Waking Up in Poland

On the road again this week to the Czech Republic for a church planters conference. This trip is different from previous because we are traveling in a group of 12 potential planters. Some with a call already from God, and some who are thinking about it and some who don't know, but I hope they hear from God this week. The conference is be held by Advance, this is the church planting wing of Josiah Venture. Alan Hirsh who has written many books will speaking and speaking from his book The Forgotten Ways. The book was a good read and contained a lot of information on what a church needs to be. There will be people from all different countries and I think about 130 total attendees. The conference will run till Thursday afternoon, and then that evening and the following day there will be a smaller group of leaders that will spend specific time on how to create a movement in our specific countries. I have very high hopes for this time and believe that God can do a lot through this conference. We traveled about half way, just arrived into Poland and stopped to sleep for the night. One cool this is Meego Remmel is on the trip, the pastor of Salem, our mother church, and Baptist Union President. Its been great to spend the time in the car and catch up. He is one of the most encouraging people I have ever met and full of Spirit so just being around him is a rewarding experience.

Reena of course is back home alone with the 3 kids, so please pray for her about this. These weeks can be very difficult as you can imagine, so if you also want to email here or facebook her, she would greatly appreciate it.

Great Sermon & Great Quote

We have been in the middle of a series on Sundays about Heaven and Hell. This week Peep lead us through a talk on Hell that was particularly challenging for me. One quote that has had me thinking is do we live with the smell of the smoke of hell. The idea was the hell is a very real place and its described in the Bible as a lake of fire, and that there are people that we know and love that will spend an eternity there, and we should live with that smell as a constant reminder of what could happen to them. Its one of those things I have to chew on for a few weeks and figure out how to live differently in light of that. The rest of the service was very encouraging. Daniel, Timo and Hanna lead the music and it was really uplifting, especially one song, Sonata 36, which is one of their original songs. I am proud of our musicians writing their own songs, its a significant step forward for our church. Also, lots of fresh and new faces there. We also had a new international student. We had Tian, our Chinese student, Dean, from Cameron and Jarret from Texas, and for an Estonian church, we have a very colorful congregation!

I just finished the book, Forgotten God by Francis Chan, and I strongly recommend this book to anyone. Its about the Holy Spirit and how he has been the most neglected member of the Trinity in our lives and churches. Near the end of the book he was writing about the fruits of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness and self control. Well Chan had this to say about this list:

But look over those traits right now and ask yourself if you possess each in a supernatural degree. Do you exhibit more kindness and faithfulness than the Mormons you know? Do you have more self-control than your Muslim friends? More peace than Buddhists? More joy than atheists? If GOD truly lives in you, shouldn't you expect to be different from everyone else?

This just rocked me to the core. Reena and I discussed and I think we will for a long time. Do our lives really possess these things and in a way that can be no other explanation than God? I have to be honest, Peace is a struggle for me, taking a day off and just resting is hard, patience, I hate it when people go the speed limit, joy, how can I have joy when the world is full of idiots, and kindness, we don't need that if everyone would just do their job right, self control, I would rather notice and talk about others lives than my own. So today, ask yourself, are you different? Is your life marked by the fruits of the Spirit, or something else? I hope you find the answer and I hope if you don't like it, like I, you will turn to the right place and beg for help.

Estonia Gets a Silver!

Yesterday Estonia won its first medal at the Winter Olympics. Two time gold Medalist Kristina Smigun-Vähi won a silver in the Womens 10km freestyle cross country race. It was a bit of surprise because she wasn't one of the favorites going into the race and has not been actively competing since having a child a few years ago. I know the US seems to get medals all the time, but for little Estonia to get even 1 medal is very exciting and something people here are very proud of and celebrating. I watched the race last night and it was pretty exciting and I know they showed it live on NBC in the Easter time zone. Estonia still has a few more chances in the skiing to win something, but even if they don't this one medal is very special.

Something cool

Typography from Ronnie Bruce on Vimeo.

What are you learning?

I have had a very enjoyable time that last few days in the Bible. I have been studying Malachi. The last book of the Old Testament that often gets skipped over. Its just a small 4 chapters, but its been very challenging. One thought that I keep coming back too is from chapter 1 where God is having a conversation with the people, but its primarily with himself. He is speaking for the people, asking questions and then answering them. He confronts the people on their sacrifices. They were bringing for sacrifice animals that were blind and with other problems. God confronts them and even says, its better that you don't offer sacrifices, than to offer these animals. One particular point he makes is he asks the people if they would bring those sacrifices to their governors. The obvious answer is no, but this got me to thinking. These people were still offering sacrifices, showing up to the temple, but they were not willing to give up their best, their finest for him. What is it that I am holding back? What is my best, that I am not willing to sacrifice for God? What is it that I would give to God, that I would be embarrassed to give to others? You really see the fear of man in these people. They don't really believe in their hearts, but rather than face the embarrassment of just walking away from God and making their live match their heart, they keep doing something, just a little bit and hope that is enough. Its so convicting to read and say to God, take me and rip me up and teach me to be like you! Malachi is a great book, but its taken me a week to get a handle on it. To pick up on Gods tone of voice and he isn't very happy, but he is still loving and graceful with the people. He is calling them to repentance, to change their heart and their lives...so my question to you is what are you learning? What repentance is God calling you to?

5 People, 5 Stories

This past Sunday at Risttee we had another of our "5 People, 5 Stories" services. This time we had some of the best stories of what God is doing in the peoples lives at Risttee. Each person shared openly about their lives, some of recent things, others of long term change. One of the people that shared was Tian, he is a doctorate student from China. He shared his story of how he met Christ in Belarus and how he desires to use his business skills to build the kingdom by supporting local pastors and churches in China and Belarus. Hanna shared about her recent trip to the States for the Passion 2010 conference and her faith journey the last year. Amalie joined us via video that she filmed in Ohio and we were able to show. It was great to see all that God is doing in her life and her steps of faith and how the Word is changing her heart. Indrek shared his story and it was incredible. How he came to Christ and how God has given him a heart for the less fortunate. It challenged me significantly to open up the gospels and really see what Christ had to say about this. Finally Betti shared some things that have been going on and her deep love for the Word of God. I enjoyed to hear not just lip service about these things, but you could hear specifically how God is changing their lives, molding, shaping, cutting away, adding, to make each of them into his masterpiece. I have said this before, but I think every church should do this several times a year so you can hear and celebrate God amongst your people. Its so great to get the microphone out of the pulpit and into the pew, nothing is a better indication of where your people are then when you hear directly from them.

We have been getting a ton of snow. I think we got about 8 inches of more yesterday. There is really no where else to put it. The piles on the side of the streets are over 4ft tall and its tough to see when you drive. We are supposed to get snow every day for the next week, so if it comes again, I am not sure where we will put it. Its funny to watch the kids play in the snow, but Nora cant even move, most of the snow, is already above her head, so she is living in an avalanche!

Finally, the family has been so busy lately. Seems like we are always running to and from somewhere. I don't know about you, but this is really really annoying and exhausting. I can't remember the last time we had a day or two to just have a normal schedule and not have to head out to a meeting or to help with something. I love the fact that we can help, but sometimes, you just need a few days to get away, or lock yourselves in your house and not come out. I ask for your prayers about this. Its been a struggle and can even be a point of conflict in our home and we don't want this to become decisive. Our desire is to know the heart of Christ and let the spirit lead us so we can find peace and joy in all we do, but often this joy flies out the window and we are left trying to put the fracture pieces of our lives together. Pray for peace, joy, and rest. Its February and the winter blues are in full strength, so as you go to God today, remember and intercede for us.

Recovering...

I was reading this morning in the Gospel of Mark and was confronted by the Spirit about my life. I was specifically looking at the last hours of Christ life before he died and His arrest and trial. In this amazing piece of scripture, I was confronted by a thought. All the disciples deserted him. The Pharisees carried out their plans against him. All the crowds disappeared and this was all predicted and was even told by Christ to the disciples they would do it. Then they all said one by one, not even a group, individually they told Christ they wouldn't do it. Then later Peter strongly defends himself as someone who would not deny Christ. As I have read this in the past I thought, "How stupid of these guys" "How dumb of the Pharisees?" "How could they all desert him?" "Don't they remember all he did?, Feed thousands, raise the dead, heal sickness and taught them to do the same" But then inside I heard God say, "YOU ARE ONE OF THEM"

Not a voice of anything like that, but something deep deep in my soul that gave me the chills.

I think these guys get a bad wrap in churches and small groups all the time. People talk just like Peter, saying they would never do that, but the reality is, I WOULD HAVE BEEN ONE OF THEM AND HAVE BEEN ONE OF THEM! It easy to throw stones and pretend since we read the last chapter of the book and know how this whole thing ends up, that we would live differently, but the reality is I don't do it and I still fail. This got me to thinking that in the addictions world, you are a recovering alcoholic or drug addict, its something you carry with you forever to remind you of how easy it is to fall back into addiction. So today, I admit to God and my community that I am a recovering disciple and recovering Pharisee. I am someone who has fled from Christ at times in my life, someone who has lived in ways that deny him as being the Son of the living God. I have no interest in building a front or a facade that shows everything is good and strong when I know that on my own strength, I am a failure and I need the Spirit and Christ to make it through this day and not fall back into my former ways and "addictions". I want to be like the post resurrection disciples who took the message of Christ to the nations and who lived like the things of this world have no value and truly live for eternity, residents of God's kingdom!

Its funny cause first thing this morning I got some bad news that a very important part of our ministry calendar won't be happening this year and some funding that significantly impacts our church won't be coming in and I was pretty bummed and frustrated. I was waiting for my discipleship group to show up, which they never did, so as I waited, I was reading and God spoke into my disappointment and depression He connected the things of this world and my plans for ministry and reminded me that HE IS ALL AND HE IS EVERYTHING! For months, I have had this question in my head, its Christ saying to me, "AM I ENOUGH?" and its funny that I am quick to answer YES, but without thinking about the true cost of this, if he is everything, then I should and can not trust in anything else, if he is all, I need nothing else. So today Christ showed me what I have been and showed me what I can be and I choose HIM today, and tomorrow is tomorrow, but today, its HIM!