Well, we got married and it’s already been 3.25 years, 2 kids have been had, and we have moved 3 times. Sparks flew and a flame was lit. A lot has happened in a small amount of time. I’m so happy to have Natasha in my life. She brings many wonderful things – here are a few: her excitement in the little things of life, the way she makes our home beautiful, and her passion for helping other people find joy in cooking. Obviously, I benefit a lot from this relationship. We laugh a lot together, talk about our plans for the future, and have several dreams.  Sounds pretty good right? It is.

But we have had lots of conflict too. Usually, it starts with unmet (albeit legitimate) expectations. Than it moves to frustration, exasperation, and possibly on to arguing and maybe a few of those “you alwayses” or “you nevers”. We have had more than our share of that. There are other problems too. It seems like the natural gravity in marriage is AWAY from intentionally spent time, whether in cultivating romance or simply building a personal relationship through a date night. As responsibility grows, so does the temptation to think about everything under the sun besides the health of a marriage.

Somehow, we have done pretty well. Not only are we still standing after 2 kids in 3 years, but we’re not hanging by a thread either. Although our house has crying babies, it also has loads of hugs, kisses and lots of music and dancing. Although time and resources portend little flexibility, the one on one time we do have seems in a sense richer.

None of this being inevitable, why has this occurred? And how long can it last? Will we be one of the 50% to tank their marriage? It’s not impossible. I am reminded of that episode in “Parenthood” when Zeke tells his son Adam to stop judging him for his affair until he gets to year 45. Or something like that.

I hope not. The main reason for my confidence the answer is NO would be that GOD (that’s His first name) does not get thrown on top of our marriage like a cherry sticking out of an Oreo sonic blast. When things are operating like they should, He IS the Oreos, the milk, the sugar and rich goodies contained at the bottom, middle and top. In fact, our marriage is really the cherry. When God is the central focus, the spouse is less likely to be an idol to be worshiped or a possession to be used.

I think in our marriage, this changes the dynamic to certain things – like conflict. Suddenly the “alwayses” and “nevers” can be met in the moment with simple, humble acceptance as having some truth and yet not the substance of our core identities nor reason to despair. Believing the gospel and seeing God’s beauty in His love through Jesus sort of changes the way you perceive a marriage. For many if not most people, marriage is like a daily mission to carry around a mirror and show your spouse all their imperfections.  For more honest people, marriage is like looking into a mirror and seeing those imperfections. For Christians, marriage is like looking in the same mirror, seeing the same face, the same imperfections, but also admiring the tan you have from laying out at the beach. You can face the good things, as well as the unpleasant, having been browned over by the sunlight of God’s love.

Of course, it’s possible to have a decent marriage without God. If you generally play by the rules, morally speaking, it might turn out OK. What you will not get is a sustained, continual life of self-sacrificial love for each other and all the benefits that come with it. There are plenty of sweet, elderly couples who made it 50 years but never grew an inch in their marriage. They just adapted to what was most comfortable and got to keep their morals. Don't let that happen to you. Look instead to the ultimate marriage for guidance - a Bridegroom who slayed the dragon and its powers on behalf of a bride, by giving up his own life. And now He looks ahead to a wedding feast to live happily ever after.

JAMBO ! (HELLO) - KENYA TRIP 2013

“Habari ?” (How are you ?) – “Misuri” (I’m fine !)

One impression you will leave Africa with is feeling well-greeted. As a visitor, you will be welcomed in the homes and churches of Kenya with open arms. Life in Kenya ususally dictates that there are no commitments so demanding as to disregard a formal introduction and welcoming process. Such was the case for our team from BroomTree International, as we embarked on our “seed planting trip” in September 2013. Perhaps you are wondering, though, what is BroomTree ?

WHO WE ARE

BroomTree International is a Christian ministry that is dedicated to “serving the faithful servants” of Kenya and beyond. The ministry idea was conceived by a group of likeminded individuals and a prayer team with close connections to Kenya and also The Village Church. Today BroomTree’s office is located in Bartonville, Texas and led by director Jim Spoonts. The trip taken in September was the 3^rd BroomTree trip of this year. Because my Landman’s office (at Payson Petroleum) is located near BroomTree’s, I got the special priviledge this year of knowing Jim and the missional heart of the BroomTree team. This summer I was invited to go to Kenya on the September trip! Including myself, the September trip team members were Jim Spoonts, Tim and Dede Wint, and Dawson Russell.

BroomTree’s team also consists of the “faithful servants” we partner with. 4 Kenyan pastors, named John Korir, Nelson Rugut, Isaac Munji and Timothy Ledama are on-the-ground administrators of the BroomTree strategy. What an awesome opportunity it was to meet and spend time with these men of God !

WHAT WE DID

Part of the Kenyan strategy is to assist the local church in making disciples. While Kenya is one of the most heavily evangelized countries of Africa, true discipleship in the Word and gospel-centric teaching is sorely needed. In the election violence of 2007, some Kenyans had to flee the western regions (including the city of Eldoret) because of inter-tribal conflict. Sadly, the church did not escape this conflict either, with even some of those that worshipped at the same church together becoming oppressors of one another. Thankfully today Kenya is in a season of relief from tribalism, which has opened a door for reconciliation.

BroomTree’s September trip focused on helping Kenyans plant seeds of the gospel in order to “jump-start” the disciple making process. One tool we presented to the churches we visited was the Bible story-telling method. Many people in the remote areas of Loitoktok, Pokot, and Mt. Elgon are illiterate. Therefore handing out tracts or bibles is not an effective method of evangelism. On the other hand, story telling is a powerful medium for all people, even the illiterate, to use to tell their neighbors about Christ. On our 3 official ministry days, Wednesday Oct 2- Friday Oct 4, our BroomTree team members demonstrated the story-telling method and trained the churches on how to use it. In the Pokot region churches, Tim Wint covered the entire redemptive history of the Bible in 10 stories. Dede Wint told the story of Adam and the creation narrative (Genesis 2). I told the story of Jesus and the Possessed man (Mark 5:1-20). It was amazing to see the excitement in the eyes of the churches as they realized the power they could wield using this method ! On Friday, we had special favor from the Lord to have a great experience. After the story-telling, 8 people professed faith in Jesus Christ for the first time. Pray for those 8 people, including 5 older men/village elders, that they would grow in the knowledge and joy of the Lord! 

WHAT I LEARNED

Fellowshipping (as the Kenyans often call it) or “Hanging out” (in my vernacular) with believers in Christ from another culture is truly a wonderful priviledge ! It is practice for a future date, when all tribes, tongues, and nations will worship at the feet of Jesus together. I had several people express concern for our safety on this trip due to the recent terrorism in Nairobi. While prayers for safety are never unwelcomed, one thing I hope is that this trip serves as a catalyst for loving the church in Africa and all over the world - even in the face of disconcerting events. God works all things “to the counci of his will”! I encourage people to read Bob Mendonsa’s article on the “illusion of safety” and the Westgate mall attack: http://naomisvillage.org/outside-the-glass/ Bob is the director of Naomi’s Village, an orphanage in Kenya which we got to visit on the trip. They are great friends of BroomTree!

Lastly, I learned that God is at work in Kenya. As believer is Christ it is our obligation, but more to the point, an honor to participate in the spread of the gospel worldwide. God doesn’t need BroomTree or anyone else to bring more people into his kingdom. But it is an adventure and an incredible experience to be a part of. I am thankful for the many supporters that allowed me to be part of this trip & hope this update blesses you.

Love,

Jordan

P.S. Visit BroomTree’s website at thebroomtree.org to find our more about the ministry.

Thoughts on Singleness

I am coming to the end of my single days. God has seen fit to provide a wife for me – a beautiful one too. As I approach my wedding, I wonder how I have used my singleness ? Has God been glorified in my time as a single person? What should I have done differently if anything? What am I proud of?

I naturally see the world through my own narrow frame of reference, just like everyone else. It takes effort to come to a clear understanding of a broader culture. I became a Christian when I was 6 (or maybe 12) and grew up in church. There has hardly been any time in my life when I didn’t go to church or hang around Christians. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that my experience is often different than a lot of other peoples’ experience. Nonetheless, there are lessons I have learned as a single person which apply in every culture.

God’s standard for singleness (as in marriage) is simply not attainable. Living like Jesus means never once looking upon a woman with lust in your heart. It means never once idolizing marriage because idolatry is a sin. It means never once being jealous of someone else’s relationship because covetousness is a sin. It means always believing God has ‘the best’ for you , while simultaneously loving Him with all your heart and mind. How have you done at that today?

Chastity is actually a delight when it is founded on Christ. The problem is hardly anyone recognizes it for its true self. In the eyes of the world, it’s absolutely insane. Abstinence from sexual pleasure is crazy to most people. But to religious perfectionists, chastity is not a delight either. How could it be? If your relationship to God is based on your own moral performance than you will always have an erratic relationship with God. There may be a guy out there who believes he has never lusted, but I would be skeptical. True chastity is peace in the mind with a hope set on Christ. The mind is where the battle rages long before actions come about. It may be useful to admit to God that too often we have laid down our weapons of warfare and stopped fighting the battle of the mind.

In the creation account, we find that marriage is God’s ideal. Adam and the animals were cool, but not like Adam & Eve. However, singleness is not a curse. We all know Jesus was single for his entire life (barring any bizzare Egyptian manuscripts about Mary magdalene). If the Son of God can live a perfectly holy life without marriage, single people now can aspire to holiness as well. There were even times in the Bible in which St. Paul encouraged singleness in light of the persecution of that day. By all biblical accounts, Christians are single when they get to heaven. Christ & the church are the only ‘marriage’ there.

In my experience there is a God-honoring way to live in which you desire to no longer be single, but are still living in contentment. I think it’s wrong for single Christians to constantly be masking their desire to get married. If you want to be married and God hasn’t allowed it (that’s why- I finally admitted), that can be painful. Single Christians should be encouraging each other towards seeing God’s sovereign plans in their lives by confessing and discussing their lives.

Singleness is also a great opportunity to pursue your dreams. The added responsbility of a family brings a different lifestyle. For me, I wanted to try to do well in business to provide for a family. There is also the added enjoyment of spending more time with friends, and traveling. Why not take advantage of those while you can?

Ultimately, singleness is the mode that God has chosen to sanctify you while you remain unmarried. That means that for the believer, every trial, every moment of loneliess, even every doubt and failure falls into a divine purpose and helps to shape you into the image of Christ. What a tremendous relief it should give you to know that God cares and is sovereign over your life. There is nothing in singleness, or marriage, that can befall us which does not ultimately serve to increase our joy and love for God.

Hebrews 6:1:

“Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.”

The key to understanding the intent is by knowing the writer’s audience. He is speaking to Hebrews – Jewish people, who have not truly believed in Christ. Notice the phrase to “leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity.” What on earth ? After all, the Apostle Paul is constantly returning to the basics of Christianity in his letters, always reminding his audience of the gospel. Paul even says elsewhere he was resolved to know nothing “but Christ crucified.” Also, the 2^nd phrase, “not laying a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith towards God”.  Sounds pretty Christian right?!

Maybe, but it’s not. Each of the 6 things listed by the writer are Old Testament, Old Covenant, (whichever you prefer they are “old”). First off, the “elementary doctrines of Christ,” or better yet “Messiah”, is the Old Testament person’s conception of Christ. It’s the Jewish vision of the Messiah which God had promised. Yet the writer is pleading with his audience to abandon that vision. The word “leave” means to completely separate.  In essence, for all his audience’s church going and hanging around Christians, they had missed the current, updated Messiah and were half-heartedly clinging to the past. Tragic!

“Laying a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God” is the Old Testament version of repentance. All they had was animal sacrifice and faith that God would make things right. But that’s not good enough anymore. Now the Messiah has come. The others listed, as well – instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment, each had their own place in the Old Testament, but now are known to get their definition and meaning relative to the person of Jesus Christ.

Primary and Secondary Matters

In today’s world, there are many variations of Christianity and many denominations. They disagree on everything from soteriology (God’s salvation plan and process) to philosophy of ministry. For an unbeliever, as well as to some believers, this might seem a tremendous weakness that portends a fatal flaw for the whole system. After all, if the Christians cannot agree on their own Bible, who are they in turn to tell unbelievers what that same bible means for their life….? It would seem another piece of evidence that each religion is just as good as another.

It is a flaw – but I hope to show, not a fatal blow.  One illustration is team sports. Basketball teams, for example, have coaches and players at every level. At the end of the game, if the score is tied, the coach will draw up a play which contains specific routes and passes in order to give his team the best chance to win. Yet despite its best effort very often the team will lose regardless. There are many other factors which might affect the ending of any given game of basketball. However on the other hand, sometimes a team will win the game in spite of themselves. A player may misunderstand the coach’s directions and the play will break down.  Yet somehow, by a miracle shot or other circumstance the non-executing team wins regardless of their mishaps.

Non-Christians (and Christians) should allow for the possibility that Christians comprise the latter: a non-executing, flawed, less than intimidating, winning team. In the eyes of the world, we don’t have the raw talent or perfect team chemistry in order to vanquish our foes. There are church splits, doctrinal disagreements, and all kinds of messiness. So what kind of disagreement rises to the level of intolerability? In other words, what kind of church represents the assistant coach who is secretly selling notes from the team meeting? Occassionally, sadly even frequently, there are heretics. What’s the difference?

You could write a whole book on that subject... and people have. One great resource is Walter Martin’s “Kingdom of the Cults.”  You could also check out the ministry of Ravi Zacharrias and his book, “Why Jesus? Rediscovering his Truth in an age of Mass-Marketed Spirituality.”  There ARE good resources out there which cover a lot of ground. Ultimately, the Bible contains revelation for many of areas of life and of varying degrees of importance: that is, all the way from important to really, really, really, really, really important. Perhaps you could qualify them in 2 categories, primary and secondary matters.

Primary matters would be everything relating to sin, death, salvation, justification, atonement, forgiveness, heaven, hell, eternal life, and God. Those would be really big subjects. They envelop the theme of the entire bible, culminating in the work and person of Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul comments in 1 Corinthains 15:3 what the primary matters entail,

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,  that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures..”

Notice the phrase of first importance. Paul is saying that the message of salvation and the gospel is the most important of everything he has told the Corinthians. While the rest of what Paul teaches them is also very important, apparently he means to say that the gospel is more important and urgent than other things.

There are other places in the Scriptures that define and shape the gospel in our minds – this helps us to understand what is primary and what might be secondary. But we ought to pay careful attention to everything relating to the aforementioned subjects that have to do with the gospel. 1 Corinthians 6 says,

"Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.  And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. “

That entails a whole list of things which the apostle relates directly to “inheriting the kingdom of God”- a synonym for the gospel and salvation. Apparently they relate to the gospel. We ought to be wise and consider if we are on the list. For myself having reviled an individual or two, been impure in both my heart and mind and actions in the area of lust, had a bit too much too drink, and wow, my goodness that is already 3. I think I’ll just stop there. Verses like these present us with a very serious situation in which we really should be careful in evaulating how God bestows his grace – and what salvation looks like according to the Bible.

On the other hand, there are secondary matters as well. Some churches believe in infant’s baptism, others are ‘baptist’. In any event, we know from the Scriptures that the thief on the cross repented of his sin, believed in Jesus, than went to heaven (Luke 23). So we have to interepret the issue of baptism in light of the thief on the cross. It becomes a secondary matter, while not unimportant. There is probably much more to be learned from just considering the thief on the cross.

In every situation, studying the Bible over and over and using a good Bible commentary such as the ESV study Bible is extremely useful in helping to discern what is the difference between primary and secondary matters.