We're on the home stretch now! Monday, I made my last batch of chipati bread to go with the pot of pinto beans we're living on this week. Weird that I've gone through one large and one small container of shortening this month, plus part of one small container that I had leftover in my cupboard to begin with. By the way, that one small container had been in my cupboard for almost 2 years...no cholesterol checks for us this April!
April 1st we end this crazy bean month with a dinner party so I had to do my grocery shopping today. The brisket was the big ticket item, but the orange juice and cereal are definitely the two things my family is most looking forward to eating again. I'll admit that the convenience of pouring cereal into a bowl is appealing after all the hot breakfasts I've had to prepare this month.
In times of great temptation, like when I really just want to ignore the beans and order a pizza, I've asked God, "Why again am I doing this? Really? You want me to go share the gospel? Have you seen what a mess I am?" So I've been thinking hard the past few days of what, exactly, we do on these trips. In short, we go out and spread the gospel.
I also remember that sometimes, it's just a good idea to preach that gospel to yourself every now and again so today I'd like to kill two birds with one stone: 1) I want to describe our methodology and 2) I'm gonna preach it to myself.
We are trained to share the gospel in a very specific and succinct way, following a brochure that we hand out to everyone we meet. By using the same basic presentation the team develops continuity in what message is going out to the people. It also helps translation go smoother. The method we use is called the "Good News / Bad News".
We are also trained to not quote the Bible, but to open up the Bible and read the scriptures aloud to whoever we are visiting with. You see, even if a person is not going to receive Jesus, they still honor the Bible as a holy book. The reverence the people give to the text is very humbling. Here in America many of us have multiple bibles in our homes - in some parts of Africa, it is a precious commodity.
So imagine I've come to your home, you have offered me a place to rest and we have made introductions. I tell you that I have traveled very far because I have something important to share with you, then I ask:
"Has anyone ever taken a Bible and shown you how you can know for sure that when you die you will be going to heaven? The Bible is filled with good news and with bad news. The bad news is about us, but the good news is all about God. I'm going to start with some bad news."
Romans 3:23 says "...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
Julie, remember that no matter how hard you try, you will never be perfect like God is perfect. Remember that "sin" doesn't mean you're a bad person, it just means you've "missed the mark" the mark of His perfection.
God's word also says in Romans 6:23 that "The wages of sin is death." A wage is what we are paid for something we have done so what this verse means is that my sinful choices have earned me death. Not necessarily a physical death, but a spiritual death. Since God is perfect and I am not, my sin keeps me separated from God.
Lord, thank you that I am alive. I remember how my old ways made me want to die and even now, when I give way to old patterns of thinking and acting, I see how lifeless those ways truly are.
Now for some good news. God loves us so much that he made a way for us to be close to him again. Romans 5:8 says: "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
If you were lying in bed dying of AIDS and I could come to you and offer to trade places with you, to take all your sick blood into me and give you all of my healthy blood, what would happen to you? Yes, you would live. What would happen to me? That's right, I would die.
Jesus, you did this for me. You stood in my place when you submitted to the cross. And you did it because you love me. You didn't make me clean up my act, you just loved me as I was. Even now, no matter how lost I get in my own struggles, you love me now - as is. It is my sin, my imperfection that should keep me separate from you, but no. You made a way. You made THE way. I don't deserve you, but I do love you, Jesus.
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works so that no one can boast." - Ephesians 2:8-9
God's gift of grace is freely offered. The only question is whether or not you want to receive it. All you have to do is say, "Yes Jesus, I put my faith in you." Faith means trusting him with your life. It is sort of like sitting here on my couch. When I took my seat I didn't first examine it to see how it was constructed, to know if it would hold me up or not. No, I simply sat down, trusting the couch was going to do it's part.
Thank you God, for making a way for me. I have trusted you with my life and I put my faith in you. As my day gets going help me to remember how trustworthy you truly are. Help me to rest in you when I feel overwhelmed. Help me to remember you.
John 5:24 assures me with the words of Jesus himself; "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life."
Yes Lord, even though I have not yet come to be with you in heaven, I know that you have brought new life to my time here on earth. I can see the crossover from death to life in what you've done for me here. You are good, so good to me. Thank you God!
So, that's it. It's been a while since I've worked through it all and of course, it's a little different preaching it to myself vs. sharing it with others face to face. Conversation works so much better than this one-sided blogging thing, but thank you for letting me share the Good News / Bad News with you today. You can all see how rough around the edges I am as a missionary, but it is so good to remember the truth of what God has done for us and it is good to preach to yourself sometimes. I know I needed it today just like I need Him everyday. I'll leave you with a picture of me sharing my testimony at a crusade meeting in Holo, Kenya.
God Bless You!
-Julie
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