Adventure Uganda

  I decided that if I didn’t hear from Compassion by Friday I would consider the trip to Uganda to meet my sponsor child a closed door.  Friday I got the reply that said I can come.  I called the travel agent to see if it’s possible to change my flight and what the extra charge would be.  It’s not possible.  At least not on this end.  There is a slim possibility that it could be changed while in Africa but would be very costly.  So it looks like Adventure Uganda is a no go, unless God decides to show up in a huge way. 

I don’t have to sin!

  I’ve been spending some time in Romans of late.  It has been said that if every book of the Bible but Romans were destroyed, there would be no fear of anything being left out of the gospel.  I believe it.  This blog I’m thinking specifically of chapter six. 

  I remember the first time I encountered the teaching that we don’t need to sin.  I was reading Chuck Swindoll’s The Grace Awakening.  It blew me away and as I think about it now it still excites me.  When we became united with Christ (became Christians) we were not only saved from the penalty of sin but also the dominion, or rule, or power, of sin.  Before we ‘became Christians’, we were slaves of sin.  We thought we were making our own choices and that we had freedom.  A lot of people still think they do.  They think it’s fun to sin and that living for Jesus takes all the fun out of life.  But really it’s only misery.  As the Message puts it:

As long as you did what you felt like doing, ignoring God, you didn’t have to bother with right thinking or right living, or right anything for that matter. But do you call that a free life? What did you get out of it? Nothing you’re proud of now. Where did it get you? A dead end.

So really, it’s not freedom.  It’s slavery.  

  Living for Jesus means a change in masters.  Rather than serving sin and death, we serve the Author of Life.  When that happens sin’s power over us is BROKEN.  We have died to sin.  We don’t live in it anymore.  And "this death [to sin] occurred even though the believers may not be aware of it."  (Jerry Bridges, The Disciplines of Grace)  That’s the only reason that Christians are not living more sinless lives: we don’t realize we serve a new master.  Do we still sin?  Of course.  But we do not live in it.  It’s not our dominant way of life anymore.  It’s not our master.

  So what does that mean practically?  That means I don’t have to let my frustration govern my decisions when things aren’t going the way I would like them to.  That means I don’t have to be angry at people when they don’t meet my expectations.  That means that I don’t have to please myself in the morning and sleep in rather than getting up and using my time wisely (yeah, that one needs work!).  That means I don’t have to let ungodly thoughts stay in my mind.  It means a lot of things.  It’s freedom!   

Up ‘Til Now

  For those of you who are wondering, I’m offering you now a brief update on how things are going, specifically with plans for my trip to Africa.  It’s hard to believe that I leave a week from tomorrow.  From when I was first considering this trip I asked that God would be glorified, not only while I was in Burundi, but also in the process of getting there and back.  So far, I believe He has.  To date I have all my immunizations (except for the anti-malaria pills I’ll take while I’m there)  and just last week received my passport back with my visa.  I am especially thankful to those who have shown their support through financial gifts.  Although my ticket was paid for with the invitation, the immunizations have been quite expensive.  When I went to get my shots done at the Health Unit the nurse laughingly said that I have one of the fullest immunization cards she’s ever seen, and that was without two that I added after that!  I’m not sure how it’s healthy to put so much stuff into your body…

  That’s a note of praise as well!  I have not reacted to any of the immunizations I’ve received thus far.  Pray that I won’t react to the Malarone tablets I need to take while I’m there.  Several people have had side-effects to anti-malaria pills.  I just heard a story this week of a girl who didn’t sleep all night because she thought the other girl in her tent wanted to kill her.  She was on anti-malaria pills and they made her a little wonky! 

  Another item for prayer is my travels.  I havn’t added up my flying time hours, but last I checked my layover hours are 17 and a half on the way there and 18 and a half on the way back, for a total of 36 hours sitting in airports!  From my experience, airports and airplanes are some of the best places to share about the hope I have in Jesus Christ.  Pray for opportunities to share His love during the many traveling hours.  

  I have not heard back from Compassion about whether or not visiting my girl in Uganda is feasible.  I need to confirm my flights within the next few days so if I do not hear from them soon that door is going to close.  For that visit to be possible is going to take nothing short of the hand of God.

 

  Thank you for all your prayers now and also while I’ll be gone.  I covet your prayers, I need your prayers.  Pray that God would be made more famous for my going.  To Him be the glory.

Approaching Easter

  As Easter weekend approaches we prepare to celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  While the cross should be close to our thoughts year round, it’s a specific time we set aside to remember.  Having grown up in a Christian environment I’ve heard many descriptions of the crucifixion, each more graphic than the last.  I used to enjoy, for lack of a better word, listening to these descriptions because of the emotional response that I had to them.  I have even written or spoken descriptions of my own.  And of course the more graphic and the more shocking, the better. 

  Today I heard a graphic description again.  About halfway through I had the same reaction I had halfway through Mel Gibson’s ‘The Passion’: when will this be over?  Not from boredom, but from wanting to cover my ears and block out the words.  It’s not a comfortable story.  It’s not an enjoyable story.  It’s downright gory. 

  As I sat there I came to a realization.  Unless we see the bigger picture of what the crucifixion really meant, it is nothing more than a gory tale that arouses our emotions.  And the bigger picture is not "see how much Jesus suffered for us."  The bigger picture is that I am a sinner who hated God and was condemned to absence from God and God the Father sent God the Son to live out my sentence so that I might know God.  Unless we understand that we are sinners needing to be punished, the cross is a slightly uncomfortable tragedy of a hero suffering to rescue the innocent victim. 

  So as we hear descriptions of the crucifixion this weekend, may we be made more aware of the seriousness of our sin and more grateful for the abundant grace of God and not merely be moved emotionally.

Lost in Wonder

A song for the Easter season:

 

You chose the cross with ev’ry breath

The perfect life, the perfect death

You chose the cross

A crown of thorns You wore for us

And crowned us with eternal life

You chose the cross

And though Your soul was overwhelmed with pain

Obedient to death You overcame

 

I’m lost in wonder, I’m lost in love

I’m lost in praise forevermore

Because of Jesus’ unfailing love

I am forgiven, I am restored

 

You loosed the cords of sinfulness

And broke the chains of my disgrace

You chose the cross

Up from the grave victorious

You rose again so glorious

You chose the cross

The sorrow that surrounded You was mine

Yet not My will but Yours be done You cried

 

I’m lost in wonder, I’m lost in love

I’m lost in praise forevermore

Because of Jesus’ unfailing love

I am forgiven, I am restored

 

~Martin Layzell