Around the World In 80 Days

Ok, so maybe I won't be going around the world, or even taking a trip for 80 days, but I am going to Peru for two weeks this coming August for a missions trip, which is even better. The team has at long last been chosen, and come August, I will be heading south with about eleven others to see what God has in store for us. I am extremely excited to see what God will do in the hearts and lives of myself and the rest of the team. I suspect that it will be a very humbling experience for all of us, as for most of us it will be the first time that we have witnessed severe poverty. I am sure that we will be forced out of our comfort zones, but that God will use it to stretch and strengthen our faith. At this time it is uncertain as to what the purpose of the trip will be, whether it is travelling to various villages to hand out food hampers, working on a building project, or ministering to children, but I am sure that whatever the case God will use us to further His kingdom.

As is the case with any task, this trip must be upheld in prayer, and I would appreciate all the prayer and support we can get. There are many obstacles that we as a team must overcome. Pray for the health and safety of everyone, so that not only are we able to go on the trip, but that we don't catch some crazy jungle viruses while we're down there. Pray that all of the financial support that is needed to make this trip a reality will come in. Pray for unity among team members, as we seek to become closer to each other and closer to God. Also pray that we will be guarded against spiritual attacks, as things are already popping up that may hinder peoples' involvement in the trip. But most importantly, pray that God will do amazing things in the lives of all of us, and that we would walk away from Peru truly changed people. I know it seems like a lot of prayer requests, but I fully believe that prayer is one of the most crucial ingredients when it comes to any missions trip.
In Christ,
Tyler

Giving Up The Driver's Seat

Recently at a youth leaders' meeting, Chris challenged us as to whether we were living lives that fully relied on God, and if that was even attainable. My first reaction was that here in North America, it would be pretty well impossible, as we do not have to completely rely on God for such things as our next meal, things many of us take for granted. But, after further thought, I began to believe that it just may be possible, and, though far from easy, is something that I wish to strive for.

The question of whether we lived lives that were fully dependent on God immediately convicted me, as there are so many times in my life where I want to be in control, or I want to take the credit for things that God has done through me. A prime example of this is playing in a worship band. So often there is this desire to take the credit when the band plays really well, even if I know in the back of my mind that the credit belongs to Someone else. Even if my heart desires to fully rely on God, my mind often has other ideas. I think that Paul greatly understood this internal struggle for control of our lives. In Romans 7:14-20, he writes, "We know the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do- this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it." Now there are more "I do's" in that passage than in most weddings, but I believe that Paul has effectively conveyed the struggle that all of us Christians face.

Shortly after the youth leaders' meeting, some verses were brought to my attention during my devotions that reinforced the idea that apart from God, we can do nothing. In John 15:5-8, Jesus teaches, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." Suddenly I viewed this verse in a new light. Somehow, I had heard this verse countless times without ever really catching its significance. In short, all our attempts to further the kingdom of heaven are completely useless unless God is the One in control. But rather than end on this note, Jesus goes on to offer an amazing promise. Anyone who lets God have complete control of their lives will be given whatever they ask for in Jesus' name and it will be given to them. I believe that this is because if we fully rely on God, His desires will become ours.

I will end with a short analogy that I came up with to describe this. Imagine a skydiver jumping out of a plane several thousand feet above the ground. Although his parachute is right there with him strapped to his back through it all, it is useless to accomplish its purpose if the skydiver chooses to ignore it. If he tries to have a safe landing through his own efforts, he will end up as little more than a gelatinous blob on the pavement below. Yet if he instead chooses the more sensible option and chooses instead to let the parachute do all the work and slow his descent, he will live to skydive another day. In this story, it appears completely stupid to ignore the parachute. Why is it that we find it so much easier to rely on our own strength, when we could instead let the One who created us live through us instead?

The Hottest Thing To Hit The Streets Since Pogs!

Well, its that time of year again. The time of year for establishing elite clubs, that is. As of January 11, 2006, the Stellar Society of Superlatively Smart Singletons was formed, or the Pentastics for short "penta means five, for those of you on the outside looking in". It currently consists entirely of its three founding members: Official President of the Pentastics Andrew W. Nippard, Official Vice-President Stephanie E. McAuley, and myself, Official Head of Security Tyler J. Fehr. All in all, it is a very exclusive group.

Meetings are held via the internet, as we have chapters in Cold Lake, Edmonton, and Sydney, Australia. All decisions must be made by a consensus. The society was formed as a result of all of us being single, and having little else to do on a quiet Wednesday evening, or Thursday morning in the case of the President. The club has a very rich history, dating back to 1986 when its oldest member was born. The theme song is sung by Donkey off of Shrek, and goes as follows: "I'm all alone, there's nobody here besiiiiiide me...". Violence is never used to solve our problems, as we have learned that the pen is mightier than the sword. Also, a stinging remark is often more humorous than an act of violence.

There is limited positions available in the Pentastics, and we are accepting applicants. The requirements are as follows: the applicant must be single, have a high opinion of themselves, and undergo the rigorous and often strenuous entrance exam, also known as the initiation puzzle of Dreadfully Dire Deadly DOOM! Even then, it is up to the founding members to allow admittance. This is not a venture for the weak of heart. You have been warned!

Mythbusters

Recently while reading the book Rumours of Another World by Philip Yancey, there was a passage that leapt off the page at me, one which dispensed with a common misconception that we hold of God and His great love for us. The myth is this: that when we fall into sin, God draws apart from us, until we seek Him out. In fact, the opposite is true. In his book, Yancey writes:"'Adam, where are you?' God called out in the garden. It was Adam, not God, who hid. God takes the initiative to come searching; we are the ones who hide. And Jesus, the Great Physician, sees our sins not as disqualifiers but as the reason for his journey from another world to ours. Rescue is God's business." When I read this, I knew it to be true, yet it was completely opposite to our human misconceptions of God. While it is true that it is sin that separates us from God, it is also true that God never gives up on us, and is constantly pursuing us in the hopes that we will turn from our sinful ways and return to His loving arms.

In Luke 15:4-7, Jesus tells the following parable: "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent." The message of this parable is also reinforced through the parable of the lost coin and the story of the prodical son, and that message is that no matter how badly we may mess up in this life, it in no way deters God from relentlessly pursuing a meaningful relationship with us.

It is important to remember that when we are going through rocky times spiritually, despite how we are feeling, we cannot push God away. He will be there right beside us, but it is up to us to accept His help. In the song Sea of Faces, Kutless writes, "If only my one heart / Was all You'd gain from all it cost / Well I know You would have still been a man / With a reason / To willingly offer Your life." I cannot think of a more encouraging thought than that.