The Simants’ are going into full-time ministry.

For sometime now, we have been on a trajectory to enter the ministry in June of 2012.  However, God has seen fit to change the timeline on us.

Here’s the 30,000 foot view of how this all came about.

Throughout the season of Lent, our church had a season of 24/7 Prayer.  Throughout this period of time, God was dropping us clues about our future.

• “Keep your suitcase packed.”
• “Called to the nations.”
• “In America, but not of America.”
• “Ambassadors of the King serving at His pleasure.”
• Etc.

So, we began working and praying that we would know where God was working, and asking if He would allow us to join in.

During the 40-Days in the “Trailernacle”, we watched as God paid off $18k+ in Student Loans for us, and provided us with the needed funding for our trip to Mexico.

While in Mexico, we were so incredibly at peace with the work that we were participating in, and clearly knew that in each of the places we ministered that God was saying, “Here’s where I’m working.  Yes, you can join in.”  Yet, we also felt Him saying, “This isn’t the only place or the only work.”

On our last night in Mexico, God confirmed in us the words which we knew He had given to us in the Trailernacle.  It was confirmed that we were called to the nations.  That prayer and leadership development were the key components of that ministry.

Within two weeks of the trip to Mexico ending, God further confirmed the leadership development portion of the ministry by bringing into our path a couple of people who appear to be pivotal components of that aspect.  We’re not sure exactly what those relationships will end up as, but do know that they were brought into being by God for a season such as this.

Memorial Day weekend, we spent time at the 24/7 Prayer US National Gathering in Tulsa(rusalem).  While there, God further confirmed the ministry He was putting together for us by bringing into our path more individuals who will likely be instrumental in helping to establish the prayer side of our ministry.

And while the details were still (and are a even now) a little sketchy, we were comfortable in beginning the process of determining when we were to step out.

June 3, 2012.

Clearly.

Cause that’s the date we had set.

Arbitrarily.

“Realistically.”

BUT…

On May 24, I was notified that my position with my employer was being eliminated.  I could either take a severance package (effective 5 August 2011) or apply for other positions which would essentially require at least a 2 year commitment to the company.  We began to pray for clear direction, even though we sort of knew what it would be.

We are confident that God has released us into full-time ministry (aka full-time short-term missions) on 6 August 2011.  While we are still finalizing details, we are working hard to that end.  Numerous things are in the works.  We ask that you join us in prayer for the following:

• Quick sell of the house and at the price we’re asking.
• Quick sell of larger furniture pieces and at the price we’re asking.
• Direction as we work to finalize a realistic budget.
• Direction as we work to identify what the calendar should look like for the remainder of this year and early next.
• Direction as we finalize the face of our ministry (name, vision, areas in which to work, organizations with which to partner, etc).
• Direction on whether or not we should purchase an RV/Travel Trailer for the work we will be doing in the US/Canada.
• Favor with international medical insurance companies as we work through rates/coverages/etc.
• Favor with the various individuals/organizations that God has clearly dropped into our path.
• Funds to meet our budget.

We will be putting out more information as we go through the next few weeks.  There are a lot of moving parts right now, yet please know that your prayers are VITAL to success.  God listens and responds to the prayers of His people.  So, please pray for us.

We ask that those of you who are willing to commit to praying for us daily, please respond to this blog (either via comment here, or on Facebook/Twitter, or a text/email/phone call).  Please let us know that you are committing to pray.  This will enable us to better keep you informed of what is going on as it is happening.

If you are not already, follow me on Twitter or friend me on Facebook.  We will be launching ministry website/blog/Facebook/Twitter in the next couple of weeks, and will let you know when you can “friend us” in those places.

We are excited about what God is doing.  We are thankful that when we prayed asking Him to show us where He was working and to allow us to join in, He graciously responded by showing us where, and saying “Yes.”

Pray for us that we may earnestly and unashamedly proclaim the Gospel of Christ!

Me.

In charge.

Uh oh.

The best way that I can describe this transition is:

sksimants=George W. Bush

mdsimants=Barack Obama

eksimants/cesimants=Glenn Beck

Well…. maybe not Glenn Beck, but definitely one of the (slightly) less crazy FoxNews commentators.

Yeah….

“That’s not how mommy does it.”

Nope.  I’m not mommy.  I am ill-equipped to be mommy.

“When mommy’s here she…”

Is your mommy here?  No.  So Daddy does….

You get the picture.  Dad’s you’ve all been there, so I know you can relate.

At any rate…. that’s so not the point of this post.

The point is this.  My kids blew me away yesterday with the lesson they taught me.

We were getting in the car to leave.  I was dropping the kids off at Nana’s and then was headed to Youth at the Church.

We get strapped in.

Shut doors.

Turn the key.

NADA.

Nothing.

Zilch.

Not even a remote attempt at starting.

Dead.

As a doorknob.

While I go into panic mode, the kids sit peacefully in the back.

I hear a soft voice: “God, please help our car to run.”

I get them out of the car, and begin to check the things I know to check.

Papa is on his way to the rescue.

The kids are staring at the frantic daddy through the front door.

And, I learned later, were praying.

On a whim, I put the key back into the ignition.

Turned the key.

Started right up.

Turned it off.

Again.

And…

Again.

About the time that Papa pulls up, the car is working great.

As we load the kids into Papa’s car, I hear eksimants tell Papa that her and cesimants had been praying for the car.  She was almost in tears at the goodness of God to answer prayers.  She told Papa that she was so glad that mommy and daddy had taught them to pray.

I was humbled and convicted.

As I drove to the church, I stopped to repent of my unbelief and my attempts to go it alone.

The kids did exactly what we have taught them to do in all circumstances.  They prayed.

I did what we as humans do in all circumstances.  I fretted and tried to go it alone.

I’m so grateful that their way worked and mine did not.

Folks, prayer works.  In every case.  In every circumstance.  PRAY.

Thanks, kids, for teaching me what I’ve been trying to teach you.

When all else fails.  When you can’t see the end of the tunnel.  And when you are on the mountaintop of victory.

PRAY!

I’ve been thinking about this question all day.   Not so much about how I would answer it, but rather how will my kids answer it in about 20 years.

In other words, what is the legacy world-view which I am implanting into them.

eksimants and cesimants look out over Tulsa from a hotel room.

My prayer for my kids is that their world-view is truly global.  I want them to understand the plight of the world’s problems.  I want them to understand the prayer needs in even the remotest of countries.

Even before sksimants and I felt a call to the nations, we had begun training eksimants and cesimants to see the world as a giant playground.  We wanted them to view it as fully accessible to them.  There is no where they can’t go.  It’s a wide open world inviting them to come and explore.

More importantly, though, we want our kids to understand that the world needs a Savior.

We want them to understand that over 153 million children are orphaned.

We want them to understand that almost half the world lives on less than $2.50/day.

We want them to understand that over 1 billion people have no access to clean water.

We want them to understand that there is a vast swath of the world who has never heard the Gospel (also known as the 10/40 Window).

We want them to understand geography, yet as they learn about the nations and their location in the world, we want them to know what God is doing in those nations as well as what prayer needs exist.

We want them to understand that they — just like ALL who profess to be Christians — are missionaries.  They are called to have a world-view that is bigger than their particular city, state or nation.

We want them to have the same world-view that Christ had on the cross.  It’s a world-view that says, your redemption is more important than my life.  It’s the world-view that Paul expressed in Philippians 1:21.  It’s the world-view that Jim Elliot had when he wrote: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose.”

When my kids look out of hotel windows, that’s the world-view that I pray we are leaving with them.

Dignity — Noun.  Bearing, conduct, or speech indicative of self-respect or appreciation of the formality or gravity of an occasion or situation

In the Scriptures, we have two stories of King David becoming “undignified.”  The first is in 1 Samuel 21:10-15.  The second is in 2 Samuel 6:14-15 and 21-22.

In 1 Samuel 21:10-15, David is in trouble.  Saul is chasing him with the intention of killing him.  He flees to enemy territory.  Not just any enemy territory.  He flees to Gath.  GATH!  As in “Welcome to GATH: The Home of GOLIATH!”

Yeah.  That GATH.

Let me take a rabbit trail here.  David finds himself in the middle of God’s will for his life and in the middle of hostile territory simultaneously.  It is safer to be in danger and in God’s will, then to be in safety and out of God’s will.

So, here’s David.  In hostile land.  In God’s will.  Fleeing from an even more hostile situation.  These Gath-ites (some of them maybe even kin-folk of the giant cucumber (as it were)) realize this is the kid who killed their hero.  And they begin to whisper around town.

“Hey, that’s him.”

“Is he the one?  That guy?  I thought he’d be taller.”

“He killed Goliath?  Our Goliath?  Really?  Why’s he here?  Is he nuts?”

David realizes he’s in hot water.  So, he does what any perfectly normal person does when their back is to the wall.  He acts crazy.  Totally undignified.  Lacking all decorum.  Lacking all dignity.  He goes stark-raving-crazy.  He goes Charlie Sheen nuts.

The King of Gath says, “What in the world did you let this guy in for?”

“Get him out of here.”

Fast-forward a bit.

David leads an effort of 30,000 men.  He sends them to rescue the Ark of the Covenant from the Philistines.  (Yeah, those guys.  Goliath’s people.  Again.)

They rescue the Ark, and put it in Obed-Edom’s garage.  Obed-Edom is met with blessing.

Another rabbit-trail here.  When you park yourself in the presence of God, the blessings will flow.  Not only on you, but also on your household.

David hears about the blessings, and says, “Hey, I want some of that!”  He goes to Obed-Edom’s place and retrieves the Ark of the Covenant.  2 Samuel 6:12b-15 picks up the story (bold for emphasis):

“So David went down and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing.  When those carrying the ark of YHWH had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf.  David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before YHWH with all his might, while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of YHWH with shouts and the sound of trumpets.”

In other words, they went nuts for God!!

David’s wife (Saul’s (yeah, the guy whose throne David has taken) daughter) sees him acting nuts, and gets mad.

“That’s not how we act in church.”

“You need to be more subdued in church.”

“Why are you running down the aisle?  Don’t you know this is church?”

“Shhh.  Don’t shout in church.”

David then responds: “I will celebrate before YHWH.  I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes.”

Now.  With those two stories firmly planted in your mind, let’s look at Psalm 34:1-3.

I will extol YHWH at all times, his praise will always be on my lips.  My soul will boast in YHWH; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.  Glorify YHWH with me; let us exalt his name together.

Let’s look at a couple of key elements in this passage.

David makes a conscious decision (“I will”) to bless YHWH continually.

Continually.

In every situation.

In every circumstance.

When things are good and when they are bad.

He decides to bless YHWH.

David places the praise of God above all other speech.  Everything he says is to bless God.  How about your speech?  Do you bless God in all you say?  Do you bless God always?

David points out that we need to praise/worship/extol God with ALL OF OUR MIND, WILL and EMOTIONS (“My soul”).

Then comes a crazy word.

BOAST.

The Hebrew implication here is “to make a show of oneself.”  It is to “act foolishly.”

To become undignified.

To dance, sing, shout, blow trumpets, flail wildly.

WORSHIP intensely.

WORSHIP will ALL of your mind, will, and emotion.

WORSHIP crazily.

He further shows us that when we “BOAST in YHWH”, those who are in trouble, who are downcast, who are at the end of their rope will hear it and join in!  Changing the environment in the room, changes the environment in the hearts (mind, will, emotions) of the people.

Finally, he talks about unity.  He asks the people to magnify YHWH with him!  Let us exalt YHWH TOGETHER!

To quote Jon Peterson: “Let’s terrorize the universe with kingdom mischief.”

When you worship, do you keep it in the box of “acceptable?”  Or are you willing to allow your worship become undignified?  Do you worship with the dignity of David?

The Simants clan was recently at the 24/7 Prayer US National Gathering where this very type of worship happened with unity!  The entire room worshiping intensely!  With all of their mind, will, and emotions.  With all of the dignity of David. (Video below.)

The folks who are in the “it might all be faked” are just plain nuts, so I will leave that completely alone.

I have two thoughts developing.

First, we Christians have a lot to learn about discipleship.  Osama Bin Laden had this concept down to an art.  That scares me.  Someone said this morning that radical extremists aren’t born.  They’re made.  Same is true of radical Christians (you know, those who forsake all to follow).  We have to disciple folks to make that a reality.  Bin Laden knew how to disciple.  We don’t.

Second, the word justice has been tossed around like a ragdoll.  But, I don’t believe that the Biblical definition of justice fits with the definition(s) of the word justice that’s being tossed aroud in regards to this.

So…

As I spend time in being discipled, studying the Word, and prayer over the next two weeks those are the focus.  How should we be discipiling?  What does God say about justice?

Expect a blog on each to follow in a couple of weeks.

Just as quick as that.

Here I was Sunday Morning when I got up:

As I headed out to the patio to dispose of the hair I had collected over the previous six or so weeks, I thought back through the journey.

It had been quite a trip.  We had watched God do remarkable things!

We had seen God pave roads!

And, now, it was over.

Off to church we went to celebrate Easter!  Sunday had come!

Before we celebrated in worship, I had the privilege of  teaching a few 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th graders all about the provision of God: “Give us this day our daily bread.”  How awesome is that!!

As we worshipped on Sunday Morning, it was a more joyful experience than I think I’ve ever had.  See, the thing about taking a Lenten journey — I mean really taking the Lenten journey by denying yourself of something significant (not just chocolate or sodas or TV or Facebook (seriously?!?!)) — is that when the journey reaches a conclusion at the empty tomb the resurrection somehow seems more real.  It seems more tangible.

Pete Greig in his “Prayer Spaces” podcast on Easter Sunday pointed out how the first to witness the resurrection was a woman with a past.  In her redemption, she became the messenger!  The new covenant begins with a question to a person who hasn’t forever been redeemed.  (Sound familiar?)

I’ve been meditating on Psalm 51 for the past couple of weeks.  There’s a beautiful change that happens between verse 12 and 13.  The Psalmist, now forgiven of sin, has a testimony.

Praise God that with the resurrection …

… comes redemption.

… comes provision.

… comes healing.

… comes mission.

… comes a testimony.

… comes a new life.

… comes forgiveness (and the associated forgetfulness of YHWH).

… come a shave.

I wish I could say that the end was met with some sort of major fanfare, but it wasn’t.  Just a guy on his back patio with a set of clippers.

Well, more than that.  It was met by a thankful and humbled guy on a back porch.  A guy sitting in a red chair, clippers in hand, on a back porch, on a sunny Easter Morning, saying a prayer of thanksgiving and recommitment to God.

CHRIST HAS RISEN INDEED!

Go in peace, to love and serve the RISEN Lord!!

In just a few short hours (44 days later), I will shave again.

The Nazarite Vow period is coming to a close.  It’s over.  We’ve made it.  And, no, I haven’t heard the voice of God saying continue the Vow till Easter of 2012 (or some other obscure year).  Thankfully.

While I’m ready for it to be over, I will never regret these 44 days.

What you may not realize is that the Nazarite Vow corresponded with three other events.

1. The church which we serve (Asbury UMC) was running 40 Days of 24/7 Prayer.  For us, this meant many late nights in the prayer room (aka Trailernacle).  It meant time in the Trailernacle as a family.  It meant a continual focus on prayer.
2. In our Youth Sunday School classes we’ve been studying the Lord’s Prayer.  So, for the past 44 days, I’ve been consumed with meditation on the Lord’s Prayer (and other passages related Matthew 6:19-34, Matthew 13, Psalm 51).
3. sksimants and I have been on a Daniel Fast.

Put those three things together along with a Vow designed to help one seek out the direction of God, and, well, things happen.

Last time, I told you all what we had gotten out of this journey.  What I didn’t tell you, because it wasn’t yet official, is what we actually saw God do for us in the last 44 days.

So here goes.

We entered the 44 days wondering where God was directing us.  We were seeking for direction (hence, the vow).  We knew then that wherever God was directing us would involve a significant life change.  While we still don’t know exactly what that means, we have seen God begin to prepare us for it.

How?

We suspected before Ash Wednesday that God was working on moving us toward some sort of full-time ministry.  As quickly as the first week of this, God confirmed that within us.

That out of the way, we began to point out to God (and He to us) things that needed to happen before that could be a reality.  We felt like God told us to keep praying, believing, and pressing and He would give the rest of the plan, but for now we were to do a few tangible (i.e. financial) things.

God even gave us a specific dollar amount for which to pray.  I remember being in the Trailernacle one night and praying for God to help us (show us how/miraculously provide) pay off one particular student loan — just shy of $19,000.  I felt like God started laughing at me, and heard Him say, “That’s it?  I can take care of that by Easter.  Be serious, here’s the amount.”  He then gave me a dollar amount that is just above our current total outstanding debt (another set of Student Loans and the house).  He told me, “Pray specifically for that dollar amount.”

So, we started praying specifically for that dollar.

A few days later, we made a payment for 1/3rd of the $19,000.

Three weeks later, we made a payment for 1/3rd of the $19,000.

And on Good Friday, we paid the remaining 1/3rd IN FULL.

And to top it off, God gave us 10% more than what was needed (which happens to be the Mexico 2011 budget (almost to the penny)).

GOD ROCKS!!

We continue to pray/believe for the remaining amount for which He told us to pray, and we have total faith (especially after seeing Him provide the $19,000 by EASTER) that He will take care of it.

I’ll have one more post on Sunday morning, but for now here’s the latest mdsimants snapshot (as of Day 43), and a link to Psalm 66:16-20 — “Come and Listen.”

Come and hear, all you who fear God;
let me tell you what he has done for me.
I cried out to him with my mouth;
his praise was on my tongue.
If I had cherished sin in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened;
but God has surely listened
and has heard my prayer.
Praise be to God,
who has not rejected my prayer
or withheld his love from me!

(Psalm 66:16-20, New International Version, ©2011)

One week remains on the Nazarite Vow!  Wow!  Has it flown by!

The common question that I’ve been asked is “Did you get what you expected from it?”

The answer is “Yes and No.”

There was a part of me that expected at some point in the 40 days of the Vow (and the 24/7 prayer at the church), God would speak clearly about what our exact next steps were to be.  However, He hasn’t–sorta (of course, there’s still a week left and He may wait until next Saturday morning to speak).   He has given pieces of direction.  He has given things to look at/work on/pray about.  And He has told us to keep pressing on Him (Luke 18:1-8) to answer and He will–in His time (assuming there’s no hold up from the evil one (Daniel 10:12-14)).  So, while there haven’t been any loud booming voices, flashes of lightening, or Jesus faces on tortillas, we are more open to hearing the direction, and are ready to follow it when it is given.

And that’s what matters.

While you enjoy the latest picture (Day 39), I’m going to go make some tortillas.

mdsimants on Day 39

I’m just hoping that when I do shave, my kids will recognize me.

Someone asked me today what I’ve learned so far, so thought I’d try to answer that.

When you are serious about seeking God’s direction, He’ll give it.

This is probably the most important lesson.  My primary motivation for taking the vow was to determine God’s direction for the next season of my (and the family) life.  I had read that the reason that Paul had taken this vow the two times that he took it was for this reason.

God blesses us when we humble ourselves.  This vow will definitely humble you.  (See this post for more on that.)

And, no, not ready to broadcast the direction….yet.

Make sure you know what you are getting into when you take a vow.

When I started this vow, I didn’t think fully of the implications of not touching things that are dead.  I assumed that the passage meant a dead human being and thought, “That’s easy….don’t hang around the morgue.”  Yet, after researching it out and talking to some other folks with a greater command of the Hebrew language and tradition than I have, I determined that (for me at least) dead meant “if at one time it had breathed air.”

My kids loved this one.  They spent the next hour after this discovery running around the house finding everything that was from an animal.  We determined that I have two pair of shoes and one belt that I can wear (none of them of the “dress” variety).  I couldn’t carry my wallet.  I couldn’t carry my Bible.  Yikes!

Weigh the vow before you take the vow!

Make sure your wife and kids are aware of what you’re contemplating BEFORE you pull the trigger on it.

Assuming that your family is going to “get it” spiritually, and be fully on-board before you tell them what’s about to happen is a BAD IDEA!

MEN, DON’T ASSUME!  TALK TO THEM!  LET THEM KNOW!

Alright, there are three lessons that have been learned so far in this journey.

Now, the real reason that you are reading this… Here’s the picture of Day 26.  Enjoy.  And yes, it’s ok to laugh.

Friday night, sksimants and I had the privilege of serving at the Little Rock Compassion Center.  My job during dinner was to rinse glasses and pass them back to my friend Clemente for washing.

Immediately upon my assignment, Clemente began to open up to me.  Clemente is homeless.  He is currently living at the center and is working off a societal debt in the kitchen.  Clemente told me of his family.  How they came to the US from Mexico when he was a child.  How he got into alcohol.  How he had sobered up.  Then, about eight months ago, he lost his mother.  He came to Little Rock to live with his brother, but he started drinking again and is now in recovery after his brother couldn’t take him anymore and booted him out.

Clemente also told me how he had come to know Jesus and was praying for relationships with his two children and his brother to be reconciled.  He also told me that he had–that afternoon–finished reading the Book of Job.

I told him of my love for that book.  How God has used it to work in my life.  I asked him what he learned from it.  He gave me three lessons.

IT’S NEVER AS BAD AS I THINK

Clemente said that losing his mother–his best friend–was the hardest thing ever to happen to him.  He was at the end of his rope and turned to alcohol to be his way of coping with the pain.

Reading Job helped him to realize that others have it worse than he does.  He told me how he watched the faces of the men in the shelter.  They have nothing.  Some of them are completely dead inside.  But he has something to hold onto–faith.

I showed him that the first beatitude is:

You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope.  With less of you there is more of God and His rule. — Matthew 5:3 (The Message)

Job teaches us this principle: It is never as bad as I think.  As Clemente put it: “Job showed me that even in the worst of times, I can still have faith.”

PICK YOUR FRIENDS WISELY

Who you hang around is important.  Clemente made the decision to move into the Center for one reason: “I had to get away from my old friends.”  His old friends–he told me–enabled him to drink.  In fact, his biggest fear right now is summer–drinking season.

Job taught him to pick his friends wisely.  Job’s friends were not very helpful to the cause of maintaining his faith.  They didn’t really encourage Job to remain reliant upon God.  Instead they tried to get Job to take matters into his own hands.  Granted, not by some evil and wicked means.  As Clemente pointed out they had good intentions.  They had some truth.  But, they didn’t have God.  Clemente had come to realize that his friends had good intentions.  Yet, they didn’t have a God-driven approach. 

You become what you hang around.  So, pick your friends wisely.

GOD IS BIGGER THAN OUR PROBLEMS

The last lesson that Clemente gave me was that no matter how big our problem–God is bigger! 

He told me how he couldn’t wait to get to the end of the book to see what God would say and do.  (I tell you, Job is a great book!  A real page-turner!)  And when he got to the end, he said that he knew that no matter what he was going through God was in it with him and God was bigger.

God would see him through his problems.  He was so excited about how God provided Job with restoration.  That was something that Clemente could latch on to.  God rides out our storms with us, and then restores us on the other side.

I asked Clemente which book he was going to read next.  Without hesitation he said, “Only a fool wouldn’t read Job a second time.”

Job lived on another hundred and forty years, living to see his children and grandchildren–four generations of them!  Then he died–an old man, a full life. — Job 42:16-17 (The Message)