DULLED BY DISTRACTIONS

Have you ever noticed how much alike we humans are? You talk to people long enough and you start finding out even the ones who seem so confident are insecure and the ones who are so good looking think of themselves as rather plain. When Jackie and I used to be the DTS leaders at YWAM/Montana, we had lots of students. We could nearly always tell how things were working from week to week just because the students from school to school (about 12 or 13 schools) would behave in very similar ways. Then when it came to counseling sessions there were also lots of similarities. What really amazed the students was when I'd tell them I'd done something just like what they'd done or thought some of the same crazy thoughts as they had. Yea, we are all very much alike and of course very diverse too. As it says in Psalms, "We are fearfully and wonderfully made."

What do you think it is that joins us together in this family of man we belong to? If you know me, you know my answer and since the only people who would actually read beyond the first sentence are those who do know me, then you have already guessed it's because God created man in His image. Man (and women of course) didn't come from monkeys, tadpoles or even some cosmic goo that melted and molded itself into a person. We are the product of a very loving and wonderful Father who lives in heaven and beholds us, His creation, with much love and tenderness. Jesus, though not created but rather begotten, while living on earth showed His disciples and friends (and enemies) what it was like to live in the image of God. If we're created in His image--if there's something of Him in you and me--how come we don't quite look the same as Jesus did when He was here? Maybe it's because Jesus was only satisfied when He was feasting on the food of heaven--doing God's will. “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work (John 4:34). I, on the other hand, tend to feast on the junk food of this world. Jesus' food was exciting, challenging and it cost Him His life. Mine dulls my senses and dims my vision of God.
We should be looking up--beholding Him who gave us life and loves us with such affection that He would give the life of His son for our ransom from sin. Do we? Sometimes. There are times when I get up to pray in the morning and all I want to do is be there in that moment for the rest of my life. There are other times when my mind is racing around like a I don't know what to offer as a simile but I can tell you my mind can move at the speed of light when a random thought blows by and catches my attention. The dullicious things of earth catch my attention and steal me away from the presence of God. I talked about this on the "BE QUIET" page but it's a subject that I'm still exploring and wondering about.

What kinds of things blow through my mind? Probably the same things that blow through yours. I'm starting to think that it's the "little" sins that catch us and steal the heavenly food we should be eating. Those "little" sins are the ones that dull our mind to the Divine King of Glory who describes us as the apple of His eye (Zechariah 2:8). Our dullicious appetite craves things that don't make us healthy and when our minds start dwelling on them--we are toast, gone, distracted, out of here, adios.

What's so very amazing about what I've just shared is that nearly all of us get deceived by the delusions of the dull and mundane. And the really fantastic thing is that all the time we are being such crazy people, our Father in heaven is longing for us, His pride and joy, with tender affection. Our senses, our very relationship with God, are dulled by the distractions of this world that we think are so exciting--even though they pale in light of the grandeur and glory of Christ Jesus our King and Lord. This God, this King I'm talking about is the One who...




Created us in His very own image; gave us paradise on earth and when we rejected Him gave His life so that we could once again experience heaven on earth through Christ Jesus.
















Caused the Red Sea to divide in two so that the people He so much loved could escape from their enemies.










Took a wild and unruly man (Jacob) and opened heaven up to Him.










Sent an angel to talk to the Virgin Mary about her future as the mother of God.



Our God. The One who loves us so passionately, does not have favorites. What He did for others, He can do for you. Do you remember this verse from ACTS 10:34
“In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality... ." The very same God who gave Paradise to Adam and Eve; safety to millions of Israelites fleeing for their lives; opened heaven to Jacob and honored Mary so extravagantly looks at us with compassion and finds great pleasure in giving us His Kingdom. He's so amazing that when He wants to go somewhere, He's already there. When He wants to do something, it already happened because He's not bound by time as we are. When we are lost, confused, in a daze, by our dullicious appetites, He's waiting at the right spot so that when we come to our senses and take our eyes off the dull things of this world we immediately see Him and are captured by His mercy and forgiveness. And when we don't just come to our senses He's already worked out a plan that will jerk the bit in our mouths and turn our eyes toward Him. He will spare nothing when it comes to winning us back from the dull and mundane distractions of our dire existence.

I've made a decision and I'm trying to hold fast to it. I WON'T BE DULL BOB. Would you care to join me? Would you allow yourself to be overwhelmed by God? Would you pray with me: Enter, O fire of God, and burn up the thorns of my sins and ignite my inward parts and heart with the flame of your love. Enter, O my King, and destroy in me the kingdom of sin and sit upon the throne of my heart and reign in me alone...? If you can remember this little prayer and remember our huge God at the same time, when the dull comes knocking at your door, you'll ignore it completely. If you can do it, so can I because we are very much alike--fearfully and wonderfully made in the likeness of God.

By the way, if you were wondering about the Coptic Church and the icons I borrowed from them off the web, I'm not a member--I simply thought their icons told a great story.

Got thoughts about this? Need prayer? Let us know. It's our great pleasure to pray on your behalf.

HEROES

They aren't soldiers in the typical sense of the word. They didn't need guns where they served. They didn't have the backing of the U.S. government. In fact, the U.S. government didn't have much to do with them at all except at tax time. What kind of people serve at their own expense and still pay taxes to Uncle Sam? Missionaries, of course. We don't see ticker tape parades for those coming back from serving overseas that were/are missionaries. And that's probably a good thing because whose ego could stand a parade in their honor? Not me! ha. Sadly, though, 1000s of missionaries come home every year from sharing Christ to those who live in strange and far away places and usually come home to a warm welcome from their families and friends and are soon forgotten. And when they've been gone for more than a year or two, often their friends have made new friends (quite normal) and the close connection they once had isn't nearly as close so they feel a bit isolated or disconnected. I'm going to throw a blog parade in honor of our friends, Chuck and Janet Lichtenberger, who are returning from Thailand next week after giving five and a half years of their lives to sharing Christ. You've read about them if you've kept up with our blog over the years. You've even seen their photos. Here's a photo of one of their "smoother" moves on a motorcycle. That red stuff all over them is mud! Let me back up some and tell you how this all started.

Somewhere in the 6.5 year ago range, Chuck and I were out surfing and wondering what we were going to do with our lives. He was a pastor and moving in a different direction and I was working at a hotel that was going out of business and would be unemployed January 2006. As we caught waves and played, I told him I had friends in Thailand and we could go over there and be missionaries. There are plenty of missing details, but that's it in a nutshell. We decided this was a good plan; our wives agreed and in January 2003 we flew to Thailand together.

That photo below is after Chuck had been riding for a bit longer and his smooth factor had gone up considerably.

Are Chuck and Janet heroes of the faith? I think so. What elevates to them such status in my mind? Chuck did something very simple a year ago that really impressed me. Jackie and I moved back here last May. Chuck and Janet were feeling like us, that their time was about up in Thailand. But they stayed another year after we left. You know why? 2 years before Chuck signed a 3-year contract to teach English at the university while I signed two one-year contracts. My commitment ended and we moved back. He had a year to go and stayed.

To leave would have been simple. It's done all the time--you give 90 day notice and they let you go without any hard feelings. Chuck gave his word and he kept it. Janet also had made a commitment to teach at a school for a year and she followed through too. Integrity speaks very loud.

They are hospitable. Chuck and Janet loved to have our university students come over to their house for ice cream get togethers. I don't know how many he did but they were numerous and always fun for us and the students. And the gospel, in one way or other, was always shared in a very natural and friendly way. Nothing was pushed down their throats except for maybe the ice cream and brownies. Oh, Thai kids love our western brownies!

Chuck's only equal in Thai language ineptness would be me. He was as bad as I was and most of the time we went from place to place clueless of what was going on. Yet even with that challenge--being unable to express your deepest feelings-- he's a man that is greatly loved by his students. How can that be? Because he cares for them. If one of his students was hurting, he kept pursuing until he could figure out how to help.

They are inventive. If you want to disciple a nation, you have to be able to speak to them. So he figured out a way to do that. He had written a discipleship manual years ago so he painstakingly had it translated into Thai, working with students to get the work done. It wasn't easy to do but he found a way and did it. He also taught a Bible study at our church (in English) on Sunday and from time to time preached. Does all of that make him a hero? Maybe. What sealed it for me is in the email he sent me the other day telling me of his arrival date and such. I'll quote him: I've been thinking about our time here and figured that it's not so much about 'what did you do?' (if someone asks), but 'what did you learn?'. I think that's better. God can raise up teachers from stones, but what He desires is our growth.

That very simple statement spoke volumes to me about what it means to be a servant of God. How easy it is for our egos to inflate as we look at all the things we've done. But when you look at God you realize that it's not that amazing and even what is amazing is because God worked through us in some miraculous way. Let's face it (pointing a finger at Bob), you aren't that special, but the God you serve and love and try and honor is very special.

Chuck and Janet aren't spectacular--they are down to earth folks who love Jesus and said "Yes" to the Great Commission. Another thing that I find amazing about them is that they have won a race they ran against me--they beat me to 60! Ha. Janet of course is still young, beautiful and energetic, but poor old Chuck....


Yep, they are heroes. And we are honored to have them as friends and honored that they will be starting all over again in Florida, pondering that "next step" that most people don't even think about. If you think about it, say a prayer for them as they reenter the U.S. It's never easy to start all over. If you'd like to send them an email and congratulate them on working for 5.5 years in Thailand, you can email them at: friarchuck60@gmail.com