understand the differences

It is important to know the culture situation of the people around you, but often it is not always easy to understand. We can often overlook things or even ignore facts that are obvious.

I just returned last week from Cuba, and this truly is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. Yet it is the people that are the most beautiful part. Understanding the setting is much different than where I live is important.

James 1:5 NLT

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.

We need God’s help to understand the things around us and even to understand ourselves. He knows all because He is the creator as well as the keeper of life and the giver of purpose. I really want to see people through His eyes.

Cuba is a very different culture from where I live. It is a country of great poverty and one that works in far different ways than we are used to. There are few people of means or wealth. Yet I have found the ones I know to be content and grateful to rely on God for what they have. There is little room for change economically. Food and transportation are in big shortage. Electricity is often off for many hours through the day. Prices of everything is much higher. The median income for a family is around $20 a month.

When I started going to Cuba in 2019, things were hard to get, but now some things are next to impossible to find. The sports ministry continues to serve in areas of sports but also in meeting basic needs. You can share the Gospel, and the churches and ministries are free to serve and share.

What connects me to these great people and their work is the common desire to meet needs to to share Jesus with others. We must do that wherever we are. But we need to understand the culture around us whether in our backyard or across the world. One of my mentors said to me years ago, “the light that shines farthest must necessarily shine brightest at home.” That means that we should not be going other places to do what we are not willing to do at home. That is why this ministry continues to have my heart.

Ephesians 3:18 NLT

And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.

I am grateful to be part of a work making a great difference in the lives of people in a place like Virginia and in Cuba.

Francis Chan's "Forgotten God" (brand new book)

One of the most powerful preachers, writers and leaders of our time, in my opinion, is Francis Chan. His first book, Crazy Love , revolutionized my thoughts about God's love as well as my interacting with God. Now it is time for a brand new book from Chan being released tomorrow, September 1st. The book is Forgotten God . This is a phenomenal book about the power that Christians and the church can and must tap into. All of it is within the Holy Spirit. Francis talks about the power that was seen in the book of Acts when the Holy Spirit began to move among people. It is true that many have avoided or maybe forgotten what the Holy Spirit is all about. And like the Savior who poured out His life and blood so we have reason to rejoice, we were made to lay down our lives and give until it hurts. We are most alive when we are loving and actively giving of ourselves because we were made to do these things. It is when we live like this that the Spirit of God moves and ac...

inspiration from C.S. Lewis

There are many people, past and present, who get our attention by what they write or say or share. For me C.S. Lewis is one of those. He was a prolific writer who continues to grab the attention of thinkers from many different points of view. Lewis first grabbed my attention when I was in 5 th grader, and our teacher, Mrs. Foy, shared The Chronicles of Narnia with our class. It was a powerful time that this dreamer opened doors to thinking like I had never lived before. He wrote of faith, of far off places and of strong figures who found their character rooted deep in God. C.S. Lewis was born in 1898 and died in 1963, 7 years before I was born. It wasn’t until his 30’s that under the influence of his friend Tolkien that he came to be a Christian. He was raised in a traditional church going home, turned away from God as an Atheist in his teen years and through trying to stay away from God and faith returned to God with...

Catalyst ticket arrived

My ticket to the Catalyst Conference, in Atlanta Oct 8-10, just arrived. I'm excited!

Michael Harrison's e-devotion

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