A BURGER OR A BITE?

A Burger or a Bite:
Enoch, is a 17 year old Liberian boy who is in our Communal Mentoring program. We have been working with Enoch a long time through his ups and downs in this culture. One of the great blessings of our ministry is the fact that as hard as the work is the reward is joyful. Enoch, had struggle with many cultural, educational and spiritual issues. But after a year of mentoring in our previous place and also constantly befriended with him the Lord is showing us a little bit pieces of the fruit of the seed we saw.
On our 2nd week of Mentoring Danny, (who has been part of the mentoring program since the beginning) went to pick up Enoch, for our Friday night communal mentoring. Beyond school Enoch, also works part time. On the way to our building Enoch, told Danny that he wanted to pick a burger because he is hungry. But he did not only eat the burger for himself but he also offered to Danny. Enoch’s offer did not end there. He came to our building and he offered all of us a bite from his burger. I just lived to see this moment. How beautiful joyful to see the change in Enoch’s life. Enoch’s change did not come suddenly. It is a result of few faithful servants of Christ. Thank you Jesus!
Enoch’s offer reminded me of two things
1. 2Cor.8:2

“Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity”
People who are poorer are more generous. How wonderfully true that is! Because people, who know poverty, are willing to fight poverty in every aspect.

2.Hebrew 6:10ff
“ God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure”

Since we started the mentoring program we have been through a lot of fire and water. But God did not forget the seed we put in the lives of these kids. He is already honoring us by showing us how beautifully he has been blessing our work.
We are inviting you to be part of this work of mentoring these kids and make a difference in their lives. It is only an hour and half a week at your convenience.

Love you all ,
kISHAWORK.

I Heard the Call

I heard the call Lord, I heard
But I am scared
But I am called to be a man
To love some one to be your model
to give to you, to be yours all
I heard the call Lord, I heard
But I am scared.
I am called to love the unloved
Those people who are rejected
The one who are considered low
proclaim Jublee, that your day is new
I heard the call I heard
But I am scared
To look beyond the ugly paint
To rise above the accuser's court
to depend only in who you are
to be alive to stay on the altar
I heard the call I heard,
but I am scared.
It is hard to say, “yes”
but I say “yes”in tears
because you are my God closer than any friend
a father of love in ups and downs
you came to the pit when I was hiding in sadness
'Yes” to your call Lord “yes”
I will serve you in smile and tears
I will give you all that I have
because I am loved I am willing to love
though it is unknown and a lot of darkness
you are my God who always shines
you called me a “hero” my God gracious
death changed to life because of your embrace
'Yes” to your call Lord “yes,”
There are no more fears.
Oh my feet are so beautiful
Thank you Jesus for sending me to the mountains
To proclaim freedom and the good news
The year of your favor Jubliee happiness
“yes” to your call Lord, “yes”
freedom to the Slaves.
Because you reign you are my king
You will be with me for eternity long
I will serve you night and day
When others are gone you are here to stay
“yes” to your call Lord “yes”
When it comes to you there are no more fears.

They talk about me

They talk about me Lord,
I do not know why,
They talk about my sin
after you told me I am forgiven
I do not know why Lord; I do not know
They guess about my “bad” intentions,
And tell it to everyone else
They try to paint me ugly
Without making sure it is me
I do not know why Lord, I do not know
They exchange massages about me
Without talking to me
The put me and leveled me into a box
The are so good to tell me my “weakness”
I do not know why Lord; I do not know
I know you love me
When I fail you will pick me
When I mistaken you correct me
I will respond to what you say
Help me to cling to you I cry
I come to you Lord; I come to you
Let them talk and accuse
They are not the one who define my ups and downs
Do not have time to play tit and tats
Because you are greater than my heart
Lord give them grace so that they can love me
That is a prayer to them from me.

I am an African

HI Everyone!
Recently, another Sister in Christ, who is working, as a missionary in Africa posted the following poem, which is written by me, on her blog. Of course she did that with my approval. I am an African. I am proud to be an African. Some people wonder about us, right? I was in Asia few years ago. One Asian asked my fellow African friend, whether or not we have an Iron in Africa. "No," said my African friend, "we throw the close in fire and it comes out ironed." As funny as that story is, Isn't that what God would do to us. He throw us in the fire we become so beautiful and nice. As an African, I have been through a lot. As a follower of Christ I have been through a lot, at times because of my own failure and other times because I live in a sinful world. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter whther the pain came because of my own mishaps; or other peoples' intentional or unintentional hurt; because God uses both to make me so "ironed" for his kingdom. If that is what happens I think the pain is worth it. It is because of that experience this poem is here:

I am an AFRICAN:

I know what puzzle means
I know how to be confused.
I know how to go hungry
I know how to protest.
I know how to give a beautiful smile in the midst of pain;
I know how to fight;
I know how to be quiet;
I know how to be noisy for a purpose;
I know how to hurt;
I know how to bear hurt;
I know how to forgive;
I have seen how to be forgiven;
I know how to be evilI know how to bear evil;
I know how to bear oppression;
I also learned how to be oppressive;
I have learned to see light in the darkness;
I have learned to see a way in the mighty waters;
I have learned to see the victory beyond mountains of defeat;
I have learned to speak in silence;
I have learned to communicate to friends and foes in quietness.
I wondered how!I have seen love and I have given love;
I wondered how!
I smiled while I was crying!
I wondered how!
I have seen friends in the midst of a lot of betrayal!
I wondered how!
I have seen joy while I am deeply sad!
I wondered how!I have learned to say "sorry" even when it is humiliating.
I wondered how!
I have seen God speaking in the seeming silence of his.
I wondered how!
My heart says "yes" even when I am disobedient.
I wondered how!
I have learned to sit down and learnt to hear even when I am not listening!
Why
Because I have to respect!
Why?
Because Manners matter.
Why?
Because I have to be obedient to the senior.
My history is so amazing!
Amazing!That has been through colonialism!
Amazing!That has been through "Apartheid!
Amazing!That has been through civil wars and border conflicts!
Amazing!That has been through a lot of droughts and famines!I have also a wonderful history!Have you read "Fire on the Mountains?"
Have you read "Born at midnight?”
Have you read "Long Walk to Freedom?"
Have you read “The Kingdom of God in Africa?”and much more.
Well I love westerners specially westerners Christians.
They have build:Schools,Hospitals,They have put pipes,They have brought relief help.
I have seen Missionaries:Who were with me in a cave when I was besieged!
But there were times where there were no westernersWhen I need them;
There was time where I have to do everything by myself;
Amazingly I have been through all of that.I know you would respect me,
Because:Just as you, I would love to worship.
Just as you, I would love to learn.
Just as you, I would want to be heard
Just as you, I would want to contribute
Just as you, I want to feel homeJust as you, I want to feel valued
Just as you, I want to bless othersJust as you, I want to have a choice to say “Yes” or “No”
Just as you, I want to be understoodIf I come to your Church:
If I can not worship, because you do not listen to me:
Will that make you happy?If I come to Church:
But I go back home without learning any thing, will that make you happy?
If I come to church:And say to everything you say "Ok" because this is your country and culture; will that make you happy?
If you just seek your happiness and satisfaction:"Here I am!"I know this is your Country, and Culture!
You have all the right to always have the upper hand.
ButIf you want to see my joy, if you really care:"Then learn to listen to me, and show me you really listened by exchanging some, at least, one of my ideas over yours."
Be willing to come to my level of emotions.I came to you as far as your country.Why is it hard for you to come to me and get closer?
When you are not willing to listen to meYou are pushing me awayYou are telling me that I am nothingIn your actions you are telling me, "go away!"
Either understand me, or do not accuse me of "running away!”Why do you always see as if “I blew it?”
Why am I not be forgiven?
Is it because I am from Africa?
I cannot solicit forgiveness
I cannot solicit grace
It is your decision to give or not to give
But I cannot let you hurt me
I have developed a weapon to stop you from hurting me
It is a powerful weapon,It is called agape
I feel sometimes: you do not love me,
you do not forgive me
I will love you- regardless!
I will stay with you- regardless!
I will pray that God will strengthen me to face you!!
Not by my strength;- I know I can’tBut by God's tough love that can break in to the hearts of the most locked human hearts!
I will win I know;I shall win because I am loved.
And there are no shortcomings in AGAPE!
Be my friend!
Workiyee!

I have got a brother!

Lucky Boy is a 10 year old kid who is looking meaning and take any small opportunity to appreciate life. It is not because his life is perfect. Actually there are so many things that are not going in the right direction in his life. But after seeing all the suffering in his country so young, and with all of the shock he has to be through in the US; boys like Lucky Boy will take any opportunity to be thankful.

After his MOM and DAD arrived in this country the cultural shock, as it happens to many new comers, created a lot of problem in the marriage of his parents. The dad left Lucky's mom for another woman and Lucky is making about a mile walk between his MOM and DAD every day to be at both places.

Lucky's step MOM gave a birth just a day before yesterday and because Lucky considers me as his friend, a usually quiet Lucky can not keep it quite to tell me about the arrival of his brother. He told me with an innocent look but with bright bragging eyes, “I have got a brother. I want you to come and see him.” I went and visited the dad and his step mom and Lucky asked me if he can ride with me just for one hour. I readily agreed and with Lucky as my co worker and friend we, with other ministry partners, did visit families and distribute furnitures to those who needed it. Lucky is a reminder of the families we have in Saint Louis City and beyond. We see a broken family, a deserted kid, and unending pain as a day to day reality. God is calling all of us to be a part of this pain and mess. Because it reminds me of my upbringing, I relate to Lucky and I had to struggle with tears with the innocence face I see in him. You Can see in the face of the boys like Lucky a search for friends and meaning. A search for love. A search for contentment. At times, I am tempted to take him home and relieve off all his suffering as if I am God. That is the work for God. When I see the suffering in this world it seems that God has taken a vacation and some acting god made all the mess. But It is clear that God has sent me and you to reach people like Lucky. God has put a glorious treasure in jars of clay so that the glory goes to him as he work and bless people through us. As Paul says “though we are poor we make many rich” You and me are poor, and at times, have hard time to deal with our pain and mess. The truth is God called the imperfect beings, like you and me, and put a glorious treasure in us to bless many. With the communal mentoring to take place and with all the new movement of the ministry I pray that Lucky and others will be reached at the place and level where they are at. Because God is a God who stoops down to lift up the helpless like Lucky he is calling me and you to stoop down and be lifted up by God. Are you willing to stoop down with God and with us? God is ready to bless us and give us all what we need. As Lucky said, we also have got “new brothers and sisters” like Lucky and others from another countries. Are we ready to visit them and bless them? I am sure we are and God will be there with us. AMEN!
I LOVE YOU ALL.

STATUS AN AFRICAN EXPEREINCE AND STRUGGLE TOWARDS ACCEPTANCE AND REJECTION

Don't you Love that word?

As you can see from the poem down I have had a lot of experience with this word.Here in America, they use it in many ways. I used it to convey a message about what is called, "tough love." I think tough love is a love that will continue to belive in you even when you fail. Many people told me that tough love is being tough on another person "so that he would get it." I do not think so, the biblical image of tough love is a love that persevers even the object of love is so "unlovable." Do you feel not to love someone, sometimes? We are called to give love even to those who are not so loveable? Then, if you are the followers of Christ you will decide to love them, anyways. I just have been through in the worst test of my life. I see through that pruning God helped me to see the goods of people regardless of their mess. I am not talking about positive faith. I am talking about a will that decides to love the most worst person, or the most hurting person regardles of what they have done to us and themselves. Ooooooh God help us!




STATUS
I heard that word many times.
In a hard and good way:
I was in Asia: my Status was “Alien”
I was in Ethiopia my STATUS was Citizen
I was with my dad my STATUS was a "disowned Son"
Then I met with God and I was called, "SON"
Then I came to America I am called “Immigrant,”
Or
‘the African with an Accent”
Or“the Naturalized…”
I have seen many statuses in my life
But of all that matters is my status with Jesus“JUSTIFIED,”“SON,”“Friend,”“Family Member”and so on….
I love my status with Jesus
I know he loves me regardless
I know he is shaping me
Because my status matters to him
I am soooooo special to him

But I have a question for you my brother:What is my STATUS with you?
Am I still loved by you?
Am I really your “BROTHER?"
I have a question for you my sister?What is my STATUS with you?
I wonder sometimes if my sin shadowed the Jesus in me?
That is not meant to be
Because Jesus has defeated sin forever.
I hope my status with you is a winner STATUS
But I want to tell you one thing:Your STATUS with me has not been changed
Knowingly or unknowingly you might have hurt me
The devil might have used that hurt to try to tear me
I have spent many nights crying nights
Because of the hurt of friends
But I have decided one thing
Whatever you might have done to me
You are still loved by me
Do not run away
Do not avoid me
Because your STATUS is the same with me
Even though my STATUS might have changed with you
I still love you
Even though the pain I have been through is so bitterYou will always remain my brother;
You will always remain my sister;
Your STATUS will never change
I pray again to see Jesus in you
My STATUS with him be reveled to you.
But until that happens you always remain LOVED : RESPECTED:
My commitment to you remains unchanged
One more time let me ask you
My beloved brother and my beloved sister:What is my STATUS with you??????

Workiyeee

I am striving!

Please read the articles below and put any comments you think. I promise not to be upset by your comments. Because it takes a village to upset me. Some of you know me. Do you want me to blog about something? Let me know. I will try to be a faithful blogger. My Friends, you know yourselves, would appreciate it.
Workisha

Stubborn Love

STUBBORN LOVE
There is this story told about love.
There is a love that loves because its object of love is loveable. There is a love that loves beauty which is a good love. There is a love that loves a good character. It is a good love. There is a love that loves skill. That is a great love. But there is a greater love that loves not the obvious things. This love creates something loveable from its object. Under normal circumstances that object of love is not sooooooo loveable but this is beyond what you can see on the surface. It is a love which sees beyond what is seen. Just like the love Rosemary has for her toys.
Rosemary is the daughter of one pastor. When she was a kid she got toys made out of cottons. She loved them. After the toys of the cottons Rosemary got many kinds of toys made of rubber, wood and of other materials. The toys that are bough lately are so much better, in many ways, than the toys that are made of cottons. And when you see the toys that are made of cottons you will observe some important signs. They are getting dirty because they are made of rugs or cottons. They are also getting old. If you think in your right mind, you really want to throw away this old and dirty rugs. But it is impossible to do that if you are Rosemary’s friend. You are to love these old and dirty cotton rugs if you want Rosemary‘s favor. It is impossible to love Rosemary and hate and throw away her old dirty toys. Just like Jesus’ love: Some of you may want to kick some people out of the church just because they are “dirty rugs.” They never get it, at least in your view. But if you love God you can not ignore or kick out his dirty and old rugs like me and you - oops! sorry for calling you names let us stay for now that I am the “dirty rug“. This is specially true when you serve God in a cross cultural ministry. I have a challenge to all of you ; Do you really love the unlovable? Are you really willing to go out of your comfort zone because you are willing to understand the people you are serving? I am not trying to play a guilty trip here for if I do my friend Neal will catch me. But with all the ministry we are doing and with what is going on around us; I really want to remind you some important points to consider.
1. Loving others is a gift . We do understand this when we know how much we are loved freely. When you say you love others, if you are talking godly love, you are saying I am willing to give your love without expecting anything back. Godly love is a love with no strings attached. Hebrew 6 tells us how God’s faithfulness is so deep in loving us regardless of our response to it.

13For when God made [His] promise to Abraham, He swore by Himself, since He had no one greater by whom to swear,
14Saying, Blessing I certainly will bless you and multiplying I will multiply you.(A)
15And so it was that he [Abraham], having waited long and endured patiently, realized and obtained [in the birth of Isaac as a pledge of what was to come] what God had promised him.
16Men indeed swear by a greater [than themselves], and with them in all disputes the oath taken for confirmation is final [ending strife].
17Accordingly God also, in His desire to show more convincingly and beyond doubt to those who were to inherit the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose and plan, intervened (mediated) with an oath.
18This was so that, by two unchangeable things [His promise and His oath] in which it is impossible for God ever to prove false or deceive us, we who have fled [to Him] for refuge might have mighty indwelling strength and strong encouragement to grasp and hold fast the hope appointed for us and set before [us].
19[Now] we have this [hope] as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul [it cannot slip and it cannot [a]break down under whoever steps out upon it--a hope] that reaches [b]farther and enters into [the very certainty of the Presence] within the veil,(B)
20Where Jesus has entered in for us [in advance], a Forerunner having become a High Priest forever after the order (with [c]the rank) of Melchizedek.(C)



Because I came to learn about it through many painful experiences; I believe most of the problems we see in Churches today is the out come of the people who grow up looking but not finding an agape love that satisfies in and out. The sad thing is many people are still looking for it and some how we fail to point to many helpless people what it really meant in words and action. Our actions and words need to be in concert to understand that many of the problems we see in Churches today is a cry for agape and we, who claim that we found it, need to be gracious enough to demonstrate it.

I think because of the context we live in this age of globalization, loving others need to start from understanding who they are and where they come from. We all have culture and background we came from. But we need to get out the nest and learn to think outside of the box we made for ourselves. Because as we agree with J.B. Philips, that our God is not a small god, He is the God who, not only makes history happen, but also changes and leads the course of history. He is the God of Genesis, more than originality making something to exist which has not existed before in any form or status. It is a recognition of this quality of God when we join him to go to the journey and joy of discovering others. We will know their pain and joy; their happiness and gladness; all who they are, and making it to heaven together. Intimacy is very scary. But if we meant to do God’s will that is the best way to make things happen in God’s kingdom. Are you willing to understand others? Agape is a movement that adapts and lives out every change we face:

There is no perfect storm out there that can sink the church of Jesus Christ. No matter how much or how rapidly culture changes, the church is designed to prevail. Yet with each culture shift, it is painfully obvious that the church has become an institution rather than a movement. (Mcmanus)

I think agape love is a movement to be able to say to the most distinguished sinner: “I love you regardless and I want to be part of your pain and change because of what Jesus has done to me.” It is truly a Stubborn love to use my title. The storm of hatred, and an organizational legalism in the church without the call of grace or agape love putting many sinners out and making many ministries a waste. We need a movement of love that embodies grace, forgiveness and true reconciliation if we mean to move with a movement of love. Loving others is invading them with grace and gift so that it will be contagious in bringing the change we have been looking for a long time.


Loving others is not something that will be decided by majority. Loving others or extending agape is a personal decision to extend grace only and only by the influence of the gospel. You do not give agape because others support you to do it or not, you do give agape because you understand how deeply bad sin is, and the only way out of it is the love of Jesus Christ our Lord.

That is why Scripture tells us. When Jesus saw Zeccheus or that woman who washed his feet with her tears he loved, he gave agape against the odds. It is a sad time when we see that the Church puts its “work” aside from giving grace to others. Giving grace is the Church’s main work regardless of the sad situation of the sinful world we live in. We want to be loved because the sinful world deprived us of that love. That is obvious through our upbringing and through our day today relationship. If we understand that the sinful world is in deep trouble because of the lack of love I think it will make it easier to give love to others regardless of the situation we are in. Today: Education, Position, Money, Status, etc… are replaced loving others. God is committed to make sure to glorify himself by bringing agape in his church. This is not our church, this is God’s church and he is going to bring agape whether we like it or not. His seriousness to bring love can be seen in the Book of Jeremiah 1,

5Before I formed you in the womb I knew [and] approved of you [as My chosen instrument], and before you were born I separated and set you apart, consecrating you; [and] I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.(B)


The word “knew” here is the same word used when Adam new Eve. God knew or loved Jeremiah even when he does not know who he is. And decided to treat Jeremiah as great regardless of his failure. You can see this theme coming up in the whole book of Jeremiah. His love also is seen in the fact that he was willing to give Jesus Christ for all of us. Many significant changes happened in my life when I know I am loved and how beautiful it is to God making me that change. Lord Please make me an agent of your agape that will bring eternal change in the lives of many!!!

The only way the Church of Jesus Christ stands out is in its unconditional love. Jn.13:34-35. Romans 13:10 etc… Long time ago back home I have seen Christianity is different from a religion. The power of the Gospel makes a difference in a person’s life because it pleasures in giving unconditionally. If you see any other aspect of the church it is similar to other religions around. Including spirituality. Many religions have a similar or sometimes better expressions of spirituality than Christianity as a religion.


And then the Buddhist moved in across the street. He was different than the Atheist. He has a value for spirituality and mysticisms that surpassed the religious fervor of many church attendees. Spirituality was sometimes more central to his life than ours, and we wanted to explain to him how believing in Jesus was right. The global religious banquet created a buffet-line approach toward faith. People suddenly have greater options and choices of religious expression, and the blank dismissal of other cultural values and faiths seemed to only validate how wrong fundamental Christian thinking had been. These new people was not suppose to be nice people, it wasn’t suppose to be so easy to like them…the spiritual expression such as Zen, yoga, meditation and discipline appear to be superior to the average experience of the American church goer. (53).

The only way, that distinguishes biblical Christianity from other ways of religion is the practice and concept of agape. Otherwise we can be caught off guard because other religions are the same or better than us the rules we are proud of to know and practice. Because our love needs to be known in accepting the worst of humanity and bring change in his life. Most of the rules we are trying to apply in the churches are found in many forms in other religions. That name or rule can not distinguish us from other forms of faith, only the grace or the agape of Jesus Christ. I hope you understand that I am not trying to overlook rules and other forms of religious practice. But sadly I have seen many people taken by them at the expense of many people who can be redeemed otherwise.

It worries me sometime that church leaders can play lovers without loving so that they can improve their resumes at the expense of the oppressed. Leaders who earned their leadership through giving and loving can be put aside by leaders who are aiming to the “hierarchy” at the expense of the community. Oh how many times the African grass gets hurt? I just wrote a very deep letter with tears to one of my friends to help me to pray as I go to share this love to friends who are ministers and who are considering to be ministers.

Let me suggest some ways how to be more agape centered :

If you want to give agape to people who have been oppressed please be incarnational. Many people think becoming incarnational is mainly geographical. You can be sure you can locate with people in the same area or neighborhood but they would possibly never understand what the world you are made of or what in the world you are talking about. Is your ministry comes from you or from your relationship to the people?



.
In 1Cor.13:1-3 it is saying your speech without an action of love is meaningless. Because love gives meaning , quality and depth to what we say. Knowledge/ shepherding without love is also meaningless because if you know and you are a teacher you need to know how to love. If you can not bear the smell of the sheep you can not be a Shepherd. It is actually a message that can also be found in 1Peter 5. Where Peter commands the Shepherds of the congregation to be example in love and humility not in demanding authority. It is very easy for the church to be an organization without being an organism. The people who made history in salvation are people who are willing to go further at cost of their advantage. Or people who are willing to give up so that God can be glorified and others can get the advantage. In Matthew Jesus shows his disciples that the best way to show others the value of the Kingdom is taking really risks of love. Loving without knowing the result. That is very difficult to take for our trained minds. Because we imagine results in our minds as we work. When you love you may not know what will happen but any ways you love. Jesus loved but he was rejected. He gave love but he never got it back. That is sad. It is a giving away of our lives knowing and trusting the God can and will make the best use of it; Not in a way we expect but in a way he chose.
It is like Jesus going to a solitary place with his disciples but the people came, instead of saying, “I am tired.” He has a compassion on them. Loving others is having the ability to sort between our feelings and God’s command and a heroic move to choose the later regardless of our feelings.

If all the people we love have responded perfectly to our love I bet you that your love is more of a seasonal love than a tested love. Because agape love is a love that is tested and able to see beyond the failure of a friend say to him, “I love you.” I love because I know how much I am loved not because there is that response from the people whom we gave love.

I have given many things to many people freely. Including my time my advantage and my money. Some people have been so good and responded to my gifts. Some never. But I am asking God to help me everyday to find my joy in loving not in the result I got from loving or giving. Do you love the people you preach? !. Then your preaching should come from your relationship with them. The true preacher decides the most illiterate person in his church would understand what he preaches and he prepares his massage based on that.
Your glory as a leader also is important. What it means to you that God called you to this ministry? It means you possibly be different. You will have weaknesses but as a leader you are really an empowering force that will help the church to become an organism in its walk with the Lord.
What breaks my heart in any church is when I miss the things I became a Christian for. Grace and Reconciliation. I have seen you can affect a person’s behavior more in Love and applying rules in love than being dogmatic about your self made rules.

Do you have that love which stays and wins? God needs to give you and me that Love. Reconciliation needs to be understood from the Context of love. We Africans have been leveled in and outside of the church with many names. Some of it is we deserve. But when we come to the church it is possible there are many people who want to remind us that feature of us than really take that incarnational way of approaching us and doing the ministry of reconciliation.
In my next blog entry I will talk about grace and reconciliation separately.
But my question to you is are you ready to be stubborn lover? I hope you do.
Amen Jesus!

I Almost Can Read English!

Here is one of my recent Experices!

Morris is a 12 year old Liberian boy who is visible and active. A year ago I picked up 5 Liberian boys from South City to take them to a Tuesday night meeting. Myself and some friends were leading them how to be a Christian and playing with the basket ball and so on. I asked them if they like the life in America. A question I ask every fellow African once in a while. All of them told me their experience in High School and how differnt it is than in Africa. Most of all they are embarrased that they can not read as High Schoolers. I was sad to hear that but I was happy too. Because now they have found their voice and they expressed their desire. This is may be a place where we can have a contact point with these boys.
I met with some friends who were coming for tuesday nights and Asked them to start a "toutoring progam." Morris was one of the guys who has asked me for the help. I was hanging out with Morris yesterday and he said to me because he almost read English now and he can learn computers.
One boy is so thankful because "he almost read english" The small things we are doing in other peoples life may go unnoticed sometimes with the people whom we are expecting to understand us. But God is not like that. He understands what we are doing and committed to reward that. Listen to what God is saying:
"13For when God made [His] promise to Abraham, He swore by Himself, since He had no one greater by whom to swear, 14Saying, Blessing I certainly will bless you and multiplying I will multiply you. (A) 15And so it was that he [Abraham], having waited long and endured patiently, realized and obtained [in the birth of Isaac as a pledge of what was to come] what God had promised him. 16Men indeed swear by a greater [than themselves], and with them in all disputes the oath taken for confirmation is final [ending strife]. 17 Accordingly God also, in His desire to show more convincingly and beyond doubt to those who were to inherit the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose and plan, intervened (mediated) with an oath. 18This was so that, by two unchangeable things [His promise and His oath] in which it is impossible for God ever to prove false or deceive us, we who have fled [to Him] for refuge might have mighty indwelling strength and strong encouragement to grasp and hold fast the hope appointed for us and set before [us]. 19[Now] we have this [hope] as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul [it cannot slip and it cannot [ a]break down under whoever steps out upon it--a hope] that reaches [b]farther and enters into [the very certainty of the Presence] within the veil, (B) 20Where Jesus has entered in for us [in advance], a Forerunner having become a High Priest forever after the order (with [ c]the rank) of Melchizedek.(C)

God is committed to bring his kingdom in his life and we are called to do this for them and I praise the Lord for that. Because we Worship a God who is true to his promis and rewards. God will reward all of us for what we meant in these kids lives in the midst of pain and mess. Because we worship the God who is true to his words. In my culture some older people told me that their word never dropped on the ground. Which culturally means they will do what they have promised. I have seen those people in my culture and the people outside of my culture that their words fall on the ground terribly. But when it comes to the God you and I worship and serve here is another word:

"56Blessed be the Lord, Who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. Not one word has failed of all His good promise which He promised through Moses His servan t"

God is committed to fulfill his promise of justice with or without us. But we are privilaged to be part of this. Because God has called us to join him in this venture I am committed not only to one to many Morrisses to say not "almost" but to their complete change in the work of the kingdom. Though it is hard though is painful you and I worship the God who overcomes harsh pain and fulfilled his promise. So I will persevere as all of you have taught me in one way or another.

I love you all.

Thanks For being my friends.

"When the Wonded Dance."

The Dance of the Wounded

A slave and his master went on to hunting. The slave was a believer and the master was not. While they are hunting the slave missed the pigeon bird and he was upset and start cursing. Then he realized the sin he was committing and he started confessing his sin with real regret.
At this, the master said, “Why are you a Christian? All this worry after you curse! Look at me? I curse, no worries. I do not curse no worries.” The slave could not respond in any way to his master’s charge. They had not been talking for a while. Then the master hit one pigeon bird with his bullet and got it. The pigeon was dead. Then sometime passed before the slave hit a bird. And he got it on the leg. The pigeon limped but fly away. “Master, I have got an answer to your earlier charge.” the slave said, “you are like the dead pigeon you have killed earlier. You are dead to life in Christ. You do not know how bad sin is, and what it costed God. But I am like the wounded pigeon I got. Because I am alive, I am feeling the pain. I am feeling the pain but I am still flying. I am feeling the pain I limp but I dance. Because I know I am alive and continue to be alive. Though Sin, sometimes, making me sad and limp I dance and fly. I am hurting and may be continue to get hurt by my sin but I am alive, and dancing”

Yes sin and pain are hurting us. Sin is bad, it separated us from God. Pain is bad it makes us complain. We are wounded by: our sin, Other peoples’ sin, and the pain and the injustice in the world. If you see the power of the groaning, the pain and the sin; it can sound hopeless. How can a Christian be happy in the midst of all this pain? In other words but figuratively, how can a wounded person dance?

I think we need to learn to dance or in other words celebrate in the midst of all the pain and the sin. Let me take you to some interesting passages in the Bible. David, a man of God, the typology of Christ, the man after God‘s own heart, the resume can continue…. sinned; he sinned terribly. It was time to have a heart to heart talk with Nathan, the prophet. He was confronted by his sin. He said, “I have sinned before God.” That is the reality. At this painful confronting reality David shows us a new way on how to deal with our sin.

Though this passage is about David confessing his dreadful sin there are twenty two references to God of the 18 verses (God, you…). That is pretty amazing. Twenty two references of God in the 18 verses of the Psalms. I think this passage is about celebrating who God is in the midst of a painful failure. Yes I am the one who has done the sin but that should not above the God I love and worship. It is a choice, a very serious and significant choice to celebrate God even in the midst of my failure; or to worship my sin or other peoples’ sin above him. See what David says about God and David’s relationship to God in the midst of Sin:

Generous in love--God, give grace! Huge in mercy (v 1)
He knows that the God he worships is generous in love. He also knows he is huge in mercy. There is a reason to dance in the midst of sin and regret. The God we worship is generous and huge in moving towards the sinner. He comes to the sinner, because he is profoundly loving, and devotedly giving.

4You're the One I've violated, and you've seen
You have all the facts before you;
whatever you decide about me is fair.
What you're after is truth from the inside out.
Enter me, then; conceive a new, true life.
A man of God who knows how to dance in the midst of sin, celebrates God’s truthfulness in the midst of his and other’s failure.. Though we do not sin to magnify God’s truthfulness our failure always proves God’s inflexible truthfulness and love.

8Tune me in to foot-tapping songs,
set these once-broken bones to dancing

Look, David is asking for dance in the midst of sin. Because he knows the God he worships is above and beyond his sin. God can make us dance in the midst of sin, brokenness and pain. I love it, because when it comes to the ultimate meaning of life, it is not our failure that defines us, but it is the fact that the God we worship loved us even when we are sinners. We worship an awe-inspiring God!
10God, make a fresh start in me,
shape a genesis week from the chaos of my life
Yes Because of the God we worship is the God who makes a Genesis in our lives we can celebrate. We can dance The God we worship is a God of change, real change. Because it is only the God whom we worship can bring a genesis transformation to any situation we are in we can celebrate and start looking beyond our sin.

12Bring me back from gray exile,
put a fresh wind in my sails!
13Give me a job teaching rebels your ways
so the lost can find their way home.
God makes teachers out of sinners. God restores sinners, when he restores it is a total restoration:
The sinner becomes a teacher of righteous teacher
The persecutor becomes a prisoner for the gospel of Jesus Christ
The quiet person will shout in praise
God’s restoration makes a genuine difference.
When God restores you, you can not remain the same.
Amen! There is your reason to dance and celebrate.
14Commute my death sentence, God, my salvation God,
and I'll sing anthems to your life--giving ways.
15Unbutton my lips, dear God;
I'll let loose with your praise.
God can give life in the midst of death. Yes there is reason to celebrate. Because God always punishes sin, he did that in Jesus Christ. But the awful results of sin are under the God who changes the course of a sinful human history.
. Sin shuts us up. We stop functioning in the midst of sin. God who is above and beyond sin brings freedom from sin and its effects. He knows how to bring life in the midst of death and destruction. Yes we can dance.
17I learned God--worship
when my pride was shattered.
Heart-shattered lives ready for love
don't for a moment escape God's notice.
Yes we are shattered but we can not escape God’s notice. But the shattering power of sin is not outside of the God who deserves worship.
18Make Zion the place you delight in,
repair Jerusalem's broken-down walls.
The God who heals. Yes there is a reason to celebrate.
19Then you'll get real worship from us,
acts of worship small and large,
Including all the bulls
they can heave onto your altar!
Because God heals the broken we can dance even when we are hurt by our sin and the pain of this world. Sinners like you and me can celebrate because it is only who comes to us in the midst of our sin.
There is another passage I want to plug in before I move on and conclude, in the book of Zachriah chapter 3 there is an amazing passage:
Joshua, God’s servant, was in sin. But see what God says about him:
2 The LORD said to Satan, "The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?"
3 Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. 4 The angel said to those who were standing before him, "Take off his filthy clothes."
Then he said to Joshua, "See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put rich garments on you."
Yes in the midst of sin and the wound that is caused by it there is a reason to dance. First the author of sin is rebuked by God. The God who chose us, and stood for us in the midst of sin, never allows sin and its author, namely the devil be the ultimate winner. That is more than enough reason to dance in the midst of sin. Because the God we worship is above ours and others sin. He comes to us while we are in the midst of our sin and do not know what to do (Romans 5:8). It is only God who fall in love with sinners. Yes we are terribly wounded and continue to be wounded with our sin but the God we serve comes in the midst of our sin and makes healing a certainty. Yes I do dance in the midst of sin and pain.

I know it is not easy to be in the midst of failure, and face the guilty accusation of our own heart and others. My upbringing has a lot of pain and suffering. But the God I worship did not leave me there. Some of the pain is caused by my own sinfulness some of it has caused by the sinful world and people whom I am realted. But if I can tell you one story my story is God’s coming to me while others are staying away. God is staying with me while others going away. It reminds me of the Gospel song by Yohe, “He knows my heart.” The fact that God always chose to hang on with me has become a reason for me to dance, dance with deep joy, in the most unlikely circumstances. I have never liked my mistake and my sin, but I have learned to look to my God who makes a beautiful design from a dirt person like me. Because God has decided to put a treasure in a jar (breakable) of clay like me I have always tried to focus on who God is than on what my sin or failures are. Believe me I know my sin, just like David, I know my short comings. But because I have seen people, including my family back home, to remind me that very diligently, regret has not been the major part of my life. But the God who is the best designer, who brings out beauty out of dirty ashes is always my focus. I am fighting with tears as I write this to you, which story to share you. Because I have seen a lot of miracle, God made me dance even when I am wounded. Let me share you this one; because my mom was dead it was not easy for dad to raise us up. As you know, it is Africa, and there is not a lot of the so called “Parental techniques.” In many parts of my beautiful continent a child’s behavior is left to the Parent’s harsh punishment and the child’s being good at the help of instincts. I was not lucky to have the later one in my upbringing and I had the harsh punishment of my dad who has had his own upbringing under the harsh punishment of a step mom. When I was in eight grade I became the worst child that can be. My dad after harshly slapping me with the things that is made of leather said, “Worku, your life is full of problems. You are no more my child and I am no more your dad.” that was a heart breaking news. For I, unlike all of my friends, did not have a mom. What worse can happen to a child than being disowned by his dad? In a week after this incident I went to the school chapel to disturb with some friends who are like gangs. Then I heard the message from Jn.1:12 that I can become God’s child. That day I found my real dad. And he is the best dad you can find. Since then I have spent many nights. Some of them very awful, but I know God was there and still here. That is my main reason to dance. If God can become a father to the worst of the sons of human being, his presence must make me dance even in the midst of pain. I have been wounded many times. By people close and not so close. I have been wounded many times, by a situation caused by my broken nature. But God has decided to be in and with me, and that makes me dance and smile. I smile when I look many of the unknown future, because all of my unknown and dreadful past has been filled with dance because of the God I worship. I know the future is more beautiful. I do not only hope to dance; I know I will dance, because God is in the process of doing “complete renovation in me” to transform me into the likeness of his son. He also decided to be “delighted in doing good for me.” Oh I am happy I am a Christian! My God rocks!

THE COST OF RECONCILIATION

An African view of reconciliation
(by Kishawork)
It has been a joyful as well as a bumpy experience to work with other cultures in the last few years. My article here is really to give to the people who are reading an African view of reconciliation and what it means for us as we try to come to the Lord and each other, so that He can use us in his mighty way:
There was a joke, which is told by the people who are tired of their leadership and who admired the other world when I was back home. Our country leader and two rich western leaders ended up in hell. So one of the rich countries leaders asked to call home and check things out. He has talked about 15 minutes and charged over a million dollar. And the other one also called and talked over 30 minutes and charged over a million dollar. Our country leader asked for the phone from Satan, he talked over 3 hours. When he hang up the bill came. And it was only $2. He asked, out of curiosity, why those rich leaders charged so high while he was charged so little. Satan answered, we do not charge that high for a local call. As funny and sad this story is, it has a truth. Many Africans come from a hell like experience to this country. It is not hidden, with all good intentions; some of non-Africans do not understand our hell like experience. Though we come from that experience we Africans cannot use to justify our unwillingness to learn and submit ourselves to our non-African brothers and sisters. What does it mean to be reconciled? What is the behavior and character God wants to see in us as we embodying forgiveness and live with other brothers and sisters? In this paper I want to appeal for all of us what it may cost us to come together as a community so that the name of God will be glorified. If we want to have a part in God's work of reconciliation, we need to learn how to see people beyond their sin. Have we learnt to look at people beyond what they have done to us? Reconciliation is an ability to look beyond our hurts and looking at the God of the impossible who can bring love and unity in the midst of mess and hurt. Reconciliation among ethnic groups is above any miracle the world and Satan can overlook. The ressurection of Jesus made it possible to bring people to unity who would not be able to come together otherwise. The Jehovah of the Old Testament and the Christ of the New Testament related to his people in this way
Hosea 3:1-2ff God loved the adulterer Israel and willing to accept her as she is. Accepting others as they are is the Starting point of ethnic reconciliation. That acceptance will result in a lifestyle that is Christ-like. In short in this passage God sees love as a powerful transforming tool. God knows rejection and despising the sinner is not a tool of reconciliation. But acceptance and agape love is a tool of reconciliation that will produce transformation. The meaning of tough love is a love that loves tough. Tough love trusts the God who makes everything possible in the midst of the loved ones' mess and pain. We will talk about this a little bit later.



Reconciliation Embraces the Weak
Jn. 21:15 ff. One amazing point in this passage is the fact that Peter himself was not sure that he loved Jesus. Because he now humbled, through his bitter experience, that he is a human being with limitations. That hard experience helped him to depend on God even to love and serve God. But Jesus, knowing Peter's weaknesses, (Jn.13: 37; Mt.26: 33; Mk.14: 29) was willing to love him and use him in a might way. That is what true reconciliation is, the ability to recognize people as Christ sees them and be willing to see what is God doing in them regardless of their mess and weakness. Then, only then, the church can say we are doing the work of reconciliation.
Does that mean overlooking Peoples' weaknesses? No, no at all. But it means the only way we can do reconciliation is when we understand People can be transformed and improved not by being "exbraced" but when they are embraced. Making a limit on people; not embracing them; can never bring change. Change comes when we learn to accept people with their pain and mess. Then grace and love will be tools for pruning. Jesus accepted Peter with his shrewd character. It is after that Peter has learned never to deny and run away. That is why history tells us that he crucified upside down. Because he knew he was loved he was willing to face his deep pain.
Reconciliation is tough love that embraces the person, while it truthfully deals with the person sin and struggles.
Jn.4, In this story Jesus goes to this Samaritan woman. The Jewish people will never go through Samaria. Because they have to be careful for their safety and pride. They always go around it. But this time Jesus Passes through it. And Jesus asks for help from this woman, who is literally poor and an enemy. This woman is completely different from Jesus in three major ways: She is a woman -gender; She is a Samaritan- race; She is Poor-class. Or, in other words, Jesus broke three Jewish cultural norms when he dealt with this woman. The Early Jewish people thanked God for three things:
They would say: "thank you God, for not making me a Woman, a Gentile, and a Slave." But do not forget; she is not only an enemy, but she is also sinful. But he is asking for water. "HELP" He puts himself in a position of being helped before helping her. I think there is a lesson of humiliation for "the settled culture" here. Because Jesus was willing to ask for help from a known enemy, despised character, as well as a different person he crossed culture in all aspects. Of course, in their discussion, Jesus is bringing this woman closer to his kingdom by revealing the sinful truth in her life, telling her that she is not living with a husband now; how to come to the true worship of God: where he tells her regarding the concept of Spirit and truth. This woman, as you all know, became a witness to the Messiah's presence in their town. Jesus did not only embrace this sinful woman but revealed the truth in a very transforming way. As a result she brought many people to Jesus. Tough love is a relationship based on truth that transforms people from a lifestyle of sin to servanthood. What is tough Love? Some People told me: "Making any kind of help unavailable until you meet some requirements. Is that really tough love? Again let us go back and see how Jesus expressed tough Love? He forgave Peter the one who, three times, disown him? He came to you, and me who are sinners and do not know what to do themselves. Tough love is tough that goes and riches beyond the weakness and mess of the sinner. Just like Jesus did to this Samaritan woman. A person who has a tough love will say, "Sorry I am weak, I can not solve all your problems, but know that I am there for you." A person who has a tough love stays when others leave me alone. A person with a tough love comes to me when others stay away. A person with a tough love confronts me with my weaknesses in the goal of constructing me within the context of Agape. One thing the settled culture needs to realize is when we come to this country we did not come only with the pain and its effects. We came here as human beings sinful human beings. The settled culture need not be feel empathy when we are in pain and give us its back when we fail into sin. We are as people who are full of pain as we are full of sin. Pain and suffering does not make us before God more righteous than who did not experienced it. Our righteousness comes only through Christ. The oppressing pain we have been through in Africa is sad. But, the same time, we have been as sinful as the rest of the world. Therefore, we need to be seen as sinners who did pass through a lot of obvious pain. That is why we need real tough love, love that understands our pain but sees beyond our weakness. Tough love is tougher than the weakness of the loved one. If any one claims they have a tough love but that tough love will not end up without a relationship that will have eternal value that is not tough love; that is a failed love. Because Love, by its nature, should end up producing love. You cannot talk about love outside of love. Hatred, selfishness, and anger never produce love. You cannot give tough love in the midst of bitterness. If you have tough love it needs to end up producing a changed loving and humble human being. If it is not resulted in that you need to see at your self and question; if you are doing something else than practicing tough love.






Therefore my appeals to the settled culture are:
1. Do not except us we will become one of you. We may play because of your demands as if we are one of you. Believe me, we will be remaining ourselves in many ways.

2. When we come here we did not come only with our pain, we also came with all our sin and mess. If you only see us as people who have been in pain, not as sinners, you only got quarter of the truth.


To the new comers Specially Africans
If you drive in one of the cities of South Korea you will see a church built of marble. It is a beautiful Church. Amazing work of architecture. But it has its own interesting history. The Japanese colonized Koreans for 35 years. One day, during the colony, there were some Koreans praying in a Church. The Japanese soldiers came and told them to stop praying. Otherwise they will burn the church with the Koreans praying inside. The Koreans continued to pray. The Japanese circled the church and burned the Koreans praying. After many years the Korean Church leaders came and stood on the same ground where they're praying brethren have been burnt. The Japanese church leaders came, kneel down, and asked the Korean church leaders, with tears in their eyes, to forgive them for what the Japanese had done to their people. The Koreans said, "we forgive you!" since that time healing came not only in churches but also in these two respective societies. If we want to bring healing to our cities and societies we need to learn to look beyond the hurts we suffer by others. We need to learn how to be good friends beyond the misunderstanding of our brothers and sisters.
Therefore:
1. Whether you like it or not this is your family. Now we should be willing to learn new things, and be willing to change, to some degree, to the ways of our new family. That is what Ruth did in the Old Testament.
2. Always assume you are loved. When we pass though hurt and unexpected demands it is very easy to fall into the trap of a victim. That opens a lot of room for unease toward each other. The feeling of being a victim will never help for reconciliation. Becarefull!

3. Always in life, assume that you are on this earth not to gain but to give. If you lead that kind of life style that is a powerful message. In your relationship, always think first how you can help than you can be helped.
5. Americans are human beings and they need to be loved as we are loved. Therefore, as Immigrants, and Refugees, we need to learn to accept them not only when the y do good to us. But when they make a cultural mistake.
Some Useful Steps to take:
1. Never take a step while you are in bitterness. Learn to deal with yourself first.
2. Never leave a place without reconciling and doing your part.
3. Do not open your mouse to respond to every accusation; Remember Jesus did not open his mouth. Those people who really love you will love you with your pain and mess. Because they do understand the meaning of agape.
4. Learn to see the people who are hurting you as a gift from God to humble and prune you.
5. Learn to focus on God. Make him your best friend. People who will make God their best friend will have less problem loving, and living, embodying forgiveness lifestyle even when they are accused and misunderstood by others.
6. When you love, you are a powerful weapon against a wall of hostility.
7. Learn to tell the truth in love. Let people know your weakness with the fact that it is only through Christ you are strong.