Month: January 2016

Every one of our kids enjoyed playing with puzzle boards.  The template of shapes varied from letters, to farmyard animals.  A shapes fit to the A board.  Chicken shapes, no matter how much focused twisting occurred, never quite fit to the Cow template.

When I look upon the cultures of our day, and the Christians wrestling to find it’s place within it, I think of my kids puzzle board.  Specifically in the west, the culture decaying around us.   Christianity is losing it’s influence, fading into the backdrop – all the while the Church focuses energy on becoming more culturally relevant.  Christianity of our day has become the kid nobody wanted to pick on the soccer team at recess – but we have cool shoes.

Have we forgotten that this world is broken?  This cultures shapes and contours are broken, harsh, evil.  There isn’t a single sanctified culture of our day – the entire world is under the influence of the evil one.

For everything in the world–the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life–comes not from the Father but from the world.   1 John 2:16

We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.   1 John 5:19

As believers, we recognize we all fit into this broken board at one time.  Oblivious to it’s power, but bound by it nonetheless.  No physical or mental gymnastics could free us from Satan’s harsh grid.  We were enemies of God, stuck and formed by a fallen culture.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Romans 12:2

Through the mercy of God, Jesus came and provided a way of escape.  He came into this world, but He did not take on it’s shape.  He lived a perfect life, showed us the Father and was crucified for our rebellion.

God, through Jesus, shows us a new Kingdom, not of this world – the perfect board, made by a loving and Holy God.

God’s people were never intended to be ‘culturally relevant’ – we were made for His Kingdom first.  By looking to Jesus, we become shaped by Him (2 Cor 3:18). God’s intention is for His people to be re-inserted back into the board of our present day culture.  A people reflecting the Light of Christ in a world of ignorance.  A preserving salt in a decaying world.

A grid on top of a grid.  Our lives are now hid with Christ.  We are not our own.  We belong not to the broken grid of this world. 

We are beloved, cherished, cleansed and righteous through faith.  Embrace that the world rejects Kingdom relevant Christianity – it rejected God Himself and I’m pretty sure there’s nothing more relevant than the Creator of all things.

God has re-inserted His Kingdom board over top of the grid of this world.  Many of our new shapes simply won’t fit into the broken board anymore.  I’m good with that.  This world is passing away.

The message of hope in Christ is the only hope to pull humanity from the clutches of sin.  Mask the message too deep in culture and it loses it’s power.  The Gospel is great news for tiny life boats without a chance in the coming storm.  Hope in Christ is the only truly relevant thing we have to offer.   The power of this message is not something engineered by cultural coolness.

We’re not the sorry kid left unpicked by the cool kids, we’re the superhero’s of eternity – armed with the Love of Christ.  The world can have their soccer.  We’re not to intentionally be weird or persecuted, that’s just going happen naturally as we care and become formed to God’s eternal grid.  The cool thing?  By focusing on His grid, we become fishers of men and enter the revolution that is called Christianity.  That is cool.

Christians out there – Live the grid!  Press into Christ.  Allow Him to reshape and empower you to live on mission.  Your friends, your neighbors, your churches – they need Kingdom ambassadors now!

Grow your long beards, smoke your pipes and sip your fresh coffee, but for the love of God and humanity, be Kingdom relevant – live the Kingdom grid.  Start by giving a rip about someone that doesn’t have your name.

“You can take nothing greater to the heathen world than the impress and the reflection of the love of God upon your character.  That is the universal language.    – Henry Drummond

This little cutey has loved Canada but asks regularly about returning to Ukraine – sweet:)

In Canada for our last weekend.  We will fly out Tuesday, arriving on Wednesday in Ukraine.  It’s been a wonderful trip, we feel extremely blessed to be able to come back now three Christmas’s in a row.

Our hearts (and bellies) are full as we pack, and wrap up final details.  Traveling with one less on our return – Broderic seems to be doing well into his 3rd week of college in Texas.

Last few days I’ve played Hockey and it’s been SO fun! I really miss the game.

I’ve been working on a blog that highlights some of the things the Lord has encouraged us with, and general observations in the area of mission and church.  It’s turned into a novel and might be too sobering and theological for our blog readers – but I intend to publish it soon.  God has been gracious to help us begin to form, through pastor friends, books and His leading a missional template for the next few years.

Over the past few weeks several surprise donations have been received.  Thank you!  It’s been so encouraging to see how God has put our ministry and family on various hearts.  We didn’t do any fundraising this trip, but entrusted this coming year to the Lord and see Him provide for some ministry growth – will share more soon!

Flying around the US last week – such perspective from 30k feet!

Been busy preparing to teach the Gospel of John the week of Feb 15 in Minsk, Belarus.  It’s an intense week teaching 19 classes in 5 days!  I’m feeling pretty good about it, but honestly never attempted anything like this before – I feel bad for the Belorussian students though, have to listen to me for 1,500 minutes – Pray for us all!

My Grandma – she’s an amazing woman, runs the books for 2 family businesses, and serves at youth ministry 2x per week.

The Gospel of John is so incredible – written that we may know that Jesus was the Messiah of the world and that we would experience life in Him.  Thank you Jesus for life in Christ.

On the heels of the Minsk teaching trip we have a team of 15 joining us from Texas, joining up with some from Minsk and our own youth as we host a week of Awaken Creative Workshops and Worship Nights.

Pray as well for us as we need to hit the road running in Ukraine when we return – talking to colleges, forming up some teams for logistics, food, housing and everything else.  Pray for the week of March 4-12 specifically that the Holy Spirit will move mightily in hearts, awaken us all to your reality and presence Lord!

On the heels of the Awaken week, a few of us will head to Vladivostok, Russia – Far East Russia.   I’ll be (if I can find tickets!!) teaching a DTS week on the Kingdom of God and a cool side group of part time students who want to dig into scripture more but work full time and can only meet at nights and weekends.   God is working.

God is working all around us isn’t He?  Open your heart to the presence of God, care for others, listen and enter His harvest – He’s the Lord of it!

Thanks for staying in touch – please don’t hesitate to drop us a comment or email anytime as well!  It’s so cool to hear from friends, family and even random folks that come across our blog.

Bruce & Deb