Let Freedom Ring!
Author: Beth
•Monday, July 04, 2011

Freedom.


It was on the mind of the fathers who founded this country on “reliance of divine Providence” and pledged their “lives, fortunes, and sacred honor” for the cause of free and independent states. It was the whispered word of every slave who broke free from their iron shackles and followed the North Star. It is the rallying cry for every soldier who wears the flag as they fight to end terror for the love of God and country.


Today, on this 4th of July, my fellow Americans and I are welling up with patriotism and thanking God for freedom. Even as broken and needy as she is, we still enjoy liberty and privileges as citizens of the United States that are unparalleled by anywhere else in the world.


Today, my heart is also thinking about what it means to be REALLY free… in a way so much deeper than political or national sentiments.


This past year, I’ve seen dear loved ones taken home from this earth and from their battles with cancer to live with Jesus. I’ve seen new countries go through birth pangs, and thought of the dear friends left there who have the light of Jesus Christ in their eyes. I’ve seen struggles with sin that have been overwhelming and victories through Jesus that have been glorious. I’ve come to grips with some of the deepest places of my own heart and am learning to cling more closely to the light of the gospel.


So, today, I’m thanking Jesus even more so for this kind of freedom, and echoing the following words from the depths of my own heart:


Indeed, to be set free by you, Jesus, is to be really free (John 8:36). We praise you for freedom from the demands of the law and the paralyzing guilt of our sin, for you took our place on the cross, exhausting the judgment we deserve. We praise you for freedom over the insidious power of sin, for you’ve broken its dehumanizing dominion in our lives. We praise you for freedom from the ever-present fear of death, for you domesticated its sting and pillaged the grave of its victory.


We praise you for freedom to obey God from our hearts, no longer out of pride, pragmatics, or pretense. We praise you for the freedom to come boldly to the throne of grace—into the eternal Holy of Holies, for you’ve secured this “new and living way” for us. We praise you for the freedom of repentance, for you’ve borne our shame and we don’t have to pretend or pose anymore. We praise you for the freedom to take gospel-risks, instead of rusting away the rest of our lives in self-protection and self-indulgence. For life is no longer about our performance, but your praise; not about our security, but your glory; not about saving face, but saving grace.


Jesus, by the power of the gospel, we’ll seek to stand firm in these and many more freedoms you’ve won for us. And in those moments (regretfully, sometimes longer) when we’re seduced back under the joy-robbing yoke of legalism or other demeaning slaveries, restore us quickly to gospel-sanity. Hallelujah, what a Savior you are! Hallelujah, what a salvation you freely give us! So very Amen we pray, your liberating and loving name.


- "A Prayer for Standing Firm in Gospel Freedom" by Pastor Scotty Smith


Let true freedom ring in the hearts of every blood-bought child of the living God and in every corner of His Kingdom throughout this world.

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The Sermon to Yourself
Author: Beth
•Monday, March 28, 2011
The main art in the matter of spiritual living is to know how to handle yourself.

You have to take yourself in hand, you have to

address yourself,

preach to yourself,

question yourself.


You must say to your soul:

'Why art thou cast down' -- what business have you to be disquieted?'


You must turn on yourself,

upbraid yourself,

condemn yourself,

exhort yourself,

and say to yourself:

HOPE THOU IN GOD

-- instead of muttering in this depressed, unhappy way.


And then, you must go on and remind yourself of God,

Who God is,

and what God is,

and what God has done,

and what God has pledged Himself to do.


Then, having done that, end on this great note: defy yourself.

and defy other people

and defy the devil and the whole world,

and say with this man

'I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance, who is also the health of my countenance and my God.'"


- Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones, Spiritual Depression
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[Sudan] The Language of Missions
Author: Beth
•Friday, February 18, 2011
[Author's note: If I can just be permitted to dust off this little corner of the web for a few moments, I thought I would share a few more thoughts in the same vein as the ones previously posted. In light of the recent Sudan referendum and birth of a new country, I thought it to be appropriate. Hopefully, my writing hiatus won't last much longer and I'll be back to posting regularly once again. Thanks for your patience!]



The sunlight streams through the edges of the grass mat roof, spotlighting dark faces with patches of light. Dozens are crammed on hard log branch bences for the morning church service.

It is Sunday morning, and there are at least two faces in the crowd that certainly do not blend in. Laurie Filson and I have tagged along with long-time missionary Vince Ward to visit Lo Mading, one of the mission churches growing rapidly in Southern Sudan. After many weeks of experiencing life with the Cush4Christ team under the African sun, we both approach this final Lord's Day with eagerness and a twinge of sadness. I look around, trying to etch every single face into my memory - looking back into the dark eyes that followed my every move.

What was about to take place in front of me, thousands of miles away from the familiar and ordinary, would be the stage for God to show me just how close Home really is.



A wiry young fellow, barely in his teens, is leading the singing. He is clothed in slightly baggy, mismatched clothes and he is barefoot, but these things are hardly noticeable after seeing his face. Sweat glistens on his dark features. His eyes are closed as he sings his heart ourt. His entire body is enveloped into the singing, as if the words escaping his lips were running through his veins. Thin arms pump the air victoriously and his feet kick up tufts of dirt as he makes his way up and down the makeshift aisle.

Pure, unaffected joy.
Worship in an entirely different language that speaks louder than words ever could.

Another young man, Ajou, only recently passed by Presbytery to be licensed to preach, stands in front of the fledgling congregation. I can see the joy in his eyes, the excitement erupting all over his dark face. I can hear the edge in his voice betraying the zeal of his soul. The words that issued from his lips were still a mystery to my untrained ears, but as a preacher to his own, these words aren't dead. They are filling the four corners of the grass-mat enclosure, bounding into the listening ears of the people crowded together.

Twenty-five believers are lining up for baptism now. The water droplets run down their faces - some young and smooth, others wrinkled and scarred - as they, one-by-one, identify themselves boldly with Jesus Christ and a new life.

It is a celebration.

You can feel it in the air. The voices echo all around me and I can hear their praises erupting to God in their own language. I don't understand a word of it, by the joyful tears that are welling up in my eyes match the glistening droplets that still linger in their dark hair.

Then, in the midst of all the Dinka language, I hear something that I do understand ... a few English words!
.
I look over, and for a moment, our missionary friend is praying a blessing for the people. It is a very small thing, just a short prayer to add to what the baptizing pastor has already prayed for the new believers. But in that moment, hearing my own language resonates deeply in my heart. I didn't even realize how much I had missed it.
.
.
It was as if someone had turned a spotlight on to that beautiful scene, allowing the colors to glisten in a way veiled before. Hearing the echoes of my own heart being put into words revealed how much I had been missing by not being able to comprehend the language of those around me.
.
.
If I thought I understood, I did even more so now.
.
.
A few days later, we embarked a small white plane to begin our trek back to America, carrying months of memories with us. The crowning pinnacle of our reflections, as we watched the ground disappear below, turned heavenward and we considered the Kingdom work that God is doing through the labors of the dear missionary friends that we leave behind.
.
That church service scene, like so many others before it , bore the obvious signs of His redeeming work - clear indications of the gospel captivating hearts and transforming lives. We see these things in missions, though imperfect, and it causes us to rejoice in it, wait for it, work for it, long for its completion. God "has put eternity into man's heart" (Ecc. 3:11) and those eternal souls are finding Biblical language in whcih to praise Him!
.
Sometimes it isn't easy. We don't "blend in" and certainly don't always understand the meaning of these little tastes of eternity. As C.S. Lewis has aptly said, "If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world." One day, all things will be made known, every knee shall bow, the goal of missions will be finished, and we will worship together with one voice before our Savior.
...
Yes, I'm on my way home.
...
"For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known." - 1 Corinthians 13:12
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[Sudan] Welding Lessons
Author: Beth
•Tuesday, December 07, 2010
The old adage says that you learn something new every day. Spend a day in a third-world foreign country and you're guaranteed to quadruple your chances of doing something you've never done before.

I came to Sudan with a construction resume that accurately depicted my level of expertise: I could name a few tools in the box and had pounded a few nails. However, the combination of necessity and an excellent teacher (Julie Ward) breeds opportunity, and thus I found myself behind the Darth Vader-isque mask with a welding rod in my hands.

Welding is one of those trades that carries remarkable intrigue, especially to someone like me that knows little of the complexities of electricity or coalescence. It requires a steady hand, a little bit of know-how (which didn't come from me, obviously), and a few safety measures here and there. Many weeks and a dozen metal shutters later, I reemerged from behind the mask with a new respect for the craft (and the people who can make it look so easy) and a few sparks of thought that were starting to mold something permanent in my head.

Back at our little hut one afternoon, I picked up my small travel Bible and a few verses caught my eye.

"...so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith - that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." (Ephesians 3:17-19)

That simple phrase "rooted and grounded in love" stood out to me like the bright light that I had seen behind the welding mask.

In welding terms, a "ground clamp" is attached to the work to complete the current and allow the electricity to pass through the metal being welded. Without it being properly attached to the pieces, the welder runs the risk of electrical shock.

To be "grounded in love" therefore presented a challenging mental picture, bearing a 1 Corinthians 13 kind of resemblance. I may be able to speak and communicate with brilliant eloquence, but the words mean nothing unless they are spoken in love. I may have the faith that can obliterate obstacles, but without love, there is no point. I may live in Africa (or anywhere else in the world) and give all that I have, but there is no true gain without love. It is love that gives sense and bearing to work; it prevents burnout or injury from energetic efforts without any foundation. To be completely "filled with the fullness of God," I have to know this Love and be firmly grounded in it.

What wondrous love is this?

"God saw Abraham's sacrifice and said, 'Now I know that you love me, because you did not withhold your only son from me.' (Genesis 22:12). But how much more can we look at His sacrifice on the Cross and say to God, 'Now, we know that you love us. For you did not withhold Your Son, Your only Son, whom You love, from us.' When the magnitude of what He did dawns on us, it makes it possible finally to rest our hearts in Him rather than in anything else." - Tim Keller, Counterfeit Gods

In the light of the gospel of this glorious sacrifice, the foundation and "grounding", everything else is "electrified" and made useful in His sight. Why are these families here in Sudan, giving up successful careers and comforts, for the sake of their Dinka neighbors? Why are there tireless efforts put into training men, building churches, raising children, running households? Why is there hope in the midst of discouragements, perseverance in trials, joy in hardships?

Behind that welding mask, watching the sparks fly, I caught a glimpse of it.

It's all because of Love.


"In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, that we might live through Him." - 1 John 4:9


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[Sudan] Planes & Promises
Author: Beth
•Wednesday, December 01, 2010


If someone had told me a few months ago that I would be writing this from a small white plane flying over barren African plains, I don't think I would have believed them. But now, I'm looking out of small windows at the brush and sparse greenery below, with an occasional dirt road snaking into the distance. Occasionally, a small cluster of thatched roofs appear, but that is the only sign of civilization below. In an hour or so, my feet will be touching the ground and the adventure will begin.

What does faith look like?

That's a question that coursed through my brain as I sat in the airplane seat. A few hours ago, I had boarded the plane without a second thought. I had buckled myself in for the ride, grinned at 6-year-old Samuel sitting next to me, and soared into the sky headed for Southern Sudan. The two international flights that had brought me to the other side of the globe a few days earlier were much the same. I didn't think about the pilot who literally held lives at his control. I didn't give a second thought to the plastic and metal being the only things that protected me from the elements. I didn't even reconsider the laws of science that held the plane thousands and thousands of feet in the air.

In our culture, flying is just how we get from one place to the next.The "radical faith" that takes is widely accepted and hardly questioned.

Can I live with that kind of faith, in the spiritual sense ... on the ground?

Thankfully, I didn't have to look too far into my past to see that the Pilot had already been faithful to navigate through some storms. Recounting the events of the previous few months left me with no other choice than to look confidently into the future.

It had been exactly eight weeks since the day an email appeared in my inbox, asking if Laurie and I would consider going to Sudan. At the time, we were both shocked that God would answer our months of praying in that way. Our small faith was about to be tested in every possible sense.

Me? In Africa? What about my responsibilities here? What about the money? What will people think of such a quick decision? Am I doing the right thing? What if I don't come back? ...

Each question that surfaced demanded a miracle in its own way. God was answering prayers, but He was doing it in such a way that stripped us of every ounce of ourselves and caused complete surrender. A.W. Tozer once said, "If something is of God, then your dependence on God will increase." That became our heralding cry for needed grace. If God was going to have us on a plane in a few short weeks, it would be nothing short of a miracle.

Faith. Can you do this, oh my soul? Has He ever failed you yet?



From my reflections on that little white plane, I began to see the shadows of three pillars that gave my shaky faith the wings to fly.

Peace. When God calls His children to things much bigger than themselves, He knows our weakness and inadequacies -- which is why I believe He fulfills His own words to give backbone to the task ahead: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you...let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." (John 14:27). After praying intensely about the decision, Laurie and I found that God had given an deep-rooted and inexplainable peace, even against all odds.

Providence. How else can you explain the acts of God, when you have no other alternative -- no "plan B"? How do you account for details falling into place, jobs being covered, money being provided, and needs being fulfilled? It is, as the Westminster Catechism puts it, God's works of providence: "His most holy, wise, and powerful, preserving and governing all His creatures and all their actions." When God has His fingerprints all over something, even preparing me months and years in advance, it's hard to look the other way.

Promises. Faith is not easy for us nearsighted, fallible, insecure creatures, which is why God gives us firm foundations to rest our weary feet. He then gives us times such as these to prove that that every word of His is actually true. For my little faith, stepping forward into to this desire of my heart meant that His promises would have to be more than just letters on a page. Thankfully, but not surprisingly, every single promise is always kept. Always.

With those three pillars holding us up, we turned our faces towards the wind and our Pilot put us... on... that... plane.

Weeks later, as I sat waiting to disembark and feel the hot African sun on my face, I returned to that question of faith.

What is this going to look like for the rest of my life? Can I take my faith so seriously that flying clear around the world will seem like nothing in comparison? Can I trust that God, my Pilot, will keep me above the clouds, above the terrifying depths below? Can I have the kind of confidence that when He does "land the plane," He will not leave me to wonder where to go from here?

A few hours later, not only was I on the ground, but I was standing in front of the little round hut that was going to be "home" for the next few months. As I looked upward, I saw a rainbow that stretched delicately across the blue expanse, as a welcome banner from my Lord.

There was no doubting.
No turning back.

A radical life of faith, with Jesus as the author and the finisher, is the only life worth living.


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The Return
Author: Beth
•Monday, November 15, 2010

Dear friends,

After a summer hiatus[and then some], I’m now dusting off this blog once again. If you were following the updates over at 73 Days, you will have heard a few tales of the African adventures from this past summer. Hopefully, those words (written from our little thatched-roof hut) gave you a tiny glimpse into what turned out to be an incredible God-breathed, grace-saturated, ripple-making, faith-building, joy-filled adventure.

We (my dear friend Laurie and me) touched American soil again on September 8, 2010. The pictures have been sorted through, a few videos done, and reports have been made, and life has swept us away in a fascinating flurry back on our homeland mission field.

However, my writing pen has been largely silent.

There’s been a reason for that. Well, more than one. :-)

It’s impossible to go on a trip like that and not have it change you. Sometimes that change isn’t realized right away; sometimes it just takes awhile for it to surface into [words that can be shared.] Now, over two months later (has it been that long?!)…… the words are finally coming.

SO, here’s to ‘remembering the deeds of the Lord.

Remembering His wonders of old.

Pondering all of His work.

Meditating on His mighty deeds.’

In the next few weeks, by God’s grace, I’m going to attempt to share a few stories with you. Some of them are from my journal. Others are from the updates that you might have already read. A few are the result of living back at home and seeing things there with new eyes.

I’m just gonna say – God has this way of writing stories that always leave me speechless. However they might come out, it is my hope that you’ll see God Himself in a way that you’ve never seen before. He deserves far more glory than can ever be expressed here.

“What god is great like our God? You are the God who works wonders; You have made known your might among the peoples.” (Psalm 77:11-14)

So, here’s to celebrating that.

Beth


P.S. With a new season comes a new blog look! Web design is not my forte, but I've been playing around here to make it a little more navigatable... so pardon the "dust." :) Any suggestions, comments, or helpful hints would be appreciated.

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[Sudan] Adventure with Jesus
Author: Beth
•Thursday, September 02, 2010

“Make sure you have good walking shoes!”

A good piece of advice for any traveler, yes. Just a few months ago, I was hurriedly throwing a few things into a suitcase in order to catch a plane that was Africa-bound. In went the old familiar brown sandals. The ones that had climbed mountains in India, ran beaches in Mexico, and now would soon be shaking Sudanese dust off of their worn soles.

Now, over two months later, I looked down at those old brown sandals as I walked to some surrounding neighbors to say some final goodbyes. The packed dirt below had bare footprints (along with a random smattering of cow, goat, donkey, and chicken prints) etched into the soil of those who had walked the path before me. The pathway kept going – winding in between compounds and disappearing into fields that were tall with sorghum ready for harvest. Part of me wanted to keep going – to look beyond the next bend in the path, to find more faces, to see new things. The other part of me knew that the sun would be setting soon and it was time to turn back.

Now, I’m turning back … going home.

But the journey doesn’t stop.


Because with every day that passes here in Sudan, the more I realize just how much of this life is truly an adventure with my Jesus. Every step of the way.




Next Wednesday, a certain plane will land in Indianapolis. Lord willing, both Laurie and I will be setting foot into a new chapter and a new adventure back in our homeland.

I just wanted to send you all a heartfelt “thank you” for being faithful prayer warriors during this African leg of the great adventure. It has been so full and so rich with His abundant care and grace. Our time here has drawn to a close, but we go willingly on to the next – knowing that following Him means truly living the abundant life.

The last week with the Cush4Christ team here has been mixed with joy in all that God has done, along with some sadness at the thought of parting. Things like screwing the final screw into the completed shutters at the Ward’s house or topping off our project blitz by the construction of a new latrine (“cho”) this week has given a sense of finality and completion to this trip. Many things still continue, however, and will the time to come within our own hearts. God has blessed us with so many relationships and friendships here that it is difficult to say goodbye. They ask us when we will return, and we can only say “The Lord knows” (and then we think a little less of earth and a little more of heaven.)

A few final prayer requests as we embark on our journey home:

- For safety and protection in travel: Jan, Laurie, and I leave on Friday morning from Aweil, spend the night in Juba, and do the second half of our flight to Nairobi on Saturday. Our flight to America begins on the following Tuesday (September 7).

- For the C4C team: especially the Wards as they remain behind in Sudan and continue on the work here so faithfully. Also, pray for Scott (returning next week) and the Faris family (still, as far as we know, are awaiting the arrival of baby in Nairobi). Being able to live and work alongside these servants for the past few months has been such an encouragement to us – God is in the process of doing great things through the people that He delights in calling His own.

- For our own hearts: as we say goodbye to people we love so dearly and transition back to life in America. Pray for good times of reflection and joy as we remember what God has done and look forward to what He will do in the next chapter of our individual lives.

The words from Psalm 117 (the psalm that we love to sing quite frequently with the Ward family here!) come ringing back into my ears as we say goodbye and look forward to home.


 Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! 
All you nations, extol Him; Extol Him, all you peoples! 
For great is His love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever!”


His love truly is great toward us – we have seen it in countless ways. His faithfulness has guided us every step of the way and will continue wherever else He may take us on the face of His earth… until we are finally Home.

It is exciting – this life, with Jesus holding on to us!! I’m sure each of you have your own stories of how God is leading you even now. So, from one traveler to another, on this journey with Christ -- make sure you have good walking shoes … because the abundant life with Jesus is always an adventure.

Praising the Lord with you,

Beth



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