Bummer

It used to think that God's punishment of Moses for the rock incident was pretty harsh. God told him to speak to the rock, but instead of speaking to the rock, Moses struck the rock. In spite of the discrepancy, God gave water to the people anyway. Moses and Aaron received the full punishment for what they did. Their punishment was that they would not be able to enter the promised land of Israel. 40 years of faithful service in the desert could not overthrow the ruling. Despite all that Moses had done, he would not be entering the promised land.

The fulfillment comes in Deuteronomy 34 when God takes Moses up onto Mt Nebo where Moses dies and God buries him. Is this harsh?

Then I thought of the phrase "Promised Land". God was denying access to the land across the Jordan, but what was he getting instead? No where in the Torah is there any mention of life in heaven after we die. (This is why the Sadducees don't believe in the resurrection, because the only adhere to Genesis-Deuteronomy as their bible) So it is very likely that Moses did not know that anything else could possibly be in store for him. It looked like a punishment to Moses, but in fact he was receiving the true Promised land that is incomparably greater than the one he was being denied.

One only has to read a few chapters into Joshua to realize that crossing over with the others would not have been any reward at all to a weary old man like Moses.

Only now that Moses had entered the true Promised land, would there be no more grumbling, complaining, usurping, rebellion, hunger, thirst, sweat, dirt, sunburn...etc.

Not getting what he wanted, was the best thing that could have ever happened to Moses at this point.

Did you not get what you wanted for Christmas? Then try to see it from another point of view. It just might be that greater blessings are in store for you.

Vanishing Mist

When asked where I am from, my reply is usually determined by how far from home I am at the time. While in Korea, I would simply say that I was from the U.S. While in Tennessee, I have to specify that I am from Texas. Among the Churches of Christ, I can specify further and say that I am from Abilene. This is partially true, since, for the most part, I went to school in Abilene, did our shopping in Abilene, went to church in Abilene, and went to college. The truth of the matter is that I actually grew up in a town called Tuscola. I rarely cite this as my home town because with only 600 people in the town, it is not likely to register on many maps. Yet from the small town of Tuscola, TX comes the most talked about College football player this year, Colt McCoy. I wondered how much pride that would give a little town like Tuscola, which has little else to brag about. How long will that little town be telling stories of the great McCoy's humble childhood.
I now live in Troy, TN--a slightly larger small town of 1200. I have been walking to work recently and on my way, I pass through a cemetary. On one of the tombstones was written, "Pete 'Toe' Gudauskas, NFL, Chicago Bears". With my curiosity aroused, I made a note to look up this name on the internet. I found that Pete was a kicker for the Chicago Bears in the 40's and one year he made more PAT's than anyone else in the entire NFL. In his entire NFL career, he only missed 2 PAT's. I have asked a few if they had ever heard of him, but so far, none have.
The memory of Pete Gudauskas' considerable athletic achievements have faded even from this small town in which his body rests. I daresay, that Tuscola will easily forget the name of Colt McCoy before the end of the century.
Our lives are truly a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. There is little chance of any of us carving out an enduring legacy, nor is there much point if we succeed. But while our lives fade like the grass, we can find our place in the eternal story, by joining in the story of another boy from a small town a world away from here. A tiny village has held it's head high for 2000 years (and will continue to do so for as long as this world lasts) all because of a baby born in stall, who became the King of kings and Lord of lords, the Lion of Judah, the Lamb of God. It was he whose name swept away the memory of the great empires of Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome in Daniel's vision. The infant who was called Jesus, Immanuel, God With Us, born in the little town of Bethlehem, he will be remembered for all eternity, and if we align our lives with his, so will we.

And the Snakes Remain

As I walked to work this morning, I was listening to Numbers. The highlight of what I heard, was the story of the venomous snakes. It is set towards the end of the 40 years of wandering in the desert. The Israelites had grumbled, complained, and rebelled repeatedly since God had delivered them out of slavery. On the other occasions that they grumbled about food or water, God provided what they were asking for. This time, however, the Israelites had taken it too far. So God sent venomous snakes among them as a punishment. When they realized they had sinned, they prayed that God take the snakes away. Instead, God had Moses make a bronze snake and put it on a pole so that when anyone was bitten, they could look up at the snake and they would be healed and not die (Thus the medical symbol for healing--snake on a pole).

What strikes me most is the snakes (pun intended). Why didn't God take them away like they asked. Wouldn't it have been much simpler to remove the snakes instead of having to cure the people as they continued to get bitten.

But as I look at the history of God's relationship with people, it becomes obvious that it was necessary to let the snakes remain. Anytime life is easy, the Israelites forget their dependence on God. When they have all they need, they forget that they would starve without God's providence. And without tangible reminders of their sin, they would forget that they require God's healing and forgiveness.

I hope we can always be thankful for God's providence, forgiveness and healing without the aid of snakes.

I Will Kill You

As I was reading through Exodus, something occurred to me that never did before. Beginning with the Big 10 in Chapter 20, there is a long list of commands. The ten commandments are stated without any reference to punishments for lawbreakers. Through the next couple of chapters there are several offenses for which there are prescribed penalties from fines to death. In all cases, the sentencing and punishment is to be carried out by the Israelite community. However, in Exodus 22:22-24 God himself intervenes to pronounce the judgment, the sentence, and carry out the punishment.

"Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan. If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry. My anger will be aroused and I will kill you with the sword; your wives will become widows and your children- fatherless."

The sudden shift is unmistakable and the implications are equally clear. Don't mess with the helpless ones of this world.

People who mistreat those who have no voice, will find God has become their enemy.

All That For Lentil Stew!?

I have gone back to the beginning in my Bible reading and am currently reading about Jacob.  In Malachi and Romans the Bible claims that God loved Jacob and hated Esau.  In Romans it goes on to say that this was decided before they were even born.  As I read the account of Jacob and Esau, there was a statement that struck me as odd.  It says that when Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of lentil stew, "Esau despised his birthright."  I began thinking about why Esau's actions were so bad and it occured to me that there was something deeper going on there.  Esau, as far as he knew, was the child through whom God would build a nation of people.  He must have heard the stories about Grandpa Abe and how God gave him a son when it seemed impossible.  He knew that Abraham trusted God so much that he was willing to give up his only son.  He knew that Abraham trusted that God could raise up children for him from the stones.  He knew that God had blessed Isaac and taken care of him.  Despite this knowledge, Esau feared that he would be left to die of starvation.  He did not trust God to take care of his well being.  He left God's promise of blessing, for a bowl of lentil soup.  He valued the immediate provisions more than the eternal provider.  It is for this reason he despised his blessing, and worse-- the One from whom all blessings flow.  

How often to we become shortsighted like Esau?  Let us never be decieved into thinking that food, water,  and air is what keeps us alive, it is God who is the author and sustainer of life.

Debate 1: Sweatshops

I have only recently begun to think deliberately on worldwide issues, much to my shame. As citizens of the most powerful country in the world, we must always be mindful of how our actions affect the rest of the world. We have a responsibility to be Christ not only to our countrymen, but to all who are made in God's image. I must thank Clay for helping me to think more beyond our borders. I read one of his emails to his family that addressed his concern for sweatshop workers. I have been thinking on the subject for a while and have done some limited internet research but still am not sure how a Christian living in America should respond to the issue. Here are some possible choices:

Do nothing. Just continue living your life as though nothing is wrong.

Boycott all goods produced in a sweatshop.

Become an activist to raise awareness for the situation.

Help fund organizations that are working to improve working conditions around the world.

As I am still formulating my stance, I have submitted my opinion as a comment and I want you to comment as well so that we can learn from each other.

Back to Business

This has been a great but crazy summer for me. I don't think I have ever traveled so much in so short a time ever in my life. I traveled 13,150 miles which included 127 hours of driving and 3 plane trips, and I spent 38 nights away from home. While I don't regret having traveled so much, I am certainly glad to be home.

One of the main reasons I am glad to be back is so I can find some routine in my life. It was nearly impossible to keep any sort of schedule this summer. Because of that, my bible study, prayer life, eating and exercise habits, family structure, etc., has all suffered.

A sermon I heard while in Malibu convinced me that I desperately needed structure and discipline in my life in order to grow spiritually. I have been frustrated at my lack of spiritual growth for quite some time. What I didn't realize, was that I was not actively pursuing spiritual growth. How absurd would it be if someone expected to excel in basketball without ever practicing? How crazy is it to expect to get straight A's in school without ever paying attention in class, without reading your textbooks or doing your homework? It's ridiculous! And yet this is exactly what I was expecting in my spiritual life-- growth without effort.

Beginning today, I am actively seeking to bring discipline back into my life. I will no longer wait for Jude's cries to wake me up, but will wake myself up in time to exercise, read, and pray before the day gets underway. Reading the bible and praying are probably the two most important spiritual disciplines. If you aren't familiar with the spiritual disciplines, they are grouped into 3 major categories (according to Richard Foster's Celebration of Discipline), Inward Disciplines, Outward Disciplines, and Corporate Disciplines. The Inward Disciplines are Meditation, Prayer, Fasting, and Study. The Outward Disciplines are Simplicity, Solitude, Submission, and Service. And the Corporate Disciplines are Confession, Worship, Guidance, and Celebration.

I am first committing to incorporating Prayer and Bible reading into my daily routine. When I have consistently been reading and praying daily for 3 months, I will add another discipline. Then, when I have successfully incorporated another discipline into my daily routine for 3 months, I will add another. In this way, I hope to do all I can to train myself for godliness, "for physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come."

Three things I ask of you; pray for my efforts, hold me accountable by asking how I have been doing in this endeavor, and join me if you are ready to grow. I pray that God blesses all who seek Him with new and surprising growth.

A Taste of Mexico Mission 2008

Hey guys, I thought I'd post some pictures from the trip to Mexico we took in June. Not only did we have a great experience in Mexico, but there were many obstacles we faced on the way there and back that God helped us through. Nothing is too big for God :) I will try to give a good account of the entire round trip there and back...

We will start with our first night in Abilene, TX. Nothing really happened from Troy to Abilene. It was just a long day of driving. We went through Dallas were we saw the Texas stadium and the new one that's being built, too.

New Texas stadium under construction

Drew's wonderful mother opened her home to us and fed us a great meal. She is truely an amazing lady. There were kids sleeping everywhere in her home! We are all grateful for her generosity. Here we met Drew's best friend from high school. He let us ride in the back of his new nice big truck to the campus of ACU where they went to college. I forgot my camera so I have no pictures for this :( We walked around campus and saw cool art and a room made of stained glass windows. It was all very beautiful. We started out the next day and we drove and drove and drove....seemly endless drive through Texas, a small part of New Mexico and Arizona.

We stopped at a state/national park..? one or the other. It was a desert. Chelsea got a cactus poker in her toe. I'm not sure which state this was in though...Like I said, it was a long drive...

So we finally arive in Yuma, Arizona. We ate at Whataburger and got settled into our very nice hotel. It was really nice and clean. I think it was like a 108 degrees that day. No humidity though so it was nicer than the hot here. All was well until the next morning. We had a great breakfast at the hotel. Drew mistakenly let Gary have the keys to the church van. Gary left them on the bus and what do you know...the door got shut and of course it was locked. So Gary and Cory plot to pick the lock and retrieve the keys seeing as we have no extra, while the rest of us happily go on eating our nice breakfast. Katherine finds out about the disaster and tells me. So I break the news to Drew. He decides that I can fit through the window, located below...

6 INCHES TALL! Yeah, so I stand on Drew's shoulders and with little difficulty fitting my head through it's all good and we are on our way, and we give God the glory for helping us and not leaving us stranded in Yuma.

I have no idea what state these windmills were in

These mountains of rock were in Cali

Awesome! Sand dunes!

We arrived in San Diego, CA on friday morning. We first took a trip to the zoo where we saw some of God's creations that we don't see on a daily basis in Troy.

We got done at the zoo, and headed to check into our hotel. Drew went inside to get our room keys and things while we sat out on the van. We had been sitting for awhile when all of a sudden things get crazy. I see a man run by and then some other men and a woman pulling out guns all dressed in plain street clothes. So I think to myself, "maybe we should duck" and "are they going to just shoot that guy" and "oh man this is bad". I look around and there are cars all around us and then cop cars begin pulling up. We are surrounded. Turns out the people with the guns were cops...lucky for us. They were only a few feet from us and the van door was open. Some lady walked by and asked us if the men they were arresting were are drivers. Ha! So Drew comes out, and he is just looking around like wow and he walks up and says, "Give me my camera" of course. So we all got a slight scare then it was all "dude! that was cool."

This dude thinks he is really cool with is gun and all

Mr. "I'm buff" here controls the scene

So with that out of the way we get settled into the hotel. We went to the beach earlier before all that, and then we went back that night to have a devo. This turned into quite an event. We parked between the beach and the bay. There were some fireworks we noticed at the bay so we walked over to see them, and then headed back to the bus to grab some blankets for the devo since it was pretty chilly out. Matt was right in front of me as we first headed to the beach and that was the last I saw of him for a long, long time. Keep in mind it was dark out at this time. We stopped by some restrooms and gathered back by the wall at the beach. It was then that we realized Matt was gone. So we looked in the bathrooms...no Matt. Looked around a little...still no Matt. Drew took off on a search. The rest of us were told not to move from the spot we were at. No one could leave...for any reason whatsoever. This was serious. I was thinking maybe someone kidnapped the kid. We waited for approximately an hour or so. During this time a few events happened, not real important to the point I'm trying to make here so we'll just skip that. So I get a call from Drew. He had finally found Matt...at the bay. All the way on the other side of the parking lot and the other side of the bay. So the area we were at was pretty crowded and it all looked confusing especially to someone with a bad sense of direction which I'm sure we would all agree that Matt falls into that catagory. That kid got lost from the group so many times I can't even remember them all. Haha. He kept all our eyes wide open after this.

So we had our devo and reflected on the trip so far. We shared our feelings about what we expected to get out of the Mexico mission. We got back to the hotel for a much needed night's rest.

The beach

We met up with the other churches on Saturday and had lunch then we all headed to Mexico to the City of Children. The kids are amazing. You can tell from their smiles...

This is Kimberly with me. She is the little girl we sponsor. She calls us "her americans." All week there was a sparkle in her eyes and a grin on her face. She was so happy to have us to love and be loved by us.

These pictures are from Colonet. It is the town where the church is that we are helping.

We made baskets for the church families in need.

This is the baptistry in the church building in Colonet. It is not heated, and it was COLD there.

This is Matt with some of the kids from Colonet. He was a real trooper pushing them through the dirt in this jeep that had locked wheels.

These are the chairs that someone in California donated to the church in Colonet.

When we left Mexico to come back to the US this fog was all over. It almost looks like we are in a plane looking down at the clouds.


We got back to California and got our van back and loaded up on it. We set out for home on a differnt route through Utah and Colorado and Kansas...you get the idea.

We got stuck in a huge traffic jam around LA which put us behind about four hours. It was like 115 degrees outside and when the van is not moving at least 40mph or faster the air conditioner just doesn't blow out cool air. So it was about like an oven in that van since we weren't moving in the traffic.

We got out of that and headed on our way. Drew took us to see the Hoover Dam that night since it wasn't too far from Las Vegas. When we got there we had to take all our luggage off so the guy could look in it to make sure we weren't going to blow up the dam. We made it and got to see the awesome Hoover Dam. Then we were on the way back to Las Vegas and while coming down a ramp all of a sudden the long window on the van door shattered! We thought it was Gary's Roman noodles that did it, but turns out it was a rock that he got on the way over to California that was up in the luggage rack.

So Drew found a Wal-Mart and got some camo duck tape and hard poster board and rigged it up. He backed over this bush when we stopped to fix it haha...

Then we drove down the strip in Las Vegas to kind of put things in perspective since we had just come from Mexico. It's pretty crazy how hard it is for some people to just live. Then here we are in America "livin the life" as they say. Never having to worry about having food and alot of the time not even giving a second though, or a first thought for that matter, about what other people are going through.

We saw this in Utah earlier on the day we went to the Hoover Dam and Las Vegas and all. I just forgot to put it up there before those pictures.

We visited the continental divide. It was 50 degrees there. So cold with short and flip flops on and just earlier that day we were roasting in the traffic! Crazy huh?

The mountains in Colorado were so beautiful

The rest of the trip home was mostly flat, flat land. Kansas...pretty much nothing there. Maybe a few oil wells..? We made great time on Sunday getting back by about seven I think. It was good to be home safe and sound and changed for the better.

The mission trip to Mexico this year was a great experience for all of us. We learned alot about ourselves and how lucky we are. I give props to Drew for doing such a great job driving us. One night until about 4am and then the next night until about 3am. He is a wonderful youth minister. I think I have covered most all the details of the trip...the main ones anyways. I may post some more pictures later when I have more time. I hope you all have a nice day :)

Welcome

This is the new blog for the troy church of christ youth group