Project Langbansi

Throughout the trip I was seeking God for direction specifically in what we can do to help.  I was overwhelmed by what I saw and it changed me forever - and something needed to be done.  For me it is not about giving a one time gift of $20 to a local charity but a life change and a call to generosity.  My sacrificial giving changes the lives of the people I'm helping, but also changes my heart.

Though there are many things that can be done, I found that one of the best ways to attack the issue of poverty is through education.  I saw firsthand the difference between the educated and the illiterate - and children who don't attend school have very little chance of escaping their $1/day life.  The well known child sponsorship organization Compassion International wrote in a blog this morning:  "The best way to get a better-paying job and end poverty is by being well prepared with education."  If done correctly, education is a powerful tool that can be used to fight the war on poverty.

What I saw in the most poverty stricken areas of Africa was a very low percentage of the children attended school, and those that did found themselves in school's that were less than acceptable.  One particular school I visited was started by the small Assembly of God church in the village of Langbansi.  There were 402 students, 6 teachers, no desks, and no books.  The children were laying on the floor to write - and the teachers were struggling to accomplish anything.  While I visited this school, God broke my heart and I found a place where we can literally change the lives and the future of these children.

Over the next 3 years, River of Life Church will be partnering with the Assembly of God Relief and Development program to change the lives of the people in the village of Langbansi.  We will do this by providing the basic needs of the school.

Our 3 year goal is to increase the overall percentage of children attending school by targeting the most vulnerable families in this village, and also to increasing the overall quality of their education by providing desks, books, bathroom facilities, and teacher training.

Changing the lives of one village, one family, one child......

If you would like to help and give to "Project Langbansi" you can contact River of Life Church at 320.352.2315.

Africa day 9 - Reflection

Being alone for the evenings and nights has given me a lot of time to think.  Some days have effected me more than others, and I've found myself quite emotional as I sit in my hotel room more than once.

The children are what get me the most - poverty is all they know.  Many kids don't know their birthday, and some don't even know what it feels like to really have a full stomach.  They're sleeping on the floor and literally dying from fevers and diarrhea.  I fill up with tears when I look at their pictures.

I've seen so much poverty, so many helpless people, so many hopeless people - and it has nothing to do with them sitting on the couch, unwilling to work, and everything to do with the hand they have been dealt.

So many teenage girls living alone on the streets, so many children getting sick because of a simple lack of sanitation.  So many people who are so desperate, so hurting, and so lost.

It's overwhelming.

And I can't solve the problem.  I can't fix things.  In fact I can't even make a dent.

But I can make a contribution.  I can do something.  I can make it better for someone, or some family, or some village.  And doing nothing is not an option.  I can no longer ignore what God has shown me and what I've seen first hand.

I have a plan for my family and for my church.  And you'll have to be there this Sunday, or watch it online to hear about it.

Thanks for following me on this trip and on this journey as I try to figure out what God expects from me, and what I can do to make a difference for lost, broken, and hurting people.

I'll see you at home!

Africa day 8 - a moment that topped them all

We talked to a family today and it completely broke my heart.

We walked up to the house (if you call it that) and there were kids everywhere!  Here's the place:

10 total and 1 more on the way, all living in a place smaller than my hotel room.  Their were 9 children, a single mom, and an elderly grandmother.

We asked the mother why the kids weren't in school, her reply - she couldn't come up with the $1.50 registration fee.

I've got to do this quick so I'm going bullet style:
- a year ago their father died
- 6 months ago the mother was raped and she is now pregnant again (with child 10)
- they had a small bowl of yuka for the entire family to eat

Here's a picture I took of the mother, grandmother, and a few of the kids:

But I've seen all that before.

Then we saw the sick kid.  A 6 year old boy, who looked horrible.  He had cloudy, yellow eyes and was the only kid in the entire group that I never saw smile.  This kid will be dead or blind if he doesn't get some help.

Immediately we told her that he needed to see a doctor - but she didn't have any money.  How many times has my life, or my kids lives been saved simply because we had the right medical care.  Kids are dying of a fever - kids are dying of diarrhea, kids are having convulsions because they can't get the simple medicine they need to survive.  I've heard this all before - but today I saw it.

We gave them $20 to get some help but Kwame thought they would probably buy food.

I took his picture

Africa day 8 - Fishing village/child trafficking

Well I have a lot to say tonight - but not a lot of time and the internet is not cooperating.

We drove west from Accra along the coast to a small fishing village.  These people literally fish for a living by using nets thrown from these motor-less boats:

It was interesting to walk around the village - literally $50 homes built on million dollar, ocean front property:

But the reason I was brought here was not to see the ocean or even these people, but to learn firsthand about child slavery and trafficking.  You see it is villages like this one that trafficking often occurs in this part of the world - so we came here to walk around, but also to be taught the truth about what is going on.

Poverty has an effect on every area of their lives - and I've found that parents here are quick to attempt to give their children a better life.  Parents take out loans and find ways to pay for private, boarding schools they can't afford - and many of the teenage girls that I talked with, in the city of Accra, were sent to the city for "a better life".

This is how the story begins.  Good intentioned parents in their poverty, desperation, and ignorance sending their children into slavery without even knowing it.

"Recruiters" show up in these small, rural villages (like I visited in the North) and offer a better life for the children.  They even offer to give some money (I was told maybe $100).  The kids are then brought to the city where they are sold.  Most of the time, the parents have absolutely no idea what is happening with their kids.

Many girls are sold into prostitution - young girls, sometimes less than 10 years old, raped by predators so someone can make a buck.

Others end up in factories, or fields, working all day in the sun or along the shores of fishing villages forced to do hard, disgusting work that these men don't want to do.

I was told about the story of a 12 year old girl named Abigale:

Abigale was from a small village in Northern Ghana.  Her aunt came back to the village, told Abigale's mother that she will take her to the city, where she can get a better education and have a chance to live a better life.  This sounded like a good idea to the family - so Abigale headed to the city with her aunt.

Shortly after, 12 year old Abigale was forced into prostitution.  No education, no better life - just raped by men 3 or 4 times her age.

A short story, a horrifying story - but a story that is happening here in Ghana, and in many places all over our world.

Poverty is the root of the problem.  It starts with desperation and ignorance.  And it ends with many children in slavery.

Africa day 7 - Church in Accra!

This morning I had the chance to speak at "Liberty Centre A/G" in Accra - and when I say "this morning" I really mean it!

The service started at 7am but they told me to come at 7:30 (quite weird).  When I showed up the music was rocking!  LOUD worship and the people were dancing all over the place.  Everybody in the church knew I was there, not just because I was the only white person in the building, but because I was also the only one standing still - I thought about getting my groove on, but I don't think they would have wanted to see me dance.

This was definitely a wealthier side of Ghana than I have seen. The people were all very nicely dressed and the building was nice.  The church had about 700 people (most of which showed up an hour or so late).

Service started at 7am - I got the microphone at about 8:30, spoke for 30 minutes, and the service finally wrapped up at 10.  Then they go to Sunday School!

My message went well, but the African people don't understand my humor - which led to a few awkward moments.  The overall response was great and the people were very welcoming and excited to have me there.

Here's a couple pictures from my junky, little camera:

The church sign as we drove up:

The building:

The worship team (the woman in the white was a dancer):

Preaching with my interpreter - it's very difficult to get in the "flow" of speaking, constantly having to pause after every sentence.  But overall I thought it went great:

This afternoon I had the chance to "Skype" with my church back home.  It was so good to hear some of their voices and get the chance to share for a few minutes.  I'm having a life changing time here in Ghana, but I definitely miss my family, my church, and home in general.

Tomorrow we are heading west to visit a small fishing village and a few other places.  I can't believe I've already been here a week!

Thanks for your prayers - I feel much better today!

Africa day 6 - back to Accra to rest

This morning we got on a plane and flew back to Accra.  I ended up eating some food that I shouldn't have - and was up all night vomiting, etc.  I'm still struggling to get healthy - so today has become a rest day.

Tomorrow morning I'm speaking in the local church - which starts at 7am!  I think our attendance would go down to about 8 if we started our service that early!  I'm hoping to be healthy by then.

That's about it for today - but here's something else from yesterday:

While we were driving through the rural villages we found a few men actually building one of those "huts".  It was fascinating to see the process so I took some pictures.

This is where they get the "mud" used to build their homes - In the picture is my guide Kwame, he's been absolutely amazing:

They mix it with water and it becomes almost a cement mixture:

This particular job is almost completed - they just form the mud and let it dry:

It was quite impressive - they were really well built.  I was told that it takes about 2 days to complete a normal sized "hut" - but a hard rain storm can bring one down pretty quick.


Please pray for my health - and also for the service tomorrow morning

Africa day 5 - Heading north!

This morning we headed even farther north - almost to the border.  I was told that only 2-3 cars a week travel on the road we were on.

As we were driving through one of the small villages, we saw a woman drawing water from a well.  She was using a long rope with a rubber bucket on the end - and filling up her container (which she carries on her head).  I had her pose for me:

We then went and visited an elementary school - the kids are so much fun!  I was quite the distraction from their class and I'm not so sure the teachers were as happy that I was there.

The school had 3 classrooms - each with over 50 kids, 1 teacher, and not many places to sit.  Most of the kids were sitting or even laying on the floor with their paper and pencil.  Just about all of them were barefoot.  Of course I took some pictures:

The school:

One of the classes:

Trying to learn:

Very distracted by the white man:

Education plays such a huge part in the future success of these kids.  Many children do not have the opportunity to go to school - and this just feeds the cycle of poverty.  But even in those who do go, it is very difficult to actually learn.  Huge class sizes, only a few teachers, and no class supplies (not even desks!).  I loved the kids but this was hard for me to see.


The main purpose of our trip today was to find a couple of the girls who had graduated from "Lifeline" (if you don't know what that is check out the previous blogs from this trip).

We wanted to see how they were doing and attempt to judge the success of the program over a length of time.  We found 2 of the girls and spent some time speaking with them. I'll share with you one of their stories:

This is Grace - she is from a rural village in Northern Ghana.  When she was 15 years old her parents sent her to the city of Accra to buy some textbooks and earn a little money working.  She found herself 15 years old, homeless, and alone living in the parking lot at Tema Station (see previous blog).  She was cleaning dishes at a restaurant for $1 a day.

She ended up in the Lifeline program where she learned how to sew.  She is now 19 and living in her village - in the process of setting up her new dress making business.

It was incredible sitting with her and hearing her story.  I can't imagine being in her shoes and hopefully she is a success story.


Finally late afternoon we went to a small pond where there are crocodiles!  The animals were wild but you pay to go - and they lure the crocs onto dry land.  These things freak me out!

I still have both arms and both legs:

Tomorrow morning we fly back to Accra - I'm speaking in a church on Sunday, which I'm told has about 500 people who attend their Sunday morning service.  I will be speaking through an interpreter, which is always an interesting experience.

Then Sunday afternoon I will be Skyping during the Sunday morning service at RLC (my church in Sauk Centre)!  I'm excited to see how this works!

Thanks for your prayers!

Africa day 4 - Yendi, Gbungbaliga, and Saboba

Interesting day!  We traveled from the town of Tamale (pronounced "Tom ali") straight east for about 100 miles.  Horrible, bumpy, dirt roads and we drove insanely fast!  I didn't know whether to urinate all over myself in fear or vomit because of the bumps.  Luckily I did neither.

We ended up visiting 3 villages:  Yendi, Gbungbaliga, and Saboba.

My guide Kwame grew up in the village of Gbungbaliga, so he took me there, where we were able to visit some of his family.  They showed me their homes and we spent some time talking.

The people in these villages live with their extended families in a circle of these "huts". The sides are made of mud (rock hard to the touch) and the tops are made of thatch (looked like pencil sized sticks).  They use this on the top to keep them cool - and it worked!  I walked in and it was much cooler than outside.

This particular extended family had 4 huts and another one for their animals.  Here's the view from one side:

Inside the hut was a hard mud floor along with everything they own.  They didn't have much at all - a few cooking utensils and some clothes.

These huts had electrical power (for a light), in fact you can see the power line going in through the side:  Some of the villages we saw today are still without electricity.

In between the huts is the family kitchen where everything is made over a fire (they burn those pieces of wood).  Also notice the yellow water jugs in the background and a goat peaking his head around the corner:

The next picture is Kwame's sister in law "Pagkpema" who was at the huts when we arrived.  I was asking her some questions and the topic of water came up.  You need to catch this:  She travels 3 times in the morning and 3 times in the evening to get water!  The nearest well is about 3 miles away and she gets about 5 gallons of water each time.

But the crazy part is - she carries it on her head!  She carries 5 gallons of water for 3 miles, 6 time a day - and she has to weigh about 100 lbs!  I had to take a picture because I wouldn't believe myself when I got home:

Water is so essential to life and we don't even think about it!

Between collecting firewood, walking to get water, and taking care of the children -a woman's day is completely full.  By the way - they need water, firewood, and the kids need to be taken care of 7 days a week.

The men were in the fields for the entire day.  Many of them using a short hoe to remove the weeds from their fields.

It was incredible to see the way they live.  Complete poverty, lack of clean water, no possessions, and no hope of it changing.

Kwame was telling me about growing up here.  5 of his 10 brothers and sisters died in childhood and he was the only child in his family who was able to go to school.

Tomorrow I will be heading north a few hours to visit a few other villages.  Keep praying for us!

Africa day 3 - Traveling to Tamale

Got up this morning at 3:45am to catch a flight to the northern region of Ghana.  This part of the trip is for me to experience the rural poverty in this part of Africa.  It was a small plane (room for about 40 passengers) and it took about an hour.  The airport in Tamale is about the same size as our church building.

We spent the morning driving around the city of Tamale and I just asked a whole lot of questions.  I could immediately see the difference as we passed the homes (or should I say huts) that people lived in.

All these pictures were taken from the truck so they're not the best:

A group of "houses" - there are clusters of these all over.  The roof is thatch and the walls are mud

Women walking on the street - I have know idea how they do this:

This is an ant hill - approximately 10 feet high.  I don't want to meet those ants!

With a long day yesterday and the early morning traveling we are taking the day to rest.  The next 2 days we are driving out of Tamale to visit a few villages in the area - I'm hoping we can actually visit a few of these homes and talk to some of people

Africa day 2 - Tema Station

Last night (Tuesday) I was taken to a place called "Tema Station" which is basically a huge parking lot where thousands of women and children sleep.  I was unable to take any pictures, but I need to write some of this down so that I never forget

I sat down with a group of about 20 of these women ages 12-20 and was able to ask them some questions about how they live and what a normal day looks like - here's what I found out:

They work between 12-15 hours a day, some days they literally make $0, sometimes they make as much as 6 cedi's ($4).  They get up at around 3am to prepare for their work - 7 days a week (that's 84-105 hours a week)

All of their money is spent on survival - food, small bags of clean water to drink, a shower every once in a while

They literally sleep on the concrete, some of them have a blanket to lay on

They hang out in small groups for protection.  One person from their group is always awake and when someone comes and tries to rape one of them, they all wake up and attempt to fight him off

When they get desperate enough for food, they will sleep with a man to eat - we call this prostitution, they do it to survive

There was a really young girl in the group (I'm guessing between 7-10)  I asked her how old she was and she had no idea - she couldn't even guess

The hardest part for me was that these girls seemed completely normal.  They weren't drug addicts, they weren't prostitutes on a street corner, they were teenagers trying to survive.  They're somebodies daughter and they talked to me like I was their friend

Africa day 2 - the slums of Accra

Well this was a morning I'll never forget.  I got up early and went to a place that the locals have nicknamed "Sodom and Gomorrah".  It is the literal slums of Accra, where somewhere between 40-80,000 people are crammed into tin roofed, smaller than my bedroom shacks.  Most of us have a nicer place to park our lawnmower.

Let me show you some pictures.

The first thing I saw as we drove up:

Piles of garbage everywhere and many people were digging through these piles trying to find something they could sell.

A few kids outside their "home":

There were children everywhere, many completely naked, others running barefoot through the mud (a nice way to say dirt mixed with urine).  Here's a little girl I met who is turning 4 - she's in her families home.

I spent some time at a ministry called "Lifeline" whose main purpose is helping teenage girls out of prostitution, trafficking, and poverty.  The girls stay at this place for 9 months and are taught about God, they receive counseling and rehabilitation, and are taught some sort of trade (when I was there they were teaching them to sew)
Here's the whole group - I was told there is 87.  Many of these girls have been raped or trafficked:

Here's where they sleep - the nets keep the mosquitoes away:

One of the girls learning to make a dress - the sewing machines had a hand crank that you turn:

Their toilets:

 At Lifeline they also have a program for children.  The kids come early in the morning and are taught how to read and write.  Here's a few pictures of the kids - they were so fun!

And my favorite:

I'm flying out early tomorrow morning to Northern Ghana.  Apparently, North Ghana is poorer than Accra.  In fact I was told that many people who are living in the slums of Accra are originally from Northern Ghana and have come to the city for a better life.

Thanks for your prayers!

I don't know if I will have internet access for the next couple days, I'll have to wait and see

Africa day 1 - I've arrived!

I arrived in Ghana at 12:30pm (7:30am MN time) and the traveling went great!  No delays, no problems, bad food, and very little sleep - but I'm here!

I was picked up from the airport by Kwame.  He is head of relief and development for the Assembly of God in the country of Ghana.  He has been a great help and I'm looking forward to his company.

One of the first things I noticed as we drove through the city was the disabled people.  At every stop light were people with no legs or deformed body parts pushing themselves around on a skateboard or a form of a homemade wheelchair.  They were literally going from car to car asking for money.  Apparently the country of Ghana has zero welfare program to help and this is their only way to survive.

Tomorrow morning I'm up at 6am to visit a ministry called "lifeline".  This ministry is right in the middle of the slums of Accra where they deal with child prostitution and children living in the gutters.
Pray for me!

Day of travel

Well I'm sitting at the airport in NYC waiting for my flight!  I'll fly all night and arrive in Accra at 7:30am (MN time).  It will be 12:30pm in Ghana.  Hopefully everything goes smoothly getting to the place I will be staying.

Thanks so much for everybody who helped me put this together and those who gave to make this trip possible!

Next time I write will be from Africa!

On the way!

Well I'm officially out of Sauk Centre and on the way!  I'm spending a couple days with my beautiful wife of 6 years, 363 days in Bloomington, but I fly out Sunday at 1:47pm.

I'm quite nervous, but very excited!

Getting ready!

Wow!  Time has just flown by the last couple months.  I can remember when this trip was just a dream - now I'm starting to pack my bags.  On Sunday I'm heading to Accra, Ghana which is located on the west side of Africa.  For 12 days I will be in the midst of poverty, human trafficking, AIDS, and who knows what else.

Please pray for me and my family while I'm gone and don't forget to follow along with me on this blog!

Believing in the God of the Bible

Do we really believe in the same God that we read about in the scriptures?  The God who spoke and created the universe?  The God who split the red sea? The God who sent 10 plagues on Egypt?  and we're only to the book of Exodus.

I'm quick to claim that my God can move mountains, and it's easy to throw out the "all things are possible" line - but do I really believe it?

I don't pray like I'm expecting impossible things to happen.

I believe that God can, but why don't I believe that He will?  maybe that's the problem

"Sodom and Gomorrah"

This afternoon I was preparing for my trip to Ghana in June, and I came across a place in the city of Accra (where I'm going) that is nicknamed "Sodom and Gomorrah".

What I read broke my heart.  Thousands of children are living in slums like this, with no parent, no place to live, doing whatever it takes to survive.  Teenage prostitution is rampant, 8 year olds spend there days fishing through the garbage hoping to find something they can sell just to eat, and violence and crime is just a part of life.  One article I read talked about rape and sexual perversion just being the norm.

I'm scheduled to be at this exact place on June 7th - please pray for these children.

Do you see her?

I was very moved this week by a story of out Luke 7.

This woman, who is probably a prostitute, shows up at this religious guy named Simon's house.  Jesus is there having a meal with other religious men, and this "notorious sinner" walks through the door and throws herself weeping at Jesus feet.  Simon is appalled that she would do this, that she would dare even walk into his home uninvited, and such a sinner.

She's broken, she's hurting, I'm sure she has baggage from her lifestyle.  And she's weeping at the feet of Jesus.

Verse 44 really hit me hard:  Then turning toward the woman he (Jesus) said to Simon, "Do you see this woman?"


Such a simple question.  This religious man saw a notorious sinner, a prostitute.  Jesus saw a broken, hurting, lost woman crying out for help.  "Do you even see her Simon?  Do you even see that she's there?  Do you see that she's a real person?  Do you know that she's a child of God?"


How easy it gets for us to not see the people that God cares so much about.  How do I view the people walking out of the bar?  What do I think when I see the single mom who can't control her kids at Wal-mart?  What thoughts go through my head when I see a business man driving a $50,000 car, talking on his cell phone?

God help me to see people the way that you do

Africa Support Letter

Friends and Family,

Last October, I preached a sermon series at our church on the topic of personal finances and what the Bible says about money.  As I studied, I found myself face to face with the needs of our world, specifically children in poverty.  I found that over a billion people in our world don’t have access to clean water, and that about 24,000 people are dying each day simply because of lack of basic sanitation.  Most of these people are children.

I began studying the Bible and found that it is packed full of feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and looking after the orphan.  I began to look for ways that I could help.

At that time, I presented our church with a challenge to raise $5000 to put a clean water well in a village over seas that didn’t have access to clean water.  Also, I began a 6 month commitment with God not to spend a penny on myself selfishly, but to give the money I would have spent on myself away.  This included Christmas when my wife and I chose to not give each other gifts, but instead we gave that money away to a family in need.

In January, I began to feel God leading me to go to Africa to gain a better understanding of what my church and I can do to help.  I was put in contact with an Assembly of God worker in Ghana named Kwame who is head of “relief and development” for the entire country.  Kwame has volunteered to personally take me around the country of Ghana to see firsthand the urban and rural poverty, the AIDS epidemic, and learn about human trafficking.  I will also have ministry opportunities in some of their local churches.

The trip will be June 5-16 and cost around $4,000, which includes airfare, housing, food, and a second “in-country” flight.  I realize this amount is quite high, and maybe even ironic considering the idea of being passionate about the poverty around the world and how we spend our money.  After significant amounts of prayer, however, I feel as though God has confirmed in me that through this trip, I will be able to continue to serve my church community and God with a greater understanding of the needs around the world.

I would like to ask you to help!  I need your prayer, and ask that you would pray for me and my family as I am on this trip.  I also ask that you would prayerfully consider partnering with me financially to help make this trip possible.  If you are able to support me financially, please address your gift to River of Life Church with Kyle Peterson/Africa in the Memo, and send it to 705 12^th St. S., Sauk Centre, MN 56378.  If possible, please send your support by May 15, but any gifts received after that date will still go to the trip.  All financial gifts will be tax-deductible.

Thank you for your love, prayers, and support through the years.  God bless.

Learn to do right!  Seek justice, encourage the oppressed.  Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow  - Isaiah 1:17

Kyle Peterson

Sharing Christ

As Christians, I think we all agree that sharing Christ is part of our "mission".  We hear about it on Sundays, read about it in our Bibles, and just plain know it's what we're supposed to do.  Why do I feel like we really just stink at doing it?  Do I really care if my family and friends know God?  Do I really care that the city I live in is lost?  Do I really care about the people in Africa who don't know Christ?  Or am I so focused on my own life, and my own situations, that it just isn't a priority?

Jesus came to seek and save the lost
Jesus came for the unrighteous, not the righteous
Jesus hung out with prostitutes, tax collectors, and sinners

I know these verses, I understand the mission, and I'm full of excuses.  Change me God

Overwhelmed

Ever just feel completely overwhelmed?  Like there's just too much to do and not enough time to do it?  Or maybe life just seems to catch up with you all at once?  Yeah, I've been there too.  In fact I came across this picture that I think tells the story pretty well:

So tired, so stressed, so much to do, so hurt, so overwhelmed.

What did Jesus do in these situations?

He Prayed

I know this is the last thing we want to do when we're hit with these days, but the Bible says: "Jesus often withdrew to lonely places to pray" (Luke 5:16).  And with the crucifixion on the horizon, Jesus goes to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray.  He is overwhelmed to the point of sweating blood, and he goes to his heavenly father for help.

There is health in prayer, there is peace in prayer, there is direction and focus in prayer.

The Narrow Road

Jesus uses this phrase, "the narrow road" a few times in the Gospels.  In fact he actually says, "narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." - Matt 7

Jesus is speaking to crowds of people, a mega church in a sense, but he knows better than to think that they all have this figured out.  In his words "few" actually find it.  How many people in our churches today, think they have this figured out - but are greatly mistaken?  How many "Christians" are actually on the wrong road?

"Why do you call me "Lord" but you do not do what I say?" - Jesus (Luke 6:46)

Thou shalt not covet?

The Bible talks a whole lot about money.  As American's I don't think we really want to know what it says.  We have come up with all of the excuses under the sun as for why these passages don't "apply" to us.

Here's the problem:  There's no way around it, we have a problem with greed and coveting in our culture and in the church.  It is just normal life.  We are bombarded with commercials telling us what we need, TV shows showing us what's lacking in our home, and the internet always there to make sure that we don't fall behind in the latest trends.  From technology, to transportation, to fashion, things are changing every day and we feel the need to keep up.

What's interesting to me is that "coveting" made God's list.  It's actually a part of the original 10 commandments that God gave to Moses.  Coveting is placed right along side murder, adultery, and worshiping idols.  But how many of us aren't looking at our neighbor's car, home, TV, or oxen (to throw in the OT a bit) and wishing we had that for ourselves.

Well enough blogging (on one of my 3 computers) for today, I'm going to Wal-Mart.

Hypocrites

Jesus seemed to like the word "hypocrites".  Just about everytime he has a run in with the religious leaders of his day, he throws this word at them.  Jesus also spends time speaking on this topic to the crowds.

Luke 6 is a good example:
vs 39 he talks about "the speck in your own eye"
vs 43 he talks about "trees that don't bear fruit"
vs 46 he says, "Why do you call me Lord, and not do what I tell you?"

I kind of get the idea that there were a whole lot of people in Jesus' day who were doing the religious thing, but not really living it.

Sure am glad that we don't have this problem today!

Does the way I live match what I believe?  Is my life really that much different than anyone else?

1 John 3:18 Let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and truth

The Temptation

In Luke 4 we have Jesus in the wilderness being tempted by Satan.  As I read this today, something caught my attention.  One of Satan's "offers" was the "kingdoms of the world".

vs 7 "if you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours."


Jesus had a choice here, and I think we often jump over this without really thinking it through.

Choice #1 - power, wealth, possessions, fame, etc.....
Choice #2 - loneliness, abuse, pain, death, persecution, etc....

I wonder if we were given this same choice, how many of us would choose #1.  Or sometimes I wonder if in a sense we already have.

Pastor Stats

I was at a retreat w/ a bunch of pastors this week, and they shared a few statistics about my profession.  I've heard these before, but it really hit me hard this week.

Take a look at a few of these:

• 90% of the pastors report working between 55 to 75 hours per week.
• 80% believe pastoral ministry has negatively affected their families. Many pastor's children do not attend church now because of what the church has done to their parents.
• 33% state that being in the ministry is an outright hazard to their family.
• 90% feel they are inadequately trained to cope with the ministry demands.
• 80% of pastors and 84% of their spouses feel unqualified and discouraged as
  role of pastors.
• 90% of pastors said the ministry was completely different than what they
  thought it would be like before they entered the ministry.
• 50% feel unable to meet the demands of the job.
• 70% of pastors constantly fight depression.
• 70% say they have a lower self-image now than when they first started.
• 70% do not have someone they consider a close friend.
• 40% report serious conflict with a parishioner at least once a month.
• 33% confess having involved in inappropriate sexual behavior with someone in the church.
• 50% of pastors feel so discouraged that they would leave the ministry if
  they could, but have no other way of making a living.
• 70% of pastors feel grossly underpaid.
• 50% of the ministers starting out will not last 5 years.
• 1 out of every 10 ministers will actually retire as a minister in some form.
• 80% of spouses feel the pastor is overworked.
• 80% spouses feel left out and under-appreciated by church members.
• 80% of pastors' spouses wish their spouse would choose a different
  profession.
• 66% of church members expect a minister and family to live at a higher moral standard than themselves.

Statistics provided by The Fuller Institute, George Barna, and Pastoral Care Inc. 

 

You could almost say success for a pastor is if you and your family make it through life still serving God.

Jesus Freak

I've never wanted to be "weird".  In fact I really wanted to portray to people that you don't have to be "weird" to follow Christ.  But as I look at the scriptures, there are a whole lot of crazy people.

The apostle Paul was crazy.  In fact he writes in 2 Corinthians 5, "If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God....".

Peter was crazy.  The things he did, the things he said, the way he lived.  I'm sure people thought he was a little on the "weird" side.

And how about Jesus?  Was he concerned about his image?  Did he try to teach that you can be "normal" and still follow him?  Or was he about a total life commitment that the world would see as "weird"?  I think we know the answer.

I think real, authentic passion for Christ is going to appear "different" to our world, and even to our church.  We rarely see it truly lived out like the scriptures seem to show, in fact I think we have sort of religionized (I'm aware this isn't in the dictionary) the gospel as a whole.  "Just raise your hand to give your life to Christ, and repeat this prayer after me - then you will be saved!"  Maybe now we expect that they quit drinking, swearing, and try to be a "good person".  But is this how it's supposed to work?

Mark Twain was quoted saying, "The church is a bunch of good people trying to teach good people how to be good people."  But this is the gospel.

The gospel is about a life change, it's about passion, it's about purpose and a new way to live.  And that will seem "weird" to our world but I also think that this will seem "weird" even to our church.

Isaiah 1:17

Learn to do right!  Seek justice, encourage the oppressed.  Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow  - Isaiah 1:17

Cape Town

I'm in the middle of a book called, "The Hole in Our Gospel" and came to a part that I had to share.  The chapter was written about this town in South Africa called "Cape Town".

Here's a short clip:
"Cape Town is one of the few places in the world where the worst imaginable poverty and the most opulent wealth live together, sometimes just 50 yards apart.  The "haves" live in gated communities adorned with security cameras.  The "have-nots" peer from their tin huts as Mercedes and BMW's from another world pass them by.  How can the rich and the middle class live like this, forced to see the stark contrast between themselves and the desperately poor every single day?  They do exactly what you and I do:  they ignore them."

It's easy for us to ignore the world we live in.  We don't see it every day, we aren't face to face with the child who will die tomorrow, we haven't lost a family member to AIDS.  But whether we're face to face with this stuff, or in "another world", to do nothing is to blatantly ignore the people that God has called us to help.

Mother Teresa

Her story challenges me.  This woman was amazing.  She won awards, raised money, became famous and a hero.  But her life wasn't about any of that.  She was about God, and God is about people, so she was about people.  Hurting people, hungry people, sick people, dying people.  What she gave up, how she lived, what she endured, the difference she made.

I struggle to live one day, like she lived her entire life.

"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world" - Mother Teresa

Prayer Questions

Do we really believe that prayer works?  Do we really believe that by praying for our kids, that it actually accomplishes something, that it actually keeps them safer of helps them in some way?  Do we really believe that things change when we pray?

Then why is it so hard for so many to do?

As Christians, we often will talk about the importance of talking to God, but when it comes down to actually putting in the time, we pretty much stink.  And I don't mean to make it sound like I'm pointing fingers at others, because there is definately a 2x4 in my eye when it comes to this subject.

We say that prayer changes things, but if we really believed this, wouldn't we do a better job of making it a priority in our lives?

Couldn't help but sharing

Who says Jesus isn't funny:

Mark 6:10  And he said to them, "Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there."

Noise

It's amazing to me how "noisy" my life can get.  So much going on at every moment of my day.  Things to get done, people to talk to, books to read, emails that need replying.  Much of it productive stuff.  But when do I leave time for silence?

Psalms 4:4 Search your hearts and be silent
Psalms 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God
Luke 5:6 Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed

Do I leave time to withdraw?  Do I ever find time to just shut up and get away?  Do I wonder why I struggle to hear God's voice as much as I'd like?  Is there just too much "noise"?

1 Kings 19:11-12  Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind.  After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.  After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire.  And after the fire came a gentle whisper.

Growth

It's a no brainer that if you want to get better at something, you have to put in the time.  I think of athletics - you don't just wake up able to shoot the 3, it takes thousands of shots in your driveway.  Larry Bird was known to shoot 1,000 free throws a day, and whala, he shot 90% for his career.  Same could be said for musicians, artists, public speakers, etc.  If you want to grow or improve in these areas, you have to put in the time.

Why does it seem so difficult to "put in the time" when talking about our relationship with God?  It's a constant battle to spend time doing something that we claim is important to us.  Do we really not care if we grow?  Do we really believe that prayer and the scriptures will change our lives?  Is it important to us enough to find time?

"73% of churchgoers fail to read their Bibles 1 time a week outside of church." - Barna Group

Goals

I've never been a big "new year's resolution" guy, but I very much value goals.  I know that might sound like the same thing, but for me resolutions never seem to happen and goals help me stay focused.  So I thought I'd list out a few goals for 2011.  I understand that this is a public blog and I use it more as a journal, but here we go.

Personal:
Read - I need to be reading books, helps me stay on track
Go - Poverty trip to Africa, already in the works but something I feel strongly about doing this year
Give - I want to move farther away from the "American Dream" and be more in tune with God.  Also want to Sponsor 2 more children
Vision - Take time away to hear God and get direction
Grow - Duh, but specifically in my leadership, prayer life, and preaching

Church:
Grow - Average attendance up by 50 people by next January
Discipleship - Get our butt in gear in this area.  See people excited about personal growth and connecting with others
Staff - Add a full time pastor
Video - Sermon videos online and playing on public TV
Poverty - Church would come face to face with poverty and have to do something
Missions - up our missions giving by $300/month
Pray - Bring a culture of prayer to our church

A Mother's Request

I was reading out of Matthew this morning, where the mother of 2 of the disciples kneels before Jesus and asks him for something.  What she wants is simple:  for her 2 sons to have seats next to Jesus in his kingdom.  The rest of the disciples find out about this and are indignant.

The quest for power, popularity, fame is such a natural draw for humans.  Our selfish nature surfaces regularly and we find ourselves once more "looking out for #1".

Then we have the way of Jesus.  "whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave"

Not an easy thing to do

Christians and Slavery

150 years ago, many Christians were coming up with excuses for why slavery was acceptable.  They were able to convince themselves that it was ok to take someone out of their home, their country, away from their family and make them a possession of someone else.  How in the world could they rationalize this?  How can this be acceptable even in a different culture?  To modern day America this is blatantly wrong, and anti God.  I mean, God cares about people, all people, not just the wealthy right?  "For God so loved the world".  The entire world.  It's almost as if they valued some people, loved some people, and cared about the well being of some people, and at the same time were able to convince themselves that it was in some way acceptable .  I think we would all agree that they were obviously in the wrong, and as Christians they were missing a big part of God's heart.  In a sense, there was this "hole" in their Christianity. 

In 150 years I wonder if Christians will look back at our culture with the same questions.  How can you have so much and do so little to truly help people in poverty?  How can you live in that house and drive that car, knowing that people are dying in need, and think that this is ok with God?  Have we convinced ourselves that how we live is acceptable?  I don't know

Fascinated with the Pharisees

I've always been fascinated with the Pharisees.  They were trying so hard to live how they thought they were supposed to live, but it turns out they were way off.  They were so consumed by following the "Law" - which let me remind you was the word of God, but as Jesus says at one time, "You're missing the more important things".

I was just reading Matthew 12 where Jesus heals the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath.  The Pharisees respond by "going out and conspiring against him, how to destroy him".  Jesus heals somebody and they go out and try to figure out how to get rid of him.

Jesus was changing everything that they knew of as truth.  How they lived, how they worshiped, how they understood God, they were being shown a different way to live for God - and they didn't like it.

I have to be careful not to assume that the Christianity that I've come to know as truth doesn't keep me from actually living the way God truly wants me to live.

"you give a tenth of your spices, but you're missing the more important things:  Justice, mercy, and faithfulness" - Matthew 23:23

Being hated

I work hard to be liked.  It's important to me that people like me, in fact I've found that it's hard be a pastor and lead people if they don't like you.  So I think....

I was reading in Matthew this evening where Jesus is talking to his disciples.  He's sending them out to the Jews in the surrounding towns and cities to heal people, and tell them that the messiah has come.  Doesn't sound that tough to me, but it's interesting that right in the middle of his little "speech", Jesus just throws out, "Oh by the way, you're going to be hated by everyone because of this".  Jesus knows that if the disciples do ministry the way it should be done, a whole lot of people aren't going to like it.

By working so hard to be liked and to make people happy, am I missing out on what God really wants me to do?

Too easy

A while back, the commercials for "Cheetos" always ended with this stupid tiger saying, "It ain't easy, being cheezy".  For some reason this got me thinking.


It's not hard for me to follow Christ and this concerns me.  When I look at the Biblical model of what being a Christan should look like, it ain't easy.  In fact it's interesting to look at some of the things that Jesus says.  Sometimes it seems like he's actually trying to convince people not to follow him.  Check out the end of Luke chapter 9.
57 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 59 To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 60 And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” 62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”


And this isn't the only example:
Luke 14:26-27 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.


And what about how Jesus responds to the young rich guy who simply asks how to get to heaven:
Mark 10:21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”


Just repeating a prayer after the pastor to get "saved" just doesn't seem to cut it.


If it's easy to be a Christian, then I would question whether we are really doing this right.

Why me?

Why was I lucky enough to be born into middle class America?  I find myself thinking about poverty, and the amount of people in our world who were literally "born" into a lack of the basic needs to even survive. I bet the odds were against me, but still I was born into a family that was never in need.  I've never went a day without food (except for my choice), I use more clean water brushing my teeth, than a large part of our world can find in a day, and I live in a house that would be considered a mansion to most people in our world.

Why has God given me so much?

I find the answer is simple - so I can help people.

Not so that I can have a comfortable life with a big house and a nice car.  Not so I can spend lots of money on clothes and golfing.  God has given me income, education, and resources to make a difference in people's lives, to show Christ in a tangible way.

I hope I never forget this

Are we missing it?

As I study the New Testament, I can't help but feel like the American church doesn't quite line up w/ what I read.  We are so rich.  If your family makes $40,000 a year, you are in the richest 2% of the world.  So many children will go to bed tonight without eating, and we're eating twice as much as we need.  The amount of money that American's spend on ice cream in a year, is enough to meet the basic needs (food, water, basic sanitation) for the rest of our world.  And I could go on.

What do we do with scripture like this:
1 John 3:17 If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?.... Let us love with actions and in truth


1 Tim 6:9 People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction

1 Tim 6:17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant or to put their hope in wealth..... command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share

Luke 18:25 How hard is it for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!  Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle

I get the idea that the "American Dream" isn't much what God had in mind

I'm not saying that we need to sell everything and live in a shed, but you can't win an argument that this is right and that we have "worked hard" and deserve what we have.

Sometimes I wonder what God thinks when He looks down and sees 6% of the world's population using 40% of it's resourses, and 1.1 billion people in our world that don't have access to even clean water to drink.  I think this troubles Him and it should trouble me.

God show me what to do

The journey

Over the last few months, God has really been challenging my thinking.  I can't help but feel like what I've always assumed is truth and how to follow Christ, is really just the beginning.  

I'm starting this "blog" for a few reasons.  First, is simply to help me organize my thoughts.  God has me on a journey, and I've found that if it's not put down on paper (or in this case a computer) it ends up being short lived.  Second, is to maybe bring someone along for the ride.  Just maybe, by God showing me things in my life that need to change, God will show you things as well.  I want to grow at whatever the cost.

"Our greatest fear as Christians should not be failure, but succeeding at things that don't really matter"

Starting a Blog

I'm not sure that I have anything special to say, but I thought I'd try out this blogging thing.