Because He is.

“But, dear Israel, you'll also realize that I am God when I respond to you out of who I am, not by what I feel about the evil lives you've lived, the corrupt history you've compiled. Decree of God, the Master.”

Ezekiel 20:44 (msg)

Wow. Read that again. Let it sink in. After reading this verse the other day (a great friend shared), I was left in awe of my God. How humbling it is to realize that God responds to us not by the way He feels about our past or the way we have lived; but, we have a God who responds out of WHO HE IS. (This is where I want to jump up and down). Now this wouldn’t make much sense if you didn’t know the character of God. Let me just break it down for you a little: God is patient, gracious, merciful, powerful, caring, all-knowing, loving, kind, just, awesome… I could continue, but hopefully you understand. His response to us is a direct reflection of that beautiful character. It brings tears to my eyes to know that I serve a God whose reply to me doesn’t rely on me… It is a chance for me to realize that: He is God.

Reflect on that today and be thankful. God is good.

-Mads

Make a difference for one.

“Sometimes I would like to ask God why He allows poverty, suffering, and injustice when He could do something about it. –Well, why don’t you ask Him?- Because I am afraid He would ask me the same question.”

Over the last three months, I have witnessed more hurting, poor, sick, lonely, and needy people than I have seen in my whole life. Initially, I was overwhelmed with the great need of some many people. It broke my heart to see children needing families, parents struggling to provide and survive, and groups of people distressed beyond comprehension. I didn’t even know how to swallow these emotions and overcome the feeling of helplessness (exactly what these people were feeling in the other extreme). After a few weeks, these emotions began to mellow and I was able to see the situation without the flood of emotions and in light of what I really had to offer. I came to understand that these people needed hope. They need Christ.

I have been wrestling with the balance of knowing these people need Christ, but also knowing these people needed practical daily needs too. In the past, many churches have struggled with the balance of faith and works. I struggled with knowing what was right and happened to stumble upon a book that I would highly recommend (it was recommended to me by a dear friend): “The Hole in our Gospel” by Richard Sterns. In one of the chapters, Richard discusses the issue exactly. He takes his readers straight to the passage in Ephesians 2:8-10 that says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” Right there in the book of Ephesians it settles it: We are saved by faith for His good works. [It was like my eyes were opened wide!] God doesn’t call us just to have faith, but to carry out His good works that He has prepared for us. After establishing this, I was still left with the question: What does this mean for me?

This brings me to a story that I read that really changed my perspective:

One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed
a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean.

Approaching the boy, he asked, “What are you doing?”

The youth replied, “Throwing starfish back into the ocean.
The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die.”

“Son,” the man said, “don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish?
You can’t make a difference!”

After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish,
and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said…”
I made a difference for that one.”

The Lord is calling me. Not to become overwhelmed with the great need, but to pick one star fish up at a time and make a difference. He is calling me to make a difference in word and deed in one person’s life at a time. I am praying that the Lord would continue to do a work in my heart and that He would break my heart for the things that break His. Thanks for reading friends. I also pray that the Lord would do the same thing in your lives, in your community and in your own home.

“Then the King will say, “I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me- you did it to me.” Matthew 25:40 MSG

-Mads

Prayer Request:

-Wisdom and discernment for future job/mission [financial and prayer support]

-Stewardship of the finances the Lord has blessed me with

-Opportunities to share my faith to those I encounter

-Health and Safety during this last month in the Philippines

Jesus Won.

"Your soul's business is in the hand of a High Priest who can be touched with the feeling of your infirmities...He well knows that world through which you are struggling, for He dwelt in the midst of it thirty-three years. He well knows 'the contradiction of sinners', which so often discourages you, for He endured it Himself (Heb. 12:3). He well knows the art and cunning of your spiritual enemy, the devil, for He wrestled with him in the wilderness. Surely with such an advocate you may well feel bold.

Are you alone in the world, and neglected by those who ought to love you?

So also was Jesus.

Are you misunderstood, misrepresented, slandered and persecuted?

So also was Jesus.

Do you ever feel great agony and conflict of mind? Do you feel in darkness as if God has left you?

So did Jesus.

It is impossible to conceive a Savior more suited to the wants of man's heart than our Lord Jesus Christ--suited not only by His power, but by His sympathy--suited not only by His divinity, but His humanity...[He] is the most loving and sympathizing of friends, as well as the mightiest and most powerful of Saviors....you want no comfort...so long as you can repose your weary soul on the Man Christ Jesus." ~J.C. Ryle, Holiness, pp.240-242

[taken from Girltalk Blog]

May you rest in the fact that Jesus knows. He can relate. Everything is going to be OK. Jesus won.

-Mads

My favorite Filipino Fruits!

Everyone knows that tropical countries have the best fruit. The Philippines has held true to this statement and exceeded my expectations. I have enjoyed some of the best fruits since arriving in January and I want to share with you some of my favorites!

1. Ube: a purple root crop that grows on the ground. My favorite is Ube ice cream!

2. Langka: also known as Jack Fruit that grows on a tree; I like Langka yogurt!

3. Coconut: Most Americans know what a coconut is, but most have not had one fresh off of a tree, cut open and a straw stuck in to drink the juice!

4. Pomelo: From the outside it looks like a melon, from the inside it looks like a pink grape fruit; however, it’s not bitter like a grapefruit at all!

5. Calamansi: Its about 1/3 the size of a golf ball; mandarin orange meets a lime; Sometimes Filipinos mix it with soy sauce and put it on fish! Calamansi juice is so refreshing and tasty!

6. Mango: You haven’t had a good mango until you’ve had a mango from the Philippines! I arrived just in time for mango season and I can’t get enough of them. Note: You don’t eat the skin!

7. Dalandan: They are about the size of a lime, but look like a tangerine on the inside! We passed these out on Outdoor Education at the elementary school! The kids loved them!

8. Banana: Who knew that anyone loved bananas more than me? Filipinos have so many ways to eat bananas! They eat Banana Lumpia (wrapped in a tortilla and fried), Banana-Que (like BBQ but a banana), Banana chips and just plain ol’ bananas. They are much smaller than the bananas in the states and have much more flavor!

9. Durian: Also known as “stinky fruit”; I haven’t worked up enough courage to try this fruit yet, but I thought I would share. This fruit gets is affectionately named because of the putrid smell it gives off. People say it tastes better than it smells, but why would you eat a fruit that you have to hold your nose to even get close?

10. Lychee: I had this fruit cut up in a juice. It is a white-ish pulp with a “perfume” fragrance.

So there you have it, ten fruits that I have encountered in the Philippines. I am going to go through fruit-withdrawals when I come back to the states! I better eat as much of it as I can now while it is readily available! Thanks for reading.

-Mads

Relax.

This weekend I went away to Puerto Galera- Big La Laguna for March break. This was a great break away from the hustle and bustle of a busy city with so many people to a calm and relaxing beach with a few people here and there. On Monday, Kim (my roomie), Daniel (her son), Becca (another friend and teacher at Faith) and I set off for the Batangas Port to catch a boat to Big La Laguna. We arrived there in plenty of time to catch the 10:50 boat. The ride over was not too rough and seemed to go by quickly; however, Daniel was definitely not a fan of riding on the boat. After arriving we checked into the resort and had lunch before heading out to the water. It was awesome to walk out on your porch, go down a few steps and be right on the ocean front in the sand! The next few days were spent on the beach, snorkeling in the ocean and reading. (Three of my favorite things!)

One night at dinner, Becca and I were talking and all of a sudden I felt a slight shaking. I quickly caught her gaze and realize that she wasn’t pushing on my chair. After checking the news, we realized that there was a 5.4 earthquake on Mindoro Island. (I had just experienced my first earthquake.) It was very brief and nothing like what the people in Japan experienced; however, it was a great reminder to pray for these people who experienced far worse and are still recovering from the devastation.

One afternoon, we were playing in the sand and hanging out on the beach when a young boy, about 7 years old, came up and started to play with Daniel. We soon found out that this precious boy’s name was Glenn. Glenn stuck around for the rest of the week. He entertained Daniel at meals, on the beach and at snack time! It was fun to see Glenn speak in Tagalog to Daniel and to hear Daniel make up his own version of Tagalog in response!

The last day we took a boat out to snorkel at the Coral Gardens and another site that was full of giant clams. This was my first snorkeling experience (and boy was I in for a treat!). I have never seen such awesome things under the water. We saw clown fish (Nemo), a blue tang (Dory), and Moorish Idol (Scar)! We also saw some beautiful star fish and box fish. I was also able to see the biggest clam that I have ever seen in my whole life! After we snorkeled, we headed back to the port at Sabang to take a boat back over to Batangas. I was a little curious why there was only one boat in the afternoon, but I was soon to find out. We hopped on the boat and started out over the water. Much to my dismay, the boat encountered pretty big waves and splashes. I was a little nervous and gripped the side rail until my knuckles turned white. I was reminded of the song that says, “Sometimes He calms the storm, and sometimes He calms His child.” (Although this was not an actual big storm…) I began to pray that I would be calmed or that somehow these waves would steady. Soon, I was able to see the other port and noticed that I was not holding quite as tightly and the ways were not quite as high.

The Lord has been so faithful to remind me of His faithfulness in the little things. The small things that I once would pass by now stand out! Thanks for reading.

-Mads