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I want to write an essay saying the statistical chance of God having a specific plan for your life is roughly 1 in 227. I’d base that statistic on scripture, because scripturally, for every one person God had a specific plan for, there were 226 He did not. Joseph was in, Benjamin was out and so on.

Okay, I haven’t actually done the math. It may be 1 in 250 or 1 in 95, but that is hardly the point. The point is we think God is going to tell us exactly what to do, but chances are, He isn’t. It’s just not a Biblical idea.

God does have a general desire for everybody, for them to be reunited with the Trinity through Christ, and for them to have food and shelter and relationships, but I don’t believe God has mapped out a plan for your every day, or even for your every year.

My friends who disagree and think God has a specific plan for everybody are mostly sitting around waiting to hear from God. Meanwhile, God’s plan for them, apparently, is to shop at Bed Bath and Beyond and quote the latest Saturday Night Live skit. Quite the plan.

I contend with this idea for a number of reasons, but the main reason is that I don’t think God is a control freak.

Imagine visiting a friends house for dinner for the first time. You sit down at the table and the father, who sits at the head of the table, tells each of the kids, and the wife for that matter, what and when to eat. Then he tells them what to wear to bed, when they will be getting up, where they will be going to college and who they will be married to. Later, you tell your friend you thought their dad might be a bit controlling. You secretly believe their family to be dysfunctional. But your friend is offended. They think it’s perfectly normal to want to please their father in everything they do. And they are right, it is appropriate to want to please ones father. The only problem is, their father is NUTS!

God, on the other hand, isn’t nuts.

If God is fathering us, He is helping us discover what is good, right, pure, and worthy to pursue. He teaches us morality and ethics, but also gave us a heart filled with desire and longing. It’s as though God sets before us a big sheet of butcher paper and hands us a box of crayons and tells us to dream.

I’ve a friend whose wife is a counselor who does this very experiment with kids she counsels. She gives them a sheet of paper and some crayons, and based on how they respond, she can tell whether or not the child has a dysfunctional relationship with their parents.

But I could be wrong. Here’s how you know, based on scripture, whether God has a specific plan for your life:

1. If you are a virgin and you get pregnant anyway.

2. If your donkey talks to you.

3. If an angel wants to wrestle.

If any of this happens to you, God is definitely at work. He also wants you to see a counselor.

And there are a few more. You get the point. If God has something specific for you, you’ll know, I promise. But if He is setting a box of crayons down in front of you (a box of crayons called life) then by all means draw. He’s taught you right from wrong, good from bad, beautiful from profane, so draw. He will be with you, proud of you, cheering you on, so draw. He loves you, so draw in the inspiration of the knowledge of His love. Draw a purple horse, a red ocean, a nine-legged dog, it doesn’t matter. Lets stop being so afraid. Lets live, and show the world what it really means to be grateful we don’t live in a dysfunctional family.

This morning I went out to the Burb (my suburban that’s what I call it), I noticed my middle console lid open.  At first it didn’t click what had happened and I loaded everything I needed for work today.  Strangely the doors were unlocked.  Then I got in and sat down.  Stuff was missing.  I noticed my Ipod radio transmitter was gone, the power inverter for long trips was gone, and my phone charger was gone.  It all came at once–anger and hatred.  I was robbed man!  Almost immediately I started planning how and what I would do to the thief(vies) when I caught him(them).  Right out side of my own house!  AGH!!!  All I can say is that I had visions of a late night stakeout, a gun, and a phone call to police after I released my anger upon their miserable bodies.  (I also had a bat in there as well.)  My mind ran wild with thoughts of revenge. Then I realized that I could have avoided this, I guess it was my fault for not locking the Burb up.  In all the hustle and bustle of unloading the groceries I didn’t get it done.

It is an awful thing to be robbed.  Truth be known, this has happen to me before.  Right out in office parking at our church facility I was robbed there too.  That time they got my Ipod as well.

I am still fuming as I write this post.

(Take a deep breath.)  Nevertheless, here I have before me an opportunity to practice what I preach. Thanks for the opportunity you dirty rotten thief!  (Still trying to let go of my anger.)

1 Peter 3:9 says

Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.

Romans 12:19-21 states,

19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Well… what am I to do?  Scripture has plenty more to say about seeking out revenge and it unvaryingly always says that we are to suffer the injustice and leave it to God to respond in our stead.  I don’t like that too much when it happens to me.  Relate?  I often think that my case is an exception or is one of those things that God is not really talking about.  Surely Lord theft is not one of those instances.  I am the one in the right who has been wronged!  I am justified to act.  This issue is complex no doubt especially when you consider much more sinister crimes than petty theft.  Like what about reasons for war?  At what point do you stop letting yourself be steam rolled?

Here’s the deal though with that line of thinking: who am I trusting to do the right thing?  We do want and need justice–I believe this is apart of what God stamped His image into us.  Nevertheless, we get our flesh involved every time and what happens then is not pretty.  Often the line between victim and criminal becomes blurred.  However, when I run to God with my complaint and with the grace of Jesus act in a way that is totally unnatural, God gets the glory and I get the blessing.

I probably will never get the opportunity to “bless” the thief who robbed me, but here is an opportunity for God to change my life to make me more like Jesus.

1 Peter 2:23

When he [Jesus] was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.

By: Tim Dodge

For years I have been burdened for the lostness of our nation and the world around us.  Recently I came across some statistics that astounded me…it is estimated that more than two-thirds of the people in the United States are lost.  The nation that most significantly supports missions around the world has become, itself, a mission field.  As I prayed that my heart would be moved and deeply impacted over the condition of our nation - as well as for the world around us - I began to have a burden for the Body of Christ in the U.S.

Many believers are satisfied and content with the spiritual “temperature” of America - at least that is what our actions say.  Far too many have become complacent and almost smug over the fact that they are part of God’s family and they have little concern for those who are not.  Churches across the U.S. have become little more than support groups for those who are already part of the Body of Christ and express little actual concern for those who remain separated from God because of their sin.

As I was searching the internet for some information a couple of weeks ago, I came across a letter that John Piper, pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota had written to the church family there before he left on an extended sabbatical.  In the letter (www.desiringgod.com) he spoke of the man who had been called to preach in his absence and asked the church to faithfully pray for him.

At the conclusion of the letter he wrote about how he was going to pray for the church during the sabbatical. It was this portion of the letter that grabbed my heart because it expressed how I have prayed for Olivet for years, but especially over the past several months.  Here is Piper’s prayer:

“O Lord, as You are often accustomed to do, show Your great power…send a remarkable awakening that results in…

• Hundreds of people coming to Christ
• Old animosities being removed
• Marriages being reconciled and renewed
• Wayward children coming home
• Long-standing slavery to sin being conquered
• Spiritual dullness being replaced by vibrant joy
• Weak faith being replaced by bold witness
• Disinterest in prayer being replaced by fervent intercession
• Boring Bible reading being replaced by passion for the Word
• Disinterest in global missions being replaced by energy for Christ’s Name among the nations
• Lukewarm worship being replaced by a zeal for the greatness of God’s glory

Lord, take the mighty men and women of Olivet and bless this church beyond anything we have ever dreamed.”

This is my prayer for Olivet.  As I pray for Olivet I ask the Father to glorify His Name among us so that we might pursue Him with a white-hot passion that drives us to Him in absolute surrender and trust.  Will you join me in this prayer? Will you commit to joining me in fasting one day a week because we are broken and desperately desire God to do something significant among us - something that can only be explained by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit?

May God’s Name and renown be made know in, and through, the lives of the people of Olivet.  This is my prayer. I challenge you to join me and make this your prayer as well.

A couple of mornings ago I was working on a discipleship study that focused on God’s grace. Part of the study used Luke 15.11-24, the story of the prodigal son. As I studied I was confronted in a fresh way with God’s incredible love for me.

When the youngest son “came to his senses” and decided to return to his father he was planning on asking the father to take him back as a hired man - a day worker with no guarantee of job security. Just as he had done when he demanded his inheritance so he could spend it as he wished, the son was still focused on himself. He had not yet come to grips with the intense pain he had inflicted on his father.

But something happened as he returned home. The father saw the son and ran to him - not what the son had imagined or expected. In his great love for his son, the father defied cultural expectations by running toward the son to embrace him and restore him.

In the ancient Middle East a mature man would never do anything like this. He would not lift his robe and expose his bare legs and undergarments and run in public. He would, instead, maintain a steady, dignified pace - or even wait for the son to come to him. He would demand public satisfaction in rebuking his son before there was any discussion of reconciliation. This father didn’t do this. He endured public humiliation by running to the son.

Our God took on public humiliation by being beaten, stripped naked and hung on a cross in front of the world. Our God took on human so He could pursue mankind - you and me!

When the father reached the son, he embraced him, putting himself between the son and the shame that would have been heaped on him by “nice society.” Jesus went to the cross and took our place, standing between us and the rightful, just punishment our sin deserved - death.

Sometimes when I confess sin before God it is because I don’t like the way the sin makes me feel or I am uncomfortable with its consequences. I want to be released from the personal guilt that is often associated with sin. Even in my “confession” it is about what makes me comfortable. What I need to remember is the horrible humiliation Jesus bore to cover my sin - and to see His heart broken over my rebellion. I need to see my sin as the cause of His horrific humiliation and death - and then remember His resurrection and the freedom it brings to all who have placed their trust and hope in Him.

Father, thank You for bearing my shame and humiliation. Thank You for pursuing me while I was still hopelessly lost in my sin. Thank You for giving me a new nature - the righteousness of Your Son, Jesus. Thank You for running after me still today. Forgive me for breaking Your heart.

Priscilla starts a new job next Monday. She has been working a part-time job at the Post Office since losing her full-time job last February. In that same period of time, her husband decided he didn’t want to be married anymore and filed for divorce. Priscilla and Lauren moved in with Cindy and me in July so we could help them through this difficult time. Through all of this I have never seen her despair or doubt God. She has faithfully kept her hope and confidence solidly on Him. She has dealt with the hurt and anger over the divorce and the frustration of not having a full-time job, but never lost her hope in God.

Last Monday night (the night she was offered the new job) she and I were taking Lauren to the mall to play on the bungee bounce and eat in the Food Court. As we were driving I told her how proud I was of the way she had dealt with all the garbage of the past ten months - how she had faced the adversity and drama. I told her that I was deeply impressed with how she had faced these issues without losing her faith and hope in God.

She looked over at me and said, “Dad, didn’t you teach us girls that we could trust God in every situation, that He is always good and that He uses everything that comes at us for our good?” I said, “Yes.” Her response was, “Well…?”

I could only smile in gratitude to God for her response. This was a good reminder that my daughters actually listened over the years and watched as Cindy and I sought to live out our faith before them. There were times that we weren’t sure they were paying attention, times when we thought we were talking to brick walls - but they were listening and watching!

Parents, your children are listening and watching! Show them what it means to really walk with God, not just in words but in actions. Let them see your struggles and how you depend on God even when it doesn’t make sense humanly speaking. Your children are taking mental and spiritual notes that will prepare them for their own tests down the line. They may give you that “I’m really not listening” look, but they are! Count on it.

Psalm 33.20-22 says, “We wait in hope for the LORD; He is our Help and our Shield. In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy Name. May Your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in You.”

Your children are watching and listening. What are they seeing and hearing from you about trusting God?

Wednesday our team split up and headed in two different directions. Chad took Dennis and Mark back to Istanbul so they could meet with a group of businessmen and women who are part of an organization called Toastmasters. This is an international organization committed to helping professionals learn to be comfortable speaking in public settings. They helped “judge” the speakers and were able to provide some nice gifts we had brought with us for the “winners” of the night.

Cindy, Leslie, Ercument and I boarded the “fast train” and went to Ankara to visit with Guven’s family. To our surprise his mother had come to Ankara so she could meet with us! We had a great three hours with them before we had to get back on the train and go to Istanbul. On two different occasions Guven’s mother and brother told us how grateful they were for our investment in his life. They thanked Cindy and me for taking him into our family and loving him. We told them it has been a pleasure and a joy and that our entire church family loved him as our own. They again expressed gratitude to us. His mother told us that she had given Guven to God first and then to Cindy and me for safekeeping. We told here that his entire “family” in Wichita took that responsibility seriously.

Thursday was sightseeing and shopping. We traveled to the Hagia Sophia, one of the oldest church buildings in the world. At one time it was the center of Christendom throughout the entire world. After the Ottomans conquered Constantinople it was turned into a mosque and today is a giant museum. We also saw a church building that predated the Hagia Sopia. It was built in the early 400’s and is in the process of being restored today. We also journeyed through the Spice Market. This is an area where you can purchase almost anything your heart desires. It is the market where local Turks shop.

We had dinner with Ercument and his family at a small outdoor restaurant and enjoyed a time of great fellowship and good food (sounds like a Baptist meeting, doesn’t it?). Ercument was our translator while we were in Eskisehir and is a good man. His wife works for Chad at Silas.

This morning I am meeting with Steve, the national leader for Campus Crusade. He is the “boss” of the Albanian girls who were in Wichita earlier this summer. He wanted to meet me because of Olivet’s great generosity and kindness to the Albanians. After we are through we will load up the vans, pick up the Albanian girls and drive to Yalova for the retreat with Chad’s team. I will be doing a Bible study with the adults on the team while Cindy, Mark and the Albanian girls will have responsibility for the six children who are coming.

Please pray for Ercument and Rana as they serve God here. They are passionate believers who desire their countrymen to know Jesus. Pray that the “light of the glory of God in the face of Christ” will shine brightly once again in this ancient country.

Yesterday was full of conversation with Tatar (it can also be spelled Tartar) Turks: first in their local association office and then in two villages outside Eskisehir. In the association office we were treated with traditional Tatar music on Tuesday. She is an excellent musician and also teaches the traditional dance to children. The Tatar’s have fully adapted to the Turkish culture and consider themselves first, Turks, and then Crimean Tatars. They love their adopted country yet want to keep their old traditions alive for future generations.

I showed them photos of Guven and talked about our relationship as “father and son.” She was very impressed and asked if he was Muslim. I told her that he had been Muslim but now was Christian. She seem perplexed initially, but told Ercu that it was good that he had the freedom to make his own decision. I sensed a bit of jealousy in her voice about the freedom to make a personal choice.

In the first village we visited we met a young man who was the village guard. He got in the van with us and took us out to the fields to see the people at work. They are harvesting sugar beets right now. It is one of their major crops. Later we met his wife and son and had chai and cake she had made. They are quite poor and we let them some cash for his taking time to show us the village. They hope to move to Eskisehir so that their son can get a good education and make something of his life.

At our second village we were met at the coffee house by a group of men who were drinking chai. It is one of the things they do every day. We met two retired school teachers who return to the village for planting season. One taught elementary children and the other taught physics in high schools. During this time the local imam came by and we began a conversation. He asked if I believed in tolerance. I told him that I believed tolerance meant respect for the rights of other people to hold divergent views from my own. I respect their right to believe differently, but I also hold the right to speak my beliefs that are different from theirs. He seemed to agree with my statement. I went on to say that there are some points of agreement between Christianity and Islam but there are also great theological differences that I believe must be addressed. He was very gracious and then had to leave to prepare for the time of prayer. In this village of 60 families (during the growing season) he has fewer than 4-5 who regularly attend mosque.

Most of the people in this particular village are Tatar. They tend to be Social Democrats – followers of Ataturk, the founder of the modern Turkish republic. They see religion as a part of their culture, but not part of their daily lives. They are like many secular Americans.

The retired physics teacher invited us to visit his home and garden. His wife, also a retired teacher, prepared chai and fruit for us and we had some excellent conversation focusing on marriage, children, politics, etc. They invited us to stay for dinner and to even spend the night but we needed to get back to Eskisehir for a short meeting with Pastor Salih and possibly a meeting with a man who has been attending the church and is seeking truth in his life.

Today Chad, Dennis and Mark are driving back to Istanbul to prepare for a meeting with businessmen tonight. Cindy, Leslie, Ercu and I are on the train to Ankara to visit Guven’s family before returning to Istanbul later this evening.

Tomorrow we will be doing some sightseeing and shopping before going on the retreat with Chad’s team. We are excited about helping them with the retreat by taking care of their children during the study and prayer times for the adults.

Yesterday was an amazing day! Beginning with having chai in a Tartar coffeehouse and then being given an exhibition of traditional Tartar dance, we left the city and drove to a village about thirty miles outside of town. As we entered we saw the local coffeehouse on the main street - with several men sitting outside at small tables drinking chai and smoking. We walked up to them and began talking. Within a few minutes a man arrived on a bicycle and sat down with us.

Mehmet (not his real name) began talking with us and telling us his story. He was a retired truck driver who had traveled throughout Central Asia, including Russia. In a few minutes he told us that he was going through a divorce and had a court date set for next week. In addition he told us that his two daughters wanted to have nothing to do with him because he had been absent most of their lives. He was really upset about this. He invited us to have lunch at his home and got on his bicycle and rode home to tell his parents that they were going to hosting guests from America.

After walking through the village where we were invited into a man’s home for ayran (yogurt mixed with water and salt) we ended up at Mehmet’s home. For me it was a flashback to my times in Albania. The homes looked like they could have been picked up and dropped into Albania and no one would have known the difference.

Mehmet’s mother prepared a traditional Tartar meal: soup, bread, tomatoes, cucumbers, bulgur and beans. It was excellent! The family was incredibly hospitable and welcoming. They showed us their home and told us about their family. Before we ate I asked permission to pray for the meal and pray a blessing over the family. They agreed and were grateful for the prayer.

As we sat in another part of the house drinking chai we talked about our families and then I asked Mehmet if I could pray for him and his daughters. I had been talking about the close relationship I have with my daughters and Mehmet’s father began to cry. As I prayed and asked God to heal his relationship with his daughters, Mehmet’s father began to weep. He was obviously touched by my request to pray for his grandchildren and when I had finished he hugged me for several moments.

We had been praying that God would provide a “man of peace” who would be a contact in the village and I believe that He did so. Chad and his team will be following up with this family and seeking to share the gospel with them. Please pray for Mehmet and his family. Ask the Father to shine the light of His glory in the face of Christ in this village. Pray that this will be the beginning of a church for the Tartar people.

Last night we invited the members of the church to have dinner with us. About eighteen of them joined us for a meal at a local restaurant for a traditional Tartar meal. We had people from Iran, Uzbekistan, Congo and Guinea as well as Turkey and the US. It was truly an international meal. For all twenty-two of us the meal cost about $140.00. Not badd.

Today we are going to another village to look for Tartar people. Tonight Ercu and I will meet with a man who has been visiting the church. He is retired military and is seeking truth. We talked for several minutes and he has many questions. I pray that we will be able to answer them and prayerfully he will be ready to follow Jesus because of our time together.

Tomorrow the men return to Istanbul for a meeting with local businessmen. Cindy, Leslie and I will travel to Ankara by train to visit with Guven’s family. Pray that God will use this to draw them closer to Jesus.

Thanks for praying. Don’t stop now!

Yesterday we worshiped with the Protestant Fellowship in Eskisehir. There were about 20 people, other than our team, present. Most of them were college age students, young adults. Their regular worship leader was gone and so we sang acapella - and they sang with great joy! I preached out of 1 Peter 1 about the living hope we have in Christ and then we celebrated communion. It was a good morning. After their services they have a fellowship time where they drink chai (tea) and have snacks. It was a good time together. There were people from the US, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Iran and the Congo - a real muli-ethnic group.

For lunch we ate at a Tartar restaurant. We had the Tartar form of byrek. It was excellent. Following lunch we walked through the city around the river that runs through the middle of Eskisehir. The steets were full of people enjoying the beautiful day - families with small children eating ice cream from street vendors and lots of chai.

During the afternoon we drove up to a hill overlooking the city and prayer walked for about an hour. One of the things I have noticed is that people look happy on the outside because they do not know how much God loves them and that their sin separates them from Him. In some parts of the country you can see the despair in the eyes of the people. Here, with a fairly good economy and plenty of jobs, there is a sense of everything is fine. The people go blindly through their lives with no sense of need for God. The church needs to pray that God will open their eyes and hearts to see their need and reveal Himself to them.

After chai with Pastor Salih last night we drove to a McDonalds at a shopping mall. Mark had a good time talking with the manager. They talked about the similarities of the business as well as the differences. Because of the conversation we all received free ice cream sundaes! Mark has been a real blessing to our team! Any time you can get free ice cream, its a good day.

Today we are going out to villages surrounding Eskisehir looking for the Tartar people. These people migrated to Turkey from the northern Black Sea area centuries ago. We are trying to find out more about them in order to help congregations know how to better reach them with the gospel.

Continue to pray for us as we seek to identify minorities that have not been impacted by the gospel. Pray that we will be sensitive to the people we meet. Tonight we will have dinner with the university students who are part of the fellowship here. I am praying that we will discover ways that we can connect our university students with them to build relationships and encourage them in their walk with God and in personal evangelism.

The past couple of days we have traveled, met new people and seen historical sites. On Friday, we stood in the middle of the street where the Council of Chalcedon met and determined that Jesus was fully God and fully man. It was a response to the Arian controversy where Jesus was taught to have been created by God and not God Himself. This site is now located in the middle of a walking street in Kadikoy in Istanbul.

Saturday, on the way to Eskeshir, we stopped in Iznik. The ancient name of this city is Nicea. We were able to walk inside the churchh building where bishops from around the Christian world met to adopt The Nicean Creed which was the forerunner of the Apostles Creed. This creed established a standard of orthodox beliefs that, to this day, are held by millions of believers around the world. It was an incredible experience to stand in that place and know that our spiritual forefathers met, prayed, discussed and made a decision that stands today in the Christian world.

We entered Eskisehir around 5:00 PM yesterday afternoon and were met by a member of the church fellowship who took us to our hotel - the same hotel we stayed in last year. After getting checked in we met Pastor Salih and his wife, Joyce, at a restaurant and then were invited to their home for chai and dessert. I have been telling Mark how good the food is in Turkey and I think he is fully convinced now - except for the ayran (unsweetened yogurt mixed with water and salt)!

Today we are worshiping with the fellowship in Eskisehir and then prayerwalking around the city. Eskisehir is a university city with close to 70,000 students. In addition, we will be meeting with local businessmen, most of whom are non-believers.

In the coming three days we will continue to prayer walk and visit small villages doing ethnography work - identifying people from minority groups who have absolutely no access to the Gospel. One of my conversations in the coming days with Pastor Salih will be how we can partner with him and his fellowship for future trips. Pray that God will give wisdom as we have this discussion.

Before we left Istanbul we picked up a local believer who is traveling with us and helping with translation work. His name is Ercu (”airjew”). He is part of a fellowship in Istanbul that planted the work in Eskisehir several years ago. Ercu is a close friend to Salih.

Come back for more later! Keep praying and asking the Father to use us for His glory and the honor of His Name.