I had the distinct privilege of meeting Hammer on Sunday of this week.  As a fulfillment of the work to which we believe God has led us, sksimants and I have begun volunteering at Stone Soup.

Stone Soup is a ministry of the Quapaw UMC in Little Rock.  On Sunday afternoons, Quapaw opens their fellowship hall and feeds the hungry.  Many of those who come are homeless.

At Stone Soup, I met Hammer.

GS found Hammer at the corner of the street waiting for the doors to open.  He invited Hammer in and found out he was a musician.  GS pointed that out to me, and thought that maybe we could make a connection.

I sat down next to Hammer and began to talk.

I introduced myself, shook his hand, and he said, “They call me Hammer, because I’m a carpenter by trade.”

He told me that he used to play drums and guitar.  How he writes music.  How he had came to know Jesus/God.  How as a homeless man in Baton Rouge he worked with a ministry helping other homeless folks.  How everywhere he hung his tarp, he built an altar.  “It’s pretty simple, really”, he told me, “all I need is two stones and a log.  I sit and pray and write songs and read my old Bible as much as I can.”

Hammer told me something else.

He told me that no matter what happened, God always took care of him.  God always made sure he had food to eat and water to drink.  Made sure that he had friends to be around.  Made sure that he always had a song in his heart.

As sad as I thought and felt that Hammer’s story was, he kept coming back to “God always takes care of Hammer.”

As they began to serve lunch, I asked if I could pray with him.  He said he would like that.  We prayed, and he got in line to eat.

As we walked over to the line, he said, “Don’t forget to pray for me when you think about me.  My name is easy to remember.  Hammer.  Because, like Jesus, I’m just a homeless carpenter.”

As the past couple of days have gone by, I keep coming back to that statement.  “I’m just a homeless carpenter.”

I remembered the Rich Mullins song, “You Did Not Have a Home”:

Oh, You did not have a home
There were places You visited frequently
You took off Your shoes and scratched Your feet
‘Cause you knew that the whole world belongs to the meek
But You did not have a home
No, You did not have a home

And You did not take a wife
There were pretty maids all in a row
Who lined up to touch the hem of Your robe
But You had no place to take them, so
You did not take a wife
No, You did not take a wife

Birds have nests, foxes have dens
But the hope of the whole world rests
On the shoulders of a homeless man
You had the shoulders of a homeless man
No, You did not have a home

Well You had no stones to throw
You came without an ax to grind
You did not tow the party line
No wonder sight came to the blind
You had no stones to throw
You had no stones to throw

And You rode and ass’ foal
They spread their coats and cut down palms
For You and Your donkey to walk upon
But the world won’t find what it thinks it wants
On the back of an ass’ foal
So I guess You had to get sold
‘Cause the world can’t stand what it can’t own
And it can’t own You
‘Cause You did not have a home

Birds have nests, foxes have dens
But the hope of the whole world rests
On the shoulders of a homeless man
You had the shoulders of a homeless man
No, You did not have a

Birds have nests, foxes have dens
But the hope of the whole world rests
On the shoulders of a homeless man
You had the shoulders of a homeless man
And the world can’t stand what it can’t own
And it can’t own You
‘Cause You did not have a home

I’ve thought about Hammer often over the past couple of days.  I’ve thought about his story.

Most of all, I’ve thought about two statements:

“God will always take care of Hammer.”

“Like Jesus, I’m just a homeless carpenter.”

I’m pretty certain that God and Hammer spend a lot of time together.  I believe that God has a special place in His heart for Hammer.  Hammer reminds Him of His Son.

I wonder how much more we would feel God taking care of us, if we would be a little more “Like Jesus, just a homeless carpenter.”

Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise YHWH: “YHWH looked down from his sanctuary on high, from heaven he viewed the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death.” So the name of YHWH will be declared in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem when the people and the kingdoms assemble to worship YHWH. — Psalm 102:18-2

One disclaimer: I do not intend to compare our experience at SOS with the experience of the missionaries who live in other countries for months/years at a time.

When I was a kid growing up in the Baptist church, we had a lot of missionaries who would come through the church and preach on Sunday evenings.  I don’t remember much about their various countries, stories, sermons, or even names.  One thing, though, that always stood out to me was the discussions about their re-entry to America and the American way of life.

While we were not serving for a long period of time in a remote third-world country, re-entry for me has been somewhat of a challenge.

Not from a physical perspective.  We still speak English, still drive our cars, etc.

From a spiritual perspective it has been tough.

During the week at SOS, we prayed alot.  (Standing on a roof, trying to hang the piece of lap-board that has now been cut for the third time and still doesn’t fit evokes a prayer response.)

We worshiped alot.

We spent time in the Word.

We grew our faith.

Coming home, we didn’t have that constant state of being in God’s presence.

Re-entry, from that perspective, has been a challenge.

As a people of God, we are called to continually dwell in the presence of God.  Yet, we don’t always succeed (or in some cases even know how to) in doing that.

Paul tells us in the book of Ephesians that we must put on the full armor of God and “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests” (Ephesians 6:18 NIV).

Paul gives us some further instructions in 1 Thessalonians 5 to aid us in living continually in God’s presence:

1. Be joyful always
2. Pray continually (cf. Ephesians 6:18)
3. Give thanks in all circumstances
4. Do not put out the Spirit’s fire
5. Do not treat prophecies with contempt
6. Test everything and hold to the good
7. Avoid every kind of evil

Throughout Paul’s writings, he expounds upon each of these points.

In 1 Corinthians (chapter 13), after a long discourse on the works of the Spirit and how the Spirit uses us and the types of work the Spirit urges us to do, Paul says this:

And now I will show you the most excellent way.  If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails.  But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.  For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.  When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.  When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.  Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.  Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.  But the greatest of these is love.

We’ve all read that passage.  Most of us can quote versus 4-8.  What many fail to see is the true context of the passage.  It falls in the middle of a discourse on the Holy Spirit, Gifts of the Holy Spirit, and proper usage of those Gifts (Chapters 12-14).  What Paul tells us is that at the center of living continually with the presence of God is love.

Love is the most excellent way.

Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise YHWH: “YHWH looked down from his sanctuary on high, from heaven he viewed the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death.” So the name of YHWH will be declared in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem when the people and the kingdoms assemble to worship YHWH. — Psalm 102:18-2

Friday.

Last workday at SOS.

Last devotion day at SOS.

Last evening chapel at SOS.

Workday

We wrapped up the main work on Ms. Hanh’s house.  It was emotional from the standpoint that we were done with our week, and that SOS was done with their eight weeks.  Ms. Hanh was emotional all day.  We were to.  God had moved in our lives through the example of Ms. Hanh.

We learned how to work like it wasn’t about us.

Devos

In Friday’s devotions we talked about doing the work of God at all costs.  We explored the example of Brother Yun.  He’s a believer in China who has on multiple occasions been arrested only to have God miraculously open the door of the prison.  He walked out.

We also talked about Jim Elliot.  Jim Elliot once wrote in his journal: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot loose.”  We talked about giving our all.  Total surrender of our lives to the work of God.  It’s not about us.

Philippians 3:7-10 (NIV) states: “But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.  What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.  I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ–the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.  I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.“

It’s not about us.

It’s about relationship with God.

Chapel

In Chapel, Kyle Storey talked to us about our response to God’s promises.  How do we respond to a relational God?

Kyle presented us with two responses.

First, “The Nation’s Mandate”.  Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV): “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.“

Second, “The Social Mandate”.  Isaiah 58:6-8 (NIV): “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?  Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter–when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?  Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of YHWH will be your rear guard.“

It’s not about you.

It’s not about me.

It’s about making the name of YHWH known in the world, so that a generation yet to be created might praise the name of YHWH.

Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise YHWH: “YHWH looked down from his sanctuary on high, from heaven he viewed the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death.” So the name of YHWH will be declared in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem when the people and the kingdoms assemble to worship YHWH. — Psalm 102:18-2

How much stuff do you have?

Think about it.

iPod, Blackberries, iPhones, Bose Headsets, Nintendo, Clothes, Laptop, Cameras, Shoes, CDs, Movies, Furniture….

If you’re reading this blog, then you have more than lots of people have.  You have a computer, electricity, an education.  Or, maybe, you’re reading it on a Blackberry.  Or, maybe, you’re reading this on a Blackberry while sitting in a Starbucks.

Remember: $2.50.

Excess.

If you honestly look at all you have, you will easily see excess in your life.

I once heard someone say, “show me your checkbook and I’ll show you where your heart is.”

The week in Memphis was convicting to me.

It hit me, that I have too much excess in my life.  I want too much.  I “need” too much.

Paul told us to be content with whatever state we were in.  Be content.

As you know, I travel quite a bit for my job.  Contentment isn’t something that I can say that I possess in my travels.  If things aren’t just right, then I become very discontent.  Exit row, aisle seat, car with Sirius, King bed, nice meals, etc.  It’s ridiculous.  And I’m guilty.

The other night in my quiet time, I read Proverbs 30:7-9.  This passage (TNIV) states: “Two things I ask of you, YHWH; do not refuse me before I die: keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.  Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is YHWH?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.”

Those with too much run the risk of not listening to God.  There is, additionally, the risk of debt.  If you owe someone, then it becomes difficult for God to use you.  You are enslaved to the one you owe, and do not have free resources to do for God.

Having a shortness of resources runs the risk of looking for ways other than God to have your needs met.

God is willing to give us bread for today.  Consider the Israelites in the wilderness.  God gave them manna and quail day-over-day.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 6 to worry not about tomorrow.  He tells us that God will provide for today.  Tomorrow will take care of itself — tomorrow.  God wants us focused on today so that we will serve Him today.

Faith teaches us that God is always “on-time”.  By focusing on God’s work, we can be confident — through faith — that God will provide exactly what is needed — TODAY.

Oh, that we could learn to say give me neither poverty nor riches.  Rather give me only what I need to make it through today.

Is your relationship with God more or less important than your stuff?

Stuff.  It consumes us.  It gets in the way of our relationship with God.

Look at the examples of the early Christians.  Acts 2:44-45: “All the believers were together and had everything in common.  Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.”

Binghampton showed us in a real way that we had too much.  Ms. Hanh was content with what she had.  800 square feet.  Four walls.  A roof.  Food.

Are you content with what you have?

Oh, that God would make us content with neither riches nor poverty.

Where’s your heart?  Look at your checkbook.  Or put another way, what god have you put before God?

Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise YHWH: “YHWH looked down from his sanctuary on high, from heaven he viewed the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death.” So the name of YHWH will be declared in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem when the people and the kingdoms assemble to worship YHWH. — Psalm 102:18-2

I love airplanes.

Wednesday was “Half-Day” at SOS.  You work in the morning, have lunch and devos, and then you are out on your own until 10p to explore Memphis.

We were going to Graceland.

At Graceland, not only can you see the house, the Jungle Room, Platinum Records and Elvis’ various cars, but you can also see his airplanes.

I love airplanes.

EB takes care of securing tickets and we head to the house.

During the tour, the lights go out.

It’s dark.

No power.

First time that anyone could remember this ever happening.

They decide to get everyone back across the street to the visitor’s center (where the airplanes are parked), and begin to have conversations on refunds.

If you’ve never been to Graceland, then something you should know is that it’s not cheap.

I was now bummed.  I wasn’t going to be able to see the airplanes.

EB works with the group sales folks on the ticket refunds.  However, computers are still down.  They tell us to tour the rest of whatever we want to see, and then come back and they would process the refund.

We saw the airplanes.  We got our refund.

We found God at Graceland.

The lesson here is that God takes care of those who take care of God’s work.

Way too often, God moves, and we write it off to good fortune or luck, and we miss God.  In doing so, we miss God’s blessing in our life.  If we could see that blessing for what it is, then our faith could be strengthened.

God cares about the little things.  God cares about us having a good time.  God cares about taking care of details that we fret about.

Consider Matthew 6:25-34 (CEV): I tell you not to worry about your life.  Don’t worry about having something to eat, drink, or wear.  Isn’t life more than food or clothing?  Look at the birds in the sky!  They don’t plant or harvest.  They don’t even store grain in barns.  Yet your Father in heaven takes care of them.  Aren’t you worth more than birds?  Can worry make you live longer?  Why worry about clothes?  Look how the wild flowers grow.  They don’t work hard to make their clothes.  But I tell you that Solomon with all his wealth wasn’t as well clothed as one of them.  God gives such beauty to everything that grows in the fields, even though it is here today and thrown into a fire tomorrow.  He will surely do even more for you!  Why do you have such little faith?  Don’t worry and ask yourselves, “Will we have anything to eat?  Will we have anything to drink?  Will we have any clothes to wear?”  Only people who don’t know God are always worrying about such things.  Your Father in heaven knows that you need all of these.  But more than anything else, put God’s work first and do what he wants.  Then the other things will be yours as well.  Don’t worry about tomorrow.  It will take care of itself.  You have enough to worry about today.

God’s got it taken care of.  We simply have to worry not about tomorrow, but be about the work of God today.

We found God at Graceland.

Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise YHWH: “YHWH looked down from his sanctuary on high, from heaven he viewed the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death.” So the name of YHWH will be declared in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem when the people and the kingdoms assemble to worship YHWH. — Psalm 102:18-2

• Poverty in the US (based on 2007 US Census Bureau data)
  • Over 39 million people live in poverty
  • Over 13 million children live in poverty
  • Over 15 million people live below half the poverty line ($10k/yr for 1 person and $22k/yr for a family of 4)
  • ~3.5 million people (1.35 million children) will experience homelessness each year
  • 24% of African-American, 21% of Hispanic, and 8% of Caucasian people live in poverty
• Poverty in the world (from http://www.urbanministry.org)
  • 50% of the worlds population live on $2.50/day
  • ~30k children die every day due to poverty
  • ~1 billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names
  • 1.1 billion people in developing countries have inadequate access to water, and 2.6 billion people lack basic sanitation
  • 121 million children have no access to education
  • The poorest 40% of the world’s population accounts for 5% of the global income.  The richest 20% of the world’s population accounts for 75% of the global income.

STAGGERING.

Mind-numbing.

Remarkable.

Those are three words that come to my mind when I read those statistics.

That was our devotion on Tuesday.

God wants to see people set free from poverty.

One of the key things learned in this devotional is that I didn’t have a real clear picture of what poverty is, how it impacts Americans, or the rest of the world.  Put simply, I (and likely the rest of the team) had no frame of reference.

We have been (by God’s grace) protected from this image.  Yet, in the scriptures it is made abundantly clear that God demands us to react to poverty.  Some of the passages that we discussed in this devotion were:

• Leviticus 19:9-10
• Proverbs 14:31
• Isaiah 58:6-7
• Jeremiah 22:16
• Matthew 6:3
• James 1:27
• 1 John 3:17-18

Poverty.

I simply can’t imagine it.

I travel the United States week-in and week-out.  I’ve seen homeless people begging on the sides of highways in El Paso, TX.  I’ve seen racism on the MARTA in Atlanta, GA.  I’ve seen children sitting in cardboard boxes in order to stay warm in Denver, CO.  Yet, I can’t say that I’ve ever had my eyes opened in a way to make poverty make sense to me.  In other words, I had never looked through the eyes of God.

Yet, being in the Binghampton neighborhood in Memphis, and seeing how people struggle to meet basic human needs, seeing how people like Ms. Hanh work to make ends meet and still fall short even though faith abounds, I have a better picture of poverty.  I still have VERY FAR to go to truly “get it”.

In our devotional book for Tuesday, we read: “Unfortunately, because of sin, people take too much and are not willing to share their resources with others.  But we, as Christians, are called to share God’s concern for the poor and to help set them free from the horrible effects of poverty in the world.”

Set free.  Set free to proclaim the name of YHWH.

Re-read the statistics.

We talked in our devotions about Haiti.  We discussed how Haiti was set on the course to poverty.  It was due largely to an innate (nationalistic) desire to be free.  They PAID for their freedom.  People gave their entire savings to help the country buy freedom from France.  The country gave all they had.  So much so that they could no longer meet basic human infrastructure needs (sewer, water, structurally-sound architecture, education).  All to say that they were free.

Is your freedom worth that?

Scriptures tell us time and time again that the heart of YHWH is with the poor.

If we truly desire to live in the image of God (as we were created), then we MUST help the poor.  I don’t mean that we simply give a few dollars a month to help.  I mean we do ALL THAT WE CAN to help the poor.  Both in the United States and abroad.  In other words, we give up our excess in order to help.

$2.50 a day.  That’s the amount that 50% of the world’s population live on.  $2.50 per day.  Less than the price of a cup of coffee at Starbucks.  Think about that.  It’s simply….

….STAGGERING.

Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise YHWH: “YHWH looked down from his sanctuary on high, from heaven he viewed the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death.” So the name of YHWH will be declared in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem when the people and the kingdoms assemble to worship YHWH. — Psalm 102:18-22

Monday.

I usually complain about Mondays.  This Monday wasn’t really an exception.  As an adult leader, I had to be up and in devotions with the SOS staff and other adult leaders at 630am.  I’m not a morning person.

However….

When you start a day with worship, it’s hard to complain about being up early.

After getting the youth up, having breakfast, and a bit of fun in the chapel, we headed to our worksite.

Once there, we met OUR angel — Ms. Hanh.

I call her OUR Angel for a reason.  Many times throughout the week, Ms. Hanh referred to us as her angels, yet as is always the case, when God makes you into a blessing for someone else, you WILL end up being blessed far more.

Ms. Hanh came to the United States from Vietnam in the early 1980′s.  She lived in a small apartment for the first four years while she saved up enough money to buy a little (1k sq ft) house in the Binghampton neighborhood of Memphis.  Ms. Hanh works full-time, but makes only enough money to met basic needs.  Her house needed work.  Lots of work.  She prayed for many years for someone to help.  Finally, SOS came.

For seven weeks prior to us arriving, SOS had been working on her home.  They had replaced the roof, redone the front two rooms, kitchen, and outer walls.  Work was outstanding in the front of the house on the outer walls, in the kitchen and in the hallway.

We prayed and went to work.

God moved in us throughout the day.  We all overcame fears, learned to do things we never thought we’d ever need to learn, and saw faith in action.

James tells us that faith has an actionable element associated with it.  We witnessed that first hand.  As we worked on Ms. Hanh’s house, she was always right there paintbrush in hand, working alongside us.  We learned about faith.  We learned about hope.  We learned about love.

1 Corinthians 13 became very clear to us very early on in the week.  As you do the work of God, then the cloudy reflection in the mirror becomes more complete.  The image of God becomes reflected back as one created in God’s image.  Being created in God’s image, truly means that you have God’s heart, you are God’s hands, and you do God’s work.

There was much work to do.  I can’t speak for all of the team, but I know that as the day wore on, I was a bit overwhelmed.  The emotions of the hardship that Ms. Hanh (and others in the Binghampton neighborhood) lives every day hit me.  I began to realize the excesses in my own life.  I began to realize the pettiness in my own life.  Yet I also began to see that there was faith.  Ms. Hanh was exhibiting faith unlike any that I have ever seen.

In devotions at lunch on Monday, we learned how man is by nature a slave to sin.  How due to the fall of man in Genesis 3, we were condemned to die.

That evening in my personal quiet time I read this passage in Galatians 4 (verse 7): “So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.”

Now, a week later, as I reflect on that passage, I think of Ms. Hanh.  I think of the faith she exhibited.  I can do nothing but pray that God gives me (as well as the rest of the team) the revelation that Ms. Hanh clearly has.  It is a revelation that tells us that we are no longer slaves.  It tells us that we are not merely children of God.  It is a revelation that proclaims that WE ARE HEIRS OF GOD!  In other words: “All that belongs to God also belongs to us”.

But, it’s not about us.  It’s about taking all that belongs to God, and giving it away.

Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise YHWH: “YHWH looked down from his sanctuary on high, from heaven he viewed the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death.”  So the name of YHWH will be declared in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem when the people and the kingdoms assemble to worship YHWH. — Psalm 102:18-22

Sunday dawned and to the church we headed.  There we met up with the others in our group.  There were 14 of us all together.  10 youth and 4 adult leaders.  sksimants and I were both excited to get to know those with whom we were traveling.  Nana and Papa were taking the kids for a week, which was very hard on sksimants (due to my work travel, I’m used to being away, but this would be sksimants’ first time away for a long period), but God helped her make it through.

Vans loaded and off to Memphis we went.

Arriving at SOS was an experience in itself.  As you pull into the driveway the SOS Staff bang on your car and are genuinely excited to have you as their guests.  This is when you realize that SOS is an abbreviation for: Service Over Self.

The entire week, and everything that happens within it, is about serving someone else.  The staff unloads your vehicles for you while you go and get settled in.

My initial impression was positive.

At dinner a couple of things happen.  First, you play the scrapper game.  I won’t give it away, but will say that you learn very quickly the importance of paying attention.  Second, you serve.  Each person at the table is not putting food on their own plates.  Rather, they serve the person to their left.  Service Over Self.

Chapel kicks off with a bang.  Music blaring, the staff is excited, it’s pandemonium, and it’s awesome.

Our speaker for the week was Kyle Storey, who was the Director of SOS-114 (another SOS branch in a different Memphis zip-code).  Kyle’s messages used the theme verse as a text and a launching point into the story of the Exodus, Creation, Abraham, and Jesus.  Very smartly woven and chock-full of good stuff.

He began the week with two things: “It’s not about you” and “The Lord’s primary agenda is to declare His own name.”

God is doing a great work.  And God is using God’s people to accomplish it.  But it’s not about God’s people.  It is about God.  This phrase: “It’s not about you” came back every night in chapel and a number of times throughout the day as motivation for the youth (and us adults).

I want to take a minute to unpack the second statement: “God’s primary agenda is to declare His own name”.  Look at verse 21 in the theme passage: “So the name of YHWH will be declared in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem when the peoples and the kingdoms assemble to worship YHWH.”  God is doing the work that God is doing in order to bring glory to God’s own name.

For me, this was a big revelation.  It’s simple.  It’s all over the Psalms and other passages.  But, I walked right through it for the last 30+ years.

Our jobs as Christ-Followers and YHWH-Worshipers (distinction drawn for a reason) is to be about the work of YHWH so that the name of YHWH would be declared!

As you go through your daily tasks, the thing to constantly ask yourself is this: “Is what I am doing declaring the name of YHWH?”  Another way to put it: “Is this about me?”

Then the king will say to those on his right, “My father has blessed you! Come and receive the kingdom that was prepared for you before the world was created.  When I was hungry, you gave me something to eat, and when I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink. When I was a stranger, you welcomed me, and when I was naked, you gave me clothes to wear. When I was sick, you took care of me, and when I was in jail, you visited me.”

Then the ones who pleased the Lord will ask, “When did we give you something to eat or drink?  When did we welcome you as a stranger or give you clothes to wear or visit you while you were sick or in jail?”

The king will answer, “Whenever you did it for any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for me.” — Matthew 25:34-40 (CEV)

So many things have been going on in the Simants house over the past several weeks.  God has been moving in our lives and directing our steps.  It’s been quite the adventure, and has been nothing short of an ongoing lesson in faith.  Yet, as Hebrews 11:1 tells us, faith is action.  It demands God’s people to be missional.

I could (and someday (soon) will) give you a background lesson on how I’ve come to know faith, love and grace as characteristics that demand a missional response.  I will say this much now, as you grow closer to God and come to know the awesomeness and bigness of God, then you will apply yourself to the work of God.  sksimants and I have separately, but simultaneously, come to know the heart of God for orphans, widows and the poor.

For sksimants and I, the work of God has taken on a four pronged approach.  I won’t take time to get into the details of each prong, yet should note that one of the prongs is the youth.  Another of those prongs is missions.  We’re not exactly sure the extent to which God is going to direct us in this prong, yet do know that there is a requirement for us to do (at least part of) this work under the authority of our home church — Asbury United Methodist.  To that end, we are engaging ourselves in the local missional work of the church (feeding the hungry, servant evangelism, etc).  Yet, are also undertaking larger missional efforts.

Tying the two aforementioned prongs together is our adventure that begins tomorrow.  We will be joining Ellen Brown, Asbury’s Youth Minister, and the youth from the church on a missions trip to the inner-city of Memphis, Tennessee.  We will be working with SOS-Memphis.  In Memphis, we will be working on the homes of people who are in need.  Additionally (and most importantly), we will be able to minister the love of God and the salvation of Christ to those people.

We believe that this is the first of what will be many mission trips.  As I said earlier, we don’t know all of the twists and turns that God has plotted on this pathway, yet we know that when God calls you respond.

We ask that you keep us in your prayers and thoughts as we progress through the next seven days.  We know it won’t be easy, but we also know that the lives of those whom we will touch are anything at all but easy.  Pray for us that we might be full of God’s love, examples of God’s mercy, carriers of God’s grace, and that we will be full of faith.

Also, keep an eye out here.  I’ll try to update as I can through the week both here, on Facebook, and on Twitter.

Finally, below is what has become something of a theme song for us.  It is called “Carrier” and was written by Jared Anderson.

When we love others, we know that we belong to the truth, and we feel at ease in the presence of God. But even if we don’t feel at ease, God is greater than our feelings, and [God] knows everything.  Dear friends, if we feel at ease in the presence of God, we will have the courage to come near [God].  [God] will give us whatever we ask, because we obey [God] and do what pleases [God]. — 1 John 3:19-22 (CEV)

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. — Psalm 91:1 (NIV)

If you make the Most High your dwelling–even YHWH, who is my refuge — then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.  — Psalm 91:9 (NIV)

Take a look at the connection.  We find in 1 John that in order to feel at ease in God’s presence (which we enter through the gates of thanksgiving, praise, and worship), we must love others.  Psalm 91 gives us the image of what it means to live in the presence of God.

Love is a prerequisite to dwelling in the presence of God.

The underlying message of 1 John is that you are either with God or not.  There’s no middle ground.  There’s no “I’m righteous, but I need to turn back to God.”  There’s no “backsliding”.  There’s only you are either with God or your not.  Period.

To dwell in the shadow of the Almighty takes us acting through love.  1 Corinthians 13 teaches us this.  If we love, then even though we now see only a backwards and foggy reflection of God, we will see God FACE-TO-FACE.  (Think Elijah, Isaiah, and John in the book of Revelation).

The onus is on us to make God our dwelling place.  This is accomplished by first choosing to love (and act on it), and, second, by entering into the presence of God (thanksgiving, praise, and worship).

While we’re on Psalm 91, dwelling in the presence of God, means that God becomes real and personal.  Consider the language in verse 2 (NIV): “I will say of YHWH, “[YHWH] is MY refuge and MY fortress, MY God, in whom I trust.”

As you read through Psalm 91 (and 1 John), it becomes very clear that the message of the Psalmist is that the sweetest dwelling place is the shadow of the Almighty.  1 John tells us that the mortgage for that dwelling place is love.

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