Radical Obedience

I've gone through David Platt's work, Radical and Radical Together. Recently Francis Chan also came and spoke at Liberty about living a life that emulates Scripture. I recommend either or both books. I am currently in the gospel of Mark, but wandered into Matthew yesterday read some of Jesus' words that stood off the page to me for the first time.

"And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters of father or mother or children or lands, for my names sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last and the last first." Matthew 20:29-30

Jesus was answering Peter who said "We have left everything and followed you" (v. 27). God has recently led me to pursue seminary rather than medical school. This for me is a huge step of faith, because with even two degrees (biology and seminary), it would be very difficult for me to find a job outside of ministry, or possibly teaching. Also, it seems rather irrational to me to finish a difficult baccalaureate in order to pursue a masters in possibly global apologetics (completely unrelated to biology). But, somehow, I feel a strong peace from the Lord that He is opening these doors for me and closing another. I do believe I may pursue graduate school some day for medicine, but know that I need to be equipped for the field now, rather than later.

Peter and the other apostles left everything to follow Christ. I would like to say I am willing to leave everything, but I am glad that the Lord is stretching me in what ways He is. Remember that radical obedience begins with surrender, daily surrendering our rights and will over to the Lord each day. I try to hold onto that promise from Christ that those who are "first will be made last, and last first". Where is our treasure? Here on this fleeing earth, or in eternity? Matthew 6:21 says that where our treasure is, there our heart will be also. I don't want to set my heart on temporary things, but rather those eternal.

Paul says in Philippians 1:29, "For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake,". Suffer? As westerners, we often take hold of the good promises in scripture and claim them in our lives- that our burden would be light, that our territory would be enlarged, that we would be prospered and not harmed. Both Christ and Paul called Christians to more than prosperity, but that in their hearts they would be willing to make radical sacrifices for the Kingdom.

My heart is also continually torn for those who endure the shame of human trafficking, especially at the price of prostitution. I am praying and considering going to India for a summer. I don't really know what the big picture looks like, but I know following God's lead and trusting Him is always the best plan.

I hope that you would seek to serve the Lord, even when it seems irrational or difficulties may ensue.

Amber

His Glory, not ours

"You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength into your holy abode." Exodus 15:13

To just fill you in on back story some, Moses is praising God right here. In Exodus 14 God commands Moses to raise his staff over the Red Sea, telling Moses to stop whining and to lead the Israelites across the Red Sea- on dry ground. These next verses are a tad lengthy and pretty deep, but hang with me I'm getting to the climax:

And Moses said to the people, "Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.
The LORD said to Moses, "Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. Lift up your staff, and stretch your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground. And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all of his host, his chariots, and his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen."
Exodus 14:13-18 - emphasis added.

Just a quick reminder about the Moses we saw only ten chapters earlier- Moses is not a natural leader, or an eloquent speaker. He bluntly questioned God's call to go to Egypt, making excuses and dodging his calling. And yet he is one of the greatest biblical leaders in history, God uses him to lead millions of Israelites away from what had been their home for 430 years (Ex 12:40).

The point of all this context is that God uses inadequate, sinful people for HIS GLORY! So when we walk seeking the will of God, we can't go wrong. Because each circumstance, success, and failure, can ultimately be used for the glory of God. When we start to believe we can do anything without him, we quickly fall on our faces because we are ultimately here to bring Him glory. Make it your daily prayer and ultimate goal to glorify God in all you say and do, and only then will you find true success. Christ took care of our sin on the cross, and now all we are to do is glorify him with our redeemed lives. Note that God is not only a loving God, but literally love incarnate. I'm not going to give you the "God is love" speech, because not only is he love, but he is also just. Notice that this passage works out great for the Israelites, but remember that tons of Egyptians swallowed way too much sea water.

A final thought; in 2 Corinthians 12 Paul writes-

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

(vs 9-10)

 That in our weakness, Christ may be glorified.

Amber

Aroma of Christ

aroma. n.  a distinctive pervasive and usually pleasant or savory smell. b. A distinctive, intangible quality; an aura.

Aside:
Personally, I enjoy the use of pervasive here. Pervasive means "spreading widely through an area or group of people". I would also like to note that both definitions use the word distinctive.

Have you ever considered what sin smells like? I know many of us consider the image of rags to glory when contemplating salvation, that we were naked and overcome with shame prior to encountering our glorious Savior, and that His redemption makes us white as snow before our Maker, the God of the universe. Think of your favorite aroma, baked cookies from the kitchen, the scent of rain, your favorite flowers. Now to only think of the worst smell this earth has to offer, for me sulfur comes to mind (smells similar to rotten eggs). Christ takes our nastiness, though it may be an intangible quality or simply an aura about us, and restores is to the best aroma. When we live out our lives pursuing the holiness of Christ, we become the aroma of our Savior to God. We essentially become a pleasing fragrance to God, no longer filled with the stench of this sin-filled world, but rather the glory of our King.

^"But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ."
 2 Corinthians 2:14-17 (emphasis added)

Consider that the passage says we are not only the aroma to God, but also to those who are coming to know Christ, and those who are perishing, or do not yet know Christ. Think of the unsaved people you interact with each and every day, what kind of aroma do you bring to their lives? Is it enticing, inviting? Or is it an aroma of bitterness, selfishness, maybe discontent? We are commissioned by God, in the sight of God, we should strive for sincerity in our walks.

So take a step back today, how do unbelievers perceive you? As freshly baked cookies or rotten eggs? Ask Christ to mold you into His aroma, that we may win some who are lost.

That you would be a fragrance pleasing to our Lord,

amber

Bosnia - Day 3

 Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the work you're doing in everyone on the team. Please bless the središte nade and open the hearts of those they serve to salvation. Help us to be a huge help to them. Please open our hearts and help us to learn from these people. If you are burdening my heart for Bosnia, make it clear when I leave this place. Help my heart to be sensitive to your voice. amen.

Today is Sunday. We had cereal for breakfast, which I quite enjoyed (I love cereal). We then took the morning walk by the river down to the center. We then went through a full orientation on Bosnian culture, history, and couth. It is truly incredible how much pain this single people has endured, and it breaks my heart that we cannot simply share the wholeness found in Christ. (Open air evangelism is illegal in Bosnia). We then began preparation for the health fair we would present at a village school. We also did some preparation for teaching english. Part of our agenda while in Bosnia was to go into schools, teaching english primarily and also conducting a fair with lessons about oral health, eating right, and the dangers of smoking. The center holds a church service in the afternoon, complete with Bosnian hymns. I finally knew the letter pronunciations, so I loved singing along, despite my lack of understanding the words. The sermon was preached on John 9. Three Bosnian believers came to church, and it was so nice to see them enjoying themselves. The sermon was preached in english, and then translated into Bosnian, I loved hearing the word in their language.

Day 2 in Bosnia

Dear God, Bless Amila's family greatly. Allow us to help Kim & Steve today and glean from your spirit. Please keep us healthy.

Today is Women's day! For breakfast we had sausage, eggs, and bread. There was also Euro Kreme! Euro kreme is kind of like nutella, but its tastier and is split between chocolate and plain/vanilla.. though it doesnt really taste like vanilla. Anyways, we put it on our bread with breakfast and it is absolutely divine. If you're ever in Europe, definitely pick some up at the local grocery. After breakfast, we finished getting ready and met the rest of the team (Liberty) outside. We met Suzi, and she walked with us past the river (a beautiful walk we enjoyed each morning), to go to an open air market. Feeling adventurous, I decided to practice my Bosnian along the way. Unfortunately, I mixed up "good morning" and "good evening". So, at 8:00 am, I walked down the streets saying good evening to numerous Bosnians. They eached laughed and responded with good morning. It took me awhile to realize my mistake. Anyways, as a sidenote and Bosnian lesson, "Dobro jutro" (doe-broe you-troe) is good morning, and "Dobro veče" (doe-broe vay-chay) is good evening. Once arriving at the center, we helped the mission's team set up for women's day. Women's day is one day a year when women in Bosnia feel valued and appreciated, similar to our mother's day. The center prepares a lunch, and usually decorates for the occasion, welcoming in Bosnian women for food and games. This year, the theme was Hawaiian luao haha! We sat with the women and attempted some small talk, though our Bosnian was extremely limited on the second day. (Personally, I really enjoyed the language and tried to learn as much as possible during my time there). For women's day, the lunch was prepared and served by the men, whom were dressed in hawaiian shirts and grass skirts, for our laughable enjoyment. We also got to learn a dance the women do in Bosnia - somewhat relatable to Greek wedding dances (in a circle dancing around the room). We also played limbo and had a hula-hooping contest after lunch. Many of the Bosnian women hadn't hula-hooped before so they found this quite funny. When the women finished up, we received kisses as goodbyes along with plenty of ciao!'s and "vidimo se's" (veedeemoe say - see you later). After cleaning up lunch, we received a very brief orientation. The main idea was to not be product oriented, that our time in Bosnia was about demonstrating the love of Christ, not seeing results. We were also warned that if we admire something of a Bosnian's, they will probably give it to us, despite their financial circumstances. We then went home for dinner with Amila, Figrette, and Almin. For dinner we had a potatoe patty, soup, bread, and some kind of meat - resembling a pork chop. After dinner, myself and a couple other girls went to the weekly girls night held at the center. It is an outreach for middle school and high school girls in the town. A couple of the young women at the hope center set it up, and Bosnian girls come each week, along with the missionary's teenage daughter. To our relief, many of the girls were practically fluent in english and bosnian. We ate pizza, played games, and just hung out talking.. it was a really enjoyable experience but at the same time sad that these girls don't have Christ, and yet it is illegal to simply shair the gospel with them. Spending time with them really confirmed in my spirit that God is opening doors for me to minister to girls and young women, He truly breaks my heart for their lives.

My prayer is that He will always burn my heart for missions.
Love, amber

Here are some pictures!

Women's Day

Girl's night

...Pause

You may have noticed that I promised Bosnian journal entries... and then only wrote the first day. Well, low and behold, I didn't forget, in fact it's practically been taunting me in the back of my mind that I haven't yet blogged my entire missions experience. However, as I sort out my thoughts and feelings about what happened over there, I recalled that I live in America and I have freedom of speech, therefore my blog is not required to be maintained chronologically and that the blog police won't shut me down if I write something out of order.
And then I realized a truly beautiful thing; that God is a God of order, and yet He has created absolutely breathtaking madness. Not that anything God has made or set in place is disorderly, but that rather, it seems like madness to us because we are totally incapable of even slightly understanding the complexity that surrounds us. I am currently taking my finals and it takes one of the craziest seasons in my life for me to realize that the God of the universe the Almighty, He who says to the ocean "Now you stay there", is intimately and intricately involved in my tiny speck of a life on this earth.
How is it that we can worry about exams, stress about tomorrow, or feel overwhelmed in any situation, when HE who knit us together perfectly, HE who breathed the stars into the sky, HE who carries us through every storm is our advocate?
"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?" Romans 8:31
I exhort you, listen for your Maker, He is waiting to whisper peace to your spirit.

That you would find peace that surpasses understanding,
Amber

Day 1 in Bosnia

Gracious Father, thank you for bringing us so far safely. Help us to show your love, and to draw closer to you. Bless the people we come into contact with. amen.

There is a river running through the whole town, and it is absolutely breathtaking. Our host's are Figrete, Amila, and Almin. We are staying in a local Bosnian home. They are incredibly friendly and loving people, I am so blessed to be staying with them. I am living here with three other girls from the Liberty team, Melody, Britta, and Katie. Amila is the most amazing cook, (besides my mom) and she is quick to make us sit down and make us some of her famous coffee. Bosnian coffee is extremely strong, and boiled rather than made in a coffee pot. It is served in a tiny tea cup, with plenty of sugar and no cream or milk. The dainty little tea cups, plates and tea spoons are beautiful. We (the Liberty team) were careful not to admire anything aloud, because the Bosnians will definitely give you anything they have. For dinner the first night Amila made us a hearty and flavorful soup made with vegetables, potatoes, and sausage. It was really good, with the soup we had homemade bread. (I love bread). We also had chicken, potatoes, some kind of cole slaw, and juice. In Bosnia they serve bread with practically every meal, and it is SO good. Almin is 12, and his english is pretty good. He understands english pretty well, and speaks a little less. In the evening we watched tv in the heated sitting/dining room, and they helped us practice our bosnian. We also had coffee, and it was very good to my surprise. Coffee in Bosnia is a way of life, everyone makes coffee, and they have coffee bars, essentially a bar, but no dancing, no beer, just coffee, soda and some sweets. Also, everyone, even people who don't have money for food, owns a tv. The local favorite was a muslim turkish soap opera with bosnian subtitles. The turkish soap opera was pretty violent, but the bosnians seem to like that show. The only american shows in Bosnia are WWE, Almin loves John Cena, Sex in the City, and Big Brother. Basically thats the perspective they get on Americans haha. We also heard the call to prayer during dinner. Though the town is completely muslim, many of the muslims are nomilistic about their faith, never owning a Quran or praying. Other muslims are quite conservative, going to the mosque every day to pray, raising their children conservatively (similar to how I was raised!), and women covering their heads. We were allowed to shower as we liked, but of course used as little water as possible. On a funnier note, I have a european converter for my hair dryer, and the first night when I was blow drying my hair, all the lights in the house went out at once. I started freaking out because I thought I broke the house, but Almin quickly came out laughing and said "don't worry this happens all the time", pushed a button and voila! the lights were all back. Blow drying hair is practically a requirement for women in Bosnia, because Bosnians believe wet hair can cause serious illnesses. In the homes in Bosnia, there is one room with a wood stove, and that room is generally kept closed and very warm. In our host home, this was the room with the tv and where we ate. The rest of the house feels the same as outside generally. The first night we could see our breath in the bed rooms, but we slept under duve's and got warm eventually. We woke up a few times the first night, with the time difference and everything, but were so excited that it didn't bother us much.

I'll post more as soon as I can!
Amber

Here is a shot of the river, you can see one of the mosques and the mountains.

Breaking my heart for Bosnia: The Beginning

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the opportunity to go to Bosnia. Please keep us safe and use to minister to your children Father. Help us to be filled with you. Help us to speak and act with the fruit of the spirit. Put all our families at ease, comfort them and help them not to worry. amen.

I find it funny that we plan our lives and tell God our plans as if our ideas are the best. haha. I have always felt a strong call and burden for missions, but never saw myself going to Europe long term. Though I was very excited to go to Bosnia short-term, I didn't picture myself returning. For some reason I've always felt that Europeans are wealthy people, who don't have many needs when compared with third world countries. God really used my time in Bosnia to break my heart for the Muslim community and to show me His ways are always higher than mine. I would like to encourage you, that partially seeking God's will (the call to missions for me) doesn't mean you get to decide the rest of your life (where I will go long term). "Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:8 NLT). I challenge myself, and you, to die to ourselves each day and seek His will for our lives each day. Bosnia was absolutely heart-changing, and I journaled each day. I will be updating this blog as much as I can, posting my journal entries.

Blessed by His grace,
Amber

Taking a Walk with Our Creator

"In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling." (Exodus 15:13)

For all the Ladies,

Sometimes I think what Christianity would be like if we were to truly fall in love with Jesus. Think of how falling in love feels, or what it looks like from the outside. Often we take lightly that the church is considered the Bride of Christ. Think of a wedding, in all of its glory and beauty. I imagine a beautiful church, complete with stain glass windows and sunlight streaming in. All of the guests are dressed for the occasion, candles are flickering. Elegant flowers decorate the sanctuary, the pastor stands at the altar, and by his side, glowing with expectancy, is the bridegroom. His hands are clasped, fidgeting from nerves, and he sways ever so slightly waiting for the grand moment. He feels as if he may burst when, suddenly, music pours throughout the sanctuary, and every guest stands. The bridegroom is now smiling more than he may have ever smiled in his life. Everyone turns, and the doors slowly open, and there stands possibly the most bittersweet moment ever to pass. It is the father and the bride. She seems to bring even more sunlight to the room, and his heart seems to be both overjoyed and broken at the same time. They slowly make their way down the aisle, the bride and groom have locked eyes and both are breathless. The father turns to give his daughter a kiss, tears in her eyes and in his. And here is the moment we pause, for the vows begin. Vows to love unconditionally, forever, to love sacrificially, to love without limits. As the pastor announces them man and wife, the bridegroom turns to his bride and whispers,
"I am enthralled by your beauty. (Psalm 45:11) You are a lily among thorns. (Song of Solomon 2:2) Many waters cannot quench our love, neither can floods drown it. (Song of Solomon 8:7) I love you, as only I can love the church, and gave myself up for you, that I might sanctify you, having cleansed you by the washing of water with the word, so that I might present you to myself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that you may be holy and without blemish." (Ephesians 5:25-27)
Think of the most breathtakingly (is that a word?) romantic evening you can picture, then try to grasp that Christ is dying to romance you. He is dying to sweep you off your feet, to delight in everything about you for ETERNITY! Not for as long as you shall live, but eternity! The most glorious part is, He already does. He already paints the sky for you, and dances in the rain with you, and carries you when you're hurting. Jesus desires nothing more than for you to fall in love with Him, too. He is the perfect gentleman and will never push you. He will simply wait in the boat for you, and when you get in, He longs for nothing more than to lavish His perfect love upon you. The only catch is, you have to get in the boat, you can't stand on the docks, or put only one leg in the boat, you must get in and sail away forever with Him. To be romanced by God is to be romanced by the designer of romance. I think of the story of the woman from Bethany who broke her alabaster box at the feet of Jesus. She then took her mostly costly possession, perfume, her dowry, and poured it on His head. The men there questioned her ridiculous notions, but the God of the universe hushed them, and said this woman had done right. "Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me" (Mark 14:6) hypothetically, she was in love with the King of Kings. She took the gift she had for her future husband, and gave it to Jesus. Love is a beautiful thing, and I think the best love we could ever imagine is only found in Christ. Discover yourself falling in love with the one who knit you together in your mother’s womb! (Psalm 139). When someone falls in love, it is almost as part of them is lost in the other person, the lovely thing about falling in love with Christ is that you can fall madly, totally, unspeakably in love with him, but He will never leave you or forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5) For Jesus is not just a gentleman, but a warrior, a warrior who gave his life for the one He loved with such vigor and passion, you. He is dying to just have the chance to take a sunset walk with you, ocean crashing in the distance, lean in and to whisper to you, "Take heart, It is I, do not be afraid." (Matthew 14:27). Dare to be blown away by your creator.

Gentlemen,

You are called to be the warrior of the faith. You are to love your future and current wives, as Christ loves the church. If you are unmarried, you are to love your future wife even now. You are to love her when you are tempted, you are to love her when times get hard, you are to love her when you're with your girlfriend, you are to love her with an unconditional, forever, sacrificial, adventure kind of love. Pursue the heart of Christ, the heart of a servant, a warrior, and a true gentleman. Redeem your future bride.

He said "Who are you?" And she answered, "I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer. And he said, "May you be blessed by the Lord, my daughter. You have made this last kindness greater than the first in that you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich. And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you ask, for all my fellow townsmen know that you are a worthy woman. And now it is true that I am a redeemer. Yet there is a redeemer nearer than I." (Ruth 3:9-12).

"At the wonderful, tragic, mysterious tree
On that beautiful, scandalous night you and me
Were atoned by His blood and forever washed white
On that beautiful, scandalous night"

Loving Christ,

Amber

Confidence in our Salvation

"But I trust in your unfailing love, I rejoice in your salvation." Psalm 13:5

As we welcome in the new year, I would like to encourage you to dwell in the unfailing love of Christ, to be overwhelmed with joy that He has saved us. As I recall 2010, I try to recall a glimpse of God's grace. Not that his grace is a small amount, but that I am unable to comprehend His all sufficient, everlasting, unfailing, perfectly consuming grace. Think of every instance of inspiration that happened this year, every new idea, and every beautiful moment, each was a gift of our Heavenly Maker. As we look forward instead of behind, remember to trust God, for as long as He is the one in whom we place our trust, we will never be failed or forgotten. David writes in Psalm 37, "I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or His children begging for bread. He is ever lending generously, and His children become a blessing." If you are feeling tired, or worn down, think of Paul's words in Philippians, "And I am sure of this; that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." (Philippians 1:6). We can trust that when God uses us to fulfill his purposes, we don't need to worry about what the future holds. As long as we continue to pursue His will for our lives, he will open and close the doors for our lives. In His perfect timing, the significant events in our lives will come to pass. And there is no timing more fulfilling and blessed than God's timing. We can have confidence in our salvation because it is Christ that delivers us in the hard times and good times. I am currently reading the book "Defining Moments" by Vernon Brewer. I would strongly encourage anyone to read it, and especially people entering missions or ministry. It has probably become my favorite book, besides the Bible of course. In it Brewer quotes John Maxwell, "If you tell someone your vision and they don't laugh, it's not big enough." I try to remind myself of this as much as I can, because it is when we catch God's vision for our lives, that people begin to question our sanity, and wonder if the impossible is possible. Brewer also writes, "Having vision means seeing the invisible and making it visible." See a need, fill a need. I think one of the greatest capacities of mankind is the ability to help others in need. Christ calls us to be enablers, to help people see their own potential, and encourage them to reach for the stars. In Matthew 5:7 Jesus says, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy." It is not our place to judge others, but to love everyone, as Christ first loved us, and died for us while we were yet sinners. As we press forward into this new year, this gift from our Almighty, recall that Christ is made strong through our weakness. Remember that all things work together for those who love God. "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good." (Romans 8:28). Remember that each day holds potential for beauty. "He has made all things beautiful in their time." (Ecclesiastes 3:11).  

 
That you may see the beauty of tomorrow,
Amber