Dinner and Prayer

Two posts in one day?  Yep, I'm rebellious like that!  I wanted to share something along the lines of reclaiming the table that we've been doing consistently in our house for the last several months.  For many years it has been on my heart to pray for different countries around the world.  I've approached this in many different ways with every attempt ending the same - slowly forgetting the habit until months later I realize I haven't prayed for another country in a long time.  Our solution?  Bring that country into more than just our prayer time.  This may work for you and it may not, but here's what we do:

Each week we have a "letter of the week."  (Our son is only 9 months old, but I want to get in the habit now of teaching him things along the way.)  Last week our letter was "U."  Whatever the letter I go to the Operation World website and find a country starting with that letter.  The next step is the most fun - that country goes up on our Menu board and I find a recipe from there that is as authentic as we can manage.  The results are so fun!  We see that country's name every day as a reminder to pray for them and we get to try new food.  I used to work at a place that taught me a lot about different parts of the world and I miss it.  I got to see first hand what it looked like to introduce very young children to different cultures, languages, foods, clothing, etc. and always loved how it taught children that not everyone will look or sound the same or even eat the same foods, but that we can love them and pray for them just the same.  And that is a lesson I think many of us need reminding of!

One part of this process I have found the most time consuming is finding the recipes.  I've gathered quite a few since we started and thought, if you're interested, I could save you a little bit of time by posting some of the recipes we've used.  Some have become absolute favorites (thank you Ecuador for your Chaulafan de Pollo!) and others give us practice in politely trying foods we aren't used to yet!  ;)  Here is the dish we made from Uganda:

Chickennat

This was a very hearty, warm dish.  The chicken and peanut butter over rice makes it very filling!

Ingredients:

One 2-3 pound chicken (we just used two chicken breasts)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1 pint (2 cups) chicken stock (I used bullion cubes dissolved in water)

3/4 cup peanut butter (we've found peanut butter in many of the African recipes we've tried)

1-2 egg yolks

Several sprigs of parsley, coarsely chopped (we used dried parsley)

Directions:

1. Rub the chicken pieces with salt and pepper.  

2. Melt butter in a large, heavy skillet or stew pot, and add the chicken and onions.  Cover and simmer over lowest heat, periodically adding stock until you have used it all.

3. After 15 minutes, remove half cup of the cooking liquid to thin the peanut butter. Add to the pot and bring to a boil.  (Times vary depending on how much chicken you used.)

4. Reduce heat and then whisk some of the hot stew liquid into the egg yolks.  Add to the pot and stir to incorporate the egg mixtrue into the stew.

5. Simmer gently until the chicken is done.  Be careful not to heat the stew about a simmer from this point.

6. Garnish with parsley and serve with rice or corn porridge.

Let me know if you try the recipe and what your family thought of it.  We're trying a recipe from Venezuela tomorrow!  I'll be sure to share it with you soon.  :)

Standing Strong

At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them.  But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion's mouth. – 2 Timothy 4:16-17

Have you ever wanted to do something, but it seemed like nobody else wanted you to do it?  Maybe they weren't actively stopping you, but they also weren't supporting you?  Perhaps it was something you felt God leading you to do – starting a new ministry, working with a particular demographic, changing jobs, moving, financially supporting an organization, etc.  The possibilities are endless.  If this has ever happened to you, you're not alone.  The great missionary and apostle to the Gentiles, Paul, faced the same challenges.

In writing to Timothy he says that no one supported him when he shared the Gospel and some even abandoned him.  This gives the impression that some who were following Christ and working alongside Paul in his mission turned away from him.  Maybe you've experienced this – a close friend or relative that suddenly turned away from supporting you and the mission God gave you.  Don't lose heart. 

Consider Paul's response to this situation:

May it not be held against them. – 2 Timothy 4:16b

First, Paul didn't hold a grudge.  Easy to say, hard to do!  These people, some friends knowing the importance of this mission, abandoned him, yet Paul did not ask God to come against them or bring hardship in response to their desertion.  Instead, he asks that their inability to stand firm with him not be held against them.  He had compassion on them.

But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength . . . 2 Timothy 4:17a

Second, Paul recognized and accepted the Lord's strength.  It can be easy to face these hardships and keep pushing on thinking, Fine!  I'll just do it on my own!  I didn't need your support anyway!  In doing this we forget Who called us to this mission in the first place.  God doesn't call you to something and leave you halfway to the finish line with no strength, no resources, and no help.  Recognize that the Lord called you to this and He will see you through, providing all you need to accomplish the goal He has set before you.

. . . so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. – 2 Timothy 4:17b

Finally, Paul carried on for the Glory of God!  Consider this – what if Paul had decided he was defeated and gave up?  Think of how many Gentiles, how many people, may have never heard the love of Christ.  What about your mission?  Who would miss out if you gave up?  The enemy will try to tell you that your mission is small and unimportant, that you're not really doing anything anyways.  I mean what difference could you actually make for the Kingdom?  Never believe this.  Your mission, no matter how big or how small you perceive it to be, is vital.  God created you for a purpose and a destiny laid out before the creation of the world.  There is someone waiting for you that they might hear, see, and experience the love of their Creator. 

Press on so that at the end you can say with confidence what Paul declared:

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."  - 2 Timothy 4:7

P.S.  Immediately after God spoke to me concerning this message I turned on my iPod and this awesome song from Big Daddy Weave came on.  It was so perfect and fit so well that I wanted to share it with you.  Unfortunately I haven't been able to find an audio or video file of this song.  So until I run across this, please enjoy the lyrics.  And I encourage you to try finding the song yourself to listen to!

My child I've hoped and I've prayed for this very day,

Since you were just a little one,

And oh how my heart swells with pride,

As I watch the man that you've become.

But this life offers no guarantees,

And though my time on this earth had to end,

I'm sure that your heart would know peace,

If you could just see where I am.

From here the race has been run and love's already won,

I see clearly the end and the start,

From here I'm cheering you on,

So live out each breath with all that you've got.

Oh, and know until I hold you close,

I'll be holding you dear in my heart from here.

I've seen your tears as you've waited alone,

Longing for the special one,

And now all the waiting is done,

As you gaze into her eyes seeing the reflection of love.

Life's road may seem rough up ahead,

And form now you see only in part,

So hold onto each other and know,

That there is an end to the dark.

From here the race has been run and love's already won,

I see clearly the end and the start,

From here I'm cheering you on,

So live out each breath with all that you've got.

Oh, and know until I hold you close,

I'll be holding you dear in my heart from here.

Heaven is calling and my heart keeps longing,

Looking so forward to the day,

When we'll be together forever in eternity,

Just you wait and see.

From here the race has been run and love's already won,

I see clearly the end and the start,

From here I’m cheering you on,

So live out each breath with all that you've got.

Oh, and know until I hold you close,

I'll be holding you dear in my heart from here, yeah, from here.

Where's the joy?

What has happened to all your joy? - Galatians 4:15a

A few weeks ago I returned from an incredible, life-changing trip to Ghana, West Africa.  While there I saw many things I had never seen before:  orphan children, people sleeping on streets without even a cardboard box to soften the concrete, malnourished children and adults . . . and pure, unadulterated joy.

Everything else I had prepared for, but not the joy.  As I sat and played with children who were orphaned, dirty, were wearing torn cloths, and a giant smile on their face I was astonished.  Part of me asked Do they know how bad their situation is?  Do they realize how little they have?  Watching this I couldn't help but consider how many American children live.  They have TVs, video games, movies, toys, iPods, every latest gadget, and yet most are miserable.

I began to realize these children had the "secret."  They had learned what Paul taught:

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.- Philippians 4:12-13

While there I was incredibly convicted of how much stuff I have, but that I lack something crucial - joy.  Praise God that He is the Provider of joy:

You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.  1 Thessalonians 1:6


Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy. - 1 Peter 1:8 

We are filled with an inexpressible joy when we believe in God and come to know Him more.  As we read about and experience His never-ending, all-consuming love for us we stand in awe and are filled with joy over our God who loves us and sent His Son to die that we might be saved!

This is my sincere prayer for you - that God would open your eyes to the magnitude of His love for you.  That you would begin to see that this love will never change, whether you have much or have little.  May God fill you with the inexpressible joy that can only come from Him.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.- Romans 15:13

Remember

Immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: "Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times." And he broke down and wept. – Mark 14:72

Has God ever spoken something to you and then the next day, next week, next year you've completely forgotten about it?  Then something comes up and suddenly you remember everything He said?  I can recall doing that with a calling God made clear to me my freshman year of college.  At that time I felt God was calling me to the mission field, but I also felt certain that I was to finish school first.  I quickly got caught up in classes, majors, and future plans to the point that I forgot this calling.  It wasn't until I was accepted into Regent University's School of Divinity with a full scholarship that I suddenly remembered several years before when God told me I would be doing this.

For a while I wondered how I could forget something that significant for my life.  I found some comfort in the fact that I certainly was not the first to encounter this forgetfulness.  In Mark 14 we find the story of the last Passover Jesus celebrated with His disciples before His crucifixion.  At one point Jesus tells His disciples that all of them will fall away from Him.  It says:

Peter declared, "Even if all fall away, I will not." "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "today—yes, tonight—before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown Me three times." – Mark 14:30-31

That very night Peter denied Christ three times just as Jesus said he would (Mark 14:72).  We might look at this passage and wonder how in the world Peter could have forgotten the words of Christ within the same day they were spoken!  But we must consider this in comparison to our own lives.  Peter had a lot going on.  His friend and Messiah had been arrested, those at the trial were obviously hostile towards Jesus and, in turn, His followers, and Peter was caught in the midst of all of it.  He proceeded without thought as to what Jesus had said.  He was so caught up in the situation and the speed with which life was happening in that moment that he acted without remembering first.

Was that the end of Peter?  Was he from then on forgotten, denied, and rejected because He forgot the words of his Lord?  No!  Emphatically no!  The book of Acts is riddled with the actions and words of Peter.  In Galatians 2:8 he is called an apostle to the Jews.  And let us not forget that he is credited with writing two books of the New Testament!  God recognizes that we are a forgetful people.  Consider this:  the word "remember" is used 166 times in the New International Version.  God is constantly telling His people to remember and even showing them ways in which they can remember:

Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth. – Genesis 9:16

Remember this, fix it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels.  Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me.  – Isaiah 46:8-9

Perhaps you forgot something God commanded you to do, or not do.  Maybe it was a promise God made to you.  It could even be something God did in your life that you had forgotten about.  Take a moment to ask God to remind you of His word to you.  He is faithful to answer.  And never feel that you are somehow unworthy or rejected because you forgot what the Lord spoke to you.  Again, He is a faithful God, He created you, He loves you, and He still wants the absolute best for you.

But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. – John 14:26

Take it Outside

Have you ever heard a song in church that was so powerful and beautiful that you just wanted to cry?  Well, I had that experience last Sunday, but for entirely different reasons.  As I sat and listened to this huge choir sing along with a massive orchestra about the power in Jesus' name, God really stirred something within me.  I began praying that this wouldn't just be another pretty song sung in a church on a Sunday morning, but that it would be lived out as the truth it is!  There is power in the name of Jesus and there are literally millions of people who have never heard or experienced that power . . . including some within the walls of the church.  The cry within in spirit was simply this, "Let's take it outside!"

I was talking with someone later about a sermon a pastor did on mission using verses from Matthew 5:

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."  ~ Matthew 5:14-16

The message this pastor conveyed was that too often the church becomes that bowl Jesus speaks of in His sermon on the mount.  We hide the light of Christ within the four walls of that building, forgetting that we were called to bring the Good News to others who are lost and dying.

Another pastor, who amazingly enough spoke on the same day as the previous pastor mentioned, put it this way:  We sit in church and yell, "Amen, pastor!"  We ask God for more giftings, power, and authority so we can sit in church and yell, "Amen, pastor" with more giftings, power, and authority!  What's the point in having all that God has given us if we only use it each week to encourage our pastor on Sunday morning?  We're missing the point!  This same pastor went on to say that people question why we don't see miracles in the church today like we used to.  His answer was that we don't see miracles because we're too busy sitting on the church pews to go out into the world and be the vessels through which these miracles are brought!

It's time that we began to realize that we can be affective ambassadors for Christ wherever we are sent.  Some people are called to the mission field, while others are called to teach, work in business, answer phones, be a stay at home mom or dad.  God doesn't only use the pastors and missionaries to reach the world.  In fact, many pastors and missionaries can't reach a person in the same way that you can sitting at your cubicle in your office.  It reminds me of what Paul said:


Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.  To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.~ 1 Corinthians 9:19-22

My prayer for you is this, that you would bring the light of Christ with you into every situation and not keep it hidden within the walls of the church building.  Realize that you are the Church, an ambassador for Christ, and that God has divine appointments set up for you today with people who desperately need to hear about the unconditional love of God.