Missions Blog

Where have I been? Well I’ve been a lot places since I was actively writing here.  In fact I’ve taken about 6 to 7 trips to Asia and Europe since then.  Most of those were actually on a ferry I took everyday in Istanbul when I was there for a week.  Nevertheless, I’m going to count it.  My friends I was visiting have probably taken hundreds of trips at this point.

But why didn’t you write? Umm, well I have to tell you, I just wasn’t feeling it anymore.  I should have done the mature thing and told you to your face, but I just did the easy thing and ignored you.  I’m sorry.

Seriously though.  Right, right…well honestly I was pretty burned out on life and ministry.  On top of that I think that blogs just let people feel self-important.  Not the ones where you just talk about your personal life and show pictures, but the ones where get all high and mighty about some cause or whatever.  Maybe it just was like that for me.  So I just stopped saying anything.  Also, I didn’t have anything good to say, so better to just keep my mouth shut. 

Things that have happened in my life:

• Taken 6 hours of Hebrew in 10 weeks. (AKA self-inflicted torture)
• Traveled to Asia and a little in Europe
• Moved to a new city (although I grew up here)
• Started a new job
• Found a new, incredible church
• Refound myself and my desire for God

I would never ever recommend working alone in ministry for more than a month.  Doing it for 3 and half years equals spiritual death. It wasn’t ever supposed to be that way, but it is sort of what happened.  BUT, BUT! God is beyond faithful and even though He has led me to a place I never thought I would live and to I job I never thought I would have He has completely restored my soul.  He has done immeasurably more than I could have asked or thought. He’s cool like that.

I could never explain in a blog post the incredible testimony He has given me in the last 9 months (maybe you could, but I’m not good at the whole writing thing). I wish I could explain to you all that has happened, maybe we can do it over a cup of coffee.  There were so many moments that just took my breath away. God’s in the details and he orchistrates circumstances in ways we could never hope to manipulate into being.

So to you, any questions?

P.S.  Starbucks Venti Iced Double-shot equals a new definition of “wired”.

So about a month ago while this blog was still down my friend Justin called me and we had this conversation.

“Hey Michael there is this new guy in my Bible study and he says he knows you?” “Oh yeah, how is that?” “He says that you guys went to highschool together. His name is Will ———.” “Do you mean Scott ——–, cause I’ve known him since elementary school.”

A week passes and he calls me back.

“So Mike, I asked Will and he said that he used to go by Scott.” “When did he become a Christian?” “A couple of years ago with his wife.” “Man that’s crazy cause I am pretty sure I used to pray for him.”

It sent me back to memory lane of becoming a Christian my freshman year of college.

When I got saved way back in 1998 it was utterly revolutionary for me. My best friend since kindergarten commented. “Michael a Christian, I cannot believe it! If there was anyone who I thought would never become a Christian it is you.” Startling words from a friend I had known my entire life. My world got completely wrecked. I found a joy and peace I had never experienced and Jesus relieved my fears of death and Hell. Of course in the midst of my own joy I was gripped by the reality of Hell and that almost everyone I knew and loved was going there. I was pretty sure that I only got saved because my brother followed some cute girl in his Italian class to church and encouraged me to start seeking the Lord. Up until that point I had never heard the gospel or understood why Jesus came to die.

Most of my friends were completely uninterested in religion or the Lord. I figured if no one had been sharing the gospel with me or praying for my salvation, then no one was praying for them. I spent hours praying for my friends and even people I had previously hated. Knowing the terror of the Lord fueled me to intercede fervently for them. I prayed for anyone that came to mind. Until a month ago I had never heard about a single one of them getting saved. Finding out that Scott came to know the Lord is a massive encouragement.

Last night I went to hang out with friends in a coffee shop. Lots of people were there for a concert and I started starring at a guy I was sure I recognized from the past. When he finally got close to me he said “we know each other.” We had been freshman in the Corps together and had been in the same class. “I’m not like I used to be. I got saved 6 months ago.” I knew Matt from the same semester I got saved in college. He had a miraculous story back then about surviving a car accident and a resulting coma. I remember desiring the Lord to save him and that his previous experience surely must have gotten him thinking about the afterlife. It wasn’t enough, but finally after a few more trials of life the Lord got ahold of him.

Years after praying for so many people God is finally revealing to me the payoff. I’m not sure why He picked now as the time, but I appreciate it. My labor really isn’t in vain and He really hears us when we cry.

So I spent most of tonight at Starbucks with my friend EJ talking about the Lord. It was an interesting light-hearted evening. First we talked about the reality of Hell and how just intense that is, then we moved on to how screwed up the world is, and lastly we talked about Paul’s statement that it is better to remain single. We’re both single so it seems pretty relevant. We both went our separate ways and I planned on stopping by another coffee shop to do a little reading. It was midnight, which in a college town is more like mid-afternoon. That is my where my point starts.

So you ever have those times when you have one plan, but the Lord seems to have another? That was tonight for me. I needed to read for seminary, but as I was on my way into the coffee shop I started talking with an international student who I had seen several times around town. He is from Turkey and he just finished up his Ph.D. We stood there and talked til nearly 1:30! He wants to do research in (hope I get this right) lingual neuroscience; basically the study of how the brain works in regards to language. As someone who wants to live in other cultures and learn their languages it was pretty fascinating and encouraging. He gave me some great ideas on learning languages more effectively. Also, as most international students do, he seem to want another friend and someone to talk to. Here is to the Lord creating a great friendship between the two of us.

Why am I sharing even of this? Maybe because it is 2:44 in the morning, or maybe because it is just good to remember that sometimes the Lord has different plans for how we spend our time. I wanted to study and he wanted to teach me about learning languages and for me to make a new friend. Yay Him!

Lastly, anyone have a good idea by what Paul means when he says “it is better to remain as I am”? Because the rest of scripture seems to put a high value on marriage, but this passage makes it sound like marriage is only for those who just can’t take it anymore. If Paul does mean that it is better to remain single, then why does the church push marriage so hard?

Merry Christmas to everyone. Thanks to everyone for praying for my Uncle Bob. I am still praying for a Christmas miracle. The time I wrote, my Aunt was rushing him to the hospital after he collapsed from lack of strength. Turns out dehydration played a big part. He is still very week from his 3 year battle with cancer. Please continue to pray for a miraculous healing in his life as well as as encounter with Christ at this time.

Lastly, continue to pray for the billions of unreached people all over the world who have never heard of Christmas or the reason it is celebrated. Here is 2007 being a year that even more peoples are introduced to our wonderful Savior.

I have been invited to be a break out speaker at a conference on campus tonight. I will be speaking on the topic of missions to primarily business majors. Please pray that the things go well and that God changes students� hearts about the needs of the unreached. Thanks.

So this thought came to me today and I was hoping the people that read this could help me brain storm. I was looking through my friends mission trip pictures last night and many of them really moved my soul for the unreached. This morning I have been sitting in a class on the Kingdom of God with an incredible power point and an idea for an online prayer journey came to mind. So here are my initial ideas. Help me.

1. It would run like a movie with pictures changing every so often.
2. It would be designed in Flash. Now I just have to learn it .
3. The Picture would be overlaid with scriptures, information of the people group displayed, and a brief example prayer or how to pray for them.
4. Assuredly as people are praying they would feel God’s heart for these people and would be curious how to do even more. Their could be an “appeal” or information about serving in missions, whether giving or going.

My friend Ryan suggested having worship music throughout it. Thanks

So the 11th Class of HGM BFBC is underway. 28 guys and gals have shown up to be trained for a life in missions. WHOOP! We are currently in testimony time and it is incredible to hear about what Jesus has done in these people’s lives.

It is crazy how the enemy tried so hard to destroy so many of these people, but the Lord had an incredible plan for them. What the devil used to try and trash them the Lord is turning around so that they can identify with the destitute and the hurting. Isn’t Jesus awesome!