Friday, August 21, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
Support a Life Devoted
“… A great door for effective work has opened to me…”
(1 Corinthians 16:9)
The Mission – Travel 11 Countries in 11 months with The World Race (A program through Adventures in Missions), ministering the hope of Jesus Christ as I go. We will join in-country partners and help with their ministry. This could include building relationships, planting churches, working in orphanages, and responding to natural disasters. During the trip I will also be trained and discipled in various areas of ministry and missions. The training camp is July 31st-August 9th, and the mission launches October 1st. Check out the race route! http://updates.theworldrace.org/?filename=october-2009-world-race-route
The Missionary – My name is Mike Sanders, I am 21 years old, and ready to be sent! On December 30th, 2007 I promised God not another drop of alcohol and re-dedicated my life to Christ. Since then God has been radically transforming my life, empowering me to defeat the sinful tendencies I brought into a relationship with Him, and teaching me daily to become more like Jesus. “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” (Philippians 3:12). See below for my testimony, it’s an amazing one!
The Call for Prayer – The World Race is an amazing opportunity to impact the World with the gospel of Christ. I know I’m called to the October World Race. The challenge is, on account of my former life in sin, I’ve accumulated many debts. While I’ve been working faithfully to pay off these debts, the reality is, without a miracle from God I will not be free in time to fulfill this calling. Please pray that God brings swift deliverance.
My contact info:
Mike Sanders
(1 Corinthians 16:9)
The Mission – Travel 11 Countries in 11 months with The World Race (A program through Adventures in Missions), ministering the hope of Jesus Christ as I go. We will join in-country partners and help with their ministry. This could include building relationships, planting churches, working in orphanages, and responding to natural disasters. During the trip I will also be trained and discipled in various areas of ministry and missions. The training camp is July 31st-August 9th, and the mission launches October 1st. Check out the race route! http://updates.theworldrace.org/?filename=october-2009-world-race-route
The Missionary – My name is Mike Sanders, I am 21 years old, and ready to be sent! On December 30th, 2007 I promised God not another drop of alcohol and re-dedicated my life to Christ. Since then God has been radically transforming my life, empowering me to defeat the sinful tendencies I brought into a relationship with Him, and teaching me daily to become more like Jesus. “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” (Philippians 3:12). See below for my testimony, it’s an amazing one!
The Call for Prayer – The World Race is an amazing opportunity to impact the World with the gospel of Christ. I know I’m called to the October World Race. The challenge is, on account of my former life in sin, I’ve accumulated many debts. While I’ve been working faithfully to pay off these debts, the reality is, without a miracle from God I will not be free in time to fulfill this calling. Please pray that God brings swift deliverance.
My contact info:
Mike Sanders
bethekingdom@yahoo.com
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
The Helmet of Salvation
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil... Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication." (Ephesians 6:10,11,13-18).
God led me to share my faith today. He prepared me by leading me to some scripture, specifically Ephesians 6, where it talks about the full armor of God, and also Daniel 1-6, which is a portrait of a man who was bold and courageous in following Christ. Daniel purposed in his heart that he was going to follow God regardless of circumstance. Even in the lion's den Daniel's faith did not fail him, and on account of his faith, God brought him out from the lions without a scratch.I hopped on my bike this afternoon and rode to Fowler Park, in Oconomowoc. As I rode through the park I saw a group of younger guys, 6-7 of them and probably freshman in high school. God led me to speak to them, but instead I rode right past.
I went and sat on a bench and contemplated why I didnt heed the call of the Spirit of God to speak with them. I realized I was too focused on myself. I had never deliberately gone out to share my faith all alone before, and it was difficult. It is easier when you have someone backing you up! I also did not have my armor on. I did not use my shield of faith, or put on my helmet of salvation. If I had, I would have taken a step of faith, knowing that regardless of what happens I could not lose or be put to shame. The victory is already won. Jesus has already overcome satan, sin, the grave, and also taken on God's wrath. In Roman times, the helmet was a sign of victory. When a soldier wore it, he was declaring victory over defeat. As I was riding home, I also realized that if I did not do what God wanted me to do, I was in fact sinning. It would be a sin of omission, that is, failing to act out God's will. Sins of comission are doing what God has declared not to do. Sins of omission are not doing what God wants you to do.I knew I had to go back.
I turned around, and started to prepare the armor. I put on the Helmet of Salvation and declared victory regardless of the outcome, knowing in faith that God's will would be advanced. I prayed that God would give me another opportunity to speak with the guys.When I got back to the park there they were, all together and by the swings. I rode up, and just started talking. I asked if I could challenge them with a question and they agreed. I asked them if they knew who Daniel is. I told them about Daniel as told in the scriptures, and how he boldy and courageously served the Lord. I told them about the lions den. Then we talked for awhile and I shared personal testimony as well as the gospel. I answered any questions they had. There were six or seven so it was difficult to carry on the conversation with all of them. I pulled out a 'Knowing God Personally' book and asked to share it with them, they agreed. As I went through it they had a few questions and I answered. By the end, I asked if any wanted to pray to receive Christ. No one said anything. I brought up Daniel again, and talked about being courageous and bold. Then one guy said yeah, and then another and another and another. 4 of the guys prayed out loud to receive Christ. A couple others were there, I am not sure if they prayed in their hearts. It was pretty awesome! It was so simple. We had a conversation, I proclaimed the truth and good news of Jesus Christ, and they came to understanding and received Christ as Lord and Savior!
So my question is, What if I didn't go back? What if I just rode home defeated? What if I never took that step of faith?Is God calling you to take a step of faith in some area in your life? Pray for boldness and courage, strap on the full armor of God, and just do it! You will not regret it!
God led me to share my faith today. He prepared me by leading me to some scripture, specifically Ephesians 6, where it talks about the full armor of God, and also Daniel 1-6, which is a portrait of a man who was bold and courageous in following Christ. Daniel purposed in his heart that he was going to follow God regardless of circumstance. Even in the lion's den Daniel's faith did not fail him, and on account of his faith, God brought him out from the lions without a scratch.I hopped on my bike this afternoon and rode to Fowler Park, in Oconomowoc. As I rode through the park I saw a group of younger guys, 6-7 of them and probably freshman in high school. God led me to speak to them, but instead I rode right past.
I went and sat on a bench and contemplated why I didnt heed the call of the Spirit of God to speak with them. I realized I was too focused on myself. I had never deliberately gone out to share my faith all alone before, and it was difficult. It is easier when you have someone backing you up! I also did not have my armor on. I did not use my shield of faith, or put on my helmet of salvation. If I had, I would have taken a step of faith, knowing that regardless of what happens I could not lose or be put to shame. The victory is already won. Jesus has already overcome satan, sin, the grave, and also taken on God's wrath. In Roman times, the helmet was a sign of victory. When a soldier wore it, he was declaring victory over defeat. As I was riding home, I also realized that if I did not do what God wanted me to do, I was in fact sinning. It would be a sin of omission, that is, failing to act out God's will. Sins of comission are doing what God has declared not to do. Sins of omission are not doing what God wants you to do.I knew I had to go back.
I turned around, and started to prepare the armor. I put on the Helmet of Salvation and declared victory regardless of the outcome, knowing in faith that God's will would be advanced. I prayed that God would give me another opportunity to speak with the guys.When I got back to the park there they were, all together and by the swings. I rode up, and just started talking. I asked if I could challenge them with a question and they agreed. I asked them if they knew who Daniel is. I told them about Daniel as told in the scriptures, and how he boldy and courageously served the Lord. I told them about the lions den. Then we talked for awhile and I shared personal testimony as well as the gospel. I answered any questions they had. There were six or seven so it was difficult to carry on the conversation with all of them. I pulled out a 'Knowing God Personally' book and asked to share it with them, they agreed. As I went through it they had a few questions and I answered. By the end, I asked if any wanted to pray to receive Christ. No one said anything. I brought up Daniel again, and talked about being courageous and bold. Then one guy said yeah, and then another and another and another. 4 of the guys prayed out loud to receive Christ. A couple others were there, I am not sure if they prayed in their hearts. It was pretty awesome! It was so simple. We had a conversation, I proclaimed the truth and good news of Jesus Christ, and they came to understanding and received Christ as Lord and Savior!
So my question is, What if I didn't go back? What if I just rode home defeated? What if I never took that step of faith?Is God calling you to take a step of faith in some area in your life? Pray for boldness and courage, strap on the full armor of God, and just do it! You will not regret it!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
I Will Testify
I gave my life to Christ when I was twelve years old, at an Assemblies of God Church in Waukesha, WI. Although I was young, for the first time I truly understood the meaning of the prayer I had spoken maybe twenty times before. I accepted Jesus into my life and understood it meant giving Him complete control over my life. While I had put my faith in Christ, I did not have a foundation in Him. "But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." (Matthew 7:26-27). My ‘great crash’ came during the first couple years of college at UW-Milwaukee.
In high school I did not drink or use drugs, and I swore to myself I would never drink and drive. In college I drank, occasionally smoked marijuana, and on one particular occasion drove drunk. Alcohol took hold of my life and led me to many low points and many close calls. I would drink three to four nights a week. I had no self-control, in fact most nights I would drink until there was nothing left or until I would pass out. One of the worst nights, I got extremely drunk, grabbed a bag of marijuana and drove to a friend’s house. I smoked the weed there, and walked out of the house. I saw a friend and handed him my keys. I guess I assumed he was sober, but he was drunk and high as well. Driving home, we crashed into a turn-around. I wasn't wearing a seatbelt and so my head slammed into the dash. Miraculously, I didn't have a cut or bump or anything; but it did sober me up. I realized the situation - my friend and I were extremely intoxicated with both alcohol and marijuana, we just crashed into a turn-around, and we had a bag of weed in the car. I immediately started praying. I prayed for mercy, for forgiveness, and that God would get me home safely without getting arrested. I switched seats and drove all the way home down a busy road, going 10mph, with a bent rim on the front left tire. God got me home safely without getting pulled over. That night I opened my bible, and here is the exact verse I opened to:
"Even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning." Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing..." (Joel 2:12-14).
I returned to God, but not for long. With no foundation, I ended up struggling with drunkenness over and over again.
There is another night that led me back to Jesus. We had a party at my house and like most nights, I got completely out-of-control drunk. My friends brought me to my room, and there I sat listening to music and reflecting. I was disappointed with the life I was living, and recognized the danger in the lifestyle. As I sat alone in my room, the song "Daniel" by Elton John started to play. It is the song that played at my cousin Danny's funeral. Danny struggled with alcohol and drugs to a much more dangerous extent. He tried to free himself from the addictions, but they ultimately led to his death. When the song started to play, I felt so shameful. I was hurting my family. I must have cried for two hours. My roommates tried to console me, but nothing could change the thought that I was letting Danny down.
Once again, I quit drinking for a while, but I was surrounding myself with the same crowd, and “bad company corrupts good character.”
In the summer of 2007, I spent a good amount of time away from my friends. I spent time in prayer and reading the bible. As the summer progressed, I felt God calling me to California. Within a month, I arranged to stay with my brother in Fallbrook, CA, got accepted into a junior college there, and made arrangements to try out for the baseball team. You see, I thought God was calling me there so that I could play baseball and be successful, but He had other plans. Looking back, it is clear to understand the reason He led me to California. God pulled me aside from everyone and everything that was keeping me in sin, so He could clearly speak to me. I attended church with my brother and his family. The church we attended was a Spirit-filled church. In fact, there were times where the Spirit was moving so strongly that I could not help but confess sins before I continued to worship God. One service, the pastor stopped in the middle of his sermon. He said, “There is something that needs to be heard”. Moments later, someone to the left started speaking in tongues, and then another person to my right started translating. The message cut right to my heart, and I knew God was telling me that I must quit drinking. Among other things said, was “Do not go back down that path, for the road is dangerous.” That day I put in a prayer request, for people to pray that I would be able to quit.
A month or so later, after baseball and school fell through, I decided I was going to move home to Milwaukee. The pastor of my brothers church warned me that I need to find fellowship and also a bible teaching, Spirit-filled church; I did just the opposite. The first day back I was drinking with the same crowd. I fell into old relationships and old sinful habits. I would try to quit at times, but over and over again I fell back into temptation. There were a few occasions where I drank so much that it led to an asthma attack. On those nights I would pray to God for mercy, but when it came to completely surrendering I fell short.
The turning point came on December 30th, 2007. That day I was at the Packers’ game and had gotten pretty drunk with my friends. Throughout the day, I sobered up, and by the time we got home to Milwaukee I was sober. Late that night, my friend asked if I could drive him home to Oconomowoc, and I agreed. As we were about to leave my apartment, I got a terrible feeling that one or both of us were going to die in a car crash on the way home; it was like I knew it in my heart. I tried to ignore it and took another step towards the door. At that time, I heard those words again, “Do not go back down that path, for the road is dangerous”. I immediately ducked into the bathroom shut the door and got on my knees. I prayed to God for mercy and forgiveness and for a way out of that fate. Through my tears I heard God speak the words, “Not another drop.” That night, December 30th, 2007, I promised God “not another drop” of alcohol, and by His grace and power I have stuck to that promise! Since that night Christ has been emptying me of everything that doesn't resemble Him. He has given me a new heart, a new mind, and a new strength. "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me" (Philippians 3:12).
In September 2008 (this past September), I finally gained a firm foundation in Christ through Campus Crusade for Christ at UW-Milwaukee. Since then, God has been challenging me every day to move closer to Him. I have grown close to Jesus through fellowship, evangelism, service, retreats, and leadership opportunities. I have been blessed to serve as the Community team leader for our Cru, creating Christ-centered events to offer fellowship and outreach. In December, my friend Jon told me about a mission trip to Ghana, Africa he was planning on leading over spring break. My interest was sparked right away. I decided I would pursue the opportunity, and if God didn't want me to go, He would let me know one way or another. In late January, Jon told me that while he was praying God revealed that he wouldn't be going to Ghana. God had other plans for Jon's spring break (he and a group of friends ended up driving to Kansas City, sharing the gospel at college campuses along the way). Jon asked me if I was interested in leading the trip. I told him absolutely yes! But, I needed to pray about it. That night I spent time in silence and solitude before God, and he spoke very clearly to me. "Yes Michael, Go! Lead. Be strong. Rise to the occasion."
The trip was March 13th-22nd, and it was amazing. We flew from Milwaukee, to Chicago, to Frankfurt, Germany, and then to Accra, Ghana. With layovers, the trip was over 24 hours long! We stayed in Accra a night, and then drove to Cape Coast, Ghana where we did most of our ministry. We shared the gospel with students at the University of Cape Coast. UCC is a gorgeous campus, and everyone there is more than welcoming. In fact, everyone we met in Ghana was more than welcoming. In the United States, it is very difficult to share your faith. Too many students are uninterested and closed off. At UCC, students were just the opposite. Students invited us into their rooms, introduced their roommates, and eagerly listened to what we had to say. In fact, they are such gracious hosts, that it was at times a challenge to get them to participate in the conversation, because they simply wanted to listen. The six of us from UWM were able to share our faith with 40+ people throughout the week. We conversed up to an hour in some rooms. We spoke a lot about the assurances of salvation, that if anyone receives Jesus they receive eternal life. We pointed out verses like:
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)
And
"And this is our testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life." (1 John 5:11-13).
These verses helped assure those who had allowed Christ to take over the throne of their life that they have eternal life. We also walked students through the Four Spiritual Laws.
The following story testifies to the greatness and fullness of God's love and grace:
Daniel and Daniel and Daniel
The second day witnessing at the University of Cape Coast was an amazing one. Erica, Andrea and I were on a team together. The first person we shared with introduced himself with a nickname, which is as hard to spell, as it is to pronounce so I won't attempt either. He welcomed us into his room, and we all sat down and got acquainted. We asked if he would like to read through a "Knowing God Personally" booklet with us, and he agreed. As we read, his interest grew. He started asking questions, and for each question we would point him to a different bible verse. He asked how sin is defined in the bible, and we turned to Galatians 5 for the answer. He told us that he sometimes told friends that he was Hindu, and that afterwards he always felt bad. He told us that his sister died, and that it was very hard. We turned to 2 Corinthians 1 and read about "The God of All Comfort". We continued to read the "Knowing God Personally" booklet. It lists the 'Four Spiritual Laws':
1) God loves you and created you to know Him personally. He has a wonderful plan for your life
2) People are sinful and separated from God, so we cannot know Him personally or experience His love and plan.
3) Jesus Christ is God's only provision for our sin. Through him alone we can know God personally and experience God's love and plan.
4) We must individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know God personally and experience His love and plan.
These two circles represent two kinds of lives.
Self-Directed Life
(S) Self is on the throne
(+) Jesus is outside the life
(.) Decisions and actions solely directed by self, often resulting in frustration
Christ-Directed Life
(+) Jesus is in the life and on the throne
(S) Self is yielding to Jesus
(.) The person sees Jesus' influence and direction in their life
We then asked the Ghanaian student, which circle best represents you?
He said, "Well, if I am going to be honest with myself, I would have to say that one" (pointing to the self-directed life).
We asked him, which circle would you like to have represent your life?
He silently pointed to the Christ-Directed Life. We turned together to the next page...
You Can Receive Christ Right Now by Faith Through Prayer (prayer is talking with God).
God knows your heart and is not concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart. The following is a suggested prayer:
Lord Jesus, I want to know You personally. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank you for forgiving me of my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be.
We asked, does this prayer express the desire of your heart?
He said, "Yes".
All this time, as we were reading and answering questions I was praying. I was praying for his salvation. I had never personally seen anyone accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, and the idea of God using me for such a purpose was humbling and amazing.
Erica prayed a line, and then he echoed, all the way through the prayer. When we opened our eyes, we were all smiling. I realized I had forgotten the nickname he gave when we first met, and so I asked him, "What was your name again?"
He looked at me and said, "Daniel".
I nearly broke down in tears at that instant.
You see, while satan meant my cousin Danny's death for evil, Jesus used it for good. Danny's death helped to bring me back to Jesus, and rescue me from my sin and struggle. And then, the first person God uses me to lead to Christ is named Daniel!
We spoke with Daniel after the prayer, about not depending on feelings, but relying only on God and His word. We told him a few ways to grow as a Christian:
G Go to God in prayer daily (John 15:7)
R Read God's Word daily (Acts 17:11)
O Obey God moment by moment (John 14:21)
W Witness for Christ by your life and words (Matt. 4:19; John 15:8)
T Trust God for every detail of your life (1 Peter 5:7)
H Holy Spirit - Allow Him to control and empower your daily life and witness (Galatians 5:16-17; Acts 1:8)
And that he should remember that "Your walk with Christ depends on what you allow Him to do in and through you empowered by the Holy Spirit, not what you do for Him through self effort”.
So we talked about Campus Crusade for Christ, how it has changed our lives for the better, and how he could get involved at Cape Coast University. We took a picture together, and parted ways.
But the story doesn't end here...
Afterwards, I told Andrea and Erica all about Danny and the significance to me that the Lord used me to lead Daniel to Christ. I cried through most of the telling. We then prayed together. After that, we ran into a staff member for UCC's Campus Crusade for Christ. She urged us to reach out to some women on campus, because their Cru is lacking. We decided to continue sharing, and headed for a women's floor. As the three of us headed into one of the dorms, I met eyes with a guy standing outside on the balcony a few rooms down. I stepped into the girls’ dorm, but told Andrea and Erica I would be right back. I walked out towards the guy, and introduced myself. He told me his name... "Daniel"! I knew right then that God was doing something amazing in my midst. I asked if he would like to read through the "Knowing God Personally" booklet with me, and he agreed. As we read, I encouraged him to read some of the verses. Pretty soon he took the book and was reading all of it himself! At one point while we were reading on the balcony, we both noticed a giant lizard rustling around below (we were a floor up). Daniel said, "Whoa! I've never seen one that big before! ... Whoa!” As we watched, my eyes drifted to a stone directly below us on the patio a floor below. On the stone was a small sticker that simply read, "Danny". I could not believe my eyes! I wanted to keep reading the book, and so we continued. We got to the pictures, and he pointed to the Self-Directed Life circle when asked which one represents his life. I asked which he would like to be, and he said "Definitely that one!" (Pointing to the Christ-Directed Life). He prayed to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior! Praise the Lord! Right after, I pointed out the sticker that was directly a floor below us, directly over where he prayed to receive Christ. He said, "Whoa! Did you put that there?!" I told him "No! But I know God did!” We were both amazed.
After, we spoke about what comes next for him, and took a picture together.
In high school I did not drink or use drugs, and I swore to myself I would never drink and drive. In college I drank, occasionally smoked marijuana, and on one particular occasion drove drunk. Alcohol took hold of my life and led me to many low points and many close calls. I would drink three to four nights a week. I had no self-control, in fact most nights I would drink until there was nothing left or until I would pass out. One of the worst nights, I got extremely drunk, grabbed a bag of marijuana and drove to a friend’s house. I smoked the weed there, and walked out of the house. I saw a friend and handed him my keys. I guess I assumed he was sober, but he was drunk and high as well. Driving home, we crashed into a turn-around. I wasn't wearing a seatbelt and so my head slammed into the dash. Miraculously, I didn't have a cut or bump or anything; but it did sober me up. I realized the situation - my friend and I were extremely intoxicated with both alcohol and marijuana, we just crashed into a turn-around, and we had a bag of weed in the car. I immediately started praying. I prayed for mercy, for forgiveness, and that God would get me home safely without getting arrested. I switched seats and drove all the way home down a busy road, going 10mph, with a bent rim on the front left tire. God got me home safely without getting pulled over. That night I opened my bible, and here is the exact verse I opened to:
"Even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning." Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing..." (Joel 2:12-14).
I returned to God, but not for long. With no foundation, I ended up struggling with drunkenness over and over again.
There is another night that led me back to Jesus. We had a party at my house and like most nights, I got completely out-of-control drunk. My friends brought me to my room, and there I sat listening to music and reflecting. I was disappointed with the life I was living, and recognized the danger in the lifestyle. As I sat alone in my room, the song "Daniel" by Elton John started to play. It is the song that played at my cousin Danny's funeral. Danny struggled with alcohol and drugs to a much more dangerous extent. He tried to free himself from the addictions, but they ultimately led to his death. When the song started to play, I felt so shameful. I was hurting my family. I must have cried for two hours. My roommates tried to console me, but nothing could change the thought that I was letting Danny down.
Once again, I quit drinking for a while, but I was surrounding myself with the same crowd, and “bad company corrupts good character.”
In the summer of 2007, I spent a good amount of time away from my friends. I spent time in prayer and reading the bible. As the summer progressed, I felt God calling me to California. Within a month, I arranged to stay with my brother in Fallbrook, CA, got accepted into a junior college there, and made arrangements to try out for the baseball team. You see, I thought God was calling me there so that I could play baseball and be successful, but He had other plans. Looking back, it is clear to understand the reason He led me to California. God pulled me aside from everyone and everything that was keeping me in sin, so He could clearly speak to me. I attended church with my brother and his family. The church we attended was a Spirit-filled church. In fact, there were times where the Spirit was moving so strongly that I could not help but confess sins before I continued to worship God. One service, the pastor stopped in the middle of his sermon. He said, “There is something that needs to be heard”. Moments later, someone to the left started speaking in tongues, and then another person to my right started translating. The message cut right to my heart, and I knew God was telling me that I must quit drinking. Among other things said, was “Do not go back down that path, for the road is dangerous.” That day I put in a prayer request, for people to pray that I would be able to quit.
A month or so later, after baseball and school fell through, I decided I was going to move home to Milwaukee. The pastor of my brothers church warned me that I need to find fellowship and also a bible teaching, Spirit-filled church; I did just the opposite. The first day back I was drinking with the same crowd. I fell into old relationships and old sinful habits. I would try to quit at times, but over and over again I fell back into temptation. There were a few occasions where I drank so much that it led to an asthma attack. On those nights I would pray to God for mercy, but when it came to completely surrendering I fell short.
The turning point came on December 30th, 2007. That day I was at the Packers’ game and had gotten pretty drunk with my friends. Throughout the day, I sobered up, and by the time we got home to Milwaukee I was sober. Late that night, my friend asked if I could drive him home to Oconomowoc, and I agreed. As we were about to leave my apartment, I got a terrible feeling that one or both of us were going to die in a car crash on the way home; it was like I knew it in my heart. I tried to ignore it and took another step towards the door. At that time, I heard those words again, “Do not go back down that path, for the road is dangerous”. I immediately ducked into the bathroom shut the door and got on my knees. I prayed to God for mercy and forgiveness and for a way out of that fate. Through my tears I heard God speak the words, “Not another drop.” That night, December 30th, 2007, I promised God “not another drop” of alcohol, and by His grace and power I have stuck to that promise! Since that night Christ has been emptying me of everything that doesn't resemble Him. He has given me a new heart, a new mind, and a new strength. "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me" (Philippians 3:12).
In September 2008 (this past September), I finally gained a firm foundation in Christ through Campus Crusade for Christ at UW-Milwaukee. Since then, God has been challenging me every day to move closer to Him. I have grown close to Jesus through fellowship, evangelism, service, retreats, and leadership opportunities. I have been blessed to serve as the Community team leader for our Cru, creating Christ-centered events to offer fellowship and outreach. In December, my friend Jon told me about a mission trip to Ghana, Africa he was planning on leading over spring break. My interest was sparked right away. I decided I would pursue the opportunity, and if God didn't want me to go, He would let me know one way or another. In late January, Jon told me that while he was praying God revealed that he wouldn't be going to Ghana. God had other plans for Jon's spring break (he and a group of friends ended up driving to Kansas City, sharing the gospel at college campuses along the way). Jon asked me if I was interested in leading the trip. I told him absolutely yes! But, I needed to pray about it. That night I spent time in silence and solitude before God, and he spoke very clearly to me. "Yes Michael, Go! Lead. Be strong. Rise to the occasion."
The trip was March 13th-22nd, and it was amazing. We flew from Milwaukee, to Chicago, to Frankfurt, Germany, and then to Accra, Ghana. With layovers, the trip was over 24 hours long! We stayed in Accra a night, and then drove to Cape Coast, Ghana where we did most of our ministry. We shared the gospel with students at the University of Cape Coast. UCC is a gorgeous campus, and everyone there is more than welcoming. In fact, everyone we met in Ghana was more than welcoming. In the United States, it is very difficult to share your faith. Too many students are uninterested and closed off. At UCC, students were just the opposite. Students invited us into their rooms, introduced their roommates, and eagerly listened to what we had to say. In fact, they are such gracious hosts, that it was at times a challenge to get them to participate in the conversation, because they simply wanted to listen. The six of us from UWM were able to share our faith with 40+ people throughout the week. We conversed up to an hour in some rooms. We spoke a lot about the assurances of salvation, that if anyone receives Jesus they receive eternal life. We pointed out verses like:
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)
And
"And this is our testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life." (1 John 5:11-13).
These verses helped assure those who had allowed Christ to take over the throne of their life that they have eternal life. We also walked students through the Four Spiritual Laws.
The following story testifies to the greatness and fullness of God's love and grace:
Daniel and Daniel and Daniel
The second day witnessing at the University of Cape Coast was an amazing one. Erica, Andrea and I were on a team together. The first person we shared with introduced himself with a nickname, which is as hard to spell, as it is to pronounce so I won't attempt either. He welcomed us into his room, and we all sat down and got acquainted. We asked if he would like to read through a "Knowing God Personally" booklet with us, and he agreed. As we read, his interest grew. He started asking questions, and for each question we would point him to a different bible verse. He asked how sin is defined in the bible, and we turned to Galatians 5 for the answer. He told us that he sometimes told friends that he was Hindu, and that afterwards he always felt bad. He told us that his sister died, and that it was very hard. We turned to 2 Corinthians 1 and read about "The God of All Comfort". We continued to read the "Knowing God Personally" booklet. It lists the 'Four Spiritual Laws':
1) God loves you and created you to know Him personally. He has a wonderful plan for your life
2) People are sinful and separated from God, so we cannot know Him personally or experience His love and plan.
3) Jesus Christ is God's only provision for our sin. Through him alone we can know God personally and experience God's love and plan.
4) We must individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know God personally and experience His love and plan.
These two circles represent two kinds of lives.
Self-Directed Life
(S) Self is on the throne
(+) Jesus is outside the life
(.) Decisions and actions solely directed by self, often resulting in frustration
Christ-Directed Life
(+) Jesus is in the life and on the throne
(S) Self is yielding to Jesus
(.) The person sees Jesus' influence and direction in their life
We then asked the Ghanaian student, which circle best represents you?
He said, "Well, if I am going to be honest with myself, I would have to say that one" (pointing to the self-directed life).
We asked him, which circle would you like to have represent your life?
He silently pointed to the Christ-Directed Life. We turned together to the next page...
You Can Receive Christ Right Now by Faith Through Prayer (prayer is talking with God).
God knows your heart and is not concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart. The following is a suggested prayer:
Lord Jesus, I want to know You personally. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank you for forgiving me of my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be.
We asked, does this prayer express the desire of your heart?
He said, "Yes".
All this time, as we were reading and answering questions I was praying. I was praying for his salvation. I had never personally seen anyone accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, and the idea of God using me for such a purpose was humbling and amazing.
Erica prayed a line, and then he echoed, all the way through the prayer. When we opened our eyes, we were all smiling. I realized I had forgotten the nickname he gave when we first met, and so I asked him, "What was your name again?"
He looked at me and said, "Daniel".
I nearly broke down in tears at that instant.
You see, while satan meant my cousin Danny's death for evil, Jesus used it for good. Danny's death helped to bring me back to Jesus, and rescue me from my sin and struggle. And then, the first person God uses me to lead to Christ is named Daniel!
We spoke with Daniel after the prayer, about not depending on feelings, but relying only on God and His word. We told him a few ways to grow as a Christian:
G Go to God in prayer daily (John 15:7)
R Read God's Word daily (Acts 17:11)
O Obey God moment by moment (John 14:21)
W Witness for Christ by your life and words (Matt. 4:19; John 15:8)
T Trust God for every detail of your life (1 Peter 5:7)
H Holy Spirit - Allow Him to control and empower your daily life and witness (Galatians 5:16-17; Acts 1:8)
And that he should remember that "Your walk with Christ depends on what you allow Him to do in and through you empowered by the Holy Spirit, not what you do for Him through self effort”.
So we talked about Campus Crusade for Christ, how it has changed our lives for the better, and how he could get involved at Cape Coast University. We took a picture together, and parted ways.
But the story doesn't end here...
Afterwards, I told Andrea and Erica all about Danny and the significance to me that the Lord used me to lead Daniel to Christ. I cried through most of the telling. We then prayed together. After that, we ran into a staff member for UCC's Campus Crusade for Christ. She urged us to reach out to some women on campus, because their Cru is lacking. We decided to continue sharing, and headed for a women's floor. As the three of us headed into one of the dorms, I met eyes with a guy standing outside on the balcony a few rooms down. I stepped into the girls’ dorm, but told Andrea and Erica I would be right back. I walked out towards the guy, and introduced myself. He told me his name... "Daniel"! I knew right then that God was doing something amazing in my midst. I asked if he would like to read through the "Knowing God Personally" booklet with me, and he agreed. As we read, I encouraged him to read some of the verses. Pretty soon he took the book and was reading all of it himself! At one point while we were reading on the balcony, we both noticed a giant lizard rustling around below (we were a floor up). Daniel said, "Whoa! I've never seen one that big before! ... Whoa!” As we watched, my eyes drifted to a stone directly below us on the patio a floor below. On the stone was a small sticker that simply read, "Danny". I could not believe my eyes! I wanted to keep reading the book, and so we continued. We got to the pictures, and he pointed to the Self-Directed Life circle when asked which one represents his life. I asked which he would like to be, and he said "Definitely that one!" (Pointing to the Christ-Directed Life). He prayed to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior! Praise the Lord! Right after, I pointed out the sticker that was directly a floor below us, directly over where he prayed to receive Christ. He said, "Whoa! Did you put that there?!" I told him "No! But I know God did!” We were both amazed.
After, we spoke about what comes next for him, and took a picture together.
But, the story doesn't end there!
The next day, while we were praying as a team, God revealed to me the significance of the sticker. While Melissa was praying, I suddenly thought about the sticker, and then heard God speak, "His name is written in the Book of Life". I was overwhelmed. Immediately after, the revelation was confirmed when Melissa, while praying, used the exact phrase, "and the names written in the Book of Life". I broke down crying.
I told the team about it after prayer. Melissa asked me about the colors of the sticker. I told her it was all black, with "Danny" written in white. She said, "Danny was a light in the darkness". Then, I remembered what I told Daniel after he asked me if I put the sticker there. I told him that "I didn't put it there, but I know God did". When Danny died, I felt shame and guilt for not trying to reach out to him (note that those kind of thoughts don't come from God). But now I can say that while I didn't lead Danny to salvation, I know God did!
Later that night, God continued to amaze us:
Melissa came to talk to me. She had been praying that God would lead her to a place in the bible to start reading. She prayed it again that night, and when she opened her bible, she opened directly to the first page of "Daniel"!
"Daniel" means "God is my Judge". Some would look at Danny's death and say, "suicide, he is in hell." Not so, God is the only Judge. Danny accepted Jesus as LORD and Savior, and when he met God, Jesus told him "well done my good and faithful servant".
Later still, I flipped to Daniel chapter twelve. I read verse one, and once again came across that phrase that until this trip I had maybe heard once before in my life: "... everyone whose name is found written in the book-will be delivered." (Daniel 12:1).
I kept reading, and God speaks to Daniel at the end of the chapter, "As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance." (Daniel 12:13).
I look forward to the day when I get to once again see Daniel and Daniel and Daniel in heaven!
So that is one of the amazing ways God moved in Africa. The trip was life changing and really brought revival. Since getting back, I have been doing everything I can to “fan into flame the gift of God” (2 Timothy 1:6). I have dedicated more and more time to prayer and reading His Word, and I have been blessed to draw closer to God. My mission has been made so clear: to know Jesus and make Jesus known!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
My Soul Waits For The LORD!
"Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD! O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy! If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared. I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. O Israel, hope in the LORD! For with the LORD there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities." (Psalm 130)
I am facing many adversities on account of past sin. I stumbled across Psalm 130 this morning, and God really opened up my eyes to the meaning of one of the verses. "My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning." The Lord asked me, 'How does a watchman wait for the morning?' I realized that a watchman does not think morning is coming, and he does not believe morning is coming, but he KNOWS morning is coming. The watchman waits in anticipation!I found this study of Psalm 130, and consider it a miracle! I was incredibly blessed and encouraged by reading it, and hope you will read it and receive blessing from our good and sovereign Lord!
(The study is by Jason Dulle, not sure who he is, found the website randomly - http://www.apostolic.net/biblicalstudies/psalm130.htm )
V.1) "Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD!"
The psalmist cries out from the “depths”, which is a reference to the depths of the sea. To the ancients the sea symbolized chaos. The psalmist uses this metaphor suggesting he is engulfed in a chaotic calamity, much like a person engulfed in the depths of the sea. The depths he is in have separated him from His God, causing him to cry out with a sense of alienation. This “cry” helps us to feel his sense of pain and anguish, and utter dependence on God.
V.2) "O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy!"
This verse is a continuation of verse one's cry for help, finishing the first section of the lament. The psalmist acknowledged God as his lord (master), and requested that the Lord would hear his plea for mercy.
V.3) "If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?"
The psalmist realizes that if the Lord were to keep track of sins, no one would be able to stand before Him. If God were to keep track of all our sins we would never be able to stand justified before Him. Our sins would incriminate us, humiliating us before the King. There is no one righteous, able to say he has clean hands before God. If God were to reward us according to our works, our judgment would be immeasurable. Thank God for His wonderful grace and mercy that forgives us of our sins!
V.4) "But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared."
This verse indicates why the Lord is willing to forgive. We know from other parts of Scripture that the Lord is willing to forgive because it brings Him “honor”. Many translations render this as “feared”, but to the modern ear this connotes “to be scared of”. The meaning of the Hebrew is reverential fear, or awe of God. It is paying Him the respect that is due Him. When the Lord forgives our sins it produces in us a gratitude and awe of the Almighty, causing our loyal respect for His willingness to erase our debt of sin.
V.5) "I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope;"
This verse is a beautiful confession of the psalmist's faith. While he cried to the Lord for forgiveness, his cry was a cry of faith. He knew the Lord would show him mercy, but did not know exactly when. He would wait for the Lord's word confirming the extension of His mercy. It seems that the psalmist had more in mind than forgiveness of sin because one does not have to wait for the Lord's forgiveness. It is likely that the psalmist's sins had caused some temporal difficulties for him that he wished to be delivered from. While the Lord had forgiven him his sin, the Lord had not delivered him from the temporal effects of his sins.
V.6) "my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning."
Here again the psalmist indicated that his soul waited, including once again the reference to the Lord, but now a description of how he waits: more than the watchmen wait for the morning. This is a beautiful illustration. The psalmist's patient and anticipatory waiting for the Lord is compared to the watchman's patient and anticipatory waiting for the break of dawn. Just as the dawn is assured to come for the watchmen, so is the Lord's mercy assured to the psalmist. It is not a matter of if God will extend mercy, but when God will extend mercy. The mercy will come, we need only wait for it. In addition the psalmist employs repetition. It emphasizes the painful watching for the Lord's mercy. While the night may be long, joy comes in the morning! The thought expressed in this verse is that we need to be patient and anticipatory in our waiting for God's display of mercy, and can be assured as its arrival.
V.7) "O Israel, hope in the LORD! For with the LORD there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption."
Here it is stressed why Israel should hope in the Lord. With the Lord there is steadfast love and plentiful redemption. Both describe attributes of God. The psalmist here begins his exhortation to Israel to hope in the Lord. His exhortation grows out of his own personal experience. He has found the Lord to be merciful and full of loyal love in the past, and is assured that the Lord will also exhibit such behavior toward Israel now because He knows the Lord's character.
V.8) "And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities."
Seeing that the Lord possessed so much redemption the psalmist was assured that He would redeem Israel from its iniquities. God's forgiveness of Israel's sin is compared to "redemption." This redemption can include sin and adversity. It is most likely that the psalmist is referring to Israel's adversities caused by their sin. This last expression is the psalmist's final expression of trust in God. He is assured that God will redeem Israel from the consequences of her sins. How does he know? He knows because he has experienced the Lord's deliverance, and because he knows the character of God. This is not only an expression of personal trust in God, but it is an exhortation to Israel to hope in the Lord along with the psalmist, waiting in faithful confidence for the word of the Lord.
This is an amazing psalm of a repentant believer who is in need of God’s mercy. Not only is he fully assured that such will be granted, but he also exhorts his fellow Israelite’s to wait for God’s redemption, knowing that such will come because of the character of the Lord.
Thanks for reading! God bless!
I am facing many adversities on account of past sin. I stumbled across Psalm 130 this morning, and God really opened up my eyes to the meaning of one of the verses. "My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning." The Lord asked me, 'How does a watchman wait for the morning?' I realized that a watchman does not think morning is coming, and he does not believe morning is coming, but he KNOWS morning is coming. The watchman waits in anticipation!I found this study of Psalm 130, and consider it a miracle! I was incredibly blessed and encouraged by reading it, and hope you will read it and receive blessing from our good and sovereign Lord!
(The study is by Jason Dulle, not sure who he is, found the website randomly - http://www.apostolic.net/biblicalstudies/psalm130.htm )
V.1) "Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD!"
The psalmist cries out from the “depths”, which is a reference to the depths of the sea. To the ancients the sea symbolized chaos. The psalmist uses this metaphor suggesting he is engulfed in a chaotic calamity, much like a person engulfed in the depths of the sea. The depths he is in have separated him from His God, causing him to cry out with a sense of alienation. This “cry” helps us to feel his sense of pain and anguish, and utter dependence on God.
V.2) "O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy!"
This verse is a continuation of verse one's cry for help, finishing the first section of the lament. The psalmist acknowledged God as his lord (master), and requested that the Lord would hear his plea for mercy.
V.3) "If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?"
The psalmist realizes that if the Lord were to keep track of sins, no one would be able to stand before Him. If God were to keep track of all our sins we would never be able to stand justified before Him. Our sins would incriminate us, humiliating us before the King. There is no one righteous, able to say he has clean hands before God. If God were to reward us according to our works, our judgment would be immeasurable. Thank God for His wonderful grace and mercy that forgives us of our sins!
V.4) "But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared."
This verse indicates why the Lord is willing to forgive. We know from other parts of Scripture that the Lord is willing to forgive because it brings Him “honor”. Many translations render this as “feared”, but to the modern ear this connotes “to be scared of”. The meaning of the Hebrew is reverential fear, or awe of God. It is paying Him the respect that is due Him. When the Lord forgives our sins it produces in us a gratitude and awe of the Almighty, causing our loyal respect for His willingness to erase our debt of sin.
V.5) "I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope;"
This verse is a beautiful confession of the psalmist's faith. While he cried to the Lord for forgiveness, his cry was a cry of faith. He knew the Lord would show him mercy, but did not know exactly when. He would wait for the Lord's word confirming the extension of His mercy. It seems that the psalmist had more in mind than forgiveness of sin because one does not have to wait for the Lord's forgiveness. It is likely that the psalmist's sins had caused some temporal difficulties for him that he wished to be delivered from. While the Lord had forgiven him his sin, the Lord had not delivered him from the temporal effects of his sins.
V.6) "my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning."
Here again the psalmist indicated that his soul waited, including once again the reference to the Lord, but now a description of how he waits: more than the watchmen wait for the morning. This is a beautiful illustration. The psalmist's patient and anticipatory waiting for the Lord is compared to the watchman's patient and anticipatory waiting for the break of dawn. Just as the dawn is assured to come for the watchmen, so is the Lord's mercy assured to the psalmist. It is not a matter of if God will extend mercy, but when God will extend mercy. The mercy will come, we need only wait for it. In addition the psalmist employs repetition. It emphasizes the painful watching for the Lord's mercy. While the night may be long, joy comes in the morning! The thought expressed in this verse is that we need to be patient and anticipatory in our waiting for God's display of mercy, and can be assured as its arrival.
V.7) "O Israel, hope in the LORD! For with the LORD there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption."
Here it is stressed why Israel should hope in the Lord. With the Lord there is steadfast love and plentiful redemption. Both describe attributes of God. The psalmist here begins his exhortation to Israel to hope in the Lord. His exhortation grows out of his own personal experience. He has found the Lord to be merciful and full of loyal love in the past, and is assured that the Lord will also exhibit such behavior toward Israel now because He knows the Lord's character.
V.8) "And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities."
Seeing that the Lord possessed so much redemption the psalmist was assured that He would redeem Israel from its iniquities. God's forgiveness of Israel's sin is compared to "redemption." This redemption can include sin and adversity. It is most likely that the psalmist is referring to Israel's adversities caused by their sin. This last expression is the psalmist's final expression of trust in God. He is assured that God will redeem Israel from the consequences of her sins. How does he know? He knows because he has experienced the Lord's deliverance, and because he knows the character of God. This is not only an expression of personal trust in God, but it is an exhortation to Israel to hope in the Lord along with the psalmist, waiting in faithful confidence for the word of the Lord.
This is an amazing psalm of a repentant believer who is in need of God’s mercy. Not only is he fully assured that such will be granted, but he also exhorts his fellow Israelite’s to wait for God’s redemption, knowing that such will come because of the character of the Lord.
Thanks for reading! God bless!
Friday, May 29, 2009
Thank You!
Thank you for making a dream reality. Thank you for faithfully joining the mission to further God's Kingdom. Thanks to your support, I embarked on the greatest adventure of my life thus far. I grew closer to God, while leading others to do the same. I witnessed God move in extraordinary ways, in a land nearly 6,000 miles away. The trip had a great impact in Ghana and also greatly impacted my life.
While in Ghana, the six of us from Milwaukee spoke personally and extensively with over 40 students at the University of Cape Coast. We also witnessed to hundreds of Africans in the city, village, and rain forest. The people were more than welcoming and eager to hear the good news of Jesus Christ. Many students we spoke with had a foundation of knowledge but were not sure of their salvation. Assurances of salvation was the main truth we spoke about while there. We assured the students with verses like,
I witnessed personally and for the first time, two students receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. It was amazing and humbling to be used by God for such a purpose. You can read the story below, titled 'His Name is Daniel'.
The entire trip made my purpose in life so clear, to know God and make Him known. I have gained a passion for missions and a heart for the nations. Since getting back, the Lord has presented me with another opportunity in missions, through the World Race. The World Race is an 11-month mission trip to 11 different countries around the world. Recently, the Lord opened the door for this opportunity, as I have been accepted for the October race. You can find more info on this mission at http://updates.theworldrace.org/?filename=october-2009-world-race-route Please keep this in your prayers!
Thank you again so much for your support. I was incredibly blessed to be a witness in Ghana, Africa. Nyame Nkyiraw! (God bless you!).
While in Ghana, the six of us from Milwaukee spoke personally and extensively with over 40 students at the University of Cape Coast. We also witnessed to hundreds of Africans in the city, village, and rain forest. The people were more than welcoming and eager to hear the good news of Jesus Christ. Many students we spoke with had a foundation of knowledge but were not sure of their salvation. Assurances of salvation was the main truth we spoke about while there. We assured the students with verses like,
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not fromand
yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast."
(Ephesians 2:8-9)
"And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in
his Son. He who has the son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does
not have life." (1 John 5:11-12).
I witnessed personally and for the first time, two students receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. It was amazing and humbling to be used by God for such a purpose. You can read the story below, titled 'His Name is Daniel'.
The entire trip made my purpose in life so clear, to know God and make Him known. I have gained a passion for missions and a heart for the nations. Since getting back, the Lord has presented me with another opportunity in missions, through the World Race. The World Race is an 11-month mission trip to 11 different countries around the world. Recently, the Lord opened the door for this opportunity, as I have been accepted for the October race. You can find more info on this mission at http://updates.theworldrace.org/?filename=october-2009-world-race-route Please keep this in your prayers!
Thank you again so much for your support. I was incredibly blessed to be a witness in Ghana, Africa. Nyame Nkyiraw! (God bless you!).
Monday, March 30, 2009
What's Next?
My goal is to get out of debt so I will be free to go wherever God sends me. I hope to continue to minister to students and people in Milwaukee through prayer, evangelism, encouragement and service. My goal is to know God and make Him known. I also hope to get back to Ghana, Africa. They say the church there is "a mile wide and an inch deep", which means there are plenty of opportunities to be used by God. I hope to recognize every day, every moment, as a gift from God. I want to commit myself to prayer, and being filled with the Holy Spirit and filled with God's Word. I look forward to the day when I am debt free, and able to be sent wherever!
If you need prayer for anything, please email me. msanders19@yahoo.com
I encourage you to check out Pastor Mark Driscoll at marshillchurch.org !
Nyame Nkyiraw! (God bless you!)
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Support Goal
Each of us needed to raise $2150 in support for the mission to Ghana, Africa. I was blessed to raise $1170. Thank you all for your support! This does mean I had to write out a personal check for $980. Please pray that God continues to raise up supporters and the rest comes in! Thank you for your prayers.
If you feel led by God to give, please send a check immediately to Mike Sanders, 2864 N. Downer Avenue, Milwaukee, WI, 53211. Checks can be made out to Campus Crusade for Christ, and all donations are tax-deductible. Call me if you have any questions, 262-751-1311. God bless!
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
His Name is Daniel
This story begins roughly 2000 years after the death of Christ. I attended a mens night (though I was hardly a man) at First Assembly of God in Waukesha. I was twelve years old, and although I was young, for the first time I truly understood the meaning of the prayer I had spoke maybe 20 times before. I accepted Jesus into my life, and understood it meant giving Him control over every aspect of my life. I remember thinking to myself during the ride home that "things are going to be different from now on". I cried, because I knew there was a lot I was going to miss out on. Nine years later I finally understand that the only thing on this earth that will satisfy us is a moment by moment relationship with Jesus Christ. I understand that God wants to show us something greater than the sin we settle for.
While I had accepted Jesus into my life, I had no foundation. "But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." (Matthew 7:26-27). My 'great crash' came during the first couple years of college at UW-Milwaukee.
In high school, I didn't drink or use drugs, and I swore to myself I would never drink and drive. In college, I drank, sometimes smoked marijuana, and on a few occasions drove drunk. One of the worst nights, I got extremely drunk, grabbed a bag of marijuana, and drove to a friends house. I smoked the weed there, and walked out of the house. I saw a friend and handed him my keys. I guess I assumed he was sober, but he was drunk and high as well. Driving home, we crashed into a turn-around. I wasn't wearing a seatbelt and so my head slammed into the dash. Miraculously, I didn't have a cut or bump or anything; but it did sober me up. I realized the situation - my friend and I were extremely intoxicated with both alcohol and marijuana, we just crashed into a turn-around, and we had a bag of weed in the car. I immediately started praying. I prayed for mercy, for forgiveness, and that God would get me home safely and without getting arrested. I switched seats and drove all the way home, going 10mph, with a bent rim on the front left tire, down a busy road. God got me home safely without getting pulled over. That night I opened my bible, and here is the exact verse I opened to:
"Even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning." Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing..." (Joel 2:12-14).I returned to God, but not for long. With no foundation, I ended up struggling with drunkenness over and over again.
There is another night that led me back to Jesus. We had a party at my house and like most nights, I got completely out-of-control drunk. My friends brought me to my room, and there I sat listening to music and reflecting. I was disappointed with the life I was living, and recognized the danger in the lifestyle. As I sat alone in my room, the song "Daniel" by Elton John started to play. It is the song that played at my cousin Danny's funeral. Danny struggled with alcohol and drugs to a much more dangerous extent. He tried to free himself from the addictions, but they ultimately led to his death. When the song started to play, I felt so shameful. I was hurting my family. I must have cried for two hours. My roommates tried to console me, but nothing could change the thought that I was letting Danny down.
The struggle continued for awhile, but I finally promised God "not another drop" of alcohol on December 30th, 2007. By His grace and power I have stuck to that promise. In September 08 (this past September), I finally gained a firm foundation in Christ through an organization at UW-Milwaukee called Campus Crusade for Christ. Since then, God has been challenging me every day to move closer to Him. In December, my friend Jon told me about a mission trip to Ghana, Africa he was planning on leading over spring break. My interest was sparked right away. I decided I would pursue the opportunity, and if God didn't want me to go, He would let me know one way or another. In late January, Jon told me that while he was praying God revealed that he wouldn't be going to Ghana. God had other plans for Jon's spring break (he and a group of friends ended up driving to Kansas City, sharing the gospel at college campuses along the way). Jon asked me if I was interested in leading the trip. I told him absolutely yes! But, I needed to pray about it. That night I spent time in silence and solitude before God, and he spoke very clearly to me. "Yes Michael, Go! Lead. Be strong. Rise to the occasion."
The trip was March 13th-22nd, and it was amazing. We flew from Milwaukee, to Chicago, to Frankfurt, Germany, and then to Accra, Ghana. With layovers, the trip was over 24 hours long! We stayed in Accra a night, and then drove to Cape Coast, Ghana where we did most of our ministry. We shared the gospel with students at the University of Cape Coast. UCC is a gorgeous campus, and everyone there is more than welcoming. In fact, everyone we met in Ghana was more than welcoming. In the United States, it is very difficult to share your faith. Too many students are uninterested and closed off. At UCC, students were just the opposite. Students invited us into their rooms, introduced their roommates, and eagerly listened to what we had to say. In fact, they are such gracious hosts, that it was at times a challenge to get them to participate in the conversation, because they simply wanted to listen. The six of us from UWM were able to share our faith with 40+ people throughout the week. We conversed sometimes up to an hour in some rooms. We spoke a lot about the assurances of salvation, that if anyone receives Jesus they receive eternal life. We pointed out verses like
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)and
"And this is our testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life." (1 John 5:11-13).These verses helped assure those who had allowed Christ to take over the throne of their life that they have eternal life. We also walked students through the Four Spiritual Laws. The following story testifies to the greatness and fullness of God's love and grace:
Daniel and Daniel and Daniel
The second day witnessing at the University of Cape Coast was an amazing one. Erica, Andrea and I were on a team together. The first person we shared with introduced himself with a nickname, which is as hard to spell as it is to pronounce so I won't attempt either. He welcomed us into his room, and we all sat down and got acquainted. We asked if he would like to read through a "Knowing God Personally" booklet with us, and he agreed. As we read, his interest grew. He started asking questions, and for each question we would point him to a different bible verse. He asked how sin is defined in the bible, and we turned to Galatians 5 for the answer. He told us that he sometimes told friends that he was Hindu, and that afterwards he always felt bad. He told us that his sister died, and that it was very hard. We turned to 2 Corinthians 1 and read about "The God of All Comfort". We continued to read the "Knowing God Personally" booklet. It lists the 'Four Spiritual Laws':
1) God loves you and created you to know Him personally. He has a wonderful plan for your life. God's Love - "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16) God's Plan - "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." (John 17:3) Then the question "What prevents us from knowing God personally?" is asked.
2) People are sinful and separated from God, so we cannot know Him personally or experience His love and plan. People are Sinful - "... for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23) People were created to have fellowship with God; but, because of our stubborn self-will, we choose to go our own independent way and fellowship with God was broken. This self-will, characterized by an attitude of active rebellion or passive indifference, is evidence of what the Bible calls sin. People are Separated - "For the wages of sin is death" [spiritual separation from God] (Romans 6:23).
This diagram illustrates that God is holy and people are sinful. A great gulf separates the two. The arrows illustrate that people are continually trying to reach God and establish a personal relationship with Him through our own efforts, such as a good life, philosophy, or religion, but we inevitably fail.
The third principle explains the only way to bridge this gulf...
3) Jesus Christ is God's only provision for our sin. Through him alone we can know God personally and experience God's love and plan. He Died in Our Place - "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) He Rose From the Dead - "... Christ died for our sins... He was buried, He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures... He appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, He appeared to more than five hundred... " (1 Corinthians 15:3-6) He is the Only Way to God - "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.' " (John 14:6)
This diagram illustrates that God has bridged the gulf that separates us from Him by sending his Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross in our place to pay the penalty for our sins.
It is not enough just to know these truths...
4) We must individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know God personally and experience His love and plan. We Must Receive Christ - "Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God." (John 1:12) We Receive Christ Through Faith - "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9) When We Receive Christ, We Experience a New Birth (Read John 3:1-8). We Receive Christ by Personal Invitation - [Christ speaking] "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me." (Revelation 3:20)
Receiving Christ involves turning to God from self (repentance) and trusting Christ to come into our lives to forgive us of our sins and to make us what He wants us to be. Just to agree intellectually that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for our sins is not enough. Nor is it enough to have an emotional experience. We receive Jesus Christ by faith, as an act of the will.
These two circles represent two kinds of lives.
Self-Directed Life
(S) Self is on the throne
(+) Jesus is outside the life
(.) Decisions and actions solely directed by self, often resulting in frustration
Christ-Directed Life
(+) Jesus is in the life and on the throne
(S) Self is yielding to Jesus
(.) The person sees Jesus' influence and direction in their life
We then asked the Ghanaian student, which circle best represents you?
He said, "Well, if I am going to be honest with myself, I would have to say that one" (pointing to the self-centered life).
We asked him, which circle would you like to have represent your life?
He silently pointed to the Christ-Directed Life. We turned together to the next page...
You Can Receive Christ Right Now by Faith Through Prayer (prayer is talking with God).
God knows your heart and is not concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart. The following is a suggested prayer:
Lord Jesus, I want to know You personally. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank you for forgiving me of my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be.
We asked, does this prayer express the desire of your heart?
He said "Yes".
All this time, as we were reading and answering questions I was praying. I was praying for his salvation. I had never personally seen anyone accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, and the idea of God using me for such a purpose was humbling and amazing.
Erica prayed a line, and then he echoed, all the way through the prayer. When we opened our eyes, we were all smiling. I realized I had forgotten the nickname he gave when we first met, and so I asked him, "What was your name again?"
He looked at me and said, "Daniel".
I nearly broke down in tears at that instant.
You see, while satan meant my cousin Danny's death for evil, Jesus used it for good. Danny's death helped to bring me back to Jesus, and rescue me from my sin and struggle. And then, the first person God uses me to lead to Christ is named Daniel!
We spoke with Daniel after the prayer, about not depending on feelings, but relying only on God and His word. We told him a few ways to grow as a Christian:
G Go to God in prayer daily (John 15:7)
R Read God's Word daily (Acts 17:11)
O Obey God moment by moment (John 14:21)
W Witness for Christ by your life and words (Matt. 4:19; John 15:8)
T Trust God for every detail of your life (1 Peter 5:7)
H Holy Spirit - Allow Him to control and empower your daily life and witness (Galatians 5:16-17; Acts 1:8)
And that he should remember that "Your walk with Christ depends on what you allow Him to do in and through you empowered by the Holy Spirit, not what you do for Him through self effort.
So we talked about Campus Crusade for Christ, how it has changed our lives for the better, and how he could get involved at Cape Coast University. We took a picture together, and parted ways.
but the story doesn't end here...
Afterwards, I told Andrea and Erica all about Danny and the significance to me that the Lord used me to lead Daniel to Christ. I cried through most of the telling. We then prayed together. After that, we ran into a staff member for UCC's Campus Crusade for Christ. She urged us to reach out to some women on campus, because their Cru is lacking. We decided to continue sharing, and headed for a women's floor. As the three of us headed into one of the dorms, I met eyes with a guy standing outside on the balcony a few rooms down. I stepped into the girls dorm, but told Andrea and Erica I would be right back. I walked out towards the guy, and introduced myself. He told me his name... "Daniel"! I knew right then that God was doing something amazing in my midst. I asked if he would like to read through the "Knowing God Personally" booklet with me, and he agreed. As we read, I encouraged him to read some of the verses. Pretty soon he took the book and was reading all of it himself! At one point while we were reading on the balcony, we both noticed a giant lizard rustling around below (we were a floor up). Daniel said, "Woah! I've never seen one that big before! ... Woah!". As we watched, my eyes drifted to a stone directly below us on the patio a floor below. On the stone was a small sticker that simply read, "Danny". I could not believe my eyes! I wanted to keep reading the book, and so we continued. We got to the pictures, and he pointed to the Self-Directed Life circle when asked which one represents his life. I asked which he would like to be, and he said "Definitely that one!" (pointing to the Christ-Directed Life). He prayed to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior! Praise the Lord! Right after, I pointed out the sticker that was directly a floor below us, directly over where he prayed to receive Christ. He said, "Woah! Did you put that there?!" I told him "No! But I know God did!". We were both amazed.
After, we spoke about what comes next for him, and took a picture together.
But, the story doesn't end there!
The next day, while we were praying as a team, God revealed to me the significance of the sticker. While Melissa was praying, I suddenly thought about the sticker, and then heard God speak, "His name is written in the Book of Life". I was overwhelmed. Immediately after, the revelation was confirmed when Melissa, while praying, used the exact phrase, "and the names written in the Book of Life". I broke down crying.
I told the team about it after prayer. Melissa asked me about the colors of the sticker. I told her it was all black, with "Danny" written in white. She said "Danny was a light in the darkness". Then, I remembered what I told Daniel after he asked me if I put the sticker there. I told him that "I didn't put it there, but I know God did". When Danny died, I felt shame and guilt for not trying to reach out to him (note that those kind of thoughts don't come from God). But now I can say that while I didn't lead Danny to salvation, I know God did!
Later that night, God continued to amaze us:
Melissa came to talk to me. She had been praying that God would lead her to a place in the bible to start reading. She prayed it again that night, and when she opened her bible, she opened directly to the first page of "Daniel"!
"Daniel" means "God is my Judge". Some would look at Danny's death and say, "suicide, he is in hell." Not so, God is the only Judge. Danny accepted Jesus as LORD and Savior, and when he met God, Jesus told him "well done my good and faithful servant".
Later still, I flipped to Daniel 12. I read verse 1, and once again came across that phrase that until this trip I had maybe heard once before in my life: "... everyone whose name is found written in the book-will be delivered." (Daniel 12:1).
I kept reading, and God speaks to Daniel at the end of the chapter, "As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your alloted inheritance." (Daniel 12:13).
I look forward to the day when I get to once again see Daniel and Daniel and Daniel in heaven!
Friday, February 27, 2009
A Declaration of Faith
February 27th, 2009
I have decided to follow Jesus; no turning back. The Cross before me the world behind me; no turning back. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life" (John 5:24). "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). "And we know in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28). "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:37-39). "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:12-14). "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all, The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me-put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you" (Philippians 4:4-9). "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:3-8).
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