Good Old Jet-Lag

Good old jet-lag. I woke up this morning at 4:00am and couldn't go back to sleep. I had time to journal, pray, read the Word, pray, sit and ponder the universe, pray, and then pray some more before I got up to take a shower. All in all not a bad way to start out the day. We are staying at the Ebenezer Guest House here in Jinja. It is somewhat like a bed and breakfast, but not. All the tenants eat together and some share a bathroom and it is maxed out with people. We are meeting people from all over the United States that have come here for various reasons.

As we waited on our ride to the pastor school this morning, I asked Julius to give me his testimony and began to tell me a beautiful story of the heart of a woman missionary that came to his butcher shop and shared the gospel with him. He has since started churches and continues to pastor churches today. You never know the difference you will make with just one changed life. That is the very reason why we came.

Once we got to the school the students were in the middle of English class learning about simple subjects and predicates (it was a good refresher course for me.) And then it was time for Pastor Steve to get up and begin his Timothy Barnabus teaching. He had the guys in the palm of his hand. I thought some of them were going to roll out of their chairs they were laughing so hard. Then it was my turn to begin speaking about the call and job of a pastor as it relates to discipleship and the great commission. I spoke for about 1 1/2 hours and then it was time to break for lunch.

While Steve and I were preaching and teaching the girls were out in the village working with the kids and witnessing for The Lord. It was so biblical. They were going door to door, two by two, share the gospel though and interpreter. Steve and I found them as they were leading a 18 year old girl to The Lord and we watch her receive Christ. That was the ninth soul that morning that had received Christ. When the girls got back to the church they could no longer refrain the tears as they pondered how God had just used them in a mighty way to see these people pass from death to life.

If that wasn't enough for the day, we all hopped in the car and drove to a church in the middle of town called the prayer center. They hold a service there everyday at 1:00pm for anyone in the market place that wants to pray. As the singing began I leaned over to Steve and told him I was going out in to the Market to invite them in. (that was something I learned from Ralph Canada in our trips to Juarez, Mexico.) I grabbed the interpreter and away we went. As I was inviting people I was asked to pray over sickness and I was happy to accommodate.

As people rolled into the meeting, Steve got cranked up. He was preaching the hardest I have ever seen him preach and 20 people raised their hand that they had received Christ when it was all over. We rejoiced in The Lord and what he had done throughout the day. We encouraged and instructed the pastors, we led people to Christ in the village and saw more make a decision for Christ in the midday Monday service.

We then ate together and played some spades to finish off the day. Steve and I partnered up against Hanna and Krystal for a guys and against gals match, and...... Lets just say the guys won. If we were to leave and come home right now the whole trip would be worth it and satisfying. And this is just the third day in country. Praise be to the God of gods who has richly blessed this little missions trip.

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Safe in Uganda

When I woke up on Friday morning I just knew that I was in for a trip on a life time. 27 hours later we had arrived at the hotel in Uganda where I was able to finally get a good nights rest. The plane ride was long, the movies were good, and the landings were smooth. As in any long trip it gets to the point that you are done with the joy ride and you just want to get off.

After our one night stay near the airport we got up on Sunday morning to make the three hour trip by van to the churches in which Steve and I would preach. As I looked over the breakfast my mind immediately was taken back to my days in Istanbul and Iraq. Hard boiled eggs, potatoes, and a mixture of fresh cut fruit was start out the morning. There was hot water made with Nescafe at the ready. (I'm always a hit with my Starbuck's via packs.)

Something that morning didn't sit well with my stomach and I found myself by the end of breakfast purging everything I had just eaten. For those you that have gone on missions trips with me, you know that I am a billy goat with a stomach that can handle anything. But not this morning. I started recounting everything I had eaten and drank hoping I didn't somehow ingest some non-bottled water of some kind. Nothing was coming to mind and I felt much better after the purging. As the day when on I had no more problems with food. So, thank you for your prayers. God obviously blessed and took care of me.

We dropped Steve off at the church he would preach and were bombarded by the village kids that all wanted the plastic bracelets Steve had brought. Then we headed to the church that I would preach in another part of town. We found ourselves walking behind homes and shops with half finished concrete walls. We had to step over an open sewage path to get to the small metal building in which the service had already begun. Krystal and I were greeted at the door and seated in places of honor on the stage. We listened to song and testimony of the week long conference they were finishing up. I quickly realized that I was the closing speaker for the conference. I preached a simple message of relationship out of John 17:3 and challenged the people to know God on an intimate level and be empowered with the power of the resurrection. As we closed the service I led them in the sinner prayer but had no one make a profession of faith for the very first time. God knows the hearts. Steve was able to see 10 receive Christ in his Church which was amazing.

After Church we went to see the vision of the missionary in a place he has called the Garden of God. It is a place prayer that all the Ugandan Pastors are excited about as they sanctify this place for the glory of God, train pastors and missionaries, and expand their influence in Uganda.

Then it was time for a nap. I could barely keep my eyes open from the jet lag. After sleeping for a couple of hours I felt so much better. I have a special pillow at home that I use and took me a year and many pillow to discover. I was worried that I would get a good knights rest on whatever pillow I was given, but to my surprise and delight the pillow provided has the same firmness as the one at home. God is so good to me in the little things.

We ended the night by going to a pizzeria that was surprisingly good, and a game of spades with the team. It was exciting but I didn't win. I look forward to all that God has in store for the second day.

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I Have Sinned

David wrote in Psalm 51 after he was confronted by Nathan, "Against you, and you alone have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight." When he wrote these words he had coveted and committed adultery with Bathsheba, killed her husband, cause the death of their new born baby, and covered up the whole thing. But in all of this David knew what sin truly is. Sin is an offense against God.

In our legalistic mindset we equate sin with breaking a law and not breaking a relationship. God doesn't send people to hell because they broke some law, but he does require death for those that break their relationship with Him. When a person sins the offend the King of Kings and The Lord of Lords. God has said the wages of sin is death. If a person choses to offend the King, there is hell to pay.

Paise God that in our defense He sent Jesus to pay that penalty of death so that the relationship with God might be restored and we would have to die. But even for a Christian that has been saved from hell, there is still a need to guard his relationship with the King.

Over the years as I counsel with people I have heard them say. I know the Church doesn't agree with this but ___________________. Although I'm glad they recognize the authority of the Church, the Church is not the one they are offending. They are offending God. It is God who doesn't agree with your sin. It is God that is frustrated with your actions. And even though the church may not know what you are doing, God sees you in your house, at the bar, in your bedroom, and at your computer. It would be better to be concerned with what the King sees more than what the church sees.

This is the difference between having a relationship with God and a religion about God. Is your life an offense to God. Are you in need of repentance. Don't come and repent to the Church. First, fall on your knees and cry out to the one who saves your soul and get things right with God, then with God on your side go and make things right with everyone else. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse use from all unrighteousness."

 

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