Archive for July, 2007

What gets me out of bed each morning? See above & below.
What gives me the courage to pick up the phone and make the support call? See above & below.
What gets me fired up about the Czech Republic? See above & below.
What is one of the reasons why I know God is moving in Czech? See above & below.
What is one of the many reasons I praise my Risen Savior Jesus Christ? See above & below.

The answer is what God has done in the heart of my friend Ondra! In a country where nearly all his countrymen say, “I’m Czech, I’m an atheist” and where the Church makes up less than one third of one percent to see what God has done in Ondra is absolutely amazing! A couple of Sundays ago Ondra was baptized by my good friend, Phil Davis, at their church plant where Ondra has been helping lead worship! It’s amazing to see what God does with a life and a heart when He gets a hold of it! Join me in praying for more stories like Ondra’s in Czech!

(This is part of an interview I did with Ondra before leaving in 2005.)

I loved this quote. It made me think a lot about what affect the Gospel should have in our lives and a movement within the world that is “Christian” and does good things but has divorced the Gospel of Jesus (mainly that we are sinners separated from God and He did what was necessary to atone for our junk!!). Here you go, hold on:

Once upon a time in an old kingdom, there was a gardener who grew an enormous carrot in his garden. Now this man loved his sovereign, so he came and presented the carrot to the king, saying, ‘This is the best carrot my garden will ever grow. Receive it
as a token of my love.’ Now the king discerned his heart of love and devotion and saw that he wanted nothing in return. This moved the king and he then gave the gardener far more land than he currently had for his garden, so the man went home rejoicing. Now a nobleman at court overheard this conversation. He thought to himself, “If that is the response the lord makes to such a small gift, what will he give in response to a great one?” So the next day he brought the king a fine horse, saying, ‘This is the best horse my stables will ever grow. Receive it as a token of my love.’ But the King discerned the nobleman’s heart, and in response he just received the horse and
dismissed the giver. When the king saw the look of confusion on his face, he said, ‘The gardener’s gift was a gift, indeed, out of love, but you are just trying to make a profit. He gave me the carrot, but you gave yourself the horse.” Now do you see what this teaches? If you know God offers you his salvation freely, and that there is nothing to do but to accept the perfect righteousness of his Son, then you can feed the hungry and clothe the naked just for the love of God and for the love of people. But if you think you are getting salvation in return for these deeds, then it is yourselves you are feeding, yourselves you are clothing.

I have to confess all too often I’m the nobleman that is bringing the King something for my sake, so I’m giving it to myself. May the Lord change my heart. I pray this revolutionary Gospel breaks into your heart and mine too!

Today was one of my “drive-by” days. When I got back from my 18 month STINT in Czech and had to raise support I didn’t know what to do or where to raise it so I did “drive-bys”. What I would do see drive up to a church sit in my car and plead with God that the support would just work out and that I wouldn’t have to go in, but then he would get me in there and I would introduce myself to the administrative assistant and, Lord-willing, get a chance to tell the pastor my story. Well, because of that I have some really great relationships with Pastors down here in Southern Wisconsin. So I was praying and wondering about this Sunday and God filled it! So I will be sharing at Community Church of Elkhorn at the 8 am and 10:30 am services this Sunday morning (the 5th). Thanks to the Pastors at Community Church of Elkhorn, Paul and Bob, for giving me this opportunity. Join with me in prayer that God would use me to serve the body and inspire them and also use the time to bring more Ministry Partners into the fold! Oh, the address for the church is 4654 Briggs Road, Elkhorn, WI 53121. Feel free to stop by and feel free to lift as many prayers up as you want for this opportunity!

It seems the days are getting away from me! That is 35 days left! Please be praying for the next 35 days, its not a lot of time but I’m trusting God to do a ton! I had a great Sunday at Southern Lakes Evangelical Free Church in Elkhorn, WI yesterday. Thank you to each of you that approached me, took some info and even joined my team of ministry partners yesterday! You blessed me more than you know! I had some individuals help me out with some one-time (I’m down to $3400) and I even had someone go online yesterday and begin supporting me monthly (I’m down to $490/monthly). Thank you so much! Please pray for these needs and that God would open doors to new potential ministry partners as I’m a bit dry with contacts. Please give me a shout out and let me know how I can be praying for you! Blessings…

From Tim Keller’s study on Galatians:

Gospel faith produces a certainty that we are holy and beautiful. The more conscious we are of this certainty, the less we will be subject to ups and downs and the more we will find our hearts melted with love.

Amen. Oh, how I need this Gospel. I need to become more conscious of this truth each day and allow it to settle deep, deep into my heart, soul and mind. May God, by His grace, do this in each of us!

OKAY! IT IS HARD TO BE IN THE STATES RIGHT NOW! I don’t know who made this video, but it rocks! I got so stoked to play this weekend in the Czech League Championship and then I realized, “I’m going to be in America.” Oh well… The Lions, the team I work with, have lost twice this season to the Panthers, so this is BIG! I wish I could be there with my guys! Here is a rough translation (if you want to correct me please do so if I’m wrong, I probably am.)

There you go. It’s a cool spot! GO LIONS GO!

That’s right only 44 days left! There is a ton that will come between then and now. I leave Colorado on Thursday and the adventure begins! Please pray that God would show up in the next 44 days. Show up in the “Good Byes”. Show up in the support that is needed to be raised. Show up in the details of moving internationally for the foreseeable future. And more! My soul is clinging to Him. So prayer would be appreciated and if you want to help in anyway please let me know. How can I be praying for you? Blessings….

The Prague Lions that is! I was excited to stumble across the sports section of the Prague Post. I actually heard about an article in the Dallas News entitled Forget big bucks, Czechs play for thrills and as I searched for it I realized that the author writes for the Post! So now all you hardcore Prague Lions fans here in the States can follow the team! But I thought it would be fun to post a link for the most recent article about the pending rematch between the Prague Lions, the team I work with and play for, and our arch rivals the Prague Panthers. The Panthers have had our number this year, but my coach, Martin, will come up with a great gameplan! I wish I could be there with you guys! Very soon! Here is the link for the story Makings of a rematch. GO LIONS GO!

Here are some high(low)lights from the last match up between the Lions and Panthers. I can’t wait to get back!

I know you have been dieing for another post in my Pink Tanks and Velvet Hangovers series, so as I sit and have some time off to do “other” work than attending meetings, seminars, sessions and etc. I thought I would hook you up. I love today’s post from Pink Tanks and Velvet Hangovers. “Why?” you ask. Well, I think this cultural insight will help you understand the Czech demeanor a bit.

Historically, I was not alone in my ignorance [that is an ignorance about Czech and it's people]. As the Munich crisis was building to a head in 1938, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain was quoted saying: “How horrible, fantastic, incredible it is that we should be digging trenches… because of a far away country between people [Czechs] of whom we know nothing.” Regardless of Chamberlain’s naiveté, he was savvy enough to note that most Westerners didn’t know much about Czechoslovakia or its people.

Chamberlain would have done well to read “At the Crossroads of Europe,” an essay from the 1920s by Czech writer Karel ÄŒapek. In it, ÄŒapek described his country this way: “In these few contradictions… it is a country old and yet new, great yet small, rich yet humble, highly cultivated and yet very primitive. Nature and history have imposed upon it the fate of being the heart of Europe, of being a crossroads and a link between nations and cultures.”

For the intro post to this series, click here, and then here 1 & 2. Blessings…

The quote of the week comes from a blog-friend in Sweden, Douglas Molgaard, who just put up an entry defining the word missional. This word (and the lifestyle/theology that it is as well) is getting a lot of play in church’s circles and I am afraid it is just becoming another buzz word and it isn’t packing the weight that it should! Anyway, check out Douglas’ full entry on what the heck missional means.

The heart of being missional is to participate in God’s mission (Missio Dei). God is a missionary God. The incarnate and resurrected Christ is the missio Dei. We then are to participate in what Christ is doing in the world (Participatio Christi ). We neither determine our own agenda, nor merely imitate His, but rather participate in His, according to His call and guidance. John 20:21, So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”