Nothing compared to KNOWING Jesus

I met a woman this month who told me pieces of her life story.  She gave me permission to share some of it here but I withhold her name.

She married young and worked to put her husband through seminary.  They had a great marriage.  He was a Pastor of a church and she as well was considered Pastor.  They raised two boys.  She loved her life and she loved her husband.  Then quite unexpectedly he died.   She was left with no money.  Emotionally she fell apart because her husband was her life.

Yet TODAY she says, "I never truly knew Jesus like I know Him now.  I would not bring my husband back from the dead if it meant going back to where I was.  His death was worth it because of the beauty of knowing Jesus like I do now."

You see, in all the years of her marriage and even of being a Pastor's wife....she didn't know Jesus enough.  She didn't know that He was all-sufficient or that He was the wild lover of her soul.  When she counseled people at her church, she couldn't even give them the right advice because she did not know that there is nothing that the nearness of Jeus can't cure.  Only at the death of her husband and her subsequent grief did she learn to know Jesus in a deep, intimate way.

When this woman told me her story, her face sparkled.  We met each other in Berlin as she had come with European Initiative (www.europeaninitiative.com) to do evangelism.  TotheStreets had joined up witn E.I. and we were doing worship on the train that encircles Berlin.  She sat next to me on the train and started asking me questions.  I could tell that she was genuinely interested in me which is so rare to see in this day and age.  She was kind, compassionate and lively.  It wasn't until the next day that I learned her story. 

Train Worship

What a testimony it is!  This woman would not go back to a life of ease?  She wouldn't go back to security & comfort and the arms of a loving man?  She has no arms to go around her now.  She must work hard to make a living.  Yet.......it is all worth it for the sake of knowing Jesus. This should show you how REAL: He is!  What a great comforter He is!  He brings joy;  He brings delight; and He is all the security we need. 

I have been mediatating on Colossians 1: 27 this week.  It says, "For it pleased God to tell his people that the riches and glory of Chjrist are for you Gentiles, too.  For this is the secret:  CHRIST LIVES IN YOU, and this is your assurance that you will share His glory."  This is mind-boggling.  Jesus, the most beautiful one, full of joy, excitement, the creator of the world and the one who experienced resurrection LIVES in ME!!!!  The one with all the riches, the one with complete compassion & understanding, the one who knows me inside and out and still loves me.....He dwells IN ME!!!!

Yes....knowing HIM is worth everything.

Help me Lord

My friend in Washington State turned me on to a man - Michael Wells.  He has a ministry called Abiding Life Ministries International and his web page streams daily talks by Mike which I've been listening to.   I've also been reading his latest book which is excellent, Untold Stories & Unknown Saints. 
Michael Wells is an amazing man and I have grown considerably by listening to him.  Today he said, "Don't pray like this...'help me Lord to be more kind; help me Lord to loose weight; help me Lord to .......(you fill in the blank)."  I pray like this ALL THE TIME!  "Help me, help me, help me Lord!"
  Michael asserts that in praying this way we are assuming there is something good in us.  We are still trusting in our flesh and believing that somehow WE can accomplish something.  Instead of praying, "Help me," we should pray, "I can't do it Lord....YOU do it in me." 

Here are some more nuggets from Wells:
"Silver and gold have I none" pretty much puts an end to the concept that a believer is compelled to take aid along on a missionary journey  Sundar Singh pleaded with God to take away the gift of healing, for to the extent that people were coming to him for something other than Jesus, it got in the way of presenting HIM."

The Lord's Prayer does not have us looking to others for our daily bread, but looking to Him.  We have an opportunity to trust God and not man."


"It is impossible to increase your faith in Him without decreasing the faith you have in yourselves.  You must fail.  Power is in weakness.  Weakness is a magnet to God's power."

"We are admonished to remember the poor, yet I also have a sound conviction concerning God's use of suffering in man's life.  It is, to me, His greatest evangelistic tool.  Because of pride, men do not accept Christ, and suffering breaks pride.  I am also against nearly every form of intervention.  The angels ministered to Jesus AFTER His time in the wilderness.  Many need the same type of ministry after the wilderness, not while they are in it.  God is doing something in the experience.  Generally speaking, I believe that the Church today has so little confidence and experience in what fellowship with Jesus and His expression through us can mean that we have opted to work in the realm of the social.  When the Son of man comes, will He find faith on the earth?"

His book is packed to the brim with amazing stories of unknown saints all around the world.  Michael travels to the poorest of the poor and some of his stories will break your heart but they will also expand your faith.  Do we really believe that JESUS is all sufficient?  This book is a great testimony to HIS amazing power, His mysterious ways and has made me excited about embracing JESUS and JESUS alone.

Let's shout HIS name from the roof-tops!  HE IS ALL WE NEED.  Let's dare to believe that.

Rob Bell Exposed

Love Wins, Christianity Loses, and God Lies – A Review of Rob Bell’s Book by Jason Berggren

I just finished reading this blog by Jason Berggren.  I encourage you to click on the link and read it for yourself.  It is loving, wise and truthful.  I find the whole Rob Bell topic very fascinating.  Most likely because his latest book confirmed what I had already supposed about the man.  I have to confess that my opinion is based only on ONE video that I watched by him.  I have never read any of his books nor listened to any of his sermons even though his name has popped up over and over by various Christians in my life.  All of them had positive things to say about the man.

I am a street evangelist in Berlin, Germany.  This is a calling that the Lord led me into.  When I first arrived in Berlin three years ago, I had no idea that I would be doing street evangelism.  I rarely preach on a box anymore (I used to).  I mainly work with teams who do street dramas and then we engage in one on one conversations with people who show an interest.  But I loved preaching on a box and I have nothing whatsoever against this method.

Three years ago when I was shown Rob Bells Bullhorn Guy video I was deeply offended.  I have to admit, I wrote Bell off from that time on.  So, the bullhorn guy did it all wrong.  Isn't his wrong EFFORT still better than no effort at all?  At least the bullhorn guy is out there trying and not sitting home watching TV like millions of other Christians.  My gut told me that Bell's biggest problem with the bullhorn guy was embarrassment.  Bell struck me as a guy with a longing to be "cool".  There is a "cool" Christianity culture in the United States.  There is also a false lie that Christianity should be attractive, warm and fuzzy.  

Christianity is bloody.  Christianity divides families.  The way is narrow and few are those who find it.  Before Jesus was put to death he was almost stoned many times.  He told us, "All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved."  Matthew 10:22

Bell is so worried about Christians showing "love" to the world but what about his love for other Christians such as the bullhorn guy?  Why isn't Rob Bell criticizing Christians who never say ANYTHING about their faith?  Isn't that far worse?

In Berlin, it is the same.  Other Christians here criticize us and tell us that street evangelism doesn't work and only friendship evangelism is the way.  I am personally not  a fan of friendship evangelism but I have learned that God is not limited to ANY way of evangelism.  I have learned to be glad for any method of  sharing the truth of Jesus Christ.  

Why are Christians criticizing one another?  "They will know we are Christians by our love.." is a song we used to sing during the Jesus movement of the 70's.  What ever happened to this sentiment?

Examining someones views who claim to be speaking for Christ is not wrong.  Love gets all mixed up in peoples minds.  They think that if we love, we will never examine nor expose false teaching.  I will probably be told that I am not loving Rob Bell.  To truly love anyone is to have a desire that they walk in truth.  To tell people that they will go to hell unless their sins are removed by Jesus Christ is the most loving thing I can do for them. 

I read that Bell is in pain and that this has been one of the most uncomfortable things he has gone through - the controversy from his latest book.  Is this the little boy in him who wants to be liked by everyone?  Lets pray for Bell that he repents of his arrogance and learns that by dying we live.