Memory Verse for this week: Ephesians 4:1 – I, therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received.

Piece of Armor: The Shield of Faith

Day One Summary: Knowing What Faith Is
What is Faith? Hebrews 11:1 says it is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.  Faith is not just someone’s opinion or emotional or unrealistic hope.  It is a solid conviction resting on God’s words that make the future present and the invisible seen.

God is the shield and the refuge.  He goes before us, watches over us, and protects us in times of trouble.  He gives us the faith that protects us.

Using Scripture to combat the enemies attacks
Question: Do you believe God’s Word to be true?

Discouragement – Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go
Temptation – 1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
False Teaching – 1 John 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
Persecution – Matthew 10:28-31 ²⁸ And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. ²⁹ Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. ³⁰ But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹ Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
Doubts – Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

Day Two: Living on Offensive Faith

We are not called to be fortresses
A church standing still can’t be obedient to the Great Commission because it’s certainly no threat to the Enemy.  Some churches have become fortresses.  Their members never go out into the community.

Question: Why do you think some Christians have this fortress mentality?  Can those perceptions be changed?  If so, how?

The Shield is an offensive weapon. – Sometimes we best stand against the Enemy when we press forward in obedience to deflect the Enemy’s arrows
Faith is an action Word.

Hebrews 11 – The Hall of Faith Chapter

Question: What is the most risky thing that God has called you to do by faith?  Why do you think you had the faith to believe?

Faith on the offensive is going where God asks, regardless of the cost.

Day Three: Following the Example of Others

Abrahams Call to Faith in Genesis 12:1-3
Question:  If you were Abraham, how do you think you would react?
How willing are we to trust God with the unknowns in our life?

Hebrews 11:8 – By faith Abraham when he was called, obeyed and went out to a place he was going to receive as an inheritance, he went  out, not knowing where he was going.

Question:
Where does your Faith struggle?  What has God called you to that frightens you?
Who’s watching you?  Have you ever thought about such a thing?

Day Four: Understanding attacks on Faith

The Enemy attacks Faith through Worry

• He wants us to focus on temporary not eternal
• He wants us to think worry will somehow make a difference
• He wants us to think that somehow God doesn’t know what we need
• He wants us to be consumed with the possibilities that have not yet happened; he wants us to be worried about tomorrow

Questions to ask yourself:
Are you worrying about temporary things?  Is your worry adding one moment to your life, or taking it away?  Does your worry imply that God doesn’t know what you need, or that He is unwilling to meet that need?  Are you worried about the current reality of things, or about what might happen?

The Enemy Attacks Faith through Fear and Doubt
Matthew 14:22-26

Day Five: Increasing Our Faith

Faith comes by hearing the Word of God
Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Faith comes by Trusting the Word

Genesis 15:1
Deuteronomy 20:1
Joshua 1:9
Isaiah 41:10
Jeremiah 46:27
Luke 2:10
Hebrews 13:6

Questions: What do those verses have in common?
How are we living by faith?
What are we doing that shows that we are living by faith?
Do we live by faith in the easy times, or just the hard times?

Review:
Wearing the Belt of Truth means knowing and living the Word of God
Wearing the Breastplate of Righteousness also requires knowing and living the Word of God.  The Word revelas God’s standards of righteousness for us
Wearing the Sandals of Peace means that when we know God’s peace, we stand firmly and march forward to tell others about Him
Standing firmly and marching forward demands that we carry the shield of faith
Carrying the shield of faith requires hearing, knowing, believing, and living God’s Word.

Next Week: The Helmet of Salvation

Memory Verse for this week:
Ephesians 2:8-9 – By grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is God’s gift – not from works, so that no one can boast

Review:
1. Jesus made the right choices because His desire to please the Father was more important than anything the enemy offered.
2. Jesus knew the Word in order to respond to the Devil’s attacks
3. We must know what the Word says in order to stand firm against the Enemies attacks
4. Glorifying God means denying our self and focusing on Him.  Willing to sacrifice your desires on behalf of others.

Piece of Armor: Sandals of Peace

Day One Summary: Wearing the Sandals means that we are standing on the defensive

1 Corinthians 16:13 – Be alert, stand firm in the faith, be brave and strong
James 4:7 - Submit to God, But resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.
1 Peter 5:8-9 – Be sober! Be on the alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.  Resist him, firm in the faith.

5 Ways to Defend Yourself:
1. Resist temptation when the Enemy seeks to lead you into sin.
2. Stay faithful even when the battle rages
3. Refuse to compromise Biblical truth
4. Keep your eyes focused on God in spite of distraction
5. March forward in faith at any given moment

Question: Which one of these 5 ways is easiest for you to do?  Which ones are the hardest?

Having our feet sandaled isn’t only defensive but also offensive:  sharing the gospel

Question: Have you ever considered the sandals of peace to be an offensive weapon?

Day Two Summary: There is no Gospel of Peace Apart from Jesus

Read: Ephesians 2:1-3

List words or phrases that describe our lives prior to meeting Jesus

Question: Is there any hope for us apart from God?

Day Three Summary: Our Relationship with Others

Relationships Matter: Read the following Scriptures and describe what each says about relationships
Exodus 20:12
Deuteronomy 6:4
Ephesians 4:1
Ephesians 5:22
1 Peter 3:7

Unity Matters:
Read: John 17:20-23

Forgiveness Matters:
Steps to Forgiving Others
1. Admit my anger and ask God’s forgiveness
2. Ask God to help me let go of my pain
3. Meditate on God’s grace toward me
4. Pray for the other person
5. Focus on doing good towards others.  The changes your focus away from anger

Discuss with the group these 5 steps.  Be honest about the challenges you face with these steps

Day Four Summary: Getting Ready to Tell the Story

Make sure You are wearing the full Armor of God

Question: What steps have you taken to make sure that you are wearing these? Have you taken any steps?
Belt of Truth
Breastplate of Righteousness
Sandals of Peace

Understand that Believers are Blinded by the Enemy
Read: 2 Corinthians 4:3-4
What is the state of unbelievers?
Who has created this blindness?

Get Others to Pray for You.
If you are going to tell nonbelievers the good news of the Gospel, we’d better be ready for the Enemy to fight against us

Question: How important is prayer?  How much of a priority do we actually make prayer?

Day Five Summary: Telling the Story

Be alert to tell others about Christ:
1. Intentionally develop relationships with nonbelievers
2. Know people, and always be prepared to minister to them when they are hurting
3. Pray for these people daily
4. Take the time to ask others about themselves
5. Be ready to respond when someone asks about your day or your weekend
6. Learn to bridge conversations to talk about your Christianity

Summary: What does wearing the sandals of the Gospel of Peace mean?

Standing firm in our faith, knowing God’s Word and being prepared to share our faith with others. Building a foundational relationship with others. Notice it takes all three pieces of the armor so far to be doing this step.

Memory Verse for this week:
Ephesians 1:17 – I pray that the God of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him

Review Last week:
1. Jesus made the right choices because His desire to please the Father was more important than anything the enemy offered.
2. Jesus knew the Word in order to respond to the Devil’s attacks

Piece of Armor:
Breastplate of Righteousness

Day One Summary: Wearing the breastplate of righteousness means that we live like Jesus did – a life of obedience to the Father’s Will

Jesus is our model of righteousness

1 John 2:1 – If anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father – Jesus Christ the righteous One
1 John 2:29 – If you know that He is righteous, you know this as well; everyone who does what is right has been born of Him
1 John 3:7 – Little children, let no one deceive you!  The one who does what is right is righteous just as He is righteous
Philippians 3:9 – and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.
Isaiah 59:16-17 - And He saw that there was no man, And was astonished that there was no one to intercede; Then His own arm brought salvation to Him, And His righteousness upheld Him. He put on righteousness like a breastplate, And a helmet of salvation on His head;

We can’t be righteous because of our sin, so God makes us righteous in His eyes through the death of Jesus who paid our debt of sin in full.

Romans 5:19 Just as through one man’s disobedience that many were made sinners, so also through the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.
2 Corinthians 5:21 He made the One who did not know sin, to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Question: If God makes us righteous, do we really need to worry about the way we live? (Romans 6:1-2)
We who have been saved and made righteous by God’s grace must daily choose to make righteous choices.  God gives us the armor so that we can live the way He expects us to live.

List words or phrases that you believe describe how Jesus lived

Jesus came to earth with a clear goal:  To seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10) fulfilling the Father’s will that He would save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21)
Nothing in this world would deflect his attention from the Fathers will

Question: What kinds of things keep us from doing all that God expects from you?

If we choose to wear the breastplate of righteousness, we must confront the distractions and obstacles that we face.

Day Two Summary: The Enemy Attacks Righteousness

Strategy One:  The enemy begins a conversation with Us.  (Genesis 3:1-7)
The longer we discuss the temptation with the serpent, the more likely we will give in and sin.  The more we think about the temptation, the closer we get to failure.

Question: What are some excuses you have used to convince yourself to give in to temptation?

Strategy Two: The enemy directs our attention to what we are missing.
We we focus our attention on what we don’t have, we place ourselves in a dangerous place of temptation
Worry – We get so caught up in what we can’t control that we lose our focus on God’s provision (Matthew 6:25-34)

Question: What are some of the blessings that God has given you?  Why do we tend to focus on what we don’t have?

Strategy Three:  The enemy makes sin look good.
Satan makes sin look inviting.  Fun.  But, only for a time. (Hebrews 11:25)

Question: What are some practical steps to take when  dealing with temptation

Day Three Summary: Wearing the Breastplate means thinking properly

Joseph and Potiphars wife in Genesis 39:1-23 (page 34)

Question: How would you react if you were Joseph?

Wearing the breastplate of righteousness helps us know the difference between what is right and what is wrong.  If we think wrongly, if we wrongly define what sin is and what its not we’re much more likely to act wrongly.

Wearing the breastplate means choosing to do right.  We must engage in right thinking.
Genesis 39:10 – As she spoke to Joseph day after day, he did not listen to her to lie beside her or be with her.

The Temptation process:
The enemy is relentless in presenting us with temptations
The enemy has an intentional strategy – offering little compromises that lead to greater sin.
The potential power of evil words
The potential power of the flesh (a woman’s beauty)

Wearing the breastplate means fleeing temptation
Read: 1 Corinthians 10:13 then 1 Thessalonians 5:22

Day Four Summary: Standing against temptation

The Story of David
Even a Man of God can fail
David’s story reminds us that we are one bad decision away from falling.
David allowed his humanity to lead him.
David tried to cover up his sin

Through all of David’s story – God did not give up on David.  Even though David was forgiven he still had consequences for his actions

One basic rule of spiritual warfare:  The enemy works in hiddeness,
Adam and Eve hid themselves in their shame
Josephs brothers tried to hide their sin when they sold him
Ananias and Sapphire hid their sin in their hearts until Peter called confronted them.

Wearing the breastplate of righteousness helps enable us to live righteously so that we have nothing to hide
If you know that you will need to hide your actions you know that you are not wearing the breastplate of righteousness.  Think before You act.

Day Five Summary: Tough Choices in the gray areas

Question: What are some examples of the gray areas that you face?

Question: Do we know enough of the Bible to be certain it doesn’t speak about these gray areas?

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work

We must know the bible well enough to be able to make decisions for the gray areas.

Question: What Biblical principles might guide me?

My actions should not be a stumbling block to others – 1 Corinthians 8:1-13
My actions should build up others.  1 Corinthians 10:23-30
My actions must glorify God (1 Corinthians 10:31)

Glorifying God means denying our self and focusing on Him.  Willing to sacrifice your desires on behalf of others.

Wearing the breastplate means that we live as Jesus did.  The breastplate can’t be separated from the belt of truth.  The way that these two are connected will become more evident as we progress through this study, and you will start to understand why Paul said we must wear the full armor of God.

Memory Verse for this week:
Ephesians 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, in Christ.”

Piece of Armor:
The Belt of Truth
Ephesians 6:14 (New Living Translation) 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.

Day 1 Summary:
Eph 6:11-12 clearly indicates who are enemy is and is not.  We don’t wrestle against human beings even though we may wrongly assume other people are the problem.

Christians battle against a supernatural enemy whose forces would overwhelm us except for the presence of God in our lives.

Questions: Can we battle against this enemy on our own?

Day 2 Summary:
The Word of God is Truth.
John 1:1 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

We know that Satan is a liar and the truth is not in him (John 8:44)

David understood that the Word is perfect, trustworthy, right, radiant, pure, reliable, and rewarding.  The Word revives the soul, make the inexperienced wise, makes the heart glad, enlightens the eyes, and warns God’s servants. (Psalm 19:7-11)

Living according to Scripture’s truths enable us to keep our ways pure.

Questions: Do you have a reading plan for the Bible? Have you ever used a plan for reading it? Do you know how to interpret the Bible?

Steps to Interpret the Bible:
Read the Bible in more than one translation
Understand what you are reading: a Gospel, Epistle, one of the Prophets, a history, etc
Use appropriate study tools, examine the cultural and historical background
Read the passage in its context to the specific book.  Old or New Testament?
Look for the authors intended meaning in the passage
Commentaries, bible dictionaries, etc.

Wearing the Belt of Truth means knowing Jesus personally.

Day 3 Summary:
Jesus who knew the Truth, spoke the Truth, and lived the Truth, is still the Truth today.

The Enemy knows that if he can deceive us about Jesus and His work, he misleads us about the very cornerstone of the Christian Faith.

Focus:  Hebrews 4:15 – We do not have a high priest who cannot sympathise with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet is without sin.

Questions: How often do we give in to temptations?  (Most of the time we think of the big ones)  What about the smaller ones? (sleeping in a little longer, watching what we say, gossip, our language,)  Jesus took all of these things into account.

Day 4 Summary:
Matthew 4:8 – The One who is the Word of God used the Word to make the right choices
1. Jesus made the right choices because His desire to please the Father was more important than anything the enemy offered.
2. Jesus knew the Word in order to respond to the Devil’s attacks
3. Jesus experienced God’s blessing when He overcame temptation

What we do is as important as what we don’t do.
James 4:17 says that if we know to do good and don’t do it, that is a sin

Day 5 Summary:
Accountability: a willingness to be honest about, and to accept responsibility for my actions as one means to strive for Christlike holiness.
You must desire to be held accountable; its voluntary
Being accountable requires honesty
Accountability demands we take responsibility for our actions
Accountability is not a shortcut to avoid spiritual disciplines; Bible reading, prayer
The goal is growth in Christlikeness, personal holiness should be the result.

Questions: Who would really want to talk to other about issues they face in their Christian lives?
Why should we be accountable to someone?
What are your feelings about being accountable to someone?  What does that require?  Do you know anyone you can be accountable with?
How does accountability relate to the belt of Truth? (keeps us honest)

We stand strongest against the enemy when we stand united.  When we have accountability partners we know that we don’t fight alone.

Only when we understand and apply Gods Word properly can we wear the belt of truth:

Read: James 1:22

Scriptures for Group Activity (Page 25)
READ: Matthew 16:13-20

Hebrews 4:15
Romans 1:3-4
John 1:1-4
1 Corinthians 15:3-8
Hebrews 1:3
Isaiah 7:14
2 Corinthians 5:21
Matthew 1:18
Hebrews 2:17
Matthew 1:20
Hebrews 7:26
1 John 2:2
John 10:30
Matthew 1:24-25
1 Peter 2:22
Hebrews 4:10

Final Thoughts:
1. Jesus made the right choices because His desire to please the Father was more important than anything the enemy offered.
2. Jesus knew the Word in order to respond to the Devil’s attacks
3. Jesus experienced God’s blessing when He overcame temptation

These three things that Jesus did can give us hope for living in righteousness.  The concept of living righteously will be explored in week two as we cover the Breastplate of Righteousness.

Read: Ephesians 6:10-20

How do these verses
a)define spiritual warfare?
b) accurately identify our enemy?
c) recognize our primary strategy for victory?

Spiritual Warfare: The supernatural conflict caused by the opposition of Satan and his followers to the sovereignty of God, His will, and His people

Basic Principles of the Study:
Believers face schemes of a real enemy
God has provided every spiritual weapon necessary for the believer’s victory
Empowerment for victory comes as we use the spiritual armor God provides to every believer
Victory is gained when the believer correctly employs the spiritual weapons of God’s armor

Study Format:
The study spends one week on each piece of the armor of God
The study is in a daily format of 5 days a week
At the end of the 5 days is a more in depth study
A Daily in the Word study which covers related scriptures and applicable ways to apply what God shows you
Each week has a memory verse for those interested in doing that.
Side bar notes to help with the study
A weekly review at the end of each week

Discussion:
One issue I hope to study or understand
One idea I’ve already had from our discussion
One piece of armor that intrigues me the most

Read: Ephesians 6:18

Importance of Prayer
Prayer requests

The following is Brett Glover’s journal from his mission trip to Sierra Leone.  Thanks Brett for sharing this amazing journey with all of us!

Jan. 21

My day started at 4 am with an early wakeup call and a long drive to Carbondale in the rain.  To make matters worse my defrost decided to quit working in the Blazer so I had to crack my windows so I could see out the windshield!  My car is such a hunk of junk!  Once in Carbondale it was a 5 hour train ride to Chicago which was quite nice actually.  Right now I’m waiting on the rest of the team, meeting them here in the airport and then off to London and eventually Sierra Leone.  Over the days I hope to fill these pages with life changing memories.

Jan. 22

We just landed in London.  That was by far the longest flight I have ever been on.  The London airport is absolutely massive.  The international wing is like a shopping mall complete with a Starbucks of course.  I slept a solid 4 hours on the plane so I actually feel pretty good right now.  The four of us had breakfast at the Giraffe café and I had the “fall brunch” which was quite nice although they did serve baked beans with it.  I thought that was a bit strange.  I got my bill and it was 11 which I thought was not too bad for airport food.  I also forgot that we were in London and the 11 was in pounds.  That meal came out to be almost $22!  It was worth it though as I hadn’t eaten in almost 10 hours.  Now we have a layover of about 2 hours and then onto Freetown, Sierra Leone.  I miss Carrie and the kids terribly and hope they are doing ok.

Flight to Sierra Leone

I’m about ½ way through the flight to Freetown.  This flight is jam packed with almost every seat filled.  The diversity of race on this plane is crazy.  People of all nations, all races, and all walks of life joined together for 8 hours with one common thought and goal; “hurry up and get me off this plane!”  There is something very eye opening about experiences such as these.  It reminds me that the human spirit is a powerful thing and the Holy Spirit even more powerful. It makes me sad for the times I’ve let my ignorance blind me to the point of stupidity over something as silly as color.  Growing up in the south is hard to overcome sometimes.  I wonder how some people will feel when we get to Heaven and it is lined with God’s children…even black ones!  On the plane we watched Julia/Julia and I thought of Carrie.  She has wanted to see that movie for a long time.  Right now they are showing UP, which I’ve seen at least 20 times so I’m writing instead.  We have about 3 hours left until we land and the anticipation is growing.  Apparently we have a 45 minute ferry ride and then a 30 minute drive to the orphanage where we are staying.  I will be glad to call it a day and look forward to what tomorrow brings.  When we get there it will be around midnight local time…6 PM for my body.  I hope I can get to sleep as I have been traveling for about 30 hours now.

WE JUST LANDED

When I became a Father I was awe struck and shocked to the core.  I remember feeling like there was no way possible to prepare for what I was thrown into.  I felt that way again tonight as I stepped off the plane in Sierra Leone.  Nothing could have prepared me for what I am seeing, hearing, experiencing.  The desperation from the locals hits you from the very start.  You are thrust into a city where 2.5 million people live in a city built for about 300,000.  The people were forced here during the war and had nothing to go home to so they stayed.  Local men gather at the airport hoping to help you with your luggage, often as in our case they fight with each other at the sight of an American hoping to earn some money.  They look at you with desperation in their eyes just begging to carry your bag or open your door.  I found myself wanting to look away and ignore the sights but I couldn’t help but to stare and feel so helpless because I cannot change the plight of all who ask and seek help.  The ride from the airport to the ferry was gut wrenching.  It was almost midnight on a Friday and children were out on the streets.  It is dark, very dark as this city is still devastated from the war.  There is only power in a few places and for specific times of the day.  The ferry was much like the airport.  Young men lined up hoping to get a chance to earn some money.  The grave state of their situation is written all over their faces.  I was literally scared for my life on the ride to the ferry.  Edmund, a local pastor picked us up at the airport and drove us to the ferry, and then the orphanage.  Imagine no road rules, over population, horrible roads, scarce police, and no such thing as auto-insurance.  I just described driving in Sierra Leone.  The last thing to mention is the heat, oh the heat and the humidity!  It almost knocked me down the minute I stepped off the plane.  I am soaking wet already and am realizing that it will be this way all week.  There is no escape from the heat, no such thing as air conditioning.  We’re arriving at the orphanage now.  I haven’t slept in over 30 hours…time for bed.

1^st Day in Sierra Leone

My 1^st day here started early.  Since there is no power bed time is early and everyone rises with the sun to start the day.  Today is spent here at the orphanage getting to know the kids and adjusting from the travel.  There are 2 buildings here in Wellington that house over 90 orphans.  The kids are unbelievable.  There is a light in their eye that is hard to describe.  They do not complain, they do not know what they don’t have, they share everything they own, and they seem genuinely happy to do it.  What these kids have seen and known in their lives is pain, destruction, and loss.  Yet they are filled with love, joy, and happiness.  I should mention now that most of these kids are here because they were displaced during the war.  Many of them witnessed the murder of their parents.

We shared a quick breakfast consisting of eggs and plantains (fried bananas).  After breakfast we played games with the kids and then the work for the day began.  Saturday is a day spent doing chores and cleaning since there is no school. It’s amazing how much harder the people here work then back home just accomplishing everyday tasks.  What would take us minutes takes them hours. The work ethic here is incredible considering that most of what they work for is means of survival.  I have met some great kids today that I bonded with pretty much right off the bat... Bernard, Francis, Jeremiah, and Samuel.  Bernard and I have hit it off the most.  He is such a sweet kid and wants to know all about my life.  He also wants me to give him my wedding ring!

It is now Saturday evening and we just got back from the boys soccer game.  The orphanage has a team called the White Lions.  Soccer is a way of life here as it passes the time and takes their mind off of things.  A lot of locals showed up for the game and you would have thought it was the world cup.  The boys were excited to have us at the game cheering them on.  There is no grass, just a dirt field loaded with rocks and the out of bounds lined with garbage.  The boys wear no chin guards and most plan in jelly slippers because there are no cleats.  There are no nets, just a structure for the goal made from tree limbs.  However, for a few moments when the ball is in play none of this matters, nothing matters.  Soccer is an escape and that dirt field is their sanctuary.  The White Lions won….10-6!

Day one is drawing to a close.  It is late and exhausted does not adequately describe how tired how I am.  It has been an incredible day filled with many emotions.  Time to study now, I’m preaching in the morning!

Sunday

The day started very early this morning. We had a quick bite to eat then off to the village of Newton for church. The pastor there, M.S. has planted three churches in the past few months.  He is supported by 4 H.I.M. but spends most of his money making sure his people are cared for.  He and his family are living in the church right now, sleeping on the pews.  Church was an unbelievable experience.  For people who have so little, you have never seen such genuine joy and love for God in all your life.  The excitement and emotion was unlike any service I’ve ever been to.  When they sing, they SING, and when they pray, they PRAY, and when they worship, they WORSHIP.  Nothing is fake, there are no schedules, and there is no time limit.  There is really nothing to get home to do and no lunch rush to beat.  You can tell that this is the best part of their week. Pastor Edmund introduced me and explained how much I had given up to be with them and how I had left the comfort of my life in the U.S. to serve them.  He told them I was a prophet of God and to listen very carefully at what I had to say.  I felt very unworthy to speak to people whose faith is way greater than my own.  I preached a message based on the story of the woman at the well found in John 4.  I had an interpreter which was new to me but it went well.  I wish I could worship with these people every week, I definitely received the blessing.

We returned to Wellington for some rice and then to the beach for a baptism service.  Jon and I baptized 65 Africans in the Atlantic Ocean.  It was the greatest ministry experience of my life.  It was real, it was genuine, and each one knew what they were doing, who Jesus was, and had committed their lives to Him.  The very last woman I baptized was a polio victim and had no shirt on and could not walk.  We had to hold her in our arms and go under with her to baptize her.  She came up screaming, PRAISE JESUS!  I will never forget that moment.  By the way did I mention that when they get baptized they receive a new name?  This is because most of them are Muslim from birth so they change their name and receive a new Biblical name!

I’m back at the orphanage now after a long day. There is school tomorrow so it will be an early night and I am glad for that.  Alfred & Bernard gave me drumming lessons tonight.

Monday

Wow, what a day!  I don’t know where to start or what to say except thanks be to God.  Today I spent most of the morning in genuine fear.  We traveled to Freetown to go the market.  Words cannot adequately describe the atmosphere there.  Hundreds of thousands of people jammed into a few city blocks.  You feel as if every eye is on you, watching your every move.  I felt very vulnerable yet safe at the same time.  There is no structure, no order, only chaos.  If something were to go wrong there would be no way to stop it.  It feels like a ticking time bomb just waiting to go off at any second.  We were able to accomplish the objective for the day.  We found a local vendor who could get all the parts needed to construct the water wells.

After our trip to the market it was back to Wellington for lunch at the orphanage.  When we returned the local school was having a lunch break as well.  When the children spotted us we were mobbed by them as they crave the affection and attention.  We toured the school and visited with both students from the town and the orphanage.  I saw Marie there and she had on her new shoes from Macy!  When we walk through the village all the local children scream, “Hello” which sounds more like, “Ello.”  When you respond they smile from cheek to cheek and come running to greet you.  They love to hold your hand and walk beside you for a while.  It is as if they momentarily forget that they have no food to eat or shoes on their feet.

After lunch we were head to Newton to work for the day developing the New Steps Center.  This is a large facility that has been given to 4 HIM by Mercy Ships.  Eventually this building hopes to serve as a training center, vocational school, carpentry business, and even agriculture to generate funds for the locals.  Today we cleaned and helped set up the carpentry shop.  It was on the way to the New Steps building that all the excitement occurred.  If not mentioned before driving here is absolute mayhem.  No laws, no rules, just buckle up and hang on.  As we left Wellington traffic was very busy.  A few cars in front of us a pedestrian walked out and caused drivers to slam on their brakes.  We too had to come to a sudden stop but unfortunately the bus behind us did not.  The bus slammed into the back of our vehicle and caused to slam into the van in front of us.  Chaos ensued very quickly.  The impact was definitely felt by all of us as my head went rushing forward and connected with the head rest in front of me.  By the time we made sure everyone was okay we were surrounded by locals.  I could not tell what they were saying or whether they were angry or just excited.  Pastor Edmund, the local Pastor who was driving jumped out of the car to try and dissolve the situation.  It seemed as if some of the locals were blaming us for the accident and others the driver behind us.  This provoked a big argument and in that moment I was genuinely scared.  Locals were yelling, pointing, laughing, and screaming.  We were all in shock and no one spoke a word as we were all realizing the seriousness of the situation.  It finally dawned on me to pray and as I did visions of my family went running through my mind.  I became dizzy and sick to my stomach, sweating out of control.  We never really knew if were in any real danger but it sure felt like it.  I went back to praying and Edmund was able to work through the situation and arranged for another vehicle to come pick us up and take us to New Steps.  On the way there not one word was spoken between our group as our emotions seemed to really get the best of us.  The mood did not lighten until Pastor Hasaan greeted us at New Steps.  His smile had a way of relieving all the stress and emotion.  The rest of the day was a success.

We returned before dark to the orphanage for dinner.  We played a basketball game with some of the boys and helped some kids with their homework.  I arm-wrestled with Jeremiah, played ping-pong with Bernard and Isa, and then read Bible stories to Samuel and Bernard.  They love to hear stories about Jesus.  When you mention His name their eyes light up with joy!

It is time for bed now.  We are conducting Pastors training/conference in the morning…should be fun!

Tuesday

The day is drawing to a close and as I write I’m listening to the most beautiful choir in the world.  African children singing, “Lord I Lift Your Name on High” at the top of their lungs!  Today was a good and productive day.  Jon and I conducted a pastors training for about a dozen local pastors.  It was a roundtable I felt honored to be a part of.  These men are deeply committed and a living definition of what it means to pick up your cross and follow Jesus.  They had many questions for us.  Most of them related to theological truth, interpretation of scripture, and practical aspects of pasturing.  These men have an undeniable passion for Christ that is contagious and inspiring.  It was great to sit among these Godly men, pray for them, and encourage one another.

Wednesday

It was an early morning once again today as we got up and going before the sun.  The early morning hours are by far the most peaceful time here.  After devotions with the kids we had a quick breakfast with fresh pineapple, the best I ever tasted and headed down the hill to meet up with Pastor Hasaan.  We spent an hour or so with him as he started telling stories of how the orphanage began and the daily struggles that God has brought him through over the years.  I could have sat and listened to this man of God all day long.  He told us about the war, the persecution he received, and how people told him he was crazy for taking in all these kids and being a Christian.  He told us stories behind some of the children, even some stories of how their parents were killed.  With each story my heart broke a little bit more.  He told us that at night he would have to sleep naked on the ground because he only owned one pair of pants and one shirt and when he would wash them at night he had no clothes to wear.  Each day he walked several miles in search of food and provision for the children.  God has seen them through so much and that fuels their faith to keep pushing ahead, rebuilding their lives and their country.  Just some perspective on this, the war started in 1992.  Pastor Hasaan has been living this life for 20 years.  Living on faith each day and depending upon God every step of the way!

After our meeting we met up with Pastor M.S. to go see two new churches he started in remote villages.  M.S. is an unbelievable man of God with a passion for evangelism.  He leads a church in Newton and has started three new churches this year, in some instances leading entire villages to belief in Jesus.  He is also a very practical man and has started a school everywhere he has started a church.  The trip to these villages was over two hours in length.  After turning off the main road we traveled at least 20 miles down dirt roads that I don’t believe were meant to drive on!  This trip was very surreal.  I felt like I was in an episode of National Geographic magazine.  The first time M.S. visited here he walked it on foot and still travels on foot when he visits as he doesn’t own a vehicle.  When they built the church, which is an open air building constructed of a wood frame with a tin roof, they carried the materials from the main road on their heads to the village.  The village is lined with straw huts, mud-brick houses, people with very little clothing and who have had very little experience with white people.  The children came running and performed songs for us.  They were so happy we were there and their smiles so big and wide.  The leaders of the village met with us and welcomed us with open arms.  The purpose of our visit was to do research on constructing water wells for them.  When that announcement was made the response was unbelievable.  The people broke out in thunderous applause and sheer excitement filled the air.  Right now they walk over a mile each way to retrieve water from a stream that is loaded with disease.  They also have to use this stream for bathing and it is filled with parasites.  It is amazing how something as simple as water can change so many lives in so many ways.  I hope to return when the wells are ready construction.  I want to see their faces when that first bucket of water is filled.

After the visits which lasted most of the day we returned for dinner at the orphanage and then went to a special church service in Wellington.  We met with all the locals who had just been baptized and had a special time of discipleship and communion.  Many gave testimony of their old life and conversion.  It was a special night and encouraging to see their excitement about their new faith and life in Jesus.

Thursday (this is being written on Friday)

Yesterday was the low point of the trip.  We spent the whole day with the exception of going to the boys’ basketball game at the orphanage.  I did not feel well physically or mentally.  It was a real struggle to get through the day. I believe my emotions were getting the best of me and my own longing for my family and not being able to hear their voices for a week now really got the best of me.  It is hard when such a big part of me is missing.  It was hard to give the kids here the attention they deserve and so then I started feeling guilty over that.  The basketball game did help to lift my spirits and it was quite entertaining.  The highlight of the game however was meeting my new friend Augustine.  He is a local boy who was at the game to watch some basketball.  He came and sat next to me and I could tell he wanted to talk and get to know me.  We sat next to each other for nearly an hour and communicated the best we could.  He asked me what I did in America and when I told him I was a pastor his eyes lit up!  He told me he was a Christian and we talked about Jesus.  His body was covered in dirt, his clothes torn and ragged, he was hungry, but when he spoke of Jesus he looked like the happiest kid on earth.  He told me he wanted to preach when he grew up.  He held my hand and rubbed the hair on my legs, arms, head, and my beard.  He told me I was a beautiful white man and he really like my name!  When we had to leave he told me he loved me and thanks for being his new friend.  It was a sweet time and as I left I knew I was at the game to spend time with him.

Friday

Friday has come and gone and it was another good day.  Today we met with over 20 pastors for about four hours and had a really good conference.  Jon spoke on the incarnation which is something they say the people really struggle understanding over here.  I taught on the role of Pastor as shepherd, equipper, and visionary.  I used Eph. 4, and I Cor. 12 and it went very well.  One thing we had noticed since being here is that the pastors try to do everything themselves.  They seemed to enjoy hearing about the joy of training others to do ministry.  When we got back to the orphanage a guitar had been located.  Once they learned I knew how to play I was done for!  We sat and taught worship songs for almost 2 hours.  One girl, Abby who had barely spoken to any of us all week came and sat next to me.  It turns out she loves to sing and has a beautiful voice.  Her favorite song was, “I could sing of your love forever.”  I bet we sang it at least 3 times.  The kids are starting to get sad and talking about us leaving.  It will be tough but I am ready to be home and embrace my kids and wife.  I miss them terribly and I wish I could share this experience with Carrie.

Saturday

Well today was kind of a bummer as we had originally intended to spend this day at the beach with all the kids.  The cost turned out to be more than we had so the plug was pulled on that trip.  We couldn’t very well take some kids and leave some behind.  Today was by far the hottest day here and the beach sounded better all the time!  We ended up spending the day playing with the kids at the orphanage.  They are all such great kids and are being given hope for today and hope for a better future.  I will miss them but the anticipation of seeing my family is growing.  I need to go study now and put some thoughts together for my message in the morning.

Sunday

Today was the last day in country.  It went by pretty quick.  I traveled to Rokel this morning to be with Pastor Joshua and his church.  I was able to preach there and we had a great service.  Man his congregation may be small but they get after it!  I spoke out of Matthew 5 and building a foundation with Christ at the center.  The building concept worked out great as it was something they could relate to very well.  I jumped around from Mt 5, Eph. 2, I Peter 2, & Joshua 4-5 using the different ideas associated with this idea of building a foundation.  Having an interpreter is so weird but this week was better than last week for sure.  I was able to get into a pretty good flow.  After the service we rushed back to Wellington and caught the end of their service.  They had a ton of people at the church there, probably about 400 in attendance!

After church we headed up to the orphanage to eat lunch, pack, and get ready to head to the airport.  The kids were really sad and didn’t have much to say after church.  Right before we left they all came down and had a farewell ceremony for us.  They sang songs, and had prayer for us.  It was tough to watch them as several were crying and upset.  We were able to address them and express our feelings for them and leave some final words of encouragement.  As we walked out of the orphanage Bernard came running and clutched my hand tight and would not let go.  He insisted on walking down the hill with me, hand in hand one last time.  It is tough to tell how this trip will change me.  To say that it was an eye-opening experience is an understatement.  We are about to hop on the ferry now so more thoughts later.  My mind is fixed on home at the moment as my heart longs for Carrie, Macy, and Jaxon.

This was a verse from a devotional I read this morning. I know I’ve read it before, but I haven’t put much thought into it. The Message translation puts a different spin on it, that really got my wheels turning.

“You can’t keep your true self hidden forever; before long you’ll be exposed. You can’t hide behind a religious mask forever; sooner or later the mask will slip and your true face will be known.” Luke 12:2 MSG

We all have a tendency to wear masks. For some of us we have a different mask for wherever we may be. Example, some of us, wear a mask at church, at work, at home, or with different groups of friends. There are only a small handful of people that I know that don’t wear any masks. They are the same no matter who they are with, or where you see them. There is one mask that we probably wear more than any other, and it is also one of the most dangerous, but hard to get rid of masks. The small talk mask. Men wear this mask most of the time.  We wear it at home whenever our wives want to talk, or with our kids when we don’t want to bee bothered, and we wear it whenever we are around other men. Men love to small talk. We small talk about sports, movies, the weather, church, our families, and even our struggles. This is exactly where the enemy wants to keep us. If we keep our small talk mask on, then we aren’t growing in our relationships with others. We are keeping others at a distance. I think we do it for a lot of different reasons. For guys, the fear of rejection. Fear plays such a big role in most of our lives, and guys don’t want to open up because of fear of being rejected. Maybe we’ve been hurt in the past because someone broke our trust. That’s happened to me a few times. Whenever we are hurt we tend to close ourselves off from others so that no one can hurt us again. It’s a natural tendency. It’s also dangerous whenever we close ourselves off, because that gives the enemy a doorway into our thoughts, and our heart. He will take that and slowly build on it, where we fear opening up. When we reach that point, he has succeeded, because the enemy wants us to live in fear. If he can paralyze us where we are at, we can’t reach where God wants us to go. Up until last year I lived almost every day wearing a fear mask. I was living in fear of everything, until God helped me to break that mask, and it wasn’t an easy thing to do.

The small talk mask is one of those masks that I am committing to destroy. As men, we need relationships with each other. We need to know that there are other men who struggle with the same things that we do. We need to have a safe place that we can go to, a safe person that can help us when we’re down. The enemy wants to keep us down! God wants us to RISE UP! We have bought into a lie that we are better off keeping things to ourselves. God wants us to expose these things to the light. As men, we have got to pull together and stop fighting amongst each other. We have to realize that there are men right here in our church praying for each other, encouraging one another, and trying to build relationships with other men. Just a little over a year ago, I was so alone. I never wanted to open up to anyone. I struggled with who I was, where I had been, and where I was headed. God has shown me through several men in this church that we are all in this thing together. Let’s pray for one another, and be there to hold each other accountable, to love each other. Let’s be open and honest with each other guys. We all struggle. There isn’t one guy on this list that doesn’t. It’s ok for us to admit that. I know that it is hard for us as men to admit that we struggle. We want to carry the burdens all by ourselves. The truth is, we can’t do it by ourselves. Walking this walk is not an easy thing to do. We need these relationships with each other and we need to know that there is someone we can talk that knows where we are at, and either has been there, or is at that same place right now.

I am praying hard this year, that God will build up the men in this church and that by the end of 2010 we will have taken those masks and smashed them to pieces. I am praying for relationships this year.