sweet. my hands move from block to block praying for a blessing in this place and for these people; simply thanking Jesus for this moment.

11:32pm- again, i ask God that this memory be forever burned on my brain. again, my cheeks are wet.

2:27am- a steadily increasing advancement of rain clouds quenches the thirst of the african plain; the ground drinks heavily as God’s people are in fellowship with one another while stranded in the middle of His magnificent creation.

3:45am- pillow talks with one of God’s faithful daughters. remembering emily, and her words of encouragement and wisdom.

3:56am- my stomach hurts. not just from the different food, but because my team meshes so well and i can't stop laughing throughout the entire trip. 

4:19am- babu's smile... his laugh.

4:33am- the crustiness of the salt water on my slightly sun-burned body continues to air dry while i have a wonderful conversation with an old friend at sunset. after the sun goes down i have alone time with the endless ocean until a new friend comes along. the tide is coming in while the moon dances off the waves and we sit and get to know each other under the stars.

5:12am- filling mass amounts of cracks and playing tic-tac-toe in the cement.

5:14am- a little damp, but waking up to the indescribable sounds of a safari morning. elephants trumpeting is my alarm clock.

5:55am- blurred vision i have this early morning while staring at this computer screen desperately trying to feed my soul more of africa. these pictures bring a flood to my eyes and my heart as i can't sleep... dreaming of a land far away.

 

i’ve been back from the beautiful country of tanzania for a little almost two weeks now and find myself still being asked, “how was your trip?” “what did God show you while you were there?” “has God taught you anything?”. 

truth is, i'm still chewing. i'm still digesting it all. i can say however, that we went to bless this community by building a church and bringing them clean water but God blessed us ten fold. from the unity of our team, to the weather we were blessed with while working, to the gorgeous beach we woke up to every morning, to the amazing safari- God revealed Himself through those created and His creation. 

i've had a few nights/early mornings like this since i've been back from tanzania. i wouldn't trade the lack of sleep or the tears of missing africa for not having those memories ingrained in my mind. one thing i know the Lord has reminded me of, even days before leaving africa, is that my mission field is everywhere my feet go. not just toangoma or dar but st. paul minnesota where i work, eagan minnesota where my church's community is, back home in madison wisconsin where my friends and family are... where ever i go, whoever i meet- that is my mission field. i think God's given me a new fire in that sense. 

i'm excited for what's to come. i am hopeful that this land that i can now dream of is not far away, and that it will be with me as i experience God's creation and those He's created every day. africa will be with me as i continue to serve my Father here, there, everywhere. i'd like to think we got a small taste of what heaven will be like someday... on that sunday when we were worshiping together in the church we built together; here we were, two completely different cultures praising God in one place, not knowing what the other was saying. i'm looking forward to the day when we will sing praises to God again in these different languages and fully understand each other. nope, this land is not far away :) 

The Greatest Asset

If I find in myself
desires nothing in this world can satisfy,
I can only conclude
that I, I was not made for here
If the flesh that I fight is at best
only light and momentary,
then of course I'll feel nude
when to where I'm destined I'm compared

Speak to me in the light of the dawn
Mercy comes with the morning
I will sigh and with all creation groan
as I wait for hope to come for me

Am I lost or just less found?
On the straight or on the roundabout
of the wrong way?
Is this a soul that stirs in me
is it breaking free, wanting to come alive?
cause my comfort would prefer for me to be numb
And avoid the impending birth
of who I was born to become

For we, we are not long here
Our time is but a breath,
so we better breathe it
And I, I was made to live
I was made to love
I was made to know you
Hope is coming for me
Hope, He's coming for me
Hope is coming for me
Hope, He's coming

Speak to me in the light of the dawn
Mercy comes with the morning
I will sigh and with all creation groan
as I wait for hope to come for me
For me, for me, for me

this song, is a song inspired by C.S. Lewis and performed by Brooke Fraser. most everyone knows the famous C.S. Lewis quote; "I find in myself a desire which no experience can satisfy, the most profitable explanation is that I was made for another world"... and lately, i find myself coming back to both this song and this quote when i'm commuting here or there or just spending time alone with God.

sometimes, the feeling of walking around in this world gets so overwhelming i feel like i just need to scream. my heart actually physically hurts when i see certain people walking around this city. when i see friends of mine who don't know my Jesus. when listening to the news or seeing the headlines about the horror that's happening in Gaza. hearing the news that the ban on American funding of overseas abortions is being lifted... instead of shouting, i find myself closing my eyes and picturing Jesus' hand extending out to mine... sounds strange, but i imagine myself actually putting on His eyes and walking around with His heart in my chest. i say a simple prayer asking Him to ease my anxiety; to let me see his broken children the way He does, with this incredible and indescribable love.

when i become overwhelmed with a mission, or with the church, or with the hurt i see in others, or with the evil ways of this world, i think "jenna, you are not so insignificant". i remember that i am a saint of God. because i chose to believe in the scriptures and because i am never satisfied with where i'm at spiritually, i am a saint of the Lord. i look to Christ- the only One who is able to help me with His wisdom.

Ephesians 2 tells me that i am made alive in Christ:

"But because of His great love for us, God who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our transgresions-..." (Ephesians 2:4-5)

"And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:6-7)

God never asked us to do anything we can do; He asked us to live a life we can NEVER live, He asked us to do a work which we can NEVER do... but by His grace, we are living and doing it... by His Holy Spirit, we are living it out.

you see, when you are in Christ... your greatest asset you have is that the person of Christ lives inside you. and i remember this. i have already been given everything i will ever need from God. my Christian faith is not a faith where i'm just simply trying to be a better person by doing "good works". it is one where i am saved by His amazing Grace but also one where i am sanctified by His amazing grace.