Back in the Swing of Things

Well, sadly, spring break is over and it's time to get back in the swing of school things. If you're having a hard time gettin back in the swing of things, I know of the perfect place to go for a break. That's right, the Union for supper at about 5:45 tonight!

Rightly so, missions has been a big topic this semester. The word on the street is that the spring break missions to Dallas and New Orleans went well and that there are two more opportunities for missions this weekend. The first is a Sunday morning trip to Mt. Judea to help with the morning services at Jacob Hudson's home church. We'll be leaving from the student center at about 8 in the morning. When we get there, we'll have Bible class, worship service, a potluck lunch, a short devotional and then we'll get back here to Fayetteville mid to late afternoon. I'll be teaching class on Acts 8. It'd be a big help if you could read it ahead of time and be ready to discuss. Nick Ruple will be preaching and Wilson will be leading singing. Please be praying for us and for everyone leading and going this weekend.

The other opportunity is a short trip to Cave Springs to help with their Sunday evening services. If you're going to Mt. Judea, don't feel like you can't go to Cave Springs too. The plan is to get back in time to go to Cave Springs as well. I'm not sure who's doing what in Cave Springs, but please keep this trip in your prayers as well.

God is faithful!!! Lately prayers have been answered and doors have been opened concerning missions this summer! We now have teams going to Prague, Czech Republic; Cluj, Romania; and Cosenza, Italy. We also have RFCs going to Africa and the Ukraine and helping with summer camps and going other places as well. Please keep all these places and people in your prayers. "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." James 5:16b

Well, for this week’s mini devo, I just thought I'd throw out some more verses for you to chew on dealing what we talked about tonight in class about not being yoked with unbelievers (2 Cor 6:14-7:1). Some will have to do with guy/girl relationships and some will have to do with everyday friendships:

[speaking about the nations the Isrealites would drive out] "Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, for they will turn your sons away from following me to serve other gods, and the Lord's anger will burn against you and will quickly destroy you." Deuteronomy 7:3,4

"A righteous man is cautious in friendship, but the way of the wicked leads them astray." Proverbs 12:26

"A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in here and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: 'Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.' Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate." Proverbs 31:10-12,28-31

"Has not the Lord made them one? In flesh and spirit they are his. And why one? Because he was seeking godly offspring. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth. 'I hate divorce,’ says the Lord God of Israel, ' and I hate man's covering himself with violence as well as with his garment,' says the Lord Almighty."
Malachi 2:15,16

"I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing you that you must not associate with any who claim to be fellow believers but are sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such persons do not even eat.
What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. 'Expel the wicked person from among you.'"
1 Cor 5:9-13

"Do not be misled: 'Bad company corrupts good character.' Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God—I say this to your shame." 1 Cor 15:33-34

"So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view."
2 Cor 5:16

"For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no on deceive you with empty words; for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them." Ephesians 5:5-7

"Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let you conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." Colossians 4:5,6

"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so they you will not be dependent on anybody." 1 Thess 4:11,12

"Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did." 1 John 2:6

After reading back through these verses, I realize that they don't provide a simple, works-for-every-situation formula. However, our competence comes from God and he has given us the ability to discern the implications of the situations we find ourselves in or perhaps allow ourselves to be in. It seems to me that the simple goal is to be in the world and to be a light to it while at the same time not allowing ourselves to be corrupted by it. I think the last verse about walking as Jesus did sums it all up. Jesus definitely spent a lot of time around "sinners." Yet, when he was around them he was changing their lives for the better and was at the same time keeping himself pure.

Have a great day!
In HIM,
Mitch

Sup? [heaven]

Sup?

It's time for your weekly reminder about supper in the union at 5:45. I, sadly, will most likely not be able to make it this week. I know it seems sacrilegious for me to miss the thing I unfailingly remind you of each week, but something's come up. ;)

There's been a lot of great discussion over the ole email list lately. Keep it up. A good friend of mine who recently sent an email to the group once said that he had previously refrained from writing because he didn't want to steal my thunder. The thing is, the thunder is not mine in the first place. God is the lightning that creates the thunder and it doesn't matter whose mouth it's comes out of.

I am SOOOOOOOOO pumped about missions!!! I wish we could just forego the rest of the semester and go now. Tonight at the mission meeting we learned of several new possibilities for places to go this summer. All of them sound really cool! However, none of them have given us a definite answer yet. Please be in prayer about these places as well as our already established trips to Prague and Cluj. There are also RFCs going to Africa, the Ukraine, and I'm sure some other places. Keep them in your prayers as well. Please pray that God will send His angels to assist all of our teams and fight back Satan and his demons who are sure to try to attack. More than that, please pray that God will place his hand on all our teams; that He'll keep us and our families safe, that all of our plans will go smoothly, that people will be touched, and that His will will be done.
That's something I pray about far too infrequently. How often do I ask God to send His angels and to place His Hand on this campus, city, country, world? Imagine if we all started praying that! I think God has limitless power that He's ready to unleash...all we have to do is ask.

This week has been a very prayerful week for me. Truthfully, I haven't spent near as much one on one time with God as I should. However, I have had the privilege of praying with a friend(s) just about every night this week. Tonight in class, Mark mentioned the peace that comes after a group prayer. It is so true! It is definitely a peace that surpasses all understanding, because I can't describe it. It is such a blessing to have a friend or two in whose presence you are comfortable spilling your soul to God. It is also such a blessing to hear a friend spill their soul to God. I truly hope that you have a friend/friends/group of friends who you pray with somewhat regularly. If not, find one. Don't wait for someone else to initiate it. It may be a little awkward for the first few times. After a while, though, it will be the highlight of your week!

Tonight in class, Mark also talked about how we long for our spiritual dwelling (2 Cor. 5:1-10). In addition, Wilson talked about heaven in a recent email. I must admit that I also have some reservations about what heaven's going to be like. The no tears thing is a weird thing to think about, and (of course, I would be the one to have to bring this up...I might as well, I already talk about it all the time) so is the no one being married or given into marriage thing. Even if we aren't married anymore when we get to heaven, I at least hope that my future wife and I feel some kind of special bond due to all the things we went through together in this life. That having been said, what heaven is going to be like is a cool thing to think about but is definitely something we don't need to worry about. Whatever it's going to be like it going to be AWESOME! I can't wait to be set free from the worries of this world, my self-consciousness, my struggles with sin, and to never have to say good-bye again. I can't wait to see God and learn all about Him. I also think that if we don't have some kind of a longing to be done with this life that maybe we love this life a little more than we're supposed to. However, lately, whenever I've read this and other passages, I've thought to myself: Who am I to ask to go home now? I've only been on this earth 20 years and in those 20 years I have accomplished very little for God. I know that I can't earn my way to heaven and that God's grace is able to cover me whether I ever win a soul or not, but I can't help but think that God put me here for a purpose and that whatever that purpose is, I haven't accomplished it yet. In addition, if Jesus came back today, many of my and your friends and loved ones wouldn't be going to heaven with us. Maybe I should be thankful for each new day because it's another chance for me to reach the people I need to reach. I know He was put on Earth for a much more important purpose than me, but I think Jesus said it best:

"Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name!" John 12:27

I can't wait to go to heaven, but I don't think my time has come yet. However, what I think doesn't matter. He could come back anytime..."So we make it our goal to please Him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it." (2 Cor. 5:9) Let's do that: Whatever we do, whether in word or deed, let's do it all for the glory of God!

Here are some more verses to chew on:

"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective."
James 5:16

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Phil 4:6,7

"Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."
Matthew 18:19,20

"The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life."
John 12:25

Have a great day!

In Him,
Mitch

He Wants

What it is?

Remember, tonight we're eating supper in the Union at about 5:45. Also, remember that it's not too late to sign up to go to Mt. George this weekend for the "mini" mission. Please be praying for this weekend, the spring break missions, the summer missions, and our daily missions right here in NW Arkansas.

God neither needs nor depends on me for anything. "All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever." (1 Peter 1:24) Yes, I am small and insignificant—a speck in God's endless universe—and everything is "meaningless." (see Ecclesiastes) BUT.....

While God neither needs me nor depends on me, He WANTS me. That's right, li'l ol' me. Think of the story of the prodigal son. When the son returned home after squandering his inheritance and his father saw him coming over the horizon, his father RAN to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. "I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent." (see Luke 15) Our salvation is so important to God that whenever one of us comes to Him, He throws a party. Is that not cool?! Makes me feel pretty important.

While we are small and insignificant, it doesn't change the fact that we are His creation; He wants our all, He wants relationship with us, and He loves us beyond comprehension. Whenever I read Paul's writings, I enjoy how he makes comparisons to help the reader understand things better. For example, "If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!" (2 Corinthians 3:9-11) I think the same kind of comparison can be made to give us a glimpse of just how much God loves us.

What do you love? Your friends, family, possessions, popularity? How far would you go to keep, care for, or sustain the people or things you love the most in this world? I love my two brothers more than anybody else on this earth. I can't wait for you to meet them, whether in this life or the next. I know you're gonna love 'em too. I would come to their side with a quickness if they ever needed help. I love them so much that I can't stand the thought that one day they might not be here anymore. The people I love the most, though, I don't even have yet. I don't have a wife yet and I am not anywhere close to having kids, but I already feel so much love for them in my heart that I know I'll do anything for them. If I can love my brothers and my future wife and kids as much as I do and if you can love whatever it is that you love as much as you do—so much so that we're willing to do anything for them—if we, who are sinners, imperfect, and evil can love as much as we do, imagine how much unimaginably and immeasurably more God must love us: because He is Love. Does that not blow your mind?!

Not only is He willing to do anything for us, He has already done everything by sacrificing His Son and raising Him from the dead. And He hasn't stopped seeking insignificant us. "For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him." (2 Chronicles 16:9)

The beauty of God and His Word and the way everything was, is, and is being perfectly woven together to fulfill His will never ceases to amaze me. He is the Master of Paradox (and many other literary terms):

Rejoice in suffering. Boast about weakness. Humble yourself and He will lift you up. Be a living sacrifice. We are saved through faith and not works, but faith without works is dead. Death brings life. God is One and yet made up of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is everywhere, yet each of us is His temple. We are fragile jars of clay, yet God loves us and wants to live in us.

Only the "author and perfector of our faith" could come up with stuff this good!

Well, I guess I'll let you go. Thanks for reading.

In Him,
Mitch