Your Future is in God's Hands, Not Mans!

Today I was hit with perspective.

Ever have those days where you sit down, look back and can make sense of what has happened over a period of time.  My case, years.

I am not really sure where to start, so let's dive right into the middle.

The last two ministry experiences prior to Van Dyke Church were..well.. less then ideal.  Ever been in a place where things don't click?  You just don't fit?  It wears you out.  I cannot explain the frustration of how misunderstood I felt.  Consistently.
The defeat almost drove me out of ministry.

Crazy thing. In the middle of it all, God's voiced these steady words: "Stay the course."

Really?   I don't think so.  But God's words didn't waver.

It's an interesting thing that happens as you are forced to press into the Father.  Your fear of man begins to disappear.  A confidence in the providence of God replaces the fear and peace enters.  While situations may not change, you most definitely do.

Long story short, I went away for 2 days to fast and pray.  I knew God was preparing a new season for me, and my family.  Sure enough, it was so.

Within months, we moved 1600 miles away from Iowa to Florida.
A town of 30,000 to an area of over 3,000,000.
A church of 250 to a church of 2,000.

Overwhelming?  Yes.
Easy?  Oh, heck no.

I would like to say that my last 5 years have been all fun and prosperity.  But anyone that knows us knows differently.   Everyone jokes that if we didn't have bad luck, we wouldn't have any luck at all.
It became clear: The enemy DOES. NOT. WANT. US. HERE.

But God does.  Now, it would take too long to tell you all that our pastor, his family, the staff, and the congregation have done for us.  Just take my words for it.  Immeasurable and incredible.

Today I had the opportunity to sit down with my pastor for what I call a "Future Check".  We looked over the last 5 years of ministry, college/young adult.  Good, bad, missed opportunities.  Changed lives. Promotion, Student Ministries.  Tremendous changes, new directions, lots of work, missed sleep.  Fresh start, growth begins, new life.

A lot has transpired over the last 5 year.  And my church has given me more opportunity to succeed than ever before. Now what's next?  This is where it hit me.  We know my past. I wanted to see the possibilities of my future.  This is where my mind was blown.

Talking about my future, I was affirmed of my gifts, talents and abilities.  I was able to hear that not only was I not a screw-up, but I am exactly the opposite.  I have been faithful and very successful with the opportunities given to me.  Praise God!  (My prayer is consistently "Lord, don't let me screw this up!")

I was also given the opportunity to peak in the doorway of what is to come.
The glimpse of what I saw was beyond my expectations.  I could hardly believe it.

How is it that I went from "ready to step away from ministry-not seemingly able to do much right", to running towards bigger dreams than I could have imagined?

Simple answer:  Trust God, don't fear man.  And don't let anyone tell you your worth or value aside from God!

In the times of defeat (which was pretty consistent for a while), I had a choice.  Turn away from God, or lean into Him.  I chose the latter...most of the time ;-)  He stayed faithful regardless.  I learned to not fear man, but trust in God.  His plans are not mine..my life will not go as expected.  It will be harder that I think.  I will want to quit. But I will stay the course.

And it will be MORE than worth it.

God is more interested in who I am becoming than my comfort level.  I was in Iowa, I faced fire.  I moved to Florida, I faced more/different fire.   Fire hurts.  Fire refines.  Fire allows molding. Fire is necessary.

I have stayed the course. (an adventurous fiery one at that!)

And the future is bigger than I dreamed!

Things are GROWING!!

Spring is here, and things are GROWING!!

No, not in an agricultural sense.  A spiritual sense.  And it's EXCITING!!

For 5 years I have worked at Van Dyke, watched lives changed and toiled, toiled, toiled.  Sometimes it seemed as though the time I put in almost wasn't worth the results.  In October of 2011,  I was given the honor and task of heading up the entire Student Ministries area of our church. (middle school-young adult).  I will spare details, but it was quite a task, lots of history and tons of work.

In the last couple of weeks, I finally have seen the fruit of the time as well as the Holy Spirit doing some incredible things.  To give you a glimpse, check out our pastor's latest entry in his blog:

www.matthewhartsfield.com

And this blog only scratches the surface.

We are excited for what God is doing here!  And the best is yet to come.

Welcome to the NEW Student Ministries at Van Dyke Church!

I want to keep this as a reminder...

Ever have those times when someone says something to you, or as in this case, posts on your Facebook wall something that stops you dead in your tracks.

This is what happened on my birthday.  I had one of my former students, now a young adult in ministry (YAY!) do such a thing.

I was simply enjoying the birthday wishes from people here and far away (I guess that is one positive of Facebook) when a note from one of my boys, Shven appeared.  Here is what it said:

So this week I've been at YFC (Youth for Christ) Institute being trained and we reflected on those who sowed into our lives as young adults and I got to speak about how a one Todd Leet stepped into my life when I was a hurting youth. It has been nearly a decade since then, but if it weren't for your intervention and love, all that is my life would be gone. So while we embrace the future and celebrate the changes that have happened since then, I hope you get to reflect on the eternal impact your life has made.

Happy birthday!

Love,
Your fellow predestined elect brother (don't hate me) Shvennyboo

I write this for 2 reasons.

1) I never want to lose this.  I have printed it off, it is on my Facebook page and I am placing it here.  

2) I want it to stand as a constant reminder of the eternal significance we play in other people's lives. 

(And side note..He just experienced where I got my start in ministry.  YFC Institute.  Great memories!)

You just never know what or when something will click.  But beyond anything, just loving others has the biggest impact in people's lives.  Love people, get messy.  Make mistakes, give bad advice, royally screw things up.  But be present.  And love.

That is my ministry history, right there.  And if what you just read above is the result.. I will continue to be imperfect.  And love.  With everything I've got. 

Thank you, Jesus, for using screwed-up people for Your purposes.

Now let's go change the world!

Just Over That Hill...

As I was driving to work this morning I was reminded of something simple and I wanted to share it with you.

Driving down the Suncoast Parkway in the mornings is usually pretty uneventful.  Speed traps are the only thing to keep you mindful of your drive.  This morning, I was reminded of something that I saw a while back.

I was driving as usual when I came upon a person in the median broken down.  A gal was kind of leaning up against her car with a "what do I do now?" look on her face.  Cars, going 70 will not be able to slow or stop for the reality of getting creamed.  She was stuck and seemingly unwilling to make a move.

Here is what caught me:

She was at the base of an incline in the road.  As I came over the top of the incline I was able to see 2 highway patrol sitting at the bottom.  They were probably chatting and waiting to catch someone flying over the hill.  To the gal, however, they might as well have been 50 miles away.

But they were right there!
No more than 50 yards away.  Help was right there.  Right over that next hill.

God "caught" my mind in that moment.

How many times when things break down in our life, is God right over that next hill?  He is right there, but we stay in the broken place, not wanting to trek the hill, see what is on the other side?

Maybe today in your life, God is saying,

"C'mon.  Just a little more.  Get up, get going, take that hill.  Freedom is just on the other side!"

Craigslist Ministry. Wanna Buy Some?

It's no secret that I am a firm believer that God works more in the Church than in the church.  Most all of my ministry is done outside the walls of any church building and will continue to be true for the rest of my life.


This experience, however, was unexpected.


Let me tell you how it all happened:


Living in a house half the size of our one in Iowa has caused considerable congestion over the years and our garage in so full we are unable to park a car in it, alone attempt to walk through it.  After a failed attempt at a garage sale, I decided to put a couple items on Craigslist to see if I had any takers.  One item was an entertainment center (real nice, no room for).


As expected I had a number of different inquiries.  I was only asking $25 and it was a nice unit.  For whatever reason, one guy caught my attention over the previous inquiries so I gave him a call.  We talked and then an e-mail exchange came about.  It was simple enough.  He came by, we talked, he let me know he was trying to get work, so he was making one trip (get the unit, find a place to change and head to an interview 1/2 hour away). The man's name was  "CJ" and was late 40's and kind.  He also sheepishly asked what my bottom price was, as he was trying to pinch every penny possible.  I told him $10 and he thanked me.  As he went to the truck to back it in, God thumped me upside the head and let me know that this is a grand opportunity to just bless someone.


When he got out of the truck, we loaded the unit in and he went for his wallet.  I told him, just take it.  It was just taking up space and I am glad he could use it.  He stopped, smiled and thanked me.  He explained how hard it was to find the right job in the right place (or any job for that matter).  I was once again very thankful for my employment and opportunity to do what I do.  As he went on his way, I told him I would be praying for him on his search and waved him on.


I figured that would be that.  I moved on with my day and hoped he enjoyed his new find.


That night, I got this e-mail:

Todd,

It was a pleasure meeting you.  Thank you very much for holding the entertainment center for me until I could get out there today.  I was very touched by your generosity; I don't come across that alot these days, especially in this economy. Hope all goes well for you and your family.  Thank you again very much; it helped that I was able to accomplish everything in one trip.  Best of luck .  CJ.

I thought to myself.  Very cool!  Love that he could use it and was so happy with it!!  I was also prompted by the Holy Spirit to share a bit more with him.  So I sent this e-mail in return:

Hey CJ~

It was a pleasure meeting you as well.  I am glad you are able to use the entertainment center. As a follower of Christ, this is the way we should operate.  Give when you have.  God has put people in our lives when we have needed so we pass that way of life on.  Funny thing is I had 6 different responses to this and chose yours.  Glad I did!

I will be praying for you to find the right job in the right place.

Take care (and shoot anything you might need prayer for my way!  You have my info :-)

Blessings~

Todd

That return e-mail was on the 21st of April.  I "threw" that line into the ocean to see what response there would be.  I figured none, but at least the generosity of a Christ-follower to be planted in his head.  Time went by and nothing.  I just let it go and had honestly forgotten all about it.  Until Friday.  Friday I got another e-mail from CJ.

And what it said BLEW ME AWAY!

Hi again Todd,

Just thought you might like to know, your prayers worked. I start a new job on Monday and it's "the right job in the right place", as you mentioned. 

I hope all is well with you and your family. 

I never really believed in the power of prayer.  After meeting you and as a recipient of your generosity, I am now a believer. 

Just to let you know, my new job will allow me to help others, just as you've done for me.  I'll be making prosthetic devices.  Thank you again. 

Peace,

CJ

I cried.  

 I thank Jesus that I could be used and I was able to stop being a self-centered idiot for a moment and hear something God was saying.

Realize I write all this not to say "Look what I did!".

That's not it at all.  I just happened to (for once) get something right.  But rather, this reflects how we are to live.  That God is ALWAYS WORKING and wants us to join Him.

He gives us opportunities every day. 

If we stop and listen..and then DO..we then start truly living the Adventure and Abundant Life that Jesus promises.

And that is a promise you can count on.  FOR ETERNITY!

The Wedding

Today, we have lost the depth of stories and rituals.  We do things without understanding of why and so many things are instant and shallow.

With that, sex has been reduced to a basic, animalistic instinct, marriage is archaic and 'till death do us part becomes 'till I don't "love" you anymore (or someone else comes along).

I want to show you a different way.  One of depth and richness.  One full of symbolism and layers.  One that truly comes alive.  The Jewish culture gets this.  Here is their way (and something we could learn greatly from):

(Side note:  This is not exhaustive of the practice, just an overview)

Imagine you were back in ancient Israel.  There was a young Jewish man that became of the age to be married.  In that day, marriages were arranged; so the father of the groom sent one of his most trusted servants out to look for the right young bride for his son.  One day the servant came back with just the right young lady in mind.  At once the father of the groom went to meet with the father of the potential bride.  There were intense, long discussions and negotiations.  Finally, (after the father of the groom was assured she was a virgin) a price was determined for the bride-to-be.  The price was steep.  The price usually determined was comparable to a new house price for us today. ($200,000) A high price was customary as the father of the bride was losing a worker and the father of the groom wanted to show how much they valued the young lady.  Once this was agreed upon, the young man and woman were considered"betrothed".  Both parties would share a cup of wine to seal the covenant.  This was as good as married with a covenant sealed relationship minus the physical consummation.

The groom would then go away in order to add a room to his father’s house. It usually took a year or two, but the actual time was determined by the father.  During this time, the bride would prepare herself, waiting for her groom to come with great anticipation working on her wedding gown.   It was when the father said that things were ready when the groom would surprise his bride and bring her back with a great processional.  This was usually done late at night and the silence of slumber was broken by the sound of the shofar.  Great joy, shouting and dancing would fill the streets.
The bride and groom would then be escorted to their bridal chamber (or addition that was built) for around 7 days to physically consummate their marriage.  Two witnesses were standing guard outside until the time period was over and a great celebration and feast ensued.


I don't know about you, but to me this is beautiful.  It is rich.  It has meaning and depth.  There is symbolism for our relationship with Christ spread all through out this ceremony.

This is done ON PURPOSE.  With intentionality.  Everything had meaning.

After all.  Two become one.  This was more than two people tying the knot.

THIS IS SPIRITUAL.     MARRIAGE IS SPIRITUAL.

It is not two humans deciding they like someone and want to "give it a go".  It is two people uniting as one, sacrificing for each other with Christ at the center.  And realizing the burden and exciting privilege of being the closest reflection on earth of Christ's love for us, his bride.

There is a covenant that is made between two people and God.  Between two fathers, and a blood covenant in the bridal chamber.  One that binds the two and cannot be separated.  Two become one.

There is a big deal of the consummation of the marriage by physical intercourse.  It is set apart.  Waited for.  Given time for enjoyment and meaning.   Virginity is sacrificed, blood is shed, a covenant is sealed.

True joy is known.

DO YOU SEE THIS!?  This is POWERFUL!!  LIFE CHANGING!!  And I'm not done.
Tomorrow, I want to talk more about this blood covenant in the consummation of marriage.  This "seals" the deal ;-)

You don't want to miss this.

Worth The Wait? Why waiting for marriage to have sex is so important.

Not too long ago I had the opportunity to give the weekend message called "God and Prostitutes" at Van Dyke Church.  In the message I talked about the Covenant (not to be confused with a contract) relationship of marriage in comparison to the Covenant relationship between Christ and us.

In that message the core scripture I used was Ephesians 5:25-32.  In it, it talked about the love of a husband for his wife (giving up his life for her) and how it says that "A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two become one."  It is a great mystery, but an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. (Italics my addition)


While it IS a mystery and always will be how this two-become-one thing works, there is a strikingly clear message that is being told through stories and scripture that we absolutely NEED to understand.

Let's start unraveling that mystery, shall we?

To begin,  this is what we know:

• Sex is good.  Genesis 1:27-28, Proverbs 5:18-19, Song of Songs (The whole book pretty much..and rated R)

• Sexual relations are meant to be inside the covenant relationship of marriage .  Genesis 2:24,  1 Corinthians 7:2-3, Commandment #7 of the Ten Commandments, Hebrews 13:4, plus many more.

You and I, however, know that throwing a bunch of scripture at teenagers rarely does a lot of good.  They give the "glazed" look, the eye rolls.  In their minds, thinking "This is so outdated!"

That response is met with our response of "Oh, they are just being kids."  And we move on.

NO.  

This is dangerous.  Now, more than ever, I am convinced we need young people to understand the dangerous and pain-filled road they will to walk down if they don't get this right.

How? You may ask.

Tomorrow I will be discussing the whole idea of marriage through a near-eastern Jewish lens and tradition saturated in symbolism that is relevant today. 

 It's a great story of love and intimacy.  I love great stories.  Because great stories speak.  And this one?  This one speaks volumes.

John 12, Title Renamed. Curious?

Originally titled "Getting Sticky With Jesus", but thought better.. It IS a better name for it, however.


So PAY ATTENTION!


While I was reading through John 12 getting ready for the message this weekend at Van Dyke Church, there was a segment that stood out.


Here we have a somewhat strange story sandwiched in the middle of two epic events.  We have a party happening at a (former) Leper's house.  Yes, Simon the Leper (thanks for labeling people).  Lazarus was there (after he was raised from the dead) and Martha was back to her old gig: serve, serve, serve.  (Good to see Jesus held no ill will after she let him have it over letting her brother die..and he did bring him back from the dead, so go figure.  Better man than me.)


Jesus is reclining at the table, I imagine they are laughing, talking, eating.  All of a sudden Mary appears with an alabaster jar with a pound of pure nard.  Most of us would give a strange look, but think nothing of it.  
THEY, however, knew better.  This was a VERY expensive perfume/oil.  How much you ask?  Anywhere between $12,000-$30,000 worth.  Needless to say, she had their attention.


She walks over, cracks the top off and starts pouring this stuff ALL OVER JESUS!  Can't you just see the guys in the room?  


*Slow motion*: Eyes get big, hands start to raise. Table gets knocked around as they attempt to stand. "No o o o o o!" They yell.


Too late.  The fragrance would have burnt your nose it was so strong.  Good luck trying to get this stuff out of your wardrobe or the smell off your skin.  Skunks have nothing on this (but this smells WAY better)


While Judas got ticked and started yelling at her, Jesus told him to politely "Shut up" and "Leave her alone."


Now she paid no mind to the disciples or Judas.  


*Here is where you would have enjoyed the title*
Understand, her interrupting this would have been a bother.  Her coming in with oil and anointing Jesus would have been reason for a strong rebuke.  With this special India import that is usually collected, you would have been locked away in a mental asylum.  But what happens next, put it to the disturbing level:


"She wiped his feet with her hair."


What, you may ask?  Yeah.  Understand that in this culture, many times only prostitutes had their hair down.  A proper woman would have always had her hair up and done nicely.  And the act of wiping his feet with her hair? This would have been downright EROTIC.
The guys there would have been beside themselves!  There was nothing appropriate about this.  This is the Messiah!  This is their Rabbi and God!


And THIS!!??


But Jesus saw her heart.  He saw through the action to the meaning.  She came to Him with full out extravagance.  She let Him know that He means more to her than any money, pride, reputation or anything else this world has to offer.  In that, Jesus sat there and let her worship Him.


She got it.  Her heart was all in.  Her life was all His. THAT is what life is all about. That is the key to life in it's fullest.


Give it a try.  You will never be the same.

Well hello there, God. Didn't see you there.

The future seems vague and life piles on. The truth becomes dusty and the battles rarely won. It seems pain is reality and while you forge ahead, each step seems distant and walking is like lead (the metal, duh). The battle rages around you and you scarcely know its toll. Until one day you wake up and feel dull in your soul. Where do you turn from here, what in the world is to be done? Put on your armor. There is a life to be won.

Well, I didn't plan on writing that. God used to allow me to write small poems back years ago, but its been at least 10 since I have. It just came out in a matter of 5 minutes, and I feel it helps to encapsulate where I have been. So. Thanks God. (And Nick Williamson for reminding me that God used to speak to me in poems as well)

This last week in North Carolina was a very wonderful and refining time (not always so wonderful). While I went int to the week physically prepared for what was to come, I didn't head into it mentally or spiritually prepared. I came to remember that these are weeks that God gets my attention on things that I have pushed to the side and He won't let me shove them off any longer. It is great and painful all at the same time.

It came clear in retrospect that I was not pushed to my limit once physically on the trip. I always could have gone more. But the telling point for me was this:

I was standing near the top of the 60ft tower climb and in front of me were 2 ropes with knots. I was told to jump out (a long ways in the air), grab them and climb by Brian (counselor and belayer..guy who has me anchored and roped). I stared at it as it was not my intended route to the top. He yelled "You can do it" and gave a hard tug on the rope that almost sent me off the side. I remember shooting him a look and turning around to take the log pole up the rest of the way.

Thus encapsulates much of my week. And my teachable moment.

I could have, and SHOULD have jumped. Even if I slipped, Brian was there. But I mentally caved and took an easier route. I justified it by telling myself I still took a "harder" route.

But I missed the real challenge.

I look back at that as my defining moment of how I lived the week. Always within my control of what I knew I could do. Keep everything within my control. No risk, no looking like an idiot.

Wow.

And the whole time a war was raging inside to push, push, push and break that. While I resisted, fought and acted like a little kid.

Needless to say, much will be taken from this trip. I am grateful for the conversations that challenged me and the lives that were touched this week. I cannot wait to go back and live this week differently next year.

But most importantly, I know how I am going to live THIS adventure, THIS life. I am ready to live intentionally and on purpose. Fear will not rule. I will jump for the rope.

I don't want to miss a minute of what God has in store.