Just To Brag A Little

I recently found an old quote I had written down from a sermon in my journal. “We are often to slow to brag on God.” Countless Psalms say I will declare the greatness of our God! And as we look at Isreal we see what can happen as we forget.

God has been good and I don’t want to forget so here, let me just brag on what God has been up to around me recently.

My Spanish is getting better little by little. I am finding out it is not something you can master in a day, but God is using it as a tool to teach me so many things. I still use abuse the Spanish language, as I plow through conversations with almost complete disregard for my lack of proper grammar, but I have some good friends here who (with a bit of effort can decipher what I am trying to say)

God is really burdening my heart about lots of things. I think He is growing in me more of a heart for missions.

God has been very faithful. I’ve developed a list of things I pray for very frequently. That God would grow my burden for people sprouted out a growing love for Christ. That God would burden my heart for the field in which He desires to use me. Wisdom, perseverance, passionate contentment, and guidance. Also opportunities to utilize this ability He is allowing me to acquire. (particularly over break if he would have me to go home)

In a town not 10 min from my house there is a large Spanish speaking population that to my knowledge is predominantly catholic (for the most part souly because of heritage) and as far as I know fairly unreached. I’ve been praying over starting a work there. More or less if God would want me to pursue that, for there is certainly a need. So while I am here I am attempting to learn to play soccer so I can possibly utilize that as an avenue to befriend some Latinos and share the Gospel. Also I have thought and prayed some about trying to partner with a church or Youth for Christ (which has a facility in the town) about offering free English lessons as another outreach avenue. (Using the Bible often in teaching grammar of course. =] sneaky Christians)  All this hoping to do a church plant of a Spanish church under the canopy of another existing church. I don’t see myself being the pastor of a Spanish speaking church in the states, but quite possibly helping to plant a work to reach these people with the gospel. Who knows. I know nothing about church planting but this is just something that has come to my mind and heart. I don’t know if anything with come of it but something you are more than welcome to join me in praying for. I have prayed that God would bring up a Godly (in my mind preferably Latino) man to be used in this.

So I’ve been praying about those things as they have been on my mind. In all honesty not tirelessly like I ought (lest I paint a false impression that I am turning into the ideal… something… and this has anything to do with my faith) Also praying over whether the Lord would have from me to return in December. I didn’t have total peace it was what He wanted.

I actually don’t know if I told you of His incredible provision form my first ticket (that I also didn’t have the money for) I didn’t have money for a ticket and that was kind of the deciding factor of whether I would come on graduation day last year... Here is the story…

Last year at my graduation from first year, I was thinking about where God might be leading me. I had gotten accepted to go to Argentina but didn’t have the money for a plane ticket. I was simply praying along the lines of “God if this is going to happen, you are going to have to show up in a great way! This doesn’t make sense to me. If this is what you want you are going to have to provide the way and make it clear.” While I was thinking over this we stood up to sing a closing hymn. Great is thy Faithfulness. The word of the song struck me “all I have needed, your hand have provided” and I felt a great piece. If it was His will He would provide. As we sat down they announced a scholarship I knew nothing about, it covered over half my plane ticket! How great is God! All the rest of that expense he provided as well! I was floored to see God incline His ear to my prayer and truly answer in such a real way. I felt great confidence this is what my life was supposed to look like. Simply saying yes to God not necessarily understanding… But once he has your yes, He will provide the rest.

And now for a second ticket to return for the second half of the year I had no money for. (and not having peace about just burdening my parents with this) began to pray whether I just need to pay the smaller fee of changing my flight from December to the end of July. (Remaining here for the month of December)

And now the answers and the testimony to God’s faithfulness. (more recently) Last week when I talked to my parents my Dad told me they found $600 in the first bank I had used as a child. (Half the cost of another ticket) Huge blessing! If that weren’t enough, my father preceded to tell me that our church had had a 5K run to support a scholarship fund. Which dad participated in (very proud! =]) but more importantly he told me this. Tara Molear who was visiting ran as well and while she ran she meet a Mexican man from Sturgis named Jorge. (If you know Tara, you know the heart the Lord has given her for evangelism) So naturally she begins to witness to Him. Apparently he was rather receptive and asked “do you have anything you think I could read about all this?” Tara enthusiastically replied “Well I would give you a Bible!” He took it gladly (it was in English, my church is working on getting some Spanish ones =] but don’t worry he is bilingual)

After the race my Dad talked to the man and told him his son. (Me) was studying Spanish in Argentina so he could tell people about Jesus. When Dad told him I’d be back in December and that I needed to practice Spanish and loved to talk about the Bible Jorge replied, “great bring him over!”

Can I just say ”!!!!!!!!”

God is good. Review His faithfulness it will do your heart well, it also just so happens to be Biblical. Make his name known among the people! Let us all become quicker to brag of our great and glorious God.

Growing, Serving, and Being Prepared by Christ,

Josiah Brondyke

A Brand Snatched From The Fire

I sit down to write with no particularly profound thought to share simply a greatful and challenged heart.

I am particularly grateful because I have gotten a chance to review Gods faithfulness in my life over the past few years. I would encourage you to do the same. God is GOOD.

I have been in Argentina for quite some time now (passed the one month hurdel a while back) and the PBB program has not yet fallen to pieces by the grace of God. That is a phrase you will hear a lot from students here. "Cómo te fue hoy?" "Muy bueno por la gracia de Dios" I have pondered the last few days how I feel about how often it arises. I am a large proponent of words keeping their value and it’s sad to see that even the truest of phrases can become trite. But as I continued to consider this I was struck with just how true those words hold, whether we think of it at all times or not. I appreciate that I hear it most from men that truly seem to realize God's grace in their lives. Palabra de Vida (Word of Life) has a good relationship with an institute in Cordaba which helps people get back on their feet after a drug addiction, or other pit falls which are so common in our culture. Many students after they finish study here, many of them are those who have made “By the Grace of God” a phrase constantly on their lips. I have been touched by getting to know people who seem to truly grasp God's grace in their lives.

Grace given to all of us! God didn't have to reach lower to reach some. It was His miraculously far reaching hand that grasped any of us brands from the fire (Zechariah 3:1-6)

That makes my brain skip to another lesson I have been being taught recently. Our current Bible class is Missions Reality. My professor is a man by the name of Jim Herndon who has served as a missionary for many many years. A portion of our time in the class has been spent on examining the modern missions movement and the men and women God has used over the past few centuries to shake this word once again. Please take a little time and consider these men and women. It was only an hour or so of the class but to hear of their stories, their hearts, convictions, and devotion to the Lord deeply challenged me. (Read Daisy Chains by Amy Carmichael. I want to be a sentry) Forgive me as I challenge you reading to do something I did not do with my whole heart in the past. I pray I did not set my heart to this task solely because I had not considered it. Although I fear selfishness was also close to the heart. Be a missionary… right where you are, if that is where the Lord has for you…. if its not… move. But whoever you can touch, reach out to. No, perhaps you may not be the next William Carey, Robert Livingston, or Hudson Taylor, but you do not know how far God could carry your obedience to his call on your life today…. Here is an example…

            The year is 1708, 23 miles northwest of Lincoln, England. A fire broke out on a cold winter night. The family is gathered a safe distance away from the wooden structure. To their absolute horror, they see the panic stricken face of a five year old boy in the second floor window. No one can enter the house due to the flames. A neighbor runs to the house and calls for another to climb onto his shoulders another and another until they reach the small boy and take him from the fire and return Him to his weeping mother. The name of this young boy was John Wesley. He was a brand snatched from the fire.

This John Wesley grew to be a powerful street preacher who inspired young William Carey to consider missions work. It is this William Carey who became known as the father of the Modern Missions Movement. Started by this one snatched from the fire.

What does any of this have to do with you dear blog reader? My thought is simply this you do not know how far God will carry how he uses you today. The random store clerk you lead to the Lord, the trouble making kid in your neighborhood you show the love of Christ. They may be the next generation of those who do great things for God, or they may not. Either way God has given you time for which you much give an account Matt. 12:36. God wants us to be good stewards of the time He has given. See faces in windows; look for how you Lord may want to use you.