Representing Jesus to Others

Hello everyone,

Eric writing this time - I wanted to take a moment and share with you an amazing lesson I learned from a class I am currently taking.  As some of you know I am currently enrolled in classes at Global University where I am studying Bible and Theology. I started taking these classes because of the work we are going to do in Somerset, England.  However, the lessons and personal growth I am experiencing from the course work has been just amazing for my daily walk with God and has been useful in situations I have encountered here as well.

I am currently studying Jesus' life and how He is represented, or how it was recorded, in the synoptic gospels (which include Matthew, Mark, and Luke). They are called the synoptic gospels because the three of them tell the story of Christ in a similar way but from different view points.

In studying, I found it fascinating that even though the different gospel authors each tell the same story they were impacted differently and highlighted how that transformed their lives. What impacted them the most or what they knew would impact their audience the most comes out in their writing.  While their differences has brought up many discussions between theologians they can be explained by looking at how each author would approach the subject being written about. Matthew and Mark would write differently since their original audiences were Jewish and Gentile, respectively, and would come from different backgrounds with different understanding.  While one author may focus more on setting his reader up to understand Jesus' ministry chronologically another would combine similar teaching so his reader would be able to focus on the bigger lessons that were taught.

Going into this course there were details about the gospels that I was aware of from other sermons, classes, and studies.  While I knew Mathew wrote to the Jews while Mark wrote to more of a Gentile audience; I didn't pay attention to how this affected their representation of the events they recorded.  I didn't realize how their backgrounds and their intention for writing changed what they viewed as important enough to be recorded. I want to be careful to make it clear, they were not sharing different gospels, all three wrote the same message or the same savior, they just emphasized what would be needed for their audience to understand that message.

This has all been a very interesting lesson as I sit in my quiet times and talk with God. I think about our future ministry in England and how we are going to reach this different culture. This means I need to be able to share the fundamental message of the gospel in away that illuminates the aspects their culture will understand and relate too.  Like the gospel writers I need to give an accurate representation of Christ while stressing the different factors, lessons, and prominent facts they would be able to easily grasp.  I think about how to best teach people who Jesus is and what His mission truly was.  When I talk with people do I included what is relevant to their situation or do I simply state the stories and verses I have rehearsed since childhood?

When Jesus taught, he approached people where they were at and used parables and comparisons that included situations and materials they would be familiar with. He used the every day life they knew to help explain the mystery of the kingdom He came to bring.  He taught faithfulness, grace, and the need for forgiveness through stories of farming, working for a boss, and owing a debt to a judge.  When He was teaching Jews he would use the scriptures and proverbs that they would have been familiar with and heard from other rabbis. When the author's of the gospels wrote they followed His example and used a language and methodology that their original readers would understand and connect with.  We should be doing this when we share the gospel, sharing God's love in truth but in  a way that people will understand.

As I stated above, sometimes having different view points recorded of the same event leads to disruptions and conflicts. For me it is interesting that the more I learn from the different views the more I am able to build a fuller picture of who God is.  Each gospel in its own way reflects the love and mercy of God that shines through the faithful and sacrificial ministry of His Son, Jesus. Each author shows the grace and forgiveness we are offered through the sacrifice of Christ's death that was required for our debt that we couldn't pay.  Their main focus, woven through out their story is God's desire to save us and restore the relationship that was lost so long ago.  The same focus that Jesus had when He taught His parables to the listening public.

How do you see Jesus?  Are you trying to share his love with others in your life?  Are you aware of His love but unaware of the passion and heart that He sowed into His time on earth? Or, are you trying to understand that His love and grace are there for you too. That like the original audience of the gospel you are invited to be a part of the family of God that Jesus so often talked about?
Do you see the Jesus that is represent in the the gospels, the view that has been collaborated through other sources, or the version that Hollywood has concocted through poorly done research?

I challenge you, no matter where you are at - to pick up one of the gospels. They all show Jesus and one of them is written in a way the will help you understand His journey on earth and His sacrifice for you.

God Bless,
Eric M.

Sharing at churches

Good evening, 

We have been home for a month now and it is still feeling like we haven't stopped moving.. but that is good.  We were blessed a few Sunday's ago to have a chance to share with our home church what we learned at our Pre-Field Training in April. It was so good to be back with our church family and to get to thank them for their support in sending us off. 

That Sunday we shared, were prayed over by our church, and Eric got to lead communion. He shared the lesson we learned about the cross. That while we see the cross as big enough to cover the gap when we are first saved it tends to not stay big enough. That the more we learn about God's righteousness and the more aware we are of the depravity of our sin we tend to think that the cross isn't big enough to cover that gap.  So we fill it in with 'religious standards' or 'good works' or we downplay God's law...  because we think we need to help the cross. But the truth is that the cross has always been and always will be big enough to cover the gap between us and God. 

We were also blessed this Sunday to share at New Life Church in Pulaski. We are so excited to partner with them as we continue to strive towards the goal God has set before us. It was great to get to share our heart and the need in England. While there we got to meet some amazing people and look forward to building on those relationships.

Next week we are off to Grace Bible church to share then we will get to attend our home church before making a visit to some of our partner churches. 

 - if you believe your church may be interested in hearing about the youth/young adult ministry we are going to start in England, please let me know. We would love to share some information with you and them to see if we can set up a time to share.

~Megan

This popped up on Facebook

This came up in my memories from 2 years ago, we were commissioned by GEM and then sent home to start our fundraising training so that we could start fundraising that summer.

This journey that God has been leading us on has been one of the scariest, hardest, most difficult, faith demanding,  self denying, God relying seasons in my life. But in it - beyond the moments of fear, doubt, loss, and release has been some of the biggest God providing, God speaking, God leading moments I have ever experienced. 

When we started I thought I could plan it all out, that I could  rationalize and organize it so that it would be a minor inconvenience to make a major change. I thought I had learned about sacrifice and understood my faith to be strong.  BUT God had so much more in store. He isn't worried about my schedule or my organized lists... He, in all his devine grace, is worried about my heart..about me becoming more like Him,  heaven focused leaving the things of this world behind.

One thing we covered at training was that God isn't just worried about or focused on the ministry to the people we are going to serve - even if that's all we can see. He is also just as focused on me and invested in our growth and the ministry we have to our family, friends, and partners here. It stood out, that tiny two letter word in the middle of the sentence.  God is really going to use this time to invest in me and worry about my growth? When we started I was looking at this season of 'in-between' as just a time to rush through and use to get to the final point (UK). But God, as my loving Father, saw this time as a chance to grow me and help me.

And He has.. like I said above.. I have learned so much about me and about my God. It is still hard, when the partner meeting is canceled, when the church says they can't support missionaries going to a first world country, when I want so badly to raise our little one in a home all our own, when I talk with youth in England and I just want to be there ministering, when you can't give a leaving date because it's not in your power to make it happen at that time no matter how hard you try... we (as missionaries) don't admit that often because we are supposed to seem like we have an unshakable faith and complete battle plan... but I am human and the journey is long....

BUT GOD gives grace and there's those moments when someone who never thought of England starts praying for the people,  when we meet missionaries at conferences who were where we are twenty years ago but have been on the field eversince, when after crying out to God he brings up a verse or song, when we are counting the days and we get an encouraging  text or card from a partner, when another person sees God's plan for Somerset and joins our team...

I have learned about leaving, loving, counting the cost, and listening. I have seen God move and comfort and provide. I am so excited to see what he does next.. not just when we get to England but as we wait here in the 'in-between'. What I all didn't know when this picture was taken makes me amazed at how much God still has to show me and makes me wonder what I will be able to write when we take out first picture in England. 

Thank you for taking this journey with us.  ♡

We finished training

2 Corinthians 4:1-12

"Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways;we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.  For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.  For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side,but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body.  So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you."

We worked on memorizing the above verse during out time at CIT.  It has so many great reminders and points to focus on, not only now as we continue to work towards the goal God has set before us but once we are on the field serving the people in England.  The first line alone helps us keep our focus - we have this ministry because of God's mercy.. there is no reason for us to ever lose heart because we are just servants in His ministry. He is the one who is in control. 

We talked a lot about the fact that God's heart is for the people on the field AND for our growth as we prepare here (and serve there). That is so easy to forget! We can so easily put all our efforts and thoughts into the future, and we can look at the time it takes to get there as wasted.  We rush through waiting periods, trying to get to the finished moment - whether it is marriage, having a baby, getting the new job, or starting a ministry over seas.  We train ourselves to think of the end product - we miss the journey and what God is doing before then. We miss the joy of being engaged, the little moments of pregnancy, and the lessons of the heart that grow us for the field. We focus on everything that has to be done for others that we forget that God also cares about our heart through the whole process.

Working hard in class

We had such a great time learning and being poured into by the facilitators at the campus. I look forward to sharing nuggets of our lessons with you guys over the next few months.  There is so much that we took in and I know it will take a while for us to process it all. 

We passed training (we even have a certificate to prove it 😃) and are making our journey home. Little did we know we would be leaving beautiful mountain view with 75* weather to be driving towards a record setting blizzard. Thankfully we made it to my parents house (in Milwaukee) before the snow hit there. We are now camped out here until we can head home to Green Bay.  

Hope you are staying warm :)   

Me and Baby on a break from class

Pre field training

 Hello everyone!

     I hope you all had a blessed Easter. Ours was different as it was (the first of many) not spent at home with our family.  Instead we spent it in North Carolina as we complete our required pre-field training. However we did get to host a wonderful night with the other missionaries here on campus. We all got together and had a potluck Easter dinner... it was such a great time of fellowship, and even though we are all new friends, our hearts bind us. While I missed my family and our traditions, it was wonderful to have this time with these amazing people. Instead of longing for home it made me long for our future holidays - where we can minister to the young adults and families in England who might not have the option of a healthy, happy, family holiday.

 Let me start by saying a big thank you for all of your support and prayers during this time. We were blessed to be able to attend the training slightly earlier than we were supposed to. Our organization generally requires missionaries to be over 70% when attending. However the next 3 dates are all either weeks before or after our due date.. I couldn't imagine taking these classes while dealing with a newborn. Thank you for your prayers while we are attending. I have been dealing with sickness (just sinus and coughs) but they have taken their toll on my already tired body. This has made it harder for me to sleep through the night, which means poor Eric isn't sleeping through the night either.  Please pray for health, rest, and stamina.

We are currently half way through our time here in North Carolina. I am so happy that our organization required this of us. While the days seems long, with a full class schedule before and after lunch, it has all been great information.  Eric and I both feel we are becoming as prepared as possible for the field. We are enjoying the classes in contextualization, cultural communications, mind styles, the heart of the mission, culture shock, team building, how to strengthen marriage and children, and so many more topics.

It has been great to be part of the fellowship here on campus, as we are all in one apartment complex for the month. Being around so many other who understand the journey, struggle, and hope has been really encouraging.  We even met a couple on their way to Germany and another lady from GEM.

I need to get some homework done but I will check in again before we leave this little bubble of training.
 

The cafeteria on campus

Baby (Stephen) and I say 'Hi' on a break during morning class

Eric and I on Easter Sunday

Blessed

It's 2am... I should be sleeping but I can't... I think I took too many naps in the car yesterday,  or drank too much water, maybe it's the food you have to eat as you drive for most of your days (even when you try and be as conscious as possible)... or I am just pregnant. 

I've been using the word blessed a lot lately and it's because  I truly am. Even if I am not where I thought we would be, even if I have worries, concerns,  or struggles. God just by being Him and allowing me in His presences has blessed me. BUT GOD doesn't stop there. He gives me joy, love, family, faith, peace, laughter, support.... He is a good good father. So yes, I may be using the word often... but I can never over claim how much my God has and continues to bless me.

Elim conference

What an amazing spirit led first day of conference. 
Woke up early (5:30am) to head down through huston traffic to Elim Church... it was soo worth it.

Such powerful and prophetic messages given today. So excited to see what God will do in 2018 (the year of redemption)

Two messages this morning, connecting with some good friends we haven't been able to see in months, and then some time to relax in our amazing room... did you know some hotels down here serve free dinner? I didnt.. but it's part of your stay and the food isn't too bad either..

Finished the night off with another great message and some mission prep for next month's pre field training.

I love when God speaks right to your heart and the deepest part of the matter. 

 
 

 
 

Day 2 of Elim.

Message on not giving up ... even when..  especially when... the enemy is discouraging you and trying to make you want to.... God's got a purpose and call on your life and He will complete what He started! 

 

 
 

Well. All good things need to come to an end.. but we take the encouragement,  power,  presence, and memories of the conferences with us. It has been such a blessed time here at both conferences.  We are so thankful for the invite from Pastor Lyn & Deb and for the other missionaries who helped us here at Elim. 

Praying for a tell of our dear missionary friends and look forward to seeing you at the next conference.  

Thank you to our family, partners, and friends who have joined us on this trip through prayer and support. We couldn't have done it with out you. Please continue to pray for see travels home as we head out today. 

Now for our first day of driving home. 

(Special stop - Mangolia Farms) 

Tonight we sleep in Kansas.