Running in the Snow

I am in Grand Rapids, MI today for the Life International Ministry Board Meeting and I just went for a run in the snow. I am staying at a wonderful large cabin called the Wingshadow out in the middle of the woods, so it was a real rural run (river, trails, etc.). It has been a couple of years, but I do have considerable experience running in very cold weather, snow, and ice.

As I trudged my way through, I began to think about my goal in running, the obstacles to achieving it, and the steps I had taken to prepare to overcome those obstacles. My goals for this run were two-fold; to get cardio-vascular exercise contributing to my fitness (while avoiding a broken leg and hypothermia) and to have an awesome time in God's presence among His creation. The obstacles were the very cold temperature, snow and ice on the roads, and actual snow falling in my face. Another obstacle was that I am out in the woods in Western Michigan and could easily get lost.

Fortunately, I considered these obstacles ahead of time. I packed my high tech cold weather running clothes, so I could handle the cold. I also brought my GPS watch so if I became disoriented and was lost I could simply hit the "return to start" button and follow it back to the cabin. The other thing I did was make sure I ran every day for the five days before I left. This way, even if the worst happened and we were snowed in, I would be in good enough shape to pick up when I returned home.

Just before I ran, I put on a couple of layers and went outside to test the temperature. I also put my watch outside to make sure it could receive a GPS signal. Unfortunately, the fact that it is an old watch and a very grey sky meant no signal. So, one of my backup safety systems was not available. I grabbed my GPS enabled Blackberry. "Yes" - I love new technology. So, I marked my present location as a favorite and tossed the Blackberry in my sweatsuit pocket. It wasn't a bad idea to have a phone along as another back up.

On the run I was especially careful to pay attention to landmarks. When I had to make turns, I noted the time on my watch, so I could figure the approximate time to turn on the way back. I paid very close attention to the road surface. Some spots had snow covered ice; others had pretty deep snow. Some stretches had a nice clean road surface. I ran hard when I could safely. I slowed down considerably when I wasn't sure of the ground beneath me. It was much better to move forward slowly then to end up lying on the side of the road wondering if I would be rescued before hypothermia would set in.

All this effort and planning I put into achieving this simple goal made me think about our spiritual journey with Christ. Hebrews 12:1,2 tells us:

"...let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

There are two applications here that speak to me. First is the race that we run. Do we do everything possible to put ourselves in a position to overcome our obstacles (weight and sin)? Consider all the things I did to set myself up to succeed with my running goal. What might some of the practical applications of this be to our spiritual life if our goals are to overcome sin and grow spiritually in Christ?

How can we "set ourselves up to succeed" in these goals? Are there some places or people we should stay away from? Are there some practices we should discontinue? Are there some spiritual disciplines we should build into our lives, so we can be strengthened and overcome? Do we sometimes get discouraged by how slowly we seem to be moving forward and how difficult the obstacles appear? Remember, the important thing is not how fast we are moving, but that we are moving (even if we are trudging along like we are in 2 feet of snow) in the right direction.

The second application is the example given by Jesus. His goal was to "sit down at the right hand of the throne of God". He had many obstacles in His way. Yet, He endured them all, including the cross. The next time we begin to whine about how hard it is to live for Christ and overcome sin, let us consider verse 4 of this chapter:

"you have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin."

By the way, the run was awesome and I did not get lost or break anything!!!

My Senses Redeemed!!!

I was discussing Galatians 5:19-23 the other day with some friends. We were contrasting the works of the flesh in verses 19 - 21 and the fruit of the Spirit in verses 22 and 23. One of my friends commented that the works of the flesh are rooted in our five senses and our emotions. He said that our senses are corrupted by the sin of this world and if the fruit of the Spirit is to be evident in our life, we must walk in the Spirit.

While I totally agree with my friend about this, that is not what this post is about. I began to think about our "corrupted" senses. It seems to me that if "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, by becoming a curse for us," Galatians 3:13 then He has also redeemed our senses from the curse of corruption. So, we can live with our senses redeemed by Him and use them to give Him glory.

A couple of weekends ago my beloved wife, Roxana, and I went to Flagstaff to cellebrate our 27th anniversary. When we pulled in to the Bed & Breakfast and exited the car, I felt (touch) the beautiful coolness in the air and I smelled (smell) the wonderful aroma of pine. I immediately gave glory to God for the gift of this beautiful place and His creation. The next morning I went for a run. Even as my chest hurt a bit from the altitude, I was amazed at the incredible beauty I saw (sight) and the sounds (hearing) of wild animals. My heart cried out again in glory to God! Finally, upon my return from the run, our B&B hostess had prepared a wonderful breakfast, which I fully enjoyed (taste). Praise the Lord! Wow, all 5 senses fully exploding with glorious praise to Him in one weekend.

Sometimes we might tend to beat up on our physical senses as the cause of our sinning. Our destiny as believers is not to deny our senses of any pleasure. God created those senses and a beautiful world to take in with them. He wants us to use our senses for the purpose He created them. He has redeemed them to be a vehicle for us to bring Him greater glory.

So, whether you are enjoying a great meal, listening to a beautiful symphony, enjoying the loving touch of the love of your life, or anything else that stimulates these sense the way God intended - do it with redeemed senses - and let your heart cry out in glory to God!

What Has God Done?

Do you ever spend time meditating on what God has done in your life? I have spent time lately doing just that, and I have become even more overwhelmed than ever before by the magnitude of it all. Let’s consider it together.

First, let’s look at what God did and how we were transformed. First of all, consider our condition. We “were dead in the trespasses and sins”. Ephesians 2:1-3


Often, I have heard people give testimonies that they were headed down a path of destruction; that they were headed for death / destruction. Christ saved them from where they were headed and put them on a path of life. I understand that the person saying this means to give God the glory for rescuing them, and their heart is right. I may have even said something like this myself. However, it is not technically accurate. You see we were not headed down a path of destruction – we were already dead. He didn’t rescue us from the path headed toward destruction. He took that which was dead (us) and made it alive!!!

We were in the same condition as Lazarus when he lay in the tomb. He had been dead three days. His body was stinking. He wasn’t laying there thinking to himself: “man I hope Jesus shows up soon, because I could sure use a bath and some deodorant.” He was DEAD and rotting! His physical condition was the same as was our spiritual condition. God miraculously changed that for him physically and for us spiritually.

He did it by the same sovereign power He used to create us and all of creation. In the creation process, He took something that did not exist and made something, created it. In the salvation process, He took something that was dead (us) and made something, created it to be alive.

Genesis chapter 1 tells us the state of being for the universe was non-existent. There was nothing there. Then, He created the heavens and the earth. But the earth was without form and dark, so He spoke and all of that changed.

The creating power that He used to create us in His likeness and then give us dominion over all the other living creatures is the power He used to “make us” alive. He created us spiritually just like He created us physically.

It is the same power that created the universe, the same power that designed heaven, and the same power that raised Christ from the dead!

And He is not done yet. This same power continues to work in us too. He did not simply use it to bring us to salvation. He continues to work that power in us. It is the same power that makes Him able to do “far more abundantly than all that we ask or think.” Ephesians 3:20

It is an incredibly awesome thing that He has done and continues to do in us! Now let’s look at why He did it. First of all, His character is one of mercy. He desires that His character be known and that His Name be glorified. Romans 15:9 1 Peter 1:3-5

The second reason is because He loves us. This is a complete mystery and it is totally about God’s character and because He literally is love. It has absolutely nothing to do with our being lovely. Consider:

Romans 5:8 "but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. "

Notice the present tense here. He shows His love. It is a continually thing. He continually demonstrates His love for us. It didn’t just happen once. It continues to be an ongoing demonstration of His love.

His love is fixed on us. We cannot shake it. Nothing can separate us from it!

Romans 8:37-39. One of the characteristics of His love is its permanence. How many times did God forgive the Israelites, His chosen people? They kept turning their back on Him and rebelling; yet whenever they saw how miserable they were without Him and made a slight move in His direction, there He was to forgive and restore. That is how determined His love is for us.
What kind of love is it? It is the kind of love that calls us His children. 1 John 3:1-3. Wow, He literarily made us part of His family. I think we often brush by this, because we have heard it so many times for so long. Think about it for a moment. He called us His children – and so we became His children. His calling it so is what made it so. Not because we are so desirable (please) nor have something in us that He wanted us for His family. We weren’t a draft pick that He saw our talent and potential and so decided to take us in the first or second round. No, it is all about Him who “called us children of God: and so we are”.

So, what difference does it make? If we can grasp what He did for us and believe that He has and continues to empower us with the same power that He used to create the universe and the same power that makes Him able to do absolutely anything, there must be some consequence.



In Ephesians chapter 2, where the Apostle Paul tells us that we are saved by grace, which is a gift of God, He then tells us what our purpose is. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” He did it for us to fulfill His great purpose; “for good works” and "that we should walk in them." Notice here that it does not say that we should do them, but rather that we should walk in them. The good works are not something we do; they are part of a lifestyle. They are part of why we were created.


I believe there is nothing more fulfilling in life than knowing that we are here for a purpose and that we are living that destiny laid out for us. Let’s take hold of what He did and why He did it; and go fulfill the purpose for which He did it.

Back to India!

For those of you who do not know, I am headed back to India on Monday, November 26th. Phil Duncan and I will join my friend and ministry partner, Sindhu Pani in Calcutta. We will travel from there to Agatalla, Tripura, which is about a 90 minute flight east from Calcutta. The plan is to do several village camps throughout that region. These will be opportunities to teach and train the people in the villages. They will bring several villages at a time together each day. We will travel to a different area each day. We will, most likely, do evangelistic meetings in the evenings. This will be a great opportunity for these precious baby Christians to invite their neighbors to hear the Gospel, right there in an neighboring village.

After a few days in Agatalla, we will fly back to Calcutta and board a train for a 12+ hour ride to the Orissa region. There we will conduct a three day leadership training conference. We expect 200 to 300 local pastor and leaders to join us for the conference. The core teaching revolves around evangelism, discipleship, and leadership. We are excited that we will also have the opportunity to share about a Biblical view of the sanctity of human life.

Many of these leaders are fairly recent converts. They are full of enthusiasm and desire, but sorely lack training and resources. They embrace us as dear Christian brothers and eagerly await the training we bring.

One thing we have a large need for is prayer partners. I would very much like to know that we have several people who are committed to pray for at least 5 minutes each day while we are gone. If you are willing to be a prayer partner for those 14 days, please respond and let me know. I will share specific needs with you and I will try to keep you posted every few days (whenever I can find an internet café) throughout the trip.

A secondary need is for financial partners. It cost about $20 for us to put up and feed each pastor for three days. We are taking care of all of our own travel and personal expenses and the Lord has blessed us with quite a bit for the conference as well. However, Sindhu can only invite as many as we can provide for. So, if you feel lead to help by supporting a few pastors or a whole bunch, that would be welcome. Please let me know what your intensions are, so I can pass the info on to Sindhu. You can send a check to me, or give it to me made out to Global Training Network. That is the charitable organization we are working with. GTN will send you a receipt.

Part of Their Heritage --- My Life

"You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to each others. " 2 Timothy 2:1,2

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When I first met Steve and Patti Antin I was a college student at the University of Rhode Island (URI). I had just come to know Christ a few weeks earlier. That was about 31 years ago. I had an opportunity to reconnect with them for lunch today in Peabody, MA (that's pronounced Peebdy for you non-New Englanders). It was a very rich blessing to have a couple of hours with them.

So, like I said, I was a brand new baby Christian. They were Pastors of a little church not far from the URI campus. For the next year and a half I was their spiritual child. I progressed pretty rapidly from baby to teenager to young adult during that time. And we spent a ton of time together.

They taught me in several ways, what it meant to be a man of God. I was with them as they struggled through some very difficult times financially. Their faith in God through these times was an anchor to me. They had two small children and had almost no income. They never seemed to question that God would take care of them. And, of course, He did.

I got to see them dealing with each other and with their children under these trying circumstances. I learned, first hand, what it meant to be a husband and a dad, and to love others unconditionally. I saw them give of what they had to needy people in the community, when they didn't know from where tomorrow's meals would come. I was certainly not surprised to learn that their sons grew up to be good solid men of God, serving in differant capacities, but just like Dad.

I learned to do ministry right along side them. I joke sometimes that I did everything from scrubbing bathroom floors in the church on Saturday to preaching the sermon on Sunday morning. That really was the truth; and more often than not Steve did that as well. They gave me ministry opportunities that were absolutely amazing. I was a Christian for such a short time, but Steve recognized my gift and calling. He often invited me to preach in the church and he and I would go over the message beforehand to make sure it was all sound. After a while, he had me filling in for him, and even sent me off to other churches to cover for some of his friends who were Pastors. We also did street evangelism, Royal Rangers, etc. It was challenging to be stretched beyond my previous experience, while I always felt safe because he was there to back me up.

He taught me the Word in a very powerful way. First, I could see him and Patti living it. Then, we did many one on one Bible studies, as well as the small group studies through the church. I know that my love for God's Word and my commitment to it were born and became rooted during that time.

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They seemed very encouraged to hear about the fruit God has born in my life. It is always great to hear that someone we invest in goes on and bears fruit for the Kingdom. One day, I believe, we will be shown the impact our lives have had on others. We will know about the people who are even touched by the people we touched. That will be a very special day indeed, if you have invested your life in the lives of others.

If you have not made a habit of investing in the lives of others in a way that makes a real difference, let me challenge and encourage you to do so. If you have, I will encourage you to continue. It is one of the most direct ways we can live a life of abundance. I am sure glad this special couple did it in my life.