Mobile Food Pantry

Alicia and I want to develop our children's hearts to love those who are more unfortunate than we are. Timothy gets emotional when he sees hurting people on TV, but we wanted to put him in a situation where he actually helps people in real life.

The Northern Illinois Food Bank has a mobile food pantry that I've wanted to be a part of for some time. It's a great ministry put on by a local church in our area. I didn't tell Timothy far in advance that we would participate. Instead, I told him when I got home from work, just before we left. Alicia also talked to him about how to interact with people without saying things that might offend them. That was important. We all know that, while good natured and well-meaning, children can sometimes be too honest, as it were. Anyway, we headed out after the briefing.

Timothy was a champ. He entertained a baby while I helped her mother with some food, helped me take groceries out to cars, pulled a small luggage dolly with food, and moved boxes to the staging area. The boy was on fire! He did get tired after a few hours, as one might expect, so we had to leave a little early. Still, it was a great first visit and we are both looking forward to going back to help in the future. Timothy even wants his little sister to come with us next time!

Here are some pictures of the event:

 

 Timothy ready to rock and roll!

 You can see the folks finishing up the setup and wagons are getting ready to haul food to cars. Notice the black pants and tan shirts of the Sailors in the crowd. Several volunteered to help!

 Timothy taking a bit of a break at one point. I think we had hauled 3 loads at this point.

 In these two pictures, Timothy is moving boxes from the main area to a little staging area we haulers had devised. He literally did whatever I asked him to do. He had a great attitude.

In all, it was a great night. Thank you, Gordon, for letting us be a part of it, and thank you Wendy for being so understanding of our rookie status. We can't wait to do it again!

Mentoring Spiritual Orphans, Part II

The Anatomy of a Spiritual Orphan

The spiritual orphan began life as a newborn Christian probably in his early to mid teens. If he was lucky, then he had an opportunity to be quasi-mentored by a youth leader, who, depending on the size of the youth group, was probably too busy to truly disciple the youth. I don't mean to intentionally degrade youth ministry. I know at least two of my friends from the military who have been involved in youth ministry. Be that as it may, the church doesn't do a very good job of transitioning kids from youth groups to adulthood. I know it's true because of the sheer number of sailors I've met who “used to be” in youth groups.

If the transition from youth to adulthood was effective, then those who “used to be” in church would still be there. Unfortunately, this is often not the case. I personally believe the transition period should be from the 16-18 year time period. During that time, a mentor would be assigned from the church. I use the word assigned loosely. It would be better for the mentor to simply choose a protégé than for one to be assigned.

So now that the youth, who is now 18 and probably about five years old as far as spiritual age is concerned, is on his own, he is now left essentially to his own devices. Maybe he will get involved in Campus Crusade for Christ, or Baptist Student Union, or Navigators, or a local church. Who knows? Maybe he will barely make it through his studies while playing video games. That's an option too.

Then he'll get a job, having been orphaned at (spiritually speaking) a very young age. If he's unlucky, he might never have a mentor guide him. If he is lucky, then God brings along someone who will lead him into a measure of greatness. It's not all about luck, but until there are more mentors available, it might as well be.

I was a spiritual orphan for about 18 months after leaving High school. Then Jojo Vicencio, a senior chief in the Navy, took me under his wing and guided me on the USS Mobile Bay. I'll forever be indebted to him, and count him one of my greatest supporters to this day. I have had several mentors since those days on the Mighty Mobile Bay, but I will also be eternally grateful for EMCS. Thank you, Jojo.
Have you been a spiritual orphan? Have you been rescued? Please tell your story!

Mentoring Spiritual Orphans Part I

I've read several blogs about finding one's passion. Generally, I don't like reading them, because I have never had a great deal of confidence in doing so. My belief is that one must do what God has laid out for him at the given moment. Don't worry about passion. If you're doing what God wants you to do, then passion is secondary. Nevertheless, God has shown me what my passion is over time. Now, there are several things I love to do in the Kingdom work. I love missions and learning about them, I love preaching on the very off chance I get to do it, and I love writing. But my strength, my God-given power, is mentoring.

On one hand, this is the perfect thing to have as a strength. After all, Jesus said to go and make disciples. However, the truth is that we have plenty of disciple-makers. There are evangelists, missionaries, preachers, teachers, and just regular, powerful, soul-winners, all making disciples of Jesus Christ. Yet what I have learned over the last five years or so is that there are plenty of spiritual orphans running around without a clue as to how to live life in the Kingdom.

That is where guys like me come in to play; only there aren't enough of us. We have a strength that many in Christianity possess, even if they don't want to acknowledge it. The difference is that we use it to help believers out. We try as much as possible to rescue spiritual orphans.

Tomorrow I'll show you the anatomy of a Spiritual Orphan. Please read today and tomorrow's post with a willingness to listen to the Spirit and be ready to start mentoring someone!

Great Strides 2011

My daughter has a disease called cystic fibrosis. Every year we raise money in the search for a cure. This year is a little different because my wife has reached the median age of a cystic fibrosis patient. I'll let her tell the story:

This is Alicia speaking on behalf of Team Sam for Great Strides 2011:

I am 37 years old.

In most families, other milestones like “sweet 16” and “over the hill 50” are important markers. But in our family, the number 37 never leaves the forefront of our mind. Why?

The median predicted age of survival for those with Cystic Fibrosis is 37.

Samantha’s median age life expectancy is the age I am right now.

My cousin died of Cystic Fibrosis at 2 months old. In the span of one generation, research has come so far that the life expectancy is now 37. As wonderful as that is, I know what 37 years feels like and I do not feel like I am at the end of my life. In many ways, it is just beginning.

When Samantha reaches age 37, I want her to feel the same way!

From now on, when you hear the number 37, I want you to remember Samantha who spends hours a day taking medicines and doing treatments so that she can extend her life little by little. You can help her and the 30,000 other Americans with this disease by giving to our Great Strides fundraiser!

In a little twist to our Great Strides fundraising and in honor of the age 37, I am asking that you donate $37. Obviously, we will accept any dollar amount, but as a reminder of this age and what it means to Samantha’s life, I am asking for a specific number this year! This money will go towards finding new medicines and new treatments that improve each CFer’s daily life and extend this median life expectancy. Do you have $37? It will not be wasted!

To donate right now, click on the following link:

LIVING BEYOND AGE 37

Martin Luther's Table Talks

Our church is doing a three week study on Martin Luther. We are being taught by a professor from Trinity Evangelical Seminary. Luther’s Table Talks was a great topic to discuss in this class, and particularly important to me. As they come from his discussions with boarders who lived in his house for a time, it has the feel of a mentor and his protégé, or protégés as the case is here. I've really enjoyed reading them. The translation to English is pretty good, despite how long ago it was done.

Here are both some examples of the writing and an overall feel.

First, I give three examples of his discourses:

• LXIV: The idea that the world feels that many things are accomplished haphazardly has not changed in the 500 years since Luther. It continues to stumble along all the while God is actually in charge and directing the events of the world.

• LXV: The idea of the Trinity boggles the mind of unbelievers (and many Christians to be honest). Luther hits on this point by suggesting that the cost is too high. I concur with his thought. People who I believed were in the faith have given up. It's not just the idea of a Trinity of course, but the result is the same…the cost is too high. This is the sort of discussion that I can see a wise mentor having with several protégés. It's the kind of discussion I am known to have with those I teach in Bible studies and mentoring relationships in the Navy.

• CXXIV: This is a particularly strong example of what I mean above. A wise older man has a group of younger men sitting around with him and he starts talking, probably while slowly drinking some coffee or tea or beer (it's Germany after all). He pauses to say, “Comets are bastards…” and then, as he has everyone's attention, he continues to make his point.

In the introduction, Captain Bell describes “bewailing and lamentation,” which is seen in many of the table talk topics, including the three I mentioned above. This book is filled with them, from the mind of a wise game-changer to those he would pass on the torch to.

Dr. John Aurifaber’s preface speaks of the ills that the Catholic Pope promoted, signifying the reason that Luther had to stand up and fight. It is an important reminder to all Protestants that our history is one of sacrifice and hope. God has been with us from the beginning. Martin Luther made choices that were much needed at the time even though those choices cost him much in return. DCLXXXIV seems to suggest this struggle. While the goose is attacked by the forces of evil and of those who would persecute it, God nevertheless preserves it, as he did Martin Luther.

In all, the writing is a bit hodge-podge in its approach, which is both unfortunate and fortunate at the same time; the former because it makes finding a particular idea moderately difficult and the latter because it shows the style of his teaching, and the way of learning for those sitting under him. His thoughts are almost always dead on. It is a good and important read for modern believers, particularly as we owe so much to this man.

A Letter to a Student

Today I am starting a series where I write a short letter to my imaginary student, named Seaman Smith. I don't think I've had a Smith in my class yet, but I figured it was a good name to use since it's so common, and it's my name. The point is that this student doesn't exist. He is a conglomeration of all of my students. I write these letters in order to say what I can't openly say in the classroom.

Dear Seaman Smith,

Today was a rough day, wasn't it? I know you had trouble with that particular concept. You're not the first who's struggled with the level of math we're doing in this course of instruction. Some of the problem was that this was one of your first tests at this school. You're bound to run in to issues, as many of your classmates did. Several of them, even the ones who knew the material almost as well as I do, struggled to pass the test. It's a fact of life and I don't think it bothered them much.

But it bothered you, didn't it? It's ok that it did, at least at some level. You made a hard choice when you left college to become a Sailor and it would look horrible if you weren't cut out to do this. Yet you sell yourself short by thinking that you aren't going to make it. You're overestimating the struggle here.

I'm not worried about you one bit, at least not academically. You're a bright student who will do well as you get further into the course. However, I'm concerned at how much you judge yourself for one failure. I need sailors who will persevere when things are not going well. Giving up on yourself because you didn't make it on your first try is not perseverance. Push forward and you will be fine. I'm sure of it. I have never wanted a student to fail in this course of instruction. Minor failures happen from time to time, but what I mean is that I don't want anyone to be dropped from the program for failing. I certainly don't want them being dropped because they gave up.

I wish I could tell you more about my hope for you, and God's hope for you. As time goes on, I'll get the chance to do the former, at least through these letters. Unfortunately, I will have to pray that God sends someone else to tell you about His hope for you, as I have to be careful about how much of my faith I share in the classroom.

The bottom line is that I have hopes for you. I don't want you to fail. I want you to succeed. I want you to do great things. You'll get to your ship after all of your schooling is completed and you'll suddenly realize that all of this worry through schooling was just that…worry. You're going to do well, you just wait and see.

Respectfully,
FC1 S

Admiral Roughead on the DADT Repeal

I know this is a few days old, but I had wanted to take some time to work through it on my own before posting it. Admiral Roughead posted a few days ago a video about the future of the Navy as Don't Ask Don't Tell gets repealed. You can listen to the video HERE.

In the end, he doesn't really say much about the issue, even though it's really on the hearts of many former military service members. I say it that way because Facebook is more lit up by retirees and ex-military than current military. That makes a lot of sense considering most of us have been told not to comment. Most of you already know what I think on the subject, at least as a Christian. You can read several posts here:

I want to be clear that the repeal has not taken place yet, and won't for a little while still. Once everyone has finished testifying to Congress, and all necessary parties have signed the repeal, then there will be a 60 day period of training and implementation. I expect to be very frustrated during that time. I remember when we first got female sailors on my ship. It was more of a mess to get the training conducted and the sensitivity workshops done than it was to have women on board.

For those who are interested in reading the NAVADMIN that details at least some of the process, click HERE. Otherwise, feel free to read some of the writing I've done on the subject by clicking my two most popular articles below.

My Take on Homosexuals in the Military
Message to Chaplains

UAE and Persecuted Christians

United Arab Emirates is on the top 50 list of persecuting countries in the world. Now, it's at number 34, so one might point out that there are plenty of more offending countries in front of it. Still...you must realize that I've been to this country! I've seen it with my own eyes! I didn't see any glaring evidence of mistreatment! Or didn't I?

I went to a church in Dubai one Friday while I was in port. We were carrying Bibles and everything. I remember being a little awed at the fact that the majority of those in attendance were ex-pats of some other country. I'm not sure I could point out a single Arab in the church, although I'm sure there were some. The fact is, very few of the believers in the UAE are Arab. This isn't just from my observations from three trips to the city. Open Doors USA has also reported the fact. The Voice of the Martyrs website suggests that, while evangelism isn't outright outlawed in the UAE, the government has been known to lean on those who do.

I am saddened to know that this country, which I had visited and prayed in, is so against the Gospel. Yet what should I think? The world does not want this Hope we have, does it?

Incidentally, here are some photos from my time there. I didn't take any pictures of the church while I was there because I wasn't sure if I was allowed to or not. That was unfortunate. Anyway, here are some pics:

Valentines Day

This lady pictured here makes my heart sing. We've been together for over ten years and I really wouldn't trade my life for the world. I have a truly great wife. Alicia, you rock my world and I can't wait for the next ten Valentine's Days and all of the other days as well! It's been a great ride so far, and I look forward to whatever else God has for us.

The pictures on this post are some of my favorite pics of us. They are a testament to our love.

I love you honey!

 

Rock and Worship Roadtrip

Friday night some friends and I went to the Rock and Worship Roadshow. Let me just say it was freaking awesome! Ok, so not all of it was what I would want in a concert, but it really was great, and if it's coming to your city, you need to go!

The bands present were Mercy Me, Jars of Clay, Thousand Foot Krutch, Matt Maher, and The Afters. I didn't know who The Afters were until the concert, but they were pretty cool. Didn't know who Matt Maher was either, but he and his band were cool also. I knew exactly who Thousand Foot Krutch was, and I was really going to see them. I have had some of their music in the past, and I was looking forward to hearing them live. They did not disappoint!

I took several pictures, and even some video. I tried to put the video here, but I couldn't get it to upload. Here, then, are pictures of Thousand Foot Krutch live:

Jars of Clay kind of disappointed me. I'm not sure if it's because I was expecting so much because I had been a fan of their music for so long or if they just had an off night, but either way, it wasn't what I thought we'd see from them. Mercy Me didn't disappoint, but the music isn't just what I am naturally drawn to.

So basically I'm saying that Thousand Foot Krutch was awesome, but mostly I was grateful for the wonderful company of Mark and Andrew. Those two guys are great Christian brothers and I look forward to many more opportunities for fellowship!

Together through John, Week 1

As you know from my previous post, we started an on base Bible study fellowship. I'm happy to report that on our first week we had 12 people come! I was surprised and excited. Rarely on a ship have I ever had that many. I'm so blessed to see so many staff and graduates coming to the study. I hope it grows from here!

Without further delay, here are our notes from week 1:

Week 1: John Chapter 1

Vs 1-5:
• Read Genesis 1:26. Compare and contrast the wording in Genesis with the wording in John. What does that mean for you? What does it say about Jesus?
o Jesus was not part of the creation…he was the creator.
o Christ was present at the creation.

Vs 6-13:
• Why did Jesus need a witness?
o Jewish Law required two witnesses in most cases. John the Baptist was fulfilling this legal requirement.
• Was John the Baptist effective as a witness?
o He was obedient to the calling on his life, therefore he was successful.
o We’re still talking about him and Christ, aren’t we? (Thank you Chaplain Weikel!)
• What does adoption mean in the spiritual context?
o We as Gentiles are grafted into the family of Israel. Important because all Gentiles are orphans spiritually.
o It meant a lot to a Jew to be adopted, as an orphan was a reject. God was showing that he was the Father to all, even the rejects.
• What were the Jews looking for? A government leader? If so, why did they ask John if he was the Messiah?
o John the Baptist was outspoken, a little brash, and gruff with his opponents. The Jews could have thought he might carry that on against the Romans in time and free them from oppression.
o John was killed because Herod thought he was a threat.
o Jesus was a meek individual and taught counter-culture of the time. He was too nice for the Jews to think he was the King.

That's as far as we got on our 20 minute Bible study, but here are some additional thoughts for you to work out for yourself this weekend: 

Vs 14-18:
• John is a witness in verse 14. Contrast that verse with the above discussion and record your thoughts here:


Vs 19-28
• Why did John the Baptist keep his answers mostly short? Why did he finally open up at the end of this section? (vs 26-28)


Vs 29-34
• Many have asked the reason Jesus was baptized. Some say it was because he was beginning a ministry. Others say it was because He had to follow the requirement for the Kingdom. Read vs 31 and record your thoughts here:

Vs 35-51:
• Notice John’s lack of jealousy (vs 37).

• Notice Andrew finding his brother (vs 41). What is the significance of witnessing to a family member? How much impact does that have in your life?

Well, that was week 1 of our on base Bible study. Keep up the good work and let's study John together!

New Bible Study on Base

I would like to solicit everyone's prayers today as we start a new Bible study on the Great Lakes Navy base. I'm leading the first round of 6 weeks and I could sure use your help. I want to teach with the best I have to offer, and I want the people in attendance to get, and contribute, the most they can.

So please pray for us...my fellow Sailors, as well as the retirees and civilians on base, need my very best today. With God as my guide, I can give that to them. And with God as their guide, they can give back to the group as well. May God give his increase!

For the first 6 weeks we'll be in the book of John. Obviously we'll only get through the first six chapters of the book, but my desire will be to continue that weekly study on this website. I'll keep you all posted, and I hope to put some notes and thoughts on here tomorrow about the study!

Mexico and Persecuted Christians

I'm taking a break from the top 50 list from Open Doors USA this week to talk about a location a little closer to home. The state of Chiapas, in southern Mexico, is not listed by Open Doors USA, but is listed by Persecution.com, which is the website for The Voice of the Martyr. Unlike the rest of the top persecuting states, this one is not a country proper, but is actually just a state.

Even though most areas of Mexico, despite the violence and drug issues, is fairly open to Christianity (I've been to Tijuana and Mazatlan), the state of Chiapas is not. The religion of the state is primarily Catholic mixed with some pagan ideology. The state leaders apparently think of evangelical Christianity as a threat to power, which it usually isn't overseas, and therefor has sought to dismantle it, starting with hurting the believers in the area. Read the Persecution.com report linked to above for details.

More information can be found at a blog called Persecution in Latin America. There is also information from VOM/MEX.

The Necessity of Prayer: E.M. Bounds

E.M. Bounds' classic book on prayer has been understood for decades to be the source for learning about the effective use of the discipline. One particular subject in the book that I took a liking to was the idea of importunity, defined as troublesomely urgent.

Bounds addresses the issue of importunity this way: “It is not an impulse of energy, not a mere earnestness of soul; it is an inwrought force, a faculty implanted and aroused by the Holy Spirit.”

Bounds suggests that it is impossible to be so forward with God without the power of the Holy Spirit! How many times have we (as Bounds suggests in the same chapter) given up on a prayer after a small period of time? Instead, we ought to be breaking down the doors of heaven and begging time with the Father for as long as it takes, and that type of passion can't happen without the Holy Spirit's leading.

Bounds continues his treatise on importune prayer in the following chapter, suggesting that God surrenders himself only to the “whole-hearted and deeply earnest.” The use of the word surrender is important. It's not that God actually throws up his hands and gives in, but Bounds does suggest that God is a more willing participant in such prayer. This is more easily seen as the reader learns about Bounds' past.

It becomes immensely clear for the reader that Bounds was a man of prayer, and after a small amount of research, even from the simple sources such as Wikipedia, the reader can realize why he become a man of prayer. Returning to the war-ravaged South after the Civil War, Bounds sought to help rebuild, and he did so through lengthy prayer meetings. This fervent, passionate prayer, such as he speaks of in The Necessity of Prayer, is what developed his theology on the topic.

Bounds makes great pains to use Scripture to back up his ideas, or rather he seems to take his ideas straight from Scripture. When speaking of importunity, for example, he uses examples from Elijah, Moses, Daniel, and of course Christ. While it is perfectly fine for a minister to come to his own conclusions, Bounds still understands that his conclusions are best when they reflect the Bible. As to clarity, the only problem with a work this old is that it is naturally harder to read for modern eyes. This is not a mark against neither the writer nor the reader. Aside from this issue, the clarity and writing style are perfectly fine.