Gospel

Dear YOU,

In the midst of a crazy busy week where I’m tired and unprepared for the work ahead of me and off my guard, susceptible to ordinary temptation - as I am poured out this week to be filled spiritually before I head to Thailand with a team that humbles me - as I survey the massive list of to-dos and get-dones, I need to spell out the Gospel for myself.

I need to be brought into the throne room.

Who among us is without sin.  No one except Christ.

Oh Lord how far-reaching, how radical, how relentless is your loving grace!  I am counted as righteous for your sake, your glory.  I am shamefully sinful and woefully wicked but you desired me more than I desired you.  You desire me SO THAT I would desire you.  How marvelous is that kind of love!

A love so great that while I was still dead in my sin, you gave me life at the cost of your Son’s.  He was without sin but punished more severely than we will ever know - he spared us from the cup of wrath.

Jesus came to earth to know me, so I could know him, so I could know you!  Jesus consumed death and conquered hell so I would not be bound by either, so I could eternally know you.  A generous, full measure of life has been gifted to me by Christ, for your eternal praise.

But I still fail.  I am often overwhelmed, afflicted, foolish, selfish, and ignorant, and I sin.  This temple you have created of me, I tend to ruin.  It’s never perfect, but it is being perfected.  Your love endures forever.  Your love endures forever.  Your love endures forever.  Forever God is faithful.

After the exile, when the Temple is being rebuilt, people begin to shout for joy.  They are so excited for the work being done, looking forward to a holy future.  At the same time people are shouting for joy, others are weeping loudly - so loudly in fact that Scripture says the sounds of rejoicing and the sounds of weeping were indistinguishable (Ezra 3:10-13).  Amidst the joy over what is to come there was also serious lamenting of what had been lost.  Maybe that’s how God feels about us - with the same mouth that issues Him praise we also defame Him.  His joy over us remains in the righteousness He has given us, but His grief and pain over us comes from our struggle to remain in His love, abiding by obedience to what is True and Life-giving.  

We’ve already been given the Good News, the Gospel.  I find an incredible amount of comfort in the fact that God knows our struggles - He expects it - He paid the price for it.  That struggle is not eternal though - I find rest in the age to come.  “Ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun.  I’ve no less days to sing God’s praise than when I first begun.”

And I’m still singing.

The God-given Task

What gain has the worker from his toil? I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man.

I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away.

Ecclesiastes 3:9-15

God created each of us for something, but what is that something?  If eternity is written on our hearts, each of our lives must reach farther than just this terrestrial place.  It’s more than physical and tactile, it’s spiritual and ethereal.

When I begin to view my life from an eternal scope (as best as I can), I begin to understand that less and less of what this earth values actually matters.  Justice matters.  Righteousness matters.  Relationship matters.  Politics, possessions, preferences, particulars - those things matter less than we give them credit for.

Not convinced?  Then look at Job’s life.  Everything but his soul was stripped away from him.  Once a prosperous and faithful man, he became a poor and faithful man.  In the midst of his struggle and frustration, God did not answer as to why everything had been taken away.  God answered with this:

“I am the Lord, your God.  Am I enough for you if you have nothing else?  Am I enough?”

That’s a heavy question to answer.  When God becomes enough to you, nothing else matters.

Paul said in his letter to the Philippians “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him.”

Eternity was written on Paul’s heart, so much so that he only desired Christ.  In success and suffering, Paul rejoiced in God.  God gave Paul a heart for the Church and for the unreached.  His ministry stretched him physically and spiritually and had him face death on multiple occasions.  Paul forgot what personal ambition and security felt like for the surpassing pleasure of knowing God faithfully.

My God-given task is the same as yours.  It’s to know and trust God, enjoying the blessings that he graciously gives us and enduring the sufferings he lovingly pulls us through.  It’s all to His eternal glory.

Yes, God is intimately invested and interested in you, but you’re not the only one.  There’s a world full of people who have not yet come to know the one true God.  So God is also radically moving towards them by extending love their way, even through you.  You are God’s ministry to the unloved and unreached.

Let’s sit with the last paragraph of the passage from Ecclesiastes for a bit...

I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away.

Whatever God does endures forever.

God has done it, so people would fear before him.

God seeks what has been driven away.

So be it Lord, Amen.

WEEK1 eMi

First hike of the week...

And then we went rock climbing... gonna have to do more of that!

Volleyball for fun points!

Last hike of the week... crossroads??

Okay, God is good.  Really good.  All-the-time kind of good.

It's hard for me to figure out how to say THIS IS AWESOME as I sit and think about the amazing people that Engineering Ministries International is sending out into the world.

My first week in Colorado was joyfully spent with all the other interns as we hung out during orientation, learning about each other, ourselves, and eMi.

The best part of the week was seeing the level of Christian devotion from the bottom to the top of this great organization.  We had a lot of fun too.  Lots of time enjoying these beautiful outdoors!  Hiking, Ultimate Frisbee, Volleyball, Rock Climbing, S'mores, Hot Tubs...

Before I ramble for too long, I want to spend some time in scripture.

Luke 10

In this passage, Jesus sends out a bunch of followers (72 to be exact) ahead of him to cities that he planned to go.  He didn't send them alone, he sent them in pairs, telling them they'd be "sheep amongst wolves."  They went out penniless, trusting the Lord to provide.  They went out with the gospel.  While on their journey, they met opposition and oppression, but they triumphed in Jesus' name.

Then they came back to Jesus rejoicing in the work that had been accomplished.  "Even the demons submitted to your name" they exclaimed to Jesus.  Jesus' response to them was encouraging, but it redirected their joy.

"Behold, I have given you authority... Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."  (Luke 10:19-20)

hmmm...

Each of us are given authority to carry Jesus' name.  I am given authority.  Each eMi intern is given authority.  You are given authority.  Just don't be so focused on the authority that you lose sight of heaven. Don't' lose sight of your destiny.

I rejoice in the Lord.  

I rejoice that He has led me in a wonderful and strange way to be in Colorado this Fall with eMi.

I rejoice that I can't piece together the puzzle that has led me here, because it gives me confidence that the Lord will continue to lead me.  I have no worry for my future.

I rejoice in heaven.

I rejoice in the Lord.

Psalm 37:5

Commit yourself to the Lord.

Trust in Him, and He will act.

What an incredible team

I'm in Colorado!

Drove by this abandoned barn on the longgggg drive through Kansas.  This was the most interesting thing I saw...

My host family's house sits on top of a hill and overlooks the mountains... yeah, I know!

Here's my bedroom - it's more space than I've had in four years haha... also, that window over the desks looks out toward the mountains!

I made it to Colorado!

I've been anxious about this transition but God has comforted me and reminded me that He's in control and always providing in some incredible ways!

As I'm writing this, I'm getting ready for a week long orientation with eMi.  I'm excited to meet all the other interns.  It's been great getting to know my roommate Mike, a Mechanical Engineering intern on the project in Sierra Leone.

What am I excited about most?  The opportunity to see and meet people who are combining ministry with engineering.  I have a definite heart for ministry, so we'll see where this goes!

I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to hear from you - even though I'll be meeting a lot of people, I am definitely not leaving you behind.  Keep me encouraged and keep praying for me, as I am for you.

Here's my mailing address:

Seth Carlton
4577 Whispering Ct.
Colorado Springs, CO  80917

The Church

        I have been blessed by the Church.

After the fire I was immediately surrounded by family and friends and supported in a way I’ve never experienced before.  There is so much I want to say and so many things to be thankful for that I’m finding it hard where to begin...

There’s this crazy thing that God does - He sets people apart.  Set apart.  From Adam and Eve to Noah to Abraham and onward, God is pursuing a people who are devoted to Him.  In the Old Testament we had prophets and kings and messengers to tell us about God.  Jesus came and told us about God directly and then he mobilized his disciples and told them that there was work left to do.  He sent them out and they reached as far as they could, sharing with as many people as would hear.  The message spread like a wild fire.

Before long these followers of Jesus earned a nickname - “The Way.”  They were following the way, the truth, and the life, and they were experiencing the power of God.  It was the power to change them and to change those around them.  Two thousand years later, nothing has changed.

God’s grace and love are seen powerfully in the church.  Whether it be leading missionaries across the world or changing the life of a repentant heart right here at home, God’s love is redeeming His church and empowering them to stand together as a people “set apart.”  The Church is a city on a hill, a great light in the midst of darkness.

There are many things wrong in this world, but we have the power to make things better and to shed some light and truth to even the darkest places.  If our relationships with God were only meant to be personal business we would lose the Christian community.  But since we have been commanded to love others and share God’s love with them, we can form that Christian community everywhere - there are no boundaries - it’s for everyone everywhere!

The support I received this week was an extension of Christ’s love.  It’s as simple as that.  When I was in need, you supported me.  I am unspeakably grateful.

I think there must be some bit of blessing in every bit of suffering.  God won’t waste a struggle if you respond to what He is trying to do with you.  Treat everything as an opportunity to be faithful.

Because of the FIRE, I learned that nothing is as valuable as a soul.  It’s the only thing we keep with us and our treasure in heaven far outweighs our trinkets here on earth.  God provides for us here but He is always drawing our gaze heaven-ward, back toward Him.

Because of the CHURCH, I have been reminded of how good God is.  It’s the truest form of love when you look to others before yourself.  It was hard for me to accept some of the help I was given this week.  I don’t like admitting that I’m in need.  I wanted to give something back (but only because I didn’t want to feel like what I was receiving was unmerited).  I will always give back to the Church, to the people, whenever I can, but this was a time for me to receive, and that was difficult at times.

Why is it difficult to receive such generous help when I’m in need?  I think the answer may be the same reason I can struggle to accept God’s grace - It’s unmerited and it was given to me without me choosing it.  In the end, I needed it and it was given in faith.  Just as God is always faithful, we extend His love by practicing our faith.  It takes faith to give but it also takes faith to receive.  That’s what I learned.

Thank you for the love and support you’ve shown me.  That fire was nothing compared to your love, to God’s love.  The love you showed me will never be forgotten.  Our treasure is always in heaven.

I pray you’ll be encouraged.  Treat everything as a chance to be faithful.

Don’t just go to church.  Be the church.

Still Singing

The day in review…

    This morning I woke up to the smell of freshly baked cinnamon rolls.  I snagged a few and headed to Starbucks before I landed at a friend’s house for breakfast.  We talked about the summer – how awesome it’s been, how busy it’s been, how quickly it has flown by.  It was a great morning.

    For lunch I headed on over to Subway to meet with a guy who calls me a “mighty man of God.”  That name is much more appropriate for him because he is the one who is always encouraging me.  It’s always great to share some really thought provoking conversation, especially when it’s about eternal things.  It was a great lunch.

    I went back to the apartment to chill for the afternoon.  Our neighbor from downstairs came by and we all chatted for a while.  After he left I sat back in my chair, and yes, I played some video games.  After receiving some ridicule from the roommate I gave a defense on how everyone wants to be a part of something bigger than themselves, even if it was virtual.  It was fun.  It was a good afternoon.

    A cloud rose over the window and Hannah moved to the front door to see if it was rain.  What was a perfectly normal afternoon took a turn for the worse.

    As soon as the door opened thick smoke billowed into the apartment.  There was no time to think.  I moved to the door and grabbed something to cover my mouth as we pressed through the smoke.  We live on the third floor and the smoke didn’t let up until we made it to the parking lot.

    A minute later the flames burnt against the door of our apartment.  Then there was a loud explosion, driving everyone to the other side of the street.  Everyone was still waiting on anyone to show up.  We felt lost.  It’s hard to say anything other than “I’m glad we made it out safely.”

    More time passed and then the police showed up, followed by the fire department.  Hannah and I were talking to a girl named Sophie, stealing glances at the flames that were jumping out of our bedroom windows.  Everything in there was gone, but we were outside and safe.  Thank God.

    My phone was gone along with my keys and wallet.  I didn’t have shoes on because I wasn’t wearing them in the apartment.

    Sophie’s boyfriend had run to the store and bought water.  He made it back and began passing it out to everyone nearby.  There was nothing to do but wait or move on, so Hannah and I asked Sophie to take us to a friend’s house.

    My family is great.  My friends are great.  I have so many people to rely on.

    Before long my sister had made it over and she took me to the store to get some clothes and all those basic everyday things you need.  I’m blessed to have been able to pick those things up immediately – some people couldn’t do that.

    In the apartment I lost my phone, keys, wallet, Bible, all my books and clothes, computer, golf clubs, guitar, and a bunch of other things.  I came out alive and so did everyone else – thank God because that fire went up quickly.

    At the end of the day I’m sitting in the Jones’s apartment watching a movie.  I’m in some fresh clothes with some great friends.






    So at the end of the day I’m still singing.  How can I keep from singing when I know I am loved by my God, my family, and my friends?  Nothing eternal was lost today.  In fact, eternity just got a day closer.

    Good night friends.  Keep singing.

Wisdom

    Wisdom is more than knowledge or intelligence.  If knowledge is the accumulation of facts, and intelligent is the development of reason, wisdom is found in the heavenly discernment and application of these things.  For the spiritual leader, wisdom is the strong foundation from which many decisions may be made.

    Spiritual wisdom involves knowing God and knowing self.  It is a Holy Spirit filled gift.  Jesus tells his disciples “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth... He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you” (John 16:12-14).  Spiritual wisdom grows with time, being sustained by the Spirit.

    Wisdom is introspective but it is also active.  Paul writes, “And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:9-10).  The spiritual leader takes wisdom and applies it, understanding that mere knowledge of the truth is never enough.  We must also be doers of the word (James 1:22).

    If wisdom is sought out of self-ambition, it is a burdensome thing.  To face the human condition, entertaining the inevitable thoughts of depravity, wisdom can be a darkening thing.  King Solomon solemnly speaks “For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow” (Ecclesiastes 1:18).  The only way to bring wisdom out of the dark and into the light is to be filled with God's Spirit.  Spirit-filled wisdom understands man's dependance on God and joyfully makes the path of humility known.  “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10).

    The spiritual leader exercises and hones wisdom through spiritually attentive testing and discernment.  Paul writes “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2).  This kind of wisdom requires the transformation of our mind that can only come from the Lord.  It enables us to discern the will of God.

    Wisdom is more than knowledge or intelligence, it is also discernment and application.  Spiritual wisdom is humble and Holy Spirit filled, always yielding itself to the Word of God.  Wisdom is engaging eternal spiritual truth, which the Father gives us through Jesus through the Holy Spirit.