Out of the Ashes of Isis

About 5 months ago God spoke clearly to me in my office while I was prepping for my sermon in the Book of 1John. It was as if The Holy Spirit had grabbed my heart and wouldn't let go. Out of that came a vision to reach the precious people in Iraq who were being displaced by the atrocities of Isis. Our church unloaded their support. They immediately prayed, gave, sacrificed and formed a team to go to the war torn country. To be quite honest, we were discouraged by many to not go. Some people thought we were crazy, others were even upset with me because they thought I was leading people to a death march.

But we knew God wanted us to go! Out of that prompting by the Spirit a team of 8  mighty men who decided to go in first, knowing full well the potential cost. Our wives and families stood in support and bravely held down the home front. I will never forget the night we rolled out of Goshen with tears streaming down our faces realizing the risk at hand. 

Fast forward to today...

 We just returned after a second visit with a big vision to rescue hundreds of refugees. We desire to find them housing in apartments for 6 months and a fresh start to their lives. Our prayer is that out of the ashes of Isis comes a strong a mighty church planting movement for Jesus. 

God is alive and well in Kurdistan... on this second trip we were able to go and support, love, care, and pour courage into these precious people. We saw first hand what God is doing with our Grace4Iraq mission. God is giving us a chance to link arms with a man of God, Pastor Malath Baythoon and his church to reach people who once would never  have given us any chance at all. 

In this photo above to my right is Pastor Malath and to my left is a Yazidi man who greeted me with a kiss on both cheeks because he knew that this group of Americans were caring for his people. In fact he showed up to the church service I preached at earlier that week. God is truly at work for that to happen.

Grace4Iraq is rescuing people who were in tents along the side of the road and pulling people in who had no place to call home and restoring dignity, hope. Plus it is  showing them that Jesus loves them. The ladies above represent 3  generations of women, who now have a place to call home. We sat with these precious ladies and heard their horrific stories of Isis pushing them out. We ate a meal with them that they had prepared for us. We saw the smiles on their faces. I wept tears of joy as  I saw first hand what can happen when a church decides to help their brothers and sisters on the other side of the world.

We were able to purchase beds, cabinets, blankets, heaters and mattresses to get a couple of apartments ready for two families being rescued. I will never forget the smiles on their faces, the taps on the hearts by men, and the kisses on our hands from the women to show us how grateful they were. 

As we carried supplies to the new apartments I again wept knowing full well this is what God longs to see his church do for the harassed and helpless.

The apartment complex entrance was a daily reminder to us that this was a war torn country as a guard packing an AK47 stood on his watch. But if God is for us who could ever stand against us. This apartment complex now holds 100's of rescued refugees who are meeting in small groups to study the Bible and learn more about the love of Jesus. Out of the ashes of Isis, Jesus is building a mighty church.

One of the most powerful moments was us being able to hand the keys over to a large family who had been displaced. As we stood in the hallway and looked out the glass window we watched a van roll in packed with a family that would be placed in this apartment. 

As we stood in the hallway and prayed over this family and prayed over many family members I was overcome with emotion knowing full well this is what can happen when God's people link arms together.

I wish you could have been there as we handed over the keys to this new apartment and watched the families enter their new apartment... Simply beautiful...

Apartments like this one are now bustling with kids, adults and families. We ate with them, prayed with them and saw first hand hope emerging in their hearts.

I still can't wrap my mind around the fact that God allowed me to preach in Northern Iraq last Sunday while Isis was a town away. I was able to tell them from Matthew that they do not need to worry because Jesus had their backs and that there was a church in America called Grace Community that had their backs too..

This picture above captures fully the emotions our team felt as we were able to sing happy birthday to every person who had a January birthday. Stop and ponder this reality. We sang happy birthday and cut cake together. In fact, I too have a January birthday and never for the life of me did I ever think I would be celebrating my 53rd birthday with a group of rescued people and an Iraqi Church on Sunday Night in Kurdistan.

Out of the ashes of Isis hope is emerging... this is kind of story the press needs to be reporting!!!

They are being rescued!

Glory from the ashes... Since our God is for us, what can ever stand against us!

You gave, you prayed, you sacrificed, you linked arms, you believed it could happen, you refused to just sit there, you knew we could do it and God made it happen.


It all began with a prompting from the Holy Spirit after reading Scripture and developed with a vision that knew we had to do something and ended with these precious refugees getting rescued!

As I type I weep because I met many of these people along with 7 other men from the Grace4Iraq Team . I saw their pain I hugged them and prayed with them. And we took the hope of Jesus to them. We told them that there was a group of Christians in Indiana who wanted to help them. 

We told them that Jesus did the same for us and we wanted to do the same for them. 

Now family by family is moving into apartments for 6 months and finding some dignity and hope.

Now a community is being built with rescued refugees who understand the Love of God. Now a church is being planted in the ashes of ISIS. Now Hope upon Hope is being poured out and Jesus is getting greater glory! Just a take a few minutes and look at what can happen when God's people rally together.

 A Dad can put a shelter on his family...

 A person can have a bed to sleep in...

 Food can be cooked...

 Families can find community without the threat of starvation and homelessness...

  A man has a place to call home...

 Hot water to take a warm shower and be clean...

 Generations can live in peace...

 Dad can lead the way to hope...

 A smile can be found on a person's face...

 Food to eat...

 A sense of pride can be reestablished...

And a bed to crawl into at night with curtains to match...

The rescue continues and hope is brimming in the war-torn country of Iraq! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!  To God be all the Glory! Never underestimate what Faith, Passion, and God can do!

Tourniquets. Football. Band of Brothers. Iraqi Realtors

There are only some things that God can teach you on the "other side of yes." There are many things that we will never learn that God longed to reveal to us because we refused to follow that little voice of the Holy Spirit that says "I want you to go."

It is a huge privilege to be part of a church that is willing to step into the mess of our world to offer hope at a moment's notice. Something deep happens in your soul when you link arms with people of like faith and mission. The men pictured above are some of those men in my life. 

At each moment of our journey all of us found ourselves doing things that God had built us to do before this trip, while some of us were quick learners and were adding to our tool bag of life. By God's foreknowledge we were able to connect with a Group on the ground called CRI led by its founder Sean Malone. This team of warriors spends their time jumping into the unknown to offer hope too. 

We had an immediate bond with them, it was as if we knew each other since the day of our birth. Our hearts carried the same DNA. We loved the same God and carried the same mission. We were able to bring 14 trunks of medical supplies on our trip to Iraq to help supply them to care for wounded soldiers on the front lines. 

By the way, you should have seen the looks we received in line at the Chicago International Airport when people began to read the labels on our trunks.. as we stood in line... that were labeled on all sides, in a bold font, our Hotel address in Iraq. 

In any case one night we spent hours packing medical boxes and making tourniquets for wounded soldiers and then prayed over all the supplies. You never know what God has in store on the "other side of yes"...

This is a photo of some of the CRI people that we grew to love, and were privileged to meet on the other side of the world, in a war zone. You never know who God wants you to encourage, till you step to the "other side of yes." This journey allowed us to meet some brave warriors for Jesus that were pushing back darkness and bringing light to a very dark place...  

I have spent thousands of moments with my kids throwing footballs in the back yard. Yet, I never thought we would be standing with 8 men on the other side of world, tossing a football with children who had never touched a real American Football... and in turn offering them hope in Jesus and telling them that there was a church 6500 miles away that loved them.

We would have never witnessed the smiles, heard the giggles, watched the tackles, and sweated a dry-heat :)... and left with our emotions up to our throats on the "safe side of yes."

I'm not a realtor, nor was any man on this team, yet we have all sat in the room on many occasions with realtors. Yet, for the life of us we would have never, ever, ever, ever thought we would be sitting in room with eight men from America... trying to broker a deal with an Iraqi Realty Company. 

Sometime I will tell you the full story and all the amazing details that were happening as we spoke in English and they Spoke in Arabic... plus having notes passed to me from Jeff, reminding me that the Iraqi  realtor probably understood English so I better speak quietly or in English slang when talking among our team.

At one moment we all paused and were reminded to stop and consider what was happening there... we are sitting in Iraq trying to work a deal to help refugees that we didn't know one month ago. There are only some things God can teach us on the "other side of yes." 

As we sat there trying to figure it all out, in the 11th hour, on the last day, God spoke clearly to our Pastor Friend, Malath that there might be a better option.

It wasn't until a 30-minute road trip later, in the 11th hour, when we pulled up to this apartment complex that everything became clear, crystal clear. God had brought our team and our church to Iraq for this defining purpose... Rescue the refugees and give them dignity, hope, and a fresh start in these apartments. 

As we walked around these empty concrete rooms it was as if God knocked on each of our hearts and said in 100 % agreement, Yes! We knew God was saying this was his plan from the beginning of time. Yet all he needed was a church that was willing to say yes and step on the other side of it.

So the mission continues with hopes that 100's of refugees end up here, because people give to this dream. I got a feeling that it is going to be a big, really big offering, because this is the heartbeat of our God. He came to seek and save the lost and redeem dead things... Plus, Grace Community Church and this Community is loaded with people who love living on the "other side of yes."

Yes it was a dangerous trip

Yes we are crazy. Yes we knew it was a dangerous mission. Yes we had naysayers. But we were not stupid nor were we foolish.

Yet, we knew God had compelled us to go. There was a moment before we all left where we stood in a circle and had each man state for himself that he was in even with the possibility of not coming home. Each man and his family knew the risk but we just couldn't sit there and do nothing to help these precious people. We believed, as did our wives that now was the time to act.

There were many unknowns for us on this trip. We had very few contacts on the ground and we knew we had to rely on the Holy Spirit to guide us and  for God to protect us.

One of the days we felt compelled to travel north to a city called Duhok. This meant we would travel through the War Zone and would encounter some Military Checkpoints.

We had hired a Kurdish driver and had an Iraqi Christian Translator with us in the van, as we traveled through the Hill Country.

So we prayed up before we headed north and our antennas were on full alert as we progressed. We saw bunkers and passed through a city that ISIS had bombed the day before. We saw many Peshmerga soldiers along the way. As we traveled, we knew we were not in Indiana anymore.

What we didn't plan for was this... at each checkpoint a soldier stopped us and if we said these two words they gave us the green light. By the way, I did not see any other Americans at any checkpoints so this was not a normal kind of van to be checking in.

The two words were.. American or Christian... let me explain...

In God's sovereign plan to get the Gospel to the nations he uses all necessary means to do that. You see the Kurds loves Americans because we came and fought for them in previous wars in Iraq. They are appreciative of what our Vets have done for them and love Americans.

I salute and thank our Vets, had you not sacrificed your lives then we would never been able to follow behind you with the Gospel. I praise God for every American Vet for giving us a pass at every checkpoint in Iraq.  You made our trip a little safer because you went first!

You better go back now!

Each morning as we gathered for our team time at breakfast we prayed and asked God to protect us and be with our families back home. Each man on the team had a swim buddy that he kept close eyes on in all situations, yes all situations. We walked in full confidence that God was with us as were a host of angels. We certainly stood out in Iraq as we walked the streets. Everyone noticed 8 white American men walking in file with their backpacks on through the city. We received many glances from the people of Iraq.

One day we felt prompted by the Spirit to do a prayer-walk through the city. So we got ourselves prayed up and quoted Isaiah 30:21 and began to walk through the city. As we walked we prayed and listened for the still voice of the Spirit to direct our paths. As we were walking by a building packed full of men drinking tea we wondered what they were up to.

After getting about 40 yards past the building one of our teammates, Sam who had already been prompted twice to go back to the building said his heart was pounding out of his chest to go back and told me what the Spirit was telling him. So, I said "men we are going back!"

As we walked back we just spread out in front of the building and stood and prayed quietly, not really sure what God was up to. As we stood there a crowd began to gather around us wondering why eight white men were standing out in front doing nothing but standing with backpacks on and praying. Then out of nowhere a  Iraqi man emerges and in perfect English asks if we speak English. It was as if God had spoken. He asked what we were doing there and we shared that God had sent us to Iraq to care for his people. He immediately invited us into the room full of men for some tea. We all spread out and smiled and drank tea with the refugees that were packed in this room. I found out that these men were the leaders of their towns prior to getting pushed out by ISIS. 

After about 45 minutes and after Sam bought the house some hot tea I asked the man beside me if I could pray for them. He spoke a word quietly and then another man said something in Arabic and the whole room was quiet in 6 seconds with men standing on their feet. I then had the opportunity to pray over this group of men. Some were Muslims and many were Christians. It was a tear dripping moment for me and our team as God had prompted us to stop and then we were able to proclaim hope to these men.

You never know what can happen when you just step out in faith and listen to God. He can place you in a circle of men on the other side of world drinking tea and praying Jesus over them.

As we left that building a man grabbed a hold of Sam and said "thank you for praying for us." I wonder how many Christian men in that room had spent the morning praying to God asking for a sign that God was with them and God answered their prayer by sending them 8 white American Men. God can do more then we ask or imagine and goes to great extremes to show us he loves us.

An "Only God" Moment on my Iraq Mission's Trip

I just returned from a mission's trip to explore the land in Iraq with 7 other men from Grace. I will attempt to tell a few stories over the next week or so of God's amazing intervention. 

Each morning we would wake up and pray this verse from Isaiah 30:21 "Whether I turn to my left or right my ears will hear a voice behind me saying this is the way walk in it." We knew we were in a dangerous place but we also knew our God was with us wherever we went.  We felt compelled by the Spirit to find a way to reach out to all these precious people who had been displaced by the darkness of the ISIS leaders. Needless to say we have hundreds of stories but here is one of them...

After purchasing 11k of food and supplies and handing it out to the refugees I found myself in a room with a family that had just made the trek from their homeland to Erbil Iraq. I began to share the good news of Jesus Christ and that we had come from a distant land to help them. I shared that we saw their distress on the news and just couldn't sit there and do nothing. I began to share that the God I love and serve sent me there to help. In the midst of the conversation the young father of the child above, began to speak in Arabic to my translator. I could tell he was pretty passionate about what he wanted to tell me, so I asked my translator what he said.

He went on to tell me that this baby that was laying to my right on the ground was four days old and he and his wife had fled their home and had not yet named their baby girl. Then he said he wanted me to name their baby! Imagine for a second the gravity of that moment. I was asked to give this girl a name. 

Well, immediately The Spirit gave me a name. It was so clear and so fast that I didn't miss a beat to tell him what he should name his daughter. I said that I would name her "Grace." Tears began to stream down my face as I begin to realize how God had orchestrated this moment from the foundation of the world to be a setup for the Gospel.

So I went on to explain what Grace meant and how God extended grace in giving his son Jesus, and that there was a church called Grace back in America that loved them too. As I was sharing this truth another man dressed in full Kurdish Garb began to weep when I told him that Jesus loves him.

It will be a moment etched in my heart forever. And somewhere in Iraq years from now a young women will tell a story of why her name is Grace and how God's Grace saved her and her family. Only God could set up something so beautiful like this in the midst of death, execution, chaos and fear!

We are the only plan left

All through the Bible God has been on a mission to rescue lost people. He raised up prophets, priests, and Kings in the Old Testament. He sent his own son to come and rescue the lost. 

He gave everything he had to reach those that are lost. Yet some still never connected the dots and many never followed the rescuer! Seriously, what else is left to give after you have given your only son? We are! We are his last rescue attempt, he gave everything he could and his last plan is us!

Humankind's last chance to find Jesus is through us! We are all that is left! 

And since we were bought with a price, and we are not our own we must not retreat but stand boldly and proclaim the truth of the gospel!

Grace is messy

Often something hits me post-sermon on Sunday mornings that  pushes me  through the week. 

This past Sunday I spoke on Grace and how God continues to lavish his grace and love all over us. I used a pitcher of water and an empty container that I had drilled holes into that represented our sins. I then poured pitcher after pitcher of water into the container showing how God's grace keeps coming and coming  and coming...  You can see this sermon on our web site. God's grace is more than the sin we can produce.

But as I was getting ready to pack up my stuff and go home it hit me like a ton of bricks that I had created quite a mess after 3 services of using this demonstration. Water was everywhere, the floor was wet, my shirt was wet, the counter was a mess and I was reminded that "Grace is messy!" When we extend grace in someone's life it will be messy and it is not clean. 

It also hit me that while I had run out of water in my demonstration that God never runs out of grace he just keeps pouring it out, pitcher after pitcher of it. We can't out-sin grace!

I was moved deeply by this post-sermon moment and felt deeply loved by my Savior as he continues to walk into my mess and pour out grace upon grace. 

Wow, what might happen if we were willing to dole out grace like that and walk into the messes of people's lives? I think we know the answer to that question, the world would be won to Jesus in droves!

The way it should be

On a side street, while First Fridays was in full motion in Goshen with lots of fun activities for our community; a special group of hoopsters from ADEC put on a great hoops display.

 Tina Bowser from ADEC  organized the event which let the team display their talent to a small audience in attendance. Effort and hustle combined with laughter, smiles, and sportsmanship filled the court.

I found myself stripping me from the game and becoming a member of their team; longing to see them score and win the game. 

My kids and Ross Elias formed a team to compete with them. 

We celebrated their win with them and cherished the hugs we received from them afterwards.

The Goshen Cheerleaders came out in full support to cheer on the ADEC Silver Bullets...

 I loved how they cheered for them on each shot ...

 

It was one of those nights with my family that I will never forget...

 We hit a couple of shots to keep it close but honestly it really didn't matter if we made any shots at all...

 Ross had fun too as he set aside his skills for a night and rewarded the ADEC team with a steal or two...

The handshakes afterwards were some of my best ever as an athlete...

 I even loved the Referee :)

I wondered as I pulled away with my wife, Anne who cheered loudly for the ADEC Silver Bullets and snapped off all of these pictures, if we had just experienced a little taste of heaven. I wondered if Jesus was in the crowd away from the hustle and bustle of main street. I wondered if that was why my family had spent 1000's of hours practicing hoops; so that we could show up last night and be the best players for the other team.

I am a better man because of my time on the court last night and  I thank God for my new ADEC friends who truly understand what is most important ! Bless you Silver Bullets!

Go Deeper

The word "deeper" is a buzz word in Christian circles. Sometimes it is used to characterize a church or rate its effectiveness. Often it becomes the word that takes on its own meaning. Most of the time it is used to determine whether or not a church has the best discipleship method.

To be quite honest... I chuckle when I hear that question asked about our church or any church, not because I don't think it is very important but because I know what they really mean. And this question doesn't require a complex answer.

So let's answer that question. How do we know if we are going deep enough? Or when is a church too shallow or better yet, a mile wide and an inch deep? By the way, that always makes me chuckle too when I hear that expression used. 

Ultimately, deeper for me expresses a desire to get closer to Jesus. It is a journey to know the heart of God. It is a process, method, or tool that gets us right up against the mission and heartbeat of our Savior.

So what is the heartbeat of our God? What is His mission? What is the core mission of our Savior when we finally get close enough to figure it out? The answer is clear and reveals that our God is a rescuing God. Our God sent his Son, Jesus to Seek and Save the lost! The deeper you get it becomes very apparent that God longs for us to rescue people. At the deepest spot is a heart that says, go rescue lost people!

So, if you are going deeper as a church, as an individual, as a family then there must be evidence that a person is actively sharing and rescuing lost people. It is impossible to get deeper without a contagious desire to see lost people saved. This "Deeper" journey will produce churches that long to see lost people saved and will find them longing to do whatever it takes to help that happen.

So the next time someone longs to see your church go deeper, ask them to explain deeper and then ask them how deep they have been. A deeper Christian wakes each morning with the mission from his God to seek and save the lost! And he loses sleep thinking about the ways he can verbalize and live that message out until his neighbor, co-worker, stranger, or family member trusts in Jesus Christ. Now that is Deeper!