Pure Christianity

Because I Love You

This is going to sound crazy, and probably a little sacrilegious to some of you (o.k. a lot sacrilegious to some of you) but I just glimpsed more of the heart of God in a movie called Evan Almighty, than I ever saw in institutional Christianity.

Where Bruce Almighty was all about low comedy, Evan Almighty seemed to want to tell us that God loves us. I cannot think of a better message, in fact if the Gospel had to be or could be summed up in one phrase, God loves me, would be it.

Religion is not about God's love, but instead is about me trying to please God or at least some man made system. Sure religion had it's purpose. It's purpose was to show us that we could not reach God on our own.

Then Jesus came reached out to us. So it is no longer necessary for us to reach God, he lowered himself to us. Many of us search for God in religion, Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, and a host of others or variations. He is not there, certainly he can reveal himself there, but truly God is not in religion.

I told you I wanted to talk crazy, but then if you know me then you know crazy talk is something I do well. Just for once look for God in the unexpected places. Perhaps your family is the first place to start. I cannot tell you how many times I see God in my children or my wife. They do things simply because they love me, and that is what God does.

He loves us. He does not love our rules. He does not love our rituals. He does not love our formulas. He simply loves us.

I think some of us sang "Jesus loves me this I know" so much as a child that the meaning is lost in the tune. Sometimes we say or think things to a point all that is left is just the words. Words are good, but words by themselves are just words. I can say I am hungry. I can pray about my hunger. I can speak to the evil spirit of hunger. Words will not fill my stomach. I will actually need to eat in order to get rid of my hunger. Speaking is good, if I tell you I am hungry maybe you will make me a sandwich.  So the words will have started me on the path to sustenance, but they cannot fill me on their own.

Religion is just a bunch of words strung together in pretty ways in order to please God or else to tickle the ears of those participating in the ritual. We need real food in our lives.

Perhaps it is time we all lost our religion, and got in touch with our Creator. He loves you after all.

 

   Johnny Brooks

Missionary to Nakuru, Kenya. Co-founder of A Future and a Hope, a home for girls.

Wrinkle Time

We have a large dog puppet (lots of wrinkled folds) that we call Wrinkles.  She assists us in our daily devotions sometimes.  She is always getting into mischief and having funny adventures. Wrinkles, is shy, so whenever she talks, she whispers in my ear, and I repeat it to the kids.   Here is a bit of our "Transformer" devotion with Wrinkles.

"Look who's here everyone-  It's Wrinkles!.  Say HI to Wrinkles."

( Wrinkles wags tail and tongue and licks a couple of the kids.)

" We haven't seen you in a while, Wrinkles, what have you been up to?"

(wrinkles whispers in my ear)

"What? you're not Wrinkles anymore?  Who are you, then?"

(whispers)

"A Transformer?!?!" ( to kids) "I think Wrinkles is pretending."

(whispers)

"You're not pretending?  You are a REAL transformer you say?"

(whispers)

"The bible says you are !?!   Well, what do you mean exactly, Wrinkles?"

(whispers and motions for a child to check her front pocket.)

(child pulls out a slip of paper with verses on it.)

Child reads, " Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind"  Rom.12:2

" And we...are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory." 2 Cor. 3:18

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come!"  2 Cor.5:20

"I guess you're right in a way, Wrinkles!  We are real transformers( more than meets the eye)"

( holding up two transformers, in similar size and color- both in their robot form...) 

" Although we may sometimes look, and act like other people who are not Christians right now, we are still something totally different, that we will see in time."

( I have two children change the transformers into their other forms.- One becomes a race car, the other a tank.) " the old is passed away, and the new has come!  Cool!""

( ask kids) "How does that first verse say we are transformed?  How do we get from one form to another? Wouldn't it be terrible if you bought a new  transformer, and never got around to transforming to it's other cool shape?"  That would be a bummer! -to never let it fulfill what it was suppose to be; what the designers worked so hard to make it become?-- But you guys would never let that happen , I bet!"

(wrinkles, whispers)" That's right, Wrinkles, that verse says " by renewing our mind."

(whispers)

"You want to know how we renew our minds?"  Well in Romans, it says, that the Word of God renews our mind.  That means that when we are taught from the bible the way Jesus wants us to act and love on another, or when we pray and God speaks to our heart and tells us something to do-then we now know and can act differently then we would naturally have."

(whispers)

"Wrinkles says, she knows a lot of verses and has always gone to church and knows how to act, but she still isn't transformed yet- she still acts acts selfish and naughty sometimes."

" Well Wrinkles, that is because just knowing what God wants is not enough.  We have to choose to obey and  do what we know is right.  And that can be really hard sometimes."

"Learning how to let go of what we want and submit to God and others is called "dying to ourselves."  And that is a big part of what being a Christian is about.  That is how we let God transform us.  It can be a slow process, especially when we resist God, and don't obey what we know he wants, very often."

( I take a transformer and make it look very mixed up, halfway formed)

"This is kinda how we are and look when we don't let God do His work in us-and it takes a lot longer to become that awesome thing God has designed us to be- to fulfill what he wants us to do on this earth.  Some people get this far and get stuck here and never finish transforming.  Isn't that a shame?"

" I know a nice lady, who is a Christian and does a lot of good for people, yet she will not forgive someone who hurt her in her life- so that part is stuck.  You see, we can't pick and choose what areas we will decide to obey God.  He has to be boss in every way! Otherwise we will stay a mess like this transformer."

" So the next time, you are getting upset about something not going your way, or are having a conflict with someone, remember that this is your oppurtunity to transform a little to look like Jesus.  I know it is very hard to let God be in charge of your emotions when your angry or hurt- but ask him to help you and He will."

( everyone prays)

" Everyone say bye to Wrinkles, she has to go, now.  Bye Wrinkles!"

Our discussion was quite a bit longer , but this was the jist of the message.  I didn't come up with this- God actually gave it to me in a dream- pretty cool.  Now the kids are on a big Transformer kick, playing with them every chance they get!  when they start to get cross with each other, I remind them of their oppurtunity to "Transform" !

Heather

Picture of the Week

Back to the fountain pens

It was only the second day of school when each of the girls came home with blue blots of ink on their uniforms. Then in the evening, they managed to spill an entire bottle of blue ink on their white school socks. That was when I decided to confiscate the pens and replace them with good-ol' ball-points.

Instead of just breaking the school rules, however, I decided to discuss it with the headmaster. To cut to the chase, he agreed to allow my girls to use the ball-points.

~ Kate Brooks

Missionary to Nakuru, Kenya and Co-founder of A Future and a Hope.

Quote of the Week

"There must be more to life than having everything."

Maurice Sendak

Did You Get that Email?

Lies, lies, and more lies. Seems like each time I get a forwarded email it is just packed with untruth after untruth. Those of you who care about the truth know what I am talking about, the rest of you may be scratching you head (or other body part) trying to remember the last time you read something that was not true.

You may have received an email about missionaries in Kenya named Loren and Celeste Davis. Apparently they made some comments about Barack Obama being a sleeper terrorist or something like that. A good amount of them have arrived in my inbox, perhaps because people are concerned about us or something since we live in Kenya.

I am not going to refute everything they say, though if everything they say is not a lie it is at least said in the wrong context. The most recent one I received had an interesting line in it. It mentioned how during the recent election related violence in Kenya many churches were burned but not a single mosque.

What? Is that supposed to prove something? It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out why churches were burned and not mosques. Most all of the violence was perpetrated by Christians, or at least people who have been born again.

Here in Nakuru churches are divided by ethnicity, they were before the election turmoil, but they are more than ever divided now. We have whole estates (neighborhoods) that are divided by tribe. These same people that are refusing to live next to someone who speaks a different language or at least has a different name, attend Christian religious meetings on Sundays without fail. If you ask them if they are Christian they will not hesitate to say that Jesus Christ is their personal savior and Lord. Must be a different Jesus then the one I know.

In my life I have met a good number of religious fanatics. Not a single one of them was Muslim, in fact all the fanatics I know are Christian. Before you ask, yes I do know a good number of Muslims.

Just because Loren Davis claims to speak for God does not mean he does. I mean come on he is the same guy who said the American flag was Satanic. (O.K. what he actually said was using the image of a star is Satanic. Which would make the American flag Satanic.) Should also be noted that just because he uses the title missionary and has wasted lots of money in Kenya on meetings, does not make him the spokesperson for the rest of us missionaries living here in Kenya.

I say we take a stand for what is true and stop forwarding emails around that are anything but true, and if you fear a black man being president then vote for someone else.

 

Johnny Brooks

Missionary to Nakuru, Kenya. Co-founder of A Future and a Hope, a home for girls.

Where's the Water?

Remember me discussing our water issues? We haven't had water since November of '07. Well, they repaired the pipe down the road. Our neighbors have water, but we still haven't gotten any.

Our meter has read 006614 for months. This month we got a BILL from the water company just because we have an account! It's a mere $5.20, but I'm not paying it (with the intention of having the water guys come to the house to collect the money). Then maybe I can get them to see that my meter hasn't moved in months! Perhaps then they will fix the problem.

So, yesterday, the guy who closes the water meter came saying, "You owe me money."

My reply, "Go ahead close the meter. I haven't gotten water since November so at least I won't be getting bills for nothing."

He said he was shocked that we hadn't gotten water. He didn't close the meter, nor did he take my money. Instead, he said he'd file a complaint at the water office. (He's the 7th person to complain to them about our water issue.)

Maybe, just maybe, he's 'high enough' in the water people hierarchy to get something done!

We've even had a plumber come to the house to find it's all working properly, we just don't have water.

 

~ Kate Brooks

Missionary to Nakuru, Kenya and Co-founder of A Future and a Hope.

108 Ways to Transform a T-Shirt

For my birthday, Johnny ordered 2 books for me from Amazon.com. The one I am reviewing is called 108 Ways to Transform a T-Shirt.

This book is just that. It has easy to follow instructions that take you through step-by-step from t-shirt to whatever. Projects range from various t-shirt styles to purses, and even a wedding gown!

All of my kids are enjoying this book as well. We've made all KINDS of styles of shirts as well as skirts, dolls, bags, and even fake flowers! They've been cutting up everything!

What I really like about the book is that you don't have to know how to sew to do the projects. Most of the projects are fairly simple.

Below, Makena (age 7) made a doll from the t-shirt scraps! She practiced her 'whip stitch' all around the edges of the doll. She stuffed it herself and even made the doll a shirt and skirt from the book!

 

 

 

  ~ Kate Brooks

Missionary to Nakuru, Kenya and Co-founder of A Future and a Hope.

Night at the E.R.

Sounds like the opening title for a horror movie. The other night I ended up spending lots of hours at the Emergency Room. I thought it would be a nightmare but it turned out to be an inspiration.

Raymond Payne is an 85-year old man who has been a family friend for nearly a year now. He’s very eccentric, in excellent health, and is as independent as possible. Last week while riding his electric cycle on a strip of highway his rear axle came apart and he had a big crash.  Some scraping on his head and a gash on his elbow.  I was called at work by his apartment manager and so I spent the next 9 hours in our local ER with him. They stitched Raymond up and gave him a prescription that cost him $45 dollars. The night there was long and boring but I enjoyed his company. I also came away with inspiration for "real ministry" J ideas.

All in all, I learned what a great place an ER is to go to and spend time with hurting people. Just sitting among those there and talking with them can really help. Just praying and keeping your "spiritual radar" sensitive for ways you might be able to help someone there.

It could be conversations. Either bringing in or buying from the ER machines cool drinks or pre-packaged snacks to share for those there that can’t afford them. So many people with children come to the ER and many of them can’t afford to buy the pharmacy prescriptions the doctors give them.  A person could be willing to shuttle those needing a ride home from the ER once in awhile or on certain nights. You could donate magazines, books, or even purchase the things needed to make a little play area for kids who have to spend so many hours there.

Are you looking for a way to minister to those in your community? The sick, the hurting? The local ER may be an excellent place to start looking…

 

 

James Matthews and family

Picture of the Week

 

Planting vegetables at our house in Nakuru.