GodandMe2theMax

Sanjura the Disciple...

Matthew 28:19 "Go and make disciples..."

It was the first day of witnessing in Bukabwa, and it was the first hut that I went to.  I was teamed up with Katelyn, a recent high school graduate, Gladys, an amazing translator, and a handful of local church people.  I was the designated "speaker" at the first hut.  I remember one of my first trips to Romania about 13 years ago.  Our team leader said, just knock on the door and breathe...God will do the rest.  That advice always crosses my mind just before I share at the first home on mission trips. 

In this case, it was a mud and straw hut, and there was no door to knock on.  Sanjura and Julius were sitting outside, and they seemed very open, even anxious, to hear about why I came from Texas to Bukabwa to tell about the most important decision I have ever made.  I took a deep breath, and just like my leader said so long ago, God did the rest. 

As best as I knew how, I shared the plan of salvation and what the Bible says about becoming a Christian.  I told them how I made that decision for myself when I was a child, and that it was only by accepting God's free gift of salvation, turning from your sin, and putting your faith in Christ that you would know for sure heaven would be your eternity.  Sanjura Juma Magige.  The first person in Bukabwa that my prayer partner Katelyn and I had the opportunity to lead to Christ. 

As we went hut to hut in an area that was very widespread between homes, there's one thing I noticed.  Not all people allow the change that took place in their hearts to be reflected on their face.  As an emotional girl, (yeah, I'll admit it this one time) people can read me pretty well, and if I just received the best gift of my life, the joy would explode all over my face.  But that's not always the case with the people of Bukabwa.  I observed that emotions are often guarded, and the joy on the inside doesn't always show to others on the outside.  The Bukabwan people had varying reactions to accepting Christ.  Miraculously, no one we talked to refused, but I couldn't always see immediate joy.  And how I longed to see that joy on their faces, a tear in their eye, reflecting the decision they were making. 

But you know what?  I didn't need to see the joy.  God knew what change did or didn't take place in their hearts, and Sanjura is a perfect example.  When we left his hut, we were off to the next hut about 1/2 mile away.  We walked through thickets, corn fields, briers, cattle, and just about everything else you can think of that would go with those surroundings.  I had plenty of time to think about Sanjura and Julius during that walk.  I prayed for them.  I asked God to solidify that decision so they really understood what they were doing.  I asked God to allow their roots to grow deep so they would grow as Christians. 

You see, the church in Bukabwa is about a two hour walk from where Sanjura lives.  For him to fellowship with other Christians at the church, it would take some serious commitment.  It was Saturday, June 9th, when he gave his life to Christ, and I thought the first test of his commitment would be the next morning, if he showed up at church.  How wrong I was. 

The plan for the days in Bukabwa was to witness to the people, hut to hut, in the morning, and then break for lunch.  Then the afternoon was spent in discipleship groups, often under trees, sitting on rocks for chairs, studying the Bible together with the Bukabwan people.  I was anxious to see who would come to that first discipleship group, and sure enough, Sanjura was one of the people there. 

I recognized him immediately, but Sarah, another translator, started to tell me his story.  My brain started to scramble, because Gladys was with us, not Sarah, when Sanjura gave his life to Christ, and I was quite sure I already knew his story, but it sure didn't match what Sarah was telling me.  Then Sarah went on to tell me that her team had passed Sanjura's hut and noticed he had a tract in his hand.  They knew one of our teams had already visited with him, but he looked up and asked them to stop and talk.  Then he asked them if he could take them to visit with his neighbor.  Sanjura then went on to take them to several huts of people he knew that needed to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ.  Straight from the New Testament, he had an urgency to tell others about this Jesus, his new friend, that he had met. 

Sanjura, a baby Christian, was already becoming a disciple.  How humbling it was to see this in action, right in front of my eyes.  After the Bible study time, I had the opportunity to go over and talk with Sanjura some more, through a translator of course, because my Swahili is non-existent.  (I kept wanting to revert to Spanish, but somehow that doesn't fly in Tanzania!!!  No beuno!!!) 

Sanjura went on to say that he had heard about teams coming into his village, and he kept wondering, "When are they going to come tell me about Jesus?"  Like I said, Sanjura lives quite a distance from where the church in Bukabwa is being started, so it took "the teams" a while to get to him, but in God's perfect timing, we did just that, and Sanjura became part of the family of God, my brother in Christ. 

Still, that long walk to church might prove difficult, and when I told Sanjura goodbye, I knew in my heart I may not see him the next morning at church.  I don't know if my faith is so weak as much as I'm a realist.  In reality, how many people do you know that will walk two hours to church?  I dare say not many.  Well, I walked in the door of the make-shift church after a very bumpy ride, and sure enough, there sat Sanjura, with a massive smile on his face.  It was his first time ever gracing a church, but no one would have known it.  He worshipped, he prayed, and he even came forward for people to pray for him at the end of the service.  He went out witnessing with us again Sunday afternoon, and this time it wasn't even in his neighborhood.  He was going hut to hut blindly, much like us.  He was becoming a disciple, right before our eyes. 

When I said goodbye to Sanjura on Sunday, I knew we were working in another area of Bukabwa on Monday.  This new area was in the complete opposite direction of where Sanjura lived.  It would be another two hour morning walk to the church, and again being a realist, I didn't expect him there.  No one even asked him to join us.  So what I saw on Monday morning brought tears to my eyes.  As we drove down that bumpy dirt road, a few miles from the church, we passed Sanjura Juma Magige.  He had a bounce in his step, and he waved as our Land Rover passed him on the dirt street.  He was ready once again to share Christ with us.  I pointed him out to Peter, our driver and host from the AIC (African Inland Church) and Peter agreed to go back and pick him up after he dropped us off at the church. 

On Monday, once again, Sanjura went hut to hut with us, this time sharing at every single home about the decision he had made on Saturday.  When he shared, he smiled, and he talked about how God had already changed his life and given him peace. 

I said goodbye to Sanjura on Monday and just assumed he would be with us again on Tuesday, but unbeknownst to me, he had a sick family member he needed to attend to, and I never got to really say goodbye.  He tried to tell me goodbye, but silly me didn't realize what he was doing.  He pulled me aside and thanked me for coming to his hut and sharing the Good News of Christ.  He asked how he could remember me and how he could give me updates on his growth in Christ.  I just smiled and said I didn't know when I would be able to come back, but that our church is committed to work in Bukabwa, so I'm sure I could hear updates through the team and the leadership. 

When Sanjura wasn't there on Tuesday, my heart sank.  I showed Pastor Samuel, the pastor of the church in Bukabwa, Sanjura's picture.  I wanted to be sure he knew about this newborn sheep, one that I want so desperately not to be lost in the pasture along the way.  I made sure Pastor Samuel knew he needed to follow up with him.  I told him every detail I could about Sanjura, as if I was leaving my own son in the care of a new daycare worker.  And then I left a picture of my family with the pastor to give to Sanjura, so he could share in the memory. 

Matthew 28 says to "Go and make disciples."  I went.  I went all the way to Bukabwa, in the Mara Region of Tanzania, East Africa.  Make disciples?  I can't take the credit for that.  God's love took root in Sanjura's heart, and those roots grew deep.  Sure, he watched me as I shared the Gospel with others, but somehow, as soon as he made a commitment to Christ, he started his path to becoming a disciple.   

Romans 10:14 says "How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?" 

How will they hear?  By Christians being obedient to what God tells us to do.  Obedience.  God says go.  The answer isn't yes or no, the answer is "Where, God?"  Bukabwa is where God sent me this last week.  Sanjura Juma Magige, I dare say, will never be the same, but I will never be the same either. 

 

--- Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

 

Hope for Bukabwa. Hope for You.

My husaband Frank just returned from Tanzania on Saturday, and I asked him to share the blog and verse for us this week.

Jeremiah 29:11   “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

When Jesus talked about the ends of the earth, He must have had Bukabwa, Tanzania in mind. Located in the northeastern corner of this East Africa nation, Bukabwa is home to 5,000 people spread out over a large area. To get there, you take a long dirt road, and then you turn off onto another dirt “road.” I’m not sure the later actually qualifies as a road, but that’s what the locals call it. The second “road” cuts through thick bushes that scrape the side of your vehicle as you bump along across its very rough terrain.

Bukabwa isn’t much to look at.

Now don’t get me wrong—the hills and valleys surrounding it are beautiful—but Bukabwa itself is basically a collection of scattered mud huts with thatched roofs. There are a couple block buildings, including the medical clinic with its one nurse, but that is about it. Throw in some chickens, skinny cows and a goat or two and you pretty much have the lay of the land.

There aren’t any real jobs in Bukabwa, there is one year-round water supply that is a hike for most people to reach, and few children make the nine mile walk to school. Until a couple months ago, there wasn’t any church in Bukabwa.

Honestly, Bukabwa looks pretty hopeless. Imagine if you lived there. Would you have a hard time believing God’s word in Jeremiah 29:11 that God plans to give you hope and a future? It would be hard for me to believe.

You may not physically be in Bukabwa today, but you might be at a place in your life that sure seems like it. You look around and all you see is discouragement. No hope. No future. No life.

But like the people of Bukabwa, there is much that you do not see. You do not see God’s eternal plan. You do not see how He is moving in the hearts and lives of people to intersect your path at just the right time. You do not see the blessings of God that are already on their way.

I just returned from Bukabwa, and I can see those things. I can see them because I have the privilege of being part of a church that has adopted Bukabwa. I’m privy to some of God’s plans for the community.

We’ve brought the gospel to the community, started a church, provided Bibles, and began discipling young believers. In partnership with the residents, we will see a church building constructed in the next few months and a full-time pastor living in the community. Over the next few years we will see three or four more churches started, the introduction of micro business, the building and staffing of a school, and much more.

Why? Because God has a plan for this village at the end of the earth. Because God has a future for a place and a people that everyone else has ignored. Because God from eternity past has planned to prosper the people of Bukabwa.

Most of Bukabwa’s residents have no idea of the incredible things that are to come. They know they now have a church. They know they will soon have a building. But the rest…well, that will be a pleasant surprise as God unfolds His plan to them.

Look at the Jeremiah verse again. Do you believe it? You should! No, I can’t tell you specifically what God has in store for you, but if God can show His favor on Bukabwa a place that had almost no Christians until just recently, He will show His favor on you His child.

God has a plan for you and for me. I can hardly wait to see what it is!

If you would like to learn more about Bukabwa and see the village, check out the video at http://vimeo.com/22577940. If you or your church would like to adopt an African village like Bukabwa and help transform it physically and spiritually, then please contact me through the MaxPoint Ministries website at www.maxpoint.org.

 

--Frank Banfill
President, Maxpoint Ministries

Shark Tank

Ephesians 2:10  "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

ABC has a reality television show called "Shark Tank."  The "sharks" consist of five multi-millionaires who listen to various entrepreneurs pitch their product in hopes to have one or more of the "sharks" invest in it.  This last week, an entrepreneur was on the show pitching his invention "Wakin' Bacon."  According to his research, one of the top things people want to wake up to is the smell of bacon.  "Wakin' Bacon" is a pig-shaped alarm clark that actually heats up pre-cooked bacon, timing the morning alarm with the aroma of freshly cooked bacon. 

Each shark has an opportunity to ask questions, make an offer to invest in the product, or decide they're "out."  When it came time for the "Wakin' Bacon" decisions, each shark, one by one for obvious reasons, said, "I'm out."  That is, until one of the newest sharks, Mark Cuban, the outspoken owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, had the floor.  He paused.  He hesitated.  The other sharks started to question his sanity in even considering to invest in such a product.  They started to egg him, "You gotta be kidding me, Mark.  What are you going to do when the first one catches on fire in the middle of the night?  What's the value of the business going to be then?" 

Mark finally broke his silence.  "I know how to get insurance.  I'm  not worried about that liability. "  He then went on to say, "The probability that people will actually use this product once after buying it is perhaps 10%.  The probability that people will use this product a second time after they buy it is 0%.  It's a novelty item.  People will buy it because it's so stupid."  Eventually, however, Mark finally said he was "out." 

Now, to be an entrepreneur on the Shark Tank, you've gotta have some thick skin.  Really thick skin.   How would you like to hear someone tell you this invention that you've put your blood, sweat, and tears into and believe is going to be "the next biggest thing" is a complete and utter joke?  Even more, how would you feel if you were told it should be used in a manner differently than what you intended?  Ouch.  The "Wakin' Bacon" designer took the rejection like a man and walked away from the Shark Tank empty handed, without any partners or investors.  Big shocker there, ey?

Being an entrepreneur myself, I couldn't help but put myself in the feet of the "Makin' Bacon" inventor.  This guy believed so much in his product that he endured public humiliation.  He stuck to his guns and couldn't stand the idea of his product being used for what something other than he intended it.  I thought about that, and then I thought about the relationship between Jesus our Creator and us.  Are we not His prized possessions, His special creations?   Now certainly, I'm not comparing mankind to some crazy bacon alarm clock, ok?  It's the principle of the creator and creation and being used for the purpose intended. 

Take a look at the verse to memorize for this week.  We are God's beautiful masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus for what?  To do good works!  Now let's be clear.  Good works do not get us to heaven.  Just back up a few verses to clear up that one.  Ephesians 2:8-9 says it's by grace we are saved through faith, and it's not of ourselves, it's the gift of God....not works.  When Jesus died on the cross and rose the third day, He conquered sin and death and made a way for us to get to heaven.  He did the job.  End of subject.  We only need to commit our life to Him, ask Him to forgive us of our sin and take control.  But the natural bi-product of our faith in Christ is good works. 

So let me ask, what are you doing to be used the way the Master Inventor intended?  Are you serving?  What are you doing in your church?  If you're attending church every week and just sitting there, are you producing good works?  What about outside your church in your community?  Are people seeing the hands and feet of Jesus through your good works and acts of service? 

Or, have we decided to take a Mark Cuban novelty approach with our life?  Have we decided to take a left turn and change the way God intended our lives to be?  The choice is ours.  Serve or sit?  Self or others?  God has called us to live a life of service that produces good works because of our love for Him.  What will your decision be in the Shark Tank?

 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

 

 

 

That voice...Sounds familiar. But do I know Him?

Have you ever had someone come up to you in the store and start carrying on a conversation, but that "someone" is one you've not seen in a long time?  You know them, but you just can't figure out how you know them or even their name.  You muddle your way through the conversation, hoping the other person doesn't figure out you have no clue.  Then you wrack your brain for the next 24+ hours until it comes to you on how you know the person.  Guilty as charged.  That exact thing happened to me at Wal Mart a few months ago.  Granted, the person I ran into wasn't a close friend, only an acquaintance from my old church, but I should have known her.  I think I did a pretty good job hiding the truth in the matter, but for the life of me, I could not remember her name.  Finally, it came to me, but not without a lot of thought and hours of repeated effort.

Seriously, personal evaluation time.  I wonder about Jesus.  If He walked in the room and started talking to me, would I be familiar enough with His voice to recognize that I was talking to God Almighty?  There's an old Wayne Watson song called "Would I Know You?"  It questions the same thing.  The words are powerful:

Would I know You now, if You walked into this room? 
If You stilled the crowd, would Your light dispell the gloom?
And if I saw Your wounds, touched Your thorn pierced brow?
I wonder if I'd know You now.

Would I know You now, if You walked into this place?
Would I cause You shame, would my games be Your disgrace?
Or would I worship You, fall upone my face?
I wonder if I'd know You now.

Or have the images I've painted, so distorted Who You are
That even if the world was looking, they could not see You, the real You?
Have I changed the true reflection, to fulfill my own design?
Making You what I want, not showing you forth divine, divine.

Would I miss You now, if you left and closed the door?
Would my flesh cry out, "I don't need you anymore!"
Or would I follow You, could I be restored?
I wonder.  I wonder will I ever learn?
I wonder if I'd know You now.

Sometimes we turn God into what we want Him to be, instead of letting Him turn us into what He wants us to be.  How well do you know His voice?  John 10 talks about the exact thing in relation to Jesus as the Good Shepherd.  Verse four says "When He has brought out all His own, He goes on ahead of them, and His sheep listen to His voice.  He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out."  Then verse fourteen says: "I am the good Shepherd; I know My sheep and My sheep know Me."

So what does it mean to know God?  It means "to become progressively more deeply and intimately acquainted with God."  I like that.  As I seek to know God more, I will recognize His voice, I will notice Him more, and I will deepen my intimate relationship with Him.  I want so desperately to go deeper in my walk with Him, but it's not easy.  It takes discipline.  It takes putting my own selfish desires aside.  It takes sacrifice.  It takes being setting aside my own agenda and what I think is best and letting God's agenda rule in my life.

I remember as a teenager hearing my mom tell me what her favorite verse in the Bible was.  I thought it was rather strange at the time, considering my lack of spiritual maturity.  It's found in Philippians 3:10 "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."  What, mom?  You want to know God so it hurts?  Yep, as a teenager, I just didn't get that verse.  Even as an adult, it's a bit difficult to grasp. 

My NIV Study Bible has the following notes about the verse:  "Paul gave up everything - family, friendship, and freedom - in order to know Christ and His resurrection power.  We too have access to this knowledge and this power, but we may have to make sacrifices to enjoy it fully.  What are you willing to give up in order to know Christ?  A crowded schedule in order to set aside a few minutes each day for prayer and Bible study?  Your friends approval?  Some of your plans or pleasures?  Whatever it is, knowing Christ is more than worth the sacrifice.  When we are united with Christ by trusting in Him, we experience the power that raised Him from the dead.  That same mighty power will help us live morally renewed and regenerated lives.  But before we can walk in newness of life, we must also die to sin.  Just as the resurrection gives us Christ's power to live for Him, the crucifixion marks the death of our old sinful nature.  We can't know the victory of the resurrection without personally applying the crucifixion."  The professionals say it much better than I ever could.  The more intimately I know God, the more I understand about his death and life in Him. 

I heard a story recently (I'd give credit if I could remember who told it!, but hence I cannot...) about two shepherds who got caught in a terrible storm with their sheep.  They all went into a cave together, waiting for the storm to pass.  When the weather cleared, one shepherd walked out and just started talking.  The sheep that were his knew his voice, and they followed him.  Those sheep so intimately knew their shepherd's voice that they knew to follow Him and not stay in the cave with the other flock of sheep.  In the end, not one sheep was separated from the shepherd.  Why?  Because they knew the shepherd's voice.

If you've not ever entered into a relationship with Jesus Christ by asking Him to come into your life, forgive you of your sins, and giving Him control, please talk to me.  Message me.  Don't let another day go by without making that decision to be counted as one of God's precious sheep.  Begin today the journey of knowing God.

Maybe you've already made a commitment to Him, but you don't recognize His voice all the time.  Why?  Is it because you're not "becoming progressively and more deeply and intimately acquainted with God" each day?  Do you know Him?  I mean, do you really KNOW Him?  Or is His voice a faint resemblance of someone you kind of know, maybe should know, but you just can't pinpoint exactly who He is when He speaks? 

I'm reminded this morning to constantly deepen my relationship with Christ.  I don't ever want Him to be someone I don't recognize at the neighborhood store.  No, when He speaks, I want to know His voice.  And that can only be accomplished by seeking Him and spending time with Him more deeply and intimately each day.  Help me, Lord to know you.  Help me Lord to shut up and listen, so that I can hear Your voice.  And change me, God, so that the words of this old song will be true in my life.

 

Lord, I want to Know You More
by Steve Fry

Just the time I think I'm at peace with the world that's mine,
I feel at ease, I feel at home, and I know I'm not alone.
Then in rest, there comes a test that shakes me 'til again I know
That what I had is not enough, and again I've got to grow.

Lord, I want to know You more
Deep within my heart I want to know You
Oh, I want to know You.
And I would give my final breath
To know you in Your death and resurrection,
Lord I want to know You more,
Lord, I want to know You more.

The full supply I find as I move closer to the heart of God,
To strengthen me, to nourish me, and to fill my mind with Him.
I've truly grown, but even so my hunger hasn't gone away
Still I long, still I thirst, to know Him more each day.

Lord, I want to know You more
Deep within my heart I want to know You
Oh, I want to know You.
And I would give my final breath
To know you in Your death and resurrection,
Lord I want to know You more,
Lord, I want to know You more.

 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

Teen Spirit Green Cap or Rice Flower and Shea?

Ephesians 5:1-2  "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."

When most children are little, they want to grow up to be just like their mommy or daddy.  Why?  It's who they adore!  (What can I say, they don't know any better or anyone else at the time!)  Of course, when they get a little older, they turn their focus far from the parental figure to the popular figure.  You don't have to look farther than any storefront to see how the advertisers have clued in on this fact.  It's not always the product that results in sales, it's the person representing the product.  Get the right superstar to be an advocate for a product, and it's sure to be a hit.  Why?  Imitation is the best form of flattery.  Kids want to be just like the one they idolize, and if that person uses Teen Spirit deodorant with the green cap, then they want to as well.

Thankfully, we eventually grow out of that impressionable age where we believe everything advertised, even if it's by our favorite star.  But in contrast, as we mature in Christ, should we not continue to do exactly that, except putting our focus on Christ? 

The Bible says in order to imitate Christ, I must live a life of love.  How do I practically do that?  This time the answer isn't rolling off my fingers as I type.  I can't physically understand how much God loves us.  Think about it.  If you have children, would you let your child die so that everyone in the world could live?  Could you watch as your child is beaten and tormented, bruised and whipped?  I love my friends.  There's no doubt about that.  But I don't think I'd let my child die so that my friends could live.  But that's what is so amazing about the love God has for us.  He did just that.  And although He doesn't command us to sacrifice our only child, He does command us to live a life of love.

How do you love the unlovable?  How do you love the ones who hurt you?  How do you love your enemies?  How do you show love practically, day in and day out?  The only answer I can think of lies in dying to self and seeking God.  You see, in and of ourselves, we cannot truly love.  It's only through Christ, the source of love, that we can.  I John 4:7-8, 16 says "Dear friends, let us love one another, for loves comes from God, Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.  Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love...And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.  God is love.   Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him."

I first must have a relationship with Christ to understand love.  The Bible says that love comes from God and God alone.  When I was a small child, I asked Him to come into my life, forgive me of my sins, and save me.  I gave Him control, and that started a relationship with Him.  But just because I have a relationship with Christ doesn't mean I'm living a life of love.  Daily I must choose to imitate Christ and show love.  Daily I must deny selfish ambitions and put others first.  No one ever said it was easy, or even fun for that matter.  Sometimes it feels so good to just hold a grudge or be angry with someone.  But it's clear that's not living a life of love.  No, holding on to negative emotions are not what it means to imitate Christ.

The verse closes with saying that Christ's death was a "fragrant offering."  How could someone dying be a sweet smell?  Only with God, that's for sure.  Think about your favorite scent.  If you're a girl, maybe it's a perfume or chocolate.  If you're a guy, it's probably food.  One of my favorite scents is from a perfume that Bath and Body Works used to make -- Rice Flower and Shea.  It's a cheap perfume, actually, but I love it more than any of the most expensive smells in the department stores.  I have a large stockpile of it, and each year, that grows smaller.  It's "precious" to me, and one day it will not even be available.  All it takes is a little whiff to make me feel good. 

I wonder, can people get a little "whiff" of me and sense the love of God in me?  What do I smell like, spiritually speaking?  Is the love I'm showing giving a good scent for Christ?  Christ's death on the cross was a precious fragrance.  The love He expressed was such a sacrifice of love that although it was painful, it was sweet smelling to God.  And when we live a life of love for God, we also are a sweet fragrance to God, and we should be a sweet fragrance to the world around us.

So what is it?  Am I imitating Christ and His love, resulting in that "Rice Flower and Shea" kind of smell to others?  Or am I wearing some Teen Spirit green cap, trying to cover up the smelly parts, hoping no one notices?  Who am I imitating?  My favorite star or God Almighty? 

Lord, teach me how to live a life of love so that I am a fragrant offering to You.

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

Spiritual Rock Climbing

OK, I'm not the most fit person in the world.  No big surprise there, right?  But a few years ago on an Alaskan cruise, our family decided to do one of those big rock walls that the ship offered to its guests.  My first problem with that scenario is knowing what I looked like from behind in that harness.  Alas, we were the only ones in line with no onlookers, so I decided to get strapped in and try it out.  As quickly as I started my climb, people started to gather.  Panic also started to overcome me.  Now please understand, I wasn't afraid of the heights or even fatigued at the point I quit.  It was simply the knowledge of all those people staring up at my lower extremities and watching my every move.  It was one of those times I would have given my left hand to erase mental images.  In the end, I decided the fear of what they were thinking was more important to me than the thrill of reaching the top.  Now, I'm not sure I could have reached the top, but my paranoia definitely took control, leaving me to always wonder.

In many respects, indoor rock climbing like what I've described is like our Christian walk.  Sometimes scaling the spiritual mountain isn't easy.  In fact, if we're doing things the way God says, it shouldn't be.  (All those who live Godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.  2 Timothy 3:12)  Onlookers are always watching us to see if we mess up and fail.  Success in rock climbing is found in the footing, and some of us, namely me, can be a bit clumsy at times and have very big feet.  Size ten to be exact.  But truly the size of your foot doesn't matter.  All it takes is to have the tip of your toe on the ledge to start making progress.  Just like I was strapped into a safety harness on the cruise, because I've had a point in my life where I've given God control, asked Him to come into my life, forgive me of my sins and save me, I also have a spiritual harness.  If I slip in this rock wall of life, He's got my back.

The thing is, that those tiny ledges we use to continue our upward climb can also be used by satan.  This morning I was reading in Ephesians 4:27.  It says, "and do not give the devil a foothold."  As I was reading that passage, I just stopped and started to contemplate the big picture, especially in relation to rock climbing.  You see, just like I mentioned in yesterday's blog, satan is out there on the attack.  He's climbing that wall with us, trying to make us give up.  He's got a foot on the ledge just like us, but the cool thing is that he's not wearing a safety harness.

As Christians, we have to be so aware of satan's attacks in our life.  He is subtle, and he is sneaky.  When we're not even looking, he'll reach out and grab our leg to try to pull us down.  Just like me in our family vacation, he can use fear to play on our emotions.  He is out there throwing self doubt our way, telling us we're not good enough, making us wonder if reaching the summit is even worth it.  He can use anger, bitterness, the internet, our children, and yes, even our Christian friends and family to pull us down from the mountain, too.  It could be little things like our favorite television show.  It's just a show, right?  Entertainment - what's the big deal?  Yep.  Satan just inched his way up another notch in trying to make us slip.  What's a little cuss word when we're mad or something goes wrong?  Isn't that just a little ridiculous to think cussing here and there is wrong?  Not according to I Peter 1:13-16  "...prepare your minds for action; be self controlled...do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance, but just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written, 'Be holy because I am holy.'"

Maybe you've started the climb.  You've not actually given up, but you're too defeated to keep scaling.  Maybe you've lost your energy to keep going up.  You've not given up on God, you still believe, but you just don't know how to start climbing again.  Let me tell you about a great tool developed by Maxpoint.  It's a systematic approach to growing your faith in Christ, and it will help jump start your energy to keep climbing.  You can find it at www.24-7Discipleship.com.  It's free for individuals, and I guarantee it will help you get focused and ready to start scaling the wall again.

The really cool thing about this rock climbing is that safety harness I mentioned.  You see, on my cruise, I could make a split decision and give up.  But the Bible says that if we've entered this Christian rock climb, giving up is not an option.  John 10:28 says "No one will snatch us out of God's hand."  His harness is made with super glue.  We may let satan low down our growth progress, we may stop making upward progress, but once we've made a commitment to enter a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, it's a done deal.  Signed, sealed...and ultimately delivered. 

If you see a friend struggling, reach down and give them a hand.  Encourage them to keep going.  If you see a friend slip and fall, don't just leave them lower down the wall to fend for themselves.  Let's build up our Spiritual strength and climb this wall...one ledge at a time...together! 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

Choosing Joy in this Canvas of Life...

An artist, I am not.  Sure, I can sing, and I can create some pretty cool-looking scrapbooks, but I'm talking about the kind of artist who can sit down and draw beautiful masterpieces.  That most definitely does not describe me.  I've tried, really I have.  I have an image in my mind of exactly what I want to make my hands do, but unfortunately there's a disconnect between my brain and the moving of my hand.  In the end, I always just give up.  The talent isn't in me, and I've come to grips with it.

Today, I was drawn to Philippians 1:6.  If you've been a Christian very long, you probably have it memorized.  "Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

Somewhere along the way in my Christian life, I wrote some notes next to this verse.  If I had written who I heard it from, I would surely give them credit today.  The notes said this:  Salvation is a work of art.  God is the Artist.  I am the masterpiece.  And life is the canvas.  Think about that.  "The good work in me" is salvation.  I made a commitment to the Lord as a child to put my faith and trust in Him.  Once I did that, the Master Artist, God Almighty, started working on His masterpiece, me.  Life may have it's ups and downs, but through it all, God is still in charge of everything I encounter.  The Bible says that "He will carry it on to completion."  He is still creating Me, and He isn't going to stop.

God is the Artist.  I don't have to be the artist, I only have to allow Him to use my life for the canvas.  Maybe you're like me, and you're not much of an artist.  Have you been there?  Have you ever had a blank canvas and found that no matter what you do, you can't make it look the way you want?  Please tell me I'm not the only one!  Apply that to life.  I try, with God's strength, to do and be all that He wants me to be, but there are times when I find that the canvas is just plain ugly.  Usually when this happens for me, I start to lose joy in things I once enjoyed. 

Circumstances can sure do that to you, can't they?  Sometimes other people throw in a big ugly spot into the masterpiece.  I'm reminded this morning that dealing with those kind of people may make the piece of art different than how I thought it should look, but it doesn't necessarily ruin it.  God is in charge of every little thing I encounter.  Sure, it's my decision how I react to things, but there's no splotch of color that is thrown into life's palate without the Master Artist's approval. 

Of course there's those black marks that I throw in on the canvas myself.  You know the ones, the black ones.  Commonly known as sin.  But in this analogy, God has an eraser that never wears thin.  All I have to do is ask Him for forgiveness, and He just removes those ugly black marks out of my life.  God is pretty cool, isn't He?

I have a little mantra about joy that I repeat often.  I've said it as recent as last week, and my kids have heard me say it more times than I can count.  "Joy is a choice.  You can't let circumstances depict your joy, you must choose joy in spite of your circumstances."  Sometimes when the canvas gets a little abstract, especially when you're not expecting it, joy isn't the first reaction.  But I'm so thankful that God gently reminds me of His purpose for me.  I know I am a priceless creation for Him.  No, I am not an artist, and this time, it's really ok.  I know the Master Artist, and I know He's painting me to be His beautiful creation.  ...and that's where I find joy.

Thanks, God.  I needed that reminder today!

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

Stock in God...My Refuge and Strength. My Help in Times of Trouble

Psalm 46:1, 10  "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  Be still, and know that I am God.  I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

"You should own stock in the ER," my brother Bruce joked as he called me yesterday.  I laughed at his comment.  But, yesterday is one of those days I don't care to repeat.  It's also one of those days I have to reflect and ask God, "What do you want me to learn from this?" 

It started with my husband Frank taking our fourteen year old daughter Amber to the ER with hives, itching, severe abdominal pain, and extreme difficulty breathing.  So extreme, I might add, that he didn't think he could make it to the hospital.  He took her to the brand new ER that just opened down the street, not associated with any hospital.  We've seen the signs before, and we were pretty sure she was having an allergic reaction.  He injected her with the epi-pen, and off they went.  Our electricity then went out at home.  The doctors mis-diagnosed her at the ER.  And although she was feeling drained but back to normal by the afternoon, her allergist wanted to see her in his office in shorter time then it takes me to drive there. 

This was Amber's fourth trip to the ER in the last few months, due to something called "Peanut Desensitization."  You see, she's been deathly allergic to peanuts her entire life, but since January, we have made weekly visits to the allergist, working to overcome this allergy.  Sure, there have been a few bumps along the way, but on Monday she "graduated" from the program.  We thought those days of reactions were behind us.  Little did we know, three days after graduation, she would have the most severe allergic reaction of her life since the day we found out she had this allergy.

I woke up in the middle of the night thinking about everything that had transpired.  And all I can say, is I have a great God.  And God has given me some amazing friends to pray for our family during crisis.

Maybe I don't own stock in the ER, but let me say, I do own stock in God.  I don't deserve it.  I didn't buy it by good works or any great investment I had done.  But God gave it to me freely when His son Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for my sin.  He invested His Son for me.  All I had to do was accept it, ask Him to come into my life, forgive me of my sins, and commit myself to Him.  I did that as a small child, and I am so thankful that no one can ever take it away from me. 

I can't imagine what my life would be without God in it.  He cares about every detail, even leading us to the right doctors, including the "Best Allergist in Dallas" when we first moved here eleven plus years ago.  No, seriously, he IS the best, as named by D Magazine!  Props to Dr. Robert Sugarman!  He spent an hour with Amber yesterday afternoon, in the room, looking at the ER reports, and discussing her situation.  I was so touched by his care and sensitivity with us, late in the day.  He did what was right for Amber, instead of what was right for him and his staff.  They even stayed at the office until 6 PM with us, just to be sure she didn't have another reaction after her next "dose" of peanuts.  Yep, he's a keeper, and it's not by our doing that we found him.  We prayed for God to give us the right doctors when we moved here, and isn't it just like God to answer prayers?

I would be lost, literally, without God.  My heart beats for people to understand what it really means to have a relationship with Him!  I have friends that know about God.  They ask people to pray when things go south, but that's where it stops.  They have never had a time in their life when they've given control of their life to Him and started to have a personal, intimate friendship with Him.  How I wish for everyone to understand what being a Christian is really about.  Religion?  No.  Believing in God?  No.  Relationship with God and giving up control?  Most definitely.  If you do not have a relationship with God like the one I've talked about, please contact me.  It would be my privilege to show you what the Bible says about becoming a Christian.  :)

He knows what tragedies I might face.  And nothing happens to me without it passing by God first.  Why does He let these things happen?  I have no idea, only that in all things, He should be glorified.  And that's what I want to do this morning.  I give Him the glory for giving us an amazing doctor in Dr. Sugarman.  I give Him the glory for the "Peanut Desensitization," even with the bumps in the road that we've had.  I give Him the glory for the new ER being built just minutes from our home.  I give Him the glory for the wonderful epi-pen.  I give Him the glory for all things.

He is my refuge and strength.  He is an ever-present help in times of trouble.  And I will not question why...I will be still, and know that He is God so He can be exalted. 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

"Do-Over" - God gives second chances...Jonah Chapter three

My mom is perhaps the fairest grandma in the world.  She also has the gift of giving (or maybe that's buying...)  If it's on sale, she'll buy it and store it up for a good gift.  She has five grandsons and one granddaughter from two of her three boys and me.  If she bought one t-shirt for a grandchild, she bought six, all in different colors.  If she bought an alarm clock for one, she would buy one for all six grandchildren.  A mistake, perhaps, but it was only out of love that she did this.  She wanted to be the best grandma she could be, and with six grandchildren, the last thing she would want is to play favorites...or to be accused of having favorites!

However, one day I had to have a sit down with her.  "You have to love them the way they need to be loved, mom.  You can't just give cookie-cutter gifts and expect them to love everything you give them.  Take some time and only offer things that you think they will really like...things that will mean something special to them.  They don't care about receiving things...They only care if you took the time to really know them for who they are...It's the thought that goes behind the gift, not the gift itself.  Then what you give and do for them will be appreciated more, and they'll appreciate you more.  They would rather you not give them anything at all instead of something without meaning."

OK, the conversation was much more in depth than that, seasoned with words of love, and believe you me, I prayed and prayed before having that difficult conversation with my mom.  I didn't know if she would be offended or how she would take it, but I knew it had to be said.  The relationship between my kids (specifically Amber) and my mom was deteriorating, especially since they saw her only a few times a year, at best.  My mom's constant attempts to show her love with gift giving weren't being received in the way she intended.  In fact, it was creating a wedge between them.

My mom received well what I said, and the next time she saw Amber, she sat down with her one on one.   "Can Gram have a do-over?"  She asked her for forgiveness, and she then started down a road of re-building their Gram-Am relationship. 

Well, as I read in Jonah chapter three today, I see the same thing.  God gave Jonah a "do-over."  My God is a God of second chances, not just for Jonah, but for the people of Nineveh, too!

Jonah 3
1) Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time.
2) "Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you."
3) Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh.  Now Nineveh was a very important city - a visit required three days.
4) On the first day, Jonah started into the city.  He proclaimed, "Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned."
5) The Ninevites believed God.  They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.
6) When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust.
7) Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh:  "By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let any man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything: do not let them eat or drink.
8) But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth.  Let everyone call urgently on God.  Let them give up their evil ways and their violence.
9) Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish."
10) When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction He had threatened.

I love verse one.  Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time.  How many times is that true in our lives?  How many times does God speak to us about an area in our life.  We listen.  We nod.  Then like Jonah, we run the other way.  Maybe not blatantly run the other way, but eventually we find ourselves far from where He's called us or asked us to be.  Sometimes God nudges us; sometimes He slaps us with the Truth...not just once, but over and over.  Yes, my God is a God of second chances (and thirds and fourths), and I'm so glad He is. 

He is faithful.  He lets me ask for a do-over.  He forgives, and He restores.  Think about the Ninevites.  They were wicked people.  In Jonah's mind, they did not deserve God's forgiveness or mercy.  Yet, the power of God is so strong that they believed.  Imagine the whole city coming to faith in God?  That's exactly what happened, and it was the last thing Jonah ever expected.

Repentance is not just saying you're sorry or even acknowledging you've done something wrong.  It's not a passive verb.  To repent is to turn the other way.  The Ninevites didn't just believe the message Jonah proclaimed, they took action to change their ways.  They heard the prophet proclaim that God was going to overturn the city in forty days.  They believed.  They repented.  And they changed.  God granted them a do-over.

I wonder if we simply spoke up more about the Gospel, what would people's reactions really be?  Sure, it was nothing less than a miracle for the entire wicked city of Nineveh to come to Christ, yet God used one man to proclaim the message.  A man who didn't really even want them to believe.  We have too many closet Christians, afraid to go, afraid to tell.  Maybe we're like Jonah - we think that a particular people group just won't ever change.  Maybe we feel ill-equipped to tell others.  Maybe we're just not 'comfortable' sharing Christ with people we know.  As I think about Jonah, do you think he was really 'comfortable' sharing this Message with his arch-enemy?  I doubt it, yet he was obedient.

Yes, God gave the people of Nineveh a do-over.  He had compassion on them because they turned from their evil ways.  In fact, Matthew 12:39-41 says in the judgment, the men of Nineveh will stand up and condemn the Israelites for their failure to repent.  I wonder if they will also condemn other nations, even this great nation that we live in?  I'm not sure, but I do know that the same God who gave Nineveh the do-over is the same One who offers do-overs to me.  I hope He doesn't have to threaten to destroy my city to get me to repent the next time, but I'm thankful for the mercy He shows me.

Help me Lord to listen more and act on my own less.  Help me to obey the first time; I don't want to take advantage of your offer for a do-over, but I'm thankful you offer forgiveness when we repent.  Thank you for second chances.

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

Putting myself in Jonah's wet shoes...Insights from Jonah Chapter two

As I read Jonah chapter two this morning, I'm trying to really put myself in Jonah's wet shoes.  The chapter is filled with emotion and power...and truth about God's faithfulness.  It also gives a pretty good description of what it was like for Jonah down inside the belly of the great fish.  It was no party down there, having a cookout, or toasting marshmallows by the light of a candle.  No, Jonah was alone, disgusting, miserable, and perhaps for the first time since running from God, he was facing the facts.

Jonah 2
1) "From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. 
2) He said:  'In my distress I called to the Lord, and He answered me.  From the depths of the grave I called for help, and You listened to my cry. 
3) You hurled me into the deep, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all your waves and breakers swept over me.' 
4) I said, 'I have been banished from our sight; yet, I will look again toward your holy temple.
5) The engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head.
6) To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever.  But you brought my life up from the pit, O Lord my God.
7) When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you to your holy temple.
8) Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.
9) But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you.  What I have vowed I will make good.  Salvation comes from the Lord.'
10) And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land."

Try to put yourself in Jonah's shoes with me.  "Throw me overboard.  It's my fault."  With no other choice, the sailors did just that.  Surely, Jonah believed his life would soon be over.  He admitted his sin of disobeying God, yet he didn't really have a change of heart.  I wonder why he offered himself to be thrown into the sea instead of having a change of heart right there in the boat?  Certainly he could have confessed and God could have spared him the belly of the whale experience.  (Could have...not necessarily would have!)  Admitting sin and repenting are two different things.  At that point, Jonah knew in his heart that he was to blame for the storm, but I don't think his heart was yet aligned with God's.

How many times is this same thing true in my life?  I know deep down what the truth is, but doing something about it is much more difficult.  It's easier to just keep the truth buried deep within my soul then to be honest and do something about it.  OK, I'm not a closet alcoholic or drug dealer, but I am a sinner.  We all are.  The Bible says we are created with a sin nature, and everyone has tendencies toward certain sins.  Me?  Probably the thing I struggle with most is self-control when it comes to eating.  No, I'm not two-ton Tessie, but I do love my food.  Just when I think I have it under control, it creeps back into my life, like a snake in the night.  It's a constant struggle, and one I will probably struggle with the rest of my life.  Having no thyroid definitely doesn't help the weight issues, either, but it's not an excuse.  My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit now that I am a believer, and like Jonah, sometimes I know about this sin; I even admit it, but do I repent and turn the other way?   Food for thought.  :)

So there Jonah is...seemingly buried alive.  He says it himself, "From the depths of the grave..."  I wonder if this is the first waterboarding experience recorded in history and administered by God Almighty?  It almost seems like spiritual torture, but I don't believe God works like that.  He allows us to go through situations, and in them, there  is always a purpose.  For Jonah, the engulfing waters threatened him; he sank deep into the sea.  BUT, God brought his life up from the pit.  Jonah says, "When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord."  The King James version says, "When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord." 

How true those words ring.  When things were going south, Jonah remembered the Lord.  We go along life's merry way, our life decaying and fading away, our soul fainting within us.  We try to do what's right with our own power, worse yet, we don't even try.  Life throws some curveballs at us, we get thrown into the pit, then we remember the Lord.  Then we remember to pray.  This is unfortunately the case with many Christians, too.  As I read the words of Jonah, I'm reminded that life doesn't have to take us by surprise.  Sure, the event itself might be a shocker, but when things happen to throw us in the belly of the whale, our daily intimate walk with the Lord shouldn't just start with the incident.  It should be an ongoing love affair that grows stronger with each passing day, not just spike when the trouble comes, then fade off when the outcome looks better. 

Finally, Jonah talks about idols.  An idol is anything that takes the place of God in our life.  In our western culture today, it's rarely a statue.  (Although I pass a Buddhist temple every time I go to the mall, filled with hundreds of statues that people come pray to!)  No, most idol worship is less obvious.  It's self.  Television.  Music.  Food.  Job.  Finances.  Even our children. 

I have a one inch pewter chair that sits in my kitchen on the counter.  I got it at a Ladies Retreat several years ago, and it serves as a daily reminder to me.  Who is on the throne of my life?  Is God?  or am I sitting there, with my own desires, getting my own way?  If God is not on the throne of your life, then someone or something else is...and steps need to be made to put God on the the throne and replace the idols.

As I study this prayer of Jonah, I find it interesting that Jonah was just grateful to be alive.  He wasn't praying for deliverance out of the belly of the great fish; he was definitely in no place to bargain with God.  Sometimes we try to do just that.  We tell God, if you do this for me, I will do that for you.  Lord, if you take this burden from me, then I promise I will start living the way you want me to.  But not with Jonah.  Maybe he knew deep down that God was going to have him preach to those terrible Ninevites after all.  He ends his prayer with, "What I have vowed I will make good.  Salvation comes from the Lord."

Then the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.  (I don't know about you, but that whole vomiting experience, the sounds and the smells, is just more than I really care to imagine.  UGH!  Someone needed some extra soap and deordant for days, I do believe.)

I can sure learn a lot from these ten verses in Jonah chapter two.  God is a God of second chances, and I'm so glad He is.  My past mistakes don't disqualify me from God using me in the future.  In truth, no one "qualifies" for service to the King of Kings, yet God chooses to use us, if we are willing.  Are you running from God?  Are you in the belly of the whale thinking about the mistakes you've made?  Maybe It's time for a change of heart, like Jonah.  It's time to start running toward God instead of away from Him.  It's time to choose God's way all the time, not just when you're in distress.

Some of my favorite verses are found in Psalm 40:1-5.  As I study Jonah, I can't help but think of the parallels to David's life and words.

1) I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry.
2) He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire, He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.
3) He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.  Many will see and fear and put heir trust in the Lord.
4) Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.
5) Many, O Lord my God are the wonders you have done.  The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.

If the book of Jonah ended after chapter two, it would be full of wisdom for me to glean.  But there's so much more to learn in Chapters three and four.  Alas, that's for another day, another blog.  Today, I'm just glad God spit me up onto dry land and gives me an opportunity to serve Him.  I pray I will never get to the point where pride or sin in my life keep me from fulfilling His will.  Yep, I can learn a lot from Jonah, but I hope I never follow in his wet shoes.  No, I plan to stay on dry land, seeking the Son. 

 

---Beth Banfill
www.Godandme2theMax.com