It's hard to let go. It's hard to take what you've learned, what you've seen God do, and give it back to Him. We want to keep our treasures, and hold on to what we know, what's comfortable and what's safe. At our team debrief, we rafted the nile river, and a couple people (myself included) went bungee jumping. God was still teaching me, still pursuing me, as I know He was doing with the entire team. God taught me on this trip just what it means that He is a jealous God. He burns with passion for each one of us, and He will not relent in pursuing us. He is the most fiery and passionate lover we could ever imagine, and we are the focus of that love; burning fiery love, for our God is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:29) Even though we're home now, life has just begun. The trip wasn't an end, it was a beginning. He's not finished. Just because the location's different, doesn't mean that God doesn't move here in the states as much as He does in Africa. To assume that He can only use us overseas is assuming that He is much much smaller than He is. God is SOO BIG!!!! but we insist on shoving Him into our little boxes of what's comfortable, of what's safe, of what we know. Just like C.S. Lewis wrote in the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, "Safe?" said Mr. Beaver [...] "Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you." Our God is not a God of the safe. He's not the God of business as usual. He's not the God of dead religion. He is the living breathing Lion of Judah. My Jesus did not die so we can do church once a week. He didn't die so we can live like He doesn't exist, and go about with business as usual. Jesus came to shake things up, to turn things upside down, because the kingdom is completely backwards to the world. He didn't come to bring peace, but division. He came to cast fire on the earth (Luke 12:49) He came to disrupt business as usual, and He came to represent the father, and to set us free from ourselves, our sin, and our dead religion. Are you satisifed with singing a couple worship songs on a sunday and then chilling in front of the tv, acting like Jesus isn't there? are you satisifed with the midless entertainment that we pump ourselves full of? We serve a God who baptizes with the Holy Spirit and with fire, and we think He's boring. We think that we're obligated to go to church, or to worship, or to pray or to read our bibles. Is that all this Christian life is? Boring religious olbigation? I don't think so. Jesus is filled with passion for you. For all of us. He died the most brutal death any human being could undergo, and He went beyond that. He suffered spiritual death so we wouldn't have to. He became sin. He was perfect, but He BECAME the very essense of sin, the very thing His father couldn't even bear to gaze upon. Yet we don't care. We don't even think about it. We're too caught up with our own busyness and our own stuff. We're too full of this flannel on a board image of Jesus, this nice, safe, happy hippy looking dude who just wants everybody to get along. 

We always assume that we are the good soil in the parable. But what if we're the rocky or the thorny soil? What if the cares of life choke out the life? We think that we're just fine, we think we've got it all together and figured out; but we're realy broken, naked, desperately in need of God's touch. We've become just like the church of Laodicea in Revelation. "Because you say, 'I am rich, and have gotten riches, and have need of nothing;' and don't know that you are the wretched one, miserable, poor, blind, and naked; I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, that you may become rich; and white garments, that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see" (REV. 3:17-18)

There's so much more of God than we think. But we have to let go of what we think we know about God, and let Him REVEAL himself to us. It's not about us at all.. It never has been. It's all about God. He's shaping and molding us into His likeness. Granted we will never complete that journey, but every day, we must give everything back to God, get over ourselves, and let Him have His way. We have to stop living safe, stop living for ourselves, and really passionately pursue God. 

He's a gentleman; He's not going to force Himself on us. We have to open the door. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.(Rev 3:20) There's a whole new world of adventure and excitment waiting for us in God. but we have to lose what we think we know, lose our preconceived notions of what this life looks like, and dive headfirst into what God has in store for us. It's scary, but this is an interesting picture that the Lord gave me while I was getting ready to bungee. 

Standing on the edge of that tower looking down at the nile river 145 feet below you is a bit of a freaky feeling.. not knowing what it's going to feel like free falling off of it messes with your head. It's a bit like moving into a new season of life. God reveals a little part of it, and you can see it, but you have no idea what it's going to feel like, or what's going to happen. You're standing on the edge, with every preparation you need. But God's not going to push you off, you have to take that plunge. You have to trust God and let go, and just dive in. And when you do, when you let go of the fear you felt at first, when you let go of your uneasiness about the unknown and jump in, then you have the thrill of your life as God takes you to new places you never knew anything about. 

So if you're standing on the edge of a new season in life, and you're a little freaked out, jump. Let go and jump. There was a bungee t-shirt at Adrift riverbase where we stayed for debrief that I think sums this idea up very well. "I'd rather be scared to death than bored to death." 

How on earth can we be bored with a God who sits above the circle of the earth? Who measures the waters in the palm of His hand? Who wraps himself with light as with a garment? Who baptizes with fire? Who died for us, even when we are the most undeserving wretches? Who is described as an all consuming fire? 

God is not boring. Life without God is boring. Ephesians 5:14 "for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said:"Wake up, O sleeper,rise from the dead,and Christ will shine on you." 

From the first time we stepped into the guest house in Bugolobi, Kampala Peter, an employee there has been serving us with the utmost care and diligence. We have stayed in this guest house nearly every weekend and for over two weeks doing ministry actually in and around Bugolobi. Peter has always been there with the biggest smile we have ever seen. His heart is for ministry but work keeps him so busy that he has just made his work his ministry. Peter actually works two or three jobs, sometimes it is hard to understand him because of his accent.

Last weekend I found out that Peter, a guy who I do not even think knows how to offend people, was poisoned. He was in the hospital for two days and lost a lot of weight. I am not sure how it happened but apparently someone at his other job got mad at him and put something in his food. He is a strong fella and was back on his feet by Saturday night at the guest house but was clearly VERY sick. He looked as if he had been run over by a Boda.

So Sunday morning came around and I went to find Peter to pray for him and see if I could do anything for him. All he asked is that we go to church with him that morning.

We split the team, thanks to the wisdom of Candis and K-Dub, and five went to Resurrection Church, our support church, and seven went with Peter who practically stumbled to the taxi stage two blocks away. We took a cab and got out a block from the church in an unfamiliar part of downtown Kampala. Peter led the way up four flights of stairs pausing every few steps to catch his breath and his balance. As we walked into church we received the normal welcome white people get here; we sat on the front row, I gave a "word," we all introduced ourselves in front (with a mic turned up WAY to loud), and had a great time plugging our ears as someone talked.

The time came for worship. The team got up to dance and sing and up jumps Peter greeting each person with a huge smile and joining right in as if nothing were wrong. My only thought was that at any minute this guy was going to collapse from exhaustion, but he did not sit down. He danced. Peter danced unlike anyone I have ever seen. My eyes came to tears when I realized that the only reason he danced was to praise God, for he was alive; the poison had failed. With a drip IV still in his arm Peter danced and smiled and sang for close to forty-five minutes.

Mr. Bojangles was the comparison that came to mind as I sat there in awe of this child of God, this brother of mine. But perhaps David would work as well, or the man Jesus healed by the well and gave him back his legs. Anyway we look at it God LOVES to make us dance. That Sunday morning heaven was alive with joy, my heart shook, rattled and rolled and Peter danced before the King of Glory.

Later that day he was back in the hospital and I have not been able to get any word on how he is doing. Please pray for our amazing brother Peter. He has touched many lives and longs to do more. We have only one more week here and Mbale so far has been great. Two more days of ministry here and we are off to Jinja for debriefing before our flight on the 30^th. I love you all and appreciate your prayers and support.

Joseph