Hungry...........

Its chow time in Mali! Check out these little rascals diving in to the evening feeding bowl. This is how they roll every meal. The back story.... the adults have already eaten and these guys get the leftovers. I feel bad eating before them and knowing they might not get the best of the bowl, but that's life there. The men and women need the strength to do the work to feed the family. Check out this cool little guy.........


Now check out this little dude? He's not there. Not at the bowl at dinner time. Why? He was born with a disease or became sick as a baby and now his legs don't work right. He can't walk like the other boys and he can't bend his knees like you would to squat and eat from the bowl. I watched as his mom finally made the other boys move over and let him in. They didn't want to, but eventually did. My heart broke as I watched helplessly.

It reminded me who Jesus is. He Is the bread of life. Anyone that partakes will be satisfied. He Is the living water. Anyone that drinks will never thirst again. As I watched it made me ask if I am bringing people to the Bread of Life, or keeping it a secret. Are you helping your spiritually starved friends/neighbors find bread or are you watching them starve? We can't hold back!

Slave or Free?

Check out the cool architecture. This is an old house on Goree Island off the coast of Dakar, Senegal. Pretty interesting to build a house in the shape of a boat. The back story..... Goree Island was the western most slave sending center in west Africa. They built houses in the shape of a boat believing if they could cram slaves into tight spaces exactly like a ship, they would know if the slave could survive the long journey across the Atlantic. It was too much to take in and process. People were treated like that! Thank God slavery has been all but abolished around the globe. Now we have other travesties that need to be defeated. Sinful hearts will always have another cruelty to display toward another. Thus the need for a heart change from the Savior!

It makes me ask myself a serious question. Am I a slave to sin, or a slave to Christ. Each man and woman is one or the other.

For he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord's freedman; similarly, he who was a free man when he was called is Christ's slave. 1 Cor. 7:22

True freedom is only found in Christ. Are you a slave to Christ?

Water, Water Everywhere........

You've heard the saying: "water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink".....
I was reminded of this saying on my trip to Mali, West Africa. I just returned from my 3rd trip on Friday and had several impressions from the Lord! It was the end of the rainy season, which was a very favorable rainy season in Mali this year. There were still roads with large pools of water and a stream over the road at one place we traveled each day. While the rains had produced a good crop and the wells seemed to be full, there is still great need for clean water in West Africa. An even great need exists: Living Water!

As women came from the city to draw water from the wells of Samaria, one woman caught the attention of Jesus. She was all alone. After polite conversation, Jesus addressed her most basic need.... thirst. He is the living water that can satisfy the thirst of our soul, even when we don't realize it is thirsty.

The gospel is spreading in West Africa and new believers and churches are being born. Ask the Lord of the harvest to rain down living water on the people. Ask Him to soften hearts and bring courage to the hearer so they may believe and recieve by faith! Will you take living water wherever you travel today and freely give as it has been given to you?!? Living water is needed where you live as well!

Is it really that bad?

I wanted to share this testimony from a friend on our greeter team at NP. Reminds me I always have something to be thankful for.

Pastor John,
I want to tell you about an experience that happened Sunday while I was greeting at the door. A nice older gentleman came up and I greeted him. He responded and then froze. He said that he was having a chemo moment and had to stay still until it subsided. I offered to help him in but he said he would be fine shortly and after a minute he walked in on his own and went to talk with Harry. Wow!
This fellow was coming to church, to praise the Lord, no matter what happened. I pray he's alright. May God bless him and ease his pain. The "problems" I thought I was having suddenly got really small. It's amazing how God works in our lives. Just wanted to share that.

Thanks Joe for that testimony! May I have that same attitude in my every-day worship of our Lord!

Strong Backs

I consider myself to be a pretty fit guy. Obviously not an ox, but I usually can get along fine carrying my end of the load. When moving furniture, if the other guy can get his side, I can usually get mine! I don't like to ask for help and I definitely don't want to look like a wimp (any more than I might naturally).
Isn't it funny how Americans don't like to ask for help. We want to be self-sufficient. We want to be able to handle the situation on our own. Sometimes even with decision making, we need to be in control and appear that we have all the answers. In God's economy, that attitude puts a much larger burden on our shoulders than was intended to be carried. Jesus offers his children an idea much different than this attitude:
"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." Matthew 11:28-30
This is a daily pursuit. Its an attitude that must be renewed each morning. Life gets heavy! We take on too much pressure for the results, which drains us and causes us to miss His grace and peace for the day. Today I resolve to exchange my yolk for His!

God's Kingdom Expanding

Check it out...... New churches are piercing darkness around the globe and we are on the front lines helping lead the charge! This is a new group of believers that are meeting for their first weeks of worship as a new church in Mali. We have partnered to help rent the small structure they are using for their gatherings and ministry to the community. Move over drums.... check out that sweet percussion section pounding out a worship rythem! How about that sweet little girl singing her praises to the living God. It doesn't get any more pure than this.

God has called us to own the lostness in our own family, community, country, and world. We do this by loving people, serving people, giving and sharing. You and I have a part to play locally and globally. Starting in April, we have teams from local churches going to Mali to share the love of Christ in many different ways. If you are a teacher, you can use your gifts. If you are a dentist, use your gift. Every single person has something to contribute, whether it is prayer, financial, or going personally. I want us to make sure we are fully engaged locally and globally! Are you in the game?

Living for eternity

Its a foreign concept to our generation. We live for the day, the paycheck, the weekend, the next party, the game, sex, music, whatever. The question we should be asking as believers is, "am I living for eternity". We are truly strangers here, just camping for a little while.

This week I will participate in the funeral ceremony of a man that just died from cancer. I spent some time with him over the past few months and was one of the last two people to see him before he stepped into eternity. As I was sitting by his bedside, I felt prompted by the Holy Spirit to read Revelation 21 with him. He had a full mask on to help him breath in those last days, so we couldn't carry on a conversation. He wrote me a little note that night, but he mostly listened to me speak to him.

I didn't know Revelation 21 was his favorite passage of scripture, and I didn't know he would be stepping into eternity in a few short hours. I was literally reading about the new heaven and earth to a man that was about to take a step into that new heaven. No more sickness, no more death, and living water from the stream of life was never so near to my heart. He was about to be in that place with no temple, because Jesus is the temple. No sun, moon, or lights, because Jesus is the light and there is never darkness.

We must live as campers. Strangers. People waiting to step into eternity and living each moment as such. That causes me to ask myself, who am I loving, serving, and sharing the good news with today/this week/this month? No answer? Get on your face before God and don't get up until you are ready/willing to give, serve, and share!

If I had 30 days to live, I promise I wouldn't go sky diving, rocky mountain climbing, or bull riding! I'd be with my family and sharing Christ with everyone I could think to share with. How about you? So what's stopping us?

The Bare Minimum

We've all been there..... Looking at the syllubus in advance before choosing the class with the least amount of work. Lazily working down the to-do list, getting just enough complete so it looks like you've been busy. Studying for the test, just enough to get a solid "C". Doing the bare minimum. Just enough to get by. Enough to look good. Enough to survive but not enough to thrive.

Jesus was never about "just enough". He never did the bare minimum to get by. He gave his all, and he called his disciples to give their all as well. For most of them it meant persecution and loss of life. They were stoned, beheaded, hung, and one even boiled to death. Not the picture of just enough. Definately not "bare minimum" commitment.

Guess what? He doesn't ask any less of you and me. He wants total commitment. Total sacrifice. Total surrender. Total allegiance. He wants our heart. Our whole heart and not just a portion or little segment of time. He wants you and me to be totally and passionately in love with him. Not for what we get in return, but for who he is and what he has done for us.

Are you totally sold out to Jesus? Are you in it to get something great in return or because you are so blown away by his love that you can't help but love and serve him with your whole heart? I want the latter to be the cry of my heart!

Sower & The Seed

I am honored today to have a guest blogger! Damon McLeod is taking this precious space to share his thoughts on an awesome parable. Damon is a student at Blythewood High and a leader in the Illuminate student ministry at NPCC:

This morning, me and Pastor John were reading in Matthew 13. In the parable of the sower and the seed, Jesus talks about how God plants the word in our hearts, but its up to us on whether we will recieve it or not. Sometimes the seed will fall on the path where it cannot grow, and the birds come to devour the seed. Other times the seed will fall in places such as rocky ground or thorn bushes where it is victim to its environment. However, other times it will fall on rich soil where it will take root, grow and produce.
Jesus paints a great picture here of how hard he works, and how he longs for us to take the Word to heart. And, Jesus is hurt everytime we let the thorns come up in our lives and choke out what he is trying to say to us. Other times we just let life get in the way and we aren't receptive at all. We don't even give God a chance to speak to us that day.
God is really showing me this morning that I need to stay focused on him, and I won't have time to let the world get in the way. If we are constantly focused on what God has for our lives then it will be easy for us to fend off the thorns and trials when they come.
This morning, pray for God to give you strength to face the day and to stay focused on His will for your life and not the World's.

Ups and Downs

Sunday's message was about following Christ through life's up's & down's. Sunday was a day that fit the message for me!

Day started off great, I was rested and ready to go. Early to church to pray and read scripture.

Wife calls, I left the key on in her car Saturday night while using a portable vacuum and caused the battery to die. I sent a friend to go get them :-o

Service starts out great, music is incredible, meaningful prayer time.....

I slip out of my seat to adjust the thermostat and when I prayerfully slip back to my seat beside Christie, I put my hand on hers. After the prayer I find I am now standing in the wrong place holding the wrong woman's hand! All I could say to her was "your not my wife". It turned out to be a hysterical start to a heartfelt message.

Got a phone call right after the service and my dad was having seizures and had stopped breathing for a short period of time. Got him to the hospital and he snapped back very quickly from a scary moment. He's still there having some tests done and getting some medicines regulated, but doing much better.

How can we serve the Lord well in the down's of life? Here are some things I try to practice:

-Keep your eyes focused on Him and draw near to Him regularly.
-Be prepared to do good, "in and out of season". That means all the time, during hard times and when you least expect it.
-Rely on Him for strength and guidance.

A mark of a mature believer is living based on who Jesus is and what He has done, versus by the feeling and circumstance of the day. The real you comes out when you are squeezed. What's coming out these days? It indicates what is inside. Draw near to God and let him work on the inside!