And She's Off...To East Asia!!!

Leslie, Grace and I dropped off Emily @ CBU tonight, as she and her team begin a three-week mission to East Asia.  Em wanted me to post her note of thanks (below) to all who have partnered with her financially and prayerfully.  The essance of their trip is to assist in teaching English to university students, and to engage in spiritual conversations that will lead to the Gospel.

If this is the first you have heard of Em's trip, please consider praying for their effectiveness, and that the light of Christ will be shone abroad!


Hello Friends and Family!

I just want to thank you all for supporting me financially and/or committing to support me in prayer.   It has been such a long journey of learning and growth since I found out I was going to East Asia, and now the day has finally arrived!   I have already leaned so much about the provision of God as slowly-but-surely He prompted all of you to give, and I received almost exactly the amount I needed to make this journey possible.   I am so excited to see the ways the Lord will use me to do His work, and I am honored to be assigned this task.   I know He will use this time not only to bring His light to East Asia, but also to mold and change me into the woman He wants me to be.   I cannot wait to share what He does more specifically.

For updates while I am away please visit:

http://blogs.calbaptist.edu/mob/category/east-asia-esl/

Stay tuned!!!

Amazed and Astonished

I've been amazed and astonished how frequently these words are used in the Gospels.

When was the last time you had a jaw-dropping, breath-taking, eye-popping view of Jesus as you read through Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John?

I'd encourage you to look these verses up, read them in their proper context, and marvel at the most amazing, astonishing Person Who ever lived!  Then ask yourself, "Do I really know this Jesus of the Scriptures"?

And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching…  Matt. 7:28

…and coming to his hometown he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works?"  Matt. 13:54

And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?”  Matt. 12:23

When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?”  Matt. 19:25

When the disciples saw it, they were amazed, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?”  Matt. 21:20

When they heard it, they were amazed. And they left him and went away.  Matt. 22:22

And when the crowd heard it, they were astonished at his teaching.  Matt. 22:33

But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.  Matt. 27:14

And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.  Mark 1:22

And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this?  A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.”  Mark 1:27

And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”  Mark 2:12

And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands?  Mark 6:2

And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”  Mark 7:37

And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him.  Mark 9:15

And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God!  Mark 10:24

And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?”  Mark 10:26

And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him… Mark 10:32

And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching.  Mark 11:18

But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed.  Mark 15:5

And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.  Luke 2:47

And when his parents saw him, they were astonished.  And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so?  Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.”  And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me?  Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?”  Luke 2:48-49

…and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed authority. Luke 4:32

And they were all amazed and said to one another, “What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!”  Luke 4:36

For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken  Luke 5:9

And her parents were amazed, but he charged them to tell no one what had happened. Luke 8:56

And all were astonished at the majesty of God.  Luke 9:43

Moreover, some women of our company amazed us.  They were at the tomb early in the morning, and when they did not find his body… Luke 24:22-23

Joe Playing One of His Songs @ Antioch Church Last Summer

Check it!


Joe Mayers :: Special Music from Antioch Church on Vimeo.

More Hands - This Time, Joe's Writing

Joe wrote this for me for Father's Day last June.  I wept.

Dear Dad,                                                                                                                Father’s Day 2011

My hands looked like yours tonight.  The way I remember them when I was a kid, and thought your beard was “fierce”.

Palms crafted in confidence, holding the very secret of safety.

Willingness to discipline, and gentleness to cradle a baby boy, and tell him he is loved.

Across the back stretched cracked leather road maps, revealing the hero they belonged to:

Veins for strength.

Abrasions for work.

Scars for character.

They were thunderous claps, and a calming blanket.

A cup of coffee or three, and then one for your bride.

They were chocolate chip pancakes on Saturday morning, and playing catch ‘til it was just a little too dark for you out there.

They were shoelaces as tight as you could tie them…

And pound it, park it, bump it, high five, up high, down low, too slow.

They were Peace, Love, and Hang Loose.

But most of all, they were pointing…

Pointing to what I couldn’t see, until I saw, Another set of Hands:

The model of your sketch.

Palms that crafted confidence, holding the very universe together.

Willingness to take nails, and gentleness to cradle a young man and tell him he is loved.

Across the back stretch the expanse of heaven, revealing the hero they belong to:

Oceans for Strength.

Mountains for Work.

And two railroad spike-sized scars to make known the unmatchable character of Christ.

They are thunderclaps and calming seas.

Raised a cup to His own lips to spare His bride.

They are the reason for Sunday morning, in whose presence it is never just a little too dark.

They were shoelaces a righteous man was not worthy to untie.

They were pounded, crushed, bruised, nailed up high, brought low, to show: He is The Way, The Truth, The Life.

And He is holding: Holding out redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

So Dad, thank you for pointing me to my Father.

And when I cradle a baby boy who thinks I’m fierce, I’ll sketch him his Father as well.

~jm

Hands

Emily wrote about hands.  I asked her if I could share it with you.  With hesitance, she agreed. 

I thought it would be cool for you to read it in her handwriting:

Thanks Em.  You make a papa glad!

Joe Playing Gilbert in Anne of Green Gables @ the Chance Theatre in Anaheim Hills

You can read the story @ the link below the picture

http://www.ocregister.com/entertainment/anne-328269-green-gables.html

I DARE you to Watch This

Christian, I DARE you to watch this and not be moved to action!

2 Cor. 5:20 - Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

As one famous preacher said, "You're a goer, a sender, or disobedient"

Life is a Vapor

Read all the kind tributes from headlines around the globe. Stand amazed at how he “changed the world” with all his gizmos, gadgets, and genius (is there a person on the planet that could be unaware of iAnything?). Be stunned (again) at how the death of such a young, seemingly vibrant man, takes your breath away.

Then, ask yourself:

If I were to die today, stand before the God of the universe, and He were to ask me, “Why should I let you into My heaven?”…What would I say?

No one but God knows where Steve Jobs is this moment. We cannot, we will not play the judge in this matter. We can hope that Jobs made the correct assessment of Jesus of Nazareth, and like Thomas fell at His feet claiming, "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:28)

Jesus Himself asked His guys about His identity. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all record Jesus asking His disciples, “Who do the people say that I am”? They gave Jesus some representative answers. Then Jesus asks, “But…”

This is conjecture, but I’ve always read these words thinking there was a pregnant pause between “But…” and the rest of Jesus’ question. The question that got really personal, really quickly:

“But, who do you say that I am?”

This is the question we all have to answer.

Peter got it right: “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God” (Matt. 16:16).

Jesus didn’t just say, “That’s right!” Jesus said that Peter was blessed, and that He was going to start and build His church through his leadership.

This is the same group Jesus told:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Matt. 28:18-20

So church, we’ve got our marching orders from our Sovereign King. There is no wiggle room. There is no “opt out” of these last words of Jesus. If you are a believer in Christ (i.e., you have repented of your sin-filled life, turned to Him, and placed your trust solely and only in His finished work on the cross to pay your sin-debt) you have been indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and Jesus said:

“you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." (Acts 1:8)

Life is so fragile, so short, so not under our control (read James 4:13-17).  Tomorrow is no guarantee

Believer, go therefore and make disciples.

Not yet believer, go here to find out what it means to truly trust in Christ:

http://www.focalpointministries.org/share-the-gospel/
 
Or, contact me, I'd love to talk with you. mark.mayers@jesusfilm.org

Joe's Conversion Story

Pastor Jon was thankful Joe "shook off" when he came out of the water at his baptism!

Joe’s Testimony

“A funny thing happened on the way home from the office” just doesn’t fit this context. Stunning. Life-changing. Eternally significant. Those all fit the context of Joe’s drive home from work the evening of August 6th, 2009.

The left turn arrow turned green, so Joe proceeded. Unfortunately, so did the oncoming traffic – on a main, 4-lane boulevard between his job and home! All he saw out the passenger side window were headlights barreling down Antonio Parkway. I’m told this kind of accident is referred to as a “T-bone”. Joe stomped on the gas pedal quickly enough to avoid being hit, seeing the other car screeched to a smoky stop in his rearview mirror. Praise God for His protection in a thousand ways we know not, and those we do recognize!

Shaken, Joe arrived home to a sleeping family. Not able to sleep himself, and not wanting to waken us to share his story, he began to complete the first chapter in the Partners Manual he and I would be discussing the next morning. Joe and I have sought to spend some private time together that Summer, incorporating this one-on-one discipleship program authored by our pastor, Mike. http://www.compasschurch.org/partners/

We sat down for breakfast at Corky’s and ordered a skillet to split. Not even Joe can finish one of those, and I shouldn’t finish this 5-egg, potato-laden, cheese-smothered, heart attack-producing dish. While we were waiting for the food, Joe looked nervous.

“What’s up, dude?”, I asked tenderly, trying to help Joe feel OK sharing with me.

“I don’t know why I’m nervous to talk with you about this, dad”, he reluctantly said, with a sort of embarrassed look.

I assured my son the best I could, “Well, I’m not sure what you’re going to say, but I’d be surprised if I were surprised”, I said in that fatherly kinda tone and demeanor.

“Well, last night…” And Joe went on to tell me the story of the potentially tragic T-bone miss the night before, and how he was studying the first chapter of Partners. [The first chapter in Partners is, “Being Sure of Your Relationship with God”]. Then he told me of a vision-like, semi-dream, he had while the Holy Spirit was performing the miracle of new birth. He said that he was watching himself being snatched from the precipice of hell, when he realized, clearly for the first time what it means to be a true follower of Christ!

Joe told me that “the Great Exchange” has finally made sense. He described the sense of burden taken from his shoulders, to be placed squarely on Christ. Joe described, in some detail, understanding being clothed in His righteousness. He stated that he feels like for the first time in his short life, he’s “all in”! Joe described repentance and faith and second Corinthians five twenty one.

Well, I was surprised! I would have told you, beyond reasonable doubt, that Joe was already a true follower of Jesus. As much as one man can discern the spiritual condition of another, so I thought my son was heaven-bound. He has had several crises of faith in recent years, all of which have produced another humanly discernable degree of maturity. A common occurrence in someone who is committed to following the Lord is to “work out our salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:12), and “bear fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matt. 3:8; Acts 26:20), because “it is God Who is at work in us both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13). Joe’s seemed to display the acts and attitudes, in increasing measure, of a transformed life. But he had not yet placed his trust solely and only in Christ. He had turned away from sin innumerable times, but without the indwelling Holy Spirit, that kind of repentance is of the flesh and doomed to failure.

One of my favorite pics of Joe doing what he loves

The young lady brought the heart attack skillet to our table, even as my tears welled. “Are you OK?”, was her inquiry. “Everything is just great, thanks.”, was my strained reply, as I took massive delight in seeing a new creation before my very eyes!

Hey, we'd love to hear your story about becoming a Christian.  Do tell!

Refreshment - Proverbs 11:24-25

One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. Prov. 11:24-25

Lord Jesus, I cannot read these words without lifting my heart and hands toward heaven. I cannot read these three words, “whoever refreshes others,” without thinking of you. For no one refreshes a dry and disconnected heart like you; no one is breathes life into the listless sails of a soul like you; no one is an artesian spring of encouragement like you; no one welcomes our burdens and cares, our weariness and our woes like you. Your mercies are new every morning, and your steadfast love never comes to an end. Great is your faithfulness!

Indeed, no one gives more freely than you, Jesus. You’ll never be charged with withholding any good thing from your people. You’ll never come to poverty through hoarding, because you freely chose the poverty of the cross as a means of making us rich (2 Cor. 8:9). This is the gospel, and nothing is more refreshing than the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation—for this very moment, for this very parched heart.

In the gospel, you’re always calling to us in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink” (John 7:37). Jesus, I join my brothers and sisters in coming to you right now with my heart as wide as open as the skies of Montana and as willing to receive as the government is our taxes. I humble myself before you. I own the need that you alone can meet. I am not ashamed to let you know just how much I need to be refreshed by you, Jesus. You love to give, and I love to receive from you… right now.

And as grace runs downhill to the needy, so it flows freely to others. To whom would you send us today—to whom would you send me? Who needs a word of grace, a look of mercy, a hug of hope… or maybe a listening, lingering lunch? Freely we will receive, freely we will give to others. So very Amen we pray, in your most generous and grace-full name.

From Scotty Smith's daily prayer blog:
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/scottysmith/2011/09/07/a-prayer-about-giving-and-receiving-gospel-refreshment/