kingdom travelin'

Since today is Pentecost Sunday, I thought it may be apt to consider life in the Holy Spirit. But also our engagement with God. Here are helpful words of Paul from Romans. There is both great hope and thoughtful warning:

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:1-8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

IF one is IN Christ Jesus, there is no condemnation. What incredible hope! Run to Jesus! Trust in Him alone. Daily. “Set your mind”! He will send the Holy Spirit who guides us and moves in us. Wonderful hope.

But Paul gives a contrast at the end of this paragraph…

Don’t set your mind on the flesh.

In this same kind of thought in Col. 3:1-2 he tells the Colossians to “set” their minds on things above.

Lewis said to aim at Heaven and get earth thrown in. Aim at Earth and get neither.

Set your mind each morning and through the day and evening on God.

Today marks 100 days since the enemy invaded Ukraine. I just sent this to some friends inside Ukraine:

On this 100th day of war…

“Тому й ми, маючи довкола себе таку велику хмару свідків, відкиньмо всяку гордість та гріх, що нас легко обплутує, з терпінням прямуймо до тієї боротьби, яка перед нами, дивлячись на Проводиря і Вершителя віри, на Ісуса, Який, незважаючи на сором, замість належної Йому радості перетерпів хрест і сів праворуч Божого престолу.”
Євреїв 12:1-2 УТТ

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12:1-2‬ ‭ESV‬‬

I am filled with hope. I have written a longer update with statistics and stories. You can read it here ⬇️

https://docs.google.com/document/d/17TfByxeodhsbUJ513mDWy-SKlvYTKLE4njDt9xAC7L4/edit

14 weeks ago the enemy expanded and intensified its attacks on Ukraine.

Today begins the fourth month of expanded and intensified battle.

On the second day of the expanded conflict CEO began sending funds inside Ukraine.

As of right now, we have sent $100,462. May God get all glory.

Thank you.

Many have given. We are so grateful. Like our partners in Ukraine, you are God’s hands and feet. Thanks be to God!

Those funds have been used to send 98,573 meals…

… to bomb shelters, cities and otherwise forgotten and bombed villages.

Thanks to generous donors, over 8,000 have received shelter for between 1-4 days as they fled the raging enemy.

They have found a warm welcome, a hot meal and a safe bed. The vast majority move west.

Some ask to stay. Their kids play safely here.

Many hundreds are hosed by individuals in their homes, about 100 persons now live long term at our partner camp. They are living in housing that was retrofitted for this purpose as the war made the need apparent.

Our generous donors helped make this a reality.

When I think about this outpouring of love from total strangers, my heart swells. In 92 days, God has used us, you have trusted us, to send $100,462.48.

Glory to God alone y’all.

Thank you.

Please keep praying for peace.

Please keep praying for our extraordinary partners.

Please pray we can continue to send funds daily.

Thanks be to God!

GIVE: http://www.ceokids.org/give

Biblical love does not rely on behavior. A helpful example is the love of a parent for a child. It doesn’t matter what the child does, the loving parent still loves.

God is a loving Father.

This was perfectly illustrated by Jesus in the well know parable of the Prodigal (lost) Son. When he finally came home, broken and penniless, his father received him gladly. After being forsaken, he still loves that son.

Think of the many stories about men who are incarcerated and forsaken by society. There is one person who never gives up, the mom. She loves him. No matter what.

At the end of chapter 8 of Romans, Paul says.

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,

‘For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom.‬ ‭8:35-39‬ ‭ESV‬‬)

On the way home from church we talked about this with the grandsons. In their respective groups, the limitless love of Christ was the theme. When asked how big is the love of God, the 6 year old said “bigger than the whole universe!”

That just about does it.

All of the things Paul lists are within the created universe.

We’re safe.

Nothing in this whole universe can take us away from God.

We are safe.

Rejoice in this friend.

You are loved.

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭103:1-5‬ ‭ESV‬‬