Life is a Quest

A trip is one in which we control the plans
We know when the journey begins,
and when the journey ends..

A quest, on the other hand,
is an entirely different matter
On this kind of journey,
God is the defining factor...

You see, on a quest,
the bounds are significantly less defined
In fact, to go requires not only faith & courage,
but a willingness to die

If You Will Hold the Rope

"I will go down, if you will hold the rope" - William Carey

Go.

It was barely a whisper.

but I could already begin to feel my heart inside beat faster...

I thought,

"No...

He couldn't expect me to be the one to go.

Surely, this is a mistake

it must be someone else

someone more..."

qualified

Go.

The voice came again

it rang louder this time

and my head started to spin...

Go.

"Therefore, & make disciples of ALL Nations,

baptizing them in the name of the Father

and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit"

I understand, Lord.

I've heard it all before...

Go.

"And this Gospel of the Kingdom

WILL be proclaimed throughout the whole world

as a testimony to ALL Nations

& then the end will come!"

I know your Promises, Lord...

But,

it could be dangerous there,

and it lasts so long...

What about my family,

my friends?

"I consider that our present sufferings

are not worth comparing with the Glory

that will be revealed in us"

Silence.

excitement crept back into my heart

and a new beat burst into existence

light crossed my vision

and once again,

I began to see...

"Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ,

God making his appeal through us."

An invitation

of blessing.

Go.

I hear you, Lord...

But,

If only you heard what I hear in the night...

If truly you saw what I see...

you wouldn't pick me

you wouldn't send me

I am not the best candidate for this...

"My Grace is sufficient for you,

for my power is made perfect in weakness.

Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weakness,

so that Christ's power may rest on me"

David

Moses

Job

Jonah

Ester

Martha

Peter

Paul

....

All imperfect.

All vessels.

All used by God.

Go.

"In this is love, 

not that we loved God,

but that He loved us,

and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins"

What I could not do Christ did!

Grace.

I feel it.

I see it now.

But,

what if they have questions,

questions I don't even know how to answer for myself?

Go.

"God chose the foolish things of the world

to shame the wise;

God chose the weak things of the world

to shame the strong"

At this,

my heart began to change,

to trust a little more...

Go.

"Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

Go.

"Now Faith is the assurance of things hoped for,

the conviction of things not seen."

Go.

"And what more shall I say?

For time would fail me to tell of Giden, Barak, Samson,

Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets -

who through faith conquered kingdoms,

administered justice, and obtained what was promised...

the world was not worthy of them"

Go.

He says.

& so, I went.

Every Missionary needs a support team.

Will you join with me

in taking the Gospel to the Nations?

"Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful,

but the laborers are few; therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest

to send out laborers into His harvest."

Ask me about next summer and how I'd love for YOU can be a part of it!

"I will go down, if you will hold the rope" - William Carey

The Sovereignty of God

I'd like to take a few minutes to tell you about a girl by the name of Summer.  Summer is one of the precious East Asian ladies that I was blessed to get to know during my time overseas.  I met her at one of the campuses I went to after having lunch with a couple of other girls upstairs in the cafeteria.  I remember when we met just like it was yesterday.  Our conversation and friendship happened naturally, and I could tell that there was something really unique about her... so I made a note in my contact book to make sure I met with her the following week to have a conversation about Jesus.  


A few days later, one of my campus partners, Phil, and I were walking around campus trying to think of ways to make more contacts and friends… Our team had set a goal of 100 contacts per person… so that we would have enough phone numbers and students to make appointments [strategic time to share the Gospel] with for the weeks to come.  I had only met about 30 or so girls by this time, and so I was praying for big things that day as I went onto campus.  After hitting the lunch rush and meeting several girls there, Phil suggested that we try the volleyball courts to see if anyone was playing.  On our way there, I needed to use the washroom.  The closest building we had come to was a Foreign Language classroom building.  So I asked a group of girls nearby to show me to the washroom, and on our way there… I heard my name being shouted from down the hallway.  It was Summer!  Summer and I chatted while the group of girls who had shown me to the washroom wrote down their contact information, and then she [Summer] grabbed my arm and whisked me off to class with her!


"Are you sure I can go to your class, Summer?" - me


"Yes, of course. My teacher will be pleased!" - Summer


Next thing I know, I am in a international business course with about 100 other East Asian college students.  As I'm sitting there, wondering what will happen next… the teacher comes in and begins taking role.  It wasn't long before she realized there was an American sitting in the middle of her classroom.  Soon after she noticed me, I was beckoned to the front of the room. 


"She wants you to go up there and give a presentation about America" - Summer


"A what?! Summer, I don't know about this…" - me


My resistance didn't last long…. my "presentation about America" however was more or less just a Question and Answer session about my life.  It was really fun, and check out how God used it.


"What are you doing here?" - student


"I came to study the language and culture and hopefully make some friends" - me


*girl stands up abruptly in the back of the room and proclaims*


"My name is Christeena and I would like to be your friend!!!" - Christeena


"ME TOO!!!" - Chorus of 50 women…


I laid my contact book on a table, and 50 GIRLS gave me their names and phone numbers!!!! INCREDIBLE.  God used my "accidental" encounter with Summer to not only give me another opportunity to hanging out with her, but to completely satisfy the need for other contacts!!  I was blown away… And just when I thought it couldn't get any better… the time rolled around for my conversation with Summer about the Gospel.


We had set up a different day to meet because that day she didn't have any free time after class [she had another class after that one ended].  So, that Thursday, Summer met me at the gate of her school. To my disappointment… she wasn't alone.  She had brought her boyfriend and two of his friends.  In my mind, the most successful appointments were the ones with the least amount of distractions… but, little did I know, God had other plans :)


We made our way into the cafeteria for lunch, and my mind continued to race with ideas of how to ditch the boys… then Summer suggested that we all sit in a quiet corner of the cafeteria.  We grabbed our lunches and sat down to chat.  Her boyfriend barely spoke any English at all, and Kaitlin [another campus partner] was able to keep the others at the table occupied with intentional conversation while I spoke with Summer.  The conversation wasn't going anywhere Spiritual fast, and I was starting to feel discouraged.
BUT THEN… at a barely audible level Summer said - "Ali, are you a Christian?"


I almost choked on my noodles.


"Did you ask me if I was a Christian?" I asked for verification.  


"YES! Are you?" - Summer.  


"Yes! I am!"


"Really?! My aunt is a Christian and she gave me a bible.  She's taken me to church with her a few times, but I don't really understand much. Can you tell me about it?" - Summer


CHA-CHING!


My heart LEAPED with joy!  I told her I would love to talk more about it, and asked if we could go somewhere a little less crowded for "girl talk".  That got rid of the guys… :) I had also asked earlier in the conversation if I could see her dormitory, so that's where we headed to talk.  Upon arrival at her dormitory… her Japanese roommate and 3 others [of the 6 total roommates] were also in the room.  Summer and I then began walking through the Gospel… her English was very good… and I could tell she "understood" everything I was saying, but it wasn't clicking… Still, the Spirit urged me to press on… We began to talk about life, love, and dreams… she asked me if I had any dreams and what I thought love was.  We were running out of time, so I told her I would think about her questions, and have a good answer for her next time.


Next time came - I answered her questions by sharing my testimony.  There was an almost immediate difference in her response.  Suddenly, she understood that this was more than just a story… and it was even more than just something that was really important to me.  But she had a lot of questions… So we talked.  And boy, oh, boy did we talk! We talked for a good hour and a half before she finally said… 


"This is AMAZING… but how? What do I have to do to get this God? I must give him something?" 


Ephesians 2:8-9 " For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast.


Revelation 3:20 "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me."


"Ali, I want to open the door of my heart.  I want to receive the gift and know God!" - Summer


I am surprised that by this point I wasn't sobbing… We confirmed in conversation that she had a clear understanding of the Gospel, and that she wanted Jesus! IT WAS SO EXCITING! She prayed in East Asian… and I had no idea what she was saying… so at the end I asked…


"Summer, what did you say to God?" - me


"I told him THANK YOU for sending you here to tell me all of this wonderful news! Then I asked him to come and live in my heart so that I can have the gift and relationship with Him!" - Summer


"SUMMER! That's so great! Do you know what this means?" - me


"What?" - Summer


"John 1:12 - Yet to all who receive Him, to those who believe in His name, He gives the right to become children of God!" - me


"So then we are SISTERS!!!!" - Summer


"YES!! :) Not only have you now received complete forgiveness of your sin and had your relationship with God restored by Jesus… but we get to be SISTERS!!! Isn't that amazing?!" - me


"YES AMAZING!!" - Summer, with the biggest smile and hug :)


We prayed together one final time… and at the very end of our conversation… she looked at me and said…


"Ali, more people in East Asia need to know about this.. and I want to tell them." - Summer


BOOM - that's all I can think to say.  Man... God knows what He's doing… why He chose to send a wretch like me, I'll never fully understand… but WOW was I blessed to get an opportunity to share this moment with my dear sister! I truly believe that God is going to use her to reach many of her family and friends… possibly even the rest of the world!  The last few weeks in East Asia were during finals for many of my friends, so I didn't see a whole lot of Summer… but we met one more time before I left and so I used it as an opportunity to presented her with a journal as a gift with some of my favorite scripture and encouragements in it.  We had a great follow up conversation about how she can continue to grow in her relationship with God, and that day God allowed me a little glimpse into what He plans on using Summer for….


"Ali, I called my aunt as soon as we parted and she confirmed everything you tell me is true.  I am so excited.  I have told my boyfriend and my roommates.  This news, it is the greatest gift I ever have gotten. Thank you for coming to East Asia. Thank you for being my friend." - Summer


Heart. Broken. [in a good way]


I hated to leave.. but isn't it encouraging to know that God keeps His promises?? I love remembering what God did in Summer's life during my brief time in East Asia… because it reminds me of this truth - 


Matthew 24:14 "And this Gospel of the Kingdom WILL BE proclaimed throughout the WHOLE WORLD as a testimony to ALL NATIONS, and then the end will come!"


God's Glory will be proclaimed… and I can't wait to see the GLORIOUS day when He returns and calls my sister, Summer, and I home :)

Reflecting on the Promises of God: Living Missionally

Overview: It is my conviction and my privilege through redeeming grace and the power of the Holy Spirit to see the Gospel of Christ proclaimed to the ends of the earth...

Isaiah 55: 10-11
“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my Word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it”

Matthew 24:14
“And this Gospel of the Kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to ALL Nations and then the end will come!”

As I was reflecting on these passages… this question came to mind:

In what case is a limitation placed on a man or a group of people?

And the answer that I came to was this… Limitations are placed on a particular group of people when another man or group of people has been threatened! Which, led me to this conclusion… The Gospel is threatening; life altering; life defining; life giving. The Gospel threatens my life - the way in which I live it, my sense of control over that life, and even a government’s control on a life… Thus, when we allow it [the Gospel] to become central, it gives life and changes lives.  So then, it makes sense that Christians would, & even should, experience suffering.  The enemy isn’t going to dive head first into war with something that isn’t threatening to him…  He is warring against the people of God with everything he has because he is desperate to overcome - even just one. And the only time the enemy ever wins is when we stumble into his deception.  We are INCLINED to this end.  In our rebellion, we are appalled at the suggestion to relinquish control, sacrifice comfort, sacrifice our own "rights" to our life and the way it is spent. As I reflect on where I have just been privileged to spend two months of my summer proclaiming the Gospel… I recognize that government control is real, extreme is some cases, and something to be very aware of and wise about dealing with… but it is absolutely inexcusable to allow fear of any government to prevent the Gospel from being proclaimed in these places.  Our God is absolutely qualified to protect His people who He wants to send to those places… because we are not going for the sake of our own lives… but for the sake of His glory! And He promises that His glory will be proclaimed throughout the whole world! God keeps his Promises. So what are we waiting for?  What else is there to fear than to waste a life IN fear neglecting to Worship the God whom we were created for?  The Greatest act of worship, in fact the only true act of worship we have to give, is to offer our lives for the sake of Christ… and we are only qualified to offer our lives for such a cause because He has given Himself to make a way for us to do that… Grace is the thing that empowers us in the Spirit to do the Lord’s work - and Grace alone. I do not want to stand at the end of my short time having wasted my life. I pray that God continues to move in my life in a way that provokes me to live Worship. This summer has been this most life giving experience that I have had so far. I honestly can't imagine spending my life doing anything other than the work the Lord has laid out for anyone who calls upon His name and is empowered by His Spirit… 

Romans 15: 17-21 "In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God.  For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience - by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God - so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum, I have fulfilled the ministry of the Gospel of Christ; and thus I make it my ambition to preach the Gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, but as it is written, "Those who have never been told of Him will see, and those who have never heard will understand"

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All I ever needed.

I felt it first when I was younger
A strange connection to the light
I tried to satisfy the hunger
I never got it right


So I climbed a mountain and l built an altar
Looked out as far as I could see
And everyday I’m getting older
I’m running outta dreams


But Your love
Your love
The only the thing that matters is Your love
Your love is all I have to give
Your love is enough to light up the darkness
It’s Your love
Your love
all I ever needed is Your love


You know the effort I have given
And you know exactly what it cost
And though my innocence was taken
Not everything is lost


You’re the hope in the morning
You’re the light when the night is falling
You’re the song when my heart is singing
it’s Your love
You’re the eyes to the blind man
You’re the feet to the lame man walking
You’re the sound of the people singing
It’s Your love


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nSeSa638d8&feature=related

"For whoever would save his life,

would lose it.

But whoever loses his life for my sake,

will save it.

For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world,

& loses or forfeits himself?"

Luke 9:24-25