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What Can One Person Do?

Matt Armstrong — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 18:08:00 GMT

Last night, I attended the “Half the Sky Live” nationwide event with several people from New Hope. To be honest, after reading the book, Half the Sky, the event left me a little disappointed. Nonetheless, the various speakers at the event kept beating two drums over and over: 1) The importance of educating girls, in particular, and entire rural villages in the developing world; and 2) The amazing impact on societies when women are empowered economically.

I want to write briefly about the second point and share a very cool web site that I learned about from the book (Half the Sky). From reading this book I learned that often in the poorest families in the world, men manage the money. These very poor men are inclined to spend a high percentage of their income on such things as alcohol, prostitutes, tobacco, and sugary products. Meanwhile, their children routinely die from preventable diseases and quite often miss out on an education, which is the surest rise out of dire poverty. In the book, the authors paint a picture of a mother who is grieving the death of her child from malaria for want of a $5 mosquito net while her husband is at the bar where he spends $5 per week on drink! A very sad picture indeed.

As well as being a very “justice-oriented” person, I am also action-oriented. So, when I learn things like this (about how women in the developing world will invest in education while men invest in beer) I wonder what it is that I should do. Through this book I discovered a very cool web site: Kiva.org (http://www.kiva.org/). At Kiva, you can make loans to people around the world—both men and women. You can start by lending as little as $25 to entrepreneurs in developing areas of the world. On this site, you can learn about the specific person or group of people that you will be lending to, you can learn about their business plans (how they will invest the money you loan), you can see what organization is actually disbursing the money and what the odds are that it will be repaid. Right now I have made one $25 loan to the Kayembe Women’s Group in Uganda (pictured). 48 other people are joined with me, and together we have loaned them $1,900 to start a food market. They are to repay this loan over the course of six months beginning on May 1. If all goes well, they will get a boost up and be able to start a profitable business, which will help them and their families rise out of poverty, and (almost incredibly to me) I will get my $25 put back into my Kiva portfolio. Then I can either re-invest it in another loan, or I can even collect it back.

Technology has made our world so much smaller. It has opened many doors such as this one. Through Kiva.org, you can join together with people around the world to pool your funds to make micro loans, which will help people to develop themselves. In short, it’s a hand up, not a hand out. And I’m all about that. So, check out the web site, and consider making a loan. It’s one easy way that we can become involved in addressing some of the world’s biggest problems.

A Video about Trafficking in Ecuador

Matt Armstrong — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 14:39:00 GMT

This video shows the home in Ecuador that Steven and I visited on Sunday, and it describes a little about the trafficking situation in Ecuador.

Learning about Human Tragedy in South America

Matt Armstrong — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 04:54:00 GMT

A dry breeze was blowing as we approached the gate of an unmarked compound with a high white wall surrounding it. We were just about one mile south of the equator and a little bit outside the city. Off to the left was a tall mountain towering over us. There were six of us visiting this home for underage girls rescued from prostitution in Ecuador. We banged and banged on the gate, but no one answered. After going around to the side of the compound we got the attention of the guard who then came to meet us at the front gate. He inquired about who we were and what we were there for. Then he shut the gate to check on whether we should be allowed in. After a few minutes he came back and let us in, leading us to a building toward the back of the walled compound. Evidently the compound is unmarked and not easy to access for the protection of the young girls who live there.

The 19 girls who live there range in age from 12 to 17. The average age is between 13-15. They are former prostitutes who have been rescued sometimes by the police, sometimes by their families, and sometimes by the girl herself seeking out help. I learned a lot about sexual slavery in Ecuador from the house’s director. It turns out that it is somewhat different from anything I had read about elsewhere. The typical pattern is for a man in his twenties or even thirties to show interest in a young girl. He gets her to fall in love with him and then through guilt, threats, or other manipulative measures gets the girl to sell herself to other men. At times, these men will be wooing several girls at once—making them feel special and drawing them into a monstrous trap.

I learned that one of the biggest challenges at this rehabilitation center is that the girls do not see themselves as victims who have been exploited. Most often they come in against their wills because they genuinely believe that they love and are loved. Through the counseling they receive there, they come to discover what has been done to them and how they have been used so that they can rise out of their circumstances.

Three of the girls have children with them there. One of the staff said that others are pregnant now. Four new girls just arrived today some time before we did. It blows my mind to think that yesterday they were enslaved, and today they have an opportunity to be free.

As the girls gathered around—sitting on some steps on a patio outside—I was able to share with them that they mattered to God and to the people at New Hope Community. I gave them the letters the church sent to them and the bracelets the youth group made for them. I also passed around photos of the youth group making the bracelets and writing the cards. I was not allowed to take any pictures of them to protect their security and privacy. One of the most moving moments of the time there was when the girls spontaneously started singing a song in Spanish that Juan Miguel from Casa G had taught them a couple months ago. In Spanish it is called “Me Amaste a Mi.” Here is my translation:

You saw me when no one else saw me

You loved me when no one else loved me

And you gave me a name

I am your child

The apple of your eye

Because you loved me.

As they sang these words, I had to look away and fight back tears. How powerful these words seemed when they were sung by some who know so deeply what it is like not to be seen, not to be loved, and not to be valued as a person with a name and an identity. Truly the love of God is an amazing thing. It breaks my heart though that there is so little promise for the future for these girls. I held a little baby, Ashley, who is five months old. She is a beautiful child. Her mother is only 17. She is from Colombia and has no family here in Ecuador. She has no connection with her parents in Colombia, and when she turns 18 she will have to leave this home. What will become of her? And what about this precious little baby? As I reflected on the day, I felt a lot of different things. But one of the strongest feelings I have is that I am like the negative example James gives in James 2:15-16: “Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?” (NIV). I went in and told them that they matter to God and to his people, but what are we going to do about Ashley and her mom? What are we going to do about Josefina (not her real name) who is 14 and is ready to leave the program but can’t go home because her former pimp is still around and threatening her mom? We have to do more than say, “God loves you. Keep warm and be well fed.”

For now, we must pray for them and wait on the Lord to show us what to do. The Lord has been teaching me that I need to wait on him and not always push ahead, but eventually I believe he will lead us to do something tangible and practical because to do nothing would be a tragedy. So I pray the Lord shows us what to do and how to truly show his love to these girls with action as well as words.

Faith Without Works Is Dead, But Works Without Love Are Pointless

Matt Armstrong — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 16:16:00 GMT

I have been thinking about the purpose oflife lately. If I were at the end of my life, what would I like to haveaccomplished? This is the question I have asked myself. My conclusion is that Iwant to use my life helping others grow in their faith and developing the giftsGod has given them. I must give my life away in order for it to truly count. Todo this, I want to be someone who equips others for the work of the ministry. Ithink this is biblical, but I would like to dialog with you about it, so pleasepost a comment to interact on this.

We are, of course, commanded to love Godand to love others, and Jesus says that all the law and the prophets hang onthese two commands of love. We are also instructed to make disciples and topreach the good news of the kingdom of God. So behind everything we do must belove for God and love for people. Love puts the interests of the other personahead of my own. I can put aside my own selfish ambition to cheer others on asan act of love.

I think that there is a common “shadowmission” that we pursue without even realizing that it’s not really love. Ithink that many people—even many good Christian people (even me!)—waste so muchof their lives in service without love. They give of what they have (theirtime, talent, and treasure), but they don’t give themselves. My purpose in lifeis to give my life away—to put God and others first not just by serving thembut by truly loving them. I want to weave together two passages of Scripture tomake the point about how very important it is that we serve only and always inlove. First, James 2:14-17 and then 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 are the Scriptures Ihave in mind. Both of these are familiar passages, but I hope you’ll read themcarefully:

What good is it, mybrothers and sisters, if people claim to have faith but have no deeds? Can suchfaith save them? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.If one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,"but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way,faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead (James 2:14-17TNIV).

If I speak in humanor angelic tongues, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or aclanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteriesand all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not havelove, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body[to hardship] that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing (1Corinthians 13:1-3 TNIV).

Hereis what I am trying to say. First, James tells us that if we have true faith—savingfaith that makes us right with God—we will take action. James specifically saysthat we will care for the poor as an evidence of genuine faith. I’m pretty goodat taking action. In fact, I consider myself to be an “action-oriented” person.Serving is easy, but that’s not enough. Life is about more than serving God andothers because when I look at 1 Corinthians 13, I see that Paul is saying thatit doesn’t matter much what I do if I don’t do it with love as the motivation.So, the conclusion is that faith doesn’t mean anything unless I do something, butdoing something doesn’t mean anything unless I do it with love. The bottom linethen is that what I believe must result in action that is motivated by truelove—love for God and love for our neighbors.

A Lesson in Faith from Abraham

Matt Armstrong — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 16:52:00 GMT

This week I am preaching about Abraham. Preparing for this message has been a lot more uplifting than last week’s sermon about sin entering the world and its effects. Abraham is, of course, known for his great faith. Genesis 15:6 is a very famous verse that says: “Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness” (TNIV). When I think of Abraham, I think of an old guy who believed God a lot. One key thing that I learned about Abraham’s faith in my studies this week is that faith which pleases God has both an active and a passive element. The activity and the waiting are like two sides of the “faith coin.”

If you remember Abraham’s story, you recall that God makes some pretty amazing promises to him. He promises to give his descendants the land of Canaan, and he promises to make Abraham’s descendants into a great and numerous people. God also asks Abraham to leave his home, his father’s household and his people and to go to the land that God would show him. God asks a lot of Abraham, and he promises him a lot as well.

Abraham obeyed God and exercised faith by getting up and actually moving to the land God was planning to give him. In other words, Abraham’s faith was action-oriented. It would have been silly for him to think he would receive the land God promised while he stayed in Haran or Ur waiting for a miracle. So, he got up and he got moving. However, his faith in God’s promise for land was also passive. When Abraham arrived in the land God was going to give him, other people already lived there. Abraham had a few options at this point. The Bible tells us that Abraham was wealthy, so we might assume that he could have started to buy up land. Buying the land would seem a valid option. He also had several hundred people in his household, and he could have started trying to take the land by force. This was pretty much an accepted practice in his time, and he could have tried to do this—but he didn’t. Instead Abraham chose a third option. He believed God enough to wait. His faith was active when action was called for (He moved hundreds of miles to an unknown land!), and it was patient when what was needed was simply to wait on God.

We see the same thing with Abraham’s believing God about the promise of a son through his wife, Sarah. Abraham and Sarah were very old (100 and 90!) when their son, Isaac, was born. (If this happened today, they’d probably be the only couple in the check out lane buying diapers for their kid and Depends for themselves!) Nonetheless, God never promised a miraculous conception, and so Abraham and Sarah’s active faith led them to keep trying to conceive knowing all the while that they had no choice but to wait on the Lord to provide the promised son.

This lesson of faith being both passive and active is especially difficult for me. I am a strongly action-oriented person. I have trouble sitting still for five minutes to wait for anything. For me, faith has always been about action, but this week—through the example of Abraham—I have seen that sometimes moving forward is a demonstration of faith, but other times waiting with hope is the correct expression of faith. May God help me to know when to act and when to wait, and may he grow my faith through both the action and the waiting.

Sin—Saddening and Maddening

Matt Armstrong — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 00:45:00 GMT

We just began a new teaching series at New Hope Community. It is called “The Story of Us.” Last week was the first Sunday, and we were talking about “Chapter 1: Creation.” Creation was a fun topic. We looked at the enormity of this universe that God made. We glanced at the intricacy of the universe—the fact that God paid attention to the smallest detail in what he made. And we looked that the role of humanity in God’s creation as his vice-rulers and co-creators. Good stuff!

This week I have been preparing for the second message, which is on “Crisis.” (It's amazing how quickly humanity moved from "Creation" to "Crisis," isn't it?) This message is all about sin entering the world and its effects. The result of preparing for this message is that I have been thinking more about sin this week than I might during a typical week. As I have considered God’s good creation and then the sin in the world, it has amazed me how very pervasive the effects of sin are. Truly Adam and Eve’s disobedience has affected the whole created order.

I think sin affects us on at least three levels. First, there are the intra-personal effects of sin. Part of the curse in Genesis 3 was that we would return to the dust from which we were formed ("dust to dust"). In other words, after we fully mature, our bodies become weaker and weaker until we die, and we are always vulnerable to disease, injury, and death. Indeed, I have been reminded this week just how very fragile our physical lives are. Disease, sickness, death, and decay are all results of sin that affect us very personally.

Another dimension of sin’s effects is inter-personal. It comes as no surprise that sin affects the way we relate to other people. This was also part of the curse in Genesis 3. When the Lord God said that the woman’s desire would be for her husband and that he would rule over her, he was saying that their relationship would change dramatically for the worse because of their sin. I have been very burdened lately reading and hearing about slavery around the world. Yesterday, I spoke on the phone with a gentleman in Uganda named David Kamanzi. He and his wife, Esther, have been ministering to six young girls (ages 12-15) who are in forced prostitution. (Accompanying this post is a photo of some of these girls along with their children (Yes, they have children…and AIDS, too.). I am putting this photo here because it makes them real people to me.) How is it that one human being can commit a crime so monstruous against another human being? But then I wonder how it is that I can stand by and do so little to stop atrocities like this between people. The effects of sin between one person and another can hardly be overstated.

Finally, sin affects the natural order, and there are droughts and earthquakes and other “natural disasters.” These things were not a part of God’s perfect creation. In the beginning, people took care of the world, and the world took care of them. No longer is this true. Now people disregard the world and the world is a very dangerous place. I was reminded of this again this week as I heard at a meeting on Tuesday just how very dire the situation in Haiti is. A gentleman at the meeting I was at spoke about how he was supposed to go to Haiti on the 20^thof this month, but his trip was canceled because of how bad things are there. No doubt you’ve seen scores of photos of the devastation, and this, too, was caused by sin’s effects on the creation.

As I have reflected on sin, I have become deeply sad…and mad! Some aspects of sin’s effects just make me ANGRY. Why should people suffer as these girls in Uganda suffer at the hands of another human being? Other aspects make me sad, like when I hear about someone with a serious illness. Then it hit me. I think that God feels the same way about sin. I think it makes him very sad and also very mad (more sad and more mad than it makes me for sure). We’re like rebel teenagers shaking our fists at a loving God who wants so badly to bless us and to have us return home to him through his Son, Jesus. And this thought about God makes me realize that there is no such thing as a small sin—“little” white lies make God sad and mad, too. And even my “little” sins contribute to making this world such a mess.

My Life Makes Sense (And That's a Bad Thing)

Matt Armstrong — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 19:28:00 GMT

I am reading a book by Francis Chan calledCrazy Love. Francis is talking abouthow the life of a Christ-follower should be marked by a passionate love forJesus, not simply following therules and saying and believing the right things. One line that I read todayalmost leaped off the page. Francis writes that “something is wrong when ourlives make sense to unbelievers.”

Something is wrong when my life makessense to the people of this world. If that’s true then I think something iswrong with my life because so much of it (maybe even all of it) makes perfectsense to my unbelieving neighbors. I live with my healthy, beautiful family ina three-bedroom home in a suburban community with plenty of food in thecabinets, two cars in the driveway, a dog, a fenced-in yard, clean drinkingwater, and so much more. When it’s cold outside, I turn on the heat. When it’shot outside, I turn on the air conditioner. Thanks to my friend, Larry Pahl, Ieven have a waterfall in my backyard! In short, I have a pretty comfortablelife. Nothing particularly wrong with that in and of itself, but it does makeme wonder what about my life doesn’t make sense to unbelievers. What radicalthing am I doing with my life—what mountain am I climbing—that makes them lookat me and say, “Huh?”? Consider Noah. He definitely got this kind of reactionwhen he started building a big boat in his backyard and telling people theyneeded to repent because it was going to rain…a lot! His neighbors were nodoubt like, “Huh? We don’t get this guy!” How about Abraham? I’m sure his neighbors thought it was just marvelous that he was about to offer his son onan altar. In fact, as Francis points out, the lives of so many heroes of thefaith simply do not make sense to the world. Die for Jesus? That just doesn’tmake sense. Give everything away. That definitely doesn’t make sense. Cry overinjustice and stand up for people who cannot repay you? Why would you do that?

Is there a passion in me that burns sowhite hot with love for the Lord that I do crazy things—nonsensical things? Iwant there to be. I want to love God so much that my non-believing neighborsthink, “Matt has lost it!” I wonder what ark I am supposed to be building thatwill make my neighbors think I’m nuts. The trouble is that I want to be aradical follower of Jesus, but at the same time I want to be comfortable. MayGod help me to love him more so that my life no longer makes sense to thosearound me—that it may be poured out for God as the woman poured expensiveperfume on the feet of Jesus.

The Beach Party

Matt Armstrong — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 23:55:00 GMT

Yesterday I opened the sermon talking about a vision that Chelsea Douce (daughter of friends and New-Hope-supported missionaries, Phil and Debbie Douce). I love the beautiful picture she paints of how we, along with Jesus, absorb the pain of the world as we go and reach out to those who so desperately need hope and help. I wanted to share the fuller version of Chelsea's vision in her own words here since I did not get all the details just right as I spoke of it yesterday. It is a vivid picture of what we are to be doing in this world--walking hand-in-hand with Jesus as he goes to hurting people and leads us toward our real home. Here's what Chelsea wrote: On October 23, 2006, I was at a Navigator conference. During a worship and prayer time I experienced what I can only describe as a vivid word picture. I attempted to record what I heard/saw that night: I put my hand in Jesus' and we contentedly walked together alone down a beautiful beach, the tide tickling our barefoot toes. In the distance I could see a beach party. Even from afar I could see, or maybe sense, the joy of the celebration. While I could not distinguish faces or see clearly what was going on, I knew they were waiting for Jesus and me to arrive. My eyes strained and my heart beat excitedly within me. I couldn’t wait to reach the party. Jesus grinned at my enthusiasm, and I wondered in that moment if perhaps this meant that he was calling me to my true home, my heavenly home. But then something caught my eye from the periphery. I looked to my left. Along the beachfront were hundreds of shacks, dirty and broken, without electricity or running water. Peering through uncovered windows stared snot-nosed children. On the front steps sat sullen-looking fathers desperately clinging to almost empty bottles. Stressed mothers swept dirt floors and chickens ran among their feet. The celebration further down the beach was hidden from their view. They could not see past where they were. Jesus and I stood looking at them. I looked again at the party in the distance. I looked back at Jesus and he smiled gently. My hand still in his, we began to walk toward the closest shack. To my dismay, I realized that I had to walk through all the beach trash to reach them. Broken glass cut into my feet and I clung tightly to Jesus' hand. Feet bleeding, we approached the first unhappy home. They stared at me. I held my free hand out to them and said, “Hi, my name is Chelsea and I want to introduce you to my best friend. He saved my life and he wants to save yours.” In the dirty sand, surrounded by dirty faces and clucking chickens, Jesus and I were invited to sit. We simply hung out and chatted about everyday life, the seasons, and poultry prices. Ultimately, we discussed the open invitation they also had to the beach party toward which Jesus and I were traveling. Sometimes the pain of my feet was distracting, but I could still see the party in the distance, and I knew they were still waiting for us. Back through the broken glass and the trash we walked toward the ocean, pressing on to the celebration in the distance. Again the waves hit my feet, but this time the sea salt filled my open cuts and the burning was intense. I continued to hold tightly to Jesus' hand and was reassured by the steady pressure of his grip. Almost against my will (such was my yearning to reach the beach party), more faces to my left caught my eye. More dirty precious baby faces. More staring eyes. Here I was walking along with Jesus and they had no idea who he was. Again and again Jesus and I would cut through the beach trash. I couldn't get over how amazing it was to simply introduce Jesus to people. It was worth the pain of my bleeding feet and worth the delay of reaching the party. The entire way to the party, Jesus and I made trips from the ocean tide to the beach shacks clustered at the beach edge. The party always seemed the same distance away no matter how far we journeyed, so I was surprised when suddenly I could distinguish figures on the party’s edge. Standing with Jesus, my breath caught in my chest. Angels waiting closest to us could not contain their enthusiasm any more. They came rushing, dancing, bouncing toward us and began to hug and kiss us and pat us on the back, all the while exclaiming, “We are so glad you are here. We have been waiting for you. You have no idea how eagerly we have watched for your arrival.” They took my hands and pulled me into the circle of people. The group was large but felt somehow intimate, strange and yet somehow familiar. “Oh, Chelsea,” one of the angels exclaimed, “we are just so excited you are here! We have your seat of honor saved and prepared for you.” I began to recognize people at the party as I was led deeper into the circle. The joy was so much that I began to weep. I heard myself saying, “I wasn't expecting this. I had no idea it would look like this. No idea it would be this wonderful.” Tears continued to drip down my face unheeded in my joy and awe. Then someone gently took me to the edge of the party and pointed out where I had come from. “Look at who you brought with you, Chelsea. Look at who comes behind you.” I watched in complete amazement as people began to walk away from the broken clusters of beach shacks toward the healing of the salt water. They began to walk toward us. They could not distinguish any figures, but they knew, just as I had known, that we were waiting for them.

Blessed So That I Can Bless the World

Matt Armstrong — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:14:00 GMT

On January 1, I started a new Bible reading plan. Actually, it’s an old plan that I have done several times, but I had stopped doing it last year. In any case, I have been reading in Genesis about Abraham. It’s cool how you can read God’s Word many times and continue to see new things in it. It is a rich treasure trove for us as Christ-followers.

What I have been thinking about is how God called Abram, changed his name to Abraham, and blessed him abundantly. He gave him (for the most part) peace with his neighbors, a beautiful and loving wife, two sons (including Isaac, the child of promise), and great wealth. And all this doesn’t even take into account that Abraham had an amazing relationship with God who came to visit him in the form of a human being to personally speak with him. Abraham was blessed—very blessed, in fact.

But God didn’t bless Abraham just for Abraham’s own sake. He blessed him so that he could be a blessing to the world. Check out these words from Genesis 22 (God speaking to Abraham): “I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me" (17-18 TNIV).

God is promising Abraham that all nations on earth will be blessed through Abraham’s offspring. Since I was a kid, I was told that this referred to Jesus. Being a Jew, Jesus was Abraham’s descendent, and clearly Jesus died for the sins of the world (1 John 2:2). Obviously, the world was blessed beyond all measure by the coming of Jesus to forgive us our sins, to make us right with God, and to give us spiritual life. I do not want to diminish the importance of this in any way, but what I have been thinking about is simply the idea that we, like Abraham, are very blessed, and so we must be a blessing to the world.

If you know Jesus as your Savior, you have spiritual riches beyond belief. So many of you reading this (and me for sure!) are blessed with wonderful families and fulfilling jobs. In our nation, we have abundant financial blessings (Even when we feel poor, we have so much more than the rest of the world!). Why would God give us all these blessings? Clearly, he loves us outrageously. When I look at my own self, I don’t know why such an awesome, holy God would love me, but he does. But I think that, like Abraham, God blesses us so that we can be a blessing to all nations. We are blessed so that we can bless the world.

So, I am asking myself this question: Since I have been so blessed, how can I be a blessing to the world? First, I can point all people to Jesus who is the source of all true blessing, but then I can fight injustice and oppression. I can lead toward freedom and wholeness. I can give generously until it actually costs me something (i.e., it changes my lifestyle). I can choose to personally know people who are orphans and widows, people who used to live on the street, or be held as slaves. I can pray with Jesus “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” What is God’s will? He wills that none should perish but all come to life—real life—through Jesus. So, I can lift Jesus high and share his love and Word with everyone I can. He wills that people be free, so I can fight injustice, slavery, and oppression wherever I see it in the world. He wills that starving children with no clean water be cared for, loved, fed, and given clean water. He wills that we overcome evil with good, hatred with love, and greed with great sacrifice.

Like Abraham, we as the Church are called to be a holy nation. We are set apart by God to both be blessed and to be a blessing. Would you join me in asking God how we might become more of a blessing to a hurting, pain-filled world? I’m tired of the status quo, and I want to believe that God can use his Church to truly bless this world and to see Jesus’ prayer for God’s kingdom to come to be answered.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Prayer

Matt Armstrong — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 18:30:00 GMT

I was honored to be invited to give the invocation for a breakfast honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. this morning at the Village of Hoffman Estates. At such a time as this, when there are more slaves in the world than at
any other time in history, I believe it is important for Christians to stand for justice and to stand in the tradition of Dr. King, which to me means to overcome evil with good, to love our enemies, and to pray for those who persecute us. Here is the text of my prayer this morning:

Lord God of heaven and earth, we come before you this morning to thank you for the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Junior. As this day reminds us, it has been a mighty long road toward equality and fairness for all people, and we confess that we still have a long way to go. There is still darkness in our hearts, injustice in our land, and bondage in this world.

We ask that you would change our hearts—that you would remove every shred of racism and classism and sexism that resides there. When we look at our fellow human beings, let us see them as you see them. Let us see them for who they are and who they might become in you, not based on the color of their skin, the language that they speak, their nation of origin, their gender, their money or their lack thereof. May we never see others in any way that for one moment allows us to consider ourselves superior to any other. Change our hearts. Make us new. Set us free. Fill us with love for our neighbors.

Change not only our hearts, but change our nation as well. We have been blessed to see many, many things change since Dr.King’s day. We have seen unjust laws struck down. We have seen children of many backgrounds attending the same schools. We have seen people begin to learn to get along with those who are different, and we have even seen a man of color elected to the highest office in our land. Lord, please bless and lead our President and this great nation. Let us move forward more fully toward liberty and justice for all. May we be a haven of fairness and opportunity, and may we shine brightly in this world.

Since Dr. King’s day, our world has grown smaller through satellites, internet, and cell phone. People, money, and images zoom around this globe in virtually no time at all. Dr. King once said that “Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.” We do not want to hide our heads in the sand and plead ignorant. Lord, this morning there are more people held in the bonds of slavery than at any time in history. Set them free! We have seen images of the devastation in Haiti last week, but every week there are hundreds of thousands of children sold for the cost of one dinner out, and we have remained silent. Forgive us. Let those of us gathered in this room rise up with Dr. King to fight injustice and inequality in this world, in this nation, and especially in our own hearts. On this day, allow our hearts to be moved to take action for your kingdom in our homes and community. We ask for your presence and your blessing here this morning. We thank you for each one gathered here. Amen.

My Identity in Christ

Matt Armstrong — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 22:40:00 GMT

Yesterday as part of our sermon series called "Identity Theft," I gave a list of what the Bible says about my identity in Christ. It is truly remarkable who God makes us in Christ. I thought I would reproduce the list here along with the Scripture references as an encouragement to you. If you belong to Jesus, he has made your life extraordinary!

My Identity in Christ

I have a new relationship:

I’m a child of God (1 John 3:1-2).
I am Jesus’ friend (John 15:15).
I am born of God (1 John 4:7).
I have been adopted & chosen by God (Romans 8:15 & 1 Thessalonians 1:4)

I have an inheritance:

I am an heir of God—a joint heir with Christ (Romans 8:17 & Galatians 4:7)
I am blessed with every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3).
I am a child of promise (Romans 9:8 & Galatians 3:14).
I have been given great promises by God (2 Peter 1:4).

I have been transformed and given new life:

I have been redeemed and forgiven (Ephesians 1:6-8).
I have been justified (Romans 5:1).
I have eternal life (John 5:24).
I died with Christ to the power of sin (Romans 6:1-6).
I am free from condemnation (Romans 8:1).
I have received the Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 2:12).
I have been given the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16).
I am a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).
I am God’s masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10).

I have a calling to:

Be the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13).
The light of the world (Matthew 5:14).
Bear fruit (John 15:16).
Do the works of Jesus (John 14:12).
Serve as a minister of a New Covenant (2 Corinthians 3:6).
Be a minister of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-19).
Be an ambassador of Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:20).
A witness to the Good News of Jesus (Acts 1:8).

I have been given spiritual authority (Luke 10:19).

I am part of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27).

I have direct access to God (Ephesians 2:18).

I am a saint and a citizen of the Kingdom of God (Ephesians 1:1 & Ephesians 2:19).

New Hope's 2010 Budget (Video, Part 1)

Matt Armstrong — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:47:00 GMT

To help give a better understanding of New Hope Community's 2010 budget, I have made a rather dry informational video giving details of our income and expenses. It is in two parts to allow it to be hosted on YouTube. Here is Part 1. Part 2 is below.

New Hope's 2010 Budget (Video, Part 2)

Matt Armstrong — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:46:00 GMT

Here is the second part of the budget video:

Happy Holidays! Bah Humbug!

Matt Armstrong — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:12:00 GMT

Here's a clever little rhyme I got on e-mail today. I have been on this anti-Happy-Holidays kick for a couple of days now, so I thought I would share this:

'Twas the month before Christmas

When all through our land,

Not a Christian was praying

Nor taking a stand.

See the PC Police had taken away,

The reason for Christmas - no one could say.

The children were told by their schools not to sing,

About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.

It might hurt people's feelings, the teachers would say

December 25th is just a "Holiday."

Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit

Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!

CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-pod

Something was changing, something quite odd!

Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa

In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.

As Targets were hanging their trees upside down

At Lowe's the word Christmas - was no where to be found.

At K-Mart and Staples and Penney's and Sears

You won't hear the word Christmas; it won't touch your ears.

Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-si-ty

Are words that were used to intimidate me.

Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen

On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton !

At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter

To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter.

And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith

Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace

The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded

The reason for the season, stopped before it started.

So as you celebrate "Winter Break" under your "Dream Tree"

Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.

Choose your words carefully, choose what you say

Shout "MERRY CHRISTMAS," not "Happy Holiday!"

-Anon.

Random Reflections on Riches

Matt Armstrong — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 21:54:00 GMT

Today when I went to pick up the mail, some colorful stamps on the outside of a large brown envelope caught my eye. The envelope was from Uganda. I opened it up to find letters, drawings, and photos from some orphans at the "Joy of [a] Child" Home in Mbarara, Uganda. Recently, people at New Hope put together some money to send to Uganda to purchase some basic items for these children. We provided things like toothbrushes and towels, a dining room table and chairs, and a water tank. Various individuals in the congregation "purchased" 16 different items. As I read the thank you letters from the children there, I was deeply moved. After reading one letter in particular (image below), I was reminded of Jesus' words in Luke 16:9. He said, "I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings" (TNIV).

The letter, addressed to my father and mother-in-law who purchased a table and chairs, said this: "Greetings from Ssemanda Moses. How are you over there? I write this thank you letter to you for the purchased gifts (dining table) where [we] will be meeting for our games and devotion[s]. And every meeting we will be praying for you. I am drawing a picture of all of us praying for you. [I] hope you will like it. God bless you. Your friend, Ssemanda Moses."

The fact of the matter is that if you are a U.S. American like me, you are rich. The trouble is that our culture tells us that we need more and more, and so "rich" always seems just a little out of reach. Nonetheless, we are in point of fact very rich. (If you don't believe me, go to www.globalrichlist.com, enter your income and see in what percentile of the world's wealthiest people you are.) When the Bible speaks of rich people, it is speaking to us.

My friend who has been to Uganda told me that these very orphans have often been so hungry that they have snuck out of the house to rummage through trash just to find something to put in their stomachs. By contrast, I just returned from the grocery store with seven bags full of food (so much, in fact, that some of it is still on our kitchen table because our cabinets are so full of food that I don't even know where to put it all!). In an age of globalization, we have no excuse for turning our eyes from the poor and the oppressed, the orphans and the widows.

I don't want to give out of guilt or obligation but out of joy. When I got these letters today, collecting and organizing this gift proved to be such a tremendous joy. And as I think about these orphans sitting around a new table praying for my in-laws, I can't help but think that they (and the other donors) made such a wise investment. They used their worldly wealth to gain friends--friends who will welcome them in the kingdom. Someday our money will be meaningless, but the connection that was formed through this gift will last on into the age to come. We may never meet Ssemanda Moses or the other orphans in this life, but we will have them as friends in the kingdom of God. I thank God that we are wealthy Americans because we have the amazing privilege of using that wealth to share the love of God with people near and far. May God help us to be wise managers of his money.

Oh, How I Love Coffee! (But I Hope Not More than Jesus)

Matt Armstrong — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 23:21:00 GMT

Today is August 24, 2009, day number 8 in my 30-day fast from all coffee products! It seemed like a good idea at the time — giving up coffee for 30 days. I have recently been convicted that caffeine has caused a chemical addiction in me, and I feel like a hypocrite wanting an alcoholic friend to change while I have not been willing to change and pretend that my own addiction is not a problem. So, I got off caffeine...sort of. I got to the point where I didn't need it every day. I would just have it two or three days a week. On the other days I would drink decaff. Finally it hit me that I was still psychologically addicted to coffee, so I decided to go cold turkey with no coffee, regular or decaff, for 30 days.
This morning, waking up at 4, I sincerely regretted that decision! However, I am learning through this process. I have been seeing just how much I depend on coffee.

This morning, drinking a glass of pineapple-orange juice I was longing for a cup of Papa Nicholas Hawaiian Islands Blend. I came to realize this about myself: I have an easier time looking to caffeine to give me strength than I do looking to God for that same strength. (Isn't that dumb?!) Today, because of the caffeine fast, I had no choice but to rely on God to give me the energy and strength I needed to make it through the day. He has been faithful, and it has been a great day. I think that's the part about fasting of any kind that is so hard (at least for me). It brings out "the uglies," which I would rather not see. Even drinking my decaff most days, I could still look to the regular stuff when I "needed" it, and now I see just how warped that really was.
Don't get me wrong. I still love coffee. The smell, the taste, the whole experience (from grinding the beans to the last sip). And after these 30 days, I plan to go back to my coffee. However, I am considering giving up coffee at least once a year. In 1 Corinthians 6:12b, Paul writes: "'I have the right to do anything'—but I will not be mastered by anything" (TNIV). And so I think this will be my new viewpoint toward coffee. It is a gift from God to be enjoyed, but if it starts mastering me (if I look to it instead of God for strength), then it must go.
By the way, another lesson this has taught me is to be empathetic with people struggling with addiction of any kind. I can no longer throw the first coffee bean, I mean stone. Coffee on the brain I guess.

Words of Affirmation for God from New Hope

Matt Armstrong — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 15:44:00 GMT

Wow! Logging in this morning, the system informed me that my last blog post was written 183 days ago! Where has the time gone? Anyway, yesterday at New Hope we were continuing a series called "The Five Love Languages of God." Our highest aim is to love God with all our our heart, soul, mind, and strength. We have been using Gary Chapman's framework of the five love languages (receiving gifts, acts of service, words of affirmation, quality time, and physical touch) to speak about ways that we can show our love for God. Yesterday's topic was "Words of Affirmation." I gave five different "sentence starter" slips of paper to the congregation and asked them to write out verbal praise to God using those sentence starters. Then we read what they had written aloud during our singing time. It actually turned out to be quite meaningful. For that reason, I am posting here what the people wrote:

One thing I appreciate about you, God, is…

Your faithfulness to walk with us through the difficulties we face and the hope you give us during them.
You put me on the path to your love and greatness.
You are always with me. You never leave. You love me so much. You don’t want to leave me in the state I am. You have control over all things, but yet give me choices and you understand how those two things fit perfectly together where I cannot. Thank you for being bigger than human understanding.
That you are always there for me and that you know everything about me.
Your enduring love, when mine fails.
That you made me and I am not a mistake.

Thank you, God, for…

Giving us life through Jesus. Thank you, Jesus.
Life and choosing me to love and know that I am loved by you.
Loving me in a way so deep that I can’t even comprehend it. I want you to be my best friend.
Your uncomprehendable peace.
Who you are.

I’m with you in your work in this world, God, because…

I will do my best [to] love as you love.
You always find the best way.
I, too, am a father.
You have planned the good works for me from before I was even born, and I trust you.
We can always take our burdens and lay them at your feet and simply watch you meet our needs.
You know everything about me and love me.

I trust you, God, because…

You make all things good.
You don’t give up like I do!
You are with me every step of the way.
You have been faithful to me even when I have not been faithful to you.
You are always there for me. You gave me a wonderful, loving wife. When times were tough financially, you helped me finding new job opportunities. I love you, Father.
You gave me life. You had given me health and have given me the ability to do all things I want to do. Thank you, God. I love you!
When I fall, you pick me back up.

God, you are doing an awesome job running the universe! When I look around…

I see trees, birds, bugs, animals, flowers, and other plants!
You are doing an A+ job running the universe.
I see all the goodness you have given me—a loving husband, adorable children, a crazy dog, and a safe place to live. Thank you, Lord, for all of your blessings.
I see that living for your kingdom of love is the only thing that makes sense.
I see beautiful flowers and the refreshment of water in oceans.
I see your love at work.

Jogging, Oceans, and the Glory of God...Some Random Thoughts

Matt Armstrong — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 13:29:00 GMT

I write this at something like 35,000 feet flying toward the frigid tundra of, well, home! Adriana and I had the privilege of going to San Diego to participate in the National Pastors’ Convention. Besides being a very good conference this year (which it truly was), it took place in San Diego—sunny California. Did I mention that it was in San Diego? Well, on Monday we flew out there (there being SAN DIEGO!), and we arrived to 54 degrees with rain and wind! I called home to learn that it was 52 and sunny! I somewhat sulked in this knowledge as I watched the breath come from my mouth while waiting under a canopy (It was raining!) for our rental car! The next day, Tuesday, it was about 60 and sunny in San Diego, but apparently the mercury flirted with 70 degrees in Chicago! Still, I took comfort in the fact that California happens to have an ocean.
I have to say that I really like being near water. When I was a kid, my grandparents had a summer home on a

lake in Wisconsin. I used to love the way the sunlight would reflect off the water and dance on the ceiling of the guest bedroom as I would awaken to the hum of a boat’s motor out across the lake. I think I have always liked being near water, and as an adult, I really like the ocean—the smell of salt water, the sound of the waves, the sight of seeming infinity, the adventure of looking for shells or marine life or exploring a tide pool. So, no matter how warm it was back home, we had an ocean! And that was a consolation. Adriana and I went jogging right along the water four out of the five mornings we were there. That was truly amazing—the smell of fresh coffee brewing at some of the little breakfast places along the boardwalk mixing with the smell of the salt water.
On the day of our first morning run, we attended the opening session of the conference. I had been thinking about the ocean and how much I enjoy being near it. The worship band sang a song at the opening session that made reference to Habakkuk 2:14: “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea” (TNIV). I like this. In fact, I’m captivated by the thought that some day the knowledge of God’s glory will fill the earth just as water fills the ocean. (If you haven’t seen an ocean recently, I would point out that it has a fair amount of water in it.) It was an interesting contrast running along the Mission Beach boardwalk. On one side are vacation homes and on the other side, the ocean. One side has the world that people have created, and the other side has the ocean that God has made. Running along, you see a lot of different people. There are lots of homeless people. There are some other people running in groups (teams, military, or whatever). There are some walking pets, and others are just walking and talking with one or two others. You overhear some of their conversations as you jog along (Adriana might not agree, but then she runs a lot faster than I do! Maybe I hear things because I approach and overtake people so slowly, but I digress.). Anyway, it strikes me how very unaware most people are of the “knowledge of the glory of the LORD.” People are talking about all kinds of stuff. Mainly it seems like they’re focused on themselves.
But I guess that’s it, isn’t it? That’s the problem with our world. We focus on ourselves instead of on the glory

of the LORD, which is all around us. There is this beautiful ocean, and all these people are just focused on “he said, she said” trivialities. How sad. And yet I am just like that. I get into situations where God is working (which is pretty much every situation in life!), and I’m oblivious to the fact that God is displaying his glory in that situation or in that other person’s life. How sad. Won’t it be cool when the whole earth is as full of the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the ocean is full of water? Then all will be well in the world, and we will live and reign with the Maker of the ocean and of you and me.

Friends, Enemies, Love, and Politics

Matt Armstrong — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 21:41:00 GMT

Last night was a fun night. We held a campaign fundraiser and kick-off event for Adriana. It was a chili

cook-off. Friends made chili and brought in crock pots with it. Then people came, paid $10, and sampled the various chili recipes, voting for their favorite one.
A few weeks ago, I wrote in this blog about how Adriana and I were each making a foray into local politics in order to serve the community. We entered into our races (Adriana for Park District Commissioner and I for Library Trustee) wanting to help bring unity between governmental agencies and to be instruments of progress and positive change in our community. Well, almost two weeks after the filing period ended, the good news is that it looks like no one has formally challenged our nominating papers, and so our names should appear on the ballot on April 7. More good news is that each of us won the first position on the ballot, which can give a candidate a boost of between 2 and 10 percent more votes.

     Last night at the chili cook-off, I was excited that there were candidates and/or office holders from the park board, the township board, the village board of Streamwood, and even me as a candidate for the library board. As Adriana and I have entered this whole new world of local politics we have noticed that it is easier to make friends and enemies. We have found that there are other like-minded people who want to serve their community and who want to bring unity and a cooperative spirit. We have also discovered that some of our new friends have made enemies along the way for whatever reasons. A sad reality in local politics (at least in our town) seems to be that when you become friends with one political leader, all his or her enemies become your enemies, too. I really hate that, and I did not expect that. (Perhaps I'm just naive.)
     This is sad and often times juvenile, in my opinion. At times, it has made me regret wanting to run for any office at all. I desire to be a pastor to Streamwood, and I do not desire to make any enemies. The only offense I want to cause is the offense of the cross of Christ. And so I am really torn. Today I preached about loving our enemies. It was interesting in light of my present situation that this is where my text for the week led me. I preached that I needed to "bless and not curse," which means that I need to speak well of my enemies. I spoke of how I needed to look for the good I could find in my enemies, and that I also needed to look within myself to see if there is anything causing offense to the other person. Perhaps by removing the offense in me I can make an enemy into a friend.
     And so at this moment I am really torn. Adriana and I have entered the political sphere,

and because we want to do all things with excellence, we plan to campaign as best we can, and we hope to win. At the same time, we are very uncomfortable running against anyone, and by no means do I want to create any enemies. But as I have said, when you enter into politics it seems that new friends and enemies emerge. So, now we need to figure out how to live each day in a way that honors God by working to see his purposes accomplished in our community and loving our neighbor (even enemies). I wish I had some keen insight or profound conclusion to share with you here, but I don't. I have lots more questions than answers. However, I suppose that's a lot like life in general. We must live according to what we do know, which in this case means that I must love my enemies and pray for those who would speak poorly of me. I'd appreciate your prayers for that as well.

The Irritation of Being in Community

Matt Armstrong — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 17:28:00 GMT

Tomorrow I am preaching on Hebrews 10:24-25, which says this: "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching" (TNIV). For some reason I always liked the sound of the phrase "spur one another on toward love and good deeds," but this week in studying this passage I came to realize something about the Greek word that gets translated as "spur on." Not being a Greek scholar, I am dependent upon the word of others, but evidently this word, "paroxusmos," literally means "incitement" or "irritation." (By the way, this message is in the context of a series on Christian community.) So, I think I realized why community can be so difficult--God designed it so that we would irritate one another!

The text goes on to say that we irritate one another toward love and good deeds, and apparently the word for "good" has the connotation of something beautiful. So, I got to thinking about this—we irritate one another to produce something beautiful. And then it hit me that an oyster producing a pearl is a metaphor for how this works. An oyster is a sort of messy, gross thing to begin with (Trust me. I ordered a pearl oyster to use as an object lesson for the aforementioned sermon, and it is gross and smelly!). But a pearl is formed when a grain of sand or some other irritant enters the oyster. The oyster then surrounds the foreign particle with what becomes the pearl. So, a beautiful, shiny, precious pearl is formed as the result of irritation. In the same way, then, God makes something beautiful out of his people when they irritate one another for the Kingdom. I don't know about you, but I need more holy irritation in my life. With this irritation—this spurring on—come beautiful pearls of love and good works. So, my brothers and sisters, we need to get in each other's faces more often, speak the truth boldly to one another, and challenge each other to do more and to do better. We must be people who irritate one another, for there is no other way to produce a real pearl than through a little holy irritation.