Press On

This past Sunday I had the pleasure and honor of leading worship with my friend Seth Bible at his home church in Archbold OH. Archbold Evangelical Church opened their new facility about a year ago and have seen some really incredible growth. God is doing great work in their community. On Saturday night they hosted a worship conference lead by Lincoln Bewster. Seth played a warm up set before Lincoln and then lead worship on Sunday morning. Adrain Taylor who plays bass with Seth couldn't stay for Sunday so Seth asked me if I would fill in, and I am so glad I did.

I love how our God Works, He cracks me up at times and this is one of those times. For the past few days I've been in a bit of a funk, just a little out of sorts. It seems like now that my trip to India is over there isn't any "big" event to look forward to and I'm just coasting along.

At AEC they have 2 services, traditional (8:30am) and contemporary (11:00am). I didn't need to be there until 9:30 for rehearsal but I'm up early anyway and decided to make the 2 hour drive over and get there in time for the 8:30 service. They are finishing up their building pledge campain and God has blessed them with exceeding their goals. So they are moving into the next phase of pledges to pay down the debt of the new building. This phase is titled "Press On".

Pastor Jesse Kahler's sermon was about pressing on as far as the importance of the congregation stepping up and continuing on the path to the goal. Even though they had met the goals set by the finance committee, there is still debt that needs to be repaid. So he talked about how to press on.

Here's the funny thing. It was exactly what I needed to hear. Not the importance of the pledges, but the importance of pressing on. As he was talking to his congregation about something total opposite of what I was thinking and feeling God talked to me. The was a parallel there. They had met the goal set up at the beginning of their building project, and I had met my goal of going to India. The whole point of his sermon was to keep moving, keep working, there are new goals to be set, and this is not the time to coast. It's really easy to put your feet up, relax, admire your accomplishments and say that was great, I can take some time off now. But here's what happens; we get complacent, we spend too much time looking at the past, we relax and forget that there is still work to be done. That is exactly what I've been doing, and that's why I've been a little off base. I need to press on to the next adventure, what ever that my be.

These are the notes I took from Pastor Jesse's sermon:

A person who presses on

- has a sense of spiritual incompleteness. They are always seeking to be more like Jesus, and they become more humble the closer they get to Him.

-refuses to dwell on the past. They learn from their mistakes and victories but look to the future.

-exerts enormous energy toward the goal.

I love how God works. I had a choice, I could have told Seth that I didn't have time to spend a good part of my day or the expense of driving over there, but I followed what I felt in my heart.
If we listen He leads us, talks to us, puts things in front of us when we least expect it. Thank you Lord for a great day.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. ¹³Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14 (NIV)

I'm no saint

Someone left an anonymous comment on my post "Processing". I left a generic reply but I feel that I need to comment further.

Here's the comment:
As I read your blog on your trip, I can't even imagine all the emotions that you are feeling. All the thoughts you are trying to process. Not sure I feel worthy of your friendship as I am certainly in no way far along in my walk with God that you are. May NEVER be! Reading that you just take "time with God", "time to read the Bible", just "time" in itself. Sometimes I feel I am on the right track but I always get detoured by something/someone. What a wonderful and Godly person you are. You do have so much to give to others thru God and that makes you an awesome man! Jealous sometimes I feel of people like you. Shouldn't feel that way. I do feel blessed with what I have and my healthy kids. Something is missing though.....

my reply:

God loves us right where we are. And once we realize that and surrender ourselves to Him, He does the rest.

further comment:

But here's the thing, I'm no saint. I don't read my Bible everyday, I get distracted very easily, I disappoint people, myself and God. I spend way too much time obsessing about trivial things. I make bad decisions. I procrastinate, I tend to let things slide, I don't plan for the future. I make mistakes just like anyone else. So knowing these things about myself I have to make a conscious effort to do the things that I should do. I pray every morning. I ask for guidance, strength, courage, hope, love, understanding, and wisdom. I pray every night before bed, I thank the Lord for a good day (even though it may not have been). I read Christian "self help" books (check out the recommend reading). I do read the Bible but not as often as I should. I go to church every week, and I volunteer there on a regular basis. Even though it appears I have it all together, there are times I'm totally screwed up. Those are the times that I really need to spend time with God, read my Bible and just spend time alone.

I wanted to share these thoughts a little more in depth because I think it's important to understand that it takes a lot of work and effort to surrender and walk with God. I am willing to put forth the effort.

"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ¹⁰For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
Luke 11:9-10 (NIV)

Debrief

We had our first India team debrief last night. It was great to get back together with my team mates, most of them I hadn't seen since our return. As I looked around the room into the faces of these men and women that dropped everything they were doing to set aside 10 days of their busy lives to make a difference for a small village of people on the other side of the world I saw something. I saw changed lives.

Processing

We returned from India 2 weeks ago today. Over this time I've been processing an overload of information in my mind. The emotions and questions about my experience have really taken a toll on my outlook and purpose in life.

When people ask me about the trip I have 2 versions I use to describe the experience, the "postcard" version and the "reality" version. The postcard version usually goes like this: The trip was great, God is doing some awesome work over there. Nobody was detained, or got deathly ill, the kids were incredible, the concerts went well, etc. I use this version with acquaintances or if I don't want to get into into my deep feelings and thoughts. The reality is that God is doing some awesome work over there. Lives are being changed, but part of the struggle in my mind is this: In a country with a land mass about 1/3 the size of the US with a population of 1.2 billion people are we really making a difference? Even though I could see a difference was being made in this small village of "untouchables", after about 7 days in I was overcome with a feeling of insignificance. There are so many people, there is so much poverty, so much trash, noise, traffic, and customs so opposite from our own, I felt overwhelmed. I'm a solitude type person, so knowing what I needed to recharge I took a few minutes to "get away" with God. While everyone else was going to work on a project I stayed behind. I got a chair and sat on the edge of the "tent city" near an open field with my Bible and did some talking with God. It helped for that day but I'm still processing through many questions and feelings.

So I've spent the past 2 weeks praying, listening for God's direction, talking with friends, and thinking about where all this is leading me. During the pre-trip training we where told that a trip like this will change our lives. We would go through stages of being broken down and rebuilt, but I had no idea that it would effect me the way it has. My entire outlook has been altered, things that were important before don't seem like such a big deal anymore.

I know God is working on something behind the scenes with all of this, but what can it be? So I ask that you pray for me to be willing to follow His direction, that I open myself up to His will, and that I open my eyes, ears, hands, feet, words, mind and heart to Him and the people I'm to serve. I have a feeling my work in India in not done.

Incredible India

We returned from Kalavai India on Sunday night. This was an incredible trip. I've posted just a few photos from the trip to give you an idea of the situation that is going on over there. God is doing some amazing work in this small colony of untouchables. Thank you for your support and prayers along the way.

Today is the day

I hadn't planned on posting anything today as we leave for India. But I get an email every morning from Joel Osteen Ministries and today's email seemed fitting to share with you today.

Before Creation

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

"For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight"
(Ephesians 1:4, NIV)

TODAY'S WORD from Joel and Victoria

Did you know God had a plan for you before the foundations of the earth? He created you to be holy and blameless in His sight. Why? He chose you to be His ambassador, His representative on the earth. God created you to reflect His glory. He created you to reflect His character, His righteousness, His holiness. Think about that for a moment. Part of your purpose on this earth is to be a representative for the King of kings and the Lord of lords. That should make you want to walk a little differently. It should make you want to talk differently. It should make you think a little more carefully about the places you go and the things you do.

Are you representing God's holiness today? Remember, God will equip you to do whatever He's called you to do. If there are things in your life that you need to change, God wants to empower you to overcome those things. Receive His strength and might today so that you can walk in holiness as His ambassador and live the destiny He has prepared for you.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, thank you for choosing me today. I ask You to search my heart and remove anything that is displeasing in Your sight. I accept Your holiness today. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Take a few minutes today and reflect on what Joel is saying here. Do you need a change? Are you representing God today? Are you willing to step out of your comfort zone to advance the Kingdom?

Take care friends, see you when I return. God Bless.

Tomorrow We Leave for Kalavai India

When I started this blog on April 1 2008 I didn't really have any ideas of what to post, what to call it, or if I would have anything interesting to say. I called it Brian's Big Adventure loosely based on a combination of the title from the Pee Wee Herman movie & a friend had named his blog Adventures in Life. Over the past 2 years I shared some of my inner most thoughts, quotes or readings that I've found to be helpful to me, places I've gone, times with my sons, Bible verses, song lyrics, and my alone times with God.

Life is truly an adventure. How we live out that adventure is what matters. I've tried really hard to follow were I believe God is leading me. And by doing so He has picked me and a handful of other followers to go to India to represent Him. I am so humbled even at the thought of being considered to do this, but to actually be going to India is humbling beyond words.

Many Thanks to everyone for your prayers and support! Without God putting it on you heart to help make this adventure happen, and your following His lead, I would not be going to share His Love with those who so desperately need it.

This will be my last post until I return. Please follow the team blog for updates as we go.

gccindiamarch2010.blogspot.com

Thanks again! You ROCK!

¹After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. ²He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. ³Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Luke 10:1-3