Distractions

This is my first blog this month and only my fourth posting for the whole year! My plan has been to put up more than that but things have been busy for me this year, including my taking a trip to the USA for three weeks. I find that I have plenty of ideas for blog posts but I don't always get to them because there are other things I need to do that take priority over my blog.

One thing I have been considering lately is connected to this whole thing about my delay in posting more on my blog. As I live and work here in Germany (and when I am back in the USA) I notice how busy people are. Besides just having schedules that are filled with activities we now have cell phones and MP3 players so we can have something going on all the time. Before you get the wrong idea I have to say that I do have a cell phone (here in Germany they are called "Handys") and I also have an MP3 player, so I am not anti-technology.

Too often we end up getting away from the things that are really important because we get so involved with other things. I like how the Bible mentions in Hebrews 12:1 that we need to "lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and to run with endurance the race that is set before us". What I have always noticed in this verse is how it not only talks about sin being a hindrance to us but there are also other things that can become weights to us and slow us down in running the race that God has given us.

There are so many things in life that can distract us from what is really important so we need to constantly be on guard against them. The first step to being successful at that is to know what really is important and what the real priorities in your life are. This is something that each person must do for themselves but first and foremost we need to keep our relationship with God as our first priority. By keeping the important things in life as priorities we can prevent some of the distractions that are around us from weighing us down and preventing us from doing what we really need to do.

The Proper Point Of View

"But God in heaven merely laughs! He is amused by their puny plans." Psalm 2:4 (Living Bible)

"and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus," Ephesians 2:6 (NKJV)

This picture to the right is one I took last month as I was flying into Charlotte, North Carolina from Milwaukee, Wisconsin on my way back to Germany. I like the picture and I currently have it on my computer desktop, this picture also gave me an idea for a blog about the problems we face in life.

Everyone deals with problems and difficult issues from time to time. There is no escaping the fact that we all have challenges in life. Although we can not always control everything that comes our way we can control how we handle the situation and what we choose to do about the problem. When you are flying in an airplane and you look out the window everything looks so small. In reality the houses and other buildings you see are large enough for several people to fit into but from the point of view you have while flying over them they look very small.

If we look at our problems from our natural perspective or point of view they can look so big and overwhelming. I like the verse in Psalm 2:4 where it talks about God laughing at the evil plans men have because He knows they can't succeed. The other verse of Ephesians 2:6 talks about the position we are now in spiritually because of who we are in Christ. Christians are spiritually seated with Jesus in a position of authority because of His death, burial, and resurrection. So, if we look at things from our spiritual position of being seated with Christ it is easy to laugh at whatever problem shows up. If we look at the problem in the context of who we are naturally and what we can do we might want to cry!

No matter what we face in life we always need to see what the Bible has to say about the situation. If we only focus on the natural issue that we face, how we feel in the situation, and what others say we can become discouraged and feel like there is no solution. When we keep a heavenly perspective it is easier to see what we need to do about the problem. Everyone faces problems but it is the people who have the proper point of view who will live the life of victory that God wants us to have and that Jesus came to provide for us!

What Is In You?

It has been almost a month since my last blog. Some of that is due to the fact that I have been in the USA lately so I have been keeping busy with some other things. As I have been traveling around and doing things here in the states and then thinking about my blog it actually gave me an idea for a blog!

"So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also." Romans 1:15 (NKJV)

"A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." Luke 6:45 (NKJV)

These verses are something that I have had some thoughts about lately. When Paul talked about coming to see the people in the church at Rome he said he was ready to preach the Gospel to them. What I like is the way that the New King James Version starts this verse by saying, "So, as much as is in me"... Then putting what Jesus said in Luke 6:45 together with Romans 1:15 you get something that I believe is important for us to notice. What we have in us is going to come out of us and as much as we have put things into us we are ready to do whatever it is we need to do.

If we spend time reading, studying, and meditating on God's Word it will fill us so that it will come out of us when we speak to people and in the different situations we face in life. The problem that many people have is that they spend so much time filling themselves with everything except God's Word that when they face a problem or God wants to use them to help someone else there is no reserve of God's Word built up in them to do anyone, including themselves, any good.

Paul was successful in his ministry because he was filled with God's Word along with a spiritual understanding of that Word to the point that when he had the opportunity to speak with others God's Word is what came out. This is a pattern that we need to follow in our lives. Be sure that what is in you is based on God's Word so that when you have an opportunity to speak into the life of someone else what you have to say is worth hearing! And when you speak about yourself or the situations you face in life be sure everything you say is coming out of God's Word. Filling ourselves with God's Word and then speaking that Word out of our mouth is a key to success that we need to be sure we pay attention to.

Making A Real Change

January is the time of year when people are trying to put into practice all of the New Year's resolutions that they have made. My last blog had something to do with that and it is something I have been thinking about lately. Personally there are a couple of areas I am looking to improve in this year and I have to say that after a month things are going pretty good, but I know for something to be a real change it has to be more than just a temporary thing.

Most of the time when I travel here I use the train. The trains in Germany are really great and they made some changes of their own with the beginning of the New Year. Starting in January we got some new trains, the schedule changed slightly, the ticket machines changed, and even the ticket prices changed. The problem is that one of the main things that people want from the train, punctuality, that has not changed.


Recently the trains have been running late pretty often, like the day I took this picture, and this is where I got my idea about this blog. The German train system is really pretty nice but trains not running on schedule are not so nice. It is easy to change a ticket price or rearrange the schedule but if the train is not on time what does it matter? In our own lives, you can say you want to lose weight this year and get into better physical condition. You can buy books about the subject, you can plan your workout routine and select the proper food to eat - but you still have to actually do something or you will never lose weight! A Christian can talk about wanting to grow spiritually. They can buy a new Bible, make their new Bible reading plan, and tell all their friends at church what they want to do, but they still have to read the Bible!

Too often the changes we want to make end up as nothing more than a few preliminary preparations with good intentions that never really amount to anything. Making a real change means commitment and follow through in the area we are dealing with. Real change is possible in any area of life but we can't just expect it to happen based on our nice ideas. This year I am sure we can all use some improvements so let's make some real changes that will bring lasting results and make us better Christians and better people.

Out With The Old And In With The New

"Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead," - Philippians 3:13 (NKJV)

Here we are at the end of another calendar year; tomorrow will be the first day of 2009! This is the time of year when a lot of people make resolutions about what they would like to accomplish or change in the future. Often people look back on the previous year and see things they are not satisfied with and want to make some positive changes.

The verse from Philippians 3 is a very good verse to start the New Year with. No matter who you are I am sure that there were some things in 2008 that did not work out the way you would have liked them to. For me, 2008 was a very good year in many ways but there were some things from 2008 that I would rather not repeat in 2009!

First, we need to be like Paul and realize that we have not already arrived. Since we are all still human we will make mistakes and we are all still growing, developing, and changing. We should all do like Paul says here and forget about the past and look forward to some new things.

Second, we need to look at the coming year as a new page for us to write some great things on and not a worn out old piece of paper filled with crossed out lines and white out (remember that stuff?). We need to learn from our mistakes and failures but not live in the place of failure. Too many people make a mistake and then don't move past that place because they don't leave the past in the past. Forget about the shortcomings of 2008 and plan on success for 2009. Even if you had a lot of success last year you can't go very far forward when you are always looking backwards. So start off 2009 right, forget about the past and look toward the future; God has a great plan for you in the coming year!

Here Comes Santa

When I was young I remember being told how Santa Claus would come around to bring presents at Christmas time. Somewhere along the line the story was told that Santa would somehow magically come down the chimney to get the presents into the house. Since we did not have a fireplace with a chimney I was never too sure how that was supposed to happen, but since I always got some presents I did not really care how he got into our house.

Well, that whole idea takes a different turn in Germany. Since so many people live in apartments Santa has no chimneys to work with but he still has a job to do. Although apartments may not have chimneys many do have balconies and that is where someone got the idea for Santa's M.O. here in Germany, take a look at these pictures.

This is one of those things that made me do a double take when I first saw it, Santa climbing over the balcony like a burglar! It was a bit of a shock to me to see these guys hanging off of balconies all over, and while not everyone does it the "balcony Santa" does seem to have his place here in Germany. This is one of those things about living in another country; some things may be the same in principle but different in application.

If you are interested in some more German Christmas type things, last year I posted a blog about German Christmas Markets with some pictures that you can see by following this link - http://www.jimrogahn.org/2007/12/christmas-markets.html and if you would like some more information about what Christmas is like here in Germany you can go to this website - http://www.germanculture.com.ua/library/weekly/aa120298a.htm.

Being Thankful - Part 2

Yesterday I posted a blog about being thankful and focusing on positive things instead of the negative. Well, tonight I had a really good opportunity to do that! This weekend I am hosting Jon Perrin who is a friend of mine and a former co-worker here at RHEMA Germany. Jon and his family now live and minister in southern Germany and if you would like to know more about their ministry you can follow this link http://www.perrinministries.org/pmwp08/ and go to Perrin Ministries to take a look.

At about 10:00 PM Jon and I were doing some computer work when we heard some very loud music. When I say loud it is not an exaggeration but it was so loud things in my apartment were literally shaking! I soon discovered it was the neighbor next to me who was responsible and so I went out on to the balcony to try and get him to quiet down. He did come out to talk with me and he said he would be quiet after I told him it was too late to be so loud. Well, he went back into his apartment and started up again. By now all the other people in the building and even the people at the pizza restaurant across the street we all yelling at him to turn the music down.

Finally about 10:30 PM the apartment building superintendant had called the police, since my neighbor would not answer the door, and the police asked if they could come into my apartment to get to the noisy neighbor. I let them in and they climbed over my balcony to his to make him turn off his music. The police then told me to call them again if he starts with the loud music.

What does all this have to do with being thankful? What I have noticed is that when you see and embrace a Bible truth that very often something will come up to "test" you in that area. When this guy was playing his music so loud and ignoring my request to be quiet I was very tempted to start yelling some more and to maybe even throw something at his speaker, which was outside on the next balcony by the way. But, unhappy as I was with the situation I kept my cool and did not let it ruin my evening. The whole thing went on for over and hour with Jon and I laughing at how crazy the whole thing was. So the next time you face a difficult situation, especially about something you are just learning about do like it says in James 1:2-4 and count it as a joyful thing when you have a trial because you can be sure that your successful completion of the trial will only make you better!

Being Thankful

Today is Thanksgiving Day in the United States. I think it is great that one day has been designated as a day to be thankful for things. What I think would be even better is if everyone was more thankful during the entire year and maybe we just had one day to be ungrateful and to not give thanks for what we have! That is a joke by the way.

As I thought about this blog idea I actually started to wonder if "thankful" was a word or if my English language skills were really getting bad after 10 years in Germany. So, I looked at an online dictionary to see if it is really a word and it sure is! Not only is thankful an actual word but the definition fits with my idea for this blog. The dictionary says thankful means, conscious of benefit received. Today is a day when we should be conscious of the benefits we have received.

Just before posting this blog I got home from my Thursday night Bible study and I can look at this two ways. I can be thankful that I have a place to go on Thursday night where people want to learn more about the Bible or I can be grumpy that it is late and it takes me about an hour to get home. Being thankful is a matter of perspective and focusing on the blessings we do have and not on whatever may not be so great. Everyone faces challenges in life but spending all of our time thinking about them will not only lead us to be unthankful (if that is even a word) but we will have a negative outlook on life and be a person no one wants to be around.

We need to start counting our blessings, as they say, and see how blessed we really are. So often we have a lot of positive things going on but we look at the negative. For example, when I saw the advertisement for this apartment they said it has a view of the Rhine River, which is cool. What they didn't say is that my apartment also has a "view" of a major street on one side and a "view" of the railroad tracks on the other side! I like my apartment and when I look out the window I choose to be thankful I have a view of the Rhine River and I don't focus on the traffic or the train. To me that is what it means to be thankful, focus on the good and positive things and don't let the negative side of things be all that you see. Happy Thanksgiving and remember to be thankful for all that God has done for you!

That's What I'm Here For

It has been a while since I posted my last blog, almost a month in fact. Things have been busy here with school starting and all of the other activities of the ministry and everyday life. I also had some computer "issues" to deal with but I am glad to get back into the blogging world. It seems like I have a lot of ideas for blogs but usually the blog falls behind other things in my list of priorities so that means no blogs sometimes.

When I moved to Germany 10 years ago one of the main things I wanted to do was teach other people Bible truth. I not only see this as my calling in life but I have a great desire to help others learn about God's Word for themselves. Last week I taught the class "New Testament Literature" in our weekday Bible school, I also did my Bible study on Thursday, and I led a small group with some of our students as a part of the Bible school.

What happened was that during the week when I taught my class, on Thursday at the Bible study, and in the small group with students there were times when I could tell that people were seeing the truth for themselves. Two particular instances stand out to me where I was having some discussion time, once in the Bible study and then in the small group with students. Both of these times I was asked a question about what something in the Bible meant and I explained from the Bible what was being talked about and what it means for us. The great part was when you could see the light go on with these people as they recognized the truth for themselves. When this happened I remember thinking to myself, that's what I'm here for!

I would by no means say I know everything about the Bible and my goal is never to brag about how great I am. What I do want to say is that when I see God use me to help someone else get an understanding of what the Bible is all about it gives me a sense of satisfaction because I know that is why God brought me here. Being a "missionary" living in another country and even being in full time ministry is not always the easiest thing to do. But I must say that the rewards of helping someone to learn more about God and His Word are more than worth it all. I am in no way complaining about my situation in life but rather I am rejoicing that I was able to fulfill part of the plan of God for my life and to help someone along in God's plan for their life; that's what I'm here for!

10 Years In Germany!

Today is a special day for me as it marks the date that I moved to Germany 10 years ago to work with John and Michelle Grunewald and the ministry of RHEMA Germany. So much has happened during these past ten years that I could write several blogs about it all but I will only mention a few things.

My first trip to Germany was in 1995 but it was not until three years later in October 1998 that I actually moved. At first I lived near Heidelberg, Germany, which is a few hours south of here, and I relocated to the Bonn area a few months later. In 1998 there was no RHEMA Bible Training Center Germany; it was still in the planning and development stage. Being a part in this ministry from the very beginning has been a great experience.

These past ten years have been filled with growth and development. RHEMA Germany now operates a weekly Bible Training Center in Bonn and we oversee several weekend Bible Training Centers all over Germany and Europe. RHEMA Bible Church in Bonn has grown from a handful of people at its beginning in May 1999 to an average attendance, including children, of over 200 each week. The branch of the ministry we refer to as "RHEMA Europe" helps to oversee and assist the over 1000 RHEMA alumni who live in greater Europe.

The ministry team I am a part of at RHEMA Germany is outstanding and it is one of the reasons I have enjoyed being here so much. Most missionaries do not stay on the mission field for ten years and I credit some of my longevity to the awesome "fellow-laborers" I work with at this ministry. Being a missionary is not always the easiest thing to do but I have found the experience to be very fulfilling and rewarding. Not only am I following the calling that God has placed on my life but I have been able to be a part of working with and changing the lives of so many people through the church, Bible schools, and home groups. With ten years now behind me I look forward to the next ten and I expect them to be even better!

School Registration Day

Today was the first day of the 2008-09 school year at RHEMA Bible Training Center Germany! This is always a great day as we get to meet new students entering their first year of school and we welcome back those students who are returning for their second year. For all of us who teach and are involved with the school it is a day we look forward to each year. We know it is just the beginning of great things in the lives of our students.

Although we are a Bible school there are still some things we have to take care of like registering the students, collecting fees, distributing books, and giving some basic instructions and information about the school. This picture shows some of the students waiting in line to register. They will then pick up their student manual which includes the student handbook and some class material.

Some of these new students come to us through the referral and recommendation of our graduates. Some of them have heard about us but do not know us very well. We also realize that the students come from different backgrounds and are at different levels of spiritual development; but the principles of God's Word work the same for everyone. No matter who they are or what course these students may have taken to come to the school we know that as they are taught the Word of God it will be a life changing experience for them!

One Class, Two Missionaries

Last weekend we held a class at our mobile Bible Training Center in Bonn, the subject was "New Testament Literature". This is a class that I normally teach in our week-day school and in some of the mobile schools, but this time we did something different. Another missionary, Mark Six, was in Bonn during this weekend so it was decided that he would teach this class. Mark was informed that I would be attending the class and because the class consists of 12 hours of teaching over two days, and because he would be speaking in our church on Sunday, I could do part of the class if he wanted me to. We ended up having Mark do the first six hours of the class and then I did the final six hours. Here are two pictures from the class, one with Mark Six teaching and the other of me teaching.

Mark received a copy of my notes to help him prepare for the class and he did an excellent job not only covering the material but also by adding some of his own personal insights on the New Testament. It was different for me to have someone teach the first half of a class and then coming in to finish it but it worked out great. I personally enjoyed the teaching that Mark did and I heard from others in the class that they also benefited from his teaching as well as mine. With two different missionaries teaching in the same class the students had a unique opportunity to gain insight from both of us on the subject of the New Testament.

Mark and his wife Robin have been missionaries in several countries for a number of years, and I actually met them both a few years ago. Previously they lived and ministered in Belgium and The Netherlands and a return trip to these two countries was why they were in Europe. Both Mark and Robin are graduates of RHEMA Bible Training Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma and they currently live and minister in Japan. If you are interested in learning more about Mark and Robin Six and their ministry you can visit their website at http://www.desti-nations.org.

Don't Get Weary While Doing Good

"And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint" - Galatians 6:9 (Amplified Bible)

Recently I have been thinking about this verse and how it can apply to growing and developing as a Christian and even making changes in everyday life. In July I posted a blog called "Making Changes" where I wrote about how we need to be open to change and growth in our lives. This blog might be called a second part to that one because they both fit together. There are many people who as they make changes in their life or as they take a further step to grow as a Christian they get tired and give up before they reap the results of their efforts.

There will always be growth "opportunities" and things that the Holy Spirit will show us that need to be changed and/or corrected. Usually we are enthusiastic at the beginning and ready to do whatever has to be done. But as time goes on we don't often see things change as fast as we want and we get weary in doing the right thing and we quit. In times like that I am so thankful that God is a good and gracious God and He will continue to work with us and help us get back on course if we get off track.

As I have been making some changes in my life, naturally and spiritually, I have sometimes become discouraged because it seems like it is taking me so long to get where I am going. God reminded me of that verse in Galatians 6:9 and He also gave me a good example to encourage me. One problem we have is that we live in such a fast paced society today and we want everything to happen right away without any waiting or delay. But the fact is that real growth and change will most often take time.

The example God gave me was that of a ship in the ocean. If one of those big oceangoing ships decides that they want to change course it is not an instant thing, especially if the course change is a big one. What God showed me is that making changes in life is more like a ship on the ocean than the drive through at McDonalds. We would like everything to be like the drive through where we place our order and a few minutes later we get what we want. Real change may take some time and realizing that can help us to hold steady as we make course corrections in our life. If we continue to follow the growth plan that God has for our lives we may not see changes overnight but if we don't get weary in doing the right things we will see the desired results. No matter what change you may be making or no matter how long you have been standing on God's Word in faith be assured that the time will come when you reap the rewards and it will be worth the effort!

What Would We Do Without You?

Last week I was helping someone move into a new apartment. There was some painting to do along with the moving of boxes and furniture. The person who was moving made the comment to me, "What would I do without all of you?" They were simply expressing their gratitude at the fact that a number of us were helping with the necessary work involved with relocating to a new apartment, but it got me thinking about a spiritual truth.

This comment made me think about the fact that today Christians are called the body of Christ. In 1 Corinthians 12:27 it says; "Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually". Then you can read in Ephesians 4:16 that every part of the body of Christ has something to supply, or give, to help the body. Too many times as Christians we do not realize the connection we have to one another and how important we are to each other. Often we think it is only the pastor or someone called into full time ministry who is really vital to what God is doing today. The truth is that we are all important parts of the body of Christ. If every Christian would see the value of what God has called them to do and then use the abilities that God has given them to help others it would change how they live and act.

Most of the time we put a high value on the gift and talent that someone else has and we minimize what God wants to do through us. The problem then is that every part of the body of Christ is not supplying what they have and so the body is not as well developed as it should be. Naturally speaking, if only half of our body was functioning we would have a problem. Spiritually speaking, too many Christians are not fulfilling their part in the body of Christ and we all suffer because of it. The answer to the question, "What would we do without you?" is that we will do far less than we should and not be as effective as we could.

If you are not sure about the plan that God has for you or about the gift and talent He has placed in you then ask God about it and get involved in your local church. God will help you see the ability that you have and how you can use it effectively to be a vital part of the body of Christ. Getting involved in your local church will give you a place to start contributing to what God is doing and it will give God something to work with in your life. We all need to understand our own importance to the body of Christ, take our place, and contribute with the abilities that God has blessed us with.

Leadership Training

This past Thursday and Friday, August 21 and 22, I attended a leadership training seminar led by Dr. Dean Radtke of The Institute of Ministry Management and Leadership. Dr. Radtke travels all over the world holding workshops for pastors and ministry leaders to help them develop their overall leadership skills. In the past I have attended this same "CEO and Leaders Workshop", as Dr. Radtke calls it, but I believe that teaching about leadership and effectively working with people is something that needs to be heard over and over again. As a minister and a missionary I strongly believe in continued training and education along the lines of ministry and leadership to help me stay sharp and so that I can continue to grow and develop in these areas.

On the left is a picture from the workshop that just took place here. Approximately 85 people from Germany, France, The Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland, and The United Kingdom participated in these meetings that we at RHEMA Germany hosted for Dr. Radtke. There is a lot of work that goes into holding a series of meetings like this but it is well worth the effort. This leadership seminar was a benefit to me personally and by being involved with the work of hosting this seminar, and in that way having a small part in helping train and develop pastors and leaders, this also helps me fulfill the calling that God has for my life.

If you are a pastor or ministry leader I would definitely recommend attending one of these workshops. More information about Dr. Radtke's ministry can be found on his website at http://www.ministryinstitute.org/ and you can also find a schedule of his upcoming meetings there.