Proverbs 22:4 (ESV)4 The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life.

This rattles me. Just this morning I was asking if it is worth it. There are plenty of places where I could be shown respect because of what I do for a living. In my mind I believe there is a place that when you sacrifice for someone they take notice and are open to hear the Gospel. When my emotions lead me to think that this isn't happening where I am at, I immediate think well it's time to be appreciated. Now if anyone who is invovled in my ministry here in Oakland reads this their first thought is probably "I appreciate Mike." Trust me you are not who I am talking about. I can brush off what God is doing in your life in a heart beat, what drives my emotions is those who are flicking me off. Why isn't God changing them, right? No actually it is why am I not feasting in those riches.

If anything defines my role at ANPC it should be humilty. I did not plant this work, if anything I am here to water. You see planting takes skill, wisdom, a craft. Watering even a sprikler could do it. My desire is for riches, honor, and life. And yet I am discontent with the means God has provided to get it. Humility and fear of God, this is a promise. Yet I have in my mind I could run out and accomplish it, rather than seeking God and his fulfillment even in humble circumstances. God gave me this reminder this morning, the specifics I wrote out in an email to a friend, now I just have faith that God will be true to His word. Isn't that the definition of faith? Trust that God will follow through with what he has promised and what he has promised is always in my good?

Please pray. I know that you already are if you are alive after watching what is happening in New Orleans. Karin, Lewis, and I are praying for I believe God is calling me to take time and go serve in the are affected by the hurricane. Just a moment ago I got off the phone with a friend who is organizing people to house refugees from the hurricane, he would like me to leave as soon as monday to get on the ground and begin organizing for them. So please pray that God would make it clear what he would have me do, where to serve.

1 Corinthians 3:10-15 (ESV)10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

There are many details that cloud our view of the Gospel. Where you grew up, what culture, how you parents related to each other, which school you attended…the list is unlimited. Most of our days are spent struggling through these details in life. If that is your lot in life then it can become very difficult to have any sense of what your purpose in life is. Trying to sort the entire mess out is like drinking from a fire hose. Even if you don’t directly support causes that evoke terror in the world, you do it through secondary means. So what are we to do? If our struggle of faith is making sense of all the details, all we do is create another law. Some righteousness that is gain from our actions.

We search desperately for a law to follow so that we can achieve the right, and live well in this world. The problem is that law only leads to destruction. Our actions earn us nothing, the more we pursue making them significant we put to death that which matters, God’s grace.

I am far from the skilled master builder that Paul was. As a matter of fact I often feel I am better at messing things up rather than a builder at all. All of my failures are exposed, my lack of knowledge, my weaknesses of communication, and my bias are laid bare before people each and every week before people as I attempt to present the Gospel. I often feel caught in the whirlwind of people’s lives in which I am trying to help.

Where does our stability come from? How does Paul and any minister of the Gospel stand in the midst of so much adversity. Paul who was beaten and left for dead by those who he preached to, and the next day he returned to the city and continue to preach. Only a firm foundation allows such a life. Christ is the foundation that is laid, that is the grace of God given to him, and me. All else as Paul says I could loss. Christ alone is that which I stand. Anything of myself is to be burned away. My failures, my misunderstanding, my sin all is to be revealed and one day removed. Foolishness to those who are wise, if I am made the fool so that some might come to faith than such is my life. In the process of it all my heart is saddened for those who are caught in the current.